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

November 27, 2024

Floor 75 – Collinia: Dungeon

All eyes were turned on Heathcliff – no, on Kayaba Akihiko, standing smugly as all remaining players involved in the devastating battle against the Floor 75 boss, Skull Reaper, lay paralysed on the ground. All save one. Kirito breathed heavily, his twin swords glinting dangerously in the low light.

"Kayaba," growled Kirito, his voice filled with rage, "end this madness. Let everyone logout and turn yourself in."

"I can't do that, Kirito-kun," mused Heathcliff, seeming to actually consider Kirito's words. "The game is yet to be cleared. Now that I have been revealed, I suppose I can tell you that I am the Floor 100 boss."

"What an original twist in this ridiculous story you've created," was Kirito's sarcastic response. "The Commander of the most powerful guild in Aincrad turning out to be the villain in disguise."

Heathcliff's lips rose in a sardonic smile. "I thought so," he agreed, his gaze focused on the Black Swordsman. "I believed it to be a fitting plot twist for the finale of Aincrad's story. Alas, Kirito-kun, you've robbed me of that pleasure. Still," and here he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I suppose I should offer you a reward for your discovery of the truth."

Heathcliff swept his arm out, his cloak swishing through the air with its movement. "Name your reward, Kirito-kun. Short of clearing the game at this moment or skipping the remaining floors, I will give you whatever your heart desires."

Kirito froze on the spot. _Anything I want..._ His mind raced with the possibilities. _A legendary weapon like Excalibur from the tale of King Arthur, perhaps.._

A glint of light in the corner of his eye drew Kirito's attention to Asuna's prone form. It took all of one second for his mind to be settled. "Yui," he stated simply, causing Asuna to gasp and tears to form in her crystalline eyes.

"Yui?" was Heathcliff's confused reply.

"Yui," repeated Kirito, a small smile forming on his face despite the severity of the situation. "A program created by you as part of the Cardinal system. A program designed by you to oversee the mental state of your victims." He glanced at Asuna and his smile broke free completely. "Our daughter."

Asuna forced herself to nod despite the restraint's Heathcliff's paralysis caused, the tears flowing freely as she agreed with her husband's words.

"Oh," was Heathcliff's response, his eyebrows scrunched together in apparent wonder. "If this Yui program has been deleted, even I am unable to do anything."

"No," answered Kirito, his eyes glinting with emotion at the thought of the little girl who had so thoroughly wormed her way into both his and Asuna's hearts. "I outsmarted you, Kayaba, with Yui's help. Just before she was permanently deleted and her privileges revoked, I logged in using her master ID and turned her into a game item." He looked at Asuna, at the teardrop crystal sparkling around her neck. "That crystal represents Yui, her heart. She is our child. Give her back to us. Please." He hated sounding like he was begging to the monster who had imprisoned them all in this death game, the one who forced them all into this ridiculous scenario, but for Asuna and Yui he would beg the Devil to take his soul in exchange.

"I see," said Heathcliff, looking at the frozen players before him. "You seem to have learned much, Kirito-kun, and have acted in unexpected ways. Still, I did say that I would reward you for your intuition, and I am nothing if not a man of my word. It shall be done."

Kirito's mouth began to open in a gasp of joy while Asuna's eyes widened in delight before Heathcliff cut through them.

"But, she will not be the same. All privileges related to her will be revoked. She shall no longer be provided the protection of being classified an Immortal Object. She will not be an NPC, but she will have an HP gauge. I need not remind you of the consequence should that HP gauge fall to zero, right, Kirito-kun?" His smile grew wicked. "All knowledge of the workings behind Sword Art Online will be removed, and any connection she may have had to the systems monitoring Aincrad shall also be severed. She shall, for all intents and purposes, be a Player character. Is this agreeable, Kirito-kun?"

Kirito was torn. He wanted her to remain the Yui he knew, the girl who would always be safe, no matter what twisted machinations Kayaba would throw at them. Yet again, miracles were something given in short supply by the world created by Kayaba Akihiko. He remembered his desperate search for the revival item dropped by the Event Boss Nicholas the Renegade so long ago, and his distress at the discovery of its severe restriction. There was no telling how long it would take for him to be able to recreate Yui once he broke them free of Sword Art Online – and there was no doubt that he would, for he had made a promise to Asuna, and he **never** broke his promises – while here was a ready solution.

He remembered what he had told Asuna about Sword Art Online, that the game was essentially fair in its design, and since Kayaba was the one who had single-handedly designed SAO, he chose to take the chance he had and hope for the best. "Yes. That will be fine," he said in a quiet voice.

"Very good," said Heathcliff. Opening his Game Master menu window, he scrolled through the list of players still connected to Aincrad; reaching Asuna, he rapidly checked through her items until he came across the Key Item called Yui's Heart. "That was very clever of you, Kirito-kun," complimented Heathcliff as he checked the item description. "Truly excellent work under what I'm sure were very trying circumstances." Selecting the item, Heathcliff set to work altering its properties.

Kirito stood silently, anticipation and dread filling his soul in equal amounts. He so desperately wanted to see Yui again, but he was terrified that Heathcliff would alter her to the point that she would no longer remember who he was, who Asuna was, and what she meant to them.

Agonising moments passed before Heathcliff closed the window and faced Kirito. "It is done. She awaits in a place of importance to you both," he said, looking between Kirito and Asuna. Kirito allowed himself to nod before lowering his head, his hair covering his eyes that had darkened with emotion.

"Now then, I shall take my leave. The paralysis shall wear off in approximately three minutes. By that time, I shall be in the final Boss Room on Floor 100 – Ruby Palace. Hopefully, you won't keep me waiting too long. Everyone!" he cried, raising his arms heavenward, "become stronger! Become much, much stronger and face me in battle! Let us carve a bloody swathe through history and become legend!"

His monologue concluded, Heathcliff – no, Kayaba Akihiko – retrieved a teleportation crystal and disappeared in an iridescent glow.

Kirito stood stock still, his mind awhirl. Kayaba had been with them the whole time, mocking them all as they struggled to survive within the death game he had created. They had all been played for fools.

"Kirito-kun," whispered Asuna, slowly struggling to her feet, the paralysis wearing off.

"Asuna," he responded, striding quickly to her side. Taking her hand, he pulled her to her feet, all the while watching for the reaction of the other players.

"Damn that Kayaba," groused Klein. "What is the point of this game?"

"I wonder whether even he knows," answered Asuna, her mouth set in a firm line. "It could be that with the time that has passed, he may have forgotten his original purpose."

"Either way, he is a threat that must be eliminated," swore Kirito with a dark burning in his eyes.

"Ah, so he is," agreed Agil; chancing a look around the room, there were the predictable reactions in play. Disbelief. Anger. Despair. "Question that remains now is what do we do?" At the inquisitive looks sent his way, he sighed. "The Knights of the Blood Oath are now without their Commander." Dark glares replaced the inquisitiveness. "Hey, let me finish," he cautioned, motioning for peace. Once the tension seemed to ease, he continued. "If nobody steps up to take on the role of leadership within the Knights, the strongest guild in Aincrad will disband. I've seen situations like this occur in other MMORPG I've played."

"Sever the head and the body follows?" queried Kirito.

"Even so," agreed Agil, rubbing his neck and letting out a sigh of content. "Someone will have to step into that role, quickly." Here he gave a significant look at Asuna.

Noticing, she narrowed her eyes. "What is it, Agil-san?"

"Asuna-san, as Second-in-Command of the Knights, it will fall to you to take on the mantle." Asuna's eyes narrowed further and a deep frown began to form. Agil continued unperturbed. "You know this already, of course. What interests me is that you haven't already assumed leadership as I would have expected." Asuna's scowl gave way to a look of surprise. "From what I've seen of you, you show no hesitation to take command if a situation calls for it. This is definitely one such time."

"Agil-san is correct, Asuna-san," added Klein, rejoining the group after checking on the members of his guild. "Without the Knights of the Blood Oath, the front-lines will be sorely depleted. Without top-levelled players, our chances of ending this death game will fall to zero. Please, Asuna-san." He bowed his head to show his respect.

"Asuna-san," said Agil, picking up the flow of the conversation, though it felt more like _coercion_ to Asuna. "Everybody here respects you, both for your abilities on the battlefield, but also as a person. They are far more likely to continue to serve under the banner of the Knights with you in command than if someone else were to assume that role. Please, become Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath, and help lead us to victory." His head was bowed as he finished his statement.

Asuna was taken aback by the level of respect the two men were showing her, and also the trust they were placing in her. "Agil-san; Klein-san," she started, not knowing what words she should say to them, but knowing that she must say something.

The words proved unnecessary as Kirito spoke next. "Asuna," he said softly.

"Kirito-kun..."

"Asuna, you know how much I believe in you," he spoke with certainty. "One hundred percent, and completely. My life is in your hands, now and forever." Tears sprang unbidden to her eyes as Asuna was reminded of Kirito's confession to her after the battle against Kuradeel in the Labyrinth on Floor 55. "Wherever you go and whatever you do, I will be by your side. I _know_ that you can do this."

Asuna began to smile through her tears. Reaching out to her husband, she took his hand and laced their fingers. "Okay, I understand. I'll do it."

As Asuna came to her decision, murmurs and disgruntled grumbling intruded upon them as the remaining members of the raiding force began to loudly proclaim their upset. "What do we do now?" fretted one, a Lancer.

"Nothing," said another, a Tank carrying a broad, wicked looking axe. "We're never getting out of here. We're done for."

"Don't lose heart!" cried Klein, drawing attention to himself. "This game can be beaten! We just have to become stronger."

"Win, you say?" cried the Lancer. "How!? We just lost fourteen of our best to that damn Boss. They aren't going to get any easier to kill. We should just give up now; try to enjoy ourselves here."

"That's enough!" commanded Asuna. Stepping away from Kirito, she took to the head of the gathered group. She took a deep breath. "Everyone, you all know me. You all know that I am an honest person. I know that we will beat this game."

The men cast speculative looks amongst themselves. "How can you be so sure?" asked a third man, a mace in his left hand.

"Simple," answered Asuna, looking to each man for a short time, "we will all become the strongest that we can be. From this point forward, I, Lightning Flash Asuna, do assume command of the Knights of the Blood Oath." Ignoring the looks and sounds of surprise, distrust and shock, Asuna forged forward. "Every member of the Knights will from this point focus exclusively upon levelling. Nobody will go training alone. From this point, the monsters are going to become almost impossibly difficult. The time has come for us all to put aside our differences and work together." She scanned the room, noting the contemplative looks she received. "At this point, I think it safe to say that those of us here will be the leading force in clearing this game. This battle has only proven the need for us to be higher levelled. We lost fourteen good men today. No longer will I allow Kayaba's game to kill anybody else." Here she got a fierce, determined look to her face. "Nobody will die anymore! We will all work together! Fight together! Survive together! And not even God himself will be able to stand in our way." The Boss Room shook with the sound of the men's shouts, one for each statement Asuna made, punctuating her words. Asuna smiled as everyone rallied to her. _I can do this..._

Kirito looked on proudly at his wife, his smile unwavering. _Show them all, Asuna. Show them all how strong you really are._

Asuna turned to face the newly revealed staircase leading to Floor 76. "Everyone, let's go. To Floor 100, to the Ruby Palace, where we will face Kayaba Akihiko in battle. The only flaw for him is that he will be unable to defend against our onslaught. Everyone, the time has come for us all to reach the maximum level." With determination shining in her eyes, Asuna took that first fateful step that would forever change the landscape of Aincrad.


	2. Reunited

November 27, 2024

Floor 22 - Forest House K4

After leaving Calanon, the new Commander of the Vanguard to replace the murdered Godfree, in charge of relaying her messages to the remaining members of the guild, Asuna and Kirito had immediately used their teleportation crystals. From the teleportation gate in Coral Village, it was a walk of twenty minutes to their destination - they made it in five minutes. Asuna nervously wrung her hands together as she stood before the door of their married home. Did they dare to believe Kayaba's words? Was Yui really there, waiting for them?

Their beloved Yui, taken from them far too soon. Asuna could still feel the hole in her heart that just wouldn't heal, no matter how Kirito tried to comfort her with his words. Parenthood was the last thing she had expected when she had placed the NerveGear on her head all those months ago, but she now knew that the feeling was irreplaceable and all-encompassing. Yui had forced herself into Asuna's heart, and now held it captive. She thought wryly that this must be the unconditional love of a parent that she had heard about so often, but hadn't expected to experience for many years.

"Asuna, you're shaking."

Kirito's words were quiet, but they were enough to startle her. She turned to face him, tears unashamedly rolling down her cheeks. Kirito absently noted that his wife never looked more beautiful than when she trusted him enough to share her emotions with him. "Can this be really happening, Kirito-kun?" she asked in a whisper. "Is she really in there, no more than a door away?"

Kirito took her hands between his. Looking into her eyes, he smiled. "Even if this is some cruel trick, I promise you, I **will** bring Yui back. I don't care how long it takes, I will never stop trying."

"I know you won't," said Asuna, gifting him a small smile. "I'm just afraid..."

"Don't be. We will be a family again." His words were sure and heartfelt.

Taking in a shaky breath, Asuna turned to face the door. "You're right. Still, hold my hand, Kirito-kun." He grasped her hand firmly in his and together they opened the door.

The house smelled the same as when they had left. The photos were still pinned to the wall. The beds were still neatly made. The only difference was the long shadow cutting across the wooden floor. Asuna sucked in a gasp as the tears flowed freely. A young girl with long dark hair stood on the balcony overlooking the lake. At Asuna's gasp she turned and looked at them. Her eyes were confused.

Releasing Kirito's hand - Kirito had gone into a silent shock - Asuna approached her slowly. "Yui-chan...Is that really you, Yui-chan?"

The girl nodded slowly, her big black eyes impossibly wide. "...Mama...?"

"Yes, it's me...it's Mama, Yui-chan," Asuna sobbed.

"Mama!"

Yui's cry was so joyful, Asuna couldn't help it. She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Yui, bundling the girl in her embrace as tightly as she could. "Yui-chan!" she cried over and over, not caring that she crying. Why would she care? It was Yui-chan! Her precious daughter given back to her.

When another pair of arms encircled them both, she knew that she had never been so happy before in her life. At that moment, she was where she belonged. There, in that log cabin in the woods, the lake sparkling, with her family.

"Papa!" cried a delighted Yui, snuggling further into her Mama's hug.

"Yui, you're home," said Kirito.

Such a simple statement, and yet Asuna could not help but feel that it was the answer to the meaning of life.

Yui nodded rapidly, her eyes bright with tears. "Papa! Mama! I'm home!"

"Welcome home, Yui-chan."

xOxOx

Twenty minutes and many hugs later, Yui and Kirito were asleep; Kirito in his favourite napping chair; Yui on her Papa's lap, his arms holding her tightly to him. Asuna stood over them protectively. No way would she be able to sleep, not for a long while yet. For her part, she couldn't take her eyes off the miracle wrapped up in her husband's arms. It was more than she could have hoped for, could have dreamed of. Ever since that terrible day that Yui had been revealed as an AI and subsequently deleted, Asuna had been a little...less, like a part of her soul had been simultaneously wiped out. There weren't words to describe it, but the loss of Yui had hit her hard. It had only been the necessity of focus as they had challenged the Skull Reaper that had allowed her to forget about the girl momentarily.

Never had she been more proud of Kirito than when he named Yui as his reward. It was in that moment that she understood that they truly were a family - certainly an unorthodox one, but a family nonetheless. _I'll have to think of some way to reward him,_ she thought to herself, watching a smile form on Yui's face. "Papa," she whispered in such an innocent tone that Asuna felt herself beam in response. Slowly so as not to disturb them, Asuna gently ran her fingers through Yui's hair, watching the midnight strands fall softly back into place. "Mama..." ghosted the sleeping girl and Asuna's heart felt so light.

"I'll never let you leave us again, Yui-chan," promised Asuna in a gentle tone, her eyes shimmering with bright light. "No matter what comes our way, we'll face it together as a family."

