12 AT THE POINT THAT HE’D TRANSPORTED HER OUT OF the labyrinth tower (through unknown means), Asuna had a feeling that the black-haired swordsman was talented. But upon properly witnessing him in battle for the first time, she realized just how inadequate that description was. He was strong. In fact, there was something within his fighting that couldn’t simply be summed up by strength. Something that transcended power or speed, something that suggested the next dimension. Asuna had no experience with online games or full-dive systems, so she didn’t know how to put this idea into words. If she had to describe it, he was “optimized.” There was no wasted movement in anything he did. His skills were precise and his strikes were heavy. With a quick swipe, he knocked the kobold warrior’s frightening halberd high up into the air, shouted a “switch” command, and floated backward. When Asuna leapt in to take his place, the kobold was still in the process of recovering its balance, leaving her enough time to unleash a Linear thrust into its weak throat. It was all very simple. She thought back to what he’d said on their very first meeting: “Your attacks are overkill; they’re inefficient.” To which she’d asked what was wrong with being thorough. At this point, she understood that there was plenty wrong with that. Eliminating waste created better poise, and poise widened her viewpoint. These Kobold Sentinels were supposedly much tougher than the Kobold Troopers she’d been fighting back then, but she could clearly see the creatures’ every swipe and kick.
After her Linear struck its critical weak point, the kobold only had a sliver of life left. The old Asuna would have evaded the enemy’s attack by a hair, then unleashed another Linear, but that would have been overkill. As soon as the pause after her sword skill had worn off, she jabbed the same spot with minimal effort. That was enough to reduce the enemy’s HP to zero. It burst into blue shards and disappeared. “GJ,” came the swordsman’s voice from behind her. She didn’t know what that was short for, so she offered him a neutral “You too.” At this point, the boss kobold’s first HP bar had just emptied. Diavel cried, “On to the second,” and more Kobold Sentinels poured out of the holes in the walls. Briefly forgetting that they were supposed to be sheer backup, Asuna joined her partner in dashing after the nearest kobold. The sword in her hand was brand-new to her, but it already felt familiar and precise in the palm of her hand. It was as though everything in the sword, from its leather handle to its sharp, glimmering point, was an extension of her own arm. If this is what constitutes a true battle in this world, then what I was doing before today was something similar, but very different. There must be something more. This swordsman is far, far ahead of me down that path. This is a virtual, illusionary world, and everything I do here is false … but … this feeling, at least, is truth: that I want to see what he sees. The swordsman knocked the sentinel’s axe high overhead. The next moment, Asuna shouted the command to switch on her own, and leapt in with her new favorite blade.
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