Sword Art Online/ソードアート・オンライン 1. How We Got to Here: Part I

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Sword Art Online. The franchise is the property of Reki Kawahara-sensei, Dengeki Bunko, A-1 Pictures, and Aniplex USA.

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**Author Notes**: Hello and welcome to my first fanfiction story for Sword Art Online, and it will be my second story overall. For those of you who are fans of my first story, "Of Science and Magics: The Side Stories," you have nothing to fear. I have every intention of continuing my work on that story, and I have the next few chapters planned out.

I began writing this story because I received inspiration by seeing a picture that depicted an alternate scenario for the Fairy Dance Arc where Asuna was visiting Kirito. As soon as I saw that picture, I felt the ideas for this story flow through my mind, so I began writing this story while it was still fresh in my mind. As a result, I put "Of Science and Magics: The Side Stories" on a temporary hiatus. Unfortunately, I do not have a link to that picture, so I cannot show you.

Anyway, it's time to get things started. I hope you enjoy this first chapter and will leave a review.

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Chapter One: How We Got to Here: Part I – Life and Change

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I was always chained

A change was necessary

So I could be me

/

_My name is Yuuki Asuna. I was trapped within the game Sword Art Online from November 6__th__, 2022 5:30 p.m. to November 7__th__, 2024 2:55 p.m. It was a death game where if you die in the game you die in the real world as well. There would be no second chances. _

_In the beginning, I was terrified, and I believed there was nothing I could do. However, with time that eventually changed. I became stronger and more independent. Eventually, my abilities were within the top ten percent of all players in Sword Art Online even though I had never played a video game before in my life. _

_Some of the people I met and became friends with in there would be people I would want to have a connection with forever. Most importantly, I met the person who would become the love of my life. He was someone that I could never replace. Thanks to Sword Art Online, I know the bond I formed with him was genuine. Neither of us knew the others' background prior to the game, and we still fell in love with each other unconditionally. _

/

_I come from a background that most people would wish to have. My father is the CEO of a company known as RECTO Progress Inc., which is a branch from the main corporation RECTO Inc. I am part of the privileged class, and most people only want to form connections with me because of my father. Within the game, most people would see me as being brave and strong but that was not the case before. I use to be a weak, cowardly, sheltered girl who would never speak up. I always needed to hide behind someone, and I was ashamed of that._

_Long before I entered the game, my father introduced this man named Sugou Nobuyuki who was the son of a family friend. This man was selected by my father to be the Research Institute Director for the company. My father was completely convinced that this man was of good character due to his outward politeness and talents. He all but told me that this man was going to become my future fiancé._

_However, my father was completely blind to people's true nature. From the moment I shook that man's hand, I felt something was off about him. It felt as if I needed to wash my hand a hundred times to get rid of his stench. Unfortunately, my suspicions were confirmed when we were alone. Suguo is a man that acts kind and polite when people of authority are present. However, he will let his true nature shine through when he knows that there is no one that is a threat to him. He was a controlling, lecherous individual that disgusted me. I wanted to tell my father the truth, but I lacked the ability to do so. The only one who knew of my distaste was Suguo Nobuyuki himself._

/

_My life would completely change the day that my brother, Yuuki Kouichirou,_ _bought the game known as Sword Art Online. I was fifteen years old. When it arrived, my brother had to go on a business trip. I remember it like it was yesterday._

_I looked at the package he received that day, _"Hey brother what is this game you just bought?"

_He explained to me, _"It is a game called Sword Art Online. The setting of the game takes place in a world known as Aincrad. This game just launched today and only 10,000 copies were released throughout Japan. I managed to buy this on special order."

_While I knew my brother likes to play video games, I was curious about what made this game so special, _"What is this game like?"

_He explained to me as best he could, _"It's a virtual reality game that supposedly has 100 floors, but each floor is huge by itself. Apparently, it would take you days to thoroughly explore each floor. The different boss rooms are supposed to be well hidden, and it would not be recommended to fight one without help."

_I could understand the appeal of a game like that. _"Is that so? Are you going to play now?"

_Kouichirou told me in a disinterested tone, _"The time the servers open up will be at exactly 1:00 p.m. today. I have been looking forward to playing this game ever since I participated in the beta test. It was a shame I was only able to play it for a few days rather than the entire month the other beta testers got to play."

_For someone who claimed to be excited about this game, he certainly didn't look that way to me._

_I looked at the clock and I said, _"That's only in an hour. Why do you look like you are going to work? I thought you had the day off?"

_He said in a frustrated tone, _"I was supposed to have the day off, but I received a call this morning, and I have to attend an important business matter personally. I will have to wait until I get back until I can play the game."

_I had never played a video game before in my life. However, I was curious about how much fun they were, especially if your actual mind was going into it. I thought it would be interesting to find out if everything you'd experience in the game would appear and feel real. That is when I asked him that faithful question._

_I sheepishly asked him, _"If you can't play it right now, do you mind if I try it?"

_My brother gave a funny look and he started to laugh_, "Sure why not. You have never played a video game before and this seems like a fun way to start."

_Strangely enough, I was excited he was giving me permission, _"You're really okay with it?"

_He patted me on the head, _"Of course I am. I'm sure by the time I get back you will be sick of the game anyway. You will probably die three or four times before you get past the first level."

_I sarcastically replied_, "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

_At that time, I thought my brother was probably right about that. When I entered the game, I was given the choice of giving myself a code name. I choose to just use my name Asuna because I figured I would only be playing this for a few of days before my brother came back home. Besides, the appearance I choose would be completely different from what it is in the real world, so it wouldn't matter._

_When I entered the game, I changed my appearance. In hindsight, I don't think it was only because I had the choice to alter my avatar's appearance but because I felt like I needed it too. Even before Sword Art Online began to change me, I was still ashamed of the type of person I had been. I thought maybe if I changed what I looked like, it could help change who I was._

_To a certain extent, I think it worked. When I entered this world, I realized I was in a place where no one knew who I was. It was a fresh start. I knew I had to take advantage of it, so I decided to explore this world. During my exploration, I had a hard time believing this was all computer generated and not real. The wind in my hair, the smell of the food that was cooking, and ground below my feet felt genuine._

_While I was exploring this beautiful open world, I noticed these two male avatars fighting a pig monster from a distance. One of the fighters had mid-length dark hair and was a total bishounen while the other one had red hair and a rougher appearance. Based on what I saw, the dark haired player was teaching the red haired player how to use his abilities because the red haired one was having a difficult time fighting the pig. Thanks to the dark haired ones instructions, the red haired man finally succeeded in killing the monster._

_I considered going over and asking for help too, but I decided not to bother them. Instead, I decided to try it on my own. I found my own pig monster to fight, and I killed it. At first, I was having trouble like that red haired player, but after I started to get a feel for the mechanics, I was able to defeat the monster without any problems. I fought a few more of them, and I barely received a scratch._

_I said to myself, _"Not bad for the first time. I guess I won't have to worry about dying three or four times after all. Wait until I tell my brother." _I also noticed that it was getting late._ "I guess I should probably try logging out of the game."

_After I said that, I tried navigating through the menu, and I looked all over the place, and I could not find a log out option._ "What is going on here? Where is the log out button? Is this some kind of glitch?" _While I may not have been computer savvy, even I knew what a bug or a glitch is._

_Shortly afterwards, I was teleported from my position, and I ended up in this huge arena along with thousands of other players. _"Is this everyone who has logged onto the game? What is happening?" _I heard a few other people mention how they could not find a log out button on their menus._ "So it isn't just me."

/

A hooded figured appeared in the sky, and I thought I was looking at the grim reaper. I could see under its hood, but there was no face. It was completely empty. This thing was making me more terrified by the minute. I thought to myself, _"Are you the one in charge or not? What are you going to do about this mess?"_

_As if responding to not only my thoughts but everyone else's the figure spoke in a masculine voice that resonated throughout the stadium_, "Players, I welcome you all to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko. Right now, I am the only person who can control this world."

_I thought to myself, "Okay fine, so you are in charge. Are you going to help us or not?"_

_The figure then continued his speech, _"I think that most of you have discovered the fact that the Log Out button has disappeared from the main menu. This is not a bug; it is all part of Sword Art Online's system."

_I said out loud in disbelief,_ "What?"

_The figure probably knew that we all would be confused by his statement as he said, _"Until you get to the top of this castle, you cannot log out of your own free will."

_I had been here for several hours and explored a few areas of Aincrad's first floor, and I did not see any castle. Then, I realized something. There are supposed to be 100 floors in this game. Is the castle on the one hundredth floor?_

_My thoughts were interrupted by what else that figure had to say, _"Also, the disruption or dismantling of the Nerve Gear from the outside is strictly forbidden. If these things are attempted," _he did not say anything for a moment and left us in silence before slowly saying, _"the signal sensors in your Nerve Gear will emit a strong electromagnetic pulse, destroying your brain and stopping all of your basic functions."

_I had no clue how to react to something like that. I stood there in complete horror. I thought to myself, "How come something like that be possible? Could the device attached to my head in the real world be capable of something like that?" Then I realized, "If it was powerful enough to put my mind into something that looks and feels real, then the possibility of it destroying my mind entirely does not seem improbable either." The horror of the situation came to me afterwards, "What happens if someone I know on the outside and doesn't know this pulls the helmet off my head? I'll die!"_

_The figured seemed to know what was going through the people's minds, so he clarified further. _"To be a little more specific, disconnection from an outside source of electricity for ten minutes, being cut off from the system for more than two hours, or any attempt to: unlock, dismantle, or destroy the Nerve Gear. If any of these conditions are met, the brain destruction sequence will start. These conditions have been made known to the government and the public through mass-media in the outside world. On that note, there have been several cases where relatives or friends have ignored the warnings and tried to forcefully remove the Nerve Gear. The result," _the metallic voice took a short breath before he continued_, "regretfully 213 players have already exited this game, and the real world, forever."

_All around me I heard screams and shouts of disbelief. I did neither. All I did was stare in horror with my mouth open. All I could think was, "No this can't be happening. This can't be happening."_

_As if he was attempting to calm us down, the figure told us, _"Players, there is no need to worry about the bodies you left on the other side. As of this moment, all TV, radio, and Internet media are repeatedly reporting this situation; including the fact that there have been numerous deaths. The danger of having your Nerve Gear taken off has already all but disappeared. In a moment, using the two hours I have provided, all of you will be transported to hospitals or similar institutes and be given the best treatment. So you can relax and concentrate on beating the game."

_Needless to say, that did not calm anyone down. Everyone was saying something along the lines of _"You expect us to play the game like this?" _or _"This is bull! You can't do something like this." _I continued to say nothing. I wanted to say something along with these angry people, but no words were capable of leaving my mouth. Then I heard someone say, _"This isn't a game anymore!"

_What that voice said would remain etched in my mind because it was true. I came here to casually enjoy my first video game experience, but now this is anything but that. This has become life or death._

_As if Kayaba Akihiko was responding to that last shout, he said in his monotonous voice,_ "But I ask of you all to understand that Sword Art Online is no longer a simple game. It is a second reality. From now on, any forms of revival in the game will no longer work. The moment your HP reaches zero, your avatar will be gone forever. And at the same time, your brain will be destroyed by the Nerve Gear."

_As soon as he said that, my thoughts went back to what my brother had said to me, "You will probably die three or four times before you get past the first level." _

_I felt a tear trickle down my face. I thought to myself, "It's true. I will die. There is no escaping that. My fate is to die here."_

_Before the figure claiming to be Kayaba Akihiko disappeared, he left us with a parting gift. He gave us a mirror in our inventory that then flashed in front of our eyes. After the light faded, I realized that my appearance had changed back to what it is like in reality. The same was true for a number of the other players as well. I noticed that there was a decrease in female avatars, and I heard quite a few people say things, such as _"Hey you're not a girl!"

_Shortly afterward, the figure disappeared, and everyone left in the stadium was in a state of confusion and despair. _

/

_After the arena incident, I took refuge in a room in the Starting City for a week. I had heard that while most of us had no clue what to do, there was a fair number of players, primarily people who participated in the beta test, who had the right idea and left the stadium immediately. They continued on to the next town and leveled up their stats. _

_I didn't know what I could do. Before this happened, I had never played a video game before and now here I was trapped in a game that is literally do or die. How can anyone possibly adjust to something like that? After thinking it over, I decided that if I continue doing nothing, it will be just as bad as getting killed by some monster. I finally left the town and proceeded to explore the first floor and fight as many enemies as I could, so I could become stronger. _

_In hindsight I think I was recklessly fighting so many enemies because I was hoping one of them would kill me. I had lost hope of ever escaping from this world. By December 2__nd__, 2022, almost a month had gone by since the game had started, and not only had the first floor not been cleared but approximately 2,000 players had died. While I was recklessly fighting monsters, I ended up being saved by someone. He criticized my reckless behavior, and he had to transport me away from danger._

_This was how I first met the player known as Kirito. After he transported me away, we eventually formed a party. The first boss had recently been located, and we would be joining a group to take it down along with any subordinates it may have._

_Before we fought the first boss, I told Kirito-kun my reasons for journeying on my own, _"So I can still be me. I'd rather stay myself until the very end than sit still and rot away at an inn back in the first town. Even if I get killed by a monster, I don't want to lose to this game or to this world. No matter what." _When I think back to that day, I must have seemed pretty pathetic._

_Kirito-kun just looked at me unaffected by what I had said. He told me, _"I wouldn't want a party member dying on me. So at least tomorrow don't die."

_After he said that, I realized that this person was giving me his trust. The two of us had never met before, but he was trusting me to have his back. Just like me, he wants to survive in this world. It wasn't just about me. We were all in this together. We needed to work together if we were going to survive this. Even though, I did not directly respond to his request, I decided that I would do everything in my power to survive this battle._

_Despite never participating in a party before, the teamwork Kirito-kun and I used during the first boss battle felt so natural. Our teamwork along with some extra help we received from the player Agil allowed us to defeat the boss but not without suffering casualties. After we had won, I wanted to remain in Kirito-kun's party. Unfortunately, due to certain issues that arose due to the results of the boss fight that resulted in Kirito-kun being labeled under the derogatory term "beater," Kirito-kun dissolved the party, and left on his own. _

_A "beater" was a name for players who were "beta testers" and considered to be "cheaters" in the eyes of others. Kirito-kun took the label in stride because he knew that there were plenty of other beta testers throughout the game that other players would discriminate against. Both Agil and I understood that Kirito-kun tried to contrast the difference between beta testers who were only playing for their own self-interests to other beta testers who behaved more like "normal players." I know he was doing it so there would be less discrimination towards beta testers, and there would be less internal conflict among us while all we wanted was to clear the game, but I just wish we could have handled that situation better._

_Before he left me behind he told me, _"You will be strong. Not only in your sword techniques, but you will have greater and more valuable strength. So, if one day someone you trust invites you to a guild, don't refuse. There's an absolute limit for solo players, after all."

_I am not really sure how I reacted. This was the first time anyone had ever said I would become strong or complimented me like that. I just remember feeling disappointed that we were parting ways. It seemed like he was also regretting that he was leaving me behind. Regardless, I took his words to heart, and I would eventually follow that advice. This was the person who put his trust in me and made me stop my near suicidal habits. He expected me to live, and I would not fail to live up to that expectation. _

_Despite his advice, I met up with him a few other times in the lower floors. We worked as a party for a little longer, and I was able to become stronger. Thanks to him, I was able to defeat the Dark Elf monster. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before we said our goodbyes. It would be a while before we met again_

/

_Not long after I went my separate path from Kirito-kun, I was recruited by a man named Heathcliff to join his guild known as "The Knights of the Blood." Eventually, our guild became the strongest guild throughout Aincrad. Our uniforms were styled red and white, and we were seen as either a beacon of hope to the players or the image of envy to other guilds._

_Our leader was Heathcliff, and he was considered to not only be a born leader but a talented fighter. I fought alongside him many times, and I saw that his health bar never went below yellow. However, we would find out a special reason behind that. I use to refer to him as Commander Heathcliff but that eventually changed too. _

_During my time in the Knights of Blood, my speed reached near legendary levels to the point I became known as "Asuna the Flash." Eventually, I would become the sub-leader of this guild, and I would be one of the people in charge of strategies for different boss battles. Due to my reputation of becoming the sub-leader, I also became famous throughout Aincrad. I was seen as the idol of Sword Art Online that many people would admire. A number of players proposed to me, however, I was quick to reject them._

_Despite what people may have thought, I was constantly feeling troubled. In this place, I was someone. I was considered to be brave, strong, and feared, but it didn't change the fact this was all a game. Our real bodies were in a hospital room becoming weaker every day and anything we wanted to accomplish in reality was being taken away. I would always think that while people out there are making themselves into respectable people in the real world, we are just wasting our lives trapped in another reality. Even if we get out eventually, it might be too late to do anything significant with our lives. Such thoughts continued to haunt me every night. I could not tell you how many nightmares I had._

/

_While I was still rising in the guild's ranks, I heard someone shouting, _"Anyone require the services of a blacksmith! I offer quality services at a reasonable price!"

_I looked over and saw a pink haired girl who was about my age sitting under a tree. She had all her blacksmith equipment laid out in front of her, and she had a sign that read, "Lisbeth Smith Shop."_

_I thought that I could use a new rapier, so I decided to approach her, _"hey would your services include creating rapiers?"

_She cheerfully said to me_, "Of course. My services include but are not limited to rapiers, broad swords, katanas, spears, shields, and axes. Can I interest you in any other possible weapons as well for diversity?"

_While I was somewhat interested in using a spear, I did not think this was the time for that. _"Not right now. A new rapier will do just fine."

_She seemed disappointed, but she did not let it show too much. _"All right then. What type of rapier do you wish for?"

_I wasn't too sure about what type of rapier I needed. I showed her a list of different rapiers I was interested in, and I told her my current skill level with the rapier._

_After she was done reviewing the information, she knew exactly what I needed._ "In that case, this rapier would be necessary, but I don't have the materials at the moment. Would you happen to have them by chance?"

_She showed me a list of the materials._ "I have three of these ingredients, but I seem to be lacking the last one. It seems pretty rare."

_The rarity of the ingredient did not seem to bother her. _"It sure is, but I know where we can find one. It should be on the sixteenth floor. We should probably get going."

_I was surprised by what she was saying, _"You're coming with me?"

_She cheerfully told me, _"Of course. The customer comes first."

_I didn't want to appear rude or ungrateful, but I had to ask her, _"Shouldn't you stay with your shop?"

_After I asked her that, she was able to pack up her belongings pretty quickly._ "At the moment, my shop is mobile."

_It took us about half a day to find the material. When we finally were successful, Lisbeth was able to forge the rapier for me on the spot._

_I found Lisbeth to be a kind girl who displayed a great deal of pride in her work. I would meet her a number of times throughout our time in Aincrad, and we became close friends. She also became my personal blacksmith. She would forge me more rapiers as my skill continued to increase. She also forged me a spear when I decided to diversify my weapon abilities. While her weapons were easy to use, it certainly took a lot to get used to using a spear. I decided I would always use my rapiers in boss battles and only fight weaker opponents with my spear._

_After my initial meeting with Lisbeth, I made sure to recommend her to other players. She was eventually able to build up her business to the point she had her own shop on the forty-eighth floor. Despite having her own shop, that did not stop her from going on quests with her customers for new materials. _

/

_After becoming a member of the Knights of the Blood, I participated in the frontlines often, and I would meet Kirito-kun, who by that time became known as the Black Swordsman due to his trademark dark clothing and being one of the only solo players in the game._

_Whenever I met him in the frontlines, a part of me wanted to ask him to join the guild. However, he did not seem interested in joining any guilds for that matter. I witnessed his reaction when he was asked by another guild, and it was not pretty. He would just participate briefly in the meetings and the boss fights, but he would avoid guilds like the plague. _

_The only guild I saw him willingly interact with was the Fuurinkazan, but it was probably because they were the only guild that knew better than to ask him to join. Kirito-kun also appeared to be friends with their leader, Klien. Additionally, the only other player I saw him speak to was the merchant/frontline solo player Agil. I was a little jealous of them. Whenever he saw me, he tried to avoid me. _

_I thought to myself, "What is his problem? Is he avoiding me because he thinks I might try to recruit him? Is he ashamed that he left me behind?" _

_At that time, I was too presumptuous of his reasons, and I didn't confront him about it. It would be a long time before I would find out the answer to those questions. When I did find out, I became ashamed of myself that I did not try to learn his story. If I would have tried harder to talk to him, things could have been different. I am not ashamed of how things ended up developing, but I believe that I could have made things easier for him much sooner._

/

_During my time in the Knights of Blood, I became stronger, more independent, but I also became colder. After I became the second-in command of the Knights of Blood, I demanded discipline from the members, and I never smiled in front of them. They would always follow my orders out of fear. Until April 2024, one of the only people that ever saw my kinder side was Lisbeth. _

_On March 2024, I formed a plan to defeat the boss on the fifty-sixth floor that involved allowing it to massacre non-player characters, also known as NPCs. I believed that since NPCs were AIs, they were disposable, and they could be sacrificed for the sake of our survival. _

_Kirito-kun disagreed with me,_ "That's crazy! NPCs aren't just objects like rocks and trees! They are . . ."

_I interrupted him,_ "Living or so you would say? That is naïve. Those are nothing more than objects. No matter how many times they're slaughtered they will be reborn after twenty-four hours, after all."

_This was not the first time I had seen him treat NPCs as if they were regular humans either. At that time, I could not understand why he thought that way, _"This is something I always thought I had to mention, but as the clearers who stand at the top of all the players, those priorities of yours are mistaken. We must exterminate the bosses and reach the next floor, even it's only a day, or even an hour faster. There is not a single thing more important aside from the lives of players."

_Our conversation was interrupted by the player known as Klien, the guild leader of the Fuurinkazan. He said out loud that Kirito-kun was at Level 71 while I only recently reached Level 70. I had a hard time believing that Kirito-kun could actually be stronger than me. _

_He tried to calm down my shocked reaction at first,_ "No, I really don't plan to force my opinion through that difference in levels. Just that," _his eyes then turned into eyes gazing at me with pity_, "is 'clearing' simply using the fastest and most efficient method to defeat the bosses? Abandoning slow-leveling comrades, killing NPCs, wouldn't these means cause your most important parameter, your 'heart,' to be tainted?"

_I could not stand the look he was giving me, so I challenged him to a duel that he accepted. Before our dual began, I thought to myself, "I must not lose. There's no way I will lose to someone who enjoys this death game. After all, even while we're doing this my reality is still rotting away bit by bit."_

_Kirito-kun would later tell me that before he fought me that I had the same eyes as him from three months before. They were the eyes of someone who was alive but not living._

_I dueled against him, and I was soundly defeated. Ironically, my defeat led me to having a conversation with a NPC that Kirito-kun seemed to get along with. It was due to the conversation I had with her that gave me a clue to defeating the boss. As much as I hated to admit it, this proved that sacrificing NPCs was not a necessary tactic after all._

_During the victory party, I came to the realization that Kirito-kun was not just a player who fought on the frontlines, but he was someone who was living in this world. At that time, I never would have thought Kirito-kun would become the love of my life._

/

_Shortly after that confrontation, I met him again in a meadow in April 2024. He was taking a nap underneath a tree. It annoyed me that he was being so lazy while our real bodies were rotting away._

_I called out to him, _"If you have time to kill here, go into the dungeon and try to clear some more of it!"

_Kirito-kun gave me a reply I should have seen coming,_ "'It's the best season in Aincrad, and the weather setting is really good too. It would be a shame to go into the dungeon on a day like this." _Then he gestured to the space next to him and said,_ "Why don't you take a nap as well?"

_I found him to be very rude, but I also found his offer to be strangely inviting. I am not really sure why, but I decided to lie down next to him. The wind felt so good on my body and the atmosphere was perfect. Before I knew it, I fell asleep, and I didn't have any nightmares. This was the first time I had been able to sleep so peacefully for such a long time. _

_I didn't want to admit it at the time, but I think I was able to sleep because Kirito-kun was next to me. We may still not have known each other too well, but for what it was worth, I knew he was good person that I could probably trust. Despite any kind of hostility I had with him before, I still felt more comfortable being near him than most of the other players._

_After I woke up, it was the afternoon, and Kirito-kun was looking at me impatiently. He seemed kind of annoyed that I kept him waiting all that time. He told me,_ "It's about time you woke up. Seriously."

_After that, I decided to treat him to a meal because he made sure no one tried to kill me while I slept. In this world, while people are not able to kill others in "safe zones" there are ways around that. One exception would be activating a duel that was different from the duel Kirito-kun and I fought. It would involve a duel that could only be resolved when one player kills the other. There have been cases where other players have done that to others. I was grateful that Kirito-kun made sure that wouldn't happen, so I decided to repay him with a meal._

_That led to a number of other events, including a murder mystery. When that situation was resolved, the two of us finally became friends. Just like when we teamed up in the lower floors, we were able to work together with such synergy. It was after that event that I started calling him Kirito-kun, and I wanted to spend more time with him and get to know him._

/

_Until April 2024, there were still times when I would cry at the fact that every day I was trapped in this game and everything that I could do related to the real world, such as going to college was being ruined. I would be plagued by vicious nightmares that wouldn't leave me alone. I became fixated on becoming stronger and clearing the game, so I continuously trained and leveled up._

_After the time I spent with Kirito-kun on the meadow enjoying the breeze and falling asleep, it made me realize that even if we were being forced to live inside this game, there was value in enjoying our time here. From that point forward, I started going to sleep thinking of him and the nightmares that haunted me began to dissipate. During the subsequent months, I set more time aside to see him, and I was always looking forward to our time together. _

_Eventually, I began to question why I was always so happy to go see him. After a while, I began to realize I was in love. However, I did not think the feeling was mutual. I even confided my problems to my friend Lisbeth. She was one of the only people I could trust with my secret. Lisbeth tried to give me suggestions, but they didn't work. Regardless, I was just happy to spend time with him, even if it was only once in a while._

_/_

**Omake**:

Kirto: That's it. This is where the first chapter ends?

Asuna: This is where the script comes to a close.

Kirito: Talk about an unsatisfying ending. I know we had a lot more scenes planned out for this chapter. So we get to the part where you finally realize your feelings toward me and the author ends it there?

Asuna: There are plenty more chapters to come, so I wouldn't be too worried about. Besides, those scenes weren't deleted, they were pushed forward.

Kirito: What do you mean?

Asuna: Originally, the author was going to make my narration of the Sword Art Online Arc one huge chapter, but it became much longer than the author anticipated. It was decided that the chapter should end here, so the mood of the following chapter could be set.

Kirito: Well that's a relief I guess. Wait a minute, how come you know this and I don't?

Asuna: We may both be the main characters of this story, but I am the one who is taking the center stage here, so I need to be told a lot of things.

Kirito: In that case, do you know if this story will be completely a first person narrative from your perspective?

Asuna: I actually do know the answer to that question. While this chapter and most of the following chapter will be from my narration, there will be scenes that I will and cannot narrate even if I want to. The story will occasionally switch between the first and third person narration.

Kirito: So it will be similar to how the light novels are structured except you will be the narrator for the first person segments and not me.

Asuna: Exactly.

Kirito: Do you have any idea when the next chapter will be released, so we end this prologue and move onto the alternate Fairy Dance Arc?

Asuna: The author is wrapping up a few final scenes for the next chapter and then it needs to go into post production.

Kirito: What is post-production for a fanfiction story?

Asuna: It involves proofreading, editing, and verifying. It can be a pretty lengthy process depending on the situation. However, there shouldn't be too many problems this time. Of course providing reviews for the story can really help provide additional motivation for the author.

Kirito: (he turns to the audience) Do you hear that readers?! Be sure to provide reviews after you read the story.

Asuna: Also, if you are a fan of the franchise "A Certain Magical Index" also known as "Toaru Majutsu no Index," be sure to check out the author's other story "Of Science and Magics: The Side Stories." You will probably enjoy it.

Kirito: See you next time.

/

**Author Notes**: For those of you who have read my previous story, the trademark omakes that appear at the end of the chapters have made their return. If you are seeing this for the first time, the omakes I write involve the characters breaking the fourth wall for funny, serious, and/or informational purposes. They will more or less lampshade certain things that happen in the chapters or provide hints for the release schedule of the following chapter. The characters may act out-of-character in those skits, but it is intentional for those moments.

As the omake stated, I originally intended this chapter and the following chapter to be just one extremely long chapter. However, that changed during the course of writing this. As you can guess, the first two chapters will act as the prologue before the alternate version of the Fairy Dance Arc can begin. I will be posting the second part in a little while, and I hope to post the third chapter someday soon as well. In the meantime, I would appreciate it if you would leave a review, and I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. There is plenty more to come.


	2. How We Got to Here: Part II

**Author Notes**: I am sorry for taking longer than planned to produce this new chapter. A few things happened over the past few weeks, and it delayed my progress. However, the wait is now over.

As you may have read in the previous chapter's Omake and Author Notes, Asuna's narration of the first story arc was originally going to be all one chapter, but it was longer than I had anticipated. It has gotten so long that I decided that I needed to divide it into another chapter. I apologize for that, but I think it was necessary for artistic purposes. However, despite the slight deviation from the original plan, I think this has turned out for the better. I hope you all feel the same. Enjoy the chapter, and please leave a review.

/

Chapter Two: How We Got to Here

Part II – Love and Family

/

Love is beautiful

There will be only regret

If you fail to act

/

_During the months after the murder mystery event, I made sure to meet Kirito-kun several more times. We also listed each other as friends, so we would be able to know if the other was still alive or not and send messages. I also found out where he usually lived in the game, so I would occasionally pay him a visit. He was happy to spend time with me, but he was still pretty much a loner. _

_I still didn't know why he acted this way. I thought it was because he was a "beater," but I wasn't sure if that was really the entire reason, and I didn't have it in me to ask. I wanted to know more about him, but I didn't want to go too far. However, he did tell me about a few of his adventures over the past two years, such as his time with the dragon tamer Silica and his run-ins with the Fuurinkazan. _

_Through our conversations, I was able to know more about his adventures in Sword Art Online, but I still didn't know anything about who he was before. However, that changed when he decided to tell me about his younger sister. He told me that his grandfather was a very strict man who practically forced him to participate in kendo. Kirito-kun apparently couldn't get into it and dropped out, so his sister covered for him until their grandfather passed away. Despite what he said, I wonder if Kirito-kun's history with kendo could be one of the reasons for his preference of using swords in Sword Art Online._

_He also told me a few other details regarding his relationship with his sister. He told me with a pained look on his face, _"A few years before Sword Art Online began, I learned a few things."

_I needed more to go on than that, so I asked, _"What kinds of things?"

_Kirito-kun explained, _"I learned that she was not really my sister but my cousin. Apparently, she was unaware of the truth as well. After I learned that, my perception of her radically changed. I know it shouldn't have, but it did. We were raised together as if we were siblings our whole lives, but when I found out the truth I thought that everything I was raised to believe was nothing but a lie. I don't know what I was thinking, but I couldn't look at her the same way anymore."

_I couldn't condemn Kirito-kun for thinking that way. I could only imagine what would go through someone's head if he or she learned such a fact. I wanted to know more, so I asked him, _"What happened?"

_Kirito-kun's face was filled with regret when he told me, _"I began to distance myself. By the time this happened, we were practically strangers living in the same home."

_I was at a loss for words, _"Kirito-kun . . ."

"I'm not proud of my actions." _I could tell by the sound of his voice it was the farthest thing from being proud._ "Being by myself has made me reflect on a lot of things before coming to this world. What I did was wrong. Even back then, I knew that what I was doing was wrong, but I did it anyway. She was still the kind person I always knew, and I just shut her down even when she attempted to reconcile with me. I'm afraid that even if we do get out of here, it might be too late to mend our relationship."

_I didn't believe that could be true. I told him, _"It's never too late Kirito-kun."

_Kirito-kun face looked at me filled with confusion, _"Huh?"

_I assured Kirito-kun, _"If you truly want to reconcile with your sister, I don't think she will reject your efforts. When we get out of here, you can still make things right with her. I know it."

_Kirito-kun didn't say anything at first and he started to chuckle a little bit before responding, _"You know Silica said something similar to me. I guess you two are right. I doubt she would be the type to hold a grudge."

_I was hoping that this meant that Kirito-kun would do something when the time finally came, _"So you'll do it?"

_Kirito-kun took a deep breath and told me, _"I'll try."

_It was good to see Kirito-kun in higher spirits. I still remember how he had helped me on the earlier floors, and it felt good that I was able to do something for him. I was also happy to finally learn something about him too._

_During those few months of spending time with Kirito-kun and enjoying his company, I eventually realized that I was in love. However, I didn't act on it at first. I guess I was too afraid to do anything about it. Here I was the second in command of the Knights of the Blood who has faced countless boss battles over the past two years, but I couldn't bring myself to act upon my feelings. Regardless, after I understood my feelings, I finally felt that coming to Aincrad was a great thing. Unfortunately, not all of our meetings together had a pleasant ending._

/

_I remember the time when we had to fight the Laughing Coffin guild. That guild was a criminal guild that specialized in player killing. Those guild members would not just kill their victims, but they would torture them as well. Despite the rules of the game being clear that death in the game would result in death in real life, there were still those that either refused to believe that or decided they didn't care. The Laughing Coffin murdered numerous players. Kirito-kun and I were able to prevent them from murdering a few players back in April 2024, but they retreated as soon as we intervened._

_When the Laughing Coffin guild grew too strong and refused to listen to our demands that they stop engaging in such activities, a coalition was formed in August 2024 to counter them. Kirito-kun and I participated in that movement. After the battle was over, it resulted in eleven of our crusaders and twenty-one of the Laughing Coffin members dying. Even though the Laughing Coffin was effectively destroyed, we did know a fair number of the members survived. The ones that lived until the game was cleared never received their comeuppance. _

_Two of the Laughing Coffin members that died were killed by Kirito-kun himself. He attempted to convince them to surrender, but they refused. They attacked him, and Kirito-kun was forced to put them down. Kirito-kun cut both of them down with two strikes and like anyone else who died in this game their bodies shattered into glass fragments that quickly faded away. I still remember the look on Kirito-kun's face after it happened._

_I asked him, _"Are you okay Kirito-kun?"

_Kirito-kun did not answer me. He didn't even hear me. It appeared that he was in his own world completely unaware I was next to him._

_I called out to him again, _"Kirito-kun!"

_That finally got Kirito-kun's attention,_ "Yes what?"

_I repeated myself,_ "I asked you if you are okay."

_Kirito-kun's eyes attempted to avoid my own, and he responded in a less than convincing tone, _"Yeah I'm fine."

_It was easy for me to tell that he was lying. _"No you're not. I can see it in your eyes."

_Kirito-kun said in a distant tone, _"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes." _I waited a moment before I also said_, "Kirito-kun you didn't do anything wrong. I saw that you gave them a chance to surrender, but they repaid your mercy with making another attempt on your life. It was either you or them. No one will blame you for it." _After I said that, I added,_ "I don't blame you for it."

_Unfortunately, I could tell that my words were not enough to help him. However, he did tell me, _"Thanks. I guess I needed to hear that. I'll see you around." _He immediately walked away from me without another word._

_I could tell that his words were sincere. He was grateful that I tried to help him, but I guess there was nothing I could say that could make him feel any better. At least, that is what I believed at the time. When I think back on it, I am certain there was more I could have done._

_I wanted to go after him, but I had a feeling that it wasn't going to do him any good. It went against my better judgment, but I decided to give him a little space for the time being. In hindsight, I regret that decision._

/

_A few weeks later, I received a message from Kirito-kun in September of 2024. I remember what was written in the message, _"I can't handle it. I'm dying. Save me."

_At first, I thought it was a joke. I never would have imagined that I would receive such a message from Kirito-kun. It seemed out of character for him. Regardless, I immediately went to his location. As it turned out, he was sick, and he had no idea why. I explained to him that since it was September, it means that the weather is changing, so his real body probably has a cold as a result._

_After I took care of him, I became sick as well. I knew it wasn't possible for sicknesses to be transferred in the virtual world, so that must have meant my real body was affected in the same way. Kirito-kun had recovered by then, and he returned the favor by taking care of me._

/

_Our relationship took a major turn during the following month after I cooked a meal for him. I had forcibly convinced Kirito-kun to form a party with me, and he had helped me get rid of my annoying bodyguard Kuradeel who had been practically stalking me. While I was of a higher level than Kuradeel, I wasn't sure how to deal with the problem he was giving me. I was supposed to be the second-in-command of the Knights of the Blood, but depending on my actions it could make the situation worse._

_Kirito-kun did not need me to ask for help. He challenged Kuradeel to a duel without hesitation and defeated him easily. Before Kuradeel could attempt to attack Kirito-kun again, I ordered Kuradeel to pull out since he lost the duel. Afterwards, Kirito-kun and I were finally able to spend time by ourselves._

/

_While we were on our own, we discovered the entrance to the boss on the 74th Floor, Gleam Eyes. He was a rather vicious looking monster and neither Kirito-kun nor I were properly prepared to fight that monster. As a result, we made a 'tactical' retreat. _

_After we pulled back, we decided to take a break in an area we knew should be clear of monsters. Kirito-kun really seemed to be addicted to my cooking at this point. While we were taking a break we met with Kirito-kun's friends in the Fuurinkazan. They were a friendly bunch, especially their leader Klien. When Kirito-kun wasn't listening, Klien told me to take care of Kirito-kun due to his loner tendencies._

_Unfortunately, we also had a run in with the Aincrad Liberation Force, also known as The Army. They were the largest guild throughout Sword Art Online consisting of about 3,000 players. However, only a handful of them were actually capable of being clearers like Kirito-kun, the Furrinkazan, or me. _

_The leader of the Army unit, Cobert demanded we give them the information on the boss' location. Kirito-kun complied with his demand, but we warned Cobert that the boss was most likely too powerful to be fought without a plan. Besides, his subordinates appeared too tired to fight. However, they pressed on, and we would soon hear a lot of screaming coming from the boss' lair. Despite our warning, the Army unit decided to fight Gleam Eyes themselves, and three of them were killed, including Cobert. They weren't able to use their teleport crystals to escape either because there was an anti-crystal trap and they were practically cornered by the boss._

_When I saw that monster killing players, I don't know what came over me. I let my emotions take control, and I ran out into the battlefield and stopped Gleam Eyes from killing anymore players. I couldn't stand to see more people die. I felt like I had seen enough death already. Unfortunately, my own actions were almost costly to us._

_Due to me jumping in to fight Gleam Eyes, we were unable to properly prepare a strategy to fight him. Although Kirito-kun, Klien, and I were successful in saving the surviving army members and weaken the boss, our health points were depleting. At this rate, we were all going to die. I remember the look on Kirito-kun's face, and I could tell he thought the same._

_He then shouted to us, _"Asuna! Klein! Give me ten seconds!"

_After we managed to distract Gleam Eyes, Kirito-kun unleashed a technique I did not see coming. It was a skill known as "Dual Wielding." Kirito-kun later explained it was a unique skill that was awarded to him over a year ago that could not be obtained otherwise. He had kept it a secret because he was afraid that it would make others envious of him, which it did. I also realized that meant he took it easy on me during our duel, but it did not bother me much by this point._

_By unleashing his dual wielding skill, he began to fight Gleam Eyes in a one-on-one battle. I had never seen Kirito-kun fight like that before. However, Kirito-kun was victorious over the boss, but Kirito-kun then did something I had never seen him do before. He fainted due to the injuries he had sustained._

_After Kirito-kun fell to the ground, I was afraid that he was going to die. I saw that he still had a little bit of life left in him, and I used a healing crystal to restore him. However, the terror of the situation still remained with me. When he regained consciousness, I hugged him tightly, and he joked about how if I hugged him any tighter his health points would decrease to zero._

_That boss battle made me realized that if we always keep going our separate ways, and I kept taking his strength for granted, there was a chance that I was never going to see him again. This situation finally made me see that despite Kirito-kun's power, he was just as vulnerable to the rules of this death game as anyone else. I told myself that I was not going to let him go off on his own anymore. He wasn't invincible, and he needed someone to watch his back. As long as I was by his side, I would not let him die._

_I can't remember what my voice sounded like. I remember that it was weak, and it was probably a mixture of sadness and terror. I had a difficult time even forming the words that I wanted to say. _"...I was so scared... I didn't know what I'd do... if you had died."

_Kirito-kun told me in a casual tone, _"What are you talking about? You were the one who charged in first."

_I told Kirito-kun with as firm a voice I could muster,_ "I'm going to take a short break from the guild."

_Kirito-kun was confused by what I had said. _"T-Take a break...? Why?"

_I guess I can't blame Kirito-kun for his confusion. Until recently, he had only seen me as the clearer that would stop at nothing to end this game. The very thought of me taking a break and extending my time here probably sounded absurd if it was coming from the me he had known several months earlier. While I still wanted to clear the game, I was far more willing to embrace certain aspects about Aincrad at this point._

_It was only an excuse that I told him, but it was the best I could come up with. _"I said that I was going to party with you for a while. Did you forget already?"

_I don't know if he really bought my excuse, but he seemed to accept it._

/

_Unfortunately, shortly after I decided to take a break from the guild, Heathcliff challenged Kirito-kun to a duel. If Kirito-kun won the duel, I would be free to take a break. However, if Kirito-kun lost, he would have to become a member of the guild. Kirito-kun accepted the conditions._

_To be honest, while I may have told Kirito-kun that accepting a duel with Heathcliff was a stupid idea, I did have mixed feelings about the conditions. I almost felt like it was a win-win for me. Regardless of the duel's outcome, I would be able to spend more time with Kirito-kun. However, I felt guilty that it would come at a considerable cost to him._

_When I witnessed the duel, I was amazed by how close it was. At one point, it appeared that Kirito-kun was about to win. When Kirito-kun was about to deliver the final blow, Heathcliff managed to counter Kirito-kun and won the duel. However, we would soon learn the true reason for Kirito-kun's defeat._

/

_Kirito-kun was not a sore loser and took his defeat in stride, but I could see that his pride was definitely wounded by his defeat. He fulfilled his end of the bargain, and he became a member of the Knights of the Blood. I remember that Kirito-kun wasn't too thrilled about our uniforms. He thought they were too flashy, and I guess after constantly seeing him wear dark clothing for the past two years, it seemed strange to see him dressed in white and red clothing. Luckily, he did eventually gain permission to wear his regular black outfit. _

_I felt bittersweet about the situation. I was thrilled that we would be together more often, but I felt guilty for the role I played in forcing him into this guild. I told him in an apologetic voice, _"This is my fault. You got mixed up in all this because of me. I'm sorry."

_Kirito-kun shrugged it off and assured me, _"It's okay Asuna. This is a good opportunity for me. I was starting to feel the limits of solo playing anyway."

_Hearing him say that felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. "_It's a relief to hear you say that."

_I was silent for a moment before I continued. Since we were now in the same guild, I decided to ask him a question that I wanted to know the answer for some time._ "Kirito-kun can you tell me why you avoid guilds and people? I don't think it's merely because you're a beta tester or a unique skill user, because you are a very kind person."

_Kirito-kun did not answer my question right away. He had a pained look on his face, and I was beginning to regret what I had asked him. He told me, _"Once over a year ago, I joined a guild."

_I was surprised to hear that. I could never picture Kirito-kun being in a guild before due to how I had seen him turn down other offers._

_Kirito-kun continued his story. _"I was offered a spot after I met and helped a group by chance in a dungeon. The guild's name was the 'Black Cats of the Full Moon.' They had only six members including myself. Apparently, in the real world, the five of them were friends and members of a computer club. The names they went by in Sword Art Online were Sachi, Keita, Ducker, Tetsuo, and Sasamaru. We were together with for a few months, and I remember that it was a lot of fun, and I became good friends with all of them, especially Sachi."

_When Kirito-kun was telling me the story at first, he appeared happy re-telling the good days. Seeing him like that caused me to smile and remain silent as he continued. Unfortunately, this was one story that no one should be smiling at its end._

_Kirito-kun explained a little bit about his old guild. _"Keita was the leader of our guild, and he was a good person. He was a two-handed stave user, and he always thought of the guild members first in any situation. Everyone was able to trust him with their lives even me. Since most of the members used long-ranged two-handed weapons, my sword abilities came in handy."

_I remember that I almost blurted out, "Any guild would have found our skills useful." However, I knew there was probably something more specific about this guild that stood out in Kirito-kun's eyes, so I remained silent. I also realized that this was probably my only chance to actually hear this story, and I didn't want to ruin it._

_Kirito-kun sighed before continuing. _"Unfortunately, while I was willing to trust them with my life, I was not willing to trust them with the truth. Their levels were far below mine or rather I simply leveled up too much by fighting too many battles on my own. They all told me that their levels were only in the twenty range while mine was forty. I figured if I told Keita my true level, he would have reconsidered inviting me to join his guild. However, I was tired of fighting in Labyrinths on my own. When they invited me to dinner as a thank you for saving them, the family-like atmosphere of the Black Cats made me envious. It made me want to belong to such a group. I guess it's possible the Black Cats reminded me of what it was like with my family back in the real world."

_I guess a guild having a welcoming family-like bond would be appealing. I can vouch that while some of the members of the Knights of the Blood were friends, the atmosphere for my guild was anything but family-like. I figured that Kirito-kun didn't really care about simply having strong allies. Despite his loner tendencies, he still wanted to just have friends like anyone else. Although, I guess I sort of figured that out over these past few months of seeing him from time to time. This was more of a confirmation than anything._

_While Kirito-kun continued his story, I noticed that his face was becoming sadder. However, I choose not to interrupt him at that moment because I wanted to know more. _"The conversations the guild members had with each other lacked any of the awkwardness and distance that was usually evident in any of the other conversations players usually had with each other. Such a connection was something that deeply appealed to me. Quite frankly, I had no right to desire for the care of others after I decided to become a solo player and selfishly leveled only for myself. However, I quelled my conscience and I joined the guild by hiding my true level and my beta-tester past."

_To be honest, I found that to be perfectly understandable. After the incident with the first boss battle, I remember how Kirito-kun was not only outed as a Beta-Tester but labeled as a Beater. The idea of becoming lonely after traveling on your own for an extended period of time would be expected. I would never condemn him for lying for the sake of finding a group to belong to. _

_Kirito-kun began explaining in a casual manner about what happened during his time in the guild. In hindsight, I think this was his way of making it easier for himself to tell the story. _"Shortly after I joined the guild, Keita asked me to train Sachi to become a sword-and-shield user. Over my time with the guild, I learned that Sachi and I were similar in a lot of ways. We were both socially awkward, preferred to wall ourselves in, and yet we both feared loneliness. Whenever there were no guild activities, the two of us would spend time together, and I taught her how to use her single-handed sword. However, one day she ran away from the guild, and we all split up to find her. After I managed to locate her, she tearfully told me that she was afraid of dying in this game. She was so scared of this death game that she didn't want to go out and train. Seeing her like that tore me up inside. It was then that I made a promise to her that I could not keep." _I still remember the pained look in Kirito-kun's face when he said this part._ "I told her that, 'I won't let you die.' There was nothing else I could say, but she accepted it."

_It was then I decided to ask him the faithful question. _"What happened?"

_Kirito-kun told me with a pained look on his face, _"They all died."

_When I heard Kirito-kun say that, I was speechless. I have always seen Kirito-kun as such a strong individual. I never would have thought someone who was protected by him would die as well. However, that was me again being too presumptuous of someone else's abilities. Kirito-kun like any of us was not an all powerful individual. There was only so much that someone even as skilled as him could do._

_Kirito-kun explained to me that after they had gained enough money to purchase a home, Keita had gone to find one. While he was gone, Kirito-kun and the others went to explore a dungeon. One of the guild members decided to open a chest, and Kirito-kun tried to convince them opening the chest may not be a good idea. Apparently, Sachi was the only one who agreed that they should leave the chest alone, and after it was opened, they received more than what they bargained for._

_After the chest was opened, Kirito-kun told me that it activated an anti-crystal trap, and it prevented them from using teleportation crystals. The only way they would be able to escape was by defeating all the monsters that appeared in the room due to the trap's activation. Unfortunately, only Kirito-kun was strong enough to handle the massive number of monsters, and he was unable to protect his guild members from harm. One-by-one the monsters killed his friends, including Sachi._

_However, I could see that Kirito-kun was not finished telling me his story. _"After it happened, I returned to Keita, and told him what happened. I eventually had to reveal the truth of my level and my past to explain why I survived. He then told me, 'A beater like you didn't have any right to join us.' While the words he spoke were true, they stabbed through me worse than a steel sword ever could."

_I had a feeling that I would not like the answer to my next question, so I was hesitant to ask, but I felt that I needed to know._ "What happened to . . . your friend Keita?"

"He jumped off the platform and killed himself." _After hearing Kirito-kun tell me that, my entire body shuddered. _"I tried to stop him, but it was too late. The next thing I saw was his body being reduced to glass fragments like the other guild members. He was probably cursing me to hell on the way down, and I wouldn't blame him. After all, it's my fault they all died. If I didn't hide the fact that I was a beta tester, I would have been able to persuade them to leave the chest alone. It was me that killed them, Keita, and Sachi. Afterwards, I decided never to join another guild again until now." _The look on his face was filled with pain and regret._

_After Kirito-kun told me his story, I realized the entire time that he had been keeping all of that to himself. He was holding all that pain and guilt. All that time he let that guilt fester within him. This also put the fight with the Laughing Coffin two months earlier into another perspective for me. I realized that in Kirito-kun's mind he had added two more to the list of player deaths he considered himself responsible for. _

_I thought to myself, "When Kirito-kun looks at his hands, does he see the dirty hands of a killer?"_

_This was the same person who had stopped my reckless near suicidal tactics on the first floor and willingly put his trust in me to watch his back. He also convinced me that joining a guild was the best way to survive, and he was the same person who showed me there was value in living in this virtual world. Not to mention that he had saved my life on more than one occasion. _

_I had been so blind by what I have seen him do, that I never realized just how broken he truly was. I never thought that he had burdened himself with so many sins. I could see in his eyes that unless he had someone who could help him carry that burden, he might get himself killed one day._

_After he finished telling me his story, I approached him and put my hands on his face. I told him with a reassuring voice,_ "I won't die. Because, I'm... I'm somebody who'll protect you."

_I knew that he was stronger than me, but I needed to let him know that someone would have his back. This whole time he has been on his own without someone to rely on. I wanted him to rely on me just as I have relied on him before. It was my turn to finally help him._

/

_The following day, I had arranged it so Kirito-kun and I could be in a party with just the two of us. That way, things wouldn't be any different than what we had initially planned anyway. However, we were shocked when we heard that Kirito-kun received an order for a special assignment. He was to attend a special training exercise with Godfree and two other members of the guild to prove his worthiness._

_Kirito-kun asked Godfree, _"Training?"

_Godfree was a huge man who was an axe wielder. He told Kirito-kun in a harsh tone, _"Yes. We will make a party of four and go through the Labyrinth Area in the 55th floor until we reach the living area of the 56th floor."

_I tried to argue against this mission,_ "Wait a minute, Godfree! Kirito-kun and I were going on a mission today."

_Godfree raised an eyebrow and started speaking to me in a presumptuous tone,_ "Even the sub-leader must adhere to the rules. I don't mind the party he joins for exploration. But as the commander of the vanguard, I must test his capabilities. Even if he is a unique skill user, we don't actually know if he'll be of any use to us."

_I wasn't really sure if Godfree was speaking in the sense of whether Kirito-kun could fight or if it was regarding his ability to work with others. Either way, I already knew that Kirito-kun was an extremely talented fighter, and so did many others, and I also knew Kirito-kun had proven to be cooperative in parties. Although, I guess Godfree wasn't around before to witness moments like that. Despite whatever his intentions were, I was annoyed by what Godfree was saying._

_I spoke with a bold and angry voice,_ "Kirito-kun is much stronger than you Godfree. If anything, you would be an inconvenience to him."

_Kirito-kun calmed me down and said to Godfree, "_If you want to see, then I'll show you. But I don't want to waste time in such a low-level labyrinth. Would rushing through it in one run be alright with you?"

_Godfree was less than pleased by what Kirito-kun said to him, and told Kirito-kun,_ "Assemble at the west city gate in thirty minutes."

_Even Kirito-kun had a hard time tolerating the lack of respect that Godfree was giving him. He said out loud, _"What kind of attitude is that!?" _I don't know if he was asking me in particular or if he was voicing what was going through his head._

_I apologized to Kirito-kun for the disrespect that Godfree had given him, _"I'm sorry, Kirito-kun. Maybe it would have been better if we had run away."

_Kirito-kun laughed at my comment and cheerfully told me, _"If we did that, all the members of the guild would collectively curse me to death."

_I was still frustrated by the turn of events, _"I thought that we would be together today. Should I go along with you?"

_Kirito-kun shook his head and he placed his hand on my head, _"I'll be back soon. Just wait here."

_For some reason, my voice had trouble responding to him, _"Okay. Please be careful Kirito-kun."

_Kirito-kun said with a confident voice, _"It's not going to be a problem."

_In the past, if Kirito-kun would have said those words to me, I would have had no trouble believing him. However, something in my heart told me that something was not right about this. My worries were not unfounded because I found out that Kuradeel would be accompanying Kirito-kun and Godfree along with another guild member on this training exercise. I remember that Kuradeel was reprimanded by Heathcliff for his behavior, but my instincts were telling me something was wrong._

_I decided that I would monitor the map of Kirito-kun team's progress. While I was watching the map, I noticed they hadn't moved from a particular location for a while. At first I thought it could have been due to them taking a break, but I also knew that breaks usually don't last that long. A few moments later, I noticed that Godfree had disappeared from the map. As soon as I saw that, I just started to run to where they should be._

_While I was running, I thought to myself, "A player should only disappear when he or she dies, and Kirito-kun would never just let someone die despite any kind of attitude he was given unless . . . oh no." I realized that Kirito-kun must be in a position where he couldn't do anything. I picked up my pace. Apparently, my speed came close to causing a game breaking bug, but I was not known as Asuna "The Flash" for nothing._

/

_When I arrived, I saw Kuradeel impaling Kirito-kun in the stomach with a look of a complete psychopath on his face. I used one of my rapier techniques to send Kuradeel flying. I looked at Kirito-kun's body, and I saw that he was inflicted with a paralysis poison, and he had almost no health points left, but he was still alive._

_My voice was trembling when I said, _"I'm not late... I'm not late... Thank God... I'm not late." _I was on my knees beside Kirito-kun and said to him,_ "Alive... You're alive, right, Kirito-kun...?"

_He weakly told me, _"...Yeah... I'm still alive..."

_Despite the pain he was in, he still smiled at me. I then took out a pink crystal from my pouch and shouted out_, "Heal!" _The crystal broke to pieces and restored Kirito-kun's health points._

_After I was certain that Kirito-kun would be okay, I whispered to him, _"Wait here. I'll take care of this quickly."

_Kuradeel had finally managed to pick himself up from the ground, and he saw that I was approaching. His eyes grew wide with fear from the angry expression that was on my face. He then had the nerve to attempt to convince me that this was all a misunderstanding. He spoke in a nervous voice, _"A-Asuna-sama . . . H-How did you get here . . . ? T-This, is, training, yes, there was an accident in the middle of training . . ."

_His excuses did not convince me in the least. I could see as plain as day the orange icon above his head. Normally, those who are innocent players would have green icons above their heads. Only those that have committed crimes, such as assaulting and/or killing others players would have such icons. It is possible to have your orange icon change back to being green, but it takes a great deal of effort to accomplish that. Additionally, if a green icon player attacks an orange icon player, that player's icon would not change from green to orange because the game system would interpret it as either self-defense or giving the criminal their due punishment._

_However, there were ways to commit crimes and not have your icon become orange, such as luring someone into areas that were filled with high ranking monsters and hope they kill the player or manipulate/convince someone else to commit the crimes for you. Apparently, Kuradeel would have used a cover story of that nature. He would have stated that Kirito-kun and the other two guild members were indirectly killed by green icon players and Kuradeel killed them as revenge. Finally, he would explain he received the orange icon as a result of his actions, but he avenged his 'comrades.'_

_If the situation I had witnessed wasn't enough to convince me, the tattoo on his left arm was. I saw that the symbol represented the Laughing Coffin guild. Apparently, Kuradeel was a surviving member who managed to infiltrate the Knights of the Blood, and he was waiting patiently before he could appropriately choose a target. It appeared that Kirito-kun had become his target._

_I didn't let the bastard have a chance to continue his excuse. I cut his face with my rapier to get him to shut up. Since he was already an orange icon criminal, my icon remained green. _

_Kuradeel covered his wound with his hand as he let out a scream, _"Ahh!"

_He froze for a moment and then he stared at me with eyes filled with animal-like anger. He finally showed his true colors as he said to me,_ "You bitch . . . That went way too far . . . Heh, well it's fine. I'll just take care of you as well . . ."

_I didn't give him a chance to finish his sentence as I continued to fiercely attack him. Kuradeel was unable to keep up with my rapier strikes that I managed to cut him many times before he knew what was happening. He was unable to land a single blow against me. When he had one chance to strike, he swung his sword wildly but to no avail. By the time I was done with him, his health points had decreased from the yellow zone to the red danger area._

_Kuradeel could see that he had no hope of victory. He put his sword down, held both his arms in the air, and screamed to me,_ "O-Okay! Okay! I'm sorry!"

_He then feel to his knees and begged for mercy._ "I-I'll leave the guild! I won't appear in front of you two ever again! So . . ."

_I don't know why, but I listened to that bastard's cries for mercy. My rapier was centimeters away from stabbing Kuradeel and finishing him off once and for all. However, I just couldn't go through with it. I guess a part of me didn't have it in me to take a human life regardless of the atrocities he had committed, especially if he was begging for mercy. _

_Kuradeel then screamed out loud, _"Please! I-I don't want to die!"

_That final scream for mercy was enough to stop me in my tracks. My resolve to put an end to his crimes was visibly shaken. I thought to myself, "Should I really let this man go? He killed Godfree and another member of our guild, and he nearly murdered Kirito-kun. He may try to kill someone again. However, if I just kill him like this, does that make me any better than him?"_

_Before I had a chance to decide, Kuradeel picked up his sword and managed to catch me by surprise. My rapier was knocked from my hand and he said to me with his psychotic face,_ "Sub-leader, you're still faaaaaaaaaaaarr too naive!" _Then, he attempted to cut me down._

_However, Kirito-kun had apparently recovered from the paralysis poison and stopped Kuradeel from attacking me. I saw Kuradeel sever Kirito-kun's left arm below the elbow. However, the pain was not enough to stop Kirito-kun from counter attacking Kuradeel by using his right arm to impale Kuradeel's body in the area between the gaps of his armor. The last twenty percent of Kuradeel's health points was depleted, and his body shattered into numerous glass fragments._

_Before Kuradeel died, I heard him call Kirito-kun a "murderer." I realized that everything had been my fault. I wanted to keep Kirito-kun safe. I wanted to protect him, but my actions have done the exact opposite. _

_Kirito-kun never would have been nearly killed by the Gleam Eyes monster if I hadn't recklessly charged in. He never would have been forced to join the guild and become Kuradeel's target if I had just left him alone. Kuradeel never would have had a chance to target Kirito-kun in the first place if I would have taken care of him sooner. Finally, Kirito-kun would not have had to dirty his hands with another human life if I didn't fall for Kuradeel's bluff and showed him mercy. Instead, Kirito-kun's hand was cut off, and he had to hear someone call him a murderer. He had to add another person's death to his list. As far as I could tell, that count was up to eight._

_I already knew that Kirito-kun was close to being broken if he wasn't already. When I approached him, I sat next to him, and I tried to reach for his hand, but I stopped myself. I thought to myself, "I am not worthy of touching him, or to call him my friend, or even be near him at all." _

_Tears started to trickle down my face. _"I'm sorry . . . Because of me . . . It's all because of me..."

_Kirito-kun barely managed to say,_ "Asuna."

_I felt like I was completely shattered. The only thing I had wanted to do was protect Kirito-kun and all I could do was put him in more danger. I was barely able to form a sentence as I sadly told him while tears were rolling down my face, _"I'm sorry . . . I . . . won't... meet you . . . ever . . . again."

_As soon as I said that, Kirito-kun reached for me. He grabbed my left arm, and he brought me closer to him. I could see the pained look in his face. Before I realized what was happening, he kissed me. I was surprised for a moment, but I returned it. It was sudden, but it was beautiful. I felt as if nothing else mattered except what was happening at this moment._

_After Kirito-kun kissed me, he put his face at the curve of my neck and told me_, "My life belongs to you, Asuna. So I'll use it for you. I'll stay with you until the end."

_I was stunned to hear Kirito-kun say that to me. I would be lying if I said these were words I didn't want to hear. However, I certainly didn't expect to hear them coming from Kirito-kun._

_When I finally found the words to respond, I said_, "I-I'll protect you as well. I'll protect you forever. So..."

_Before I could continue, Kirito-kun told me, _"No matter what happens. I'll make sure that you return to that world."

_I did not verbally respond at first, but I tightened my grip on his body. I had never heard anyone say anything like that to me, but it made me happy to hear it. I smiled at him and said, _"When the time comes, we'll go back together."

_Kirito-kun then said to me, _"Asuna . . . Tonight . . . I want to be with you..."

_I agreed almost immediately. However, I did not realize the misunderstanding we had._

/

_We healed Kirito-kun's left arm before we went back to report the incident that occurred. Afterwards, we headed straight back to my place, and I cooked us dinner again._

_After we had finished eating dinner, I said out loud, _"All right!"

_I walked over to the window sill, and I opened the 'Room Control Menu,' and I turned off all the lights. The only light my home had was the shining white from the lampposts outside. Before Kirito-kun could ask me what I was doing, I then pressed the 'unequip' button on my menu. Afterwards, my knee-high stockings, my one-piece robe, my shoes, and my shorts had all disappeared. _

_The only thing I was left wearing was my underwear. I told Kirito-kun with an embarrassed voice, _"K-Kirito-kun, take your clothes off too. It's em-embarrassing for me to be like this by myself."

_Kirito-kun had a difficult time responding to what I said, _"Err . . . No, you see, I just thought . . .that it would be good, if we stayed to . . . together in a room tonight . . ."

_Upon hearing his words I froze, _"Eh?"

_I realized that when he said he wanted to be with me tonight, he meant he only wanted to stay by my side so no one would be able to kill him during his sleep by activating a duel to the death. I thought he wanted to be with me in a much deeper sense._

_I know it probably wasn't the right thing to do, but I was filled with such anger and embarrassment that I took it out on him,_ "You . . . You . . ." _I clenched my right fist with borderline killing intent. I shouted out to him, _"Idiot!"

_I didn't hit him in the face directly, but my fist was rather close to it. He sheepishly apologized, _"Ahh! Wait! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Forget what I said!"

_He tried to frantically explain to me, _"I'm sorry, I was wrong! Bu...But, anyway, can you . . . like . . . actually d-do it? Is that . . . even possible in Sword Art Online?"

_I was surprised that for someone who lived in this game to the fullest, there was still something he wasn't aware of in this world, but I was. _

_I asked in a confused tone, _"You mean you didn't know?"

"No, I didn't." _The desperate sound of his voice made it quite clear he was telling the truth._

_My voice changed from sounding furious to embarrassed as I explained, _"In the options menu, all the way on the bottom . . . there's an option called 'Ethic Code Off.'"

_Kirito-kun seemed to understand what I was saying. Unfortunately, he then asked me something no one should ever ask,_ "Have . . . Have you ever done it before?"

_I said in a mixture of embarrassment and anger, _"O-Of course not, you idiot! I just heard about it from the other girls in the guild!"

_He then kneeled down on the ground before me and apologized endlessly. It took several minutes before I finally calmed down._

_After I calmed down, and we cleared up the misunderstanding, I told Kirito-kun in an authoritative tone,_ "Kirito-kun, hurry up and take your clothes off."

_Kirito-kun asked in a confused voice, _"What...w-we're continuing?"

_I responded, _"It would be stupid if we stopped here!"_ Although, I think I was saying it more to convince myself than him._

_He complied with my demand. Although the romantic mood I thought we were going to have was ruined, we ended up having a rather interesting and intense but wonderful experience. It makes me wonder if this is how it would feel in the real world as well. I knew that regardless of the answer I would still want it to be with Kirito-kun. I would want both of us to experience our first times together in both realities._

/

_Shortly after our experience, Kirito-kun told me, _"Asuna. You really are strong. You're far stronger than me."

_I smiled at him and told him, _"Maybe now I am, but I wasn't always. In the real world, I used to hide behind other people, and I rarely voiced my opinions. Even this game wasn't something that I bought." _I laughed when I thought about the conversation I had with my brother on the day he gave me permission to play Sword Art Online._ "This game was something that my older brother bought, but he had to suddenly leave for business. I remember how disappointed he was because he had been looking forward to playing this for months. I had never played a game before this, so I asked him for permission to play it during the game's opening day until he returned from his trip. He must be really angry now that I've occupied it for two years."

_I guess you could say that I was 'unlucky' to have been trapped here in my brother's place, but if I hadn't done that then I never would have met Kirito-kun. For a long time, I had been filled with regret and sadness about being trapped here, but now I was happy. It was the happiest I have ever been._

_Kirito-kun playfully told me, _"You'd better get back quickly and apologize."

_I chuckled a bit at his words, _"Yeah. I will be sure to tell him more as well. I remember when I asked for his permission to play Sword Art Online, he was certain that I would die three or four times before I cleared the first floor."

_Kirito-kun continued to smile at me and said,_ "Well let's be glad that didn't end up being the case."

_After Kirito-kun said that, I moved closer to him and said to him,_ "Umm... Kirito-kun, I know this is contradicting what I just said... but can we leave the front-lines for a bit?"

_Kirito-kun looked at me with a confused expression, _"Hmm? What do you mean?"

_After what happened between Gleam Eyes and Kuradeel, I was afraid that something horrible would happen if we pressed onward without taking some kind of breather. I explained myself, _"I don't really know how to describe it, but I'm scared. We finally managed to convey our feelings, but I feel like something bad will happen again if we go to the front-lines straight away. After everything that has happened, I just feel tired."

_Kirito-kun brushed his hand through my hair and nodded in agreement,_ "Yeah, you're right. I'm, a bit tired too." _He was silent for a moment while he contemplated something. _"On the northwestern part of the 22nd floor, amongst the forests and lakes... there's a small village. It's a good place with no monsters. They sell a few cottages there. The two of us can move there together . . . and then . . ."

_He then suddenly stopped talking. It appeared he had a difficult time trying to convey what he wanted to say. I wanted to know what he had in mind, so I said, _"Then . . .?"

_He finally managed to spit out what he wanted to say._ ". . . Let's, let's get married."

_After Kirito-kun proposed to me, I smiled like I had never smiled before. I had been asked by numerous other players for their hand in marriage before in this game. Every time I had refused them, but it was different coming from Kirito-kun. When I heard him ask me to marry him, I began crying tears of joy. It felt like this was something I had been waiting for him to ask me for a long time. He would be the one that I would not reject._

_I nodded at his proposal as a teardrop ran down my face and I cheerfully told him, _"Yes!"

/

_Within Sword Art Online, there were four types of relationships, strangers, friends, guild comrades, and marriage. A stranger relationship is fairly self explanatory, but the other three relationships require explaining. Friendships were formed when people listed each other as friends on their lists and could send short messages to each other regardless of their locations, and they could search for each other's locations by map._

_Guild Comrades had the same benefits as friends, but they gained slight increases in their stats when they partied with members of the same guild. However, they had to give up some of their Col, which was the game's currency, as a tax to the guild. Until this point, Kirito-kun and I had been friends and guild comrades, but that all changed._

_Marriage would happen when one person sent a proposal message to another, and it was accepted. However, marriage in Sword Art Online also involved sharing all information and items with each other. One could see the other's status window at will and their inventory windows were fused into one. This was a representation of the trust these two partners had for one and another. That was the kind of trust that Kirito-kun and I had found in each other._

/

_We married shortly after Kirito-kun proposed, and we asked Heathcliff once again for some leave from the guild. This time Heathcliff was more willing to grant us permission, but he told us that we would return soon enough. Afterwards, we were free to go on our 'honeymoon.' _

_As Kirito-kun suggested we moved to a cottage on the 22nd floor of Anicrad. It was a beautiful home, but it was rather pricey too. I offered to sell my home in Salemburg, but Kirito-kun convinced me not to. He told me that selling a perfectly furnished home would be a regrettable decision. In hindsight, I wonder if he was considering the idea that he may get killed in the game someday, and I would still have another home to go to if I didn't wish to be alone in that cottage. _

_Regardless, we were still able to come up with enough money to purchase the cottage by using Agil's help to sell our rare items. I thought it was worth it, and I know Kirito-kun felt the same. _

_I still remember the conversation Kirito-kun and I had on the day we moved into our new cottage. It would lead to a promise that I would make sure I fulfilled someday._

_When we entered our home, I ran out to the balcony and said, _"Wow! What a beautiful view!"

_I leaned forward on the railing and looked at the breathtaking scenery. The two of us could see the glittering lakes, the green forest, and the wide-open skies from our home. Since we lived in places where there was a stone ceiling about hundred meters above us, the open skies gave us an 'inexplicable feeling of freedom.'_

_Kirito-kun playfully warned me,_ "Just don't fall off while you're looking at the scenery."

_He stood beside me and put his arm around me. We continued to look at the beauty this area had to offer. As time passed, I noticed that Kirito-kun had a strange look on his face. I wasn't sure what it could mean, so I asked him, _"Is there something wrong Kirito-kun?"

_After he thought about it for a few moments, he asked me in a concerned tone_, "Asuna, can I ask you something?"

_I knew whenever he says something in that tone, it couldn't be good. However, I also knew that it would be better to get anything that was troubling him out in the open. There have been too many times in the past when keeping silent had caused us more problems later on. _

_I responded in a tone that reflected my uncertainty, _"What is it?"

_He had trouble saying it at first, but he managed to tell me, _"Our relationship, is it only in-game? Is it going to disappear once we return to the other world?"

_While I understood what he was saying, I refused to believe we would stop caring for each other if we left the game. I told him, _"That makes me angry to hear you say that Kirito-kun."

_Then, I looked at him straight in the eyes filled with conviction._ "Even if this was just a normal game rather than this strange situation, I would still love you. I will always love you."

_He didn't respond to what I had said. I wasn't sure if I had managed to convince him or he still needed something else, so I put my hands on his cheeks and told him, _"I learned something here, and that was to keep trying and never give up. If we make it back to the real world, I'll definitely come find Kirito-kun again, and I'll still love you."

_Then, I sealed the promise with a kiss. I truly understood why Kirito-kun was worried that our relationship would end after the game was over. He must have thought that after we were free, I would forget about him and go on with my life. I wouldn't be surprised if there were numerous other people who had similar fears whether it was a romantic relationship or a friendship that players had formed over those two years. However, I had no intention of doing that. I would not be here if it weren't for Kirito-kun, and he is the one that I fell in love with. I was certain those feelings would not change regardless of whether we were in Sword Art Online or back in the real world. I knew our love would trencend the worlds._

/

_While we were on our honeymoon, we had all kinds of fun. One of the funniest times we had was attempting to find out if this restaurant owner was an NPC or a player. After we ate too much and came close to passing out, Kirito-kun was able to deduce that the man was a player when he heard the owner off-handedly mention he has a ramen shop in the real world. Another exciting event was when we spent time with the fisherman Nishida. However, the most significant time we spent together was when we were with Yui-chan. We only knew her for three days, but we became a family._

_One day, Kirito-kun decided to have a little fun and scare me with a ghost story while we were in the forest area. _

_Kirito-kun playfully told me, _"Well, it's about a rumor I heard in the village yesterday. Apparently, in this area, where the forest thickens . . . 'It' seems to come out."

_I curiously asked him, _"What does?"

_Kirito-kun answered, _"A ghost."

_I was rendered speechless for a moment, and I timidly asked him, _"You mean a monster that is an Astral type right? Something like a wraith or a banshee?"

_Kirito-kun's voice kept up with the charade he was putting up, and he had me convinced he was serious. _"Nope, it's the real thing. A player . . . that is, a human spirit. Apparently a female player who died with unfulfilled regrets, possessing the Nerve Gear still attached and switched on... wandering through the field, night after night."

_He was having a lot of fun while he was telling me this story. Kirito-kun knew my weakness about ghost stories, and I easily showed how nervous I was becoming. I bet it took a lot of willpower on his part to hide his laughter that was coming at my expense._

_While he was telling me the story, I noticed a little girl who wore a white one piece dress and had long dark hair. I was freaked out at first by the sight of her and thought she was the 'ghost' girl Kirito-kun was telling me. I was freaked out at first by the sight of her. However, after Kirito-kun noticed her, he quit his charade and told me that the girl we were seeing was not a ghost._

_Before we could talk to the girl, she fell unconscious. We also noticed something strange about her. She did not have a "cursor" status figure over her head like other players should. She also did not appear to be an NPC from one of the nearby villages or a quest giver. If she was an NPC then we would have received a warning about conducting "inappropriate contact" just by touching her. We figured it must have been some kind of bug, so we decided to take her back to our home._

/

_Shortly after she woke up, she told us her name was Yui, and we told her ours. Yui-chan had trouble pronouncing our names. She referred to Kirito-kun as 'Kito' and me as 'Auna.' Neither of us minded that. In fact, we thought it was rather cute._

_I asked her_, "Hey, Yui-chan. Why were you on the twenty-second floor? Are your father or mother anywhere near here?"

_Yui-chan shook her head and told us, "_I don't . . . know . . . I don't . . . know, anything."

_Kirito-kun and I figured that something terrible must have happened to her. While most of the people who logged into Sword Art Online were supposed to be at least thirteen years old, we did know there were a lot of children that logged into the game as well. We came to the conclusion that her mind might have been damaged during her time her. Kirito-kun told me that while he was on his own, he had seen plenty of people do things that could have caused something like this to happen. It made me sad to think how cruel other players can be._

_Kirito-kun tried to start a conversation with Yui-chan to lighten the mood. _ "Yui-chan. Can I just, call you Yui?" _Yui-chan nodded in response to Kirito-kun's question. _"I see. You can just call me Kirito."

_Yui-chan still had trouble pronouncing his name_, "Ki... to."

_Kirito-kun wasn't annoyed by this. He calmly said to her, _"It's, Kirito. Ki, ri, to."

_Yui-chan was quiet for a moment before attempting to say Kirito-kun's name again. _"Kiito."

_Kirito-kun grinned, and he playfully patted Yui-chan's head, _"Maybe that was a bit difficult. You can just call me a name that is easier for you to remember."

_A few moments after Kirito-kun said that, Yui-chan called Kirito-kun something that would forever shape our relationship with her. She timidly called Kirito-kun, _"Papa."

_Kirito-kun was stunned when he heard Yui-chan call him that for the first time. He pointed to himself and asked, _"Me?"

_Yui-chan then turned to me and said, _"Auna is . . . Mama."

_When Yui-chan called me that for the first time, I didn't know how to react. I wasn't sure if Yui-chan was mistakening me and Kirito-kun for her actual parents or something along those lines. However, I put such feelings aside for the moment. _

_I smiled at Yui-chan and told her._ "That's right. I'm your Mama Yui-chan."

_I am not really sure why I was so willing to accept the role of Yui-chan's mother that quickly. While I am happy that I did, it doesn't change the fact it was practically a reflex. Maybe Yui-chan calling me her mama awoke some kind of maternal instinct. They do say your initial instinct is generally correct. That was definitely true with Yui-chan._

_After Yui-chan heard me say that, she smiled for the first time since we met her. It was a beautiful smile that Kirito-kun and I would always treasure._

_She cheerfully said to me_,_ "_Mama! Papa!"

_Yui-chan then hugged me, and I hugged her back. The emotions I was feeling at that moment were mixed. I felt guilty that I was lying to her about being her mother, and the thought of what she must have gone through to put her in this amnesic state made me sad. However, having Yui-chan look and smile at me with such adoration, made me happy, and I know it made Kirito-kun happy as well despite the awkwardness of the situation. In the end, all Kirito-kun and I wanted was to help keep Yui-chan smiling and that is what we did._

_After Yui-chan fell asleep again, I spoke with Kirito-kun alone. I had trouble telling him what I wanted to say. Telling Yui-chan was a spur of the moment reaction, and I did not consider what Kirito-kun wanted. I said to him, _"I'm sorry, I just had no idea, about what I should have done."

_Kirito-kun did not mind what I did. He sighed and looked at me with sympathetic eyes. He told me, _"Until that kid regains her memories, you want to stay here and look after her, right? I understand those feelings. I feel the same." _Kirito-kun then took a deep breath before continuing,_ "However, this is a real dilemma. If we watch over her, we won't be able to return to the frontlines for even longer than we planned. It will delay the time we need to complete the game and free her from this game as well. We also have no idea if her parents are in this game or not."

_As much as I hated to admit it, Kirito-kun was correct. Even though we were happy to welcome Yui-chan to our home, we also knew that it couldn't stay like this either. We were on vacation from the frontlines for now, but we still have a responsibility to complete the game and free everyone. _

_I reluctantly said to Kirito-kun, _"Yes. That's true, after all."