"I like the sound of that," was the quiet agreement from Kirito, shocking Asuna into alertness.

"Sorry, Kirito-kun," she said sheepishly. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"I never fell asleep," he answered, moving his right arm from around Yui to offer to Asuna. Taking his hand, she laced their fingers and squeezed it tightly. "It's a miracle, Asuna," he marvelled, his chest feeling tight. "After all the people we've seen shatter like so much glass...after Sachi...I think that...no, that isn't right." Asuna kept silent, knowing that he needed to say what he was thinking, to work through the feelings that were currently manifesting themselves within his soul. "Even though I promised you, time and time again, there was always an element of doubt in the back of my mind, telling me that it wouldn't matter how hard I studied, or how much knowledge I gained..." He visibly screwed up his courage before saying his next words. "I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to bring her back," he admitted, feeling ashamed of himself.

Asuna's hand squeezing his brought him more comfort than he'd care to admit. "Kirito-kun, you always try so hard to take on everything by yourself even when you don't have to. You trust me, don't you?"

"You don't have to ask that question. You already know the answer. I trust you with my life." Kirito's words were shaky, his shock at her question bleeding its way into his tone of voice.

"Why won't you trust me with your feelings as well? Did you think I was going to hate you?" When Kirito didn't answer, she squeezed his hand again. "Don't be afraid to tell me what you're thinking or how you feel. We made a promise, remember?" The sunlight glinted off the silver band on their joined hands. "We're in this together, forever. Your worries are mine, your pain is mine, your dreams are mine." She leant forward slowly and touched her forehead to his.

Kirito swallowed with great difficulty, his throat constricting painfully. "I'm sorry..." he breathed out, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from his chest.

Pulling back, Asuna kissed his forehead - letting her lips linger, she spoke, "You don't have to be sorry. Just promise that you won't shut us out anymore. You, me and Yui-chan, we're a family. No other people, either in the real world or Aincrad, are more important to me than the two of you."

Staring into Asuna's eyes, her chestnut gaze filled with love, Kirito was overcome by impulsiveness - moving forward he claimed her lips with his. Asuna's surprise at the action swiftly gave way to the sweetness of his kiss and she responded in kind, pouring all her love, pride and respect into it. Several seconds later, they parted. With heavy breaths, Kirito leaned his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry," he said a little breathlessly.

"Don't be," Asuna replied, feeling her cheeks burning. "Letting us in is all the apology I will ever need."

Kirito nodded. "I will, I swear it."

It was at that moment that Asuna could feel another pair of eyes upon her. Looking down, Yui's eyes were shimmering brightly and her mouth was set in a huge smile. "Good evening Mama; Papa," she grinned.

"Good evening, Yui-chan," smiled Asuna, picking her out of Kirito's loose embrace and pulling her into a warm hug.

"Good evening, Yui. Hey, Asuna, you're spoiling her," said Kirito, a wicked grin on his face.

"Don't care!" she pouted.

"Don't care!" repeated Yui, her smile impossibly large. The two most important people in his life started laughing together and Kirito decided that it was one of his most favourite sounds.

Kirito's grin became mischievous. "Oh, is that a fact?" he asked, making his girls - coincidentally he loved the sound of that as well - nod imperiously. "In that case, I guess I have no choice but to spoil you as well, Yui." With that, he wrapped his arms around them, eliciting a yelp of delight from both of them.

"Kirito-kun!"

"Papa!"

xOxOx

After one of Asuna's exceptional dinners - Yui insisted on something spicy just like Kirito, although Asuna made it milder than the volcanic heat Kirito enjoyed - the family sat around the table, glasses of Asuna's fruit blend set before them. "Yui-chan?"

"Mama?"

"How much do remember after what happened in the Dungeon?" As Yui's eyes began to water, Asuna hated herself for asking.

"I was...in the darkness...again," she managed in broken words, holding her arms out to Kirito who bundled her against his side. She snuggled in, resting her head against his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Yui-chan," stammered Asuna. "Nevermind, forget I asked."

"It's okay, Mama," answered Yui. "I could feel you."

Asuna's eyes were wide as she scrambled to face Kirito. "Kirito-kun!?"

Kirito was already working through Yui's words, his face scrunched up in intense thought. _Is it possible she could feel Asuna's emotions while she was an item?_ "Yui? What do you mean? How could you feel Asuna?"

"Hmm, it's hard to explain," began Yui, her mouth set in an adorable pout. "Even though I couldn't see anything, I could feel Mama's love for me. I could feel how sad she was. You don't have to be sad anymore, Mama," noticing tears sliding down Asuna's cheeks.

"I'm not sad, Yui-chan. I'm so happy," she smiled, wiping gingerly at her eyes.

"I'm happy as well," beamed Yui.

xOxOx

Thirty minutes later saw Yui napping in the chair to the side of the living room table while Asuna and Kirito sat on the long sofa. They were both exhausted, physically, mentally and, most definitely, emotionally. Asuna leaned against Kirito's side, her head on his shoulder, taking slow calming breaths while he absently ran his fingers through her hair. "I don't think I've ever felt this tired before," she said after a short spell.

"Me either," Kirito agreed, a yawn escaping his lips. "This has got to be the longest day of my life, bar none."

Asuna nodded. "It started off really badly, but it became so much better by the end." They both looked to Yui's sleeping face and smiled.

"That it did," said Kirito in the softest tone she had ever heard from him. He grew quiet for a moment. "Asuna?" he said finally.

"Yes, Kirito-kun?"

"What are we going to do about Yui?"

"What do you mean?" Her confusion was clear to see.

"She won't want to sit in the guild headquarters while we're out fighting," he explained. "She'll want to be right there with us. We were naïve, Asuna. We thought too highly of our own abilities and put her at risk. No longer can we afford to take such risks where her safety is concerned. I wouldn't put it past Kayaba to have made her level one." Asuna's eyes darkened dramatically as she saw his point. "Not only that, but there are those who would try to harm her to get at us. A sympathiser of Laughing Coffin, perhaps, or anybody associated with one of the red-player guilds. I'm sure the acknowledged daughter of the Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath and the Black Swordsman, a Beater, would prove an intriguing proposition."

"They would never lay a finger on her," swore Asuna darkly.

"Therein lies the problem. For our levelling we can afford to go with other parties so that one of us will always be with her, but when it comes time to challenge a Boss? You know as well as I that we will both be needed."

"We'll have to think of a solution," said Asuna finally, watching Yui stirring. "For now, I think Yui-chan needs to go to bed." Here she gave Kirito a pointed look.

"Right," he said, getting to his feet. "Up you go, Yui." With a quick lift, he had her held securely. Turning, he headed for the bedroom. Kirito laid Yui gently in her bed; pulling the covers over her, he knelt by her. "Goodnight, Yui. Sweet dreams."

Yui curled up as she whispered words that melted his heart. "I love you, Papa."

Suddenly, everything seemed that much more real to him. He was a **father**. He was responsible for this beautiful girl, his daughter. Without conscious thought, he kissed her forehead gently. "I love you, Yui." Her contented smile made his mouth set in a fierce, determined grimace. _This is my most binding promise. I will keep you safe, Yui. I won't lose you again. I swear it on my life._

Getting to his feet, he felt Asuna slip her bare arms around his torso. She had gotten changed into her usual nightwear while he put their daughter to bed. "Being a father seems to agree with you, Kirito-kun."

"I think that's more to do with Yui than anything," he replied. "She's the most special girl in the entire world."

"Yes, she is," agreed Asuna with a soft sigh of contentment, leaning her head against his back.

"Say, Asuna...what would you think about...Yui having a younger sibling?"

Turning in her embrace he smiled nervously, but kept his eyes on her, unflinching.

Asuna's mouth opened in surprise and shock before morphing into a soft smile of acceptance. "One day, Kirito-kun, I'd like that very much," she said, a soft flush to her cheeks.

Scarce moments later saw the married couple under the sheets of their bed, both taking their designated sides, though they were both turned in the direction of Yui's bed. Asuna could see the sheet rising and falling in rhythm with the sleeping girl's soft breaths. "She's really here..." she said in a choked whisper, though Kirito heard her.

Moving over slightly, he pulled her back flush to his chest, ignoring her surprised intake of breath, and secured his arm around her waist. "She'll always be with us, Asuna, from now until forever. I swear it on my life. It's the very least I should be prepared to give to be worthy of being her father."

Asuna felt sleep creeping up on her with frightening ease, but allowed herself to fall into the blissful slumber, safe in the knowledge that her family was back together once more, and no force in any world would ever tear them apart again.


	3. Negotiation

December 14, 2024

Floor 55 - Granzam

"Everyone, thank you for assembling on such short notice." Asuna stood at the head of a small group of trusted people - Klein, representing his guild, the Fuurinkazan; Agil, representing the merchants and information gatherers; a handful of members of her own guild; and, of course, Kirito, leaning against the wall behind Asuna, an air of nonchalance about himself. This was actually nothing more than a front that he was putting up, and for a damn good reason. Today's negotiation could ultimately make or break their plans. Both he and Asuna had been heavily involved in discussion about it for the past few nights, both having conflicting solutions as to how to bring about their goal. Eventually, they had come to the compromise that they would be using today, and both of them knew that it carried a 50/50 chance of success.

The men assembled all stopped their quiet conversations to listen to Asuna. "I appreciate the fact that your time is precious, and I thank you for sparing me a moment of it." She took a deep fortifying breath before continuing. "Today we will strike for an alliance with the Divine Dragon Alliance." Mumbling broke out, as Asuna had expected, at her statement. The Divine Dragon Alliance and the Knights of the Blood Oath suffered from a one-sided rivalry, stemming from the fact that the DDA wanted to be known as the strongest guild in Aincrad. Even though they possessed more than double the number of players compared to the Knights, the superior levels of said Knights ensured that they possessed the moniker 'strongest'.

"Since the discovery of the traitor within our ranks, we have been focusing upon strengthening ourselves," continued Asuna. "Everybody in this room has gained at least one level, which is impressive when you consider just how much experience is required for a level-up at this stage." What she said was true. For someone whose levels were in the twenties, anywhere between twenty and thirty thousand experience would be considered an average for a level-up. At the levels the people in front of Asuna were, the numbers skyrocketed. Her own level-up had been hard earned - slightly more than eight-hundred thousand experience did not come easily, and the only monsters giving any substantial experience were, by design, frustratingly difficult to defeat. There had been more than one close call for many of them, but with the new proviso Asuna created ensuring nobody went out solo any longer, the odds of outright defeat had slimmed considerably. Now, when one faltered, another three were there to take up the reins.

"However, to reach the maximum level, we will need to face monsters that are even stronger and challenging than those we have faced before. To do this in a safe and speedy way, we will need as many players working together as we can. At this moment, the Divine Dragon Alliance and the Aincrad Liberation Force are the only guilds of strength that are yet to join us."

"Yet," continued Kirito, stepping forward to join Asuna, "as we recently discovered, the ALF have lost a large number of their higher-levelled players, leading to them consolidating their power in the Town of Beginnings. Of those who remain, the wait for them to reach the levels those in this room possess would be too great. They are better served continuing along their current path."

"Also, now that Yulier-san and Thinker-san have managed to resolve the internal politics caused by Kibaou, the ALF will once more serve to protect those on the lower Floors," pointed out Asuna. Their trip to Floor 1 had been advantageous, and yet not so. _Still,_ she thought with an internal smile, _things are definitely looking up._

"This leaves us with the DDA," said Agil, stroking his goatee thoughtfully.

"Exactly," agreed Asuna. "Currently, scouts are engaged in finding the dungeon entrance for Floor 76, but they are finding the going tough." The nods that met her statement were grim and succinctly summed up their feelings. The difficulty curve between Floors 75 and 76 bordered on insanity. Monsters that Kirito had been able to solo with relative ease were now taking a concerted _combined _effort from both he and Asuna. "We need more high-level players than we currently have. It's been almost three weeks and we still haven't made that much of an inroads into the next Floor. At this rate, it could take another two years before we would be ready to face Kayaba." Her expression became fierce and her eyes were uncompromising. "I'm not prepared to wait that long."

Kirito's smile was full of pride for his wife. Considering how reluctant she had been to take on leadership, she had blossomed in the role. It was almost as if it had been made for her. "That's why we pulled in a favour from an old friend." Everyone turned to face him. "With any luck, he should be here momentarily."

As if heeding his words, the doors knocked rapidly and a messenger raced in. With hurried steps, he approached Asuna; whispering into her ear, Asuna's eyes narrowed. "Thank you," she said, "you may leave." With a quick bow, the man left just as quickly as he had entered. Taking a deep breath, Asuna spoke assuredly. "They are here."

Klein nodded thoughtfully. Agil seemed untroubled, slumping further back in a chair.

"Time to find out if we can make this work," said Kirito.

"Let's keep our fingers crossed," replied Asuna.

"You'll be great," assured Kirito, taking her hand in his and squeezing it reassuringly.

Asuna gave him a grateful smile but didn't answer. Instead, she focused on the figures stepping into the room. Five men, four of whom were equipped with varying weaponry - all of whom looked threatening - while the fifth wore a wry grin, entered purposefully. "Kirito-san; Asuna-taichou; it's been a long time."

"Schmitt-san, there's no need to be quite so formal," said an embarrassed Asuna, her cheeks colouring from the suffix.

Schmitt waved off her ire, looking around the room at the players assembled. "Quite the group you have here," he said. "It looks like you have most everybody who I see for Boss clearing raids." His eyebrows were raised as he looked to Asuna.

For her part, she merely smiled weakly at him. "That transparent, huh, Schmitt-san?" As he nodded his head, she gestured to a chair separated from the main group. "Please, take a seat, Schmitt-san. We have much to discuss." With one more squeeze of Kirito's hand and a wordless 'Good Luck', she followed after Schmitt.

Taking the aforementioned seat, Schmitt turned to his men. "At ease." They seemed reluctant but followed the command regardless.

"How are Caynz-san and Yolko-san?" asked Asuna.

"Both doing better, thanks to what you did for us."

"That's good to hear."

Schmitt's face grew serious. "Enough small talk. Asuna-san, why have you asked for this meeting?"

Asuna took a breath, knowing that the words she said next could make or break all of their chances of escaping from Aincrad within a reasonable timescale, or whether she would be in her twenties or _older_ before they could break free. "I assume you remember what happened after the fight against the Floor 75 Boss?"

Schmitt gave a short nod. "Have to admit I didn't see it coming."

"Nobody could have foreseen such a thing, Schmitt-san. All that matters now is our response to what happened."

"Like taking command of the Knights of the Blood Oath, Asuna-san?" queried Schmitt, that wry grin on his face once more.

Asuna had the grace to blush. "I can assure you that it was not on my list of intentions, Schmitt-san. In the end, I was..._persuaded_." At this, she turned her gaze on three men in particular, all of whom felt lumps form in their throats for some inexplicable reason.

Following her gaze, Schmitt let out a short laugh. "I can imagine."

Asuna laughed along for a brief spell. "Well, as you say, I assumed command. Since that moment, my main order has been for all members of the guild to increase their levels. The reasons are twofold; one - the Skull Reaper killed fourteen players." At the reminder, a solemn mood came over everybody. "It was a massive leap in difficulty compared to the Gleam Eyes, the Boss of Floor 74. In that battle, Kirito-kun essentially soloed it."

Kirito shuffled uncomfortably. "I wouldn't have been able to do anything without you and Klein, Asuna. Plus, I nearly killed myself in the process. Only had about 50HP left." Klein puffed up with pride at the mention of his heroics, while Asuna darkened at the reminder of how close she had come to losing her husband.

"The second reason is probably fairly self-explanatory."

She left the sentence open to interpretation and Schmitt didn't disappoint. "Kayaba."

Asuna nodded. "Yes. When we reach Floor 100 - and make no mistake, we will - I don't expect Kayaba to play fair. Just look at that mockery of a duel between Kayaba and Kirito-kun. Kirito-kun had him beaten and he had to cheat to save face. I wouldn't go so far as to say that he will make himself an Immortal Object," she continued, stalling Schmitt's question, "but using that 'over-assist' mode...I can **definitely** see him using that. If we only have one or two people who are high levelled, he can overwhelm them, but what do you suppose will happen when an army of max levelled players comes rushing at him?"

