However, even after getting released from SAO, I couldn’t
maintain myself, my persona, without continuing to prove my
«strength in VR worlds». I was imprisoned by the complex
those around me had, of recognizing me more as the hero,
Kirito, who cleared the death game, instead of the flesh-andblood,
feeble Kirigaya Kazuto; or rather, I couldn’t even deny I
might have been leading them on to do so myself. Despite how I
knew in the depths of my heart, that perpetuating such bravado
would put me further away from what truly mattered.

Hence, when I met Eugeo in this world and realized that I
could comfortably stand before him without any pretension, as
my real self, I was surprised and pondered on the reason.

Because Eugeo was an artificial fluct light unlike myself?
Because he didn’t know the hero of SAO, Kirito? No, that wasn’t
it. The greatest reason was definitely—because Eugeo
possessed far more ability than myself in this Underworld, a
world both real and virtual in a certain sense.

His natural talent with the sword was simply tremendous. No
matter what was compared, be it our perception, our judgement,
or our reaction speed, he would leave me, who had been
through harsh battles in VR worlds, in the dust. If the circuit for
combat mounted on my fluct light was said to be a silicon CPU
from bygone days, Eugeo’s would be the latest diamond CPU. I
might still look like the mentor at the current moment, but that
was merely because I had a larger wealth of experience and
knowledge; nothing more than that. If Eugeo continued to
improve at his current pace, the day our roles reverse wouldn’t
be too far off.

(Alicization Dividing, 132)