Afasys

Afasys (アファシス), alternatively spelled as ArFA-Sys in Western localisations, is an original Sword Art Online game character and the Protagonist's personal companion in Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet. Afasys is a rare type, modeled Type-X, of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) companion called the Artificial Financial Adviser System and her full ID is Afa System Type-X A290-00. Due to Afasys only allowing the Protagonist to use Afasys's official name, the companion was nicknamed as Rei (零) by Leafa in reference to the zeros appended to her Unit ID.

Gun Gale Online
Both female (canon) and male (alternative) versions of Afasys feature white and purple prominently as their canon looks. They both have purple eyes, white hair and a skin-tight, purple-on-white suit. While the female Afasys has short and straight hair, the male Afasys variant has short and messy hair.

Personality
As a Type-X Unit, Afasys features a distinct personality, unlike the other models. Afasys is a clumsy companion who tends to make simple mistakes while handling a task, and is very forgetful in terms of remembering key information. As an AI companion, their battle personality can be adjusted by the Protagonist to suit their needs based on various parameters. While Afasys' core personality traits are predetermined, how they express themselves can also be adjusted by the Protagonist to sound bright, stoic, cute, zealous, or serious.

With the addition of the first DLC, Champion of Gunfire, situational emotes have been added as adjustable parameters that allow Protagonist to decide how Afasys reacts to certain events, such as waving when the Protagonist meets a friend, or pumping their fist up in the air upon leveling up.

Fatal Bullet
Afasys was implemented into Gun Gale Online (GGO) as part of the Gold Rush update via a special tournament. During the event, they registered the Protagonist as their master when the player touched their stasis capsule device while examining it. Having emerged from the pod, Afasys hesitantly addressed the Protagonist as their master as Kirito charged at the latter, prompting the Photon Sword Wielder to halt his attack. After the trio were joined by Kirito's ally Asuna and the Protagonist's friend Kureha, the android focused on completing their main system check and startup processes while reiterating their registration to the Protagonist when Kureha attempted to claim ownership over them, although they acknowledged the girl as their master's superior.

Once their main system startup was finished, Afasys gifted the Protagonist with an Ultimate Fiber Gun (UFG), an unimplemented grappling device that was relatively easy to utilize. Having taught the Protagonist how to use the UFG, the duo and Kureha were automatically transported to SBC Glocken at the tournament's conclusion, where Afasys followed their master to a party held by Kirito's friends to become better acquainted with each other.

After the party, Afasys explained to the Protagonist their purpose as an Artificial Financial Adviser System, though their related skills and stats were low-level on account of their master being a beginner player. In order to strengthen themselves, the pair joined Kureha and Kirito on a tour of SBC Glocken, learning how to use the various facilities therein to prepare themselves for their expeditions into the field. During the tour, they met several of Kirito's friends that were not present at the party, as well as a gruff gunman named Bazalt Joe who saved them from being conned by a merchant player. While doing their own exploration of the city sometime later, Afasys got separated from the Protagonist, only managing to reunite with them thanks to aid from Daisy, another Type-X ArFA-Sys Unit, and her mysterious master Zeliska.

A short while later, Afasys revealed to Kureha and the Protagonist that some of their functionalities were incomplete due to missing a few parts; recovering these components would restore the android's abilities and enable them to unlock the SBC Flügel, a new area to be implemented as part of the Gold Rush Update. Having reclaimed the first part after a quick expedition into the Remnant Wasteland, the ArFA-Sys Unit gained the ability to deposit and invest their master's credits, as well as a vague recollection of the interior of the SBC Flügel.

Sometime afterwards, Afasys, Kureha, and the Protagonist were confronted by Bazalt Joe, who demanded to be given the ownership rights over the ArFA-Sys Unit. Though flattered by the man's interest in and gifts to them, the android refused to register anyone except the Protagonist as their master. Nevertheless, as Bazalt Joe would not be easily swayed, Afasys assisted Kureha and the Protagonist in defeating the gunman and his allies in two successive duels over the matter, whereupon they respectively received as a reward an expensive item and information on the location of the other missing ArFA-Sys unit components.