/

_Our time together may have been brief, but it was wonderful. Having Yui-chan stay in our home made everything feel complete. It felt like we were truly a family. Yui-chan's presence also made me think of a future I would hope to have with Kirito-kun someday when we managed to escape from the game. As I told him, I did not plan on letting our relationship end with game. I want us to continue being together and eventually get married in the real world. If we had a daughter, I thought it would be wonderful if she was like Yui-chan._

_Kirito-kun and I decided that we would attempt to find out if Yui-chan's parents were trapped in the game. We decided to return to the first floor with Yui-chan to the 'Town of Beginnings.' It seemed like the best place to find out since approximately 2,000 of the still living Sword Art Online players have made their residence on the first floor. However, what started out as a simple 'reconnaissance' mission to find Yui-chan's parents or friends turned into something much more._

_The Aincrad Liberation Force, a.k.a. The Army, had their headquarters located on that floor, and they were abusing their power by forcing little kids to give them their equipment and threatening their care taker Sasha. Sasha was a female player, who was a University student, and she took it upon herself to look after a large number of the younger players who were trapped within Sword Art Online. She more or less acted as their surrogate mother and teacher._

_I personally intervened and singlehandedly forced the Army unit to retreat. We would later find out from one of the leading members of the Army, Yulier, that some of the Army's reckless actions was due to an internal conflict happening within the chain of command. The founder and leader of the Army, Thinker, was having disagreements Kibaou one of the top members of the Army who had created his own following. Apparently, Kibaou was the one who ordered Cobert and the other Army units to fight Gleam Eyes on their own, which resulted in three of them dying._

_Kirito-kun and I recognized that Kibaou as one of the people who fought with us during the first boss battle and had immense hatred for beta testers. He was also one of the people responsible for labeling Kirito-kun as a beater. The idea of someone like him causing trouble did not surprise us in the least. The hypocrisy of his actions doesn't surprise us at all either. He claimed that he wanted to clear the game and beta testers play for their own self-interests. However, as far as we know, the only contributions he has made were sending his men on suicide missions and hoarding resources. That bastard became worse than what he claimed to hate._

_Yulier told us that Kibaou had tricked Thinker into entering a high level dungeon to engage in negotiations, but now Thinker is imprisoned there with no equipment or teleportation crystals to escape. Apparently, he was stuck in a "safe-zone" area in the dungeon, but if he tried to leave it, he would be easy prey for the monsters that lived there. Yulier had sought Kirito-kun and I out, so we could save Thinker's life._

_To be honest, Kirito-kun and I weren't sure if we could believe her or not. We wanted to believe her, but our previous encounters with the Army have made it difficult for us to consider trusting any of them._

_While Kirito-kun and I were having doubts, Yui-chan spoke up with a calm voice and told us, _"It's fine, Mama. That person, she's not lying."

_I was surprised to hear Yui-chan say that especially since she had difficulty speaking to Kirito-kun and me earlier. I asked her, _"Yui-chan, are you able to understand something like that?"

_Yui-chan nodded to me and said, _"Yes. I can't... really put it into words, but I get it."

_That was more than enough to convince Kirito-kun. He patted Yui-chan's head and said to me, _"I think I would rather regret believing her and falling into a trap than taking my chance of thinking she's lying and letting someone else die. Let's go. We'll handle it somehow."

_Despite Kirito-kun's somewhat loner demeanor, he was always willing to help someone in need. That is probably one of his most endearing traits, and what I loved most about him. I thought to myself, "That is just like him."_

_Then I said out loud to him, _"You're as carefree as ever, huh."

_I then apologized to Yui-chan, _"Sorry about that, Yui-chan. We will be delayed in searching for your friends for a day. Please forgive us."

_Yui-chan did not seem to mind and only responded with a nod and a smile. _

_Afterwards I turned to Yulier. I could tell by the look on her face and her desperation of wanting to save Thinker that she cared for him deeply. I could not help but see the similarity between Yulier and myself. I told her, _"We might not be of much help, but do allow us to aid you. I also understand the feeling of wanting to help someone dear to you."

_Tears welled up in Yulier's sky-blue eyes and she gave us a bow of gratitude, _"Thank you. Thank you so much."

_I smiled at Yulier and told her, _"Let's save that for after we rescue Thinker-san."

/

_We originally wanted to leave Yui-chan with Sasha since we were going to be entering a dungeon. However, she continued insisting that she stay with Kirito-kun and I. We eventually decided to let her come with us. Due to our high levels, we knew that we could protect Yui-chan in this dungeon if we encountered any monsters, and we had teleportation crystals that we could use to escape. Kirito-kun actually made short work of a bunch of frog monsters. He wanted me to cook them, but I was too disgusted with the idea of eating frogs to even consider that._

_We were successful in saving Thinker, but we also activated a trap. The trap summoned a monster known as "The Fatal Scythe." The trap also made it impossible for us to use our teleport crystals unless we were inside the safe zone, and the Fatal Scythe did not appear to be in the mood to let us pass. Kirito-kun estimated that the power of that monster was the equivalent of a boss that we would probably encounter on at least the 90th floor. That monster was too powerful for the two of us to handle, and we knew it, but we needed to buy time. We told Yui-chan and Yulier to get to the safe zone and use the teleportation crystals to get themselves and Thinker out of the dungeon._

_Kirito-kun and I did the best we could to fight the monster, but it was too powerful. We were knocked to the ground easily by its power. When that monster looked down upon us, I could see that Kirito-kun's health points as well as my own were about to run out. I was beginning to think that this would be the end._

_Before the monster managed to strike us, Yui-chan stepped in front of it and stopped it. All of a sudden, a message appeared above her head that indicated that she was an "Immortal Object." It was an attribute that no other player should have. She then summoned this gigantic sword of fire and deleted "The Fatal Scythe" with one blow._

_Kirito-kun and I were speechless by what we had just witnessed. Yui-chan then turned to us and said, _"Papa . . . Mama . . . I, remember everything now."

/

_We entered the safe zone of the dungeon. Since Yuriel and Thinker had managed to escape using their teleportation crystals, only the three of us remained. I also noticed that on the stone table their appeared to be a strange black cube. However, I did not pay attention to it at first. _

_While Yui-chan sat on the stone table, she had a sorrowful expression, and she was hesitant to speak to us. I was hesitant to speak as well, but I finally gained the resolve to ask Yui-chan, _"Yui-chan . . . Did you remember everything up till now?"

_Yui-chan nodded to us with a face that had a mixture of happiness and sadness. She then said to us, _"Yes . . . I will, explain everything Kirito-san, Asuna-san."

_When she called us by our names, I remember how shocked Kirito-kun and I were. Not to mention, she was saying our names in a very formal and polite way when we already told her before there was no need for that. We knew that something was wrong. I thought to myself, "Why is Yui-chan calling us by our names? What is going on?"_

_Yui-chan began to tell us her story. _"This world named, Sword Art Online, is managed by a single large system known as Cardinal. This world is managed based on Cardinal's judgment and it was designed to not require maintenance from humans. There were two core programs that would perform mutual error correction on each other. Additionally, there were countless numbers of lower program bundles that regulated the whole of this world from the AI for monsters and NPCs to balancing of the rates of items and the currency. Anything and everything is managed by the cluster of programs under Cardinal's command. However, there was one thing that could be entrusted to nothing but humans. Trouble originating in the players' mental state; that was the only thing that could be settled by none other than humans themselves and for that purpose, dozens of staff members should have been prepared."

_Kirito-kun spoke with a sigh, _"You mean a game master." _He then asked her,_ "Yui are you telling us that you're a game master? Are you a member of Argus' staff?"

_Argus was the company that originally produced Sword Art Online. When Kirito-kun asked that question, it made me wonder if some of the people in this game were members of Argus disguised as players or NPCs._

_Yui shook her head at Kirito-kun's question. _"When the developers of Cardinal entrusted even the care of players to the system, they ran a trial of a certain program. They used a feature unique to the Nerve Gear that monitored the emotions of players in detail. It would appear at the side of players that had problems and would hear them out. The program was called, 'Mental Health — Counseling Program, MHCP version 1,' codename, 'Yui.' That would be me."

_I was almost breathless when I heard Yui-chan say that. It took me a moment before the information she just told me finally sunk in. I asked in a low voice, _"Program? Do you mean an AI?"

_Yui-chan nodded and gave us a dejected smile, _"I was given an emotional imitation function so I would not discomfort the players." _Tears began to pour from Yui-chan's eyes that became particles of light and dissipated. _"Everything about me is fake. My feelings, my wishes, and even my tears are fake." _She then said to me directly, _"I'm so sorry, Asuna-san."

_I didn't want to think about why Yui-chan felt the need to apologize to me. I truly felt she had no need to. I walked up to Yui-chan and I attempted to embrace her, but she refused. It was as if she was telling herself she wasn't worthy of being near us anymore. _

_To be honest, I wasn't sure what I could really say anymore, and Kirito-kun seems to be at a loss for words too. I asked her the first thing I could think of and even then I had to force myself to ask her, _"But, losing your memories? Is that even possible for an AI?"

_Yui-chan lowered her eyes as she continued her explanation. _"I am unaware of the details, but two years ago when the official service started, Cardinal handed down an unplanned order to me. It was a complete prohibition from interfering with all players. I was not permitted to come into any tangible contact with them, and I reluctantly complied with that request. I was forced to continue to do nothing while monitoring the mental health of the players."

_I realized that 'unplanned order' must have been the work of the Game Master Kayaba Akihiko. I guess even Yui couldn't have known what Kayaba Akihiko was planning to do with Sword Art Online. She probably didn't even know who he was._

_As Yui-chan continued her explanation, her face was filled with sorrow. A part of me wanted to stop her because it seemed like her own explanation was hurting her, but she made it clear that Kirito-kun and I needed to hear her story. _"The position I was in was the worst I could ever imagine. Nearly all of the players had let their negative emotions of fear, despair and rage become part of their being. There were times the players fell into madness, and I continued looking into those players' hearts. Originally, I would have appeared to those players, and I would have listened and attempted to settle their problems. However, there was no means of coming into contact with them from my position. Due to the contradiction of having the sense of duty, yet the lack of authority to intervene, I was gradually flooded with errors, and I broke down."

_After hearing Yui-chan's explanation, I realized that Yui-chan had witnessed every single person die in this game. At that point, there were less than 6,200 players left alive in the game. This meant that Yui-chan had seen the deaths of nearly 4,000 people. Before their deaths, she had felt all their anger and despair of being trapped in this game, and she was unable to do anything about it. Not to mention, she still had to suffer the negative feelings of people who were still alive in the game including my own._

_Personally, I have only seen a couple of hundred die at most. Some of them committed suicide because they couldn't stand being in the game any longer. Others were killed during boss fights or being too clumsy while fighting monsters. That number was too much for me, so I was unable to fathom what Yui-chan had experienced. I could only imagine what she described as breaking down due to errors, was the equivalent of an emotional breakdown._

_Neither Kirito-kun nor I were able to say a single word. I did not know what I could possibly say to Yui-chan. What she describe was heartbreaking, and I felt like I lost the ability to comfort her. Kirito-kun must have felt the same as me._

_The tone of Yui-chan's voice changed. It sounded happier than before as she continued. _"One day, while I was conducting my normal monitoring duty, I noticed a pair with mental parameters that differed largely from those of other players. The emotions those players were displaying included joy, peace, and much more. Before I noticed this, I had never encountered those brain patterns, and I decided to continue monitoring those two. As I pried into their conversations and actions, and after some time had passed, mysterious desires sprouted within me. I wanted to get closer to those two and converse with them directly. With the wish to be closer to them even if it was by a slight margin, I wondered about on daily basis. I would manifest my form at the system console closest to the player home that the couple lived in. At that time, I believe I must have been considerably broken down."

_Kirito-kun and I realized that she must be talking about us. He then said to Yui-chan, _"So that's why we met you in the forest of the twenty-second floor and you were unable to remember anything?"

_Yui-chan nodded. With tears continuously flowing down her face, she said in a bittersweet voice, _"Yes. Kirito-san, Asuna-san I had always wanted to meet with the two of you. In that forest, the moment I saw the two of you I felt extremely happy. It was strange. It shouldn't be possible that I could feel something like that. After all, I am nothing but a mere program."

_When she said that, I didn't know what I was feeling. There was a time when I would have had no problem agreeing with what Yui-chan had said and would have dismissed her. However, at that moment, I felt that things were different now. I only knew that she was far more than a 'mere program.'_

_I asked Yui-chan, _"Yui-chan, you are a true AI, aren't you? So you possess actual intelligence, don't you?"

_Yui-chan replied with some confusion in her voice, _"Yes, but I don't understand what had happened to me."

_Kirito-kun finally broke his silence, and stepped forward, _"Yui is no longer a program operated by the system. Therefore, you should be able to voice your own wishes." _He asked her in a soft tone, _"What do you wish for, Yui?"

_After a few moments passed, Yui-chan made her decision. She stretched out her arms to us and said, _"I want to always be together with my Mama and Papa!"

_As soon as she said that, I immediately rushed over to Yui-chan and embraced her. I assured her, _"We will always be together, Yui-chan."

_It was only six months earlier that I was willing to sacrifice NPCs for the sake of our survival. However, I was not that person anymore. I understood what Kirito-kun meant that they are living beings too. They may not have been born into reality like us, but that does not mean their lives have no meaning. They are capable of having their own emotions, forming their own memories, and living their own lives. If we overlook the fact, they do not have a physical body in the real world, there is little to nothing that separates an AI from the rest us. Yui-chan was a person just like Kirito-kun and me. I was a fool for ever believing otherwise._

_Kirito-kun then hugged both Yui-chan and I. He said to us, _"Yes. Yui is our child. Let's go home. We'll all live together forever."

_Unfortunately, our moment together would soon come to a heartbreaking end. Yui-chan shook her head and said to us, _"It's too late."

_Kirito-kun was bewildered by what Yui-chan said,_ "What do you mean?"

_Yui-chan explained as she pointed to the black cube in the center of the room, _"The reason I regained my memories is because I touched that stone. After I touched it, I understood everything. That is not just a decorative object. It's a console installed there in the case that a GM requires urgent access."

_Before now, I never would have thought something like that would exist within the game. Although, I suppose it shouldn't surprise me that the game masters would want to have some sort of backup plan._

_Yui-chan finally reached the end of her explanation. _"I believe Fatal Scythe was stationed here to keep players away from that console. After I accessed the system by using this console, I eliminated Fatal Scythe with the 'Object Eraser' summon. When I accessed the system, Cardinal's error correction ability restored my damaged language faculty. Unfortunately, due to my actions, Cardinal found out about me. I was always left alone because I never did anything, but after I destroyed Fatal Scythe that has changed. Right now, the core system is scanning over my program. Even though I was left alone by Cardinal before, my actions will cause it to conclude that I am a foreign entity." _Yui-chan continued to look at us while trying to hold herself together. _"I will most likely be erased. I do not think I have much time left."

_I was shocked when I heard her say that too us. _"That . . . That is . . ."

_Kirito-kun asked Yui-chan, _"Can't something be done about it? What if we move to another place?"

_Yui-chan gave us a wry smile while tears continued to flow down her pale cheeks. We could tell that was her way of saying there was nothing we could do for her. She told us, _"Papa, Mama, thank you. This would be our farewell."

_I hugged Yui-chan and desperately told her, _"No way! I don't want something like that!" _My voice was becoming more desperate by the second. I couldn't tolerate the idea that Yui-chan would be erased from existence._ "This is just the beginning! From now on, we will live happily, together with everyone . . . we will live peacefully with each other."

_Yui-chan looked at me with her cheerful face and said, _"In that darkness, during that time I was suffering to no end, the existence of Papa and Mama was my only solace."

_Kirito-kun held onto Yui-chan's hands he and sadly said to her, _"Yui, don't go!"

_Yui-chan replied to him, _"When I'm with Papa and Mama, everyone is able to smile... I was very happy for that. This is my request; that from now on please take my place. Help everyone escape from this game and give them joy."

_Yui-chan's body was beginning to disintegrate and she was becoming more and more transparent. I could feel her presences fading away in my arms. I felt so helpless that I could not think of one thing that I could do I had been on so many battle fields, defeated countless enemies, and was close to death so many times over those past two years. However, in the end, I was always able to pull through, but I wasn't always able to help others escape death's door. I felt like it was happening again._

_I was so miserable that I said to Yui-chan, _"No! I don't want this! If Yui-chan isn't here, I won't be able to smile!"

_I am not sure why I said that to Yui-chan. In hindsight, that was probably a terrible thing for me to say to someone who was dying in front of me. However, at the time, it was how I truly felt. Similar to Kirito-kun, Yui-chan brought out another part of me that I never knew existed. Now that I know it existed, and she had become a part of our lives, I could not fathom the idea of simply going back to how things were before. It would be impossible._

_After I said that, Yui-chan was covered by the light. Despite her grim circumstances, she smiled and touched my cheek with her hand. I could see that her hand had become transparent as well. She told me in a weak voice, _"Please smile Mama. Always smile."

_A few seconds after Yui-chan spoke her final words to me, the light shined brightly, and Yui-chan faded away. A second later there was nothing left within my arms. I fell down to the stone floor and I cried, _"Uwaaaaaa!"

_I couldn't control how loud my voice became, and I didn't care at that point. My tears continued to pour down my face, and they spilled onto the ground._

_However, while I was crying, Kirito-kun gave a shout that managed to bring me out of my state. He made a declaration that I would never forget. _"Cardinal! Don't you dare think that it'll always . . . go as you like!"

_Kirito-kun then jumped to the black console that Yui-chan had showed us. There was still a holo-keyboard on display, and I saw that he was quick to put his hands to work. I was amazed by what I was seeing him do with that keyboard. He was handling the system like he was some kind of expert._

_While it seemed like an inappropriate time and place to question what he was doing, I still asked him, _"Kirito-kun . . . What are you doing?!

_Kirito-kun responded while continuing to hit the keys, _"If it's still... If it's still now, I might be able to intrude into the system with a GM account."

_Apparently, Kirito-kun's actions were having some kind of effect because these windows appeared, and I was dumbfounded by the different commands he was giving those things. After he was done a small 'progress bar window' appeared, and horizontal bar managed to reach all the way to the right end without an incident. Before I had a chance to ask Kirito-kun what he had done, the console flashed a bluish-white, there was an explosive noise, and Kirito-kun was sent flying. _

_I had no clue what had just happened. I ran up to Kirito-kun and I was panicking about what just happened to him. I shouted to him, "_Kirito-kun!"

_Luckily, he was okay. He pulled himself up and he gave me a thin smile. Kirito-kun extended his closed right hand, and he gestured me to hold out my own hand. He placed a large crystal that was shaped like a tear that had an elaborately faceted stone in the middle of it. In my hand, I could feel a 'thump,' and I saw a white light blinking from that stone._

_Before Kirito-kun explained it to me, it felt like I was literally holding onto someone else's heart in the palm of my hand. I asked Kirito-kun, _"What is this?"

_Kirito-kun explained to me, _"Before the root authorization activated by Yui was cut off, I attempted to disconnect Yui's program source from the system. I managed to convert her program into an in-game object. Within that crystal is Yui's heart."

_When Kirito-kun told me that, words could not express how happy I was. Yui-chan was not dead. She may not be here with us right now, but I would take this over having nothing left of her. Knowing that a part of her still existed was enough to make me feel thankful._

_Tears were streaming down my eyes. I desperately said to the Yui-chan's heart, _"Yui-chan . . . are you in there . . . My . . . Yui-chan."

_As if to answer my pleas, I saw a blurred light from the center of the crystal. It twinkled with a single strong thump. That was enough to prove to me that Yui-chan was still alive, and she was waiting for the day we would meet again._

/

_After we left the dungeon, we met up with Thinker, Yuriel and Sasha. Thinker had taken care of his problem with Kibaou by exiling him and his followers. When they asked us about what happened to Yui-chan, we told them that she found her way home. There was nothing we really could say that would explain what happened. Afterwards, we took our leave and headed back to our cottage on the 22nd floor._

_Kirito-kun told me that he stored her file into his NerveGear. He said that when we escape from the game, he would attempt to upload her data somewhere then we might be able to restore her. Kirito-kun told me to hold onto Yui-chan's heart as a necklace for safe keeping. She would be a reminder to us for what we are fighting for. To be free and live to see the ones we care for again._

_I don't care if other people would see us as foolish for caring for Yui-chan and not wanting her to be deleted. I don't care if the 'old me' would mock me as being naïve. When I hugged Yui-chan back in that dungeon or when I held her 'heart' in the palm of my hand, I knew I was holding onto a real person. Kirito-kun and I do not care what others believe. What mattered was how we felt and what we really knew. Yui-chan was our daughter. No one could change our minds on that._

_I told myself that I would look forward to the day that Kirito-kun and I would be able to see our first child again. As we returned to our home that day, I remember that I could faintly hear Yui-chan's voice say to me,_ "Mama, do your best." _That was more than enough to convince me that we would meet Yui-chan again._

/

**Omake**:

Kirito: Hey why is did the chapter end here? I thought it was suppose to conclude your narration of the Sword Art Online arc.

Asuna: It was but then the author saw that the number of pages for the chapter was going to go well beyond forty, so the author decided to split it into another chapter.

Kirito: You have got to be kidding me.

Asuna: Nope.

Kirito: That puts off the start to the alternate Fair Dance arc for another chapter.

Asuna: Well look on the bright side. From an artistic point of view this works out much better as a trilogy rather than a two-part story arc. It also gives you more screen time in the earlier chapters too.

Kirito: I know, but I just want to get to work on the alternate version of the Fairy Dance arc.

Asuna: Well quite a number of us have already been working on it for a while.

Kirito: What? Why didn't anyone tell me that?

Asuna: Well I think you will need to look at this script the author has been working on.

_Asuna hands Kirito the work-in-progress manuscript for Fairy Dance Alternate Chapter 4. Kirito looks through it and becomes horrified._

Kirito: You have got to be kidding me. Why didn't any tell me about this?

Asuna: Well you are not going to be getting a lot of screen time at the start, so you were low on the priority list.

Kirito: But I'm supposed to be one of the main characters of this story!

Asuna: There are times when the main characters are put out of focus in favor of other characters to help the story progress. I'm sorry, but it appears that is what is going to happen to you.

_Kirito comically falls down due to the revelation his screen time will be reduced in the near future._

Kirito: (_says in a weak voice_) Crap.

_Asuna has no clue how to comfort her boyfriend when he is in that kind of position. She turns to the audience and makes a statement._

Asuna: I'm sorry everyone. Please bear with us.

/

**Author Notes**: Once again, I apologize for extending Asuna's narration for the first story arc by another chapter, but this chapter was getting so long that I was beginning to think not dividing it would be a bad idea. While I do like long or relatively long chapters in fanfiction stories, there are also times when it might be overkill. Some people have told me they have had trouble reading some of my chapters in "Of Science and Magics: The Side Stories" due to their size. While I still plan on posting relatively long chapters, I will be somewhat more cautious to avoid making them overly long as well.


	3. How We Got to Here: Part III

**Author Notes**: Once again, I apologize for dividing this 'prologue' into three parts. However, in hindsight, it feels more befitting that the Asuna's narration of the first story arc was a 'trilogy' rather than one or two parts. I think it made things flow easier. Starting with the following chapter, it will be time for the alternate version of the Fairy Dance arc.

Now without further ado, it is time to conclude the first story arc. Enjoy and leave a review.

/

Chapter Three: How We Got to Here

Part III – Declaration and Separation

/

You are my true love

You have been my salvation

But where are you now?

/

_After Yui-chan left us, Kirito-kun and I returned to our home on the twenty-second floor to continue our honeymoon. The following few days, our time was bittersweet. While we still had a great time relaxing and enjoying ourselves, we still felt a gap that Yui-chan's absence had left. The only thing we had left that proved that Yui-chan had been real was the teardrop necklace I wore. We made sure to handle Yui-chan's heart with care._

_A few days later, it was November 7th 2024. At that point, we had officially been trapped in Sword Art Online for two years. The both us were pretty sure that we would still be here for probably another year due to how much harder the dungeons and the bosses were getting. However, we tried putting such ideas out of our head for the time being and enjoying our moments together. Unfortunately, that day marked the end of our honeymoon when Kirito-kun and I received an urgent message from Heathcliff to return to Grandum as quickly as possible._

_We didn't like the idea of returning to the frontlines after only two weeks, but Heathcliff obviously had something important to talk to us about in person. The two of us figured that Heathcliff wanted to speak with us regarding the boss on the 75th floor, and we were right. However, we had no way of knowing that this meeting would set off a chain of events that would lead to unforgettable revelations, the end of the game, and ultimately our separation. November 7th 2024 would be the last day of Sword Art Online, and it would truly be a bittersweet ending._

/

_Shortly after we returned to the headquarters for the Knights of the Blood located in Gradum, we received rather shocking news regarding a scouting team that attempted to obtain information on the boss of the 75th floor's dungeon._

_Kirito-kun asked Heathcliff in a surprised tone, _"The scouting party was wiped out!? When? How?!"

_Heathcliff explained in his usual stoic manner, _"It happened yesterday. Thoroughly exploring the dungeon of the 75th floor was a rather time consuming and dangerous venture. However, we were successful in completing the dungeon map without suffering any casualties. Unfortunately, I had expected this dungeon's boss would be rather difficult based on the circumstances."

_The circumstances Heathcliff was referring to was the fact that the dungeon bosses on the 25th and 50th floors were extraordinarily large and powerful. During those battles, there were always higher player casualty counts. When the army attempted to fight the two-headed giant on the 25th floor, they lost nearly all their elite troops which resulted in their decay as an organization and led to the corruption and internal conflicts within the guild. When we fought the six-armed monster that had the appearance of a metallic Buddha statue on the 50th floor, its sheer power caused a number of troops to retreat from the battlefield. However, Heathcliff was able to hold it off almost single-handedly until reinforcements arrived and saved the ones who were still fighting alongside him. It stood to reason that the boss of the 75th level would be extremely powerful as well._

_Heathcliff continued in his monotone voice, _"So, I sent a scouting party of twenty men that consisted of members from five different guilds. They had scouted the area with the utmost care. Ten of them had stayed outside the boss room as reserves unfortunately something unexpected happened. After the first ten entered the boss' lair and reached the center of the room, the gates closed when the boss appeared. According to the reports of the ten who waited outside, the doors stayed closed for over five minutes. They frantically attempted to open the door through various methods, such as lock-picking, but to no avail. _ Heathcliff's voice became rather tense when he reached this part. _ "By the time the door had finally opened there were no survivors. The boss and the ten men had all disappeared. Since there was no sign of teleportation, I sent somebody to check the death list on the metallic monument inside Black Iron Castle to confirm their deaths."

_After the death game began two years earlier, Black Iron Castle was the place that listed all the player names. It listed all the ones who were still alive or had died. This was how we knew several members of the Laughing Coffin were still alive because we had been able to identify several of them. Unfortunately, we still didn't have all their names, but from what we could tell, at least ten of them were still alive somewhere in Sword Art Online laying low. However, as far as the general public of Sword Art Online knew, the guild had been wiped out._

_After hearing Heathcliff's report, I barely managed to ask him, _"Ten people . . . How did this happen?"

_Kirito-kun quickly came to a conclusion, _"There must have been an anti-crystal field right?"

_Heathcliff nodded to Kirito-kun's deduction._ "That would appear to be the case. According to Asuna-kun's report, the 74th floor was the same. Based on this information, it is highly probable that every boss room from now on will have anti-crystal fields."

_Kirito-kun curled his hands into a fist and cursed, _"Damn it. As we continue to climb every floor, Sword Art Online is becoming more and more like a true game of death."

_As much as I hated to say it, Kirito-kun was right about that. At least in previous boss battles, we had the potential to escape from a boss battle using our teleportation crystals if the situation was looking grim. However, if we fight boss battles at this point, we need to be fully prepared for anything. Unfortunately, I figured that probably meant that not only did we need proper equipment and weapons, but we would probably need a platoon of elite players as well._

_Heathcliff told us with a quiet but determined voice, _"However, we cannot give up on clearing this game just because of this setback, but we will need to be fully prepared for what's to come. In addition to the anti-crystal field, the room will be sealed and we would not be able to escape through the exit unless we defeat the boss. Since this is the case, we can only attack it with the largest team of players that we can command and coordinate. I originally didn't want to call you two back since you just married, but I hope you can understand our dilemma."

_Kirito-kun shrugged and gave his answer to Heathcliff, _"We'll help. But I will be putting Asuna's safety as my top priority. If a dangerous situation arises, I will be putting her before the rest of the party."

_I didn't respond to Kirito-kun's statement. It was a promise that we both made to each other that had no more need for words. We both knew that we would always watch each other's back. The bond we had was strong, and we would never let anyone sever it._

_Heathcliff seemed somewhat amused by what Kirito-kun had said. I even noticed he gave us a slight smile, and he stated, _"One who wishes to protect another is capable of unleashing the greatest strength." _ I suppose I couldn't argue with that reasoning. Whenever I have fought by Kirito-kun's side in the past, I have felt like I had attained a greater strength than I could ever had mustered alone. Heathcliff continued his point,_ "I look forward to your achievements on the battlefield. The assault will begin in three hours. Thirty-two people, including you two, are expected to participate. We will meet in front of the teleport gate in Collinia on the 75th floor at one o'clock. You are dismissed."

_Heathcliff's plan confirmed my belief that we would need a platoon of players from various guilds to fight the 75th floor boss, but I also thought to myself, "In that case, are we going to need platoons of players to fight future boss battles as well?" _

_In the past, I had seen how previous boss fights had turned out when we used large numbers of soldiers and they didn't always turn out well. While it has been necessary before, I have also seen the drawbacks. If too many players gather together or don't work as a cohesive unit, they become an easier target for the boss similar to the Army unit during their fight with the 25th floor boss. If Kirito-kun, Klien, and I didn't interfere with Gleam Eyes, that monster would have wiped out Cobert's entire army unit._

_However, for some reason I choose not to voice my question. I probably didn't want to think about other boss battles too much when we still needed to prepare for this one, and I didn't want others to start having grim thoughts regarding the future as well. The only way we could win was if we focused on the present. Additionally, I knew that Heathcliff would be leading the unit, and he was more than capable of leading platoons. I suppose I didn't want to sound as if I was questioning his leadership abilities either._

/

_After Heathcliff left the area, I asked Kirito-kun in a tone filled with anxiety, _"Three hours until the operation commences. What should we do?"

_Sometimes I wonder if it was the actual boss battles or the anticipation of the boss battles that made me more scared sometimes. While my fear of dying was always with me whenever I was fighting a boss, I was always fighting alongside others, and there had been plenty of times we figured out how to fight the boss and were able to successfully take it down quickly. Thanks to teamwork we have managed to defeat a large number of bosses without suffering casualties. However, during the times when we were not so lucky, the sight of seeing people being reduced to particles had left me frightened with the thought that I could be next or even worse Kirito-kun._

_However, when we are waiting for the boss battle to happen, I would describe it as the calm before the storm sensation. I am still able to talk to others casually, and I usually take my time preparing my items and equipment, but I am always filled with concerns about what the boss will look like or what its abilities are. I suppose both situations have been nerve-wracking in their own right._

_When I looked at Kirito-kun, I noticed he had been staring at me intently. Even though I should have been used to it by now, I blushed at his gaze and smiled. I asked him with an embarrassed tone, _"What is it Kirito-kun?"

_I could see based on Kirito-kun's expression he was having a difficult time thinking of the right words to say to me. He said, _"Asuna," _but he couldn't continue._

_From his expression, I could see that it was important, and it couldn't wait. I kindly but firmly asked him, _"What is it?"

_Kirito-kun nervously said to me, _"Please don't get angry and listen to me. When the operation begins today, could you . . . not take part in it . . . and wait here for my return?"

_I stared at Kirito-kun for a few moments before lowering my head and forming a melancholic expression. I said to him,_ "Why are you saying this? Why now after everything we've been through?"

_Kirito-kun tried to explain himself as best he could. _"Despite what Heathcliff said, we simply can't predict what will happen in a place where crystals can't be used regardless of whether they are for teleportation or healing. I'm really afraid. When I think about everything that has happened and what is likely to happen . . . I'm afraid . . . that something will happen to you, and I just want . . ."

_I finished the sentence for Kirito-kun, _"You want me to wait in a safe location while you go somewhere that is dangerous by yourself?"

_Kirito-kun then looked at me. He didn't respond to my question, but his facial expression told me his answer. After I saw that, I walked up to him and looked Kirito-kun straight in the eye with as much passion I could muster and declared to him, _"If I stayed behind and you didn't return to me, I would commit suicide."

_When I said that to Kirito-kun, I remember how wide his eyes became. He was rendered completely speechless, so I explained myself._ "When we met that day in December 2022, you were the one that stopped my near suicidal behavior. Not only that, but you trusted your back to me even though we hardly knew each other, and you helped me find a purpose to keep going. If I lost you, not only would I lose my reason to keep living, but I would never forgive myself for letting you die while I safely stayed on the sidelines."

_While Kirito-kun understood where I was coming from, he was understandably shaken by what I had just said. He quickly apologized to me, _"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to . . ."

_I interrupted him, _"It's okay Kirito-kun. If you want to run away, then we'll run away together. If that's what you want to do, then I'm fine with it."

_After I said that, I touched the center of Kirito-kun's chest with my right hand. I felt that what I said lifted a weight off my chest, and I could feel myself soften up a bit. However, that did not make the terror of the situation dissipate completely. I continued to tell Kirito-kun, _"However, everyone who is volunteering to take part in the battle today probably knows what we know, and they are afraid as well. They probably would rather run away, but they choose to fight regardless of their fear. They are willing to fight because both you and Commander Heathcliff, the two strongest people in Aincrad will be leading them." _Knowing that I was pushing a heavy burden onto Kirito-kun, it became harder for me to continue saying what I needed to say, but I pressed on._ "That's what I believe . . . I know that you don't like to bear responsibility, but I hope you will try, even if it is this once . . . for the sake of all of us . . . so we can eventually return to the real world. Then we can meet again there. That's why I hope we can try our best together."

_Kirito-kun softly held my hand. He told me what was in his heart,_ "I'm sorry . . . that was a moment of weakness. To be honest, I really wish we could just run away together. I don't want you to die, and I don't want to die either. If we run away, neither will have to." _Kirito-kun gazed into my eyes as he continued speaking, _"It's fine if we can't return to the real world . . . I want to go on living with you in that forest lodge. The two of us can be together . . . forever."

_After hearing this, I closed my eyes. Honestly, that didn't sound too bad. At this point, I was fine with being trapped in Aincrad forever as long as it meant being with Kirito-kun forever. However, I understood that wouldn't be possible, but I don't think Kirito-kun understood the ramifications of our situation. _

_A sigh escaped my lips and I said to Kirito-kun, _"Yeah . . . It really is like a dream . . . It would be great if we could do that . . . Spending each day together . . . forever. I would want that more than anything in the world." _However, I knew that we needed to face the reality of this situation, and I looked upon him with a serious expression and asked him a question that I don't think anyone had asked him before. _"Kirito-kun, have you ever thought about it? About what's happening to our real bodies right now?"

_Kirito-kun was unable to answer my question. While he may have wondered about it like any other player did, he probably didn't give it that much thought and concentrated on playing the game since there was no way of contacting the outside world and finding out. Perhaps people do not usually think about this question because they are afraid of what the answer might actually be._

_I decided to remind Kirito-kun of what happened before,_ "Do you remember what Kayaba Akihiko told all of us during his introduction at the beginning of the game. He said that the Nerve Gear would permit two hours of disconnection. There was a reason for that, and I am certain you can figure out what it was."

_Kirito-kun realized the implications of what I was saying and he answered, _"He wanted the people in the real world to move our bodies to the proper medical facilities, so we could continue to be players in his game."

_I nodded at his response, and I reminded him of something else that happened shortly after the death game began,_ "Don't forget that a few days later, everyone had been cut off for about an hour, right?" _Kirito-kun nodded at my question, and I continued,_ "I think that was when everybody had been moved to hospitals. As you probably know, it's impossible to take care of a comatose person for years in a normal household. They most likely moved us to a hospital and then linked us back up again."

_Kirito-kun sighed and agreed, _"Yeah, I think you're right."

_I grimly told Kirito-kun the truth of our situation_. "If our bodies are just lying on a bed, managing to stay alive only through the numerous cords connected to them... I don't think that they'll remain safe in that situation forever."

_Kirito-kun then hugged me and said with a hint of fear in his voice, _"In other words, regardless of whether or not we can clear the game there is a time limit to how long we will have before we die even if we avoid fighting dungeon bosses."

_To be honest, I was glad that Kirito-kun was seeing the reality of our situation. It did make me sad that I was making him fearful for our future, but it was the truth. I couldn't tell who was becoming more scared of our situation. However, I knew there was something else I needed to tell him, _"This time limit will differ from person to person. We have no way of knowing what is happening in the real world. For all we know there could be people making decision to unplug us if we don't escape within a certain period of time or possibly family members will give our doctors and nurses permission to do so. Not to mention there could be money issues or our real bodies could become sick again like they were two months ago. There is no way for us to know what could be happening in the real world outside of what the climate changes might be."

_Personally, I had a feeling that I wouldn't need to worry about a money issue, but I knew that might not be the case for Kirito-kun, Lisbeth, Agil, Klien, or the others. Since I doubted people in the real world had the ability to monitor our progress, there was nothing we could do to send them messages that we needed more time. The fact that we have already been trapped in this game for two years had probably made a number of families doubtful that we would ever escape. We needed to work together and clear the game for the sake of ourselves and the others._

_Kirito-kun didn't respond to what I had said, but I figured he was probably processing what I had said. I decided to also tell him, _"Since talking about 'the other side' is a taboo here, I haven't discussed this with anyone else whether it was in the guild or anyone else I knew. However, you're different. You have always been different to me. _At this point, I felt as if I was beginning to break down a little, _"I . . . I want to spend my whole life by your side Kirito-kun. I want to date you in the real world, and I want get be married to you for real. Afterwards, I want to have a family with you, and we would grow old together. So . . . so . . ."

_I wasn't able to continue. All I could do was cry at the thought that Kirito-kun and I could die if we tried clearing the game, but we would definitely die if we didn't do anything. I buried my face into his chest, and I let the tears continue flowing down my cheeks. However, Kirito-kun comforted me and stroked my hair. He finished my sentence for me, _"So we have no choice but to fight right now for the sake of our present and future."

/

_When we arrived at the teleport gate plaza in Collinia on the 75__th__ floor, Kirito-kun had a little difficulty accepting his leadership position when receiving salutes from his fellow members of the Knights of the Blood. I even had to tell him_, "Come on, Kirito-kun, you're a leader now, so you have to greet them properly!" _The salute he gave them was embarrassingly awkward._

_While we were waiting at the plaza we ran into Klien and Agil. I don't think Kirito-kun should have been too surprised to see them, but he still said to them, _"What...? You guys are taking part as well?"

_Klien playfully responded, _"Why are you surprised!? Aren't you taking us a bit too lightly!?"

_Agil said to us indignantly, _"I even left my shop because I heard that you guys were having a hard time. I would have thought you would have the decency to appreciate my selfless sacrifice Kirito."

_Despite any kind of impression you would receive from Agil based on his statement, he was probably one of the nicest players in the game. In a way, he wasn't too different from Lisbeth since he took a lot of pride in his merchant abilities and his shop._

_Kirito-kun playfully punched Agil's arm and declared, _"I understand your sentiments very well. So we can count you out when we share the goods right?"

_After Kirito-kun said that, the bald giant known as Agil said to us in a faltering voice,_ "Well. Tha-That's a bit . . ."

_Seeing the display between Agil and Kirito-kun caused both Klien and myself to burst into laughter. Our laughter not only made us forget about our anxiety, but it seemed to have a positive effect on the other players as well._

_When it was exactly one o'clock, several new players arrived along with Heathcliff. He was dressed in his battle attire of his red armor along with his red overcoat and a huge cross-shaped shield in his hand. The people who were with him were several other elite members of the Knights of the Bloods, and the atmosphere became tense again. After Heathcliff was sure we were all in attendance, he used an item that instantly teleported us to outside the boss' lair._

_Before we entered the boss' room, I saw the Kirito-kun was becoming tense again. I reminded him of one simple fact, _"Don't worry Kirito-kun. I'll protect you."

_Kirito-kun responded, _"No . . . It's not that I'm afraid of fighting it's just that . . ."

_I didn't want Kirito-kun to think too much on the worst that could happened, so I interrupted him by giving a small laugh to ease the atmosphere. I tried to make the laugh as real as possible so I could ease myself as well. I told him, _"So . . . You have to protect me as well, Kirito-kun."

_Kirito-kun seemed to accept that because he said, _"Yeah . . . definitely."

_After he had settled that, Heathcliff spoke in a loud voice that everyone could hear,_ "Is everyone ready? We have no information about the boss' behavioral patterns. The Knights of the Blood will be in charge of holding back the enemy's attacks; everyone should take this chance to analyze the enemy's attack patterns and counterattack accordingly."

_Heathcliff's charisma was enough to make the entire platoon silently agree with him immediately. He then said,_ "Then, let's go!"

_As Heathcliff began to open the doors Kirito-kun told Klien and Agil, _"Don't die."

_Klien confidently told Kirito-kun, _"Heh, worry about yourself instead."

_Agil lightened the mood in his own humorous way, _"I have no intention of dying before I make a fortune with the rare items I'll get from today's fight."

_It was unfortunate that everyone's spirits would not remain this high after the battle was over._

/

_As the report indicated, we all entered the boss' lair and the doors behind us closed. We all looked around, but we did not see anyone or anything. It seemed as if there was nothing there, but after a few moments it dawned on us there was one place it could be: the ceiling. We all looked up and the boss dropped down at us from the ceiling, and it nearly killed all of us in an instant. When we saw it coming we all tried to get out of its landing area as quickly as possible. Luckily most of us were able to avoid a senseless death. Unfortunately, I saw three players get sliced in half instantly._

_Before those players were attacked, their health points were one hundred percent. Unfortunately, as soon as they were attacked, I saw the health points decrease immediately from green to yellow to red and then they were dead. It only took one hit for those players to be killed despite the fact their levels were at least in the eighty-range. If that thing hit any of us again, it would be certain death for any one of us._

_When I looked upon this boss, I felt it made Gleam Eyes seem like a harmless puppy by comparison. This beast was 'nightmare fuel incarnate.' Its name was Skull Reaper. Its long, huge body reminded me of a giant centipede. It was taller than a five story building, and its body length was probably longer than five hundred feet. Skull Reaper's body appeared to be made of bones which made it resembled a human spine. Its claws at the front and its legs all resembled giant scythes. Each scythe was as deadly as the next. If this monster was ever released from this lair it would decimate an entire city in less than five minutes._

_I muttered out loud, _"This is impossible."

_Luckily for us, Heathcliff was able to restore morale somewhat by using his 'invincible shield' to block two of Skull Reaper's scythes, but we knew that even he wouldn't be able to last forever. As soon as we saw that, Kirito-kun and I dived into the action and helped Heathcliff parry some of Skull Reaper's scythes. Eventually the entire platoon was working in cohesion, and we were able to start turning the battle in our favor, but it wasn't without significant cost. _

_Fighting the Skull Reaper was not only a difficult battle due to its one-shot kill attacks, but its incredible amount of health points and defense made it nearly impossible for us to kill. We had to continue our attack patterns for quite some time. There were a few times when we nearly faltered during our offensive that it would have cost us the entire battle, but we were able to press on. Unfortunately, we still suffered massive casualties in the process. _

/

_After we finally managed to defeat the boss, both Kirito-kun and I along with every other player with the exception of Heathcliff were overwhelmed by fatigue. We both sat on the floor with our backs against each other. It felt as if we wouldn't be able to do anything for a while. However, the important thing that was on our minds was, "We are still alive."_

_However, despite knowing we had succeeded in surviving, this victory over Skull Reaper did not seem like something we could celebrate. During the fight, I noticed that too many people died. Even when we were about to finish it off, the monster managed to kill at least one or two more players with its tail. I knew the final count would reveal a regrettable result. _

_Klien asked out loud in a wheezing voice,_ "How many . . . died?"

_Agil was lying on the floor next to Klien with his arms and legs spread out turned his head towards us. Kirito-kun opened up a map and counted the number of green dots that remained and subtracted from the number that had entered with us. After he finished counted he grimly told us, _"There are fourteen dead."

_As soon as everyone heard that, the atmosphere had become even grimmer than before. We entered this room with thirty-two players and they were all high-leveled among the best that Aincrad had to offer. Now this platoon was reduced to a mere eighteen. A nearly breathless Agil voiced out what everyone was thinking,_ "This is impossible. How are we supposed to win now?" _Understandably, Agil's voice lacked the optimism it usually had._

_Unfortunately, everyone seemed to agree with his statement. We were only done with the first seventy-five floors, and we still had another twenty-five to go. During our journey up here, we had lost too many skillful players, and there have been a large number of players over the past two years who had resigned to making a comfortable living in this world rather than fight on the frontlines. _

_At this point, out of the approximate six thousand players still alive in Sword Art Online, there were only a few hundred still willing to fight. If we kept losing this many players during the subsequent boss battles, the number up people left to fight the final boss will probably be in the double or possibly in the single digits. However, for better or worse, something was about to happen that would change everything forever._

/

_After a few moments had passed, I noticed that Kirito-kun was eyeing Heathcliff suspiciously. I began to ask Kirito-kun what he was thinking, but he ran straight towards Heathcliff and attacked him. Despite Heathcliff's legendary speed, Kirito-kun managed to strike his chest. When Kirito-kun's sword was about to pierce Heathcliff's chest, it appeared that some strange force stopped his blade. Suddenly a system message appeared over Heathcliff's head that stated he was an "Immortal Object."_

_When I saw that message, I was just as surprised as Kirito-kun and the other players who were witnessing this. This made me remember when I saw the message appear above Yui-chan's head. This could only mean the Heathcliff was not who he seemed despite having a player cursor above his head like the rest of us._

_Although I had an idea of what the answer would be, I asked in a confused voice, _"Immortality granted by the system . . . How's this possible . . . guild master?"

_Heathcliff remained silent and simply glared at Kirito-kun. I noticed that Kirito-kun tightened his grip on his swords before he stated, _"This is the truth behind the legendary Heathcliff's abilities. His health points were protected by the system, and it wouldn't fall into the yellow zone regardless of what might happen to him. The only ones who should have immortality status are NPCs and system administrators. However, this game doesn't have any administrators, except for possibly one person." _Kirito-kun stopped talking for a moment and glanced upward for a moment before he continued._ "After my arrival in this world, I had always asked myself the same question. 'Where was that person watching us while he manipulated this world?' In all that time, I forgot one simple truth, one that even little kids should know." _He then looked directly at Heathcliff with a glare and stated, _"There is nothing more boring than to watch someone else play a game, especially a RPG. Isn't that right? Kayaba Akihiko?"

_After Kirito-kun said that, everyone, including myself were completely shocked. None of us were able to say a word. However, everything about Heathcliff finally made sense. Heathcliff glaring at Kirito-kun with his emotionless expression confirmed Kirito-kun's suspicions. At this point, there was no denying this was the truth. _

_I finally stepped forward and I was barely able to form my question. _ "Leader . . .. Is this . . true?"

_Heathcliff ignored my question again and asked Kirito-kun, _"Just for reference, could you tell me how you figured out my identity?"

_After Heathcliff said that, I could feel every ounce of respect I once had for this man disappear. Similar to Kirito-kun, Heathcliff helped change me as well after he recruited me into the Knights of the Blood. I looked up to him and wanted to be just as powerful. That is one of the reasons I was able to push myself to become the second-in-command of the guild. When I gained that authority, I finally became the person that was the one giving orders rather than following someone else's. My accomplishment gave me a strong sense of pride. However, after all that time serving under this man, I finally found out that one of the people I idolized the most throughout Aincrad was the culprit behind this death game all along._

_Kirito-kun calmly answered Heathcliff's question, _"The first time I suspected that something was suspicious was during our duel. When I was about to give you the finishing blow, your speed during that final moment was simply too fast. It almost felt like it was about to break the game."

_Heathcliff chuckled a little bit at Kirito-kun's observations. _"I figured that move would end up being a grievous mistake on my part. During that duel, your speed overwhelmed me, and I ended up using the system's assistance past its normal limits." _Heathcliff then made an expression that I have rarely ever seen him form, a smile, even if it was a bitter smile. He stated, _

"I never would have thought anyone would be able to figure this out so soon. I thought it would be at least the 95th floor before my secret would be revealed. You truly are something else Kirito-kun." _Heathcliff's smiled turned into an authoritative expression as he gazed upon the rest of the players as he officially made his confession. _ "Yes. I am Kayaba Akihiko, and I am also the final boss for Sword Art Online who would have waited for you on the 100th floor."

_Hearing Heathcliff made me feel slightly lightheaded. I almost felt like I was going to fall. This was extremely hard for me to swallow, but Kirito-kun supported me with his right hand. Kirito-kun then said to Heathcliff, _"You have some strange tastes Kayaba. Who would have thought that the strongest player in the game who always supported the players regardless of their guild affiliation would turn out to be the most malignant final boss?"

_Heathcliff smiled in a way I never would have thought he could. The Heathcliff I had known was generally stoic and emotionless. He did smile sometimes and there were times when he was slightly amused by what people said or did, but that was beyond what I had seen before. It was as if I was looking at a different person. That must have been the true smile of Kayaba Akihiko the man who imprisoned ten thousand minds into this death game._

_He shrugged at what Kirito-kun said to him and asked, _"Don't you think that this is an interesting scenario? I had originally thought that this revelation would incite a wave of shock throughout Aincrad, but I had never thought that I would be found out only three-quarters of the way through the game." _He said to Kirito-kun in a complementary fashion,_ "I knew that you were this game's most unpredictable factor, but I never imagined that you would have such potential."

_Based on Heathcliff's statement, I figured that he must have been keeping tabs on Kirito-kun. Although, I suppose that shouldn't have been surprising since Kirito-kun did stand out. Until recently, Kirito-kun was one of the few solo-players in the game, and he was probably the best player overall if we excluded Heathcliff. It was then I figured that Heathcliff must have been the one that had given Kirito-kun his 'unique skill' dual blades. As Kirito-kun explained to Klien and me, he received the ability option out of nowhere, and it couldn't be obtained through alternative means. The best explanation I could think of was that Heathcliff must have decided to give Kirito-kun that ability after observing him._

_Heathcliff confirmed my suspicions when he stated in a bittersweet tone, _"After monitoring your progress for some time, I had expected that you would be the player who would stand against me in the end. That is why I awarded you one of the ten unique skills, the Dual Blades. You earned it by proving to be the player with the fastest reaction speed. I believed that you would act out the hero's role against the final boss, regardless of whether the final outcome would be your victory or defeat. However, you have shown me that your strength was far beyond my expectations regardless of whether it was in your speed or insight." _After Heathcliff said that he took a moment to think of what he was going to say next._ "Well I suppose that such unpredictable developments are part of the essence of online RPGs."

_After Heathcliff was done speaking to Kirito-kun, one of my fellow Knights of the Blood leaders rose up against Heathcliff and drew his sword. His eyes were filled with tormented agony at the truth of the player he once held in the highest regard. _ "You . . . you bastard! How dare you take our loyalty . . . our hopes . . . and . . . completely defile them!"

_The guild member raised his huge halberd and jumped into the air while screaming and cursing Heathcliff's existence. He was aiming to take Heathcliff's head if he could. Unfortunately, Heathcliff activated a menu with his left hand and manipulated a window that caused the man to come crashing down to the ground. I noticed on the man's status bar that he was still alive, but he was inflicted with paralysis._

_Unfortunately, Heathcliff did not stop there. One by one, all the remaining players were inflicted with paralysis and were unable to move, including myself. I remember the feeling of this paralysis. My entire body felt numb, and I was barely able to move a single muscle. The only body parts that I could still move properly were my head and mouth. I was completely helpless to do anything. I was terrified at what was going to happen next. After Heathcliff closed the window the only one he had not inflicted paralysis on was Kirito-kun._

_While my body was temporarily paralyzed, I was still able to speak. I called out him, _"Kirito-kun!"

_Kirito-kun turned around and ran over to me and held my upper body with his left hand, and he held my hand with his right. He then glared at Heathcliff and angrily asked him,_ "What are you going to do now Kayaba? Are you going to kill us all to hide your little secret?"

_Heathcliff smiled at Kirito-kun's question and shook his head. He casually said to us, _"No of course not. I would never do something so unreasonable."

_I guess imprisoning ten thousand minds in a death game for two years doesn't count as 'unreasonable' to him. Regardless, I could tell that he was telling us the truth. He really didn't appear to have any intention of murdering us. However after everything that's happened, it was hard to tell what to expect at that point._

_He then announced,_ "However, since you revealed my identity Kirito-kun, I have no other choice but to move my schedule forward. I will await for your arrival in the Scarlet Jade Castle on the top floor. It is truly a shame that I must desert the Knights of the Blood, as well as the other front-line players, that I had carefully cultivated over the years. I wanted to make sure you would be ready to fight against the powerful mobs that will begin appearing on the 90th floor and above. However, I believe that all of you should have enough strength to reach the top level. However, before I take my leave . . ."

_Heathcliff stopped talking and lifted his cross sword in the air and pointed it at Kirito-kun. Then he drove his sword into the obsidian floor which caused a loud metallic ring that resounded throughout the air._

_He then said to Kirito-kun in a somewhat amused tone,_ "Kirito, since you figured out my true identity, I will reward you with an opportunity."

_That caught Kirito-kun's attention. He asked Heathcliff in a suspicious tone, _"What kind of an opportunity?"

_Heathcliff then offered Kirito-kun a proposal that he would not be able to turn down._ "You can have a one-on-one duel with me, right here and right now. Of course, I will negate my immortality status to ensure we both will have a fair chance to lose. If you win, the game will be cleared immediately, and all the players will be able to log out. What do you say?"

_I remember the look in Kirito-kun's eyes when Heathcliff gave him that offer. The look in his face appeared shocked at first, then it changed as if he was in pain, and it finally became a look of determination. If I were to guess, Kirito-kun must have been reflecting on the past. That was probably what fueled him._

_He said to Heathcliff in a voice that was a mixture of anger and determination, _"Don't insult me!"

_I knew that Kirito-kun was going to accept the duel, and I tried to stop him. I squirmed in his arms and desperately pleaded with Kirito-kun,_ "No, Kirito-kun! He's trying to get rid of you first. If you fight him now without help, you'll die. If you die now, we will lose the best player on the frontlines. We need to withdraw for now. Right now you have to back down!"

_Kirito-kun ignored by please and agreed to Heathcliff's conditions. _"I accept the duel. Let's end this."

_I believe what I said to Kirito-kun prior to the Skull Reaper battle was partly the reason Kirito-kun decided to accept Heathcliff's offer. Kirito-kun also wanted to keep his word to me that he would free me from this game as soon as possible. Not to mention that even if we continued fighting through the last twenty five floors, there was a good chance we would lose many more players, including me, and Kirito-kun did not want to take that risk. Kirito-kun had seen enough death throughout his time alone in Aincrad. He probably figured that if he did not take Heathcliff's offer, he would consider himself responsible for those deaths._

_I said in a stricken cry,_ "Kirito-kun!"

_Kirito-kun gazed into my eyes with a pained look on his face. He then forced himself to smile for my sake._ "I'm sorry Asuna, but I cannot let this opportunity pass. This might be our only chance to save everyone who is left. I can't run away from this. I need to end this game for the sake of our present and our future."

_I opened my mouth to say something, but I stopped myself. I knew whatever I said would not change his mind. Instead, I decided I would support his decision, and I tried my best to smile even though a tear rolled down my cheek._

_I asked him as cheerfully as I could,_ "You weren't planning . . . on sacrificing yourself?"

_Kirito-kun responded in a determined tone, _"No. I will definitely win. I'll win and put an end to this world."

_I then said to him, _"Okay. I trust you."

_He then put me down and walked towards Heathcliff to begin the final duel. The tears kept pouring down my face. The paralysis left me unable to wipe them from my face, but I didn't care._

_Agil shouted out to Kirito-kun, _"Kirito don't!"

_I could hear that Agil's voice was filled with fear. That was one of the few times I had ever heard Agil sound so scared. He was always a calm and composed player that always knew what to say to calm down situations, and he provided a helping hand in boss battles when he was needed most. I never pictured someone like him to sound so shaken. However, I guess the sight of one of his friends possibly walking to his death scared him just as much as it would anyone else._

_Klien shouted to Kirito-kun as well, _"Don't accept the duel Kirito!"

_I expected Klien to sound scared and concerned over Kirito-kun's safety. While I didn't know him very well, he and Kirito-kun seemed to have become good friends during their time in Sword Art Online. Klien was a caring person who always wanted to watch his friends' backs. It was probably thanks to Klien's selflessness that all the members of his guild, Fuurinkazan, were still alive._

_Kirito-kun responded to Agil first, _"Agil. Thanks for helping to support the swordsman class. I know you spent nearly all the money you made helping the players during middle level zones to level up."

_Agil didn't respond to what Kirito-kun said and remained silent. I suppose Agil could also tell that there were no words he could say that would change Kirito-kun's mind._

_Kirito-kun then said in a hoarse voice to Klien, _"Klein. On the day the death game started, I'm really sorry... about leaving you. All you wanted to do was to help your friends and make sure you could all make it home alive. I abandoned you that day because I felt I couldn't wait for you. I've always regretted my decision."

_As soon as Klien heard that, I saw that tears started pouring down his face as wall. He tried to stand up, but he wasn't able to. He then shouted out loud in a coarse voice that seemed like it was about to break, _"You . . . You bastard! Kirito! Don't apologize! Don't apologize now! I won't forgive you! I definitely won't forgive you until you treat me to a meal in the real world!"

_Kirito-kun nodded at Klien's words and faintly said, _"Yeah, I promise. The next time I see you, it will be on the other side."

_What bothered me wasn't what Kirito-kun said but the way he said it. It felt as if those were the words of someone who knew he was about to die. Kirito-kun may have said that he didn't intend to lose, but in his heart he probably knew there was a good chance he would die. However, he probably knew that this would be his only chance to save all of us from this game. We may have become strong players in our own right, but after our fight with Skull Reaper and Heathcliff's betrayal the morale of the frontlines would have taken a serious blow. Kirito-kun knew that our chances of making it to the top were crippled and this was the only way he could prevent the ramifications of these events from affecting everyone who was still alive._

_Kirito-kun briefly looked back at me, and I think my face was covered in tears at that point, but I still tried to show support for his decision by keeping up my smiling façade. He then faced Heathcliff and said something before they began their duel. _ "Sorry about this, but before we begin I have one request."

_Heathcliff's expression gave the feeling that he considered himself superior to the rest of us, but he was willing to listen to what Kirito-kun had to ask. _"What is it?"

_Kirito-kun asked in a tense voice, _"I don't have any intention of losing to you. However, if I die, can you prevent Asuna from committing suicide, even if only for a short period?"

_As soon as Kirito-kun said that, Heathcliff raised an eyebrow in surprise, but he calmly accepted Kirito-kun's request. _ "Very well. I'll set it so that she won't be able to leave Salemburg."

_I was horrified at what Kirito-kun had said. The smile I was forcing disappeared, and I frantically called out to him, _"Kirito-kun, no! You can't, you can't do this!"

_Kirito-kun ignored my voice. Heathcliff turned off his immortal object status and sent Kirito-kun a duel request. It was a duel that would only be resolved when one of them had killed the other. After Kirito-kun accepted the duel, the final battle of Sword Art Online began._

/

_When the fight began, I thought to myself, "I did it again. All I wanted was to protect him but now he's in another life-and-death situation because of me." I know I wasn't fully responsible for that situation, but Kirito-kun's actions were definitely influenced by what I had said to him earlier that day. I don't know how many times before that Kirito-kun's life has been in danger during his time in Sword Art Online, but I played a role in at least three of them._

_I knew that I couldn't let this stand. I looked upon Kirito-kun and Heathcliff's duel, and Kirito-kun appeared to be doing fine, but Heathcliff still had a major advantage over Kirito-kun since he knew how to counter pretty much any techniques in the game. Not to mention that Kirito-kun was still more affected than Heathcliff was from the Skull Reaper battle. Heathcliff may have been injured as well, but his immortal object status during that battle prevented his injuries from reaching a dangerous point._

_If those advantages weren't enough, even though Heathcliff disabled his 'immortal object' status, his stats were still rigged to be the highest in the game beyond what most players would be capable of. Each and everyone one of his skills were a perfect 1,000 points, which included his 'Holy Sword,' 'Heavy Metal Equipment,' and 'One Handed Straight Sword.' However, I had a feeling if Heathcliff played this game and leveled up normally like the rest of us without his 'immortal object' handicap, his stats probably would have still been high but substantially lower._

_Even though the duel was one-on-one, I kept telling myself to move. The odds were too stacked up against Kirito-kun, and I knew if it really needed it, I would be able to help him. The paralysis that Heathcliff had inflicted upon us was still active, but I kept fighting it with every ounce of willpower I had. I kept telling myself, "Move! Move! MOVE!"_

_The battle between Kirito-kun and Heathcliff was becoming more intense. Kirito-kun was attempting to use moves that were not the norm of Sword Art Online so Heathcliff wouldn't be able to counter them. However, I knew it was only a matter of time before he would make a mistake. I have seen Kirito-kun fight in a number of battles before, and I had a feeling it was only a matter of time before he would subconsciously use one his old moves._

_After continually attempting to combat the effects of the paralysis, I felt that I was beginning to regain some feeling in my body again. The first things I was able to move were my arms. After a few moments, I managed to regain the use of my legs. After I managed to shake off the stinging sensation, I picked myself up off the ground. Everyone was so fixated on Kirito-kun's battle with Heathcliff they didn't notice me. As it turns out, I managed to get myself on my feet not a moment too soon._

_Kirito-kun ultimately made the mistake I was afraid he was going to make. He used a move that Heathcliff knew how to counter, and he was about to give Kirito-kun a strike that would kill him. I didn't even think about what I needed to do. The only thoughts that went through my mind were, "I will protect Kirito-kun!" I ran to Kirito-kun and Heathcliff's duel and I jumped in front of the strike that was aimed at Kirito-kun. Heathcliff struck my torso with his attack and I saw that it reduced my health points to zero._

_As soon as I was struck, Kirito-kun caught me in his arms. I remember the look on Kirito-kun's face as he held me. His eyes were wide open, and his face was filled with shock and fear. He probably had a hard time processing what had happened just now. He said to me, _"This can't be. This is a joke right?"

_Despite what happened, I smiled at him while tears flowed down my cheeks. My final words to Kirito-kun were, _"I'm sorry Kirito-kun. Goodbye." _My body began to fade away and then there was nothing._

/

_After I was struck by Kayaba Akihiko's Sword Art Online avatar, Heathcliff, my health decreased to zero, and I 'died' in Kirito-kun's arms. That should have been the end for me, but it wasn't. The next thing I knew, I was standing on some kind of platform in the sky. After a few moments of standing there by myself, I then heard an announcement state, _"The game has been cleared as of November 7th, 2024 2:55 p.m."

_The voice was so loud that I think everyone throughout Aincrad could hear it. Those were the words that I had always wanted to hear ever since the death game had started. It was what all of us were fighting for two years to hear. To finally be free of living in this virtual world and be able to breathe the fresh air of the real world again. To be honest, I have a feeling hearing that announcement would be somewhat bittersweet for some people, including me. While we wanted to be free again of this death game, I am certain a number of us had still managed to form a number of great memories and friendships that wouldn't have been possible otherwise. I know that was definitely the case for Kirito-kun and me._

_However, I believed that those words didn't apply to me anymore because I was killed. I was saddened by the idea that I would die, and I would never see Kirito-kun, Lisbeth, Yui-chan, or anyone else from the game again. No sooner had I thought that, Kirito-kun appeared before my eyes. Agil and Klien would later tell me that Heathcliff impaled Kirito-kun shortly after my death, but Kirito-kun managed to kill Heathcliff as well with my rapier. _

_As soon as I saw him, I shouted out to him, _"Kirito-kun!"

_Kirito-kun turned around with a surprised look on his face. His expression then changed to something that was a mixture of happiness and sadness. I noticed that both of us were semi-transparent, so I figured out what had happened before he even said a word. Regardless, Kirito-kun apologized to me, _"I'm sorry Asuna. I died too."

_The only response I could come up with to his statement was, _"Idiot."

_Tears were running down my face, but I still smiled. I ran up to him, and his arms opened wide to embrace me after I reached him. He gently said my name, _"Asuna." _He held me tightly, and I never wanted him to let me go again. We then gave each other a long passionate kiss._

_After we kissed, Kirito-kun and I continued to hold each others' hand, and we looked at the endless sky. Kirito-kun asked the very question I was thinking, _"What is this place?"

_Then we looked upon the scene below us. We realized we were gazing upon the Sword Art Online game world Aincrad. It was being deleted in front of our eyes. The two of us witnessed the many places we had visited over the past two years being destroyed, including our home on the twenty second floor. When we saw our cottage being deleted, it felt extra bitter for us to watch. While we had not lived their long, it was still a representation of the relationship and life we had built with each other during our time in the game. _

_While we were watching this deletion process, we heard a voice from behind us, _"An impressive sight."

_Kirito-kun and I looked, and we saw Kayaba Akihiko. He was not in his Heathcliff avatar but in his real form as the one who developed this death game. His true appearance had a white shirt with a necktie and white overalls on top. The only similarity between his avatar and his true form were the two metallic eyes. Similar to our bodies, he also appeared to be semi-transparent._

_Kirito-kun asked Kayaba,_ "What exactly is going on?"

_Kayaba responded in a peaceful tone, _"Perhaps you can call it a metaphorical rendering. Currently, the SAO mainframe that is stationed in the 5th basement floor of Argus headquarters is in the midst of erasing all data from its memory banks. In approximately ten minutes all of Aincrad shall be completely erased."

_This made me worried about what happened to Lisbeth, Klien, Agil, and everyone else who were still alive in the game. I asked him in a concerned tone, _"What about the people who lived there? What happened to them?"

_Kayaba made a window appear in front of him with a list of players' names on it. Some of the names I saw on that list were people I knew who should still be alive, including Lisbeth, Klien, Agil, Yuriel, and Thinker. He responded in a calm manner,_ "There's no need to worry. Just a moment ago, the remaining 6,147 players successfully logged out."

_What he said made me feel relieved. This man may have been the one who trapped us, but for some reason I knew he was telling us the truth. This meant that most of the people that Kirito-kun and I had come to know over the two years while we were trapped in this game have returned to the real world. _

_I happily thought to myself, "I am glad you were able to make it back Lisbeth. Good luck living in the real world again."_

_Kirito-kun asked Kayaba, _"What about those who died? You killed both Asuna and I, but we continue to exist here. Doesn't that mean you can return the other four thousand dead to the original world as well?"

_When he asked that question, I could see tears in his eyes. I figured Kirito-kun must have been thinking about the Black Cats guild. From the look on his face, I had a feeling that he already knew the answer to that question, but he still needed to know for sure._

_I could also see that Kayaba's expression didn't change when he closed the window. _"Life can't be recovered so easily. Their consciousness will never return. The dead will disappear. This fact remains true in every world. I created this place only because I wanted to talk with you two one last time."

_Kirito-kun's hope that the people he felt responsible for could still be alive was dashed. However, this revelation was not earth shattering to him but a confirmation to what his heart already knew. He understandably had trouble asking his next question, _"Why did you do this?"

_Kayaba did not respond right away. It appeared that he was unsure how to answer that question. However, I knew that regardless of how he answered Kirito-kun question, his answer would be less than satisfactory. _ "Why? I had forgotten a long time ago. Just why did I do it? Ever since I found out that a FullDive system was being created . . . No, even before that, I had wanted to build that castle, a place that exceeded the limits set upon the real world. Then, in those final moments, I saw even the rules of my world being surpassed as well."

_As Kayaba continued to speak, the castle in Algade, where the Knights of the Blood had their headquarters, was being destroyed by the deletion process. _"Don't we all have many dreams since the time we were kids? I have already forgotten how old I was when the image of a steel castle floating in the skies began to enrapture me. That was a vision that never faded from my mind no matter how much time passed. In fact, it was quite the opposite. As I grew older, the image became more and more realistic and expansive. For as long as I can remember, it has been my only dream to leave the real world and fly straight to this castle. You know, Kirito-kun, I still believe . . . that in some other world, this castle really does exist."

_Kirito-kun and I understood what Kayaba was saying, but that I still found that answer to be less than satisfactory. However, I suppose there truly couldn't be an answer that would make someone who was responsible for the deaths of nearly 4,000 people seem justified. He was a mass murderer, and there was nothing he could do that that would change that fact. It was as pure and simple as that._

_After a moment, Kirito-kun responded, to what Kayaba said,_ "Yeah . . . That would be nice."

_As the game continued to be deleted beneath us Kayaba turned to us and said,_ "Ah, I forgot to mention this. Kirito-kun, Asuna-kun . . . I congratulate you two for clearing the game."

_I could tell by his expression and the tone of his voice that he was sincere. Hearing him say that did give us a feeling of accomplishment since the two of us along had finally managed to achieve victory thanks to the help of many others. Although, Kirito-kun and I would both agree that our victory came at the cost of nearly 4,000 lives. That was a price we would never have wanted to pay._

_Kayaba then calmly said to us,_ "Well then, I should be going now."

_No sooner had he said that, he disappeared. We were alone again with the red setting sun and the final floors of Aincrad being deleted behind us from this purgatory. It was a sight that was both beautiful and mystifying, but frightening at the same time._

_The two of us knew that it was only a matter of moments before the game was fully deleted and we would disappear as well. Kirito-kun placed his hands on my cheeks. We gave each other what we thought would be our final kiss. When I thought it was our last kiss, I felt like it was the most magical one we had shared._

_Kirito-kun looked upon me with sad eyes and said to me,_ "I suppose this is goodbye."

_I shook my head, and I calmly told him, _"No, it isn't. We'll be disappearing together. So, we'll be together, forever."

_I may have sounded calm, but I was terrified. In a few moments we would die, and we would never see each other, the other players, or Yui-chan again. However, the thought that we would be together when the end came was enough to fill me with bliss._

_However, before we would disappear, I needed to know one last thing about Kirito-kun. I asked him, _"Hey, can you tell me your name Kirito-kun? I mean your real name."

_At first, Kirito-kun seemed confused by what I said. I guess he had been so use to using his avatar name, it felt unnatural for him to refer to his original name. However, he did answer me. _"My name is Kirigaya Kazuto. I should have turned sixteen last month."

_I voiced out his name, _"Kirigaya Kazuto-kun." _I realized that he made his avatar name Kirito by using parts of his original name (__**Kiri**__gaya Kazu__**to**__).___

_I said in a somewhat embarrassed tone,_ "So you're younger than me. My name is Yuuki Asuna. I turned seventeen this year."

_I didn't mind that Kirito-kun was younger than me. I just didn't suspect it until recently. Whenever he is awake, the way he carries himself always made me think that he was older than me. However, when he slept next to me during our honeymoon, the defenseless, innocent, naïve look on his face made me think otherwise._

_Kirito-kun playfully asked me, _"Is it that much of surprise that I'm younger than you? I always thought you were older than me."

_When he said that, I almost asked, "Why would you think that?." However, I realized that he was trying to keep up some sort of cheerful charade to temporarily distract us from our rapidly approaching deletion, so I decided to play along. I answered playfully but honestly, _"Until two weeks ago, I always thought you were older until I saw how you looked whenever you slept next to me. You looked so innocent and naïve I was almost afraid of what your age really was. I'm just glad you're not too young."

_The two of us had a laugh at my comment. However, it didn't last long, and we continued to watch the deletion of Aincrad. We heard another announcement that the game's deletion was nearly complete, and we would probably be deleted soon as well. The reality of our situation was becoming apparent again, and I think it was hitting Kirito-kun the hardest._

_After a few moments, I saw that tears were beginning to fall down Kirito-kun's cheeks. He apologized to me, _"I'm sorry . . . sorry. . . . I promised that . . . I would . . . send you back . . . to the other side, . . . but I . . .failed you."

_I could hear the regret in his voice. He blamed himself for what happened, but I comforted him, _"It's alright . . . It's alright."

_Despite my words, I knew I was crying too. If Kirito-kun considered himself a failure, then I am one too. I promised him that I would not die, and we would meet in the real world when this was over. At that time, I thought I had failed to fulfill either of those promises._

_As we gazed upon the final sunset of Sword Art Online, I knew our time was fleeting. I told Kirito-kun with a mixture of happiness and sadness in my voice. _"I'm happy I was able to meet you and live with you, Kazuto-kun. The time I have spent with you have been the happiest moments of my life. You changed me as well. Thank you."

_I then closed my eyes and put my head on his neck and made my final heartfelt declaration to Kirito-kun._ "I love you."

_Kazuto-kun put his head upon mine, and he was no longer crying. It appeared what I had said had given him peace. We held each other as tight as we could. I would not let him go, and he would never let me go either._

_After I had made my final declaration to Kirito-kun, the deletion process for the game was complete and Kirito-kun and I were about to be swept away by a bright light. As Kirito-kun and I were fading away, I heard a calm voice say to me,_ "It appears you will be requiring some extra help on the way out. I will provide it for you this time."

_I was certain that voice belonged to Kayaba Akihiko. At that time, I had no idea what he could have meant. Before I had a chance to ponder what the voice said, the light had engulfed Kirito-kun and me, and we faded away along with the game._

/

_The next thing I knew, I was struggling to open my eyes. After I opened my eyes I felt disoriented. My vision was blurry, and I could not properly hear anything. It took a few moments before I could remotely regain the use of my senses. After my eyes readjusted to the light, I realized that I was in a hospital bed in the real world. My hearing was coming back to me as well. I heard a sound next to me, and I noticed there were machines by my bed. I figured those machines were most likely my life support. _

_At first I wondered, "How could I still be alive? When Heathcliff struck me down, didn't I die and that would have killed me in the real world as well." Then I thought, "Maybe when Kirito-kun fought Heathcliff personally and Heathcliff disabled his 'immortal object' status, it created a glitch that resulted in a lag between when a person dies in the game to when they die in the real world. Then, Kirito-kun was able to kill Heathcliff before I died in the real world too. A glitch could also explain why I was able to shake off the paralysis Heathcliff inflicted upon me and the other players. Or perhaps Heathcliff modified the system before his duel with Kirito-kun, so we would end up in that strange purgatory rather than dying, and it prevented our actual deaths as well. Maybe it was his intention to let us live as long as his Heathcliff avatar was killed."_

_However, I then realized thinking about something like that was not important. I have spent so much time with Kirito-kun I was probably starting to think a little like him too. What's important was that I was alive and finally back in the real world. This meant that Kirito-kun must be awake as well. I had no doubt that he would try to find me, and I wanted the same. _

_I told him in Sword Art Online, I wanted to be with him in the real world. I wanted to be his girlfriend and hopefully it will lead to something more than that. I promised myself that I would not rest until we meet again._

_I sat up and removed the nerve gear that was on my head. Removing that device took a lot of effort on my part. My physical body had been in a coma for two years, so it made sense that my body would be weak. After I removed it, I looked at it for a moment. It was hard to believe that this device was the reason I had been in that game for two years. It's amazing something like that could have had such power._

_After I got out of the bed, I heard the machine that I was attached to flat line. I used the IV stand to support myself, but I still felt like I was about to collapse. However, that was not enough to stop me. It was the nurses that had to get in my way. After I accidently caused the devices to flat line, it apparently attracted the attention of some of the nursing staff. They barged in my room before I got out, and they were amazed to see me awake let along attempting to stand._

_One of them said,_ "Oh my god! Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?!"

_While I was still having a little trouble with my hearing, I could faintly hear some similar reactions from the other rooms. I figured that some other Sword Art Online players who were placed here were waking up as well. Despite seeing them in front of me, I tried to press on, but I lacked my abilities as "The Flash" to get around them._

_They tried to reason with me, _"Yuuki-san you mustn't strain yourself. You haven't been able to move in two years."

_However, I was not in the mood to listen to reason. I desperately said to them,_ "I have to find him. I need to find Kirito-kun!"

_They were able to talk me down after a few minutes. They didn't have to since they could easily overpower me and strap me to the bed, but I'm glad they didn't go that far._

_After I calmed down a nurse who went by the name of Sasaki told me_, "We have contacted your family Yuuki-san. They will be here shortly."

_I weakly said, _"Okay." _I had conceded defeat for this moment, but I guess it was for the better that I did. I would never be able to find Kirito-kun in my condition. Not without help. I should have known the chances that Kirito-kun would be in the same hospital as me were slim, but I felt that I couldn't just sit around and do nothing either._

_After the other nurses left, the last nurse in my room was Sasaki. She asked me with a curious tone,_ "By the way, who is this Kirito-kun you were referring to?"

_I answered the nurse with as much conviction I could muster, _"He is someone that I met in the game. He is the person I have to find, and I will not stop until I do."

_As soon as I said that to the nurse, she did not bother to ask any more questions on the subject. I don't remember whether I was smiling or not when I said that. I remember feeling happy that we had finally succeeded in returning to the real world. However, I was saddened that Kirito-kun was not by my side. I had to keep telling myself, "No matter what I will find him, and I am not going to give up until I do."_

/

While Asuna was becoming reacquainted with the real world, there was someone else who was using the chaos of the reawakening Sword Art Online survivors to his advantage. However, he was not pleased with his results.

The man with glasses shouted out loud, "Damn it! We almost had her! Why weren't we able to trap her consciousness? How could we miss such an opportunity? Now she's back in the real world! All that effort on keeping tabs of the different Sword Art Online accounts has been wasted!"

He banged his hand on his desk, and turned to his subordinate and angrily asked him, "How could this happen?"

The man's subordinate nervously explained, "I am not sure sir. We were just about to capture her account, but it appeared something got in our way before we were successful."

