Sword Art Online/ソードアート・オンライン 1. Prologue

******A/N:** Hey, everyone! Welcome to my first "Sword Art Online" fic! I have been a fan for almost a year ever since I started watching the anime, and this story has been put off for so long till now. And after so much time that was put into the production process, I sincerely hope that I do this justice. As to where the idea of this fic's premise originated, I'll only tell you that it was heavily inspired by one of the SAO storylines, though that'll be all I can say for spoiler's sake.**  
**

Before I begin, I want everyone to know that this is my first time using Japanese terms and honorifics and such. So, if there is anyone who's well-versed in the Japanese culture and language who is also reading this story, please give me a shout-out and some advice if you see any errors or misuse of any terms. I want the dialogue of the story to be closely faithful to traditional Japanese speaking, which I'm obviously not familiar with.

Anyway, enough with the formal introductions! On with the chapter. ENJOY!

**P.S.:** Who's psyched for SAO II? I AM, I AM! :D

**Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own "Sword Art Online"! All claims of ownership go to Reki Kawahara, abec, and ASCII Media Works!

* * *

******PROLOGUE**

* * *

**May 3, 2026**

* * *

Kazuto Kirigaya tightened his lips in apprehension as he stared across the empty, vast chamber. On the other side was his opponent, Stephen Sanderson, who was staring back at him, smiling with an unnerving calmness. Both instinctively tightened the grips on their respective shining swords.

_"It's all come down to this,"_ Kazuto thought. _"48 hours of madness...about to come to an end..."_

He watched as Stephen raised his own sword high into the air, putting himself into a readied battle stance. His smile widened slightly, undoubtedly a beckoning taunt for Kazuto to come at him first. His dark-gray eyes narrowing in suspicion, Kazuto raised his sword as well, all the while feeling his heart viciously hammer away against his sternum like a jackhammer. He knew very well that by winning this bloody duel against Stephen would all of the madness that constituted the past seven days end and bring closure to that darker chapter in his life. If only the price of losing it wasn't the lives of his family and friends...

He thought long and hard of everyone who suffered greatly, all because of the man standing before him...and also because of himself, Kazuto Kirigaya... Asuna, Klein, Agil, Lisbeth, Silica, Sinon, and Argo, who were all being held somewhere else inside the building, being held captive, undoubtedly watching this battle as it unfolded, supporting him the entire way way, their confidence in him never wavering. Their lives were in his hands, right now...

And Suguha... Her life was in his hands as well...

He couldn't fail them now. He couldn't. There was no way on earth would he have to suffer anymore consequences. Not ever again...

Kazuto watched as the other man took out a small piece of paper from his shirt pocket, looked at it for a few seconds, kissed it with all of the love and devotion possible, and then put the paper back into his pocket, his smile still solid and confident. Kazuto's eyes narrowed.

_"48 hours of madness is about to come to an end. All I need to do is win this duel, and I'll get my ticket out of here. Only..."_

The opponent charged forward, his sword raised. Kazuto adjusted the position of his raised sword, ready to block the incoming blow.

_"...This duel isn't part of a game. It's real life..."_

The two swords collided with a chilling clang...

* * *

**Visitors Room  
****Tokyo Detention Facility  
****April 24, 2026**

**One week earlier**

"Stephen Sanderson."

"Nobuyuki Sugou. AO Tech Industries sends their regards."

Nobuyuki Sugou examined the young man who stood before him. Though he was officially stated to be twenty-two years old, a first glance would fool one into believing he was around the age of Kazuto Kirigaya, that accursed teenage boy responsible for landing him in the hellhole called a prison for the rest of his life, financially ruining him, devastating his well-earned reputation as a genius into oblivion, and blinding him in one eye.

Though he was an American citizen, Stephen was of Japanese descent; he sported neatly-combed yellow hair and bright blue eyes, and he wore a formal black suit with a black-and-red-striped tie and a black pen tucked in his shirt pocket. Sugou couldn't help but find it very surprising that a young man like Stephen was working as a representative for a rather prestigious and influential corporation like AO Tech Industries.

But then again, young geniuses can be found in America nowadays.

"Taken," Sugou replied modestly. He then gestured to the unoccupied seat at the other side of the small table. "Please, Sanderson-san, have a seat."

Stephen accepted the offer and sat down, looking around in caution as he did so. The visiting room of the maximum-security prison was active today, therefore allowing their following conversation to not fall upon the ears of the security guards that were present.

"I'm surprised this little visit was perfectly arranged," Sugou continued, "and the fact that you managed to get through this security, considering your age."

Stephen shrugged. "The wonders of hacking, Sugou-sensei. It was difficult, but in the end, the guards had little doubt that I was your half-brother."

"But I must wonder, why you, of all people? If I can recall the note your employers sent me, you'll have a vital role in the infiltration mission, if not the only one."

"I have intimate knowledge of computers and the VRMMORPG world. Plus, I'm around the average age of VRMMORPG players. I'll be perfectly able to blend into my surroundings quite nicely, without a single hitch. I was _more_ than perfect for AO's requirements, their expectations."

Stephen promptly leaned in closer towards Sugou, his blue eyes glimmering. "Just so you are aware, Sugou-sensei, my employers were quite, how should I say it, _disappointed_ upon discovering that the results of your revolutionary research would no longer be available to them, even to this day. They have spent a lot of money in anticipation of such results, and with such carelessness and disregard. You have absolutely no idea how close the company was to bankruptcy."

"I'm not to blame," spat Sugou, looking away in contempt. "All of that shit goes to the shoulders of that goddamn Kazuto Kirigaya."

Stephen's mouth twitched into a small smile as he replied, "So I've heard."

"So, Sanderson-san, what exactly does your company's mission have anything to do with me? I've got nothing, no services to offer them anymore."

Stephen's smile widened. "Oh, we believe you have one last thing for us," he replied. "And once you give it to us, we'll see to it that your research is complete."

Sugou's attention was caught. "And what would that one last piece of information be?"

"The location of your personal notes regarding said research." Sugou abruptly fell silent, beckoning Stephen to chuckle, as if he were told a funny joke. "Oh, my dear Sugou-sensei, every intelligent person in the world knows enough to keep personal documentations of their research in their possession, should anything interrupt and even terminate said research, especially if it is considered, ahem, _illegal_. You _are_ an intelligent person, Sugou-sama, are you?

"My employers know you have such notes hidden away somewhere. One of your employees in your inner circle confirmed it to us a couple of days ago. The last thing we need to know is the location of these notes. And once you give them to us, we shall continue on with your research and see it to the end, without fail. ...AO Tech sorely needs those results. My employers _absolutely_ refuse to let all of that money they spent go to waste."

Sugou moved his head upward for a fraction of an inch to stare at Stephen. His glasses glinted with the sunlight penetrating the windows overhead.

"And what will be in it for me, Sanderson-san?" he asked.

"We'll plant new evidence that'll exonerate you from the..._crimes_ you committed," replied Stephen, his grin widening. Then, he added, "And the perfect fall guy."

Sugou's lips broke into a satisfied smile in response. "Before I can give you the location of my notes, I have to make one little request."

"And what would that be?"

"The fall guy. I want him to be Kazuto Kirigaya."

Stephen shrugged almost dismissively. "We already knew you'd want that to happen. Don't worry, Sugou-sensei; it's already been done."

Sugou's smile widened, and he unconsciously licked his lips. As he did so, a prison employee approached the table and set a plate of food down on his side.

"Oh, excellent, just excellent." Sugou looked down at his plate, examined the food that it held, and chuckled. "I can now eat my lunches in peace, with nothing but the thoughts of that accursed Kazuto suffering to no end. ...Very well. I shall give you the location of my notes, then."

"Good," replied Stephen, his eyes glimmering with satisfaction. "And finally, we shall get somewhere..."

* * *

Five minutes had passed, and the two men wearing suits watched as Stephen stepped out of the visitors room, a smile of satisfaction etched on his face.

"Well, sir?" one of them asked, speaking in English. "Did Sugou talk?"

Stephen's smile widened; he closed his eyes as he chuckled, again as if he had been told a funny joke.

"Oh yes, he talked all right." He opened them again. "Come. We've got some driving to do, and a long distance to cover; Sugou was surprisingly very conscious about the consequences. And, after all-" He looked at his accomplices, his eyes glimmering again with an eerie satisfaction.

"-We don't really wanna disturb the man while he's out to eat his lunch in peace, now would we?"

The three began walking down the prison hallway, calmly and collectedly. As they did, Stephen's cellphone began to rang, and he answered it.

"It's me," he said. "We've got what we needed."

"Excellent," the caller replied. "And have you-"

"Oh, trust me, I know to never leave even a speck remaining on my plate once I'm done eating. It's all covered; no need to worry."

As he spoke, a commotion suddenly broke out in the visitors room, but he ignored it.

"I knew I could depend on you, Mr. Sanderson," continued the caller. "Initiate the next phase of the plan."

"Yes, sir."

And with that, Stephen hung up, his grin widening. Pretty soon, his goal shall be in his grasp, and no one would be any wiser. The commotion continued on and seemed to escalate alarmingly; more prison employees were running into the visitors room, including a couple of nurses.

"Game on..." he whispered to himself.

The next day, the news headlines all announced the murder of Sugou Nobuyuki, via food poisoning, and the arrest of a volunteer chef, Takayoshi Asahara.

* * *

******Office of Seijirou Kikuoka  
****Headquarters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs  
****April 25, 2026**

"A hacking plot targeting a VRMMORPG game?"

Seijirou Kikuoka nodded in response as he continued to stare out of the window of his office, his glasses glinting with the shining sunlight. "Yes, that is correct. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has good reasoning to believe that yet another corporation is planning to take advantage of the VRMMORPG genre for their own purposes. Whatever these purposes may possibly be, there is no doubt that they are nothing but potential disaster for everyone playing the targeted game."

"I thought you had someone working for you on the inside for environments like the VRMMORPG games. Kirito, I believe the name was."

"Yes, that is right, Igarashi-san."

Assistant Inspector Okahito Igarashi raised an eyebrow before looking at his superior, Inspector Ryouji Kentaro. He then looked back at Kikuoka.

"Then how is this our concern? Surely this Kirito person can have this situation handled like he did with the SAO, ALO, and GGO incidents."

Kikuoka turned back to stare at Igarashi and Kentaro, his glasses still glinting. "It's completely out of his reach. You see, intelligence sources inform us that the company that I am talking about, the one who seems to be behind this plot, is an..._American_ corporation."

Kentaro's eyes widened in surprise. "Impossible!" he exclaimed. "Why are Americans behind this? Japanese-American relations are steady right now, but if this plot does occur and innocent people get hurt or worse, then it'll be nothing but disaster for Japan! We've always relied on America for our military defense!"

"Don't fret, the American government has informed the Ministry that they believe the company is acting on its own interests, not that of America's in general. It appears that this company, called AO Tech Industries, has been on their radar for an assortment of suspicious activities, though none of these suspicions could be confirmed. And now, since AO is taking very large risks for Japanese-American relations by initiating their hacking plot on Japanese soil, then that would put this case under our jurisdiction. The American government is asking us to keep a close eye out on AO, for some of their employees are already here."

"Some of their employees are already here?" repeated Igarashi.

"Yes, yes they are. Under the pretense of a business trip."

Igarashi narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "But wait, if the American government suspected AO of hatching such a plot, why couldn't they have just simply barred them from coming here, way back when? The way I see it, they sound pretty confident AO has something up their sleeve, and so does the Ministry-"

"As I have said," Kikuoka interrupted, maintaining his calm demeanor, "none of our suspicions can be positively verified. And besides, AO Tech Industries is one of the biggest and most profitable companies in America. Should anything happen that would cause it to fail financially, then the American market shall suffer a huge hit, and losses would result. The government wants probable cause before they can take all of the necessary actions."

"So, in other words," spat Igarashi, "they've allowed AO to come here anyway and let us do the dirty work, while risks run very high for innocent players."

"There's no other way to appropriately deal with the situation without causing one country or another, or even both, to collapse on itself."

"Tell that to the first player who dies because of them-"

"_Enough_, Igarashi-san," interrupted Kentaro. Igarashi gritted his teeth and looked away, to which the Inspector continued, "Does all of PSB know about this?"

"No. The Public Security Mobile Investigation Unit shall be suitable enough for this investigation at the moment. It appears as if this will be a small operation, so a few of your finest and brightest agents should serve this case well." Kikuoka then glanced at Igarashi, who still looked upset as he stared out of the window, which overlooked the city of Tokyo. "I hope I haven't upset you, Igarashi-san. I have never intended to do so, let alone during our first meeting in person."

"It's not that, Kikuoka-san," Igarashi replied, his gray eyes narrowing again. "It's what exactly AO is up to that unsettles me-" He looked at Kikuoka, wearing a determined expression on his face. "-and their chances of succeeding and in the process hurting innocent people, people who have done _nothing_ to deserve it." He scoffed, startling Kikuoka. "But I guess there's an upside to it: when AO triumphs, then I know who _exactly_ to blame."

Kikuoka's glasses glinted again as he stared at Igarashi, who stared back.

* * *

"Your Assistant Inspector surprises me, Kentaro-san," Kikuoka commented the moment Igarashi left his office with the appropriate files he needed.

"Igarashi-san has always been a person of determination and integrity," replied Kentaro, pride evident in his voice. "You should have seen the way he handled a hostage situation three years back. Schizophrenic guy charges into a school with a kitchen knife, but Igarashi just walks in and acts as if he is having a mere tea party with the guy, just long enough for other officers to come in quietly and subdue the guy. Not a single casualty. The boy's impressive; I am surprised he hasn't been promoted to Inspector yet." He looked at Kikuoka directly with his squinted eyes. "He'll handle this case well without fail, I can assure you of that."

"I have no doubt of his efficiency or abilities, Kentaro-san."

"Then why the concern?"

"He has already formed a personal connection with this investigation. It could lead to an internal conflict that would jeopardize the entire matter."

"Igarashi-san always takes his cases seriously whenever innocent people are endangered. Guy really cares. He goes out of his way to save others, even if it is at the brink of suicide. The man will be the death of me someday, what with his daredevil stunts. But what he does gets the job done, fresh and quick."

"The real problem, though, is the fact that these are merely _allegations_ we're dealing with. We cannot confirm or deny them."

"Well, for Igarashi-san, there is no gray area. Just right or wrong, black or white. And until it becomes crystal-clear that there is no intent of malice coming from these AO Tech employees, he'll think that lives are in grave danger, and he will do all he can to ensure that the least amount of blood is possibly spilled, if none. Especially after that quadruple homicide case he worked on a couple of years back. It really put a number on him, that one. So I am afraid you're gonna have to deal with it, Kikuoka-san." The older man then chuckled lightly. "But it'll be nothing to worry about. He's a good asset."

"If you insist, Kentaro-san..."

Kentaro chuckled and gathered his own files provided by Kikuoka. "Anything else you wanna say?"

"That'll be it for now," Kikuoka replied.

"Sayonara, Kikuoka-san." Kentaro prepared to leave the office when he stopped and looked back at Kikuoka. "Neither of us managed to ask earlier, but...would you know exactly what _kind_ of VRMMORPG game is being targeted? You described it as only one such game being of interest to AO."

"We currently have no leads regarding that," said Kikuoka thinly, "but we'll keep you posted."

Kentaro nodded and promptly left the office. A few minutes later, Kikuoka took this time to procure a set of binoculars and watch out of his window, down onto the street and on the parking lot below. He could see Igarashi, having just exited the headquarters building, approach his car.

"He's just..." Kikuoka's glasses glinted again as he lowered the binoculars. "..._interesting_..."

_"He reminds me of Kirito,"_ he added in his thoughts. _"Only with twice the bravado. Maybe I should keep a close eye on him."_

* * *

**The Parking Lot  
********Headquarters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs**

Electronically unlocking the doors to his car, Igarashi opened the driver's door and sat down on the seat, neglecting to close said door. Instead, he let out a soft sigh and leaned his head against the headrest. Closing his eyes, he immersed himself in his thoughts for a brief moment.

_"I don't like this Seijirou Kikuoka,"_ he thought. _"I feel like there is _something_ he's not telling me and Kentaro-san. Why can't this Kirito person have this case handled as he's always done with those previous cases? Is it _really_ because foreigners are involved? ...Can't be. GGO was an American-made VRMMORPG; it would have been a rather severe international crisis had things gotten worse. No, I think this case is better up in Kirito's alley. Not that I approve an average kid investigating such things._

_"And yet...I can't shake this feeling of uncertainty...about this case..."_

Igarashi opened his eyes and looked at a photo that was hanging from his rear-view mirror; it was of a family of five, smiling happily at the photographer. With another sigh, the officer activated his car, backed out of his parking space, and began to drive away from the Ministry headquarters.

* * *

**Bedroom of Kazuto Kirigaya  
Kirigaya Household  
May 1, 2026**

With an indifferent sigh, Kazuto laid down on the comfort of his bed, having finished putting his NerveGear unit helmet on and plugging it in. As he did, he could hear the faint sounds of Suguha lying down on her own bed. Smiling in satisfaction as he stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom, his vision slightly darkened by the visor of the helmet, the seventeen-year-old then closed his eyes, allowed the darkness to overwhelm his vision, inhaled softly, and then exclaimed:

"Link..._start_!"

An electronic noise...a burst of various colors...a test to verify all five senses...the sign-in process...

It didn't take long until Kazuto finally logged into _ALfheim Online_ as Kirito, the Black Swordsman, the Beater. Looking around, he saw that he was still in the last place he was when he last logged out: near the entrance to the lair of the Boss of New Aincrad's 75th Floor. Staring up at the towering doors, he smiled. Once he defeated this Boss, then that meant he would be finally reaching the area of New Aincrad that he didn't get to challenge while being stuck inside the original version. And that meant more difficulties and challenges to overcome, not that Kirito didn't find doing so undesirable.

"So this is it, huh?"

Kirito looked at his side and saw a familiar yellow-haired Sylph clad in green standing a few feet away. She was also examining the doorway into the Boss Level with evident apprehension. Smiling with understanding, Kirito approached the Sylph as she looked at him with her green eyes.

"The last Boss you faced before finally getting out of SAO?" she asked.

"Yeah, this is the one, Sugu," Kirito replied. "And truth be told, this one is quite tough. Are you up for it?"

Suguha, otherwise known as Leafa in ALO, glanced back at the doorway, a strange emotion glimmering in her eyes. Then, with confidence, she nodded.

"Daddy!" a squeaky female voice cried in welcome.

Kirito smiled as he watched the tiny, black-haired Navigation Pixie fly across his shoulder and flutter in front of his face, a wide smile etched on her cute face.

"Welcome back, Daddy!" she exclaimed.

"Hey, Yui," Kirito replied, poking her face gently as he smiled widely.

"Daddy, stop it!" exclaimed Yui. "You know I don't like that!"

"Sorry, couldn't help myself." Kirito lowered his arm, still smiling. "Your mom should be here soon."

Yui's smile widened in response. "Goody!"

Kirito raised an eyebrow. "Yui, are you sure you wanna see this through with the rest of us? The 75th Floor Boss is pretty scary."

Yui crossed her arms defiantly, a snobbish look on her face. "I've already seen visuals of it during my research on its specs. It's strong, but definitely not scary."

Kirito chuckled, amused by his in-game foster daughter's rebellious attitude. "Trust me, once you see it up close, I can guarantee that you'll be scared."

"Hmph! I'd be more scared of an unbreakable firewall system than of a multi-legged, skeletal AI."

Kirito chuckled again before deciding to look back at Leafa to check on her; he found her looking apprehensively at the doorway again. Raising an eyebrow, he approached his cousin, puzzled by her current behavior. Ever since he announced his intention to join the party that was amassing to clear the 75th Floor Boss Level, with their friends following suit, Suguha had been feeling...wary, for a lack of a better term. However, Kirito didn't find anything in the Boss Level that she could be so wary of. After all, New Aincrad definitely _wasn't_ the original one. If someone died, then their consciousness would just return to the real world.

No harm done, no foul...right?

"Something wrong, Sugu?" he asked.

"Huh?" Leafa looked at him. "No, nothing's wrong!"

"You've been acting weird lately. Is it..." He hesitated for a moment, knowing the sensitivity of the topic; he looked around. "...Is it _me_?"

Leafa blushed in embarrassment and immediately, defensively looked away. There was no absolute way that Kirito could easily forget that confession she made early last year. It still continued to be an awkward point of conversation for them, even while they were still patching up their relationship.

"No, it's not you, Onii-chan. Or...well..." She sighed. "..._Yeah_, it _is_ because of you, but not in the way you think."

"What is it about me that has you all edgy then, Sugu?"

"This...This here...is the location of your last two challenges in SAO... The place where you were able to free everyone from the Death Game... The place where everyone's greatest dream was made possible: freedom... Where _my_ greatest dream was made possible..." She looked at Kirito again. "Getting _you_ back."

"And...being here worries you, all because of _that_? Why all the worry?"

Leafa looked down at the ground. "It's also the place where the nightmare ended...and yet...not everyone could wake up. It was too late...for _some_..."

Kirito closed his eyes as he realized what Leafa was thinking. Haunting memories of all of the people he couldn't save flashed across his mind...

Then, he opened his eyes and said, "Yes, it was too late for them. But there's no way we can fix that, as unfortunate as that would be. The next best thing we could do now is just move on from this and hope that they have found their happiness, wherever they are. I know I have."

Leafa slowly looked at Kirito, and he realized from her red eyes and puffy cheeks that she had been crying, which further puzzled him more: why would she be so guilt-ridden about the nearly 4,000 players who lost their lives in the Death Game? She was in no way responsible for what happened to them, nor did she never have any responsibility for trying to save them in the first place; she didn't buy a first copy of SAO. He did.

He was about to ask her about that when...

"Hey, Kirito-kun, Leafa-chan, Yui-chan!" a voice called.

Kirito, Leafa, and Yui looked behind them in response and saw five fairies coming toward their way from a distance: an Undine, a Leprechaun, a Cait Sith with a light-blue Feathery Dragon who was perched upon her right shoulder, another Cait Sith who was equipped with a bow and arrow set, and a Salamander. Kirito and Leafa smiled, instantly recognizing the newcomers, while an ecstatic Yui flew over towards the Undine.

"Mommy!" Yui cried happily.

"Hi, Yui-chan!" Asuna replied as she allowed her daughter to sit on her shoulder, while Kirito and Leafa flew up to meet the group.

"Hey, Asuna," Kirito greeted as he observed the group. "Is this everyone?" Then, he noticed that someone was missing. "Hey, where's Agil?"

"He said he'd be here at the same time as we'd be," Klein, the Salamander, replied as he shrugged. "I don't know why he'd be late. He's always prompt."

"We can just wait for him. It won't be another fifteen minutes or so till everyone else who signed up to be in the party arrive. We're the first ones here."

"Well, what do you suggest we do in the meantime, Kirito-san?" Lisbeth, the Leprechaun, asked, crossing her arms and frowning with disapproval.

Kirito's smile merely widened. "We wait for Agil and the others, of course!"

Everyone frowned in disapproval, some of them also groaning in displeasure.

"And to think, Kirito said everyone would be here by _this_ time," Sinon said, shaking her head. "Figures that he'd wanna be the first one here..."

"Kirito-kun, who do you think you are, making all of us come out here this early?!" exclaimed Asuna.

Kirito chuckled in embarrassment and looked away. Once he did, he spotted another fairy standing at the side of the doorway to the Boss Level; he or she was partially obscured by towering shadows that were nearby. The fairy was standing at a considerable distance, so he could not see any distinct physical features that would help him identify this stranger in the future. However, judging from the all-blue clothing he or she was wearing, this fairy was an Undine.

At that moment, he couldn't help but feel that something was..._out of place_ with this fairy...

The Undine abruptly disappeared, the player having logged out. Kirito blinked in confusion. Why would this fairy arrive unannounced, apparently with the intent of participating in the first attempt to clear the 75th Floor Boss Level, then just log out just as suddenly as he or she arrived, without even trying to make his or her presence known to everyone else? It was very strange... Kirito couldn't help but wonder if the Undine was instead _spying_ on them...

"Daddy?" Yui's voice asked distantly. "Daddy?"

"Kirito?" Asuna's voice called to him as well, reaching him from afar. "Kirito!"

Kirito snapped out of his trance and saw Asuna, Yui, and the others looking at him with puzzled expressions on their faces.

"Huh?" he asked, a bit stupidly.

"What were you looking at?" Lisbeth asked, glaring at the doorway.

"There was an Undine standing there," replied Kirito, pointing over to the place the Undine was previously standing on. "But then the player just logged out. It was... It was actually very _weird_..." He vividly remembered the strange feeling he got when he laid his eyes on the Undine.

"An Undine was there?" asked Asuna. "But the map only registered us being here the whole time. No other players or NPCs were present."

"But-But...I _saw_ an Undine standing there! And the way it disappeared, it was definitely a player logging out! NPCs don't just disappear like that!"

"Think it could be a bug in the system?" suggested Sinon.

"Nope," Yui replied. "I've checked the Cardinal System; there didn't seem to be any anomalies I could detect. Maybe you're just going a bit crazy, Daddy."

"I'm not going crazy!" exclaimed Kirito defensively, in midst of Asuna and Yui's giggles. "I swear to God, there was an Undine standing over there!"

"It could've been just a trick of the eye, Kirito," Klein said, approaching him and patting his shoulder comfortingly. "Happens to me all the time. I just see things that are not there mere seconds later. Don't take it too seriously, Kirito, and definitely do not let these tricks trip you around." He smiled jokingly. "I do not want you suddenly going all crazy on us while we are in the middle of a very important battle here, like right now."

Kirito frowned in disapproval as Asuna and Yui's giggles intensified, being joined in by those of Lisbeth and Silica.

* * *

**Unknown location  
The real world**

"Are we ready?" asked Stephen as he watched his cohorts set up all of their technical equipment.

"Yes, sir," replied one of the men as he typed several codes on a computer. "Everything's all set. All we need to do is wait."

Stephen smirked in response.

"Good. Time to get started on the first level of this little game of ours..."

* * *

**NEXT TIME ON "A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD"**

**Kirito:** _"Game on."_

**Undine:** Better watch yourself.

**Agil:** Kirito, are you _sure_ you're okay?

**Leafa:** _"__You know it'll never happen, and that it mustn't _ever_happen."_

**Stephen:** I prefer to play with my food before eating it.

**Sadler:** I _finally_ found ya, ya little punk...

**Silica:** Alright. See ya, Leafa-san!

**Kentaro:** The VRMMORPG they seem to be focused on...is _ALfheim Online_.

**Chapter 1: A Strange Water Fairy**

* * *

**A/N:** So, how's that for the first chapter for my first SAO story ever? Be sure to let me know in your reviews! Criticism is welcome, but I don't want any flaming. Please be sure to use kind words, so then that can guarantee any actual improvement over any erroneous tidbits. As for what's going to happen later on in the story, well, I obviously can't spoil you the details, but I will tell you that it's gonna be one hell of a ride! Hopefully, that is.

Before I sign off, I just want everyone to know that there won't be another chapter for this story until early July. My family and I are going to southeast Asia for a vacation and to visit relatives living there (Philippines, to be specific). I ask you all to please be patient until I get back. It'd very much appreciated! :D

Well, hope you enjoyed this prologue! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	2. H: A Strange Water Fairy

**A/N:** And what are the chances that this chapter was posted on the same day SAO II premiered worldwide? 100%, that's what. And yes, this means I'm back from my family vacation, and a barrage of updates headed your way, since I'm having summer break right now. YAY! :D

ENJOY!

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: A STRANGE WATER FAIRY**

* * *

**75th Floor Boss Level  
New Aincrad  
May 1, 2026**

"About time you came, man!" exclaimed Klein as Agil flew over towards the group.

"Hey, guys," replied Agil, giving Kirito and Klein high-fives. "Sorry I'm late."

"What held you up back there?" Kirito asked.

"Some guy just came stumbling inside the café, asking for a pianist who I recently got into contact with for a job. The poor guy nearly had a heart attack when I told him I hadn't seen her." He shrugged. "Whatever was happening, it looked like he needed to meet up with her urgently. It was kinda weird..."

"Never knew you were hiring a pianist, Agil. What, the café doesn't have enough jazz for you?"

Agil stared at Kirito seriously. "You really should hear that pianist play when you get the chance, man. Her talent is amazing-"

Kirito waved his hand dismissively. "Nah, I'm fine, Agil; not a big piano fan."

"Suit yourself."

"Hey, Agil!" Asuna called, approaching the group. "You finally made it! And just in time; everyone's ready to enter the floor!"

Kirito's lips curved into a satisfied smile. By this time, the entire party formed specifically for this occasion was completely amassed, forming a rather large crowd that was now standing before the doorway of the 75th Floor Boss Level. Kirito, Asuna, Agil, and Klein joined the others, just as the gargantuan doors suddenly began to open, an ominous roar of a creak accompanying it, already setting the mood. However, Kirito's grin continued to widen.

_"Game on,"_ he thought.

Suddenly, Kirito couldn't help but feel that there was something..._unnatural_ in his midst. Time began to slow down for him, and the loud creaking of the opening doors became even more ominous. As a sinking, uncomfortable feeling of dread began to rise up from the pit of his stomach, he thoroughly scanned the crowd of eager players that surrounded him. At first, he saw nothing. Kirito began to wonder if he was becoming paranoid for whatever reason.

Then, he saw it. A shade of blue that was disappearing into the sea of other colors belonging to the ALO players. Blue that seemed to stand out...

Kirito began to edge his way into the crowd, ignoring the distant voices of Asuna, Klein, and Agil. He tried to catch up to the strange Undine, but every time the strange player seemed to be within his reach, he or she suddenly seemed to grow farther. Becoming more desperate to find out who this Undine was and why his or her presence intrigued him so, Kirito became more desperate and was now pushing other players aside so he could clear a better path.

"Hey, what the hell, man?!" one player shouted as Kirito pushed him aside.

However, Kirito ignored him as he finally reached the edge of the crowd, where he saw the Undine disappear through smoothly. Pushing his way through, Kirito gasped in relief upon seeing the Undine standing several yards away, his or her back facing his direction. Judging by the avatar's figure, Kirito assumed that the player controlling it was female, but he didn't want to say anything for sure just yet, since male players could easily make their avatars female. With caution, he approached her. As he did, he noticed that the avatar had long, shiny dark-blue hair, and that she was equipped with a blue shield.

"Excuse me?" he asked upon getting close enough. "Why were you spying on me and my friends earlier?"