"I daresay he'd brick himself," chuckled Schmitt, getting a laugh from his entourage.

"He just may at that," agreed Asuna, feeling good about the way things were progressing. "In any case, we now come to the crux of this meeting. As you have seen, everybody who is here is a clearer, as you already mentioned. They have all agreed to put their differences aside and work together towards a common goal. What I propose, Schmitt-san, is a truce and an alliance between the Divine Dragon Alliance and my guild from this moment forward until the end. We will need every sword we can gather to defeat Kayaba, and I fear that we will not have enough as things stand.

"If it is agreeable, I propose every member of this joint venture to 'Friend' each other. This will allow us to know where we all are in relation to one another, so if anything were to 'go south' to coin a phrase, it will be that much easier to help. Also, I request regular meetings between designated players who will represent their groups. This will allow us to share information we have gathered and knowledge of our levels. It would be foolhardy to not share such information and face a boss with an underlevelled party."

Schmitt looked thoughtful. "I suspected something like this, Asuna-san. If I may ask, why did you request me specifically? Why not Yamata-san?"

"Two reasons - I know you are a leading member of your guild, and I know you personally to be a good man." Schmitt rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly. "Schmitt-san, please take my message to Lind-taichou. Tell him everything that I have told you and implore him to join us. Please, do this for me." Asuna bowed her head slightly, a gesture of respect to the older man.

"I shall, Asuna-san," said Schmitt, recognising the gesture for what it was. Standing, he gestured to his entourage, all of whom stood ready. "I shall do what I can; this shall be my way to repay the debt I owe both you and Kirito-san." At Asuna's nod, he started to leave, then abruptly turned to face her once more. "Asuna-san, before I leave, I have a question. Throughout our conversation, not once did you speak of your guild by name."

"Oh, that," said Asuna, embarrassed at being caught out so easily. "I simply had the thought that Kayaba named this guild, shaping it in his own image. I couldn't bear to stand under such a shadow, so I decided that I would change everything about this guild, both its name and its aims."

"Admirable, Asuna-san," praised Schmitt. "If I may ask, what is it now called?"

"Seekers of Justice."

xOxOx

Asuna collapsed into the chair Schmitt had been using. Rubbing her eyes, she blinked out at those left in the room. As soon as Schmitt and his entourage had been safely escorted out, she had cleared the room save for Kirito, Klein, Agil and Calanon. "I don't think that could have gone much better," she said.

"I felt you presented a clear and concise message," said Agil.

"He's right, Asuna-san. You shouldn't start beating yourself up," were Klein's solemn words, though a mischievous grin was rapidly forming. "Save that for when the whole thing turns sour."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Klein-san," said Asuna, closing her eyes wearily.

"Don't mind him," said Kirito, fixing the older samurai with a pointed glare - Klein had the good gumption to find the ground immensely interesting. "You were amazing."

Asuna let her gratitude for his words show by gracing him with the soft smile that was reserved purely for him - her warm eyes and flushed cheeks making him swallow throatily.

"Kirito-san is correct, Asuna-taichou," said Calanon strongly. "There was no ambiguity to your words and the message behind them was clear."

"Thank you for your kind words, Calanon-san," said Asuna gratefully. "Also, what have I said about calling me 'taichou'?"

Calanon's face was granite. "Not to stand on formalities and just refer to you as Asuna-san, however, this is not possible Asuna-taichou."

Klein's mirth-filled eyes and Agil's badly concealed smirk made Asuna's cheeks flush from embarrassment. "Do as you see fit," she grumbled before resuming a more serious demeanour. "Have the scouts reported in?"

"We're expecting them within the hour."

"Send them to me as soon as they return," she said. "You're free to go, Calanon-san." With a short bow, Calanon left the room. She fixed the three remaining men with a pointed stare. "Be honest with me. How receptive do you think they will be? What are our chances?"

They thought about it briefly before Agil ventured to answer. "Before today, I think it fair to say that this was always going to be a half-and-half kind of deal, right? After today, I would say that the chances of success has increased to perhaps sixty-five percent."

"The odds of an outright alliance after one meeting is perhaps zero, but I would say there is a good chance that a second meeting may be requested," said Klein thoughtfully.

"If that happens, and we hope it will, a neutral ground will be chosen for the meeting," said Kirito. "My suggestion would be to have a neutral party oversee the meeting and make sure things don't stray off topic. For my part, I would suggest asking Thinker-san for his support. Though he is perhaps more inclined to agree with us since we have helped him in the past, I also know that he would not allow himself to be drawn into disputes of bias. Besides, he doesn't actually have to agree with either side, just keep the discussion running smoothly."

Asuna nodded in agreement. "I will send a messenger with a request for a consultation. Now, is there anything that I have missed?" At the men's shaking heads, she stood smoothly. "Agil-san; Klein-san; my thanks for your help today. I truly appreciate it." She bowed to each man in turn.

"Not a problem, Asuna-san," said Agil, airily waving his hand. "I'd better see you at my shop before the next Boss raid, all three of you."

"We'll bring lunch," she promised, smiling at the older man whose information could prove invaluable.

"Well, see you." After clasping forearms with Klein briefly in farewell, Agil was gone.

Klein yawned suddenly. "I'd best get going as well," he said. "No doubt the guys will want to know what happened today, and I could really do with a nap before the Grand Inquisition begins."

Asuna laughed shortly while Kirito walked over to the samurai. "Thanks for your help today, Klein. We appreciate it."

"Hmph," groused the older man. "You want to thank me, how about you introduce me to a pretty girl. You never seem to have any shortage of them hanging off your arm."

"Oh?" At Asuna's tone of voice, Kirito gulped in terror. Her eyes were icy and her eyebrows twitched. "Do you have something to tell me, Kirito-kun?"

"It's not like that! Not at all!" stammered a contrite Kirito, waving his hands in front of him in a show of surrender. _Damn you, Klein!_

"Still," continued the samurai, oblivious to the impending doom rapidly encroaching upon Kirito, "not all of us can blessed with the ability to charm any woman they wish. Best of luck to you, youngster!" With head held high, Klein walked away from the two of them, his bushido intact.

The couple watched him leave, Kirito's expression moody, before Asuna's laughter broke him free of it. "Honestly, that Klein..." he grumbled good-naturedly.

"He does know how to make an impression," Asuna agreed.

"Too bad for him it's usually a bad one." Asuna rolled her eyes at his words. "Anyway, now that the potential unpleasantness has passed, I reckon it's about time, don't you?"

"You'll have to go ahead, Kirito-kun," she apologised, wanting nothing more than to go with him. "I need to be here when the scouts return."

"Of course. Don't take too long," he said, wrapping her up in a sweet embrace.

"I won't," she promised, letting out a soft sigh of contentment.

xOxOx

Floor 48 - Lindarth

The bell tinkling made her stop mid-strike and look to the doorway. "A customer..." she noted absently, waiting for Hanna's voice to filter through into her forge.

"Liz, are you in there?"

She would know that voice anywhere, and so did the other occupant of her forge. "Papa!"

"Ah, Yui, there you are," smiled Kirito, catching his daughter as she flung herself at him. "You've been good for Liz, haven't you?" he asked in a stern voice.

Yui's frown let him know that he had upset her. "Of course I have!" she pouted.

"Sorry, sorry," he said, patting her head. The action seemed to mollify her, though she still puffed out her cheeks. "Thank you for taking care of Yui, Liz," he said as the smith walked out of her forge.

"She's been an angel," said Lisbeth, smiling at the dark-haired girl who grinned back. "How did it go?"

"Better than we'd hoped," answered Kirito, looking around the shop at the various weapons on display. "I reckon there's a good possibility of the alliance changing from dream to reality."

"What timescale are you looking at?"

"Perhaps a couple of weeks," said Kirito after a few seconds of thought. "Why?"

"No reason," answered Lisbeth innocently - too innocently for Kirito's liking, but he let it slide. If she didn't want to tell him, he wouldn't force it from her.

"If you say so. So, are you ready to go home, Yui?" he asked, extending a hand to her.

"Uh-huh," she beamed, taking a hold of her Papa's hand. "Thank you for lunch, Beth."

"Beth?" Kirito was confused.

"Papa is Papa. Beth is Beth," answered Yui, her eyes expressing her pity for him not understanding her completely understandable words. _Silly Papa._

Kirito looked to Lisbeth. "Explain."

Lisbeth's cheeks coloured. "The very first time Yui-chan stayed with me, she asked me what name she should use when speaking to me. I said to just call me Liz like everyone else, but she said she wanted a special name that only she could call me. Today, after I introduced myself as Lisbeth to a customer, she called me Beth on the spot. I guess she finally found her special name."

"Are you alright with it?"

"I don't mind," she answered, favouring Yui with a small smile. "It's a part of the name I chose, after all."

"Beth, huh? It's a good name," he said, getting two different reactions - a beaming smile from Yui, and a flustered Lisbeth who promptly turned towards her forge.

Kirito took it as the silent dismissal it was. "Right, we'll be off. Thanks once again for everything, Liz. You've been a really big help."

Pivoting on the spot, Lisbeth faced the father and daughter, her eyes suspiciously shiny. "Anytime. Be good for Kirito and Asuna, okay, Yui-chan?"

"Uh! Bye, bye, Beth," smiled Yui, walking hand-in-hand with Kirito towards the exit of the blacksmith's shop, their arms swinging freely.

Lisbeth watched them leave, waving until they were out of sight. Once they were, her hand fell somewhat limply to her side, her eyes downcast, as she once more pondered the question that had been plaguing her as of late.

_Will I ever find somebody special?_

xOxOx

Floor 61 - Selmburg

Asuna had barely crossed the threshold before a Yui-sized missile nearly flattened her. "Hello, Yui-chan," she greeted, looking over her daughter's head to see a gentle smile on her husband's face.

"Welcome home, Mama," she grinned infectiously, before taking on a more serious tone of voice. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too, Yui-chan," soothed Asuna.

"Welcome home, Asuna," greeted Kirito, that smile still firmly in place.

"I'm home, Kirito-kun," she replied, gripping Yui's hand and leading her into their living room. "Did you have fun with Liz, Yui-chan?"

Yui nodded energetically. "I really like it with Beth. She's a really fun person."

"Beth?"

'I'll tell you later,' mouthed Kirito, seeing Yui shaking her head slightly in apparent resignation. "What news from the scouts?

Asuna took a seat, Yui cuddled on her lap, before speaking. "They found the dungeon entrance. Unfortunately for us, the entrance itself is guarded by a Field Boss."

"We didn't..."

"No," she reassured, speaking quickly. "Nobody was lost. Thankfully, there was no anti-crystal field and everybody was prepared for the worst."

"Thank goodness." Kirito breathed a shaky sigh of relief. "So, what was decided?"

"Tomorrow, at noon, we march on the dungeon."

It was as he expected. They could ill afford to spend too long bogged down by a Field Boss. The monsters inside the dungeon were bound to be much more valuable in terms of experience, money and item drops. Still, **all** Bosses, Field or otherwise, were deadly by design. His mind began to whirl, thinking through every potential outcome and how he would be able to ensure Asuna's safety.

"Papa." Kirito looked up from his thought-induced haze and noticed Yui had her arms stretched out to him. Moving to his girls, he found himself in the middle of a double hug.

"It's alright, Papa," promised Yui.

"Yui-chan's right, Kirito-kun," smiled Asuna.

He allowed himself to melt into their hug, feeling their love for him. Truthfully, for everything that was intrinsically wrong and messed up with SAO, he couldn't bring himself to regret putting on the NerveGear that day. Without Sword Art Online, he would never have found his home. With that thought, he hugged them back with all the force he could, filling the action with all the love he had for them, letting them know that they were his entire world.

For tonight, that would be more than enough. Tomorrow would be far less certain.

xOxOx

**Author's Note: The idea for the guild changing name came from reviewer Dragonslayer1313.**


	4. Challenge

December 15, 2024

Floor 76 - Twill

After a brief discussion regarding the events of the prior evening with Lisbeth - and begging the blacksmith to take care of Yui for them - Asuna and Kirito had teleported to the central plaza of Floor 76. Named Twill, the town was famous for its jewellery and fine silks, or so the NPC standing near the teleport gate kept repeating to everybody arriving. Now they were waiting for everyone who was involved in the assault on the Field Boss to arrive. It was only a little after eleven and they had time to spare. Reckoning everyone would gather regardless of whether they were there or not, the married couple decided to stroll along the Twill main street.

Everywhere they looked were signs in shop windows proclaiming themselves to be purveyors of the finest precious gems. "They all have confidence in their wares," commented Kirito, idly looking in the window of the nearest shop.

"I'd imagine that's a prerequisite to be a shopkeeper," laughed Asuna brightly. "Whether your goods are any good or not, you have to be able to convince yourself before you can convince others that they're the best they've ever seen."

"Is that so?" commented Kirito, already moving towards the next shop when Asuna's cry of wondrous delight burst through his thoughts. Walking to her side, she excitedly pointed out an item in the window of a store.

"Kirito-kun! Isn't it perfect?" she asked, wide-eyed with wonder.

Looking at the item, he could see why she would want it. "It's a perfect likeness," he said, somewhat amazed by the uncanny resemblance.

"Let's get it."

Kirito stood in a pose of mock thought for a span before sighing dramatically. "It'll cost a small fortune, no doubt, but let's buy it before someone else does."

With a sharp nod of agreement, Asuna hooked her arm around his and, together, they entered the shop.

xOxOx

Twenty minutes later, Asuna stood before a group of thirty-three men. She looked around them, making sure that all were ready and prepared. Klein was there with his guild, his bandana and bright hair visible amidst the more monotone men from other smaller guilds, though they were all looking menacing, equipped with broadswords, two-handed claymores and a variety of blunt, clubbing weapons.

Checking that everybody requested had indeed arrived, Asuna figured the time was right to begin. "Everybody, a moment of your time." The talking died down, all eyes turned to her. "Today we will defeat the Field Boss blocking our entry into the Dungeon. You are all the very best players, so I have no doubt as to the success of our endeavour, however, I would advise everybody to be careful. We don't need to be overconfident and, thusly, careless because of it. Analyse the Boss, discover its attack patterns and exploit its weaknesses. To battle!" The men let loose a confident cheer, their voices loud and proud.

Stepping down from her makeshift dais, Asuna looked to Kirito, his approving nod letting her know that she had done well. Now was time for her to oversee the placement of the members of the Seekers of Justice, and the strategy they would follow. Calanon walked along with her, the two of them talking in low voices.

Kirito walked over to Klein and his guild. They were laughing with one another, looking to an outsider like they didn't have a care, but Kirito could see the faint line of worry forming on Klein's forehead. Having been involved in more than a few of these Boss raids, Klein was well versed in how unpredictable they could become. Even though it was a Field Boss - and they were usually quite a lot weaker than the Floor Boss - the roaming monsters of Twill had proven themselves to be formidable, both offensively and defensively. There was simply no telling just how strong this creature would be, hence the need for thirty-five people to be involved.

"Hey, Kirito, you psyched for this?" Klein asked.

"I'm looking forward to beating it and getting to fight the monsters inside."

"You haven't changed a bit, have you?" Klein asked rhetorically, a grin on his face.

"I'll have you know I've changed quite a lot," said Kirito, giving off an offended air while rolling his shoulders.

"Only where your single status is concerned," continued Klein irritably. "I still don't know why someone like Asuna-san would choose a total battle-maniac like you." He didn't truly mean the words, but there were certain conventions between the two that absolutely had to be observed.

Kirito wasn't going to take that lying down. "Maybe because some of us are roguishly handsome, unlike a certain samurai I won't mention," he said airily.

"Shut up!"

They started laughing at the same instant, when they couldn't maintain the angry glares at one another any longer. "Stay safe, Kirito," said Klein, shaking the Black Swordsman's hand.

