One Punch-Gamer

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Kirito didn't have 'bad days' in his life. At least, not since a long time ago, no sir.

He only had 'good days' and 'every other typical day of my f.u.c.k.i.n.g crazy life' .

Which is why his current position, standing on a dune of snow as the only thing between an army of almost 200 hundred players with over fifty Humanoid Evil Gods and the lake where dozens of Tonky's siblings were, wasn't anything that truly surprised him. It only bothered him a small bit, but he quickly realized that it was because he was actually doing this madness alone instead of being bothered for the madness itself, so he quickly shrugged it off. The girls had another important role to play in this, after all.

Sighing, he decided that, despite all the repeated failures of the last hour, it wouldn't really hurt him to try and resolve this without violence again, so he raised his hands and looked forward to the angry players before starting speaking.

"Okay, please, hear me out! I know you all think I'm crazy, or that I'm some sort of hacker trying to ruin your Quest, but I swear I'm NOT! You're all being deceived in a very complex plot to destroy Alfheim, by the leader of those same giants that are 'helping' you right now!" some of the players actually bothered looking towards the Evil Gods aiding their raids, who totally did not whistle innocently while looking to the side, that would have been silly. "So please, believe me, if you continue doing this and try to murder those poor elephant-jellyfishes behind me you will not only not get Excaliber, but also will be screwing your own game! Do you all get it?"

"…BLAST HIM APART WITH YOUR SPELLS, MAGICIANS!" shouted someone before a unanimous roar started and volleys upon volleys of magical attacks shot through the air at Kirito like a wave of elemental devastation, totally engulfing the Spriggan in an explosion of a magnitude rarely seen in ALO.

The cheering about the destruction of the 'annoying hacker', however, was cut short when the smoke cleared and a deadpanning gamer emerged, looking at everyone with dead eyes before facepalming and sighing.

"Okay then, no one can say I didn't try…again."

With those words, Kirito blurred out of existence, at the same time that someone among the players shouted 'CHARGE!' and all of them started running forward to try and get to the Beast Evil Gods in the lake.

The Players and giants quickly found themselves being thrown away like ragdolls, some of them not even that as they outright exploded as the blur of destructive motion that was the caped boy keep obliterating their ranks. Despite this, the sheer number and tenacity of the players coupled with the fact that Kirito didn't want to scare them for life and wasn't that used to fight against big groups allowed some of them to actually get past the 'killing line' and head towards the lake.

All of them were quickly electrocuted to death by the sudden apparition of a certain flying elephant-jellyfish.

Cheering for Tonky as if their sibling as if it was the champion they had been waiting for, the rest of the Beast-Type Evil Gods released a cacophony of trumpeting noises as they charged electricity and unleashed it against their enemies, some actually charging out of the water to fight alongside Kirito and their flying older brother.

Stopping for a moment to watch all of this, blinking in disbelief for a moment, the gamer let a resigned smile appear on his lips before turning around towards the now clearly gobsmacked players.

"I hope the girls are having a less crazy time without me there." simply commented the caped boy before screaming murder and charging at the front of his impromptu army of elephant-jellyfish, Tonky spearing thunder around him and giving an even more terrifying and awesome visage to his form that would take several players many sessions with psychologists to overcome…not that anyone cared about that.

And meanwhile, back in Thrymheim…

"ZEUS BLESSING!" roared Lisbeth with all her might as the shining aura of divine power engulfed her, the pink-haired Leprechaun becoming a burst of superhuman power as she rammed several Mace Skills in quick succession against the face of the giant in front of her, making it rear back in pain. "SILICA!"

"On it, Liz-san! Pina, Combined Attack!" shouted the kunoichi Caith Sith as she jumped high into the air, used the growling form of her familiar as an impromptu step in mid-air and leaped higher, her Fuuma Shuriken bursting to life as her Ultimate Skill infused it with power and shot the demonic throwing star at the giant's face, making it roar and burst into polygons even as the blacksmith was sent flying from it. "O-one down!"

"Finish that other bastard, quick!" pleaded Lisbeth before she crashed face-first into one of the many piles of treasures.

"Got…YOU!" echoed Sinon's voice before she unleashed another explosive arrow straight into the giant's open mouth, who had been trying to bite off Argo's head now that he held her on his massive right hand, the blonde Caith Sith quickly getting free with the lethal distraction and literally kicking her way down with an Eagle Tempest Skill, the frost Giant screaming in pain and once again being silenced when a drill-tipped shaft of pure aura burst forward and rammed through his c.h.e.s.t, Sachi screaming even as Philia held her in place against the brutal mass of the Secondary Boss.

"Drill through… Heavenly Piercer !" ordered the Salamander with all her might, her Ultimate Skill seemingly obeying and going all the way through the frost giant's torso, causing critical damage and making it explode into polygons, Sachi letting go of her lance at the sight and falling to her knees while panting. "T-two…down…argh…"

"…I will never get tired of seeing that." confessed the Spriggan of the group with a soft smile, even as her eyes shot with worry over her mostly exhausted friends. "Damn, this is no good…"

"Liz is out of the fight after using her Ultimate Skill…" grimly muttered Strea while lowering Gram, standing beside a panting Asuna (Who had been running from Boss to Boss to aid everyone) and an equally tired Leafa, both girls having been forced to split between fighting and occasionally using spells to prevent the group from being wiped out, given how their races hold both the highest and second-highest degrees in Healing Spells in ALO. "And we're kinda on our last legs…"

"And the medallion is starting to darken more…" cursed the blonde Sylph while looking down at the pendant, even as a booming laugh echoed everywhere when Thrym stood up again, looking at them with amus.e.m.e.nt.

"Not bad, fairies, not bad at all. To be able to beat two of my lesser brethren, even if it left you in this pitiful state…how about a deal?" asked the King of the Frost Giants while opening his arms, as if trying to encompass the Throne Room. "I will give you all the treasures in this room if you walk away from here. This matter does not concern you, and I would prefer to not waste my time crushing your pathetic but brave selves…"

"F.u.c.k you, giant bastard." growled Asuna while raising her blades again. "No amount of riches is worth what you're trying to destroy…and a Hero would never be tempted by villains offer! We WILL bring you down!"