Immediately afterward, Afasys decided to take an unannounced stroll around SBC Glocken, during which they spotted a desirable piece of equipment being sold in an shop. As the ArFA-Sys Unit had neglected to inform their master of their allowance function, however, they lacked the funds to purchase the item. At the same time, the android had forgotten the way back to the Protagonist's residence, so they loitered in front of the store until they were discovered by Daisy and Zeliska, who escorted them back home. Once the situation had been resolved, Afasys apologized for not mentioning the allowance system to the Protagonist earlier before instructing their master in setting it up.

Having obtained better equipment for themself and the Protagonist with their allowance, Afasys and the others were able to follow the information they had won from Bazalt Joe deeper into the Remnant Wasteland, where they recovered the second missing ArfA-Sys Unit part. Subsequently, the android acquired a broader range of emotional reactions and the ability to switch between different outfits, as well as more memories of the SBC Flügel.

Sensing a disturbance while wandering the streets of SBC Glocken with Kureha and the Protagonist some time afterwards, Afasys followed the noise to where two players were haranguing another. Unwilling to remain an idle bystander, the android was about to intervene when Itsuki preempted them by forcing the bullies to retreat. Grateful for his intercession, the ArfA-Sys Unit and the others accepted the man's invitation to Alphard's headquarters. There, they learned what motivated their master and other players to start playing GGO, which eventually resulted in Itsuki deciding to accompany them on their adventures whenever needed, to the android's amazement.

Not long after encountering Spiegel, Sinon's friend from real life with whom the sniper had a troubled history in Sword Art: Origin, Afasys, Kureha, and the Protagonist were advised by Zeliska on where to find the last of the missing ArFA-Sys Unit components. To that end, they defeated field bosses in the Remnant Wasteland and the Solitary Sands in order to liberate the areas and reach the Old South, though they were forced to purchase information from Argo to progress further. Having unlocked and entered a sealed dungeon in the city ruins with that knowledge, the trio retrieved the third and last part, which granted Afasys improved language processing. With their functionalities completely restored, the android helped their master with vanquishing the remaining area bosses in the region so as to reach the Forgotten Woods, where the SBC Flügel would be implemented.

Once the SBC Flügel was finally released, Afasys joined the others in Kirito's residence to discuss their next course of action. Although they still did not remember everything about the ship, the android assured everyone they could easily access it as long as the group abided by their mother's condition of limiting themselves to one person per snack. Accompanied by Kirito, Kureha and the Protagonist, Afasys traveled to the SBC Flügel's gate to scout the area first. When the ArFA-Sys Unit attempted to request entry into the ship, however, they were shocked to be designated as trespassers by the Gatekeeper boss guarding the entrance and forced to fight. Despite their best efforts, the party was unable to deal any meaningful damage to the Gatekeeper, which prompted them to realize they must have missed a critical requirement for accessing the SBC Flügel. Thus, Afasys and the Protagonist reluctantly retreated back to SBC Glocken while Kirito and Kureha stayed behind to cover their escape, much to the android's distress.

Though Kirito and Kureha managed to safely return, Afasys felt ashamed they had failed what they thought was supposed to be an easy entry quest, so much so that the android fled while everyone else was occupied debating on what to do next. Having tearfully raced through SBC Glocken's urban district while encountering Bazalt Joe along the way, they eventually stopped in the square in front of the governor's office, where they were soon found by the Protagonist. Feeling unworthy of being the Protagonist's ArFA-Sys unit, Afasys requested their master to revoke their registration with them. Comforted by the player's declaration they wanted no other ArFA-Sys unit, the android in turn responded that the Protagonist was the only master they wished to serve. This enabled Afasys to realize they had misremembered their mother's instruction; they were supposed to bring only one companion with them per initial visit. Frustrated that they had forgotten such a simple prerequisite, the ArFA-Sys Unit asserted they had to acquire the entry key before they could return to the others.

