ran contrary. I still remember the destruction of Aincrad, shrouded in the red setting sun. He had certainly said it. He would release all surviving players. Moreover, by then he no longer had any reason to lie. He had definitely let himself disappear along with that world, this I wholeheartedly believe. However, be it an unforeseen incident or in accordance with someone’s will, the SAO server, which should have been completely formatted/reset, continued operation. Asuna’s Nerve Gear was no exception, binding her soul within its depths. What went on deep within, I had not a clue, but if...if...if I could return to that world just once more- If Suguha knew what I did then, she would have been furious. Leaving a note, I entered my room put my Nerve Gear on and started the SAO client. Surely enough, however, an error message coldly appeared before my eyes, «Error: Cannot connect to server». Once my rehabilitation was complete, my freedom of movement had been restored, and from then until now, I had been periodically paying Asuna visits. That was an extremely tough time. The feeling of something more important than anything else being unreasonably snatched away from me was far more painful than any physical or mental injury. Even moreso to the current me, powerless as a child. Continuing the 40 minute trip, pedaling at a slow pace, I got off the main road and turned onto a winding, hilly road. Soon, an