March of time- Aimer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfnlPH3-bwg

Try to read this with this music. It's my favorite song. I think it fits with the story.

Enjoy!!

*******

-1 month later-

*Chirp* *Chirp*

"....Uhmmmm...." (Rein)

In the top of king size bed, a man who will charm any woman alive even without wearing any makeup is sleeping peacefully.

Unfortunately, his peaceful time is ruined by the nightmare of every person who hated morning.

*Beep!* *Beep* *Beep!!* (Electronic alarm sound)

"Uuuhh.... (Slowly open eyes)... let me...sleep a bit more."

[I'm sorry, master. It is time for you to wake up. Please prepare yourself for the upcoming day.] (Merry)

Even though he plead earnestly, the AI who manages his home mercilessly pours him the cold water.

Since the AI has no feelings, it literally is the worse morning call he could get.

"...Haaahh...I understand. I will wake up so please close the alarm. It's ringing my head."

[Understood. Good morning master.]

*Beep* *bee-* (Close alarm)

"Fuuhh... Guess I take a shower first."

It is the beginning of the new day for him again in this foreign but familiar world.

******

-Few Moments later.-

[....Next news, the recently released beta game, Sword Art Online is being passionately played by the chosen 1000 players. According to the users, most of them commented that they can't wait for the official release....] (Female caster)

"Still the testing period, huh?" (Rein)

Commented Rein while enjoying his homemade breakfast.

*Nom* *Nom* (Sound of chewing)

"...Hmm, I guess today's breakfast is not bad."

In fact, if another person who eats his personal homemade, they will be excreting saliva shamelessly while eating the food without caring for the manner. This is him due to the result of training earnestly with cooking since it can help him a lot when he's at outdoor situation for a long period.

As proof, Suguha who eats it every day grudgingly(?) eats it without missing a bit of it. Moreover, she even earnestly requested him to make a larger portion since her friends always try to gobble it up.

Of course, that's not the only thing he did.

This 1 month, he had been busy as hell for using the time without missing a single second.

What he did was mainly training, information gathering, and crafting.

The training is simply sparring with Kazuki if not, Suguha every day including the weekend.

Comparing to the beginning, they did it in a slower pace so Rein himself could analyze the movement accurately and absorb it into his own technique.

As for the result, it is progressing well since Kazuki said himself that he can't beat him easily anymore.

Second, it's finding relevant info of the SAO. Release date, specific changes, and the games itself. However, most of it is a just baseless rumor since the beta tester themselves couldn't expose their experiences about it. Although Rein himself tried to hack the laboratory, it was like walking in a thin ice because of the security is too tight more than the government' ones for the current him so he gave up on it.

Lastly, crafting is a bit special.

[Master, the next part send by Mirai Technology has been sent. Should I carry it in 'that' room with drones?]

"Please do. I will continue working on it at night."

[As for the other material?]

"Send it to the basement."

[Understood.]

The first thing he tried to make it is simple.

The replacement of the nerve gear.

For users to enjoy the virtual world easily, Kayaba makes the console itself as headgear only so they can play it without hassle. However, there's a hidden trick in the never gear since it could send electricity to the users' brain until they instantly die.

Worse, other people could not forcibly take it off since it will automatically fry the brain.

That's how the death game was born in the first place.

It's not like he is afraid of the death itself, but the mechanics inside of it. Even though this may be a familiar world, that doesn't mean everything is the same. Kazuki being alive until now is the proof of it. Including Satan's curse, it can be worse than he can think.

Therefore, to prevent that happen, Rein prepares a 'replacement' discreetly without anyone' eyes.

As for the material, he paid to the tech company handsomely with extra tips as hush money so the information won't be disclosed.

As for the other, it's to practice his weapon creation.

Right now, he doesn't have any convenient skill of creating weapons just with his imagination and magic. So, he could only do it in the traditional way by forging it with iron.

Moreover, it could help him inside the game too since the weapon can be made by the players personally.

In any case, his preparation is slowly taking form without a problem.