"You as well, Klein," agreed Kirito, enjoying the camaraderie they shared. "Don't go dying on me now."

"Hmph! Never going to happen," dismissed Klein, already headed towards the rest of the raiding party. His guild-mates followed quickly after, talking amongst themselves in quick sentences.

"That Klein," groaned Kirito, though he meant his words fondly, as he began a search for Asuna.

xOxOX

The march was steady, the heavy footfalls of those in burnished steelplate breaking through the birdsong that seemed ever-present on this Field. The monsters they had seen were ruthlessly dispatched with great efficiency - the extra EXP was always welcome - and they even met an NPC who gave them a Fetch Quest that coincided with their goals.

Kirito walked alongside Asuna, her hand tightly held in his. "I'm ready for this to be over," he said.

"With this many players, it shouldn't take too long," answered Asuna, though she shared his sentiment. Even though she was now in command of the strongest guild in Aincrad, and responsible for the lives of all contained within, a large part of her wanted to ignore the frontlines and stay with her family in their log house by the lake.

"Still, stay close to me," he said, squeezing her hand firmly. "We'll go with our usual pattern of attack."

"Break its guard, switch and counter," confirmed Asuna.

"Asuna-taichou, we're here," said Calanon, stepping up to them, a grim expression on his face. He already held his longsword ready, with a thick plate shield attached to his left arm.

"Thank you, Calanon-san," she said, pulling her hand free of Kirito's. Raising her voice, she addressed everybody. "The Field Boss will be before us soon. As usual, money and experience will be automatically distributed. Any item drops will be the property of the person who gets them, no questions asked." The men around her gained grim expressions and began to draw their weapons, some hefting mighty maces while some swung their blades experimentally.

Kirito drew his twin swords while Asuna unsheathed her rapier. "Onwards into battle!" A rousing chorus of gruff shouts echoed after her words as the clearers advanced. Giving each other one last look of fierce devotion, Asuna and Kirito joined the swell, moving towards the Field Boss' lair.

The dungeon entrance stood before them, tall and impregnable, dragons writhing in murals across its breadth. Surrounding them were impassable mountains, jagged rocks that would skewer any who dared try to traverse them. It was very similar to other Field Boss rooms they had previously encountered although there was a much higher air of caution than usual. Since the revelations regarding Kayaba, the game seemed a much more imposing place.

Asuna and Kirito were side by side, weapons held tightly in their hands as their eyes darted every which way, trying to spot the Boss before it spotted them. The men moved about with slow steps, the only sound being from their ragged breathing and the scraping of metal from their armour.

Suddenly, with a resounding boom, the dungeon entrance doors began to slowly creep open. "Did this happen before?" asked Asuna, getting over the shock quickly.

"No, Asuna-taichou," answered Calanon, stepping to her side swiftly. "The Field Boss was already waiting when the scouts arrived."

"What is going on?"

Kirito didn't have time to wonder as the doors came to a halt and a murky shadow could be seen from within. "Here it comes!"

Slow, deliberate crashes were heard as the Boss appeared from within the shroud of gloom. The Boss came out from within the confines of the dungeon, a spear of blackest shadow cutting across the clearers, filling them with a tangible dread, a feeling of terror that saturated the very air they breathed.

"What in the...!?"

"We have to beat **that**!?"

The Boss stood at least fifteen feet tall, bulky, but with muscles that bulged with each powerful step. Its basic shape was human, though there were a couple of things that disproved such a notion - six rippled arms sprang from its sides, three either side of its enormous torso. In four of its hands were cruel bladed weapons, seemingly of Japanese design - katana, nodachi, uchigatana and naginata; each of which was tainted red as blood - with its final two hands clasped tightly together in what looked like a prayer held high above its head, which led to the second difference - where a face should have been was nothing but smooth emptiness. Even though it shouldn't have been possible, a keening wail emanated from the Boss, leading to a shiver crawling down many a spine.

One of the clearers fell to his knees in abject horror. "We're all going to die!"

"Hey! On your feet! Don't give in to your fear!" Klein shouted, though he felt panicked himself.

Kirito narrowed his eyes in concentration, every ounce of his focus trained on the hulking monstrosity before them. Its name finally appeared in his view. "The False Innocence," he read, noting that it only had two health bars. _Low health...it must have some sort of trick behind it. Perhaps a maximised attack stat..._

"Everyone!" Kirito was drawn out of his thought at Asuna's commanding voice. "It's no worse than many of the monsters we've faced before. Master your fear! Stand tall!" Hesitantly, they swallowed back their terror and stood to face the boss, though there was still some visible shaking. "Tanks upfront! Bear its attacks while we figure out its plan of attack. After that, switch with the damage dealers. Let's laugh about this on the other side, all of us. Attack!"

With a cry fueled by emotion, the battle began.

The False Innocence's assault was terrible to behold, its blades screeching as they keened the very air causing sharp gusts that buffeted the tanks, making them struggle to maintain their guard. Once the blades connected, their cries of anguish were plain to hear. The Boss chose to, rather than target multiple individuals with its four blades, focus its offence on a single player. One, two, three, four strikes slammed into the tank, his shield appearing little more than paper in front of a hurricane as it was ruthlessly ripped to shreds, the tank behind screaming in fear as his body was rent, shards of splintered data shrapnel sheered from him before he exploded into crystalline fragments, floating through the air, the tranquillity of the action mocking the murder of yet another soul, and the very real threat the remaining clearers faced.

Asuna grit her teeth and kept her emotions in check as she witnessed his demise. It would not do for the leader of the assault to lose sight of the goal and give in to her very real desire to cry. Instead, she focused those emotions towards making rapid deductions about The False Innocence, striving to prevent more needless death.

Kirito had been doing much the same, his mind working through the Boss' actions. _As I thought, its attack is probably as high as SAO allows. For all that strength, it actually moves quite slowly, though once it begins its attack phase it seems invulnerable due to the winds whipped up by the speed and strength of its strike. Also, those final two hands...why haven't they opened? Is it a special attack? Well, regardless, if we can knock it down, it won't matter._

"Asuna!" he cried, drawing her attention. "Its attack is off the charts, but its speed and health are low to balance it out. Once we counter it, it'll be a case of maintaining a continuous assault. Don't give it a chance to recover. Remember what happened to the Skull Reaper? Once we concentrated our attacks on it, it couldn't counter and, in the end, collapsed under its own weight."

Listening to his analysis, she found she agreed with it. "We'll lead the charge. Be ready to switch with me," she said before shouting out, "Everyone! We will counter the Boss and knock it down before it can recover. Once you see it fall, back us up with everything you have. Don't hold anything back!"

A shout of agreement met her ears as she got into her stance and took a deep breath. It would all come down to herself and Kirito being faster than the Boss. She could only hope for the best.

All the time she and Kirito had been thinking of a strategy to counter, The False Innocence had continued its attack. Two more had fallen before the six-armed giant, shattering into the ether. Although Kirito felt terrible for the lost, he also had to thank them. Their brave and selfless acts of sacrifice had given him the opportunity to see just how long it took between attacks, leading to him making a relatively certain conclusion. "We have a window of fifteen seconds between the last attack hitting and the next. We have to aim for then. If we get caught up in the shockwave from the build-up of its swing, we'll be done for."

Readying herself, she felt the familiar weight of Lambent Light in her hand, the rapid throbbing of her heart and the sweat rolling down her back. Taking one final deep breath, the time was upon them. "Let's go, Kirito-kun."

Almost like they were weightless, Asuna and Kirito sped at The False Innocence, their swords singing as they came upon its monstrous form. Kirito's Elucidator and Dark Repulser glowed blue as they carved into the Boss, leaving angry red data wounds. Asuna followed up, Lambent Light shining bright yellow as she struck again and again, faster than any observer could see, peppering The False Innocence with multiple gashes. Its health gauge began to steadily decrease as its mouthless screech of pain pierced them, but it refused to surrender its balance and fall.

Instead, it seemed to grow taller, its shadow blotting out the sun itself until all were cast in darkness, so great was the menace it inspired. "Damn!" cursed Kirito, hating the resilience the Boss possessed. He had been certain their first assault would be sufficient, but it was not to be as The False Innocence drew itself to its impressive full height and slashed with its four blades, all aiming for Asuna, the force of the winds created by its swing whipping her hair all over her face, making her subconsciously close her eyes.

"Asuna!" Time seemed to slow for Kirito as he saw those swords slicing their way towards his wife. In a matter of seconds, she would be cut to ribbons and that would be the end of her. _No! This cannot happen...Not again! I'm weak...so very weak...but let me do this one thing...let me save her. Whether I live is inconsequential...just...just let Asuna live..._

Suddenly, as though answering his silent plea, a burst of inspiration flashed through his mind and everything became clear. _Of course! So obvious...please...let me make it in time..._

With every part of his soul crying out for her, he raced, faster than ever before, aiming for the Boss - more specifically, its closed hands. _Why have them closed? Why not use six swords? Why purposely put another two arms and do nothing with them? That doesn't fit the MO of Kayaba Akihiko._

Like lightning, his twin swords burning brighter than ever with what looked like blue flames, he leapt at The False Innocence and screamed as he whirled fast as a tornado, the swords carving through the wrists supporting the closed hands. Kirito watched with satisfaction as the faceless beast roared and writhed in apparent pain, the trauma of its hands being dismembered leading to its strikes missing their mark, gauging the ground mere feet from Asuna, whose eyes were widened as she saw just how close it had been. "Attack the weak-point for massive damage," he quipped, remembering the old meme from the turn of the millennium. Kirito could only think how glad he was that the Boss hadn't turned out to be a giant enemy crab, before deciding that the adrenaline was addling his mind and allowing his thoughts to run rampant. Now that the Boss was staggered and distracted, it was time to finish it.

"Asuna! Switch!" he cried as he ran forward and sank Elucidator into its ribcage to the hilt before using a sword skill with Dark Repulser, slashing deep into the beast, then, both swords flashing, ripped them across its torso and out the other side. It screeched again as Asuna, recovered from her brush with defeat, raced forward, Lambent Light glowing as she rapidly thrusted, stabbed, slashed and pierced the Boss, speedily depleting its health. "Star Splash," she muttered as she concluded the sword skill, watching with satisfaction as the rest of the clearers hewed, smashed, sliced and chopped at the now prone Boss, whose health reached red, then filtered away to nothing before, with one final cry of rage, it fragmented to nothing.

The room was silent for a span as they came to grips with what had happened before a whoop of joy from Klein broke the tension and the clearers began to celebrate their victory. "We did it!" they cheered, forearms gripped in comradery, before a single command from Asuna changed everything.

"Stop!" Her tone of voice demanded obedience. As the clearers looked at her in puzzlement, they noticed Kirito bore an expression of grim resignation.

"It isn't over."

The clasped hands that Kirito had cleaved remained, only now they were twitching irritably. Slowly, a finger at a time, the hands opened before splintering, cracking and ultimately disappearing.

In their place stood what appeared to be a doll, the face painted to resemble a geisha. Wearing a beautiful embroidered kimono designed with cherry blossoms as its motif, it stood at around four feet tall, and though it seemed to not carry any weapons, the ruby lips parted and an ominous cackle sounded. "What madness is this!?" fretted Klein, anxiously twisting Karakurenai in his sweaty palms.

"Remember the old RPGs from twenty to thirty years ago? How the boss could, and was **expected** to, go through form changes? It seems as though Kayaba is a fan of that tactic." explained Kirito, his body feeling leaden. Looking to The False Innocence's almost angelic form, he cursed Kayaba.

"It has only one health bar and no weapons," noted Asuna, feeling an inexplicable tension. "Let's finish this before there are any more surprises." That said, she charged and cried out as her rapier cleanly hit the Boss, sending its health bar tumbling towards zero, but her own health bar followed swiftly, leaving her a shaky yellow. Throughout, The False Innocence maintained that sickly smile and eerie cackle.

Kirito looked on with narrowed eyes. _Impossible! Unless..._

"Stand back!" he shouted, rushing the Boss himself, twin swords blazing. _Here we go..._

As soon as the first strike hit, he felt the cold bite of a weapon pierce his stomach and his health decreased. _That damn Kayaba!_

He backed away, The False Innocence tilting its head as though to show puzzlement, though the grin never left its face. "It's a counter," grimaced Kirito, feeling his heart racing. "All damage inflicted is reflected to the damager."

"What's the point of that?" shouted Klein, preparing himself for a taste of the enemy.

"It's a case of simple numbers. You first have to defeat the six-armed giant. That takes no small amount of effort. Once that is defeated, this doll appears. If you have enough players, you can each take a chunk of the damage and whittle it down. If you don't..."

"You would be left with no choice but to retreat. Of course, once everybody has left the room, the Boss would simply regenerate its outer shell, leaving you back at square one," summarised Asuna.

"Exactly."

"What do you think? Are there enough of us?" asked Klein worriedly.

"Only one way to find out," stated Kirito, looking around at the clearers remaining. Most seemed intact, though a few were on the cusp of yellow, and others were firmly entrenched, Asuna included. "I'll lead the charge. When my HP goes to red, someone switch with me. The next will hit till they go to red and switch, and so on. Hopefully, there should be enough of us here." _And I hope that it doesn't reveal any hidden weapons while we do this..._

Giving Asuna a look filled with his love for her, he turned grimly and began to hew at the Boss, letting his rage fill his blades. "Just die already!" he cried as, for the final time, his blades glowed and sang as they sank deep into the enemy, creating angry wounds. His health and the Boss' fell to low red as The False Innocence's grin turned into a scorn-filled grimace, promising great pain and a brutal death to all. From within the folds of its kimono, the enemy withdrew a wakizashi, the blade coated a crimson hue and moved with tremendous speed, the short sword aimed at Kirito's heart. _Damn it all! Is this the end? Asuna...Yui...forgive me...in the end, I was too weak after all...I love you both..._

"Kirito-kun, switch!" Asuna's ragged cry broke through his thoughts as he witnessed her dash past him at what seemed like lightspeed, her rapier nothing but a flash of light and a peal of thunder. "Die! Linear!" she spat as she pierced deep and, twisting Lambent Light as hard as she could, shredded The False Innocence's innards.

That seemed to do it as the Boss came to a standstill, its eyes showing a quiet strength and resolution. Even though it held a sliver of HP, it knelt to the ground and, taking its wakizashi in hand, turned it upon itself, stabbing into its stomach. Red data seemed to exude from the wound as the Boss ripped the short sword across its stomach. No sound was uttered by it as the last of its HP disappeared and the Boss, with a look of relief on its painted face, broke apart, crystal fragments scattering to the four winds while the huge 'Congratulations!' screen appeared.

As the results screens appeared before the players, there was no holding back the cheer of relief as they realised they had survived the fight. Kirito walked gingerly to his wife, noting that she was looking intently at her screen. "Asuna?"

With rapid fingers, Asuna closed her screen and smiled brightly. "We did it, Kirito-kun!"

"No, **you** did it," he said, reaching out and taking her hand in his.

Though she smiled at him, her heart felt troubled and Kirito could understand why. It was a sobering thought when considered.

That was only a Field Boss and three players - three men - had been cut down.

What in the name of goodness was the Floor Boss going to be like?

xOxOx

**Author's Note: The idea of The False Innocence comes from reviewer OppositesExist, though I took the liberty of changing the forms around.**


	5. Opinionated

December 30, 2024

Floor 1 - Town of Beginnings

"Honoured guests, I now call this meeting between Asuna-sama, leader of the Seekers of Justice, and Lind-sama, Commander of the Divine Dragon Alliance to order," spoke a solemn Thinker, taking a seat at the head of the table they were using. Asuna took a seat on Thinker's right, while Lind sat opposite her, on Thinker's left, both facing one another.

Behind Asuna stood Kirito, his swords equipped to his back, though he forced himself to stand in a relaxed pose. Regardless of whether it was a safe zone or not, it would not do for him to appear threatening.

Behind Lind stood Schmitt, his lance in his grasp, though the weapon was pointed firmly at the ground.

Asuna decided to start the ball rolling. "Lind-taichou, it is an honour to meet you finally. I have heard much of you, both from Schmitt-san and those of the Divine Dragon Alliance that I have spoken to."