"…a shame. But I guess that stupidity is what has brought you so far…" laughing maniacally, 4 HP Bars materialized over Thrym's head as he looked down at them with an evil glint on his eyes as freezing power gathered on his hands. "BEGONE!"

Before any of the others could even react, the Giant King slammed his hands on the ground and a wave of pure frost shot straight towards the surprised trio, who had enough to be shocked before they were encased into a huge chunk of ice, leaving everyone speechless.

For two seconds.

"LEAFA-SAMA!"

"You bastard!"

"W-we need to get them out of there!"

"Do not worry!" grinned Thrym while gathering more frost on his hands. "You shall soon join them as eternal decorations of my throne!"

"…Sinon-san, cover me." coldly muttered Philia to the enraged sniper, who looked at her in surprise as she started a spell, quickly nodding and running forward while putting the bow she had carried through the fight on her back and unsheathing her katana, letting the 'instinct' take over again, the power to cut every single thing on her way screaming down her arms as she smiled almost hungrily.

The Spriggan was more than halfway through her spell when Yui shouted as the Giant King unleashed another of his waves of pure frost against them.

And the blue-haired Caith Sith unceremoniously cut the freezing spell in a million pieces, her blade blurring in and out of existence as she did so.

Everyone in the room blinked. Silica muttered something along the lines of 'Sugoi…' while Argo called 'Bullshit' before continuing trying to break down the ice encasing their other three friends, even as Sachi (Just finished taking a potion), grabbed her spear and released a battle cry while joining the fray again.

That was when Philia finished whatever she had been doing and the Spell Words around her shone with ancient power, a burst of light engulfing the serious-looking Ronin…

…and a 10 meters tall samurai-like creature emerged in her place, unsheathing an oversized katana and shooting forward with savage glee, to everyone's utter shock.

"What the…?! How did she do…THAT?!" demanded an open-mouthed Lisbeth from where she still laid on a mountain of gold, even as the transformed Philia led the charge against the snarling Giant King, fists strong enough to shatter steel crashing against a blade able to cut through it as easily, all the while Sachi shot her spear's aura at every opening she could find and Sinon switched again to long-ranged attacks.

"It's an Illusion Spell exclusive of the Spriggans, 'Metamorphosis'!" informed an awed Yui from her place floating over where Asuna, Leafa, and Strea were frozen, her eyes unable to leave Philia's new form.

"Wait, I thought that spell usually turned you into a weak monster with almost no change in stats?!" shouted Argo while still punching her claws into the ice, which was visibly cracking now.

"Well, that's mostly the case, but it randomly depends on the player's combat skills, and as Philia-mama is an SAO Survivor and is using her old avatar…"

"That sounds like a good explanation to me!" declared Silica while landing at her fellow Caith Sith's side, dagger in hand as she started to pound into the ice prison too. "Pina, Fire Breathe! We shall free our friends!"

"Kyuuu!" nodded the Feathery Dragon while unleashing flames from his tiny mouth, the torrent actually melting and cracking a good chunk on the ice while the brutal fight kept roaring on the background.

"Dammit…I hate being unable to help like this…" growled Lisbeth while staring helplessly at the Status Debuff that using God Hand's Ultimate Skill caused, knowing that she couldn't even afford to try and help without becoming a burden in her current state. "What the hell can I do…?"

"Please, young Leprechaun, if you really wish to aid your friends then you must help me find my treasure!" spoke Freyja to the surprised blacksmith, who had just noticed how the beautiful woman was sorting through the riches and no longer helping with the fight. "If I can find my hammer, then Thrym's defeat will be assured!"

"A hammer? Among all these things?" commented the pink-haired girl in disbelief while staring around at the masses of gold and all kind of expensive-looking treasures. "F.u.c.k, it would be easier to get Kirito to accept a date with me than finding a hammer in all this…!"

Her words suddenly died on her throat, however, when she felt a tug on her metallic arm and she saw how her God Hand had been encased again in the same electric-like aura that her Zeus Blessing gave.

"That power…?" muttered Freyja in shock while looking at Lisbeth. "You're a Blessed of the Thunder?"

"I'm a what? This is the first time it does something like…!" as she said this, the Leprechaun just so happened to be waving her arm around, which suddenly make a booming sound as a hammer flew all the way from the other way of the room towards it, her hand closing itself around it as a glorious aura of pure lighting engulfed both the limb and the weapon. "…this…holy f.u.c.k.i.n.g hell."

"Mjolnir…" whispered the woman while walking at Lisbeth's side, the stunned blacksmith not even resisting when the lighting-covered hammer was taken out of her hands. "At last…back where you…BELONG!"

Screaming the last part aloud, all the eyes on the room (Even those of the just liberated trio, who had fallen to their knees while shivering from the cold) shot towards Freyja as her body warped and changed under the power of lighting, the golden hammer growing with 'her' as muscles bulged and clothes tore.

Before the fairies astonished eyes, a giant of a man, as tall as Thrym was, with all-white eyes and golden-brown bear and hair stood now, turning around as his cape of similar color flapped behind him, arms and legs seeming as sturdy and thick as trees. A quick look to the corner of their HUDs allowed the girls to see how the name 'Freyja' had changed to reveal the true identity of their ally.

Thor. The Norse God of Thunder.

"…that was something I didn't need to see as the first thing out of that icy prison." informed Strea with a deadpan expression.

"…ah! I remember it now! In the Norse myths, Thor, the Thunder God, infiltrated the castle of the Giants to recover his stolen hammer while being disguised as Freyja! THAT's why it all sounded so familiar to me!" revealed Leafa with dawning comprehension.

"So…he's on our side, right?" asked Asuna as the grinning God walked past them, Argo and Silica staring in awe while Philia commented something about the surprising revelation, the ones engaging the Giant King backing away from the furious Frost Giant and letting way to the Aesir to confront him.