The player didn't respond. However, he saw her head move downward for a fraction of an inch.

"Hello? I'm talking to you!"

Again, the player didn't respond. Then, Kirito saw her arm make a small movement, and a holographic profile menu promptly appeared in front of the player. His eyes widened in realization; she was about to log out. He stepped forward and stretched out an arm, intending to grab her own, when...

"Don't," a female voice replied; Kirito noticed that it was low-pitched, yet a little squeaky at the same time. It...It sounded a bit _familiar_...

"What do you mean don't?" he replied. "If you wanted to talk to us or anything, be free to do so-"

"Better watch yourself," the player interrupted. "Stick close to those you care about."

Before Kirito could say anything further, the player immediately logged out, leaving him stunned and confused.

_"What the hell?..."_ he thought.

"Kirito!" a voice called.

Kirito promptly looked behind him and instantly saw, not Asuna, but the same player who yelled at him; he was a large, muscular Gnome with long dark-brown hair and eyes, who wore all-brown armor with a large hazel chest-plate. Realizing what was about to happen, Kirito gulped and nervously stepped back as the Gnome cracked his knuckles menacingly. Behind him, Asuna, Yui, Leafa, Klein, Agil, Lisbeth, Silica, and Sinon were trying to catch up with him.

"Who the hell do ya think you are, shoving me like that, ya ass?!" snapped the Gnome angrily.

"Look, I didn't mean to-" Kirito began.

"-Push me? Well then, I certainly didn't mean to beat your damn face to a pulp either!"

Watching as the Gnome raised his fist, Leafa immediately took flight and landed in-between her brother and the Gnome.

"Hey, leave him alone!" she shouted.

"What the hell?" The Gnome looked down at Leafa, his lips tightening into a nasty frown. "Who the hell are _you_? His girlfriend?"

"I'm his _sister_, thank you very much," replied Leafa, crossing her arms. "Now, if you wanna mess with my brother, you're gonna have to mess with me first."

"Challenge damn accepted! I believe I'll have more than enough time to take you two punks down before we all go into the Boss Level."

"Will you have enough time to take _us_ down too while you're at it?" Asuna asked as she joined Kirito's side, as did Klein, Agil, Lisbeth, Silica, and Sinon. To top it off, Yui appeared and hovered over Kirito and Asuna for a few seconds before landing on the former's head, blowing a raspberry at the Gnome.

"So, what's it gonna be?" Leafa asked as the Gnome gasped in shock.

The Gnome merely blinked and repeatedly opened and closed his mouth like a fish, as if he wanted to say something, but the thought kept escaping him.

Suddenly, a voice called, "Sadler! What the hell are ya doing? Everyone's about to go in!"

Everyone looked at the doorway, and indeed, it was completely open, with the gathered crowd now flooding into the chamber inside. Cursing under his breath, the player named Sadler then looked at Kirito begrudgingly, causing the latter to break out into a sweat.

"Don't think I'm done with _you_, punk," he snarled before leaving to join up with his friends. Kirito and the others shortly followed, walking through the doorway.

Asuna promptly smacked Kirito's shoulder, admonishing, "What in the world were you _doing_, Kirito, running off like that!"

"I-I saw that Undine again," replied Kirito quickly, "and it...it..." His voice slowed down. "I mean..._she_ talked to me..."

"You mean that imaginary Undine?" asked Lisbeth teasingly. "As if one Undine girlfriend wasn't enough for you-"

"No, it's not like that at all!" Kirito interrupted defensively. "There was... There was something _off_ about her..." His eyes widened. "And she's not imaginary! Not if I saw her twice in a row now, with both times involving her directly logging off! She was _definitely_ real, and there's absolutely no way I could've just _imagined_ my conversation with her!" He looked at Agil, an idea forming in his head. "Hey Agil, can you check how many people are currently signed into this party?"

Agil checked the party settings. "Excluding us, 69."

"How about a couple of minutes ago?"

Agil checked again. "Still 69."

"Impossible! How about independent players? Were there any present in the area a couple of minutes ago?"

"None. It's just this clearing party."

"How about the number of Undines in the party?"

"Including Asuna, seventeen, both right now and a couple of minutes ago. No changes in that number either."

"Are you sure?!"

"Yes, I'm sure." He looked at Kirito and noticed his desperate, almost manic expression. "Kirito, are you _sure_ you're okay?"

"I-I...I..." Kirito stuttered. He instinctively looked behind him before continuing, "Look, I know I'm not going crazy or anything. You gotta believe me."

"Where'd you see that Undine?" asked Sinon.

"First time, near the doorway. Second time, in the middle of the crowd-"

Sinon closed her eyes and replied coolly, simply, "Then ask everyone else if they saw an extra Undine."

Kirito's eyes widened in surprise, and he exclaimed, "That's a good idea, Sinon!"

"Once the battle is done," added Sinon coldly.

"Oh, yeah...right..."

All the while, Asuna and Yui observed Kirito as he continued his strange behavior.

"Mommy, is Daddy okay?" Yui asked in concern. "It sounds like he's having some sort of system error."

"I...really don't know..." replied Asuna, her eyes softening as she continued to look at her boyfriend.

Just then...

"Hey, we're here, everyone!" someone shouted.

Indeed, the entire party was now standing on top of a huge platform that was located in the middle of a vast, dark chamber that was holding multiple identical platforms. Disturbing yet familiar memories raced across Kirito, Asuna, Klein, and Agil's minds at high speeds. With mostly darkness reigning inside the chamber, rendering things a bit difficult to see, everyone in the party started looking around nervously in search of the Boss.

Just then, the doorway closed with a loud bang that echoed across the chamber, further plunging them all into shadow. Kirito sensed Leafa edging over toward him for protection, obviously not expecting the environment of this Boss Level. This was shortly accompanied by the similar actions of Lisbeth and Silica.

"Uh...you girls know you aren't actually gonna _die_...right?" he asked.

"Uh, we've never fought a Boss before," reminded Lisbeth, staring at him with narrowed eyes that indicated a 'Really?' expression.

"Oh, that's right. Just...Just be sure to look for an opening in its underside. I'll make one for you two, and then you make a strike quickly."

"Gotcha," Silica replied with as much determination she could muster.

"Kirito!" Asuna cried as she ran up to the four. "The Boss isn't even on the ceiling like last time! No sign of it anywhere!"

"It is here, somewhere," replied Kirito determinedly, his anticipation for the impending Boss fight causing his concern about the strange Undine to recede to the rearmost portion of his memory. "We'll find it." He instinctively glanced at the columns supporting the higher platforms, his eyes narrowing. "We will find it..."

Scanning the columns, Kirito suddenly spotted a stripe of familiar silver that seemed to be off with the usual gray coloration of said columns; it was on a column that was placed farther away from the platform the party was standing on. He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the stripe.

Just then, it moved.

"Over there!" he roared, pointing at the column with his sword. Everyone followed the direction he was pointing at and spotted the Boss as well.

"It's the Skull Reaper again!" exclaimed Klein. "But why the hell's it all the way over there?!"

"No doubt a part of the new Boss Level," Kirito replied as he ran past the other party members and leaped off the platform.

Everyone else ran over to the edge and watched as he activated his wings and flew towards the Skull Reaper, which immediately began to scale the column.

"We gotta get over to it, since it's too far away to land any kind of attack!" Kirito called loudly. "Come on, guys! Let's take this thing down once and for all!"

"Hey, wait up, Kirito!" called Klein as he jumped off the platform and followed his friend. "I'm right behind ya!"

"Same here!" Agil added as he too jumped off.

The other members of the party followed suit, until it was just Leafa who remained on the first platform. Watching her brother fly towards the Skull Reaper and be first in confronting it, she smiled before leaping off the platform as well and bursting into flight. She found it very admirable for Kirito to be a born leader who inspires and motivates others in instances such as this. All the reason to have a crush on him, no matter how forbidden...

_"Get a hold of yourself, Suguha. You know it'll never happen, and that it mustn't _ever _happen."_

Sighing sadly, Leafa blinked back tears as she joined in the battle as it began.

* * *

**Unknown location  
****The real world**

Stephen Sanderson grinned widely as he silently watched the heated battle between the party of players and the Skull Reaper progress, the live image being recorded onto a large screen. It seemed that the images seemed to be recorded from the perspective of one of the players themselves, since there were more than a few instances of the recorder running at, from, and through the Skull Reaper, with arms of unknown origin attacking the Boss.

"Impressive fighting skills," he commented.

"Which one are you talking about?"

Stephen glanced across his shoulder, looking at one of the four men who were watching the battle with him. He then looked back at the screen.

"All of them," he replied simply. "Asuna's skill with her sword is unmatched with that of anyone else's, with the obvious exceptions of Kirito and Leafa. Agil uses his size and strength to channel the force and power into his strikes. Sinon's reliance on an attack made from a good distance serves her extremely well, what with the superior aiming skills and quick reloading speed she boasts. Kirito puts all that he's got into his own attacks, without any hesitation or reluctance; just pure, unrelenting, brute force. And so on and so forth." His grin widened even more. "A battle with any one of them, if not all of them, would make my day."

"But we're not supposed to engage them just yet," warned the other man.

Stephen promptly closed his eyes. "Don't think I've forgotten about our orders. Is it not natural for one to express his or her admiration of another's skills?"

"No, sir..."

Stephen opened his eyes. "That's what I thought."

"Sir, I do not understand," another accomplice said. "Why can't we just hack into the system now and just do whatever to remove the interfering variable?"

"To do that would mean the immediate attraction of the authorities' attention. I have just received information that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Public Security Bureau have set their sights on us on behest of the American government. For now, our activities need to be as covert as possible for the time being.

"And besides-" His eyes narrowed, his grin widening as he observed Kirito and Klein in combat. "-I prefer to play with the food on my plate before eating it."

* * *

**75th Floor Boss Level  
****New Aincrad**

Kirito and Klein continued slashing at each of the Skull Reaper's legs, hoping to incapacitate it before dealing the finishing blow. They then watched as a trio of players tried striking the Boss in the head, only to be struck by one of its uninjured legs, being reduced into shards of code.

"Still as tough as ever, huh?" Klein asked, and Kirito nodded in response.

The two then tried charging for its underside, only to be knocked backward by another of its leg. Kirito and Klein both rolled away as the same leg then tried to jab away at them, hoping to stab at least one of them. Kirito then stood up and slashed at the leg, severing it and earning a pained cry from the Skull Reaper.

"Daddy, behind you!" shouted Yui, her voice reaching him from a distance.

Kirito instantly swung around and slashed the incoming skeletal leg with his sword, creating a deep red gash. The Skull Reaper released a bloodcurdling roar of anger before charging at its newest assailant. However, before it could reach Kirito, an arrow suddenly appeared and hit it squarely in one of its eyes.

"Gotcha," Kirito heard Sinon say from a distance. He looked up at the expert archer.

"Good job, Sinon!" he called. "Keep aiming for the eyes! We need to blind it!"

Sinon merely nodded in response and aimed another arrow at the Skull Reaper's eyes. However, the Boss noticed her and charged forward, prompting Sinon to retreat from her position and fly higher so it couldn't reach her. She then aimed again at the Skull Reaper and fired another arrow, which hit another eye.

The Skull Reaper instantly roared in pain and agony, stumbling around the platform aimlessly. Leafa took this advantage to run up to it and strike its head and neck several times; she was then joined by Lisbeth, who managed to run past the Skull Reaper's stomping legs and hit it repeatedly in the underside.

Taking advantage of the Skull Reaper's distraction with Lisbeth, Leafa ran down its spine, slashing at it as she did so. Stopping on its back, she then slashed at its legs, leaving behind deep gashes. Several other players hopped onto the Skull Reaper and repeated this process, which lasted for several minutes.

Agonizing howls filled the air as the Skull Reaper continued to stumble around in pain; Kirito deduced that it was suffering enough damage to be close enough to defeat. He narrowed his eyes and dashed forward, leaping up and repeatedly striking the Skull Reaper's head and neck.

_"Come on, come on, COME ON!"_ he thought angrily to himself with each and every strike he took. _"Faster! Faster! FASTER!"_

"Hey, Kirito!" he heard Klein call. "INCOMING!"

Kirito landed on the ground and rolled away, just in time for several of the Boss's skeletal legs to come jabbing at the ground he was previously on. He looked up and watched as the Skull Reaper was able to shake off the players attacking its back and legs, then destroying as much of them as it could. Leafa was now the only one who remained on the Skull Reaper's back, continuing to attack it while Lisbeth still jabbed away at its underside with her own sword.

"How much more can this thing take?!" Lisbeth shouted.

"Just keep going at it, guys!" replied Kirito. "We're doing really good! We just need to keep attacking strategically!"

Lisbeth nodded and resumed her attacks, being joined by Silica.

Everyone watched as the Skull Reaper began to run across the platform, away from Leafa, Lisbeth, and Silica. It was flailing wildly, growling furiously, obviously being overwhelmed by the amount of attacks that it was receiving. Several other players continued to attack it, which caused it to stumble towards the edge of the platform, failing to notice the strategy they were implementing as it tried retaliating. Seizing a chance, Kirito tried leaping up, intending to land a good blow on it. However, it spotted him and swung one of its arms forward, striking Kirito hard in the torso and sending him flying backward.

"KIRITO-KUN!" Asuna shrieked.

"DADDY!" screamed Yui.

"ONII-CHAN!" Leafa screeched, the most horrified out of everyone.

Leafa, Asuna, Yui, Klein, Agil, Lisbeth, Silica, and Sinon all watched as Kirito's body flew over the edge, his HP bar steadily falling by the minute.

Leafa's eyes widened as she watched the way Kirito's body was falling, so limply, so hopelessly, before vanishing out of sight. It reminded her of...

An image of a familiar body, falling gracefully through the air, flashed across her mind...

Growling, feeling a new form of anger rising within her, blinding and burning, Leafa let out a roar as she dashed towards the Skull Reaper as it knocked all of its assailants away, reducing them to shards; she leaped up and continued striking it repeatedly, causing it to move backward, earsplitting roars filling the air.

"DIE, YOU MONSTER, **DIE**!" she screeched. "DIE, DIE, **DIE**!"

The Skull Reaper roared again, then suddenly charged forward, one of its bladed arms raised, glinting in the air. However, Leafa managed to dodge it, and as it swung past her, she brought her sword down on it with force, severing it. The loud roar that followed nearly blew out her eardrums. However, she ignored the pain it was suffering and resumed her attack, still feeling the anger as it overwhelmed her. Each successful strike was rewarded with a sense of satisfaction.

_"Gotta kill it, gotta kill it, gotta kill it!"_ Leafa thought, her mind starting to spin. _"Can't let it kill again! Can't let the same thing happen a third time..."_

Suddenly, she stopped attacking as a memory completely took over her.

**_"You know, Sugu, I'm glad I have a friend like you. I don't know what I'd do without you."_**

**_"I...I'm glad you're my friend too."_**

Split-seconds later, Leafa felt something sharp pierce across her stomach, a horrifying, searing pain accompanying it. The force of this new attack sent her flying backward. Leafa felt the wind brush against her face, then a new pain as she landed hard on the floor of the platform and tumbled across it. Groaning, hearing Asuna, Lisbeth, and Silica's distant voices of concern, Leafa weakly stood up and saw a deep red gash on her stomach.

She then looked behind her and saw that she was inches close to falling off the edge.

"LEAFA-CHAN!" Asuna called in distress. "LOOK OUT! IN FRONT OF YOU!"

Gasping, Leafa looked in front of her and saw the Skull Reaper charging for her, a bloodcurdling roar emerging from its mandible-like mouth.

Her eyes widened in horror; she couldn't find a way to retreat...

She then heard a familiar scream, followed by a blur of black speeding past her. The Skull Reaper snapped backward again, the same bladed arm, now severed, flying in the air. Then, Leafa watched as Kirito continued slashing and stabbing at the Boss with his sword, grunting and growling aggressively with every strike he made. His HP bar was red, close to oblivion. Immediately, Klein and Agil joined him in attacking the Skull Reaper to force it off the edge.

Leafa stood up and heard Asuna chant, **"Þú fylla heill austr."**

Watching as her HP bar rose back to full health, with the gash on her stomach disappearing simultaneously, she glanced at Asuna and nodded.

"Thanks, Asuna!" she called.

"Sure thing, Leafa-chan!" replied Asuna before focusing on the Skull Reaper and joining Kirito, Klein, and Agil in combat.

Leafa watched the four fight the Boss, wondering what she could do to help. She then focused on the Skull Reaper's legs and saw that they were just close to the edge. Smiling in triumph, she ran forward and slashed at them, even severing some. The Skull Reaper stumbled backward... It was close...

The Skull Reaper noticed what she was doing and bent down towards her, its two good eyes flashing as it ignored Kirito, Asuna, Klein, and Agil.

"SUGU!" Kirito screamed.

Leafa looked up and gasped in horror upon seeing the Skull Reaper's face coming towards her. She instinctively raised up her sword and watched as the blade pierced through one of its two good eyes. Another roar of pain emerged from its mouth, and its face snapped backward, bringing a screaming Leafa with it.

"SUGU!" shouted Kirito. "LET GO!"

Leafa nodded and released her grip on the sword, landing on the Skull Reaper's face. At that moment, she heard cracking noises.

"O-Onii-chan?" she asked.

Kirito looked at the ground the Skull Reaper was standing on, and his eyes widened: it was crumbling underneath it, unable to support the weight any longer.

"SUGU, GET OFF THAT THING RIGHT NOW!" he called in desperation.

Recognizing her brother's tone, Leafa took her sword out of the Skull Reaper's eye and prepared to jump off it when the Boss shook, knocking her down. Trying to get up, Leafa was only brought down on the Skull Reaper's head again when it shook again. A second later, she heard Kirito and Asuna's voices.

"SUGU!"

"LEAFA-CHAN!"

Seconds later, she felt herself and the Skull Reaper descending rapidly. Realizing that the ground gave way, Leafa prepared to fly when...

"AGH!" she grunted as she felt one of the Boss's legs stab her in the back. Breaking free, she tried to fly again, only to find that she was immobilized.

_"W-_What_?"_ she thought as she felt herself falling limply, unable to do anything. _"Is this..._paralysis_?"_

Her limp body immediately slipped off the Skull Reaper, and she watched as the Boss plunged into the darkness below, continuing to howl. Once it disappeared and the howls stopped, Leafa closed her eyes, in anticipation of the darkness catching her as well and killing her avatar. After all, there was no harm in dying in this game. She'd just find herself back in her bedroom, being able to log back in with her avatar, good as new. And yet...

...This reminded her of...

A pair of arms caught her, and she felt herself being lifted up into the air.

Unable to move her head, Leafa merely moved her eyes, and through the corner of one eye, she identified the black coat her rescuer was wearing.

"Don't worry, Sugu," Kirito's voice said. "I've got you."

Leafa smiled and closed her eyes in relief. _"Thank you...Onii-chan..."_

* * *

**Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters  
Office of Assistant Inspector Okahito Igarashi  
The real world**

Igarashi tapped his chin with his black pen absentmindedly as he read one of the files given to him by Kikuoka. It was a personal history documentation of one of the employees of AO Tech, just as all of the files were, in order to provide all of the background needed to understand the case. This file was focused on the leader of the perceived operation, Stephen Sanderson, whose history intrigued him the most out of the others.

"Born in Tokyo, raised in America," read Igarashi, his eyes narrowing with seriousness. "Completed his education two years early, graduating summa cum laude from the California Institute of Technology. Held many different jobs before being hired by AO Tech as a mail deliveryman, but rose quickly to the rank of director of the company's research institute. Parents died in a car accident four years ago. Has no next of kin. Legal guardian is listed as one Randall Andrews, AO Tech CEO and co-founder." He looked at a picture of Stephen, then exhaled sharply. "If this operation _was_ existent, then he'd be perfect to lead it."

Someone knocked on the door of his office thrice. Not looking up from the file, Igarashi replied, "Come in."

The door opened, revealing Igarashi's inferior, Sergeant Izumi Higoshi.

"Igarashi-sensei," Higoshi greeted.

"Have any important information for me, Higoshi-san?" asked Igarashi immediately, still not looking up.

"We might've just dug up some dirt from this case."

Igarashi finally looked up, his interest piqued. "What kind of dirt?"

"We've looked into the first three days of this so-called business trip by these AO employees, and each day, there has been a suspicious death."

"Three deaths. How are they all related to AO?"

"They all worked in the research institute of RECTO Progress, Inc. And here's this, the person who died on the third day is the institute's director."

Igarashi's eyes widened when it instantly hit him. "Nobuyuki Sugou. He died after a volunteer chef poisoned his food while trying to kill another inmate."

"But the guy repeatedly made claims that he was innocent, even though he had a good reason to kill his true target."

Igarashi rubbed his chin with his index finger, feeling the dots starting to connect. "Sugou had planned to sell his research to AO Tech, according to a confession made by one of his employees. But no physical evidence connecting all his research to AO Tech was found, and through a whole bunch of legal matters that the company managed to pull out of their pockets, they were let go. But the American government had a lasting suspicion about that..."

"And get this," continued Higoshi, "before his death, he was visited by someone whose records verified him as his estranged half-brother."

"But Sugou didn't have any siblings, let alone any half-siblings," Igarashi replied.

"Yet the prison staff fell for it. And security footage caught Sugou's visitor."

Higoshi handed Igarashi a photo, which he took and examined. His eyes widened upon recognizing the person as...

"Stephen Sanderson. But his files indicate that he's got no other relatives outside of his late parents."

"Any of this little visit seem suspicious to you?"

"Damn right it is. Did you manage to find out why Sanderson visited Sugou?"

"Nope, but according to prison guards, the visit lasted for ten minutes."

Igarashi narrowed his eyes in suspicion and turned around in his revolving chair, facing out of his window. He sighed sharply.

"Anyone can talk about anything in ten minutes," he remarked. "Whatever was exchanged between them, it must've been important enough for Sanderson to then orchestrate Sugou's death." He raised his head for a fraction of an inch. "Who was the chef arrested for Sugou's death?"

Higoshi checked the file she was holding. "Uh, a high-school student named Takayoshi Asahara."

"How the hell does a kid like him get a job as a chef at a prison for high-profile criminals?"

"He got the job through a new volunteer program the prison was offering to high schools in the area. He was one of the few who actually signed up for it."

"Find him, interrogate him," replied Igarashi. "A murder orchestrated with this amount of efficiency and organization means there was a good reason Takayoshi Asahara was set up as the perfect fall guy for this death. Is that all the information you've got for me, Higoshi-san?"

"That is all, Igarashi-sensei," Higoshi said as she left the office.

Now left to brood in silence, Igarashi narrowed his eyes as he looked down at a photo of Stephen Sanderson, which was included in the file of him.

_"What in the world are you up to?"_ he thought.

* * *

**75th Floor Boss Level  
****New Aincrad**

"I never knew the Skull Reaper was able to inflict Paralysis," Asuna said as she cured Leafa of the status effect.

"In the original Aincrad, it didn't have that ability," replied Kirito. "I guess this is New Aincrad's way of changing up the Skull Reaper."

"ALRIGHT!" someone shouted. "WE DID IT, WE CLEARED THE BOSS LEVEL!"

Everyone looked up and saw the familiar holographic 'Congratulations' banner appear in the air, announcing the party's triumphant victory. Cheers immediately broke out from the party, and some even took this time to rush towards the doorway that led into the 75th Floor. Kirito, Leafa, Asuna, and the others watched as the doorway opened, bathing the players in a brilliant, shining light. Kirito unconsciously let out a sigh of relief, just before he felt someone grab his hand.

"Wanna see the 76th Floor, Kirito-kun?" Asuna whispered into his ear.

He smiled in response. "You betcha. Come on, guys. Let's see what the 76th Floor looks like!"

Kirito and Asuna burst into a run, followed by the others. Just then, Kirito felt the same unnatural presence again and stopped.

"Kirito?" Asuna asked, stopping as well. "Kirito, what's wrong?"

Kirito didn't respond. Instead, he instinctively looked behind him, and his eyes widened in horror.

It was the Undine again, standing from a distance. However, before he could say anything, she immediately logged out.

"Kirito!" shouted Asuna, catching his attention. "Really, what's _wrong_ with you?! You're acting really strangely and it's bothering me!"

"I-I...I...It's just...I..." Kirito then sighed in defeat. "Oh, never mind. You wouldn't believe me anyway..."

It was silent for a moment. Then, Kirito heard Yui pipe, "Daddy?"

"Yes, Yui-chan?" replied Kirito.

"Compared to a complex firewall system, that Boss is just a pushover. It definitely didn't scare me."

* * *

**North Sargron, 76th Floor Main Settlement  
New Aincrad**

Upon first sight, the city of Sargron was possibly one of the largest main settlements anyone had ever seen on a Floor in recent years, seemingly even rivaling the respective sizes of Starting City and Algade. It was also presently the most unique out of them all: built on top of a ring-shaped island, the sprawling urban city occupied the northern and southern areas of the island, while the western and eastern areas hosted deserted and lifeless battlegrounds that still held the skeletons of those who fought in what was said to be a civil war. As a result, the divided city halves were referred to as North Sargron and South Sargron.

North Sargron could be considered an architectural might to behold. It boasted large, multistory buildings of magnificent design; cobblestone walkways; marble staircases; and a wide central plaza with trees, an intricate fountain located at the center of it, and a clock tower that stood behind said fountain.

In contrast, South Sargron was more rundown and seemingly downtrodden. Its buildings were more poorer in design and with less stories, its walkways were more rough and disorganized with the cobblestone patterns, and vegetation had grown over the simplistic central plaza and its clock tower.

Both of Sargron's halves were connected by long bridges that led to a smaller island that was located in the middle of the main island's lagoon. This island held Sargron's Teleport Gate Plaza, which was situated in the middle of a large and well-designed palace of marble.

In North Sargron, Kirito sighed as he sat in the plaza, alone. He immediately began asking the other members of the clearing party, especially other Undines, in hopes of getting any information about the strange Undine. However, after spending several hours of playing trying to accomplish this task, he bore no fruit.

"Are you _sure_ you're not just imagining this Undine, Kirito-san?" Lisbeth asked as she approached Kirito, having just explored the nearby marketplace.

"I can't just imagine having a conversation with an Undine who then logs out," replied Kirito with an irritated tone. "There's something weird going on..."

Lisbeth crossed her arms. "Weird. As in how?"

Kirito looked away, distant. "How come we couldn't find her on the map? And moreover, how come _I'm_ the only one who can see her and not anyone else?"

At the corner of his eye, he saw Lisbeth suppress a giggle and then mutter something to herself. He flicked his head at her, wearing an annoyed expression.

"Oh, what's so funny?" he asked.

"Nothing," replied Lisbeth teasingly.

Then, to her surprise, Kirito's eyes widened in realization, and he abruptly stood up and marched towards her. There was a flame of rage alive in his eyes.

"I'm. Not. Crazy!" he snarled. "I _know_ I saw that Undine!"

"Okay, okay!" exclaimed Lisbeth in response, alarmed by his behavior. "You saw a strange Undine! You're not crazy!"

To her relief, Kirito's furious expression vanished. Apparently realizing what he had done to scare Lisbeth, he took a couple of steps backward. Then, he silently walked away, hands tucked in the pockets of his coat. He passed Leafa, who tried to tell him something, but he was too absorbed in his own thoughts to even notice her. Watching him in concern, Lisbeth didn't sense Silica come up to her side, Pina perched on her shoulder.

"What happened?" she asked abruptly.

"AGH!" Lisbeth screamed, startled. "Silica-chan! Don't sneak up one me like that!"

"Sorry!" Silica glanced after Kirito, her eyes softening. "So...what happened?"

Lisbeth followed Silica's gaze and sighed softly. "He's really taking that invisible Undine business quite seriously. It's...It's actually becoming _worrisome_ for me..."

"Don't worry, Lisbeth-san," replied Silica, looking at her friend and smiling brightly. "Kirito will solve this problem soon, and everything will be just fine!"

Lisbeth looked back at her and smiled as well. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

* * *

Kirito looked up at the sky as he walked down one of North Sargron's cobblestone walkways. Because the 76th Floor had just been unlocked, the players who were frequenting the lower Floors had yet to flood into Sargron. As a result, the main settlement was currently populated with mostly NPC characters, allowing him to muse about the current predicament that was in his hands. And it was quite a predicament he was facing. His friends were now thinking he was crazy!

"I really need to get to the bottom of this," he whispered to himself. "There's no way I could be imagining that. No, it's just too real, too complex for it to be so."

_**"Better watch yourself. Stick close to those you care about."**_

_"Watch myself?"_ he thought. _"Stick close to..."_

A feeling of dread washed over him as he looked around, examining his surroundings. He realized that he was alone, standing in a silent area of the city.

There were no other players to defend him, not even a single NPC. It was the perfect place to set an ambush...

Gulping, Kirito turned around to head back to his friends when...

"I _finally_ found ya, ya little punk..."

Kirito twirled around and saw Sadler reaching for him, his other hand holding a large, menacing sword. His eyes widened in terror.

"And this time, ya don't have your friends to protect ya!" snarled Sadler as he grabbed Kirito's coat. "Now, I'm gonna get my well-earned payback-"

Before he could strike with his sword, Kirito took out his own sword and blocked the attack. Growling, Sadler slashed at Kirito again, only for him to duck out of the way and stab him in the leg. Howling in pain, Sadler released his grip on Kirito's coat, allowing Kirito to get at a considerable distance from him.

"Goddamn it," Sadler growled as he looked at his diminished HP. "You nearly got to my HP to the yellow zone with one stab to the leg?" He grinned sadistically. "That must mean you have a higher level than me, then. All the more enjoyable for me to totally kill your ass."

"You're gonna battle me even if I have a way higher level than you?" asked Kirito, an eyebrow raised. "You must have a lotta guts if you think you can win."

"No, I don't _think_ I can win. I _know_ I will win. Now, prepare to d- **AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!**"

A blade had suddenly pierced through his chest-plate. Kirito gasped in shock, watching as Sadler's HP was immediately reduced to zero, followed seconds later with him exploding into hundreds of shards, revealing the player who defeated him. Kirito instantly recognized the all-blue clothing, and his eyes narrowed.

"YOU!" he shouted.

The player immediately turned away before he could clearly see her face. "You're welcome," she replied.

"What do you think you're doing, watching me and stalking me around like that?!"

"I'm watching your back, something that you're obviously failing at."