"All good things, I hope?" laughed the Commander of the Divine Dragon Alliance. Lind was a slimly-built man of little presumption, wearing plated steel armour, shoulder plates and greaves; underneath the armour, and extending down to his thighs was a black tunic made of what looked like silk. At his side was a mighty scimitar - Pale Moon, or so Kirito said it was called. "Also, let us not stand on ceremony. You can call me Lind, if I may call you Asuna?"

"Of course, Lind-san," nodded Asuna, glad they were getting off to a friendly start. "I would be greatly honoured."

"Very well, then, Asuna-san. Now, why don't we discuss what it is you want?"

"As I'm sure Schmitt-san has already informed you, I propose an alliance between our two guilds. It is fair to assume that you know what happened against the Field Boss on Floor 76?"

Lind nodded sagely. "I have heard. Three men lost, all in seemingly needless circumstances."

Asuna could feel her anger rising but swallowed it back. "The Boss was much more challenging than we had anticipated. We took every precaution we could-"

"Yet they still died," cut in Lind ruthlessly.

"Yes, they died," said Asuna in a small tone, remembering watching them break apart, helpless in her inability to save them.

"Perhaps you were a little presumptious in your ability to lead such an assault, no?" coerced Lind, his tone snake-like, venomous and cutting.

Kirito could only look on, anger coursing through his veins. How dare this fool talk to her like this! In every Boss encounter that Kirito had seen the 'Commander', Lind had been hiding back, never really getting his hands dirty, preferring to leave it to others like himself and Asuna. No point in risking his own life first, right? _Come on, Asuna, don't take this from this guy._

Asuna looked up sharply at his words, wondering where the sudden aggression was coming from. "There was no presumption on my part, Lind-san," she said cuttingly. "As you ought to know, Bosses are **always** unpredictable. Everybody who was there knew of the very real danger, yet they came anyway. I ask you, Lind-san, were you leading the assault, would you have done better?"

Her question seemed rhetorical, yet it would speak volumes as to the nature of the man. Would he agree and show himself to be overconfident and arrogant, or would he downplay it and back off from this angle of attack? In the end, he chose neither. "That is neither here nor there, Asuna-san," he responded evenly. "Ultimately, the fact of the matter is that these men did die, and that is something that cannot be overstated."

Swallowing back her hurt at the manner of which he was speaking to her, but knowing that she needed his help, Asuna had to keep the conversation from turning into an all-out verbal brawl. "I agree, Lind-san. Their loss is yet another tragedy to level at the feet of Kayaba Akihiko, however, if we ever wish to see justice for all those who have been lost, all **four-thousand** of them, we will need to reach Floor 100."

Kirito held back a smirk as he saw Lind's simpering smile falter as Asuna hit back. _Show him not to mess with you._

Lind regained his composure. "That is a goal, I assure you, of which my guild is wholly dedicated."

Asuna picked up on something, some nuance that told her he was evading. "The question is, are **you** committed towards ending this game?"

Lind was outraged, if his flaring nostrils were any indication. "The members of the Divine Dragon Alliance have been involved in **every** Floor Boss raid from the very beginning," he declared hotly, "and we will continue to do so until the very end."

"I am relieved to hear you say that, Lind-san," said Asuna, inclining her head as she did so. Her next words were spoken in a voice of cold steel. "However, that was not what I asked. I asked whether you, personally, were committed."

Schmitt visibly winced at Asuna's words and Kirito could sense that the meeting was rapidly unravelling. With great care, he positioned himself closer to Asuna.

Meanwhile, it seemed as though Lind had heard enough. "I see how this is. You would undermine my position and take command of my guild!? What would happen then? You would use us as nothing more than fodder while taking all the glory for yourselves! My men would be sacrificed so your ego can be maintained. This will not come to pass, not as long as I am able to draw breath," growled Lind, losing control of his emotions.

"Lind-sama, perhaps I might interject and call for calm," stated Thinker firmly, yet, Asuna held up her hand to him.

"It is quite alright, Thinker-san, I have seen enough. Lind-san, it seems clear to me that you are not willing to join us in our venture. Whether that is something that has been a certainty in your mind from before this meeting even began, I cannot say. Why did you agree to this meeting, Lind-san?"

As Lind struggled to regain mastery over his emotions, Asuna continued. "If you truly have never had any intention of agreeing to this alliance, you could have quite simply told Schmitt-san 'no' when he presented my proposal. Instead, you chose to come today and to give me real hope that an agreement could be reached. Was that your purpose? To raise my hopes only to crush them?

"I am well aware of the animosity between our two guilds and, to be honest, I really couldn't care less about which is called strongest. My only concern is getting us to the Ruby Palace in as speedy a manner as possible. If you want to hate me and those in my guild, that is your choice. I will say that I am not overly fond of you at this moment in time, Lind-san, however, I am also willing to work with you if it will benefit our goals. Can you not put aside your dislike for my guild long enough for us to finish this game?"

Truly, Asuna felt wretched. After all the planning with Kirito, all the nights spent agonising over every minute detail, it had all come apart at the seams. From everything she had heard of Lind, she had believed him to be paranoid where his position was concerned, but also perfectly capable of rational thought. In the end, it was plainly apparent that she had overestimated him.

Lind was silent for more than a few seconds, drawing out the tension. When next he spoke, he crushed the last of Asuna's fragile hope. "I will not be part of this farce. The Divine Dragon Alliance shall not serve the spawn of Kayaba Akihiko."

His final words said, Lind stood promptly and turned his back on Asuna and Kirito. "Come, Schmitt! We're heading back to Pani!" Taking off at a pace, Schmitt shook his head wearily. "I'm so very sorry, Asuna-san; Kirito-san."

"As are we, Schmitt-san," replied an emotionally drained Asuna. "Farewell."

With a short bow to the two, Schmitt followed after his leader, leaving Asuna and Kirito with an appalled Thinker. "Not since Kibaou have I witnessed such a blatant disregard for common sense," he raged. "Surely he must see that he is condemning everybody by his selfish and belligerent actions?"

"Paranoia can bring out the very worst in people," sighed Kirito, feeling just as exhausted as Asuna. "It clouds a person's judgement and makes them act irrationally."

"Even so, without the Divine Dragon Alliance's support, the time-scale for clearing the game just became that much longer," said Asuna, her heart heavy.

"That it has," agreed Thinker, his chin held in his hand as he thought. "Asuna-san, given enough time to organise things, I could probably spare a portion of the ALF to aid you in this venture."

Asuna looked up sharply. Was it possible that another way still existed? "I did not wish to presume, Thinker-san. I know that Kibaou forced the majority of your high-levelled men to march on the Floor 74 Boss."

"That he did, and they paid a heavy price for it," he agreed evenly, though he clenched his fist so tightly, his nails cut into his palm. He didn't pay it any mind - being in a safe zone, his HP did not decrease from his wounding himself. "However, you also saved some of them. They owe you their lives, and such a debt must be repaid."

"We didn't save them because we wanted something in return," began Kirito, aghast at the thought of demanding recompense for saving somebody, though Thinker shook his head.

"I know you didn't, and I'm grateful for it. Your selfless actions are what allowed you to save them." He looked up at the wooden beams holding the roof. "Lately, I have been thinking about my guild and its purpose. 'Will we just sit back and let others fight our battles for us?' 'Will we cower in fear?' These are the questions I have been asking myself. Honestly, before meeting the two of you, I feel as though I would have answered 'yes' to both questions. Why risk our lives when someone else is willing to risk theirs first, right?"

Kirito nodded as he remembered his thoughts regarding Lind.

"Now that I have met you, and seen how far you are willing to go to help others, complete strangers who mean absolutely nothing to you, I feel as though I cannot sit idly back and let others determine my fate. I feel, for the first time since becoming part of this world, that if I continue down this path of inaction, I would be ashamed to call myself a man."

"What does Yulier-san think?" asked Asuna in a soft voice.

Thinker laughed. "When I told her how I felt, as I just told you, she threatened to ignore me for the rest of our lives if I didn't put it to you. I assure you that she is in full agreement."

He looked at them, his eyes unwavering, unflinchingly serious. "Asuna-san, though I know it will put your plans back by at least a couple of months, would you be willing to wait for this span of time to allow us to sufficiently level?"

Asuna stood and walked to Thinker. Holding out her hand, she said, "I would be honoured to accept such a gracious offer. My sword, and those of my guild, are yours whenever you require them."

Thinker rose from his seat and took her hand. Shaking it firmly, he replied, "If ever you or those of your guild require shelter, you have but to ask and it shall be given."

With those words exchanged, the alliance between the Seekers of Justice and the Aincrad Liberation Force was born.

xOxOx

Floor 22 - Lake Outside Coral

"And that's what happened," concluded Kirito, looking up from his non-bobbing fishing lure to the man at his side. The man had a frown on his face as he worked through the details in his mind, always aware of the lure floating atop the surface of the lake.

"I have to say, Kirito-san, that is quite a story," he said finally, looking away from the lure for a moment to consider the swordsman. "What will this mean for the clearing of the game?"

"Well, regardless of the alliance with Thinker and his guild, because of the failed talks with Lind, we would have had to postpone pushing forward. Considering just how powerful the Field Boss of Floor 76 was, it's only natural to assume the Floor Boss will be even more threatening. Seeing those people die, Nishida..." and here Kirito faltered, wondering whether it would be right to speak of Asuna even though she was not there.

Nishida seemed to understand as he nodded his head sagely. "Yes, I can believe that something like that would leave its mark."

Kirito appreciated the old man and his ability to see to the heart of the matter. "Still, in a way, this is a good thing. It gives Thinker and his men the time they need to improve themselves and their equipment, it gives us the opportunity to power-level in the Floor 76 Dungeon, and on a personal level, it gives Asuna and I the chance to spend some time with Yui."

"Ah, Yui-chan." It had been surprising to Nishida to meet the young girl who introduced Kirito and Asuna as 'Mama' and 'Papa', but out of all the crazy things that he had seen since beginning the game, this was comparatively sane. His anger at learning that the leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath had actually been Kayaba Akihiko in disguise was terrible, and Kirito had only managed to calm him by promising that Asuna would cook him dinner again, provided he caught her a fish to cook, of course. "She's lonely?"

"I know that she understands that we're both really busy with the guild, Asuna especially, but I can still see how sad she gets when we leave her."

"As you know, Kirito-san, she is welcome to stay with me anytime you need," offered the fisherman.

"I appreciate that, Nishida," thanked Kirito, looking to the lake with a sigh before deciding to call it a day. In the hour he'd spent chatting with Nishida, his Fishing skill had only increased by one point. "It's a slow day, so I'm going to head home," he said, rolling his shoulders.

"I'm going to stay a while longer," replied Nishida, his eyes ever focused on the water's surface. "Be sure to give my regards to Asuna-san and Yui-chan."

"I will. Come round for dinner again soon."

"I'll bring the main event," grinned the fisherman, his eyes closed with mirth.

xOxOx

Floor 22 - Forest House K4

Kirito used the time afforded him by the walk back to the log house to think through what he and Asuna had discussed following the failed negotiations with the Divine Dragon Alliance, and their newfound partnership with Thinker and his guild. Truth be told, there was something about Lind that just rubbed him the wrong way. He had felt a similar vibe coming from Kuradeel, and he could vividly remember just how well things had turned out regarding that man, the Laughing Coffin member.

Though he was somewhat disappointed by the delay, he also saw the many blessings the delay caused. It allowed everybody adequate time to become stronger, it allowed more time to better prepare their equipment, and most importantly, at least from his own viewpoint, it allowed him to spend much more time with Asuna and Yui.

It would be a grave disservice to them to say that they had become anything less than his whole world. Anything that dared to threaten them would find itself at the very limited mercy of his twin blades...

"Mama! Is it nearly time?" Yui was waiting for Kirito to return from his visit with the 'funny fishing man', as she called him - _impatiently_, thought Asuna, though she wouldn't say anything about it. Seeing Yui's face scrunched up in cute discontent was more than enough reason for her to not make a remark.

"Almost, Yui-chan," soothed Asuna, absently plucking a few strands of loose hair out of her face and wrapping them behind her ear. She was standing on the balcony overlooking the lake, watching calmly as a flock of birds streaked across the sky, their wings a blur of movement, almost like a hummingbird.

Yui came to join her, her eyes wide, the sparkling lake reflecting in her eyes, giving them a brightness that was otherworldly. "It's so pretty," she breathed, a beaming smile on her face.

"It really is," agreed Asuna, wrapping her arms around her daughter, "but you're even prettier, Yui-chan."

"Mama," said Yui embarrassedly, though her smile became bigger than before.

The door opened then, revealing Kirito who had an expression of utmost peace on his face. "I'm home," he said, shutting the door behind himself.

"Welcome home, Papa!" exclaimed Yui, bounding to her father in a few rapid steps. Ruffling her hair for a few seconds, getting a few giggles from her, he walked to Asuna and took her in his arms, hoping she could feel the intensity of his feelings for her.

It seemed she could as she held him tightly. "Welcome home, Kirito-kun," she whispered, leaning their foreheads together. "Did you have fun?"

"I couldn't get a bite," he griped, "though Nishida was on top form as usual." His expression became introspective. "I think the Fishing skill must increase not only the chance of catching the fish once it bites, but also the likelihood of one biting to begin with. Either way, I told him to come for dinner soon. He promised to catch us a good fish, as long as you were willing to cook it up."

"That's good. If we had to rely on you for our meals, we'd be eating bread bought in town all the time," remarked Asuna, a cheeky grin on her face.

"That was one time, and I didn't know about the difficulty of the lake," grumbled Kirito. "When are you going to stop reminding me about it?" His face was set in a scowl, though it quickly melted away as he heard his two girls laughing. He would ask for nothing more as long as they were happy. "Anyway, I think it's about time, don't you?"

He gave Asuna a significant glance, one that held a hidden meaning that she immediately understood. "Yui-chan, there's something we'd like to show you," she said, gaining the girl's attention as she opened her player menu. Scrolling through her items, she finally found what she was looking for. Activating it, a decoratively wrapped box materialised in her open palms.

"What is it, Mama?" asked an extremely curious Yui.

"Open it and find out," encouraged Kirito, a soft smile that was reserved for his daughter forming on his face.

Looking to her mother for confirmation, and finding a warm smile on Asuna's face, Yui eagerly began to pull at the ribbon holding the present together. Paper flying everywhere and Yui's squeals of delight were followed by a solemn hush as an unadorned box was revealed. Licking her lips in anticipation, Yui carefully lifted the lid - inside, on a bed of soft velvet, was a necklace made of thick black thread. In the centre of the piece was a clear-cut jewel, an aquamarine that so closely resembled a frozen teardrop, Yui was afraid it would melt if left in the sun too long. She looked at her parents in confusion.

"When we lost you, Yui-chan, I was beside myself with grief," admitted Asuna in a shaky voice. Yui was silent as Asuna's tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. "If not for Kirito-kun, we truly would have lost you for good that day. Thanks to his quick thinking, he was able to save your data as a Key Item in our inventory. It was called Yui's Heart, and it looked almost exactly the same as the crystal on that necklace. You were so beautiful, Yui-chan."

"Mama..." Yui's eyes were shimmering.

"Asuna never took that necklace off, Yui," continued Kirito. "Wherever she went, she held you as close to her heart as she could. We truly do mean what we've said to you - you honestly are our daughter, and we love you so very much."

"Papa..." Yui was sniffling.

"That jewel was both a blessing and a curse. It showed us that you weren't truly gone, but it was horrible to know that you were somewhere we couldn't reach." Asuna was unashamed in the tears falling freely from her eyes. "When we went to face the Field Boss two weeks ago, we wandered into the town to just look around and spend a bit of quiet time together when we spotted this jewel in a shop window. We thought it had to be fate that such a thing could happen, so we bought it as a reminder of just how precious a person we lost, and how grateful we are to have her back with us."

"That why, Yui, Asuna has something to ask you," concluded Kirito. Yui looked to her Mama in confusion, her own tears breaking free and rolling down her cheeks.