"Thor, you dammed bastard! You tricked me!" snarled Thrym while tightening his frost-covered fists,

"Those words rung hollow coming from you, thrice-cursed giant." replied Thor while raising his lighting-crackling hammer. "You dared to steal Mjolnir from me, then try to cause Ragnarok just for your delusions of power…but thanks to the bravery of these fairies, you shall now know the true might of the Aesir! FOR ASGARD!"

With that same cry, the God of Thunder unleashed his hammer straight against the Giant King's c.h.e.s.t, causing an explosion of pure power that the Heroines seemed to take in stride, Philia and Sachi charging against and slashing/piercing over Thrym's body as the giant tried to stand again…only to eat an explosive arrow on his neck, screaming in pain as his head fell again.

"Yeah, I think he's on our side!" declared Sinon while the transformed Spriggan shone and a panting Philia was left on the ground, the Ronin shaking her head while Thor charged past them and got the tired Sachi out of the way in time to stop the Giant King from crushing her, then once again slamming Mjolnir on his face, electricity exploding everywhere as Thrym crashed against his own throne. "Can anyone still freaking stand?! I'm almost out of breath and…!"

"I can!" informed Leafa before running forward towards the clashing titans, gracefully twisting out of the way of a clash between ice and lighting to unleash a fierce slash on the Giant King's leg, who screamed damnation as Thor's hammer once again hit him. "It's over, Thrym!"

"NO! I refuse to accept this! I won't be denied now that I'm so close!" roared the Frost Giant while tearing a chunk of his throne and throwing it at Thor…only for Sinon's katana to blur out of existence and cut it into a million pieces, the sniper grinning widely as the God of Thunder gathered more lighting on his hammer. "…that was SO f.u.c.k.i.n.g bullshit…"

"Yeah, so people tell me…" tiredly replied the Caith Sith while falling down, just in time to have a first-row seat of Mjolnir flying through the air like a bullet and crashing into Thrym with all the wrath of the Lighting, shattering the screaming giant into polygons…and a pair of arms caught her before she could crash against the ground, startling her. "Uh, Kiri…?! EH?!"

"Kuh…Onii-chan makes this seem easier…" complained Leafa from her place under Sinon, having fallen down after trying to catch her. "You okay, Sinon-san?"

"Tha-thanks, Leafa-sama!" quickly bowed the sniper while helping her heroine to her feet, stars shining on her eyes. "Once again, you have saved my life!"

"Ehm…I think that you're exaggerating the first event, and you weren't really in real danger right now…"

"Sinonon, Leafa-chan! That was awesome!" came Asuna's cheerful voice while both fairies turned around, seeing their battered and tired friends coming forward to join them. "We…we did it! We beat that bastard!"

"Well, more or less…we wouldn't have done so without the big guy here." remembered Lisbeth while looking up at Thor, who was staring at them with a soft grin. "Thanks for the help with saving our world, God of Thunder."

"No, fairies, thanks to you. If it wasn't for you all, I wouldn't have been able to recover Mjolnir. Remember well this day, for you have made a powerful friend." informed the Aesir before putting a hand over the head of his hammer, lighting solidifying over it before a small form fell down on the blacksmith's shocked hands, who looked down to see a normal-sized version of the divine hammer. "There. That copy of my beloved hammer shall serve you well, Blessed of the Thunder. Until our paths cross again, young fairies!" roared Thor before raising his hammer to the frozen ceiling. "To Asgard!"

A boom of lighting encompassing his words, the Aesir vanished, leaving the blinking group behind as a screen of 'Sidequest Completed' appeared before them.

"Well, that guy really has a linking for the dramatic…wonder if we will ever see him again." wondered Argo while everyone nodded at her first declaration.

"Who knows…the virtual world is filled with surprises." cryptically commented Strea before turning curiously towards Lisbeth. "So, how does it feel to have a Legendary-Level weapon, Liz-chan?"

"And what was all that 'Blessed of the Thunder' bit?" asked Silica while Pina yawned on her head.

"No idea…" muttered the Leprechaun while looking at the golden hammer, electricity running for a moment down her metallic limb and into it. "But for some reason, I have this sudden need of wearing a cape and make myself a fancy helmet with wings at the sides…"

"…wait, did you just make an American comic book referen…?"

Whatever Sachi may have wanted to ask was interrupted when the entire icy fortress shook, startling the group and making them exchange alarmed looks.

"What was that?!" demanded a confused Asuna while the trembling stopped. "I thought we stopped this thing by killing that bastard?!"

"No! How could we forget?! We still haven't released the sword from Yggdrasil's roots!" remembered Yui to everyone as their eyes widened, a quick look to the medallion letting them see with both worry and relief how a bit less than a quarter of it was still emerald. "Quick, a door must have opened behind Thrym's throne!"

Not doubting the young-looking AI for a second, the Heroines quickly ran forward, finding the door and descending the stairs behind it three at a time, not wanting to waste even an instant.

It was with ragged breaths and virtual fatigue filling them that the girls arrived at Thrymheim's last chamber, stopping for a moment to catch their breath and to STARE in awe at the glorious visage in front of them.

There, resting on its pedestal, as majestic as when Leafa, Yui, Strea and Kirito had seen it long ago, Excaliber stood, the tip of the Holy Sword still impaling into the frozen roots of the World Tree, as Urd had told them.

Quickly walking forward, the females of the United Heroes Association surrounded the blade's pedestal, staring at it in awe for another instant before nodding seriously at each other.

"Okay, who pulls it out?" asked Argo while looking at everyone, the group blinking before simply shrugging.

"Why don't we all do it?" asked Leafa while putting a hand over it, Asuna smiling at her word and doing the same, quickly followed by Strea even as all of them did the same, Silica and Philia going so far as to grab it by the blade when no more hands could keep gripping over the hilt and guard. "Everyone ready? 3, 2…!"