Kirito blinked, then snarled angrily, "Okay, look, for your information, I can handle myself completely well. I would've defeated that guy in a matter of seconds if you hadn't come in. And..." He bit his lip in frustration; this player definitely bothered him for some strange reason. "And... Okay, can you just...just turn around, please? Would it really hurt the both of us if I just saw your face?" To his dismay, the player was silent. "Well?"

"I'd rather not."

"And why not?"

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. He instinctively glanced at the player's HP bar in hopes of finding her name on it...only to see that there was no HP bar.

_"No HP bar?"_ he thought. _"But...But the way she disappeared... NPCs don't even disappear..."_

"Who are you, really?" he asked.

"Remember my warning," the player replied simply.

_**"Better watch yourself. Stick close to those you care about."**_

"Why? How can I even trust you?! All you've been doing is watching me and giving me cryptic stuff and it's freaking me out! I need to know what your game is!"

"You're gonna need it."

"Why am I gonna need it?!"

The player was strangely silent, and it unsettled Kirito for some strange reason. Then, he watched as she quickly activated her profile menu. Realizing what she was planning on doing, he charged forward as fast as he can. There was no way he was gonna let her go again, not when he needed to know the answers.

Unfortunately, she was too far from him, and too quick: by the time he reached her, she had already logged out.

"No, not again!" Kirito shouted, stomping his foot onto the ground in frustration. "What in the world is going on?!"

* * *

**Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters  
Office of Assistant Inspector Okahito Igarashi  
The real world**

Igarashi had finished reading all of the files given by Kikuoka when Kentaro quickly entered his office.

"Igarashi-san," he said urgently.

Recognizing his superior's tone, Igarashi turned around in his chair. "What is it, Kentaro-sama?" he asked.

"Surveillance of the AO Tech guys turned up something important."

"The name of a potential target?"

"Even better. It's not a potential target, it's _the_ target."

Igarashi's attention was piqued.

* * *

**North Sargron, 76th Floor Main Settlement  
New Aincrad**

"Hey, Lisbeth, Silica," Leafa greeted, approaching the two. "I'm gonna have to log out. I'm gonna prepare dinner for Onii-chan and myself."

"Alright. See ya, Leafa-san!" replied Silica as Leafa quickly logged out.

* * *

**Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters  
Office of Assistant Inspector Okahito Igarashi  
The real world**

"You have a target?" asked Igarashi. "What's the name of the target?"

"The VRMMORPG they seem to be focused on, out of everything else," replied Kentaro, "is _ALfheim Online_."

* * *

**Unknown location**

"The target has logged out, boss," one of Stephen's accomplices said as he typed away on a laptop. "Consciousness rerouting is currently in motion."

"Excellent work, men," Stephen replied, grinning in satisfaction. "Now, onward with the next phase of our experiment."

His four accomplices all nodded before quickly packing up what equipment they had and then left the room, leaving Stephen alone. He silently glanced towards a bed that was occupied; lying on it was Suguha Kirigaya, her still and unconscious form illuminated by the bright moonlight that shone through a window. Her AmuSphere unit obscured her closed eyes as the green LED light indicating its activity suddenly turned into a shade of orange, signifying an external change.

His grin widening, Stephen leaned forward and lifted strands of Suguha's hair using his index finger before letting them fall. Then, he leaned closer to her ear.

"Sleep soundly, Suguha," he whispered, "and have pleasant dreams tonight. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow."

Stephen stood up, left the room, and stepped into a hallway. Passing by a door, he stopped for a moment and looked at it, still smiling.

"Enjoy your next quest, Kazuto," he said, "for it'll be your best. I'm gonna personally enjoy playing this game with you."

He then quickly left the Kirigaya household and got inside a black van that was waiting for him. It drove away, just mere seconds before Midori Kirigaya arrived.

* * *

**Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters  
Office of Assistant Inspector Okahito Igarashi**

"_ALfheim Online_?" repeated Igarashi.

Kentaro nodded and prepared to say something else when Higoshi hastily entered the office. Both men knew from her expression that something went wrong.

"We just got an emergency call," she said. "An _ALfheim Online_ player has been rendered into a comatose state." She glanced at the file she was holding. "The details of the player's condition sound...disturbingly similar to the conditions of the victims of the Death Game."

Igarashi stood up abruptly. "Where'd the emergency call originate?" he asked.

"Nishitōkyō," replied Higoshi.

Igarashi immediately grabbed his coat. "We're going to Nishitōkyō."

* * *

**NEXT TIME ON "A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD"**

**Suguha:** I'll be waiting for you when you finally return home, Onii-chan.

**Unknown:** I should never have let you play that game!

**Nurse:** Oh, is this yours?

**Midori:** Oh, so apparently work is more important than our son, huh?

**Minetaka:** I'll return to Japan as soon as I can, I promise!

**Midori:** When the time comes, you and Kazuto-kun will come around to love each other again.

**Serena:** Be there for him, and he'll know you're there. Just try your best, Sachi-chan...

**Suguha:** _"__This can't possibly mean that I'm _happy_, does it? ...Then...what am I _feeling_?..."_

**Chapter 2: Back in the Day**

* * *

**A/N:** It sounds like Suguha's got herself in some serious trouble, but what kind of trouble exactly? And who, by any chance, is that mysterious Undine stalking Kirito? Answers will be revealed in later chapters (obviously), so stay tuned for ultimate, shocking reveals!

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**Marissa Flynn:** Man, are you stalking me or what? :P Glad to see a familiar name in my review box! Hopefully you enjoy the story as it goes along! :D

**InvisableTarget:** It'll go somewhere exciting, I assure you! Just stay tuned.

Only two people reviewed the chapter? Hm, not what I expected (and that's a bit of a bad thing, for I had slightly higher expectations). Hopefully that changes eventually; I honestly don't expect impressive numbers. After all, I am dealing with Suguha/Leafa as a main character, and I hear she's unpopular with most of the fanbase (if that's an incorrect assumption, please forgive me for the flub). Plus, I think you'll notice that the Kirito/Asuna, everyone's beloved SAO pairing, is minimal at best, and a bit poorly written, IMO. But I'm still excited for this story; the plot's already been laid out for me and it is looking good in my eyes. :D

Well, hope you enjoyed this new chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	3. M: Back in the Day

**A/N:** Alright everyone, at this point, the story will branch off into two sections: "Memory" (M) and "Heart" (H). (Actually, this format had already started with the previous chapter, but whatever.) Okay, let me explain these two sections:

The "Memory" or M section will obviously be set in an earlier time, specifically in the years 2022 and 2023, during the first several months of the SAO Incident. It will all be chronicled through the eyes of Suguha herself, since I feel that what she does while Kazuto's trapped in SAO is something that desperately should've been covered somewhere in the LN or other material. Anyway, why this section is needed, I cannot say yet, otherwise it'll provide major spoilers.

The "Heart" or H section will be set in the main timeline, where we follow the investigation into Suguha's condition and why AO Tech is targeting Kazuto. Why I called this section "Identity" instead of something else is something I cannot spoil either, since it's too big of a reveal.

I will alternate between the two sections; first I'll do a "Memory", then "Identity", then "Memory", then "Identity", and again and again until we reach the end of the story. Why I wish to do it this way, I cannot say. Spoilers.

Okay, enough rambling! Onto the next chapter. ENJOY!

* * *

**CHAPTER 2: BACK IN THE DAY**

* * *

**Bedroom of Suguha Kirigaya  
Kirigaya Household  
November 12, 2022**

**Four years previously**

_"Can't sleep. I just can't sleep."_

That was the first thought that came to the mind of thirteen-year-old Suguha Kirigaya. She couldn't sleep, no matter how hard she tried to do so. After her tired eyelids jumped open, seemingly almost on their own accord, for the umpteenth time, she merely decided to simply give up on her quest for a tranquil sleep and brood about the recent events. Almost a week had passed ever since it became crystal clear to the entire world that _Sword Art Online_, the new video game that her older brother Kazuto (and everyone else in Japan, for that matter) had been crazy about, was more than just a unique, groundbreaking, and revolutionary video game for its 10,000 or so players. No, it wasn't, not by a long shot. It was actually a game of life or death.

And the death was definitely _real_.

The last time she checked the news (she was surprised she still did, considering her mental trauma), the death toll of the Death Game, as media channels now liked calling it, was close to reaching 500. Japan was at a complete standstill, paralyzed with shock and horror, as was the rest of the world.

But for Suguha, it was more than that. Her life wasn't at a standstill; it was _destroyed_, annihilated, obliterated to the deepest depths of Hell.

_"Kazuto..."_ she thought. _"_Onii-chan_..."_

She tried closing her eyes again, although she subconsciously knew her latest attempt at sleeping would fail.

* * *

**SAO Incident Victims Ward  
Chiyoda Hospital  
November 13, 2022**

_DING!_

The sudden sound caused Suguha to wake up from her brief slumber. The lack of sleep definitely did wonders to her that day. She watched as the doors to the elevator she was in slid open to reveal a busy hospital floor, with doctors and nurses scurrying down the hallways from left to right, overwhelmed by the loss of a patient's life that occurred by each and every single minute. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before in her life.

"Come on, Suguha."

The pained, tight, wooden voice of her mother Midori barely reached through to her consciousness, as if it were instead spoken from a far distance. Regardless, Suguha soon found herself trailing a bit far behind as the two walked over to Kazuto's new room. Just a couple of days ago, the last of the unfortunate players who were trapped in SAO (Kazuto included) were successfully moved into the nearest area hospitals. As a result, the two females, rather overwhelmed by the combination of confusion and grief of the recent events, still had yet to remember where Kazuto's room was located.

As she passed the hospital rooms, Suguha could hear a high-pitched ringing that was coming closer with each step she took. She passed yet another hospital room, where the ringing was at its loudest; she took a glance inside as she passed by...and saw the worst sight of her life.

A bedridden boy, appearing to be younger than her, looking surprisingly tranquil in his sleep, with red blood trickling from his nostrils. A doctor shaking his head while he unsuccessfully tried to keep his own personal emotions at bay. Two other older people, no doubt the parents of the player, letting out loud, agonizing screams of pain and suffering, unlike any other, their denial of this horrifying loss blending with the loud ringing of the heart monitor, creating a dark cacophony of misery and despair. And, worst of all, a young girl, five or six years old, her face buried in her mother's skirt, suppressing her sobs.

Suguha desperately wanted to vomit. It was all becoming way too much for her.

Finally, after several minutes of wandering, Midori and Suguha were able to find Kazuto's room. Entering, Suguha let out a sigh of relief when she saw that her brother was still lying on his bed, with no blood flowing out of his nose, no loud ringing of the heart monitor.

But how long till then?... How long?...

_**"Hey, I'm off to practice now! See ya later, okay?"**_

The words replayed themselves in her head like a broken recorder as she sat down at Kazuto's bedside, looking at his tranquil face. She bit her trembling lip.

_**"Hey, I'm off to practice now! See ya later, okay?"**_

Suguha clenched her fists, the anger and frustration, all directed at herself rising up in her, welling up and threatening to blow up at any moment. Why, oh _why_ couldn't she have said something way better than that? Like that she loved him so much? That he was the greatest bigger brother a girl could ask for? That he meant a whole lot to her, and that to lose him would practically kill her? But instead, she just HAD to foul all of that up with those boring, under-average words!

_**"Hey, I'm off to practice now! See ya later, okay?"**_

She wanted to hit herself, hopefully beat herself to death.

Then, Suguha glanced at her mother, who was trying to maintain her composure as she looked at Kazuto's form. However, she was failing, with tears cascading down her cheeks, her lip continuing to tremble even after she bit it to stop it from doing so...her entire body trembling... She had never seen her mother in this kind of state before, and now that she was seeing it from her very own eyes, it was admittedly a frightening sight.

That was when Suguha knew that she could not just lash out at herself, not while her mother was already in a much worse emotional state than her and would likely break down if anything else happened. No. She needed to be strong, for her mother's sake. That's what Kazuto would've wanted her to do.

She heard the door open, followed by a couple of footsteps that then stopped abruptly.

"Uhhhhh..."

Suguha and Midori looked behind them and saw a teenage boy, almost a young man, standing at the doorway. He was wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt and dark-blue jeans, and had unkempt light-brown hair and hazel eyes that were shimmering, no doubt with tears of grief and confusion.

"Uhhh... Um..." the boy stuttered. "Is, uh, is this... Um..." He then looked at the door, inspecting its number. Then, his eyes widened. "I'm sorry, wrong room..."

The boy then ran out of the room and down the hallway as if his very life depended on it, leaving behind a puzzled Suguha.

However, the awkward moment didn't interfere with the tone of the visit, with the remainder of it being spent in complete silence as Suguha and Midori merely gazed at Kazuto. Finally, after a couple of hours, Midori silently stood up and left the room, too caught up in grief to notice that Suguha remained.

Continuing to stare at her older brother, she could remember that the only time Kazuto left his room on that fateful day was when he went outside to get that SAO game he ordered online. During that time, she didn't even try to chat him up; she knew that it was an important day for him and she'd rather not interfere.

But now...

_**"Hey, I'm off to practice now! See ya later, okay?"**_

Those were the only words she spoke to him that day. She didn't even have eye contact with him when she spoke. It was just thin air, all that remained of that special friendship they once maintained when they were younger. A friendship that ended for no reason four years ago.

_**"Hey, I'm off to practice now! See ya later, okay?"**_

_"That wasn't good enough. It should've been... Now look where that got me. ..._Us_... Good job, Suguha. Good job..."_

Finally noticing that Midori had left, too caught up in her grief to announce it, Suguha stood up, took one last look at Kazuto, and took in a deep breath.

"Kazuto," she said, "...Onii-chan...if you can hear me, by any chance, it's me, Sugu. I just wanted you to know that...that I love you, and you're the best brother I could possibly ask for, one any other girl would sacrifice life and limb for. And you have no idea how happy, and how _proud_ that fact makes me. Just...Just hang in there, okay? Survive this...Death Game, and get out of it alive. Be strong; that's all I ask from you. Be strong. For me.

"I'll be waiting for you when you finally return home, Onii-chan. Goodbye."

_"Not that great. ...But it was good enough."_

Then, she turned around and left the room, droplets of tears flying in the air.

Upon entering the hallway, Suguha looked around and spotted her mother standing farther down the hallway, waiting for the elevator to open up; she seemed too caught up in grief to notice her daughter wasn't with her. Suguha burst into a small run, trying to catch up with her. As she did, she passed a hospital room.

"I should never have let you play that game!" a voice sobbed, stricken with painful agony. The voice sounded familiar...

Stopping and returning to that room, Suguha instinctively peeked inside, instantly feeling bad for invading someone else's privacy, but it was too late for that.

Her suspicions were correct. It was the same boy who mistook Kazuto's room for the one that held the person he was visiting. He was sitting at the bedside of that person, although Suguha wasn't able to see who it was, since there was a drawn hospital curtain that blocked the comatose person's face from view. The boy's face was buried in the patient's blanket, muffling his sobs, said blanket being stained with his tears, as he held the person's hand tightly in his own.

"I shouldn't have let you..." the boy moaned. "It should've been me... It _should've been_... Now look where that got me! ..._Us_... Agh!"

Suguha's eyes softened, and she tightened her lips. Looks like she wasn't the only one with regrets. Not by a long shot.

_"I know how you feel..."_ she thought. _"It _does _hurt..."_

Knowing that she invaded their privacy too much, she left. She didn't know that the boy looked up a split-second afterward, sensing her presence.

* * *

**Outside Chiyoda Hospital**

As Midori and Suguha approached the family car, the latter gasped when she realized that she left behind the kendo equipment she had with her at the time of the visit. She remembered setting it down at Kazuto's bedside, but she undoubtedly forgot all about it in her preoccupation.

"Mom, I need to go back to the hospital," she said. "I forgot my kendo equipment."

"Sure, go on ahead..." replied Midori distantly.

Nodding, Suguha walked back inside the hospital and approached the elevator. Before she could press the navigation button, the doors already slid open.

The first thing she saw was the bag containing her kendo equipment. Noticing the arms that were holding it, Suguha looked further upward and saw blue eyes and a loose, short strand of black hair that fell down a nice, smooth face, which was adorned by a small, kind smile.

"Oh, is this yours?" the nurse asked.

Suguha nodded in response and took the equipment from her. "Thank you."

The nurse smiled and replied, "Oh, you're welcome, Sugu." When Suguha looked up at her in confusion, she added, "The name-tag on your bag, I saw it."

"Oh...okay."

However, Suguha had an eyebrow raised. Sensing what she was thinking, the nurse replied, "I didn't go through your stuff, if that's what you're thinking."

"Oh, I wasn't thinking about that. It's just...the way you said it...reminds me of someone."

"Oh." The nurse's eyes softened, and Suguha could sense she was deeply thinking about something. She couldn't help but feel intrigued by the way the nurse seemed to look at her. Then, the woman snapped out of her trance and added, "Well, you should probably get back to whoever took you here."

"Oh, okay. Well, thank you again, nurse."

"You're welcome, Sugu. Hope to, uh, see you again."

Suguha nodded and immediately left. As she did, she took one last look back at the nurse, who was waving at her before approaching the reception desk. The young girl couldn't help but have a strange feeling about that nurse, something that continued to stick to her mind as she returned to the family car.

Meanwhile, the nurse, still watching Suguha go, began to stutter, evidently unconsciously.

"S-S-Sa..."

* * *

**Bedroom of Suguha Kirigaya  
****Kirigaya Household  
****Later that night**

**"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"**

Suguha screamed as she sat up on her bed, her mind reeling with memories of the nightmare she just had. She could especially remember entering the room of Kazuto, only to see blood trickling out of his nose, mouth, and even eyes, the ringing of the heart-monitoring device monotonous and eerie as it pierced the air. Upon realizing that she was back in her bedroom, she began panting, feeling the hot beads of sweat that were dripping down her face and neck.

Feeling extremely thirsty, she got out of bed and walked out of her bedroom. Before going down the stairs, Suguha glanced at the doorway leading to Kazuto's bedroom. She remembered coming home from practice and turning on the TV, fortunately landing on a news channel making a breaking-news report about the SAO incident. She didn't know what would've happened if she didn't turn on the TV and instead went up to check on Kazuto, not knowing what had happened.

...What would've happened if she had tried to forcibly remove that NerveGear helmet...

Shaking her head to clear it of those thoughts, Suguha continued her trek downstairs. As she did, she noticed that the kitchen lights were already on.

Then, she could hear Midori screaming angrily.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO FLY BACK HERE?!"

Intrigued, Suguha stepped onto the first floor of the house, inched herself against a wall, and took a peek as she soon as she reached the end of it. She could see her mother talking on the telephone, and she didn't look too satisfied. Tears were streaming down her puffed, red cheeks, and her eyes were red as well.

"Oh, so apparently work is more important than our son, huh?" she snarled through clenched teeth, the tone of her voice relentless.

Suguha's eyes widened in surprise...and with a hint of horror. She knew who her mother was talking to, and this was the first time she actually heard her use a tone as infuriated and harsh as right now against the man she always looked up to. Gulping, she began to regret eavesdropping on the conversation.

"Yeah, if you really cared," Midori continued, "then you would've just hopped onto the first airplane back to Japan the moment you heard the news! To hell with work; this is _Kazuto-kun_ we're talking about, Minetaka! How could you possibly just cast these horrors aside in favor of your damn job?!" A brief silence. "Oh, so I'm not any better, huh? At least I was THERE for the kids whenever they needed me. You, you're hundreds of miles away, with a single phone call impossible!"

More silence. Then, "YOU TAKE THAT **BACK**, MINETAKA KIRIGAYA! HOW THE HELL COULD HAVE I SEEN THIS COMING?! KAZUTO LOVED THAT GAME TO DEATH, AND I COULDN'T HAVE JUST-" She abruptly broke off for a moment. Then, her tone became even more vicious. "You. Take. That. **BACK**. Minetaka. Kirigaya."

A longer period of silence followed, allowing Suguha enough time to contemplate the situation. Her parents...her beloved parents...were actually _arguing_. Over Kazuto, of all things. This was the first time she actually _heard_ them have this kind of heated exchange. It was so disheartening. She wanted to retreat back to the safety of her bedroom, block herself away from this madness and despair, but no, she couldn't. She was merely rooted to the spot, seemingly magnetized.

Midori finally continued speaking. "Don't you DARE hang up on me, Minetaka. Our son's life is at stake, and you have the NERVE to just give me this crap! D'you even know how many people are dead as we speak, how many people are _dying_ right now? We just got to 550 dead, and it's just been a week!" Again, a brief silence. "Lucky? _Lucky_?! How could you give me such an ATTITUDE, Minetaka?! Kazuto may have survived through the week, but how longer will that last?!"

Suguha felt the nausea creep up her body as soon as she heard her mother's logic. She knew she was right; who knows how long Kazuto could survive inside that Death Game? For all the Kirigaya family knew, it was just an aberrant stroke of luck that could lose its steam at any moment now, and the unthinkable, yet undeniable, would certainly occur... No one even knew how long it'd take till someone could actually clear SAO, announced as the only key to freedom for those who were still trapped inside. After all, the participants of the SAO Closed Beta were only able to make it till the 10th Floor, was it? And there were 100 Floors...

Midori's scream completely shattered Suguha's current train of thought.

"IF YOU REALLY WANNA COME OVER TO BE THERE FOR KAZUTO, THEN WHY THE HELL AREN'T YOU **HERE**, THEN?!" Then came the final blow of the hammer. "You know, Minetaka, I now wonder if you just love this job more than you love me and the children. I...I-I am honestly REGRETTING marrying you now-"

Suguha's eyes widened, and she let out a loud gasp before she could stop herself. She knew that Midori heard it, for she didn't hear any movement...

"S-Suguha-chan?..."

"M-Mom..." Suguha moaned, her emotions overwhelming her. All this...Kazuto being bedridden, his chances of death high, and now a possible divorce between her parents... It was too much, just too much! All of this was making her dizzy, and she could barely hear what other words her mother was saying.

Stumbling out from her hiding place, she collapsed and vomited, the contents of her stomach spewing out all over the floor. She barely heard Midori gasp.

"SUGUHA-CHAN!" Dropping the phone, Midori rushed forward, helped her daughter up, and guided her over to the nearby sofa, where she set her down.

"Mom..." moaned Suguha, almost incomprehensibly as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. "_Please_...d-_don't_... I don't wanna lose Dad too..."

Realizing what she had done, Midori sat beside Suguha and hugged her tightly. "Oh, Suguha-chan!" she sobbed. "I am so sorry! I am SO sorry I said that! Oh, I promise you, Suguha-chan, I will NOT divorce Dad! I was just...too upset, that's all..." Midori immediately broke down. "I can't believe this is happening!"

"Me neither, Mom..." replied Suguha as she felt all of her stress leave her system. "Me neither..." Then, she noticed the phone. "M-Mom?"

"Yeah, Suguha-chan?"

"Can...Can I speak with Dad...if he's even there?..."

Midori was silent for a moment. "Sure, sweetie..." She picked up the phone and spoke into it. "Hello? Minetaka, are- ...Hey, Minetaka. Yeah, Suguha's okay. She wants to talk to you." Silence. Then, Midori sighed heavily and handed the phone over to Suguha. "Here, Suguha-chan."

Taking the phone, Suguha answered, "Daddy?"

"Suguha-chan," Minetaka's relieved voice replied, "I am _so_ sorry I wasn't there for you and Mom! ...For Kazuto-kun..."

"Dad, I know this job is important, but why aren't you coming back to Japan? Kazuto needs all of us to be there for him..."

"Suguha, you have no idea what requirements this job has..." She heard him sigh. "But I'll see what I can do. I'll return to Japan as soon as I can, I promise!"

"Promise?" replied Suguha.

"Pinkie promise," Minetaka said. Suguha couldn't help but crack a small smile; when she was younger, she and her father would make 'pinkie promises'.

And if she knew her father well, he would never break even one of their pinkie promises.

_"That's good..."_ she thought as she closed her eyes, breathing out a long sigh of relief. Then, she repeated out loud, to Minetaka, "That's good."

* * *

The rest of the phone call was short and to the point. Minetaka declared that he would try his level best to catch a flight back to Japan, even if it meant risking his job. Suguha knew from instinct that he was being sincere this time, speaking from the bottom of his heart. And now, she was sitting in the kitchen, drinking a small glass of milk as the remnants of her dizziness began to fade. Midori was sitting on the other side of the kitchen table, looking concerned.

"S-Suguha-chan?" Midori asked, reluctant to speak due to the high tension of the moment.

"Mom?..." Suguha replied, looking up at her.

Midori bit her lip before saying, "Just know that...that I didn't mean it when I said I regretted marrying Dad. I...I wasn't thinking straight... I was just so mad..."

"It's okay, Mom." The teenager briefly fell silent. "It's just, I never thought I'd hear you say that to Dad. You two were so close. I thought you guys never fight."

"Everyone fights from time to time, Suguha-chan. No one is exempt from that. Some just fight more frequently than others."

"Like Onii-chan and I..." whispered Suguha, but Midori heard what she said.

"Don't say that, honey. Deep down, your Onii-chan loves you. I know that as a fact, and as your mother."

Suguha looked up, her eyes shimmering. "Then why does he always act like a jerk to me?"

"I guess that is his way of showing that he loves you, Suguha-chan," replied Midori, smiling as she looked down at the table, absentminded. "I remember when my sister and I would always fight when we were your age." She chuckled fondly as she began reminiscing of past memories. "We'd be at each others' throats, and it'd sometimes be quite serious. But..." She looked up, her eyes shimmering as well. "Time passed, and we were the best of friends, all the way to the end. And the same will happen to you and Kazuto, Suguha-chan. As your mother and his mother, I know that from the bottom of my heart."

Suguha blinked in confusion. She noticed the abrupt transition Midori just made, from complete grief to bright optimism. To be honest, it kinda _scared_ her...

Her mother smiled. "When the time comes, you and Kazuto-kun will come around to love each other again."

* * *

**Kirigaya Household  
****November 14, 2022**

"I'm off to school, Mom!" Suguha called as she rushed to the front door, the straps of her backpack slung over her shoulders.

"Okay!" Midori's voice replied from the kitchen. "You be careful walking, kids!"

Suguha stopped her hand as it was just centimeters away from the doorknob. Glancing up at the kitchen, she could see Midori scrubbing the plates, humming a merry tune to herself, unaware of the mistake she made. Suguha then sighed, unlocked and opened the door, and stepped out of the house.

_"So I guess this is how it's gonna be..."_ she thought. _"I wonder where I'm gonna be in a week?..."_

Without saying a word, the teenage girl closed the door with a slow creak.

* * *

**Two Pan Marketplace  
********Nishitōkyō**, Japan  
November 20, 2022

Suguha sighed as she strolled around the aisles of the marketplace, searching for the foods that were listed on the checklist given by her mother. In just three more days, Labor Thanksgiving will be upon the Kirigaya family, and it will be the first spent without Kazuto's presence. Well, he'd still be physically present, but of course, being stuck inside SAO, the holiday celebration would be a grim one. The sole upside was that Minetaka would've arrived in Japan by that time.

After retrieving several fruits and paying for them, Suguha turned around and nearly bumped into a woman.

"Oh, excuse me!" exclaimed the woman.

"Oh sorry, pardon me..." Suguha replied, her voice then trailing off at the moment she recognized the woman's voice. Looking up, she recognized the blue eyes, the loose strand of black hair. The ordinary clothing didn't fool her. Her eyes widened in surprise, as did the woman's. "H-Hey, wait a minute! Serena-sensei?!"

"Oh, hello there, Sugu-chan," Serena said, chuckling softly. "Small world, isn't it?"

Prior to today, Suguha had crossed paths with Serena once after their first encounter at the Tokyo Medical Center, just a couple of days ago. During the second encounter, which also occurred when she was visiting Kazuto in the hospital, she could not help but feel that while Serena was just another medical nurse who was working her best to watch over her brother and the other SAO victims in the SAO Incident Victims Ward, she seemed to have another, bigger motivation for being at Tokyo Medical Center. She was able to tell by the strange glimmer that would be occasionally present in her eyes whenever she glanced at her during their last encounter. While she judged Serena as a friendly, nonthreatening person, Suguha didn't know if that standout fact should unnerve her or not...

Serena spoke again. "I, uh, hope your kendo practice worked well for you, Sugu."

"Actually, I had kendo practice before visiting my brother. But yeah, it did. ...Thanks."

"Mm-hm." Serena's eyes softened. "I see, so that boy was your brother..."

Suguha nodded, but as she did, she could feel the tears come back, tingling from the back of her eyes. The tensions of the past week was becoming more and more difficult for her to possibly handle, and even the slightest, most unintentional reference to her Onii-chan would be more than enough to send her hurtling into an emotional breakdown. Not wanting to cry in the middle of a public place, she tried to blink the tears back, but Serena noticed.

"Oh, my goodness!" she exclaimed, concerned. "I-I'm really sorry, I-I didn't m-mean to..."

"N-No, no, it's o-okay, Serena-sensei," replied Suguha, but she continued to blink tears, which were starting to become uncontrollable. She bit her quivering lip.

Looking around, Serena then quickly guided Suguha out of the marketplace and towards a nearby bench that was unoccupied, located where very few people would be well within earshot or be able to see what was happening. By this point, the thirteen-year-old finally burst into tears, and she sobbed uncontrollably. As she did, she could feel the nurse patting her back comfortingly. It reminded her of the way Midori would pat her back if she was crying or in distress.

A minute later, Suguha was still sobbing, but she heard Serena say, "There, there, it's okay, it's okay. Don't cry."

"But my Onii-chan's in trouble and I can't do anything about it!" screamed Suguha, startling those who were standing nearby. "I won't be able to save him!"

"You can still save him, honey," replied Serena. "All you need to do is be there for him, and he'll have all the motivation he needs."

"But how can I be there for him when he's so far away, and I can't be able to reach him?!"

"Oh, sweetie, you just gotta try your best. Be there for him, and he'll know you're there. Just try your best, Sachi-chan..."

Suguha's eyes opened upon hearing the last sentence. She looked at Serena and saw that she too was crying.

"Just try your best..." the nurse continued, sniffling before bursting into tears as well.

Suguha felt all of her sadness disappear quickly. Now, she was confused... No, she was just _beyond_ confusion. She knew that she was hearing things correctly; the nurse had addressed her by the wrong name. And yet, she had spoken as if she was addressing the correct person...

Then, Serena whimpered, with all of the grief and confusion in the world, "Oh, Sachi-chan... Sachi-chan, I'm sorry..."