"Though I know I could wear it regardless, now that you know the significance behind this jewel, and what it means to me, is it alright if I wear it, Yui-chan? That way, no matter where I go or what I'm doing, I know that I always have you with me, right where you belong - by my heart."

Yui didn't answer straight away. Her eyes were concealed by her sheet of ebony hair, making her face darken in shadow, her entire body shaking. When she did look up, she had a watery smile on her face. "Can I see you wear it, Mama?" she asked in a ghost-soft whisper.

With a gentle nod, Asuna opened her menu and equipped the necklace. With a brief sound of materialisation, the necklace flashed out of existence for a second before reappearing around her neck, the jewel hanging over the hollow of her throat. The sunlight filtering in from the balcony reflected off the gem's surface, sending iridescent patterns rippling off the skin around it. "It looks very pretty, Mama," decided Yui with a brief, but firm nod.

Asuna smiled through her tears.

"Thank you, Yui-chan."


	6. Reacquainted

December 31, 2024

Floor 22 - Forest House K4

"Wake up, Mama! Wake up, Papa! It's morning!" Yui's cries of greeting intruded upon Kirito's sleep, rousing him from a wonderful dream he was having. In it, he was flying through the sky with no more effort than walking, an enormous broadsword strapped to his back. All around him was endless blue sky, dotted with the fluffiest white clouds, and he knew that nowhere he saw was beyond his reach.

Wearily opening one eye, he looked toward Yui's bed. The girl was bouncing excitedly on it, laughing all the while. "Five more minutes, Yui," he grumbled, letting out a sigh of distraction as his head plopped back onto the pillow.

"Can't I persuade you to wake up, Kirito-kun?" came the sultry whisper from Asuna, her breath tingling his ear as she leant over him, the jewel representing her connection to their daughter swinging lightly across the pale skin covering her throat.

Kirito had to suppress a groan from how intense a feeling her actions caused him, and managed to do so successfully - it was a close run thing though. "No fair," he groaned before letting out a crippling yawn.

Asuna giggled lightly before getting out of bed to join Yui. "You're up early," she commented as she sat, smiling at the boundless energy Yui was showcasing.

Yui grinned back brightly, bouncing in time with her excited laughs of delight. "I couldn't sleep any longer," she beamed, performing one final, mighty, bounce before coming to a stop in Asuna's lap. Asuna smoothed her daughter's hair, enjoying watching the grin on Yui's face from her tender actions.

"Any particular reason?"

Yui bobbed her head. "I'm excited for tonight," she answered somewhat breathlessly, barely containing the need to be active again.

"Ah, the gathering," said Kirito, his clothing newly equipped. He stretched to his full height with a guttural groan of satisfaction. "Is everybody still coming?"

"Last I checked, nobody had declined," answered Asuna, setting Yui's feet to the ground after kissing her cheek. "I'm going to have a lot to do before then," she muttered to herself, thinking through the logistics of the gathering.

Kirito heard her quiet words. "Would you like some help?"

Asuna smiled. "No, that's fine, Kirito-kun, but thank you for offering. Why don't you and Yui-chan go and do something fun today?" she suggested, knowing that he hadn't been able to spend much time with her as of late.

"Hmm, we _could_ do that..." he mused. "What do you think?" he asked, looking to Yui for confirmation of whether she liked the idea. Her resumed bouncing and huge grin served to give him an inkling of her receptiveness.

"Great!" enthused Asuna, getting to her feet in one long, languid motion.

Kirito appreciated the soft lines his wife's body took as she stretched, noting that she was uncommonly beautiful, but it was more than just skin-deep. Her soul was **beautiful** \- there really was no other word to describe it; never before had he met someone to whom the phrase 'beautiful inside and out' was more apt. Asuna noted his watching her and, with a wicked smile, stretched on the tips of her toes, reaching her hands to the sky. Kirito's eyes had taken on a glazed, not-quite-there quality by the time she placed the soles of her feet to the floor once more. With a bright blush on her face from her rather forward actions, she looked to the kitchen of their log house in semi-resignation. "Be back no later than five, okay?"

"Okay," said Kirito lightly, almost in a trance, before methodically shaking out the cobwebs and holding his hand out to Yui. "Shall we?"

With a giggle, Yui took a hold and walked primly at his side, their arms swinging in sync with their footsteps. "We're heading out, Mama!" cheered Yui, smiling that ever infectious smile.

"I'll be waiting for you to come home, Yui-chan," promised Asuna.

xOxOx

Floor 48 - Lindarth

"Why do you want to come here, Yui?" asked Kirito as they stepped out of the transport gate in Lindarth. The town of craftsmen was abuzz, with banners and streamers hanging from every awning and door, all proclaiming the message 'Happy New Year!' NPCs and players alike were chatting excitedly, all exchanging tales of the past year, their experiences within the game and their hopes for the forthcoming year.

"I want to see Beth," said Yui in that tone she sometimes took that told Kirito he had asked a stupid question that had an obvious answer.

"Right, right..." mumbled Kirito, allowing himself to be led in the direction of the blacksmith's shop. Every so often they would be approached by a player who would wish them well and comment on how cute Yui was. She always blushed in embarrassment, though she smiled brightly, and Kirito would accept their well-wishing with gratitude, and extend the goodwill of himself and his family.

Finally, after an extended conversation with an NPC tailor who gave them his best then all but demanded they purchase something so his family would be able to enjoy the festivities - emotional blackmail was an advanced technique that Kirito had only experienced from a shop vendor a couple of times in the past couple of years - the father and daughter duo arrived at their destination, Lisbeth's Smith Shop.

Opening the door, the pair were greeted by Hanna, Lisbeth's NPC assistant who handled the selling of goods to customers so she, Lisbeth, would be free to smith. "Welcome to Lisbeth's Smith Shop," was the default greeting before her face brightened considerably. "Oh, Yui-chan, how nice to see you again. You as well, Kirito-san." Her face tilted slightly as she gave them a closed-eyes smile.

"Hi, Hanna! Bye, Hanna!" beamed Yui as she sped past her into the back room.

"Hey, Yui-chan, wait a...no good," said Hanna ineffectually, staring at the door that the girl had run through.

"I apologise for her," said Kirito, inclining his head. "She gets excitable at times."

"Oh, no, Kirito-san, it's alright," replied the assistant, shaking her head. "Lisbeth-san said she didn't want to be disturbed."

"Oh, why is that?" He had been witness to Lisbeth's smithing when she created Dark Repulser for him, and it wasn't possible for something like industrial sabotage where a point-based skill was concerned.

Hanna lowered her voice. "She said she was making a very special weapon, a one-of-a-kind piece, for somebody. She wanted to have absolute quiet."

The sound of laughter came from the back room. "It doesn't seem so quiet now," commented Kirito with an expression of defeat, one which Hanna couldn't help but laugh at.

"No, it doesn't," she agreed evenly, though she held her further giggles within.

"I'm going to find Yui," he mumbled, feeling Hanna's eyes boring into his back. For an NPC she was extremely lifelike; _perhaps they have been designed to take on traits of the people they are stationed around over a length of time_...he pondered as he walked into the back room to see Yui and Lisbeth speaking in rapid whispers. "What are you both up to?" he asked, watching in amusement as they both looked at him, their heads turning slowly in perfect synchronisation.

"Nothing, Papa!" said Yui in an innocent tone, her eyes looking anywhere but at him.

"Are you sure?" he asked teasingly, raising his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Of course we are!" barked Lisbeth, her tone one of annoyance and challenge.

Kirito, recognising his continued existence depended on not annoying her further, backed off immediately. "I'm sorry," he said, watching as Lisbeth's frown grew more pronounced. "I'm just going to go now," he stammered somewhat brokenly. Turning about-face, he fled from the room. Shutting the door behind himself, he leaned against it with a heavy sigh. "What was that? She was terrifying! I wonder what's going on..."

"I did say she didn't want to be disturbed," said a laughing Hanna.

Kirito could only sigh in disbelief. "Right..."

"Kirito-san!?"

Kirito was drawn from his relief by a soft feminine voice that he hadn't heard for many months. Turning his gaze upwards, he spotted a young girl with a crystal dragon growling good-naturedly resting atop her head. "Silica? What are you doing here?" he asked confusedly. Last he had seen her, they had parted on Floor 35 after reviving her familiar. Even with the few level boosts the equipment Kirito gifted her provided, he knew that she was not sufficiently levelled to survive the greater level of difficulty the higher floors would provide - there had also been his commitment to the front-lines as a consideration.

"After we parted, I wondered what I was going to do. I didn't want to get caught up in a situation where I wouldn't be able to defend myself again, not after what happened before..." She trailed off towards the end, not needing to repeat what had happened on Floor 47. "One day, I was wandering through the marketplace on Floor 39 when I met a man named Agil-san."

Kirito nodded at the mention of the man. "I know him," he said. "Agil's a good man."

"Yes, he is," agreed Silica. "He gave me money to upgrade my equipment. I told him I couldn't possibly accept it, but he shook off my protests. He told me that there was no point in people dying because they were under-equipped if he had the money and the ability to do something about it. I didn't want to be ungrateful and refuse his kindness, so I accepted. I still haven't been able to do anything to repay him."

Kirito shook his head. "He'd be upset if he knew you were thinking like this. He doesn't help people because he expects something in return. He just doesn't want to see anybody die needlessly, especially someone so young as yourself. You have your whole life to look forward to, Silica. Honestly," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder - he didn't fail to notice the shiver that ran through her body at his touch, though he shrugged it off as her being unused to somebody touching her in such a familiar manner, "he's just a really nice guy, and one of the best men I know."

"Well, if you're sure, Kirito-san," said Silica uncertainly. "Though, if I can ever help him out in some way, I will."

"I'm sure he'd appreciate it. So, what did you do next?"

"Next, I began to search out reports of you, Kirito-san," she said brightly, though her cheeks took on a distinctive red hue. "I, of course, asked Agil-san for any news he may have about you, but he refused to tell me, saying that it wouldn't be right to share private information."

"Why look for me?" asked Kirito in confusion.

"Well, as far as I knew, you were still a solo player, and I wanted to be a part of something again..."

"You wanted to form a party with me," Kirito surmised, making Silica nod her head.

"Yes. Of course, I knew that you were extremely high-levelled back in February, so I could only guess as to how strong you would be now, but I knew that I would still be lagging behind, so I threw myself into levelling again. I didn't want to be a burden to you again. Just last week, I reached Level 63," she said proudly, while Pina crowed delightedly in agreement.

Kirito didn't have the heart to tell the girl that he was still over thirty levels higher than her, so said nothing.

"I decided that I was now ready to start looking for you. I met Agil-san yesterday who told me that if I wanted to get the very best player-made equipment, there was nobody better than Lisbeth-san. To be honest, the dagger you gave me is looking a little worse for wear," she said with a weak smile, withdrawing the Ebon Dagger Kirito had given her months prior. The blade was indeed looking dull, and its lustre was all but gone.

"That dagger is definitely on the threshold of its durability."

"Yes, but I didn't want to part with it. It's a precious item to me," she said with a flush to her cheeks. "You gave it to me with no regard to its potential worth to you. You helped me to revive Pina. You protected me from Rosalia-san and her orange thugs. It was a gift from my big brother for a day. For those reasons, how could I not keep it?" She looked close to tears by the end of her words as Pina let out a low keen.

"I understand," said Kirito kindly, feeling taken aback by the effect her words had on him. "You should give it to Liz. She's the best smith in Aincrad, by a wide margin."

"I'm pleased to hear you think so, Kirito," came the less-than-friendly voice of Lisbeth who had just entered the room, Yui skipping merrily behind her. Crossing her arms underneath her bosom, the blacksmith stared down Kirito.

Kirito faced down her glare gamely. After all, it was easier to escape her wrath in the shop than in her forge.

Silica looked between the two of them, wondering what was going on. It was obvious to her that they knew each other, but the way the girl was looking at him made her wonder just what he had done to annoy her. Plus there was the little girl standing beside her. Who was she?

Kirito provided her with the answer. "So, are you finished? Can I have my daughter back now?"

"Daughter!?" Silica couldn't contain the full-body blush that accompanied the word as she considered it. It was scandalous! How was such a thing possible anyway?

Kirito looked mildly amused. "Oh, you haven't met her, have you? Come here a second, Yui." The girl walked to her father's side. "Yui, this is Silica. Silica, Yui."

"It's nice to meet you," managed Silica, holding out a hand to the younger girl.

"Nice to meet you," echoed Yui, shaking Silica's hand in return. "How do you know Papa?" she asked in a suspicious tone of voice that instantly put Silica on edge.

"Now, now, Yui," remarked Kirito, making the girl pout cutely. "I met Silica months ago. We partied together once to defeat a guild of player killers."

"Oh," said an embarrassed Yui whose cheeks had coloured intensely. "I'm sorry, Silica-san."

Silica shook her head to show she had taken no offence. "You're very protective of Kirito-san, aren't you, Yui-san?"

"He's my Papa," was Yui's simple answer.

"Right...you still haven't explained that to me, Kirito-san."

Kirito scratched at his temple. "That's a story that could take a while...more time than we have now. Liz? Silica needs her equipment repairing and upgrading. Can you do it for her?"

Liz, her scowl forgotten, nodded gamely. "Leave it to me. Come here and show me what you've got, Silica."

Silica was about to move before she let out a cry of alarm. "Kirito-san, I haven't gotten to ask you yet."

"Come to Floor 40 tonight at seven," said Kirito, cutting her off.

"Why?"

"We're having a gathering to celebrate the new year. If you're serious about being in a party, then come." His voice had taken a no-nonsense quality that was exciting. Lisbeth had to fight down a blush that she swore she would never experience again where the swordsman was concerned. Holding out a hand to Yui, he excused himself and, together, he and Yui left the shop.

"That Kirito," cursed Lisbeth after he left, puffing out her cheeks in annoyance.

"Um, excuse me for being forward, but how do you know Kirito-san?" asked Silica timidly.

Lisbeth looked at her with an expression of pity. "Oh, not you as well? What is it with him?" she muttered. "Well, Silica, he and I went on an adventure together once to find a precious ore after he broke my greatest sword..."

xOxOx

Floor 40 - Libertia

Exiting the teleport gate, Asuna, Kirito and Yui looked out at the town. Every surface was covered in long, flowing lights of every conceivable colour, flashing at regular intervals. Crowds of people chatted loudly, pitchers of ale and various alcoholic beverages were chugged down by raucous groups of men and a general atmosphere of joy could be felt.

"They're so pretty!" breathed Yui, bounding over to the nearest building to get a closer look at the lights.

"Yui-chan, don't wander off," warned Asuna, following after her while Kirito got his bearings. He had only been in Libertia for a few days while they rushed the Floor. It had been he who claimed the final blow against the Floor Boss which netted him the Ebon Dagger he had gifted Silica. Now that he got a chance to look at it clearly, he could see that it was designed as a homely place one could quite easily lose track of time in.

"Hey, Kirito!" shouted a familiar voice with a friendly greeting.

Looking to his right, he saw the red-haired, bandana-sporting, katana-wielding samurai Klein hustling towards them, his guild-mates/ friends in-real-life jovially cheering behind him.

"Ah, Klein, you made it," greeted Kirito, crossing forearms with the older man.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world. You have to ring in the new year properly, right? No better way to do it than what we have planned for tonight."

"Definitely not," Kirito agreed. "Be ready - we head out in fifteen minutes."

"Roger that, Kirito-taichou!" said the samurai with a mock salute.

Kirito merely shook his head in exasperation as he moved around the plaza, looking for other people that had been invited. The light of teleportation lit up the gate periodically as players began to arrive - Calanon, and a contingent of Seekers of Justice arrived, all wearing shining plate-mail and wielding gleaming silver swords; Agil, the tall and imposing merchant, his double-bladed axe hefted easily in one hand; Thinker, Yulier and a small number of Aincrad Liberation Force members, all equipped with shimmering hauberks and armour, lances and maces in hand.

