AFTERWORD

It’s good to see you again—or for the first time, whichever the case may be. I’m Reki Kawahara. Thank you for reading Volume 2 of Sword Art Online.

After publishing the first volume, I received a great many responses wondering how the story could continue after an ending like that. After all, the game was beaten and the world came crashing down. I myself realized that there were virtually no elements of the story that might continue from there.

So here’s the follow-up: a retread back in time. And not only that, a collection of sub-stories. I’m truly sorry for this…

I’ve played a number of online games in the past, and I never succeeded in joining the top echelon of players in any of them. I spent all of my days watching other players with rare weapons and elite stats crush hordes of monsters and marveling at their feats.

So while the first volume focused on Kirito and Asuna, two of the game’s “clearers” (top players), I really wanted to write more about the normal, mid-level folks who don’t get much of the spotlight. That’s the angle I was going for with the four stories contained in Volume 2. Each story features Master Kirito kicking ass and taking names, but the admiration and wonder of the characters who watch him, like Silica and Lisbeth, are an expression of my long-held emotion toward such bad-asses in real life. One of these days, I’d like to go around showing off a rare sword that only has three copies on the entire server, just to see what it’s like.

One more apology. The heroine in each of the four stories in this volume is a different woman, but the male lead across from them is always Kirito. I realize there’s no possible excuse for this blatant favoritism, but if I might attempt to rationalize it, think of a mystery series, in which the killer and victim are always different, but the detective is always the same, and you’ll see that it’s quite natural and normal to…Okay, you’re right, sorry, sorry.

I’d like to end with enormous thanks to both abec, who provided charming and unique illustrations for each of the heroines in these stories, and to my editor, Mr. Miki, who was never intimidated by the weird and complicated background of my stories and still found the wherewithal to add his own suggestions and ideas.

But most of all, thanks to you for following along, dear reader.

Reki Kawahara—May 26th, 2009