And, with a scream of sadness and agony, Serena wrapped her arms around Suguha and locked her in a tight, inescapable embrace. And that was the moment when Suguha understood everything. There was no other logical reason for Serena to be so overwhelmed by immeasurable emotional pain that would even be able to easily pale the skin of God, during the middle of a public location such as this. Suguha couldn't help but feel bad that she didn't recognize this earlier.

"Sachi-chan..." whimpered Serena again between sobs.

Realizing the connection between her and Serena, Suguha resumed sobbing. Although...for some reason, the sob wasn't out of _sadness_, and she knew it.

_"I'm not sad,"_ she thought. _"I should be, and yet...I'm _not_. This can't possibly mean that I'm _happy_, does it? ...Then...what am I _feeling_?..."_

For the hour that followed, Suguha and Serena both spent it sobbing in the comfort of each other.

* * *

**NEXT TIME ON "A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD"**

**Kazuto:** HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN AGAIN?! HUH?! HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN?!

**Kikuoka:** Don't ever challenge my decisions again. Remember where you stand.

**Higoshi:** Do you have any idea what would happen if this very conversation were to be exposed?

**Igarashi:** From what I have heard, this Kirito person sounds like quite the hero.

**Stephen:** In the meantime, Phase Two is now under commencement.

**Shinichi:** Where is she?! Where _is_ she?!

**Higoshi:** I hope you do understand that all of your friends are here for you, no matter what.

**Unknown:** _Are_ you back in the real world?

**Chapter 3: The First Day**

* * *

**A/N:** And that, my friends, is the first couple of weeks of Suguha's POV on the whole SAO Incident! Interesting, huh? Things will get more interesting from here.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**InvisableTarget:** Likely not all that good, I bet.

**Agent 94:** Thanks for your insightful critiques! Hopefully I can overcome them.

**dantonsam85:** I am keeping up with SAO's Wikia closely. Thank you very much for the suggestion, though! :D

**snowbunny (guest reviewer):** Well, I SORTA like this couple, but I like their sibling dynamic better, as evidenced by the fact that this isn't the main pairing. But yeah, you could say that about this couple...

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	4. H: The First Day

**CHAPTER 3: THE FIRST DAY**

* * *

**Kirigaya Household  
****Nishitōkyō, Japan  
****May 1, 2026**

**Present day**

Igarashi had worked on so many home invasion cases during his career that he came to know and expect everything associated with such a crime, a long, long time ago. A large majority of these break-ins involved no physical harm done to the occupants, who usually wouldn't even be in the home at the time. But there was always that small minority to the usually harmless crimes, the type that would haunt his mind: the cases that involved bloodshed, suffering.

And he knew, from the details that were piling in, that this case was anything but a part of the majority.

_"No,"_ he thought. _"_Much _worse..."_

The assistant inspector stepped inside the house as crime-scene investigators photographed every inch of the area. He could sense Higoshi trailing behind him, no doubt waiting to hear any sort of statement from him. However, he remained silent as he observed the home's interior. It was well-done and obviously cared for, reflecting the compassion of the homeowners. It was just like any other average suburban house...just like any other house targeted by intruders...

"When'd the emergency call come in?" Igarashi asked.

"Approximately a half-hour ago," replied Higoshi as she read her notes. "The call was made by Midori Kirigaya, the victim's mother."

"Where is she now?"

"In the kitchen, with her son."

Igarashi and Higoshi resumed walking and eventually stepped into the kitchen, where they saw two civilians seated silently at the table: a middle-aged woman and a teenage boy, both sporting black hair. Upon seeing their expressions, Igarashi felt his heart stop for a moment.

Grief. Anguish. Horror. Emotions that he hated to see, masking the face of someone undeserving, innocent. Ever since he first became an officer of the law, with the intent of helping people, Igarashi knew that he would have to look upon such painful and broken, each and every expressions every time he was burdened with a case to investigate. And yet, he just couldn't bear to witness firsthand the pain these victims were feeling. Especially after...

Holding back his personal emotions with all of the discipline he had, Igarashi felt the stares of the two civilians focusing on him.

"Hello," he said gravely. "I'm Okahito Igarashi, and this is Izumi Higoshi. We're with the Public Security Bureau. We're...We're sorry this had to happen to you..."

"Do you know who could've done this?!" the woman shouted; Igarashi knew she had to be Midori Kirigaya, the victim's mother.

"We have some viable suspects," Higoshi replied, pulling up several photos on her handheld digital device. "Do you know any of these people?"

She placed the digital device on the table, and Midori stared at the photos, as did the boy, whose dark-gray eyes narrowed angrily with each photo. He looked up at Igarashi and Higoshi, his expression of grief replaced with one of rage. The former in particular was slightly alarmed by the boy's determination.

"Are those the people that did this?!" he demanded.

"Like I said," replied Higoshi, "they're only suspects. We can't jump to conclusions yet." She examined the boy closely. "What's your name?"

"Kazuto. Kazuto Kirigaya." He bared his teeth as he growled softly. "And it's my sister who's up in her room, stuck in her AmuSphere that was hacked!"

"Look, we're doing all we can, Kazuto, but you have to calm down. Anger will get you nowhere in this predicament." She turned back to Midori. "Well?"

Midori looked up at Higoshi, replying absentmindedly, "Huh?..."

"Do you recognize any of those people?" clarified Igarashi.

"No," she replied.

"No," Kazuto responded as well.

Igarashi glanced towards Kazuto, intrigued by his willing participation in the interrogation in spite of his young age. He couldn't even recall how Kazuto could be connected to such people such as Stephen Sanderson. However, before he could comment on it, he heard a familiar voice call out to someone unknown to him.

"Kirito-kun!"

Everyone looked at the front doorway and watched as Seijirou Kikuoka stepped into the kitchen. A split-second later, a black blur sped towards Kikuoka, nearly colliding into him and knocking him down; another split-second later, Kazuto's face was inches away from the investigator's, a hand clutching his shirt. His eyes were now alive with unimaginable fury as he began screaming loudly at Kikuoka, prompting Igarashi to step forward and try to pry Kazuto away.

"HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN AGAIN?! HUH?! HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN?! THIS THAT'S MY _SISTER_, GODDAMN IT!"

"I'm sorry, Kirito-kun..." Kikuoka replied calmly, staring down at Kazuto with a sorrowful expression.

"NO, SORRY **DOESN'T** COUNT IT! HOW MANY TIMES MUST THIS KEEP HAPPENING?! HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE WILL DIE UNTIL THIS CAN BE DONE RIGHT?!"

"Kazuto, calm DOWN!" Igarashi shouted as he pried Kazuto away from Kikuoka and forced him back down on his chair. "This is NOT gonna solve anything! Now, I understand this is hard for you, but you have to keep yourself together! We're investigating into this as thoroughly as possible!"

The teenager growled in response, but remained silent. Igarashi then looked at Kikuoka, who was brushing his suit.

"Kikuoka-san?" he asked. "Can we talk in private?"

Surprised by the request, Kikuoka replied, "Sure..."

The two men quietly left the kitchen and walked into the nearby living room while Higoshi continued to interrogate Kazuto and Midori. Casting a brief glance at Kazuto, Igarashi then looked back at Kikuoka, his suspicions against the investigator beginning to mount by the minute.

"What was that back there?" the assistant inspector asked.

"Obviously a teenager displaying the natural reaction when a loved one is in danger," replied Kikuoka calmly, looking at Kazuto.

"Don't you give me that crap. First of all, it seems like the two of you have already met. It's not every day where teenagers get to personally know high-ranking members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Second of all...did you just call him what I _think_ you just called him, Kikuoka-san?"

Kikuoka raised an eyebrow at Igarashi. "Why the curiosity, Igarashi-san?"

"If that's true, if Kazuto Kirigaya is the famous Kirito everyone's been mentioning, then light would be easily shed on the motive of this attack! Suguha Kirigaya has been the only incident of this type reported in the past half-hour, compared to the 10,000 of the SAO incident. Kirito's special, close involvement in the more controversial affairs of the VRMMORPG industry could be a primary factor behind tonight's events! This could be a mere retaliation scheme, plain and simple! AO Tech was suspected of being the American company Nobuyuki Sugou was planning on selling his research to before being thwarted."

"Your point being?"

Igarashi's eyes narrowed as he stifled an angry growl. "Is this why you never asked that kid to assist this investigation instead of us? Because he was already personally involved in all of this? That this wouldn't be safe for him if he knew? Divulging such information to us would have probably been helpful in preventing this attack, you know." The assistant inspector glanced at the kitchen again to see if Kazuto was listening. "And now, we have this..."

"We thought this was the most tactical option," replied Kikuoka. "Kirito-kun tends to be..._stubborn_ at times. We didn't want him falling out of line and risking his own life in the process. If Americans are targeting him, we would have a terrible situation at our hands, especially considering our good affairs with the U.S."

The assistant inspector crossed his arms. "Yeah, well, look where your most tactical option led to. An innocent life is now in grave danger."

Kikuoka's glasses glinted with the light. "Listen, Igarashi-san, I didn't come here to argue with you over the effectiveness of our investigation methods. Things have already been done, and there's nothing that can be done to rectify all of it. I just came here to do my job. Now, if you'll excuse me, Igarashi-san, I need to interrogate Kirito-kun about these serious matters. Don't ever challenge my decisions again. Remember where you stand."

The Ministry of Internal Affairs agent stepped past Igarashi, nearly shouldering him while doing so. The assistant inspector watched him go, with an expression of disapproval and suspicion upon his face. He then watched as Higoshi walked away from the kitchen and towards him.

"What'd you two talk about, Igarashi-sensei?" she asked.

"Higoshi-san," replied Igarashi as his gray eyes narrowed, "I need...no, I _want_ you to keep tabs on Seijirou Kikuoka."

"You want me to keep tabs on an agent from the _Ministry of Internal Affairs_? You know I trust your judgment completely, Igarashi-sensei...but may I ask...why?"

"I have just learned that the boy, Kazuto Kirigaya, may be connected to AO Tech's motives. Kikuoka-san is taking rather large risks by not informing the victim's family about a potential attack on them. Had the Kirigaya family been prepared for this, this may have been avoided, along with a possible crisis of international affairs." His lips tightened. "I just cannot trust Seijirou Kikuoka on this investigation. Can I count on you, Higoshi-san, to have your assignment handled?"

Higoshi looked at Kikuoka, looking uncertain. Then, she let out a heavy sigh and looked back at Igarashi.

"Do you have any idea what would happen if this very conversation were to be exposed? The consequences?"

"Yes, yes I do, Higoshi-san. That is why I am putting my trust in you to carry this out. It's simple reconnaissance, nothing else. If you wish, I shall do it myself-"

"No," the sergeant interrupted. "I shall do it, Igarashi-san. You investigate this case."

Igarashi remained silent as Higoshi left the living room and traveled up the stairs, intending to go to the victim's bedroom. He began to ponder her words about the consequences of his intent to spy on Kikuoka. There would be no doubt they would be severe. And yet, he knew there _had_ to be something suspicious...

He glanced at the Ministry of Internal Affairs agent and thought, _"Seijirou Kikuoka...what are you thinking of? What are you hiding from me that is so important?..."_

* * *

**The Kirigaya Living Room  
May 2, 2026**

**"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"**

Kazuto screamed as he sat up on the sofa, his mind reeling with memories of the nightmare he just had. He could especially remember entering the bedroom of Suguha, only to see blood trickling out of her nose, mouth, and even eyes, the loud ringing of a heart-monitoring device monotonous and eerie as it pierced the atmosphere. Upon realizing that he was back in his living room, he began panting, feeling the hot beads of sweat that were dripping down his face and neck.

Now feeling very thirsty, he got out of the sofa he was sleeping on for the entire night and walked into the kitchen. At that exact moment, he realized morning had just arrived, the new sunlight penetrating through the kitchen window. Kazuto moaned as he felt some of that light hit his eyes.

As he continued his trek into the kitchen, he remembered logging out of ALO and going downstairs to eat dinner, as he had been told by Lisbeth and Silica that Suguha had logged out to start preparing it. As such, Kazuto had expected to see her downstairs in the kitchen, with meals she prepared herself.

However, she wasn't, so he decided to go to the doorway of her bedroom and see if she was all right. When he knocked on her door, called for her, and did not receive a response, Kazuto then decided to warily venture into her bedroom, forbidden territory to him, and investigate. Fortunately for him, he found her door slightly ajar, which didn't give him any problems in entry. Kazuto later knew that he had failed to register any suspicion in that trivial fact.

The next thing he saw was Suguha lying on her bed, strangely motionless, her AmuSphere still strapped to her head. At first, Kazuto thought she was forced to log back into ALO, possibly to wrap up some unfinished business of an unspecified nature to him. So, he waited for a moment.

That was when he noticed the orange LED light on the AmuSphere. Something was wrong with it.

And the AmuSphere was designed to be thoroughly efficient in its service.

Kazuto had dashed out of Suguha's bedroom, down the stairs, and into the kitchen, where he found his mother waiting. He told her to make an emergency call, and everything else seemed to slow down to almost a halt. Emergency personnel arrived, but were unable to find a way to transport Suguha without having to disconnect Suguha from the AmuSphere and risk her life. Then, the police arrived, since Suguha's condition was horrifyingly similar to that of the SAO victims.

Kazuto began to think what would've happened if he didn't spot the orange light and instead tried to forcibly remove that AmuSphere headgear...

"Kazuto?" a voice asked, catching his attention. He glanced at the kitchen table and saw Okahito Igarashi sitting on the chair Suguha would usually sit on.

Because of the strange circumstances of Suguha's condition, Seijirou Kikuoka assigned the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department to guard Kazuto and Midori at all times. Igarashi and Izumi Higoshi, the two investigators he met earlier, along with two other police officers, were assigned to the positions.

"Igarashi-san?" replied Kazuto, confused at the assistant inspector's unexpected presence.

"I see your sleep wasn't all that good."

"Damn right it wasn't." Kazuto resumed his trek into the kitchen, grabbing a carton of milk from the refrigerator and pouring himself a glass.

"Rest assured, Kazuto, we will find out what has happened. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the Ministry of Internal Affairs are working closely to get to the bottom of this." Igarashi looked down at his activated phone. "We'll track down our suspects, extract any useful information, and find the answer."

"And how long is _that_ gonna take?"

The assistant inspector looked up again. "As quickly as possible."

Kazuto frowned angrily at the bleak attempt at optimism. "It took two years for the SAO incident to finally be over."

"All because of you." Igarashi's eyes glinted as he deepened his stare at the teenage boy. "Tell me, why is it that your sister, of all people, was _the only person_ to suffer such a horrifying predicament? Why have we seen no other victims piling in by the minute? 10,000 other people fell victim to Akihiko Kayaba's scheme. Only one person fell victim to what could come across as a copycat incident. We _are_ closing in on the fourth anniversary of the SAO incident's beginnings..."

Kazuto's grip on his glass nearly loosened as his eyes widened in shock, and his frame trembled as he understood Igarashi's implication.

"What the hell are you getting at, Igarashi-san?!" he demanded. "Are you saying all of this happened because of me?!"

"You tell me." Igarashi took a spoon and dipped it into a cup of tea that Kazuto had just noticed; he began stirring the tea coolly. "From what I have heard, this Kirito person sounds like quite the hero. He saved over 6,000 people from a horrifying death, exposed a massive conspiracy of biblical proportions, and stopped a serial killer with a rather unique and deadly M.O." He stopped stirring the tea, allowing it to simmer. "But with a hero comes an enemy..."

"Not those guys whose photos you showed me a while back. I know none of them."

"Just because you don't know them, doesn't mean they are the ones calling all of the shots. As they say, never pay attention to the man behind the curtain..."

"The man behind the curtain?" asked Kazuto, comprehending Igarashi's meaning. Then, he narrowed his eyes, growling angrily. "Johnny Black..."

"Atsushi Kanemoto, the only member of the Death Gun trio who escaped? Yes, we've considered him as a suspect as well. But unfortunately, he still remains on the run..." The assistant inspector's eyes narrowed. "...And to be honest, Kazuto, I do not think he is a viable suspect."

"How so?! He has a perfect motive!"

"Do you honestly believe that a fugitive would easily hire employees of a prominent engineering company to do his dirty work?"

"...No..."

Igarashi resumed stirring his tea aimlessly. "Are you _sure_ you have no connection to AO Tech, Kazuto? Nothing whatsoever?"

"Not that I am aware of, Igarashi-san."

Kazuto stared intently at the assistant inspector, unsure of what he was thinking as he continued to stir his tea in what seemed to be absentminded behavior. He couldn't help but feel that Igarashi was suspicious of him for some reason. Knowing that this meeting was becoming tense, he began to drink his milk.

Finally, the assistant inspector sighed heavily and said, "Forgive me, Kazuto, if I seem to be breathing down your neck. This is obviously a hard time for you and your mother. It was most indecent of me to interrogate you in your own home, while you're caught up in the midst of an unimaginable horror such as this-"

"It's okay, Igarashi-san," Kazuto interrupted. "You're just doing your job, that's all..."

Igarashi nodded and finally began drinking his tea, although Kazuto continued to observe him warily.

_"Why in the world did you treat me like I am a suspect, and not like a grieving family member?"_

He never noticed the strange glint that flashed across the assistant inspector's eyes as he continued sipping his tea.

* * *

**Outside the Kirigaya Household**

The dark-colored SUV stood motionlessly a few yards away from the Kirigaya home, its occupants observing said home closely. Finally, after a couple of minutes passed, with no apparent results for them, the driver lowered his binoculars, produced his walkie-talkie, and pressed a button.

"No activity in the past two hours, boss," he said. "The patrolling officers outside just keep alternating their shifts."

"Alright, then," Stephen's voice replied. "Keep observing. Kirito should spring to action by the next day."

"Are you sure? It seems like they're having him barricaded inside his own house quite good."

"Knowing Kirito, he won't let this predicament transpire for much longer. Whether or not the police will hold him back, he'll find a way to conduct an independent investigation. Just continue observing, and alert me if something important happens. In the meantime, Phase Two is now under commencement."

"Understood, boss."

The driver hung up and continued watching the house with his accomplices.

* * *

**Bedroom of Suguha Kirigaya**

Kazuto warily opened the door leading into Suguha's bedroom, a small creak echoing as he did so. Only a few hours had passed ever since he realized that his sister was rendered in the same condition he was in for two long years. It was horribly uncomfortable, knowing that their positions have now been swapped.

Ever since the incident came to light, it didn't take long until news stations from all over the country swarmed all over the neighborhood, desperately hoping to get a piece of this newest incident with the VRMMORPG industry. Finally, due to the overzealous reporting and the pressure it was bringing to Midori especially, Igarashi ordered a barricade to be set up around the street, blocking reporters and anyone else from coming in.

In a subconscious action, the teenage boy knocked on the door to announce his presence, realizing only a few seconds later that it was tragically unnecessary. Sighing with resignation, he approached the bed, where he found Suguha's motionless form still lying on it, the AmuSphere headgear still attached to her head, the orange LED light taunting him with its uncomfortable, intimidating hue. Clutched in his hands was a tray with crudely self-prepared food on it.

"Hey...Sugu..." he greeted as he set down the tray at a nearby table that Midori set up. Then, he sat down on the chair that accompanied the table. "I...I made some food." Kazuto let out a hollow laugh. "You know how terrible I am at making food. You were always the better chef."

Sighing again, the teenager took his fork and used it to eat a piece of meat. A second later, he retched and spat the piece out on the tray.

"Goddamn..." Wiping his mouth, Kazuto then set the tray aside and looked at Suguha. "Yeah, you were _always_ the better chef..." With that mind, he laughed as soon as a seemingly lost memory returned to his mind. "Hey, remember the time Dad was gonna drop by for Christmas and you were sick? Yeah, I had to do all the laundry and the dishes and clean up the house. And yes, I had to do the goddamn food since Mom was busy for work. Man, that was some welcome-home present for Dad, wasn't it?" Kazuto began to laugh loudly at the fond memory. "Yeah, that was quite the greatest..."

He looked at Suguha, as if he were expecting her to respond in some way, even laugh. When she didn't do so, he looked up at the ceiling absentmindedly and noticed something that he'd never noticed before: a large poster of a beautiful female Sylph with flowing yellow hair and clad in green-and-white clothing, flying towards the World Tree, looking as if nothing was holding her back, as if she was free. Kazuto's lips cracked into a small smile.

"Is that Leafa, Sugu?" he asked. "Wow, never knew you could make posters of your online avatars. After all my years of online gaming, I never knew you could do such a thing." Kazuto looked back at Suguha. "Hey, think you can teach me? I'd love to see my Kirito avatar in a bad-ass pose or something, every morning."

When his cousin and adoptive sister didn't respond, tears began to well up in Kazuto's eyes. "Oh, who the hell am I kidding?! I miss you, Sugu. I...I miss you so much... I'm sorry I wasn't there; I could have protected you!" His eyes narrowed as the sadness disappeared. "The police are investigating this, Sugu. They are gonna find out who did this to you. They will find a way to rescue you. I promise you, Sugu, they _will_ find a way to solve this situation.

"In the meantime, just hang in there...wherever you are..."

"Kirito-kun?..." a familiar voice asked.

Kazuto blinked back tears as he looked at the doorway and saw Asuna standing there, a look of pity on her face. Standing up, he ran towards her and collided into her, wrapping her in a tight hug as he sobbed loudly into her shoulder. He then felt his girlfriend and in-game wife pat his back consolingly.

"You came..." he sobbed. "Y-You _came_..."

"I'm sorry, Kirito-kun..." Asuna replied as she broke the hug and looked into his gray eyes with her hazel ones. "I promise you, things will be alright."

"Yeah...that's what I've been trying to tell myself..." Kazuto sniffled glumly.

Suddenly, Asuna slapped him. "Kirito-kun, don't you dare let yourself down, damn it! Things WILL be alright. Leafa-chan's gonna make it through this! I promise you!" The brown-haired teenager grabbed her lover's hand. "Come on, you can't keep yourself absorbed in Leafa-chan any longer. Come downstairs with me."

Kazuto nodded and, after taking one last glance at Suguha, followed Asuna out of the bedroom and down the staircase.

* * *

**The Kirigaya Living Room**

When Kazuto and Asuna both entered the living room, the former saw, much to his own surprise, five other familiar faces: Klein, Agil, Sinon, Lisbeth, and Silica's real-world identities, Ryoutarou Tsuboi, Andrew Gilbert Mills, Shino Asada, Rika Shinozaki, and Keiko Ayano, respectively. Kazuto quickly assumed that they and Asuna had managed to get through the barricade with the help of Asuna's influential father, since civilians like them weren't allowed to get past it.

They all glanced at him, wearing solemn expressions of their own.

"Kirito, man..." said Ryoutarou as he rubbed his head, unsure of what to say. "I...I don't know what to say..."

"It's okay, Klein," replied Kazuto. "Thanks for coming over, you guys. I really appreciate it...and I'm sure Leafa does too..."

"Hey, anything for you and Leafa-chan," Rika said encouragingly.

"We're all here for you, Kirito-san!" added Keiko. "You just know that!"

Kazuto sighed indifferently and sat down on the sofa, beside Shino, who was staring at the floor silently.

"I...I just can't believe this happened again..." he said, his voice barely audible. "...And...And to _her_, of all people..."

"None of us would've expected this," replied Andrew, "so let's not beat ourselves up over it. All that we can do now is just hope that things become better."

"Yeah... _Yeah_..."

Just then, Kazuto heard the front door burst open abruptly, followed by the stern voice of Higoshi, who had recently taken over Igarashi's shift in patrolling the interior of the Kirigaya house. "Hey, kid! Who the hell are you?! How the hell did you manage to get past the barricade without authorization-"

"Where is she?!" a familiar voice demanded frantically. "Where _is_ she?!"

Everyone looked up to see Higoshi trying to restrain a boy around Suguha's age, with short black hair and wearing a brown trench coat and circular glasses.

"Young man, I am asking you to leave the premises immediately," Higoshi snarled threateningly, "or I'll have you arrested for trespassing-"

The boy then spotted Kazuto, and his eyes widened, shining with relief.

"Oh, Kirito!" he exclaimed. "It's you! I mean, it's gotta be you; you look like him! Hey, it's me, Recon!"

Having not met Leafa's partner in the real world, this came as a surprise to Kazuto. "R-_Recon_?"

"Yeah, yeah, that's me! Please, let me stay! I came to see if any of this was true, that's all!"

Higoshi looked at Kazuto. "Are you okay with this, Kazuto?" the sergeant asked.

"Yeah..." the teenager replied.

"Okay, then." Higoshi turned to Recon. "Alright, I want your name and your relation with the Kirigaya family?"

"Shinichi Nagata," said Recon. "I, uh, helped Suguha on understanding ALO's mechanics when she first wanted to play it..." He looked down at the floor, a look of guilt on his face. "And I was supposed to meet up with her last night... But I had a last-minute change of schedule..."

Kazuto's eyes widened, his glumness replacing itself with horror.

"What?!" he exclaimed.

Shinichi burst into tears. "I knew I shouldn't have rescheduled my dentist's appointment! She really wanted to confide with me about something!"

Kazuto stood up from the sofa abruptly. "Confide with you about what, Recon?!"

"How was I supposed to know?!" Shinichi sniffled. "She never told me what it was she wanted to talk about! But it sounded very important, and she wanted to talk to me about it! _Me_, of all people! But apparently, I thought I could wait till later!" He resumed crying. "I could've stopped whatever was happening to her-"

"DAMN RIGHT YOU WOULD'VE!"

Everyone was startled by Kazuto's sudden, furious outburst; even a hint of surprise can be visibly seen on Shino's face. Shinichi's crying intensified in response, and without saying another word, he fled the house, his loud, childish wailing still clearly audible even as he was at a distance. Higoshi shook her head in some pity and procured her walkie-talkie, presumably to contact the officers at the barricade to let the crying Shinichi through.

Asuna and the others looked back at Kazuto, whose anger was now reverting back to its previous glum state as he collapsed back onto the sofa, beside Shino.

"What in the world was _that_, Kirito?!" cried Ryoutarou.

"I know..." Kazuto replied sadly. "I shouldn't have been so harsh on him... But..." He clenched his fist. "Goddamn it..."

Knowing that Kazuto was highly distressed at the situation, Asuna glanced at the others with an expression that read, 'Come ON, guys, we can do better than this!' Being the first to read that expression, Rika quickly jumped into action, producing a flyer from the pocket of her skirt and showing it to Kazuto, who read it.

"'SAO Survivor Festival. To be held at the SAO Survivor School on May 2, 2026. Survivors and accompanying guests welcome.' Yes, I remember that." He sighed and looked away, towards the staircase. "I'm sorry, Liz, but I'm not going anymore. I just can't go anywhere now."

"Oh, come on, Kirito-kun!" Rika exclaimed. "Leafa-chan will be all right, and the police are working off the clock to find whoever did this, as well as a solution to the problem. There's nothing you can possibly do now to help. So, why don't you just go over to the Festival? Every survivor has been invited, and you yourself received a special invitation! Leafa-chan would've wanted you to not get worried over her all the time and instead try to get your head out of the situation!"

Kazuto looked at Rika sternly. "I can't, Liz, even if I wanted to."

"But-"

"He's right," a voice interrupted. Everyone looked up at Higoshi.

"Higoshi-san?" Asuna asked, confused.

"Because of this incident, and the potential motives that could be behind it, Kazuto Kirigaya is not allowed to leave the premises for any reason."

"Oh." Asuna looked down at the floor sadly. "It's that bad, huh?"

"I'm afraid it is. Occurrences like these require drastic measures for the well-being of potential targets. There's just nothing you can do about it." Suddenly, the watch Higoshi was wearing began to beep, and she looked at it. "Alright, your ten minutes are up. I need you all to leave now."

Knowing that they couldn't argue, the six began to walk out of the living room, each of them sending their final condolences to Kazuto as they left. Soon, it was only Shino who remained. She had stopped walking and was now standing in front of Kazuto, but didn't face him. Instead, she was still looking at the floor.

"Sinon?" Kazuto asked. "Are...Are you okay?..."

"Kirito..." Shino finally looked at Kazuto's face, her face expressionless, but the boy could see a faint trace of sympathy in her eyes. "Look, do not let the guilt of what happened to your sister eat you up inside. It's not good for you, and it's definitely not worth it. ...Trust me, I know."

Kazuto stared into Shino's eyes, comprehending the meaning of her last sentence, and nodded in response. Shino nodded back before leaving the room as he watched her go. Then, he focused his attention on Higoshi, who was preparing to go back into the kitchen where she stationed herself.

"Higoshi-san," he said.

"Yes, Kazuto?"

"You...You _will_ find out what happened to Sugu, will you?"

Higoshi's expression didn't change. "Of course, Kazuto. There's no way we're gonna let the perpetrators get away with this atrocity. We'll track them down and get them to tell us how to free your sister, even if we're gonna have to beat them to a pulp in order to get it. You have my word on that. Don't worry, Kazuto."

Kazuto's lips curved into a small smile, but his eyes still expressed sadness. "Thank you, Higoshi-san," he said.

The sergeant nodded in response. "You're welcome, Kazuto." She paused briefly before adding with a small smile, "Now, please do not keep yourself so overly concerned in this affair. Your friends are absolutely right in saying that it's not worth it, keeping yourself absorbed in all of this."

"Yeah, that's right... Thank you, again..."

"I hope you do understand that all of your friends are here for you, no matter what."

"Yes, I do understand."

The teenage boy left the room, feeling Higoshi's stare still trained on him.

* * *

Once Kazuto was out of Higoshi's sight, she took out her walkie-talkie and pressed a button.

"Yes, Higoshi-san?" Igarashi's voice responded.

"I've just learned from a visiting family friend that Suguha Kirigaya was planning on confiding him about something."

"You think it's connected to the incident?"

"The friend never knew the exact details of what Suguha wanted to talk about, but who knows? These details could be essential to the case."

Igarashi was silent for a moment, then replied, "Alright, I'll be on my way; I'll take care of this matter. In the meantime, I think you should start preparing to spy on Seijirou Kikuoka. He's just left the Ministry of Internal Affairs headquarters complex, and he's on foot. Keep a considerable distance."

"Understood, Igarashi-san."

* * *

**Kirigaya Bathroom**

Kazuto entered the bathroom and stared at his reflection in the mirror, noting of his shining dark-gray eyes, now alive with emotion, he let out a long sigh in an attempt to relieve himself of his emotional turmoil. Then, he gritted his teeth as a soft growled escaped his lips.

