Abyss of the Shrine Maiden

School Day

The following Monday, SAO Survivor School

If she thought being the new student at a school meant for SAO survivors was going to be tough, imagine being at a school where, before you even introduce yourself, everyone knows who you are. She learned quickly that Kazuto and company are obviously quite well-known, but she did not expect that her name would be remembered by the masses two years later. Maybe Lueur’s book on SAO has something to do with it, but it still makes Koharu nervous. Thankfully, she’s in the same class and grade as Kazuto, so she isn’t alone.

Apparently, most of the group are categorized as 'third years', and will be graduating the following spring, either from the high school section (Asuna, Joshua, Rika, Kotone) or the junior high level (Keiko). Asuna and Joshua are, in Kazuto’s words, “too smart for us, Rika, Keiko, and Kotone are too...well, not nice words”. Koharu only giggled at the scornful words but did remind him that it was his girlfriend and best friend that helped him majorly on his homework the previous week. It didn’t help that one day most of the group came over and listened to them tell the story about four of Sword Art Online’s top players during the early weeks of the game, which distracted Kazuto a lot.

Right now she walks with Kazuto to the cafeteria, listening to him talk...about something technology-like. Something about a camera that Yui and Strea can use to “experience” the real world and upgrading it… Yeah, technology is not her forte. But she listens to him explain it in simple detail since she hasn’t seen it, then Kazuto said Joshua’s home is practically an AI's paradise. He laughed about it too for some reason.

“About time you two got here,” Kotone says as Koharu and Kazuto arrive at the lunch table. Present already with Kotone are Keiko, Rika, Asuna, and Joshua. Kazuto waves lazily and sits by Asuna, receiving a lunchbox from her. Koharu, meanwhile, finds herself seated beside Keiko, somewhat let down and certainly jealous and annoyed that she can’t sit by Joshua (who sits between Kotone and Rika).

Joshua ignores that detail (not that he can do anything about it if he did) and places his drink on the table. “All right, now that everyone’s here, I’ll report on what Shino and I found about Aincrad.”

“You sure you don’t want to wait until we all meet up?”

“This should be fine,” Asuna answers Rika. “We can reiterate everything to Suguha, Klein, and Agil later, and Rain whenever she rejoins us.”

“Sucks to be a busy idol, but at least she doesn’t have to come to school. All right, what did you and Shino find?”

“Well...forget everything you know about old Aincrad and New Aincrad, especially us former frontliners. The next floor is not above but below the Stalvatos Ruins.”

“Below?”

“Weird.”

“Right? Chatter says that there's a volcano and a fortress there.”

Philia’s eyes glow. “A fortress, huh? Then that means there’s probably some pretty sweet treasure hidden inside it! So is it like the labyrinth under the arenas or something?”

“Not really. Word is that there’s this path that leads down to it from the ruins of the arenas.”

Kirito holds his chin. “Makes sense they’d do it that way, considering how Aincrad is only half-formed. But if it's one floor down, wouldn’t that make the monster weaker, too?”