In the third popularity contest held by Kawahara Reki as Kunori Fumio, back during the web novel period (to be more exact, in 2005), he figured,

“There’s not that many new characters, thus I was worried there won’t be much difference from the first and second times. Hence, if I ask for questions… if I were to do that, the much-more-unknown sub-characters might just get more votes as the main characters already have quite a bit of information on them.“

Hence, it turned into a Q&A session with the characters.

Spoilers alert. This was held some time after he started writing Alicization.

Spoilers this time are up to volume 9 of the light novel. Anime-only viewers are strongly advised to not read this until they finish episode 14, to avoid heavy spoilers (but there’ll still be some light spoilers from the later parts of the series).



*-s are links to notes. Click on them.

The number within the brackets is when the non-question (invalid) votes are added in.



1st – Kirito – 95 votes (179)





1st – Kirito – 95 votes (179)



Q. Were Elucidator and Dark Repulser the swords you were using when you crushed the Gleameyes?

A. I do believe I had already started using those two back then. Dark Repulser broke when I fought against Heathcliff.



Q. My hero, Kirito-kun, tell me the food you like and dislike, one at a time, please!

A. Food I like = Teriyaki chicken burgers, Food I dislike = Spring onions… or at least, they were, until Asuna rectified that.



Q. Why are you so popular?

A. If I may say so, Asuna has ten times my popularity.



Q. What’s your favourite motto?

A. Do not regret what you have done.



Q. To the amazing Kirito with his skill, Dual Blades, are you ambidextrous?

A. I’m right-handed in the real world.



Q. What are your three essential possessions?

A. In the real world, they would be my bike, AmuSphere and the portable terminal with the telephone plan I can call Asuna with, for free. In the virtual world, they would be Sword A, Sword B and the player home I own with Asuna.



Q. At your current strength, which is the highest floor’s boss you can solo in SAO?

A. I wouldn’t even try the first floor’s boss if there was the rule of dying for real like back then. If I were to challenge them again under the normal rules, I should be able to get to the 75th floor since I know the clearing methods.



Q. What was the most annoying normal mob in the initial generation of SAO?

A. I was always going solo, so I was troubled by swarms of demi-human types.



Q. How much did you get in total for your part-time job at RATH?

A. So far, what I’ve gotten was… slightly more than three hundred thousand, I believe. O-Of course, I put it into my savings. *



Q. How high is your IQ?

A. I got an extremely average score in the test I took during middle school.



Q. You’re pretty popular with the ladies, but are you aware of it?

A. I’m just repeating, but Asuna has ten times my popularity and she’s not even aware of it.



Q. Are there any weapons you thought of using aside from one-handed swords?

A. The longer ranged attacks of pole-arms did seem pretty fun.



Q. It didn’t seem like you’ve let anyone else see your Dual Blades skill until the 74th floor, but didn’t Lisbeth see it in the side stories?

A. That didn’t count.



Q. Do you like double-edged swords? Do you like single-edged swords?

A. I’m more comfortable with repeated strikes, so I prefer double-edged.



Q. Don’t your eyes wander with all the girls around you?

A. I have no intention of doing that, but Asuna tends to keep an eye on me. It’s strange.



Q. What is strength?

A. I wonder. I would like to slowly think about that in the last years of my life.



Q. Who do you respect?

A. Among those I’ve met, Asuna. Among those I haven’t, Chiba Shuusaku, maybe. *



Q. If you were to assign a piece of theme music to yourself, what would it be?

A. I wouldn’t really know myself. I’ll try asking Asuna. …”Wouldn’t it be Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty?”, she says. I wonder what she means by that.



Q. Who was your greatest opponent?

A. Among those I’ve fought thus far, it’s undisputedly Absolute Sword. It’s a pity I won’t get the chance again, but it can’t be helped.



Q. What types of games do you play aside from VRMMOs?

A. Sugu likes those versus fighting games on those old consoles, so I was often made to accompany her.



Q. What is your favourite skill?

A. I’m not learning my lesson and still raising my fishing skill even now, in ALO.



Q. There’s many girls around you, but which one do you like in the end?

A. M-My eyes aren’t wandering at all.



Q. What was the scariest thing you’ve encountered thus far?

A. Maybe the time I was chased by Death Gun in GGO…



Q. Stronger than me at my peak! Is there someone you think as that?

A. Absolute Sword. You could practically call that art already.



Q. How strong are you at the moment when compared to your peak, Kirito?

A. My intuition definitely has dulled when compared to the end of SAO. Maybe around eighty percent of that…



Q. Are you finally planning to narrow it down to one of them? Or do you not consider anyone aside from Asuna?

A. I… I don’t.



Q. That maturity of your thoughts that is easily beyond that of a high school student is fascinating. Please tell me about an event that hasn’t been told yet.

A. I believe the story about the time I confronted the KoB while it was led by Asuna will be told sooner or later.



Q. What is the most vivid memory you have from before SAO? Please explain in details!

A. Maybe the time my grandpa took me along to fish… That was back in kindergarten, though.



Q. So, you really do have complete faith in your skill in swords? Don’t you have some slight worries about it?

A. Skill in swords, well, even if you call it that, it’s within games. I do practice Kendo in the real world, but it’s not going that well.