.....Of course, there's a price to pay for his busy schedule as he could only sleep for 5 hours maximum. Worse, he can only sleep for 3 hours on busy days.

He could still be fine with it because he was used to it during the training with Yuuji while having a tremendous endurance on his body.

While reminiscing his past days, Merry the AI interrupts him.

[Master, it is 6:40 A.M. now. Shouldn't you prepare for your early training?]

Now, what he should do is not seeing the past but think about the present and the future.

"...Right. I guess I should go." (Rein)

After finishing his breakfast, he brings all the necessity and heads toward to dojo.

The day has just started for him.

******

-Inside the dojo.-

"Haaahh!!" (Suguha)

*Pang!*

"Kirigaya, don't just swing your shinai aimlessly like this. It only works if the opponent has low stamina. In each of your attack, aim it with the intention of finishing the opponent immediately." (Rein)

"Y-yes! Yaaaah!!"

*Pang!*

Right now, he's sparring with Suguha, or to be more accurate, train Suguha on her fighting skills.

In Kendo exclusively, Rein could be equal with Suguha without a doubt due to his superior body spec and most of all, his exclusive gift 'The Supreme's Inheritor'.

But for fighting itself, Suguha herself has lots of space needed to improve.

It's not that she's weak but the opponent she faced on the tournament lacked fighting experience, especially on the real fight. As for the sparring with Kazuki, Kazuki mainly train Suguha on the foundation itself so it doesn't help much.

Therefore, it's Rein's role to fill that gap.

*Pang!* *Pang!* *PANG!*

"Haah....Haah....Haahh (breathing heavily.)" (Suguha)

"Your form is getting better. But,...." (Rein)

*Fwissh* (Sound of shinai swinging)

"!?"

(Need to--) (Suguha)

"You need to be alert at all times." (Rein)

Before Suguha could parry it, Rein pointed his shinai toward Suguha's chest.

It is her lose again for a tenth of times in the same manner.

"Haaahh... You are too fast Rein-san. How could I block an attack that I can't?" (Suguha)

That is true.

Each time she loses, It will always be after Rein lectured her when he parried her attack flawlessly then finish it off by him striking Suguha quickly in just one attack.

Moreover, every time he attacked her, it will be too fast for Suguha's eye to follow so it is natural she can't block it.

But, Rein denies her claim while shaking his head.

"That's because of you always relying on your eyes only. Kirigaya, I already told you but fighting is not just about swinging your weapon. Body movement, breathe, posture and even the eye movement of the opponent itself could determine the next movement you know?"

That's how Rein was taught by Yuuji too.

Most of the times, the scenario where got killed by Yuuji is being assassinated without him noticed being dead. No matter how much he used his eyes, he will be on the floor in the next moment.

Therefore, Yuuji teach him one belief, which is

"Read the opponent' movement. Then you can take the advantage by striking where the opponent least expect it." (Yuuji)

That is why he is able to beat Yuuji on every situation given even if it is many versus one situation. The spar with Suguha is also the same. By reading her movement, Rein parries her attacks without sweat and attack her with no chance to successfully parry it.

"....You say it so easily. It's really hard to do it while sparring you know?" (Suguha)

Said Suguha while putting a frustrated face and pouted her face like a balloon.

After all, she is still a child. Of course, she feels frustrated for losing every time like this. All the more so while Rein who is only in his 20s could improve tremendously quick without stopping.

Rather than being mad on her attitude, Rein just smiles faintly and move closer to Suguha.

While patting her head gently, he encourages her with his soothing voice.

"Ah....." (Suguha)

"I know it's really difficult. Not only it's annoying to lose every time, but you also get lectured with me during the fight too. It's very frustrating to cope with it. .....Even so Kirigaya, I never thought that you are weak, you know?" (Rein)

"....Eh?"

Hearing his words, Suguha really feel shocked from the bottom of her heart.

(Me? Not weak?) (Suguha)

Some may she's too humble or lacks confidence since she can reach a quarter-final at a very young age.

But thinking about it in a different angle, it's not weird for her to think that way. Not only she never beat her grandfather and get praised for her achievement, she felt more inferior after comparing her with Rein's achievement.

