It was early morning for Mizuki as she went to see Erika and Yui. It wasn't that long for her, but she felt like she's at peace with having her as a friend. 

She went to the inn, where she notices that Erika must not been logged in yet. "Hm, she did said that she was here for the night. I wonder what's keeping her. " 

Then as form of bright light, Erika appeared, as she stretched out her arms, and notices her. 

"Oh. Morning!" She said, "Did you wait for me that long?"

"No, I just arrived here in the inn. Did you have a nice sleep last night with Yui?"

"Yep, Yui slept like a baby. " Erika replied, as she pokes the AI slowly, pinching her cheek, "Yui, hey, Yui wake up." 

The little pixie woken up from sleeping, as she spreads out her wings. "Mommy, hi. Morning." 

The little pixie also notices their friend, "Oh, hi. Morning, Mizuki. " 

"So, you guys really want to go do this, going to the World Tree? The journey wouldn't be easy. The World Tree is the-" Mizuki was about to say, but someone else explains , "It's the center of Alfheim Online. 

You can say the heart of the game. Sorry, I interrupted you, Mizuki." 

Erika never seen an avatar like the person next to Mizuki. She has the Sylph Avatar, with long yellow hair and green eyes. 

Mizuki sees the confusion and awe of her, and she decides to introduce her. "Oh, right. You just entered Alfheim Online yesterday. 

This is my good friend, Leafa. Leafa, this is the Sylph I've mentioned about yesterday." 

Leafa looks at Erika. Something about her , it's like she met her somewhere in IRL. Leafa couldn't guess it right away though. 

"Anyway, Mizuki told me that you and Yui wanted to go to the World Tree. Why do you want to? What's your purpose of doing this?"

Mizuki said, "H-Hey, don't pressure her with unnecessary questions. I bet that she doesn't want to explain this right now." 

Erika remained silent. She really doesn't want them to know that the reason she logged into Alfheim Online was to rescue Kirito. 

"She's right. I can't give you both the reason Yui and I want to go to the World Tree, but this is very personal and we needed this. " She said. 

Leafa sighs, "Ok, then. I wouldn't press the issue. First things first, we need to make our supplies limited. There's a market here and we need the equipment for traveling. " 

Erika nods, "Good idea. " 

So the girls made their way through the marketplace and there were a lot of players that Erika hasn't seen before, and it felt nostalgic to her, with the people she had encountered in SAO. 

Erika took the sword that was used to, and also bought the supplies they needed for their new journey. 

All of a sudden, Recon stops and looks at his login status. "Oh, no!" 

"What's the matter, Recon?" Leafa asked, looked very curious of why he was so shaken up. 

"Look at this! It seems that Sigurd, the assistant of Sylph Bureaucracy, had betrayed us! He's going to attack the Caiths and Sylphs' truce meeting, by sending an army of Salamanders led by General Eugene!" He stated. 

Erika asked, "Is that bad, to try to stop a truce between races?"

"Very, it would result a banishment from your race. I honestly can't believe Sigurd would do something like this." Mizuki said, felt disgusted . 

"Then we should try to warn them! Where is this meeting being held at?" Erika asked, being concerned. 

She knew if Kirito was in her place, he would try to prevent any misunderstandings and try to make allies as he could. 

"It's far north of here. In Blue Valley." Yui said, as the pixie got out of Erika's pocket, informing the group. 

"Then let's speed up and go then!" Erika said, as she speeds up, as Leafa, Recon and Mizuki were astounded by her, as Leafa said, "Hey, wait up!" 

At Blue Valley, the two races were just about make peace as Erika flew in right in front of them, as the two leaders were shocked. 

Alicia Rue, the lord of the Caiths said, "What the-" 

The Lord of the Sylphs, Sakuya, was also stunned of the sudden appearance of Erika. Leafa, Retcon and Mizuki also came as well. 

"Leafa, what is the meaning of this?" Sakuya asked. 

"We'll have to explain it later, Sakuya. Erika has some business to attend to with General Eugene." She tells her, as both leaders looked at the mysterious newcomer. 

General Eugene looks at Erika. He seems suspicious of her, as Erika approach him. 