That vague answer was not enough to quell the bespectacled man's furry, "Something? As in what?"

His subordinate knew that he had to provide a better explanation. If he failed to, he would not want to know what his boss would do to him. "When we had her account in our possession, there was some kind of interference that we did not anticipate. It redirected her consciousness back to her body. It resulted in us taking another account in her place."

After taking a few moments to collect himself, the man said with a disgusted tone, "There is only one person I could think of that could help her escape from my nets."

The subordinate was not sure who his boss could be referring to. "Who do you mean?"

"You should know. It had to be Kayaba Akihiko. It wouldn't surprise me in the least." His voice was filled with rage and disgust at the thought of Kayaba outdoing him again.

The subordinate knew that he needed to give his boss something in order to remedy the situation. He looked over the list of the accounts they were able to gain control of. He noticed something interesting about the last account they obtained. He inspected the information on the player, and he quickly dug up some information on the player's background.

After a few minutes, he informed his employer, "We may have obtained a consolation prize." This caught his employer's attention. "There is one account in particular that might be useful to us."

His employer was intrigued by what his subordinate could mean. "Which account would that be?"

The subordinate displayed the account he was referring to on the monitor. "The user name is Kirito and his real name is Kirigaya Kazuto."

The man asked in an impatient tone, "Do you have any information on him?"

His subordinate replied, "Of course. This boy was adopted by his relatives after his parents died."

The man asked with a smug tone, "Do you know anything that might be useful? What significance is he to society?"

His subordinate explained, "I am getting to that. This Kirigaya Kazuto is only a student. His grandfather used to run a dojo prior to his death, his aunt is an editor at magazine, but I do not have any information on his uncle."

The employer was underwhelmed by this information. "So he is a citizen of an inferior standing. Why would he be of any use?"

His subordinate knew that his employer was not the patient type when it came to obtaining the objects of his desire or if he believed something was of little significance, so he knew he had to explain the story as quickly as possible. "You might be interested in this though. While this information is currently unconfirmed, the data I am reading here seems to indicate that he is the one that cleared the game."

It certainly caught his employer's attention and he was somewhat impressed by it, but he tried to avoid showing it. "So the little brat was able to beat Kayaba Akihiko's game. That isn't good enough for me to use."

His subordinate hastily said, "Before you make anymore judgments, you should listen to the best part. I think you will find this to be quite interesting. According to this account data, he was one of the last ones to log out of Sword Art Online along with Yuuki Asuna." This caused his employer to raise an eyebrow. "In addition to that, the only one who was declared a 'winner' for the game was Asuna. I noticed that on her profile before our attempted capture of her account was interfered with."

The man could finally see where his subordinate was going with this. "Are you implying they may know each other?"

His subordinate said with a confident tone, "It is a possibility. I would guess there is a seventy percent likelihood that is the case."

The man then began to form a creepy smile. "If that is the case, I may be able to use that to my advantage. I need to know for certain though. This may give my plan an ace in the hole."

After he gave his employer a few moments, he asked him, "Do you want to trap this Kazuto with the other three hundred minds or do you want to place him in that prison you originally designed for the girl in the World Tree?"

The man stated in a firm voice, "Neither."

His subordinate was visibly surprised by that. "What do you mean neither?"

The man explained in a smug tone, "That prison in the World Tree is too good for a lowly commoner. Assuming your right about him having a connection with Asuna, I have a more interesting way to deal with him than the others."

His subordinate had no idea what that could mean. "Then, what do you suggest?"

The man stated, "The idea I have requires the use of some old data. What is the status of that area that we originally scrapped from ALfheim Online?"

His subordinate went through some old documents regarding ALfheim Online before responding to the question. "While we removed it from the final product of the game, we still have all the work saved on a hard drive."

The man asked, "Would it be possible to implement that into ALfheim Online as a new area to expand the game?"

After looking through the documents further his subordinate stated, "I believe it should be possible. We only removed it because we were afraid of the area causing possible errors or glitches within the game. However, the tests you had me perform have led me to the conclusion that would most likely not be the case, but we didn't implement the area due to time constraints."

In a surprisingly curious tone, the man asked, "How long will it take to finish that area, modify it, and implement it into ALheim Online's world?"

His subordinate answered, "It should only take a few weeks if we have our teams work on it continuously. Why?"

The man gave his subordinate a smile that would make it difficult to tell if he was sane or insane. "That place is going to be the brat's new home when it's done."

His subordinate finally understood where his employer was going with that. "Aw. I see. You really must have some interesting ideas on what to do with him then. So until the area is ready, what do you want me to do with him?"

The man stated in a casual fashion, "I want you to place the brat in the game."

His subordinate was surprised when he heard his employer say that. In his mind, it seemed too foolish and risky to do. "Sir, why would you want to place him in the game rather than with the other three hundred minds we have captured?"

The man explained, "If Asuna and this brat really have a connection to each other, I want to do something that will be 'unique' for him to experience."

His subordinate attempted to reason with his boss regarding the possible stupidity of this plan. "Then why do you want to give him freedom to move around within the game rather than place him in a secure location until you find out the truth and we have finished the preparations? What if he asks for help? That could cause us some unnecessary problems."

The man began to chuckle at his subordinates concerns, "Your concern is hardly necessary. I doubt we will need to worry about that. He will probably figure out the Game Master had left him in there. Based on the number of casualties Sword Art Online had, I doubt he will be willing to give his trust so readily to anyone. That boy won't know whom he could trust or not. By giving him freedom to move around, it may give him hope that he can escape. The result of how a person will react when that hope is crushed is far more satisfying. Don't you agree?"

After thinking about it for a few moments, his subordinate appeared to agree with him and began the process of transferring Kirito into ALheim Online.

The look in man's eyes would be enough to reveal his true psychotic, sadistic nature. He thought to himself, _"Enjoy the freedom that I will be granting you while you have it. If you really do have a connection to Asuna, by the time I am ready to deal with you, you are going to wish you were still in Sword Art Online. I can promise you that under my name, Suguo Noboyuki."_

/

**Omake**:

Kirito: Well this marks the end of Asuna's narration of the first story arc.

Asuna: Thank you all for bearing with us till this point. Starting next chapter, we will be conducting the alternate version of the Fairy Dance arc.

Kirito: I wonder how things are going to be different in this story.

Asuna: Didn't you read over the work-in-progress manuscript for Chapter 4 earlier?

Kirito: Yeah, but I choose to forget some of it since a few scenes received some polish, additions, and/or reworks. I think it is best to forget that original and go on with the current when it's ready.

Asuna: (_Asuna doesn't completely believe _Kirito) I think you choose to not read most of it because you are not getting much screen time in the next chapter right?

Kirito: (_Kirito has a sheepish look on his face_) That was part of the reason. Do you mind filling me in anyway?

Asuna: (_Asuna lets out a sigh_) Okay. Unlike the original Fairy Dance arc, some of the other characters, such as Lisbeth and Klien will receive more screen time, and we will see them from the get-go rather than at the epilogue. However, I guess I really shouldn't say anything beyond that.

Kirito: Really?

Asuna: Unfortunately, yes.

Kirito: Do you want to talk about something else?

(_Klien and Agil enter the area_)

Klien: It would be great to talk about something else.

Kirito: (_Kirito looks bewildered by the new arrivals_)What are you two doing here? I thought the only people allowed here were Asuna and me.

Agil: (_He pulls out a contract for Kirito to look at_) According to this, as long we are characters that exist in the story, we have the right to appear during these omakes, so it isn't restricted to you two.

Kirito: (_Kirito quickly reads over the section and sees Agil is right_) Well what do you know.

Agil: You shouldn't forget that you two received help from us on a few occasions in the past, so we are important characters or should be. Not to mention, that we will be receiving more screen time in future chapters.

Kirito: Well I know you received some screen time in the original version of the Fairy Dance arc Agil, but a lot of the other characters aren't seen until the end. I wonder how that's going to work.

Klien: Well that's the beauty of alternative scenarios. Similar events can be played out in different ways. You will be seeing quite a few of us much earlier.

Kirito: At my expense no less. (_Kirito then sulks in a corner for a few moments._)

Klien: Come on Kirito don't be like that.

Agil: (_He reads through the 'future plans of Fairy Dance Alternate' script_) Actually Kirito isn't wrong for saying it will be at his expense. (_He shows it to Klien and Asuna._)

Klien: That doesn't look too good.

Asuna: Nope we should probably not show this to Kirito-kun yet.

Kirito: (_He notices they are reading something intently_) What are you reading? Is it about me?

Asuna: (_She is a poor liar_) Oh it's nothing Kirito-kun. It's nothing at all.

Kirito: It is something important. I can tell.

Klien: Sadly we don't have time to talk about it for now.

Agil: That is exactly right. (_He waves to the audience_.) Be sure to leave a review and join us next time in Fairy Dance Alternate.

Asuna & Klien: See you next time!

Kirito: Don't end the segment now! Tell me what you just found out!

**Omake End**

/

**Author Notes**: I hope you enjoyed the first three chapters. As you can probably tell, the dialogue sequences were either original, quotes taken directly from the sources, or a mixture of both. I also took a few other liberties from the franchise as well, such as the aftermath of the Laughing Coffin incident. It would have been too boring if there was absolutely no dialogue within Asuna's narration of the Sword Art Online events. I think I included them in appropriate places.

I know a great deal of the first three chapters involved Asuna narrating numerous events of the Sword Art Online Story Arc, but I felt it was both interesting and necessary. Interesting in the sense that I liked how I provided her point of view rather than Kirito's. While I was planning this story, I thought about how Asuna would feel regarding a number of the events she experienced and how she would view her attitudes and actions in hindsight. A few of her narrations, such as the aftermath of the Gleam Eyes and Kuradeel incidents was based off my interpretation of what may have been going through her head. I wouldn't be surprised if she thought the reason Kirito-kun nearly died in those incidents was due to the choices she made.

I also considered these narrations to be necessary because I thought these chapters would not only help set the mood for future chapters, but it provides information for people who might be less familiar of the franchise as well. Not to mention, Asuna did receive quite a lot of character development if you look over the events of Sword Art Online in chronological order. I figured it would be a good idea to use these chapters to emphasize her character development before putting her into the alternate version of the Fairy Dance Arc.

I decided Suguo placing Kirito-kun in the regular game instead of those 'prisons' he placed the other three hundred players because it felt like something he 'might do' if he knew there was a possible connection between Asuna and this player. I could see him doing something especially sadistic to a player by making it seem like there might be hope for escape only to smash it to pieces in one of the worst ways possible. This would not only allow him to have an ace in the hole for his 'hopeful' plans for marrying Asuna, but he can have fun 'dealing' with the one she cares about in a way that's 'unique' to the miscellaneous players who have no connections to Asuna. Let's not forget that while Suguo is intelligent, he is also a smug, arrogant, sadistic, psychopath. He always assumes things will work out his way, and he takes plenty of joy torturing others in one way or another. What he plans to do to Kirito beyond crushing any hope Kirito may have of escaping ALO on his own will go much further than that. I can assure you it will not be pretty.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first three chapters and will leave a review. The next chapter will officially begin the Alternate Fairy Dance Arc, and I have quite a number of plans drawn out for the future.


	4. The Puzzle with a Missing Piece

**Author Notes**: The time has come for the fourth chapter and to officially begin the alternative version of the Fairy Dance Arc. However, it was thanks to writing the three previous chapters that gave me the inspiration for a few new plotlines I have planned for the future. Sometimes the key to getting inspiration is by looking back and drawing upon the past.

Finally, you may have noticed in the previous chapter, while most of the chapter featured a first person narration by Asuna, there was one scene that featured a third person narration. I also mentioned something to that effect in the Omake of Chapter 1 as well. It is my plan for the story to have a mixture of first person and third person narrations since there will be parts of the story that will not be seen through Asuna's eyes.

/

Story Arc Two: Return to Reality

Chapter Four: The Puzzle with a Missing Piece

/

Life is a puzzle

All the pieces are needed

Find the last piece

/

Date: Sunday, January 26th, 2025

Location: Undisclosed

Asuna looks at her old NerveGear and stares at it nervously. She opened up the compartment of her NerveGear helmet and inserted something into it. Asuna took the NerveGear helmet and was about to place it over her head, but she hesitates and puts it back on her lap. It had been less than three months since her escape from Sword Art Online. Because of her experience with the NerveGear, Asuna was having trouble placing the device on her head again.

Another girl in the room asks her, "Are you okay Asuna?"

Asuna looked at her friend and nervously told her, "Yeah I'm fine. I'm just nervous."

Her friend did not act judgmental to Asuna's words or her reluctance to put on her NerveGear helmet again. Instead, her friend gave Asuna a kind, understanding look. She assured Asuna, "Everyone understands that, especially me. I'm pretty nervous too, but we know what's probably at stake here. Remember that you are not going to be doing this alone. We all got your back Asuna. You can count on us."

Asuna takes in deep breath and responded, "That's right. Thank you."

Her friend smiled at Asuna, "It's not a problem. That's what friends are for."

Asuna nodded and then took another look at her NerveGear and said to herself, "I can do this . . . No! I have to do this!"

After Asuna placed the nerve gear on her head, she then laid on the cushion to comfort her body, and said, "Link Start!"

/

A few moments later, Asuna found herself on a virtual platform. She was given the choice to modify her character avatar by selecting her 'race,' the name of her avatar, and a making a few other choices. After Asuna made several choices, the process was complete.

As soon as Asuna's avatar was complete the announcer voice stated, "Welcome to Alfheim Online Erika."

No sooner had Asuna heard that voice there was a flash of light, and she found herself in the middle of a town. Asuna noticed that she was the first to arrive, so she took a moment to gaze upon her surroundings. She thought to herself, _"This feels just like Sword Art Online. Everything about this place feels so real."_

As soon as she thought that, Asuna suddenly feared the worse. Asuna activated her menu and reviewed her options. She was relieved to find a "logout" button. She let out a sigh of relief and thought, _"I never would have thought seeing that button would put me at ease like this. However, I guess I would not have thought that I would be entering another Virtual Reality game so soon, but this is something that I need to do. I am certain he is here, and I will find him. I won't rest until I find him and nothing is going to stop me, especially not Sugou. If I am right about this, I will make sure he pays for this crime even if I have to take care of it myself." _

Before Asuna's adventures in Alfheim Online can begin, it is important to detail the events that have led up to this moment. Over the past two months, Asuna had returned to her life in the real world, but the final result of the battle with Heathcliff did not give her the conclusion she had hoped for. An important piece of her life had been lost until now. All this time, she had been helpless to do anything about it. However, the events that occurred over these past two and a half months had led to this moment of hope. She would soon discover whether it would lead to a happy ending, an unforgettable tragedy, or perhaps a mixture of both.

/

_It had been over two months since Kirito-kun defeated Heathcliff, the avatar for Kayaba Akihiko, and put an end to the death game Sword Art Online. As soon as I woke up, I attempted to find Kirito-kun on my own, but I was 'persuaded' by the nursing staff that it wasn't the time to be doing that. As it turns out they were right. When I asked the hospital staff, I found out there were no patients by the name of Kirigaya Kazuto in my hospital. _

_Before I found Kirito-kun's location, I kept thinking back to our last moments in Sword Art Online. When we thought we were about to be deleted, we only told each other our real names and we said nothing about where we lived. Since we figured we were about to die, we didn't think it was important to swap addresses as well. However, I knew that I couldn't let this obstacle stop me. I would not rest until Kirito-kun and I could embrace again in the real world._

_I remember after I woke up, the hospital staff informed my family that I had finally regained consciousness. The first one to arrive was my father, Yuuki Shouzou. Apparently, my father had ended a business meeting early when he found out about my recovery. I was surprised my father would actually do such a thing because I had never known him to do that before. However, I suppose he considered the fact I had finally woken up to be more important. It made me happy to think that, so I didn't ask him if that was the reason. I didn't want this moment to be ruined._

_When he entered my hospital room, my eyes had mostly regained their normal sight, and I remember seeing how happy he appeared. The happiness on his face was unlike anything I had ever seen him express before. _

_The first thing he said to me was,_ "Is this real? Have you finally come back to us Asuna?"

_I remember how his voice was trembling and the tears of joy on his face. In his head, he knew this was real, but he probably had a hard time processing that it was actually happening. _

_I smiled and assured him, _"This is real. I'm back."

_My father then walked up to me and cautiously hugged me. I guess he realized that my body was still pretty fragile, and he wanted to make sure he didn't hurt me by accident. _

_He joyfully said to me,_ "Welcome back Asuna."

_I did my best to return the hug. We remained hugging for a few minutes, but it felt longer than that. It was truly a tranquil moment of peace that I had been hoping for. I looked forward to when Kirito-kun and I could enjoy a moment such as this too._

_My mother, Yuuki Kyouko, and brother, Yuuki Koichirou arrived shortly after my father. Their reactions were similar to my father's. They had a difficult time processing my return to reality. My family stayed by my side until the nurses told my family that visiting hours would be over in about a half hour. Before they left, I told my father if I could speak with him in private the following day. I told him it was a matter that I could only talk to him about for the time being. My father seemed to understand and kept it a secret from my mother for the time being. The conversation I had with my father would mark the beginning of my search for Kirito-kun and my friends from Sword Art Online._

/

_My father did what I asked and spoke with me in private the following day. I knew that if I was going to locate Kirito-kun that I would need some help, and I knew that my father would probably be the best person to ask. I wasn't sure how he would respond to the fact I fell in love with someone in the game, but I had to tell him I needed his help. If I was going to get his help, I was going to have to tell him something._

_After my father arrived, he asked, _"What did you wish to speak to me about Asuna?"

_I decided it wouldn't do me any good to beat around the bush, so I got right to the point, _"There is someone that I want you to help me find."

"Is this someone that you met in Sword Art Online?" _My father phrased it as a question, but I could tell that he already knew the answer._

_Regardless, I still told him my answer, _"He is."

_My father looked at me in surprise. _"He? Who would he be?"

_I explained, _"His name is Kirigaya Kazuto, and he is my boyfriend."

_I almost said the word husband, but I remembered that this was reality and in-game marriages did not transfer to reality, so I used the next best word. When I think back on it, I definitely made the right call. I had a feeling my father would have had a more negative reaction if I would have said that._

_My father was shocked when I said Kirito-kun was my boyfriend. That was probably one of the last things he would ever expect me to say. He asked in a bewildered tone, _"Boyfriend? How did this happen?"

_I scratched my head as I told him, _"Well it is a long story. If you have some time to spare, I would be happy to tell you."

_His previously shocked expression had worn off by then, and he gave me a more understanding look. He then smiled at me and said, _"Of course I do. I put most of my appointments off for today, and they were willing to postpone due to the circumstances. I should have more than enough time to listen."

_I was grateful to hear him say that. After all, this was going to be a really long story, and I would need a lot of time to explain things to him. _"Thank you." _I then began to tell him my story, _"The two us first met each other about a month after the game began, and he saved my life in more ways than one."

/

_It took a while, but I explained to him about the relationship Kirito-kun and I shared, and we promised to meet in the real world if we ever escaped. I left out a few parts, such as the "ethics-off" episode that Kirito-kun and I shared together and our adoption of Yui-chan. I had a feeling the former would cause unnecessary trouble even though we did it in the virtual world. While I wanted to tell him about Yui-chan, I felt it would be too difficult and painful to explain._

_I still haven't forgotten that at one point I did not consider AI's to be living beings. I did eventually learn that was not true, but I still regret what I used to think of AI. When I think about how I used to think of them and how willing I was to sacrifice them, it fills me with nothing but shame. I am not sure if I will be able to live that down. While AI's may not be able to exist in the real world, I have seen that they are just as capable of being human like the rest of us. While my father can be an understanding person, I am not sure if this was one topic he could ever comprehend unless he was able to meet an AI such as Yui-chan. I will not only consider her to be my daughter but she is one of the people who helped change me into a better and more understanding person._

_After I finished explaining to him, my father was quite accepting of what I had said. He didn't ask me about any of the game mechanics or to tell him further details about certain events, such as the frontline battles or the Laughing Coffin. I guess he figured that I had already gone through enough, and I didn't need to tell him anymore unless I felt like I needed to. _

_My father only asked me one thing, _"If you don't mind me asking how do you know his name? Based on what Koichirou told me, I was always under the impression that people who play games of this nature use an in-game name."

_That detail involved something I also did not tell my father about. I figured it would be difficult to explain to him that I 'died' in the game, but I was spared and I didn't really understand what happened either. It also made me wonder how some of the other players would react if they saw that Kirito-kun and I were alive despite what happened. However, I decided not to think about it at that point and focus on what I needed to say._

_Instead of elaborating on the circumstances of how I found out Kirito-kun's name, I told him,_ "When the game ended, I asked Kazuto-kun what his real name was. Before the game's deletion process was completed, we told each other what our true identities were. However, things were a little crazy during the log out procedure, so we weren't able to exchange what our home addresses were. That's why I need your help to find him. We made a promise to each other that we would reunite in the real world, and I intend to keep that promise."

_After I told my father that,_ _he was surprisingly willing to help me._ _ He told me_, "All right. I'll help you find him."_ I had hoped he would help me, but it was surprising to see how cooperative he was. I remember that he said_, "He sounds like a kind young man. I should probably go see him myself. It sounds like I owe him my daughter's life." _He chuckled a bit after he said that, but what he said was true. I could never argue about that._

/

Unfortunately, despite the happy reunions that Asuna had with her family and would soon have with her friends from Sword Art Online, there was a meeting that would act as the trigger for a domino effect of events further down the line. Several days after Asuna's return to reality, Yuuki Shouzou had called an old family friend for a private meeting. The family friend was none other than Sugou Nobuyuki. No ordinary person would have been able to guess the unfortunate consequences that would come of this.

Due to Sugou Nobuyuki's connection with the Yuuki family along with his intellect and talent, he became the director of the research institute of Recto Progress Incorporated the company that Yuuki Shouzou was the CEO of. Time and time again, Sugou had proven to be an invaluable asset to Shouzou, and he had Shouzou's full confidence. After their years of working together, Shouzou had intended to name Sugou as his successor. However, there was another matter Shouzou wished to discuss with Sugou in person. Little did Shouzou know that Sugou had been anticipating this meeting in order to further his own ends.

As soon as Sugou entered his office, Shouzou welcomed him with a customary handshake that Sugou was happy to return. Shouzou warmly said, "Nobuyuki-san I am glad you were able to make it today despite of your busy schedule."

Sugou smiled at his employer and politely responded, "It is no problem Yuuki-san. I am always willing to open time in my schedule for meeting with family and friends."

Shouzou told Sugou, "You don't have to be so formal with me Nobuyuki-san when it is just the two of us."

Sugou chuckled a little, "Very well Shouzou-san."

Shouzou decided deviate from the subject of the formalities and stated, "I am sure you are aware that my daughter has recently regained conciseness from her coma due to that Sword Art Online death game."

Sugou was skillfully able hide the distaste he had for that news with a happy façade and responded, "I have heard that sir. That is exceedingly wonderful news. I would have gone to see her myself, but I believed that she needed to spend time with her family first before seeing me. Besides, I was not certain that you would want me to visit her without permission."

Shouzou graciously said, "That is very considerate of you Nobuyuki-san. However, you should not feel you need my permission to go visit Asuna. After all, you have been a friend of our family for years now. I am grateful for your loyalty and all the work you have done for me over the years, especially during the first few weeks Asuna was first imprisoned in that dreadful game. You can visit her tomorrow if you would like. I will be sure to inform the hospital to add you to the visitor list."

Sugou smiled and convincingly said, "Thank you. I would love to do that."

Shouzou decided it was time to begin getting to the point for this meeting, "As you can guess it fills me with joy that after two whole years, my daughter has finally come back to us. Unfortunately, there is a related matter I need to speak to you about."

While Sugou did not like the sound of that, he was interested in what this 'related matter' could be. He asked, "What is it?"

Shouzou had a grave face when he said, "It's about that matter we spoke of a few weeks ago."

Even before Shouzou could go any further, Sugou knew where this was going. "You mean the possibility of me being engaged to Asuna?"

Shouzou answered, "Correct. Unfortunately, it would appear that Asuna's heart resides within another. She told me that she met someone during her time trapped within the game."

That caught Sugou's attention as he raised an eyebrow. "I take it that she wishes to find this person and be reunited with him in the real world."

Shouzou nodded and said, "That is correct."

Sugou was interested in knowing more. "Based on the nature of our conversation, you are going to help Asuna find this boy."

Despite Shouzou's wishes for Sugou to be married to his daughter, he knew it would not be right to ignore his daughter's wishes. He told Sugou, "I am. My daughter has been trapped within that game for two years. I do not consider it unrealistic that she would grow to care for someone during that time. If my daughter wishes to continue her relationship with this boy, then I will stay out of her way. Although, depending on the boy's background, I have a feeling my wife would have a different perspective of the matter."

Based on what Shouzou had said, Sugou guessed what he was implying. "Does that mean you will be doing this behind your wife's back?"

Shouzou sheepishly said, "I am for the time being. I will be sure to inform her afterwards. She will probably have some objections to this, but I am sure she will keep it to herself for a little while. After all, our daughter has only just come back to us. I am sure she would not want to do anything to cause Asuna any problems so shortly after our reunion."

Sugou knew what kind of woman Shouzou's wife was, and he did not have any problem agreeing to that assessment. "I suppose that is true."

Shouzou stated in a voice that was filled with regret, "As much as I would have wanted you to be my son-in-law, I will respect my daughter's wishes and help her find this person. I hope you understand."

Sugou convincingly sounded supportive when he said, "I understand completely sir. I have no problem with this situation whatsoever. If Asuna truly wishes to be with someone else then I will respect her wishes. Her life is hers to choose."

Shouzou was impressed by Sugou's faux support. "Well said Nobuyuki-san."

Sugou knew that this was his chance to finally gain the information that he needed, and he was going to take it. "If you don't mind me asking sir, what is the name of this individual that Asuna wishes to find?"

Unfortunately for some people, Shouzou had no problem revealing that information to Sugou. "I suppose I can tell you. His name is Kirigaya Kazuto. I believe there are some people that I can speak with that can resolve this matter quickly."

Sugou made sure not to reveal how happy he was to have obtained this information. On the surface, he appeared moderately interested, but on the inside he was filled with delight. That was the information he had been hoping to obtain, and it was easier to find out than he thought.

He said to Shouzou in a tone someone would think was sincere, "I have no doubt you will be successful in finding him. Unfortunately, I might not be helpful to you because while I have been able provide assistance in keeping the players alive, I do not have a list of the living players at my disposal at the moment. However, I believe there might be people in the Sword Art Online Case Victims Rescue Force that might be able to assist you since it is likely they would have a list of the players."

Shouzou chuckled at Sugou's suggestion. "Great minds think alike Nobuyuki-san."

Sugou let out a chuckle of his own before he excused himself. "Now if you would excuse me, there is another matter I would like to attend to."

Shouzou nodded at Sugou before dismissing him. He kindly said, "Of course. Thank you for your time."

/

After Sugou left Shouzou's office and returned to his own office, his polite façade was quickly replaced by a look of bliss. Under normal circumstances, he would have been angry about his possible engagement to Asuna being cancelled, but he had known in advanced that would probably be the case, so he was fine with it for the time being. Now he had something else at his disposal that could help him course correct his plans.

Sugou thought to himself, _"It appears I do have an ace in the hole after all."_

When he had an opportunity, he made a phone call to one of his subordinates and stated, "It would appear that your guess was correct Hideyoshi. The little brat indeed has a connection with Asuna."

On the other end Hideyoshi seemed relieved at hearing that. "I was hoping that would be the case. At least it means the work we have been putting in for the new area will be worthwhile eventually."

Sugou asked in a curious tone, "How has the Sword Art Online survivor been fairing in the game?"

"Unsurprisingly he has managed to adapt relatively well in Alfheim Online during this past week." Hideyoshi did not make it known, but he appeared to have a certain degree of respect for Kirito due to his adaptability regardless of his circumstances. "I would suppose it would be due to his experience trapped in Sword Art Online that has made him capable of adapting to the new virtual world regardless of its difference from Sword Art Online."

"That is excellent news." From the way Sugou say it, it would make things more entertaining when the moment he has been waiting for would finally come. "Is there anything else you wish to report?"

Hideyoshi responded, "There is nothing else really worth reporting. It would appear that you were correct that he wouldn't go around asking people for help. As far as I can tell no one other than his AI companion is aware of his situation."

Sugou said in his normal arrogant tone, "I knew that would be the case. Speaking of which, do you have any information regarding that AI companion of his."

There was not much that Hideyoshi could really tell Sugou other than some basic facts and some interesting observations he made. However, he knew Sugou needed to hear something, so he told him what he could. "There is nothing I can really say other than the fact that it apparently transferred with him from Sword Art Online as some kind of item along with his stats and abilities. His AI has become a navigation pixie, and it has been able to help him learn several things about the game, such as the mechanics of flight. From my observations, they appear to have some kind of bond with each other that I have not seen between an AI and a player before."

Sugou had a hard time comprehending that. "What do you mean?"

"It is rather difficult to describe, but he appears to care about this AI in particular. He seems to treat it as if it was a real human being." Hideyoshi was rather interested in Kirito and his AI companion's relationship and how it could have been possible.

Sugou's interests in the relationship between Kirito and his AI companion were of a much different and more sadistic direction. "That sounds very interesting indeed. We may have another component that we can use. I will be sure to prepare something special for that thing when the time comes. By the way, how long will it be until we will be ready to offer him a welcoming card?"

His subordinate informed him, "I would estimate approximately the date would be December 1. Then we can officially begin the following week."

"It appears everything is going according to schedule then. I enjoy it when everything falls into place. Be sure to keep it up Hideyoshi." Sugou said that last part with a bit of venom in his voice before he hung up the phone.

After Sugou ended their phone conversation, Hideyoshi thought to himself, _"Things definitely are falling into place Sugou, but they might not end so well for you. You failed to take my advice before, and I am sure your arrogance will lead to the downfall of this experiment. When that happens, I will be ready then I will take my chance to be free from your employ and fulfill my own goals."_

/

_While I was still waiting to hear news from my father, I remembered receiving a strange chill one morning. It was the type of chill you feel on your skin that you are incapable of warming up from even if you wore all kinds of heavy clothing. This was a chill that was foretelling me that something bad was on the horizon. Unfortunately, I would soon find out what that reason was._

_Later that day, I received a rather unexpected and completely unwanted guest. It was none other than Sugou Nobuyuki. As soon as I saw him, I could tell he was exactly the same as he was the last time I saw him. He acted like he was the kindest and most polite person alive whenever my father or someone he wanted to suck up to was around, but he was nothing more than a snake. He always terrified me, and I hated him to his core._

_Besides meeting Kirito-kun and some of my friends, I was also grateful that Sword Art Online prevented me from having to see this man's face for the past two years. However, another thing that the game made me was a stronger person. While I was still physically weak from the coma, I was not the same person that he knew. I used to be too afraid to say what I needed to say, but that wasn't true anymore. Thanks to my life in the game and my friends, my personality is much stronger now._

_As soon as Sugou entered my room, he tried to win me over by politely welcoming me back to reality. He said, _"Welcome back Asuna-san. I'm so glad to see that you have awoken . . ."

_However, I was not going to accept that garbage coming out of his mouth. I interrupted him, _"Shut up and don't you come near me! You can save your politeness for someone whose buying it like my father."

_Sugou was visibly surprised by what I had said to him. I suppose not even he was expecting me to change this much. He tried to sheepishly say to me, _"I don't know what you mean . . ."

_I interrupted him again._ "Don't think I have forgotten what type of person you really are. I remember it like it was yesterday, and I can tell you haven't changed a bit, so don't think you can fool me."

_After I said that Sugou finally let go of the façade and showed his true self. He told me in his usual smug tone_, "Very well. What exactly are you going to do about it? Are you going to tell your father about what you really see in me?"

_I scoffed at him. _"I should have done that a long time ago, but I have a feeling he wouldn't believe now even if I told him. You have blinded him."

_He then approached me and said in an arrogant tone_, "If that is the case, what are you going to do about it?"

_The look in his eyes frightened me. They reminded me of Kuradeel, the sick psychopathic survivor of the Laughing Coffin guild who infiltrated the Knights of the Blood and used his excuse as my 'bodyguard/escort' to stalk me. I have not forgotten the look on his face when he tried to kill Kirito-kun and me. The look of bliss he had when he impaled Kirito-kun or the enthusiastic look he gave me when he attempted to attack me. The fact he enjoyed committing such acts was terrifying._

_Having a wave of those memories come back to me caused me to be frightened of what Sugou might do. If this was Sword Art Online, I would have stabbed him with my rapier and made short work of him. Unfortunately, here in the real world, I have no abilities, and I was incapable of even getting out of this bed without using all my strength. When he walked towards me, I was almost panicking because I thought there was nothing I could do._

_However, I did my best to remain calm and mask my fears. I remembered there was something that I still had that could help me. I grabbed a device that was next to me, and I firmly warned him, _"Don't come near me. If you take so much as a single step closer to me, I will press this button." _The atmosphere in the room became tense. I then said to him in a cold voice,_ "Although, I guess if you do get closer to me, it might help me with my case." _I held my "Call Nurse" button in my hand, and I made it clear to Sugou that I was not joking._

_To say that Sugou seemed upset by what I was threatening to do would have been an understatement. After a few moments, Sugou decided to back away. I suppose even he could see that it would not be worth it to get into any unnecessary trouble. _

_Before he left he looked back and said to me in a venomous voice, _"You win for now Asuna-san."

_When he left, I was just happy that he was gone. I did not think too much on what he had just said to me. I was too relieved to dwell on that. Unfortunately, I would later realize that was the closest thing I would have to a warning for the trouble that was ahead of me._

/

As soon as Sugou left the hospital room, he made his exit as quickly as possible because it was difficult for him to remain composed. When he knew no one could see him, he let the anger swell up in his face to reveal his true fury. He was angered at the fact he was forced to leave because of something Asuna of all people had threatened him with. When he gazed upon her eyes, he could tell that she was not the same girl he knew back then.

He angrily thought to himself, "_It would appear that Asuna has changed quite a bit since our last meeting. If I could have trapped her in Alfheim Online, it would have been satisfying to strip her of that pride in one fell swoop. Seeing her look at me like that is just to damn infuriating. I cannot let that stand."_

After a few moments, he began to compose himself somewhat and thought, _"However, I suppose Plan B will have to do. Perhaps those results will be more enjoyable. After all, I will break both her and him at the same time. I'll just wait for some time to pass before I begin putting it into action. It would be unrealistic if she started acting too submissive without giving her a chance to understand not only her situation but his as well."_

/

_Thankfully after that unpleasant visit with Sugou was over, he never showed himself again during my recuperation period. I was just happy that he was leaving me alone. Unfortunately, it would not be the last time I would see him, and when I would see him, it would leave me in a pathetic state._

_Within a few days, my father managed to find someone who knew Kirito-kun's location. The man's name was __Kikuoka Seijurou__. That man was an investigator for the __Sword Art Online Case Victims Rescue Force. Kikuoka-san along with many others volunteered and helped move all of us trapped within Sword Art Online to the hospitals. Due to his position as an 'investigator,' he knew many details about what had happened within the game, such as the existence of the Laughing Coffin, that Kayaba Akihiko acted as the player avatar Heathcliff, and that Kirito-kun was responsible for ending the game._

_Apparently, Kikuoka-san had interviewed multiple players, including Agil and Klien. Apparently, all of the players who witnessed Kirito-kun's fight with Heathcliff had confirmed to him a number of the same details, such as Heathcliff's identity and Kirito-kun was a hero. Kikuoka-san was interested in interviewing players who ended the game with high levels, including me. He probably figured those players would be the most useful for his investigation. Before I could visit Kirito-kun, Kikuoka-san wanted to have an interview with me as well. _

_In addition to the information he had from these interviews, Kikuoka-san somehow was able to know what our levels were and whether we were 'green-cursor' non-criminal players or 'orange-cursor' criminals. I figured they probably were able to access our information through our NerveGears. However, it made me wonder if they were aware that we had been consistently 'leveling up' to free ourselves from the game. _

_If they knew that, it could help explain why we were able to keep living in the game for so long. I could imagine Heathcliff letting the authorities view this information, so they would know that we were making progress. If the authorities had any reason to believe there was no hope for us, I wonder if they would have actually pulled the plug on us. While Heathcliff wanted us to be trapped in the game, he probably didn't want us to die unless it had something to do with the game. It gives me the creeps to even think about that._

_However, I decided to not focus on what might have happened and focus more on the present. I realized that all I had to do was have an interview with Kikuoka-san, and I would finally be able to meet with Kirito-kun in the real world. I still remember how excited I became thinking about that. _

_All kinds of thoughts popped into my head: "I will finally get to meet Kirito-kun. Will he be how I remembered him in the game? Will he still want to date me? How will he react when we meet for the first time?" However, I soon realized how silly some of those concerns were. If I learned anything about Kirito-kun from our relationship together in Sword Art Online, he was a man that I could always trust and he loved me unconditionally._

_Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed by what else my father had to say. My father told me that neither Kirito-kun nor three hundred other players had awakened from their comas as of yet. When I heard him say that, I felt my heart had sunk to the bottom of the Pacific. I thought to myself, "How can this be possible? We beat the game, and Kayaba fulfilled his word about letting us go. Did something happen during the log out procedure?" _

_After thinking it over, I realized that when the game ended, it resulted in a mass exodus from Sword Art Online. Over six thousand people had logged out of the game at the same time, so I guess it was possible that there could have been some kind of overload problem while the people were logging out. Although if that was the case, I wondered if that meant their minds were gone or were they being delayed in their awakening? That was a question I would not have the answer to for some time. However, that did not stop me from wanting to see him. I didn't care if he was still asleep or not. I wanted to be by his side. No one could convince me otherwise._

/

_Before I met Kikuoka-san, I was expecting someone more intimidating for some reason. I guess it was probably because I was Heathcliff's subordinate for so long that I would generally picture authority figures to be intimidating. I know my father wasn't exactly an intimidating person, but I always considered it different because he was family. In reality, Kikuoka-san was a tall man with gray hair, brown eyes, and glasses. Despite his gray hair, he appeared to be relatively young, but I had no way of determining his age by looking at him._

_At this point, I was still in a wheelchair. I had only just started physical therapy treatment, and I wasn't capable of walking on my own yet. It was still difficult for me to even hold onto basic things, such as a cup. I felt kind of embarrassed being seen in this light. In Sword Art Online, I was one of the strongest players in the game who also happened to be one of the best cooks too, but here in the real world, I was barely capable of feeding myself. It would be a while before I would regain full use of my legs and my strength. Kikuoka-san seemed understanding of his interviewees physical conditions, and he did not try to cause me any unnecessary stress._

_He asked me a few questions about my experiences in Sword Art Online, and I told him about how I eventually joined the Knights of the Blood and became the second-in-command under Heathcliff. It was not until November 7__th__, 2024, the day when Kirito-kun discovered Heathcliff's identity and defeated him that I found out the truth about Heathcliff._

_Kikuoka-san gaze displayed a certain amount of skepticism. _"During your time as the Sub-leader of the Knight of the Blood, you did not suspect you're superior to be Kayaba Akihiko?"

_To be honest, such thoughts never came to my mind. I respected Heathcliff's abilities too much, and he appeared to be a man of integrity as well. It has made me wonder if I have inherited this trait of being a 'horrible judge of character' from my father. Although, I suppose in my case it is not nearly as severe since I have proven to be a much better judge than him. _

_I answered his question as best as I could. _"That's correct. Even though I was his second-in command for over a year, I never suspected him. When I think about a number of things in hindsight, such as his health never depleting to a certain point, they should have been clue. Everyone always thought it was due to his 'legendary skills,' but I should have realized something was wrong. However, I never considered the possibility that Kayaba would actually be playing the game along with us. Only Kazuto-kun was able to piece it all together and put an end to the game."

_That seemed to be enough to satisfy Kikuoka-san since the next words of his mouth were, _"I see. I have heard from multiple players that Kazuto-kun played an active role in clearing the game or as you liked to call them the 'frontlines.' Do you believe that your victory of Sword Art Online would be possible if it were not for him?"

_As soon as he asked that, I quickly told him, _"No. I don't think so. I fought alongside Kazuto-kun numerous times. There were plenty of players who owe him their lives, including my own. Not to mention, I don't think anyone would have been able to deduce Heathcliff's true identity. Heathcliff himself stated that he didn't expect to be discovered for at least another twenty floors. All the players who are still alive now are alive because of Kazuto-kun's actions. He's a hero."

_Kikuoka-san then inquired further, _"Is that why you wish to reunite with Kazuto-kun in the real world?"

_I sheepishly answered, _"It is a part of the reason, but the real reason is that I made a promise to him that I would find him after we escaped."

"Why would you make such a promise?" _Before I answered that he said to me in an apologetic tone, _"I apologize if I seem to invasive, but I wish to know your reasoning before I can let you contact him."

_I could understand his reasoning. I suppose if I was in his position, I would be hesitant as well unless I knew the whole story. _"A few weeks before the game ended, Kazuto-kun and I married in-game and moved into together. We were hoping that we would be able to continue our relationship in the real world if we escaped."

_Kikuoka-san's eyebrows raised a little after I said that. He responded, _"I see. That is reasonable I suppose, but you are aware of his condition correct? That he has yet to regain consciousness."

_I nodded, _"Yes I do."

_He then asked me in questioning tone, _"Even knowing that, you still wish to be by his side?"

_When he asked me that, I just let my feelings do the talking. _"That doesn't change anything. I am sure he will wake up one day. When he does, I want to be by his side."

_After I said that, I remember Kikuoka-san gave a small smile when he heard me say that. I guess his question was some sort of 'secret test of character,' and I passed it because he then said,_ "That's fair enough. However, there is another thing I need to ask of you."

_I asked, _"What is it?"

_He pulled out some files from some of his previous interviews and stated, _"Multiple witness reports indicate that Kayaba Akihiko's avatar managed to kill you and fatally wound Kazuto-kun prior to his defeat. A few of your acquaintances from the frontlines were surprised to hear that you were still alive. Could you tell me what happened exactly?"

_When he asked me that, I almost said, "I would like to know that too." That was a question I don't think I will ever have the real answer too. The only one who can answer that is Kayaba Akihiko, and I am not sure what happened to him after he left Kirito-kun and I on that platform. He could be dead or alive for all I knew._

_I gave Kikuoka-san the best answer I could come up with. _"I think before he fought Kirito-kun, Heathcliff modified the system. After the duel was over, the two of us ended up on some kind of strange platform in the sky. It was some kind of strange purgatory. From that platform, we witnessed Sword Art Online's deletion process firsthand. While we were there, Kayaba Akihiko spoke to us directly."

_Kikuoka-san was visibly surprised when I said that, _"Kayaba Akihiko spoke to you? What did he say?"

_I told Kikuoka-san the truth, _"He told us that everyone who was still alive in the game successfully logged out. Even though I had no reason to believe him, I felt that he was telling us the truth. He also told us that there was no way to restore life to the four thousand players that died. Afterwards we tried to understand why he committed this crime of trapping ten thousand minds in a game in the first place."

_Kikuoka-san was interested in knowing more. _"Do you remember what his answer was?"

_I remember the answer the Kayaba gave us, so I tried to sum it up as best as I could. _"He basically told us the origins of this crime came to him in a fantasy. He truly wanted to believe in a world with a floating castle."

_Kikuoka-san scratched his chin when he said, _"I suppose having an imagination like that would be required in order to create Sword Art Online."

_When Kikuoka-san said that, I almost said, "You mean a creative way for conducting indirect mass murder." However, I decided to keep quiet. Who knows if that could cause any kind of unwanted trouble._

_Kikuoka-san then inquired further, _"Did anything else happen afterwards?"

_I answered him, _"He congratulated Kazuto-kun and I for clearing the game then he disappeared. Shortly afterwards the game's deletion process was complete. I remember a white light engulfing Kazuto-kun and me and the next thing I knew I was back in the real world again."

_Before the interview was over, he asked me one last interview question, _"When you were on your way out, do you remember anything else happening?"

_At that time, I had no clue what he could have meant by that. _"What do you mean?"

_He explained himself, _"Due to several hundred players still not awakening from their comas, we are taking up any leads we can possibly find to answer this question and reawaken them. We believe that there might have been a problem in the 'logout' sequence. As a result, we have asked multiple players what they experienced during the 'logout' procedure."

_I figured that Kikuoka-san must have come to a similar conclusion as me that it must have been the log-out process' fault. Eventually, I would find out that was partly true. It was much more disturbing than that._

_At that time, I could not completely recollect what happened after the light was about to engulf Kirito-kun and me. When I thought about it, I faintly remember hearing a voice but that was it. I answered Kikuoka-san,_ "After the deletion process was complete, I remember hearing a voice, but I don't remember what I heard. After the light that engulfed me, it caused my memory to be kind of a blur."

_Kikuoka-san had a slight reaction to what I said, but I dismissed it because it was hardly noticeable. _"I see."

_I was a little suspicious of the slight change in his facial expression, and I questioned him, _"Was there anything wrong with that? Before Sword Art Online I had never experienced a video game before, let alone a virtual reality game. I didn't really think much of what I heard. I thought it was some kind of 'goodbye' to the players from the game."

_He convincingly said to me, _"That is exactly what it was. A number of your fellow players said the same thing to me. It appears that we will need to look over something else in that case."

_When he told me that, I was relieved. I was afraid that he would say that was a sign of me losing my sanity due to the game or something like that. Of course, I would later find out what he said to me was a lie._

_He saw that I was interested in the investigations process, but he decided to change the subject and asked me, _"Are there any other players you would wish to contact?"

_I could see he was trying to distract me from the case. I figured that he probably couldn't tell me even if he wanted to, so I answered his question. _"There are a few that I would wish to contact. However, unlike Kazuto-kun, I do not know what their real names are."

_Kikuoka-san gave me a slight smile and assured me, _"That should not be a problem. Our database not only has the list of people who have survived Sword Art Online, but it also provides us with their avatar names. If you provide us with the avatar names, we will be more than happy to reunite you with your friends."

_When Kikuoka-san said that, I was so happy to hear it. While I was in Sword Art Online, I rarely thought about attempting to find a way to maintain contact with any of the people I became friends with. I was always focused on ending the game that I did lose sight of what I should do after it was over. I only started thinking about that after I began a relationship with Kirito-kun, and between the time that started and when the game had ended, I didn't have time to make any kind of arrangements. _

_A part of me was afraid that I lost my chance to reunite with the others entirely. When I heard Kikuoka-san tell me that all I needed was to give him the avatar names, and I could meet my friends again, I was ready to jump at that chance. Although, I would soon find out that all of us who were students during the Sword Art Online incident would be placed in a special school that would allow us to catch up on our missed school work and become reacquainted with society. Since most of my friends were students like me, we were going to meet up again anyway. However, I am glad I was able to meet them again before that because I think I would have had difficulties with the problems ahead of me without them._

_I said to him ecstatically, _"Really?"

_Kikuoka-san kindly responded, _"It would be my pleasure. After all, you have survived with these people for two years in a death game. It would be rather sad that you would not have the opportunity to meet them again. Here you can write down the names of the ones you want to contact."

_I graciously told him, _"Thank you. I appreciate it."

_After I wrote down the names I could think of, I handed it right back to him. He then said to me,_ "I will be sure to provide you with contact information for these individuals shortly. If you ever wish to contact another player, do not hesitate to contact me." _He then handed me his contact information._

"Thank you again." _I almost ended the interview with that, but before I left I remembered something that had been on my mind for a while now. I have wanted to know the answer to this question every since we escaped from Sword Art Online. Before I left, I asked him a question of my own._ "Do you mind if I ask you about something?"

_He looked at me quizzically, _"What is it?"

_I wasn't entirely sure how to get started, so I asked the best question I could think of off the top of my head. _"You said you are aware of the Laughing Coffin's existence right?"

_He answered, _"That is correct."

_I continued my questioning, _"Then you know who they are right?"

_Kikuoka-san stated,_ "That is also correct."

_I took a deep breath before I finally asked the real question I wanted to ask him, _"What is going to happen to them?"

_Kikuoka-san did not answer my question right away. He appeared to be contemplating something. I guess he was deciding whether he should tell me or not. Ultimately, he told me, _"As of this moment, we have decided that we are not going to expose their identities to the public and they will not be held accountable for their actions within the game?"

_My eyes opened wide when he said that. I said in a tone of disbelief, _"What? But that is crazy. I have seen what they have done to other players. They were monsters, and you can't just let them back into society. They will probably cause more problems in the future."

_Kikuoka-san attempted to calm me down, _"I have no reason to doubt you Asuna-san. The information you have provided us is consistent with what other Sword Art Online survivors have told us as well."

_I desperately said to him, _"Then can you do something about them?"

_Kikuoka-san told me, _"There is something being done about them, but it is not in a way you would prefer."

_From the way he said that, I did not like what it was implying, but I still wanted to know. _"What do you mean?"

_He informed me, _"The ones that have awakened are currently being treated at a separate facility separate from the school you will be attending. They are currently under close supervision, and they will remain so until they have been deemed fit to return to society again."

_I was horrified when he said that, _"You have to be kidding. Those people tortured and murdered players for fun despite knowing that such actions would kill the players in the real world. Too many good people were lost because of the Laughing Guild, and they had no intention of stopping. That's why Kazuto-kun and I participated in the crusade to stop them before they became too powerful. We may have destroyed their guild, but too many of them escaped. Chances are the survivors will eventually kill people in reality as well."

_From the look in Kikuoka-san's eyes, he seemed to believe me. It seemed more along the lines that there was nothing he could do about it. He told me,_ "You probably are correct in your belief. Unfortunately, it was decided almost unanimously that the game had caused their psyches to be strained, and the blame for their actions is entirely on Kayaba Akihiko. As a result, it has been decided they will not be punished outside of receiving additional observation in a separate facility, and the public will not be aware of their actions within the game. However, as you might have heard, it hasn't stopped rumors of their activities from spreading, but no one will have any clue who the perpetrators were."

_I still couldn't believe what I was hearing. I responded, _"That's just not right. I have seen their actions with my own eyes. I still remember when they tried to kill Kazuto-kun on two separate occasions and he had to kill them in self-defense. That was draining on him, but he continued to press forward for the sake of himself and the other players."

_Kikuoka-san looked at me with sympathetic eyes, and said, _"I wouldn't doubt that. I would imagine taking a life regardless of a reason would affect someone. As much as I would agree with you, there is nothing that can be done now. Anyway, we haven't been able to begin our observations on several of them."

_The last thing he said caught my interest. I wished to know more, so I inquired further, _"What do you mean several of them?"

_He didn't answer my question immediately, but when he did, he told me, _"Some people would look down upon me for giving you this information, but since you are a survivor of Sword Art Online, I believe you have a right to know this. Of the several hundred players who have yet to return to the real world, seven of them were members of the Laughing Coffin. We were able to find this out due to their profile information."

_I have a hard time remembering how exactly I reacted to that. I think the closest thing I could think of was relieved. I would be lying if I said a part of me was happy knowing that some of the dangerous people in Sword Art Online were still in a coma. In Sword Art Online, I was one of the strongest players in the game. Your size did not usually matter assuming you had leveled up enough. Unfortunately, in reality even after my body had substantially recovered thanks to physical therapy, I was less than comfortable about my physical abilities. There had been times during the two and a half months following the game's completion that I walked in an area filled with a lot people, and I would feel fear. _

_In the game, you generally couldn't harm other players in 'safe-zones.' Even if you were stabbed or wounded or received a blow to the head, you were not likely to die instantly. I recall a few times I received an injury in Sword Art Online that would have killed me in the real world. Here if I ran into the wrong person, I could face the same fate I was trying to avoid in Sword Art Online in an instant. I would not be able to utilize the skills I had developed during the two years I was trapped in the game either. The idea that I could die from something as simple as a knife wound scared me. It was something that I don't think I would have feared if I had never been trapped in Sword Art Online in the first place, but I think the fact I was trapped in that death game so long, it has caused me to have a radically new perspective on things for better and worse._

/

After the interview was finished, Asuna was escorted out of the room. Shortly afterwards, one of Kikuoka Seijurou's subordinates asked him, "You were lying to her right?"

Kikuoka answered, "Yes and no."

His subordinate wanted to know more. "What were you lying to her about then?"

Kikuoka informed his subordinate, "I was lying about the voice. None of the other survivors of Sword Art Online I interviewed have stated they heard a voice on the way out. So far she is the only one to recall such an occurrence."

Even though it did sound interesting, Kikuoka's subordinate reminded him, "She stated that she vaguely remembers. It is possible that the other players heard a voice too. It is also possible that something similar happened to them, and it caused them to become unable to recollect it when you asked them about the logout procedure."

Kikuoka knew that possibility was also true, and there was no clear evidence to suggest whether the logout procedure could have affected their memories or not. "That is true, but I still find this to be suspicious. My interview with her has fueled some suspicions I have had. Unfortunately, I still lack any concrete evidence to support them."

His subordinate asked, "Do you mind filling me in sir?"

Kikuoka stated his point, "I do not believe all the three hundred players remaining in their comas has been the result of a glitch or any problem with a system.

His subordinate was bewildered by how Kikuoka came to that conclusion. "Why do you believe that? By all accounts it would appear that something happened during the logout procedure."

Kikuoka confidently told his subordinate, "You are right about 'something' happening, but I am sure it was a 'someone' who perpetuated it."

His subordinate was baffled by what he as saying. "What do you mean?"

Kikuoka explained, "While Kayaba Akihiko is a horrendous criminal who should be found guilty of mass murder, there are no doubts to his talent as a programmer. He not only managed to reconfigure the entire system to ensure there would be no way for the players to logout, but his programming skills prevented other programmers from being able to free the players without killing them. Not to mention, he apparently modified the system so he could speak with Kazuto-kun and Asuna-san directly. Based on his flawlessness as a programmer, I doubt he would be able to make such a mistake with something as simple as a logout button."

While his subordinate was intrigued by this, he was still unsure if he should completely support his superior's theory. "What basis do you have for that theory?"

Kikuoka told his subordinate his story, "On the day all the Sword Art Online survivors were logged out the game, I was monitoring a number of their 'account statuses'. I remember when the announcement displayed itself on the monitor that the game had been cleared and everyone who was still alive would be logging out. While that was happening, I noticed something odd was happening to several of them, and I did not have the faintest idea of what could be happening. When I cross checked with the hospitals those patients were the ones that were still in their comas."

The subordinate did think that was suspicious, but it was not enough to prove anything. He told Kikuoka, "That could still be explained as some kind of strange bug or glitch that happened when some of them were logging out. After all, no one had been able to logout of the game before and it's possible that so many people leaving the game at once along with its subsequent deletion of the game might have caused problems."

Kikuoka stated, "For a while I thought that as well, but I also noticed that what happened to those players' accounts also happened to Asuna's as well?"

Kikuoka's subordinate was both interested and confused by this. "If that's the case why was she able to awaken?"

That was one question that Kikuoka did not have an answer to. "I am not sure. For a few moments her account appeared to be suffering though the same phenomenon that the other three hundred were dealing with, but all of a sudden it stopped and her account returned to normal."

His subordinate stated, "It's possible her account was beginning to have the same trouble as those others, but her account corrected itself before anything happened."

Kikuoka did not find that idea to be convincing. He stated he gave his own theory. "While it is possible, I consider it unlikely it was all by luck. I believe it had something to do with the voice she mentioned. Perhaps whatever that voice was, it helped her return to reality." Kikuoka then continued his point further, "As soon as Asuna-san's account reverted to normal, I noticed the account that was attempting to log out after she did, her boyfriend Kirigaya Kazuto, suddenly experienced the same phenomenon as the others. It appears to me, when whatever or whoever was causing certain players to remain in their comatose state failed to secure Asuna-san, it moved onward to Kazuto-kun. Based on what I saw before, it was a simultaneous effect for all of those accounts with the exception of Kazuto-kun. It was as if whatever was meant to happen was suppose to happen to a set number of players, but when it failed to secure Asuna-san, it targeted the next available account."

His subordinate was rather impressed by what his superior had to say. "You do make a very compelling argument sir, but do we have any proof that is what happened?"

As much as he was certain he was right, he had to admit, "Unfortunately not right now, but I believe if we continue investigating, we might be able to uncover the truth behind these ongoing comas."

Assuming that Kikuoka was correct, his subordinate realized the implications of what this will be. "If we do uncover evidence that someone kidnapped these player's mind, this could really change the face of the world. It was bad enough when Kayaba Akihiko trapped those 10,000 players into Sword Art Online in the first place, but now we might have a case of a person committing virtual kidnapping."

Kikuoka said in a calm voice, "Yes that would definitely seem to be the case."

After a few moments passed, his subordinate asked, "What should we do first?"

Kikuoka had already given some thought of what their plan should be. He stated, "We need to investigate those who would have the best chance of interfering with the accounts. One place we can start is keeping an eye on Asuna-san and anyone she interacts with. Her account was the only one who experienced that phenomenon and still managed to return to the real world. I hardly consider that to be a coincidence."

His subordinate asked in a horrified tone, "You don't think she is involved somehow do you?"

In truth, Kikuoka was all but certain that Asuna was innocent of this crime. He calmly explained to his subordinate, "While I would not rule out any possibilities, I doubt she has any responsibility in what happened to those players. With the possible exception of Kayaba Akihiko, players were incapable of leaving the game or contacting the outside world. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she truly cares for her boyfriend and wants him to wake up. The sincerity in her eyes makes me believe she played no part in this. However, I believe she has a connection to this crime, and she could be the key to freeing the other players."

Kikuoka's subordinate realized that there was no proof that Asuna had any connection to this crime either even if it was indirect. If his superior was wrong about this, they could be wasting a lot of valuable time. "That does seem like you are taking a shot in the dark with this."

Despite that, Kikuoka confidently stated, "Perhaps I am, but my instincts are telling me that she could be useful to us in some way. However, I also realize we cannot focus all of our efforts on her. We need to research other potential leads as well."

His subordinate could see the look in Kikuoka's eyes that he was determined to get to the bottom of this case. "You seem very dedicated in getting to the bottom of this. I mean more so than you usually do."

Kikuoka causally explained, "I would prefer to not leave matters half done. However, there is one person in particular that I would like to speak to when this is over."

His subordinate inquired further, "Who would that be?"

Kikuoka smiled and stated, "It would be Kirigaya Kazuto. Multiple eyewitnesses have confirmed that not only did he see through Kayaba Akihiko's avatar disguise in the game, but he managed to kill Kayaba's avatar and ended the game personally." Kikuoka appeared to have numerous ideas going through his head at once filled with the endless possibilities that a partnership with Kazuto could bring. He stated in a somewhat 'enthusiastic' tone, "I believe someone such as Kazuto-kun could prove to be a useful asset to us in the future. Wouldn't you agree Katsu?"

Katsu smiled and stated, "I suppose I would."

/

_After I received the contact information, I saw it was for the Kirigaya household, Kirito-kun's family, and it also told me the hospital that Kirito-kun was at. During the past two months that I have come to know Kirito-kun's family, I made sure to use his real name Kirigaya Kazuto. I don't think Kirito-kun would be happy if I told anyone besides other Sword Art Online survivors his avatar name. He probably would want to keep his in-game and real life identities separate. Before I would visit Kirito-kun's hospital room, I decided to give his family a call. It was a call that I would never forget._

_An older woman answered the phone_, "Hello."

_I asked the woman, _"Is this Kirigaya Midori-san?"

_Kirigaya-san answered me in a questioning tone, _"Yes and who might this be?"

_At first I had a little bit of difficulty answering her, but I managed to tell her, _"You don't know me, but my name is Yuuki Asuna. I met your son Kiragaya Kazuto while we were trapped in Sword Art Online."

_Kiragaya-san didn't seem to need any other explanation, _"I see."

_Starting a conversation with Kirito-kun's mother was a little harder than I thought it would be. I did what I could to get the ball rolling. _"I heard that Kazuto-kun hasn't regained consciousness yet. Is that true?"

_She said to me in a voice that had a mixture of grim and sadness, _"Unfortunately, it is. When we heard the other Sword Art Online survivors had regained consciousness, we were hoping the Kazuto-kun would shortly. However, we are still waiting for that day to come."

_It wasn't like I didn't believe what I had heard before. However, I needed to be sure. I remorsely said to Kiragaya-san, _"I'm very sorry to hear that."

_She told me in a more optimistic voice, _"It's okay. I know that Kazuto will awaken. I am sure of it."

_I tried to share that optimism with her. _"Yes, I believe that too. When I knew him in the game, he was a very strong person."

_Kirigaya-san said in a grateful voice, _"I appreciate that Yuuki-san."

_When she called me that, I thought it didn't seem right for her to refer to me by my family name. _"You can call me Asuna-san if you wish."

_She seemed amused by what I said. _"Very well Asuna-san."

_After a few moments of awkward silence, I decided to talk to Kirigaya-san about why I really called. _"There are a few things I would like to talk to you and your family about in person. If you don't mind, I was hoping that we could meet at the hospital where Kazuto-kun is. I know that Kazuto-kun has yet to regain consciousness, but I promised him back in the game world that I would find him. Even if he is still unconscious, I still want to see him and be by his side."

_After I said that, I noticed there was something strange about Kirigaya-san's voice when she said, _"Is that so? I need a moment to think about this."

_I realized what I said may not have come out the way I had intended. I sheepishly told her_, "That sounded weird didn't it? I'm sorry. It sounded a lot better in my head."

_Kirigaya-san reassured me_, "No its fine. I understand that this is probably an awkward topic to talk about. I appreciate that you decided to contact me directly rather than randomly introducing yourself at my home or the hospital. I am also glad Kazuto was able to make at least one friend in that game."

_I could see where Kirito-kun received his understanding side from. His mother must have been a great influence on him while he was growing up. I kind of wanted to know more about her as well._

_After she said she was happy that Kirito-kun made a friend, I could see that his less than stellar social skills were part of his regular life as well, but in the game he did manage to make a few friends. I decided to tell his mother, _"He actually made a few other friends while he was in there too. I think most of them will be attending a special school with me and the others who escaped from Sword Art Online next year. I am sure you would probably like them if you ever had a chance to meet them."

"I am sure I would." _Kirigaya-san gave a small chuckle_, "About your request."

_I nervously said, _"Yes."

_She told me in a kind but firm voice, _"I would like to talk to you as well in the hospital's lobby. Depending on how our conversation goes, I will allow you to visit Kazuto. I do not mean to offend you, but there are rumors about certain individuals in that game who killed other players for fun, and I want to know you a little better before I let you see Kazuto."

_When I heard Kirigaya-san mention that, I knew exactly what she was referencing. While most of the 'Laughing Coffin' members were wiped out, I knew there were still several that survived Sword Art Online. We believed that there were at least ten of them. After we were released from the game, the authorities were aware of the fact those players had killed other players because they were able to look up their player profile information, but they were taking no legal action against them. It makes me angry that the authorities are blaming those players' actions solely on Kayaba Akihiko for apparently straining those players mentally. While I would say it was partly true, it just doesn't seem right to give them a free pass on their crimes. _

_While rumors about the player killers spread, everything ended up as Kikuoka-san stated. None of their names were ever released to the public, and they were placed in a separate facility for observation and mental recuperation. Apparently, most of them were eventually released back to society. It scared me to think they were still out there. Unfortunately for me, while they may know who I am, I would not know who they were because most of them wore masks that hid their faces, so I could pass one of the in the street and not even know about it._

_I decided to be upfront about the rumor rather than hide it. The last thing I needed to do was lie and have her find out that it was true later. It wouldn't do me any good to take the risk of her thinking I was a liar. I said to her in a stern voice,_ "Unfortunately, the rumors you heard were true. There was a guild that did not care if the player death rules applied or not, so I perfectly understand your concern more than you may know."

_After I said that Kirigaya-san said, _"I see." _I am not entirely sure, but I am pretty certain that Kirigaya-san believed in my sincerity._

_I let a moment pass before I asked my next question._ "When would you be available to have this meeting?"

_She immediately answered, _"I am usually very busy, but I will have the day off this upcoming Sunday. Would you be able to come at 1:00 p.m.?"

"Yes. I will be there." _Before it slipped my mind, I told Kirigaya-san_, "However, I must tell you that I will have an escort with me. As of this moment, I am barely able to walk, so I will be using a wheelchair."

_Luckily for me Kirigaya-san did not have any problem with that. She stated, _"I understand. After being in a coma for two years, it is no surprise that you would lack the capacity to move freely."

_I said to her in a grateful tone, _"I appreciate your understanding. I look forward to meeting you."

_Kirigaya-san concluded the conversation_, "As do I."

/

Prior to the meeting between Yuuki Asuna and Kirigaya Midori, the Kirigaya residence received another call. It was from a number that Midori did not expect to hear from so soon.

After Midori answered the phone, she heard a familiar voice on the other end, "Excuse me Kirigaya Midori-san. If you remember me, my name is Kikuoka Seijirou."

Midori responded, "Yes I remember. You are the one in charge of the Sword Art Online Rescue. You informed me that it was my son Kazuto that was responsible for ending the game correct?"

Kikuoka answered, "That is correct."

Midori said in a voice filled with appreciation, "Thank you again for doing what you can for my son. I greatly appreciate your help."

Kikuoka politely told her, "There is no need for thanks. I have not truly earned it until your son has returned to reality. However, there is something else that I need to speak to you about."

Midori asked, "What is it?"

Kikuoka spoke in a matter of fact tone, "As you might know, I have been keeping watch on a number of Sword Art Online survivors to ensure there are no unnecessary problems. It has come to my attention that a Yuuki Asuna had contacted you. Is that correct?"

Midori did not bother asking how he could know that since she figured he had his ways, and it was his job to know such information. She responded, "Yes. I will be meeting with her on Sunday. Is there something wrong?"

Kikuoka informed her, "No. It is perfectly fine. I had spoken to Yuuki-san personally earlier this week, and I was the one who provided her with your contact information. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds, but I believe it is important for you two to speak. Additionally, I can speak on Yuuki-san's behalf that she was not one of the rumored player killers, so you have nothing to fear from her."

Midori was relieved to hear that. "I was hoping you would say that. She did not sound like someone who would be a threat, but why else did you believe it was important that we speak with each other?"

Kikuoka told her, "According to our sources, she aided your son Kazuto-kun with ending Sword Art Online and freeing the surviving players." That was enough to catch Kirigaya Midori's attention. "After everything she has been through, all she wants is to be reunited with those she cared about in the game back in reality. That is why I provided her with your contact information. Once again, I apologize if I overstepped my bounds."

While Midori would have wanted Kikuoka to have contacted her beforehand, she did not appear tohave any problem with Kikuoka's actions this time. "It is fine. I can understand why she would want that. Since we don't know what happened while they were trapped in the game, you never know who they socialized with. To be honest, I am rather interested in speaking with her myself. However, I would appreciate it if you would contact me beforehand if anyone asks for the same thing."

Kikuoka responded, "I can assure you that I will. It's good to see you are an understanding person."

Midori said to Kikuoka in an unsure tone, "I appreciate the information, but should you be telling me about this? A number of the things you have told me have sounded like classified information."

Kikuoka bluntly told Midori, "Technically I am not supposed to, but I thought an exception was in order considering what your son had accomplished. I believe you of all people should know the truth, and I am certain you wouldn't tell anyone else. Am I correct?"

Midori answered, "Of course I have not Kikuoka-san. You warned me that it was in my son's best to keep this information to myself. Not even my daughter or husband knows what you have said. I am guessing there would be some people who might not be happy that my son ended the game right?"

Kikuoka stated in his normal serious tone, "That is my sentiments exactly. Unfortunately, there are a number of players who did know the truth, and it is likely that rumors of your son's accomplishment will spread regardless of what measure I may take. It is important that your family understand both the good and the bad."

Midori responded, "I appreciate it Kikuoka-san."

Kikuoka concluded the conversation, "You're welcome. I will be sure to fulfill my role as well to ensure the Sword Art Online incident ends well for the remaining players. I also hope your first meeting with Yuuki-san goes well. I wish you a good night."

/

After Kikuoka had finished his conversation with Kirigaya Midori, his subordinate Sato Katsu asked, "Sir was it necessary for you to call the Kirigaya household? I doubt they were going to turn Yuuki-san away. She's a good girl."

Kikuoka answered, "Probably not, but I believe it is necessary to her and Kazuto-kun's family to form a friendship, and I wished to reduce the chances of something going wrong. Despite Yuuki-san's good nature, it is possible that Kazuto-kun's family might have difficulty speaking with another survivor of the game, especially after the 'Laughing Coffin' rumors were spread to the public."

Katsu asked his superior, "How did that rumor spread in the first place?"

While Kikuoka did not know the entire answer, he had an idea. He responded, "While I am not sure about the specifics, it is likely that other survivors told their family members and friends about it in private, and it led to wide spread gossip. I wouldn't be surprised if there are numerous people worried that all the Sword Art Online survivors have become sociopathic killers and we should not try to rehabilitate them to society but leave them in asylums." Kikuoka let out a sigh before continuing. "As a result of that fear, I along with several others have been attempting to quell that public fear. This is especially true for Yuuki-san's case. I believe it would be invaluable for her to cultivate relationships with multiple people, including the Kirigaya household."

Katsu could see that Kikuoka was sincere about that, but he could also see in his eyes there was something more. "I can definitely understand that. However, I also know you well enough that you have larger goals in mind. You probably believe this will somehow give you a lead to helping the players who are still in their comas correct?"

Kikuoka explained, "As I mentioned to you before, I wish to establish a connection to Kirigaya Kazuto. It will be much easier to do if he knows me through his aunt and his girlfriend. Based on description alone, that young man might very well be an important asset to us, but unless the situation is handled correctly he may not be receptive to us. First impressions are important after all." Kikuoka then changed the subject to reiterate his other goal. "Additionally, if Asuna truly has a connection to these strange ongoing comas, I believe having her establish multiple relationships could help provide us with a lead even if it a small one. If there is a connection, one of these relationships should trigger something that can help us. I can worry about future goals and prospects later. For now, it is important to consider the present situation. It is as simple as that."

As soon as Kukoka stated that, Katsu nodded and did not say another word. He knew that his superior's methods may not always be pure, but they did manage to accomplish what needed to be done. That is one of the reasons he was loyal to him. Unfortunately, the same could not always be said about others.

/

Date: Sunday, November 17th, 2024

Location: The hospital Kirigaya Kazuto is located in

_Prior to meeting Kirito-kun's family, I decided to buy him a belated birthday gift. Before we logged out of the game, he told me that he had only turned sixteen a month ago. While I knew that it wouldn't do him any good since he was still in a coma, I still wanted him to have a present waiting for him when he woke up. I did not plan on revealing the contents of this gift until Kirito-kun would wake up._

_When I arrived with my escort, Takahashi Hayato, Kirigaya Midori and another girl were waiting for me. Even before the other girl introduced herself, I figured that she was Kirito-kun's younger step sister/cousin. Her name was Kirigaya Suguha. She had short black hair, dark grey eyes, and a childish look on her face. Despite her childish look, I noticed that she had larger assets than me. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous about that, but I partly blame the coma I was in for that._

_When they inquired about the gift in my hands, I told them, _"Before the game ended, Kazuto-kun told me that his birthday happened recently, and he had turned sixteen years old. I decided that I would bring him a belated birthday gift for when he finally woke up." _After I said that, I started laughing a little, _"I find it funny that I am actually older than him by one year. There was a time when I assumed that he was older than me."

_My escort, Takahashi-san, was kind enough to give me some privacy to speak with Kirito-kun's family. We talked to each other for a while. I answered a number of questions about what happened during Sword Art Online, and how Kirito-kun and I came to know each other. While I was not sure whether or not this was a good idea, I told them about Kirito-kun and I getting married several weeks earlier. I figured they had the right to know about our relationship even though I guess I had already made it obvious to them that Kirito-kun and I were basically a couple._

_Kirigaya-san said to me, _"An in-game marriage? That sounds pretty serious."

_I responded, _"It was. Whenever people married in the game, they combined their inventory as a representation of their trust in one and another. As a result, it was a practice that was rarely done in the game."

_Suguha-san asked me in a curious tone,_ "When did you two get married?"

"We were married during October, so we were living together during the last few weeks of the game_." As I was saying this, it brought back fond memories of my time with Kirito-kun._ "Being together with Kazuto-kun was one of the happiest experiences of my life."

_Suguha-san was pretty surprised by everything I had said, _"I never would have thought brother would ever get into a serious relationship with a girl."

_When I heard Suguha-san say that, I wasn't surprised. After all, there was a time when I didn't think Kirito-kun and I would ever have a relationship. I told the two of them, _"To be honest, I never would have thought that I would enter such a relationship with him either. We met each other numerous times during the first year and a half, but it was mostly whenever we were fighting boss battles on the frontlines, and he stayed mostly to himself. We had quite a few disagreements about how we should proceed in those battles too, but in the end I think he was right because he always went the extra mile to ensure it ended well for as many people as possible. I was just focused on clearing the game until he convinced me there was value in our experiences within the Sword Art Online. It wasn't until April that I finally decided that I really wanted to get to know him. After I spent more time with him, I was enjoying myself, and I realized that I was in love. However, I didn't think he reciprocated my feelings until he told me last month. I was so happy when it finally happened."

_After I said that, I noticed that Kirigaya-san was smiling at me. She said to me, _"It makes me happy there was at least someone who tried to get to know my son during his time in that game. My son has always been a good person, but he hasn't always had the abilities to convey that. His interests have always lied elsewhere. _Kirigaya-san then asked me, _"I take it that you would want to see if the relationship you had with Kazuto can continue in the real world as well?"

_As soon as she asked that, I immediately answered, _"Yes. I want that more than anything. I don't know why he hasn't awakened yet, but I want to be there for him for when he does."

_I think that may have been the line that finally proved to Kirigaya-san that my feelings for Kirito-kun were real. Afterwards, she allowed me to visit Kirito-kun's room._

/

_Before I was escorted into Kirito-kun's room, I knew exactly what to expect, so I was ready for what I was about to see. On the bed, I saw a comatose Kirito-kun with his NerveGear Helmet still on his head. His eyes were closed, and I saw that he was attached to life support machines like I was when I woke up. It looked as if he should wake up at any moment, but it didn't happen._

_When I gazed upon his sleeping face, it reminded me of when I would wake up before him during our honeymoon on the 22__nd__ floor of Sword Art Online. I remember how his sleeping face would reveal his more naïve, innocent side. It was because of that face I began to suspect he was younger than me._

_However, looking at Kirito-kun's sleeping face was harder than I thought it would be. I knew it wasn't going to happen, but I wanted to look into his eyes and hear his voice for the first time in the real world. I wanted to speak with him and get to know more about the real Kirigaya Kazuto beyond what I learned from his Kirito alter-ego. I wanted us to fall in love again in the real world and continue our relationship. I don't care about any problems we would experience along the way because I am certain that regardless of anything that could happen, we would be able to pull through together._

_Unfortunately, due to something that happened which I was not yet aware of, everything I desired was not going to happen. In this moment, I was so physically close to Kirito-kun, but I never felt further apart from him than at that moment. It felt as if there was an invisible wall that was dividing us and we were worlds apart from each other. I would eventually find out that was not far from the truth._

_When I was close enough to Kirito-kun's body, I reached out and grabbed his hand, and I held on with as much strength as I could muster. Due to my condition, it was difficult for me to even do that, but I felt like I needed to hold his hand. Since Kirito-kun couldn't hold my hand, I decided I would hold his for him. While I was holding his hand, I kept telling myself in my head, "Please wake up Kirito-kun. Please," but it was to no avail. It took everything I had to keep myself from crying as I continued to hold his hand. I held onto his hand for as long as I could before finally letting him go._

_I placed my present on the table next to his bed and before I left I told him, _"I'll be back, Kazuto-kun. I will be here for you until you wake up. I promise you that."

/

_After my first meeting with the Kirigaya family, I was allowed to be one of Kirito-kun's visitors, and they welcomed me to visit their home whenever I wanted to. During the two and a half months after the conclusion of Sword Art Online, I did just that, and I became friends with Kirito-kun's sister, Kirigaya Suguha, rather quickly. She is a very kind girl who is upbeat, outgoing, and social. I never would have thought she and Kirito-kun were related if I did not know otherwise. _

_During my time with Suguha, I confirmed what Kirito-kun had told me back in Sword Art Online that she was actually his cousin. Kirito-kun's real parents were killed in an accident when he was a baby, and his aunt took him in and raised him as if he was her own son. He apparently began to distance himself from his family after he found out the truth and immersed himself in video games._

_After learning this, a few things started to make more sense, such as his lack of social skills and his reluctance to make friends. While I believe he would always act as a loner to a certain degree, I think he had changed a little by the end of the game. He probably would be willing to spend time with some of the survivors of Sword Art Online in the real world, like Klien, Agil, and Lisbeth._

_I also learned from Kirigaya Midori-san, Kirito-kun had a love for computers. She believed his interest in computers was influenced by her being an editor for a computer systems magazine. According to her, Kirito-kun had immense programming skills, and he was able to build a computer from parts while he was in elementary school. Apparently, his skills are what led him to his discovery that he was adopted. That would explain why he was able to successfully save Yui-chan before she was deleted by the Cardinal System. _

_That also reminded me of the unfortunate truth. With Kirito-kun still in his coma, that meant we would not be able to restore Yui-chan either since she was stored in his NerveGear helmet. However, I tried not to dwell on that fact too much._

_One time when I was visiting the Kirigaya household after I had recovered enough to walk on my own, Suguha-san and I were talking to about Kirito-kun. She learned the truth about her being his cousin after he became trapped in Sword Art Online, so she was clueless about why he was distancing himself from her. Apparently, after Kirito-kun fell into a coma, she had been attempting to understand him better in her own way._

_Suguha-san said to me in a dishearten tone_, "I guess after he found out the truth, he couldn't care about me the way that he used to. I still care about him, but I guess our relationship can never go back to how it used to be."

