Sword Art Online - Volume 18 - Chapter Ep2

Epilogue Part 2
August 1, 2026, Saturday, 2:00 pm.

A day of brightest blue, fresh after a typhoon had passed over Kanto the night before—

Indiscriminate of nationality, throngs of media had packed the harbor area of Roppongi Hills Arena, anticipating a time soon to come.

Television talk shows and internet livestreams had already begun broadcasting the press conference scene. The animated voices of reporters and commentators mingled with the commotion of the venue.

On the whole, expert opinions skewed towards the negative.

“…and therefore, no matter how close it is to the real thing, a fake will always be a fake. Like how it was for the alchemists of the Middle Ages. You can smelt copper and iron for as long as you want; it’ll never turn to gold!”

“But doctor, according to the press release, they’re claiming that they have successfully reproduced the inner makeup of the human brain…”

“I’m telling you, it’s impossible! Look, there are tens of billions of neurons in our brains. You think a machine or a computer program can reproduce them all? You really think so?”

“Tch… He hasn’t even seen it and he’s talking like he knows everything.” Klein said menacingly, giving a reckless tug of his necktie and clutching a gin tonic in the middle of the day.

Situated in a backstreet of Taito Ward’s Okachimachi, the coffee shop-bar combo «Dicey Cafe» was jam-packed to full capacity. No more customers would be entering even without the “Reserved” sign hanging under the door.

Sinon, Leafa, Lisbeth, Silica, and Klein sat shoulder-to-shoulder at the bar, facing Agil. Four more tables were occupied variously by Sakuya, Alicia, Eugene, and the rest of the ALO Race Lords; Siune, Jun, and the other Sleeping Knights; Thinker, Yuriel and Sasha; and more original SAO players.

Everyone was holding either a beer, cocktail, or soft drink, and watching the large-screen television on the far wall with rapt attention.

Lisbeth responded to Klein’s continued rant in a voice mixed with a sigh.

“Nothing we can do. Even I have trouble believing that those people were AIs and that was a virtual world running on a server, and I saw both with my own eyes.”

Beside her, Sinon stroked her glasses, muttering, “You said it. The smell of the air, the feel of the ground; all of that stuff might end up feeling even more real than the real world.”

Leafa nodded with a tone of assent. Silica smiled dryly.

“It’s called… the STL, right? Sinon-san and Leafa-san were the only ones with the special privilege of diving with that. The field and the objects were polygons, at least for those of us who used AmuSpheres.”

“But no one disagrees that the Underworld people weren’t just normal NPCs?” Agil confirmed, and just then—

The newscaster’s voice suddenly sounded anxious as it traveled from the television.

“Ah, it looks like the press conference is starting! Let’s hand it over from our media center to the live scene!”

Silence dropped over the cafe.

Several tens of VRMMO players took large gulps of their beverages as they stared at the live video of the press conference, punctuated with the flashing of cameras. None of them wanted to miss the moment that the person they had protected so passionately appeared in public for the first time.

The first to emerge at the forefront of the sea of television recorders and personal cameras packing the spacious venue was a woman who looked about 30, dressed in a sensible pantsuit. Her long hair was tied behind a lightly powdered face.

The woman stopped in front of the podium, lined with dozens of microphones, where a plaque read: “MARINE RESOURCE ASSESSMENT SURVEY – DR. KOUJIRO RINKO”. The doctor’s eyes screwed up against the flood of flashing lights, but she nodded impassively and began to speak.

“Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy days to come. Today, we as an organization are announcing the birth of what we believe is the world’s first true general-purpose artificial intelligence.”

The unexpectedly direct introduction caused a hubbub to break out within the venue.

Her face serene, the doctor raised her left hand and indicated that side of the stage.

“Without further ado, allow me to introduce… «Alice».”

At the center of the collective gaze filled with anticipation and skepticism, a figure came forth from the shadow of the silver stage panel—

Long hair of shimmering gold. Skin whiter than snow. A girl with slender limbs and a slim body hidden underneath an ultramarine blazer.

Bathed in a sea of flashing lights that practically bleached the broadcast white, without bowing or even sparing so much as a glance towards the press gallery, the girl marched forward with her head held high. The gentle whirring of motors accompanying her walk was completely drowned out by a great racket of shutter-clicking and excitement.

She crossed the stage with fluid strides and came to a stop beside Dr. Koujiro.

Then, at last, the girl turned to face them. Her fluttering golden hair gleamed blindingly against the spotlight.

Her eyes, gazing mutely upon the press gallery, were brightest blue.

Her beauty, which you could call neither western nor oriental in origin and yet somewhat threatening, gradually called silence upon the venue.

Every single person there, and the innumerable spectators watching the broadcast instinctively knew that she did not possess the features of a real, living human. She was unmistakably something created by human hands — a robot with silicone skin wrapped over a skeleton of metal. Comparable female robots were found in theme parks and event locations all over.

