Sword dance in the Grassland

June 10, 2023.

A few days ago, the Strategy troops managed to conquer the 40th floor boss. Because of Noah's presence and Heathcliff's faster joining compared to the original work, the knight of the blood was formed earlier and the Aincrad completion process was faster than the original work which only completed 28 floors.

Of course, not everything went smoothly, besides the Guild formed by the Raid troops, there were also Guilds formed by players named orange and red. Their activities were on the middle and lower floors far from the main raid troops.

Players named orange are players who attack other players but do not commit murder or can be called robbers. While players named red are players who commit murder on other players or what we usually call PK.

Maybe because the Raid Team doesn't have time yet and is too focused on completing the game or because it is located far from the front lines so that many cases of player murder have not been handled.

...

Floor 28Aincrad.

Floor 28 is a beautiful hiding place. Trapped in perpetual autumn, this place is a wonderland of colorful leaves, sweater-worthy weather, and pumpkin spice. Dense forests and rolling grasslands make up the floor, along with rocky cliffs and rough seas to the north and east. Rivers crisscross the land, providing transportation, food, water, and stunning scenery. The temperature fluctuates between forty and sixty degrees Fahrenheit, with occasional rain and storms.

The monsters on this floor are a variety of fantasy species.

In a vast expanse of grassland, a young girl of the Elf race who looks to be around 13 years old draws her sword and battles a Centaur, one of the elite monsters that inhabits the 28th floor. The girl has short black-brown hair and pointed ears that indicate her race as an Elf. The girl's sword skills are beautiful yet deadly with a never-ending barrage of attacks. Under the twilight sky, the girl seems to be dancing merrily. Unlike other Elves who are skilled at using elemental magic, the girl only uses magic to strengthen herself.

A soft light surrounds her body, giving her movements extra strength. With light steps, she stepped forward, dodging the Centaur's attack that was hurtling towards her. Her sword glinted in the fading sunlight, blinding the eyes of anyone who looked.

The girl jumped to the side, feeling a strong wind pass by her as the Centaur's feet hit the ground. She spun around, and with a graceful movement, swung her sword towards the Centaur's feet. Her attack was unexpected, creating a commotion as the sword hit the ground, but the Centaur swiftly jumped back, out of her attack range.

"Ah, that was close!" she thought, ignoring the frustration she might have felt. The joy and confidence within her never faded.

With a burning passion, she continued her attack. The girl performed a series of twisting movements, using her agility and speed to dodge the Centaur's brutal attacks. She swung her sword vigorously, each time trying to find a gap in the monster's defense.

The Centaur, though formidable, was starting to find itself struggling. Every time she tried to attack, the girl quickly dodged and countered with a flurry of attacks. She hunted for an opportunity to strike, feeling the sweat trickle down her forehead, but the fatigue never disturbed her focus.

"This is amazing!" she shouted in her heart, feeling the adrenaline flowing through her body. She jumped to the side, spun around, and with a lightning-fast movement, she slammed her sword into the Centaur's body. Although the monster managed to dodge, the girl could feel the positive energy flowing through her.

She watched the monster's movements, figuring out when she could take advantage. With full confidence, she prepared for her next attack.

Feeling a new inspiration, she decided to use the magic she had been practicing. Her right hand glowed softly as she chanted, pouring energy into her sword. With this new power, her sword gleamed brighter, and she felt as if the world around her had become more alive.

"Time to show you what I can do!" she shouted, charging forward with a speed she had never shown before. A powerful diagonal strike slammed into the Centaur's body, which this time was unable to dodge. The sword touched the monster's skin, and in an instant, a bright light spread throughout the Centaur's body.

In an instant, the monster staggered, a heavy rumbling sound was heard as it fell to the ground. The sparkling data fragments began to separate from its body, disappearing into the air like falling stars. The girl stood there, her breath ragged, but the bright smile never faded from her face.

She felt a thrill of joy in her heart.

"I did it!"

she shouted, jumping for joy. Her triumphant voice echoed throughout the grassland, disturbing the previously peaceful atmosphere of the grassland. She stared at the disappearing data remains, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction from her achievement.

However, there was no time to relax. In an instant, the roar echoed again, and from behind the trees emerged another monster. This time, it was a Harpy, with wide wings and a terrifying hoarse voice. The girl felt a new tension, but her spirit did not fade.

"Alright, let's do this again!" she said, her sword ready. She would not back down. Even though this was a death game, for her it was a beautiful world because here she could move as she pleased and experience a different world.

With unwavering determination, she prepared for her next challenge, stepping towards the Harpy with an optimistic smile on her face.