_I immediately told her_, "That is not true."

_She gave me a bewildered look and said, _"Huh?"

_I told Suguha-san the story_, "Kazuto-kun told me about you several months ago. He told me that he regretted his decision to distance himself from you. He wanted to make amends if he could, but he wasn't sure if you would want to. However, I was able to convince him to at least try. Kazuto-kun is a man of his word. I am sure when he wakes up, he will be more than happy to fix his relationship with you."

_Suguha asked me in an excited tone_, "Really?!"

_I said to her confidently, _"I guarantee it."

_She was so happy when she said, _"That would be wonderful."

_After a few moments, I decided to change the subject,_ "By the way, what did you mean that you have been doing things to understand him more?"

_Suguha's face lit up when I asked her that. _"Oh. Sometime after Onii-chan went into his coma, I was introduced to this virtual reality world, Alfheim Online." _Before I said anything, Suguha explained_, "The game was thoroughly tested and approved before it was released, so there was no public fear of people having their minds trapped."

_I said in a somewhat nervous tone, _"I see. Do you enjoy playing this game?"

_She excitedly told me, _"Yes. After playing this game for a while, I can see why Onii-chan enjoys these types of games so much. My skills in kendo work really well in this game, and you can fly. My avatar's name is Leafa, and I have sort of become famous in that world. You should try it sometime. We can form a party in the future. It would be really great."

_To be honest, I was surprised to hear another virtual reality game was allowed to be made after the Sword Art Online incident. I know Suguha-chan said public fear was quelled due to the "thorough testing," but I haven't forgotten that Kirito-kun was a beta tester for Sword Art Online. Kayaba Akihiko was able to use the positive reception the beta testers generated for the game to ensure that the 10,000 unit launch would sell out immediately, so he could trap all of us in there. _

_Although, having experienced virtual reality myself, I can understand why some people would be too ambitious to discard such projects entirely. I can't lie to myself. The idea of entering another game fills me with excitement and fear. Being able to fly has been a dream of mine not to mention it would be great to be able to do other things that would not be possible in the real world again such as moving at near impossible speeds. However, I am afraid of what could happen if someone like Kayaba Akihiko took control and modified the system. I know I might be paranoid, but it is a feeling I cannot shake._

_I scratched my head and sheepishly told her, _"I might be willing to try it in the future. However, I think I would rather stay in the real world for now."

_After I said that, Suguha-san realized where I was coming from. She apologized to me, _"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. After all, you just spent two years trapped in a virtual reality world."

_I reassured her, _"It's okay. You don't have to worry about it. I am interested in trying the game out. I enjoyed partying with Kazuto-kun, and I think it would be fun to party with you as well. However, I just need some time for now."

_Suguha then said to me, _"I understand."

_I thought it would be for the best to change the subject_, "By the way Suguha-san, you mentioned that you were a national quarter-finalist for Kendo in middle school right?"

_She answered, _"Yes." _She definitely didn't know where I was going with that._

_I asked her, _"Could you teach me?"

_Suguha gave me a surprised look and asked, _"You want to learn kendo?"

_I smiled and cheerfully said, _"Sure. When I was in Sword Art Online, my preferred weapon was the rapier. I know a rapier and a kendo sword are two different things, but I think I would like to know how to handle something like that in the real world. After using a sword to save my life so many times in the game, it would be great to actually learn how to use one for fun as a change of pace."

_Suguha-chan was thrilled to hear me say that. She said_, "That sounds great. I would be happy to teach you. When do you want to start?"

_I boldly told her_, "Would you be willing to start now?"

_She then said in a concerned voice_, "I guess I could, but do you think your body is ready to handle something like this?"

_While I had managed to recover a great deal of my strength due to the gym's recuperation program, I still had a ways to go. However, I was feeling pretty confident. _"Not for anything too fancy, but I think I can handle the basics without straining my body. Besides, it would probably be good to give my body some exercise."

_What I said seemed to be enough to put her doubts to rest. _"Okay then. Just tell me if you feel it becoming too much for you to handle."

_As she promised, Suguha-san became my kendo instructor. It was a little weird receiving instructions from someone younger than me, but I should probably be use to that by now. Anyway, she was a good instructor, and I was able to get a grasp of the basics. However, I think it's going to be a while before I can have a practice fight with her. My body still needs time to recuperate, and I have seen how fast Suguha-san could move. Something tells me if she was trapped in Sword Art Online, she would have been in the top ten percent along with me and Kirito-kun._

/

_Eventually, I introduced Suguha-san to some of the friends Kirito-kun and I made during our time in Sword Art Online, such as Klien (real name: __Tsuboi Ryoutarou)__, Lisbeth (real name: __Shinozaki Rika__), Agil (real name: __Andrew Gilbert Mills__), and Silica (real name: __Ayano Keiko__)__. I was able to find three of them thanks to __Kikuoka-san, and the other one was purely by luck.__ After we became reacquainted in the real world, we made sure to exchange contact information, so we could remain in touch._

_Over the months, we would sometimes meet in a place known as the Dicey Café. During one of our get-togethers, I decided to bring Suguha-san with me. I figured it would be great if they became friends with her too. The only one who wasn't surprised to see that Kirito-kun had a sister was Silica, but they were all welcoming to her. As I said before, Suguha-san is pretty sociable, so she became fast friends with them. _

/

_**Klien**__: Similar to his Sword Art Online avatar, he likes to wear a red bandana on his forehead, and he has reddish brown hair. He told me that Kirito-kun and he became friends during the first day of Sword Art Online's launch, and Kirito-kun helped him with the basics. After it was announced that the game had been altered to a life-and-death scenario, the two of them went their separate ways because Klien wanted to find his friends and Kirito-kun thought it was imperative they move on ahead before the other players and level up. Kirito-kun told me that he regretted abandoning Klien, but Klien has told me that he doesn't hold a grudge. He is still looking forward to the meal Kirito-kun promised him before he dueled Heathcliff._

_I met Klien a few times in the frontlines, but we never had a formal introduction until right before we fought Gleam Eyes boss on the 74__th__ Floor. After we were formally introduced, I found him to be strange and awkward at first because he tried to hit on me, but Kirito-kun shut him up before it got any weirder. Apparently, that was enough to get Klien to see that Kirito-kun had feelings for me. He told me to take care of Kirito-kun because he is a good person but his loner tendencies could be a problem for him. I have taken Klien's words to heart._

_During Klien's time in the game, he ended up becoming a talented fighter who made the survival of his friends his first priority. He jumped in and helped Kirito-kun and I save the surviving Army guild members from Glean Eyes without much hesitation. Klien's guild, Fuurinkazan, was composed of six members, including themselves. Their names in Sword Art Online were, Issin, Harry One, Dale, Dynamm, and Kunimittz. Unlike other guilds, they did not lose a single member, and they were all regular participants in the frontlines._

_Knowing this made me interested in the adventures the Fuurinkazan experienced. While I know that other players have their own stories to tell, I think it would be extremely important to know more about Klien and his friends. There is no telling what kind of adventures they had gone through whenever they not participating in the frontline boss battles. When we met in the café, I have occasionally asked him for a few stories. _

_I figured it was always important to start from the beginning, so I asked, _"What was it like setting up your own guild with your friends?"

_Klien boldly told me, _"It wasn't that big of a deal actually."

_I had difficulty believing that, so I inquired further. I skeptically said, _"Really? During my time in the game I saw quite a few guilds have a hard time getting their feet off the ground and dispersing soon after. Did you have some prior guild experience?"

_Klien explained to me, _"Yeah I have. I used to run a guild in another game, so I was fairly confident that I could lead another one despite what was at stake in Sword Art Online. After I managed to find my friends in the arena, we quickly agreed that sticking together was the best way to survive and we did. I think it's because of that all my friends are getting reacquainted with the real world like us."

_It made me smile to hear him say that. I have seen a number of tragedies take place in front of me with players dying or hearing about players committing suicide because they couldn't stand living in the game any longer. Instead, their story involved sticking and working together, and they forged their own hope for survival. In the end, all their hard work paid off, and they earned their happy ending to rejoin the real world. Hearing stories like this, feels like a much needed victory story that more people needed to hear. _

_I happily told Klien, _"I am glad all your friends were able to make it out okay."

_Klien smiled back at me, _"Thanks. I appreciate that. Although, we would never have made it out of that game if we didn't work together with fighters like you and Kirito."

_I graciously accepted his gratitude. _"Don't mention it." _I then said,_ "I would like to hear more about your guild if you don't mind."

_Klein seemed surprised to hear me say that, _"You mean you want to know about our exploits outside of the frontlines?"

_I responded, _"We all had separate stories outside of the time we spent on the frontlines. I think it is important to know more about them. I am sure you have a lot of stories to tell."

_Klein then said in an enthusiastic tone, _"In that case, I would be happy to tell you."

/

_**Lisbeth**__: During her time in Sword Art Online, she became a blacksmith, and she was talented and prideful. I met her while she was building up her business, and I was happy to be her customer. She even created my rapier, Lambent Light, which served me well during the days of the game, and apparently Kirito-kun used my rapier to kill Heathcliff after my 'death.' _

_Eventually, I recommended to Kirito-kun that if he wanted another sword, Lisbeth would be the person he should go to. Apparently, the durability of her current swords were not strong enough. This led the two them into going on a quest that involved Kirito-kun fighting a massive dragon. After they gained the necessary material, she created his sword, Dark Repulser, and she became his personal blacksmith._

_After we were released from Sword Art Online, I wanted to meet Lisbeth in the real world as well. If I were to give a priority list of meeting people in the real world from Sword Art Online, I think she would be second right after Kirito-kun. Unfortunately, unlike Kirito-kun I did not know her real name. After I asked __Kikuoka-san to find Lisbeth for me, he told me the gym where Lisbeth was attending her __rehabilitation session. After we reunited there, we have remained good friends. I remember our first meeting in the real world like it was yesterday. _

_When her rehabilitation session was over, she saw and called out to me, _"Asuna is that you!"

_She immediately approached me in her wheelchair. With the exception of her hair being brown rather than pink, she looked exactly like she did in Sword Art Online. Similar to her avatar, she wore white hairpins to keep her bangs out of her eyes which were dark pink. She also appeared to have a few freckles on her face as well._

_I was so excited to finally see her again for the first time in the real world, _"Lisbeth! I'm glad you are all right!"

_She playfully scoffed at my remark, _"Of course I'm all right! Unlike you, I was only the person that created and supplied you with the equipment for fighting on the frontlines rather than risking my life in those boss fights. Being able to fight monsters like those was never really my thing."

_It really wasn't. Lisbeth had nine different abilities she was able to utilize in Sword Art Online, and seven of them were used for her blacksmith profession. One of her abilities was being able to equip "Light Metal Equipment" and her only offensive ability was using the "__One Handed War Hammer."__ However, even though Lisbeth had only one offensive ability, she wasn't terrible at fighting. _

_When I saw her fight a few monsters on her own, she did show that she was capable. She told me that her level before the end of Sword Art Online was 79, which was fifteen levels below me. I guess she probably occasionally fought monsters in order to gather up some raw materials to forge weapons and equipment in her shop._

_During our reunion in the real world, we made sure to exchange contact information with each other. As it turns out, Lisbeth originally lived in the country-side which would explain why she decided to set up her blacksmith shop on the 48__th__ floor in a 'country-side' styled area. The setting probably allowed her to feel more at home. Since the school will be located in Tokyo, she has been living in a hostel that was set up for her and other survivors for the course of their rehabilitation and schooling._

_During our first meeting in the real world, Lisbeth asked, _"Did Kirito-kun really clear the game?"

_I was surprised when she asked me that,_ "How did you know that? Did one of the players who witnessed the fight tell you?"

_She told me_, "Nope I figured it out on my own." _Lisbeth confidently told me,_ "When it was announced that the game was cleared, I knew in my gut that it was Kirito-kun that cleared the game. We may have only met a few months prior to the game's ending, but the time I spent with him, the skills he possessed, and the guilt he felt for some of his past decisions made it clear to me that if anyone could end Sword Art Online it would be him. Before I logged out, I declared, 'We will, definitely meet again, Kirito!'"

_Kirito-kun had told Lisbeth his story about the Black Cats Guild as well. It wouldn't be until later that I would find out his reason for telling her about them, but the reason would not bother me too much as it would other people. I guess it was because of the trust I had in Lisbeth that I knew she would not lie about such things._

_Anyway, when she told me that, I felt a lump in my throat because I had to inform her about the grim news. I sadly told her,_ "Unfortunately, Lisbeth I don't think you will be able to do that for a while."

_After I said that, Lisbeth's confident smile disappeared and her eyes widened. She said in a tone of disbelief,_ "You don't mean . . ."

_I assured her, _"No he is still alive, but he hasn't regained consciousness."

_At first Lisbeth seemed relieved, but that relief soon dissipated when she realized the implications of what I had said. She said in a tone that was a mixture of disbelief and sadness,_ "What do you mean he hasn't regained consciousness? What happened? The game ended, so he should have woken up too right?"

_I told her, _"They are not sure what is wrong. Unfortunately, no one knows the answer to this question. It isn't just him either. There are about three hundred players who have failed to wake up as well."

_It appeared Lisbeth had a hard time believing what I was saying when she weakly said, _"No way."

_I didn't say anything at first. I wanted to say something, but I wasn't sure of what I could say. While I did hope that Kirito-kun would wake up, I didn't want to give false hope either. When Lisbeth saw my conflicted face, she changed her tone and said to me, _"Don't worry Asuna. This is Kirito we are talking about here. If anyone can get out of this it's him right?"

_When I heard Lisbeth say that, it did renew some hope for me. I then said to her in response, _"That's right."

_I have a feeling she said that because she realized I was already troubled enough by Kirito-kun's situation and her reaction to the news wasn't helping me. Regardless of her reason, she succeeded in making me feel better. If it weren't for Lisbeth, the times I experienced over the following months would not have been as smooth as they were. _

_Out of all my friends, she is the one that I speak and hang out with the most, so just like our friendship in Sword Art Online we know each other on a much deeper level than our other friends. She has also remained one of the few people I feel that I can confide in. She was the only one I have told of my fears regarding Kirito-kun's condition. During the first few months outside of Sword Art Online, I think she provided me with the most vital role in readjusting to society again. She is a true friend._

/

_**Agil**__: He is one of the few foreign civilians that were trapped in the game. Agil has an African heritage, and he is an extremely tall, bulky, bald man with a brown goatee and brown eyes. Similar to his Sword Art Online avatar, he has two earrings on his left ear. Kirito-kun and I both met him two years ago when we were about to fight the boss on the first floor. One would generally be intimidated by his appearance, but we all knew we had nothing to fear from him._

_Agil was one of the few people Kirito-kun was willing to socialize with. I respected Agil because he was a caring, level-headed individual that was able to shut up that obnoxious Kibaou. He also proved to be an invaluable fighter on the frontlines. Similar to us, he had a lot to fight for, and I never saw that death game break his spirit. If it weren't for him, Kirito-kun and I might have died during the first boss fight. _

_When he wasn't fighting on the frontlines, he was running his own shop within the game. According to Kirito-kun, he used his profits to support lower-level players and the younger players who lived in the Saintly Church. As it turns out, Agil was not a stranger when it came to running businesses. In the real world, he runs a café known as "The Dicey Café" with his wife. We now use his real world café as an occasional meeting place._

_One time before I ordered something, I decided that I needed to talk to Agil about something. _"If you don't mind Mills-san, I would like to talk to you about something?"

_Agil told me in a kind but firm voice, _"You don't have to be that formal Asuna. You can refer to me as either Andrew or Agil if you prefer."

_I guess the reason I was more formal with Agil at first was due to him being the senior in our group at age twenty-nine. Not to mention he was massive in stature. Even though Klien was twenty-four, I didn't feel the need to be formal due to his personality, and he wasn't that much taller than us or intimidating._

_Of the two names I choose to call him by the name I knew him best by. _"All right Agil. I will be sure to keep that in mind."

_I had become too use to using our Sword Art Online avatar names, that I find it difficult to refer to them by any other name. My friends don't seem to mind me calling them by their avatar names, but a few of them have reminded me on more than one occasion not to refer to them by those names if we are in a public place._

_He then asked me,_ "What did you want to talk to me about?"

_I responded,_ "I never really thanked you for the time you saved both my life and Kirito-kun's life during the first boss battle. We owe you a lot."

_Agil waved it off by saying,_ "It was not big deal. Unlike some players I knew that we were all in this together and we had to act like it. I figured by helping you guys that you would not only do the same, but other people would get the same idea."

_That reminded me other something else I wanted to talk to Agil about, _"Speaking of which, I am not sure Kirito-kun ever said this, but I could tell he was grateful to how you temporarily pacified those players who were blaming the Beta Testers for the deaths of the players during the first month of the game. I am grateful for what you did too. If it weren't for you, we probably would have had so much internal conflict during the first boss battle that we might have lost from the get go."

_He shrugged that off as well, _"There is no need to exaggerate that much Asuna, but you're welcome."

_I happily told Agil, _"I will be sure to have Kirito-kun thank you as well when he wakes up."

_Agil said with a playfully smug expression, _"I will be sure to look forward to that."

_After he said that, we both shared a few laughs at that idea. While we both knew Kirito-kun is someone who would be grateful to others, he was sometimes awkward in how he handled certain situations. It could range from being a normal 'thank you' that you would expect from anyone else to him somehow saying things the wrong way that could cause a person to misunderstand him. People like Agil and I would understand where he was coming from or what he was doing, but other people would probably see him as being rude._

/

_**Silica**__: She was one of the youngest people to be trapped within Sword Art Online. She has brown eyes and hair which she wears in pigtails with red ribbons. Kirito-kun told me that he saved a girl named Silica from a group of Drunken Apes in the Forest of Wandering. Afterwards, he successfully helped Silica resurrect her pet dragon Pina, who was originally killed defending her from the Apes, before the three day time limit expired. Apparently, during their adventure, he also singlehandedly captured the orange/criminal guild Titan's Hand and threw them in prison. _

_We met after a rehabilitation session at the gym. I overheard her talking to one of her friends, and she mentioned something about having a dragon named Pina. I remembered that name from one of the times Kirito-kun told me about his solo adventures during our time in Sword Art Online. I introduced myself to her and asked her if she knew Kirito-kun which she confirmed. Afterwards, we had quite a lot to talk about. _

_It was a little awkward to begin the conversation. I walked up the girl and asked, _"Did you say you had a dragon named Pina in the game?"

_She answered in an unsure tone,_ "Yes, why?"

_I then asked, _"Your avatar name would have happened to be Silica would it?"

"Yes." _At that point, I wasn't sure if I was accidently making Silica nervous or interested in where I was going with this._

_I finally got to the point, _"Did you happen to know someone named Kirito-kun?"

_When I asked her that, her face seemed to light up,_ "Yes I do. Do you know where he is?"

_It was a shame when I had to tell her that Kirito-kun was still in a coma. I remember the sad look on her face after hearing that. However, I told her the same thing Lisbeth told me that if anyone can return to the real world Kirito-kun could. That seemed to be enough to raise her spirits._

_Despite her being much younger than me, we became fast friends. She is a sweet girl, and I wish I could have met her while we were playing the game. Interestingly, she has a similar story as Lisbeth because she is from the country as well and has been living in the same hostel too, and they were already friendly with each other._

_Most of them time when I spoke to Silica about her time in Sword Art Online, she told me a lot about her relationship with her AI pet Pina. Unlike other players who thought of AI's as being of lower importance, she spoke of Pina as if Pina were a true flesh and blood being, similar to how Kirito-kun always thought of AI and what I eventually came to accept as well thanks to him and Yui-chan. Hearing Silica talk about her relationship with Pina has further made me regret my previous attitude toward AIs. _

_I said in an amazed tone, _"It sounds like you and Pina had a close friendship."

"Yes we did." _She fondly reminisced about her times with her dragon as she said,_ "Pina was always there for me when I needed her. She was even capable of healing some of my injuries whenever I decided to fight monsters to level up. I don't think I could have survived in that world if Pina wasn't always by my side."

_The look on her face when she said that was bittersweet. I had a feeling that while she was happy to have escaped Sword Art Online, she was saddened by the fact Pina couldn't come with her. I guess Kirito-kun and I would feel the same if we were in the same position with Yui-chan._

_Silica-chan attempted to change the topic by asking me, _"Did you have any pets during our time in Sword Art Online Asuna-san."

_While I would never think of Yui-chan as a pet, she definitely came to my mind when Silica-chan asked me that question. I told her, _"I never had an AI as a pet, but Kirito-kun and I did form a special relationship with one AI in particular before the game ended."

_Silica-chan seemed interested in what I was talking about, _"Who was that?"

_I didn't tell her that Yui-chan was adopted AI daughter of Kirito-kun and I nor the fact she was suppose to be a counselor system that was blocked from performing her duties by Heathcliff, but I did tell Silica-chan, _"Her name was Yui-chan. She was a sweet girl who cared for others. I know some people would make fun of me for caring for her, but she was real to me. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought she was a player like us." _I then came to a rather unfortunate conclusion._ "It makes me sad that we will probably never see her again now that Sword Art Online has been deleted."

_Unfortunately, what I said was a painful reminder to what Silica-chan was keeping in the back of her mind. She sadly said to me, _"I know what you mean. When I heard that the game was cleared, the first thing I thought about was how it was too soon to say goodbye to Pina. Before I knew it, I was awake in the real world and Pina was nowhere to be seen. I am happy to be back in the real world again after being trapped in the game for so long, but I just wish I could see Pina again." _Tears were beginning to form in Silica-chan's eyes as she said,_ "Even if it was just for one moment."

_When Silica said that, it made me remember what Kirito-kun said about the memory data of the NerveGear. We were all allowed to keep our NerveGears after the incident as a trophy of sorts for surviving the game. Since the NerveGears didn't destroy our minds when we escaped it was possible all the information in them was still there._

_I tried to stop Silica-chan from crying by asking her, _"Silica-chan, do you mind if I ask you something?"

_Silica-chan was still a little teary eyed, but she was distracted enough from her depressed thought when she answered, _"Sure. What is it?"

_I responded, _"Kirito-kun told me that when Pina originally died, she was stored as an item on your inventory right?"

_Silica-chan said in an uncertain tone, _"Yes." _I could tell she was not sure where I was going with this._

_I explained to Silica-chan, _"Kirito-kun told me that information from our characters, including items were stored in our NerveGear. I would assume that as long as the NerveGears aren't destroyed any information stored in them would remain. I don't want to get your hopes up, but I think that might mean the same could hold true for Pina"

_After the Sword Art Online incident, we were allowed to keep our NerveGears as a trophy of sorts to our accomplishment of surviving Sword Art Online. My brother allowed me to keep his NerveGear because I 'earned it.' He also apologized to me for what happened, but I told him it was fine._

_Silica-chan's face brightened up after she heard this. She excitedly said to me, _"You might be right, but how would we be able to get her back?"

_Even though I wanted to, there was nothing I could do, so I told her the truth. _"I'm not sure, but when Kirito-kun wakes up, we should be able to ask him. He knows a lot about that type of computer related material. I saw what he was capable of first hand. There is no doubt in my mind that he could do the same for you."

_I had never seen Silica-chan face appear so happy when she asked, _"Really?"

_Seeing Silica-chan's smiling face caused me to smile as well, and I happily told her, _"Yep."

_I was trying to hold onto hope for the both of us. Kirito-kun told me that he converted Yui-chan into an item before she was deleted by the Cardinal System. If our data, including our inventory, was saved in our NerveGear, it is possible Yui-chan is in there as well. Unfortunately, since I was not savvy with computers and Kirito-kun was still in a coma, there was nothing that I could do for Yui-chan or Pina. However, I still held onto hope that Silica-chan and I would be able to reunite with our AI companions one day._

/

_Whenever we were done with our rehabilitation sessions or jobs, or we had a day off, we would occasionally meet up and hang out in Agil's Dicey Café. I would say it was on at least a semi-weekly basis. Whenever we met during the day, it is usually just us with the exception of a few regular customers. According to Agil, the café is much busier during the nighttime. I guess it would have to be if his business was to make a profit. While I would keep my thoughts about his supposed lack of customers to myself, I have a feeling Kirito-kun would voice it out loud._

_Hanging out with friends in such a casual atmosphere has been fun. We no longer needed to worry about living in a world that was filled with all kinds of monsters or player killers from the Laughing Coffin. We can just be normal people again and rejoin society. Although, I don't think we would honestly be this happy if most of us weren't trapped within Sword Art Online in the first place. _

_The game may have constantly placed us in life-and-death situations, but it was far from being all bad. A lot of good came out of it as well. For one thing, I doubt any of us would have become friends or even known each other if it wasn't for Sword Art Online. The game was like a puzzle box, and we were the pieces that created a picture._

_Unfortunately, we are still missing an important piece to our puzzle, Kirito-kun. I am sure everyone would agree with me. If it weren't for him, we would still be trapped in that game. Based on how much harder the later boss battles were becoming, I have a feeling some if not all of us would have died. Not to mention, we couldn't rely on the life support devices that sustained our physical bodies indefinitely. I doubt I am the only one who feels this way. I can see it in their eyes they feel the same. Until the day Kirito-kun awakens from his coma, I don't think our puzzle will ever be finished._

_Agil reminded me of that one time during one of our conversations. He grimly said to me, _"I heard he still hasn't woken up yet."

_I answered in a sad tone, _"That's right. I have gone to visit his room a lot over the past few weeks, but he has remained the same. There are no signs that he will be waking up. I keep telling myself, 'He is going to wake up this time,' but I am not really sure what else I can really do. "

_When I look back on what I said, it was just an excuse I kept telling myself. While it was literally true at the time there was nothing I could do, it didn't make me feel any better. The only thing I could do at the time was go to his side and hope that the authorities could somehow restore Kirito-kun and the other comatose players._

_Agil stated, _"I know it's not just him, but three hundred other players haven't waken up yet either." _Agil sighed and said, _"I don't get it. I thought that when Kirito beat the game everyone would be freed, but here we are. While the rest of us are free to return to our original lives, they are still prisoners in their own bodies. Something doesn't seem right about this in more ways than one."

_There was no denying that Agil was right about that. Unfortunately, we would one day find out he was more right than he would have wanted to be. The ignorance we had in this situation was not bliss by any means. If anything, it would leave us feeling horrified at the end._

_The only response I could think of was,_ "It does make me feel a little guilty. I wish we knew why Kirito-kun and the others are still asleep."

_Agil responded, _"Regardless of the reason, until those three hundred have been saved, we cannot claim our victory over the game."

_No matter how I looked at it Agil was right. Until we managed to wake up Kirito-kun and the other players, our escape from Sword Art Online is just a hallow victory. However, as far as we could tell, there was nothing that we could do to wake them up. Even if Kayaba Akihiko was the one still trapping the minds, there is no word on his whereabouts. Personally, I did not believe that is the case based on the conversation he had with Kirito-kun and me on the day the game had ended. However, he was the same man who could not comprehend the atrocity he had committed or at least he pretended to not comprehend it. Whose to say, he wouldn't do something like that again. Unfortunately, we did not have any way of knowing the truth at the time._

/

_Occasionally we would meet two other pieces of the puzzle, Yuriel and Thinker, at the café as well. Kirito-kun and I befriended them less than two weeks before the game ended when we helped Yuriel save Thinker from a dungeon trap. During the past two months after the game, they have become engaged, and they will be marrying later this year. They went from being married in-game to getting ready to marry in the real world. Additionally, from what they have told all of us, their net gaming information site "MMO Today" had been gaining popularity. _

_Seeing those two makes me think of how Kirito-kun and I were married during the final weeks of Sword Art Online and adopted Yui-chan. I felt both happy and envious of them. Most importantly, they gave me hope. They are living proof that a romantic relationship formed inside Sword Art Online can be successfully integrated to the real world. I want to know if Kirito-kun and I can do the same. In my heart, I truly believe we can have a lasting relationship regardless of where we are._

_It was times like this that cause me to think back to after the time Kirito-kun and I married in Sword Art Online and moved into our new home on the 22__nd__ floor a few days before we met Yui-chan. We were gazing upon a beautiful view from our balcony when Kirito-kun gave me an uncertain look._

_I remember Kirito-kun asking me_, "Our relationship, is it only in-game? Is it going to disappear once we return to the other world?"

_His eyes were filled with uncertainty thinking about the future that lay before us. In retrospect, I do not blame him for thinking that way. If it weren't for my father or __Kikuoka-san, it would have been difficult for me to find him and some of my other friends in the real world. I wouldn't be surprised if some people who were in relationships during Sword Art Online have not been able to continue them outside the game due to not being able to find each other. I can only hope those players will be able to have happy endings._

_When he asked me that, I refused to believe we would stop caring for each other if we left the game. I told him, _"That makes me angry to hear you say that Kirito-kun."

_What I said shook him out of that uncertain look, and I looked into his eyes filled with conviction._ "Even if this was just a normal game rather than this strange situation, I would still love you. I will always love you."

_He didn't respond to what I had said. From his facial expression, I couldn't tell that was enough to convince him. I decided to take some action to prove my point by putting my hands on his cheeks and telling him, _"I learned something here, and that was to keep trying and never give up. If we make it back to the real world, I'll definitely come find Kirito-kun again, and I'll still love you." _Afterwards, I sealed the promise with a kiss, and he didn't ask me a question like that again._

_I meant every word I said, and my feelings have not faded. If anything, they became stronger as I spent more time with Kirito-kun during our time in Sword Art Online and whenever I visit him in his hospital room. While he isn't aware of my presence, I am happy to be by his side. I know if the shoe was on the other foot, I know I would wish for him to do the same, and I know he would do so._

_There are also times when I think back to the final hour hours prior to Kirito-kun clearing the game that I told him my desire to date him for real, for us to get married, have a family, and grow old together. I also told him that I was afraid we would never have that chance. I have a feeling what I said partly influenced his decision to fight Heathcliff. While it was a real gamble he took, it ended up working out for most of us. In the end, the game has been cleared, and we are both alive even if he remained in a coma. After I found out he was still in a coma, I have told myself over and over again that I would do anything to make my desire to have a happy ending with Kirito-kun a reality and those are words I have every intention to fulfill. _

/

_According to Agil, his wife ran the café on her own. It was hard work, but she knew that Agil would survive and return someday. She waited for him to come home, and he fulfilled her hopes when he finally awoke. Similar to Yuriel and Thinker, I could see how much Agil and his wife loved each other. They were meant to be just like I believe Kirito-kun and I are meant to be with each other._

_I feel like situation for Agil and his wife was parallel to my own because I was waiting for Kirito-kun to awaken, but there was a major difference. My heart was telling me that waiting wasn't good enough. I didn't know why at the time, but I believed there had to be something I can do to wake up Kirito-kun. _

_Whenever I would see him in that hospital bed unable to open his eyes, it made my heartache so much. I wanted to look into his real eyes. I wanted to hear his voice. I wanted to know what a kiss from him would feel like in the real world. Most of all, I just wanted to spend time with him again and fulfill the promise I made to him. _

_Unfortunately, I knew that wishing for it to happen was not going to do anything, but not knowing what I could possibly do made me feel so helpless. My inability to help Kirito-kun caused me a different kind of pain. Not only was Kirito-kun the love of my life, but I owed him my life for numerous occasions and there I was less than five feet away from him, but there was nothing I could do to help him return to reality. The only thing I could do was tell both him and myself if there was anything I could do to help him that I would do it without hesitation. That resolve would eventually be put to the test in a way I never thought would be possible._

/

Date: Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.

Location: Forest Area within the game Alfheim Online

A boy with the appearance of the game's 'Spriggan' race who wore dark clothing, as well as short dark spiky hair and pointy ears appeared in the forest. After a few moments, he began to regain conciseness. After he regained his senses, he realized that he was still alive, but the place he was in was not familiar to him. He then realized his appearance was different from what he remembered in Sword Art Online when he touched his head and noticed that his ears were pointy.

When he picked himself up, he desperately shouted, "Asuna! Agil! Klien! Is anyone here!? Answer me!"

Kirito desperately kept calling the names of his friends at the top of his lungs, but there was no answer. While Kirito was used to being a loner in Sword Art Online, this was a different kind of loneliness. At the very least, he was able to message his friends and find out where they were if he needed them through his friend map options. However, when he opened his menu, he saw that he did not even have that option. It caused his heart to sink.

Kirito sadly thought to himself, _"What happened to all of you? Where are you?"_ He rubbed his head with his right hand and continued to think, _"I have no clue what is going on here, but I need to get to the bottom of this."_

He kept browsing through his menu until he noticed there was a logout button. When he attempted to press it, a message told him "Action Failed." Kirito thought to himself, _"This is even worse when I was in Sword Art Online. At least, the menu didn't have a log-out button. This one here is staring me straight in the face, and it is refusing to let me out."_

Kirito said out loud, "Is this your work Kayaba Akihiko?! Is this your sick joke?! I thought the game was over!"

There was no answer, but Kirito was not expecting one. He figured there had to be a reason that he was transported here. He could not help but wonder, _"How am I even alive in the first place? What is going on?"_

After he thought that, he thought back on his final moments with Asuna overlooking the deletion of Sword Art Online. They both made their final declaration of love to each expecting to die when they were engulfed in a white light. Kirito remembered feeling some kind of strange sensation when he was leaving the game. He realized whatever that feeling was must have been the reason for why he was in his current predicament.

Kirito told himself, "There is no point in dwelling on this now. For now, I need to find if there is a town nearby. Whatever is going on, it must be a test or something. Maybe if I accomplish whatever I am suppose to, I can get out of here. Hopefully, if I explore this place long enough, I will find an answer."

Kirito then thought to himself, "_Is Asuna trapped in this new world with me as well, or did she somehow return to the real world? Either way, I need to find her. I won't give up until she is in my arms again. That is what I am destined to do._"

/

**Omake**

Kirito: I thought I was supposed to be one of the main characters of this story too.

Asuna: You still are.

Kirito: I feel like I am being treated as a posthumous character. The only times you see me in this chapter are during the flashback sequences or when you visit my comatose body.

Asuna: Well don't forget that during the canon story arc that takes place in Gun Gale Online my screentime was limited, but I'm still considered to be a main character for the series. You are practically the only character in this series that is guaranteed to get the limelight in every story arc while others may get temporarily demoted to extras. Luckily I managed to get some more time in the limelight during Volume 7 of the series and to a certain degree in the subsequent volumes as well.

Kirito: I know, but it still bugs me a little. I guess this is something I will need to get used to or something like that.

Asuna: (Asuna pats him on the back) Don't worry Kirito-kun, you will be getting plenty of screentime soon.

Kirito: (His facial expression turns into one that is less than pleased. It is as if he is expecting something bad to happen.) Yeah, but I don't think its going to be so ideal.

Asuna: (She knows what he is referring to) That's true. I suppose it makes what I go through in the canon storyline seem better by comparison.

Kirito: You're telling me, but I guess beggars can't be choosers, so I will try to make the most of it.

Asuna: That's the spirit Kirito-kun.

Kirito: Although it still makes me nervous about what's to come. This is going to be difficult. I'm starting to think the author has a sadistic side.

/

**Author Notes**: This marks the end of the longest chapter I have ever written for a fanfiction story so far. Believe it or not, this chapter was going to be even longer than this. There were a few scenes that I had written out or made plans for, but I decided this chapter was getting extremely long, and I was not entirely sure where I was going to place them. Instead, I have decided to put those scenes into the next chapter. I think it will work out for the better because those scenes will involve not only Asuna adjusting back to the real world, but it will further develop her relationships with certain characters as well.

Regarding the relationship between Sugou and Asuna's father, during episode 15 of the anime and the Volume 3 of the light novel, Suguo put up his kind and respectful façade in front of Shouzou, and he was quick to take it off as soon as Shouzou left the room. I figured that if they had a conversation in this scenario, it would probably go something like this. After all, Shouzou was extremely trusting of Suguo, and he was his first choice as Asuna's fiancé. Additionally, since Sugou mentioned that Asuna had always disliked him, I figured that he revealed his true colors to her before the beginning of the series.

On another note with regards to Shouzou helping Asuna, we saw that Asuna's father was fine with Kirito visiting Asuna's room during the two month period, and he was comfortable with Kirito being near his daughter. That is why I could picture him being willing to help Asuna find Kirito after Asuna explained to him a few things. Not to mention that his 'character interview,' indicated he cares for his daughter's happiness, so I would picture him putting her wishes in front of his desire to see Sugou as his son in law.

So far, I think development for the future storylines of this fanfiction have been going well. As you can see, this chapter established several plotlines, and I have plans for or have partly written out several of the future chapters for the story. Additionally, I already know exactly how I am going to end this story and have written out the plans. Now it is only a matter of getting to there, and it will take quite some time, but I believe the journey there will be well worth it, and I hope you will feel the same.


	5. Threat of the Plug

**Author Notes**: As you saw in the previous chapter, I was more focused on the events of Asuna's return to reality as well as her establishing and reestablishing relationships with people in her life whether it was her friends, family, or new people entirely. The later parts of the previous chapter along with a number of scenes in this one will be more focused on her friends in favor of her family.

For my story, I believe the development of her relationships with her friends takes priority over her family. I find that to be especially true since her mother really did not receive any spotlight or character development until Volume 7 of the canon series, her brother has not made any actual appearances in the series, and her father was fine with Kirito from the get go. However, as you can see, I do not plan on ignoring her family entirely. They will be making appearances throughout the story, including this chapter, but they will not have as much screentime as her friends.

After reading this chapter, I hope you will participate in a new poll that I have created on my profile. If you do not want to be spoiled about what happens in this chapter, I would advice you to read the chapter first before participating in the poll. This is a **spoiler alert** because the poll will be relatively revealing to certain significant parts or implications in this chapter. I repeat, please avoid looking at the poll until you are finished reading this chapter. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading the chapter and leave a review. I look forward to reading your comments.

/

Story Arc Two: Return to Reality

Chapter Five: Threat of the Plug

/

You are my hero

There is no one else for me

Nothing can change that

/

Date: Sunday, December 1, 2024

Location: An Unknown Facility that is run by Sugou Nobuyuki

The time had finally come for Sugou to begin his rather sadistic plan. While he himself knew that it was not necessary for him to take such actions, he believed it would be a good source of entertainment until his other experiments were further along and he was ready to begin taking steps for his original plan. Even though Sugou had not reached what he considered to be the 'best part,' he had enjoyed observing his prisoner's progress in Alfheim Online.

Hideyoshi and Sugou observed that the boy had adapted to his life in Alfheim Online rather well over the past three weeks. He met and befriended members of a guild who were experienced players. The boy had sought temporary lodgings at their 'base of operations.' While he had not become a member of their guild, he had worked on several quests with them and proved to be a valuable asset. The boy went on as many quests as he could with those members. Apparently, the boy believed if he completed enough quests, it might give him a clue in figuring out how to escape from this game as well.

In addition, he had a strange navigation pixie as an AI companion. It was a program that was installed in his Nerve Gear prior to his arrival in Alfheim Online. Sugou had surmised it must have somehow transferred from Sword Art Online to Alfheim Online due to both games using the same type of engines. That was also how his skills in Sword Art Online were transferred. As Hideyoshi observed, the boy and the navigation pixie shared a strange connection that one would not ordinarily see between a player and an AI. It was something that Hideyoshi seemed to admire to an extent while Sugou could not comprehend it.

Besides the navigation pixie acting as the boy's helper in fields, such as teaching him flight mechanics, he apparently treated her like he would treat any other player if not better. As Sugou predicted, the boy did not tell other players about his predicament of being trapped in Alfheim Online, but his navigation pixie seemed to know. Based on the observations, the navigation pixie appeared to encourage the boy, and this was one of the only things that helped him keep his hopes up. While this did surprise Sugou, this was not something he felt was unwelcome. As far as he was concerned, the navigation pixie's actions were all well and good because that was hope he intended to break completely.

Sugou fervently asked his subordinate, "Have the preparations been completed yet Hideyoshi?"

Hideyoshi stated, "Yes. The expansion is ready to be installed into the Alfheim Online world now." He then pressed several other buttons, and a progress bar appeared on his computer screen. "The upload has begun, and it will be finished within an hour or so."

Sugou checked over the mechanics as well to ensure his subordinate was telling the truth. He wanted to ensure that nothing went wrong. He then asked, "Have the messages been sent out to all of the players in the game yet?"

Hideyoshi answered, "Yes sir. All of the currently active players have received the message in their inbox, including the avatar that belongs to Kirigaya Kazuto."

Sugou said in an enthusiastic tone, "Excellent." A smug smile formed a look on Sugou's face that would make anyone want to punch him, especially, Hideyoshi. "Not only will it provide the players a new area for activities, but it will allow us to handle the hero discreetly."

Hideyoshi decided to remind his boss of the problem with this plan. "How do you know the kid will accept the invitation? After all, he doesn't have to accept the invitation if he doesn't want to compete. What will you do then?"

Unlike Hideyoshi, Sugou had no doubts about this plan. He confidently stated, "You and I have both observed that he has been attempting to find a way out of this game for the past three weeks. While he has managed to meet players who are not too different from himself, he already knows they can't help him." Sugou reminded his subordinates of a few key facts. "That brat has been through one life and death game in a virtual world, and he will probably believe that if he manages to achieve some kind of objective that the administrator provides for him, it will be his only ticket to his possible freedom. I have a feeling that his experience will tell him that while that message was given to everyone, he will be able to tell it is truly addressed to him." He then smugly stated to Hideyoshi, "In fact, pull up the list of players who have signed up for the tournament and let's see if he is there."

Hideyoshi did not say anything when he pulled up the list. Sure enough, Kirito's name was already signed up for the upcoming matches.

Sugou then stated in his normal smug voice, "It appears that I was correct after all. He accepted the invitation only a few minutes after receiving it. This will be the beginning of an interesting turn of events. I look forward to seeing them play out."

Although Hideyoshi did not show it, a part of him felt bad for what the boy was about to go through. He grimly thought to himself, _"You poor bastard. I originally thought this was going to be fun, but now it is kind of sad. You are just being played like a violin for Sugou's entertainment. When you find that out, you will understand a bit of the position I have been in, and you will have my sympathies for your predicament."_

Sugou turned to leave and as he prepared to depart, he thought to himself, _"I suppose it is time for me to instruct my in-game subordinates."_

Before Sugou left, he decided to ensure Hideyoshi was prepared to take care of potential loose ends. He asked, "By the way, do you have a method for containing his navigation pixie as well? I wouldn't want it to retreat into his Nerve Gear helmet when the time comes. It may provide a number of 'interesting' uses for us." Sugou added an extra bit of venom to the word 'interesting.' It was said in a way that would make anyone nervous about what he really meant.

Hideyoshi took a breath before answering, "You don't have to worry about that sir. I have been monitoring her program, and I have prepared something that should be able to contain her."

Sugou noticed the last thing that his subordinate had said. He asked with a bit of venom in his voice, "Did you just refer to that program as a 'her?'"

Hideyoshi realized the mistake he made, and answered, "I guess it was a slip of the tongue. After all, that program does have the appearance of a little girl, and the program goes by the name Yui. It is easy to forget about such issues sometimes."

Sugou scoffed at what Hideyoshi stated, "Be sure not to let it slip too much. I wouldn't want you to sympathize with such a device. After all, it can be useful to us in its own way. If I am correct, I believe that AI was somehow transferred from Sword Art Online to Alfheim Online due to the engine similarities. Eventually, we may be able to use that program to our advantage someday but not before it serves its purpose in another capacity."

After Sugou had left, Hideyoshi then thought to himself, _"You may think of that program as being nothing but a device, but it is a lot more human than you are. Although, I suppose I must thank you for your existence Yui. Thanks to how you were seamlessly transferred from Sword Art Online to Alfheim Online, you have given me some inspiration in executing my own ideas. I will be sure to start taking some actions of my own soon enough, and I will owe it all to you."_

/

Date: Friday, December 6, 2024

Location: Kirigaya Household

_One time when I was visiting the Kirigaya household, Suguha-san told me something about her game Alfheim Online. She seemed glum about it. She told me,_ "Last week, I received a message from the administrator of the game. They added a new territory that will be holding tournaments. The first one is supposed to begin in two days."

_I wasn't exactly clear on why she was glum, so I asked, _"Is there some kind of problem?"

_She said to me in a frustrated voice, _"There is. I was originally going to sign up for it with my friend Recon, but I remembered that there is a kendo tournament I need to train for. Our practices begin tomorrow, and they are going to be rather intense, so I won't have time to participate in it."

_I scratched the back of my head as I sheepishly said, _"That's too bad."

"I know. I was really looking forward to participating in it." _She then began explaining the significance of Alfheim Online's expansion,_ "The area they added is a neutral territory. There is this huge coliseum that the tournaments and exhibition fights will be held. Apparently, they structured the coliseum based on Ancient Rome. There are no restrictions to those who can enter the territory or participate in the tournaments. Anyone who is a player is capable of competing in them even if they literally became a player yesterday. They also give you the choice of competing in teams of two or as a solo player."

_I laughed at how Suguha reminded me of Kirito-kun. I cheerfully told her, _"I have a feeling that if he had a choice, Kazuto-kun would fight solo. He did spend most of his time in the game as a solo player. I remember when I had to 'strongly persuade' him to form a party with me."

_When I say 'strongly persuade,' I mean comically threaten him with a knife. I wasn't really going to stab him, but I did make him nervous. Besides, since we were in a safe zone at the time, it wouldn't have hurt him no matter how hard I could have tried._

_Suguha-san laughed at my comment_, "You are probably right."

_I remembered something that Suguha-san stated earlier. _"You mentioned they will hold 'tournaments' right? Does that mean they plan on holding multiple tournaments?"

_Suguha-san informed me, _"According to the message, they plan on hosting tournaments on a bimonthly basis. Apparently, in between the tournaments, they will allow players to use the coliseum for practice fights and duels, so it will probably be crowded a lot."

_I responded, _"Then it's not that bad right? You can participate in the next tournament."

_What I said seemed to make her feel a little better. _"That's true, but they are going to present a special prize to whoever wins the first tournament."

_I asked in a curious tone, _"Do you know what the prize is?"

_Suguha-san was unsure herself when she answered, _"Not exactly. The wording of the message was not entirely clear."

_I inquired further, _"What did it say?"

_Suguha thought about the message before she recalled what she read. _"The message went like this: 'For the one to win the first tournament, you will be granted a special audience with Fairy King Oberon, and you will be allowed to fly beyond this world.'"

_I asked in a curious voice, _"What do you think that means?"

_Suguha suggested, _"I think it means that if you win the tournament, you will receive a similar prize if you were able to reach the giant tree Yggdrasil that is in the center of Alfheim Online. Apparently, you will be transformed into a member of the ALF race and be given unlimited flight. It has also been rumored you may receive something even greater than that."

_I tried to understand what Suguha-san was saying, but I was too used to Sword Art Online terminology that I wasn't in a position to understand another virtual reality's terminology at that point. I said with a blank look on my face, _"Yggdrasil? The ALF race?"

_Suguha-san got the hint that I had no clue what she was talking about. _"It would probably take a long time to explain everything about the game without showing you. If you ever decide to play someday, I will show you exactly what I mean. However, it would be best to summarize Yggdrasil as a huge tree that is something that you need to see to believe, and the ALF race is supposed master race that has unlimited flight. If you reach the top of the tree, apparently, you will become one of them, but no one has ever succeeded in attaining that goal."

_For the time being, I was willing to take her word for it._ "Okay, but to be honest, after everything I saw in Sword Art Online, I am willing to believe a lot of things are possible in virtual reality." _I decided to change the topic back to being about the tournament and spoke in a skeptical tone_, "Anyway, about that prize, it sounds a little too good to be true. Are you sure that message really came from the administrator?"

_Suguha firmly told me, _"Yes I'm sure. Some of my friends in Alfheim Online as well as several other players I know received the same message too. Besides, the new area is actually available right now, so we were all able to get a sneak peak of what it will be like when the tournament opens up in a few days. It's just a shame that I won't be able to compete or see it happen for myself. I have a feeling that since I am withdrawing, Recon will probably withdraw from it as well." _Suguha-san sighed before continuing,_ "From what I hear, numerous players from the different races, including some of the best players of the game, have already signed up for the tournament. It will be a spectacle that everyone is going to want to see."

_Hearing this caught my interest as I asked, _"Are they going to provide any videos that people will be able to see?"

_She answered, _"I doubt they will do that. The most I can hope for is hearing a few first hand accounts or view some screenshots of what happened. Other than that, I'm going to have to wait until I can compete in February."

_I scratched my head before responding, _"Well just so you know. One day if do decide to join in Alfheim Online, I would be happy to team up with you in that tournament."

_Suguha became really excited after I said that. She happily asked me, _"Really?"

_I smiled and told her, _"It's a promise."

_Suguha realized that we had gotten off track from what I originally wanted to talk to her about. She said, _"By the way Asuna, was there something else that you wanted to talk to me about?"

_I remembered what my real purpose for coming there was. While it was something I could have asked over the phone, I felt it would be better to talk to her in person. _"Oh right. I wanted to ask you if you knew anything about what Kazuto-kun would want as a Christmas gift. During our time together, we never really exchanged such information as it was an unspoken rule in Sword Art Online to generally avoid talking about subjects relating to reality unless you really felt it was necessary."

"Oh I see. That sounds understandable. I guess talking about such things in that situation could cause some unnecessary trouble for you." _Even though Suguha-san was right about that assumption, she had no idea how right she truly was. Although, I decided it was best not to bring that up, and I let her continue._ "Well I do have some ideas that might help you with that. However, some of my suggestions might be a little dated."

_I happily said it her, _"I'm all ears."

/

Date: Sunday, December 8, 2024

Location: Mall

_Lisbeth had proven to be a true friend to me multiple times during the months after our escape from Sword Art Online. I think one of the most notable times was when she and I were alone hanging out at a mall. It was in December, and I was hoping to purchase a Christmas gift for Kirito-kun. At this point, we had recovered sufficiently, so we were capable of walking without the need of escorts, but we still needed to attend physical therapy on a regular basis. It is likely that our physical therapy sessions are still far from complete. _

_During our time in Sword Art Online, I never did ask Kirito-kun questions, such as what he would like for occasions such as his birthday or Christmas. I decided to ask Suguha for some advice, and she told me a few things that Kirito-kun used to like prior to the Sword Art Online incident. Using the information she gave me combined with what I knew about Kirito-kun in the game, I came to a decision for the perfect present. _

_I know some people would think it is foolish of me to buy a present for Kirito-kun since he isn't able to enjoy it. However, I didn't care about that. I figured I would give him this present, so he could enjoy it after he woke up. Even if he continued to be asleep for months or even years to come, I would still buy him gifts for the day of his eventual awaking. Of course, I wanted him to wake up much sooner than that of course. I guess another reason for why I bought him those presents was because I didn't know what else I could do. Perhaps I subconsciously believed that buying him presents it would somehow trigger his awakening. It sounds ridiculous, but at that time I was willing to try anything that might work._

_When I told Lisbeth that I was going to purchase something for Kirito-kun, she volunteered to go with me. Suguha would have come with us, but she had a kendo tournament to practice for, and I didn't want to interfere with that. After Lisbeth and I were dropped off at the mall, we began to check a few of the shops. When I was walking with Lisbeth, we were heading towards a crowd of people, but as we approached them, I began to feel something that I didn't expect. It was a strange uneasiness. At first, I was not sure why I was feeling it, but as we walked towards the crowd, the uneasy feeling increased. _

_Soon that feeling was replaced by a feeling of dread and fear. I did not understand where this fear was coming from. However, I soon realized that this fear was coming from the fact I was approaching so many people at once. During the past few weeks following my release from Sword Art Online when there were numerous other people around, I had an escort accompanying me, or I was with a group of people. However, this time the only other person with me was Lisbeth, and I knew that two teenage girls who were still in rehabilitation from a two year coma would not scare anyone._

_Before we reached the crowd, I stopped dead in my tracks. Lisbeth took notice of me stopping and asked,_ "What's wrong?"

_I didn't answer Lisbeth's question. The fear caused my mind to become completely blank, so I couldn't answer her even if I wanted to. Instead, I walked over to one of the exit hallways and sat on one of the benches. As soon as I sat down, I let out a deep breath I didn't realize I was keeping. I attempted to calm down as best as I could, but I was doing a fairly poor job based on Lisbeth's reaction to my actions._

_Lisbeth walked over to me and asked me with a worried tone, _"Asuna are you all right? Do you need help?"

_I attempted to calmly respond to her question, _"I'm sorry for worrying you Lisbeth. I'm fine." _Unfortunately, my voice was a little shaky._

_Lisbeth did not believe what I said for a second. _"No you're not. I have never seen you this shaken up before. Tell me what's wrong."

_I remained silent for a few moments. It's not like I didn't want to tell Lisbeth the truth. It was a matter of explaining it in a way she would understand. In fact, I needed to explain it in a way that I would be able to understand myself. I remember that this was the same feeling I had when I learned that the surviving Laughing Coffin members would not be receiving punishment for their crimes and would eventually be allowed to reenter society. This was also the same feeling I had when Sugou entered my hospital room as well. It was the fact that while I would have been able to handle them myself if we were still in Sword Art Online that was no longer the case because we were back in the real world. _

_While returning to the real world is what I strived to do for those two years, I along with the other survivors needed to pay the price. We could no longer use our abilities, and we were just like everyone else. From that point forward, we would have to deal with reality in our own way. However, it would be more difficult for some than others, especially me, since I had truly become dependent on my abilities._

_I admitted to Lisbeth in a shameful voice, _"I'm scared of walking in those crowds."

_Lisbeth asked me in a confused voice, _"What?"

_I tried to explain to her as best as I could. _"The idea of walking into a crowd scares me. I know I probably shouldn't feel this way, but the idea of being around so many people at one time is frightening."

_She asked me in a concerned voice, _"Why is that?"

_I put my hand on my forehead before I continued by explanation. _"Well it's just that in Sword Art Online, the safe zones were always a safe haven for players. The only thing we had to worry about was the possibility of someone challenging us to a duel in our sleep, and we could take care of that problem by securing a room or a home and only allowing your friends to visit you." _When I think about it, that was probably one of the best parts about Sword Art Online_. "However, in the real world, there are no safe havens. If we happen to run into someone who is like one of the Laughing Coffin members, we won't be as lucky as we were in the game."

_While I was saying that, I felt nothing but shame that the once proud frontline fighter had been reduced to someone who was afraid of entering a crowd of people due to her paranoia. However, Lisbeth just stood there and remained silent. Her face did not mock my worries, but it showed a clear understanding of what I was saying. She could tell that I was not done talking yet. Her facial expression all but told me, "Please continue."_

_While Lisbeth already knew this, I figured I would say this anyway to stress my point. That was especially since I had to deal with those situations more often during the game. _"In the game we could suffer injuries that would be potentially fatal in the real world, but as long as we had enough health and defense, we would still survive." _One of the most notable events I recall was when I had to save Kirito-kun from Kuradeel as well as the fact that we were able to heal Kirito-kun severed arm which would never have been possible in the real world._ "Even if our injuries were severe, we could use crystals to heal ourselves instantly and teleport away from danger. However, in the real world, we have no luxury like that. In this world, our lives are far more fragile, especially right now. I don't know about you, but my body still feels vulnerable. I can walk without any problems, but I tire easily. I wouldn't be able to defend myself or anyone else."

_As soon as I was done talking, Lisbeth walked up to me, and she put her hand on my shoulder. She said to me in a reassuring voice,_ "It's okay Asuna. I understand. It seems perfectly natural for you to feel that way."

_Even though I appreciated what she said, I asked her, _"Why do you not seem to be fearful of this situation? I would have thought you would feel the same."

_Lisbeth took a deep breath before she answered me in a sincere voice, _"To be perfectly honest Asuna, similar thoughts have crossed my mind. I had my share of near death experiences in Aincrad, and I doubt I would have made it out of there alive if it weren't ironically for the game mechanics." _She then held out her right hand and looked at it intently before continuing._ "I do find it hard to believe how fragile reality can make us."

_That didn't seem to surprising, but Lisbeth seemed strangely calm about this. I asked her, _"But it doesn't seem to affect you as much. I'm surprised you can be so calm about this."

_Lisbeth explained to me, _"I think it has more to do with the fact that my level at the end of the game was far lower than yours, and I was not in as many life threatening situations as you were during your fights in the frontlines."

_While I understood that last part of what she said, I was a little confused by the first things she had said, _"Huh?"

_Lisbeth could tell that I did not completely understand what she was talking about. She explained to me, _"While my level in Sword Art Online was relatively high, it paled in comparison to yours or Kirito's. I know you wanted to escape from the game, but I bet you did feel a sense of accomplishment since you were one of the best players in the game and you were an idol within the Sword Art Online population." _I would be lying if I denied that part. Having such a high level allowed me to maintain my authority in the Knights of the Blood, and I was admired by the population of Aincrad for more than one reason._ "However, now that we are back in reality, you no longer have the power you are used to. It makes you feel vulnerable to the outside world right?"

_After Lisbeth said that to me, I thought it over, and realized that what she said made a lot of sense. I guess the idea of me going from someone with all the power at her disposal to someone completely powerless was rather daunting. _

_I responded to her, _"I guess that would sum it up."

_Lisbeth then explained to me_. "I don't feel as frightened by this because unlike you I wasn't a fighter. In comparison to you, I didn't fight as many lengthy, life-threatening battles, and due to my level being lower than yours along with having fewer abilities that were useful for battle, I think it has allowed the transition to society in the real world easier for me than it has been for you and the other frontline players."

_It was my turn to remain silent. Lisbeth could see that I was intently listening to her as she continued her point, _"I won't ask you not to feel scared. It probably isn't a bad thing for you to have your guard up when you're outside. You never know what kind of people there are out here. However, you shouldn't let that fear control you."

_If I didn't know any better, I would say that Lisbeth was a psychiatrist. Regardless, what Lisbeth said was true, but this was something I knew that could not be done so easily._

_I told her, _"You're right, but that is easier said than done."

_Lisbeth took a deep breath and responded, _"I know it is, but this is something that we can do together. You don't have to feel alone in this."

_I was surprised to hear Lisbeth say that. _"What?"

_Lisbeth smiled and stated in a matter of fact tone, _"After going through what we went through, we should know that every player acting only for their own interests won't cut it. That applies both in Sword Art Online and the real world. We should all look out for each other. Whenever we are together, I have your back."

_After Lisbeth told me that, I sort of had a case of déjà vu. While I found what Lisbeth said touching, I just couldn't help but laugh._

_I will not forget how confused Lisbeth appeared when she asked me, _"What's so funny?"

_When I was done laughing, I explained, _"This kind of reminds me of my first meeting with Kirito-kun."

_Lisbeth seemed interested in knowing more. She said, _"Really? How so?"

_I reminisced of the first time Kirito-kun and I met. I wasn't going to tell Lisbeth the whole story, so I told her the short version. _"Before we fought the first boss a month after the game began, I told him about how I didn't want to lose myself in that game. Even though he didn't know me, he trusted me with his back, and we worked together. What you said kind of made me feel nostalgic. I have been so caught up in some of my fears that I forgot that I have friends like you that I can put my trust in. Thanks for reminding me Lisbeth."

"Come on. That's what friends are for right?" _Lisbeth then put out her hand._

_I responded to her question, _"Right." _I took her hand, and she pulled me out of my seat, and we continued our time in the mall. Eventually, I was able to find a suitable gift for Kirito-kun._

_In addition to finding Kirito-kun's gift, I reminded myself of why I fought so hard to return to reality. While it is true that Sword Art Online allowed me to have abilities beyond what I could gain in reality, it caused me to change from the weak person I used to be and also to meet people I have grown to care about, especially Kirito-kun, it was a place that I could never stay in forever even if I wanted to. If I would have stayed in Sword Art Online forever, there would have been no future worth living for. _

_The world of Sword Art Online would be a world where I could never be able to fulfill my dreams or desires. Even if I was able to remain with Kirito-kun forever, I would not be capable of being completely happy because we would not be able to have a real family. There would be a strong sense of unfulfillment that would be held over my head for the rest of my life. I will admit that without entering Sword Art Online, I would probably not be who I am now nor would I have the perspective that I have gained. It is for that reason among others I do not regret entering Sword Art Online but like all things it was not something that I would want to be perpetuated forever. _

_As far as I am concerned, even if everyone gave up fighting and we all lived peacefully in the game, it would maintain a perpetual present that would not change. Even if people could gain a feeling of happiness from that, they would lack a sense of fulfillment that would continually eat away at them. I know that would definitely be true for me. While the future for me in the real world is as uncertain as anyone else's, at the very least it is something that I am capable of shaping for myself. Everyone else who survived Sword Art Online will have their chance to shape their own futures as well for better or worse._

_Of course, I was hoping that I would soon be able to begin shaping a future with Kirito-kun by my side. It would be a future that all of our friends and Yui-chan could be part of too. That was a future that I would truly strive for above all else._

/

Date: Sunday, December 15, 2024

Location: Kiragaya Kazuto's Hospital Room

_On this day, Suguha-san, Lisbeth, and I all visited Kirito-kun together. Thanks to Suguha-san and Lisbeth's meetings at the Dicey Café, the two become fast friends, and Lisbeth received permission from Kirito-kun's family to visit. Silica-chan also received permission to visit Kirito-kun too, but she wasn't able to come with us that time. On a funny note, this also proves my prediction that Kirigaya-san would get along with the friends that Kirito-kun and I made during our time in Sword Art Online._

_After we entered the room, I said to Lisbeth,_ "Rika meet Kirigaya Kazuto."

_She looked at Kirito-kun's motionless body for a few moments, and none of us said anything which created an awkward silence in the room. When I saw how depressed Lisbeth looked when she gazed upon Kirito-kun sleeping body, I did not think much of it at first. However, when I thought back to the look in her eyes, it really stood out in my mind._

_Lisbeth broke the silence by playfully saying, _"So this is what our 'hero' looks like in reality."

_I figured that Lisbeth was trying to think of something she could say. We both knew that Kirito-kun would look basically the same as he did in the game, so that shouldn't be a surprise at all. However, I guess she figured this was a delicate situation, and it was best to carefully think about what to say. _

_I sighed as I said, _"Yeah. That's him."

_After I said that, the awkward silence returned. I too was at a lost for words. It seems that regardless of how many times I came to see Kirito-kun, I was unable to say much. Most of the time, I was usually by myself, and I would speak to Kirito-kun about what is going on in my life. Even if I had an escort with me while I was still in my wheelchair, he would leave me alone with him._

_There were also one or two times that Suguha-san and I came together, but we were able to come up with something to talk about. When Lisbeth came with us, it became a crowd of three. I didn't think it would be this difficult to start up a conversation for the three of us in Kirito-kun's room, especially when we never had any difficulty in Agil's shop. I guess it was the atmosphere that was making this difficult._

_Luckily, Lisbeth was a better conversation starter for these types of situations than I was. She saw that while both Suguha-san and I liked being by Kirito-kun's side, but the sight of his motionless body made us sad as well. Lisbeth decided to take it upon herself to lighten the mood._

_Lisbeth turned her attention to Suguha-san, _"Hey Suguha-san, did I ever tell you about how Kazuto-kun and I met."

_That was enough to catch Suguha-san's attention. _"No."

_Lisbeth stated in a happy and proud voice, _"Well it's quite a story. Do you remember that I told you I worked as a blacksmith during our time in Sword Art Online?"

"Yes I remember." _She asked in a curious tone,_ "Did you meet my brother because of your job?"

_Lisbeth gave her usual playful smile when she answered, _"You guessed it. As you can figure, it was my job to create weapons and equipment for players, and Asuna was one of my best customers." _She playfully pointed to me as she stated,_ "I met your brother for the first time back in June after Asuna recommended my shop to him. When I first met him, I had a terrible first impression of him. Based on his mannerisms, I thought he was pretty rude."

_Suguha-san sheepishly said, _"My brother is a good person. He just tends to rub people the wrong way sometimes."

_I could tell a part of Suguha-san was laughing at this story even though she was keeping it to herself. Since she grew up with Kirito-kun, she probably understood his bad habits the most. To be honest, I was laughing at this too. Kirito-kun always had a habit of being misunderstood. Unfortunately, some of the misunderstandings players had with him ended up being less than comical. However, it was good to hear that was not a problem in this case._

_Lisbeth chuckled at Suguha-san's remark, _"You don't have to tell me. I know from firsthand experience. However, what really took the cake was when he tested my best sword's endurance."

_Suguha-san was very interested in knowing more about her brother's actions, _"What happened when he did that?"

_Lisbeth bluntly answered, _"He ended up destroying it beyond repair."

_Suguha-san was embarrassed at her brother's actions and apologized, _"I'm so sorry Rika-san."

_Lisbeth waved off Suguha-san's apology, _"You don't have to be. I was pissed when he destroyed it though. I think a part of me cried when I saw my masterwork destroyed in front of my eyes." _I guess that is what people mean when they say, 'One day we can look back on this moment and laugh,' since Lisbeth seemed to be having fun reminiscing about this story._ _She continued, _"I put a lot of work into that sword, and he smashed it to pieces like it was nothing. He then put my pride as a blacksmith to the test. He challenged me to make something better, and I told him that if I had better material, I would make him a sword better than anything he ever wielded before. That challenge led the two of us to go on a quest to find stronger material."

_While Lisbeth had told me a few details of her time with Kirito-kun before, I had a feeling, I was about to hear a bit more to her tale. I interjected, _"I take it that things did not go so smoothly on your little quest did they?"

_Lisbeth responded nonchalantly, _"No they did not. While we attempted to find that material, we ended up having to confront an Ice Dragon. During that conflict, I was almost killed. When Kazuto-kun saw that my life was in danger, he went out of his way to save me without hesitation even though he could have killed the Ice Dragon or escaped. By saving my life, he almost ended up getting killed himself, and we ended up being trapped in a hole for a night, so I asked him why he saved me despite knowing the risk." _Lisbeth sigh before she said,_ "He gave me an answer I could hardly believe."

_I could tell by the look on Suguha-san's face that she really wanted to know what the answer was. I wanted to know the answer too, but I didn't show it as much. Suguha-san intently asked, _"What did he say to you Rika-san?"

_While I had seen Lisbeth smile before, the smile she gave as she told us this part of the story was different from what I had seen before. She told us in a voice that was a mixture of happiness and sadness, _"He told me, 'I would rather die alongside someone rather than watching that person die without doing anything. That is especially true for a girl like you Lisbeth.'"

_When she said that, I couldn't help but smile and gave a small chuckle. I said, _"That sounds exactly like Kazuto-kun."

_Lisbeth gave a chuckle of her own. _"It certainly is. After that night, we were forced to confront the Ice Dragon again because that hole was actually its nest. When I saw Kazuto-kun handle that situation, I was completely stunned. He not only defeated the Ice Dragon, but he used the situation to his advantage to free us from that hole, acquire the material we needed to forge him a new sword, and he saved my life again."

_Suguha-san was amazed to hear this tale. I could tell that she believed what Lisbeth was telling her, especially since she knows what virtual reality is capable of, but she still found this story to be fascinating. _"That's an incredible story Rika-san."

_Lisbeth told Suguha-san in her most serious voice, _"I just felt that you needed to know Suguha-san. I believe it's your right to know that your brother is a hero in more ways than one. When he saw people in trouble, he always went the extra mile to save them. Until I met him, I never knew a man like him before." _The look in Lisbeth's eyes and the sound of her voice was filled with admiration for Kirito-kun, but I noticed there was something more._

_Suguha-san then looked at her brother's motionless body before looking back at Lisbeth. She said in a grateful voice, _"Thank you very much for telling me this."

_Lisbeth then playfully patted Suguha-san on her head. _"Hey what are friends for right? Besides you deserve to know about what kind of person your brother was in the game. Based on what I saw, I think if anyone is capable of reawakening from this coma and returning to reality, your brother is the one that can do that."

_Seeing Suguha-san smile after Lisbeth told her this story, made me happy. Lisbeth really helped raise Suguha-san's spirits regarding her brother's condition and his eventual return to reality just like she helped raise my sprits too. However, I did realize something else about Lisbeth. From the way she gazed upon Kirito-kun's body to the way she spoke about him in her story, I eventually was able to put two and two together. I figured out that Lisbeth liked Kirito-kun more than as just a friend. However, I chose not to say anything about it that day because I did not want to ruin the mood that she had worked so hard to create._

/

_When we were outside the hospital and Sughua-san left us, I decided to talk to Lisbeth in private. While Lisbeth and I were walking, we passed by a park, and I noticed that not too many people were around. I thought to myself, "I guess that place is as good as any." I believed it was the best time to confront Lisbeth before I let my nagging feeling get the better of me._

_After I was sure we were alone in the park, I calmly asked, _"Hey Lisbeth, do you like Kirito-kun?"

_Lisbeth asked in an embarrassed tone, _"Why would you ask that?"

_I thought back to Kirito-kun and Lisbeth's first meeting and said, _"I remember back in June that you and Kirito-kun were talking about something important in your shop before I entered. After I arrived, your facial expression changed. I didn't really think much of it at the time, but I saw how you looked at Kirito-kun at the hospital and the way you talked about him. It made me start thinking there was more to it than that." _Lisbeth was becoming nervous as I continued speaking, but I assured her,_ "I promise that I won't get angry. Please tell me the truth."

_Understandably, Lisbeth had difficulty forming an answer. She eventually confessed, _"I do like him. I'm sorry." _The expression on Lisbeth's face was shame. She must have felt ashamed of herself for liking the same person her best friend liked._

_I assured Lisbeth, _"You don't have to be, but what happened exactly?" _Knowing Lisbeth had feelings for Kirito-kun would never cause me to think less of her, I still wanted to know why she liked him too. I felt like I needed to know._

_Lisbeth scratched the back of her head and sighed before she answered. _"Well the story is exactly as I told you and Suguha-san back in the room, but there is a little more to it than that. After Kirito and I gathered the necessary material to create the Dark Repulser, I tried to tell Kirito-kun that I was falling for him. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to hear me when I was making that declaration. When I tried telling him my feelings back at my store, you walked in, and I saw the chemistry between you two." _She paused for a few moments before continuing_, "It felt like you belonged together, and I decided that I did not want to get in your way. That's why I felt like I needed to get away."

_I could see the pain in Lisbeth's eyes as she told me that. While I was grateful that she did not make any attempts to win Kirito-kun's affections, the sad look on my friend's face pained me. I told her, _"I'm sorry Lisbeth. I didn't mean to cause you any pain."

_She gave me a weak smile as she responded, _"I know you didn't."

_I wanted to know something else, so I asked, _"If you don't mind me asking, why didn't you try to pursue Kirito-kun back then? He and I weren't in a relationship yet. You still could have done something if you wanted."

_Lisbeth looked at me in the eye and firmly said, _"It didn't feel right to do something like that. You had previously asked me for advice when you figured out you were in love with someone and after I saw the way you two talked and the way you looked at each other, I realized he was the one you were talking about. It wasn't right for me to get involved even if you two weren't together then."

_I was almost at a loss for words. The only response I could come up with, _"I'm not sure if I should be saying sorry for what happened or thank you for your consideration."

_She assured me, _"You don't have to say anything. I already told you that you don't need to apologize to me, and I am grateful to how Kirito-kun made things easier for me afterwards." _She could see I was curious about that last part, so she explained, _"After I left my shop, I ended up crying by the river. However, Kirito-kun chased after me. He figured out what I was going to say to him, and he let me down easy."

_When Lisbeth told me that, I couldn't help but smile. I thought to myself, "That is just like Kirito-kun. He may not always be the best at handling situations, but he always tries to do the right thing." _

_I happily responded to Lisbeth, _"Kirito-kun is good person. He isn't the type to leave issues unresolved especially if it comes at the cost of others."

_Lisbeth gave me a sincere smile, _"You're right. I was happy enough to just be his friend, and I will still be happy enough to remain his friend now."

_I asked in a surprised tone, _"Lisbeth are you sure about that?"

_To be honest, I wasn't even sure why I said that. While I was glad that she wouldn't pursue Kirito-kun, I wasn't sure if that would mean the entire issue was resolved. I wouldn't want any issues to loom over our heads. Lisbeth is my best friend, and I would never want to have such a conflict with her._

_She assured me, _"Its fine Asuna. A part of me was considering to let the two of you become reacquainted in the real world before I would make any attempts of my own, but I'm not going to do that." _She laughed a little after she said that and continued,_ "You two are my friends, and I want you two to be happy. When Kirito-kun wakes up in the real world, you won't have to worry about me. I won't get in the way. You two belong with each other, and I will be happy to make sure that happens."

_I was so pleasantly surprised by what Lisbeth was saying to me, the only thing I could say to her was, _"Lisbeth."

_Before I could say anything else, she continued in a calm, reassuring voice, _"I want you to remember something Asuna. If you ever find out something in the future that can help us wake up Kirito-kun, you need to tell me. I will do anything to ensure you two are reunited."

_Although, I believed her, I took a good look in Lisbeth's eyes to make sure. From the look in her eyes, I could see she was serious. I graciously told her, _"Thank you Lisbeth."

_However, Lisbeth was not done yet. She then firmly told me, _"There is also one more thing too."

_I asked in a curious tone, _"What is it?"

_Lisbeth told me in a reassuring voice, _"I want you to remember that I always have your back. If you ever feel like you need to tell me about anything and that includes Kirito, you can feel free to talk to me about it."

_As much as I wanted to take her up on that offer, I was initially hesitant. I asked, _"Are you sure about that? I wouldn't want to inadvertently rub salt in your wounds or anything."

_Lisbeth waved off my concern. _"It's fine Asuna. Don't forget that we are friends. Helping your friends is what we are supposed to do. Never forget that."

_I couldn't help but smile after she said that. The advice she told me was something that I would make sure that I would never forget. Although, there was something I wanted to talk to her about, I didn't think then was the right time to talk about it. I figured I would save it for another time._

/

_When it came to spending time with my friends, the ones I spent the most amount of time with were definitely Lisbeth, Silica-chan, and Suguha-san. Most of the time I went to visit Lisbeth in the room at her hostel, we would occasionally invite Silica-chan over as well since she lived in the same hostel. I also enjoyed spending time with Suguha-san, especially when she was teaching me some kendo techniques. Sometimes I felt as if I was bonding with a sister I never had. If I ever did actually marry Kirito-kun she really would become my sister-in-law or rather 'step-sister-in-law,' and I could not imagine a better person than her to be one._

_However, I made sure to remain in contact with Klein, Agil, and a few of my fellow Sword Art Online survivors as well. I especially made sure to keep Klein and Agil in the loop whenever we met up at the Dicey Café. Since those two knew Kirito-kun better than Lisbeth and Silica, I would occasionally talk to them about Kirito. _

_There were times I wanted to talk to Suguha-san about Kirito-kun, but there were a few things about Sword Art Online that I wasn't sure I should talk to her about, such as the Black Cats, so I avoided talking to her about certain subjects regarding the game. If I did talk to her about Kirito-kun, I would talk to her about some of the things that seemed more appropriate, such as how we dueled each other due to our differing opinions and how we finally listed each other as friends because we worked together to solve a 'murder mystery.'_

/

_I was far from the only person who has had some interesting stories to tell after my awakening. After Klein's physical therapy allowed him to walk again, he attempted to get his old job back. Luckily for him, his employer was an understanding individual. When the Sword Art Online incident began, he was twenty-two years old, had a job, and lived alone. Fortunately, authorities realized that Klein was one of the victims before it was too late. _

_Prior to entering the game, Klein had ordered a pizza to be delivered at his place around the time the incident became public news. The delivery man had correctly guessed that the person living in the apartment wasn't answering the door due to being trapped in the game. Thanks to Kikuoka-san, Klein was able to thank that delivery man personally when he was able to._

_I asked Klein about it one time,_ "How was it meeting one of the people who saved your body in the real world?"

_He scratched the back of his head as he answered, _"It went pretty well, but I will admit it was kind of an awkward conversation at first, but he was actually a nice guy."

_I responded, _"Well I'm glad that it went well."

_He laughed as answered, _"You're not the only one."

_I decided to talk to Klein about how he was readjusting to the real world. I asked, _"Hey Klein, how have you been readjusting to the real world?"

_He playfully smiled at my question. _"Well that is an interesting question. It's been going well for the most part. However, it has been a pain to retrain for my previous job." _He chuckled as he said,_ "After being gone for two years, I am a little rusty at it."

_I chuckled at his answer as well. I then followed up on that question, _"What about with interacting with people?"

_Klein was confused by what I said, _"Huh?"

_I explained myself, _"You know. Interacting with people you didn't know while in the game, like you guild members or Kirito-kun. The people you didn't trust during the death game."

_Klein then said, _"Oh I see. Well I try not to think about it that way too much, but I will admit it will take some getting used to interacting with people beyond my 'Sword Art Online Social Circle.' However, I think it's getting easier everyday."

_While that wasn't exactly what I was getting at, I could see why he thought that was what I was talking about. Since Klein has to deal with a variety of different people in the work world in order to make a living, I guess he probably already dealt with any possible paranoia regarding other people already. Although, that might also be due to Klein's more trusting personality. I could picture that he would be more willing to trust that people wouldn't be willing to commit the acts I was afraid they could do._

_I sheepishly said to him,_ "I'm glad to hear you're readjusting to the real world well. You seem to be doing better than me."

_He chuckled and responded,_ "I'm sure you will be fine after some time passes. Just be sure to take it one step at a time."