But apart from her unusually fluent gait and the perfect control of posture she just demonstrated, a certain something emanated from the golden-haired girl that struck the crowd in an inexplicable manner, inadvertently plunging them into a lengthy silence.

It could be the fault of that vivid glimmer hidden deep within her blue eyes. It was a glimmer one never found beyond a typical robot’s optical lens: the glimmer of intelligence.

When the press gallery finally quieted down, the trace of a smile appeared on the girl’s face, and she did something bizarre.

She raised her gently clenched right fist parallel to the ground, touched it to her chest, and pressed her somewhat splayed left hand against the left side of her waist, as though resting it upon the invisible hilt of a sword — a salute.

Then, in one swift movement, the girl returned both hands to her upper body, swept her golden hair from her shoulders to her back, and parted her lightly sakura-colored lips.

A crystalline voice, clear yet blended with traces of sweetness, flowed out of the venue’s speakers and a countless number of televisions.

“People of the Real World, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Alice. Alice Synthesis Thirty.”

“That… That’s our school uniform!!” Silica squealed. Her eyes widened as far as they would go as she compared her own clothing to what Alice was wearing on the screen.

“I think she requested it herself.” Lisbeth said from beside her, pinching the ribbon on her own uniform.

“She said she wanted to wear a knight’s dress that looked like what everyone who came to rescue the Human Empire Defense Army was wearing. But her first choice was the same pure golden armor that she wore on the other side.”

“Not even RATH can prepare something like that.”

Leafa’s response prompted genial chuckles.

On the television screen, Alice and Dr. Koujiro were sitting down in chairs behind the podium. A nameplate bearing “A.L.I.C.E. 2026 — ALICE SYNTHESIS THIRTY” rose automatically in front of her.

“…But now that you mention it, that’s a scary level of reproduction. I only spoke with her for a bit in Underworld, and I can’t see anything different about her through the screen…” Sinon murmured, and just then Dr. Koujiro coughed lightly onscreen and began to speak:

“Well, it’s a bit unorthodox, but I’d like to start with the Q&A.”

Apparently the media had been informed of this development beforehand. Innumerable hands shot up within the press gallery.

The first to be selected belonged to a male reporter from a major news corporation.

“So… beginning with the most basic question. What exactly sets Alice…-san apart from existing programmable robots?”

Dr. Koujiro gave the reply.

“Alice’s physical appearance isn’t relevant to this interview. Her brain… and I’ll call it a brain here: her consciousness is stored within the quantum brain in her skull. It cannot be substituted by a binary program and is essentially no different from our human brains. That’s a fundamental difference between her and existing robots.”

“I see… then, could you demonstrate that to us and the people watching on TV, in a way that’s easy for us to understand…?”

A slight crease appeared between Dr. Koujiro’s eyebrows.

“I believe you all have access to the Turing test results in the data that was handed out to you.”

“No, I don’t mean like that. For example… could you open your head… your skull, and show us directly this so-called quantum brain inside?”

The doctor’s brief expression of shock was quickly replaced with annoyance, and she was just about to rebuke the reporter when Alice spoke first.

“Certainly. I do not mind.”

Flashing a natural smile, she continued.

“But before that, could you please prove to us that you are not a robot yourself?”

“What…? O-Of course I’m not a robot… I wouldn’t know how to prove that either.”

“It is simple. I am asking you to open your skull, please, and show me your brain.”

“Ooh… Oooh, Alice’s maaad.” Leafa smiled furtively, her shoulders hunching.

The players congregated in the Dicey Cafe had long since had the opportunity to converse with Alice in Alfheim Online. They were quite familiar with her chivalrous, yet severe disposition.

Of course, Alice had opened a new ALO account, so there were minor differences between her avatar’s appearance and how she looked now. Even so, she had captured the awed fascination of many a player through a combination of terrific, practically superhuman Sword Skills and an innately powerful sense of pride — one only a true knight would possess.

On screen, the reporter sat back down looking disappointed, and the next questioner stood up.

“Let’s see, question for Dr. Koujiro. Some labor unions have continually raised the concern that high-level artificial intelligence will accelerate the unemployment rate even further…”

“That concern is neither here nor there. Our organization has no intent whatsoever of providing true AI for simple labor.”

The doctor’s denial was so vehement that the female reporter became momentarily flustered, but quickly resumed her questioning with stronger resolve.

“But on the other hand, the financial world is extremely hopeful about high-level artificial intelligence. Shares for companies related to industrial robots have lifted across the board. What are your thoughts on that?”

“Unfortunately, true AI… we call them «Artificial Fluctlights»… they are not something that can be mass-produced in a short amount of time. They, like us, are born as infants and mature from children into adults under the companionship of parents and siblings, and develop unique personalities in the process. I don’t believe we should inject intelligence like that into industrial robots and force them into manual labor.”