Having returned to the SBC Flügel, Afasys and the Protagonist fought the Gatekeeper for the latter's right to freely enter and leave the ship. Since all the entry conditions were now properly fulfilled, the two were able to successfully vanquish the boss. Relieved they could put their previous failure behind them, the android joined their master in journeying back to Kirito's room to report on what they had done, with Daisy and Zeliska accompanying them. Afterwards, the group decided to create a squadron under the Protagonist's leadership so the ArFA-Sys Unit could more conveniently provide them access to the new area. Once everyone was ready, Afasys followed the Protagonist and the rest of the squadron into the interior of the SBC Flügel, where the ArfA-Sys Unit used their translation functionality to help the others explore the ship's bow. However, they soon encountered a sealed door that blocked entry into the deeper areas of the dungeon.

At an impatient Kureha's behest, Afasys and the others learned from Argo that they needed to collect three keycards from the other zones to unlock the door. Having gathered two of those key cards from the Solitary Sands and the Old South, the android urged everyone to briefly return to SBC Glocken for a break. As they entered a bar for refreshments, they noticed one of the bar's monitors streaming an MMO Stream broadcast featuring XeXeeD. While watching the program, the group witnessed a cloaked player approach the holo-panel and accost XeXeeD for his haughty attitude, before shooting at the screen with a pistol. To everyone's surprise, XeXeeD abruptly disconnected with a pained expression almost immediately afterwards, as if he had been killed by the mysterious player's bullet.

Sometime later, Afasys was contacted by Kirito to visit him in his quarters along with the rest of the Protagonist's squadron. There, they learned that another famous player named Usujio Tarako had also disconnected right after being shot by the same cloaked player, who called himself Death Gun; both Usujio and XeXeeD were later found to have died in real life seemingly as a result of that. Despite their concerns that Death Gun could supposedly kill people from within a game and might target their master next, the android quietly supported the Protagonist's decision to decline Kirito's request to temporarily discontinue playing GGO.

Having procured the last of the keycards from the Forgotten Woods, Afasys and the others returned to the SBC Flügel to unlock the door, through which they proceeded to the dungeon's depths, frequently returning to SBC Glocken for resupplying. During these breaks, the android constantly studied and imitated other players and their relationships to an attempt to develop what they perceived to be the ideal connection with the Protagonist, growing closer to them in the process. Despite several mishaps, this eventually culminated in the ArFA-Sys Unit concluding they did not need to perfectly emulate other people in order to have a true bond with their master; they just needed to grow together and adjust themselves as needed. Thereupon, Afasys promised the Protagonist they would always be with each other and work for a more perfect relationship. Seeing their master had also grown close to the other members of the squadron, the android crafted for them a charm to signify that their bond was particularly special.

Soon, Afasys and the rest of the Protagonist's squadron reached the lowest part of the SBC Flügel's depths. There, they eventually found the mainframe of Mother Claudia, the corrupted AI governing the ship's core system, being guarded by the final boss of the SBC Flügel questline. From a nearby console, the android learned the intended strategy of clearing the quest was to reinstall the system. However, as this would delete Mother Claudia, the android proposed that they instead physically connect to the mainframe, which would require everyone to first fight the Wary Hierophant boss. This suggestion having been accepted, Afasys assisted the others in vanquishing the boss, immediately after which the ArFA-Sys Unit set to work repairing Mother Claudia. Once they succeeded in doing so, the group returned to SBC Glocken to celebrate being the first ones to complete the quest series.

Alhough Afasys felt pleased by the praise their master received from everyone for their accomplishment during the party, they expressed concern that Itsuki had mysteriously disappeared from the festivities. Before they could contemplate much further on the matter, though, the Protagonist and all other players were suddenly disconnected from GGO's server after the celebration. To the android's relief, their master and everyone else managed to log back in the next day. Having joined the rest of the squadron in the Protagonist's home to discuss the incident, the ArFA-Sys Unit offered to help investigate how it could have happened, before deciding to organize a hunting expedition to distract themselves from the matter.