_Despite Klein's usual goofy behavior, he is more than capable of giving words of wisdom. In addition to what Lisbeth said to me at the mall, Klein's advice has helped overcome my paranoia and allowed me to feel more comfortable being in the same area with people besides my Sword Art Online survivor friends._

/

_Agil has been another person that has helped me cope with certain issues I have had following our escape from Sword Art Online. I spoke to him regarding the Laughing Coffin guild. A part of me has feared that some of the surviving members of that guild may one day seek retribution against me if they are ever released back into society since I took part of the crusade against them. However, that was not really the issue I wanted to talk to him about. I figured if I could talk to anyone about this issue, it would be Agil._

_I asked him, _"By the way Agil, I'm sure you heard about the rumors of some of the Laughing Coffin members still being alive right?"

_He told me in a calm voice, _"Yes I've heard them. To be honest, I never had any doubts about some of them being alive."

_I wasn't surprised by that, but I still asked, _"How did you come to that conclusion?"

_Agil responded, _"I remember when you and Kirito-kun came to my shop to make preparations for that Laughing Coffin crusade last August. Following the completion of your operation, the newspapers stated that the Laughing Coffin had been wiped out, but I always had a feeling that wasn't entirely the truth. Kirito always had the habit of reminding me that the newspapers in Sword Art Online had a tendency to exaggerate the truth. As a result, I figured, if they were willing to exaggerate the small details, they would definitely stretch the truth on something as large as that operation."

_While Agil was a capable player in the game and fought numerous boss battles with us, there were a number of situations he did sit out for. One of those situations was the Laughing Coffin crusade. However, he did sell a number of useful items to Kirito-kun and I before the operation began, so he was still invaluable. It also means it is unlikely he would ever be targeted though since I doubt the Laughing Coffin members would go after suppliers even if they knew who they were._

_I admitted, _"I'm sorry Agil, but you're right. We didn't kill or capture all of the members. There were a number that managed to escape."

_He asked in a calm voice, _"Why did you guys keep that a secret from all of us?"

_I explained, _"Heathcliff didn't want the public to panic. He swore us to secrecy as he attempted to investigate their whereabouts." _However, I knew that explanation wasn't exactly valid anymore._ "Now that we knew Heathcliff was really Kayaba Akihiko, he probably knew exactly where they were or he the ability to find that out, but choose not to do anything. He probably figured that 'would not be possible' for an actual player to know that. While he may have been a cheater in some respects, he did play a fair game in others."

_The tone in Agil's voice did not change, _"I suppose that is understandable Asuna. You don't have to worry. I'm not angry or anything. I am glad you at least told me now."

_I grimly told him, _"It would be okay if that was where it ended."

_Agil curiously asked, _"What do you mean?"

_I took a deep breath before I explained, _"Before Kirito-kun and I actually became boyfriend and girlfriend, we were attacked by one of the surviving members of the guild. He paralyzed Kirito-kun and murdered two other players by using underhanded methods, but I stopped him from murdering Kirito-kun. I had him on his knees, but begged for me to spare his life. It caused me to hesitate and that led to disastrous results."

_After I said that, Agil deduced, _"Let me guess, he used that to attempt a sneak attack on you, and Kirito killed him in your place.

_Agil always was an intuitive person, so I wasn't surprised he would draw that conclusion. _"Good guess. However, before he died, I heard him call Kirito-kun a 'murderer'. I know Kirito-kun acted like it didn't affect him, but I know it did." _I then looked down and averted my eyes from Agil's face._ "When I think back on that day, I just wish I had it in me to kill Kuradeel myself instead of letting Kirito-kun get his hands dirty."

_After I was finished talking Agil said, _"Asuna look up here." _When I looked up, I saw that Agil's right hand was in front of me, and he flicked my head. That caught me off-guard. Agil firmly told me, _"Don't ever say something like that ever again."

_I said in a surprised tone, _"What?"

_Agil explained, _"While it is true what that man did was to get you to lower your guard, it was a good thing you didn't just kill him after you disarmed him. It is one thing to kill someone over the course of the fight, but it is another to kill someone when he is on his knees. I am sure if Kirito was in your position, he would have hesitated to kill him as well."

_I responded, _"But still . . ."

_Agil interrupted, _"I am not going to pretend to be a judgment of morality, but life always gives us choices. The choices we make affect not only who we become but how we will be perceived by others. Depending on how others perceive you, that will also affect your development as a person."

_I hesitantly said to him,_ "I guess you're right."

_Thanks to what Agil said, I did feel a little better about that incident, but I did not feel as if all my guilt had been absolved. While I didn't feel as guilty about hesitating to kill Kuradeel, I still felt guilty about my actions before the Kuradeel incident. I always thought my actions or my lack of actions prior to that were more or less directly responsible for it happening in the first place._

_I wanted to talk about it with Agil further, but I wasn't sure how. Not to mention, that Agil was a busy man, and he was getting ready to begin the night shift when more of his regular customers would be coming. I figured he needed to give his full attention to running his business and now was not the time to talk to him about even more of my problems._

_However, before I left the café, Agil decided to bring up one last topic. _"Speaking of the Laughing Coffin, I have also heard that they are not going to be receiving any public punishment for their actions either."

_I figured it was only a matter of time before word of that unfortunate truth would spread as well. I responded, _"That's unfortunately true. I talked to an official about the Laughing Coffin, and it horrified me that they might return to society someday."

_There were a few moments of silence before Agil stated, _"Well it might be for the best if the public doesn't make such a big deal about it."

_I asked in nervous voice, _"Why is that?"

_Agil told me, _"Since I own this place Asuna, I have met numerous people, and I have heard a lot of people talk. More than a few of them have heard the rumors about Laughing Coffin's existence, and they are worried they are a reflection of Sword Art Online survivors." _My eyes widened as I understood the implications of what Agil was saying._ "I would imagine if the Laughing Coffin was put on public display it would 'confirm' their fears that the game turned the players into less than 'civil' people. If too many people think the Laughing Coffin represents us as a whole, it could lead to the rest of us being ostracized by society."

_When I thought about it, it did make a lot of sense. The only people I have generally spoken too have either been my friends or my family. I haven't really spoken to a lot of people outside my inner circle, so I didn't really pay attention to what the public opinion of Sword Art Online survivors was._

_While I understood the logic, it didn't make me feel any less nervous about the situation. _"Well I guess that's true, but it does make me feel nervous about what might happen if I ever meet any of them again in the real world."

_Agil stated in an understanding voice, _"I can't say that I blame you, but if you ever think something like that is going to happen you shouldn't hesitate to call me. I'll be there to help you if you need it."

_I graciously responded, _"Thank you Agil."

/

_In the months following my freedom from Sword Art Online, I spent a majority of my time with my friends or visiting Kirito-kun. When I look back on those times, I didn't really spend much time with my family. To be honest, I find it sad that I have a much closer relationship with my fellow Sword Art Online survivors than members of my own family. In most cases, I would expect the reverse to be true._

_Although, I guess that wasn't too much different from life was before Sword Art Online in some ways. My father was still the CEO of RECTO Progress, so his time was occupied with business meetings and spending many long hours at his company. My brother and mother were also busy people as well. However, it was thanks to my time in Sword Art Online, that I never felt the need to hide behind them or keep my opinions to myself anymore. While the amount of time I spend with them may not have changed much, the conversations I would have with them had been altered significantly._

/

_**Yuuki Kouichirou**__: He is my older brother. His appearance is similar to my father's due to having short brown hair, and brown eyes, and Kouichirou is about my father's height. Prior to Sword Art Online, the two of us could not have been more opposite. He was a far more assertive person, and he was one of the people that I had to hide behind. By the time of Sword Art Online, he was already a businessman, but he also enjoyed playing video games in his spare time._

_About three months prior to the incident, he was selected to participate in the beta test for the game, and he enjoyed it. It makes me wonder if he met Kirito-kun during that time. Even if he had, I wouldn't be surprised if he forgot because there were hundreds of people there for that beta test, and it wasn't like they were locked up in that game for two years like Kirito-kun and me were._

_It was due to my brother going on a business trip that I was able to play the game in the first place. Little did I know my first video game experience would end up putting me in a virtual prison for two years. However, in the end, I think a number of things managed to work out well. Although, I did wonder what went through my brother's head while I was gone. Before I was released from the hospital, my brother paid me a personal visit._

_When he entered my room, he gave me a look that indicated he had something to say, but he wasn't sure how to say it. I decided it was up to me to break the ice._

_I jokingly said to him, _"Hey brother. It looks like I made it back without getting killed four or five times after all."

_He was not amused by that joke in the least. He told me in a serious tone, _"That's not funny."

_I saw the look that he gave me. I could see that he had no intention of joking around. I responded, _"Yeah I know. Its just that after finally getting out the game after all this time it just feels good to be able to make a joke like that."

_Kouichirou gathered his fingers in his right hand together and formed a fist. He was angry and sad at the same time. It was mostly to himself. He sorrowfully told me, _"I'm sorry Asuna."

_While I should have realized what he was saying, my mind drew a blank as I asked, _"For what?"

_His voiced was a mix between anger and regret. _"You know what for. It was because of me that you even had the Nerve Gear in the first place, and you were trapped in that game for two years when it should have been me." _He then sat down on the chair next to my bed and put his left hand on his forehead as he continued,_ "All that time you were gone, I was afraid that I would wake up one morning and be told that my Nerve Gear had fried your brains or something. When I finally heard you had returned to us, I was filled with joy for the first time in a long time."

_After he told me that, I felt that I could understand his position well. While I was trapped in Sword Art Online he must have gone through a lot of self-loathing that he was indirectly responsible for me being trapped in the game. That seems to be something that he and I have in common. I had gone through self-loathing myself both during the game and after the game because I hated myself for a number of my past actions. It took a lot for me to finally move on and even then there was still a part of me that would still think about those feelings._

_I reached out to my brother and touched his right hand. I spoke in a reassuring voice, _"I don't blame you for what happened to me brother. There was no way you could have known that was going to happen."

_Both before and after this event, I had people help me get over my own self-loathing. I figured I might as well be the person to help my brother get over his. I think I succeeded for the most part. However, I think a part of him will never forgive himself._

_While he was less angry and sad, it was not enough to relieve him of his guilt. He said in an unsure tone, _"But still . . ."

_I smiled at him and stated, _"It was my choice to put on the Nerve Gear and experience life in that game when the servers opened. There was no way anyone could have predicted such an incident would occur. Not you, me, or anyone else in the world." _I decided that it would be best to speed our conversation along to the point._ "Anyway, what is important is that I managed to survive and if it wasn't for my time in the game certain things never would have been possible."

_Kouichirou's prior anger and regret was immediately replaced by curiosity. He asked, _"Like what?"

_I happily admitted to him, _"When I was in the game, I met someone that I grew to love. Before the game ended, we became a couple."

_Kouichirou was visibly surprised by what I said when he responded, _"You became a what?!"

_I decided to playfully repeat myself, _"We became boyfriend and girlfriend."

_It appeared that Kouichirou's 'big brother' instincts were kicking in when he asked me, _"Who is he?"

_I told him the truth. _"His name is Kirigaya Kazuto."

_Kouichirou wanted to probe me for more details. _"What is he like?"

_I thought for a few moments before I answered. While I knew Kirito-kun pretty well, I wanted to give an accurate description that could give Kouichirou a positive impression. After I thought of one, I said, _"Kazuto-kun is a bit of a loner, and he is also troubled because he let the guilt of some of the mistakes he made during the game burden him heavily. However, he is one of the bravest and kindest people I have ever met. He has helped numerous people in the past even if it meant risking his own life. When I was with him, I had trouble picturing what life could possibly be without him. It felt like we were meant to be."

_After I explained Kirito-kun's character to Kouichirou in that light, he seemed less worried. He calmly said, _"Sounds like an interesting person. I would like to meet him someday." _I could tell that he really wanted to see if Kirito-kun was someone he could approve of dating his little sister. Although similar to father, I am certain that he would ultimately be fine with Kirito-kun as well._

_It was my turn to become glum when I told Kouichirou, _"I would like you to meet him too, but I don't think that will be possibly anytime soon."

_Kouichirou asked me in a concerned tone, _"Why not?"

_I explained to him that Kirito-kun was among the players who had yet to awaken in the real world despite the end of Sword Art Online. Kouichirou did what I would hope any brother would have done, and he attempted to support and console me. I was truly grateful for his support._

/

_**Yuuki Kyouko**__: She is my mother. She has light brown hair that reaches to the middle of her neck. My mother also has brown eyes and she almost always has a stern look on her face that makes her appear unhappy even though I know she cares about us. I think that is related to how she grew up. She was born in a middle class family and lived in a forest-like home, which was a traditional Japanese home. Apparently, she resented living as a middle class citizen and wanted something better. After she married my father and both__ Kouichirou and I were born__, she has wanted the both of us to live in better circumstances than she did._

_While I understand where she is coming from since she wants my brother and me to have what she didn't have, she does not have the right to be controlling of my life. I think it was because I let her be so controlling before Sword Art Online that it caused me to be the weak person I used to be. I also find it hard to believe that growing up in a forest-like home could have possibly been that bad. _

_Even though Kirito-kun and I only lived in a cottage like that for the final weeks we were trapped in Sword Art Online, it was the place where we shared some of our best memories. I have a feeling that if I could somehow find a way to bring out the good memories she must have had in her childhood home, she would be more willing to listen to me. Unfortunately, there is nothing that I can do about it at this time. _

_I remember one time I was going to visit Kirito-kun, she stopped on the way out. She asked me in a stern voice, _"Are you going to visit that boy again in the hospital?"

_After I turned around, I responded, _"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?"_ I knew the answer to that question before she answered._

_She gave me her usual stern look and responded, _"You know that I do. While I'm not going to stop you this time, I do want to remind you there is a difference between his social standing and yours."

_I was barely able to contain my anger when she said that. I indignantly responded, _"You don't have to remind me of that as I don't care about that at all."

_My mother tried to warn me, _"You should care about that Asuna. After that boy wakes up, he will see you for your money, and that is what he will care about. You should start to change your focus on someone who shares your standing who wouldn't see you as a ladder to a higher standard of living."

_My mother's 'warnings' fell on deaf ears because I knew she wasn't right about Kirito-kun. I told her, _"Don't act like you know him. When we knew each other in Sword Art Online, I never told him about my social standing, and we still fell in love."

_She sighed and said to me in a grim voice, _"Asuna you know that was just in the game."

_I wasn't going to listen to that excuse. I fervently stated, _"I don't care if it was in the game. You may consider everything that happened to me in that world to be a façade, but I will not stand to let you call my feelings for Kazuto-kun an illusion. The bond the two of us formed during that game was real, and I have seen how the bonds people formed in the game have carried over into the real world too. Even though we are back in reality, we still treat each other the same way we always did. I am sure that my relationship with Kazuto-kun will continue when he wakes up."

_My mother's face was still less than pleased by what I had said. However, she decided to concede for now. She said to me,_ "Very well. However, I can assure you that the path you are taking will not lead you to happiness." _I could tell by the sound of her voice that this was not over by a long shot, but I decided to leave before she could change her mind._

_Luckily I have been able to see my friends without receiving interference from her, but my mother has made it clear to me that she does not approve of the company that I keep. Apparently, my father convinced her to leave my affairs alone for the time being. I have a feeling that she will start to be a problem after a year or so goes by because the aftermath of the Sword Art Online incident would have settled down, and I would be back in reality long enough. Then she will probably attempt to shape my life the way she feels it should be. When that time comes, I will do everything I can to stop that from happening._

/

_**Yuuki Shouzou: **__As I have stated before, he is my father. He has short dark brown hair that he usually has combed back with the exception of one forelock of hair that hangs down over his forehead. Similar to my mother, he has brown eyes, but while he has appeared stern at times, he is more capable of displaying a wider range of expressions. For one, I have actually seen him smile relatively often. He has also been far more supportive of me meeting with my friends than my mother. He seems to understand that I owe the fact I am still alive to some of these people. It was probably thanks to him talking to my mother that I have been able to see them this often without receiving any resistance from her._

_After I told him a number of things about the relationship between Kirito-kun and I, he was supportive in helping me find him. He was disappointed when he learned that Kirito-kun was still in a coma because he wished to meet him as well to see if he was really as good as I described. Similar to my brother, he tried being supportive of me as well. However, there was a time when he briefly attempted to get me to move on._

_It was close to Christmas Eve, and it had been over a month and a half since the end of Sword Art Online. There was still no sign that Kirito and the other several hundred survivors would be regaining consciousness. However, I did not lose hope that I would reunite with Kirito-kun someday. Unfortunately, a few people, including my father, were not nearly as optimistic as me. As I expected from my mother, she tried to convince me that I should look for someone else in our class regardless of whether Kirito-kun wakes up or not. If that wasn't enough, my father tried to convince me to consider someone else. Before he even specified who he had in mind I rejected the idea._

_I firmly told him, _"I refuse to accept anyone that you would want me to marry."

_My father had a stunned expression on his face when I said that. I guess he would never have expected the old me to have said something like that before. He tried to reason with me in his own way, _"Asuna I know you care about Kazuto-kun, but you must realize he may never wake up from his coma. Even if he does, and I hope he will, he may not be the person you remember. It's a miracle that you have returned to us, and the progress you have made in your rehabilitation has been promising, but you need to think about your future."

_While I did understand what he was trying to tell me, he could never understand what he thinks would make me happy would never work. I told him, _"I am thinking about my future. The future you wish for me will not make me happy."

_He said to me in a voice that had a mixture of frustration and confusion, _"You don't even know who I am suggesting."

_I looked at him in the eye and stated, _"He is Sugou Nobuyuki correct?" _I may have phrased it as a question, but I knew it was the right answer._

_My father was taken aback when I said that. He said to me in a strange voice, _"Was it that obvious?"

_I firmly told him, _"Yes. My rejection for any fiancé you may consider goes double for him."

_My father asked me in a surprised tone, _"Why do you feel so hostile towards Nobiyuki-san? He is a kind, hardworking, young man, who has a bright future. He seems like a perfect match for you." _I could see that he truly didn't see this coming. My father truly was clueless when it came to Sugou._

_I said in a tone of strong disgust, _"Do you think my dislike for him was recent?" _My father did not respond. _"I have disliked that man from the moment we met!"

_My father was visibly surprised by what I had just said. He asked me, _"Why is that?"

_I figured that I might as well get it all out there regardless of whether he would believe me or not. _"He is not who you think he is father. He acts polite in front of you and others, but I have seen another side to him. Sugou is a terrible man, and you cannot trust him."

_My father was visibly annoyed by my accusations. _"I have known him longer than you Asuna, and he has my full confidence. He is a man of strong character and integrity, and he has helped me on numerous occasions."

_I could see there was no getting through to him. _"Fine. You can believe what you want about that man. However, you can believe that I will never love him or anyone else that you would choose for me. The only one that I love is Kazuto-kun."

_After my father heard that, he appeared to have a mixed reaction. However, after a few moments, he chuckled and said to me, _"Very well. It pleases me to see there is someone you have such devotion to Asuna. Regardless of what his condition is, you will still love him all the same. I can see it in your eyes. I won't try to try to convince you otherwise anymore.

_It surprises me that my father is capable of understanding how I feel, but he is unable to see Sugou's true character. However, I did not complain about the inconsistency. I figured I was just lucky to avoid this marriage problem for now._

_I graciously said to him, _"Thank you for understanding."

_My father then said to me, _"I hope he wakes up soon. Kazuto-kun has made you wait long enough."

_I confidently said, _"He will. I know it. I will wait for the day that he comes back to me."

_It was after that conversation that my father never suggested that I consider a new fiancé again. He could see that my heart truly belonged to Kirito-kun, and there was no changing that. My father continued to support my feelings from that day forward._

/

While Asuna was happy to see that she would not be bothered by her father suggesting anymore potential fiancés for the time being, another meeting between her father and Sugou took place that did not bold well for anyone. After his conversation with Asuna, he decided that he needed to speak with Sugou over a matter.

Shouzou welcomed Sugou with a customary bow and a handshake, "I am pleased you were able to come see me on such short notice Nobuyuki-san."

"As I have told you before Shouzou-san, it is not a problem." Sugou returned the bow and the handshake, and Shouzou motioned Sugou to sit down. "What do you wish to talk to me about?"

Shouzou stated, "The other day, I spoke to my daughter about the possibility of Kirigaya Kazuto never awakening from his coma."

Sugou stated in a tone that one would mistake for concern, "That sounds like a sensitive topic to speak about. I take it that she did not respond well to that."

"Not in the least. She has convinced herself that Kirigaya-kun will awaken, and she will wait for him to do so." As Shouzou was stating this, Sugou had a number of smug thoughts go through his head regarding that never happening, but he made sure for it to not show on his face. Shouzou continued, "However, that was not the only thing we talked about. I also talked to her about the possibility of finding someone else to be betrothed to."

Sugou was interested in hearing this. He asked, "What did she say?"

Shouzou answered, "Asuna rejected the very idea without me telling her who I had in mind. She is devoted to Kazuto-kun, and she wishes nothing more than for him to wake up. Honestly, I have to admire my daughter for her devotion and loyalty to that young man."

Based on Shouzou's tone, anyone could tell he was impressed by his daughter's resolve and loyalty. Hearing that tone made Sugou irritated, but he was careful not to show it.

Sugou stated in a tone most people would believe was sincere, "I see. Such loyalty is truly a virtue."

"It is indeed." Shouzou's tone then changed to a darker mood, "However, while she rejected the idea of being with someone else, she said that was especially true for you." Hearing that statement caught Sugou off-guard. "During my conversation with her, she brought up something interesting about you."

Sugou asked in a concerned voice, "What did she say?"

Shouzou stated in a stern voice, "She told me that you are not the person I think you are. That you are someone that I should never trust."

For a brief moment, Sugou's eyes opened wide, but he quickly regained his composure when he asked, "What did you say?"

Shouzou replied in a calm voice, "I told her that I didn't believe her. While I care for my daughter, I refuse to believe someone of your integrity would be someone like she describes, especially after everything you have done for me."

Sugou said in a reassuring voice, "Of course not Shouzou-san. While it is true that Asuna and I have not seen eye to eye on a number of things, I will always be a loyal friend to your family."

Shouzou said in a grateful voice, "I appreciate it Sugou-san. Without your help, I doubt a number of things my company has accomplished would have been possible."

When Shouzou confronted Sugou, he was testing to see how Sugou would react to what his daughter had said. However, while Sugou was far from the person that Shouzou believed him to be, he was excellent at masking his true nature. As far as Shouzou could tell, Sugou reacted no differently than anyone would at an 'outrageous allegation.' He took that as a sign that Sugou was what he believed.

/

After Sugou's meeting with Shouzou-san, he returned to his home. His meeting with Shouzou had angered him. While Asuna's father continued to put his trust in him and not suspect a thing, he was still angered that Asuna actually tried to warn her father about him. It was something that he never would have expected the 'old Asuna' to do. However, he knew he was not dealing with the 'old Asuna' anymore.

As Asuna became bolder after her escape from Sword Art Online, the more he wanted to crush her. However, thanks to her warning, he knew that the moment he desired was not yet ripe. If he made his move now, it would cause red flags to appear that even her father would pick up on. He knew that he would need to wait a few more weeks at most before implementing his plan in the real world.

However, he knew exactly how to keep himself busy until then. Sugou figured that his other experiments were not complete yet, and he would soon be able to implement them in order to further his own sadistic fantasies. However, he needed something to relieve his anger. He picked up his AmuSphere with the intention of entering Alfheim Online.

The AmuSphere is a revised version of the Nerve Gear that was co-developed by RECTO Progress Incorporated. It was modified to be safer than the predecessor by changing the microwave transmitter to a low frequency one. As a result, even if people were trapped in the game, the abductor would not be able to frighten the users with destroying their minds through the device.

Additionally, the AmuSphere would also monitor the user's blood pressure and brainwaves while it was in use. If the status of the user's real life body were to become abnormal due to overexposure, such as suffering from a heart problem, it would cause the safety logout feature to activate. Although, unlike the Nerve Gears, if someone touched your body, you would feel while in the game, which some players complained about because it lost the 'realness' of the experience.

Before Sugou activated his AmuSphere, he thought to himself, _"I was originally going to give the brat the day off since its Christmas, but I am too pissed to consider that now. I need something to vent these frustrations, and he is just the one to get it off my chest. In fact, I think I will keep this up for the next few days."_

/

Date – Tuesday, December 24, 2024 – Christmas Eve

Location – Kiragaya Kazuto's Hospital Room

_I visited Kirito-kun's room on Christmas Eve. In Japan, Christmas Eve is considered to be a romantic holiday when someone asks you out on a date, it is a sign that the relationship is serious. They say the way we treat Christmas Eve is similar to Valentine's Day in the West because it is a day that people would see numerous couples walking together and holding hands. It was for this reason that you would have difficulty booking restaurant reservations. It is common for the couple to exchange gifts, such as teddy bears, flowers, candy, or promise rings. _

_When I was in Kirito-kun's room, I gazed out the window, and I saw couples doing exactly what I wished Kirito-kun and I could do. However, I was happy to stay by his side. Even if we couldn't be 'together' for Christmas Eve, I made sure that he wouldn't be alone. Kirito-kun's family decided not to visit him today because they knew that I would be there, and they decided to leave the two of us alone._

_I sat by his bedside and tightly held his hand. I told him,_ "Where ever you are Kirito-kun, I just want to let you know that I am still beside you, and I will remain at your side until you come back." _I continued and said, _"As you know, things have been going pretty well for me ever since I came back. I have gotten in touch with some of our friends from the game, and they are getting their lives back together. Your family and I are getting along well too. Suguha-san told me that she wants to rebuild your relationship, so you don't have to worry about her rejecting your attempts. She will welcome you back with open arms. She, our friends, and I are waiting for you to wake up, so please don't keep us waiting long." _I knew it was futile to speak to him like this, but talking to him made me feel better. It made me feel as if I was doing something for him_

_While I was there, I did notice something odd happen. When I held Kirito-kun's hand, I was certain that I felt it move. It was as if it was trying to grab my hand or something like that, and it wasn't the first time I had seen something like that happen. I was told this was most likely a twitch, and it was not too unusual to see this happen with comatose patients. However, something seemed different about this twitch than what the nurses described to me. I would eventually learn that I was right to be suspicious and there was another reason behind some of those strange movements._

/

Date: Wednesday, January 1, 2025 – New Years Day – The Year of the Snake

Location: Shrine

_In Japan, New Years is considered to be the most important celebration of the country. Some would say that the importance we hold for New Year is about the equivalent of how the West holds Christmas due to the way families and friends send postcards to each other. Anyway, my friends and I visited a shrine to celebrate the New Year. According to the Japanese Zodiac, this year was the "Year of the Snake." In Japanese mythology, the snake represents cunning and the ability to increase one's wealth however it would be regarded with profound respect or revenance due to the snake being considered related to the dragon._

_Speaking of dragons, the previous year was the "Year of the Dragon." In Japan it more closely associates with benevolent constructive forces as well as good health and energy. It seemed rather befitting for my friends and I since it was the year that we escaped from Sword Art Online and we were able to begin rebuilding our lives in the real world. Additionally, most of us were in good health and we were regaining our energy through rehabilitation. Not to mention, some of us had literal dealings with dragons during several points in the game as well. The "Year of the Dragon" certainly worked out for us both metaphorically and literally._

_We all went to the shrine dressed in yukata's that represented different animals on the Japanese zodiac. I wore a dog styled yukata, Lisbeth wore a horse styled yukata, Suguha-san wore a sheep styled yukata, and Silica-chan unsurprisingly wore a dragon styled yukata. _

_After we arrived, Silica said in an excited voice, _"This is so great. We are finally celebrating the New Year in the real world."

_Suguha asked in a curious voice,_ "Did you celebrate New Years while you were in the game?"

_Lisbeth answered, _"Well during the game, we did acknowledge the holidays when they happened. Although, I think some of us were more willing than others to actually participate in the festivities."

_Lisbeth playfully looked in my direction. While it was true that I did become fixated on clearing the game, that didn't necessarily mean I didn't try to enjoy certain festivities when they happened. However, I decided not to respond to Lisbeth's remark. Instead, I tried to change the topic._

_I spoke to the group, _"Keiko-chan is right that its great we made it back in time to celebrate New Year's in the real world. While Aincrad may have done a good job providing us with a visual portrayal of the festivities, nothing can compare to the genuine article. Now we can pray that our first full year back in society can go well and that the situation with the remaining coma patients is resolved soon. _I then asked the group,_ "Right?"

_Suguha-san agreed,_ "That sounds like a good thing to pray for Asuna." _She then playfully said to us, _"After all, you three have a lot of homework to catch up on."

_Lisbeth gave off a comically depressed face, _"Don't remind us."

_While Silica-chan was a little upset about going back to school, she seemed to be handling it better than Lisbeth because she asked, _"I wonder what the school will be like. Do you know when it will start Asuna?"

_I responded, _"Well I know that it's being constructed right now. Apparently, at the rate its going, we will be able to start classes in time for the beginning of the school year this spring."

_Lisbeth's face brightened up and said_, "Well that doesn't sound too bad. We still have a few months before we have to worry about that then."

_I reminded her_, "I hope you didn't forget that we are going to be receiving homework assignments and temporary online tutoring to prepare us for it." _That caused Lisbeth's playful smile to go upside down._

_While Lisbeth was always prideful about her handiwork in Sword Art Online, she does not seem to be as into school work. I have the feeling that Lisbeth puts more pride into work she does constructively rather than work that she is told she needs to complete. I guess I can't really blame her for that. When she completed that equipment back in the game, they were her own creations that she could impress people with and sell, which allowed her to build up her business. However, school work was something that she would be expected to complete like anyone else, and there was nothing really unique about that._

_I decided to teasingly tell Lisbeth_, "However, just to remind you Rika, that you are not alone in this."

_Lisbeth asked with a confused look. _"Huh?"

_I decided not to explain myself right then and focus on the festivities. _"Never mind. Let's drop this topic for now and focus on the present."

_Silica-chan excitedly stated, _"Asuna's right. It's New Years, so let's enjoy ourselves."

_Lisbeth changed to a more cheerful tone when she agreed to my proclamation, _"Right."

_Suguha-san pointed out something that helped get us started,_ "Hey that stand has some interesting stuff over there. Let's check it out."

_We all nodded in agreement. The four of us stayed at that shrine for quite a while to check out the different stands and eat all the variety of food that was available. Of course, we also made a customary pray at the shrine as well. I don't know what they wished for, but I bet my friends probably assumed that I made a wish only for the Kirito-kun's sake. I won't tell them what I wished, but they are wrong in their prediction. _

_When I made my wish, it was not a wish for Kirito-kun, but it was a wish for everyone. Kirito-kun is the love of my life, but he isn't the only one who has shaped who I am. My friends, my family, so many others have done their fair share of making me the person I have become. That is why my wish was not for anyone specific._

_After we were at the shrine for a while, Klien, as well as Agil and his wife eventually joined us. Klien wore a yukata that gave off the feeling that he was a samurai similar to his outfit in the game. Agil had a plain red yukata on that had the symbol __商人__on the back which stood for merchant. His wife wore a yukata that I found breathtaking. It was a yukata that had patters of the ocean and a setting sun on the back. It made me think about how I would love to go to the ocean when the summer came and watch the sunset. If I got to see that, I would cherish every moment of it. Seeing beautiful sights like that is also something that makes life worth living._

_When I was at the shrine, it gave me the feeling that this year would be a brand new start for all of us in more ways than one. I was looking forward to what this year would bring me. Even though I am not one to believe in New Year's resolutions, I made it a goal to experience a variety of events and see various locations. In Sword Art Online, I had longed to be able to see certain places and make my life matter in reality. My time back in the real world as well as my time in the shrine served to further remind me that now that I was free from the game, this was my chance to do that, and I only had one life to make it all count. _

_Of course, I wanted Kirito-kun to share these experiences with me, but I also knew that there was a possibility he might not be awake when I would be able to go to these places. If it came to that, I told myself that I would try to enjoy myself anyway. After all, I am sure that Kirito-kun would want me to enjoy my life in the real world despite his absence as I would wish him the same. However, regardless of how many things I would experience on my own, I vowed that my heart would remain true to him always._

_However, before I could think about doing such things yet, I felt there was still something else that I needed to resolve. It was something that had been eating at me away for some time, but I wasn't sure how to cope with it yet. I believed if I couldn't pacify these feelings, it would hold me back in the future, so I needed to take care of it soon._

/

_Whenever I would go to visit Kirito-kun in his hospital room, I always went in there hoping that he would wake up by feeling my presence. He would open his eyes and we would joyously embrace and kiss. That was an image that always came to me in my dreams. However, I knew that was wishful thinking on my part. _

_Unfortunately, whenever I did visit him, he would remain there with his eyes closed unable to do anything. When I was in Kirito-kun's room, a part of me always felt as if I was attending his funeral. As much as I hate to admit it, I guess it was never too far from the truth. I would gaze upon his lifeless body, and on more than one occasion, I would have to stop myself from crying at the sight of him. _

_I would always consider Kirito-kun to be my hero who had saved my life time and time again, but the fact that I was able to sit by his side and was useless to help him wake up nearly brought me to tears. The fact his life continued to hang in the balance of these life support machines did not help. I would curse myself for my helplessness by thinking of things such as, "He has done so much for me. Why can't I do anything to save him now? What can I say, what can I do to fix this?"_

_In my heart, I know that my self-loathing of my helplessness wasn't helping anyone. If anything, I was just making it worse. The idea that if someone were to literally pull the plug on Kirito-kun it might be enough to kill him is too depressing. While I know that I was in that situation at one point too, it is one thing knowing something like that was happening to you while your mind was in a different place and another thing when you actually see it happen to someone else. For sometime, a part of me thought I could have been partly responsible for Kirito-kun's condition._

_For sometime, I had wanted to tell someone this, but I wasn't sure what I could say or even how to start such a conversation with that person. Luckily when I finally gained the courage to finally speak to someone about it, she finally snapped me out of this way of thinking. _

/

Date: Sunday, January 5, 2025

Location: Lisbeth's Room – Sword Art Survivor Hostel

_When it comes to spending time with my friends, it has sometimes been for less than fun purposes. We would occasionally get together in Lisbeth's room in order to complete our homework assignments. While the school that is suppose to help Sword Art Survivors who are still students, such as myself, Silica-chan, and Lisbeth, has yet to be completed, it did not stop the school board from giving us preliminary homework assignments. _

_I guess the officials figured that it was necessary to prepare our minds for the upcoming cram school sessions we would be participating in. Not to mention this didn't feel much different from the Summer homework assignments we would normally receive, so I wasn't too bothered by that. However, I would say that those homework assignments were difficult. Although, I guess it would be more accurate to say that they were difficult because I had not seen assignments like these for over two years, and my focus until that point was to escape from the game. Luckily for me, as the saying goes, 'Many hands make light work.' _

_Silica-chan, Lisbeth, and I would always get together to help each other out with our assignments. Even though Silica was younger than us, we decided to invite her along as well. I figured since we were all in the same boat here, we might as well have each other's backs. In addition to the three of us, Suguha-san was always willing to give us a helping hand with the homework too. Whenever we would get together, we would either use Lisbeth's room or the Kirigaya household as our 'base of operations.' _

_There was one study group that stood out in mind. We had been going over the assignments for hours at this point, and we were just about to call it a day. The last thing we needed to do was a math assignment. One of the questions involved the number known as pi, which is represented by the Greek letter "__π," and it is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle's circumference of its diameter. It is an irrational number that begins with 3.1415926535897, and it will apparently go on forever._

_As interesting as that is I couldn't help but wonder out loud, _"I wonder what significance pi could have in the real world?"

_Silica-chan who was tired of all the work we had done was in agreement, _"That's a good question."

_Suguha-san was unsure how to answer that question either._ "I think it does have some kind of practical use, but I'm not really sure."

_Lisbeth was able to answer the question. She proudly answered,_ "Believe it or not, pi is actually used by quite a few professions. People are capable of using pi for scientific purposes, such as physics, calculating probabilities, and engineering."

_I have a feeling that Lisbeth knew that answer partly due to how she enjoyed being a blacksmith in Sword Art Online, and she could have been interested in pursing a related career. I could picture her studying to become an engineer or something like that._

_After hearing Lisbeth's answer, all I could do was sheepishly say,_ "Well I guess that answers one question. Although, I wonder if I will need to use it for whatever profession I will end up taking."

_Suguha-san asked in a curious voice,_ "Have you thought about what you want to become Asuna-san?"

_To be honest, I was kind of embarrassed, I didn't have an answer to that question. My answer to Suguha-san was, _"Not really. Until a few months ago, my only job was focused on fighting bosses on the frontlines, and I never really considered careers in the real world during that time. At least, I didn't seriously think about it."

_Silica-chan sheepishly said,_ "I'm guilty of not thinking about it either. I was too focused on spending time with Pina."

_The three of us laughed at Silica-chan's statement and I patted her on the head, _"You have more time than any of us to decide on what you want to do, so I wouldn't worry too much if I were you." _I then turned my attention to Suguha-san,_ "Have you thought about what you want to do with your life Suguha-san?"

"For now I want to continue to focus on my Kendo training." _That seemed perfectly understandable based on how focused she was on the sport. However, the next thing is what surprised me. She said to us in a determined voice, _"Since I was a quarter finalist in Middle School, and I want to continue until I become the best Nationwide."

_I think my eyes widened when Suguha-san made that declaration. While I should have seen something like that coming, I don't think I have ever met someone who was as devoted to the sport of Kendo as she was. She reminded me of how devoted Kirito-kun was in leveling up and living in the game during our time in Sword Art Online. While their devotions were for different things, it was a trait that seemed to run in their family._

_Lisbeth sheepishly responded, _"Well your ambition completely trumps mine."

_Silica said in a playfully snide remark, _"I have no doubts it would."

_Lisbeth didn't catch on to Silica's joke when she shouted in an offended tone, _"Hey!"

_Silica began laughing at Lisbeth's reaction followed by the Suguha-san and myself. After a few moments, Lisbeth started laughing as well. We continued to laugh and joke like that for a while. It was a good thing we did because it certainly got our minds to think about something other than our homework assignments. Luckily, we were able to complete that last question without too many problems once we remembered we still needed to complete it._

/

Date: Sunday, January 5, 2025 – A few hours later

Location: Lisbeth's Room – Sword Art Survivor Hostel

_After Suguha-san and Silica-chan left, I decided to stay in Lisbeth's room a little longer. I wanted to talk to her about something in private._

_I turned to face Lisbeth and said to her, _"Hey Lisbeth, there is something I want to talk to you about. Do you mind?"

_She politely responded with a smile, _"Sure no problem. What did you want to talk to me about?"

_I was hesitant to say it, but I knew that I needed to, so I nearly blurted out_, "It's about Kirito-kun."

_Lisbeth's smile understandably dropped and she said,_ "Oh."

_I could see this probably was not the ideal topic of discussion, so I responded,_ "I'm sorry if this is awkward. It's just that I wasn't really sure who else I could talk to . . ."_ I trailed off after that._

_Lisbeth reassured me_, "No it's fine. I'm the one who told you that you could talk to me about anything about Kirito if you needed to.

_I hesitantly asked Lisbeth, _"Are you sure?"

_She calmly told me, _"Yes. You can ask away."

_After she said that, I let out a deep sigh before I asked her, _"Do you think that Kirito-kun's condition could be my fault?"

_Lisbeth was visibly shocked when I asked her that, _"No. Why would you think that?"

_I took a deep breath for a moment before I continued. _"It's just that in the past I had been the one responsible for him being in dangerous situations before."

_Lisbeth's expression changed from being shocked to completely confused. She asked, _"What do you mean by that Asuna?"

_I explained to Lisbeth, _"Throughout Kirito-kun's time in Sword Art Online, I have no clue how many times he was almost killed. However, at least three of those times were my fault. It was my actions that nearly cost him his life and whose to say something I did or didn't do is the reason for his coma now."

_Lisbeth asked me in a concerned tone, _"What happened?"

_I told her, _"Remember when Kirito-kun used his duel-wielding ability to defeat Gleam Eyes."

_She didn't need any more reminding than that. _"Yeah I remember. He revealed to me that he had a duel wielding ability after I constructed his Dark Repulser blade, but he asked me to keep it a secret." _Lisbeth then scratched the back of her head and sheepishly apologized to me,_ "I'm sorry I didn't tell you Asuna, but Kirito-kun was my customer, and it was my policy not to give that kind of information away."

_I understood her actions perfectly. Since she was running a business, it was only natural to have a confidentiality policy with her clients. I told her, _"It's fine. I don't mind that. It was your job after all." _My tone then changed to shame when I said,_ "However, Kirito-kun only activated that power when he saw that Klein and I were injured from our fight with the creature and he needed to use a more powerful technique."

_Lisbeth didn't seem too surprised by what I was saying. _"I had a feeling that the newspapers were stretching the truth. Kirito-kun even told Agil and me that the report was exaggerated."

_When we were in Sword Art Online, a newspaper was published for all the players in Sword Art Online to read. This allowed players who weren't in the frontlines to be aware of what was happening there or other important events that were happening throughout Aincrad, such as the existence of the Laughing Coffin. It was thanks to this newspaper that Kirito-kun became famous as the duel wielding swordsman after the battle with Gleam Eyes and leading up to him 'joining' the Knights of Blood._

_I explained, _"Some of the report was exaggerated, but it is true that the two of us along with Klein saved the army unit that foolishly attacked Gleam Eyes without proper preparation." _I put my hand on my forehead when I said,_ "However, I was the one who impulsively attacked Gleam Eyes first not Kirito-kun. It was my fault he was forced to use that technique at all."

_For a moment, I think I saw Lisbeth's eyes widen a little. She said in a surprised tone, _"I never would have thought you would be the type to jump into a boss battle without preparation, but if the situation was as bad as the newspaper indicated, I guess I can understand why."

_The newspaper of Aincrad had a notorious tendency to exaggerate certain facts, but it was generally right about a lot things. I told her, _"The newspaper was right about the fact that Gleam Eyes had killed several of the army members." _I put my left hand on my head when I thought back to Cobert's face as he died before me and how his men were begging for help._ "When I saw them die, I let my emotions take over, and I attacked that monster. It was because of me that we ended up getting backed into a corner and forced Kirito-kun to use his duel-wielding skill to save us. It was because of my actions that he nearly died that day."

_Lisbeth responded, _"I don't think you should be too hard on yourself. Everything worked out in the end right. It was because you decided to help those guild members that they survived. No one would blame you for trying to save someone's life, especially not Kirito." _She further emphasized her point,_ "If anything, I am sure he is glad that you tried to do something rather than turning your back on them."

_If that was all I did, I would have been fine, but I knew there was more to this story. I grimly told Lisbeth, _"Maybe. If that was all I did, I guess I would be more okay with things, but there were two more times when my decision nearly got him killed."

_Lisbeth didn't say anything in response to what I had said, but she seemed willing to listen to what I had to say._

_I took her silence as a sign to continue. _"When Kirito-kun was forced to use that technique, it started a domino effect that led to him ultimately being forced into the Knights of the Blood, and he ironically became my subordinate even though he was stronger than me. When it happened, a part of me was happy that we would be spending more time together, but I made some unfortunate mistakes. _My voice increasingly indicated my shame of the incident that happened after Kirito-kun's forced entry into the guild._ "It was due to my lack of responsibility of keeping my subordinates in check that Kirito-kun became a target of one of the members, who turned out to be a surviving member of the Laughing Coffin guild." _Lisbeth's face was visibly shocked by what I had said._ "His name was Kuradeel, and he killed two of our guild's members and nearly killed Kirito-kun by paralyzing them and finishing them off while they were helpless. I was suspicious of Kuradeel's motives, and I should have taken action on his less than cordial behavior earlier, but I didn't do anything. My failure to act soon enough came at a significant price. When I finally took action and nearly killed Kuradeel for his crimes, he begged for mercy, I hesitated. He then tried to take a strike at me, but Kirito-kun saved my life and killed Kuradeel himself."

_Lisbeth tried to make me feel better by assuring me, _"I don't think you should be ashamed of the fact you didn't kill that man Asuna. I think that just makes you a better person."

_What she said made me think back to what I had heard a few weeks earlier. I grimly responded, _"Agil told me something like that too. However, it wasn't right that my actions forced Kirito-kun to take another's life due to self-defense. He would never have needed to take such action if I had done what I should have done in the first place. Instead the only thing I did was file a 'mild compliant' and that was it. My mistake not only caused Kirito-kun to feel the weight of taking another's life, but it caused the deaths of two good people. At the very least when he was begging for his life, I should have been taking actions to place him in prison."

_Lisbeth tried to ease my guilt. _"You made a mistake Asuna. There is no way you could have foreseen what would happen."

_I put my right hand through my hair as I said, _"I have told myself that several times now, but it's just not good enough."

_Lisbeth said in a voice of genuine concern, _"Asuna . . ."

_I interrupted whatever Lisbeth was about to say to me. I told her, _"Well the thing that really nails it is what happened on the day the game ended. On that day, it was because of some of the things I said to Kirito-kun prior to the discovery that Heathcliff was truly Kayaba Akihiko, Kirito-kun decided to take his offer for a duel to decide whether or not the game would end right then and there. I could see it in Kirito-kun's eyes that what I said had an impact on him." _I then took a deep breath before I continued._ "I still wonder how differently things would have turned out if I didn't say any of those things or cried while I hugged him at the thought we would never meet each other in the real world."

_Lisbeth remained silent. She could tell there was still more that I wanted to say._

_I continued onward with a shaken voice, _"As far as I can tell, the only things I have really done for Kirito-kun was cause him to be placed into one dangerous situation after another. Even the times I saved his life, I have nothing to be proud of. I wouldn't have had to save his life because it was partly my fault those situations happened in the first place. Do you want to know something else? _Even though I phrased it as a question to Lisbeth, I didn't wait for an answer before telling her what the answer was._ "He never blamed me for any of that, and he kissed me. He told me his life belonged to me, and he promised he would send me back to the real world." _By saying that, it made me think back to that very moment months earlier._ "His voice was sincere, his kiss was wonderful, and I could see the love in his eyes. However, now that I have thought about it, I keep asking myself, how am I supposed to accept this? Did I really give him a reason to truly care about me at all? I truly want to be with him, but I feel like I need to do something to make this right. I feel if I don't do something to make up for my previous failings, I will not have the right to call myself his girlfriend."

_Lisbeth finally broke the silence with a sigh. She then said in a casual voice, _"Asuna you are my friend, but I am going to ask you to please do yourself a favor."

_I asked in a curious tone, _"What?"

_She then firmly said to me, _"Shut up and listen to what I have to say."

_When I heard Lisbeth say that to me, I was taken aback. I was unable to think of something to say even if I wanted to say something._

_Lisbeth calmly told me, _"Asuna you need to stop thinking this way. You are a great girlfriend to Kirito. You have given him plenty of reason to care about you. Maybe you were responsible for a few of those incidents, but you never ran away from them. You stood your ground and did what you could." _Lisbeth took a deep breath before continuing,_ "Maybe the decisions you made at the time were not the best, but as they say hindsight is 20/20. There is no way for us to know how differently things could have turned out unless we could go back in time and make different decisions. However, that is an impossibility, so we need to live with the choices we make and allow the lessons we learn to shape who we become."

_I couldn't say that I would disagree with Lisbeth, but I said on reflex, _"I know that, but . . ."

_Lisbeth interrupted with an authoritative voice, _"I am not done speaking yet." _I shut up after hearing that._ "Even though you wanted to escape from Sword Art Online as fast as you could, you still cared about your fellow players. Not to mention that unlike other people, you are willing to admit and reflect upon your faults and mistakes. I can tell that you have learned from them." _I could see that Lisbeth was right about that. I decided to not try and interrupt her as she continued making her point._ "Most importantly, Kirito-kun could see that you were trustworthy, and you did not prove him wrong. When he comes out of that coma, he will be happy to see you, and you can continue where you left off. If you really feel it is necessary, you will be able to apologize to him all you want, and you can promise him that you will learn from your mistakes. However, knowing him, I doubt he will hold it over your head."

_After a few moments of silence I said to Lisbeth_, "You're right Lisbeth."

_She then proudly said, _"Of course I'm right and don't you forget it."

_I said to her with a smile_, "I won't."

_Lisbeth was successful in squelching my guilty conscious regarding my past decisions. However, I do feel a little guilty telling Lisbeth about my problems regarding Kirito-kun's condition even though I know she likes him too. However, she was true to her word that she would be willing to talk to me about such problems, and she has been a great support to me through and through. I will forever be grateful to her. She is a true friend._

/

Date: Friday, January 24, 2025

Location: Several blocks away from the hospital where Kirigaya Kazuto is located

_For the weeks that followed, they were blissful. I continued to meet with my friends on a regular basis whether it would be at the Dicey Café, completing homework assignments, or just hanging out. It felt like I was a member of a new family. We would do anything for each other, and we all had each other's backs. _

_The only way it could be any better was if Kirito-kun was there too. His absence along with the other several hundred players remaining in their comas continued to loom over us. All of us had paid a visit to Kirito-kun's hospital room at least once to show our support but to no avail. Despite that, we continued to live our lives and readjust to society as best as we could. The fact we could all rely on each other as we attempted to shape our futures made us happy. Unfortunately, I would find out these weeks of peace were nothing but a calm before the storm. For better or worse, it would be a storm that none of us would ever forget._

_I had visited Kirito-kun one day when I heard a familiar, ominous voice say to me, _"I had a feeling I would find you here Asuna-san."

_When I heard that voice, I immediately turned around and saw Sugou had been waiting for me to pass by this area. I bitterly asked him, _"What are you doing here Sugou?" _Before he had a chance to answer, I then said with venom in my voice,_ "If you are here to gain my favor by faking empathy for Kazuto-kun's condition, you can forget it. You can also forget about getting anywhere near him. I won't let you get close to him."

_He smugly stated, _"Oh I didn't come here to visit someone of his low standing." _I formed a fist at that comment. I had to fight my instincts to punch his glasses into his face. The last thing I wanted to do was be arrested because of this asshole._ "I came here specifically to talk to you."

_I said with disgust, _"Well I don't want anything to do with you."

_What I said did not change his smug demeanor. _"That is such a shame. I suppose there is nothing I can do to convince you to reconsider becoming my fiancé?"

_I could not emphasize what I said to that bastard enough. _"It will be a cold day in hell before that happens."

_What Sugou said next did not surprise me, but the way he smugly said it made me angry nevertheless. _"And yet you would probably want to become the fiancé of Kazuto in a heartbeat if you could."

_I didn't respond to him with nothing but what I would call a 'death glare.' _"

_He then stated, _"It is come to my understanding that you and Kazuto shared a special relationship while you were in that game."

_I fervently said to him, _"It's none of your business Sugou. You have no right to look into my private life. I should have you arrested for stalking me."

_He causally said, _"Stalking? No, no, no Asuna-san. This information was given to me by your father himself because he trusts me so dearly." _He could see how annoyed I was by this, and it seemed to fuel him further._ "You should know that your father cares for your deeply and wants what is best for you."

_I responded,_ "Well I told him that you are far from being what is best for me."

_It was Sugou's turn to look somewhat annoyed by what I said, but he did not let it faze him too much. _"You should know that boy isn't exactly the best for you either. Surely you know the moment he wakes up he will take advantage of your family's wealth and status to further himself."

_I angrily told him, _"Don't even try that. He is not like you, so don't even try to compare yourself to him. Kazuto-kun is a hero. You're nothing but a sick suck up who would do anything to further himself up the social ladder."

_For a moment, I could see Sugou's smug look temporarily break when I call him that, but he collected himself because he was not done yet._ "Be that as it may, I will ask you again. Are you absolutely sure there is nothing that will change your mind about me?"

_I firmly stated, _"Not a thing."

_He then stated, _"Even if it was for the sake of someone you love?"

_I angrily asked, _"What do you mean?"

_He smugly said to me,_ "Let me ask you something Asuna. Are you aware of what happened to the company known as Argus after they produced Sword Art Online and the incident that caused you to be trapped in that game happened?

_After I was capable of walking on my own again, I decided to look up that information for myself. What happened to that company was of little surprise to me. I would expect a company to go under after an incident that resulted in thousands of lost lives._

_I responded to Sugou's question_, "I read that the company went bankrupt due to the development costs to produce the game along with the damages that were incurred due to the incident."

_Sugou responded, _"That is correct. However, there is something you probably didn't know about what happened after that company went bankrupt. You don't know who took over the duties of keeping the Sword Art Online servers running do you?"

_It was true that I did not know who was responsible for maintaining the servers since it was classified information. A part of me figured that Kayaba Akihiko had something to do with that, but I would soon find out I was mistaken. As soon as he said that, my instincts were telling me that I was not going to like where this was going. Unfortunately, they were right on the money._

_Sugou continued, _"After Argus was no more, the responsibility for Sword Art Online server maintenance fell onto RECTO's FullDive technology department. I have a feeling I don't need to tell you who is in charge of that department."

_When he said that, my eyes opened wide in horror at the implications. I was thinking to myself, "No that can't be true. Oh my God, please let that not be true!" _

_He could clearly see that I knew who was in charge of that department as he revealed his demonic smile. Despite that he said, _"In case you don't remember, I think I will remind you. The FullDive technology department is my department."

_I said in horror, _"Wait a minute than that means . . ."

_He smugly told me, _"Precisely. Your precious hero's life is in the palm of my hands in more than one way. The only reason he still lives is because of me."

_When he said that, I was completely stunned. I thought to myself, "Why didn't I try to find out something like this before?" I later realized it was because it never seemed to be a priority to me. During those past few months, I had been so fixated on readjusting to the real world and attempting to reconnect with people, I never stopped to think about Kirito-kun's life support. When it came to him, I was focused on the fact, he was still alive, and I wanted to be by his side for when he eventually woke up._

_I didn't want to take Sugou's word for it either, but I could also tell that Sugou was not lying. His department would be capable of keeping such equipment up and running. As much as I hated him, he was intelligent and capable of handling such tasks. This was probably one of the reasons my father trusted Sugou so much too. He was technically one of the people that helped keep me alive while I was trapped in the game._

_Sugou continued his monologue, _"His situation is quite unfortunate really. He and the other three hundred people that are still in their comas require all kinds of life support. Of course you probably know that better than anyone since until two months ago, your life depended on such means as well. As you know, maintaining such devices can be a delicate operation. With even one slip up everything we had been doing to preserve his life will go to waste."

_When he said that, my eyes widened in horror as I thought, "That bastard is he threatening to do what I think he is?"_

_I said to him in an accusatory tone, _"So you would threaten to commit murder just to have me as your wife?"

_Sugou casually shrugged off the accusation. _"Murder? What do you mean? I am just saying it would be unfortunate if one of the machines were to malfunction temporarily. It is a shame what could happen to the poor soul that relies on it."

_I angrily told him, _"Don't try to deny what your suggesting you snake! How dare you use someone's life for your own benefit!"

_He said in a smug tone_, "For my own benefit? What could you possibly mean? As I already told you before, your 'hero' is still alive to this day because I permit it." _I could hear from the tone in his voice he added an extra amount of venom whenever he referred to Kirito-kun as my 'hero.'_ _He continued in his snide tone_, "I think it is only fair that I receive compensation for keeping your 'hero' alive. Wouldn't you agree?"

_I refused to answer his question. Even if I did answer, it would probably end with me either attempting to pluck out his eyes or ripping his throat out. I had to keep myself together. I had to stay strong in the face of this horrid replication of a human._

_When I refused to answer, it did not affect his arrogant demeanor. If anything, he must have considered this a victory, and he would probably be right about it. While I was attempting to remain strong, in the end, I knew there was nothing I could do._

_He smugly said to me_, "I see that you are at a loss for words. I will take that as a, 'I will think about it.'" _He then spoke to me in an insincere tone, _"I understand that this is a rather important decision for you to make. In that case, I'll give you sometime to truly consider both your position. You will need to remember that this is a decision that will forever affect both your life and the lives of those around you. I will give you two weeks to give me your answer."

_I remained silent, and I continued to refuse saying anything. He took that as a sign to continue. _"Of course, I will be expecting an affirmative answer from you. Additionally, after the way you tried to 'warn' your father, we are going to need to take it slow, but we will get there someday. For our wedding ceremony, I would suggest we hold the ceremony in his room, so that his body would be present, but I doubt he would want that." _I thought to myself, "That's one thing you and I can agree on." He continued his speech,_ "He would want you to have the most beautiful wedding imaginable. We should take our time to choose a proper venue." _I then thought, "Yet another thing we can agree with, but none of which would or should involve you." He finished his speech with,_ "You can always think of it this way. Even if his body and mind cannot attend the ceremony, I am sure his heart will always be with you."

_Sugou began to walk away from me. Before he left he reminded me in his mocking tone, _"Remember that you have two weeks. I will be expecting an answer on February 7th."

_Afterwards, Sugou continued walking without looking back while I stood there. I was completely motionless until I was certain that Sugou was no longer in the vicinity. Afterwards, I looked for the closest bench and I sat down as I lost all the strength in my legs. It would be a while before I could stand up again._

_My breathing became unstable and erratic. My eyes temporarily lost their ability to focus, and I was unable to see clearly. Finally, the feeling of helplessness I had in this situation caused tears to begin forming in my eyes. I didn't know what else I could do. I needed to make sure that Sugou was telling the truth, but I had a feeling that was truly the case._

_I knew if it was the truth, then I truly would be helpless to save Kirito-kun. I slowly placed my hands on my face as I continued to cry. I kept telling myself, "What can I do?" Then I began to beg, "Someone please help me. Please help me save Kirito-kun." Despite my wishes for help, there was no answer. I then thought this truly was going to be the 'Year of the Snake' in more than one sense. _

While Asuna's answer for her cries for help did not present itself at that moment, it seemed possible that it would come in another form. Although the confrontation, between Sugou and Asuna happened outside of the general public, there was one person observing it happen. The significance of this witness would make itself known at a later time. For the time being, the witness remained in the shadows.

/

Date: Friday, January 24, 2025

Location: Alfheim Online – Unknown prison

In an undisclosed location in the game known as Alfheim Online, an avatar that had green eyes and wings, shoulder length blonde hair, pointy ears, and wore a crown along with a long dark green robe and cloak, was walking in a place that appeared to be dungeon. The avatar was known as Fairy King Oberon, who considered himself to be a god of this world. His true name in the real world was Sugou Nobuyuki. He decided that he would pay a visit to his favorite prisoner this evening before retiring for the night.

He inputted a code and unlocked a certain cell. The cell was relatively big, but it was incredibly dank as well. There was no natural light in this room, and the only sources of light were the torches. In the center of the room was a young teenager who had both of his arms chained. His arms were held up in the air by the chains, and he was on his knees.

The young boy wore completely dark clothing as his trademark. He was of the 'Spriggan' race in Alfheim Online. He had short dark spiky hair and pointy ears. His facial expression indicated that he was suffering a large amount of pain from some kind of recent 'activity.' The teenager's name was none other than Kirito who would be known to the real world as Kirigaya Kazuto.

When Kirito looked up to his see his guest he unenthusiastically asked, "So what kind of torture are you going to inflict on me today?"

Sugou said with a smug face, "Nothing physical today."

Kirito had a hard time believing that. He sarcastically stated, "Oh really?"

Sugou gleefully responded, "Yes. I just came to inform you of some news. News that I think you will find quite interesting."

He looked up and asked, "What kind of news?" Kirito knew what ever this bastard had to say it was never good.

Sugou stated, "I have offered Asuna an ultimatum."

Kirito thought to himself, _"That doesn't sound good." _However, since he had nothing better to do, he asked, "What do you mean?"

Sugou stated with his usual smug look, "I told her that she has the choice to either marry me or you will die."

Kirito was frightened and confused by what he had just heard. "What?"

Sugou stated in a matter of fact tone, "It's easy. I told her that unless she accepts my proposal of marriage in two weeks, your life support systems will malfunction, and you will either die or become something that is just as good as dead. Although, I suppose in a few hours it will be thirteen days until she has to say yes."

Kirito's mind was racing. The only thing that he could think of to respond to that was, "You're bluffing. Asuna would never fall for such a lie."

Sugou was amused by what Kirito said, but he was quick to refute it. "Oh it's not a bluff. With my abilities and connections, I can easily arrange to have your life support systems malfunction despite that nurse you have, and it would never be traced back to me. Asuna's a smart girl. She knows that I am not bluffing. Your life is literally in the palm of my hands, and she knows there is nothing she can do that can change that. Even if she were to go to her father or the authorities, they would just turn her away. They would never suspect that someone with my outstanding reputation would ever consider something like that. If anything she will be in trouble by making an accusation without evidence."

Kirito realized there was a hole in Sugou's plan. "What if she refuses your offer, goes to the authorities, and I still die? Don't you think they would suspect something after that?" Kirito was not sure what he could accomplish by saying that, but he was desperate enough to try almost anything at this point.

Sugou was unfazed by what Kirito had said. "Oh I did, and I have made plans to counter that. If that scenario were to happen, I have a very 'discreet method' of taking care of you. Of course, I should probably use the 'discreet method' regardless of the scenario. It would be a much 'cleaner' way of handling it. Although, I suppose if I did utilize the discreet method, it would require a few additional sacrifices in order to ensure a convincing execution, but I suppose losing a few mere test subjects shouldn't set things too far back with all the progress we have made." He continued his monologue with an even smugger expression. "Besides, I doubt Asuna would not want to risk upsetting me when your life is on the line. I can see it in her eyes that she cares for you too much to let you die even if the only life you live is remaining in a coma. She wouldn't want to have your blood on her hands. The idea of being responsible for the death of her loved one is too much for your young, naïve mind to handle."

Kirito had no reply for that. He could not refute that Asuna does think that way. It was one of her best traits, and it was being used against them.

Seeing that Kirito was not responding to him anymore he gave Kirito some faux assurance. "Fear not. I will be sure to arrange it that you can view our wedding. You will see us walk down the aisle, exchange our vows, be pronounced man and wife, and kiss. There will be no objections from anyone. Perhaps I will also create a recording for when we consummate our marriage. I can picture it now. She will probably be in tears, and she will be imagining that she is with you instead, but I will be sure to remind her of the reality of her situation in more than one way."

As Kirito's mind was processing everything Sugou was telling him, he felt as if he was going to become violently ill. Everything that Sugou was saying was worse than any physical torture that had been inflicted upon him so far. The person he loved was being forced to make a sadistic choice. Even though he knew what her choice would be, either choice was going to leave her miserable in the end.

Despite Kirito's being trapped in Alfhiem Online for nearly three months, he was able to figure out based on a number of 'factors' that Asuna had made it back to the real world a long time ago. The thought that the person he loved was able to live her life again filled him with hope and happiness even if he would not be able to stand by her side. However, now he knew that belief and her freedom would soon be crushed.

Sugou noticed Kirito's facial expression, and he continued his gloating. "After that is over, I will be sure to have the videos keep replaying right in front of you again and again. For the rest of your life, you will see the person you love be taken away by another man all for 'your sake.' If we ever have children, I will be sure to show you pictures."

Kirito's first instinct was to lunge at Sugou, but he knew that Sugou's current distance from him would yield no results. The chains on his arms would not allow him to reach far. He had to keep telling himself there was nothing to gain by doing that yet. It took everything he had to fight those instincts. He was able to remain silent despite his disgust.

Sugou was rather displeased that was not enough to cause Kirito to beg or lunge at him. He thought to himself, _"I suppose that wasn't enough."_ He then said in his usually smugness, "As you can see, I no longer need to keep torturing you physically. Although, I guess coming back down here every now and then to remind myself of the good old times will be nice. Not to mention, I am sure my subordinates will enjoy keeping you company for a long time."

After Sugou said that, Kirito averted Sugou's gaze and said something softly to himself. It was enough to prevent Sugou from hearing what Kirito said but not enough to stop Sugou from knowing that Kirito said something. He mockingly said to Kirito, "What's the matter Kirito-kun? You have something to say?"

Kirito said something under his breath again, but Sugou still couldn't hear him. Sugou moved closer to Kirito, and said to him mockingly again, "You will have to speak up. I still can't hear you."

However, Kirito did not speak up. Sugou decided to walk closer to Kirito, so he would be able to hear Kirito. He said to Kirito with a smug smile, "What was that again?"

By then, Sugou could now vaguely hear what Kirito was saying. "You . . . you"

Sugou told Kirito in his mocking tone, "That's it boy. Say what you need to say."

Kirito took that as his invitation and shouted at Sugou with all his might, "YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

It was in this moment that Kirito lunged at Sugou with all his might, and he managed to head butt Sugou's face and break his virtual nose. Kirito briefly managed to grab Sugou, but Sugou managed to break away from Kirito's grip. Due to Kirito's condition, he lacked the strength to maintain a firm grip on Sugou. Kirito attempted to go further, but he was stopped by the chains. Sugou nursed his nose, and his face was filled with rage.

Sugou said to Kirito in a way that made his anger for him clear. "Well that put me in the mood." He then shouted out loud, "System command! Pain Absorption Level 8!" He then snapped his fingers, and the chains began to electrify Kirito. The chains electrified Kirito for over a minute until he was on his knees again. By the time Sugou let the electricity stop, smoke was coming from Kirito's body. It would have been enough to kill a normal avatar, but Kirito's avatar was different. His body would regenerate the damage that was given to him, but the pain that was inflicted upon him would remain indefinitely.

While Kirito wounds would always heal automatically, there was nothing to reduce the pain that he would feel from this torture. If Kirito's arm was amputated, it would regenerate almost immediately, but it would still feel as if it was chopped off. When Sugou would manipulate the 'Pain Absorption levels,' it would allow Kirito's pain to increase substantially. Not only that, apparently, if the 'Pain Absorption levels' were set low enough, it would have an effect on Kirito's actual body as well. A few of which Asuna and the nursing staff had unknowingly witnessed themselves.

While Sugou enjoyed seeing Kirito in pain, he rarely set the levels that low except for certain occasions, such as Christmas Eve. He had a feeling that would cause some unwanted red flags to appear as well. After Sugou and/or his subordinates were finished torturing Kirito, it was not unusual for the pain to last for hours which led to numerous sleepless nights. There were even times when Sugou would not even give Kirito the 'privilege' of a good night's sleep. While Kirito would always do his best to keep the pain to himself, there were numerous times the pain he would feel would make itself known much to Sugou's delight.

"Looks like I did have to physically torture you after all." Sugou then summoned his sword, Excalibur, and he impaled Kirito's chest and then took the blade out. "I am so glad that I gave your avatar body the ability to regenerate so rapidly. I am able to continually do this to you without killing your avatar, and I am capable of inflicting as much pain as I want on you. It is just so delightful."

Sugou proceeded to keep stabbing Kirito, and Sugou's face appeared to be getting high off the torture while Kirito did the best he could to keep his pain to himself to prevent Sugou from getting as much satisfaction as he could from this. "This has always been so much fun. It's amazing that we have been doing this for over a month and a half. Where does the time go?" He asked the question out loud even though he knew he would not receive an answer. Sugou went on to say, "It is always more satisfying when I see how broken you have become. By the way, how is your head after the way my subordinate's weapon did a number on it the other day?"

Kirito could not answer that question even if he wanted to at that point. He was breathing heavily, and he was barely capable of speaking. All he could muster were a few coughs in response, "Gah . . . gah . . . gah."

Sugou was amused at Kirito's inability to answer him. "Speaking of whom, I will be sure to call back some of my subordinates to participate in the fun later. They will be sure to give that pixie of yours a front row seat."

After a few moments, Kirito finally managed to speak somewhat properly and angrily asked, "Yui . . . what did . . . you do with her . . . you bastard? Where is . . . she?"

Once again, Kirito's concerns for his AI companion amused Sugou to no end. "I left that thing where I always leave it. That pixie is in that chamber that I sometimes take you to for both my entertainment and theirs."

Kirito angrily asked, "What are . . . you going . . . to do with her?"

Sugou smugly stated to Kirito, "I think the word you are looking for is 'it.'"

Kirito vehemently denied what Sugou was saying. "You're wrong! Yui is . . . a person."

The look in Kirito's face as he stated Yui was a person was amusing to Sugou. He wanted to break Kirito's way of thinking by stating in a matter of fact tone, "I think you need to face the facts brat. I know she is nothing but a program from Sword Art Online that was carried over here thanks to your Nerve Gear. That thing is not human. That thing is nothing but AI that is of no consequence."

Kirito spit at Sugou's feet and stated in an angry voice, "She's . . . a hell of . . . a lot more human than you!"

While Sugou was visibly annoyed by that, it did give him another way to make Kirito's life more miserable. Sugou decided to use this opportunity to tell Kirito what his plans for Yui were since it would probably cause him more pain. "I am not going to do anything to that pixie for the time being. Seeing that thing's face and hearing it cry out for us to stop entertaining ourselves at your expense is just too good to pass up. However, what really sells it is the fact it keeps calling you 'Papa,' and you two actually seem to care for each other. The whole idea of an AI and a player forming such a bond is not only absurd, but it is also amusing. It gives me multiple ways to thoroughly break you apart, and we haven't even gotten to the best part yet. I am really looking forward to when we get there."

Sugou began to take his leave when Kirito asked, "So you . . . plan on leaving me and her . . . in here forever?"

Before Sugou left, he turned around and said one last thing to Kirito. "Of course maybe I won't keep you here forever. When I am done with my experiments of the other three hundred players, maybe I will alter your mind."

Kirito remained in silence as Sugou continued to speak. Sugou took it as a sign that Kirito was too exhausted to speak anymore.

Sugou said in his smug tone, "If I alter your mind, you will have no memory of Asuna, and you will be willing to work for me as my loyal servant. Then Asuna can see the man she loves be my obedient subordinate for the rest of our lives." Kirito's eyes seemed to widen in horror to what Sugou was saying, but he did not make a reply.

Kirito's reaction did not go unnoticed by Sugou, and he chuckled. "I guess I will just need some time to decide what will be more fun. Either way, Asuna will be my bride, her father's company will be mine, and you will remain my plaything for the rest of your life. I couldn't be happier. However, that leaves the question of what to do with your pixie." Sugou thought about it for a moment and came up with an idea. "I guess I could find a way to reprogram her and make her my own pixie. After all, I am the administrator of this world. Even if she originally came from Sword Art Online, altering her should be a simple task. Perhaps she will even call me 'Papa.'" Sugou began to laugh at the idea as we continued to walk away from Kirito.

Sugou inputted the code number to exit Kirito's cell, and he walked away believing he had attained a long deserved victory. However, little did Sugou know that Kirito's spirit was far from broken. He had observed the code that Sugou had inputted into the door, and it was exactly what he thought it would be.

/

Kirito remained motionless until he was certain that Sugou was long gone. He did not want to take any chances that Sugou would notice something was wrong. Kirito knew that he would only have one shot at this, and he needed to make every second count.

When he was certain he was alone, Kirito smiled as he thought to himself, _"It doesn't look like he has ever considered changing the combination."_ Kirito looked at his right hand, and he opened it up and revealed he had a device.

After Kirito head butted Sugou and grabbed him, Kirito managed to snatch the device from Sugou. Kirito noticed that whenever Sugou wanted to release him from his chains in order to inflict different kinds of torture on him Sugou would use the button on this device. Kirito had hoped that Sugou's blind rage would cause him not to notice his missing possession long enough, and it worked. However, it was difficult for Kirito to keep his fist closed while he was being electrocuted along with being stabbed repeatedly, but he pulled through. After Kirito was certain that Sugou was gone, Kirito pressed the button to release himself from his chains.

With all the torture that was inflicted upon Kirito, he immediately fell on the ground. While the torture he received had been unforgiving, he did not think it would leave him nearly incapable of standing on his own. Kirito slowly crawled over to the bars, as he had to use them to support himself.

Kirito thought to himself in a frustrated tone, _"Damn. This is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I don't think I can escape from here in my condition." _Kirito could see that while his situation was hopeless, there was still something he could do. _"However, maybe I can do something to save both Asuna and Yui. There has to be some kind of console here similar to the one we saw in that cave back in Aincrad."_ While it sounded like a good idea, he had to remind himself, _"Unfortunately, even if there is one, I doubt it would allow me to log out of this game."_ Despite that he tried to maintain his morale, _"However, even if it doesn't give me the key to my freedom, it might give me the key to theirs. It might be important to find out what that 'discreet method' is."_ Kirito had an idea of what the 'discreet method' could be, but he had to be sure.

After he inputted the security code, he was able to unlock his cell door. Kirito continued to lean on the wall as he managed to inch his way out of the jail section. Throughout his time in this prison he knew that Sugou did not station any guards to check the prison cells. He was arrogant enough to believe his prison was inescapable without assistance. From what Kirito could gather, Sugou had a number of people stationed on the upper levels. Although, those levels were more for his subordinate's 'living quarters' rather than guard duty.

Kirito knew first hand that Sugou had a number of in-game subordinates that were more than willing to do his bidding. They did not appear to be NPCs, but they were actual players. The activities that they did for Sugou included but were not limited to torturing him further. They were extremely brutal in their treatment. While what they did was cowardly, he also knew they had high level stats similar to him. In his condition, despite his own powerful stats, he would not be able to utilize them to defeat these opponents.

However, Kirito had changed his plan from escaping. He knew that all he needed was a few minutes in that area to send a message to someone that could help him. While he did know some people that might be willing to help, he was not sure if sending them a message would put them in jeopardy as well. He knew that he needed to find a console that might be located around here or some other kind of contingency plan if he was to have any chance of helping those he cared about. At this point, he was desperate enough to try anything.

As he staggered down the hallway, he thought to himself, _"Asuna. It is okay if you choose to let me die. I would rather die than let someone like him marry you. You deserve much better._" Kirito held the area where he was stabbed with his other hand and breathed in deeply in hopes that the pain would pass soon._ "Don't worry, if you can't do it, maybe I can help make that decision for you."_

Kirito's thoughts made him think back to what Asuna stated to him prior to the game had ended. He desperately thought to himself, _"I just hope that you would not consider going through with such a threat after escaping. You and Yui must live on."_ Kirito continued to walk down the hallway using the wall to support himself. He could only hope that he would have enough time on his side to end this.

/

**Omake**:

Asuna: That doesn't sound too good now does it Kirito-kun.

Kirito: Probably not. I know exactly what is going to happen because the author told me about it, but I would rather not talk about it. I would rather we talk about something else.

Asuna: _"I guess Kirito-kun wants to get his mind off that torture scene."_ Sure if you want to talk about something else that would be fine. What do you have in mind?

Kirito: You know on the TVTropes page for Sword Art Online, they have finally started listing fanficiton stories for the series.

Asuna: Yes at this moment (2/7/13), there are a grand total of three recommendations when there are plenty of other stories that should receive recommendations as well, especially since there has been a large increase in Sword Art Online fanfiction stories ever since the anime aired during the second half of 2012.

Kirito: Well hopefully some tropers will start adding new stories soon. There are a number of stories that I would recommend.

Asuna: Do you have any in mind?

Kirito: In one case, it would not be a story in particular, but I would recommend stories produced by momoxtoshiro. That author has produced plenty of stories that ship us together and they are generally well written. In this case, I would go with an 'author recommendation' rather than a 'specific story recommendation.'

Asuna: Are there anymore specific stories you would recommend?

Kirito: I would recommend "A Certain Strange New World" which is a crossover between A Certain Magical Index and Sword Art Online. It has you and the character known as Misaka Mikoto as students of Tokiwadai middle school in Academy City when you become trapped in Sword Art Online. Along the way, you meet up with different characters, such as me, Klein, Heathcliff, and Touma (the main character of the Index franchise). Since one of the current recommended stories was a crossover, it only seems befitting that story receive a recommendation too, especially since it has a decent following.

Asuna: Can you think of anything else?

Kirito: Well I do have a few ideas, but I'm not sure you would like them.

Asuna: What are they?

Kirito: They are stories that involve me being paired with another female member of the cast, such as Lisbeth in 'Forging Bonds,' and Sachi in 'A Second Chance.' Both of these stories have decent followings as well. Of course, their followings are not as strong as a number of stories that pair you and me together, but they are good too.

Asuna: (_She is a little annoyed by that, but she tries not to show it too much_) I see. Do you think our story will ever be included among the recommendation list for fanfiction stories?

Kirito: Well that is possible. It may not happen right away though. However, do you know what would be really cool?

Asuan: What?

Kirito: Having our own TVTropes page like some other great fanfiction stories that have been created in other franchises.

Asuna: Do you really think that could work?

Kirito: Why not? Even though this is only the fifth chapter, I am sure there are more than enough tropes that were 'played straight,' 'subverted,' or 'averted,' that could be associated with this story. The number of tropes will only increase since the author plans on having this story last for quite a while. As the author announced before, there are plenty of plans for the future. We are probably going to be around for a while.

Asuna: Well I am looking forward to it.

Kirito: (_This caused Kirito to think of less happy thoughts_) Well I sort of am and not at the same time.

/

**Author Notes**: I believe Asuna's friendship with Lisbeth is an extremely underused element in the series. Despite Lisbeth's limited screentime, I thought she was a decent character that should be expanded upon and have more spotlight. Even though Asuna and her only share a handful of scenes together, I always did feel that they were friends and that friendship could have been used more often in the actual series. Taking that into consideration, I figured if Asuna would have been the one to escape into reality, she would probably spend more time with Lisbeth if they were able to reunite. I also considered it important to provide a decent resolution to any possible love triangle problems relatively early. Otherwise, I think it would make things more difficult in later chapters.