"So, who you might be?" He asked. 

"I'm Erika. How about this, we will settle this with a one-on-one duel? If I win, you have to back off from the deal with Sigurd. " 

"You knew about his deal?" He said, stunned, which make Sakuya and Alicia stunned of the reveal. 

"What you mean by "His deal?" Alicia asked. 

"He made a deal to General Eugene to meddle with your truce. He really didn't approve of two races cooperating with each other." Recon explains. 

"The nerve!" Alicia said, felt mad of this revelation. 

General Eugene said, "Suppose that I should do this duel. I will see if your skills are more skilled than just talking." 

Erika smiled, "Ok, here I go!" She went for it, as the swords clashed one other, in a flash of light, as the throng watched their duel. 

Leafa and the others couldn't believe their eyes of seeing her duel. 

"I thought she was a beginner player! How did she know how to dodge those attacks?!?" Mizuki exclaimed. 

As in result, Erika won the duel, as the group ran up to her as she pants with sweat from the duel. 

"Erika, that was amazing! I never seen that type of sword skills before! " Leafa exclaimed. Mizuki nods, concurring with her, "Yeah, it was a great duel! Are you really that skilled in another game, perhaps?"

Erika seems to sweat nervously, she didn't mean for being overboard with showing off her swording skills in public . 

Although, the duel kind felt nostalgic for her, remembering the time that Kazuto saved her from the nerve-wrecking member of Laughing Coffin, Kuradeel. 

"Erika?" Leafa asked, looking at her expression. "Sorry, just thinking about something. Nothing to be concerning about." 

The group was confused by her words. 

Eventually, Sigurd was banished in exile, and Alicia turns to Erika, "Thank you for saving us from a brutal misunderstanding." 

"Yeah, it was a good thing you did that duel, it was a remarkable thing to see. " Sakuya concurred. 

Erika blushed, "It's no problem. I'm happy to help." 

"Although... all of our supplies and equipment are out of date, we don't afford the money for new ones." 

Erika thought for a moment. She had to repay them somehow, for interrupting their meeting, she opens up her login log, and scroll of the money she had left from the market they shopped at. 

"Here, this is for the both of you. Use them as a tribute for the supplies and equipment you need." Erika said, which made Leafa and the others shock of her decision. 

"A-Are you sure?" Alicia asked nervously, as Erika nods, "Yeah, we're friends, aren't we?"

The two leaders smiled at the generous offer, as Alicia said, "If you need anything , we'll be there, Erika. " 

"Thank you." Erika replied, as both leaders were curious of where the group was heading to. 

"So, just being curious, where you all going in such a hurry?" 

"To the World Tree. " Erika replied, "There is someone I need to see. He's important to me, and I fear that he's in grave danger." 

Alicia notices of how sensitive her reply was, as if it was so important for the Sylph to go to the World Tree. 

"Ok, just give us a few days. We'll meet at the entrance as soon we can. " Allica promised. 

The group leaves as Mizuki just stares at Erika. She couldn't get over of the way Erika was acting, like whoever's at the World Tree is the thing in Erika's mind. 

"Just who is this person that Erika desperately tried to see at the World Tree, and who she really is, in IRL?" She thought . 

_________________________________________________________________________

In the World Tree, Kazuto was looking at the reflection of the mirror in his desk. For some time, Sugou always check on him, and has been punching some type of passcode. 

He didn't know that it had a lock pad at the time, mostly because of that ever since that he discovers that Asuna might be in Alfheim Online, he must try to escape and reunite with her somehow. 

He watches the man carefully as possible, as he mutters the passcode silently. 

"01342." He punched the numbers as he opens the cage. 

He run as his legs can carry him, but stumbles into a room . In the middle of the room, his eyes widen of what he saw. 

"No way. That's... a System Console! But why is it here? How is it here, I don't get it!" He said. 

Looking at the surroundings, he saw a black card, just sitting there. He instantly had this feeling that he has to take it . 

He took it off from the console, as two big slugs came up behind him, and grabs him wrapping him up from escaping. 

"How did you escape?" One of the slugs asked, but he didn't reply back to it, as both of them was annoyed by this. 