Finally, with one sharp flash, Silica appeared, Pina flying rapid circles over her head, and one other.

"Wow, there are so many people here," breathed Silica in surprise. She had expected there to be a few people - it was a gathering, after all - but not on this scale. There must have been close to fifty people, all of them scary-looking, although Agil favoured her with a smile and a raised hand of greeting.

"Yo, pleased to see you again, Silica-chan," said the man, his height a terrifying thing to those who didn't know him - a gentle giant was the perfect definition for the man...if you were his friend; cross him, and the giant became less-than-gentle.

"I'm pleased to see you again, too, Agil-san," bowed Silica.

"Hey, less of that," said Agil, embarrassment clear in his voice, before he addressed the other latecomer. "I didn't know you were coming as well, Lisbeth-chan."

"Just call me Liz," huffed the blacksmith as she looked around. There were people she knew, like Agil, but the vast majority were completely new to her. Fortunately, she wasn't kept waiting for long in this crowd of unknowns.

"Everyone, thank you for coming," called out Kirito, gaining the attention of everybody. "We have it on good authority that an Event Boss will be appearing on this floor tonight. The item drop is rumoured to be something that can create a miracle."

"What does that mean? It's kind of vague?" called out Agil.

"I honestly don't know," answered Kirito. "I guess we'll find out once the event is cleared." The crowd chuckled at Kirito's words. This was how they liked things - short and to the point. "Everybody, party up. We go in groups of seven." Many party invites were sent out then, leaving the groups decided - Klein and his guild; Thinker, Yulier and the men of the ALF; Calanon and the men from the Seekers of Justice; and the final group - Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Agil, Silica and Lisbeth, them being the six remaining party-less.

"Are we all ready?" A resounding roar boomed across the plaza. "I'll take that as a 'yes'," Kirito chuckled, getting a laugh from those closest to him as they began the march out of town.

xOxOx

Floor 40 - Hidden Grove

The march was loud, everybody chanting various songs, keeping their spirits up. Silica walked with rapid steps, keeping up with the much longer stride of Agil, taking five steps to his one. Lisbeth checked and rechecked her mace over and over, turning it this way and that, looking for any hidden faults that would be invisible to the untrained eye. Agil was whistling to himself, quite at ease.

Asuna, Kirito and Yui were strolling together as a family, Yui in between the two of them, holding both their hands. Before, when they journeyed into that accursed dungeon on Floor 1, Yui wasn't recognised as a player character in the game, therefore, she didn't need to be accounted for. Since her revival, they had quickly learned that she was truly a player, and as such could, and would indeed **need** to, be added to a party.

Truthfully, Kirito and Asuna felt concerned bringing Yui along with them, but they also reasoned that the Event Boss shouldn't be that tough - they were several Floors below the current challenge, and Kirito had soloed the previous Event Boss during that cursed time when he had been driven to the brink of despair. With the sheer numbers attempting the challenge, they felt relatively comfortable. Of course, that didn't stop them from saying that Yui would stay back from the fighting, guarded by one of them at all times.

"Um, Kirito-san, may I speak to you for a moment?" Silica spoke in her quiet voice, but Kirito heard her clearly.

Turning to the girl, he nodded lightly. "I'll be a minute," he said, loosening his hand from Yui's grip. "Come with me."

Walking a short distance away from the group - not so far that they would be missed, but far enough for them not to be overheard carelessly, Silica wrung her hands together nervously. "Why did you ask me to come with you tonight?"

Kirito considered her for a moment before answering. "You want to become a member of a party with me, don't you?" Silica gave a short nod. "When you explained your reasons for wanting to group up with me, they were factually inaccurate, or perhaps I should say outdated. I'm no longer a solo player. I haven't been for a while now. I party with Asuna, the leader of the Seekers of Justice. She is my wife, who I love more than my own life. We have our daughter, Yui, who I would gladly give my life for. We are clearers, running the front-lines and challenging the Floor Bosses. In our last battle, we lost three men." His voice was hard and his words cutting.

Silica was troubled. "Why are you telling me this?"

Kirito smiled then. "If you are still willing, even knowing the risks, to join us, then I would be glad to have you in our party."

Silica's face lit up, a beaming smile quickly forming. "Oh, yes, I would love to! Thank you, Kirito-san!"

"Don't thank me yet," he chided lightly. "You're going to have to level like never before. I'll help you as much as I can."

"I'll work hard," she promised, clenching her fists before scooping up Pina in delight. "Isn't it wonderful, Pina!" she said excitedly, walking away cradling her familiar.

Kirito smiled after her before rejoining his family. "Is that okay?" he asked Asuna, knowing that she would have heard everything.

"It's fine by me," she answered softly. "Nobody should be refused the chance to fight for their liberation. We'll have to speak with her soon about the very real threat the higher Floors pose."

"We will," Kirito assured, retaking Yui's hand.

xOxOx

Fifteen minutes later, as the clocks struck eight, the group found themselves wandering deeper into the trees. All around were imposing roots, gnarled branches clawing skywards, dead leaves littering the wooded floor. As they trod further in, it seemed as though the wan light the moon and stars were providing was slowly being whittled to nothing, the branches twisting, writhing, trapping.

Yui shivered as the temperature began to descend rapidly. "What's happening, Papa?" she asked in a small voice.

"It's beginning," he said grimly. "Stay with Asuna. No matter what happens, you stay out of this fight, promise?"

"I promise, Papa," she said, retreating further back with Asuna, who stood guard over her, Lambent Light firmly in her grip.

"Don't worry, Yui-chan, everything will be fine," she reassured, squeezing her daughter's hand in hers.

Kirito turned his attention to the darkened grove, his every sense abuzz. "Silica, Liz, stay close to me and work together!" He got sharp nods from the two girls - Silica, small but quick, her dagger a sliver of shadow; Lisbeth, nervous but strong, a mace of ebony gripped in her hand. "Agil, you know what to do."

"You know it," said the tall man, his axe ready to cleave any and all enemies. "I've got to get my hands on that miracle item."

"First come, first served, you know that," commented Klein with a chuckle, "and I intend to be first."

"Don't be overconfident, Klein. I wouldn't want you to have to waste that revival item I nearly died retrieving," said Kirito, though his jibe fell flat - nobody liked to be reminded of that particularly dark time in Kirito's past. Nobody was aware, though they all had guessed semi-correctly, of just how close he was to killing himself at that point - the loss of the Moonlit Black Cats, Sachi especially, had hit him hard - too hard for someone of his limited mental maturity.

"Kirito-san, I don't think it's a good omen to make a joke like that," said Silica in her soft voice.

"You're right, sorry," muttered Kirito, already feeling silly for having made such a blasé comment in the first place. "Time to focus."

Looking out into the mire, he could first hear what sounded like snuffling, a vast nasal sound that sent shivers involuntarily down his spine. "What is that? Approaching from within the gloom, after much rooting about was a pig, its beady eyes fixed to the ground, its snout creating that snuffling sound once more as it foraged. "A pig?"

Seeming to notice the large group of players, the pig looked up with its beady eyes, blinking once, twice, thrice before letting out loud cries of alarm...which were echoed several times over.

Turning on the spot, Kirito could see many more pigs waddling towards them, searching amongst the roots with their snouts.

"The Event Boss is a bunch of pigs? Can this be for real?" Agil was perturbed.

"Who cares? We have ourselves the perfect opportunity to grab some prime barbecue right here!" cheered Klein whose guild-mates laughed along raucously. Kirito was silent which led to Klein groaning loudly. "Why do you have to do that?"

Kirito looked up, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"You always go all silent and brooding whenever an enemy appears. Everytime you do that, something bad happens."

As though to mock him, an enormous thundering boom ripped through the grove, deafening the players to everything else. Klein glanced sideways at Kirito, eyebrows raised. "I swear I have nothing to do with it!" swore Kirito, waving his hands in surrender.

"Enough banter, get your heads in the game," shouted Agil as the ground beneath them shook distinctly.

"I got it, I got it!" Klein called, unsheathing his katana and getting into his battle stance.

Silica was the first to notice the disturbance when Pina let out a cry of alarm. "What is it, Pina?" Following her familiar's line of sight, she could see an indistinct shimmering appear at the furthest treeline. "There!"

Traipsing out of the knotted grove was what looked to be a old man – he was bent over, relying upon a stick to walk. The major concern to Kirito was that this old man was more of an old _giant_, a beast of a man standing at twenty feet tall.

"Uh, that is one big old man," sweated Klein.

Kirito felt somewhat apprehensive, too, but gamely chuckled. "You know what they say, the bigger they are..."

"The harder they fall," grinned Agil, his axe hand twitching.

The old man hobbled along, ignorant of the players, scattering what looked like grain around himself. The pigs, as one, all stopped their sniffing and made their way to his side. With a chuckle that seemed terrifyingly guttural due to its immense size, the old man finally raised his eyes, glinting with sudden malice, to them.

That was when his name appeared. "Lanos the Blademaster," read Agil, before stumbling upon something that confused him. "If he's a blademaster, where's his blade?"

His question was answered as, standing straight, tall and powerful with no need for support from the cane in his hand, the Boss whipped said cane into his outstretched hands and held it like one would a sword in a scabbard. Pulling it in two, a concealed blade was revealed, sharp and threatening.

"You just **had** to ask," groaned Klein, looking at the merchant with a deep frown.

"A swordstick," said Kirito, analysing the enemy, his stature, body position and reach. Due to his size, the swordstick was a terrible length – easily ten feet long, making blocking his strikes of tantamount importance.

The pigs meanwhile had been getting steadily agitated, their cries becoming much more aggressive. At a grunt from the Boss, they all became deathly quiet, their beady eyes now consumed by the party of players.

"I think they see us," said Lisbeth in a deadpan monotone. Her mace was gingerly hovering in the air, moving in a nervous stutter every-so-often. Though she was ill-suited to raids, she had been assured by everyone – meaning Asuna – that the Event Boss wouldn't be too difficult, and the number of players attacking would ensure a safe, speedy victory. She kept repeating it to herself as a sort of mantra. _Everything will be fine. Everything will be fine..._

As one, the pigs began to stamp their feet on the spot, tilling the earth. "What are they doing?" asked Silica in a shaky voice. Though she knew she had the backing of many people, most of whom were much stronger than herself, it didn't stop her from feeling apprehensive.

"Trying to intimidate us. Don't let them bother you, Silica-chan. I'll look out for you," promised Agil. Silica nodded her head, grateful for the older man's words. They really did settle her nerves, though she was still worried, but to a lesser degree.

"Silica and Liz, together with Agil, take out the pigs. Don't let them surround you. I'll work with Calanon and the others to strike at the Boss. Once you're finished, come and back us up."

"I'll do my best," said Silica.

"Leave everything to me," Lisbeth assured.

"I'll keep them safe," promised Agil.

Kirito nodded. "I'm counting on you all."

Plans hastily formed, Kirito was off like a shot, twin swords flashing as he ran for the Boss. His charge seemed to be the rallying call as the other players shouted out their own battle plans and followed him into battle.

Batting aside the few pigs that charged him as though they weren't there, Kirito sped at the Blademaster. Sensing his approach, the Boss' swordstick sang as it cleaved the air, hurtling towards him at breakneck speed. Kirito barely had enough time to react, slamming his two blades into a hastily formed guard, wincing as the Blademaster tried to overwhelm him.

With a battle cry, Klein's katana sliced at the Blademaster's sword arm, jarring it enough for Kirito to savagely wrench it away and make a counter-attack. "You're mine," he growled as his swords burned with savage light, aiming to hew a great deal of HP from it.

The enemy then did something that Kirito had not expected. He had expected that the Boss would have merely discarded the sheathe and used the sword two-handed, like most Japanese blades were intended to be wielded – instead, he had kept it in his left hand, and the reason was now obvious. _He's using the sheathe as a shield._ The Boss parried his counter and let his swordstick descend, slicing into Kirito and taking a sizeable chunk of his life with him.

"Kirito-kun!" cried Asuna, seeing the angry red data wound in her husband's side, fervently wishing that she could be fighting with him, but knowing that she had to keep Yui safe.

"Papa!" Yui was beside herself with fear. Though she knew her Papa was strong, she also knew that he could be reckless, and she could remember just how fearful Boss enemies could be – their encounter with The Fatal Scythe was proof enough of that. She wanted to help him, so very much...

"Oi, Kirito, you okay!?" Klein exclaimed, sword flashing as he carved some more HP from the Blademaster, ever mindful of the swordstick and its devastating range.

Kirito had spun away from the blade, watching his HP gauge deplete to around fifty-percent. _He took a half of my HP with that blow. He's no pushover. Clearly, whatever item he's guarding is valuable._ Shouting to Klein, "I'm fine," he grimly renewed his assault.

"There's just...no...end to them!" panted Lisbeth, crushing the skull of yet another pig as it came too close to her for comfort. That was the tenth she had destroyed since the battle began, and her arm was becoming tired. Though she was used to heavy tools, what with being a blacksmith, there was a distinct difference between hammering an ingot until it formed the weapon she desired, and denting the bodies of enemies who kept dashing this way and that.

They had quickly learned that these pigs were anything but slow and lazy. From the moment Kirito had rushed forward, they had charged themselves, moving at speeds that were, while slower than the human players, several times faster than a normal farmyard animal. It had taken some well-timed thrusts from Silica's upgraded Ebon Dagger to stop the first wave.

"We have to stay strong, Lisbeth-san," came the demure voice of Silica, her dagger flashing as she ended another, its form breaking apart. "We must hurry and support Kirito-san."

"I hear you," said Agil, his axe crashing down, ending two at once, their cries terrible to hear. "We'll finish this up quick and help him."

With a grim nod of agreement, the trio faced the oncoming enemies.

It had been five minutes since the battle began and the Blademaster's HP had been depleted to one bar. With the support of Thinker, Klein, Calanon and the Seekers of Justice members, Kirito had managed to stave off any further damage to himself. He honestly didn't want to think about what might happen were he to suffer another grievous blow like the first.

Now, as with most Bosses, his attack pattern was changing. "Friends, let us rush the enemy! Do not allow it time to prepare! We will finish it before it can perform any nasty tricks," called Thinker, his longsword held aloft in a rallying cry of victory.

With the men booming out harsh battle cries as they continued to hack at the giant, the Blademaster discarded his sheathe, casually flinging it into the crowd of men who had to scatter to avoid being hit by the eight-foot long wooden object. Placing both hands onto the hilt of the swordstick, a tangible feeling of anxiety ripped through the grove. Expecting to be able to defend, the Blademaster's next slash was stopped by three men from the ALF who had finally joined the battle after destroying the pigs – they were alarmed to find the pressure from the Blademaster's strike allowed it to slice through their swords like they weren't even there.

"H-help us!" they cried in terror, seeing the sword seeking to end their lives.

Kirito would not watch on, allowing them to die for no reason, not while he was able to do something about it. Charging, he slammed his swords into the swordstick, noting with a grim satisfaction that the Elucidator and Dark Repulser were suitably reinforced so as to not be cleaved apart. "Go now!" he ordered, noting the nods of gratitude from the men.

All around him, men and a few women were fighting for their lives, hammering, cleaving, sheering, desperately struggling to end this monstrosity. He could see Agil and the girls coming to help, their task finally done.

"Kirito-san! We're here! Hold on!" shouted Silica, Pina offering her what little healing he could after a pig had managed to get past her guard and stab its trotter into her thigh. It had been swept aside by Agil, his axe brutally efficient.

"Hey, hold on, Kirito!" exclaimed the merchant, redoubling his pace, willing his body to move faster.

Even with most of his skill points invested in STR, he was being overwhelmed. Kirito gritted his teeth. _No! I can't die here...not now! I have two important reasons to continue living! I won't lose...not to you...not to this game..!_

He was unprepared when the Boss withdrew his blade without warning, making him stagger forward, so focused on defending that he had put the entirety of his weight behind it. With another brutal swing, Kirito could only look on as he saw his end rapidly approach...