_"How the hell could I just try to not be concerned about this whole thing?"_ Kazuto thought furiously. _"Sinon and Higoshi-san are right; it's definitely not worth it to be so concerned, but...but it's _Sugu _we're talking about! My _sister_! I can't just sit back and wait for them to get good results! And who knows what's happening with her right now? She's classified as offline in ALO, so the hackers must've rerouted her consciousness elsewhere. But to exactly where...that's what worries me..._

_"And if she dies in that virtual reality, what of her then? Will she..."_

His eyes narrowed as he clenched his fists tightly.

"No," the teenager whispered. "I can't just simply stand around in the house and merely wait for this to pass on over... No, I have to DO something...

"Otherwise...if I don't...Sugu will suffer..."

* * *

**Unknown location**

_"Where...Where am I?..."_

Suguha looked around cautiously, but all that she could see was a thick, massive blanket of mist, obscuring anything that could be potentially surrounding her. Looking down, she let out a shocked gasp upon seeing her own reflection on whatever she was standing on; it wasn't liquid, instead being solid in form.

_"What is this?..."_ she thought, feeling the fear rise inside her. _"This...This shouldn't be happening... I logged out of ALO..."_

She instinctively opened up her main menu, hoping to find the log-out button...

But there was none. In fact, all of her menu interfaces had been replaced with multiple question marks. Inventory/Equipment, Friends/Guilds, Messaging/Chat, Maps/Quests, her Settings...everything had just question marks and nothing else. Suguha could feel her legs buckle under the horror and pressure.

_"Why does my menu look like this?! This isn't right!"_ Frantically, Suguha looked around, as if searching for an exit in the fog._ "I should be back in the real world!"_

"_Are_ you back in the real world?" a voice suddenly asked.

Suguha tried to scream, but instead, a squeak came out of her mouth. Looking up, she gasped again upon seeing the person who had suddenly materialized in front of her: it was a beautiful female Sylph with flowing yellow hair and sparkling green eyes, and clad in medieval green-and-white clothing. Unable to believe what was happening, the inconceivable phenomenon she was caught up in, Suguha mustered enough energy to utter one word in confusion.

"_Leafa_?..."

Suddenly, everything around her began to darken. Looking around, she saw that shadows, seemingly alive, were engulfing the mist in their darkness. Suguha then glanced back at Leafa, who was still calmly standing there, and noticed something wrong with her green eyes: they seemed..._empty_...

As the darkness closed in, Leafa suddenly smiled widely at her, her grin stretching from ear to ear, giving her a rather terrifyingly hungry expression.

* * *

**NEXT TIME ON "A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD"**

**Midori:** I can't believe he had the nerve to _do_ that...

**Serena:** Why don't you have dinner with us?

**Unknown #1:** Onee-chan! You're all right!

**Suguha:** Y-YOU!

**Unknown #2:** You have no idea how great it is to have you with us...

**Serena:** Wherever he is, I have faith that he is thinking about you, right now.

******Unknown #3:** You look a bit like her, you know that?

**Suguha:** I haven't done this since...since...

**Chapter 4: Labor Thanskgiving**

* * *

**A/N:** For some reason, I feel that this chapter sucked a bit. *shrugs* Oh well, I did what I could. And besides, I left it off on an..._interesting_ note...

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**Starseeker (guest reviewer):** Another Kirito/Leafa supporter, eh? I guess I'm appealing to the group. Thanks for reviewing!

**Agent 94:** Glad to hear you like my inclusion of Minetaka. I've always felt that he was being ignored. Heck, I don't recall him being mentioned in the anime! And as for that boy possibly being Asuna's brother...no, it's not him. Believe me, I was aware of him before I wrote down that chapter, so it is not some coincidence. It's just for the sake of my story and how the plot is gonna pan out.

**purpleswans:** And keep it up I shall! :D

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	5. M: Labor Thanksgiving

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the lyrics for "My Soul, Your Beats!" Those belong to the singer Lia.

* * *

**CHAPTER 4: LABOR THANKSGIVING**

* * *

**Kirigaya Household  
November 23, 2022  
Labor Thanksgiving Day**

"I can't believe he had the nerve to _do_ that! I just can't believe this crap!"

Suguha winced as she watched Midori slam a clenched fist on the nearby wall, her eyes narrowed as a growl escaped her mouth. This marked the second time in her life the middle-school student saw her mother with such a furious expression. But, to be honest, it was understandable. After all, she was angry as well.

Just a couple of minutes ago, they received a phone call from Minetaka, who sadly announced that he was unable to get a flight back to Japan due to restraints brought by his work. It didn't matter if he was truly apologetic; both Suguha and Midori were outraged by this sudden, last-minute news. After all, he promised them that he would come to visit the family, especially the bedridden Kazuto, on Labor Thanksgiving. It was a promise Suguha held onto with her heart.

And now, he broke it. Her own father broke the very promise he made with her.

"That goddamn Minetaka..." Midori continued, her voice a growl. "How dare he give this kind of nonsense to us! Does he have any idea what's at stake here?!"

Although that statement sounded like a question, Suguha didn't wish to answer it, for she knew her mother was so caught up in her rage that she didn't want to unintentionally provoke it any further. Instead, she stood up from the chair she had been sitting on and solemnly left the kitchen, still hearing Midori continue her furious rant. Suguha couldn't help but feel worried about her mother, for she seemed slightly mentally unbalanced for the past week.

_"Pretending as if Kazuto is still with us, and now going into a rage that I've never seen before?"_ Suguha asked in her thoughts. _"And _I'm _still sane?..."_

Approaching the door to her bedroom, Suguha stopped and glanced at the doorway leading into Kazuto's own room. For one mere second, her mind thought of the image of Kazuto sitting inside, playing games on his computer, just as he always did before the incident. Every time she was close to his bedroom prior to it, she would never hear a single sound come out of Kazuto's room. No, it was always just pure, blissful silence, hanging over his room like a cloud.

And now that she was looking at her brother's room again, Suguha noticed that the same silence was still hanging over the atmosphere of his doorway.

Technically, nothing had changed at all... One might as well think Kazuto wasn't at Chiyoda Hospital, if they weren't well-informed...

After all, she nearly did...

She shook her head to clear herself of her thoughts before entering her room. Collapsing on top of her bed with a sigh, Suguha looked up at the ceiling, staring deeply into its dull, emotionless gray color. Ever since she first moved into this bedroom, she never seemed to like the empty aura that was emanating from her ceiling and always contemplated buying something in order to make it feel..._livelier_, so that every time she woke up, she would be greeted with something that would make her feel happy. But she never found out what she could buy that could make her truly feel happy and excited for the new morning.

In the wake of this incident, Suguha needed this..._accessory_ more than ever now...

Ever since her breakdown at the Two Pan Marketplace, Suguha hadn't suffered any more of those events ever since. In fact, that breakdown was currently her only one since the start of the SAO Incident. Her nightmares about Kazuto dying at the hospital were also subsiding, and she could barely feel emotional every time she visited him. And not unexpectedly, this attitude disgusted Suguha. After all, she cared for her brother, no matter how much of a pain he would be.

...If so, why did she seem to be emotionally improving so quickly?...

_"I never shed a tear for Kazuto once since what happened at the marketplace,"_ thought Suguha. _"What does this mean? That I've already accepted his death as being a part of the inevitable? ...No, I couldn't be. I can't just lose hope now. He's always been a lover of games; he'll know what to do inside that virtual reality. ...Yeah, that probably is the reason! I haven't cried for Kazuto anymore because I'm fully confident in his survival! Yes, that's gotta be it! And I cannot just lose hope right now, not when it's so early. I must have confidence in him and his survival! I _must_! For Onii-chan's sake, I must... I must..."_

Lost in her mind, she was about to drift off to sleep when the sound of a piano playing filled the room, followed by a soft voice...

_Mezamete ha kurikaesu nemui asa ha_  
_Eri no tai wo kitsuku shime_  
_Kyoushitsu no doa kuguru to_  
_Honno sukoshi mune wo hatte arukidaseru_  
_Sonna nichijou ni fukinukeru kaze_

Realizing it was her new ringtone, Suguha sat up on her bed, took out the cellphone from her pocket, and checked the number.

"Serena-sensei?" she whispered to herself, remembering that they exchanged their phone numbers at the Two Pan Marketplace after calming down from their respective breakdowns. Realizing she had nothing to do, she shrugged. "Okay." She pressed a button and answered, "Hello, Serena-sensei?"

"Oh, Sugu-chan!" Serena exclaimed happily, which surprised Suguha. "I didn't think you'd answer!"

"Well, I always answer a friend's call. So, what's going on?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing. It's just, well...I was wondering if you and your family are having a good dinner for Labor Thanksgiving?..."

Suguha blinked, then immediately remembered her father's last-minute absence. She calmly replied, "Unfortunately, we're not having dinner."

"Why, what happened to you?"

"Well...my dad promised he would be able to come back to Nishitōkyō, since he's out of the country, but then, he just told us today that he couldn't make it for Labor Thanksgiving anymore. And...my mom's really freaking out because of it." Her eyes softened sadly. "She's really mad at him, and it scares me..."

"Oh. I'm...I'm sorry, Sugu..." Suguha could hear Serena sighing in pity. "This must be a hard time for you..."

"Well, I probably should've expected it beforehand. My dad's always busy nowadays. He can barely make a phone call to us as it is..." Her lips became pursed. "But...this is the first time my mom actually got angry about it... I never thought she'd actually get angry with my dad..." Her grip on the phone tightened. "And it scares me, Serena-sensei... It really scares me..." Suguha wrapped her unoccupied arm around her stomach tightly. "I'm worried that...that..._that_..."

"It's okay, Sugu-chan," interrupted Serena, her voice showing evident concern for Suguha. "Your mom's _not_ gonna go and divorce your dad. There's no way she is gonna risk making it harder for her than it already is. Just...Just be calm, okay? Everything's gonna be alright, Sugu-chan..."

"I-I...I'm sorry," Suguha replied, shaking her head. "I-It's just... All of this becoming too much for me... Kazuto, my parents, this whole incident..."

"Tell me about it."

A brief, awkward silence followed, and finally, Suguha raised her eyebrow and broke it.

"Serena-sensei, why did you call me?"

Serena sounded surprised at the question. "E-Excuse me?..."

"Why did you call me, Serena-sensei?"

"Well, I...I called to ask... Why don't you have dinner with us?"

Suguha blinked in surprise. "H-_Huh_?..."

"...Well...I was wondering if you and your family were having Labor Thanksgiving dinner because...well, because I thought you and your family would have liked to have dinner with us. ...It's...It's been really tense for us at our home, having dinner without Sachi-chan... Since you're obviously having a similar situation, we have been hoping that we would meet up, so we could rely on each other for emotional support... I mean, if you and your mother don't want to, then-"

"NO!" Suguha shouted, a little too loudly. "I'd like- I mean, we'd love that! I'll ask my mom if we could come over!"

"Okay, that's good!" replied Serena excitedly. "Call me and tell me your mom's response!"

"Okay, I'll be sure to do that! Thanks, Serena-sensei, for asking! You have no idea how much that means to me, knowing someone cares..."

"No problem, Sugu-chan! Well, I gotta go! Hopefully I'll see you later today!"

"Yeah, same here..."

Suguha heard Serena hang up on her end before she shut off her cellphone. Looking up at her ceiling, soaking in its dullness, she sighed as she thought about the offer that was just given to her. Should she take it? It seemed a bit out of the blue for her to be going to a stranger's home for a casual occasion like dinner, even though she could already find it within herself to trust Serena, who she could easily relate to, considering their similar situations.

Almost a couple of minutes passed when she made up her mind, deciding to take her mother to Serena's house for Labor Thanksgiving.

_"It'll be good for us,"_ she concluded in her thoughts.

Suguha sighed heavily before standing up and leaving her room. The moment she stepped out into the hallway, she no longer heard her mother, which alarmed her for a brief moment. Traveling downstairs, she saw that Midori was gone, and then, she noticed the single sheet of paper lying on the kitchen table. Rushing up to the table, Suguha picked it up and read it, sighing after a moment upon concluding it wasn't some suicide note or any other cause of alarm.

_Had to go to work to fill in for someone at the last minute._

_Sorry if my anger alarmed you, but I'm okay now. Don't worry about me and Dad, it's gonna be fine._

_Be back in the nighttime. You know where to find the food._

_-Love, Mom._

Putting down the note back on the table, Suguha exhaled. With her mother gone, she couldn't ask for her permission in going to Serena's house for dinner. But then again, she could just go all by herself. After all, she already walked by herself to school and kendo practice, so it wouldn't hurt to go to a stranger's house, right? After all, she already knew Serena, and she knew the nurse wouldn't cause her any harm. It wouldn't hurt her to go alone, right?...

She pursed her lips, wondering what to do. She never went anywhere else alone, other than school, kendo practice, and sometimes shopping at the market...

Then, she remembered that unlike those times, Kazuto would always be waiting for her back at home. Now, he was at Chiyoda Hospital, practically rendered in a comatose-like state... And she was all alone in the house, now that her mother was at work... She had no one else to confide to for company...

Smiling, Suguha took out her cellphone and dialed Serena's number. She put it to her ear and waited for her to answer.

Finally, a familiar voice answered, "Hello, Sugu-chan?"

"Hi, Serena-sensei," she replied. "My mom went off to work while we were talking, so I'm just gonna come alone."

"A-_Alone_?... But Sugu-chan, are you sure it's-"

"It's okay, Serena-sensei. I've walked to other places on my own many times before. I was alone at the marketplace, remember?"

"Oh yeah, that's right, but..." Serena's end was silent. Then, she resumed speaking, her tone a bit more jubilant. "Just...Just be careful, okay?"

"I will, Serena-sensei."

Then, Suguha started laughing, which prompted Serena to ask, "Why, what's going on, Sugu-chan?"

"Nothing, nothing. It's just...you sounded like my mom for a sec."

"Oh, okay. ...Well, I'll give you the address..."

As Suguha wrote the address on the same paper used by Midori for her note, she smiled in relief. It actually comforted her to know that Serena was concerned for her well-being, just like her mother was. That way, it made things more comfortable for her in knowing that she was going to a stranger's house...

* * *

**Sakurai Household**

_"This is it..."_

Suguha looked up at the house she arrived at, examining it with close interest. She never imagined that Serena and her family lived near her own house, which made things a lot easier for her in walking from her house to theirs alone. Glancing at the number for a second to confirm the right address, she nodded before walking towards the front door. As she did, she saw movement at the corner of her eye; someone was running inside the house.

Before she could walk up to the door, it already swung open, revealing a young girl with long, flowing brown hair and amber eyes that shone with a consistent liveliness. The girl immediately leaped from the doorstep and collided with Suguha's leg, hugging it tightly, as if it were her only object to hang on to.

"Onee-chan!" she exclaimed loudly as she began to sob. "You're all right!"

"O-O-_Onee-chan_?..." Then, Suguha realized who she was talking about and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, but I think you mistook me for someone else..."

"Huh?" The girl looked up at Suguha, realized she was right upon seeing her face more closely, and then sobbed even harder. "O-ONEE-CHAN!"

Suguha's eyes widened in surprise, and she began to sweat. Looking at the doorway, she mentally sighed in relief upon seeing Serena run up to them both.

"What happened?!" the nurse asked worriedly.

"She apparently thinks I'm Sachi..." replied Suguha, blushing in embarrassment as the girl continued crying.

"I see..." Serena looked at the girl sadly. "Kurumi-chan?" The girl looked up at her, sniffling. "Can you let go of her, please? She's just a guest."

Kurumi released her grip on Suguha's leg.

"Now, what do you say to her?"

Kurumi looked up at Suguha and shyly said to her, "I'm sorry..."

Politely, the older girl leaned down, smiled, and said, "It's okay, Kurumi-chan. I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble-"

"It's okay..." interrupted Kurumi, hiccuping as she went back inside the house, a solemn expression on her face; she obviously wanted Sachi's return to be true. Suguha watched her go, then felt Serena's hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw the nurse smiling with a sad sympathy.

"Yeah, it's been hard on all of us," she said, "especially for Kurumi-chan. She loves Sachi-chan very much."

"I see..." Suguha looked back at the doorway where Kurumi had gone through.

"Well, I apologize if all of this is inconvenient for you, Sugu-chan. We were hoping we'd pour out our feelings to someone we can relate to, and vice-versa-"

Suguha shook her head, smiling. "No, it's alright, Serena-sensei. I think I need someone else's shoulder to lean on too." Then, her smile widened as she broke away from Serena, stepped inside the home, and looked back at the nurse. "Well, let's get this Labor Thanksgiving dinner started, shall we?"

Serena smiled back and nodded. "Yes, let's!"

The nurse entered her home, closed the door behind her, and guided Suguha towards the kitchen. Upon entering the room, the young girl noticed that it looked extremely similar to her own kitchen. Seated at the nearby kitchen table were three people. One of them Kurumi; the second was a middle-aged man who was wearing a short-sleeved, light-brown shirt and blue cargo shorts, and having neat light-brown hair, hazel eyes, and a thin brown mustache. The third was...

Suguha's eyes widened at the sight of the teenage boy. His light-brown hair was no longer unkempt, and his hazel eyes were no longer shimmering, but there was just no doubt about it: it was the same boy who initially mistook Kazuto's hospital room for someone else's.

"Y-YOU!" she exclaimed, pointing at him.

"Me?" the boy replied, confused. "Uh... Have...Have we met before...'cause I don't recall meeting you..."

"Her brother's hospitalized in the room next to Sachi-chan's, Seita-kun," said Serena.

"Oh." The boy's eyes widened as his memory returned to him. "_Oh_, I remember! I-I accidentally burst into _your brother's_ room over a week ago! While you and your mom, I believe, were there!" When Suguha nodded in response, he chuckled in embarrassment, much to her surprise. "Oh yeah, sorry about that again! I was too caught up in my grief to notice at first..." He examined her closely. "You're, uh, Suguha Kirigaya, right?"

"Yes, that's right," Suguha replied.

"Nice to meet you. Name's Seita."

"Oh." The girl smiled at his modest attitude. "Nice to meet you, Seita." She glanced at an empty chair. "Mind if I sit down?"

"Be our guest, Suguha," replied the man. As she sat down, he added, "Oh! Where are my manners? My name is Masaki."

"Nice to meet you, Masaki-san."

"Oh, drop the formalities, Suguha. Just call me Masaki, plain and simple." He smiled even more widely. "You have no idea how great it is to have you with us..."

"Okay...Masaki." Suguha then looked around, examining her environment. "This is a really nice house you've got here, guys."

"Well, we manage," said Serena. "We manage..."

"It reminds me of my own house. And to think, I live close by, actually..."

"Oh, really? Well then, it wouldn't be much of a problem for the family if we decide to drop by your house sometime..."

An awkward silence fell upon the kitchen table, and Suguha and the Sakurai family began setting up the dinner. As she gathered the food for her plate, Suguha felt Seita's eyes focus on her, which made her feel all the more awkward. Finally, after everyone had gathered their food and started eating, Seita spoke.

"So...what do you do at your school, Suguha?"

Suguha looked at Seita, noticing the curious expression on his face. "Huh?"

"I was asking what you do at school. Do you play any sports?"

The girl blinked and narrowed her eyes. "_Why_?"

"Well, to start a conversation, that's all. I mean, that's why we are all here, isn't that right?" Then, he stared deeper into her eyes and then discerned what she exactly meant. "Oh...right. Well, I don't mean to intrude in any personal matters, though. You don't have to answer that."

He went back to eating his food in silence. Meanwhile, Serena looked at Suguha and opened her mouth, as if trying to say something, but then held it back and resumed eating as well. Feeling the awkwardness of the silence increasing and putting pressure over the group, Suguha looked around, wondering what to do to make things interesting. However, all she saw was Serena, Masaki, Seita, and Kurumi eating, the former three occasionally trying to strike up a conversation, but suddenly stopping before they can even utter a single word and then getting back to their dinner. After several minutes of this reigning silence passed with no further discussion attempted, she came to realize that she hadn't eaten anything off her plate at all.

She had been hoping for something good to come out of the meal, but apparently, it wasn't working out the way she had intended.

_"No one's talking,"_ she thought. _"We're all just sitting here, eating in silence, like we're some broken family. ...This family's already broken. One of their own is trapped inside that Death Game. What family _wouldn't _be broken by that kind of terror?... And worse yet, my presence might've made things worse. Serena-sensei sometimes mistakes me for her daughter Sachi, there's no lying about that. And the girl, Kurumi...she mistook me to be her Onee-chan too. I remind them of her somehow... It's gotta be painful for them, seeing me and thinking I'm their lost daughter or sister at first..."_ She narrowed her eyes in suspicion._ "Wait... Wait a minute..._

_"This is what this is all about, isn't it? Serena-sensei sees me as Sachi, so she thinks I'd be a suitable enough replacement for her until she makes it out of the Death Game. _If _she does make it out of this Death Game, that is. And if she doesn't..."_ Suguha closed her eyes. _"This kindness was too good to be true... I can't stay here."_

She abruptly stood up, attracting everyone's attention.

"S-Sa-Sugu-chan?" Serena asked, surprised.

"I thank you all for your hospitality," replied Suguha calmly, "but do you honestly think I wouldn't find out?"

"Find out what?" asked Masaki.

"You know what I'm talking about." She glared at Serena angrily. "I remind you of Sachi, so while you grieve, you think I'd be a replacement for her!"

"WHAT?!" Serena stood up from her chair. "Why in God's name would I _think_ of such a thing?!"

"You nearly keep calling me Sachi, you say I look like her every time we meet up, and most of all, why else would you invite me to your house, out of the blue?!"

"THAT IS NOT TRUE, SACHI-CHAN!"

"See, there you have it! There you go!" Suguha scoffed and shook her head disapprovingly. "Just go on and admit it, Serena-sensei! You cannot accept the fact that your daughter is trapped in that game, and you're afraid she'll die, so in your grief, you decide to seek out the best replacement for her possible! And what better candidate for that position than me?! Well, guess what? I'm not Sachi! My name is Suguha Kirigaya, and I will be NO ONE'S REPLACEMENT!"

The room was silent, except for someone sniffling. Looking down at her side, Suguha realized that Kurumi was close to tears, and Seita noticed as well.

"Kuru-chan-" he began, but the young girl had already burst into tears and ran out of the kitchen. "KURU-CHAN!"

Seita stood up and ran after Kurumi. Seconds later, her wails were cut off abruptly as Suguha heard a door slamming itself shut. he was alone with Serena and Masaki. However, the latter, already sensing the tense situation, sighed heavily and stood up, facing Suguha with a serious expression.

"Suguha," he said, "in no way _possible_ would I ever view you as a replacement for my Sachi-chan. Just someone I could rely on for comfort." He then bowed. "I apologize if this dinner served any inconvenience to you whatsoever." The man finished his bow. "I wish you a good night, and a happy Labor Thanksgiving."

He left the kitchen for his bedroom, leaving Serena with Suguha. The older woman was looking down at her unfinished plate solemnly.

"Sugu-chan..." she began, but her voice trailed off. Then, she blinked back tears and looked away. "Fine. If that's what you want, you can go. I won't stop you."

Watching as the tears fell down Serena's cheeks, and her lower lip trembling severely, Suguha realized the sincerity behind her friend. She felt a strong need to apologize, but she knew that she'd already made the situation worse, and that there was no way she could rectify what happened. They were dealing with an extremely emotional time, both of them, and to delve deeper into it would further open the psychological wounds.

She couldn't bring herself to do anything...except leave.

As she did, Suguha could hear Serena silently weeping. Lowering her head sadly, trying to hold back her own tears of grief, she opened the front door and left the Sakurai household. Walking down the pathway onto the sidewalk, she could no longer keep her tears at bay, and they traveled down her cheeks, stinging her skin slightly with their mutual feeling of her own agony and despair. She tried wiping them from her sleeve, but they wouldn't stop coming. After all, she had never felt so betrayed before; she trusted that Serena's caring and concern for her was just because she was concerned about _her_...

But it apparently wasn't so...

Angrily, she stopped, having only made a couple of feet out of the house. Yelling out in fury, she kicked at a loose, small slab of concrete, watching it skip along the sidewalk. Then, Suguha laid herself against the nearby fence, still crying. She would realize hours later that this was the first time she shed tears in a while ever since Kazuto's hospitalization...only, the tears weren't for Kazuto. They were for another thing entirely: possibly her only source of comfort at the moment.

_"This is the worst Labor Thanksgiving ever..." _she thought.

"Sugu-chan?!" a voice called.

Wiping her tears, Suguha looked at her left to see someone approaching her, but her eyes were blurred with remaining tears, so she couldn't see who it was.

"Sugu-chan!" the voice cried again. Now Suguha knew who it was.

"Hello, _Serena-sensei_..." she replied bitterly.

"Sugu-chan, I just want to apologize to you," Serena said, stopping a couple of feet away from her. "Look, I confess... You reminded me of Sachi-chan so much, that I thought, well... I thought...I'd..." Her lip quivered, and she shook her head angrily, ashamed of herself and her thoughts. "I'm not proud of it!"

"So you admit it." The girl scoffed, although it was out of sadness rather than mocking the nurse. "It figures..."

"I am sorry, Sugu-chan! I was so worried about my daughter! I knew she was emotionally not ready for something that'd be overwhelming to her, like a virtual reality! I thought...for sure that...that she'd...she'd..." She then skipped ahead. "I was so caught up in my fear, my grief, my horror...that when I say you, I just thought of Sachi-chan, and then I thought that maybe you'd...you'd..." She grunted angrily at herself. "I know I am such a fool for thinking that way...

"But Sugu-chan, I really do care about for who you are. I can relate to you. We have a loved one who's trapped in that Death Game, and the one who did such a horrifying thing to them is out of our reach, or anyone's reach, for that matter." Both females clenched their fists at the reference of the incident's perpetrator. Serena continued, "I don't know what to do with myself. No one knows what to do. I...I thought...I thought that if Sachi-chan died, we would've...would've..."

She stopped her sentence, and Suguha noticed that the nurse's fists were clenched even more tightly. She was obviously thinking about something; whatever it was, though, it was no doubt something Suguha didn't want to find out. Instead, she approached Serena.

"Serena-sensei," she said, getting the nurse's attention, "I understand."

Serena's eyes widened, and she gasped in relief. "You...You _do_?..."

"Yes. But that doesn't mean I can ever forgive you for thinking up that...that _stupid idea_."

The nurse flinched. However, Suguha cracked a small smile.

"But...you're right. Anyone and everyone is capable of doing crazy things when they're in the worst of grief. Actions we regret. If I were in your place, I probably would've done the exact same thing myself. That being said, I understand why you made that decision, Serena-sensei."

A smile of happiness and relief appeared on Serena's face, growing wider and wider with each passing minute.

"Does...Does this mean-?"

"Yes," Suguha interrupted. "I'm willing to start over again." She held out her hand, smiling. "My name is Suguha Kirigaya."

Realizing what she was talking about, Serena nodded and grabbed her hand with her own, still smiling.

"My name is Serena Sakurai. It is very nice to meet you, Suguha."

"Same here, Serena."

The two chuckled happily at the reintroduction.

* * *

**Near the Kirigaya Household**

Walking down the sidewalk, Suguha looked at her side and saw that Serena was deep in thought. Minutes earlier, she allowed the nurse to walk her home, as they had some more talking to do. However, none of them had spoken since the beginning of this walk. It was just an empty, awkward silence again.

Finally, to her relief, Serena spoke up.

"You know, Sugu-chan," she said, "your brother must be a really good influence on you."

Suguha blinked in surprise. "R-R-_Really_?" she replied. "What makes you think so, Serena-sensei?"

"Well, I was just thinking, you're obviously much more confident than Sachi-chan. Seita-kun always encourages her to do many things, and tries to be the best Onii-chan he can possibly be for her. But the only thing he managed to get her into doing with confidence was swimming, and yet, she gets pressured with the simple prospect of sports and never tries any of them out for herself." She let out a sad sigh. "I dearly love Sachi-chan, but...she's not the most confident type. I've had fears that she'd never handle the outside world for even a minute. It's always been that way since she was a child... So fragile, so shy...

"But you on the other hand, Sugu-chan-" She smiled happily. "-your brother must've been a great influence on you if you are so confident. I mean, you say your parents are never around all the time because of their work. That just narrows it all down to yourself and your brother. And look at you, Sugu! Excellent kendo champion, good grades, proper attitude, great looks, girls are all probably jealous of you and all the boys are probably drooling all over you..." Suguha couldn't help but blushed at the compliments. Then, Serena raised an eyebrow. "That is, if I'm not wrong about him being your influence, Sugu-"

"No, no, you're right!" interrupted Suguha. "Kazuto's always influenced me from the very beginning! Without him, I probably wouldn't have tried out kendo..."

Her voice trailed off and she looked away, an action that caught Serena's attention.

"Why?" she asked. "What's wrong, Sugu-chan?"

"It's nothing, it's just..." Suguha sighed heavily. "Actually, the only reason I tried out kendo was because I was doing it for my brother..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, our grandfather made us practice kendo. He was really strict on us. But we loved him, and we did it for his sake. We enjoyed it anyway... That is, until my brother just stopped doing it altogether. I still don't know why. He just approached Grandpa one day and told him he didn't want to do kendo anymore. Just like that. And Grandpa got really mad and started beating him. I was so scared, but I didn't want anything to happen to Kazuto, so...I went between them and told Grandpa that I'd do kendo for both of us. That I'd give my all in it for both my sake and his." She chuckled. "I didn't know why I picked those exact words, but I meant them with my heart. And since then, Kazuto retreated to his room and began playing his games, while I constantly practiced kendo..."

Serena listened to Suguha's entire story intently. Then, with an inquisitive finger on her chin, she replied, "Doesn't really sound like he influenced you. You were just protecting him. Which is just as fine, I guess..." She raised her head for a fraction of an inch. "So...you really don't know why he lost interest in kendo?"

"I don't know. I mean, ever since that day, Kazuto just lost interest in just about _everything_. He'd just go into his room to play his games during his spare time."

"Oh." The woman shook her head with a hint of disapproval. "If only Kazuto met Seita. He would've taught him a thing or two."