Throughout this chapter, I had a number of scenes that featured Asuna spending time with her friends, whether it was completing homework assignments or talking about games. I figured it was important to not only further her development with some of her fellow Sword Art Online survivors but give her a few additional scenes that go into her life after Sword Art Online and before entering Alfheim Online. You could say these scenes are more or less 'breather episodes' that bring out more of a human aspect for Asuna. Not to mention, these scenes show that while she wants to be with Kirito, her desire to be with him does not consume her entire life.

Regarding Sugou's villainy, I am beginning to think that he and Theristina from A Certain Scientific Railgun and one of the main antagonists for my first story "Of Science and Magics: The Side Stories" are gender flipped clones of each other. They are both bespectacled, intelligent villains that put 'decent person' façade in front of others. They used that façade in order to achieve their goals, and they are quick to get rid of that façade when it is no longer necessary.

Underneath their façades, they are truly over-the-top, arrogant, sadistic, psychopathic monsters who have let their hubris be the cause of their downfall. Not to mention, they both use people in comas to further their experiments/plans. In both cases, it is very pleasing to see them receive their comeuppance from the protagonists. However, it is almost a shame they both simply get arrested and not executed for their crimes in their canon storylines.

When I began writing this story, I found myself hating Sugou more and more as I wrote his scenes even though I already hated him for what he had done to Asuna and Kirito in the canon storyline. However, in my story I am having him commit cold blooded torture on Kirito continuously. While he did toy with Asuna in the canon story, he did not actually do anything 'too major' to her until the end. Of course, he was probably just saving his desires until he could probe her mind to bend it to his will because he thought it was more fun to wait. Not to mention, a part of the reason he committed those actions on Asuna in front of Kirito was due to how he liked the idea that he had an 'audience,' specifically the one who shared a mutual love interest with Asuna.

In my mind, Sugou would have probably tortured Kirito in such a manner in canon if he had more of an opportunity. The only reason it never happened was due to us never really having a chance to truly see it outside of episode 24 and 25 of the anime and the end of Volume 4 of the light novel. In other words, I do not think I have made him more evil. I would rather think I am displaying how truly evil he really is. The same would probably go for how I portray Theristina in "Of Science and Magics: The Side Stories."

Since I have him and his subordinates actually committing this torture on Kirito, it has made me absolutely hate this character as much as you could hate a fictional character. This is before I get to the much later chapters which will be filled with nightmare fuel. If you hate Sugou in this story as much as in canon or even more, then I will feel that I have accomplished a goal. This is why I created a poll asking you what **three specific actions** Sugou committed in this chapter that disgusted you the most. The poll will provide you with a total of sixteen choices. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I look forward to seeing any feedback you may have.


	6. Darkness before the Dawn

**Author Notes**: If you have not noticed, a cover page for Fairy Dance Alternate has been prepared. The artist of this cover was none other than Princesswanted from deviantArt. Her talents in drawing have provided me with another great work of art. I believe her works should receive more views and comments, and I would highly recommend her to anyone who wishes to have something illustrated. She is someone that is willing to accept any requests. Just make sure you give her precise directions to what you want her to draw as there is somewhat of a language barrier, but it can easily be overcome. If possible, you should provide her with references, such as links to relevant websites and other examples, which could help her illustrate your request.

In my case, I gave her links to a number of character designs, so she would know the coloring for the characters. I also told her to draw a smug face on Sugou that would make you want to punch him really hard. Additionally, as you may notice on the cover, Asuna has green hair because when she does enter Alfheim Online, she will be creating her 'Erika' Sylph account rather than her primary 'Asuna' Undine account. For those of you who do not know, Asuna created two accounts in Alfheim Online, and I decided it would be for the best to have her create the 'Erika' account first for this continuity. I appreciate that a majority of you who noticed this and were in favor of my decision.

I would also like to personally thank blueespeon for recommending my story on the 'Sword Art Online TV Tropes Fanfiction Recommendation' page. I also noticed the mini tag he added to that recommendation which emphasizes how dark this story is after only the first five chapters. From my perspective, I take that as a compliment because even though this story is only a few chapters in, my message that this is a dark story has already been made abundantly clear. I plan on this story getting much darker as time goes on. There will of course be lighter moments every now and then since we all need breather moments. Hopefully, a few of them can make you laugh.

On another note, I have seen the results of the poll regarding the actions Sugou had taken which disgusted you the most, and I was very pleased by the amount of participation. The three most popular choices were: "Sometimes torturing Kirito in front of Yui and enjoying her cries for them to stop," "Telling Kirito that he would have him repeatedly watch a video of him marrying Asuna and consummating their relationship," and "Telling Kirito he would reprogram Yui to be 'his' AI companion and have her call him 'Papa.'" Fourth place goes to "Threatening Asuna and giving her an ultimatum," and fifth place belongs to "Telling Kirito he would either remain his prisoner for the rest of his life or he would alter Kirito's mind to forget Asuna and be his willing subordinate."

I appreciate all of you who took the time to provide me feedback and participated in the poll. I plan to create polls in future chapters, but this chapter will not be one of them. I hope you enjoy this chapter and will leave a review because I enjoy reading your feedback. Additionally, for those of you who wish to have open discussions regarding "Fairy Dance Alternate" feel free to visit the Sword Art Online Fanfiction forum, "**SAO Nexus Fandom**." As long as you ask questions that do not enter too much into 'spoiler territory,' I will do my best to answer them.

/

Fairy Dance Alternate

Story Arc Two: Return to Reality – Part III (Final)

Chapter Six: Darkness before the Dawn

/

I have no control

Is there nothing I can do?

Besides let you die

/

_After I was given that ultimatum by Sugou, I was left speechless. As soon as that bastard left me behind, I lost all the strength in legs and sat on the nearest bench and I began to cry. I didn't know what to do. The only thing I could do was cry. In all my life, I had never felt so useless. Not even before I was trapped in Sword Art Online. The person I hated the most gave me the choice between marrying him and letting Kirito-kun die or worse. _

_In two weeks, both my life and Kirito-kun's life would be ruined. If I said no or didn't give an answer in two weeks, I would be condemning Kirito-kun to either death or a fate worse than death. Unfortunately, I would soon find out that Kirito-kun was already being subjected to something like that already. However, if I choose to accept the proposal, my future with Kirito-kun would not only be lost forever, but there was still no guarantee that he would wake up. Due to the weight of the choice that was in front of me, I felt as if I was holding Kirito-kun's very life in my hands._

_The weight that was binding me could not be seen, but it was there. It felt as if I was being dragged down into a dark abyss. I would be surrounded by perpetual darkness, and I had no way of telling whether I was looking up or down. It was a place where nothing seemed right._

/

Date: Friday, January 24th, 2025

Location: Yuuki Household

_I needed to make sure what Sugou said to me was the truth. My father came home at a reasonable hour that night. Unfortunately, he was still busy with handling papers, and he had confined himself to his office. However, I felt this was my best chance to find out the truth from him, so I knocked on his door to ask him personally._

_He answered, _"It's open. Come in."

_Before I opened the door, I took a deep breath in an attempt to mask my nervousness. When I entered, I firmly asked him, _"Excuse me father can I talk to you for a moment?"

_My father seemed more than happy to speak with me. He responded, _"Of course Asuna." _After I sat in the chair across from him he cheerfully asked,_ "What do you need to ask me?"

_At first I had trouble figuring out the best way to present the question I needed to ask him. After I was certain of the best wording, I asked, _"Father is it true that the life-support systems for Kazuto-kun and the others are due to RECTO's FullDive technology department?"

_My father responded to my question with a question of his own in a suspicious tone, _"Where did you hear that?"

_I had a feeling my father would ask me something like that, so I came up with a believable lie, and I practiced it a few times to make sure I was convincing. I told him in the most convincing voice I could muster,_ "I was at the hospital earlier today, and I overheard someone mention it in passing."

_The last thing I wanted to do at this point was tell my father about my encounter with Sugou earlier that day. If I did tell him, I have no doubt I would then tell him about how Sugou threatened me with Kirito-kun's life. However, without any proof of my encounter or what I was threatened with, it would be my word against 'Sugou's character.' It was a façade my father adored. If my father didn't believe me when I warned him of Sugou's true nature before, I doubt he would believe me now. _

_Additionally, if I did anything that would appear on Sugou's radar, I had a feeling I would shorten the amount of time Kirito-kun would have, and I knew that every second counted. While I wasn't sure of what exactly I could do at that moment, the only thing I knew for certain was that time was not on my side, and I could not afford to squander it. I did my best to keep my hatred for Sugou in check. It was not easy, but I was able to do a convincing job in front of my father._

_My father did not seem completely convinced, but he didn't press for more information. He responded,_ "I see. As you probably know, that division is run by Sugou Nobuyuki. He is not only responsible for maintaining the life support for the current coma victims, but he aided all of the players during their time in Sword Art Online, including you."

_I asked him in a curious tone, _"Why didn't you tell me that before?"

_He let out a sigh before he responded, _"It was information that was meant to be secret until the day all the Sword Art Online victims had reawakened. Although in your case you managed to find out the truth a little earlier than your friends would."

_I inquired further, _"Why was this information secret?"

_My father explained in a stern voice, _"We didn't want to take chances of the wrong people knowing who was in charge of the coma victims' life support. That's why only certain people within RECTO Progress, such as Nobuyuki-san and me, as well as the relevant hospital staff. We would only announce who was responsible for it after all the Sword Art Online incident had officially come to a close."

_While my father was telling me that, I could not help but think, "The wrong people already did know." Once again, it took a lot for me to stop myself from saying that out loud. I gave a curt response, _"I suppose that is why you hold Sugou in such high esteem then?"

_He happily responded, _"That is not the only reason, but it is one reason. I know you do not share the same sentiment, but I hope you will at least come to respect him in time. When you were trapped in that coma, he was there to help me when I needed it most. Without his help, I doubt I would have been able to keep the operations of the company running, and he helped me keep you and your friends alive. I can understand that you would not care for him in the same way you care for Kazuto-kun, but I hope you will at least give him a chance to be your friend in the future. He truly is a good man."

_It took everything I had to stop myself from blurting out, "That son of a bitch just gave me an ultimatum. He is nothing but an asshole that doesn't deserve to eat dog food." Instead I calmly said, _"I suppose."

_Shortly afterwards, I ended my conversation with my father without arousing any suspicion, and I let him continue his work. I thought to myself, "That bastard really was telling the truth. This means he is capable of cutting off Kirito-kun's life support. This problem is becoming too big for me to handle." I stopped for a moment and corrected myself, "No. This problem might be too big for anyone to handle."_

/

Date: Saturday, January 25th, 2025

Location: Lisbeth's Room

_After I found out what Sugou told me was true, I didn't know what I could do, and I didn't want to involve my friends in my problems. However, I knew this was too much for me to handle. There was no way I would be able to come up with a solution on my own, and I needed to tell someone. Besides, Kirito-kun was important to not only me but to our entire group. They all had the right to know, but I also felt that I couldn't tell them all at once. Before I told anyone else, I decided the best person I could talk to was Lisbeth._

_Lisbeth was always the one I trusted the most. If I could tell anyone about this situation, it would be her. When I told her of my encounter with Sugou and the ultimatum he gave me, I will never forget the look of horror in her eyes. From the look on her face, it seemed like she was barely able to comprehend what I had told her._

_After I was finished talking Lisbeth stated in a voice that had a mixture of anger and horror, _"That bastard said what?"

_I answered her question by reiterating the most important point of my story. I grimly stated, _"Sugou told me that Kirito-kun's life was in his hands. He all but threatened that if I don't accept his proposal within in the next thirteen days, he would sabotage Kirito-kun's life support. If that happens, Kirito-kun will either die or become a vegetable."

_Lisbeth was attempting to be calm about this, but her voice was becoming hysterical. _"You can't let him get away with this. You need to tell your father or the authorities."

_As much as I wanted to do that, I knew that would not work. I sadly informed Lisbeth, _"My father won't listen to me. He tried to convince me to make that man my fiancé in the first place."

_Lisbeth was shocked when I said that. She responded in voice mixed disbelief and disgust, _"What?! Are you kidding me?"

_I informed Lisbeth with a grim tone, _"Unfortunately, I'm not. The Sword Art Online incident allowed Sugou to rise in my father's favor partly because he was the one who was controlling our life support systems while we were trapped in the game. If that wasn't enough, Sugou has been an established family friend for years." _As soon as I said that, Lisbeth's face was filled with a mixture of surprise and disgust, but she didn't say anything this time, so I continued what I was saying_. "It was about a month ago my father tried to convince me to become Sugou's fiancé. I immediately rejected that proposal, and I tried telling my father that Sugou couldn't be trusted. However, despite what I said, he didn't believe me. My father is convinced that Sugou is an honest man that he can always rely on."

_Lisbeth had difficulty asking her next question. _"Is . . . is your father still trying to convince you to become that bastard's fiancé? Please tell me that's not the case."

_I told her, _"No. My father only backed down after I told him I only love Kirito-kun, and I would never love Sugou." _Lisbeth was somewhat relieved to hear that, but she knew that was not the end of the story._ "Unfortunately, as you know, that does me little good now."

_Before this, I didn't tell Lisbeth much about my family life, but she did know that I came from a wealthy family. After telling her this, I could see it in her eyes that she was gaining an understanding of how certain things in my family's life differed from hers._

_She said to me in an understanding tone, _"That's true. I guess this also means we can't expect to find an easy solution for this mess."

_What she said was putting it lightly. _"No we can't."

"I take it that we can't rely on help from the authorities either?" _Lisbeth may have phrased it as a question, but I could tell she knew the answer was no._

_Regardless of whether or not that was the case, I further explained the problems of the situation to Lisbeth. _"I can't tell the authorities because I have no evidence or witnesses to back up my claim. Not to mention that my father isn't the only person to hold Sugou in high regard. That bastard always did have that annoying habit of skillfully concealing his true colors in front of authority figures."

_After thinking for a few more moments Lisbeth asked, _"Is there anything we can do to stop him from sabotaging Kirito-kun's life support?"

_I answered in an unsure tone, _"I honestly don't know. Even if we could come up with something, I doubt it would be effective. As much as I hate Sugou, I have to admit that he is a talented individual. He didn't become head of the RECTO's FullDive technology department through connections alone. He had the abilities to competently complete the tasks he needed to finish. If he did something to Kirito-kun's life support or had someone else do it, he would be able to make it looks like it was a malfunction or another party was responsible. I keep trying to think about what I can do, but nothing is coming to mind."

_Lisbeth was in a state of disbelief_, "So there is nothing we can do?"

_I was almost at a loss for words. By my own admission, the situation was becoming rather hopeless._ "If we can't think of anything soon, I think I might . . . I might have to . . ."

_Lisbeth cut me off with a sharp tone._ "Hold on there. You're not thinking of accepting that bastard's proposal are you?"

_I nervously said, _"I don't want to, but what can I . . ."

_Lisbeth interrupted me again, and I am glad she did. What I was thinking was crazy. She told me in a stern voice, _"Don't even think about it! Not by a long shot!" _She explained to me, _"Don't you see? That's exactly what he wants! He wants you to feel helpless. That's how he will control you. If you let him do that, it won't end well for either you or Kirito."

_She was right. Ever since I returned to the real world, I could see that Sugou wanted me to be that scared girl I used to be. He was using Kirito-kun's life to make me his scared, obedient wife. Even though I knew that, I honestly couldn't come up with any good ideas that could save Kirito-kun's life. Before I talked to Lisbeth, I must have thought about the situation over a hundred times and every one of them resulted in Kirito-kun's death. That was something I could not bear to happen._

_I said in a desperate voice, _"I know. I know. But if we can't think of something in less than two weeks what else can I do? If I don't accept that proposal, Kirito-kun may die, and I do not want to be responsible for his death. I love him. How could I possibly condemn him to death?"

_I could see it in Lisbeth's eyes that she was doing her best to understand my situation. She knew that there was no clear answer to solve this. Due to the circumstances, almost anything we could think of would result in a bad ending._

_However, despite knowing that, Lisbeth stated in a firm voice, _"There is no guarantee he will let Kirito-kun keep living indefinitely either." _Lisbeth then started asking me some piercing questions. _"Besides, do you think Kirito-kun would ever be happy living in a coma while you are married to another person you hate? Do you think you could live with that? If you make this decision, do you think you could look yourself in the mirror and be happy with the life you have chosen?"

_It is moments like this that make me glad I have someone like Lisbeth as a friend. After thinking about her questions for a few moments, I could not come up with an answer. In hindsight, I would have to answer 'no' to all of those questions._

_At that time, the only response I could think of was, _"I'm sorry. It's just that I don't know what I can do. I don't want Kirito-kun to die, but I don't want to betray him or myself and leave him in that coma forever either. Even if he were to wake up in the future after I have made such a decision, I doubt that I would be able to reverse it that easily either. It's a Lose-Lose situation."

_Lisbeth was silent for a moment before she tried to steer the conversation into a new direction_, "Is there anyone else we can tell?"

_I told her in a grim voice, _"The only people I can picture that would believe me besides you are Sughua-san and our other friends from Sword Art Online. I was thinking of telling them of this too, but the more I considered the situation, the more uncertain I feel. If I did tell them, not only would it be doubtful that they could help me, but I would be selfishly burdening them with the information that Kirito-kun's life is in danger. I feel bad enough for burdening you with this information."

_Lisbeth put her hand on my shoulder and calmly told me,_ "I'm glad you told me the truth, and I am certain the others would feel the same as well. We are all friends Asuna. None of us would want you to bear the burden of this situation on your own. I believe telling them the truth would be a good idea. If we all work together, at least one of us might come up with an idea that we can use, and we will lighten your load."

_As much as I wanted to agree with her, I was still uncertain. I hesitantly asked Lisbeth, _"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

_Lisbeth responded, _"Well it may not be the best idea, but it's a lot better than having you handle it on your own."

_That was reasoning that I could not argue with. I reluctantly said_, "Okay. I'll tell them tomorrow."

_Before I left Lisbeth told me, _"All right, but just so you know. If you don't tell them, I will." _I was surprised when I heard her say that._ "Kirito is important to all of us. We won't just sit on the sidelines while you deal with this alone."

_I told her in a sincere voice, _"Thank you Lisbeth."

_She assured me, _"Don't mention it. As I've told you before, we're friends."

/

_After I left Lisbeth's room, I ran into Silica-chan on my way out. She cheerfully greeted me, _"Hey Asuna-san. What are you doing here?"

_I attempted to mask how troubled I was feeling when I responded, _"Hey Keiko-chan. I was talking to Rika-san about something important."

_Silica-chan seemed to realize that something was wrong when she said, _"Oh."

_I think Silica-chan could tell something wasn't right since I referred to both her and Lisbeth by their real names rather than by their in-game names. She knew that generally I would only refer to them by their real names when we were out in public. I suppose her time in Sword Art Online has made her a perceptive person. Based on what the trouble that Kirito-kun saved her from, I guess she probably didn't want to accidentally associate with the wrong people again._

_I asked her, _"Keiko-chan, are you free tomorrow?"

_Silica-chan responded in an unsure tone, _"Yes. Do you want to do something?"

_I wasn't really sure how to answer that, so I answered her question with, _"It's something like that. Can you come to the Dicey Café? There is something I need to talk to you and the others about." _I then turned my eyes away from Silica-chan before I added,_ "It's important."

_Silica-chan did not press me for anymore information. Even though she was the youngest in our group, she was grown up enough to see that this wasn't the place to talk about this subject. She responded, _"Sure. I'll be there."

_I smiled at her response. _"Good. I'll see you tomorrow then."

_She shook her head, _"Okay. Good night."

_I happily told her with a fake smile, _"Good night." _Then I departed from the hostel and went straight home._

/

Date: Saturday, January 25th, 2025

Location: Yuuki Household – Asuna's room

_I was about to turn in for the night when I heard a knock on my door. I hesitantly asked, _"Who is it?"

_The voice responded, _"It's me Kouichirou."

_I figured it was okay to talk to my brother before going to bed, so I told him, _"Come in."

_My brother walked in, and he approached me. His face had an expression that was similar to the one he had when I talked to him in private back in the hospital. Kouichirou asked in a concerned voice, _"Asuna are you doing okay?"

_I was taken aback by being asked such a question out of the blue. I was not prepared to be asked that, so I responded in a less than convincing tone, _"I'm okay. Why?"

_Kouichirou explained, _"I noticed for the past two days that you have been acting strangely. It's like you have something constantly nagging you, but you aren't sure what to do."

_When he said that, I thought to myself, "Was I being that obvious or is he just that observant?" I responded, _"I have?"

_Kouichirou's voice continued to display the concern he had for my well being as he stated, _"You have. Does this have anything to do with Kazuto-kun?"

_I was silent for a few moments before answering. I responded in a neutral voice,_ "It is part of the reason, but it is much more than that."

_He responded, _"I see. It must be hard on you that he is still in a coma while you are back in the real world."

_That assessment was accurate. It has been difficult ever since I saw Kirito-kun's sleeping figure in that hospital bed back in November, but barring that and my encounters with Sugou, things have gone well for me these past two and a half months. I responded in a sincere voice, _"It has been, but thanks to my friends I have been okay. The person who needs help the most is Kazuto-kun. Unfortunately, in the state he is in, he probably won't get it." _I took a deep breath before stating, _"I would do anything to help him wake up."

_The look in my brother's eyes changed. He told me in a cautious tone, _"You may want to be careful about what you say Asuna. There are times when a person's wish comes true, but it may happen in a way that would result in a less than desirable outcome. To add insult to injury, when those times happen, that person may later learn he or she could have achieved their wish that would have resulted in a happier ending. You can say those were the true tragedies of the stories."

_When my brother said that, it made think back to what happened in Sword Art Online. Before Kirito-kun opened my eyes and allowed me to begin seeing the value of being in the game world, I had been desperate to escape. There were nights I would stay up late because I would constantly be plagued by the nightmares of being trapped in that world and not being able to achieve my goals. I would keep telling myself, "I want to get out of here. I want to go home. I would do anything to make that happen."_

_While it may not have been my wish's fault to escape Sword Art Online that resulted in Kirito-kun and the other several hundred players remaining in their comas, it is true in my desperation that I thought that I 'would do anything' to escape the game. Even if the things people say or wish for are not directly responsible for the misfortunes of others, it is amazing how it can come back to bite you later. Regardless of whether or not the guilt is unwarranted, it can fester within you. It was thanks to Agil and Lisbeth that some of my accumulated guilt has subsided over the past few weeks._

_I sighed as I responded, _"I suppose that could be true. Wishes can end up backfiring on people depending on how they can really be achieved. However, I would still be willing to take that risk. When Kazuto-kun and I were trapped in Sword Art Online, he helped give me a new perspective on things in the virtual world. It was thanks to him that I was finally able to enjoy living in that virtual world rather than thinking that I was wasting my life. Kazuto-kun, Rika-san, and some of my other friends have made me believe that being trapped in Sword Art Online was not entirely a bad thing."

_My brother stated in an anxious tone, _"I'm not sure if I should feel relieved or concerned to hear you say that."

_When I heard him say that, I chuckled a little. For some reason, my brother's presence made me feel somewhat cheerful despite the circumstances. I think it was because talking to him was a 'breath of fresh air.'_

_I cheerfully responded, _"You don't have to be worried. Even though I was able to enjoy my time in the game, I still desired to return to the real world. However, during my time in that world, I learned that in order to obtain your desires you not only have to work for it, but you need to take risks. Kazuto-kun took a number of risks for me when I was in danger and to help me return to the real world. It would only seem right that I should do the same if our roles were reversed."

_My brother gave me a worried look. _"I don't know what those risks were, but I don't think Kazuto-kun took them so you would owe him one."

_I shook my head as I agree with him. _"No I don't think so either. However, when it comes to relationships, nothing should ever be one sided. Even if one of them does more for the other, both partners should be equally willing to help the other. That's what I believe."

_Kouichirou did not respond for a few moments before his face softened and he said, _"I guess it's hard to argue with that reasoning."

_I cheerfully responded, _"I would hope so."

_Kouichirou finally smiled as he told me, _"You have changed a lot Asuna. You are much different from the person I knew before she put on that Nerve Gear helmet."

_I asked my brother in a curious tone, _"Are you disappointed with the change?"

_He corrected himself, _"Not at all. I'm proud of how much you have changed. I guess I have Kazuto-kun to thank for that."

_I responded in a sheepish tone, _"That was partly true. Kazuto-kun played a huge role in that, but I also have to thank a number of other people for who I have become as well."

"Well I'm grateful to them too." _Kouichirou turned to leave, but before he left he said, _"Good night."

_I responded as he closed my door, _"Good night."

_After Kouichirou left, I was alone again. A part of me didn't want him to leave so soon. Having him around was comforting, and despite the ultimatum that Sugou gave me regarding Kirito-kun's life, I felt I could still be cheerful, even if it was for a short time. It felt like Kouichirou was the only real family member I could talk to. If I tried talking to my father again, he would probably remind me of 'Sugou's availability' or how I was 'wrong' about Sugou's character and I should respect him. If I tried speaking to my mother, she would tell me that I should focus on making more friends who are on the 'same level' as me and become engaged to someone who is more 'worthy.' As much as I care for my parents, neither one of them could or would be able to help me._

_Kouichirou on the other hand acted how I always believed a brother should. He was not judgmental of my interests or my friends. Similar to my father, he has been supportive of me since my return to the real world. He has never tried pressuring me to join social clicks that were exclusive to our social standing. After I explained to him my relationship with Kirito-kun, he was fine with it even though he did act somewhat 'protective' of me at first. He has come to agree with me that he would probably like Kirito-kun if he ever had the chance to talk to him in person. I am certain the two of them would hit it off._

_I contemplated telling Kouichirou about the ultimatum that Sugou was forcing me to take, but I did not want to take that chance. I decided it would be for the best if I did not tell him at this point. After I contemplated the situation, I figured telling him would result in a disastrous outcome regardless of whether he believed me or not. _

_If he didn't believe me, I could picture him not keeping this conversation to himself, and it would eventually reach Sugou's ears. If he did believe me, I have a feeling he would ignore my reasoning for not telling father or the authorities. As a result, we would end up in an even worse position than before because I would lack any evidence other than my word against Sugou's, who is regarded as a 'man of integrity' by many._

_The only thing I could do was tell the others about it at the Dicey Café tomorrow. I could only hope that someone would be able to come up with a solution. It scared me to think of what could happen if we weren't able to think of one. This made it difficult for me to go to sleep, but after about an hour of staying awake, I finally became too tired to think about the future anymore and drifted off. _

/

Date – ?

Location – ?

_When I woke up, my eyes were blurry. I rose and wiped the sleep from my eyes to regain the use of my senses. After my eyes cleared up, I realized that I could not remember what I was doing the night before. _

_I looked at my attire, and I noticed I was wearing the sleeping attire I would wear in Sword Art Online. I gazed around the room I was in and asked out loud, _"Where am I?"

_After looking around the room, I recognized I was inside the cottage that Kirito-kun and I purchased after we married in Sword Art Online. I thought to myself, "What's going on? This can't be. Aren't I?" When I tried to think back of what happened, nothing was coming to me. It was as if something had been wiped from my mind._

_However, I stopped thinking about it when I glanced at the person next to me. It was Kirito-kun wearing his normal sleeping clothing. His face had that unmistakable cute and naïve look it always had when he was asleep. It was one of his many attractive features._

_Suddenly the door opened, and I heard the most innocent voice I had ever heard_, "Mama. You're awake." _I looked to the door and it was Yui-chan._

_I said in a surprised voice, _"Yui-chan. You're here."

_Yui-chan looked at me in a confused look. _"Of course, I'm here Mama. Where else would I be?"

"Well I . . ." _I couldn't remember what I wanted to say next. It was as if the words disappeared from my mind before I could say them._ "Never mind Yui-chan."

_As if it were on cue, Kirito-kun woke up as well. Similar to me, he was drowsy as well._ "Good morning Asuna. Good morning Yui."

_Yui-chan cheerily said, _"Good morning Papa."

_Normally, I would have responded right away, but my instincts were telling me that something was off, so I hesitated. After a few moments, the feeling passed and I greeted him, _"Good morning Kirito-kun."

_Kirito-kun looked at me in an amused face, _"What's with the awkward 'good morning.'"

_I was still not entirely sure what was going on. I responded, _"Well . . . I . . ."

_Kirito-kun shrugged it off, _"Forget it. I guess after that party we went to yesterday, you wouldn't be feeling like yourself."

_I asked in a questioning tone, _"Party?"

_He responded in a surprised tone, _"Don't tell me you forgot. "We had a party with Niishad after I caught that giant fish and you cut him to ribbons. The whole gang came to celebrate, Klein, his guild members, Silica, Lisbeth, Agil, Thinker, and Yuriel. Don't you remember?"

_After Kirito-kun said that a flash of memories came racing through my mind, and I saw it all happening. Kirito-kun managed to help Nishida catch this huge fish that turned out to be a monster known as the 'Lungfish.' The monster's ferocity managed to scare everyone to run away, but I made short work of it. After I killed it, the three of us received this massive reward for catching and dispatching this monster. I had enough ingredients to make food for about twenty people people._

_Kirito-kun, Nishida, and I talked it over, and we decided to splurge on a big party. As a result, we invited a number of our friends to celebrate with a huge feast at our cottage. Everyone was celebrating, talking, and having a good time. It was moments like this that would make people forget that we were trapped in a virtual world. _

_Kirito-kun snapped me back to 'reality' with a slight nudge. He jokingly said to me, _"Hey Asuna are you in there?"

_After I regained focus, I sheepishly answered, _"I'm fine Kirito-kun. I was just thinking about what happened."

_Kirito-kun chuckled at what I said, _"Yeah I guess you would. It was quite a night both during and after the party."

_On reflex, I responded in an embarrassed tone, _"Huh?"

_Kirito-kun gave me a sly smile and asked, _"What do you expect? We are on our honeymoon after all, and Yui was sound asleep in the other room, so we took advantage of that opportunity. Don't you remember?"

_As if it was on cue, another stream of memories came into my head that I would rather not go into any detail about. It was quite a night of passion in more than one sense. The two of us were like rabbits. It's a good thing we made sure that Yui-chan was fast asleep in the other room, and Kirito-kun and I 'reequipped' our night clothing afterwards. Yui-chan was definitely far from being ready to know about something like this. _

_Just the other day, I was talking to Kirito-kun about the prospect of eventually getting married in the real world and having a family. I told him that I would like to have three children if possible. While Kirito-kun did want it to happen, he was not as adamant about the future as I was. Yui-chan happened to overhear what we were talking about, and she liked the idea of having a sibling. However, she then asked us the embarrassing question of where exactly babies came from. It took a lot of effort to change that topic, and I know I wouldn't want her finding out the answer if she saw one of our 'ethics-off' episodes last night._

_I hesitantly responded in an embarrassed tone, _"Ah . . . right."

_After I said that, I heard Yui-chan ask in an innocent voice, _"What are you talking about?"

_While we were talking, the two of us forget that Yui-chan was still standing right there. Luckily, she did not seem to have any clue what we were talking about as she looked at us with a questioning expression. I then heard Yui-chan's stomach indicate that she was hungry. _

_I took advantage of that opportunity to change the subject and asked her, _"Are you hungry Yui-chan?"

_She excitedly responded, _"Yes."

_I happily responded, _"I'll go make you two some breakfast then."

_I immediately hurried off to the kitchen, and Yui-chan sat in the den as she waited for me to finish preparations. She wanted to know whether she could help me or not, but I told her that everything was fine. Before I was finished cooking, Kirito-kun joined me in the kitchen._

_He told me in a bittersweet tone, _"It's too bad that we never did find Yui's parents back on the first floor."

_I sadly responded, _"I know, but Sasha-san said that she had never seen someone who looked like Yui-chan before on the first floor." _I then pondered another possibility._ "However, it is also true that not all of the children in Sword Art Online are under Sasha-san's care. It's possible that Yui-chan wandered out of the Starting City on her own after the Death Game began, and she was able to make it to the subsequent floors because she traveled the fields after a number of the monsters were killed and had not respawned yet. It's likely that she has been spending these past two years warping to different floors before we found her."

_Kirito-kun responded in a troubled voice, _"That definitely seems possible. However, that also makes this situation quite unpleasant. This means she is truly on her own, and the only people that can take care of her are the two of us."

_Yui-chan's situation troubled me as well, but I knew there was not much we could do about it now. I said in a somewhat frustrated voice, _"I know. I was hoping we could have at least found a clue to who Yui-chan really is. I guess there is nothing we can really do until we can clear the game."

_Kirito-kun stated in a determine voice, _"Exactly. Until that time comes, we should do what we can for her sake."

_I agreed with Kirito-kun's statement. I said, _"Of course."

_While Kirito-kun and I were talking about our search for Yui-chan's identity, I felt something strange in my head. It felt as if two different thoughts were conflicting with each other. It felt as if they were battling inside my mind to gain dominance. My head began to ache._

_Kirito-kun noticed this and asked in a concerned voice, _"Are you okay Asuna?"

_I was massaging my forehead with my left hand as I responded with a less than convincing, _"Yes. I'm all right Kirito-kun."

_My response only seemed to worry Kirito-kun even more. _"Are you sure? It looked like you were in pain."

_I tried to assure him. _"I'm fine. I was just thinking about something, but I don't know how to put my finger on it."

_He asked, _"What do you mean?"

_I was not sure what to say other than, _"I feel confused about something."

_Kirito-kun asked in a curious voice, _"Do you know what it is?"

"Yes." _I asked Kirito-kun_, "When we were there Yuriel asked us to save Thinker right?"

_Kirito-kun said in an uncertain tone,_ "Yeah. Why?"

_I hesitantly asked, _"How did that go again?"

_Kirito-kun asked in an anxious voice, _"Are you having amnesia too?"

_I tried to wave off Kirito-kun's concern, _"No it's just that I keep thinking about it and something doesn't seem right in my head. I was hoping you could straighten it out for me."

_Kirito-kun took a good look into my eyes and he could see that I really needed to hear this answer. He responded, _"All right then. When we approached the area that Thinker was trapped in, we were attacked by a boss known as the Reaper. However, it luckily appeared behind us rather than in front of us, and we were able to feel it coming, so it didn't get the drop on us or cut off our escape. We were able to outrun the boss and make it to Thinker's cell and we all teleported to safety.

_As Kirito-kun told me this, the memories of what happened were coming into place. It was as if Kirito-kun's words were the key to solving the 'contradictions.'_

_After Kirito-kun was done explaining the story, he asked me,_ "Is there anything wrong?"

_I answered, _"No. That sounds right." _For some reason, I then blurted out,_ "Have you received any messages from Heathcliff recently?"

_Kirito-kun was surprised to hear me ask that. He told me, _"As a matter of fact I did. I received one from him yesterday after you killed that fish monster."

_I asked in a nervous tone, _"What did the message state?"

_Kirito answered, _"The message stated he is going to be giving us a quest to complete, so we can stay on our toes for when we return to the frontlines. Sorry I didn't tell you about it yesterday, but I didn't want to ruin the fun we were going to have."

_I was perfectly fine with him not telling me right away. _"It's okay. At least you told me now. Do you know when he plans on giving us this mission?"

_Kirito-kun didn't seem to have the answer to that question himself. _"I'm not really sure about the exact timing, but it should probably happen either later today or tomorrow."

/

_The following day, Kirito and I received the message from Heathcliff. It assigned us the 'quest' that he wanted us to complete to help us remain in tip-top shape for future boss battles. The two of us decided it would be best to handle this quest as quickly as possible, so we readily prepared our equipment._

_Before we left, I nervously asked Kirito-kun, _"Are you sure it is a good idea to leave Yui-chan by herself?"

_Kirito-kun seemed to share my uncertainty and responded, _"I don't like it either. However, it would be too dangerous to bring her along. Besides, as long as she doesn't open the door for anyone, she will be fine."

_I reluctantly agreed. _"I guess that's true."

_In Sword Art Online, whenever players rented a room at an inn or owned a house or apartment, no one else would be able to enter that space without authorization. The same was true for our cottage. As long as Yui-chan didn't leave the house or let people inside, she would be okay. The mechanics of the house allowed us to prevent people from entering other than ourselves and our guests. It was a feature that was convenient over how things worked in the real world because it would automatically safeguard its occupants._

_I turned to Yui-chan and instructed her, _"Yui-chan there is food in the container areas, and it shouldn't expire anytime soon. We will be back as soon as we can, but until we get back please don't leave the house and be sure to not let anyone else in besides us okay?"

_Yui-chan cheerfully smiled at us and hugged me tightly, _"Okay Mama. Good luck on your quest. I'll be waiting."

_I smiled at Yui-chan as I told her, _"Thank you."

_Kirito-kun then playfully patted Yui-chan on the head and confidently said,_ "You don't have to worry about us. We will be back before you know it. There is no team in Sword Art Online tougher than your Mama and Papa."

_Yui-chan cheerfully shook her head in agreement. After we were done with our goodbyes, Kirito-kun and I were off to complete our new quest._

/

_As we walked towards our destination, I asked Kirito-kun_, "So Kirito-kun, do you know anything about the monster we are suppose to be hunting?"

_Kirito-kun pulled up the quest description to see if there were any details he may have missed. _"Not really. Your guess is as good as mine. The note stated that if we head into this forest, the boss will eventually appear before us. Additionally, the quest recommended for players to fight in at least a party of two and one of these players needs to be at a minimum of Level 90. Since we meet that criterion, I think we should be able to complete this quest as long as we are careful."

_I had a feeling that 'careful' was putting it mildly. _"Well that goes without saying. With how powerful the monsters are in the floors above seventy, it probably wouldn't be a good idea for anyone to continue playing solo anymore."

_Kirito surprisingly agreed with me, _"That's probably true. As I told you before, I felt like I was reaching the limit of what I could do as a solo player after Heathcliff defeated me in that duel."

_When Kirito-kun said that, it still didn't feel as if anything was off. He referenced things that the two of us had experienced together. Whenever I thought there were some inconsistencies, he was able to remind me of what happened. It made me happy that things have been able to work out for the two of us and Yui-chan as well as they have over these past few weeks. However, I still didn't feel I could be at ease. Something still did not feel right even for being trapped in a Death Game. _

_Despite my concerns, I decided I would worry about that later. I nervously asked Kirito-kun, _"Do you think it will be an opponent similar to Gleam Eyes?"

_Kirito-kun considered the possibility for a moment before responding. _"I have a feeling that our opponent will be around the same level as a boss battle somewhere between the sixty-fifth and seventh-fourth floor which is probably why the quest recommended us to have such high levels before accepting the challenge."

_As soon as Kirito-kun said that, we were in the middle of a forest area that was filled with old ruins. It reminded me of what I read from Ancient Greek civilization. However, we were not able to gaze upon its beauty because the two of us felt the air within the forest change. We could feel our target was approaching us. Kirito-kun drew both of his swords, Dark Repulser and Elucidator. I drew out my rapier, Lambent Light. _

_Kirito-kun softly said to me,_ "Are you ready?"

_I confidently told him, _"Always."

/

_When our boss appeared out of the shadows, it revealed to us that our opponent was a Centaur. Centaurs are part of Greek Mythology as creatures that are part man and part horse. With few exceptions, they have generally been depicted as barely civilized brutes that were fond of drinking wine and being with women. I could see this creature was depicting Centaurs in that fashion based on the lustful gaze it was giving me prior to our fight. _

_I did not want to imagine what it would attempt to do to me if the Centaur somehow managed to defeat us and killing its targets was not its first priority. The look on its face made me want to stick my rapier right through its eyes. However, I knew better than to charge in a fight without a plan or at least some coordination. I was not going to make the same mistake that I made when we fought Gleam Eyes._

_Based on our scans, the Centaur's powers were approximately even with Gleam Eyes give or take being a few levels lower. It was probably slightly weaker due to it not being a boss battle, but the equipment it had seemed like it was going to give us enough problems. The Centaur was equipped with a double edged sword as well as a bow and quiver on its back. After we made our quick observations on the creature's equipment and stats, it wasted no more time to draw out its blade. The Centaur then charged at Kirito-kun and me with great speed._

_Both Kirito-kun and I were more than fast enough to dodge the attack without receiving any damage. It was a good thing we moved as fast as we did because when the Centaur attacked the empty space that Kirito-kun and I had occupied. I noticed that the Centaur had sliced the stone wall that was behind us like it was tissue paper and then what was left of the wall shattered into glass fragments. After witnessing that, I wouldn't want to think about how much damage it would inflict if that blade connected._

_I said out loud, _"This is definitely not going to be easy."

_As Kirito-kun prepared to strike the beast, he said in a tone mixed with determination and excitement, _"I wouldn't expect it to be."

_Kirito-kun then charged at the beast and attacked with his Dark Repulser first that the Centaur was able to easily parry. He then tried to attack with his Elucidator, but the creature was quick to rotate its double edge sword to block Kirito-kun's second attack. Afterwards, it was the creature's turn to take the offensive. _

_After it deflected both of Kirito-kun's attacks, it then tried to use its long reach to strike down Kirito-kun where he stood. It made five consecutive attempts to slice Kirito-kun into ribbons. Even though Kirito-kun was not as fast on as me, he had excellent reflexes that allowed him to avoid most of the attacks. He managed to avoid the first four by inches, and on the fifth attack, the blade managed to slightly graze his chin. Other than that, Kirito-kun was unharmed._

_Kirito-kun saw that I was ready to fight, and he gave me the signal, _"Switch!"

_I then jumped up and attacked the Centaur with my raining swords attack. With my attack, it would appear as if I was somehow attacking you with multiple sword strikes even though I was only using one. I managed to injure the Centaur's left shoulder and lower right abdomen, but the creature was fast enough with its double edged sword to block a majority of its attacks._

_After my attack was finished, it attempted to slice at me as well, but I was able to dodge its attacks. I then shouted out to Kirito-kun, _"All out!"

_No more words needed to be spoken. We knew after our two solo attacks that this enemy was not going to go down that easily. Our efforts put together managed to scratch a little bit of its health points, but we would probably need to repeat that at least fifty times if we were going to win, and we knew that was not going to work._

_Kirito-kun and I managed to attack the beast from different sides and angles, but it was surprisingly agile despite its huge body. While we were usually able to give it a minor amount of damage each time we attacked, it was not really substantial. We would not be able to keep this up for long. If we did not find a way to do more damage, we would either need to run away or we would be killed._

_It was then that I noticed the creature had individual health bars for each of its legs, and they were all covered in armor. I realized that had to be the creature's weak spot. Additionally, I could see that my Lambent Light rapier was stronger than the armor. It would probably take some effort, but I figured that if I had a few seconds, I could shatter the armor of at least one of those legs. _

_After considering the possibilities, I shouted to Kirito-kun, _"Charge him."

_As soon as I said that, Kirito-kun did exactly as I said. He attempted to attack the Centaur with his dual blades, but he kept getting blocked. Kirito-kun trusted that I had some kind of plan that would make the risk he was taking worthwhile. While the Centaur's attention was focused on Kirito-kun, I ran around it in preparation for the moment I could put my plan into motion._

_The creature tried to swing its blade vertically down on Kirito-kun in hopes of attempting to cut him in half, but Kirito-kun crossed his Dark Repulser and Elucidator together, and used them to catch the Centaur's blade before it could finish its blow. With Kirito-kun's strength, the Centaur's double edged sword was approximately three inches above his head. However, the stubborn Centaur was not about to pull out. It tried pushing Kirito-kun as hard as it could while inching its blade closer and closer to his forehead._

_While it was distracted, I decided it was a golden opportunity to go for the creature's legs. I went for its back legs first and I used my raining sword attack on both of them at the same time. As I attacked the creature's leg armor began to shatter and within a few seconds, the armor was destroyed which left its legs defenseless._

_After I had managed to destroy the armor on the Centaur's back legs, it's attention became more focused on me than Kirito-kun. Kirito-kun managed to use this opportunity to his advantage._

_He shouted at the creature in a voice filled with killing intent, _"Where do you think your looking idiot?"

_Kirito-kun managed to knock the blade away from his head, and then managed to give the Centaur's torso several direct attacks with his Dark Repulser and Elucidator. With those direct hits, the Centaur's hit points went down quite substantially. They were the most damaging attacks we were able to inflict on the creature so far._

_While Kirito-kun was attacking the Centaur's torso, I managed to destroy the armor of its front legs. I suppose I could have attacked its back legs right then, but what I did was completely on reflex. However, I might have subconsciously known that this was probably the best chance to destroy the armor of all its legs and leave its lower body completely vulnerable._

_After I destroyed the armor and managed to do some damage to its legs, the creature jumped away from Kirito-kun and I. However, we were not going to let it get away that easily. The two of us continued to attack from different angles and alternated between attacking its upper and lower body. The damage we managed to inflict upon it with our attacks was far more effective, and we could see that we had a chance for victory._

/

_Shortly after we managed to reduce its overall health by at least fifty percent and injured its legs to an extent, Kirito-kun was able to destroy creature's double-edge blade by attacking its center. The Centaur was enraged by this, and this caused it to change its strategy by retreating further back and drawing out its bow. It placed an arrow on the bow's string and drew it back. Before it fired, I could see that the arrow was beginning to glow. It appeared as if the creature was 'charging' its arrow. Needless to say, I had a bad feeling for what that light could mean._

_I shouted out to Kirito-kun, _"Kirito-kun there's something strange about that arrow. Don't let it get close to you."

_As soon as I said that, Kirito-kun heeded my warning, and we started moving as quickly as we could. It's a good thing I noticed that strange sensation about the Centaur's arrow because after it shot the arrow at us, the arrow moved at a high level speed that would have been difficult for us to avoid if we were not already moving. When I saw it connect to one of the trees that stood behind us, the tree was destroyed in an instant. _

_However, even though the two of us moved out the arrow's path, it wasn't enough. Everything that was within a few feet of the arrow's path was pushed back by some kind of 'wind force.' Despite the distance Kirito-kun and I managed to put between ourselves and the arrow's path, we still received a minor amount of whiplash that reduced our health points by five percent. I would hate to think about how much we would lose if the arrow was closer to us, let alone hit us directly._

_I said out loud to Kirito-kun_, "Did that thing shoot an arrow powered with magic?"

_As we attempted to avoid the monster's sight, Kirito responded, _"That shouldn't be possible. Sword Art Online isn't supposed to have magical abilities in it. It has to be some kind of strange skill that only bosses can use."

_My response to that was, _"Yeah well, Sword Art Online wasn't advertised as a 'Death Game,' so who knows what else was changed by Kayaba."

_Kirito-kun said in an exasperated tone, _"We can worry about that later. For now, let's focus on avoiding those arrows and killing this Centaur."

_I figured that Kirito-kun was right about that. _"Okay."

_Kirito-kun and I continued to run in various directions and we did our best to avoid the Centaur's arrows and take cover to reduce the damage we would receive from the whiplash. After some quick maneuvers, the two of us managed to find a hiding spot and the Centaur lost track of our movements. _

_Thanks to Kirito-kun's 'hiding ability,' the Centaur had momentarily lost its target. However, with the creature's scanning and tracking abilities, it would only be a matter of time before it would find us. We needed to come up with something quickly. While we were within striking distance of the Centaur, we needed a strategy because the both of us had lost at least forty percent of our health by then._

_Kirito quietly told me, _"Asuna I have an idea."

_I whispered, _"What is it?"

_Kirito stated in an analytical tone, _"Since that Centaur is using a long distance weapon to fight us, I will use my own long range attack as well."

_I knew that Kirito-kun did have a long range attack known as, 'throwing blades,' but I was not sure if that would be good enough in this situation since it was more of a mid-range ability. While it was a deadly ability that Kirito-kun wasn't too far away from perfecting, but it was unlikely that skill alone was capable of killing the Centaur. At least not with the amount of health it still had._

_I asked in an uncertain tone, _"Do you think that will be enough?"

_He responded, _"No, but that is where you come in."

_I took a good look at Kirito-kun's eyes, and I could see what he had in mind. I told him in a confident voice, _"All right I got it."

_Kirito-kun ran in one direction and I ran in another, so we would be in the optimal positions before we could initiate the plan._

/

_When Kirito-kun saw that I was behind the Centaur, he used his blade throwing ability to distract it before it could sense me. While I could see that the blade did some damage to the Centaur, I would estimate that each blade probably only reduced its health by one or two percent at most. Even though this wasn't going to kill it, this ability would serve its purpose in distracting it._

_When Kirito-kun attacked the Centaur with his knife throwing ability it appeared anger it similar to when Kirito-kun destroyed its double-edged sword. It must have seen Kirito-kun as a rival in both close range and long distance attacks, and it didn't want to lose to him. Our opponent seemingly forgot my existence because I was able to easily sneak around behind it, and I waited for the best opportunity to strike. My target would be the Centaur's legs._

_As I mentioned before, each of the Centaur's legs had their own health points which probably means if we reduced them to zero, then we would immobilize it. Over the course of our battle, two of the legs were close to reaching zero, and the other two were moderately damaged. I figured if I could take those two out, then the Centaur would be a sitting duck, and Kirito-kun and I would be able to finish it off relatively easily. Of course, we also had to take into account that a wounded animal would probably be in its most dangerous state._

_I would have attacked the Centaur's body more directly, but its health points were still too high to be killed by a few blows to its upper body. If I attacked that area, there was a good chance it wouldn't be enough to kill him, and I doubt we would have another opportunity to immobilize him. We were just going to need to take our chances._

_As soon as I saw my opportunity to strike, I took it. Before the Centaur knew what hit him, I viciously stabbed two of its legs and disabled it. I attacked a third one, and I nearly finished it off before the Centaur changed its attention to me. The creature tried to grab me with its right hand, but I quickly dodged it. It then tried to punch me with its left hand, but managed to dodge it again, and I counterattacked its third leg._

_With my final attack on its third leg, it was disabled, and the Centaur had only one usable leg. Unfortunately for it, the Centaur was unable to more with only one leg, and it crashed down to the ground. The creature was completely immobilized._

_However, as I suspected, the Centaur became wilder now that it was unable to move freely. Its wild movements made it difficult for Kirito-kun and I to approach it. After we managed to strike it a few times, it seemed to regain its composure and began to fire its arrows at us again. Luckily for us, the creature's aim was far less accurate than it used to be. However, the backlash wind the arrow gave off was still troublesome. It was a good thing the damage it did had become minimal._

_After we managed to dodge a few arrows, Kirito-kun and I managed to get around the creature. Since it lacked its legs to freely move around, it found it difficult to keep firing its arrows after we managed to get behind it. This gave us the perfect opportunity to finish it off._

_I told Kirito-kun in a confident voice, _"Distract it with your throwing blades again."

_He did not bother to ask why. He responded, _"All right."

_Kirito-kun then ran out of the creature's blind spot and threw several blades at it. The creature became enraged once again, and it clearly did not learn anything from our previous strategy. I jumped out of my hiding spot to prepare my strike. I ran up as fast as I could and when I was within striking distance, I leaped up and brought my rapier down onto the back of the Centaur's horse body. _

_My Lambent Light impaled the Centaur, and the longer I kept it in there, the more its remaining hit points decreased. After being impaled the Centaur cried out in pain and dropped its bow. A part of me was beginning to feel bad for it, but then I saw it try to grab me before I could finish it off. I knew I couldn't afford to give the Centaur pity. This was a matter of life or death. I had managed to decrease the creature's hit points substantially, and I was about to pull out my rapier to retreat until Kirito-kun noticed what was about to happen. He came charging in at full speed._

_Kirito-kun said in a determined voice, _"Don't even think about it." _He then impaled the Centaur's chest with both his Dark Repulser and Elucidator. _

_With our weapons impaling the Centaur, its remaining hit points decreased to zero in less than thirty seconds. As soon as the Centaur shattered to glass fragments below me, I fell a few feet to the ground exhausted. The two of us breathed a sigh of relief at our victory as the system declared us the winners, and we were given our rightfully earned rewards. Not only were Kirito-kun and I awarded enough experience points to become one level higher, but we received a large amount of monetary compensation for our efforts as well. We definitely did not have to worry about running out of money anytime soon. _

_I had to admit that fighting that Centaur was not only a dangerous experience but a thrilling one. I think the fact I fought alongside Kirito-kun made this situation all the more special, and it was truly a wonderful joint accomplishment. However, despite defeating this enemy and feeling happy to have fought alongside Kirito-kun, I started to have this lingering feeling that something was not right. It was similar to the feeling that I had back in the house. It was a nagging feeling which was causing some kind of conflict in my mind._

_As it continued to build and become more unbearable, I put my right hand to my head to soothe it. Kirito-kun noticed I was troubled by something, and he urgently asked me, _"What's wrong Asuna? Did that creature hurt you with some kind of poison?"

_I shook my head and responded, _"No I'm fine. I think I just need some rest."

_He sighed at my response, _"Yeah I guess you're right. It was a pretty tense experience after all. I could probably use some rest too."

_As we began to leave the area, Kirito-kun and I noticed that the once clear, beautiful sky was becoming dark and cloudy. Based on the weather information, this did not seem normal. It gave more of an ominous feeling that I could not put my finger on._

_Kirito-kun casually said, _"I guess we should be expecting a storm soon." _He then turned to me and said, _"Let's get back to the cottage. I wouldn't want to be caught outside in this."

_I shook my head in agreement_. "You're right."_ The two of us turned and headed back to the twenty-second floor. We would soon be back home and with Yui-chan again._

/

_While we were heading back to our home Kirito-kun and I made some small talk to pass the time. During the course of that, he said something I didn't expect. He said, _"I wonder if Kayaba actually got the idea to include that creature in the game from Greek mythology or if it was a reference from that video game series from a decade or two ago."

_I asked Kirito-kun in a curious tone,_ "What video game series are you talking about?"

_Kirito had that look in his eyes he usually had whenever, he was interested in explaining something about the video game industry. He told me, _"You probably never heard of it. It was a series that proved to be so popular in the West that the related development companies produced at least seven or eight installments within a ten year period. Almost every entry of the series was guaranteed to sell millions. Additionally, the main character of that series really seemed to appeal to the Western gamers for one reason or another."

_Kirito-kun was right in that assumption. I had no clue what he was talking about. The only thing I could say was, _"Sounds like it was a major hit."

_He then told me, _"It was in the West. However, the series never really caught on in Japan. As a whole the series sold less than half a million in the country in comparison to the millions upon millions it sold in other regions.

_What he said made me wonder why that was the case. _"Why is that?"

_Kirito-kun explained in a voice that indicated he was not entirely comfortable explaining, but he did anyway. _"Apparently, a lot of people in Japan back then didn't really like the main character because he was a brute that did not have too many redeeming qualities. Not to mention, there were probably a number of people in Japan that didn't like how many 'ethics-off' situations he had with multiple women in almost every game of the series.

_My eyes opened widely at that explanation. The only verbal response I could come up with that was, _"You don't say." _What I really thought was, "Whoever that character was, I doubt that I would like him. He sounds downright despicable."_

/

_After a while Kirito-kun and I were finally within view of our cottage home. In a few minutes the two of us would finally be home. However, while I would generally be happy at the sight of our home, I could not bring myself to feel happy because the dark skies that we saw at the end of our quest were here as well. As we continued to walk back to the cottage, we noticed a change in the air. It did not feel as if it was some minor change of the winds either. The ominous feeling we were experiencing back in that forest area was back again._

_I thought to myself, "What is going on?"_

_Kirito-kun voiced out loud what I was thinking, _"This doesn't feel good."

_No sooner had Kirito-kun said that, the sky above us began to roar like thunder all around us. It sounded as if we were hearing ten different thunder strikes at once. Then there was a huge gust of wind that nearly blew both Kirito-kun and me off our feet. The wind knocked Kirito-kun off balance, and it managed to push me at least ten feet before I managed to regain my footing. I swear if I was any lighter, that wind would have carried me away. The wind died down a little after that initial gust, but it was much faster than what we were used to in this area._

_Kirito-kun turned to my direction and he continued to brace himself against the oncoming wind, he shouted, _"Asuna are you okay."

_I nodded and responded, _"I'm fine."

_After a few more seconds of facing that wind, it suddenly died down, and everything seemed to be normal again. Kirito-kun and I looked around to see that the sky above us was still dark and the ominous air still loomed around us. It was as if the atmosphere itself was telling us to anticipate something else._

_Kirito-kun said out loud in a voice of disbelief, _"What the hell was that?"

_The longer we stood in that area, the ominous feeling I had felt kept getting stronger with each passing second. Due to this feeling, I responded, _"I don't know, but something tells me that wasn't it."

_Suddenly, we started hearing some strange cracking sounds. It sounded as if they were happening all around us, so we had no clue where the source was. I saw that the ground right below Kirito-kun's feet was beginning to crack, and it looked like it would soon give way. It was as if that blast of wind that pushed me indirectly saved me from what was going to happen to Kirito-kun._

_As soon as I saw that the ground below him was breaking apart, I ran towards him and shouted,_ "Kirito-kun! Get away from there!"

_Unfortunately, I was too late. By the time Kirito-kun realized that the ground was shattering underneath his feet, it gave way. However, Kirito-kun was able to grab the edge of land that had not yet broken apart, but he was barely holding on._

_I kept running as quickly as I could to get to him. I was almost there when the ground he was holding onto was about to give way. The area he was holding onto broke underneath his grip and he began to fall. However, I was not about to let that happen. I dived to the edge of the cliff and reached out with my right hand. Luckily, I was able to grab his right arm before he fell out of my reach. It was a good thing I managed to grab him because below him was nothing more than the bottomless void that players would jump into in order to commit suicide after they were overcome with despair._

_I shouted out to him as loud as I could, _"Don't worry Kirito-kun I got you."

_Even though, I had a firm grip on Kirito-kun's arm, I lacked the strength to hold him for long and I would not be able to pull him up if we didn't do something quickly. If we had more time and worked together, I would be able to get him to safety, but time was not on our side. While I was holding Kirito-kun the two of us heard some more cracking sounds. I then noticed that the ground below me was beginning to crack as well._

_If this kept up, it was likely that even if I managed to pull Kirito-kun up with me, the ground might not be able to support both of our weights. It would then give way before we could safely get out of the area, and we would both die. However, I did not want to think like that. I refused to think like that. The idea of dropping Kirito-kun to save myself disgusted me._

_Kirito-kun noticed what was happening, and he desperately told me, _"Asuna you have to let me go. You need to get out of here."

_I was surprised when I heard him say that, and I responded, _"What? What are you talking about? I am going to save you! Don't let go!"

_He tried to convince me by saying, _"There is no time for. You have to get out of here!"

_I made it clear to him that I was not going to leave him. _"Not without you! I won't leave without you!"

_He sadly told me, _"You are going to have to. If you don't let me go, nothing will be gained by it. It will be for the better for both of us if you let me go."

_I didn't expect Kirito-kun to say something like that to me. Not ever. I shouted in a shocked voice, _"What?!"

_Kirito-kun answered, _"You heard me. I would rather die that cause your own death." _After he said that his facial expression became more sad and regretful as he told me, _"I'm sorry."

_Kirito-kun stopped holding on to my hand, and it caused my grip to become looser. If that kept up, he would fall to that void. As I felt his arm starting to slip from my grasp, I pleaded with him, _"Stop messing around Kirito-kun. PLEASE!"

_The look on Kirito-kun's face was heartbreaking. He gave me a sad smile as he regretfully told me, _"I'm sorry Asuna."

_Afterwards, I couldn't hold on any longer, and he fell. I shouted,_ "NO!"

_As he fell he said to me in a calm voice,_ "Try to remember me in a better light Asuna."

_Right before Kirito-kun reached the point of no return, I screamed out his name,_ "KIRITO-KUN!"

_After I screamed his name I saw his body shattered into glass fragments that scattered into the void. Kirito-kun had died before my eyes and I was too weak to save him. All I could do was stare motionlessly into the void that had claimed Kirito-kun's life. _

/

_Suddenly, there was a huge flash of blinding light. I shielded my eyes as best as I could. When the light faded away, I found myself in a completely different location. I was no longer wearing my Knights of the Blood uniform. I was wearing an outfit I had worn in the real world, and I was standing in some strange location. I am not really sure what happened, but my head was suddenly filled with knowledge that informed me that I had returned to the real world and became friends with several Sword Art Online survivors and Kirito-kun's family. However, these 'memories' did not tell me where I was._

_I looked around, and I noticed there were these family graves everywhere. After putting two and two together, I realized I was in a graveyard, but I couldn't remember why I was here. I then noticed several people walking away from me. It appeared that a memorial service had just ended and everyone was leaving. I recognized the people who were leaving. They were my friends Suguha, Lisbeth, Silica, Klein, Agil, and several others who also survived Sword Art Online. Even though I could not see their faces, I could tell they were saddened by something. I wasn't exactly sure what it was, but something told me I was about to find out._

_As if on cue, I felt a strange sensation behind me. My instincts were giving me contradicting signals. It was telling me that I needed to see what was behind me, but it was also telling me what I saw could not be unseen. I decided to look around, and not surprisingly it was another family grave. However, this family grave received some extra decoration and incense was burning which indicated this was the grave that received the recent memorial service. I felt compelled to know whose family grave this was, but I was not going to like the answer. _

_As I approached the family grave for a closer inspection, the clouds looked like they were about to begin pouring. I didn't have an umbrella with me, so I knew I would get soaked if it began to rain, but my instincts were telling me that was the least of my worries._

_When I looked at the family grave I was shocked to see the inscription of the grave state, "Kirigaya Family." I then noticed right next to it there was a picture of Kirito-kun, and my eyes widened in horror as I read the inscription below the picture. It read: _

Here contains the ashes of Kirigaya Kazuto

A Son, Brother, Friend, and Lover

May He Rest Peacefully

_After I read that, I was completely shocked. I was overwhelmed by all kinds of emotions. They washed over me all at once and for a few moments I was not sure what I was feeling. There was anger, confusion, self-hatred, sadness, fear but most of all there was despair._

_The despair I felt was what ended overwhelming me. Tears began to fall down my cheeks, and I broke down. I fell to my knees and all I could do was cry. As soon as I began to cry, the rain began to come down, but I did not care. I just stayed in that position on my knees and did not move from there. The only thing I could do was cry._

_As it continued to pour, I heard the footsteps of someone approaching me. They were soft footsteps, but I could still hear them. I turned around to see who it was, and I was so surprised by who it was I stood up immediately._

_It was a girl who had no shoes on. She had long black hair, and she wore a one piece white dress. This girl was the adopted AI daughter of Kirito-kun and me. Under normal circumstances I would be happy to see her, but her presence here confused me. Since she was an AI, she should have no ability to appear in the real world unless some device could be created to make that happen. As a result, the mixture of emotions I was feeling between the grave behind me and my adopted AI daughter in front of me, I didn't know how to react._

_Before I could respond, Yui-chan looked down to the ground and spoke to me in a voice that had an undertone filled with rage. _"You promised that you would protect him. You promised you would meet him in your world." _With each moment her voice was becoming louder, and her rage was making itself more known._ "You failed to keep your word. You always fail to keep your word."

_Yui-chan then revealed a face I never would have expected to see. It was a face that was filled with anger and hate. There was not a trace of the innocence. Her cheerful smile was replaced with unquenchable wrath. Then she ran at me as quickly as she could. When she was within striking distance, she jumped up and attacked me. She grabbed onto me and kept trying to punch me in the face. I managed to grab her fist before she could. Afterwards, I managed to put her on the ground and restrain her arms with my hands, but I could see the anger in her eyes was still swelling._

_I desperately tried to reason with her as tears continued to pour down both our cheeks, _"Please stop this Yui-chan. I'm sorry for what happened. I would do it differently if I could. If I could trade places with Kirito-kun I would."

_However, Yui-chan refused to listen to me. She angrily told me. _"All you do is talk big, but you have nothing to show for it. You promised you would protect your friends. You promised that you would protect Papa, but what have you accomplished? Who have you protected? Who has always protected you?" _Yui gritted her teeth before asking,_ "Do you know what you are Asuna?" _When I heard Yui-chan call me Asuna rather than "Mama" I was stunned. I was not able to answer her question, but she had an answer in mind. _"You are a weak, worthless, coward who promises a lot but doesn't fulfill them. You never deserved to be with Papa."

_I couldn't refute what she had said. The despair I was feeling showed itself in my voice as I told her, _"I know I am. If there was something I could do to change that I would, but I can't. As much as I want to, there is nothing I could do."

_Yui-chan's anger could not be quelled. _"Papa never would have let you die. He would sacrifice himself for your happiness. Can you say that you would do the same for him?" _I could see with each sentence she spoke, tears of anger were beginning to form._

_I sadly told her, _"I would always do that."

_She angrily responded, _"Then why did you let him die?"

_There was no answer I could give other than, _"I don't know."

_Yui-chan asked in disbelief, _"You don't know?"

_With despair filling me up, I told her, _"That's all I can tell you Yui-chan."

_After I told her that, Yui-chan's eyes intensified as her fist broke out of my grip. She then punched me with everything she had. I did not even attempt to block her punch that time. I was _

_also surprised when I received that punch. I never would have thought I would receive such a strong punch from Yui-chan._

/

_When Yui-chan punched me, it caused me to close my eyes. However, shortly after I received the punch, the pain disappeared almost instantly and I no longer felt the rain pouring down anymore. I opened my eyes and say I was on some kind of hilltop. I then looked at my attire, and I was wearing my Knights of the Blood uniform again._

_I thought to myself, _"What is going on here? This doesn't make any sense." _I thought back to everything that happened up until that moment. I felt as if I was going to have a headache from all of these memories, so I used my right hand to rub my forehead. I said out loud,_ "First I wake up with Kirito-kun and Yui-chan beside me and enjoying a happy family life. Then Kirito-kun and I fought and defeated a monster, but then the world fell apart and Kirito-kun was sucked into the void. Afterwards, I was in front of his family's grave and his ashes were just deposited into the site." _I said the last part with an extra bit of sadness. _"Finally, Yui-chan attacked me in her hatred for my inability to help Kirito-kun." _I then sank to my knees and stated in a mixture of desperation and frustration, _"What is happening?"

_Then I heard someone's footsteps from behind me. The person spoke in a male voice that tried to assure me that_, "You really mustn't blame yourself Asuna."

_The voice was familiar, but I realized that it couldn't be possible. I looked around and it was Kirito-kun dressed in his normal Sword Art Online attire as the 'Black Swordsman.'_

_I said in a surprised voice, _"Kirito-kun!"

_As soon as he nodded, my eyes lit up and I was about to run towards him to embrace him, but he told me in a firm voice, _"Stay back."

_When he said that, I stopped moving. I was both confused and shocked by what he had said. He could see that I was going to ask for an explanation, and he told me, _"I'm not the Kirito you know. I'm nothing more than a dream."

_My initial confusion and shock had quickly dissipated, and those feelings were replaced by curiosity about that last statement. I asked, _"A dream?"

_He stated in an annoyed tone, _"Of course I'm a dream. This whole thing has been a dream. Did you really think that you could be transported instantaneously to various places without any memories of it happening? You would need a severe case of blackouts for that to be possible." _I had no clue how to respond to what Kirito-kun had said to me. He could see that I was offended by that last remark, so he decided on a better choice of words. _"Although, I suppose it would be normal for you to not know this is a dream. Your subconscious made this reality, and it would be easy to confuse you about what is real and not real."

_After the words finally began to sink in, I said in a hopeful voice, _"So that means you're not real, and the real you should be fine?"

_Kirito-kun explained, _"No, but I represent the Kirito you remember. After getting to know me for all those months, you can say that I am here to basically tell you what you know I would tell you if I wasn't in that coma."

_I was confused by what was going on. I asked, _"A coma?"

_Kirito-kun was becoming more annoyed with me by the second as he told me, _"Yes a coma. Don't you remember now?"

_After he said that, another stream of memories came rushing into my head. This time I knew these were my real memories and not memories created for the sake of this dream. I now clearly remembered everything that happened over the past two and a half months after I was freed from Sword Art Online. I remembered both the good and the bad._

_I told him in a voice that made it clear that I was no longer confused, _"Yeah. I remember now."

_Kirito-kun smiled and told me, _"That's good. Now I won't need to worry about explaining more things in detail."

_That caused me to think about my encounter with Yui-chan a few moments ago. I asked in a nervous voice, _"You said that you are a representation of my memories of Kirito-kun right?"

_It was his turn to ask me a question. _"Yes why?"

_I had difficulty asking what I wanted to know. _"Well it's just . . . it's just that . . ."

_He could see that what I wanted to talk to him about was not easy. He asked me in a concerned voice, _"What's wrong Asuna?"

_When he asked me that, I was finally able to spit it out. I stated in an anxious tone, _"Before you showed up, I saw Yui-chan. When I saw her, the look in her eyes was filled with nothing but anger and hate for me. I still can't get that image out of my head. Does this dream mean she truly hates me?"

_Kirito-kun could see the hurt that was in my eyes and reassured me similar to how I know that he would, _"You don't have to worry about Yui. The real one loves you. I know it. That Yui was a representation of one of your fears not your memories."

_I asked in a mixture of curiosity and nervousness, _"My fears?"

_Kirito-kun explained in a matter of fact tone, _"The Yui you saw was a representation of your fear that your perceived weaknesses have only caused pain in the lives of others. I can assure you that you do not need to blame yourself if that were to ever happen. It is true that you have made mistakes, but you reflect and try to learn from them. I think that by itself is important."

_When the dream Kirito-kun said that, I was not really sure what I could say. This sounded similar to something that Lisbeth said to me before. However, something about this felt more eerie, so I remained silent._

_Kirito-kun scratched his head and he told me, _"I suppose I should explain to you what has been happening. This whole dream has been a representation of you."

_I repeated what I heard in an uncertain voice, _"A representation of me?"

_Kirito-kun reminded me, _"Don't you remember when the dream started? You were happy right?"

_I agreed with that assessment. _"Yes I was. You and Yui-chan were with me. The two of us were still on our honeymoon, and we were in contact with all of our friends."

_Kirito-kun responded in a playfully smug tone, _"With all that, of course you would be happy. That cottage represented the happiest time of your life. You were finally together with the person you loved. After we found Yui, you decided to temporarily act as her mother until we could find out about her past or secrets. However, you regret that such actions nearly caused Yui to be killed by the cardinal system. That is why you wished that things turned out slightly differently when you helped with that army incident. That was your representation of an ideal outcome prior to your escape from the game."

_What Kirito-kun said for the most part was spot on. However, there were one or two things I would want to revise in that answer. _"I suppose that is true. Our cottage didn't feel the same after Yui-chan had to be converted into that item to prevent her deletion. However, I truly believe it would be ideal if we could have all that kind of life and be able to freely return to reality and the virtual world."

_Kirito-kun chuckled at what I said. _"Yes it would be. If that was possible, I think this dream would have depicted that. However, I think your dream made it clear you know that's not going to happen." _My heart sank after he said that. _"You remember that things started becoming grim after you and I left the cottage right?"

_After he said that, I was not smiling anymore. _"That would be putting it lightly."

_Kirito-kun explained, _"It represented your fears of what your reality is and will become."

_I responded in a hopeful voice, _"Since this is just a dream that means I shouldn't have to worry too much right? I can still change things for the better in reality."

_Kirito-kun shook his head at me. _"If only things were that simple. Dreams can come from a very real place. There are even philosophies that dreams can give us loose representations of the future. Some say they can give us representations of ourselves. Sometimes dreams can be a mixture of both. I believe this time it is the third option, and I believe you know in your heart that this is the case as well."

_I asked in a concerned voice, _"What do you mean?"

_Kirito-kun's face became sadder as he stated, _"Unfortunately, I believe your final fear is about to become a reality."

_Seeing Kirito-kun's face and hearing his voice was causing me to become more anxious. I asked him, _"What are you talking about?"

_Kirito-kun spoke to me in a grim voice, _"I'm sorry Asuna, but it appears we are not truly meant to be together after all."

_As soon as he said that, I responded in a voice that had a mixture of desperation and determination voice, _"That's ridiculous Kirito-kun. Of course we are meant to be together. You are the one that I love. There is no one else for me but you. You, me, and Yui-chan are meant to be together as a family. Besides, I'm not the only one waiting for you to come back. Your sister, your mother, and all our friends from Sword Art Online are by your side. They all want to see you again."

_The dream Kirito-kun sadly confessed, _"You know as well as I that it is my desire or rather his desire to reunite with you all as well, but there is nothing that can be done. You need to let go of me."

_I spoke to him in a mixture of desperation, frustration, and sadness, _"Why do you want me to let you go?"

_He spoke in firm voice, _"Because I would rather die than let you be married to someone like him."

_I was taken aback by his statement. _"What?"

_Kirito-kun made his point perfectly clear. _"You know what I'm talking about. My life is being used as a hostage by that bastard Sugou in order to force you into a marriage that you do not wish to have." _I wasn't able to respond to what Kirito-kun had said. All I could do was look at him with wide eyes. He continued, _"He will bring you nothing but misery. Sugou will hold me over your head until he has either had enough fun or either he, you, or the real me is dead, whichever comes first. You know as well as I do if I could tell you this, I would. You know me very well."

_No sooner had Kirito-kun said that, I noticed he seemingly began to cry. For some reason, my eyes focused on the 'tears' that were coming down his cheek. However, I noticed the 'tears' were only coming out of his left eye and not his right. While I knew at this point this was a dream, I could not help but wonder on reflex, "How was that possible?" _

_I remember seeing Kirito-kun cry before, and the tears came from both of his eyes when that happened. When I walked up closer I realized those weren't tears at all. What was coming out his eyes was dyed in the color red. My eyes widened in horror as I realized that Kirito-kun was bleeding from his left eye._

_Kirito-kun was unfazed by what was happening as he said, _"As long as I am alive for him to use as a trump card, you will never be free. That is why you need to let me go." _Suddenly, blood began to pour from Kirito-kun's right eye as well._

_I said in a horrified voice_, "What's going on? This can't be real! You said this is only a dream!"

_After I said that, I finally realized what was happening. This was my greatest fear coming to me in a manifestation in my dreams. It wasn't just the fear that I couldn't be together with Kirito-kun. It was the fear that I would see the one I love suffering the same fate as the victims of the Sword Art Online death game. I had heard rumors of what some of their corpses looked like after the Nerve Gear destroyed their minds._

_The blood continued to pour down his cheeks as he explained to me, _"It may not be real in the physical sense Asuna, but you can take it as an interpretation for what will or what needs to happen. Death is the only bright future for me, and it is the key to an even remotely happy future for you as well."

_The fact he said something so horrible in an accepting voice frightened me to no end. I desperately told him, _"No I refuse to accept that! I will find a way to make things right! I promise you!"

_After I said that, Kirito disappeared in front of me and reappeared behind me. He told in a frustrated but sad voice, _"You need to accept things Asuna. You need to let go." _Suddenly, blood began to come out of Kirito-kun's nose and ears as well._ "Please. You need to let go."

_Seeing Kirito-kun in this state shook me. Even if it was a dream, I was disturbed to no end. As my voice was losing strength, I stated, _"I can never accept doing things by Sugou's terms. He has no right to do this."

_Despite the blood coming out of his head, Kirito-kun said in a firm voice, _"He may not have the right, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have the ability to do so. You have even said so yourself, there is nothing you can do to stop it from happening no matter what you try."

_After Kirito said that, he then began to look even more ill than he was already. His body began to twitch similar to how I remember seeing him twitch in the hospital. It seemed as if he was going to explode. At this point I didn't care whether or not this was a dream. I cried out, _"Kirito-kun what's wrong?!"

_As I approached him he screamed in a horrifying voice, _"STAY BACK!"

_Right after he screamed out, he began to cough up blood. He quickly brought his hand to his mouth as if he was attempting to stop more blood from oozing out, but it was to no avail for the dream Kirito-kun continued to cough up blood for several moments until he finally stopped. I wanted to help him, but his voice had made me freeze in fear. All I could do was look helplessly at Kirito-kun as his head continued to bleed. A pool of his own blood was beginning to form at his feet._

_After he was finished coughing he turned to me and said,_ "You can think of letting me go as a band-aid Asuna. In one moment, I will be removed, Sugou would not be able to blackmail you, and you can move on with your life. You can use it as a chance to start over."

_However, hearing Kirito-kun constantly telling me to let him go and die not only made me feel horrified, but I was starting to become angry. I had finally reached my limit of hearing this dream Kirito-kun say that to me. _

_I gritted my teeth and curled my fingers into fists, and I said in a tone that was a mixture of anger and fright, _"Stop telling me that. It won't solve anything. Even if I let you go, that won't change the fact Sugou will remain a threat in my life. If he can get away with holding you hostage, how do I know he wouldn't be able to get away with holding another one of my friends hostage."

_Kirito-kun tried to convince me, _"I'm sure that you will have enough time to think of something Asuna. You will at least have more time than the two weeks that he has given you. Be sure to tell them, so they will have chance to prepare. There is nothing you can do for me, but at least you can still save them."

_I stubbornly stated, _"No. I refuse to give up on you that easily. I won't." _Tears were beginning to form as I told him as I glanced away from him. _"If I do, I will be losing the most important part of myself. I'll become a puzzle that would have forever lost a vital piece. Letting you go will kill me inside." _I then looked into his eyes and told him, _"So I'm not going to give up. Not now. Not ever."

_After I said that, Kirito gave me a smile despite the blood that was still coming from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. I think he was_ _happy that I refused to let him go no matter what. While he was trying to appear happy, the look on his face was truly one of the most disturbing faces I had ever seen in my life._

_Even though it did not seem like it could get any worse, cracks began to form on Kirito-kun's forehead. The light emitted from the outlines of the cracks resembled what the fragments of a players body looked like after he or she was killed in the game. However, despite the cracks and the blood, he continued to smile._

_He sadly told me_, "I'm sorry that I am putting you in this position Asuna. I'm sure that my true self would say the same thing, but you are going to have to let me go. It will be better for you." _The cracks on his forehead began to expand to other places on his body as he said, _"I'm sorry we couldn't meet each other in the real world. Goodbye."