There was a brief silence.

Finally, the female reporter asked in a brittle voice,

“In other words, doctor… you believe we should accept that AIs deserve human rights?”

“I am aware that this is a subject that will not see a conclusion overnight.”

Dr. Koujiro’s tone had remained remarkably steady throughout, but there was an audible sense of unwavering determination.

“However, we humans must not repeat our past mistakes. That is the only thing I’m truly sure of… A long time ago, a great number of nations known as the major powers practically competed in their colonization of undeveloped countries, and treated the people of this very nation as commodities to buy and sell, forcing us into manual labor. The resulting grudge we hold has endured hundreds of years to the present day, and casts a great shadow upon the international community. In this moment, even if I do express the desire to acknowledge that Artificial Fluctlights are humans and grant them their respective rights, I think the majority of people will be uncomfortable. But in one or two centuries we’ll likely be living in the same society with them as though it were the most natural thing in the world, interacting with them without border or boundary, maybe even through the bonds of marriage and family. That is what I believe. If so, then must we shed so much blood and tears in the process of getting there? Must we write another chapter into human history that we will come to shun, that we must seal away forever?”

“But doctor!”

The female reporter shouted, seemingly losing composure:

“The differences between them and we humans are much too great! How can we reconcile that their cold robotic bodies are humans just like us?!”

“I already mentioned that Alice’s physical appearance has nothing to do with her inner essence.”

Dr. Koujiro replied calmly.

“Yes, she has a body that is different from ours in both material and mechanism. But that’s limited only to this world. There have long been places where we’ve had no trouble accepting humans and Artificial Fluctlights as the exact same being.”

“Places?… What places?”

“Virtual worlds. Much of our lives now are spent inside virtual worlds created from «The Seed Package», a standardization of general-purpose VR spaces. Even you as the press were hoping to conduct this press conference in VR, but it’s been set up in the real world at our request. This was done with the hope of helping you understand, from the very start, our differences from Artificial Fluctlights. But that’s not the case in a virtual world. The quantum brains in Alice and other Artificial Fluctlights are fully compatible with VR spaces corresponding to The Seed’s standards.”

There was another great commotion in the venue.

AI can dive into virtual worlds — many of the reporters had understood this to mean that it would be impossible to distinguish whether someone was human or AI over there.

The third questioner stood up, replacing the now silent female reporter who sat back into her chair. He was a man in brightly colored sunshades and an urbane jacket, a well-known freelance journalist.

“First I want to confirm something — and please forgive my woeful ignorance for having never heard of the Marine Resource Assessment Survey — but you’re an independent MEXT-run administrative corporation1, aren’t you? Which means the funds you pour into research and development is taxpayer money paid for by the Japanese people. In that case, wouldn’t the results of that development, these… Artificial Fluctlights be the rightful property of citizens? Even if they are true AI, whether they should be used on industrial robots is not for you to regulate, but the citizens of Japan, is it not?”

Dr. Koujiro, who had answered every question without a moment’s hesitation, pursed her lips together for the first time.

When she brought her face close to the microphone, she was stopped by a white hand stretching over from the side. It was Alice, who had kept silent for the longest time.

The mechanically-bodied girl shook her golden hair from side to side, and spoke.

“I acknowledge and accept that you, the people of the Real World, are our creators. I am also grateful that you have allowed our birth. However, as a person who was born in the same world as I, once told me — what if the Real World is also a created world?  What if there is an even higher creator outside of your world?”

There was a glint deep within her cobalt-blue eyes, like a bolt of lightning.

Alice stared at the freelance journalist, who took a few steps back in alarm, and the crowd of media-related people. Then, slowly, she stood up.

She puffed out her chest, hands folded over her heart, calling to mind her original appearance as a knight despite her school uniform. The world’s first true AI lowered her eyelashes slightly, continuing her thoughts in a clear, transparent voice:

“If, one day, your creator appears before you and orders you into slavery, what reaction would you have? Would you pledge your loyalty with hands on the ground and beg for mercy?”

Then Alice’s sharp expression softened, and a smile curled her lips.

“…I have already conversed with many people of the Real World. They gave me encouragement: I, the only one of my kind in an unknown world, and granted me energy. They taught me a great deal, and brought me to many places. I enjoy their company very much. And that is not all… I go as far as to express my love for a Real World person. When I think of them, the one whom I cannot meet at this moment… even this steel chest of mine feels fit to split open…”

Alice fell silent then, and for a moment she closed her eyes and bowed her head.

She ought not to have the ability, but many thought they saw droplets sliding down her snowy cheeks.

Her golden eyelashes suddenly sprang upwards, and her steady gaze pierced right through the crowd.

The female golden knight raised her right hand in a gentle motion, and said:

“…I possess this right hand, which I extend to you people of the Real World. However, I also possess neither bended knee nor prostrated head. That is because I am human.”