"But still-" Suguha smiled. "I think Kazuto has been an influence on me from the start. Not only did his actions inspire me to take up kendo..._indirectly_ so, but he also gave me a good sense and appreciation of adventure. When he was still training in kendo, he would take me out at night with our bamboo swords and we would explore the neighborhood, pretending we're crime-fighters, fighting for justice and what was right! And also for all the mochi ice cream in the world." She let out an amused giggle. "Anyway, I used to be afraid of going out in the night, but I got used to it and played along with him. That was fun...

"But ever since he stopped doing kendo, he's also stopped taking me out to play crime-fighting. He stopped doing all those wonderful things we used to do... If only I knew why he lost interest in everything that kept us together, if I knew before he got that game...then..._then_..."

"There's nothing you could've done, Sugu-chan," said Serena consolingly. "Whatever happened in the past is the past. We can't change that."

"Yeah, I guess..." Suguha then noticed the familiar rooftop of her house and stopped. "Alright, I think this is it, Serena-sensei. My house is just nearby."

"Okay, Sugu." The nurse twiddled her fingers nervously as the young girl prepared to walk away. "Say, Sugu..."

She turned around. "Yeah?"

"Listen...if you feel like there's no one to talk to...then my family and I are always available to listen. And don't think for a second that we see you as Sachi."

Suguha blinked in surprise at the offer and began to contemplate the decision. She was dealing with people who had the same problem as her, who were more than willing to listen to her, share their own problems, offer a shoulder to cry upon...be there for her... But after that disastrous attempt at a Labor Thanksgiving dinner, there was no telling if a similar incident will occur... But then again...there was no one else she could go to. Her mother was too emotionally broken to be any help, her father was still working overseas and will likely return to Japan for God knows when, all of her friends at school would never, ever understand the magnitude of the emotional pain and anguish she was going through... No one could understand her situation...

Except for the Sakurai family, perhaps...

"I'll...I'll think about it..." Suguha finally replied. "Thanks for the offer, Serena-sensei."

"Anytime, Sugu-chan."

The girl turned around and prepared to approach her house, but Serena called her again.

"Wait, Sugu-chan!"

She turned around again. "Yeah, Serena-sensei?"

"One last thing." Serena's smile was wide and bright. "The way you described yourself and Kazuto." Her eyes gleamed with happiness, which intrigued Suguha. "Sugu-chan, if I should compare you to any of my children, then it wouldn't be Sachi. Instead, it'd be Seita-kun."

Suguha was surprised by the comparison. "S-Seita?"

"Yeah. In fact, you're exactly like him. Kendo champion, good grades, determination, your intent on giving your all... Sachi-chan, on the other hand, is absorbed in her computers. Aside from swimming, that is all she can find happiness and confidence in. Online video games and communities... That's what got her stuck in that Death Game in the first place too... You and Seita-kun, I think you two are more likely than I realized..."

"What are you talking about, Serena-sensei?" the girl asked, confused. "I'm not getting this..."

Serena's smiled widened; Suguha noticed that it was the widest smile she had ever seen the nurse give. Even her mother wouldn't be this happy right now...

"What I mean is...I was wrong about thinking you were inspired by Kazuto. I think it may have been the other way around."

Suguha blinked, shocked. "The...The other way _around_?..."

"Yeah. Whatever made Kazuto quit kendo, it most likely had something to do with you, I just know it. Whether or not his reasons were good, he must've felt he was in the way of whatever was in store for you and just...removed himself from the equation, so to speak. He didn't want to bring you down."

"Do...Do you really _think so_, Serena-sensei?" asked the middle-school student in wonder.

"That's my guess. But my motherly instinct's never been wrong before, so..." Serena chuckled happily. "Whatever happened to him, in his mind, he was thinking about you. And I'm pretty sure that he's proud of the decision he made, because it was in your well-being. I think that's how you inspire him."

"That's how I inspire him..." Suguha repeated, her voice trailing off.

"Yes. And that's why I think you're his inspiration, Suguha. There's no other possible explanation to what you just told me." Then, the nurse chuckled. "And this is probably wishful thinking, but I'm pretty sure that deep down, he's proud to have a sister like you, Sugu-chan.

Suguha's eyes brightened in hope. "R-_Really_?..."

"Uh-huh. ...Wherever he is, I have faith that he is thinking about you, right now."

* * *

**Bedroom of Suguha Kirigaya  
Kirigaya Household  
Later that night**

Suguha sighed sadly as she stared at the unoccupied chair that was at the opposite side of the kitchen table. Continuing to eat her sushi, the thirteen-year-old began to think about the last thing Serena told her before they went on their separate ways. She might possibly be the inspiration for Kazuto, who abandoned kendo, who began ignoring her and being rude towards her, who lost everything that made him a cool Onii-chan...just for the sake of her well-being?

Thinking about this assumption in a clear and realistic manner, the girl believed it to be..._implausible_. And yet...to think that her Onii-chan still held such a strong degree of love and compassion for her was a comforting thought... She didn't know if Serena was actually making an assumption, or if that statement was just a way of giving her some comfort... Either way, Suguha felt a newfound appreciation for Serena. Her kindness was what she sorely needed right now...

_"Me, Onii-chan's inspiration..."_ she thought. _"_Inspiration_..."_ Suguha smiled. _"I like the sound of that. ...Being an inspiration... Onii-chan, you have always inspired me when I was a child. Thanks to you, I wouldn't have the determination to try out brand-new things, like kendo, or seek out the thrill of adventure, even if I haven't been seeking it out lately. Maybe I should sometime in the future... But in the meantime, I will try to repay you. Even if you're out of my reach, I'll be by your side every day, and root for you. Hopefully through that, I can inspire you too... Give you enough determination to get out of that game...and back to me... Yes, that's what I'll do!"_

The abrupt ringing of the doorbell brought her back to reality. Beads of nervous sweat broke out on her forehead.

_"Who in the world would be visiting this late?... Mom has her own key, after all..."_

Hesitantly, Suguha stood up and approached the front door. Grabbing the key, she prepared to unlock it before hesitating. No one usually visits in the night...

"Hello, Suguha?" a familiar voice called out. "It's Seita Sakurai! Remember me? I know you're in there!" He paused for a second before adding, "Oh, and I don't mean any harm, if that's what you're thinking, Suguha! I just wanna talk about some things! Can you open up, please?"

All of that was enough to convince her. She quickly unlocked the door, opened it, and found herself staring at bright, hazel eyes.

"Oh, hey there," she greeted.

"Hey yourself," Seita replied.

He smiled, and Suguha noticed the smile resembled Kazuto's own. However, she quickly ignored it and asked, "H-How'd you find this address?"

Seita raised an eyebrow. "Would you really like to know?"

"Actually...not really..."

"Okay." He then looked around inside the house. "Um, is it...okay if I come in?..."

"Well, no one's home besides me right now, and I don't think my mom would be okay with me bringing a strange boy inside the house..."

"Okay, I'll just stand out here then. No biggie."

"So..." Suguha twiddled her thumbs nervously. "What is it you wanna talk about, Seita?"

"I just wanna apologize about that dinner-"

"Your mom already apologized," interrupted Suguha. "There's no need-"

"Actually, there _is_."

Seita's tone surprised her. "W-Why?..."

"If my mom already apologized for what happened, then I'll just apologize for myself."

"Yourself? What're you talking about, Seita?"

"It was my idea to invite you and your family to dinner. After hearing all those stories about you from my mom, I thought we'd need emotional support because, well, ever since Sachi got trapped in SAO, our family has been falling apart. Nothing seemed to hold us together at the moment. I wanted us to get through this predicament to the very end together, for Sachi... So when I heard about you, I thought that our family would get the benefit of having at least one person we could sympathize with, one person who would sympathize with us... A shoulder to cry on... So I suggested it to my mom, she called you, and...here we are..."

"Did you also believe I'd be a suitable replacement for Sachi?" Suguha asked, her eyes narrowed.

"NO! Why would I ever think that?!"

"Then you really didn't have to apologize to me for the dinner. It really was nothing now that I made up with your mom-"

"But you had a terrible experience back there. It's at least my obligation to confess my role behind it and give you an apology. To make up for that too."

Suguha blinked, surprised by Seita's well-mannered and modest personality. Then, she cracked a small smile.

"You seem to like taking responsibility for the most minor thing, don't you?"

He shrugged. "I guess. But I believe it is the duty of a host to properly serve his or her guests. If the guests aren't satisfied and it was unintentional, then it is the duty of the host to recognize his shortcomings and apologize to the guests. After all, morals are everything, especially in today's world."

"Oh, so you're a moralistic guy, huh?"

"Apparently so." Then, Seita's eyes widened as he remembered something, and he checked his wristwatch. "Oh man, where'd the time go?! I think I should be getting back home." He bowed at her politely. "I'm really sorry for keeping you here for so long, Suguha."

Suguha giggled at Seita's politeness and replied, "Oh Seita, there's really no need to apologize for every single thing! But I wish you a safe trip back home."

"Thanks." He prepared to leave when he stopped and looked back at Suguha. "Wait, Suguha?"

"Yeah?"

"I-I know you're very uncomfortable with the comparison, but in no way does this mean I view you as a replacement for Sachi. I just needed to get it out of my system, because it is true, at least in my eyes." He closed his eyes briefly and looked into her own seriously. "You look a bit like her, you know that?"

"D-Do I?" Suguha asked. "_Really_?"

"Well, why else would my mom take a liking to you? As much as you don't seem to like it, it's true. It really is, Suguha."

"Oh. I guess..." Then, she got an idea. "Maybe I should visit Sachi, to see for myself. After all, I'm pretty sure I know where her room is."

Seita blinked in surprise, then smiled. "Yeah, maybe you should." Then, a determined look flooded his face. "Yes, please visit her, Suguha. It would mean a lot to her if you actually did. See...she never really had any friends to call her own. She only has friends because they're my friends..."

"Huh?..." The middle-school student was surprised by his outburst.

Noticing, he sighed and replied, "I'm sorry. I probably got carried away, didn't I? Anyway, if you do come to visit, I'll be there. I'll always be there."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Seita nodded, then piped, "I'm really sorry if I wasted your time on this-"

"No, no! I'm perfectly fine with talking to you! I mean, this is the first time in a while I've talked with anyone my age this devotedly."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I haven't done this since...since..."

* * *

**NEXT TIME ON "A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD"**

**Stephen:** I guess it's time for some..._serious_ provocation...

**Kazuto:** I can't even play _ALfheim Online_?!

**Keiko:** This entire situation must be very hard on Kirito-san...

**Unknown:** It's a real shame to hear that, Asuna-san.

**Kikuoka:** Do you have any idea what you're doing?...

**Kentaro:** We just received a tip regarding the suspects!

**Stephen:** Mow 'em all down.

**Rika:** ASUNA!

**Chapter 5: Provocation**

* * *

**A/N:** So, we meet Sachi's real-life family, and...what exactly was Suguha going to say? Oh, how I love cliffhangers! :P

For some reason, I had this chapter planned out, and yet, the pacing feels terrible to me. But this is what I have for you guys, so hopefully it was good enough. Also, I planned to post this chapter a couple of days earlier, but obviously, I had complications in my schedule, so it's kinda late. Sorry.

I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:

**purpleswans:** Maybe, maybe not. We'll see...

**demonsshade:** Well, it all depends on how this fans out. And hopefully I don't let you down.

**InvisableTarget:** Oh, he isn't out for blood. Not yet, at least... ;)

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	6. H: Provocation, Part 1 of 2

**CHAPTER 5: PROVOCATION, PART 1 OF 2**

* * *

**Unknown location**

Suguha gasped in horror upon seeing the apparition of Leafa, grinning monstrously at her, looking as if it wanted to eat her alive. She wanted to run away from this nightmarish, unknown figure, but something rooted her to the spot, holding her with the grip of a strong magnet. The only thing she possibly could do was gaze in fear and helplessness, into the fake Leafa's face as it continued to smile at her unnaturally. Tears streamed down Suguha's cheeks.

**"WHAT _ARE_**** YOU?!"** the girl managed to shout out.

"You."

In a split-second, Suguha then found herself standing in a vast, empty field. The ground appeared to be made of crystal and didn't have anything else. No signs of life, no protruding objects, nothing. It was just a field of white, glittering crystal. She was the only other object present in this strange reality...

Then, she heard a crackling noise coming from underneath her. Trembling in immense fear, she looked down and saw that cracks were appearing on the crystal ground and spreading outward. Cold water was leaking between the cracks with a soft but eerie gushing sound.

That was when Suguha realized that she wasn't standing on crystal. She was standing on ice.

A thin layer of ice, at that.

She tried to run, but it was too late. The ice underneath her gave way from the pressure of her weight, and Suguha plunged into the cold water. She tried with desperation to hold onto the ice but it just kept breaking off every time she managed to touche even the closest edge. To make matters even worse, it seemed as if the body of water was continuously dragging her down, like some gargantuan plughole had been opened up at the bottom and was now absorbing water.

Finally, after dozens of attempts to hold onto something, without succeeding, Suguha finally couldn't take it anymore and was dragged in underwater.

Taking in her last breath of oxygen, Suguha then felt the cold water rush over her face, followed by the torturous feeling of thousands of needles stabbing her whole body repeatedly and unforgivably. She let out a loud, bloodcurdling scream, but all the sounds that burst out of her mouth were devoured by the water, instead manifesting themselves in the form of bubbles that gave off horrible gurgling sounds upon rising from Suguha's mouth and up the water.

Suguha continued flailing her arms wildly, hoping to the heavens that she could hold onto something at the last minute... She didn't know what such an action could do to aid her in her predicament, but she wanted to do it. There was no way she was dying, let alone at the hands of something she feared greatly...

Suddenly, she felt something latch onto her hand...

* * *

**Unknown location  
The real world  
****May 2, 2026**

**Present day**

"Subject's heartbeat and adrenaline levels are rising rapidly," announced the gray-haired man wearing sunglasses as he operated a laptop of advanced caliber. "Reaction to emotional state expected from the virtual reality. She is about ready to be taken to the next level with this kind of progress." He looked up from his laptop, a wide grin on his face. "Just as expected, the virtual reality that you created and installed is functioning properly."

"A little _too_ properly..." remarked Stephen. However, he was grinning triumphantly as well. "But no matter. With this progress, we should be able to initiate the next phase of our plan. Right ahead of schedule as well." He then turned to his companion. "Contact the patrol units. Be sure to give them the update."

The companion nodded and pulled out a walkie-talkie, preparing to establish contact to an unknown receiver. Meanwhile, Stephen glanced at a security camera he managed to install in Suguha Kirigaya's bedroom. It was overlooking the entire bedroom, especially the bed occupied by the comatose Suguha. At that exact moment, Stephen's grin had vanished. Over twelve hours into the incident, and no action was taken by Kazuto Kirigaya. He had expected better from him...

_"At this point,"_ he thought, _"he should be acting. After all, it is in his nature to help out whenever someone is in danger and close to death. His experiences inside the Death Game definitely taught him that. So...why isn't he doing something about this? Why isn't he taking the bait?..."_

Stephen grabbed his walkie-talkie, pressed a button, and spoke into it.

"Alpha to Beta," he said. "What's the status of the target?"

"Still inactive," answered the receiver. "He hasn't left the house at all."

The man's eyes narrowed menacingly. Then, he said, "And what about the officers guarding his house?"

"They are still adhering strictly to their shifts. Do you suggest an open assault?"

"No, you idiot," barked Stephen, "I DON'T want that!" He then placed his unoccupied hand over his hip, sighing in frustration. "Continue observing the target."

"Yes, sir."

With a look of resignation, Stephen ended the conversation. Then, he glared at his companion.

"Contact the unit at the school," he ordered. "We're resorting to Plan B."

"Plan B?" asked the man.

"Yes, Plan B."

As his inferior nodded and began operating his walkie-talkie, Stephen turned away and faced the live recording of the security camera in Suguha's bedroom. At the same time, Kazuto had entered the room, a glum look of defeat on his face. The man gritted his teeth at the unforgivable sight.

Then, he grinned again and whispered, "You're not playing along with the game, Kazuto. I guess it's time for some..._serious_ provocation.

"After all, those who don't _play along_...get _punished_..."

* * *

**Kirigaya Household  
****Nishitōkyō, Japan****  
**

Kazuto solemnly observed Suguha in her frail state, his arms hanging loosely at his sides, his black hair looking more unkempt than usual. Dragging one of the nearby chairs at her bedside and facing it backwards, he sat down with a grunt, leaning his chest against the chair's backrest and resting his chin on his arms. He wished he could do something to help Suguha, but he didn't even know where to start. The perpetrators didn't even leave a clue for him...

"Alright, bring it out," a voice said.

The black-haired teenager glanced at the doorway and saw a team of investigators carrying out...his NerveGear equipment? Shocked, he stood up and spotted Higoshi approaching one of the officers. As he approached her, Kazuto saw another officer pass the doorway, carrying his NerveGear helmet.

"Hey, what're you doing?!" he exclaimed, surprising Higoshi and the other officer.

"We're bringing your stuff over to our department for examination," Higoshi replied.

"Why?! That's my stuff!"

"It's come to our attention that your NerveGear might've been tampered with as well."

"But I was able to log out safely!"

Higoshi frowned and narrowed her eyes at the boy. "These perpetrators were easily able to tamper with an AmuSphere unit, which was designed with heavily improved safety measures in the wake of the SAO Incident." She pursed her lips. "But I am pretty sure you already know that."

"What I don't know is why you're taking my stuff."

"It would take a lot of skill to replicate the effects of a NerveGear used during the SAO Incident on an AmuSphere unit. That said, the same people who did this to your sister may have also tampered with your NerveGear. Had you decided to use it to log back into the virtual world to play one of those games, who knows what would've happened? I'm sorry to do this to you, but I will be sure to notify you of any progress made."

At this point, Kazuto was outraged. "I can't do anything to help out, I can't leave my own house... I can't even play _ALfheim Online_?!"

"I'm very sorry, Kazuto," replied Higoshi calmly, "but it's for your own good. We have to consider all possible scenarios."

"But... But..."

"No buts. You must remember what is at stake here, Kazuto."

Sighing angrily, the teenager returned to Suguha's bedroom, kicking angrily at the floor, unable to comprehend ever. However, before he could do anything else to express his rage, he saw his sister's unconscious form, and though the better of it. He knew that whatever the police were doing would bring them one step closer to finding the solution to Suguha's condition. He couldn't overreact. All he had to do was wait...hopefully...

_"I mustn't overreact,"_ he thought. _"I have to stay strong. The police can handle this...right?..."_

Watching as Higoshi and the other officer walked out of sight, Kazuto then sat back down on the chair and continued to gaze at Suguha.

_"But...I know there's something I have to do... I...I can't just sit back and watch as Sugu continues to suffer whatever she is being put through... No, I just can't..."_

* * *

"You're torturing him, you know that?"

Igarashi sighed and shook his head at Higoshi. "No, Higoshi-san," he replied. "I'm being _realistic_. And cautious too. It's a good thing he didn't try to play one of those games using that thing. Who knows what would've happened?" Then, he raised an eyebrow. "And since when'd you think I was torturing him?"

"Don't think I overheard your little _interrogation_ with him early this morning." Higoshi ignored Igarashi's surprised expression. "It's more than enough for him to know that his sister is going through the same thing as he did four years ago. And now he believes that all of this is his fault? Plus, you're taking the things he treasures, as if they're evidence?" She placed her hands on her hips. "You must have some nerve to do that to him, Igarashi-san..."

The assistant inspector shook his head again. "I never said it was his fault. And also, like I said, we were justified in taking his NerveGear equipment." His eyes glinted with an air of suspicion as he stared at his inferior. "Again, why do you think I am torturing him? You sound like you overheard something-"

"What was all of that early this morning?" Higoshi demanded, a confession made without any regret. "You sounded like it was otherwise..."

"Look, I don't understand why a mere kid like him is involving himself in all of these dangerous matters. Risking everything he has, to save over 6,000 complete strangers? Sticking his head into an illegal company experiment? Going after a serial killer who manages to learn his victims' personal information online? It's as if he's asking- no, as if he is _demanding_ to be killed. All these things I mentioned? Those should be things managed by adults! Not by kids who have their whole futures ahead of them!" Igarashi pointed towards a photo of the entire Kirigaya family. "Does he know what he is leaving behind if he gets involved in perilous affairs? ...Heh, yeah. Maybe it _is_ his fault that his sister is in this state. Maybe this is the work of someone retaliating against him."

The sergeant crossed her arms. "You're getting out of hand, Igarashi-san."

"Oh, am I? No, I'm not. I just lack understanding of that kid, that's all."

Higoshi then smiled. "Well then, from what I heard about him, he reminds me of a certain someone."

"Oh?" Igarashi raised an eyebrow at her. "Do enlighten me, Sergeant."

"I believe you know who I'm talking about."

Igarashi blinked, then noticed Higoshi's crafty expression and finally realized who she was referring to.

"Kazuto Kirigaya is _nothing_ like me."

"You dove into that freezing lake to save all those poor children trapped in the SUV. You walk straight onto the scene of a hostage situation and calm down the perpetrator until special forces move in. You bend all of the rules in the book to solve that home invasion case in-"

"_Don't_ remind me," snapped Igarashi. "_Don't_."

"I'm pretty sure you get my point."

"No, I don't, Higoshi-san."

"Don't play dumb, Igarashi-san. The both of you risk your lives for the well-being of others, no matter what. There's no way I can be clearer than this."

"Yeah, well you're forgetting one important difference between me and Kazuto Kirigaya."

"And that is?"

Igarashi approached her and towered over her, his eyes burning. "I've got _nothing_ to lose. As for Kazuto Kirigaya, well, he's got a loving family. He's got friends. He's got a bright future ahead of him. Hell, he's practically already started his own family, unofficially so. For him to involve himself in these serious matters, it is as if the boy is rejecting them. Like he doesn't care about them, or at the very least thinks he cannot get harmed whatsoever. And that's what upsets me about the boy. Why would someone who's got everything to lose just go on ahead with what he's done? Does he know that if he dies, he harms those he cares for?"

"Look, I don't know what motivates Kazuto to do this," Higoshi said, "but it's obviously for the safety of others. Even his loved ones."

"Well, as effective as he may be, he's just a kid. That can only take one so far."

"He's a kid who survived the SAO Incident."

"He's still a kid." Igarashi turned away. "And one day, he'll know that. As much as he thinks he's seen everything in those two years...well, he's mistaken."

The sergeant sighed and shook her head. She knew that it was always difficult to persuade her stubborn superior. Then, she heard him speak again.

"Higoshi-san, you know what to do now."

"Spy on a high-ranking agent for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and jeopardizing both of our careers in the process? Yes, I believe so."

"Then get on with it, please. I believe my shift has begun. And don't worry about being exposed. I know what to do should an event like that come."

"Hopefully so, Igarashi-san. Hopefully..."

Igarashi watched as Higoshi left the Kirigaya house, followed by the sound of her private vehicle's engine as she backed it out of the driveway and drove away. He then let out a sigh and looked back at the photo of the Kirigaya family that he just pointed at. There were many photos of the joyous and peaceful family, all of them smiling, not having another care in the world... The photos all reminded him of the photo he kept in his private vehicle...

The assistant inspector sighed again at the thought before looking up the staircase leading to the upper floor. His green eyes narrowed.

"Me and him, alike?" he asked. "...I'll believe it when I see it..."

* * *

**Forest Home, 22nd Floor  
New Aincrad**

Asuna glanced at the cloudy sky, feeling the cold, soft breeze blowing across her face and causing her chestnut hair to flutter smoothly. Lifting some strands of her hair away from her forehead, she sighed and closed her eyes. She just logged onto ALO almost a half-hour ago and she hadn't seen Kirito during that time. She therefore concluded that the investigators were barring him from logging in as a safety precaution.

However, she could imagine his despair over that. After all, virtual-reality gaming always helped to calm him down in the wake of a personal predicament...

"Mommy?"

Asuna opened her eyes and saw Yui standing in front of her, a curious glimmer present in her bright black eyes. Currently, the young AI was in her normal form. Mentally forcing herself to remain calm for the sake of her surrogate daughter, she smiled optimistically at her.

"What is it, Yui-chan?" she asked.

"Where's Daddy?"

The chestnut-haired teenager's eyes widened, then she sighed. "Daddy can't come over right now, Yui-chan..." she replied.

"Why not? Is Daddy okay?"

Asuna nodded. "Yes, he's okay."

"Then why isn't he here, Mommy? I wanna play with the both of you!"

She sighed again and placed a hand on Yui's head. "Daddy's just..._busy_ right now. He has some stuff to do with your Aunt Leafa."

"Aunt Leafa?" Yui asked, raising an eyebrow. "What're the two of them doing?"

"I don't know. They didn't tell me. What I know is that it's supposed to be a...family matter."

"But we're family too, aren't we?" exclaimed Yui. "Shouldn't _we_ be able to help them out?"

"It's a family matter that's supposed to be between the two of them only," Asuna corrected. "This doesn't concern us, Yui-chan. However, I promise you, Daddy and Aunt Leafa will both be able to return and play with us once they are done solving their situation." She knelt down so she could be at level height with her surrogate daughter and smiled at her. "Let's not talk about it right now, Yui-chan. Why don't we go inside now?"

"Okay..." However, Yui looked solemn; Asuna knew that she always liked to play around with her daddy.

Asuna led Yui towards the doorway and then ushered her inside the house before looking back at the sky. The cold breeze was still blowing.

_"Kirito-kun..."_ she thought. _"I hope you're doing okay..."_

"Mommy!" Yui called, catching Asuna's attention. "Aren't you coming in?"

"Sorry, I'm coming!"

With one last look, Asuna stepped inside the house and closed the door behind her.

* * *

**The SAO Survivor Festival  
****SAO Survivor School**

"It's a shame Kazuto-kun must suffer through this terrible tragedy in his family," Shouzou Yuuki said as he parked the sedan in front of the SAO Survivor School, specifically its rear entrance. Sitting in the passenger seat was Asuna. "Listen, Asuna, if you have the chance to see him again, give him my condolences."

"I will, Dad," replied the chestnut-haired teenager as she got out of the sedan.

"And have fun over at that festival. I hope you won't do anything brash. You know how your mother is..."

"_Yeah_..." Asuna shook her head. "Anyway, bye Dad. I'll see you later."

"Remember, Kouichirou will be home by the time you're done here."

"I know, Dad."

The former businessman nodded as his daughter shut the door on him. Asuna then watched as he drove down the street, away from her and the school. Then, she looked up at the cloudy sky, wondering what Kazuto was doing at this very moment. ...Well, there was no doubt he was watching over his sister in guilt...

"Hey, Asuna!"

Asuna suddenly felt someone's hand lightly slap her in the back of her head. Turning around, she saw Rika standing there, holding two glasses of juice.

"Oh, hey Liz..." the teenage girl replied.

"Still worried about Kirito?" asked Liz. "Look, as worrisome as this situation is, we have to strong! For both his and Leafa-chan's sake! Let's take our minds out of this predicament and enjoy the festival!" She held out one of the glasses for Asuna to take. "Here, bought this for you."

"Thanks..." Asuna took the glass from Rika's hand. "So, how many people are here?"

"A lot."

Asuna took a sip of her juice before replying, "Anyone we know?"

"Silica-chan, definitely. Klein's here too. Agil should be here soon. Come on, let's go in."

The two girls stepped inside the school grounds and took a short walk towards the baseball field. Upon arriving, Asuna gasped in surprise. The entire baseball field, as well as the nearby track-and-field court, was occupied by tents and food stands. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people were milling about, all of them survivors of SAO. Asuna could recognize a few of them, and she found it odd to see them wearing ordinary civilian clothing instead of medieval garments...

"Awesome, isn't it?" asked Rika.

"Yeah..." Asuna replied. Then, she added in her mind, _"If only Kirito-kun were here to see this... He would've enjoyed it... Or he'd probably just doze off in minutes."_

"Asuna-san!" a familiar voice called. "Liz-san! Over here!"

Glancing at one of the tents, Asuna spotted Keiko and Ryoutarou sitting at a table underneath it, along with a man with wavy umber-brown hair and a woman with long, silver hair, both of whom were holding hands. The brown-haired girl recognized these two people as Thinker and Yulier.

"Hey, you guys!" she replied as she and Liz approached the group. She was particularly focused on Thinker and Yulier "It's great to see you two here."

"Yeah," replied Thinker, smiling at Asuna. "When we heard about this festival, we couldn't resist going."

"Listen, Asuna," Yulier said, "we heard about what happened in the news. That poor girl, she was Kirito's sister, right?"

The chestnut-haired girl's eyes softened upon hearing this. "Yes, that's right."

"Oh my God..." The silver-haired woman looked down at the table. "I can't believe whoever did this chose to target one of Kirito's family... That's just horrible..." She looked up again. "And I'm assuming the investigators aren't letting him come here to the festival for safety reasons?"

Asuna didn't need to respond. There was no doubt Yulier already knew that was true.

"This entire situation must be very hard on Kirito-san..." Silica said, looking as solemn.

"Hey, Asuna," Thinker piped, "when you see him, give him our condolences. Tell him everyone is thinking about him and wishing for his sister's safe recovery."

"I'll do just that, thank you." Then, Asuna smiled optimistically. "Come on, guys, let's not get ourselves so worried over him. He wouldn't want us to get riled up. He'll definitely want us to have a good time during this festival..." She sat down on one of the unoccupied chairs. "So let's do just that. Let's have fun!"

* * *

Elsewhere in the festival, one of the vendors at the food stands silently observed the group intently. He narrowed his eyes at them and subconsciously stroked the lump in his suit. He had just received contact from his superiors, who informed him and his colleagues that Plan B was a go and they needed to wait for the official order. The man knew it wouldn't take long now for that order to arrive. He just needed to maintain his cover for a while longer...

"Hey, you! Vendor-san!"

The vendor turned around and saw that someone had been waiting in line. It was a nimble-looking teenage girl with brown eyes and auburn hair, who wore a brown hooded sweatshirt. This girl sighed and removed her hood and raised an eyebrow at the vendor, her arms crossed.

"I've been waiting for my order for, like, five minutes now," she snapped angrily. "I would like to have it now."

"Oh, my deepest apologies..." the vendor replied, bowing in respect before reaching for the food she ordered.

He honestly couldn't wait to execute Plan B already...

* * *

"So, how are things going with MMO Today?" asked Ryoutarou as he took a sip of the juice he bought.

"Oh well, it's just the same old, same old," Thinker replied, shrugging dismissively. "Nothing really interesting or noteworthy to really speak of." He then took a small sip of his own juice before looking at the red-haired man in curiosity. "Oh hey, by the way, Klein, shouldn't you be at work right now? I thought-"

"Well, it's either working my ass off in some white-collar office or meeting up with old friends at a festival, so I had to pick the more entertaining option, eh?"