"Oberon wouldn't be pleased if he finds out about your tempted escape. " 

They brought him back to his bird-cage prison and locked up the entrance again with a system coding barrier. 

They left without noticing that Kirito had something important in store. 

All he can do, was to hope that Asuna would eventually arrive at the World Tree. 

He has total faith in her, as though that nothing wouldn't let Sugou do whatever he pleases. 

"Asuna.... please come to the World Tree, so we can go back to the Real World together." 

_________________________________________________________________________

In the Real World, Sugu took of her Nerve Gear, as that she sigh of relief. It has been a few weeks since dived in, but it really calms her down. 

She got out of her room, and make dinner for herself. It was kind of hard for her to cook for herself ever since Kazuto is still in his coma state. 

She just couldn't help but felt lonely. All alone all this time, since the SAO incident, she never imagined that of the reality that Kazuto wouldn't wake up. 

After she finished her food, she walks up to the bedroom of her older brother. It was completely empty, all she can see was the computer desktop and bed. 

She just stared at the empty bedroom, as she cling her arms to her heart. 

She couldn't help herself as she jumped into her brother's bed, as she hugs the pillow. 

"Kazuto... I really miss you." She whispers to herself, that she hopes to reunite with the supportive big brother. 

It was morning as she practices her Kendo skills again, as it was that it was her daily routine. 

"Figures that you would be in your Kendo practice sessions, you never rest don't ya, Leafa?"

She turns around, as that of seeing her friend, Nagata Shinichi, also to be Recon in AFO. 

She puts her sword down and hits him on the head, "I've told you before, you can't call me by my avatar name here. You're the only person who knows my avatar name! " 

"Sorry, Morning, Suguha." He said. They sat together on the front porch, "So, you didn't meet Mizuki after you logged out last night?"

"No, she told me that she has some business to attend to with her parents. " Shinichi replied, as Sugu said, "I guess that makes sense. I really wanted to meet her in IRL at some point." 

"How you been doing, I know it's a personal question with um-" 

"I've been better, but still, I'm curious, that girl, Erika, she is something else, isn't she?" Sugu asked. 

"Yeah, I never seen that type of sword skills like that in Alfheim Online. To me, that is quite a shock." Shinichi concur, that they both been thinking about the same person.

"Well, I guess I have to go to the hospital again. Wish me luck." She said, as she rode on her bike to see Kazuto. 

She went to his hospital room, to see that someone has been there, and it wasn't much as a shock to know who it is. 

In the center of the room, it was Asuna, who must've come earlier than she was. She was holding Kazuto's hand, hoping that he would eventually wake up from his coma. 

She quietly watches the two of them. Although, it pains her, it still have amout of jealousy, jealous that Asuna has so many memories of her brother, for who he was in SAO, and thus, she felt that she felt left out.

She just watched them in silent, as Asuna let go of Kazuto, as she finally decided to leave, as she was, Sugu thought, "What shall I do?!? I can't let her see me like this!" 

She was going to head for the door, as Asuna said, "Hey, I know you've been watching us... Sugu." 

She turns around nervously, as she waves at her friend, "H-Hi, Asuna." 

Both girls just sat together in the bench. It felt a little bit awkward, mostly for Asuna. For some time, she never get to check on her friend since she been in AFO as Erika, and though, it just felt out of place. 

"Do you know if Kazuto would ever wake up?" Sugu asked. Asuna said, looking at her, with her mind in thought, "How am I suppose to respond to that question? 

Should I simply tell her that Kirito is trapped in another game? No, I can't tell her, it might worry her and I don't want Kazuto to worry about his little sister coming after him. " 

She lied, "I really don't know. I'm just curious as you are right now." 

"Please, if you find anything, anything at all about Kazuto, I would really be at peace." She said to Asuna. 

"I will." She replies as Sugu leaves the hospital. Asuna sighs in total relief of the awkwardness has been covered. 

But though, she knew that she isn't done yet. She has to continue her journey onward in AFO, to get to the World Tree, as Recon refers it as "Yggdrasil".

Asuna took a deep breath as she walks back to her house and closes the door behind her and puts onto the Nerve Gear to ascend to AFO. 

"Link Start!"