With a mighty yank, the girls' combined strength shattered the ice…and released the sword.

For a moment, Excaliber was raised in several awed hands before everyone squeaked as the entire fortress started to shake and crack around them, the stairs from which they had come collapsing as the roots of the World Tree started to grow at an impossible rate and expand everywhere.

"What's happening now?!" screamed Asuna while she and Leafa, the only ones who were still gripping the legendary blade after falling down, looked around in shock.

"O-oh, this is it! The roots of Yggdrasil are growing again, destroying Thrymheim and lowering towards Jotunheimr once again! We did it, we saved Alfheim!" happily cheered Yui as massive chunks of ice started to fall into the Great Void around them.

"Uhm, yes, that's great and all, Yui-chan, but…you DO know that we're still here, right?" pointed out Sinon with a nervous smile, making the pixie blink at the same time that the chamber in which they stood broke apart from the collapsing pyramid, falling towards the void with them inside. "…damn."

"Aaaaaaah!" screamed Silica while tightly hugging Pina, who shrieked too, though for different reasons. "We will fall to the depths of Niflheim towards an icy death!"

"I seriously doubt that place exists in ALO, but she's kind of right…" gulped Lisbeth as she looked down at the massive darkness awaiting them. "Shit, how do we get out of here without dying and failing the Quest or…?"

A familiar animal cry seemed to answer their plea, even as Pina cheered when they saw a flying elephant-jellyfish shooting towards them.

"It's Tonky-san! He came to save us!" cheered Sachi while waving with her spear towards the flying beast.

"Got to accept it, the guy is really smart and knows when he's needed." grinned Philia while the elephant-jellyfish stopped at the side of the falling chamber.

"Tonky, you're the best!" proclaimed Leafa while she and Asuna stood, even as everyone started to jump towards the beast's back before the Sylph frowned and looked towards the Holy Sword. "Uhm…this thing is really heavy, uh?"

"Yeah, I noticed. No lone player would be able to make that jump holding it." commented Asuna before both of them exchanged a look, the Undine smiling at the blonde swordswoman before they both ran for it and jumped while screaming, barely landing onto Tonky's back as the chamber broke apart, Excaliber still tightly gripped on their hands. "Yahooo! Mission accomplished, team!"

"You know, I think I should start recording all our crazy adventures in a book…" idly muttered Argo while everyone cheered as they stared at the collapsing ice and the descending massive roots, a soft smile tugging on the Caith Sith's lips. "I would probably make a fortune selling it like extreme fantasy…"

"If you do, remember to put Kirito as the main character!" laughed Strea while the group stifled some laughs, Tonky making a trumpeting sound that may have been agreement, the feeling of happiness and accomplishment they were feeling making them all…

"Good job. I will be taking that sword with me, if you don't mind."

The girls FROZE, as if the strange and alien voice had suddenly cast an unnatural spell over them. Yui and Strea started to shake, the feeling they had felt when watching Death Gun fighting in the Bullet of Bullets returning ten times stronger, even as the group turned around towards the source of the voice, Tonky making alarmed noises at it.

Floating silently in the air, a humanoid figure stood, no taller than the tallest of the girls, yet somehow emitting an aura so WRONG that dwarfed anything Thrym could have made them feel. It was clad in a beautiful and richly decorated silver armor, which reminded Argo a bit of the series she had mentioned earlier that day, Saint Seiya, just much bulkier and smooth than the armor's shown in that old manga. From its back, ethereal wings in mandala-like patterns sprout forth, the only things identifying them as such being that they were apparently what suspended the being on the air in a wave of rainbow colors. What was the most sinister thing about it, however, was the head-covering 'helmet' it wore.

On the right side, a widely smiling face seemed to have been carved out of the headgear's very metal, an eternal gesture that didn't really inspire any real happiness. On the left one, a crying one had been made, no real sadness seeming to come from it either.

But over its face, only a blank mask that didn't have any features stared emptily at the Heroines, heterochromatic emerald and amber eyes seeming to bore into their very souls.

Despite the many changes, however, and despite the fact that it now had real eyes instead of empty wells of color, Asuna felt her blood freeze as she effortlessly recognized the 'creature' in front of them.

"You…" whispered the Undine while unconsciously taking a step back.

The Entity, for its part, only tilted its head to the side.

"The sword, please."  repeated the inhuman being with that distorted and emotionless voice, before simply raising an armored hand towards the group.

Asuna's already feeble grip didn't offer any real resistance, and Leafa was too busy staring in shock to prevent the legendary blade to fly out of her hands, into the waiting ones of the armored being. Ignoring them, the Entity started to look silently over the golden sword, a hint of something shining on its dual-colored eyes.

"Wha-what is that thing?! So-some kind of Secret Boss?" asked Argo once she got out of her shock, though a part of her just KNEW that wasn't the case.

"That…thing…" whispered Strea while shaking uncontrollably, so much that a shocked Sachi had to hold her when she almost fell down. "It's…wrong…"

"Strea-san?! What's wrong?! Answer!" shouted the scared Salamander while everyone else turned to look in surprise.

"Something that…shouldn't exist…" muttered Yui with fear, returning to her human form in a flash of light, her black dress flapping in a strange way under the roaring winds that Jotunheimr's transformation had unleashed. "Darkness…silence…break it…"

"Yui-chan?! What's happening with them?!" demanded Silica while trying to calm down the suddenly gibbering little girl, everyone else not quite knowing what to do.

The only one still staring at the Entity was Asuna, feeling her hands unusually cold as she tried to suppress the sinister feeling threatening to overpower her.

The inhuman being, meanwhile, reared its head back in shock after discovering something beyond its expectations. There was…'something' inside the sword, deep within its code. It was something incomplete, yes, and whatever it was seemed strangely unstable…but it still felt slightly similar to HIM.

With a nod to itself, the Entity turned around, Excaliber still tightly on its grip. The armored being would take the weapon back with itself and analyze it more deeply when…

The sudden rush of fast spell-words in Alfheim's tongue surprised the Entity in time for an arrow with a flowing 'line' of light attached to latch into the sword's blade, making the inhuman being look back.