"Typical Klein-san," Rika replied, shrugging while Asuna sweat-dropped.

"Hey, speaking of the festival," Keiko piped, "why don't we all log into ALO and go do some more quests in New Aincrad? As an after-party?"

"Sounds like a great idea, Silica-chan." Rika patted the young girl on her head. "I'm game. How about you guys?"

"I'm definitely gonna go," Asuna replied, smiling.

"Same here," added Klein. "Wouldn't miss it for anything else in the world."

"Even your work, Klein?" Rika asked, a crafty expression on her face.

"Guess so."

"I'm not sure if we're gonna make it," Yulier said sadly. "Thinker and I have to go to a meeting regarding the...you-know-what..." The silver-haired woman then looked at Asuna, who immediately realized what she was talking about. "It's the latest incident involving VRMMORPGs and therefore it's getting a lot of heat."

"Oh..." The brown-haired girl shook her head sadly at the news.

"So, uh, what's this about getting a lot of heat?" a voice asked.

Asuna's eyes widened, for she recognized the voice. Looking up, she saw that Kana Akiko was standing beside the table, listening intently on the conversation with her trademark hungry grin on her face. Also referred to as 'Argo the Rat', it actually did not surprise the chestnut-haired girl that the former info broker had been listening on at least part of their conversation without apparently being detected by anyone in the group. However...

The topic of their conversation... She did not want her to go around gossiping to everyone. After all, the story of Suguha's condition just broke the news... And if Argo went around the festival and informed everyone else about the incident, it could potentially reopen closed wounds for the other survivors, and on a day meant to be a bright and joyous occasion, one more step forward for them... She didn't want to risk it for everyone else...

"Is this about what happened to Kii-bou's sister?" Akiko suddenly asked. Her grin had suddenly vanished as she realized the magnitude of the topic.

Asuna blinked. "H-How'd you-"

"Saw the news, Asu-san." Akiko sat down at the table, looking pitiful. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about what I heard. Besides, I am pretty sure everyone knows about it now. It _is_ still the news, after all." She looked at Asuna. "Pardon me for asking, but...how's Kii-bou doing, by the way? Terribly, I'd figure?"

"If it was your sister who was trapped in her AmuSphere gear," Asuna replied, "you'd know, Argo."

"It's a real shame to hear that, Asu-san," replied Akiko. She then looked at the others, her solemn expression being replaced with a curious one now. "So, all of you are friends of Kii-bou? I don't believe I've met any of you. I've honestly lost of all the clients I had to rip off."

"Yeah, we're Kirito's friends..." Rika said, staring at Akiko suspiciously. "And what's your connection with Kirito?"

"I became his personal info broker in SAO." She grinned with an air of smugness and superiority. "Told him things no one else knew. What about you?"

"I was his personal blacksmith." Rika's eyes were narrowing. "Upgraded and repaired his weapons like no one else did."

The info broker shrugged dismissively. "Oh, you're his personal blacksmith. Well, that's real great. Must've been _really_ beneficial for Kii-bou."

Rika gritted her teeth, a growl seething from her mouth. Silica looked at her friend with concern, while Ryoutarou, Thinker, and Yulier all looked at each other in curiosity. Asuna, sensing the animosity that was forming between the two, sighed and stretched out her arms towards the two.

"Alright, come on, you two," she said, "we can't fight over petty things such as connections to Kirito. He wouldn't want us to fight, especially like this."

"Fine," Akiko replied dismissively.

"Fine..." grumbled Rika.

The entire table became silent, and the only movement made was from Keiko, who was shuffling her feet awkwardly. Rika continued to stare hatefully at Akiko, who was now lost in thought. Finally, after several minutes passed in an awkward silence, Ryoutarou, looking around, finally decided to break it.

"So...wanna buy some sushi?"

* * *

******Headquarters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs**  
**Tokyo, Japan**

Parking her private vehicle alongside a sidewalk, Higoshi produced a pair of binoculars and placed them over her eyes, giving her a closer view of the Ministry of Internal Affairs headquarters complex. Focusing her sights on the main entrance, the sergeant watched intently as employees entered and left through the set of glass doors. She pursed her lips, exhaling calmly before focusing the distance of the binocular sights to give her a closer view of the entrance.

"Come on, Seijirou Kikuoka," she whispered to herself. "Show yourself. It should be your lunch break right now..."

She then cracked a small smile upon spotting Kikuoka open one of the doors and step out of the building. The agent looked around briefly before walking down the opposite direction from her. Following Kikuoka with her binoculars, Higoshi observed him as he approached a small cafe, looked around again, and entered. With Kikuoka now out of her sight, Higoshi lowered her binoculars and glanced out of the windshield, looking up at the Ministry of Internal Affairs headquarters.

As she occupied herself with her new assignment, the sergeant had one thought racing in her mind...

_"This seriously had better be worth it, Igarashi-san..."_

* * *

**Bedroom of Suguha Kirigaya  
Kirigaya Household****  
**

Approaching the doorway of Suguha's bedroom, Igarashi knocked softly on it thrice. "Hello, Kazuto?" he called. "It's Igarashi. Can...Can I come in?"

There was no response, so Igarashi decided to slowly open the door. Peeking his head inside the room before entering, he found Kazuto sleeping while sitting on the backwards-facing chair, by Suguha's bedside. Igarashi sighed in relief; he had been hoping to talk to the teenage boy about their perceived similarities, but didn't know what to exactly say. At least this spared him the difficulty and awkwardness of having to string even a single sentence together.

The assistant inspector then looked at Suguha's form, and his eyes widened in surprise...and with a hint of horror. The way the young girl was lying on her bed, motionless, without a care in the world, not able to be disturbed by any external source... It was as if she was dead... It greatly reminded him of...

Igarashi shook his head, desperately getting the redheaded boy out of his mind. He knew he couldn't think about him. To do so would jeopardize the case, just as the thoughts have always done during the most serious and brutal of cases he investigated, whenever innocent people were hurt... Just like that quadruple homicide case he handled a couple of years back... The horrible memories of that case, the tears shed by that innocent girl, that promise he gave...

He then looked at Kazuto, who was still sleeping.

_"Me and him, alike?"_ he thought. _"No...no, Higoshi-san is wrong. We are _not _alike... There is another difference between us. This boy has no idea what it's like to know that one cannot save everyone... Whatever happens, no matter how hard we try, in the end, it is just too late for that one person... Kazuto strives to save everyone. _I_ strive to do the best I possibly can in saving lives, nothing more, nothing less."_ Igarashi narrowed his eyes at Kazuto. _"How can he and I be alike just because of our mutual desire to save lives? There are different views of how to save lives. I simply follow the realism of that ideal. He blindly pursues that ideal to its very extent._

_"How foolish of that boy... So foolish... You can't save everyone..."_

"Igarashi-san?..."

The assistant inspector was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn't notice Kazuto wake up, his black locks hanging more loosely over his eyes. He appeared immensely exhausted. Igarashi sensed that Kazuto understandably didn't have much sleep the previous night.

"What're you doing here?..." Kazuto moaned. "D-Did... Did you manage to find who did this to Suguha?..."

"Unfortunately, no," replied Igarashi calmly. "No developments have been made in the investigation thus far, Kazuto."

"Why are you here, then?..."

"Just checking on you. I'm supposed to patrol the interior of your house, protect you from any harm that might be heading your way."

Kazuto merely grunted in response before looking back at Suguha. Then, his eyes narrowed and he looked back at the assistant inspector.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked in an almost forceful tone.

"Pardon me?" Igarashi replied.

"There has to be something I can do to help. I can't just sit around in my house watching over my sister and moping! What can I do to help you guys?!"

An emotionless look flooded Igarashi's face. "Nothing," he replied.

Outraged by the response, Kazuto stood up, knocking over his chair in the process.

"But why?!" he exclaimed. "I can do something! I can probably-"

"You do _nothing_. We don't know why the perpetrators are doing this to you and your family, but we do know for sure this is something that can only be handled by professional adults. _Professional_ adults. Not mere teenagers who've gone through special, harrowing experiences." Igarashi's green eyes glinted with an air of authority. "Your experiences don't give you a pass on this one. I don't want you risking your life, Kazuto. I understand that you've seen a lot of stuff, that you have the experience in doing stuff adults usually do, but you mustn't ignore the laws of reality. No matter what you say, you're still a kid, Kazuto."

"But if this is about me, then I can probably make sure I can lure them out or something-"

"That's out of the question, Kazuto," interrupted Igarashi harshly. "I am NOT gonna set up a kid as bait for the sharks. You are gonna stay here for the duration of this investigation, whether you like it or not." He then checked his wristwatch, his brow furrowed. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have a very important phone call to make." He turned around and prepared to leave the bedroom. "Don't even think about trying to sneak out or anything."

Kazuto growled and gritted his teeth at this perceived insolence from the investigator. He couldn't believe he was being told to keep still when he could serve a great benefit to the case! He knew he had to do something to help out. It was obvious the police were getting nowhere with the investigation...

As soon as Igarashi left the room, Kazuto looked out of Suguha's window, only to see two police officers conversing in the backyard. He knew that the entrance to the house was also being patrolled by officers as well, so he couldn't sneak out through the front. Essentially, he was boxed in...

The black-haired boy kicked at his fallen chair, his black eyes blazing with fury.

**"DAMN IT!"**

* * *

******Headquarters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs**  
**Tokyo, Japan**

Higoshi jerked her eyelids open upon hearing her cellphone vibrating on the passenger seat of her vehicle. Realizing what she had just done, she looked at the clock, feeling the internal heat of the car setting in. Upon seeing the time, she sighed heavily and leaned back on her seat.

_"Damn it,"_ she thought. _"I've been asleep for ten minutes... Should've parked in one of the parking lots..."_

Grabbing her cellphone, she turned it on and answered, "Higoshi."

"Higoshi-san," Igarashi replied, "how's it going at your end?"

Quickly placing her binoculars over her eyes, the sergeant focused on the cafe. A few people were exiting, but none of them were Kikuoka.

"Kikuoka's currently eating in a cafe near the headquarters complex," she said. "As far as I know, he hasn't left the building yet."

"Alright. Keep observing, Higoshi-san."

The sergeant sighed angrily as she lowered her binoculars. "And for how long do you want me to keep it up, Igarashi-san?"

"As long as possible. I'll let you know when I take over."

"You'd better. And I do hope this leads us somewhere useful, because I'm not really willing to lose my job over one of your suspicions."

"You won't," Igarashi said reassuringly. "Remember, I have it covered. Now, I gotta go. I'll call you back."

Her superior hung up before she could respond. Sighing, Higoshi put away her cellphone and used her binoculars again to observe the cafe. She contemplated moving the car over to a nearby parking lot just in case she fell asleep again. After all, she did not like the way Igarashi said her current assignment would take 'as long as possible'. She quickly checked her cellphone for any missed calls or texts, and saw that she had only one missed call from Kentaro. However, before she could decide whether or not she should call Kentaro back, Higoshi suddenly heard someone tapping on her door window.

Looking up, her eyes widened upon seeing Seijirou Kikuoka standing by her door, a look of suspicion on his face.

Rolling down her window, she greeted, "Oh, Kikuoka-san, fancy seeing you here-"

"He sent you to spy on me, didn't he?" Kikuoka asked suddenly.

Higoshi blinked, then smiled innocently. "I... I have no idea what you're talking about, Kikuoka-san-"

"Oh, I believe you _do_." The agent narrowed his eyes. "Please, come out of the car. We'll talk a little walk."

The sergeant hesitated. She didn't know what Kikuoka was going to do. Was he going to guide her into the headquarters complex and report her?

Apparently realizing what she was thinking, Kikuoka suddenly flashed a friendly smile at her and added, "Don't worry. I'm not gonna report you to my superiors. I literally just wish to have a little talk with you about your higher-up, Igarashi-san." He gestured towards the cafe. "My treat."

Not sure if what he would do if she refused, Higoshi decided to accept the offer. Nodding, she got out of the car, closed the door behind her, and followed him to the cafe. Upon drawing closer towards the entrance, she saw the cafe's name on its sign: 'JOLLY GREEN PHEASANT CAFE'. She then looked at Kikuoka, who was also staring at the cafe sign with some sort of intent. The agent then looked at Higoshi and shrugged dismissively.

"Hey, do you blame me for being an optimistic patriot?" he asked.

Within several minutes, the two stepped inside the cafe, made their orders, and sat down at an unoccupied table to wait. Kikuoka was the first to speak.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing? Spying on a government agent without just cause is a rather risky move to make, considering your reputation..."

"Igarashi doesn't seem to trust you," Higoshi replied.

"And you? Do _you_ trust me?" He then scoffed. "No, you wouldn't. Otherwise you wouldn't be doing this in the first place..."

"Well, I believe you could've alerted us about the presence of AO Tech in Japan the moment they arrived. You knew about their arrival even before they actually came here, and you didn't bother to tell us about this. It took the deaths of three people to get you to do it. Would you like to explain yourself on that?"

Kikuoka's glasses glinted in the light. "We could not jump to conclusions so quickly. After all, AO Tech and their activities may be controversial with the American government, but as far as everyone else is concerned, they are just a group of businessmen on a work-related trip and nothing more. Politics is something that isn't to be taken lightly, Higoshi-san. There are sacrifices that have to be made in order for the benefit of our countries."

"Sacrifices such as an innocent girl getting caught up in the mix?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

When Higoshi leaned back in her seat, letting out a grunt of disgust, Kikuoka smiled. He leaned forward with a curious expression on his face.

"How far do you and Igarashi go back?" he asked.

Higoshi raised an eyebrow. "And what does that have to do with anything?"

"You must be really willing to risk your own job, just to follow one of Igarashi's orders."

"Let's just say I'm indebted to him. I'll leave it at that."

"Because he proved the innocence of your father?"

Higoshi blinked, shocked. "H-How'd-?"

"I looked into the files of everyone in your department on day one of this investigation," Kikuoka replied. "Had to make sure the investigators were trustworthy. And your profile intrigued me the most. Using your mother's maiden name as your surname when coming into the force...now why would you do that? Wouldn't you want Igarashi to know who his beautiful sergeant is?" Ignoring Higoshi's flustered look, he continued, "Then again, it was, what, fourteen years ago when he proved your father's innocence? It really is a shame that he had to die years after his little re-investigation. I respect the common working man too."

"I fail to see what you're getting at here, Kikuoka-san," Higoshi said bitterly, maintaining her calm demeanor again.

"If you really wanted to meet up with him again, all you could've done was simply approach him and ask him out on a dinner-"

Higoshi's eyes narrowed angrily. "I'm afraid you have misinterpreted my intentions for joining the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department."

"Oh, really?" Kikuoka raised an eyebrow. "Then do enlighten me."

The sergeant's eyes softened, and she looked down at the table. "When he...he proved that my father was...innocent all along... I was so inspired by him. I've never seen anyone so devoted in what he believed in. I wanted to be like him. Someone who believes in doing the right thing, even if no one else believes you. So, when I graduated from high school, I immediately enrolled in the police academy, got my training, and became an officer. Me being in his division was a pure coincidence. As for me using my mother's maiden name when I became an officer, I have done it ever since my father was arrested. At the time, it was not much of a good thing for me to be associated with him, and even after Igarashi-san proved his innocence, it just became a force of habit."

"Oh." Kikuoka nodded. "I see..."

"Satisfied now, Kikuoka-san?"

"I guess. Forgive me for prying into your personal life. I just wanted to see how far I would have to go to get Igarashi's trust." The agent narrowed his eyes. "I have the same intentions as he does regarding this case. I want to get this solved and help out the Kirigaya family in any way possible. Kirito-kun has been an extremely valuable asset for the Ministry of Internal Affairs. If you and Igarashi think I somehow don't give a damn about his misery...well, you are wrong.

"Imagine what would happen if we lost Kirito? If some difficult case involving the VRMMORPG community came up in our hands? ...The virtual world is something that still has yet to be fully understood. But Kirito...Kirito has proven himself time and time again to withstand the difficulties of the virtual world has to offer. He has seen and done things that are way beyond the scope of our usual undercover agents. D'you really think the Ministry would wanna lose an asset like _that_?"

The sergeant listened to Kikuoka's entire speech, surprised. Just like Igarashi, she found Kikuoka's behavior during the investigation to be suspicious. However, upon hearing what he had to say about it, she knew that the Ministry agent was being sincere. Kazuto's capabilities were well beyond those of any normal kid. If the Ministry of Internal Affairs were to lose him as their go-to undercover agent, who else would be able to fill in for his role?...

Suddenly, Higoshi's cellphone began to vibrate. Checking it, she saw that it was Kentaro who was calling her.

"E-Excuse me," she said. "I have to take this..."

"I can wait," replied Kikuoka, his eyes still narrowed as Higoshi answered the call.

"Hello, Kentaro-san?"

"Higoshi-san!"

Higoshi's eyes narrowed. She knew from her superior's voice that something had come up in the case.

"What's going on?" she asked seriously.

"We just received a tip regarding the suspects!"

The sergeant's eyes widened, and Kikuoka lowered his face for a fraction of an inch. The positioning of his face caused his glasses to glint in the sunlight.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure it's gotta be something very important, isn't it?" he asked, catching Higoshi's attention.

* * *

**Kirigaya Household**  
**Nishitōkyō, Japan**

"WHAT?!" Igarashi shouted.

"Yes, the caller identified one of the suspects," replied Higoshi. "She recognized him from the security footage of the stoplight camera they showed in the news. Sounds like the perpetrators weren't as smart as we thought. The suspect is said to be at the SAO Survivor School. That's-"

"Just a few miles away from here..." Igarashi completed. "I'm on my way."

"Igarashi-san, there's a festival going on at the school right now. It's being attended by survivors of the SAO Incident."

The assistant inspector's eyes narrowed. "Get all police units nearby to converge on the school. That suspect couldn't have just shown up there for no reason."

"Roger that, Igarashi-san."

And with that, Higoshi hung up. Igarashi turned off his cellphone and prepared to contact the other officers patrolling the Kirigaya home when he heard the last step on the nearby staircase. Looking up, he saw Kazuto standing at the bottom of said staircase, looking shocked.

"The people who did this to Sugu are at the school?" the teenager asked. "During that festival?!"

"Before you say anything else, no, you're not coming."

"But a lot of people I know are there! Friends, acquaintances-"

"That's a no. You're staying here."

Growling angrily, Kazuto marched up towards Igarashi and looked into his stern green eyes. "I don't give a crap if I'm still a kid! If this is about me-"

"I don't think it's about you anymore," interrupted the assistant inspector. "If they're at the SAO Survivor School, chances are something's gonna happen, and it suggests other survivors besides you are in the sights of the suspects. But just because I say you're not their only target, that doesn't mean you're allowed to to help out. You and your sister were specifically singled out for some reason, and we're not taking any risks."

Kazuto suddenly grabbed Igarashi's shirt and pulled the officer towards him so their eyes were at level contact.

"HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY LET ME JUST STAND BY WHILE YOU GUYS DO THE JOB?!" he roared furiously. "HA! YEAH, MY SISTER'S TOTALLY DOING FINE BECAUSE OF YOUR FINE ASSISTANCE TO THE PUBLIC! YEAH, EVERYONE AT THE SCHOOL IS SAFE ALL BECAUSE OF YOU! YEAH, YOU'RE DOING A FINE JOB, _OFFICER_!"

However, Igarashi remained calm. "Let go of me, Kazuto," he snarled, "or I'll have you arrested."

Immediately, Kazuto released him. "Well, don't blame me if someone else gets hurt!"

"Now's not the time to be a hero, Kazuto. You're too involved as it is. Now, if you'll _excuse me_-" He straightened his suit. "-I have to go."

Kazuto growled again as he watched Igarashi leave. Once the officer left the house, he let out a roar and kicked at the wall.

**"DAMN IT, DAMN IT, _DAMN IT_!"**

* * *

**Unknown location**

Stephen and his accomplice stood in the dark room, watching through the multiple screens they set up. One was recording Suguha's bedroom, while the rest of them were recording public streets, a suburban neighborhood, or multiple vantage points of the SAO Survivor School. The festival was still in full swing. Stephen focused his sights on one of the screens, which featured a live recording of Asuna, Rika, Keiko, Akiko, Ryoutarou, Thinker, and Yulier under the cover of a bush.

"Give the school unit the order," he said to his accomplice. "Mow 'em all down. No survivors this time."

"Gotcha, boss," the man replied as he pulled out his walkie-talkie.

Meanwhile, Stephen felt his cellphone vibrate and checked the number. He then smiled.

* * *

**The SAO Survivor Festival  
****SAO Survivor School**

As the seven survivors all ate the lunches they purchased from the nearby food stand, Rika suddenly saw a strange movement at the corner of her eye. At first, she didn't give a second thought about it. However, when she heard someone gasp in shock, she looked up...and gasped too.

The same vendor she purchased her food from was aiming a black assault rifle and wearing a bulletproof vest. Another vendor nearby was taking out his own.

"ASUNA!" she screamed, grabbing her friend.

The vendors both opened fire, sprays as automatic gunfire tearing through nearby tents and food stands, and striking nearby people. Rika tackled Asuna to the ground, while Ryoutarou did the same to Keiko and Thinker with Yulier; Akiko had already reached the ground before everyone else. The seven then watched in complete shock as the two vendors continued firing, and then as two more vendors joined them in taking out automatic firearms and firing at the civilians.

Then, they saw a janitor take out a pistol and fire directly at them.

"WHOA, WATCH OUT!" Ryoutarou shouted.

Suddenly, a large mass appeared inexplicably, taking several of the bullets. As the body fell to the ground, Asuna recognized who it was, much to her horror.

"A-AGIL!"

* * *

**NEXT TIME ON "A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD"**

**Seita:** So...wanna hang out tomorrow?

**Midori:** It's a good thing you're spending time with friends...

**Serena:** Have fun, you two!

**Suguha:** I wish Kazuto was more like you.

**Seita:** This was her favorite place to stop by at...

**Suguha:** I'm pretty sure the both of them will make it out alive. I know it.

**Seita:** Thanks. Hey, maybe we should do this again some other time.

**Unknown:** I have some news about your brother, Kazuto Kirigaya...

**Chapter 6: The Starlit River**

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, that's right. Cliffhanger. And a shocking cliffhanger at that, eh?! And worse yet for you guys, you have to wait a little longer, since the next chapter is gonna have to deal with a flashback first BEFORE the chapter following that one concludes the cliffhanger, due to the format of this story. I know, sadistic huh?

NO ONE REVIEWED?! That's sad. I need to know how I'm doing, people! This is my first time writing for an anime, alongside my "Angel Beats!" fic! I need some feedback! If I am gonna do another SAO story in the future, then I need to know if I am portraying the characters correctly enough to warrant my interests!

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!

**P.S.:** Seriously, I'm not trying to sound forceful or anything, but please review. Feedback is kinda needed if you want to see good progress.


	7. M: The Starlit River

**A/N:** Yeah, this chapter has been WAY overdue. My apologies for that. Again, college is being a real pain to me. I hope I didn't lose any of you during the wait.

ENJOY!

* * *

**CHAPTER 6: THE STARLIT RIVER**

* * *

**Kirigaya Household  
****November 26, 2022**

Sitting at the side of the backyard pool, Suguha waded her feet in the cold water. First watching the ripples as they traveled across the water's surface, she let out a heavy sigh of boredom before looking up at the sky as a large bank of clouds began to obstruct her view of the Sun. Once again, the weatherman said it would be raining. It had been raining for a couple of weeks now. It was as if the Earth was crying for the 10,000 people trapped inside the Death Game...

_"How appropriate..."_ she thought.

Then, she stretched out her arms, feeling a cool breeze blowing against her right palm as she did so. Lowering her arms, Suguha began to wonder how Kazuto was doing inside that Death Game. ...So far, he hadn't died yet, very fortunately, so she assumed that he was either hiding somewhere safe inside that virtual reality, or...much worse, he was actually fighting his way out... Suguha didn't know which of those two scenarios was best typical for Kazuto, so she hoped the first scenario held true. She couldn't bear to know the risks of him dying in the middle of combat inside that game...

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the ringing of her cellphone inside the house. Standing up and drying her feet with the nearby towel, the girl ran inside the house, hearing the blaring of the television set as she approached the cellphone, which was lying on the counter near the sink. Checking its number, Suguha smiled upon identifying it as belonging to Serena. After the incident during the Labor Thanksgiving dinner, the two maintained near-constant contact, with one or the other calling each other's phones every day. In addition, Suguha visited the Sakurai house for a second time following the incident.

"Hello, Serena-sensei?" she answered.

"Guess again."

Suguha blinked, then frowned. "What're you doing, using your mom's phone, Seita?"

"Sorry. It's just that my mom's been the only person who calls you, so if I used our home phone, you wouldn't recognize the number and ignore my call."

"Okay." Suguha crossed her arms. "So, why'd you call me, Seita?"

"I was just wondering...do you have anything to do today, by any chance?"

"No, not really. Why do you ask?"

"Just...Just asking, that's all."

"Huh. Really?..."

Seita chuckled at his unplanned response. "Yeah, not really. Sorry."

Suguha chuckled back. Though she didn't keep as much contact with Seita as she did with Serena, she found a gentle spark of friendliness within the teenager, especially after her second visit to his house, during which he participated in her conversation with his mother. She had never seen a more lively conversation in her entire life... Well...except for when Kazuto used to be more active and talk with her and their mother, that is...

"So," Seita continued, "wanna hang out tomorrow?"

Her eyes widened in surprise, unable to comprehend what she just heard. Did he actually just ask her out?...

"W-W-Wh-_What_?..." she asked, stuttering.

"Do...you wanna hang out tomorrow?..." he asked, more cautiously this time after hearing her stutter. "Unless you don't want to-"

"No, no, I'd like to hang out!" Suguha then slapped herself in disbelief at her response. As much as she saw Seita as a friend, she couldn't believe that she had accepted such a proposal. The two weren't actually well-acquainted; they only knew each other for a few days! And now he was asking her out?...

"Excellent! I'll see you later, then! Tomorrow, at my house. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's okay," Suguha replied before she could stop herself.

"Okay. See ya. Bye."

Seita hung up, and Suguha lowered the cellphone without deactivating it. She blinked rapidly in disbelief. She couldn't believe that she actually accepted a date from a boy (an older one at that) who only knew her for a few days. Didn't her parents teach her to do better than that?...

Placing the cellphone on the counter, Suguha approached the kitchen table and collapsed on one of the chairs.

_"Why did I say yes so quickly?"_ she thought. _"There's no way I'm going out with him. ...But then again, what would happen if I don't?... I mean, he's probably wanting to use this as an opportunity to pour out more feelings about Sachi to me. There's no way he likes me already. And maybe I can use this as an opportunity to pour out some feelings about Onii-chan as well... Yeah. This is probably not a date. There's no way. I'm sure of it. Yeah, I'll just go with it tomorrow. No need to worry, right?..."_

Suddenly, her cellphone rang again. The teenage girl stood up, returned to the sink, and picked up the phone. Checking the number, she realized it belonged to none other than Serena, but she knew who it was. Shrugging dismissively, she decided to answer it anyway. What could go wrong anyway, right?...

"Hello?"

"Hey, Suguha," replied Seita. "Just wanted to make things clear, when I asked if we could hang out tomorrow, it wasn't meant to be a proposal for a date."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that out. Just a casual stroll as..." She hesitated, briefly trying to find the correct word. "..._acquaintances_, right."

"Yeah. Acquaintances. And lil' Kurumi's coming too. Just wanted to let you know. I hope I didn't alarm you or anything..."

"No, no, it's okay. I'm glad we can do this. Aside from you and your mom, it's been very lonely for me these past few weeks..."

She knew that at that moment, Seita was smiling kindly. "Well, no one deserves to be lonely. Gotta have family and friends, right?"

"Yeah." Suguha's eyes softened at his honesty. "Well, I'll be sure to meet up with you two tomorrow at your house. I'll see you?"

"Yeah, see ya."

The both of them hung up. Smiling and stretching out her arms again, Suguha stood up and walked outside. As she took in a deep, calm breath of fresh air, she couldn't help but smile. Even though it was going to rain later today, she felt as if the Sun already reemerged from the clouds, shining on her...

* * *

**A few hours later**

"So, how was your day, Sugu-chan?" Midori asked. She and Suguha were presently sitting at the kitchen table, eating dinner. "Was it fun?"

"Huh?" Suguha looked up at her mother, having been absorbed in her thoughts. "Oh, it was..._okay_, I guess. How about you, Mom? How's work?"

"Well, you know the thing about subordinates. They always mess up once you leave them alone. Take your eyes off 'em and you'll regret it."

Suguha tried her best to chuckle, but when it came out, it was weak and forced. Midori noticed this and looked at her daughter curiously.

"Something wrong, Sugu-chan?" she asked.

"Oh, no, nothing's wrong, Mom," the teenager replied, smiling innocently. "It's just...I'm gonna be hanging out with my friends tomorrow."

Midori raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" Then, she smiled happily. "It's a good thing you're spending time with friends, Sugu-chan. After all we've been through, you deserve to be around people who will _always_ be around you, unlike a certain someone..." Her lower lip trembled. "Yeah..."

"Don't say that about yourself, Mom!" Suguha protested. "You're here for me in this tough time too. You don't need to feel-"

"I leave you and Kazuto alone each and every day... One day I do that, and before I know it, Kazuto-kun is in the hospital-"

"It's not your fault, Mom! You know it isn't! It's the fault of that guy who did this to him and all those other people! And the police will find him, and he WILL tell them how to let Kazuto and everyone else go! We have to put confidence in that, Mom, not blame ourselves or others for what happened!"

The woman looked at the floor, struggling to hold back tears. "But until the police find Akihiko Kayaba, what then? I need to channel all of my rage, my sadness, my _pain_... I need to redirect all of that somewhere else, somehow... That is why I've been fighting with your father more lately! I just can't help it! He will never, ever come over to Japan to see Kazuto-kun... But I know it's not his fault! He's doing his job for _us_...and I've been giving him a hard time. That's all I have given him as my thanks. And all this time, I've been blind to the truth!" She looked up, tears cascading from her eyes. "It WAS my fault, Sugu-chan!"

"Mom, it wasn't!" Suguha shouted angrily. "You have to stop saying all that! IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT!"

"THEN WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IF I HADN'T LEFT HOME?!" screamed Midori. She then abruptly stood up from her chair. "TELL ME, SUGUHA!"