That's why Rein's word really makes her taken aback.

"...Kirigaya. during this spar, did you feel any differences?" (Rein)

"...Huh? Umm... ah. My breath becomes stable." (Suguha)

In the beginning, Suguha constantly attacked Rein with the notion of hellbent in getting even with one hit. Due to that, her energy got burned out easily.

Noticing that, Rein leads her slowly but surely in her posture, pace, and movement so she can fight effectively without wasting her breath.

*Nods*

"That's right. That doesn't mean your stamina only increases but your skills in fighting too. You already have the basics ingrained in your bones. All you need is the proper steps ." (Rein)

"....But, I'm not as strong as you. Rein-san, every time I compare with you, I always feel weak and small. You can learn kendo at extraordinary speed, leaving behind me in the dust.... There's nothing you can't--" (Suguha)

"You are wrong."

Interrupting her speech, Rein denies her dejection firmly.

If it's in the physical sense, it is true that Suguha is overwhelmingly lower to him. Moreover, she will definitely unable to overcome it as Rein is not a normal person but the supreme that can surpass the gods.

Even so, there's something that Suguha can do while Rein can't.

"Did you know, Kirigaya? Rather than your talent in Kendo, I find your determination and perseverance in doing it for a long time is more admirable." (Rein)

"Eh...." (Suguha)

"Once, you said that you do kendo because you wanted to protect your big brother, right?"

"Y-yes."

"That's what I found you admirable and most of all, dazzling to me. In fact, your talent is just a small part of it. "

"E-eeeeh!? Da-dazzling!?"

She doesn't understand it. He, who is more spectacular and dazzling than herself instead saying she is the one who is so.

(....What part of me is dazzling to him?) (Suguha)

"....I become strong because I myself want to. Not due to anybody, but only for me so I can accomplish my goal. In other words, it's my own selfishness. ...But, you are different Kirigaya. You stand up from your strict grandfather, not because of your selfishness, but because you want to protect your big brother." (Rein)

"...That's...just..." (Suguha)

"Tantrum? Maybe so. However, we call it tantrum because they want something unreasonable without equivalent exchange. You are different. You can convince your grandfather, not because of your tantrum, but because you preserve the hardship of the training until now."

"..I...I..."

It is the first time for Suguha to receive warm words like this. She preserved the hard sparring every day, unable to complain so her promise can be kept.

Not only that, she never accepts any words of compliments from her grandfather even after getting a high place in the competition.

Is it possible for a weak girl to do it?

Definitely not. Only a few who have the resolve and true determination to reach it in overwhelming odds without nobody supporting you.

That's why,

"...I'm...not good as you think. I can't be confi--"

"Yes, you can."

To support this girl, who is just like him in the past, he will give her the word she needs the most.

Just like what Athena did to Rein, he will do it too to Suguha.

With a faint smile, he encourages her so she can stand up properly.

"You have worked hard, Kirigaya. You are really amazing. ....If you still can't believe yourself yet, that's fine. You still have lots of time from now on. Even so, please believe this." (Rein)

"Believe in me who believes in you."

"!!.....*Hic*...*Hic*...Rein....san..." (Suguha)

Unconsciously, tears fall from her pretty face.

It is not due to sadness nor due to frustration from the past experience.

"Rein....san...Can I....borrow your chest for a while?" (Suguha)

"Gladly." (Rein)

*Hug*

It is due to his words makes her happy from the bottom of the heart.

"..*Hic*...I'm...Sorry, I don't know why...." (Suguha)

"It's fine. let it all out. You really worked hard to achieve it this far. ....So, It's okay to cry."

"...Thank..you. ....Thank...you..." (Suguha)

Responding her, Rein only ruffles the back of her hair softly to soothe her.

...

.....

.....

Most of the times, actions speak louder than a thousand words, which is true.

However, that doesn't mean words are not necessary.

Why?

Because it's to convey your feelings clearly that can't be expressed with just actions.

Sometimes, words only could save people.

Now, it has been proven clearly.