Q. Did you go with Dual Blades in the tournament match with Absolute Sword?

A. No, I went with one sword, but I probably wouldn’t win even with two.



Q. When should kissing be done in your opinion? e.g. greetings / encouragement/ intimate affection…

A. It should be an expression of love. I have never done it with anyone other than Asuna… or at least, I shouldn’t have.



Q. Won’t you make that Audiovisual Bidirectional Communication Probe into a product and apply for a patent for it?

A. It’s still in the testing phase, after all. I do want to complete it before I graduate.



Q. I believe there are many females around you, but isn’t there anyone who attracts your attention aside from Asuna? (of course, as a romantic interest)

A. Not at all.



Q. Does the “Kirito tends to sleep a lot” comment in Side Story 4 draws a parallel to what happens in Chapter 4? *

A. I wonder if I really sleep that much…



Q. You’re the strongest now, Kirito?

A. In the higher ranks of the duel tournament in ALO, everyone’s pretty much equal.



Q. Harem?

A. Nothing of that sort.



Q. What is SAO to you?

A. While being a curse, it can also be hope.



Q. If you were to consider the battle style alone, which would you prefer, single-handed or dual blades?

A. Dual Blades would be more fun after all, with its abundance of variations.



Q. What would you have done if Asuna wasn’t cute?

A. I would probably have went after her sooner.



Q. If you’re able to challenge SAO once again, under the same conditions, would you?

A. I would if I get to keep my memories. To clear it with zero victims for sure this time.



Q. Please talk passionately about the culture of food in SAO.

A. Even if you ask for that, I ate good food only after getting along with Asuna. I really do regret not going out with her earlier.



Q. Are you unable to win against Absolute Sword even with Dual Blades?

A. I won’t say that I definitely can’t win, but well, it’s probably impossible…



Q. What’s your level of ability with swords in the real world?

A. I’m totally at Sugu’s mercy. I did manage to start getting one point every now and then recently, though.



Q. Are you OK with Dual Blades in reality as well?

A. I did try using a kodachi in Kendo, but I don’t quite have the physical strength for it.



Q. Do you have any plans to publicise Yui?

A. If a world where artificial intelligence gains civil rights arrives, I’ll definitely do it.



Q. So, the clothes you usually wear are black, as I thought?

A. Pretty much. Asuna did try making me wear various others, but as expected, I really couldn’t get used to it.



Q. If you were to be unfaithful, who would you go with?

A. I won’t, I won’t, I won’t even imagine it.



Q. Please tell me your height and weight.

A. 172 cm, 59 kg.



Q. What type of PC are you using?

A. Just your average, usual self-made PC. The 24 GHz octa-core CPU was a little expensive, though.



Q. Is it a sort of disease how you keep getting involved in incidents?

A. Or rather, the SAO incident that I got involved with at the start isn’t over yet… it does feel like that sometimes.



Q. It’s clear that the goddess of trouble seemed to have developed a liking for you, but do you consider that to be bad or extremely good luck?

A. Well, I did end up meeting Asuna thanks to that… I’ll think about it while my life flashes before my eyes on the verge of death.



Q. Aren’t you attracted to death games somewhere in your heart?

A. I definitely wouldn’t try my hand at a new one, but if you’re referring to SAO, I do have the wish to do better at it the next time…



Q. Kirito-kun, hasn’t your personality changed, lol? I liked how you were totally cool at the start.

A. Maybe my true self came out.



Q. Without looking through rose-coloured glasses, who is the most beautiful woman (cute) within those around you?

A. There’s no way I could answer that.



Q. What is the ideal MMO you wish to play?

A. One without levels, experience points, skills or rare items.



Q. Do you have confidence in winning when fighting Yuuki with Dual Blades?

A. It’s probably impossible eight times out of ten. There was also a terrifying premonition that I had, that the other side might just pull out dual blades as well if I did so.



Q. Roughly how many types of techniques were there in the Dual Blades skill?

A. I haven’t mastered it all the way, but there should have been slightly more than twenty.



Q. Are you aware that you’re really popular~?

A. I believe in always being modest.



Q. Are you pumped up~~~~~~~~~~~?

A. I’m getting along~~~~~~~~~.



Q. Who do you think was the strongest opponent you’ve fought till now?

A. If you count in general human capability, it would be that bastard, Heathcliff. In terms of pure swordsmanship, it would be Absolute Sword.



Q. Who was your first love? Also, what position would Asuna be, in order of the women you liked?

A. Someone who was in the “Black Cats of the Moonlit Night”… I guess. Basically, that would make Asuna the next person I ended up liking after her. *



Q. So, have you really been developing an OSS for Dual Blades?

A. I reproduced three of them and that took up all of my energy.



Q. How high was your level when SAO was cleared?

A. I believe it was 94. The one who reached the highest level that I knew of was 96, and of course, everyone wanted to know if 99 was the max, but we never found the answer to that.