The sound of a sword being unsheathed and re-sheathed met his ears as he saw a flash of light so fast, he could have thought he imagined it, until he saw Yui walk past both him and the Blademaster, a sheathed katana in her hands. "Yui..?" It was only then that he noticed the sword that had been poised to split him in half had not done so.

The girl came to a standstill, her back to them both. "Ittōryū Iai: Zantetsuken," she intoned darkly. Turning on the spot, she faced the two of them, a harsh expression that he had never seen on her innocent face before. She watched with satisfaction as, with a guttural cry of anguish, a slash of light was seen bisecting the Boss, his top half sliding across its bottom, falling to the floor in a heap, its sword similarly rent apart.

With a final lamenting cry that was lost to the winds, the Blademaster exploded into data fragments. Kirito knelt to the ground, looking at his daughter, somewhat dumbstruck. _Why does she have a sword? Who gave it to her? Better yet, what __**was**__ that technique? I've never seen anything like it. She sliced it in two with ease._

"Yui-chan! Kirito-kun!" Asuna was frantically running towards them, her hair whipping around her face - so great was her dash. "Why did you run off, Yui-chan?" she cried, holding Yui at arm's length, her hands on the girl's shoulders, checking her for injuries. "I told you to stay with me, didn't I? You could have been killed!" Without warning, she scooped the girl into her arms. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Turning to her husband, she looked at his side where the rent had been. "Are you alright?" she asked. When he didn't answer, but maintained his focus on Yui, Asuna looked more closely at their child. Her narrow focus had been on her continued well-being. "Yui-chan, where did you get that sword?" she concluded, finally noticing the blade held confidently in her daughter's hand.

"That's a question I'd like an answer to as well, Yui," said Kirito, wearily rising to his feet, an oddly authoritative tone to his voice that he had never used with her before.

Yui grinned at the two of them rather sheepishly.

"Mama. Papa. I have something to tell you..."


	7. Revelations

January 1, 2025

Floor 61 – Selmburg

Asuna lay in bed, eyes wide open, staring aimlessly at the lights from outside reflecting onto the ceiling, making indeterminate shapes. Her mind was a tempest, multiple thoughts smashing around, each of them demanding her attention. She could have lost her again, her daughter. She had lost focus on where her daughter was for a split second – that was all it had taken for her to speed off and face the Blademaster. She had to fight back a tremble as she considered it - if Yui hadn't have been strong enough, or skilled enough...

On top of that, she almost lost him, her husband, the one constant in her life since the madness known as SAO began. She could no longer recall exactly how many times he had come close to losing his grip on his life, but she knew that that number was already far too large. How many more times could he scrape through by the skin of his teeth before his luck would truly run out...? She could tell he was no closer to sleep than she, his breathing far too irregular.

Deciding to give up the frankly impossible task, she turned to face him, his face cast in long shadows. "You're quiet," she whispered, searching his eyes for an inkling as to what he was thinking.

Kirito didn't answer immediately. His mind was equally troubled. He knew that the Blademaster had him dead to rights. He knew that he should no longer be breathing; that he shouldn't be lying in bed with his wife, their child asleep in the room next to theirs; that he should be dead. It was both a sobering, and terrifying, thought. "I was thinking through everything that happened last night," he said, hoping his eyes could convey the words he would not say.

Asuna understood as she took his hand in hers. "Don't dwell on it, Kirito-kun. You're still here. You're still with us."

He didn't answer – he merely moved their joined hands to his face where he lay Asuna's against his cheek. Closing his eyes at the contact, he smiled softly. "Your hand is warm."

Asuna's cheeks coloured as she smiled in response. At times like this, she was forcibly reminded of the fact that, though they were both battle-hardened veterans, they were still young – only recently turned seventeen, in her case – and still nervous in their shows of affection.

She didn't say any words – instead, she chose to carefully move her fingers over his face, gently touching, reminding herself of what he felt like. Kirito hummed deep in his chest as he raised his hand, running it through her auburn hair, tucking a stray strand behind her ear. Moving further down, he rested the crystal teardrop in his hand, turning it this way and that, watching the play of colour. "I'm afraid," he said finally. Asuna watched his eyes, seeing them burning with the intensity of his emotions. "I'm afraid of what he may have done to her."

Asuna knew what he meant and shared in those fears. "I'm scared, too, but we shouldn't rush to conclusions, Kirito-kun. Yui-chan has told us she'll tell us everything in the morning." She laid her head against his chest, hearing the steady thrum of his heart, calming her troubled heart and mind. Laying her hand on his chest, directly over his heart, she sighed softly, feeling fatigue catching up with her.

Kirito held her close against him, his free hand enclosing the hand resting on his body, entwining their fingers. "I won't lose either of you," he said, watching as Asuna slowly opened her eyes, the light reflecting off them in _just_ the right way to set them ablaze. "I can't."

His own eyes shimmering with determination, he declared, "No matter what it takes, I'll keep you both safe."

Her gentle smile was only for him. "Don't forget, while you're protecting us, **we'll** be protecting you."

His lips met her forehead with painstaking softness, bestowing the sweetest kiss, before he pulled her as closely to himself as he possibly could, resting his head atop hers. "Sweet dreams, Asuna."

Asuna's lips settled into a soft line as she closed her eyes once more. "Goodnight, Kirito-kun."

xOxOx

It was several hours later before Asuna opened her eyes. The sunlight was strong, cascading throughout the entire room, branding everything with a bright, burnished, glow. Tilting her head upwards ever-so-slowly, she could see her husband's amused eyes looking down at her, though a sweet smile was on his lips. "Good morning," she said, feeling a blush creep onto her cheeks as he regarded her so closely.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, raising their still connected hands to kiss hers softly, causing another blush to appear, making her face glow that much more brightly.

She nodded. "I fell asleep listening to your heartbeat. It was...calming," she admitted, feeling embarrassed for having said such a thing. His smile widened ever-so-slightly, and he squeezed their joined fingers gently.

Asuna was perfectly content to stay there for quite some time, but she knew that they would have to speak with Yui about what had happened the night prior.

Kirito, it seemed, was adept at reading her mind. "We need to speak to Yui," he whispered against her hair, leaning down to kiss her forehead. His lips lingered, and Asuna could feel him tremble as his fears reacquainted themselves.

"Try not to worry, Kirito-kun. Things will work out fine, I know they will," she said, encouraging him, feeling her own doubts trying to worm their way into her thoughts, but trying to banish them before they could cause her undue terror. They had to speak to Yui first – there was time for worrying, if it came to that, after.

With a slow nod, Kirito sat up, drawing Asuna along with him. "Okay," he said, drawing strength from her words. Wrapping his arms around her, he said strongly, "No matter what happens, we're a family. You, me, and Yui."

Asuna couldn't manage to answer in words – she didn't trust herself to not have a shaky warble to her tone after he described exactly what she was thinking – but she hoped her tightened hug would provide him with her response.

xOxOx

The parents headed out of their bedroom into the living area where Yui was already seated, absently drinking juice. She was so focused on her thoughts that she didn't notice the two of them enter the room – it was only when Asuna knelt in front of her that her eyes shifted focus and a nervous, but sweet, smile formed on her lips.

"Mama, Papa, good morning," she said, keeping up an air of nonchalance, though Kirito could tell that she felt as anxious as both he and Asuna did.

"Yui-chan," whispered Asuna, kneeling before her daughter. Holding her face in her hands, Asuna ran a finger across Yui's lower eyelid, removing moisture. "Oh, don't cry, Yui-chan."

She pulled her into a hug – almost immediately, Yui's body became overcome with shaking, her eyes leaking without any sign of abating. "I didn't want you to see me crying," she said, her smile still in place despite how obvious it was that she was anything but happy, "I wanted to seem really calm and collected, but I'm afraid."

"What do you have to be afraid of?" asked Kirito, placing a protective hand on his daughter's shoulder.

Almost instinctively, Yui leaned into her father's touch, drawing reassurance and strength from it. "After I tell you what has happened to me, I'm afraid you won't want me anymore...that neither of you will be able to love me anymore. I don't want that! I just want to stay with Mama and Papa forever, that's all!"

Her smile faltered as she finally buried her face into Asuna's stomach, her cries terrible to hear. Asuna was tearing up in response to seeing her child in such pain. It felt as though her own heart was bleeding in response, sending crippling pain radiating throughout her whole body. "Don't say silly things like that, Yui-chan," she said, running her hand through Yui's hair, trying to convey any comfort she possibly could. "No matter what happens, you are our child."

"Didn't you believe what we told you when we showed you this necklace?" asked Kirito, his voice low as he pointed out the teardrop gem hanging around Asuna's neck. "Do you think so little of us that you believe we'd just throw you aside because of something we might not like?"

"No, Papa, I...I don't think..." stammered Yui, pulling away from her mother's embrace to stare at her Papa, shock clearly visible in her expression.

"Kirito-kun! You shouldn't..." began Asuna, shocked at the words he was saying, though he cut her off before she could get any further into her sentence.

"We're family, Yui," said Kirito in the most determined manner he could, taking a kneeling position next to his wife. Looking Yui straight in the eyes, he smiled, "Right?"

Yui sniffled, her eyes watery and red, before nodding sharply. "Papa!" she cried as she barrelled forward into his waiting arms. He held her close as she cried, looking to Asuna who was smiling softly at him. She gave him one gentle nod of approval before she enveloped the pair of them in her arms.

"Family," she echoed.

xOxOx

A short time after, Asuna and Kirito were sat across from Yui who had regained her composure. Looking between the two of them, she asked calmly, "So, where do you want to start?"

"Why don't we start with an easy question?" suggested Asuna – now used to the role of diplomat, she wanted the discussion to progress as smoothly as possible. "Where, or from whom, did you get the sword?"

"Beth," supplied Yui simply.

Kirito nodded – the answer was as he had expected, though he had a question. "Is that the weapon she was working on when I was chased out of the forge yesterday?"

Yui shook her head. "No. Beth made this for me weeks ago."

Asuna had listened, though she was troubled. "Why would Liz keep something like this from me?"

"I asked her to," said Yui, forestalling any feelings of anger from Asuna to her friend. "Beth has been entrusted with secrets from so many people, Mama. Would you want her to share a secret you had told her in confidence?"

Shaking her head, Asuna could only marvel at the maturity her daughter was exhibiting. Yui continued her thoughts, "I've been practising with it everytime you left me with Beth. What? Did you think that I would use an untested Skill in a real battle?"

Asuna picked up on that. "What do you mean, Yui-chan? You've been in battle before!?"

Yui nodded in agreement. "We – that is, Beth and I – went on brief journeys to the first few Floors so I could practice with my sword in a battle situation. Obviously, the monsters on those Floors aren't particularly dangerous."

_It gets better..._ thought Asuna, feeling sourly of Lisbeth. It was one thing to make a sword for the girl behind her back – it was quite another to take her out onto the field of battle!

Yui frowned, picking up on her mother's mood. "Don't be mad with Beth, Mama. She didn't want me to go. She only came with me after I told her I'd go on my own."

Asuna was shocked, her face set in an expression of hurt. Kirito took charge of the questioning. "Why would you say such a thing, Yui?"

"I wasn't in any danger, Papa," said Yui confidently, causing him untold confusion.

"How can you be sure of that?" cried Asuna, feeling out of balance and needing to regain control of the situation. "We only just got you back, and now you're going off on your own where we can't protect you."

"I don't need protecting, Mama," said Yui, a dark expression on her face, one that she had never directed at her parents. It took Asuna aback so much, Yui seemed to realise what she was doing and abruptly apologised. "I'm sorry, Mama, but you have to try to understand."

"What do we have to understand?"

Yui took a deep breath and centralised herself before saying what she believed would be the biggest challenge for them to deal with. "Before, I was a program, a part of the system that oversaw the emotional states of the players of SAO. After I was brought back, I was converted into a player, right?" At the hesitant nods of her parents, Yui continued. "What you didn't know is that I didn't return as a low-level player – on the contrary, I'm higher-levelled than perhaps anybody other than the creator of Sword Art Online."

"Kayaba," cursed Kirito, thankful for the return to normalcy that his hatred of the man afforded, though Asuna wasn't able to be so easily distracted.

"What level are you, Yui-chan?" she asked.

Yui looked directly into her mother's eyes, searching for any sign of ill-feeling before speaking in a monotone. "Level one-hundred-and-forty."

Kirito's eyes snapped to his daughter, his shock apparent. _Level 140!? Why would Kayaba not only bring her back, but also make her stronger than anybody else? Is it to cause divisions? Distrust between us? Or is it something else?_

Asuna could hardly fathom exactly what it all meant – too much was happening too quickly – but she knew that Yui was waiting for some sign from her; something that told her that she wasn't going to abandon her. Taking her daughter's hand in-between hers, she spoke softly, "I'm sorry, Yui-chan. You've been keeping this inside for a long time. I wish that I could have seen how this was eating away at you. I'm sorry I didn't realise it was causing you pain. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to being a parent." Her tone was rueful, and not without a hint of self-loathing, though she recovered quickly. Smiling lightly, Asuna continued, "Still, I promise to work harder from now. I'll make it so that there won't be any possible way to doubt how much I love you, Yui-chan."

Yui's eyes were shimmering as she listened to her mother's words. She'd been certain, even with the reassurances provided before the conversation began, that they would be terrified of her abilities, distrustful of her, and ultimately, would toss her aside. Any words she had said in response to theirs had been mechanical – what she believed they wanted to hear, not what **she** had truly thought.

Now, she felt foolish for doubting the strength of her bond with her parents. Never once had they given any indication that they felt anything other than deepest affection for her, and they wanted to be with her – not through a sense of duty or obligation, but because they loved, and cherished, her.

"Mama...I...I'm sorry..." she whispered, tears slowly trickling down her cheeks as she shook with sobs. Asuna scooped her up gently, calmly rubbing her back, whispering reassurances to the distraught girl.

Kirito hugged them both, his arms easily encasing the two most precious people in his life. "You don't have to be afraid to speak to us, Yui," he said in a gentle tone, one that he was rapidly associating with his girls. "No matter what it is, or how bad it may seem, we promise that we will face it together, always."

Yui snuggled into the family embrace, feeling their love for her as something physical, something tangible. There really was no way for her to doubt the sincerity of their words. "I'm sorry, Papa," she cried. "So, so, sorry."

They stayed together for a time, the silence comfortable as they enjoyed the closeness. Eventually, Kirito released them from his grasp. Standing, he stretched, releasing a knot of tension he hadn't noticed; groaning in pleasure from the simple action, he got an idea. It was a simple idea, but one that would give massive rewards. "I don't know about you, ladies, but I feel like grinding some experience. Asuna? Yui? Care to join me?"

Yui's eyes lit up. "Really, Papa!?"

"Really. I wouldn't have asked otherwise. Asuna?" Kirito knew this was an opportunity for Asuna – and himself, to a lesser degree – to reconcile what she recalled of the Yui before the Hidden Dungeon on Floor 1 and the new Yui, a sword-mistress higher-levelled than either of them. It was up to her to grasp it.

Asuna sat in silence for a short span, thinking through everything that had been revealed. Her daughter, the child she had watched disappear before her eyes, potentially lost forever, only to be miraculously returned days later, was now a warrior stronger than herself.

It was a strange thought – to circumvent all the hazard and tedium of level-grinding, and suddenly be at such a high level – but the more she pondered it, the more – and she hated admitting this thought – she felt **grateful** to Kayaba. Not only did he return their child to them – as a reward for discovering his identity, no less – but even though he threatened them with the knowledge of the fate of a player who lost their HP, and stripped her of her immortal object status, he had basically made it that she was, for all intents, invincible. What enemy, save himself, could potentially challenge Yui now?

"Mama...?" began Yui, her voice sounding small and uncertain, "Will we be going?"

Lost in her own thoughts, Asuna looked up, startled. She could see the anxiousness Yui was exuding, clearly wanting to go but hoping for her mother's blessing. Coming to a decision, Asuna gave her daughter a small smile. "Yes, Yui-chan, we'll go."

Yui's lips quivered before a luminous smile lit up her face.


End file.

Sword Art Online/ソードアート・オンライン, Adventure, Family