When they returned to the hall, the banquet had completely lost its original character.
Two tables were missing, and three more barrels of wine were opened. Natsu had just broken free from Erza's grasp when he bumped into Gray over the last piece of roast meat. The two rolled across half the hall, knocking over Cana's wine glass in the process, and were each punched by her.
Lin Yuan sat back in his original seat, and as soon as he placed " Nameless " on the table, Lisanna came over.
"Brother Lin Yuan, does that guy named Kirito also know the swordsmanship we just saw?"
" Dual Blades is better than me."
Natsu, who had just gotten up from the ground, immediately turned his head. "Is he strong?"
"Very strong."
"Take me to play against him next time!"
I can't go back now.
Natsu immediately showed a disappointed expression, then turned his attention back to Lin Yuan: "Then I'll fight you first."
Erza looked up, and he immediately lowered his head to eat.
The crowd didn't let Lin Yuan off the hook. The two battles had only created more questions. Some asked Kirito why he could use two swords, some wanted to know what other weapons were available on the hundredth floor, and others pressed Lin Yuan about whether he had been acting alone for the past two years.
"No," Lin Yuan said, "I later joined a guild."
There was a moment of silence.
" Fairy Tail over there too?" Lisanna asked.
No. That guild is called the Moonlit Black Cats.
"Sounds more like a legitimate guild than we do," Gray commented.
Macao pointed to the still-smoking floor. "Any guild looks more professional than us."
Lin Yuan talked about the treasure room on the twenty-seventh floor, about how he and Kirito rescued the trapped Black Cats, and about the guild list that couldn't register his name.
"Can someone join without a name?" Elfman asked.
"They saved a seat for me."
Lisanna laughed after hearing that, "Isn't that the same as us?"
Lin Yuan looked towards the noisy hall.
Because they were the same, he began to remember the people in the other world, in addition to searching for a way out.
"And Yui," he said.
Mira, who had been listening intently, finally spoke up, "The person you said you were going back to pick up last night?"
"Um."
Lin Yuan briefly explained how Yui was originally responsible for observing the players' mental state and later developed an independent personality. Since there is no concept of artificial intelligence in the Fairy Tail world, he could only explain Yui as a special life form born from that set of rules.
"So she can't leave with the others?" Makarov asked.
"She has no physical body. That world recognizes her as life, and the World Marker forbid me from bringing living beings across the rift."
How is she now?
"Hibernate in a separate storage area."
Makarov didn't press further about whether a life composed of data counted as a real person, simply nodding. "There's a chance to bring people back."
"Yes, I promised her."
"Then don't forget to bring the child back for a meal next time."
Lin Yuan looked down at his palm. Memorizing the coordinates wasn't enough, and continuing to wait wouldn't suddenly grant him the power to open the portal to another world.
The next time he encounters a rift leading to another world, he will willingly step into it. He may not be able to return directly to Aincrad, but he might find a way to understand the World Marker, cross worlds, and bring Yui back.
Those around immediately began arguing about Yui liked, and someone even suggested leaving a table for the Black Cats, who were in another world. The heavy topic lasted only a moment before being drowned out by a new round of clinking glasses.
The banquet lasted until late at night.
The next day at noon, when Lin Yuan entered the guild, Natsu was still sleeping under the table. Gray was leaning against the bar, yawning, and his clothes were nowhere to be seen.
Mira stood in front of the task board for a while, then turned and walked up the stairs to the second floor.
Lin Yuan paused for a moment.
The S-Class missions were on the second floor. Two years ago, Mira could only go up as one of his chosen companions; now, the members guarding the stairs didn't even look up.
Lin Yuan followed.
"When did you become S-Class?"
Mira was selecting from a row of commissions when she heard footsteps, but she didn't turn around. "Finally found out? I became S-Class last year, and Erza the year before."
She took a task sheet from the wall and handed it to Lin Yuan. The task location was in northern Fiore, where several caravans that had entered the canyon had disappeared one after another, and the mages sent to search for them had not returned.
"We were originally planning to leave today," Mira said.
Lin Yuan took the mission sheet, instinctively glancing at the number of missing persons and the canyon terrain before asking, "Together?"
Before you left, we always took on missions together.
Things are different now.
Mira looked at him. "What's different?"
Lin Yuan did not answer immediately.
Two years had passed for each of them. Mira no longer needed to borrow his qualifications to climb to the second floor, and he was no longer the person who could only fight using spatial True Magic.
Past tacit understandings cannot be pretended to have never been broken.
Starting over doesn't mean we can simply gloss over the two years we missed with a simple "I'm back."
Mira snatched the task sheet from his hand and turned to walk towards the stairs.
"Since it's different, let's start over."