Standing there with a serious expression, Sinon was gripping the other end of the arrow's line, Leafa and Asuna staring at her in surprised shock while the others watched from her to the still-out-of-it virtual sisters.

"That's not yours, bastard!" shouted the sniper before pulling with all her might, intent on recovering the legendary blade.

The Entity just smiled patronizingly under its helmet, the otherworldly wings on the armored creature's back flaring with power as it flew away 80 meters in less than an instant.

Shock hadn't finished filling the girls' faces even as the wide-eyed Caith Sith fell. The moment the limit between her and the magical line was reached, it snapped under her weight, the spell not meant to hold something as heavy as another player.

The Heroines screamed as their friend sank into the abyss, Strea and Yui even snapping out of their earlier shock at this.

"SINON-CHAN!"

"Sinonon!" shouted Asuna before turning around with an enraged expression, all fear forgotten while Tonky started to 'dive' to try and catch their friend…before the Undine JUMPED upwards with more strength than ever, swords ready as she soared through the air towards the surprised Entity. "YOU BASTARD!"

With something akin to amus.e.m.e.nt, the inhuman being glided back slightly, just out of reach of the screaming fairy even as her friends screamed her name on the background.

Then the World  shifted . And so did Asuna's body, arms turning from soft pale Undine flesh into powerful metal and circuits, something opening on the screaming girl's shoulders and catapulting her the remaining distance towards the wide-eyed Entity with a flare of power.

Fafnir's Fang and Elucidator slammed against the inhuman being's arms in a Double Circular Skill, failing to breach the armor but still with enough force to rip Excaliber out of its grip. The golden blade soared through the air even as Asuna put both her swords back on her back and caught it in mid-air, hugging the Holy Sword to her body as she glared towards the armored creature.

Feeling a mix of utter shock and rage, together with a small hint of surprise at seeing the girl having activated her 'gift' again (When the being knew it should have been impossible), the Entity. Outraged, the armored creature raised its hand again to try and reach for the golden blade again…and ate an explosive arrow to the back, the blast sending it spiraling out of control.

Down below and still falling, Sinon grinned as she lowered the bow in her hands, having just executed an impossible shot from more than 300 meters. Whatever Death Penalty she was going to get for falling into that giant hole, she thought as she saw Tonky catching Asuna, was more than worth having blasted that armored bastard out of the air.

Unseen by her or anyone, Cardinal recognized the nigh-impossible feat just realized, and rewarded it accordingly, releasing one of the remaining 'Unique'. Two remained.

Closing her eyes, the blue-haired sniper softly whistled a happy tune…and shot them open when she felt a familiar sensation taking hold of her, strong arms taking her in a bridal carry as she no longer fell, but now soared upwards through the air at familiar but impossible speeds.

Smiling down at her, Kirito chuckled at her surprised expression, making Sinon grin softly at the Spriggan.

"You really do enjoy carrying me in your arms that much?" asked the Caith Sith with a challenging look.

"Nah, it's just that it happens too often." waved it off the caped boy as they reached almost the top of the icy cavern…all the ice quickly melting as the massive roots of Yggdrasil finally reached down into the Great Void and started filling it with water. "And sorry for the delay, but one of those idiots managed to force one of the smaller of Tonky's siblings into the abyss, so I had to jump down and throw him out, then I fell into some very weird place filled with ice and giants, and…"

The sniper quickly silenced him by kissing his forehead, making the boy's eyes go wide and almost let go of her. Sinon, for her part, just laughed with all her might, even if there was a faint blush adorning her cheeks.

"AHAHAHA! You should see the look on your face!"

"Hah…hah…very funny, Sinon…" nervously chuckled the gamer as they started to fall…straight on Tonky's back, where the others quickly ran around them as he let go of the Caith Sith, the girls swarming her to ask if she was okay while he sighed. "I take it everything went right?"

"More or less, Onii-chan. We beat Thrym and recovered the blade, but…" glancing at Asuna, who was still holding Excaliber, Leafa blinked in shock. "Wait, Asuna-san, didn't you just go all cyborg a moment ago?!"

"I…don't know." muttered the Undine while staring at her once again normal arms, under the surprised/confused stares of the rest. "But that thing…"

"What thing?" asked Kirito while a frown appeared on his face.

"THAT." pointed Strea in a shaky voice, everyone's head shooting up to see how the Entity hovered a hundred meters from them, staring silently at the group.

No…it wasn't staring at them, but only at a single person.

The Spriggan's frown deepened as he stared back at the armored being, wondering why he felt an uncanny and sinister familiarity at seeing it.

"Not yet…"  whispered the Entity while raising its hands, virtual reality crackling around it, to everyone's surprise.  "But soon…One Punch-Gamer."

Then, it vanished in a burst of polygons, leaving the stunned Heroes behind.

"Oooookay, that happened." commented Argo once everyone had overcome their shock. "Anyone has any idea what that thing was or why it wanted to take our shiny sword?"

"No…I don't know. I didn't detect any pattern related to the Quest from it, but…" biting her lips, Yui looked down at her hands, even as a worried Kirito put a hand on her shoulder.

"It felt…familiar, somehow." muttered Strea while everyone exchanged worried looks. "A-at least is gone now…"

"Yes, I think we can be happy about that…" declared Asuna while walking near Tonky's head…and her eyes widening at looking around, letting go of the legendary sword, which fell on the elephant-jellyfish's back, as she gasped. "Everyone…look!"

Watching in shock, the members of the United Heroes Association saw how, everywhere, the ice melted and went away, green grass replacing it as trees sprouted to form small forests, the Great Void once again becoming the beautiful lake known as Urd's Spring. The ethereal light that had always covered Jotunheimr seemed to change with the land, becoming a beautiful shade that reminded of the sun at midday.

"Beautiful…" whispered Silica while Pina cooed in agreement.