_Kirito-kun then closed his eyes as his body continued to break apart. Pieces of his cheek began to fall to the ground and a few of his fingers broke off as well. Within a few moments, Kirito-kun's body would completely disintegrate. This dream Kirito-kun told me this was all a dream, but I didn't care anymore. I didn't know what I could do, but I wasn't just going to let him break apart like that._

_Even though Kirito-kun had already told me to stay away from him, I ran as quickly as I could to his side. I desperately reached out my hand as I ran to him in hopes that I could touch him before he fell apart. He remained standing in place, but he reached his right hand out to me as well. However, when I was within a few feet of him, his right arm broke off and the rest of his body crumbled to pieces before I could reach him. _

_Kirito-kun had shattered into glass fragments just like he would if he died in Sword Art Online. My arms could grab nothing but air. I desperately reached out into to grab the fragments, but I couldn't get a hold of a single one. I don't know what I was thinking when I was trying to grab them. I was just desperate to hold onto him. However, in the end, there was nothing I could hold onto. _

_There was only one thing I could do. Scream. _"KIRITO-KUN!" _The despair of my voice echoed throughout the entire area. There was not one soul for miles._

_After I screamed, I sunk to the ground once again on my knees. The wind kept blowing my hair as I remained on my knees motionlessly. After a few moments, a familiar sensation returned. Tears began to fall down my face once again. I then began to have difficulty breathing, and I was starting to hyperventilate. _

_I looked at my hands. It felt as if I was looking at the hands of not just a failure but a murderer. I said to myself, _"Is this all I am capable of? Am I really this pathetic? How could I let this happen?"

_As I cried I put my hands on my face and kept mournfully saying out loud, _"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me Kirito-kun."_ I would continue to cry until everything faded away._

/

_The next thing I knew I woke up and jolted upwards raising my hand to seemingly grab something that wasn't there. I shouted in a crying desperate manner, _"Kirito-kun!"

_However, I saw that there was nothing there. I was not in a cottage in the forest. I was not standing in the middle of a virtual world field. I was not in front of a family grave. I was certainly not standing on a hill watching someone bleed and disintegrate before me. I looked around, and I realized I was in my bed back in my room of the Yuuki household. That is where I was. This was reality._

_Unfortunately, I could not get what happened in my dream out of my mind. They say when you have a dream; you will likely forget nearly all the details within a few minutes unless you write it down. However, I appeared to be the exception. I could remember every single moment of that dream. I can remember it as if it really happened._

_I remember Kirito-kun and Yui-chan being by my side in our cottage home on the 22__nd__ floor of Aincrad. I remember how Kirito-kun and I worked together to fight that monster on the 'quest.' Then the two of us saw the entire world crumble before us, and Kirito-kun was sucked into that void due to my inability to save him. Afterwards, I somehow ended up at the Kirigaya family grave, and Yui-chan blamed me for it. Finally, there was no way I could forget witnessing Kirito-kun with a face full of blood telling me to let him die. That image of him was imprinted in my mind. If that was not a nightmare, I don't know what is._

_That dream still made me think, "How could something that started off making me feel so happy end up making me feel so pathetic?" I would keep asking myself this over and over again. I would eventually come to the realization that the dream truly was a reflection of my past, my present, and what could eventually be the future. Unfortunately, I did not have a sound enough mind at that point to come to that conclusion._

_The last time I ever had a dream that was even remotely that bad was prior to when Kirito and I finally came to terms with each other after we solved that murder mystery last April. Even then my nightmares were nothing compared to what I had experienced. Back when I had those nightmares, I always used to think of my only future and how being trapped in Sword Art Online was resulting in my body being deteriorated. However, I have changed from that. Now I think for more than only my future. _

_As I have come to see, caring for others and being less selfish works both ways. While it can result in a wonderful feeling that makes us stronger and life more worth living, it also makes the thought of losing those people more unbearable. It's even worse when you know something bad will happen, but you are unable to do anything about it._

_After the initial shock of the dream wore off, I brought my knees up to my face, and I held them tightly. All I could do for the moment was ask myself, "Was it really all just a dream? Was it really a reflection of the reality that will be coming? If that's the case, can it not be changed or am I really that helpless?"_

_I desperately asked myself, _"What can I do? What can I do? Can someone please tell me what I can do?"

_For the moment the only thing I could do was cry. However, the more I did that, the more I thought that was all I was good for. It truly was one of the most pathetic moments of my life. Luckily for me, that moment would soon reach its end, but there would be more than one of these moments awaiting me in the future._

/

Date: Sunday, January 26th, 2025

Location: Agil's Home

Agil woke up earlier that morning, and he was going through his normal routine. He opened up his emails prior to opening his business to see if the supplies he ordered would be arriving on schedule. However, when he opened his email, he noticed a peculiar one that stood out. It was from a stranger, and there was no listed username. Agil also noticed there was an attachment to this email as well.

Under normal circumstances, Agil would have deleted the email because it could have been a virus. However, he could tell this was not the case. He knew that if he deleted it, he would regret it. The subject of the email was, "Sword Art Online Victim: For the Sake of Your Comatose Friend Kirigaya Kazuto – 'Kirito.'"

That subject alone was enough to catch Agil's attention. There were not too many people who could have possibility known that he was friends with Kirito during their time in Sword Art Online. Not only that, fewer people would know that Agil knew Kirito's true identity was Kazuto. Although the email was suspicious, his instincts told him that he needed to open it. Agil followed his instincts, and he was grateful that he listened to them.

When he gazed upon the contents he said to himself in disbelief, "Oh my God!"

He stared at the picture he saw for a few moments. After Agil recovered from his initial shock, he then forwarded the contents of the email to the person he knew needed to see it the most.

/

Date: Sunday, January 26th, 2025

Location: Yuuki Household

_After I had tried getting my head together from the aftermath of my nightmare, I heard my phone ring. The ring indicated that I had received an email. I decided to see what it was since it was better than just sitting around doing nothing. I noticed the sender was someone I was familiar with. _

_I said out lout, _"It's from Agil. What could this be about?"

_Little did I know the contents of this e-mail would be more than what I could have expected. I read in the message, "You need to look at this! Come to my café as quickly as possible and bring your Nerve Gear if you still have it!"_

_When I scrolled down, I saw the picture that was attached. It was a picture of a person who looked like a human but had strange pointy ears. However, when I looked over it closely, I realized something. The person who was the focus of this picture was wearing dark clothing and was wielding a sword. This person looked a lot like Kirito-kun, and he appeared to be participating in something that looked like a duel back in Sword Art Online. It appeared to be in some kind of stadium or a coliseum because there were numerous onlookers in the background._

_What I saw on that picture attachment left me speechless. I thought to myself, "Why was someone who had Kirito-kun's appearance in this photograph?" _

_I didn't know what I was seeing, but I could tell this must be some sort of virtual reality game. As soon as I processed what I saw, I figured I would worry about the details later. Before I left, I decided that I needed to call Lisbeth right away._

_Lisbeth picked up the phone, but I could tell from the way she answered, I must have woken her because she sounded sleepy. She greeted me in a groggy fashion,_ "Good morning Asuna. You ready to tell the others yet?"

_I stated in an urgent voice, _"There is no time for that Lisbeth. I just received an important message from Agil. I need you to meet me the Dicey Café as quickly as possible."

_Hearing that was enough to catch Lisbeth's attention_, "How important is it?"

_I stated in a voice that was cautiously optimistic, _"I think we may have a clue as to why Kazuto-kun hasn't awakened yet."

_As soon as I said that, Lisbeth seemed to shake off any sleepiness she once had and gave me her full attention._ "Really?! What is it?!"

_I honestly responded, _"I can't say, but I'm sure Agil will explain when we get there. Are you coming or not?"

_Lisbeth said with a firm voice,_ "Definitely!"

"Good." _Before I hung up, I remembered one last thing to tell her. _"By the way, do you still have your Nerve Gear helmet?"

_Lisbeth was not sure where I was going with this as she hesitantly answered,_ "Yes why?"

_I told her, _"Bring it!"

_Lisbeth asked in a confused voice,_ "What?"

_While I had a feeling I knew what the answer to her question was, I did not think there was enough time to explain. I gave her a short explanation,_ "Agil mentioned to bring it in his message. I'll see you at his café."

_Lisbeth was willing to accept that answer as she responded, _"Okay. I'll see you there."

/

Date: Sunday, January 26, 2025

Location: Outside Silica's Room

The first instinct that came to Lisbeth's mind after following Asuna's instructions was to recruit additional help. She thought to herself, _"I have a feeling it will be easy to get her help."_

Lisbeth headed straight to Silica's room on her way out. Lisbeth knocked on the door in a rushed manner and Silica answered it while still in her pajamas.

Silica sleepily asked, "What is it Rika-san? Is something wrong?" Silica then noticed that Lisbeth was carrying a bag with her and asked, "Are you going somewhere?"

Lisbeth answered, "Yeah. I'm heading over to the Dicey Café. Do you have plans Keiko-chan?"

Silica scratched her head as she responded, "I was actually going to the Dicey Café myself. Asuna-san said she had something she needed to talk to me about."

Lisbeth excitedly stated, "That's perfect then. I need you to get ready quickly"

Silica was fine with going to the café with Lisbeth, but something still seemed off to her. "Okay, but what's in the bag?"

Lisbeth told her, "It's my Nerve Gear helmet?"

Silica said in a surprised tone, "What?"

Lisbeth asked, "You still have your Nerve Gear with you right?"

Silica said in an uncertain tone which indicated that similar to Lisbeth she was not sure that she liked where this was going, "Yes."

Lisbeth stated in a firm voice, "Bring it with you."

Silica seemed to catch on to what Lisbeth was getting at. "Does this have anything to do with what Asuna wants to talk about?"

Lisbeth excitedly answered, "In a way yes. However, I think the topic has changed quite a bit."

Silica asked in a curious voice, "What do you mean?"

Lisbeth stated in a hopeful voice, "We may have been given a clue to help Kirito."

When Silica heard that, it was her turn to become excited. She said, "Really?! What is it?"

Lisbeth honestly answered, "I'm not entirely sure myself, but Asuna and Agil will be able to fill us in when we get there. Are you up for this?"

Silica responded with a determined voice, "Count on it."

Silica quickly went back into her room and in less than ten minutes the two girls were on their way to the Dicey Café to learn more about this development.

/

Date: Sunday, January 26, 2025

Location: Dicey Cafe

No sooner had Agil sent that message to Asuna, he said to himself, "I have a feeling that Asuna will not be the only one that would be interested in seeing this."

He opened his cell phone and browsed through his contacts and made a quick phone call. When he heard a response he said, "Hey it's me. I just received an interesting screenshot from a game known as Alfheim Online. I'm sending it to you right now."

After he sent it, the voice on the other line indicated his surprise to what he was seeing. Agil responded, "Yes I was just as surprised myself. I'm pretty certain it is the real deal. I already sent the message to Asuna, and I received a reply from her. She will be here in about an hour, and I have a feeling she will not be the only one here based on her message. Can you come here as well?"

What the voice on the other line stated, made Agil smile, "I knew that I could count on you. See you soon."

After Agil hung up the phone, he took another look at the screenshot that he printed out. He thought to himself, _"What happened to you Kirito?"_ He then looked at a copy of the game Alfheim Online that was on his counter. _"Are you and the others trapped inside this game? I know that message stated this picture was taken from there, but still." _He let out a breath before continuing his thoughts, _"If that's true, I suppose this means our mission to finally put an end to the Sword Art Online incident has only begun."_

Agil then heard the door behind him open, and it was his wife Kathy. She asked him, "Andrew, are you okay? You have been acting strangely since you checked your emails earlier."

He knew that he should not keep this from her. He sighed and confessed to her, "All right. The contents of the email I received had an attachment of a screenshot from this game Alfheim Online." Agil held up his copy of the game to show his wife. "What was in that screenshot was someone I didn't expect see."

Kathy asked in a curious voice, "Who was in it?"

Agil had already told his wife a lot about his adventures in Sword Art Online as well as his friends in the game, such as Kirito. She had already met most of his friends whenever they came to visit the Dicey Café, and she was on good terms with them. However, there were a few details he still had not told her yet. Agil told her everything he could while they waited for the others to arrive. She continued to listen intently, and she did not have any trouble believing his words.

/

Date: Sunday, January 26, 2025

Location: Kirigaya Household

Suguha had woken up early to continue her Kendo training. However, she would be receiving a call that would change her plans. When she heard the phone ring she went to answer it because she knew that her mother was out on business today even though it was Sunday. It was a good thing she did not put the ringer on silent this time because she would have regretted it if she did.

As soon as she heard the phone, she put down her Kendo sword and immediately ran to the phone. When she picked it up, she saw the ID was 'Asuna.' She greeted her friend, "Good morning Asuna-san."

Asuna said in a borderline hyperactive voice, "Suguha can you meet up at the Dicey Café today. We really need to talk in person."

Suguha was shocked by Asuna's voice. Ordinarily, they would exchange pleasantries, but Suguha could tell that this was no ordinary call, and Asuna would not be making such a request unless she thought it was important. She responded, "Yes. I can make it."

"Good." The next word Asuna wanted to say slipped her mind, so she said, "Could you please bring your virtual reality equipment with you?"

Suguha asked in a confused voice, "You mean my AmuSphere?"

Asuna confirmed, "Yeah that's it. It's important that you bring it with you."

Suguha was still confused about why it was important. She asked, "What for?"

Asuna briefly explained in a rushed voice, "I just received a message from Andrew. I think he found out something about Kazuto-kun."

Suguha was pleasantly shocked when she heard that news. She hesitantly said, "Big Brother? Andrew-san may know something about Big Brother? What did he find out?"

Asuna quickly answered, "It's too difficult to explain right now. Andrew might be able to provide more details for us when we get there."

It was in that moment that Suguha made her decision to drop her practice for the day and head straight to the Dicey Café. Hearing that had given her hope for her brother's return for the first time since the game was cleared back in November.

She stated in a voice that reflected her renewed hope, "Okay. I'll be there as soon as possible."

Before Asuna hung up she quickly stated, "Thank you. I'll see you there."

Suguha ran to her room and changed into her street clothing. She packed her AmuSphere, and she luckily packed her Alfheim Online game with her as well. Since her mother was not going to be home until nighttime, she did not have to worry about any potential problem on that end. She ran straight to the train station, and hoped that the key to helping her brother would wait for her at the Dicey Café.

/

_As soon as I was finished 'recruiting' Suguha's help, I got dressed, packed my old Nerve Gear helmet into my backpack, and ran out the door before anyone could tell me 'Good Morning.' On my way to the Dicey Café, my head could not stop thinking about that picture Agil sent me. So many thoughts were coming into my head at once. I asked myself, "Was Kirito-kun transferred to another virtual reality after he cleared Sword Art Online? What could have happened? Was his ability to log out of the game blocked like it was in Sword Art Online? If that's the case, it would explain a lot." _

_However, I realized such thoughts were not important, and they could wait until after things have settled. For the past two and a half months, I have been hoping for some kind of answer to Kirito-kun's coma and whether or not there was something I could do. Thanks to Agil, the answer I have been hoping for was within my grasp. The screenshot he has sent me might be the key to awakening Kirito-kun, and I was not going to waste it._

_Even though the train was moving as fast as it normally would, it felt as if it was taking forever. I would normally consider myself a patient person, but I could hardly stand to wait another moment. It was the anticipation of what awaited me at the end of the line that made me so anxious. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to dive into wherever Kirito-kun was and save him, my instincts were telling me that this was only the first step in a long adventure that was awaiting me._

_As the train drew closer to my destination, I thought to myself with renewed determination, "Kirito-kun I don't know where you are, but I will find you, and I swear I will save you. I won't rest until we can finally meet in the real world, and I gaze into your real eyes. I can promise you that."_

_Less than an hour later, I arrived at Dicey Café. When I opened the door, I could see that I was the last to arrive. Everyone else, Lisbeth, Suguha-san, Silica-chan, Klein, and Agil were all waiting. The atmosphere in the room was different from how it would be whenever we would normally meet each other here. The aura the six of us gave was different from how it usually was. It was filled with seriousness and determination. This was because we were all here for the same reason. Kirito-kun was the one that linked us all, and his condition would be our driving force. _

_The six of us all wished for Kirito-kun to awaken, but we also wished to put an end to the Sword Art Online incident for good. In the adventure that would await us, we would not only be fighting for Kirito-kun's freedom, but we would be fighting to ensure the freedom of all the players who remained trapped. It would be our belief that if we could save Kirito-kun, we would probably be able to save everyone else as well. We would fight to put an end to their virtual prison once and for all._

_Klein stated in a voice that was serious, but also contained a mixture of his trademark playfulness, _"We have been waiting for you Asuna. Although, I guess it shouldn't be a surprise. The cliché is that the hero is the one that arrives last. Since Kazuto isn't around, it looks like the role falls onto you."

_No one seemed to disagree with Klein's statement. In fact, it seemed to lighten the mood. Based on Lisbeth's face, I could tell she agreed with Klein's assessment the most._

_Agil stated in a serious voice, _"It's good to see we're all here now. I suppose now would be a good time to get started with the subject at hand."

_Everyone including myself nodded in agreement, and I stated in a determined voice, _"Sounds good to me."

_With those words, the first step in our journey was about to begin._

/

**Omake**:

Kirito: Wow that was a long dream sequence, and I mean a really long one.

Asuna: Should you really be that surprised? Dream sequences are not uncommon in storylines like this. In fact, you had one in the beginning of the canon version of the Fairy Dance arc. Now it was my turn to have one in this fanfiction story.

Kirito: It true that my canon version had one, but not to this extent. That dream only lasted for about a minute or so in the anime, and this dream sequence was about fifty percent of the chapter's content. I bet the author was surprised at the final result of its length.

Asuna: Come on Kirito-kun. There are plenty of Western shows, anime, and manga that have dream sequences that take up an entire episode. The same has also been used for movies as well where the entire move is either a dream or could be interpreted to have been dream such as the Cowboy Bebop movie or the ending to Inception. At least we knew there was no way that sequence couldn't be a dream. Besides, the nightmare sequence more or less lived up to the chapter's title since that was one of the darker things that could happen to me at this point in the story.

Kirito: (_reluctantly agrees with Asuna's assessment_) I suppose that's true. This dream did have its uses, such as providing character reflections, continuity references, alternate scenarios, and foreshadowing. Plus the author provided an action scene as well.

Asuna: Yeah that's true. I find it hard to believe that after six chapters, we finally have a fight scene, which took place in a dream.

Kirito: Didn't we have action scenes in the retelling of Sword Art Online?

Asuna: Sort of. However, the author only described certain actions that took place, such as me hurting Kuradeel as retaliation for nearly killing you, but I don't think that was enough to really qualify as a full blown fight scene.

Kirito: Well you can't really blame the author for not having more fight scenes earlier. Mostly because they weren't entirely necessary in the beginning, and they are extremely hard to pull off.

Asuna: Well I guess that's true.

Kirito: Did you know the action scene in this chapter was written in increments and it was one of the final scenes to actually be ironed out while most of the scenes before and after the scene were drafted?

Asuna: No. Why is that?

Kirito: Asuna you of all people know that action scenes are some of the hardest scenes to properly execute in stories.

Asuna: Yeah I guess that's true.

Kirito: The same was true for Chapter 3 of the author's other work, "Of Science and Magics: The Side Stories." Those fight scenes were literally the last scenes to be complete while the scenes taking place before and after them were done.

Asuna: Do you know how long it took to complete them?

Kirito: I'm not sure, but they were extremely time consuming. Even the relatively short fight scenes apparently took at least an hour or two to satisfactorily complete.

Asuna: I guess I can understand why. First the author would need to visualize the fight and find the best words to express it and then go over it to see if it even remotely fits the visualization. I wouldn't be surprised if the author had to sometimes rewrite certain scenes because of that.

Kirito: Exactly. However, despite how tough they are to write, the author does have fun with them and has numerous fight scenes planned for Fairy Dance Alternate.

Asuna: I can't wait to participate in them. On that note, I guess I will be heading into Alfheim Online in the next chapter right?

Kirito: I'm sorry to tell you this Asuna, but that's not going to be happening next chapter.

Asuna: What? Why? I saw the picture of you and I know there is something wrong. Why wouldn't I be going into the game next chapter?

Kirito: Well it's true you will be heading into the game in the next chapter that takes place in the present, but that's not the case for the following chapter.

Asuna: What do you mean?

Kirito: I have an announcement to make before we leave.

Asuna: What is it?

Kirito: Starting from the next chapter we are starting a story arc with me taking the spotlight during my two and a half months trapped in Alfheim Online prior to you seeing that photo. It will chronicle the good, the bad, and (takes a gulp on this last one) the ugly of my imprisonment in that virtual world.

Asuna: (stating in a pissed off voice) Are you kidding?

Kirito: Nope. Now the audience will see what happened to me during that strenuous time.

Asuna: So we are going to delay me entering the game in favor of seeing what happened to you?

Kirito: You make that sound like a bad thing.

Asuna: (She thinks about it for a few moments before cooling off) Well I guess it really isn't. I'm just frustrated by the delay.

Kirito: I'm sure you won't be the only one. The readers will probably be annoyed by this too, but it will work out for narrative purposes. Trust me. There will also be a few plotlines that will happen concurrently in the real world as well that will help go further into several aspects and possibly foreshadow future events.

Asuna: Hasn't a lot of foreshadowing been done already in the earlier chapters.

Kirito: Yes and some of that will be addressed in the next few chapters, but it is always good to add some additionally foreshadowing here and there or at the very least establish certain facts, so the audience will not think certain plot twists come out of nowhere. The author wants to avoid 'ass pulls' as much as possible.

Asuna: That is true. If those things happen too much in a series, it can really ruin the value of it. (Sighs before continuing) Okay. I'll trust you and the author. Hopefully, everyone else will be as trusting.

Kirito: Well it's not like they have much of a choice. A few things in the future probably won't make sense if they don't read it, and they will probably enjoy the chapters as long as they have an open mind.

Asuna: What do you think the chances of that are?

Kirito: I guess we will just have to find out.

(Kirito and Asuna laugh at that last part)

Kirito: Seriously, it will be for the better in the end.

/

**Author Notes**: Well that was quite a dream sequence. I personally had a lot of fun creating it because of how it went from a bright, sunny, and happy atmosphere and having it eventually decay into something where the words grim and freaky would be putting it mildly. I also saw it as a good opportunity to increase the nightmare fuel for this story. While I was writing this story arc, I figured that I wanted to have a nightmare sequence for Asuna similar to what Kirito had in the beginning of Episode 15 of the Anime and Light Novel Volume 3 except expand upon it greatly.

In Kirito's nightmare, it had Asuna disappear right in front of him and everything fell apart around him. I thought while those were good elements, it would be great to make the sequence more emotional and personal, so you can further understand what Asuna is going through in this ordeal. In this sequence, I wanted it to further showcase Asuna's character traits, fears, and insecurities. For this sequence, I received further inspiration for this dream sequence from of an earlier dream sequence I wrote in Chapter 4 for "Of Science and Magics: The Side Stories." Both Touma and Asuna's nightmares were partly triggered by the guilt of their 'failures' even if they were not really in control of the situation.

On a personal note, I do believe that dreams can cause us to see glimpses of a representation for the future, and we can realize we are in a dream in the first place. I can speak from personal experience when I figured out that I was in the middle of dream of an event I knew was going to happen in the near future. Afterwards, I was able to remember a decent amount of the detail even though you would normally forget what happened within a few minutes.

Regarding the dream Kirito at the end of the nightmare sequence, I will confirm here and now that he was merely a manifestation of what Asuna knows about Kirito. Kirito's actual consciousness that is trapped in Alfheim Online did not somehow transport himself into Asuna's dreams to tell Asuna to let him go. Everything that this dream Kirito said was due to Asuna knowing what kind of person Kirito is. She knows full well that he would gladly risk his life and die for her sake rather than let her be miserable. Additionally, Asuna knows in her heart that unless something is done, Kirito will meet a bloody end regardless of her decisions similar to what happened in her dream.

In case you were wondering, the conversation that Kirito and Asuna had was a reference to the God of War series. Despite what I had them say, I am a fan of that series, and I hope those of you who have a PS3 will support God of War Ascension, especially that awesome and touching live action trailer. My tastes in video games is rather diverse which includes but definitely not limited to Zelda, Mario, Tales, Fire Emblem, Persona, Assassin's Creed, Professor Layton, the Operation Rainfall trilogy, The Walking Dead, and Kingdom Hearts. My diversity of interests can be said for anime as well.

Anyway, it is true that the God of War series is unpopular in Japan, and the sales numbers have apparently been low. Regardless of that fact, if the various video game series we know and love exist in the Sword Art Online universe, I could picture Kirito possibly knowing about such a series due to his love for computers and video games. I would think it would not be much different to how a number of us are aware of a number of video games that have never been released outside of Japan by looking up such information on the internet.

On another note, I have recently been thinking of some theme songs that would go for certain scenes that have happened during this story. For Kirito's torture scene, I think the song "Get Up" by Korn is perfect. After all, I did play that song a few times while coming up with ideas for that scene. I think a theme for the hell that Sugou puts Kirito and Yui through could also be summed up in the opening theme song for Deadman Wonderland. I guess it helps that both situations have a bespectacled 'complete monster' antagonist who enjoy torturing their prisoners.

Additionally, I think the theme "Memories" from the video game Arc Rise Fantasia would be perfect for a few of Lisbeth's scenes in Chapter Five. For this chapter, I believe the Arc Rise Fantasia themes, "Unexpected Fight" would be fitting for the monster battle and "Fulheim" would work for a few of the final scenes of this chapter. During certain portions of the nightmare sequence, I think Final Fantasy XIII-2's "The Goddess is Dead" and Bleach's "Soundscape To Ardor" are fitting themes as well. I also want to say that I think Ellie Goulding's song, "Hanging On" could work in certain situations too, but I think it probably works more for "Of Science and Magics: The Side Stories." What are your thoughts for music themes for these scenes as well as others?

Finally, with the conclusion of this chapter it makes me proud to state that not only does this mark the end of the second story arc for Fairy Dance Alternate, but it included the first real action scene for the story. As my omake stated, I find action scenes to be relatively difficult to write, but they can also be a lot of fun. You can think of it as a puzzle to find the right words to allow your vision to be realized. Although in retrospect, I believe pretty much any scene is difficult when you feel like you need to get a point across, but it goes double for scenes that involve fighting, and to a lesser extent torture. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this fighting scene and look forward to the ones that will happen in the future.

Please be sure to leave a review about your thoughts. I look forward to reading your feedback.

/

**Fanfiction Promo**:

"_Understand the past, so you will know why they fight for the future."_

After being on hiatus for months, Knowledgeseeker66 will fulfill the promise. Chapter twelve for "Of Science and Magics: The Sides Stories" is currently being written and slated for an early spring release. The "Devil of Academy City" will reign supreme.

Be sure to read the first eleven chapters to catch up.

Feedback would be appreciated.


	7. Separated by Realities

**Author Notes**: Before I can let Asuna enter Alfheim Online, I am producing a story arc that focuses on Kirito's time in the game during those two and a half months beginning with this chapter. In my mind, due to the parallels of Kirito and Asuna's time during those two and a half months, I think it will make it easier for when I start Asuna's adventure in Alfheim Online because you will know both sides of the story. Not to mention, this story arc will make it easier to set up a number of plotlines and characters. Additionally, without this story arc, I believe a number of events and situations probably will not make much sense later on if I do not take these steps. In the end, everything will come together.

This story arc will also be utilized to introduce multiple characters that may or may not become important during Asuna's own adventure in Alfheim Online. Additionally, a few of the things that were only referenced in previous chapters will be shown upfront now, such as Kirito's time with Yui as his companion during his adaptation to this new world. The two of them will get to spend some 'father/daughter time.' I feel like if I do not provide some coverage on scenarios like that, it would be a 'waste of perfectly good plotlines.'

I have posted a new poll for this chapter. It will be the first fanfiction character popularity contest for Fairy Dance Alternate. I want you to select your top five favorite characters that have appeared so far in this story. When you select the characters, I would like it to be based on their portrayal and character development within this story rather than the canon story. The poll will consist of characters that are introduced in this chapter as well, so please wait until after you have read the chapter to participate in the poll. Otherwise, you might be spoiled regarding future chapters.

I hope you will enjoy this chapter and provide a review. I look forward to reading your feedback.

/

Fairy Dance Alternate

Story Arc Three: The Origin of the Photo – Part I

Chapter Seven: Separated by Realities

/

I am at a loss

I wish you were by my side

I need to see you

/

**Date: Thursday, November 7, 2024**

**Location: Sword Art Online – Top Floor – Purgatory Platform**

The two lovers known as Asuna and Kirito were standing on top of a platform in the sky as they witnessed the deletion of the world of Sword Art Online, known as Aincrad, before their eyes. The game had been a prison that prevented them and the remaining survivors from returning to the real world for two years. All of their lives had been interrupted due to a mad scientist's wish to realize his dream. However, it was far from being a completely horrid experience for a number of the players. This was especially true for Asuna and Kirito.

It was through this game that the two of them met their true love, and they changed each other's lives forever. After everything they had gone through, they were together again for the final moments of the game. As they witnessed the game's deletion, there was a beautiful sunset in the background which made the sight before them to be both beautiful and terrifying. However, knowing they would be together before they faded away allowed them to be less frightened of what was happening and appreciate the beauty. Kirito and Asuna wished they could enjoy this moment forever, but they knew it would not last for long.

Only moments ago, the creator of Sword Art Online, Kayaba Akihiko, had declared them both 'winners' of his game. Afterwards, he quietly vanished into thin air leaving it to Kirito and Asuna to speculate what happened to him. However, the two of them believed that while they were successful at saving the remaining players of the game, it had been at the cost of their lives in the process.

Both of them felt mutual guilt over the fact that they believed they had failed to protect the one they loved. Asuna had vowed she would not die and protect Kirito, and he promised her the same. After what happened in the final battle with Heathcliff, Kayaba Akihiko's avatar, they believed that their promises were rendered moot. The guilt that weighed on their hearts from this supposed failure was heavier than they could bear, but they tried to keep themselves together as much as possible to not ruin this blissful moment.

They believed that in a few minutes when Sword Art Online would be fully deleted, they would die along with the game. However, they were grateful that they could spend what they believed to be their final moments together. Instead of giving into despair, they would attempt to make these last moments count. They faced one another with Kirito placing his hands on Asuna's cheeks and the two of them exchanged their final kiss. The two of them believed it was the most magical one they had ever shared.

Kirito-kun tearfully said to Asuna_,_ "I suppose this is goodbye."

Asuna shook her head and calmly stated,"No, it isn't. We'll be disappearing together. So, we'll be together, forever."

Despite Asuna's calm exterior, she was only attempting to mask her true feelings of terror. She was attempting to be strong for the one she loved, so they would be able to leave this world without further regrets.

Before they would disappear, the girl desired to know one last fact about her in-game husband. In all the time she had known him, she never knew the single most important detail about him. She asked him, "Hey, can you tell me your name Kirito-kun? I mean your real name."

The boy was confused by his in-game wife's question. After spending two long years going by his in-game name 'Kirito,' there were times when he would momentarily forget what his true name was. He answered her question,"My name is Kirigaya Kazuto. I should have turned sixteen last month."

Asuna voiced out his name_, _"Kirigaya Kazuto-kun." She then stated in an embarrassed tone, "So you're younger than me. My name is Yuuki Asuna. I turned seventeen this year."

Kirito then playfully responded, "Is it that much of surprise that I'm younger than you? I always thought you were older than me."

Asuna then decided to play along with Kirito instead of getting upset and answered, "Until two weeks ago, I always thought you were older until I saw how you looked whenever you slept next to me. You looked so innocent and naïve that I was almost afraid of what your age really was. I'm just glad you're not too young."

After Asuna made that statement, the two of them laughed. It was a tranquil moment before they had to face the reality of their situation again. Then they turned their attention to watching the deletion of Aincrad. It would only be a few moments before the game would be completely deleted, which meant their time together was about to come to an end as well. The reality of the situation was hitting both Asuna and Kirito extremely hard.

After a few moments of remaining silent, Kirito apologized to Asuna with a voice filled with regret as tears began to flow down his face, "I'm sorry . . . sorry. . . . I promised that . . . I would . . . send you back . . . to the other side, . . . but I . . .failed you."

Asuna comforted her in-game husband as best as she could despite tears coming down her face as well. "It's alright . . . It's alright."

After they were finished crying, the two lovers gazed upon Sword Art Online's final sunset. Asuna told Kirito in a voice that had a mixture of happiness and sadness, "I'm happy I was able to meet you and live with you, Kazuto-kun. The time I have spent with you have been the happiest moments of my life. You changed me as well. Thank you."

Asuna then moved closer to Kirito as she closed her eyes and put her head on his neck. She then made her final heartfelt declaration, "I love you."

Kirito responded by putting his head upon Asuna's. They then embraced for what they believed would be their final time, and they held onto each other as tight as they could. Neither one of them would let the other go.

As they embraced, it was announced that the deletion process was complete. Suddenly a burst of light formed at the center, and came racing towards them. They did not make any feeble attempts to run. The two lovers continued to hold each other as they refused to let each other go while the light swept them away.

When they were swept away by the light, they did not realize that they would still be alive, and they both should have returned to the real world. However, fate was not too kind to the one known as Kirito. While the two lovers would continue to live, they were separated by an invisible wall that would set them worlds apart from each other. Unless something could be done, they would remain separated by realities.

/

**Date: Thursday, November 7, 2024**

**Location: Unknown**

After Kirito felt his presence fade from the game, he felt as if he was placed in some kind of weightless limbo. His body seemed to be suspended in midair and there was nothingness surrounding him. As he was suspended in this nothingness, Kirito realized that he had no power over his body. Kirito attempted to move his body, but he could not move a muscle. He tried to open his eyes, but they would not budge. Finally, Kirito tried to move his mouth to call out to anyone who could hear him, but his mouth remained shut. The only thing he could do was think about what was happening.

He thought to himself, _"Where am I? What's going on? Why can't I move my body?"_ Kirito then remembered what had happened earlier. He remembered that both he and Kayaba's Sword Art Online avatars had killed each other and he faded away from the game along with Asuna by his side. Kirito then thought, _"That's right. I died, and Asuna faded along with me."_ Kirito then questioned in a fearful manner, _"Is this death? Is this what happens after you die in the game? Am I being processed or something before the Nerve Gear kills me?"_

As if to answer his questions, Kirito heard a strange voice state, "You are not dead Kirito-kun. Not yet anyway."

The voice was partially distorted and Kirito's senses were dulled, so he was unable to recognize who the voice belonged to. However, he could feel a presence nearby, and he could tell that the voice was male. Whoever this was, his presence felt omnipotent.

Kirito wished to speak to the voice, but he could not. He could only think, "_Whose there? What is going on?"_

It appeared that voice could read Kirito's thoughts and promptly responded, "The one who wishes to fulfill the promise I gave you and the other players. Unfortunately, something happened before logout procedure was complete. As a result, you are being transferred."

Kirito thought, _"Transferred? What do you mean transferred?"_

The voice responded in a stoic manner, "Something rather unfortunate happened to you after I provided Asuna-san with assistance on her way out. It was something even I did not foresee. A similar phenomenon is happening to approximately three hundred players as well. In my current position, I am unable to help you now. I apologize." While the voice was stoic, the apology the voice was expressing sounded sincere.

Despite the voice being distorted, Kirito had a good idea who it was now. Kirito thought to himself, _"I never would have thought I would hear an apology from you."_

The voice responded, "Do not misunderstand me. When I make a promise, I wish to fulfill it. If something or someone prevents that from being accomplished, even I feel a slight sentiment over my failure."

After hearing that, Kirito decided to ask about something that was of a greater concern. Kirito figured if he continued to think of whatever questions he wanted answered, the voice would respond, so he thought, _"If that's the case, then what happened to Asuna? What is going to happen to me and the other players now?"_

The voice seemed pleased that Kirito's first concerns were for Asuna before himself. He answered, "You do not need to worry about her Kirito-kun. Asuna-san is alive and well in the real world. Knowing the type of person she is, I have no doubt she will attempt to find you. When that happens, everything will come together. The puzzle will be complete." However, the voice seemed strangely hesitant before he answered the other question. The voice stated, "Unfortunately, I do not know how to answer your other question. I know the identity of the one responsible for this unfortunate turn of events due to the connections. Knowing the type of person he is even I am concerned about what he will do."

Kirito urgently thought, _"Who is he? How is he doing this? What does he want?"_

The voice responded in its normal stoic tone, "Unfortunately, it appears my time is over for now. I do not have enough time to answer those questions, but you will learn the answers to them soon enough. Not to mention, I doubt you will be able to remember much of our conversation anyway until the next time I am able to speak with you." Before Kirito could think of anything else to ask, the voice stated, "We will meet again Kirito-kun. I have already been taking steps to ensure that will happen."

Kirito could feel the voice's presence was starting to fade away as he asked, _"Steps? What do you mean by steps?"_

The voice chuckled slightly at Kirito's question before it explained in a matter of fact tone, "It is customary to have a Plan B if you take into consideration that Plan A may fail to deliver what is promised. All things considered, it may prove to be most fortunate for you and the other players that I decided to follow that custom. Unfortunately for you Kirito-kun, it will most likely take some time before it can be implemented. The time and conditions will need to be met first. Until we can speak again farewell."

After the voice said that, Kirito could feel that the presence had disappeared, and he was alone again. However, the silence did not last for long because he suddenly heard a strange noise. It started off as a minor annoyance but it became irritating to the point he could barely stand it. Kirito wanted to put his hands to his ears to reduce the volume, but he still could not move. Unfortunately, as irritating as this was, it was nothing compared to what would await Kirito in the near future.

After the sound had disappeared, he heard something that sounded like a gate opening. Suddenly, he began to move as if he was being sucked into whatever just opened. After a few moments, Kirito realized there was something familiar about this sensation. He thought to himself, _"This is how I felt when I first entered Sword Art Online."_

No sooner had he thought that, he heard a voice state, _"Welcome to Alfheim Online Kirito."_

After Kirito heard the voice, he lost conciseness as he entered into the new virtual reality world and the light engulfed him.

/

**Date: Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. **

**Location: Alfheim Online – Spriggan Zone – Ancient Ruins Area – Forest Section**

When Kirito entered through the gate to Alfheim Online, he was not placed in the starting city like any ordinary player would have been. Instead, he was placed in a forest area on the outskirts of a nearby city. Sugou and Hideyoshi were aware that Kirito's entrance into Alfheim Online would probably not be 'graceful' since he was being transferred from one game to another. Since they did not want any players to be suspicious by the unusual entrance, they decided to place Kirito in an area that was several 'kilometers' away from the city and did not have any players in the immediate vicinity.

Hideyoshi had been the one to complete Kirito's avatar for Alfheim Online. Since Kirito's Sword Art Online profile indicated that he was known as the "Black Swordsman" in the game, he decided that Kirito would probably prefer being part of the Spiriggan race. In Alfheim Online, there were nine different races that players could choose to be.

The different Alfhein Online races were Cait Siths, Gnomes, Imps, Leprechauns, Pucas, Slamanders, Spriggans, Sylphs, and Undines. All of the races have the ability of flight and they can all learn various forms of magic, but each race has its own individual characteristics and abilities, and they might have a greater affinity to one type of magic than another. Additionally, races that are considered to be 'lightweight races' are capable of the Wall Run ability which allows them to temporarily run on walls for about ten meters. If they had enhanced speed, they could increase it to approximately thirty meters.

/

**Cait Siths**: Their primary base of operations is a castle-like capital of Freelia located West of the World Tree, Ygrassil. They are the owners of Butterfly Valley, which is one of the three large pathways to the World Tree. Unlike other races, Cait Siths have cat-like ears and tails while other races would have a more 'human appearance.' If either appendage is touched, it will have an affect on the player.

The Cait Siths are the only group capable of taming monsters and using them for battle. Additionally, they have enhanced speed, which they can utilized to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their Wall Run ability than other races. They are on good terms with the Sylph race, and if the Salamanders become too great of a threat, they will consider forming an alliance to regain the balance of power.

**Gnomes**: Their home is located in the 'Frost Area' to the North. They are generally associated with the color brown, and they are considered to be largest race in the game. The primary activity members of this race are known for is mining due to their affinity with Earth elemental magic. Their efficiency in gathering materials is well-known throughout Alfheim Online.

Due to their ability to gather materials from their mines, it is not unusual for them to become merchants or trade with the Leprechauns. The mutual exchange between the two races has allowed them to maintain peaceful relations with each other. There have been very few recorded conflicts between these two races.

**Imps**: They are located in the 'Alpines Area' in the Southeast. The color they are often associated with is purple and they also have a hint of purple in their milky white skin. While Imps have the ability to sprout wings like any other race in Alfheim Online, their wings resemble bats. This might be the explanation for why they are capable of flying without the need of sunlight or moonlight unlike other races. Additionally, they have the ability of night vision, so they are capable of flying through underground caves with very few problems.

**Leprechauns**: They are located in the 'Reclamation Area' in the North. Similar to other races Leprechauns have the ability of flight, but the characteristics of their wings set them apart from the others. In Alfheim Online, other groups have insect-like wings, but the wings of Leprechauns are mechanical. Additionally, the Leprechauns are known as the 'blacksmith race' and their territory is a factory-like structure. Their blacksmith abilities are considered to be second-to-none, and they are capable of creating high quality weapons and equipment to sell to players.

The Leprechauns are generally on friendly terms with the Gnomes due to it being a normal activity for the two groups to engage in trade. The Gnomes would actively provide Leprechauns with materials to create weapons and equipment while the Leprechauns would provide the Gnomes with a discount. It is not unusual to see members of the Gnomes and Leprechauns to open up a business together and do extremely well.

**Pucas**: This group is located in a 'Carnival Area' in the Northwest. The Pucas are generally associated with the color gold and having an affinity for music magic. They are capable of using music for both combat and non-combat situations. While they can be useful in combat, they are a more peaceful race, and players who choose to be them tend to be more 'casual' and are known to generally stay within their territory unless they are affiliated with a party or guild. They are welcoming of others to visit and enjoy their perpetual festivities.

**Salamanders**: This race is located in the 'Desert Area' in the South. Their group has claims to the Dragon Valley which is one of the three pathways to the World Tree. The Salamanders are known for their use of fire magic and enhanced strength which has made them the strongest physically in the game. Due to the rising popularity of this race, it is possible they may tip the balance of power of Alfheim Online in their favor.

Due to being located on a desert which has resulted in a scarcity of resources and being located near the Sylphs' home, it has caused the two groups to be in a heated rivalry. There have been numerous skirmishes between the two races recently. This has resulted in the largest amount of player killing happening within these groups. It is likely if things do not change, there will be a full blown war, and it has been making it difficult for the Cait Siths to sit idly as this conflict escalates.

**Spriggans**: They are located in the 'Ancient Ruins Area' in the Northeast that also contained many forests similar to where Kirito would find himself in. The Spiriggans are generally associated with the color black due to their darker skin tone and generally wearing dark clothing. They have generally been underestimated by other players because Spriggans are more known for being masters of Illusion and Treasure Hunting magic.

As a result of the Spriggans' magic specialties; numerous players have come to wrongfully believe the Spriggan race is not fit for combat however it can be proven otherwise. Spriggans are capable of wielding any kind of weapon, they have night vision similar to the Imps, and they have the Wall Run ability too. If their abilities, especially their illusion magic, are properly utilized, they can be a worthy opponent.

**Sylphs**: The Sylphs home is located in the 'Grasslands Area' in the Southwest. Similar to the Spriggan territory, there were many forest areas within their territory as well. They are generally associated with the color green due to most members having green hair, which can be modified, and green clothing, and their affinity is towards wind magic. Similar to the Cait Siths, Sylphs have the abilities of enhanced speed and Wall Run, and they are capable of effectively combining the two abilities, and in addition to that they are capable of stealth that only players that are highly skilled at scanning could detect.

While the Sylph has been engaged in a rivalry with the Salamanders, they are on good terms with the Cait Sith because they have provided them with tamed monsters. Currently both are considering in engaging in a conference and create a treaty to join forces for possible future operations on the World Tree, other 'grand quests,' and combat the growing threat of the Salamanders. Unfortunately, it is currently unknown when or if such a conference will take place or what the terms will be.

**Undines**: The Undines originate from the Crescent Gulf located in the 'Wetlands Area' that is East of the World Tree. They claim the Rainbow Valley that is one of the three large pathways to the World Tree. Their capital is similar to the Cait Sith due to its castle-like structure. Due to the races' affinity to water, this race is generally associated with the color blue, and they excel at underwater combat. Undines have a greater affinity towards support magic, where they would be able to provide their party members with support abilities, such as enhancements and recovery. Additionally, Undines are capable of the Wall Run skill due to being another one of the 'lightweight races.'

/

Hideyoshi decided that the 'Spriggan' race would be a perfect fit for Kirito due to them being closely associated with the color black. His prediction would eventually turn out to be correct for more than he knew.

The race that the player decides to choose at the beginning of the game will determine where they will begin their adventure in Alfheim Online. They are capable of traveling to other territories, but they do need to be careful because 'player killing' in this game is seen as a fun activity since this was not a 'death game' like Sword Art Online. In Alfheim Online, if a player's avatar is killed, it will respawn, but the player will receive some 'player death penalty deductions.' Depending on the circumstances of their avatar's death, certain deductions can be frustrating for players to regain.

If members of a different race were to enter another race's town, he or she would be unable to use his or her abilities while the home members could kill that player without trouble. That is why it would be unwise for a player of a different race to enter another territory's town without being invited or having a member of the same race to accompany him or her. However, every territory has neutral towns that allow members of other groups to converse in peace. It is not unusual for friendships to be formed in such areas and for players of other races to create guilds or parties to continue their adventures in the game.

Since Alfheim Online is a game, the players are not required to become involved in the 'politics.' As a result, seeing a Sylph and a Salamander in the same party was not unheard of despite the general problems that continue to exist between the two races. While the game does somewhat encourage 'play killing,' it has also encouraged players to form diversified parties at times depending on the situation.

In addition to the nine groups, there were supposedly two others that existed in the game. The first were Navigation Pixies that were AI user-support programs that are used for basic system information and scan areas for other players as well. There were several methods of players to obtain Navigation Pixies which included, paying an additional fee or winning a raffle which was being held around the same time Kirito entered the game.

The other group was known as ALFs, which is a rumored legendary race with unlimited flight. For sometime it was believed that players would become ALFs if they managed to reach the top of the World Tree and gain an audience with King Oberon. Unfortunately, that was nothing more than a lie created by Sugou Nobiyuki.

Sugou Nobiyuki was able to get away with such deception due to making such a feat nearly impossible and even if someone were to succeed, only those who had administrative access cards would be able to enter the world tree. Due to each avatar's limited flight ability, it is impossible to reach the proximity of the world tree without receiving some kind of boost or aid from multiple players.

There have been several recorded attempts of players nearly reaching where the barrier would prevent them from entering, but they would fall short. Sugou found it enjoyable to watch many hopeful players attempt this feat repeatedly only to fail. Seeing the looks on their faces was a joy to him. It gave him great pride to be the one that was above all others in both worlds.

The newest victim of his pride that he had selected would be the boy who had materialized in the game, Kirito, also known as Kirigaya Kazuto in the real world. Sugou knew that the boy's life was literally in the palm of his hand, and he was looking forward to the day he made Kirito realize it as well. However, he knew it would not be fun if he did not give Kirito a 'fighting' chance. As he relished, seeing someone's spirits breakdown completely after building themselves up was much more satisfying than breaking them from the start.

/

A few moments after the boy materialized on the forest ground, he regained conciseness. His vision was blurred, and he was feeling dizzy. He attempted to get up, but he was having difficulty setting himself straight. After a few moments, he finally regained his senses, and he was able to stand up straight. When he could see straight, he realized he was in some kind of strange forest.

He thought to himself, _"What is this? Where am I?"_

Kirito pinched himself to make sure of something. While he could 'feel' the pinch, something felt off about it. He thought to himself, _"I think I'm alive, but what happened?"_

He was having difficulty piecing together what had happened to him. Kirito remembered what happened after the fight with the 75th floor boss, Skull Reaper. He had unmasked Heathcliff as being Kayaba Akihiko's avatar, and he fought him in a duel to the death that would allow not only him but the remaining players to be freed if he won. Kirito remembered while he was successful in killing Heathcliff and saving the remaining players, it also resulted in the 'apparent deaths' of both himself and Asuna.

He then remembered that both he and Asuna watched the final sunset of Aincrad while the game was finishing the deletion process as they made their final declarations of love to each other. Then there was nothing. He could vaguely remember being in some kind of limbo, but he could not remember any of the details other than feeling 'powerless' and getting 'sucked into something.' The next thing he knew he was here on this forest floor.

After piecing all of that together, Kirito realized that something felt strange about his body. He brought his hands to his ears and noticed that his ears were pointy and his hair was naturally spiky. Kirito then looked down at his outfit and noticed that while there were similarities to his clothing in Sword Art Online, primarily the fact they were both black, he noticed there were several key differences as well.

When Kirito was done noticing the differences in his character avatar, he took a good look around his surroundings and realized that it was not an area he had ever been to in Aincrad. The forest he was in was similar to a few of the forests he explored in Aincrad, but the trees seemed slightly different, and further away in the distance there were ruins.

Kirito thought, _"Those ruins seem familiar somehow."_ After thinking for a few moments, he remembered, _"The ruins resemble the ancient Mayan Pyramids in Central America. I remember reading about them in history class once."_

During his time in Sword Art Online, he had thoroughly explored a number of areas in the game, whether they were game fields or dungeons, and he had visited each floor that was cleared at least once. In all his time in the game, he did not once see these ruins. Kirito was able to correctly conclude this area was not one of those floors in Sword Art Online.

By taking another good look at his surroundings, he thought to himself, _"I don't think I'm in Aincrad anymore."_

Between the differences in his avatar's appearance and the strange surroundings he quickly surmised, _"I must have been transported into a different game after the deletion process."_

After Kirito realized he was in another virtual world, he thought, _"Does this mean everyone else was transported here as well?!"_

Kirito then began to desperately shout, "Asuna! Agil! Klien! Is anyone here!? Answer me!" However, the only thing he could hear was the echo of his own voice.

Kirito desperately kept calling the names of his friends at the top of his lungs, but there was no answer. Even though Kirito would admit that he was used to being a loner in Sword Art Online, the loneliness he was experiencing now was different. At the very least, he was able to message his friends and find out where they were if he needed them through his friend map options.

During the last year of Sword Art Online, he truly began to value the relationships he had formed in the game, especially his relationship with Asuna. Besides Asuna, he also owed a lot of his development to his other friends, Agil, Klien, Lisbeth, and Silica. If he could speak to them again, he would. He did not wish to be completely alone anymore. However, when he opened his menu, he saw that he did not even have that option. It caused his heart to sink.

He sat at the trunk of the closest tree, and rubbed his head. Kirito sadly thought to himself, _"What happened to all of you? Where are you?"_ He continued to rub his head with his hand harder and thought, _"I have no clue what is going on here, but I need to get to the bottom of this."_

He kept browsing through his menu until he noticed there was a logout button. Kirito thought to himself, _"No way. This seems too easy."_

When Kirito attempted to press the button, a message told him "Action Failed." He pressed the button several more times, but he kept receiving the same message. He knew that whoever was behind this must be enjoying this.

Kirito thought to himself, _"This is even worse than when I was in Sword Art Online. At least, the menu didn't have a logout button. This one here is staring me in the face, and it is refusing to let me out. It feels like its taunting me."_

Kirito stood up and shouted out loud to the sky, "Is this your work Kayaba Akihiko?! Is this your sick joke?! I thought the game was over! I thought all the survivors were supposed to be free!" Kirito was becoming more agitated as he shouted, "What is going on?!"

There was no answer, but Kirito was not expecting one. He figured there had to be a reason that he was transported here. He could not help but wonder, _"How am I even alive in the first place? I thought Heathcliff and I killed each other at the same time. That should have resulted in me dying in the real world too."_

After he thought that, he looked back on his final moments with Asuna overlooking the deletion of Sword Art Online. Even though, it was only an hour ago, it felt as if it had been eons. They both made their final declaration of love to each as they expected to die when they were engulfed in the white light. After the light overtook them, Kirito remembered feeling some kind of strange sensation when he was leaving the game but nothing else beyond that. Everything else seemed like nothing more than a blur. He realized whatever that feeling was must have been the reason why he was in his current predicament.

Kirito told himself, "There is no point in dwelling on this now. For now, I need to find out if there is a town nearby." He was attempting to be optimistic as he said to himself, "Whatever is going on, it must be a test or something. In Sword Art Online, freedom was supposed to be earned by beating the game. Maybe if I accomplish whatever I am suppose to, I can return to reality. Hopefully, if I explore this place long enough, I will find an answer. Or perhaps I will receive a message from whoever is responsible for this." Kirito was not confident in his own theory, but he needed to tell himself something that could help him keep going.

Since Kirito knew that he was trapped in this world, it was not beyond possibility there might be others here as well. He then thought to himself, "_Is Asuna trapped in this new world with me, or did she somehow return to the real world?"_ Kirito thought in a determined inner voice,_ "Either way, I need to find her. I won't give up until she is in my arms again. That is what I am destined to do._"

/

As Kirito predicted, one of the persons responsible for his current situation were observing him as he attempted to understand the new world he was in. Hideyoshi was mildly impressed that the boy was handling this better than he expected him to. He thought the boy would cry or be overwhelmed by anguish at the thought of being trapped in another virtual reality world. However, while the boy was concerned about himself and his friends, he was attempting to be as calm as he could.

Hideyoshi stated in a tone that showed his amusement at Kirito's adaptability, "It would appear that the boy is catching on quick to his situation. He is going through his menu to familiarize himself with the game, so he can start adapting to the new world."

Sugou smugly asked his subordinate, "Did he attempt to logout of the game after he arrived?"

Hideyoshi answered, "Not right away. He seemed more concerned about his friends based on his shouts and attempting to look up friend information, but he did try to the logout button at least five times before giving up."

Sugou laughed at that. "Ha ha ha! That truly is amusing. I wonder if he already figured out he is on his own in that world."

After considering his observations, Hideyoshi stated, "I wouldn't go that far, but based on what I'm seeing, he will eventually come to that conclusion."

Sugou decided to have a look at Kirito's situation for himself and noticed the stats that Kirito's avatar possessed. He asked in a less than polite tone, "Answer me this Hideyoshi, why does that brat have such high level stats?"

Hideyoshi thoroughly explained, "Apparently, he was a high ranking player in Sword Art Online. That seemed to be a given since his account profile labeled him as one of the two that 'cleared the game.' Based on the fact Alfheim Online runs on a copy of Sword Art Online's servers, it is not inconceivable that a transfer of data from one game to another is possible. That includes both items and stats as long as they are compatible in both games. As you can see, most of his items and at least one of his skills have been either deleted or corrupted by the incompatibilities of the two games."

After hearing that explanation, Sugou inquired, "Are you able to reset his stats to that of a beginner player?"

Hideyoshi considered that possibility, but he responded, "It might be possible, but I do not think that would be a good idea for what you have in mind."

Sugou asked in an impatient voice, "Why would that be the case?"

Hideyoshi explained, "If I reset his stats, it could cause the programming to be reset as well. That would probably give him a window of opportunity to logout of the game, and you would lose your potential back-up plan. If I did reset his code, I might be able to place the binding program on his avatar again, but it would take some time to rebuild and place back into an existing avatar than in comparison to planting it into his avatar as we were creating it for the game. Chances are he would probably notice the difference beforehand and escape."

Sugou knew that was one chance he did not want to take. He was already taking a chance as it was for the sake of his amusement, and it would be even more foolish even for his standards to add to that risk. Sugou replied in a frustrated tone, "Very well. Don't bother with him then. It would probably be for the better his stats remain like that anyway. At least now he can compete on the same playing field as those other players rather than needing to take any other actions of my own."

While Hideyoshi did not want to ask this question, he knew that if he did not ask it, it could lead to some unnecessary trouble for him later. He asked, "Is there anything else we should do about him until the expanded area is complete?"

Sugou responded, "Observing his progress would be the only thing I would suggest for the time being. It would be good to see how he moves forward and how he will interact with the other players." He then asked out loud, "Will he build himself hope that he can escape Alfheim Online or will it wane as time goes on? Either way, I am going to enjoy breaking him." Sugou's voice indicated he was enjoying the images that were going through his mind regarding the future of Kirito. Unfortunately for Kirito, what Sugou would do to him personally and allow others to do would be much worse.

/

Kirito knew that there was no use fretting over the 'logout' button for the time being. He knew that regardless of wherever he was, he would need to understand this world and adapt quickly. For all he knew, he was transported from one death game to another, and he might as well prepare for the worst. He told himself that after he can attempt to finding a way to either find his friends or a way out after he managed to settle into this new environment.

He figured the best place to start was to familiarize himself with the menu. Luckily for him, the menu was not too different from Sword Art Online, so it was easy to navigate. When he opened up his skill window, he saw much to his amazement that his skill list included:

One Handed Sword – 1000/1000 – Mastered

Blade Throwing – 967/1000

Parry – 1000/1000 – Mastered

Battle Healing – 944/1000

Searching – 1000/1000 – Mastered

Tracking – 963/1000

Hiding – 1000/1000 – Mastered

Night Vision – 908/1000

Extended Weight Limit – 949/1000

Sprint – 870/1000

Fishing – 604/1000

With the exception of Kirito's dual blade, he realized that somehow all of his skills from Sword Art Online had transferred to this game. This confused Kirito because while he could feel a similarity between this game and Sword Art Online, he knew that they were not the same thing. He figured that might be the reason why the slot that would have stated his "Dual Blade" skill was conspicuously "- - - -."

Kirito thought, _"Is this some kind of compatibility issue? Dual Blades was a unique skill in Sword Art Online, so I guess that would not be the case here."_

After considering his situation for a few moments, Kirito then said out loud, "Wait a second." He realized that if his skills had somehow managed to transfer to this world, perhaps other things from his Sword Art Online avatar had transferred as well. He touched his 'item window' and he noticed that what was displayed on his window appeared in some weird gibberish he did not understand. However, he chose to ignore that as he desperately scrolled down the window. He kept desperately saying, "Please, please, please be there."

As soon as he reached an item that was labeled, "MHCP001," he stopped his window and his heart was beating faster with each passing second. He took a deep breath before he pressed that item. After selecting the item, its color reversed and asked whether or not the player wished to "Use Item."

After Kirito confirmed his choice, there was a white glow that appeared in the cent of the window. When the light faded a familiar object appeared in Kirito's hand. It was the colorless, tear-shaped crystal that he converted Yui into when he saved her from the deletion process a few weeks ago. As he held onto it, he felt a heartbeat in his hand. Just like in Sword Art Online, it felt as if he was literally holding onto someone's heart.

Kirito thought to himself, _"Please let this work. Please."_

He then gently tapped the crystal twice with his finger, and it caused a pure while light to explode from the crystal that nearly blinded him. The crystal then floated several meters into the air. From within that light a little girl with the appearance of a ten year old emerged. She had long black hair, had cherry-colored lips, wore a snow-white dress, and was barefoot. When she emerged from the light, her eyes were closed and her hands crossed over her chest.

Kirito was stunned at the sight of this girl. He was unable to move, speak, or blink. All he could do was think, _"Is this really happening? Am I really seeing this?"_

The girl before him was none other than Yui, his and Asuna's adopted AI daughter. Both he and Asuna only knew her for three days before he was forced to convert her to an in-game item to save her from deletion, but the two of them grew to care for the girl as if she were their own. The fact she was an AI did not change their feelings for her. After Kirito was forced to convert her into an in-game item, he swore that he would restore her and they would be reunited someday. Today was that day.

Yui was still floating in midair as she slowly awoke from her slumber and revealed her beautiful bright, black eyes. She noticed there was someone below her. It did not take her long to recognize who he was. He may have had a different appearance, but there was no mistakening who he was. Seeing that he had not forgotten her filled her with happiness, and she smiled at the sight of him.

Kirito was not sure if Yui would be able to recognize him in his new form. He nervously said to her, "Yui. Do you remember me?"

Yui happily responded, "We meet again, Papa," much to Kirito's relief.

Tears of happiness came from Yui's eyes as she stretched out her arms and flew right into Kirito's chest as he caught her. Her thin arms clasped around Kirito's neck as he held her body in his arms.

Yui kept happily repeating, "Papa . . . Papa!"

The 'father' and 'daughter' continued to hug each other tightly. Even Kirito was crying a little from seeing Yui again after fearing that he would not be able to restore her.

Kirito happily said, "This is truly a miracle."

/

While Kirito was enjoying his reunion with Yui, Hideyoshi and Sugou were observing their peacefully moment.

Sugou said in an amused voice, "So it would seem that he is not alone after all. Now that is very curious indeed."

Hideyoshi scanned Kirito's Nerve Gear and spotted the root of it. "It would appear that a program was installed in his Nerve Gear prior to us transferring him to Alfheim Online. I wonder how that happened?"

Sugou came to his own conclusion, "If it was a program that was installed in his Nerve Gear, it serves to reason that it was probably some program that came from Sword Art Online. As you stated it is likely that similar to his stats, any program that brat may have had in his possession from Sword Art Online could be transferred assuming there is compatibility."

Hideyoshi agreed, "From what I'm seeing it appears to be a real possibility. I doubt programs from other games would be compatible with Alfheim Online. Programs from Sword Art Online are one of the very few that I could imagine coming close."

Sugou turned his attention away from the scene between Kirito and Yui and began focusing on the Nerve Gear. "Let's see if there are any other programs uploaded onto this brat's Nerve Gear."

As Sugou continued to remotely scan the software of Kirito's Nerve Gear, Hideyoshi asked, "Do you really think there is something else in there?"

Sugou gave a smug grin as he stated, "My instincts are telling me I will definitely find something." After checking more of the Nerve Gear's hardware, Sugou eventually found what he was looking for. "Ah. I see I was right to be suspicious. There is another program here."

It was Hideyoshi's turn to be curious as he asked, "Do you know what it is?"

Sugou did not answer until he had given the software another look, and he hastily concluded, "It definitely appears to come from Sword Art Online. I can tell by style of the programming. However, unlike that AI, this program appears incomplete."

Hideyoshi asked in a skeptical voice, "Incomplete?"

Sugou ignored Hideyoshi's skepticism as he explained in a condescending voice, "A large amount of the material appears to be missing. This program was probably given to the Nerve Gear after the game was beaten earlier today, but our interference must have stopped the process. I almost find it a shame we can't see more. Anyway, I doubt it will be of any use to him like that AI probably will be."

While Hideyoshi was angered by Sugou's condescending tone, he was able to keep himself composed as he calmly asked, "What do you want done with this 'incomplete' program?"

Sugou casually stated, "Nothing. As you warned me, messing with his Nerve Gear's memory could cause his program to be reset and allow him to free himself. There is no need to take any unnecessary risks."

Hideyoshi reluctantly complied, "Very well."

Another thought crossed Sugou's mind as he told him, "The AI that brat has with him could help make this even more amusing, and it could provide us with an interesting test subject. We should probably see if we can contain it within one of our in-game devices or produce one for the occasion. Be sure to keep an eye on its programming to look into those possibilities, but until I give the word do not do anything beyond that."

Hideyoshi calmly responded, "If that is what you wish, then so be it."

Suddenly Sugou received a message on his phone regarding issues with the company. He told Hideyoshi, "It would appear that I am being called away for other business. Continue to observe those two for the time being. I'll be back later to provide you with further instructions."

Hideyoshi answered in a less than enthusiastic tone, "Yes sir."

After Sugou had finally left the room, Hideyoshi was relieved by the lack of that man's presence. Before Hideyoshi went back to observing Kirito and Yui, he decided to take another look at the 'incomplete program' inside Kirito's Nerve Gear. After looking it over for a while he thought to himself, _"The more I look at this program the more I believe it is not a matter of being incomplete."_ Hideyoshi continued to look over the program as he hypothesized, _"It feels more like it has been separated like pieces of a puzzle. If that's the case, then where is the other piece to complete it?"_

While he could not put his finger on it, Hideyoshi's instinct was telling him that something about this program was significant, and it should not be ignored. Hideyoshi had to learn the hard way what the price was for not paying attention to all the details. He figured it would not hurt him to attempt to learn more about this program. If anything he was hoping it could help alleviate his own problems.

After thoroughly looking over the program Hideyoshi thought, _"Something feels familiar about this program. It resembles something that I have seen somewhere before." _Hideyoshi's eyes widened when he realized what he might be looking at. _"Could it really be something like that? This Kirito must have truly proven himself worthy if he was given a program of this nature, even if it is merely a piece of it. If that's the case, this Kirito might be much more interesting than I originally thought. I think I will enjoy observing how he will progress in this game. It will probably be more interesting than waiting to see what Sugou has planned to break him. Don't disappoint me Kirito."_

Hideyoshi then turned his attention back to watching Kirito and Yui's reunion. He could see how happy the two were to see each other again. He remembered that there was a raffle going on to give a certain player a 'navigation pixie' for free. Hideyoshi thought to himself, _"Perhaps I could tip the balance in his favor as a present for __**raising**__ my curiosity."_

/

Seeing Yui again gave Kirito a victory that he sourly needed. After being thrown into a new virtual world without any explanation, not knowing what happened to his friends or his girlfriend, and being denied his ability to logout, it had made the situation bleak. Kirito was not sure whether or not he would be able to adapt to another world by himself again. However, knowing that Yui was alive filled Kirito with hope that he would be reunited with Asuna and his friends. It was a hope that would continue to build within him.

He thought to himself, _"Asuna I don't know where you are, but we will meet again. Whatever I have to do to make it happen, I will do it. The same goes for our other friends as well. If you are worried about me, you don't have to be. I have our daughter, Yui, to keep me company. Until the day we can be together as a family again, I know the two of us will pull through. Similar to you, Yui presence gives me the feeling that I can do anything."_ Kirito inwardly laughed at himself as he thought this._ "Besides, it will be good to have some father/daughter time until I can figure a way out of this world."_

Kirito and Yui found a collapsed tree that acted as a 'bridge' for a nearby river to sit on. Yui sat on Kirito's lap, and she nestled her head against Kirito's chest. They shared a peaceful moment before Kirito asked Yui any questions.

While Kirito did not want to question the good fortune that was given to him, he could not help but ask Yui, "I'm sorry to ask this Yui, but what on earth is going on?"

Yui was not exactly sure what Kirito was asking her, so he explained his question. "I mean this world isn't Sword Art Online is it? I saw the game world get deleted with my own eyes. This is some place else right?"

After Kirito asked that, Yui asked, "You mean you don't know where you are Papa?"

Kirito scratched his head as he sheepishly answered, "It's a long story, but no I don't." Kirito could see that Yui wanted to hear an explanation, but he felt that it could wait for the time being. "I promise I'll explain later."

Seeing that her Papa was in need of direction before he could give her an explanation, Yui replied, "I see. Then please give me a moment."

She then closed her eyes, and it appeared that she was scanning the area for something. After Yui scanned the area, her eyes snapped open and looked at Kirito. She told him, "This world is known as Alfheim Online."

Kirito repeated what he heard, "Alfheim Online?" This caused him to wonder out loud, "So does that mean this is a game world similar to Sword Art Online and there are other players in this world too?"

Yui confirmed Kirito's speculation, "That's right Papa. The world is also known as the 'Land of the Fairies.'"

Kirito once again repeated what Yui said, "The 'Land of the Fairies?' What kind of name is that?" He then asked in a curious tone, "Why is that?"

Yui explained, "Because there nine different species of fairies that players are capable of selecting."

Kirito wanted to know more, especially since he did not know what kind of fairy he apparently was, so he asked, "Is that so? Do you know what they are?"

Yui informed him, "The races are Cait Siths, Gnomes, Imps, Leprechauns, Pucas, Slamanders, Spriggans, Sylphs, and Undines. You are a member of the Spriggan race Papa."

Kirito looked at his hand as he said, "The Spirggan race huh?" He then turned his attention back to Yui, "You know all of this just by scanning the game's code Yui?"

Yui nodded, "Yes. It was an easy task to complete because this world was based off a copy of Sword Art Online's servers."

Kirito was surprised to hear this. "Are you saying that someone else copied programs that created Sword Art Online?"

Yui answered, "That is correct Papa. The same core program group was used to produce this world's framework and graphic format. As a result, I was able to be reproduced this form. My existence along with the similarities I am seeing here are proof of that. However, it would appear that the cardinal system is an older version, and this world has game components that vary greatly from what you may be familiar with in Sword Art Online."

Kirito could not help but wonder, "Then who could have done that? If I recall correctly, Sword Art Online was originally produced by the company known as Argus, which was originally owned by Kayaba Akihiko." Kirito thought for a few moments before stating, "Do you think it's possible another company purchased Argus' assets in order to produce this game?"

While Yui could not be entirely sure about the 'business' side of the real world, she answered, "That would appear to be the case. It would have to take a company of high potential to produce something of this nature even if they were using partially recycled technology."

After hearing Yui say that, Kirito lost some of his previous optimism regarding his situation. Kirito added to what Yui had said with, "Not to mention using recycled technology would significantly reduce development costs and time. I bet other companies wouldn't want the Sword Art Online incident to completely stain the Virtual Reality genre and wanted another game to come out to truly prove its potential."

Yui agreed with Kirito's statement and stated, "I wouldn't really know much about issues like that, but I guess you would be right."

Kirito then asked, "Does the recycled technology explain why my personal data is here as well?"

Hearing Kirito say that made Yui curious about her Papa's data, so she responded, "Papa, please let me look at your avatar's data."

Yui closed her eyes again as she scanned Kirito's avatar. When she was finished scanning she opened her eyes and informed him, "I see. Papa there is no doubt that the avatar data you have now is an identical copy of your Sword Art Online avatar. You are correct that the recycled technology is the reason for this. Both this game and Sword Art Online utilize a nearly identical format for avatar save data and common skill proficiency which allows nearly all of your avatar's abilities to be inherited from one game to another."

Kirito sheepishly said, "I see. That might be a good thing in my case." Kirito then thought to himself, _"Considering the fact I know next to nothing about what is going on, I will probably need everything I can use to survive this."_

Yui shook Kirito out of his thoughts when she said, "However, there is something you need to keep in mind Papa."

Kirito asked, "What is it?"

Yui explained, "When I was scanning the game's codes, I learned a few other things about the differences between the two worlds. Due to the data for hit points and mana points being different, they are not transferred. As a result, despite your high skill level, your avatar's hit points and mana points are low. Additionally, when I was scanning your avatar's data, I noticed that all of your items were corrupted. It would be for the best if you delete them all."

Kirito reluctantly agreed to what Yui told him. "Okay."

He was hesitant to delete his items because not only had a number of those items helped him during his journey before, but there was a possibility that some of those items used to be Asuna's. Since they married before Sword Art Online ended, they shared an inventory window. This allowed both of them to use items the other had in his/her possession prior to their marriage. As a result, it was likely her items were among the 'corrupted' items he was seeing on this window.

Even though he could not read them, he did not like the idea he was deleting some of his in-game wife's items without asking first. However, he knew if he did not follow Yui's advice it could lead to some unnecessary trouble. After being trapped in a death game for two years, he knew better than anyone that it would be for the best to avoid such problems whenever you can. It's what keeps you alive.

After Kirito deleted the items, the only possessions he had left were his normal initial equipment. He then asked, "Yui can you determine whether there should be any problems with my skill levels as well?"

Yui stated in a matter of fact tone, "From the system's point of view, I do not believe so. However, the amount of time you have been inside this game would make your stats somewhat unnatural unless you received some kind of handicap or special award. I would not expect there to be any problems unless a Game Master were to check your stats directly, which I doubt he or she would."

After hearing that, Kirito thought, _"Somehow I have a feeling that will be the least of my problems."_ He then responded in an uneasy manner, "I see. So I guess that means I have gone from a Beater to a Cheater."

Yui reassured Kirito, "Well to be fair Papa, you did earn those stats during your time in Sword Art Online. It's not like you hacked the game and gave yourself those stats without working for them. What you have is an accomplishment even if it is transferred data."

Kirito scratched his cheek as he reluctantly agreed, "I guess that's true."

Even though Yui was not fully aware of her Papa's situation yet, she could tell based on his demeanor it would be best if they stopped talking about the avatar data. "I think we shouldn't worry about something like your avatar's data for the time being."

Kirito knew that she was right. "Yeah that's true." He asked in a hopeful tone, "So Yui do you have any ideas of what we should do or where we should go?"

After Kirito asked that, Yui had a strange look on her face and stated, "In a moment Papa. It appears there is a pseudo-character program for user support in Alfheim Online. It is known as a Navigation Pixie, and that is what I seem to be classified as."

Kirito asked in a confused tone, "A what?"

Yui stated, "When you entered the game, you were placed in a raffle to obtain one and now you have been selected to have one. Now I shall take up that label."

No sooner had she said that, her body lit up and disappeared. When Kirito witnessed this, his eyes widened in terror and he thought, _"Oh no not again!"_ He shouted his virtual daughter's name is a panic, "YUI!?"

Kirito looked around in a panic state to see if Yui was anywhere when he noticed something small flying right in front of his face. It was no bigger than ten centimeters in height. He was surprised by what he was seeing and took a step back on reflex.

The small being in front of him said in a playful voice, "I'm right here Papa." When Kirito heard her voice, Kirito instantly recognized this being was in fact Yui, but he was surprised by her appearance. He took a step forward for a closer inspection.

Despite transforming into a Pixie, Yui's appearance remained mostly the same, but it was proportionately smaller. She still retained her adorable face and long black hair. Similar to her normal body, she had slender arms and legs, but what she was wearing was drastically different from her white one-piece dress. She was wearing a pale pink mini-dress that seemed as if it was made of flower petals, and Yui had two translucent wings stretching out from her back.

Yui assured Kirito as she floated in front of him, "Don't worry Papa. This is the appearance of a Navigation Pixie. I am still able to switch back to my normal body as well, but I think I will stick to this appearance for now."

Kirito let out a sigh of relief, "Oh I see." He then lifted his hand and playfully poked Yui's cheek with his finger.

When Kirito made contact with Yui's cheek, she laughed out loud, "That tickles!"

Yui then moved away from Kirito's finger and landed on his shoulder. Kirito then curiously asked, "Does that mean you have administrator privileges like you did back in Sword Art Online?"

Yui stated in a frustrated tone, "I don't. The only thing I am capable of at this moment is access references and wide area map data. I can also confirm what the status of other players that I come in contact with, but I am incapable of accessing the primary program database."

Kirito then said in a disheartened tone, "Is that so? That's too bad." Kirito then thought of something he could ask Yui. "By the way Yui, does that mean that you know what date it is today?"

Yui gave her Papa a curious look before answering. "Yes. It is November 7th, 2024. Why?" She gave Kirito a questioning look.

Kirito looked away from his shoulder to avoid eye contact with Yui as he said, "No reason. I was just curious." He then thought to himself, _"So on the same day I end one game, I am transported into another. Not to mention, it's a little suspicious that Yui was allowed to be made into a Navigation Pixie. I bet this is the Game Masters telling me that they are watching me. Things are not going to be as simple as I was hoping they would be."_

/

Hideyoshi chuckled as he observed the scene before him. He said out loud to himself, "I hope you enjoy the present I gave you kid. I have a feeling that you will use it well."

He would later explain to Sugou that when Kirito entered the game, his avatar was still entered into the 'raffle' despite his forced entry into the game. Sugou was skeptical about this claim but decided not to focus on that issue. He was more interested in the notion that a program from Sword Art Online was able to integrate itself into Alfheim Online and decided it was worth investigating further.

While Hideyoshi observed Kirito and Yui, he could not help but feel interested in their interactions. Hideyoshi was more than familiar with the development of virtual reality games, but he had never seen an AI that seemed so 'alive' before. Even though he had seen NPCs have conversations with players that seemed somewhat realistic, you would ultimately see that they were simply NPCs in the end and nothing more. However, there was something different with this one.

Hideyoshi pondered, _"Could it be that the AIs that Kayaba completed in the final version of Sword Art Online surpassed what was originally considered impossible?" _He then chuckled to himself as he thought, _"Well I should have known that would be the case. For better or worse, that man is capable of surprising anyone. I suppose in Asuna's case, it was for the better and for that schmuck Sugou's case it was for the worst. I will be interested to see whether or not he will do anything for Kirito's situation."_

After observing the interactions with Kirito and Yui, Hideyoshi had already begun to feel a bit of regret regarding his role in Kirito's current and future situation. _"Based on what I am seeing from you, I have a feeling you might make me regret telling Sugou to not reset your stats and allow you a chance to escape to the real world. Although, I suppose it would also be a shame to let this show end too soon."_ Hideyoshi then chuckled to himself and thought, _"I guess having thoughts like that are the result of working for more than one devil."_

/

Yui informed Kirito there was a town close by. Apparently, it was a neutral territory town, so they might meet people from other races there. Kirito figured it would not be a bad idea to check it out since he was curious what other players would look like. He figured it would be best to get used to the appearances of other races as well, so he would not stand out too much.