However, the crew's planning for the excursion was disrupted when Kureha was incited to fight the Protagonist in a duel, which resulted in the gunwoman leaving the squadron and severing communications with everyone. Sensing their master's depression over Kureha's departure, Afasys wanted to search for the girl but was dissuaded by Zeliska, who disclosed she was also temporarily leaving the squadron to focus on affairs in both real life and virtual reality. Further compounding their distress shortly afterward, Itsuki revealed he was leaving the squadron as well to return to Alphard, followed by Kirito privately divulging he would be unavailable due to entering the Bullet of Bullets (BoB) in an effort to apprehend Death Gun. Additionally, several NerveGears had been reported stolen from a research facility, though it was likely unrelated to the mysterious gunman.

Having informed Itsuki of Kirito's plan to capture Death Gun in the BoB so the man would not accidentally involve himself, Afasys and the Protagonist had just returned to the latter's quarters to determine their next course of action when they received an unexpected message. To their shock, the sender was addressed as Death Gun, who threatened to kill someone close to the Protagonist if they notified anyone else of the message or failed to follow a set of instructions that would be sent to their real-world address. Though bewildered at the implication that Death Gun had somehow obtained their master's real life details, Afasys reluctantly obeyed the Protagonist not to involve anyone else but insisted that the player engage in some last-minute leveling via a hasty expedition into the underground ruins beneath SBC Glocken before they officially received the real-life invitation. Once the ArFA-Sys Unit felt satisfied the Protagonist was sufficiently prepared, they allowed the player to log off to accept Death Gun's challenge.

To Afasys's surprise, they found themself transported from the Protagonist's home to an unfamiliar place shortly afterward, right next to their master. The two were quickly joined by Kureha, Zeliska and Itsuki, who revealed that just like the Protagonist, they had received similarly threatening messages from Death Gun and a NerveGear along with his invitation, with all the players' logout buttons disabled. Despite their concern for everyone else's safety, the android wholeheartedly supported the Protagonist's decision to confront Death Gun and escape his death game trap together. Therefore, they followed their master deeper into the area in search of the mysterious gunman, where they were teleported into an arena with a powerful boss monster, The GM.

To the group's surprise, they managed to defeat The GM without serious injury. While everyone contemplated Death Gun's conspicuous absence, Afasys was suddenly contacted by Yui. Having explained the situation to her, who revealed they were actually in a separate VR space from GGO, the android followed the girl's instructions to enable Kirito to be transported to their location. From the boy, the team learned the real Death Gun and his accomplice, whose actual names were Shinkawa Shouichi (Sterben) and Kyouji (Spiegel), had already been arrested; the Death Gun who had sent them the messages and NerveGears was only an imposter. To everyone's shock, Itsuki announced he was the one who orchestrated the creation of the death game area with assistance from his associate Python; his entire plan was to manipulate the Protagonist into relying on him alone. Then everyone else was forced to contend with the appearance of Last Judgment, an even stronger variant of The GM. With the arrival of the rest of the squadron reinforcing them, Afasys and the others succeeded in vanquishing the boss. However, as Itsuki had retreated to a safer, elevated position in the meantime, the ArfA-Sys Unit could only watch while the Protagonist used the UFG to reach and engage in a standoff with the man, which only ended once the system began an emergency shutdown of the death game area, logging everyone out.

Shortly afterward, Afasys, Kureha, the Protagonist, and Zeliska were debriefed by Kirito on how Itsuki and Python had constructed the death game area, as well as how the former had purposefully given everyone misinformation about his real life, so his current whereabouts were still unknown. In addition, the devices Kureha and Zeliska had been given were just disguised AmuSpheres, meaning only Itsuki and the Protagonist were in any real danger. Despite their uncertainty over what to make of the entire situation, Afasys nonetheless expressed their gratitude that they had all survived. After their master took a moment to rest, the android followed them and the others to Kirito's room for a party celebrating their safe return.

Sometime later, Afasys joined Daisy and the rest of the squadron on a mission to ambush a large company of player killers. Once their surprise attack had commenced, the ArFA-Sys Units lured the enemy players deeper into their trap. Although the duo quickly got lost, they were guided by Yuuki back to their rendezvous point, where they teleported to safety on top of a nearby ruined skyscraper while Kirito and the Protagonist launched their counterassault.