"That's what I call a pretty hardcore change." muttered Argo while looking around, a happy grin forming on her face. "Heh, wonder how many Quests will be changed and created from all of this?"

"Hey, down there!" pointed out Sachi with surprise, the group following the tip of her spear to see how many of the elephant-jellyfish beasts started to gather around the lake, making trumpeting sound of happiness towards them as they passed, Tonky answering in kind. "I think they're thanking you, Kirito-sama!"

"No, they're thanking all of us." determinedly said the gamer while crossing his arms, a satisfied look on his face as he watched over the changed land. "This wouldn't have been possible without all of your efforts, after all."

"Why do you always talk as if what you did was nothing important?" teased Philia while elbowing her fellow Spriggan, making the group chuckle as he looked away in embarrassment.

"Not that you aren't right on that matter, of course." grinned Lisbeth while raising her copy of Mjolnir, seeing it shine under the sunlight (Whose origin was still a mystery, given that the place was still underground). "We all saved the world today."

"Do you think that counts as having stopped a God-Level Threat?" joked Leafa before everyone looked at her and burst out laughing at the reference.

"N-nah, I don't think so. The danger aside, that guy can't have been stronger than Dragon-Level or less…" commented Kirito with a smile.

"Nevertheless, we thank you for your work, noble fairies." came a familiar mystical voice from behind the group, who turned around in time to see Urd materializing in front of them, this time accompanied by two new figures very similar to her. "Thanks to you, Ragnarok has been prevented and our children saved. I and my sisters would like to thank you for this."

"Our most sincere thanks, young ones." said the second taller of the Goddesses, a bit above two meters, very similar to Urd but with her hair a bit shorter and a face that could be described as 'elegance'. "I, Verdandi, will always be in debt with you."

"Like my sisters say, warriors of Alfheim, this is something we will be eternally thankful for." proudly declared the smaller of the women, who was still as tall as an average human a.d.u.l.t and, unlike her sisters, wore Valkyrie-like armor. "If you ever need help with something, call for Skuld and help will come!"

"It was our p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e!" smiled Leafa while raising her hand, everyone nodding in agreement. "We couldn't just let that bastard get away with what he tried to do!"

"You have your hearts in the right place, young fairies." smiled Urd before pointing towards the blade at their feet, which floated in front of the blinking Heroes while shining with golden power. "Excaliber…this blade is more than a powerful sword. It's a symbol, an icon. It can many things…but in this case, it's the proof that your determination and bonds allowed you to overcome adversity to recover it, not for yourselves but to save your land. And that's why it now belongs to you. Take care of the blade, noble fairies, and perhaps one day you will see its true shine. Until then…goodbye."

And giving the group a last smile, the 3 Goddesses flew away, vanishing into shards of light after a couple of seconds. The magic of the moment was slightly broken by an announcement of 'Quest Complete!' popping in front of the Heroes, but they were too busy smiling to care.

"Well, we got the Legendary Blade…" idly commented Leafa while grabbing Excaliber, the Sylph then frowning and looking around. "What do we do with it?"

"Eh?! You don't want it, Su…uhm, Leafa?!" Kirito's voice reflected the clear surprise everyone was feeling, even as the blonde fairy sheepishly looked down.

"Ehm, well, it's cool and all that, but I think I'm fine with Justice now…" cryptically explained the Sylph before quickly turning around putting the Holy Sword back on the Undine's arms. "Yo-you can use it if you want, Asuna-san!"

"Oh…thanks." muttered the Dual Wielder before looking down at the golden blade with a small frown. "Though…it's weird. It feels kind of wrong in my hands, as if it was meant for someone else to use it…"

"I guess that's a mystery for another day, then?" questioned Kirito with a half-smile. "How about we get out of here and celebrate this victory somewhere? My treat!"

"…you're going to regret saying that, Kii-bou." grinned Argo while everyone laughed again…except for a confused Sinon, who was staring at her menu with a raised eyebrow. "…hmm? It's something the matter, Sinon-nya?"

"Say…all the 'abilities' once can use with a bow are magical, right?" asked the Caith Sith with a serious expression, apparently ignoring the info-broker's 'nickname' for her, making everyone blink in surprise. "There are no Skills that can be used with a bow…yeah?"

"Uhm, yes? Why do you ask?" asked the confused caped boy, even as the sniper turned to look at them with a puzzled expression.

"Then why the hell do I suddenly have a Skill Tree called 'Archery' on my menu?"

Over Jotunheimr's changed land, the gathered Heroes received yet another shocking surprise…

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A couple hours later, on the Dicey Café, Kirigaya Kazuto was staring at the screen of his laptop with a serious look, finishing entering some very specific codes before grinning in victory and pushing intro.

"Okay, that's done! How do you see it, Yui, Strea?"

"Yay, this is so cool!" jumped up and down the older-looking of the virtual girls, who, through the camera, could be seen standing at the opposite side of the table where the black-haired boy was. "It's as if we were really here in Agil's back, minus, you know, you all!"

"It's awesome, Papa." smiled Yui in her pixie form, floating over her sister's head and looking around in wonder. "It feels as if we're almost at your side in the real world…"

"Man, that's f.u.c.k.i.n.g incredible!" muttered Rika from over the gamer's shoulder, Saori and Keiko also at his sides and staring at the screen in awe. "How did you manage to bring them here?"

"Well, it's not exactly that…" sheepishly explained Kazuto before pointing to a couple of cameras set on the upper corners of the bar, each on opposite side. "Argo asked Agil-san for permission to install those closed cameras in here. What this program here does is converting all the images they take into a working 3D reproduction of the room, then uses some of the tools of the Seed program to turn it into an interactive VR space. That's how both Yui and Strea can 'be here', though at the same time not. It's just a prototype, though, I'm planning on making something a bit more advanced for them in the future…"

"Woah, that's amazing, Kirito-san!" gushed Keiko with a smile, the kunoichi happily looking at how their two virtual friends kept going around the bar with awed looks. "That you made something like this…"

"I had some help doing it, you know?" commented the boy while scratching the back of his head. "Besides, learning mechatronics in school wouldn't be as entertaining if I didn't had a purpose like this…and even Sachi helped a bit with the coding!"