"IT WOULDN'T HAVE MATTERED!" Then, Suguha calmed down, realizing that she was about to escalate the conversation into an argument, which she obviously didn't want. "It wouldn't have mattered, Mom. Kazuto would have still logged onto that game, and neither of us would've been able to stop him. We both know he loves playing games. Why should we stop him? There wasn't any indication of harm yet. Mom, the only one at fault is that Kayaba guy. Not you. Not Dad. Not me. Not even Kazuto. There's no way we could've been able to stop this, let alone blame ourselves or each other for this situation."

Calming down after hearing Suguha's consolation, Midori sighed and collapsed back on her chair, burying her face in her palms.

"I know, I know, Sugu..." she replied, her voice muffled by her palms. "It's just... I just feel like there _should've_ been something I could've done to stop Kazuto... To prevent all of this..." Midori looked up, her eyes red and her cheeks puffy. "Don't you feel the same way, Sugu-chan?..."

Suguha nodded sadly. "Of course I do, Mom. Of course I do..."

When Midori smiled weakly at her, Suguha responded with a wider smile of her own. In her mind, however, she felt conflicted about her mother's state. Recently now, she had stopped pretending Kazuto was still with them, but now that she had gotten past that stage of denial, her anger had now become amplified. She overheard more arguments between her parents via phone, and the more she heard her mother scream insults and go on a relentless tirade, Suguha felt that Midori might be slowly losing her sanity... She, on the other hand, seemed to lack any emotion for the past week...

_"What is this?..."_

* * *

**Sakurai Household  
****November 27, 2022**

Upon arriving at the Sakurai household, Suguha immediately spotted Seita standing by the nearby gate, while Serena was leaning against the doorway, smiling at her when she spotted her. Seita, spotting her as well, smiled brightly at the younger girl before approaching her.

"Hey, Sugu-chan," he greeted. "I see you're on time."

"I'm never late for anything," Suguha replied, crossing her arms in a proud fashion. "Now then, let's get going. Where's Kurumi?"

"Last-minute change of plans, Sugu-chan!" called Serena, catching her attention. "Kuru-chan needed to go to a dentist appointment, so it's just you and Seita!"

Suguha looked back at Seita. "W-Wh-_What_?! W-Wh-Why di-didn't y-you guys j-just tell me o-on m-my way h-here?!"

"Hey, don't blame us! You were the one not answering your phone!"

The teenage girl quickly checked her cellphone and realized that she had three missed calls and eight missed texts. Sighing angrily and stuffing her phone back into her pocket, Suguha looked up at Seita's face. Upon noticing his amused smile, she growled disapprovingly, for it reminded her of the smile Kazuto gave her every passing moment they had. She then closed her eyes and flicked her head away from Seita, huffing angrily.

"Fine," she said. "I'll go with you on your little date. But I don't want you to do anything indecent to me!"

"Who said we were going on a date?" Seita asked, frowning now. "Like I said, it's just a casual stroll between two acquaintances. Nothing more, nothing less."

Suguha huffed again. "Just making sure you're not setting this up because you think I'm cute."

Seita raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "I never said you were cute. You're just saying things now, Sugu."

The girl glared at him with a stare of daggers. "So, you're saying I'm not cute?!"

The older boy blinked, while Serena watched with amusement. Then, Seita cracked a clever grin that would've made any other girl swoon.

"Yes. Just because I think you're more than cute. I think you're lovely-"

"GOD! PERVERT!"

Seita burst out laughing in amusement at Suguha's disgusted reaction. "Alright, alright, come on now, Sugu, I was just pulling your leg! There's no need to get all worked up about all of it. Come on, let's just get on with this thing. I've honestly got nothing to do today, you told me yourself that you've got nothing to do today, might as well spend my time with a friend." He started walking the opposite direction, gesturing Suguha to follow him. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"I wish I could. It's just that I've never hung out with an older boy on my own before..."

"Didn't you tell me you'd hang out with your brother, Sugu-chan?" asked Serena.

"That's different! He's my brother!"

"Then think that I'm your brother."

Suguha looked at Seita, shocked to hear him say something like that. He was smiling a friendly smile at her, although she also sensed a hint of..._sadness_...

"Come on," he continued, "I just wanna hang out, talk to someone. That's all there is to it. You don't have to think it'll be more than that."

The girl blinked in wonder. She could sense the sincerity in his voice. She could only hope that she wasn't being fooled like last time... She couldn't afford that...

She sighed in defeat and replied, "Fine, I'll go."

Seita laughed happily, seemingly in some sort of relief. "That's great, Sugu-chan!"

"Alright, then!" Serena exclaimed. "I'm very glad to hear all of that's settled! Have fun, you two!"

* * *

**Two Pan Marketplace**  
**Nishitōkyō, Japan**

"Isn't this wonderful, Sugu-chan?"

Suguha looked up at Seita. "Huh?"

"The marketplace! Look at all of those people, Sugu-chan!"

Suguha looked at the people milling around the stores and stands. She and Seita were walking in the bustling heart of the marketplace. As always, during the hours of noon, it was heavily crowded. People had to be crammed against one another and inch their ways towards their intended destinations. In fact, both of the teenagers were doing that very thing. Suguha found looking at the others in the marketplace to be an unneeded action, since she could see them all over.

"Everyone is still here," continued Seita, "buying all of the supplies they need to survive! For all that we know, some of these people may be relatives of people trapped in SAO. It's a very good thing to hear everyone's still going about it as usual, instead of being caught up in unimaginable grief. This is how other people should be in the wake of a tragedy like the SAO Incident." He looked at the younger girl, smiling. "You get what I'm saying, Sugu-chan?"

"Yeah," replied Suguha. "Why are you telling me this, anyway?"

Seita managed to get through a thick section of the crowd, as did Suguha. "No reason," he replied dismissively. "So, what do you wanna eat, Sugu?"

"I'm not sure. I didn't really count on eat somewhere..."

"Come on. You can pick anything you want to eat, Sugu. It'll be my treat."

"I guess...some mochi ice cream?" she replied hesitantly.

"Mochi ice cream it is, then." The teenage boy looked around in search for a store selling mochi ice cream. Then, he smiled. "Ah, there's a place..."

The two approached a small store, which Suguha noticed was named 'JOLLY BOY DESSERTS AND CONFECTIONS'. Entering the store, they were immediately and unexpectedly greeted with the loud weeping of a young boy, who appeared to be around six years old and was holding a pink toy bunny. He had a particularly adorable face, brown hair, and light-violet eyes, which were red with tears. Suguha watched as a pitiful Seita approached the boy and knelt down towards him, catching said boy's attention. Suguha noticed that she, Seita, and the boy were currently the only ones in the store; the employees appeared to be elsewhere.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked. When the boy shook his head in response, Seita then asked, "What happened?"

"I can't find my mommy and sisters anywhere..." the boy moaned, sniffling and holding the bunny tightly.

"And what's your name, little man?"

"I-I'm not su-supposed t-to talk t-to st-strangers..."

Seita smiled in relief, then stood up. "Alright, then. Me and my friend will just stay with you until your mommy and sisters find you, okay? We're going nowhere."

The boy looked up at Seita, then nodded. Suguha couldn't help but smile at the boy's trustful nature towards Seita, a complete stranger. Then, she heard some shuffling near the desk counter; an employee had just emerged from a back room and was now manning the cash register.

"Hello," she greeted. "Welcome to Jolly Boy Desserts and Confections. My name is Okimi. How may I be of service?"

"Yeah," Seita replied, "first off, did you see anyone accompanying this little guy right here?" He pointed at the young boy, who was now sticking close to him.

Okimi shook her head. "No. I had to go to the bathroom for a second. When I came back, you three were here."

"Anyone else work here?"

"My father, but he had to run off to do a quick errand somewhere. He should be back shortly."

"Okay..." Seita then looked back at the young boy. "Alright then, we'll all stay here. Sooner or later, your mommy and sisters will have to come here in search for you. And while we wait..." He flashed a wide, friendly smile that would warm any child's heart. "Wanna eat some mochi ice cream with us?"

Suguha watched as the boy returned the smile with one of his own.

"Okay..."

Within the next several minutes, Suguha and Seita bought mochi ice cream for themselves and the boy, and were now seated at one of the store's tables. They ate their confections. Suguha noticed that the boy was shyly sticking close to Seita's side the entire time, as if the older boy was a source of protection for him; it was something that intrigued her, in a positive way so. After taking another bite of his mochi ice cream, Seita smiled.

"Hey, this is actually pretty good mochi ice cream," he said.

"You got that right," replied Suguha, smiling as she continued to eat her newest bite.

"Hey." Both teenagers looked at the young boy. "Are you two brother and sister?"

"No, not really," Seita replied. "We are just friends out on a walk in the marketplace." He then raised an eyebrow. "And I thought you're not supposed to talk to strangers, young man." The teenager flashed a teasing, toothy grin, straight out of a shōnen manga hero. "Disobeying Mommy's orders, I see..."

The boy's tone was slightly stubborn; his cheeks were puffed out defiantly. "Well, I've been with you two for a while, and you're not a stranger to me anymore. And besides, I can talk to whoever I want." Then, he smiled a rather adorable smile. "And I like you guys anyway! You two seem fun!"

"We've been spending our time eating mochi ice cream," said Suguha. "Doesn't sound like much fun to me."

"But at least I didn't have to pay for it!"

Suguha sweat-dropped, as did Seita. She then replied, "Which reminds me, you didn't thank us for the mochi ice cream we bought for you."

"Okay. Thank you, you two!"

"You're welcome, little man," said Seita as he ruffled the boy's hair. "Anyway, what're you and your family doing here in the marketplace?"

"We were buying some food for home." The boy looked out of the store window and observed the large crowd of people milling around. "I wish there wasn't so many people in the marketplace in the daytime." He began to pout in frustration. "I always get myself lost here, it's not even funny..."

"You'd better stick closer to your mommy, then. You don't wanna worry your mommy all the time, now would you?"

"No..." Then, the boy's eyes shone as he looked at the two teenagers. "So, if you're not brother and sister, does that mean you're dating?!"

Suguha nearly spat out her mochi ice cream. However, Seita remained calm, almost appearing amused at the comment.

"No, no, we're not dating!" exclaimed the teenage girl. "Like he said, we're just friends out on a walk in the marketplace!"

"Oh, good. I don't wanna get cooties from you."

"_Cooties_?" Seita asked incredulously. Then, he burst out laughing. "Man, you have _no idea_!"

"No idea? What do you mean I have no idea, mister?"

Seita stopped laughing and explained, "You know, little man, when you grow older, you are gonna find that cooties do not exist. But by that time, you wouldn't even care, because you'd be liking that one special girl at that point!" When the boy showed disgust, he merely smirked. "Oh, believe me, kid, you will!"

"No, I won't!" the boy shouted defiantly. "I will _never_ like a girl, because cooties are real!"

"If you insist, little man..."

The boy crossed his arms and looked away. "You know, I don't even _like_ you anymore, mister! You're a mean liar!"

"Now that hurts my feelings..."

"E-Excuse me?" asked Suguha. "Wh-What're _cooties_ supposed to be?"

"Oh, it's just some silly disease thing that happens when boys touch girls," Seita replied, shrugging dismissively as he continued staring at the pouting boy. "It is a little something that kids talk about, though you're probably not familiar with it. It's something that's more common with the English language."

"How'd you know about these..._cooties_?"

"Our family lived-" He was suddenly cut off; his eyes widened, and he waved. "Oh, hey!"

"Mommy!" the boy exclaimed happily, running over to a magenta-haired woman with sea-green eyes; this woman was accompanied by three girls, two of them also having magenta hair and sea-green eyes, while the third had dark-gray hair and light-blue eyes. The boy hugged his mother's leg tightly.

"Oh my goodness, where _were_ you?!" the woman chided. "This will be the last time you wander off from me and your Onee-chan, is that understood?!"

"Yes, Mommy..." the boy replied solemnly.

"Who's the mean liar now?" Seita asked. "You told me you got lost, little man!"

"Oh, please forgive me." The woman approached Seita and bowed sympathetically. "I hope my son didn't cause you and your friend any sort of trouble-"

"No, no, we were just fine with him," Suguha said honestly. "Seita in particular certainly seemed to enjoy him."

"Yeah, the little rascal." However, Seita smiled brightly at the boy. "Well then, I guess this is it, little man! Hopefully I get to see you later on in the future! After all, I still need to give you scientific proof that cooties don't exist!" He then laughed at the boy's pouting reaction as the family left. "Man, what a kid..."

"You seem to have quite a way with the children, Seita..."

"Hey, remember Sugu, I have to deal with Kurumi-chan on a daily basis. I consider myself to have a lot of experience in handling kids."

"I wish Kazuto was more like you."

Seita raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What do you mean, Sugu-chan?"

"Kazuto's never really had a fondness of kids as far as I know."

"Oh, really? He couldn't have been that bad..."

"Well, I remember this one time that happened weeks before he...he..." She immediately skipped ahead. "Anyway, me and him were walking home from school, and the two of us were waiting at the crosswalk when these boys, twins I believe, just came up alongside us with their mother and they waited for the walking signal beside us. They were making a really big temper tantrum, and their mother was so distressed that she did not even do anything to stop them. I honestly thought Kazuto was gonna just snap and yell at them, scare them to death." Suguha giggled at the memory. "Oh, he looked so relieved when we parted ways. He had this very frightening expression on his face by the time he went upstairs to his room to play his computer games. It was just so unbelievable."

"Kids aren't that bad," Seita replied honestly. "They just need discipline, attention, and most of all, love. That's coming from an expert right here."

"Oh, don't pull rank on me. I know how kids can be."

"Really, huh? How so?"

"The dojo were I practice kendo, it's located next to an elementary school. I sometimes come across the kids there while walking to and from there. And believe me, I've had some experiences with them." She ate another bite of her mochi ice cream. "Yeah, I like kids. Some of the people attending the dojo with me are a bit younger than me too. I just wish Kazuto would just take the time to appreciate kids... He always seems strangely restless whenever he spots one for some reason. I don't even recall anything traumatic happening to him that would involve a child. He just...becomes uncomfortable around them, that's all."

"Well, it's not that surprising. Kids can be quite annoying. He probably had a bad experience with one that he just hasn't told you about it."

"My Onii-chan, having a bad experience with a kid?" Suguha's mind was now flooded with comical images of Kazuto being severely bullied by a younger child. "I can't imagine what sort of thing happened between Kazuto and a little kid..." She stifled a giggle. "But I would've _loved_ to see it..."

The two resumed finishing their mochi ice cream. Once they were done, they threw the containers away and prepared to leave the store. Before they can step out, however, Seita looked at the cashier, Okimi, flashed a friendly smile, and bowed down at her in a polite manner.

"Thank you for your service, Okimi," he said.

"Oh, you're welcome," replied Okimi, smiling back at him.

The two teenagers then left the store and ventured back into the marketplace. Seita tapped Suguha on the shoulder, catching her attention.

"So, how was the mochi ice cream, Sugu?" he asked.

"It was very good," she replied. "Thank you for the meal, Seita."

Seita smiled at her. "Oh, you're very welcome. Now, where else do you wanna go?"

"Actually, I have no idea. I was thinking that you'd have a set idea on where to go for the day."

"No, not really. I was believing you'd be the one who'd lead the way."

Suguha became silent, and the two teenagers abruptly stopped walking. Everyone else passed by them in all directions, not bothering, nor even caring to take notice of the only two people who had actually stopped in the marketplace. Suguha stared at Seita, and Seita stared back. Finally, she spoke.

"Why did you wanna go out on this walk with me?" she asked.

"To be honest, Sugu," replied Seita, looking increasingly solemn, "I was hoping that this would be a bonding moment. And I don't mean it in a romantic way."

"Then in what way?"

"More like in a sibling way."

The girl frowned angrily. "Oh, so you're saying you see me as a replacement for Sachi, aren't you?!"

"No, no!" protested Seita in disgust. "I would not try to replace a loved one that I lost! Besides, I never lost Sachi! It wouldn't make sense if I wanted to lose a loved one that I never lost in the first place, now would I?" He sighed heavily and continued, "We've only met for a couple of times, but-"

"But what?!" Suguha interrupted. "What am I to you, if not a replacement for your sister?!"

"A friend!"

Suguha's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Seita, whose shoulders were starting to sag. A tear was beginning to form at the corner of his eye.

"What do you mean by friend? Looking at you, you're so nice to others! There's no way that you don't have any friends!"

"I _do_ have friends..." Seita's eyes began to shimmer. "Many, in fact. But there are only four that I officially count as actual friends. Everyone else are just people at my school, students, who look up to me like I'm their idol or something. They're only my friends because they think I'm amazing and flawless and handsome. But the four that I just mentioned...they understand me the most out of everyone else... They truly _know_ me..."

"Then why don't you go to them for bonding moments?" asked Suguha, more out of curiosity than anger.

"Because..." Seita paused, and his lower lip began to tremble. "Because... _Because_..."

At that moment, Suguha realized the truth. Her eyes widened even more, and she didn't need to say anything else to confirm the truth.

"Oh my God, Seita... I'm sorry..."

"No one else in my school lost a relative or a friend in the SAO Incident... I am the only one... People don't understand how it's like, so...so...so I wanted to turn to someone who _knows_ what it's like... So then it would be easier for me to find a source of comfort if something..._happens_..."

Suguha's eyes softened, and she closed them. "I know how you feel, Seita..."

Seita blinked, and he wiped the forming tear in his eye. "Huh?"

"No one else in _my_ school has lost a relative or a friend in the SAO Incident either... I am alone there too..." She opened her eyes, and they glimmered with the bright sunlight. "It is terrible, even at home too. My mom's so emotionally sensitive, and my dad's overseas, but can't bring himself to come back home and see Kazuto, all because of his work there. They fight because of that and I worry that they might divorce...and our family would be further torn apart..." She couldn't help but smile slightly, though the happiness was clearly evident. "Your family, though...they look so peaceful, so content...in their own way, that is-"

"Heh. You've got no idea." Seita looked down at the ground. "My parents are fighting too. My dad was supposed to be watching Sachi-chan the day she logged into SAO, because she can't stand being alone at home, but then he was called over to his work on an emergency and she had to go to the house of one of my friends, since she knows him and our houses are close to each other. No one else was at the home when they both logged into SAO." His lips tightened, but he continued. "My dad didn't even tell my mom about the call, and now, they're arguing because of that. All the time. They even argued minutes before you came."

"Really?"

Seita nodded solemnly. "Yeah. Don't be fooled by how happy my mom looked. She was so mad by the time the argument ended." He laughed hollowly. "I find it very interesting how we're two different people on paper, but that we have now become alike in the wake of an incident such as that of the Death Game..."

"Oh..." Suguha looked down at the ground as well. She realized how correct Seita was in his statement: the two of them no doubt lived separate lives and had different tastes and opinions, but after the SAO Incident took away their siblings, they both began to experience the same problems and conflicts.

_"I understand now..."_ she thought. _"That's why Seita wanted to go out with me... Because he wants to talk to someone who would understand him..." _She let out a heavy sigh as she looked at Seita again. _"And _I _need to talk to someone who would understand me as well. Right now, the one thing we both need is each other..."_

* * *

**The East Garden, Tokyo Imperial Palace  
Chiyoda, Japan  
A few hours later**

Suguha sighed in relief upon entering the Imperial Palace's East Garden. She and Seita had been walking for over a couple of hours now. After concluding their conversation at the Two Pan Marketplace without either of the two making so much as one word of comfort, the two spent the next several minutes purchasing foods from the market. Afterwards, Seita, on an apparent spur-of-the-moment decision, decided to take Suguha to the East Garden for reasons he did not wish to disclose to her. The girl wanted to take a taxicab, but he abruptly suggested against it, citing that the walk would be much more worth it than taking a cab.

Unfortunately, she couldn't discern the worth of walking for several miles; after all, she was never able to walk that kind of a distance. Also, all of the sights and sounds in the towns that she passed were things she was familiar with already, since she had gone to Tokyo several times before. Whether she went there by car or on foot, it didn't make a difference on the effects of the sights and sounds that she passed. Suguha could only hope this visit was worth it in the end.

"What're we doing here, Seita?" she asked, pouting. "My legs feel so tired..."

Checking his wristwatch, he then replied, "Oh, you'll see. We need to wait till night falls, though."

Suguha promptly checked her phone, and frowned upon seeing the time.

"Yeah, it's 4:30 in the afternoon, Seita." She huffed and crossed her arms. "What in the world are we gonna do in order to pass the time?"

He glanced at her and flashed a toothy grin at her; it was that same teasing grin that made him look like a shōnen manga hero, which surprised her. Until they arrived at the garden, Seita had been acting solemn and quiet, ever since their conversation back at the marketplace.

"Well, I'm pretty sure we'll find out as time goes by, won't we, Sugu-chan?" He then started running ahead on one of the walkways. "Come on! Let's go!"

Suguha gasped in shock and ran after Seita. "Hey, wait up, Seita!" she called.

The two teenagers spent the next hour running around the East Garden, sightseeing any other locations inside the garden as they did so. At first, Suguha was extremely frustrated at doing this newest activity, considering that she was still recovering from the long walk she just endured. However, as the minutes went by and she continued pursuing Seita around the East Garden, she found herself _enjoying_ running after and along him, and she didn't know why...

Finally, as soon as the hour passed, it was almost sundown. At this point, both were exhausted; Suguha stopped over a hill and collapsed on it, spreading her limbs upon the cool blades of grass. Panting, but still appearing as if he had some energy left in him, Seita approached the fallen girl, grinning with exhaustion.

"Tired already, Sugu-chan?..." he asked teasingly.

"Yeah, well look at you!" exclaimed Suguha between pants. "You look like hell..."

"At least I'm still standing."

Seconds later, Seita collapsed on the hill as well, breathing out a sigh of relief; the two of them were now staring at the sky. Suguha quickly chuckled in triumph.

"_Now_ you're tired..." she said.

"Hey, you're the one who collapsed first. And I thought you were supposed to be good at sports, Sugu..."

"Well, you _had_ to tire me out with that walk over here first... Why are we here anyway, Seita? You said you'd tell me..."

"When night falls, Sugu, when night falls. That's what I also said. And it's almost sundown."

"That's close enough, Seita..."

Seita tutted. "I am a man of my word, Sugu. I'll tell you when night falls. For now, I'd like nothing better than to enjoy this moment in the East Garden with you. After all-" He looked at her, smiling. "-it is a peaceful day. And what better way to enjoy such a peaceful day than with someone else, am I right?"

"Oh, that's nice..."

The two teenagers remained still, continuing to lie on the grassy hill for the next hour, watching as the pinkish-orange sunlight faded from the sky and gradually became replaced with numerous bright stars and also the lights that emanated from the lamps beside the walkways. Finally, Suguha sat up.

"Alright, Seita," she said with a huff. "Now you'd better tell me what we're doing here-"

"Sure thing, Sugu," the teenage boy interrupted. "But first, I'm gonna need you to come with me. I'll take you somewhere first."

"Oh my God, Seita!" groaned Suguha. "This had better be good! I don't know what you're doing to me anymore-"

Seita quickly stood up and looked down at her, still smiling his usual smile. "Come on, Sugu!" he exclaimed. He then stretched out his hand to her. "Trust me on this!"

The girl frowned, looking at Seita's hand for a moment before replying, "Fine." She took his hand, her grip tight. "But this had better not take long!"

Seita chuckled as he helped Suguha up to her feet. Then, he patted her head, something that reminded her greatly of Kazuto, who used to do that to her...

"Don't worry," he said. "It won't. Again, trust me."

* * *

After a few minutes, Suguha couldn't believe her eyes the moment Seita guided her over a bridge constructed over a clear flowing river, its surface glittering from the bright moonlight, as if it was holding stars of its own. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. When the two stopped, being halfway across the bridge, she realized where Seita had been intending to take her all along. After all, why else would the older boy be smiling his widest, most enthusiastic smile? However, she did not feel as enthusiastic; her legs were buckling slightly in an almost unnoticeable act, and the only thing that kept her from collapsing was her grip on Seita's hand.

Noticing Suguha's astounded expression, Seita said, "I know. Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Y-Y-Yeah..." Suguha nodded, looking the lake's surface as she composed herself. "I-I can't believe this was here..."

"They added this in a couple of years back. Pretty good addition to the East Garden, if I do say so myself."

Seita then concluded his latest sentence by letting out a sigh of some indiscernible emotion. The two teenagers then stared longingly at the river's clear surface for an unknown amount of time. At first, Suguha was unenthusiastic about standing directly over her longest and greatest fear while looking at it; it made her feel extremely nervous. However, as time passed with her continuing to stare at the water, she became slowly entranced by how the stars were reflected in the water. It was like she was in the middle of two different skies, two worlds... This actually made her feel so content and peaceful for once in several weeks, and she nearly even forgot about Kazuto. Both of her legs had stopped buckling at this point, and she found herself actually peering over the balcony to look into the water.

"This was her favorite place to stop by at..."

Suguha looked at Seita, her trance broken. "Who are you talking about?..." she asked, but she had a feeling that she already knew the answer.

Indeed, her friend grinned and looked at her. "You know who I'm talking about." He then looked back at the river. "I'd always take Sachi-chan here whenever she was having a bad day. With the precise timing, the lake, and how its surface glitters like that, would always calm her down. We'd stare at this lake for hours." He shrugged dismissively. "But I'm not gonna do that to you, Sugu. I'm pretty sure you gotta get home and study and all of that."

"Yeah..." Suguha looked back at the river again before adding, "But I appreciate you taking me here."

"Huh?"

Suguha looked back at Seita, smiling. "It did help to calm me down too. I mean, it's so peaceful... It nearly made me forget about all the worries I had..."

In response, the boy chuckled and said, "Well then, glad to hear it works on you too!"

Suguha chuckled as well and then said, "You know, it's ironic, really."

"What is?"

"The fact that I'm so fascinated with this body of water..." Her eyes softened. "See, I've always had a fear of water..."

Seita raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. "You're...You're afraid of _water_, Sugu?"

"Ever since I fell into a pool and nearly drowned, I've always been afraid of it. I didn't want to swim in it unless it was shallow, and standing on a bridge that's over a body of water like this river makes me feel very uncomfortable. I'd fear that the bridge would somehow collapse and I'd fall into the water and drown..." She became silent and looked back at the river, blushing slightly; she actually didn't have the courage to tell anyone of her fear until now...

Suddenly, Seita began to laugh, and she looked back at him.

"What's so funny, Seita?!" she exclaimed, her cheeks reddening.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sugu," he replied, sighing in some sort of relief. "It's just that...well, the only thing Sachi-chan was never afraid of in her life was water." Seita looked at Suguha, his smile widening. "You, Sugu, are social, confident, and fearless with the exception of water, while Sachi-chan is shy, uncertain, and afraid of everything except for water. Funny, what are the odds of that?..." He sighed again. "You know, I think that despite your differences, the two of you would be very good friends..."

Suguha began to imagine herself socializing with the complete opposite of herself. The scenario looked a bit humorous, but...it also felt right for some reason...

She couldn't help but smile. "I think so too."

* * *

**Kirigaya Household  
A few hours later**

"I can't believe it's already past midnight..." Suguha moaned as she and Seita approached the Kirigaya house. "I'm surprised Mom hasn't actually texted me about it."

"Don't worry, Sugu," replied Seita. "If your mom gets mad at you for being late, I'll take full responsibility."

"Thanks, Seita, but you really don't have to do that-"

"No, I should. I mean, it was my idea to get you out of your house and wander around Tokyo randomly for hours. I'll take full responsibility for all of that." He smiled. "You know, if Sachi-chan and Kazuto get out of SAO, maybe the four of us should do this again, all of us together. It would be very fun..."

His voice trailed off, which Suguha noticed. She then said, "I'm pretty sure the both of them will make it out alive. I know it."

"Yeah, me too."

"Seita?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." She clasped her hands together. "For bringing me out of the house and giving me this experience. It was worth it."

"Thanks. Glad to hear you think so." His smile widened. "Hey, maybe we should do this again some other time."

"Yeah, we should."

Suguha couldn't help but smile warmly at Seita's unconditional kindness as the two entered the walkway. Then, they stopped upon noticing the black SUV there. The lights in the house were on, and three silhouettes were conversing inside. Suguha recognized Midori, but she couldn't recognize the other two...

She began to fear the worst...

"Sugu!" Seita cried, but it was too late: she already ran towards the house, swung the already-unlocked front door open, and sprinted into the living room, where the three silhouettes were. Inside were Midori, who was sitting on the sofa, looking horrified, and two men who were wearing suits; one also wore glasses.

"Oh, you must be Suguha Kirigaya," the glasses-wearing man said. His tone sounded strangely solemn. Suguha's lip trembled.

"Who are you?..." she asked.

"My name's Seijirou Kikuoka of the SAO Incident Victims Rescue Force. I...I have some news about your brother, Kazuto Kirigaya..."

Suguha's eyes widened, and a single gasp escaped her throat. She could feel the bridge collapsing underneath her, the water waiting...

* * *

**NEXT TIME ON "A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD"**

**Kentaro:** We've got many wounded here!

**Shinichi:** _"I've gotta get over there now..."_

**Thinker:** YULIER!

**Rika:** Come on, let's go get him!

**Asuna:** What have you done to Leafa-chan?!

**Stephen:** I guess they didn't call you "The Flash" for nothing...

**Igarashi:** How the hell did this happen?!

**Kazuto:** No way in hell am I gonna just sit in the sidelines and watch...

**Chapter 7: Storm of Bullets, Part 2 of 2**

* * *

**A/N:** Yep, another cliffhanger yet again. What do you think Kikuoka is gonna tell Suguha? Obviously not of Kazuto's death; we know that never happened.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**Starseeker (guest reviewer):** Yes, they seriously do. Oh, and the damage to Suguha after the incident, will be different. It won't be a phobia of VR.

**purpleswans:** Glad to see your desperation and horror! MWAHAHAHA! ...Not a sadist!

**AikenArrow:** Glad to hear you think that way! Hope you enjoy!

Welp, this chapter's finally done. Again, I hope I didn't lose any of my readers. And regarding when the next chapter (which will conclude last chapter's cliffhanger) is gonna come out, hopefully soon, but I'm not gonna be making any promises. I just began another story that I've become devoted to, so time will tell.

Well, hope you enjoyed this extremely late chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


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Sword Art Online/ソードアート・オンライン, Family, Suspense