Sword Art Online Light Novel Volume 07

Summary
When a mysterious swordsman appears offering an unheard of 11-hit combo Original Sword Skill to whoever can beat him, Asuna takes up the challenge. Only to find that Zekken is a girl and needs her help in more ways than both know.

Prologue
Lisbeth asks Asuna if she ever heard of Zekken. Asuna asks if Zekken is a new kind of equipment. Lisbeth tells her that Zekken is a swordsman who has nicknamed that solely on skill. Asuna, also an Undine healer, received the nickname «Beserk Healer» became curious about how someone would receive the name Zekken.

Chapter 1


On New Aincrad's 22nd Floor, winter season has arrived. With the arrival of the new patch that introduced Aincrad to ALfheim, Asuna had set her goal to return to the house she and Kirito once owned in SAO. Upon reclaiming their home Asuna took charge of interior decoration, and their home became a hotspot for visiting friends nearly everyday. In this particular instance it is nighttime in ALfheim, while only midday in reality. Asuna, Leafa, Lisbeth, and Silica are gathered to do their homework for school, making use of FullDive's practical functions. Though they are fighting to stay awake, since Kirito is in his corner, sleeping with Pina and Yui on a rocking chair, and seems to have a hypnotic effect on those around him. After discussing whether Kirito was unconsciously using magic to make them feel sleepy, Lisbeth brings up the topic of Zekken. Asuna being unaware since she was spending some time in Kyoto, in a household without internet; her family consisting of a multitude of important people, and her cousins were in constant competition with each other. While they pitied her plight of being trapped in SAO, Asuna was completely unfazed. Lisbeth snaps her back to the present and continues talking about Zekken. Zekken appeared a month ago and posted a notice on MMO Tomorrow, that was taken up by 30 players and all 30 were defeated. The reason for people taking up the challenge is the offered prize, an 11-hit OSS.

After hearing about the unbelievable prize she asked if Kirito took up the challenge, he along with Leafa and Lisbeth all lost, yet Kirito said something to Zekken before losing and doesn't wants to tell them. Also after the duel he told Lisbeth that there wasn't any way that Zekken was a former SAO player, because Zekken would have most definitely received the Dual Blades skill instead of him.

Chapter 2
Upon waking up from FullDive, Asuna goes down for dinner with her mother, who informs her that she is receiving a in home tutor. Her mother disapproves of Asuna using the AmuSphere to perform schoolwork, while Asuna argues the pros of using the FullDive to meet up. Her mother then tells her that she will be transferring schools next semester. Asuna then begs her mother to reconsider, but her mother shuts her down saying that the school is equivalent to an asylum. Her mother then brings up the topic of arranging her marriage, which Asuna is wholeheartedly against. Her mother then tells her "that boy" isn't suitable for her, saying that if she wanted to be happy she should marry so she is materially free. Asuna protests and finishes her dinner then leaves saying she would consider transferring and asks if her mother despises the fact her parents were farmers. Her mother gets outraged and as Asuna runs away telling herself not to cry, and calls out Kirito's name for strength.

Chapter 3


Back in New Aincrad on the 24th Floor in Panareze, Asuna and Kirito remember the first time that Kirito visited Asuna's house in Salemburg, to cook the Ragout Rabbit. They then talk about what they want to do with their amassed money, from buying Asuna's old house in Salemburg to reviving Agil's shop, with interest to the owner. Asuna then sets out to challenge Zekken, and Kirito tells her that Zekken is strong, but in an unusual way. Asuna is then called away by Liz to go see Zekken.

Upon arriving at the square, they see a challenger resign and give up. After weaving through the crowd, Asuna sees a young Imp swordswoman daring the next challenger. Expecting to see a burly man, Asuna then starts to interrogate Kirito on the real reason he lost. Zekken then asks for the next challenger and Asuna stands up to accept. After setting the rules of the duel, taking place on the ground. After Yuuki, Zekken's actual name, send the challenge Asuna agrees to total loss mode, and with that the high speed duel begins.

Asuna strikes first but Yuuki dodges skillfully and then counterattacks which Asuna tries to avoid, and realizes that Kirito didn't lose just because his opponent was a girl. After realizing Yuuki wasn't used to fighting other players, Asuna uses that to create an opening using the Boxing skill she picked up followed up with a four hit combo. Zekken is caught off guard initially but is able to see through the sword skill and then counters with her own 11-hit Original Sword Skill to end the duel.

