Rika Shinozaki

About Rika Shinozaki

Rika Shinozaki is Lisbeth, Asuna's best friend and one of Aincrad's finest blacksmiths, whose shop forged weapons for the front-line clearers, including Kirito's Dark Repulser, smelted from a dragon's prize. Bright, teasing and hopeless at hiding her feelings, she fell for Kirito during their dragon quest and stepped aside for Asuna with grace. Behind every legendary sword is a friend who made it and worried about its owner.

Appearance

Lisbeth is a cheerful girl with short pink hair, dyed that way in-game, freckles and bright blue eyes, usually in her blacksmith's work clothes with a leather apron and gloves, a forging hammer at her belt. Her shop in Lindarth on Aincrad's 48th floor is her whole presentation: forge, anvil, display racks of fine weapons. In the real world, Rika Shinozaki has brown hair and a school uniform, but the energy is identical: quick, teasing and always mid-sentence. She is the only member of the group whose weapon is a workplace.

Personality

Lisbeth is bright, teasing, emotionally honest and hopeless at hiding her feelings, everyone knows what Lisbeth thinks within a minute of meeting her. She is also tougher than she looks: she built a respected business inside a death game, treks into dragon territory for her craft, and handles heartbreak by wishing her friend happiness and meaning it. Her shop is a safe place for the whole group, and her role in it is part craftswoman, part big sister. When the fighting starts she fights too, but her real heroism is keeping everyone's blades, and spirits, in working order.

Background & Story

Rika Shinozaki entered Sword Art Online as Lisbeth and made herself essential the practical way: she became one of Aincrad's finest blacksmiths, running a shop on the 48th floor that maintained and forged weapons for front-line clearers, including Asuna's rapier. Her most famous commission came from Kirito, who needed a sword equal to his Elucidator; their expedition to a dragon's nest for the rare metal ended with the Dark Repulser, and with Lisbeth falling for a customer who was already spoken for. She steps aside for her best friend Asuna with genuine grace, and remains the group's smith and one of its hearts through every world that follows.

Powers & Abilities

• Master Blacksmith: One of Aincrad's best smiths: Lisbeth forges and maintains top-class weapons, including Kirito's Dark Repulser, and her shop equips the front line.
• Mace and Shield: When she takes the field herself, Lisbeth fights with a mace and shield, solid, no-nonsense work, like everything she makes.

Key Relationships

• Asuna Yuuki: Her best friend, Lisbeth maintains Asuna's rapier, hears her secrets first, and stepped aside for her over Kirito with real grace.
• Kirito: Her most famous customer, whom she fell for on their dragon quest and then let go, the two remain close friends and comrades.
• Keiko Ayano: Silica, one of the younger members of the group, whom Lisbeth treats like a little sister, her shop door is always open to her.

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