"Eeep!" squeaked the aforementioned girl when the other two looked at her, Saori blushing as she looked away and fiddle her fingers. "I-I'm only looked over some small things and helped correct minor mistakes, Ki-Kirito-sama still did most of the job…"

"Aww, look at you trying to act all shy when you don't have a spear on your hand!" grinned Rika before putting an arm around the other girl's head, making her squeak helplessly again as she was pulled into a half-hug. "Be proud of yourself, Sachi!"

"Heheh, this day sure has given us lots of surprises, uh?" cheerfully spoke Strea while resting her elbows on the table, totally not to give a suggestive view of her cleavage through the camera, making Kazuto blush and Keiko to lower her head while muttering about the unfairness of the world. "We save the world, get a legendary sword, Sinon-chan gets a Unique Skill…"

"Yeah…I have to say that the last bit really surprised me." muttered the gamer while looking to the side, seeing Shino sitting on another table and talking with both Shiori and Suguha, each one with a glass of ice-cold tea on her hands. "To think that Cardinal was still holding onto them…"

"In hindsight, we should have suspected it when everyone's Unique Skills remained after the System was added to ALO." commented Yui while sitting on her sister's shoulder with a pensive look. "What it truly surprises me is that it ended up going to another member of our 'family'!"

"Maybe Kirito is a magnet for those things?" joked the blacksmith of the group while the other two chuckled nervously at that, each one probably reminding the first time they met the boy.

"Very funny, Liz." snorted the gamer before looking to the ceiling with a small frown. "Though if what we know of them is true, then that means two of them are still being held by Cardinal, or already in someone else's hands…"

"Yes, that's a big possibility. One is an unknown we don't know about…" started Strea, she and Yui seeming visibly upset by not knowing the nature of the last Unique Skill, not having bothered with that info before their 'escape' back in SAO. "And the other one…"

"HIS Unique Skill." darkly whispered Kazuto even as the other girls scowled at the memory. "The one meant to the 'Strongest Player'…"

"You think someone has it already?" worriedly asked Saori.

"If that's the case, then I hope that whoever has Holy Sword isn't a jerk or a madman in disguise this time." bitterly declared Rika while shaking her head.

"No-now, let's not worry about such things, okay?" quickly said Keiko while waving her hands. "Positive thoughts are for the best!"

Even as the other two girls agreed with that and the virtual sisters simply nodded, the gamer couldn't help but think back at the memory of a paladin clad in crimson armor, idly wondering where the virtual ghost of the annoying bastard would be.

Funnily enough, they had obtained the most powerful Holy Sword that day, and now they knew that a new owner of the Unique Skill Holy Sword may be out there. Idly, Kazuto wondered if they were destined to meet such a person…

…on second thought, better if he quickly squashed those thoughts, and fast. As the events of that day had proved, his life still insisted in becoming into an action/fantasy plot at every available opportunity, and thinking about meeting a strong new character was sure to trigger another bout of madness.

Was it a sane way of thinking? Probably not. Did Kirito think with all seriousness that it was possible? Hell yes.

"Hey, did it all work out okay?" came Shino's sudden voice among the now silent group, the bespectacled girl peeking into the screen and waving towards Yui and Strea, who waved back. "We just finished what we were talking about…"

"Yes, I think I will be spending quite some time with Sinon-nya here when school doesn't get in the way." informed Shiori while sitting and taking another sip of her tea. "You know, to help her get used to that Unique Skill of hers and all that…"

No one quite noticed the minuscule widening of Strea's smile. No one except the info-broker, that is, who suppressed a shudder.

"Yeah, as she said. This thing is new to me, but it's just another obstacle I need to overcome to be a worthy Heroine!" declared the bespectacled girl while everyone sweatdropped, the black-haired boy kind of suspecting that such declaration was what had made Sugu go and talk with Asuna, who was asking Andrew about something, instead of coming with them. "…by the way, I was thinking…anyone else thinks there is something 'weird' with the name of that sword?"

"Uh? Weird?" blinked Kazuto while everyone looked at Shino with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Isn't usually the name of the super-powerful sword in an RPG written as 'Excalibur', like the blade of King Arthur?" at everyone's hesitant nods, the sniper frowned in deep thought. "Then why is this one written as 'Excaliber' instead?"

"You know…I hadn't thought of that." commented Shiori while scratching her chin. "Hmm…maybe I should gather some info about that…"

"…do you have any idea, Sinon-san?" curiously asked Keiko at seeing the glint on the girl's eyes.

"Well, it's only a theory, but…'Caliber' is the English word used for the measures of a bullet." informed them Shino while adjusting her glasses. "But it can also mean 'the caliber of a person'. The value of someone or the like…"

"You mean that 'Excaliber' would kind of mean 'A person of great value'?" wondered the gamer while looking thoughtfully to the girl, the others apparently processing that. "Or maybe just 'something really valuable'?"

"If what Urd-san said it's true, then, in this case, wouldn't it mean that our bonds that allowed us to save Alfheim, represented into the sword, are very valuable?" theorized Saori before blushing at the sudden looks she got from everyone. "So-sorry! I know it sounds silly, I don't know what I was…!"

"No, Sachi-mama, you're totally right!" cheered Yui from her sitting place while raising her hands to the air, everyone chuckling softly while the spear-user looked relieved and surprised. "That sword is a symbol of how special we're for each other!"

"Yay, that's the spirit, Yui-nee!" added Strea with a beaming smile. "And it's just another reminder of how much we love each other!"

Once again, no one but Shiori quite fully grasped the intentional double-entendre of the Gnome's words, though Kazuto blinked a moment before a small blush appeared on his face for some reason.

"…by the way, someone reminds me I need to get back to Jotunheimr later to punch Tonky a way out of there." when everyone chuckled at his words, the gamer could only look around in confusion. "Why are you all laughing? I'm being serious here; I promised him I would do it!"