Q. If you were to reset your character, will you still use Dual Blades?

A. There’s no system assist, but it doesn’t seem like there’ll be any problems with that.



Q. So, who do you really like?

A. I’ll just say that it goes without saying.



Q. In SAO3, you mentioned that you killed two people, but weren’t you green up till the end, Kirito?

A. You would stay green even if you kill orange players. Due to that, usage of “Flag PK”, that underhanded technique, ended up getting rampant usage.



Q. Can you still use the strongest Dual Blades technique with its 27 combo hits, “The Eclipse”? (it’s fine even if it’s through OSS)

A. At the moment, I’m going through hell trying to reproduce “Starburst Stream”.



Q. If polygamy was possible, would you feel like making a harem? If you do, who would you pick?

A. I-I wouldn’t make such a thing.



Q. Are there things you are dissatisfied, or completely can’t stand about Asuna?

A. That way she doesn’t allow me to feel the slightest bit of dissatisfaction might just be causing a small source of uneasiness in me.



Q. Your impression of the time you slept with Lisbeth, please.

A. The sleeping bag was cramped. Like I could say anything else!



Q. Where do you usually go on dates with Asuna?

A. It feels like we tend to go to the sea and mountains on my bike a lot.



Q. Was anyone named as an opposing counterpart to the Black Swordsman?

A. It seems that bastard was called the “White Holy Knight”.



Q. How did you deceive those people in that party in order to hide your own level that time?

A. It was polite to avoid looking at and displaying the status window, so I simply had to restrain myself a little in terms of equipment and skills.



Q. Is Triple Blades impossible?

A. I thought my teeth would fall out.



Q. Approximately how much is your intelligence quotient or IQ?

A. It’s really an extremely average figure.



Q. Do you want to meet Asuna in GGO

A. She’ll burst out in laughter when she sees my VR body, so no way.



Q. If you were to be an animal, what would you be?

A. H-Hmm… I’ll go try out an animal prediction. …An orange wolf, it says. *



Q. Despite almost dying countless times whenever you get mixed up in stuff, why did you still get involved with something in the midst of testing that you have no memories of…

A. Because it seemed interesting.



Q. How many types of monsters were there in SAO?

A. There were around 1500 types when we got to the 75th floor, I think…



Q. Who is the female you’re worst with, among those you’ve met till now?

A. I will not stoop to the level of speaking about something so vulgar, as an English gentleman.



Q. Do you have a “belief” you will never concede?

A. I did think “I will never retreat from here” on some occasions, but it sure is hard to put a phrase to it.



Q. Does the system in ALO allow bigamy?

A. Fortunately, that’s not possible.



Q. So Asuna was your first love, as I thought?

A. She would be my second love, I guess.



Q. How many children do you want?

A. I am still a child after all. When a time comes when I believe I’m an adult, I’ll think about it then.



Q. The real world and the virtual world; which is more fun?

A. It was finally closing in towards fifty-fifty just recently.



Q. If you were to buy a house in reality, would you want one like the 22nd floor’s in SAO?

A. A log-house deep in the forest, that sounds good. That said, if I were to live there, I’ll probably end up complaining that “there’s no convenience stores around” and stuff like that though.



Q. It clearly became that sort of mood when you stayed overnight with a certain smith and master macer, but how far did you go?

A. We didn’t get anywhere!



Q. Do you end up attracting attention as the “Returnee Kirito” in other online games? If you do, what were your feelings at those times?

A. Various things did happen right after the release of a certain outrageous book, but… I ended up fleeing immediately.



Q. What kinds of techniques are those OSSs that you developed?

A. I just reproduced some of the Dual Blades sword skills from the old SAO.



Q. Roughly many people know that The Black Swordsman = Kazuto in school?

A. The face is the same, after all. I threw in the towel after it became pretty widely spread all of a sudden.



Q. If time were to return to that day the Nerve Gear was delivered to you, would you still put the Nerve Gear on again and participate in SAO? Or would you forget about SAO and live purely in reality?

A. If my memory were to wind back as a result of time returning to that period, I’ll inevitably end up participating. If I were to carry over my current memories, it’s not quite right for me to flee all on my own, after all.



Q. When was your first love?

A. When I joined the “Black Cats of the Moonlit Night”.



Q. I believe you’ve seen various worlds within games, but what kind of world is your ideal?

A. A world without limits, maybe. If there are unlimited resources, there would be no need for conflicts.



Q. How many times did you fight with Dual Blades in SAO?

A. I used it quite a bit in places without others around to train the skill.



Notes

Kirito-1: Conversion to USD. Anyway, somewhere in between US$3,000 – US$4,000.

Kirito-2: Chiba Shuusaku, 1794-1856, is the founder of the Hokushin Itto school of swordsmanship.

Kirito-3: Side Story 4 (web) refers to Voume 7 (published), while Chapter 4 (web) refers to the Alicization arc.

Kirito-4: Refer to this.

Kirito-5: It seems to be a fortune prediction on your personality and such, based on your birthdate. Orange Wolf (I can’t be bothered to translate this).