Chapter 4
After Asuna was defeated by Yuuki in the duel, she was rudely interrupted by her mother, who unplugged the AmuSphere's power source. Asuna was angered by Kyouko's action and they got into a fight, disputing over why she was so addicted to the AmuSphere. After the argument, Asuna was told to eat dinner, but she refused and Kyouko walked out of the room shaking her head in frustration and disappointment. When Kyouko left the room, Asuna felt the thrill and excitement from meeting Yuuki, so she got dressed and left the house with her mother asking where she was going. Asuna stopped in front a small park, where she reached for her cell phone to call Kirito, but then she had a fight with her feelings. If she called and met Kirito, she would have an emotion breakdown causing her to tell Kirito everything that had happened about the school transfer and how she isn't going to be able to go on ALO anymore. However, she decided to be strong even though she's weak in reality, just then snow began to fall.

Chapter 5


Asuna and the Sleeping Knights meet to hold a strategy meeting at the inn on the 27th floor, using her organizational skills as former sub-leader of the Knights of the Blood, Asuna assesses the team's battle strength. She assigns Yuuki, Jun and Thatch as the CQC front, Taruken and Nora to the mid-range, Shiune and herself to support. After resolving the formation issues Asuna left until the day they challenged the boss.

January 8, 2026, the group met up and began make preparations, Asuna notices that the group doesn't show signs of self-deprecation like most high level groups but rather they each seem to take personal enjoyment in the game. Also, considering school began today for regular people, Asuna start to wonder who these six people are, and how they met. Asuna had informed her friends of what the Sleeping Knights plans were and though she turned down their offers to assist, they sent her off with an excess of items to aid her. As they make their way to the boss room Asuna begins to wonder if she really is needed, and Shiune assures her that she has been a great help in avoiding enemies and saving time. After noticing some movement, Asuna casts a spell to summon [Searchers] which fan out and reveal three hiding players, who say they got lost and are waiting for their friends. Asuna still finds them suspicious but they proceed toward the boss anyway. The boss happens to be a two headed giant, and the group is eventually defeated.

Chapter 6


After being defeated by the boss the knight let out a small amount of complaints. Asuna then realizes that the group from earlier used them to gather information on the boss so that the larger clearing guild could beat it. Not wanting to have to wait for the next floor Asuna rouses the guild to go at the boss again. When they return they find a larger group waiting in front of the boss room, and a gnome warrior denies them access, and then tells them that if they want to complain they should head to their guild headquarters. Seeing that the guild is determined to block them Asuna and the Sleeping Knights prepare to attack only for another person to join in, Kirito wall-runs along the edge of the room, to appear between the two sides, and makes a declaration to the clearing guild, the way is blocked off. The Salamander leader orders the mages to attack and to everyone's disbelief Kirito cuts through them using an outside system skill called Spell Blast, which stuns everyone. He then holds up three fingers to Asuna telling her he will stall them for three minutes. The seven Sleeping Knights break through the 20 guild members blocking the way while Klein and Kirito hold off the 30 reinforcements in the back. They make their way to boss room, Kirito and Klein health falls into the red zone and as high level magic spells begin to fall upon Kirito and Klein, Kirito throws up a victory sign and the boss door closes,

Chapter 7
Forty minutes into the boss fight, the wits and supplies of the Sleeping Knights begins to wear down. Since New Aincrad bosses lack health bars they were unable to tell how much longer they had to go to beat the boss, but Asuna shouts to the group not much longer, again. After recalling Kirito's fight with The Gleam Eyes, Asuna comes up with an idea, and casts an ice magic attack to hit the giant's neck, proving that the neck was the bosses weakness. She then tells Yuuki to go for the neck, after the bosses next attack, Asuna tells Yuuki to go for it, Yuuki reassures Asuna by saying,"leave it to me, Nee-chan." Yuuki jumps off Thatch's body and strikes the boss's neck using sword skills to remain in the air. Landing five hits on the neck and repeating the combo her strikes staggered the boss repeatedly, and the boss started to crack and eventually the giant was split in half. With the boss fight over Asuna and the Sleeping Knights head to Asuna's house to party with food bought in the city. Upon arriving at Asuna's snow-covered home the knights remark at how nice the house is and begin to tell tales about the other VRMMO they have played, one including a bug-based VRMMO created in America. Asuna then asks Yuuki if she can join the Sleeping Knights which causes a shift in the mood. The Sleeping Knights refuse her offer, telling her that they are disbanding soon, and then change the subject to the boss drops. After concluding the party the group heads to the Warrior's Monument to see their names on the boss clearing list. After confirming their names on the wall Asuna asks about why Yuuki called her "Nee-chan." Yuuki stunned that she had said that logs off immediately, and was never heard from again.