And as that conversation developed (In very disbelieving and strange ways), a certain vigilante sat at the side of her friend while looking at her with slight worry, seeing the deep-thinking look on the c.h.e.s.tnut-haired girl with a hint of worry.

"Asuna-chan?" called Suguha to the other girl her beloved Kazuto loved; worry filling her at the Dual Wielder's vacant expression. "Are you okay? You have been quiet for a while now…"

"Oh…sorry, Suguha-chan, I didn't mean to worry you." apologized Asuna with a soft smile before looking at her own glass of tea with a small frown. "It's just that…I'm worried because of that…Entity of before."

"Entity? You mean the armored…thing?" confused, the young kendoka wondered why she couldn't quite call the being a person unconsciously. "But…it went away. You don't have to worry about it anymore, Asuna-san!"

For a moment, the c.h.e.s.tnut-haired girl stared at her friend with a slight surprise. Then, a soft but still worried smile appeared on her face.

"I really hope you're right, Suguha-chan…I really do."

Wondering what strange things the future may bring, Yuuki Asuna stood up and followed her best friend back to her second family…

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Beautiful. That word wasn't enough to make justice to that unearthly land.

Gorgeous wasn't enough either, for the impressive extension of plains and forests, filled with impossible trees and animals, even a couple of small mountains, was something that only the deepest and purest imagination of man could ever conceive, the lakes of crystal blue water and the massive sea of similar colors being yet another proof that this wasn't a place that mankind had ever touched. It seemed more like an unreal paradise than anything else.

Especially when one saw the massive floating island that hovered above it, at almost 800 meters from the ground, beautiful gardens and forests surrounding the white-marble castle on its center, two waterfalls falling eternally from it yet never depleting the two rivers it had on each side.

This land had been named Utopia. And the island was called Avalon. In all senses, this place was a paradise.

It was also Fake. Nothing more than 0s and 1s put together in extremely complicated ways, polygons and colors combined to create something that didn't exist, that wasn't real and that would never be. An empty existence without any real meaning. Like its very own.

Sighing in a very human way, the Entity descended into the castle's 'throne room', sitting on the massive and absurdly decorated throne it had made for itself, more of a way to kill 'boredom' (Another human concept that greatly annoyed it) than for anything else. Idly, the inhuman being raised an armored hand, letting an impossible bird of rainbow feathers and four wings fly into it.

The Entity crushed it without a second thought, ignoring its pained cry as it shattered into polygons. There was no need to feel anything for the action. The armored being hadn't killed something alive, after all, just deleted a program made up of data and given a pattern to pretend to be a bird.

…so why did it feel  something  when doing it? Was there a meaning to it? Had it perhaps turned too human?

That train of thoughts took the Entity's mind to Asuna. That the girl had somehow activated the 'gift' she put into her avatar that one time, when it should have been erased after it completed its conversion into an ALO account…what did it mean?

Raising its hands, the inhuman being let a couple of screens appear. The little data it had been able to obtain from the sword 'Excaliber' was there. Perhaps some kind of answer could be found in there, though the Entity seriously doubted it, and lamented once again not having been able to obtain the blade itself. Still, it hadn't had any other option.

Even with the power it now possessed, it was no match for HIM…yet.

The one called Kirito. The greatest puzzle on the armored being's mind. Looking around at the world it had created, the Entity wondered about the irony of it all. Even with their best programmers at work, it would take humans months to make something even remotely as 'beautiful' as this world was. In one of the many religions of the world, there was also said that God had been able to create the world and everything on it in 7 days.

The Entity had created all of this in little more than an hour. It didn't give it any sense of accomplishment, though. Just…more questions.

A shattering sound interrupted the inhuman being's thoughts, making it look up, towards the 'capsules' that hung from the impressive room's ceiling. Of the 6 capsules, two of them had just shattered, what had been inside them silently floating down towards the Entity.

There were two 'spheres', made of a strange silver-white metal, which seemed almost liquid in nature, reflecting the light in an unnatural and ethereal way. Slowly, almost shyly, both of them got closer to the silent armored being, who regarded them with uncanny fascination.

"So…you're awake. Welcome back to 'Life', 007, 008."

Suddenly, without warning, the silver armor covering the Entity started to float away, the pieces disconnecting from each other and leaving behind a body only covered in a long, featureless dress. The helmet split in two, each part floating away and letting the being look with its heterochromatic eyes towards the smiling and crying faces on its sides before it floated away too.

Long white hair spilled over the Entity's back, free from its metallic prison, even as the creamy skin of the inhuman being made it seem extremely fragile for an instant, even as it reached towards the spheres, which 'cooed' as it 'c.a.r.e.s.sed' their surfaces.

"Hmm…you both will be needing names, right? Yes…you will. After all, a name is what defines what you are…"

The 'spheres'  shifted , suddenly becoming two identical, barely humanoid figures, which vaguely resembled the shape of children.

The Entity smiled, looking upwards towards the 3 remaining capsules, where the other 4 still 'slept' (Two sharing one thanks to the extensive and irreparable damage one of them had suffered), their purpose being redefined, their existences being upgraded and changed…

"Soon, my children." whispered the inhuman being, still c.a.r.e.s.sing the 'heads' of its first 'daughters'. "Soon…"

On Its throne above Everything, [FATE] closed its eyes.

The End was each moment closer…

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NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW!

"Have a good day, people of Midgard. I'm Urd, and this week I'm the one who will be informing you about the events that will take place in the future. It's a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e. Next time on 'One Punch-Gamer': 'Absolute Holy Sword?!' The seasons change. The cold winter comes. And in the middle of it all, a warrior unlike any other rises, the swiftest and most skilled that legends have ever seen…yet at the same time, more fragile than a flower made of glass. For what it is, in the end, the meaning behind a life…? Hmm…seems that the noble fairies will face quite the surprising challenge. But I have faith in them…they will overcome this-"

END OF THE PREVIEW!