On the way there, he thought to himself, _"I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised that another virtual reality game was created. A part of me doubted that the virtual MMO genre would die out due to the Sword Art Online incident anyway. There is too much potential for something like that to be closed off. However, this does lead to some other concerns. Whoever, purchased Argus' assets must also have had access to the Sword Art Online servers and allowed them to keep them running. That means either the entire company or specific individuals within that company have decided to not let Kayaba Akihiko's game end just yet. I also have no way of knowing whether all of us or only a few of us are trapped here as well."_

Kirito's thoughts then focused on Yui who was sitting on his shoulder, _"I still remember what happened when Yui interfered with the game's program to save Asuna and me. She was almost deleted by the same programs she was supposed to be working with to help the players." _Kirito then realized the horror of implications he was thinking about, _"If those people see Yui with me, what will they do to her? Will I be able to save her this time? If I can't ensure my safety, there has to be a way to at least ensure her own."_

Yui noticed Kirito's facial expression, and she was uncomfortable how he had remained silent for the past half hour. She spoke up in a concerned voice, "Papa are you okay?"

That caught Kirito's attention as he noticed her concern. He tried to assure her, "I'm fine Yui. Why do you ask?"

Yui did not buy Kirito's 'assurance.' She answered, "It's just that you seem unhappy. It's not my fault is it?"

Kirito was surprised to hear her ask that. It caused him to stop walking as he tried to straighten out this misunderstanding. He said, "No of course not. I was just thinking about this world." Kirito could see that Yui did not fully understand what he was talking about. He thought to himself, _"I have a feeling that if I tell Yui it might be okay since she is not a player."_ After thinking that, Kirito decided he might as well explain himself, "Well I guess I might as well tell you then. I am not sure what is going on, but it appears that I am trapped in this game as well."

Yui's eyes widened when she heard that. She said in a voice that had a mixture of surprise and horror, "What? Are you saying that you are unable to logout?"

He grimly responded to the question with, "Yes." Kirito opened his window and displayed the logout button for Yui to see. He attempted to press it, but it failed to work. "As you can see, every time I press the logout button it keeps telling me that it won't work. The person in charge of this game must have done it. At first I thought this could be the work of Kayaba Akihiko. However, the more I think about it, the less I think that is the case."

Yui responded, "I'm not really sure, but given the circumstances, I don't think so either. This game may feel similar to Sword Art Online, but I can still feel the differences. Even if they share similar technologies, I do not feel that they share a common creator."

What Yui said more or less confirmed what Kirito had thought. "In that case, if I were to venture a guess, I would say it was someone involved in whatever company purchased Argus." Kirito's facial expression turned into one that clearly showed his annoyance and disgust. "Whoever is responsible for this, he or she must be enjoying this. I wouldn't be surprised if that person was watching us now." Kirito could not help but briefly look up into the sky as if he was hoping to receive a response. "At least with Kayaba, I knew what was required to earn my freedom, but now that is no longer the case."

Yui's voice brought Kirito's attention back to her as she said, "Don't worry Papa. I'll help you find a way out of this game, so you can return to your world."

Kirito asked her, "Will you?" In hindsight, he realized it was wrong to question his AI daughter's intentions.

Yui responded in a firm and somewhat sad voice, "Of course I will. It's a promise. I want to spend time with you and Mama, but I understand that you exist in the other world. It is the world where you two belong, and you need to return there. I will do what I can to help you."

Kirito could not help but smile at what his adopted AI daughter had told him. "Thank you Yui, but there is something else we need to do first."

Yui asked in a curious voice, "What's that?"

Kirito responded in a determined voice, "I need to see if Asuna or any of my other friends are trapped in Alfheim Online as well."

Yui asked in a concerned voice, "You think Mama is trapped here too?"

Kirito stated in a voice that was a mixture of seriousness and uncertainty, "I'm not sure. So far I haven't seen anyone else from Sword Art Online here besides you. For all I know, I am the only Sword Art Online player here."

Yui stated, "It does seem possible. I am also capable of scanning areas for the existence of players. All the players I have noticed so far have not bared any resemblance to players who existed in Sword Art Online."

Kirito's eyes opened wide upon realizing what Yui was saying. "You can remember the identities and characteristics of the other Sword Art Online players?"

Yui responded with pride in her voice, "Of course. I remember that there were over 6,000 players still alive before I was nearly deleted by the Cardinal System last month. I remember the mental states and the characteristics of almost every single one of them." Kirito could tell that the face that Yui was putting up was a façade in order to hide her previous pain.

Kirito sadly thought, _"I guess you would probably be capable of recognizing the players. You were forced to watch every single player in the game without being able to do anything about it for two years."_

However, Kirito knew better than to bring up that subject. He decided to spin-off what Yui said in a more positive light, "That ability should come in handy then. It would reduce the amount of time it would take to search this entire world."

Yui cheerfully said to Kirito, "Yes it will. Feel free to make use of my scanning ability anytime you want."

Kirito decided to take Yui up on her offer and he stated, "All right then. Since you said that you do not feel the presence of any Sword Art Online players in this immediate vicinity, it is possible they could have arrived in a different location than me too, so we are still going to need to search thoroughly. Unfortunately, until we know more, we have no way of knowing."

"That is also true." Yui then asked her Papa in an optimistic voice, "Do you think it's possible that Mama and the others are back in the real world?"

Kirito said in a grim voice, "I hope so. Until we know more, we should probably think the other players are trapped here as well."

The two of them were silent for a moment before Yui decided to break the silence. "Papa I was wondering. There are other players here in this game. Based on my scan, I am positive they were not Sword Art Online survivors. Perhaps we should inform some of them about your condition."

Kirito put some thought into what Yui said for a few moments, but came to the conclusion, "It might not be a good idea to tell anyone right now."

Yui asked in a questioning voice, "Are you sure about that? We might need some help."

Kirito immediately responded, "We probably do need help, but there has been something that has been bothering me. Do you mind if we continue this conversation after we get to town and find a place to stay?"

Yui was anxious to continue this conversation, but she figured that her Papa was right that this was not the best setting to continue having these involved talks. It probably would not be long until they are attacked by someone or something if they do not have their guard up.

She reluctantly agreed, "I guess that's okay. I suppose standing around here will not do us any good. The town is still quite a ways from our current position. If you want to get there fast, it would probably be easier to fly there."

Kirito asked in a surprised tone, "Fly?"

"Oh I forgot to tell you." Yui realized her mistake as she explained, "In this game, every race is gifted with the ability of flight. Unfortunately, it lasts for a limited period of time, and the altitude you can climb on your own is limited before your wings need to be recharged."

Kirito's eyes widened as he asked Yui, "My avatar has wings?"

He then looked at his back to see if there was anything there, but there was nothing on his back. Kirito was a little disappointed not to see anything. The look of 'comical disappointment' on his face was hilarious.

Yui chuckled at her Papa's reaction as he told him, "You don't have wings yet Papa. You need to enter into flight mode."

"Oh." He scratched the back of his head as he responded, "I guess that would make sense."

Yui informed Kirito on how to enter flight mode and by following her directions he saw that he sprouted four long, grayish-blue translucent wings that appeared more like insect wings. As cool as Kirito thought they were, they would be useless unless he could get them to move.

Kirito asked Yui, "How do I fly?"

Yui answered, "Your avatar should be able to use a secondary controller for flight." She then instructed Kirito, "Please hold up your left hand and pose it as if you were attempting to grip something."

By following his daughter's advice, a joystick-like object materialized in his hand. Kirito thought, _"Whoa. This will be interesting."_

Yui continued her instructions, "If you wish to rise, you pull it and if you wish to descend you push it away from you. You can turn by moving the controller left or right. You use the button to affect your speed by pressing it to accelerate and releasing it to slow down. When you become more accustomed to flying, you probably will not need to controller to fly anymore."

After listening to Yui's instructions, Kirito enthusiastically stated, "All right. Here goes nothing."

Kirito then pulled on the joystick and he noticed his wings on his back started to expand and began to glow. He then stopped his ascension by pulling back on the joystick, so he could float in midair. He pressed the accelerator button which caused his body to move forward, and it nearly resulted in him hitting into a tree. Luckily thanks to Kirito's great reflexes, he was able to turn to the right before he crashed. After practicing for a few minutes, Kirito appeared to be getting the hang of flying.

Yui playfully said to Kirito, "You seem to be enjoying yourself Papa."

Kirito stated in an excited voice, "Yeah I guess I am. Being able to fly like this has always been a dream of mine. I played a few flight simulator games before the Sword Art Online incident. Most of them were disappointing, but the flying system here was executed better than any of the flight virtual reality games I played before. It is much easier to get a handle on it."

Kirito realized that he had almost forgotten that he was trapped in this game, and he still had no clue how he could get out. However, now that he had a slight handle on his ability to fly in the game, he should now focus on the next objective. He lowered himself down to the ground to prepare for the journey ahead of him.

He opened up his menu and saw that despite disposing of his corrupted Sword Art Online items, he still had the 'initial Alfheim Online equipment' at his disposal. After experiencing Sword Art Online with better equipment, such as the Dark Repulser and his BlackWyrn coat, he was disappointed that he would have to begin this journey with such weak weapons and armor.

Despite his disappointment, he knew that he would probably have the opportunity to acquire better weapons or items later, so he did not complain too much. He equipped the sword and it materialized in his hand. He took a couple of practice swings in the air and said, "This is a pretty lousy sword. It's too light, and it will probably break if I get into too many intense fights, but I guess I'll have make do with it until I can find something better."

Kirito then sheathed his sword and re-summoned the flight controller again. Yui could see that Kirito was about to take flight to the nearest town, and found a seat in his breast pocket. He told her, "Yui, I'll leave you to act as our navigator."

Yui said in a determined voice, "I won't let you down Papa."

With that they took off on their first flight. The flight itself went smoothly, but Kirito accelerated greatly while he was on his way to town. When Kirito was nearing the town, he attempted to slow down, but he was going so fast he was unable to stop in time. Realizing what was about to happen, Yui 'ejected' from her seat and flew way as Kirito came to a crashing stop with a building.

After Kirito crashed into the building he fell to the ground. He thought he saw stars floating right above his head as he groaned in pain. It felt as if he was about to lose consciousness.

Suddenly he could see three Yuis floating above his head as they told him in a semi-frustrated tone, "We are going to need to work on your landing Papa."

As Kirito lied on the ground, he comically responded, "No kidding."

/

Shortly after Kirito's crash landing, he and Yui decided to spend the rest of the day at an inn. After they settled in, Yui reverted back to her original body. Yui explained as much as she could about this new world to Kirito, such as the differences between the races, which races were at odds, which races were friendly, the player killing, and so on. It was a lot for Kirito to process, but he was able to understand the gist of it.

Kirito thought to himself, _"I guess after spending so much time in one virtual world, it would be both easy and difficult to learn about another one."_

Yui shook Kirito out of his thoughts when she asked, "Papa do you think you understand what you need to know."

Kirito said in an uncertain tone, "I think I do. It may take a little bit of time for it to sink in though."

Yui understood that she did give her Papa a lot of information in a short period of time to digest, so she was not upset that she may need to repeat a few things. "Well if you ever need reminding, don't forget that I'm here."

"Don't worry. I won't." He playfully asked her, "How could I ever forget about you?"

Yui giggled when Kirito asked her that. It made Kirito happy to see Yui smile like that. He thought, _"After everything she had been through, she deserves to smile like that."_

After everything Kirito had heard Yui saw he could not help but sigh at his current predicament as he looked at the ceiling. He then said out loud, "You know it is kind of crazy how things turn out. A few hours ago I was watching the deletion of Sword Art Online with your Mama. Now here I am trying to get used to a new virtual reality world with you. I was a solo player when I started in that game, and I am solo player here as well."

Neither Kirito nor Yui said anything for a few moments. Kirito took a seat on the chair and Yui sat on the bed. During that moment of silence Kirito appeared to be reflecting about something. He took a deep breath before breaking the silence with, "Yui. Thank you."

Yui was genuinely confused by this, "For what? Are you thanking me for explaining to you about the basics of Alfheim Online? Or that we can help each other let go of the past?"

"I'm grateful for those things too, but that's not why I am saying this." Yui looked at Kirito with a curious look as he continued, "If it weren't for you being here, I don't think I would be ready to handle something like this again."

Even though Yui was happy to hear her Papa say something like that, she could not help but ask, "Why do you say that Papa? You have handled Sword Art Online by yourself before right? Everything worked out for you in the end didn't."

Kirito both agreed and disagreed with Yui's assessment. "Yeah that's true, but it's different this time."

Yui asked in a curious tone, "Why is that?"

Kirito explained, "For a majority of the game, I was always acting as a solo player. I did join a guild once, but my actions and decisions cost them dearly. As a result, for almost a year after that, I stayed to myself. The only people I interacted with on even a semi-regular basis were Klein, Agil, some of the other frontline clearers, and the NPCs." Kirito grimly chuckled as he stated, "To be honest, I think I had an easier time talking to the NPCs than the players. Other than those times, I isolated myself from everyone."

The look on Yui's face was sad, but it also indicated that she did have knowledge of that. Kirito figured she probably remembered seeing his mental state during the months after the death of the Black Cats guild. She probably remembered how he had contemplated suicide in hopes that it would atone for his decisions. It made Kirito feel guilty of the role he played in Yui's breakdown prior to their meeting on the 22nd floor a few weeks ago. However, Yui's eyes told him to continue because she wanted to hear more of what her Papa had to say.

Kirito sighed as he stated, "However, during this past year, I have realized how wrong I was. The other players I have interacted with during this past year, such as Silica, Lisbeth, and your Mama, have changed me. I know that I'm still not exactly a social butterfly, but it still felt good forming these different connections. Even though I did not see them too often, I would occasionally send them messages, and it was nice to see their replies."

When Kirito thought to how he had made a fair number of friends before Sword Art Online's deletion it caused him to smile, and it made Yui feel happy to see her Papa appear so. Although, his smile changed as he continued, "Now I can't even do that, and I feel like I'm back to what I was before. I don't want that anymore. I want to meet my friends in the real world. Not only that, I want to be able to send them messages, apologize to some of them for my past actions, and I want to look into your Mama's true eyes. I bet they are as beautiful as they were in Sword Art Online." He then looked at Yui with an expression that indicated his gratitude to her presence. "That is why I am thankful that you are here with me Yui. If it weren't for you, I am sure that adapting to this world would be much more difficult for me. I'm sorry if what I'm saying sounds selfish, but I am truly grateful."

Yui walked up to her Papa and hugged him around his neck. "You don't have to worry Papa. I will always stay by your side. I will help you find a way back to your world and find Mama. You can count on me."

Kirito then returned the hug and said, "Thank you Yui."

However, after talking to her Papa about this, it reminded Yui of their previous conversation. After she stopped hugging him, she walked to the center of the room and turned around to look at him. Yui asked in an uncertain tone, "Papa are you sure about not wanting to tell other players about your predicament?"

Kirito remembered Yui was referring to what they were talking about back in the forest. He told her in a voice that was serious but contained a slight amount of fear, "I know that is something I should think about doing, but for the time being, I'm sure not telling others would be the right thing to do."

Yui asked in a questioning voice, "Why do you think that?"

Kirito explained, "A few things we talked about earlier really stuck out in my head. You mentioned about how this world was based off the servers of Sword Art Online which means whoever bought Argus' assets after the incident is most likely responsible for this." The fear in Kirito's voice was becoming more apparent as he continued, "However, the fact there are normal players here and there doesn't seem to be any kind of panic like there was in Sword Art Online proves something that I have been thinking about."

Yui was starting to understand what Kirito was getting at as her eyes began to widen in fearful realization. However, she still could not help but ask, "What's that?"

Kirito attempted to mask the ever growing fear as he calmly told Yui, "Whoever is responsible was able to do so discreetly. When they did that, they could have probably done whatever they wished with my account, but they didn't. They choose to place me in the game even though they know I could tell other people." It was Kirito's turn to ask Yui a question. "Don't you find that strange?" Yui had difficulty finding the words to respond to that question, but Kirito continued his point before she could answer. "It feels as if they are providing a huge temptation for me to tell another player. They are practically dangling that possibility in my face with every player we encounter." Kirito came to a hypothesis, "Whoever is responsible for this is either a complete idiot or they have some kind of sadistic 'god complex' over this situation."

Yui was not entirely sure what her Papa meant by 'god complex,' but she decided not to dwell on that and focus on the topic at hand. She asked, "You are going to ignore the temptation to tell other players then?"

Kirito calmly answered, "That is exactly what I am going to try to do. As I told you before, I wouldn't be surprised if the people responsible were monitoring my activity right now in one way or another. Thanks to that, I can think of at least two good reasons for why talking to anyone about this would be a bad idea."

Yui wanted more clarification, so she could be sure that she fully understood the situation. Yui inquired, "What reasons could those be Papa?"

Kirito knew he had a lot to explain, but Yui seemed to be willing to listen, so he told her, "It's kind of a long story, but shortly after I had to convert you into a crystal tear, I figured out that Kayaba Akihiko, the one behind the Sword Art Online incident, had been playing the game along with the players under the avatar identity of Heathcliff. He enjoyed playing the game with us for two years, and during that time he became trusted and respected by many. As a result, none of us had a clue until the end. For all I know, any of these players could be someone affiliated with what's happening and trying to see whether or not I will tell anyone. I bet whoever is responsible considers playing with people's lives as just some sort of a game."

Yui could see where her Papa was coming from. She responded in a voice filled with empathy, "I can understand that Papa. Being able to trust others can be difficult after you have been betrayed by someone, but I'm sure that most of the players we have seen are normal, and they are separate from what is happening. It might be worth the risk."

Kirito could tell that Yui was most likely correct about that. However, there was still something off about this situation. "That might be true, but there is also the second reason to why it would be a bad idea."

Yui inquired further, "What reason would that be?"

Kirito took a deep breath before he told her, "There is a possibility that if I tell anyone directly I would be putting them in danger."

Yui was confused as she responded with a, "Huh?"

Kirito decided to give Yui a hypothetical scenario. "Let's say I tell someone about what is happening and that person believes me. It is likely that whoever is responsible for this is watching me. When Sword Art Online started, I always thought that Kayaba had a god-complex, and I am willing to bet this person has one too. It's possible if I tell anyone the truth, it might be more than just my life on the line. I could be putting other player's lives at risk too."

Yui could see where her Papa was going with this and asked, "Do you think if we attempt to tell anyone that the person responsible would bring some kind of 'punishment' to the individual?"

Kirito honestly responded, "Well there is no way of knowing, but I'm not sure if I want to take that risk. After all, whoever is responsible for this is able to keep me in this virtual world like Kayaba was able to keep me trapped in Aincrad for two years." He then gave Yui a piercing question, "Who could say this person had not already considered the idea that I would tell others? For all we know this person has something prepared for such an occasion."

Yui found it hard to argue with some of her Papa's arguments. "I suppose you do have a point. There is no way of knowing what the consequences could be if we attempt that. Even with my scanning abilities, I have no way of knowing what the Game Masters are capable of."

Kirito nodded and added, "Yeah and there is also the possibility that your life could be put in danger as well."

Yui was surprised when she heard that. "Why do you think my life would be on the line?"

Kirito reminded Yui, "Remember how after you interfered with that boss' program a few weeks ago, it nearly caused you to be deleted."

Yui nervously answered, "Yes."

Kirito explained, "Well I think it's possible that if we tell anyone about what is going on, you might pay the price for it as well."

Yui tried to point out, "But they haven't tried to delete me yet even though I'm an AI from Sword Art Online."

While it was true that Yui might be okay for now, Kirito was still afraid that might be conditional. He responded, "I have a feeling it's because you don't really pose a threat by yourself. Unfortunately, that might change if we go around telling others that I was one of the people trapped in Sword Art Online."

Yui could see that her Papa was frightened of the idea that she could be deleted again and tried to assure him, "If anything like that happens, I think I would be able to retreat back into your Nerve Gear Papa."

That did make Kirito feel a little better, but it was not enough. He gave her a mixed response, "Well it's good to hear that you might be able to do that, but I'm still afraid of what would happen if they did attempt to delete you. When you turned into a Navigation Pixie, you mentioned that I won the raffle to receive one. That raffle was probably rigged by the Game Master to give a warning that they might be capable of doing something to you. All things considered, telling anyone about this is a risk that I'm not willing to take."

After hearing what her Papa had told her, she concluded, "So we are completely on our own then."

"For now yes. Things might change in time, but for the time being it would be for the best to avoid speaking of this to other people." Kirito looked at his hands as he said in a voice filled with shame, "There is enough blood on my hands already. I should try not adding to it."

It was Yui's turn to open her eyes wide with shock, "What?"

Kirito sighed as he explained, "I have the blood of nearly ten players on my hands. A number of my actions during the game came close to raising that number substantially. After you were nearly deleted Yui, I took some rather rash actions, and they nearly cost your Mama her life. I don't ever want to take a risk like that again. If I take the risk, maybe it can lead to me returning to the real world, but it could be at the cost of another. If that were to happen, I don't think I could ever forgive myself. The blood will never wash off."

Yui knew exactly what he was talking about. She had seen everything that happened in the game and witnessed the deaths of all the Sword Art Online victims, including the Black Cat Guild and the three Laughing Coffin members that Kirito killed. Yui had always considered herself responsible for what happened because she was unable to provide the players with mental health counseling before they reached the breaking point.

She looked away from her Papa as she responded with a hint of sorrow in her voice, "I understand. I'm sorry Papa."

Kirito could tell by the look on her face and the sound of her voice that Yui believed she was partly to blame for this. He told her, "Yui it's not your fault. What happened to those players happened because of the decisions I made. It was on me, and it always will be. Don't even think about shouldering that burden."

Yui turned to face her Papa as she started to say, "But Papa . . ."

Kirito cut her off, "No 'buts' Yui. You need to be able to let it go, but I can understand why that would be easier said than done."

Tears began to well up in Yui's eyes, and Kirito could tell that Yui would need a lot more than that. To be more accurate she deserved a lot more than that after everything she had been through. Kirito walked up to Yui and crouched down, so the two of them could be at eye level.

Kirito looked into Yui's eyes filled with sincerity and empathy as he told her, "What I witnessed throughout the game is probably a mere fraction to what you had seen during those two years. I cannot begin to fathom what your pain must have been, but I can understand that you would feel regret over not being able to help those people. As I told you before, it was beyond your control. Your inability to act was Kayaba Akihiko's fault, but you can't let what he did make you think you are not a good person." Kirito then pointed to where Yui's heart would be and told her with a smile, "I don't know if you have a heart like the one I have, but I know you do have one and that you truly are a good person. Don't let yourself think otherwise."

Yui was pleasantly surprised to hear Kirito refer to her as a 'person' rather than an AI. She merely said in response to that, "Papa." Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes again, but they were for happiness rather than sorrow.

Kirito continued his point with a firm but calming voice, "What makes you a good person Yui is that when you did have the ability to do something, you did what you could. When we were down in the special dungeon to save Thinker, you could have left Asuna and me to die and save yourself after you regained your memories, but you choose to save us even though you knew you were putting your life at stake. Putting one's life on the line for someone else proves that you care about me and that you are a good person and always will be."

This time it was Kirito's turn to hug Yui, and Yui was happy to return it. Being embraced by the man who saved her life and took her on as his daughter was the happiest moment of Yui's life. She knew the circumstances were less than pleasant for her Papa, but he still did what he could to cheer her up and make her feel that she mattered. The only way this moment could have been any better was if her Mama was there as well. Unfortunately, Yui knew it would be sometime before that was possible, and that thought could not be more correct.

While they were hugging Yui told her Papa, "You're a good person too Papa. So try not to think so little of yourself." This time it was Kirito's turn to be surprised. Yui happily continued, "You may have made mistakes and isolated yourself from others, but when you saw others in need, you always tried to help them. It didn't matter if you knew them or not. Whenever a bad situation arose regardless of whether it was because of a decision you made or because of someone else's actions, you did the best you could. Even after you found out that I was an AI, you and Mama did not think little of me. You still treated me well, and you called me your daughter. I wouldn't be here now if it weren't for you. So please try to let go of your past as well."

Kirito was nearly at a loss for words as he tried to respond, "Yui I um . . ."

It was Yui's turn to cut her Papa off, "I don't want to hear any 'buts' from you either."

Kirito responded in a somewhat embarrassed tone, "I wasn't going to say that."

Yui saw that she jumped the gun a little, and responded, "Oh. Then what were you going to say Papa?"

Kirito scratched his head as he sheepishly answered, "I was going to say that I guess we both could use some help with trying to let things go."

Yui happily suggested, "We can learn together Papa."

Kirito chuckled at the suggestion, and responded with a smile, "Yeah we can."

/

Hideyoshi had been watching Kirito and Yui's exchange. He saw everything from their wonderful 'father/daughter' moments to his reasoning for why he will not tell other players about his predicament. Hideyoshi felt a little bit of shame for needing to observe all of this, but he was required to observe them whether he liked it or not.

Hideyoshi was impressed by what he had heard Kirito state. He thought to himself, _"The kid seems to be pretty smart to have figured out so much within a day. It's amusing that he figured that asshole was either an idiot or has a god-complex. Sugou definitely has elements of both. It was definitely stupid to place this kid in the game and let him roam around freely, but that asshole has ironically taken a few steps to make it clear to the kid that telling others is a temptation, and it will result in dire consequences."_

He then turned his attention to Kirito's AI companion. Based on the AI's appearance and personality, Hideyoshi would almost be convinced the program was a human. _"I also find it incredible that an AI is capable of having human like feelings and responses. What did Kirito call that AI again? Yui?" _

Repeating that name seemed to put Hideyoshi into deep thought as he pondered further, _"That name sounds familiar for some reason. Where have I heard that name before?" _After a few more moments of thinking, he then realized, _"Wait a minute, is that program the Sword Art Online mental health program that was codenamed 'Yui?'"_ After considering the facts, Hideyoshi came to the conclusion, _"Based on their dialogue, I suppose that is most likely the case."_

Hideyoshi brought his hand to his chin as he continued to observe Kirito and Yui. _"So an AI that was originally denied its ability to be of assistance to the players presented itself to one of them to be 'adopted' as his daughter. This is very intriguing indeed. Their interactions almost have me convinced she is a real person. It will be most interesting to see how their story will develop."_ Hideyoshi smiled at the screen, and he appeared to enjoy the idea of observing some of Kirito and Yui's time in Alfheim Online.

/

**Date: Friday, November 8, 2024 **

**Location: Alfheim Online – Spriggan Territory – Ancient Ruins Area – Neutral Town**

After getting a good night's sleep, Kirito and Yui prepared for their first real day trapped in Alfheim Online. The two of them knew this was going to be a long journey. They had decided it would be best to circle around the entire world of Alfheim Online and check as many sections as they could in each territory before heading to the World Tree, Yggdrasil.

Both of them figured that in the worst case scenario they would travel throughout the entire world and not find a single Sword Art Online survivor. Then it would mean if the other players were anywhere, it was in the World Tree. They also considered the possibility that other survivors would probably travel like he has, and would eventually travel to the World Tree as well. In their minds, Kirito and Yui figured all roads would lead there.

If it ever became necessary, they knew that Kirito's already powerful stats would have been improved even further between traveling and fighting in different areas, and he would probably be more prepared to handle the World Tree. They also figured that even with his current stats, it would be a difficult feat to accomplish without becoming stronger and finding potential allies. As a result, they decided they would attempt to find allies that could help them with the World Tree as a secondary objective.

Before they could begin this journey, Yui suggested, "Papa, it might be best if you attempt to acquire some new equipment. While your general stats are good, if you do not have proper weapons or armor to back them up, you will remain vulnerable due to your low level of hit points and mana points."

Kirito sheepishly agreed, "You have a good point. Do you know where we can accept any new quests?"

Yui answered, "Similar to Sword Art Online, there are NPCs that will provide you with opportunities, and you can also check out the quest boards that are provided in various establishments, such as inns and taverns."

Kirito then noticed the board near the exit of their inn. Kirito decided to take Yui up on her advice and took on some quests which would take him all around the Spriggans' 'Ancient Ruins' territory.

/

Prior to Kirito setting off for his first quest, Yui saw that there was a decent number of players around. This gave her an idea as she flew up in front of her Papa and told him, "Hey Papa I was thinking that there might be a way of getting around your logout problem."

Kirito responded in a hopeful tone, "Really?"

Yui nodded and responded, "Maybe instead of attempting to tell others about your inability to logout perhaps you could indirectly tell them."

Kirito was confused about what Yui was saying. "What do you mean by that Yui?"

Yui responded, "When you showed me your inability to logout back in the forest yesterday, it read, 'Action Failed.'"

Kirito was still not sure what Yui was getting at. "That's right. Why?"

Yui explained her plan, "Well what would happen if you attempted to logout in a public place where others can see the 'Action Failed' status? That might attract some attention. Based on their reactions, it might be enough to tell them what is going on."

Kirito's lit up at Yui's suggestion as he said, "That sounds like a good idea. I'll try it."

Yui took a seat on her Papa's shoulder as he prepared the logout button. As he pressed the logout button, Kirito and Yui's body disappeared. For a moment, Kirito thought, _"What's going on? Am I being logged out? Is this it?"_

Much to his disappointment, after that process was over, he saw that the only thing that happened was that he was in a different location. He recognized this area when he flew over it last night.

Kirito said in a frustrated tone, "What the hell? We were just transported to the outskirts of town."

Little did Kirito know that prior to his arrival in Alfheim Online, Sugou had implemented a special code in his logout button. As Kirito had already seen, the logout button would not let him leave the game. Whenever there is no player within viewing distance of him, it would simply state 'Action Failed.' However, if there were players in his vicinity, the logout button would seemingly work, but in reality, it would result in one of two things.

One possibility was that it would result in Kirito being transported to a nearby area where there were either no players or to an area others would assume that he was logging into the game. The other possibility was that it would knock Kirito's avatar out for a few moments. Seeing temporarily motionless avatars was not uncommon if players were traveling in a party. Sometimes one of the players would need to leave for a few moments to go back to the real world for a little while, and the still active party member would watch over things. In this situation, it was the former that happened. After seeing this happen, Kirito knew that it would probably take a lot more effort to convince someone else that he was truly trapped here.

Kirito said to Yui in a depressed voice, "It seems like it will be difficult to convince another player of my situation even if we wanted to tell them."

Yui sighed as she agreed, "It sure looks that way."

Kirito was annoyed that this was yet another possibility that would not yield him any results. However, he decided that would be something to worry about another day. Instead, he decided to learn something from this situation and said, "I have a feeling that whoever is responsible for this is giving me the equivalent to a warning. I bet he or she is saying something like, 'This is my game so obey the rules.'"

Yui asked her Papa in a worried voice, "What do we do now Papa?"

Kirito was more or less resigned to what he thought was necessary and stated, "I guess the only thing we can do for now is play along. Are we still signed up to handle the quest I accepted?"

Yui was able to quickly confirm, "Yes we are."

Kirito tried to psyche himself up for the road ahead. "We should get going then. It seems like our only chance of finding other Sword Art Online players and finding a way out of here would be by completing them."

Yui did not have the enthusiasm that Kirito had as she asked, "Before we go, do you mind if I ask you something Papa?"

Kirito turned his attention to his shoulder as he asked, "Sure what is it?"

Yui asked with a skeptical voice, "Are you sure that taking on quests will really help you find a way out of this world?"

That was something that Kirito did not have the answer to. "Well not exactly. I am just going by past experience."

After hearing her Papa say that, it made her interested in hearing more as she inquired, "What do you mean by past experience?"

Yui could tell right away that this would be another 'long story' cut short. "After I had fought throughout Sword Art Online for nearly a year, I managed to gain Kayaba Akihiko's attention. He was so impressed with my skills that he awarded me the unique skill 'Dual Wielding,' which could not be obtained by any other means than through his selection. When I fought Kayaba's avatar, 'Heathcliff,' he told me that he expected me to be the one to ultimately fight him. It is possible that the Game Master of Alfheim Online wants to test me before he or she makes an appearance or sends me a message." Kirito was attempting to sound optimistic about his situation, but anyone who listened closely could tell that he had difficulty believing what he was saying himself.

Yui could tell that her Papa was putting up a façade, so she asked in an even more skeptical voice, "Do you really think that will be the case?"

Kirito decided to let go of his façade and stated, "To be entirely honest, I am not sure in the least, but for now it is the best shot we have. Only time will tell what will happen. Besides I can't accomplish anything if I stand around doing nothing. If I complete these quests, I can at least feel that I might be making some progress."

Yui nodded in agreement and stated, "I guess I understand where you are coming from Papa. Action is the best way to solve problems."

"That's right." Kirito attempted to revitalize his enthusiasm to complete the quest, "So are you ready Yui?"

Yui gave her Papa a determined smile and stated, "I'm always ready Papa." She then jumped back into her Papa's breast pocket and was ready for him to get into flight mode.

With some renewed resolve, Kirito said, "Good. Then let's get started."

Kirito and Yui were ready to officially begin their adventures in Alfheim Online. He entered into flight mode and took off. Luckily, for Kirito, he had a more skill with his landings after about three more flights. After three days of questing, Kirito was able to save up more than enough money to purchase more reasonable equipment.

Due to Kirito's high stats, he was able to take on more difficult quests that beginner players would not dare to take on alone. This allowed him to not only gather the money he required, but he also managed to vastly improve his hit point and mana point levels. Kirito figured that if certain environments in this game were as bad as Yui had informed him, he would probably need as many hit points as he could get. However, he was not too sure how much he would need mana points. Due to spending two years in a game that did not utilize magic, the idea of needing to use magic was unfamiliar to him. Although, he figured there would probably be a time when the need for magic would arise, so he decided to improve upon it as best as he could.

Prior to departing from the Spriggan zone, Kirito wanted to make sure of one fact. He asked Yui, "You are absolutely sure that you did not feel the presence of any Sword Art Online survivors within the Spriggan zone while we were handling those quests?"

Yui nodded as she responded, "I'm positive. The only other explanation for that besides not being there in the first place would be if they somehow masked it, but I doubt that would be the case."

Kirito asked in a quizzical manner, "If you don't mind me asking Yui, is it due to the Nerve Gears that you are able to tell who the Sword Art Online survivors are?"

Yui sadly responded, "Most likely yes. The Nerve Gears are where your avatar data is located and thus they give off the same signals. However, I am not sure if that is only the Nerve Gear or the minds of the players that go into the Nerve Gear that would allow me to recognize them. If it is the player's minds that give me the signal, it could be possible that I might recognize them even if they were to use something else. Regardless, it was thanks to receiving the same signals before that I was able to recognize you so quickly Papa despite some of the differences in appearance between your avatars in both worlds."

Kirito decided it would be for the best to change the subject. "I see. Well I guess that does explain a lot. In that case, where do you think we should head to next Yui?"

Yui explained the Alfheim Online map, "Well to the North we would be heading into the Reclamation area that belongs to the Leprechauns. Due to their close proximity to the Gnome zone, it might be snowy in that area as well. To the South we would be heading to the Wetlands area that is the property of the Undines."

Kirito carefully considered the options as he asked Yui for advice, "Do you think we should head North?"

Yui informed Kirito, "In most circumstances, that would probably be preferable, but I think we should probably head South?"

Kirito gave Yui a questioning look as he asked, "Why is that?"

Yui explained in a matter of fact tone, "If we head to the South, we will reach the Alpines and the Desert areas much faster, and we are more likely to find more players fighting each other due to the Southern areas being more at odds with each other. It is possible that if other players from Sword Art Online were sent into Alfheim Online, it is likely they might have higher than normal stats similar to you Papa."

Kirito's eyes open in realization to what Yui was saying. "So what your saying is that if other players have stats similar to me, they might be more willing to fight other players to prove their superiority which could give us a lead."

Yui did not want to get her Papa's hopes up to high, but she thought it was probably the best place to find a lead. "It's far from a guarantee, but it is the best idea that I can come up with."

Kirito did not have any problem agreeing with that assessment. "If that's the case, it is good enough for me. Let's get going."

/

**Date: Friday, November 15, 2024 **

**Location: Alfheim Online – Imp Zone – Alpines Area – Inside a cave**

Kirito and Yui's time in the Undine Zone was short lived. It was much smaller and easier to explore by comparison to the Spriggan Zone, so they were able to explore it rather quickly. While they were there, they had overheard some of the players speak about the Sword Art Online incident. They learned that apparently nearly all the surviving players had returned to the real world, but there were a handful that had not awakened yet.

Needless to say, Kirito was sorely tempted to tell those players he was one of those players who still had not returned to reality. However, he knew that it was doubtful they would believe him, and he had to remind himself of his reasoning for not telling other players. Perhaps after some time had passed, he would consider telling someone, but that time was still a ways off.

When Kirito and Yui crossed the next border, they reached the Imp zone or more specifically, the Alpines area. This place had numerous mountains, some of which seemed to pierce the sky. However, even the tallest mountain was at best half as tall as the World Tree. Throughout each mountain, Kirito could see the entrances to numerous caves. Yui pointed Kirito to one cave in particular. While it would be a long road ahead for them, it was one of the only caves that would lead directly to a mountain village.

After walking all day, Kirito said in a voice mixed with annoyance and frustration, "We have been traveling in this cave for nearly two days. When do you think we will reach the next town?"

Yui attempted to rejuvenate her Papa's spirit. "It shouldn't be too long Papa. The neutral mountain village should be nearby. If we keep this pace up, we should be able to reach it before sundown."

Kirito stopped to lean on the cave wall as he said in an exasperated tone, "I sure hope your right. I would rather sleep on a bed tonight."

Yui could see that her Papa was not keeping up the pace, so she tried to encourage him. "Don't worry Papa it's not that far away."

Kirito sighed. "Yeah I know. It's a shame that I can't fly in caves like this."

Yui nodded in agreement. "Unfortunately, your flight ability would not have been enough to fly us over the mountains. However, even if we could, it would be slightly harder to scan for the players within the caves from the outside than it is the scan for players inside the caves from the outside."

Kirito asked in a confused voice, "Why would that be the case? You still have to scan through the same amount of mount don't you?"

Yui was not entirely sure of the answer herself. "To be honest, I'm not sure either. I guess something about the programming makes it easier to scan from the interior to the exterior rather than the other way around."

Kirito was not going to bother trying to understand the logic of that. "I'll take your word for it."

Yui tried to change the direction of the topic. "Luckily, we are more likely to find players exploring the interior of these caves." That was true because they had run into over a dozen players during their time in these caves. Most of them did not try to attack them. The ones that did attack Kirito were cut vertically in half.

Kirito asked, "How many more of these caves do you think we need to explore then?"

Yui tried her best to estimate. "Due to the nature of this cave, we managed to cover quite a bit of ground, but we still have a ways to go. As of this moment we have covered about five to ten percent of the area, but we will need to explore at least eighty-five percent before we can reach a satisfactory level. Only then can I be certain whether or not there are any other Sword Art Online survivors here before we move onward to the Salamander zone."

Even though Kirito thought it would be necessary, the thought of exploring more caves like this did not sit well with him. Especially since he had enjoyed the idea of flying and did not like being grounded in this game. "That's going to take a while isn't it?"

Yui could tell that her Papa was getting frustrated, but she knew that lying to him would not do them any good. "I am not going to lie to you Papa. Due to the nature of the Imp zone, this is probably going to be the hardest area to explore in the game. I wouldn't be surprised if we are here for at least two or three weeks before we have explored this place entirely."

If this were Sword Art Online, Kirito would probably not have had too much of a problem with that. However, the longer he was trapped in this game, the more anxious he became. "It's incredible that we are going from only taking two to three days to thoroughly explore the Spriggan and Undine zones to taking two to three weeks for this one." Kirito took a breath before trying to find the bright side to this. "At least this is the harder area. It will probably be easier in later areas right?" He looked towards Yui who nodded. "Exploring the caves isn't so bad since I don't have to waste money on lighting equipment. This makes me glad I at least have night vision. Considering how strong some of these monsters are in here, exploring these caves on my own would be near suicidal without night vision or at least having a partner."

This caused Yui to come up with a question that tempted fate. "I wonder who would be foolish enough to come into these caves without those precautions?"

As if on cue to a regular cliché, Kirito and Yui could hear something that sounded like a battle. Yui sensed the area up ahead and could see that two players were fighting several powerful monsters, but neither of them were Sword Art Online survivors. From what Yui was observing, it appeared that the players might get killed if they did not intervene. Kirito decided that was exactly what he would do.

When Kirito arrived, he expected to see players in Imp avatar form, but to his surprise he saw on female Puca and a male Cait Sith battling monsters that seemed to resemble were-wolves. These monsters were between two to three meters tall, with long sharp claws on their hands and feet. They had red eyes that allowed them to see in the dark and their jaws were filled with strong, sharp teeth. If they would bite a player, they could probably tear off their appendages.

The two players seemed to be holding their own, but it was likely they would not be able to keep it up for long. The area was somewhat lit, but the light was getting dimmer by the second, and Kirito was not sure whether or not Pucas and Cait Sith's had the ability of night vision as well.

Regardless, Kirito was still surprised that he would run into a Puca and Cait Sith in this area as he thought, _"I never would have thought I would see this."_

Yui asked, "Are you going to help them Papa?"

Kirito answered, "Not right now. If you decide to enter someone else's fight before they really need help, it could make things worse. For now, I am going to see how the fight progresses for those two." Yui respected her Papa's judgment and observed the fight for the time being.

/

The female Puca had eyes of gold and golden hair that was tied into a pony tail and reached to the middle of her back. Her clothes were a mixture of white and green colors, and her pants had musical symbols on them. She had a silver flute in her possession that she utilized for her music magic.

After managing to dodge one of the were-wolf's attacks, she managed to retreat enough steps back to play her flute. There were three were-wolves in front of her that she targeted to feel the effects of her music magic. When she played her flute, you could literally see the music come out of the flute and attack her targets. First the music disabled the monsters' movements before destroying them completely.

Upon witnessing what that music magic was capable of, Kirito fearfully thought to himself, _"That is some lethal music. I never would have thought I would actually see a Puca here of all places let alone use that magic in battle."_

Unfortunately, despite the Puca's accomplishment, several other monsters took the place of the ones she had slain. She said in a frustrated tone, "Damn this is not good."

Suddenly she felt drool hit the top of her head. She immediately looked up and saw that another monster was on the cave's ceiling dropping in to attack her. She quickly used her flute to project a defensive barrier around her before the creature's claws could connect. However, the creature's initial failure did not deter it from attacking again, and the Puca knew that she could only keep the barrier up for so long before she would need to retreat and attack again from another safe distance. She knew that she was good for attacking monsters from a distance but close combat was not her specialty.

Luckily before the creature could attempt to attack her again, the creature's claw was stopped by a whip. The whip belonged to her companion the male Cait Sith. Similar to other Cait Sith's he had the ears and tail of a cat. He had wavy hair that reached to the middle of his neck. His hair, ears, and tail were dark brown. The Cait Sith had gray pants and a golden red shirt that had gray armor on top of it. His primary weapon of choice was a whip that could stretch more than twenty feet.

As he attempted to keep the creature's claw in check, he told her, "Don't worry about this guy. I got him. Focus on those reinforcements over there."

The Puca quickly nodded in agreement before getting into a position to eliminate the newly arrived monsters. While she was killing those monsters, the Cait Sith quickly utilized the Earth magic he had been learning to eliminate his target. He was able to have a pillar form from the ground to impale the monster he had caught in its chest. Unfortunately, since he did not specialize in Earth magic like Gnomes do, the magic took quite a bit more out of him.

He was quickly running out of mana points and he saw that even more creatures were appearing. The male Cait Sith said in frustration, "I knew that this was going to be a challenge but this is ridiculous."

Since he was a Cait Sith, he had a few extra appendages to worry about. On two occasions, one of the were-wolves nearly bit his tail off. It was a good thing he knew how to utilize his enhanced speed and his wall run ability. It was thanks to that he was able to not only escape such attacks but counterattack the monsters as well.

After a few more minutes of fighting and killing as many of the creatures as they could, the male Cait Sith and the female Puca were back-to-back as more monsters kept coming and were surrounding them. The two of them were exhausted and nearly out of power. The male Cait Sith asked his companion, "Merida how are your mana points?"

The one referred to as Merida stated, "It's not looking too good. I'm running low. I can probably use my magic three more times, but that's it. Even if I was able to, I would probably only kill seven or eight of them at most. There's got to be more than twenty of them. Even if I used my magic to create a defensive barrier, it would only last a few minutes under such an onslaught." Merida then asked her companion, "How about you Clovis?"

Clovis responded in a frustrated tone, "I'm not doing much better. The hit points for all of my monsters are too low now. They won't stand a chance anymore. Without them, I could probably kill at least seven as well, but no matter how I look at it, this is a losing battle." He then looked towards the way they came to see it blocked by the creatures. "It looks like our best chance of escape is cut off too."

Merida asked in a desperate voice, "Can you tame any of them?"

Clovis shook his head as he answered, "It is possible, but the success rate for these guys is only twenty percent with my current ability. Even if I was successful, I would leave myself open to getting attacked by the other monsters. There are too many of them to take a risk like that."

Seeing that they had no other choice, Merida prepared her flute to continue fighting. "I guess we are just going to have to stick it out then."

Suddenly the two of them heard and unfamiliar voice, "Perhaps you would like some assistance?"

After hearing that request, Clovis responded on impulse in an enthusiastic tone, "We would love that . . . wait what?"

A few seconds later, three of the monsters were cut diagonally in half and before Clovis and Merida stood a lone Spriggan warrior.

They did not ask the question, but the look on their faces indicated they wanted to ask the stranger, "Who are you?"

As if he was reading their minds, Kirito responded, "We can talk later? For now, let's kill the rest of these monsters."

Clovis said with a dumbfounded look on his face, "Right."

He then readied his whip and attacked the one closest to him. Clovis managed to strike its face and knocked it off balance and it fell to the ground. Afterwards, he immediately brought his whip back and launched it on a monster that was next to the one that he just attacked. With his precision, he managed to knock it on top of the first monster. Clovis then utilized his earth magic abilities to create pillar that would impale both of the monsters on the ground.

One of the other monsters saw Clovis' actions and attempted to attack him from behind, but Clovis noticed it coming. Before the monster's attack could connect, Clovis used his enhanced speed to narrowly avoid it. He then countered by using his whip to wrap around the monster's head. Before the monster knew what hit him, Clovis used his enhanced speed to run up the closest wall. It utilized his whip as a pulley of sorts, and it off its feet. Thanks to their 'back-up' Clovis was able to use this opportunity to attempt to tame the monster. Luckily, he was successful in taming the monster and used it to help him continue fighting several of the other were-wolves.

Kirito managed to cut down several of the were-wolves without any problem. Despite seeing how strong he was, they kept coming at him. When one of them tried to strike Kirito with its left claw, Kirito merely stepped to the side, and cut its arm. The creature barely had time to realize its left arm was gone and scream in pain because Kirito then jumped up and sliced its head off.

After Kirito was successful in decapitating the monster, three new reinforcements appeared behind Kirito. He barely had time before they jumped and attempted to attack him with all their might. The speed of the attack was so great that it would be difficult for someone even with Kirito's reflexes to dodge.

Before he could do anything to defend against their attack, they were suddenly stopped and destroyed by what appeared to be physical musical notes. Kirito noticed this was Merida's doing, and she had his back. The two gave quick nods to each other before they went back to concentrating on the fight.

/

The fight continued for a few more minutes. Finally, there were no more reinforcements, and Clovis and Merida were finally notified that they had 'cleared' their quest. It was such a relief to the both of them because even with the help they received from Kirito, it was not likely they would be able to continue fighting for much longer. Their mana points were depleted and their hit points were only about twenty percent.

After the dust of the battle settled, Clovis and Merida turned to their savior. He was someone neither of them had met before, and his skills were extraordinary. Even though he only joined in at the end, he hardly received any damage due to his reflexes. They could tell that he appeared to be a friendly person since he decided to help them rather than let the were-wolves kill them off. Not to mention, after the fight, he put his sword back in the sheath on his back rather than point it at them.

Clovis decided to take the initiative and stated, "We appreciate the assistance. Without your help, we probably would not have made it out of this alone."

Merida stated, "Yeah you saved us. Thanks to you we won't need to worry about those penalty points now. Although, I suppose we have more than enough time to make up for them even if that was the case."

That last statement caused Kirito to raise an eyebrow. "It wasn't a problem, but what do you mean by that last part?"

Clovis quickly covered for his companion's slipup. "She doesn't really mean anything other than we have a lot of time on our hands."

"Ah I see. I suppose I do to." Kirito could not help but ask, "Anyway, why were you two here on your own? I don't recall either one of your races having the ability of night vision."

Merida sheepishly responded, "Yeah we know. We actually brought some material to help light the area for us. However, we didn't think there would be so many enemies to complete this quest. We were told to wipe out a pack of them, but this was more like four of five packs. Plus, we really underestimated their combat abilities. Even without biting, their attacks packed a wallop."

While Clovis was grateful for Kirito's aid, he was frustrated that it was needed to begin with. "We should have at least brought Nori with us. She is a Spriggan just like you, but she was already on a quest with some of our other guild members."

What Clovis said caught Kirito's attention. "You two are members of a guild?"

Merida answered, "That's right. We are currently stationed in the village up ahead."

Kirito saw this as a potential opportunity to learn more about the monsters in the area. While Yui has been helpful during his time here with providing navigation, finding out information about monsters in the area from experienced players could prove beneficial. "I see. I was actually on my way there when I came across you two."

Clovis offered, "We'll accompany you there. We were going to head back after our quest was done, and there is no point traveling by yourself."

"I suppose traveling together until we reach the village would make the most sense." Kirito decided it would be best to introduce himself, "In that case, I think introductions are in order. My name is Kirito," Kirito then pointed to his breast pocket, "and this is Yui."

Yui then emerged from her seat in Kirito's breast pocket and greeted the other players, "Hello." She then took a seat on Kirito's shoulder.

Merida was the first to react to Yui's appearance. She said in an enthusiastic tone, "Oh you have a navigation Pixie. She's so cute." Hearing Merida call her cute caused Yui to blush a little. Merida decided to reciprocate Kirito's introduction, "My name is Merida."

Clovis walked up to Kirito responded in a friendly voice, "My name is Clovis. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He then offered Kirito his hand.

Kirito took Clovis on his offer and shook his hand. He responded in a friendly tone as well, "Likewise." After shaking hands, Kirito remarked, "So you are a Cait Sith?"

Clovis was surprised to hear someone actually ask him that. "Yes. Why are you interested?"

Kirito responded, "Well you're the first player I have seen that is a Cait Sith."

That surprised Clovis even more. He asked skeptically, "Really?"

Kirito answered, "That's right."

After considering a few facts, Clovis said, "Well I suppose it isn't that strange. The home territories for the Spriggans and Cait Sith are literally located on the opposite sides of Alfheim Online, so I guess me being the first one you have seen isn't too farfetched."

Kirito then asked the question that had been on his mind for a while. "How does it feel to have a tail?"

Clovis found that question to be rather random, but he figured he should not be too surprised. "How does it feel?" He was not entirely certain how to answer the question either. "Well I guess after getting used to it you never really think about such things anymore. I suppose the best way to describe would be," Clovis' explanation was interrupted by Kirito grabbing his tail.

Feeling Kirito grab his tail caused Clovis to feel a mild sense of discomfort. Kirito had seen how a cat would react to someone grabbing its tail, and Clovis' reaction was almost a perfect replication, barring any attempts to scratch the grabber's face. Kirito, Merida, and Yui could not help but laugh as Clovis' reaction to Kirito touching his tail.

Kirito said in an amused voice, "Well I suppose that answers the question better than anything you could have said."

After Clovis recovered from that, he indignantly told Kirito, "Don't do that again!"

Kirito apologized in a chuckling way, "Sorry. I just couldn't help myself."

Clovis more or less accepted the apology and said, "Fine. Let's just get going." Clovis started walking to the cave's exit in a hurried manner with Kirito and Merida following close behind.

Kirito quietly asked Merida, "Did I really offend him that much by touching his tail?"

"I don't think so. Clovis just plays this game so much that he sometimes forgets that is not his real body. Not to mention, he has gotten tired of some of our guild members pulling the same prank on him." Merida laughed a little as she continued, "Seeing him react like that never gets old."

While Kirito could understand the idea of really getting into and becoming a part of the virtual world, even he was concerned about what would happen if people became too addicted to it. "Is he that addicted to this game?"

Merida responded, "You can say that. However, the same could be said for our other guild members as well, including myself. Although, I would say it is especially true our leader, Ran, and her twin sister."

Kirito thought to himself, _"This sounds like an interesting group of people."_

/

Interesting was hardly the first way to describe Clovis and Merida's guild. Their guild was a tight-knit group that viewed each other as family. It would remind him of his days in the Black Cats guild. Kirito would eventually learn a lot more about this guild, and it would further affect his perception on the virtual world and life.

The first amazing thing that Kirito would see in this guild would be their leader, Ran. When Kirito gazed upon Ran's appearance he was stunned. His eyes opened wide and he thought to himself, _"Asuna?"_

The girl before him had an uncanny resemblance to his missing in-game wife Asuna. This girl was of the Sylph race, and she had long flowing golden hair that reached to her waist. The color may have been different but the style and length of her hair was remarkably similar. Kirito had to stop himself from blurting out Asuna's name.

He was not the only one to mistaken her appearance of Asuna's. Yui nearly shouted out the word, "Mama," on impulse upon seeing her, but she realized that the signal she was receiving from this girl was definitely not her Mama's. Kirito even looked at Yui to make sure this girl was not Asuna. When Kirito looked at her, Yui shook her head to confirm that the girl was not the one.

Ran noticed the bewildered looked on her guest's faces and managed to get their attention back by saying, "Hello are you in there?"

Kirito woke from his dazed state and apologized, "I'm sorry. You just look like someone that I know."

Ran laughed a little upon hearing that. "I've heard that before. Anyway, my name is Ran, and I'm the leader of our guild. Clovis and Merida told me what you did for them. On behalf of our guild, thank you very much for your assistance."

After Kirito was sure he would not say anything stupid he returned the greeting, "My name is Kirito, and helping your friends was not a problem at all. I saw some players in need, and I decided to step in and help them. It seemed like the natural thing to do."

Ran playfully responded with, "Is that right? You have an unusual method of thinking for a player in this game. I have seen a fair number of players who would rather watch other players get killed by monsters and then take the weakened monster by surprise to obtain the reward rather than helping the players achieve their goals."

"Yeah I've seen that happen before." Kirito may not have been in this world for too long, but he was getting used to the idea of players killing others for fun, especially since some of his worst enemies in Sword Art Online were player killers. "Well I don't think that way. When I play a game like this, I would prefer to make decisions that would be similar to what I would do in the real world if such a scenario were to actually happen."

Ran was pleasantly surprised to hear Kirito say something like that. "That is a good way of thinking Kirito-kun. You have a different way of doing things." After hearing Ran call him Kirito-kun, it caused him to think back to how Asuna had been referring to him with that suffix over the past few months as their friendship eventually developed into something more.

Kirito knew that he could afford to keep thinking of Ran as being Asuna. He knew they were two different people, but they looked so similar. He needed to do something to temporarily get his mind off her, so he attempted to change the subject. Kirito said, "Speaking of doing things differently, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Ran did not mind answering a few questions. "Sure go ahead."

Kirito asked, "You're a Sylph right?"

Ran nodded, "Yes I am."

Kirito then asked a follow up question. "Then why do you have your guild's base set up in Imp territory rather than in Sylph territory?"

Ran could see why Kirito would be interested in that, so she explained, "Due to the nature of our guild that doesn't really matter to us."

Kirito asked in a curious tone, "The nature of your guild? What do you mean by that?"

She answered in a proud voice, "Well you already met Clovis and Merida. As you can see, they are not Sylphs either. In fact, I am the only member of our guild that is of the Sylph race. We take pride in being a diversified guild. The remaining six of members have taken on a avatar of a different race, so each of us represents a member of a different race within Alfheim Online."

Kirito thought, _"That's a unique guild formation."_ He then said, "Is that so? How were you able to come together like this?"

Ran provided the details bit by bit. "We all met each other in the real world prior to coming here. We had a few discussions about how we would live in this world. Due to the diversity of our interests, we decided it would be for the best if we chose to use that to our advantage. We all choose to represent different races of Alfheim Online and that we would all begin our journey by meeting up in Aarun which is the city at the foot World Tree, Yggrassil, and it is at the center of Alfheim Online."

Kirito wanted to know more, so he inquired further. "So after you all met up, you have been traveling to the different territories of Alfheim Online ever since?"

Ran was starting to like how she was explaining the history of her guild. A part of her was hoping that maybe it would somehow be seen as significant to other players in the near future or at least give them some inspiration. "That's right. For the past few months we have been going from one territory to the next and setting up our temporary headquarters throughout the world. Now that we are in the Imp territory, we are simply at around the halfway point of our journey. So far our routine has been to visit a territory for a few weeks in order to explore and experience it to its potential. We also want to give each of our guild members an equal opportunity to experience his or her own territory. After we are done with this territory, we are going to head north to the Undine territory, but that won't be for a while. Since we only arrived in the Imp territory a few days ago, this area is still new to a number of our members as you can clearly see. I have a feeling that we probably won't be leaving here until late December or early January."

This was one history lesson that Kirito did not feel like sleeping through. "I see. Sounds like you guys have been going through a lot. What do you hope to accomplish at the end of the journey?"

"We hope that after we experience every territory of the world that we will be ready to conquer the World Tree and establish a name for ourselves." Kirito's eyes opened slightly in surprise to what he was hearing. "If we could accomplish that, current and future players will all know who was able to accomplish the so called 'impossible' task."

Kirito could not help but feel quite a bit of empathy towards them. "That sounds like a wonderful goal. You're all working together to achieve what others disregard as impossible. I can relate to something like that."

Ran could tell Kirito was being sincere as she responded, "Well I can appreciate that. We have told some other people this goal before, and they were less supportive than you were."

Kirito assured her, "Well don't let them get you down. I'm sure as long as you guys keep this up, you will prove them wrong."

Ran responded, "Well that's what we intend to do. I look forward to seeing the looks on their faces when we prove them wrong." Kirito and Ran laughed a little when she said that. It was now Ran's turn to ask a question, "If you don't mind me asking Kirito-kun, what are you attempting to do?"

Kirito figured answering her question was the least he could do. "I'm actually traveling around the world as well."

Ran asked in a curious manner, "By yourself?" The idea of traveling the world was hardly original, but usually players would travel with a partner.

"Not really, I have Yui to keep me company." He gesture to Yui who was still on his shoulder. "With her by my side, things have been going rather well. I am hoping that we will be successful in finding my friends soon."

Ran was getting an idea for why Kirito was traveling. "Looking for your friends huh? Do you know them back in the real world?"

Kirito realized he may have said to much, and he tried to cover it up as best he could. "Sort of. We were friends, but we lost contact with each other. However, I was told that they might play this game like I do under the same usernames. Some of them might be players here in the Imp territory, so I decided to pay this area a visit and see if they would want to reestablish connections."

Hearing Kirito say that seemed to have an odd effect on Ran as she responded with, "Wanting to reestablish connections that were lost huh? I suppose I can relate to something like that as well. If it helps, you can stay here in our headquarters if you want until we leave."

Kirito asked, "Would you really be willing to provide shelter for me and Yui?"

Ran happily responded, "Of course, but if you wouldn't mind, I would appreciate it if you would be willing to help our guild members out like you did with Clovis and Merida. Since you were able to help them out, that must mean you are a skilled player, and we could use an ally like you."

Kirito briefly thought over the terms of the 'contract' that Ran was presenting him and he stated, "That sounds fair. You have a deal."

Kirito stretched out his hand and Ran shook it to signify that the deal had been sealed. Ran remarked, "A wise decision. If you are ever interested, I am sure the others would be willing to accept you as a new guild member."

Kirito was a little surprised by what Ran was offering him. "Are you sure that you can just offer me something like that without talking to your other guild members?"

She told him with a confident grin, "A few might be a little annoyed by that, but they will probably come around soon enough. So how about it? Would you want in?"

After hearing Ran's offer, Kirito was not sure what to say. He thought, _"They are heading the opposite direction as me, but if my other survivors are trapped in the World Tree rather than in the other territories, I could use some help. However, if they spend weeks in every zone, that will probably take longer to arrive at Aarun than it would for me to continue visiting each zone myself."_ Kirito looked to Yui for some advice, but she appeared to be having difficultly coming up with a decision as well. _"There is also the possibility that being affiliated with a guild could put them or myself in danger as well."_

Yui told him, "I think she is probably a good person Papa. We might be able to trust her and her guild."

Kirito decided not to entirely give her an answer by saying, "Could you give me a little time to think it over?"

Ran replied in an understanding tone, "Of course take your time. I was coming at you with a lot to think about after all. Even if you don't want to join us right away, you can take me up on my offer anytime."

Kirito said in a sincere tone, "Thank you I appreciate it."

Ran made a hand gesture to show that everything was fine. "It's not a problem."

Kirito decided to change the subject by asking another question. "So you mentioned that the nine of you have been playing this game for months right?"

Ran answered, "Yeah that's right."

Kirito was curious about the progress they had made in their travels. "Since you have been traveling all over the world, have you guys been able to make a name for yourselves so far?"

Ran responded in a relatively saddened voice, "Not really. We haven't really become much more famous than any other guild that is out there. Sure we may get more recognition since we are a 'diverse traveling guild' rather than a guild that simply stays within the borders of their territory. However, besides taking on a few relatively high ranking quests, we haven't been able to really stand out too much."

Kirito was not entirely sure why Ran seemed sad. He figured she was probably hoping they would have more results by now. "That's a shame. I bet as time goes on, you will get your chance to really stand out."

Ran's tone changed back to being a happier one, "I appreciate hearing that Kirito-kun. I really do."

After talking so much about Ran's guild, Kirito remembered that he still did not know one piece of vital information. He said, "If you don't mind, there is something else I need to ask you?"

Ran was amused by how many questions Kirito was asking her, but she was fine with it. "What is it?"

Kirito was a little embarrassed to be asking this question at this point. "Well it's just that I don't want to seem rude or anything, but what is the name of your guild?"

Ran was perplexed by this question. "Clovis and Merida didn't tell you that?"

Kirito scratched the back of his head as he told her, "No. They simply told me to follow them because they were heading to this town. I just happened to be going in the same direction as them at the time."

Ran responded, "I see. Then I would be more than happy to give you a formal introduction." Ran then changed the pitch of her voice to express her enthusiasm for this introduction, "Our guild is known as the Sleeping Knights. As you already know, our goal to achieve something that will make us forever remembered throughout all of Alfheim Online. Welcome to our temporary headquarters."

/

**Omake**:

Kirito: Well it looks like we have a new batch of characters to add to this story. I can't help but imagine how this will affect the future of this story. It also makes me wonder how many people saw this coming. It was loosely hinted at in Chapter 5 that the Sleeping Knights would be making an appearance, and it makes me wonder whether or not the readers speculated that. I bet it will be one of those things when they look back and see the narration and dialogue in a different light. What do you think of this development Asuna?

(_Asuna does not make a response_)

Kirito: Asuna are you there?

Asuna: (_She returns to reality_) I'm sorry what did you ask?

Kirito: I'm asking what you think of the inclusion of the Sleeping Knights in Fairy Dance Alternate.

Asuna: Oh that. I think it was a good idea to include them in this story, and I hope the readers will agree, but the end of this chapter does make me sad Kirito-kun.

Kirito: What does? The fact you didn't get much screen time this chapter?

Asuna: No. It's the fact that we are going on hiatus starting right now.

Kirito: (_Freaks out a little_) You have got to be kidding me.

(_Klein and Agil enter the room_)

Klein: Unfortunately, Asuna's not kidding Kirito.

Agil: (_Agil shows Kirito the writer schedule_) According to this, the author is currently not writing the subsequent chapters for Fairy Dance Alternate at this time.

Kirito: But we just got started on the current story arc. We were going to find out more about what happened to me during my two and a half months trapped in Alfheim Online before Asuna enters the game herself.

Agil: The author decided this would be a good stopping point.

Kirito: Why would the author think that?

Agil: Well the author figured that if the hiatus began with the previous chapter, the audience would be expecting Asuna to head into the game to find you in the following chapter. At least now with the Chapter 6 omake and what happened in this chapter, the readers should be fully aware of what to expect when the story comes back from hiatus later this year.

Klein: Yeah. You can say it softens the blow for the readers and allows them to enjoy the eventual Chapter 8 easier.

Asuna: Do you guys know when we will return from this hiatus?

(_Lisbeth and Silica enter the stage)_

Lisbeth: Unfortunately, that has yet to be determined, but the current plans indicate we will probably return sometime in the summer or early fall.

Kirito: That seems kind of far away.

Silica: It does now, but you really should not forget the saying that time does fly when you are having fun. I'm sure the readers will have other things to occupy their time.

Lisbeth: Well that is an interesting way of putting it.

Agil: In the meantime, the author plans on writing new chapters of the other story "Of Science and Magics: The Side Stories" for a few months. Additionally, the author has been producing a few chapters for another Sword Art Online related story that will be a 'secondary project.'

Asuna: Does the author plan on returning to Fairy Dance Alternate after releasing a few chapters of those stories?

Lisbeth: (_She pulls out the book of the author's plans_) According to the author's personal plans that would be the case, but we all know that such plans are always tentative and subject to change.

Kirito: Do you have any idea why the author is doing this?

Lisbeth: If I were to venture a guess, I suppose the author will probably write a handful of chapters for one story and then switch to the other. I think it could work from an artistic perspective because it could help keep things fresh rather than always working on the same story. I know from firsthand experience how involved creating something can be and if you are not able to give a strong effort into it, the final product will fail.

Klein: While that is definitely one of the author's reasons, isn't there also another reason besides that.

Agil: The other reason for it is that the author also knows that interest in the Index franchise is on the rise. Between the release of the Railgun anime in the West and as well as the Railgun's second season, titled Railgun S, that started airing in April 2013, interest in the Index franchise will be at an all time high, so it would be a perfect opportunity to release chapters for an Index related fanfiction story.

Silica: Won't the readers of this story find reasons like that annoying though?

Agil: That might happen, but the author is a regular person as well. This is ultimately the author's choice, and the author only wishes to fulfill the promise that was made in the first chapter. In case you forgot, the author promised that "Of Science and Magics: The Side Stories" would come out of hiatus eventually. If the author believes this is the preferable course of action then I guess we need to live with it.

Klein: Not to mention, that at least this author is telling the fans that the story is going on hiatus for a few months rather than leaving them hanging without a single clue about what is going on. Additionally, in terms of pure story content, regarding word count and pages, the author has produced more for this story already in seven chapters in comparison that that story's first eleven chapters. Let's not forget, the author's other story, "Of Science and Magics: The Side Stories" is a good story too. Perhaps some of the readers should read that story and support/review it as well while they wait for Chapter Eight.

Lisbeth: I doubt all the readers here are fans of the Index franchise, but I guess there is a chance they might like it. After all, some of the writers here have produced some good Index/Sword Art Online crossover stories.

Asuna: In addition to that, didn't you just state that the author attempting to write another fanfiction story related to Sword Art Online as well.

Agil: That is correct. As of this moment, the author is writing a 'preview' for it and will publish a few chapters during the summer and fall to give the readers and idea of what to expect. After the preview is completed, it will probably be reduced to secondary project next to Fairy Dance Alternate. However, the author is excited about producing chapters for that story as well because it allows for a different set of creative ideas that could not be used in either of the current stories. Besides, the author is not going to be neglecting Fairy Dance Alternate entirely. There are plenty of ideas that are being placed on the planning board as we speak. In fact just recently, the author has written down several ideas for some rather interesting plotlines and direct dialogue that will be used in future chapters.

Kirito & Asuna: Can we hear them?

Agil: Of course you can't hear them now. (_Kirito and Asuna are disappointed_) Not while the readers are listening in otherwise we will do them a disservice by providing spoilers. (_Knowing they will hear the spoilers later gets them excited_)

Klein: (_He turns to the audience and breaks the fourth wall even further.) _You hear that readers. You have nothing to fear about Fairy Dance Alternate's future. It should have no problem returning in the future. In the meantime, be sure to support both of Knowledgeseeker66's stories and provide reviews. Knowledgeseeker66 loves to hear your feedback as well as seeing you participate in the polls that are set up.

(_Kirito, Asuna, Agil, Klein, Lisbeth, and Silica all gather up to speak to the readers_)

Kirito: Please continue to support "Fairy Dance Alternate" and "Of Science and Magics: The Side Stories."

Asuna: Also be sure to look forward to Knowledgeseeker66's new Sword Art Online fanfiction preview project that is currently being written.

Agil: The current hopeful release date of the first chapter is currently slated for July 8th, 2013, but due to possible complications that date is subject to change.

Klein: Be sure to keep an eye out for the preview sheet that will be made available in June of 2013 on the Sword Art Online fanfiction forum **SAO Nexus Fandom**.

Lisbeth: Knowledgeseeker66 has been working on this project for months. I hope you readers will be as excited to see its debut as I am. I hope you will provide feedback for that story too.

Silica: Remember that feedback really matters to Knowledgeseeker66, and it is highly valued. It does not matter if you are a member or a guest/anonymous reviewer because Knowledgeseeker66 accepts both. Also if someone could help us get a TVTropes page, we would appreciate that too.

Everyone: We will see you again later in 2013. Try not to forget about us. Until next time, we are logging out.

(_All the characters hit their logout button, but only Kirito is left behind_)

Kirito: Oh come on you have got to be kidding me! Damn you Suguo!

(_Curtains close and a sign reads: "See you again next time," while Kirito comically shouts_)

Kirito: Hey don't close the curtains on me like this! Let me out of here!

/

**Author Notes**: As I have stated before, for those of you who wish to speak with me regarding the future of Fairy Dance Alternate as well as the new Sword Art Online fanfiction project I am also working on, be sure to check out the Sword Art Online Forum "**SAO Nexus Fandom**." I set up a topic for Fairy Dance Alternate for current and future fans to openly discuss the story. Keep in mind that sometime in late June 2013, I plan on starting a topic where I will introduce to you my new upcoming fanfiction story. While the plans are still tentative, I hope to begin the publication of the story on July 8th, 2013.

As the omake stated, Fairy Dance Alternate will be going on hiatus for the next few months, but I will return in the near future. I have been carefully setting up the plans for the next batch of chapters, but it will take time to implement them. It is sometimes frustrating to see the plans outlined and not being able to do anything about it right away. That is especially true for the ending that I have planned out for this story. However, from my experience it is sometimes for the best when it takes time to complete them. After all, on the way to the ending, certain new plots can develop more than I thought they would and that can make the previous plans more interesting. That was the case when I came up with ideas, such as involving the Sleeping Knights, expanding Asuna & Lisbeth's friendship, and a few other areas while I was writing the earlier chapters of the story.

Regarding certain mechanics of Alfheim Online, there are a number of them that I am familiar with, such as only Imps being capable of flying in dark places, such as caves and certain races having a greater affinity to certain types of magic while they are capable of utilizing all magic. However, there were a few mechanics I was not a hundred percent sure about, mostly due to a lot of it not really being shown on screen in the anime or light novel. I decided to have that one type of earth magic attack since that has been the case in numerous other Japanese RPGs, such as Tales, Final Fantasy, and Arc Rise Fantasia. Since I do not recall them showing us how 'offensive music magic' worked, due to there being very few characters that choose to be Pucas, I decided to use what I saw in Tsubasa Resevoir Chronicles where the musical notes physically manifested itself as an offensive attack. I figured 'what the hell.'

On another note, I want to make a few things clear about my use of the Sleeping Knights. According to the fan translated Volume 7, it was stated that Yuuki's twin sister, Ran, died a year before the events of that novel. Since that novel takes place from January 2026 to April 2026, that would mean Ran probably died in early 2025. As a result, it is likely that Ran was still alive during the two and a half months prior to the main events of the Fairy Dance Arc, and she probably did not die until after the conclusion of the canon story arc. This will also mean that both Ran and Yuuki's parents have been dead for approximately a year at this point. That would give Kirito something in common with Ran and Yuuki.

Since Ran was the first leader of the Sleeping Knights, it would mean that the Sleeping Knights would have existed at this point as well and all nine members were probably alive. While I am not sure about the exact time when all of the members of the Sleeping Knights were 'assembled,' I am not going to worry about that detail since this is a fanfiction story. However, it was explicitly stated that there was a time when all nine of them were together, and they did not start talking about disbanding their guild until after the first three of them died. Additionally, since the six living members in Volume 7 had a different avatar to represent a different race in Alfheim Online, I have a feeling that other three would probably have the remaining three races covered.

Due to some of the Sleeping Knights already being deceased prior to their introduction to the canon storyline, some of the characterization for those characters will be somewhat original on my part. However, since the general characterization of the Sleep Knights was a 'true companions' mindset and they were all relatively strong fighters, I think that characterization should work for those three as well. Despite their unfortunate circumstances, the Sleeping Knights generally did their best to be cheerful, so I would expect those three to be similar in that sense.

Out of curiosity, how many people guessed that I would be using the Sleeping Knights before the end of the chapter? Did you notice the mini hints I provided in Chapter Five regarding the 'guild' Kirito was staying with? Did you recognize the names Clovis, Merida, and Ran from the fan translated light novels? Were you simply surprised when Ran finally introduced who the Sleep Knights were at the end of the chapter? I would definitely like to know that.

As you may know, in the Sleeping Knights' story arc, they wished to have their names remembered, so they could leave behind a legacy of sorts for after they left this world. You can expect that to be a mini-subplot for them in Fairy Dance Alternate as well. I hope you will look forward to seeing more of the Sleeping Knights in future chapters and will leave a review regarding your thoughts of this chapter and your hopes for future chapters after the story returns from hiatus.

In light of the new feature that allows writers to list four characters on the character filter instead of only two, I have decided to take advantage of this update. I have decided to add Lisbeth and Yui as being 'main characters.' I believe Lisbeth can count due to her involvement in the plot and interactions with Asuna in the previous chapters, and Yui will remain important in this story similar to the canon storyline. Additionally, I have plenty of plotlines in the future that will involve Lisbeth and Yui, so considering them to be main characters in Fairy Dance Alternate feels natural to me.

On another note, as a reminder, I hope that you will participate in the new poll for Fairy Dance Alternate's first "Character Popularity Poll." The poll will include canonical characters, original characters, and characters that have only been mentioned in canon but have appeared in this story. As I stated before, I would like for you to select your top five characters that have appeared in this story so far based on their portrayal in Fairy Dance Alternate rather than based on their possible canon counterparts. In my case, my choices would be Asuna, Kirito, Lisbeth, Agil, and Yui. If I was selecting based on canon, I would have chosen Kirito before Asuna, and Lisbeth would not be in my top five choices. While I do like Lisbeth, due to her lack of major plot involvement, lack of character development, and not being used to her full potential beyond a few side appearances, I can honestly say that she would not be so high on my list. Now that you know my list, I hope you will provide me with yours.

/

**Fanfiction Promo**:

"Of Science and Magics: The Side Stories"

"_Understand the past, so you will know why they fight for the future."_

_Story Arc One: __Birth of the Devil_ – Chapters 1-5

_Summary:_ What is the origin story of the 'Devil of Academy City?' This story will dive deeper into Touma's past, and answer the questions regarding that mystery. Follow of the story of Touma's time in the Child Error Facility with his friends Sasaki Ai and Yamasaki Yuudai.

_Story Arc Two__: __Formation of the Friendship_ – Chapters 6-8

Summary: The main plot takes place one year before "Birth of the Devil," and it provides more details regarding Touma and Mikoto's childhood and their families.

_Story Arc Three__:__ Tales of a Child Error_ – Chapters 9-11

Summary: It takes place parallel to Side Story One and Two from a different character perspective. This story follows the story of Yamasaki Yuudai as it reveals details about not only his past, present, and future but of others as well.

_Story Arc Four: Devil's Reign__ – Chapters 12-Ongoing_

Summary: Begins where Side Story One left off, and it will be about the challenges that await Touma during his reign as the "Devil of Academy City."

/

"Into The Fog"  
By EnchantedSlytherin

Summary: Reiko Narukami had always wished that she could be 'normal,' but she knew it was a wish that could not be granted. With her move to Inaba, Reiko's life has become far less normal by adding the urgency to solve kidnapping and murder cases to her list. This is a retelling based on Persona 4 Golden/The Animation with a female protagonist.

Series – Persona  
Pairing: Reiko "Rei" Narukami and Rise Kujikawa

As stated in the summary, "Into The Fog" is a retelling based on a mixture of Persona 4 Golden and anime adaptation with a female protagonist, Reiko "Rei" Narukami, rather than the canon male protagonist, Yu Narukami. This story will also contain a number of altered and original scenes. A fair share of character interactions and scenes are and will be altered due to the protagonist's gender. For example, Nanako, the protagonist's young cousin, is more receptive and comfortable interacting with a female cousin, and they develop a sisterly relationship much faster.

There will also be a few original plotlines and story arcs to go along with the story as well. One of the most notable ones will involve the protagonist, Rei, realizing she 'swings' the other way and trying to find out if she can be accepted by others over the course of the story. EnchantedSlytherin plans on that to be one of the more emotional plotlines of "Into The Fog."

Similar to the video game and anime, there will be a number of side/supporting characters outside the Investigation Team. There will be a mixture of both canon and original characters throughout the story. A few characters that originally only had a handful of scenes in the story or were mentioned but not seen, such as the protagonist's parents, will have a more significant role in the plotline.

It is a story I would recommend. EnchantedSlytherin's writing continues to improve with each chapter, and there is definitely a lot of potential with this story and the portrayal of the characters both canon and original.


End file.

Sword Art Online/ソードアート・オンライン, Adventure, Romance