Chapter 8
Three days after her disappearance, Asuna had tried messaging the Sleeping Knights and looking for them, and after talking to Shiune, she replied she had no information about Zekken in real life. She also stated that their reason for not talking to Asuna again was for her sake. After receiving a message from Kirito to meet him on the rooftop, Kirito asks if Asuna wanted to meet Zekken again no matter what, even though the Sleeping Knights said it was better not to meet again. Asuna retells her entire encounter with the Sleeping Knights and even still she wants to meet Yuuki again and talk to her again. Kirito then says you might find her if you head there. Asuna ask how Kirito knew, and he replies that is the only place that tests the MediCuboid.

Upon arriving in the at the hospital she goes to the desk and asks for a patient that may go by the name of Yuuki. She is then met by Doctor Kurahashi, who takes her to an isolation wing. The doctor tells Asuna that Yuuki is staying here as a patient involved with the MediCuboid. Taking advantage of the AmuSphere's ability to cancel out the senses the MediCuboid was developed to block out pain using that function. Where the AmuSphere or NerveGear could only block pain to the body to a certain degree, the design of the MediCuboid became the world's first medical FullDive machine developed at a state level.

The doctor then tells Asuna of Konno's condition on how when she was born a Caesarean section was performed, but unfortunately the blood used during the procedure was contaminated. After a month a blood test was performed and at that point the entire family had been infected with the contamination. The doctor then leads Asuna to a sterile room where through a window Asuna sees a person with tubes and medical devices sticking out of her. Asuna then realizes that person through the window is Yuuki. She then asks the doctor what Yuuki's condition was and he replies that it was Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS.

Chapter 9
Kurahashi continues to explain Yuuki's condition to Asuna, and how most newborns infected with AIDS are less likely to survive and yet Yuuki was able to attend elementary school despite having to take heavy doses of medication. She was able to attend school regularly until it go leaked out that she was a carrier of HIV and rumors started to spread leading to harassment. Shortly after Yuuki tried to transfer schools, her immune system started to deteriorate and that led to an opportunistic infection. This led to her being placed in full-time isolation, and, eventually, participating in the MediCuboid experiment. The doctor then tells Asuna that even though she is in isolation the bacteria in her body constantly multiplies and at this stage she would be blind and unable to move, as a result Yuuki has been in FullDive a full three years.

Understanding the pain that this condition has caused Yuuki, Asuna recalls the moments before Yuuki disappeared at the monument, and asks about Yuuki's sister. The doctor then tells Asuna about how Aiko, Yuuki's older twin sister was also infected and died as a result of an opportunistic infection.

Yuuki then speaks up saying she can see Asuna through the camera and then asks the doctor if Asuna can borrow the other room. In the other room are AmuSphere's with ALO installed on them. Asuna then logs in to speak with Yuuki, when they meet they hug and Yuuki remarks that her sister had the same smell as Asuna. Yuuki then recounts the history of the Sleeping Knights and how originally there were nine members but three disappeared and that they had decided to disband one the next one disappeared. So, they decided to seek an adventure to honor the memory of her sister. They explained that the reason they were disbanding was because two of the members weren't expected to last past March so they decided to defeat a boss just the six of them. Unfortunately, they were defeated and after much debate they decided to seek out another member to help them defeat the boss.

Yuuki then makes her final request which is to attend school again. She tells Asuna it is unreasonable, yet Asuna says it may be possible, surprising even her.

Chapter 10
Asuna arrives to school with a Double-sided Visual and Hearing message probe, which was designed and calibrated by Kazuto and the mechatronics course students. After coming to school they head to the teacher's office to introduce Yuuki to the teacher and explain the situation.

In class they begin to study when the teacher asks Yuuki to read from the textbook to the rest of class, and from that point Yuuki becomes a full participant of the class.

After class Yuuki asks Asuna if they can go sightseeing outside of school and see the rest of the area. Once Yuuki and Asuna are outside of the school, Yuuki directs Asuna towards her old house.

Chapter 11
Yuuki dies peacefully.

Chapter 12
At Yuuki's funeral, Asuna and Kazuto find out who the external provider for the initial design for the MediCuboid was also a helper in the creation of The Seed and took care of Heathcliff when he dived.

Volumen 7 Sword Art Online (Ранобе, Том 7)