She ran towards the Harpy, and the monster immediately launched an attack with its sharp claws. The girl quickly dodged, feeling the wind blow against her face as the claws nearly hit her body. She retaliated with a swift attack, swinging her sword at the Harpy's wings, trying to reduce its ability to fly.

The fight was fierce, but the girl felt her spirit burning brighter. Every time she dodged an attack, she felt more confident. With every step, she danced between attacks, avoiding the dangerous claws and beaks.

"This is fun!" she thought, smiling non-stop. She felt as if she was in a dance, every movement and attack part of a larger step. As the Harpy tried to attack, the girl spun and slid to the side, taking advantage of the monster's every weakness.

She felt as if magical power was flowing into her sword. With one powerful strike, she swung her sword upward, striking the Harpy's wing hard. The monster staggered, a scream of pain echoed in the air as its HP ran out, Data shards began to separate from its body, and the girl felt a rush of positive energy fill her.

"Yey...!" she shouted, jumping happily as the Harpy fell, disappearing in a burst of light. She stood there, feeling overflowing with joy.

.....

Noah walked side by side with Asuna visiting various places on the 28th floor to take a break after the tiring fight against the 40th floor boss. When they arrived at the meadow, they saw a figure fighting a Centaur, Noah was amazed by the girl's sword skills, although in his eyes it was a sword skill that was full of gaps, but there was a very large gap between them, so it was natural that Noah thought it was full of gaps. Even so, it couldn't change the fact that the girl's sword skills were arguably one of the best in SAO.

"Noah, let's help" Asuna said as she held her rapier and was about to rush over but was stopped by Noah.

"Wait a minute" Noah said as he held Asuna's hand.

"Why?" Asuna asked, frowning.

"Look carefully, does she seem to need help?" Noah pointed at the girl who nimbly dodged the Centaur's attacks before launching a counterattack and killing the Centaur.

"Really amazing!" Asuna exclaimed in awe of the girl's strength, they continued to observe without getting too close.

...

"What a beautiful sword skill" Noah praised approaching the girl.

Hearing a sudden voice, Gadisbitu turned around and saw Noah and Asuna.

"Battle mage, Noah !!! Flash, Asuna !!!" The girl exclaimed as she ran towards Noah and Asuna with sparkling eyes.

While still in the starting town, the girl heard many stories about Noah and Asuna, becoming curious, the girl asked about Noah and Asuna. After receiving all the news about Noah and Asuna, the girl idolized them and immediately decided to go out of the starting town and start Leveling up to catch up with them.

"You know us?" Asked Asuna in surprise, because it had been a long time since she had wandered around the lower middle floors so many people might not immediately recognize her at a glance, especially since she was not wearing her battle uniform, she was only wearing simple clothes.

"Yes, since I found out about you guys, I've always wanted to meet and fight side by side with you guys" the girl said excitedly.

"I see, by the way, what's your name?" Noah asked curiously, she looked familiar but he was sure he had never met her.

"I'm Yuuki, Konno Yuuki" Yuuki answered innocently introducing her real name.

Noah finally knew why she looked familiar, while Asuna was stunned by Yuuki's innocence and cheerfulness despite being in this death game.

"Yuuki, aren't you afraid?" Asuna asked confusedly why Yuuki wasn't afraid of this death game.

"Well, because for me this world is better and more beautiful than the real world" Yuuki said optimistically even though her situation in the real world was very concerning and she might die at any time.

For some reason, seeing Yuuki like this, Asuna's motherly heart was touched and she hugged Yuuki while stroking her hair. Although their ages were several years apart, maybe because of Yuuki's background, she felt like a child.

Yuuki has been an AIDS sufferer since she was a baby due to a blood transfusion containing HIV when an error occurred during a cesarean section. Therefore, she was a child, she always fought against the disease and her body continued to weaken so that she could only stay in the hospital room. At the launch of SAO, because of curiosity and wanting to experience a different world, Yuuki asked the doctor who treated her to buy her a NerveGear.

Seeing the harmonious scenery, Noah felt stunned, he almost forgot that even though Asuna had a stubborn and serious personality, she also had a soft and motherly heart, this could be seen how Asuna could play the role of a mother to Yui.

"Yuuki, you can follow us now, we help you Level up instead of you having to Level up alone, it's dangerous. Is that okay, Noah?" Asuna said to Yuuki before looking at Noah.

"Really?" Yuuki asked hopefully to Noah.

"Yes, you can follow us" Seeing their gazes, Noah agreed.

"Yey....!!!" Yuuki cheered happily hearing Noah's agreement.

After that they began to guide and help Yuuki Level up on the 28th floor.