We take up this story a year after the anime ends. Kirito, or Kazuto as he was known in real life, starts his day after Sugu, his sister, reprimands him for staying up so late.

"You've overslept 3 days in a row now. You really need to manage your time better," she said. Sugu was now 17 now, and exhibited more responsibility what with their mother being away so much and her getting straight A's and top in kendo.

"I know, I know, but don't get me wrong. I've been really tired lately…"

"Don't give me excuses, just go to school!"

"Fine."

After eating breakfast, he went on to school. Things went on as normal, except with Calculus, the only class he has with Asuna, when he noticed she wasn't there. He guessed she was sick. The day passed with virtually no incident, though Kirito wondered for how long she was going to be out.

He did his homework, and then went online to Alfheim Online, where he was sure Asuna would be on. You don't feel sick in a game world! Alas… no. She wasn't here, though he would guess that she was even too sick to get out of bed. He sighed. "I guess I'm not going to see her for a week or two," sighed Kazuto.

After playing with Klein and pals, Agil logged on. He usually didn't get online until 11 because of his coffee bar, but he was here, at 9, with a frazzled look on his face. "What's wrong?" asked Kazuto.

"You guys, especially Kirito, should log off right now and turn on the TV. Right now. Do you hear me?" Everyone knew by the look on his face that this was not a laughing matter. At 9:07:36 pm in the night, 7 players logged out at once.

Kirito logged off and went immediately downstairs to Sugu who was still washing the dishes.

"Sugu, I'm going to turn on the news." He wished he didn't.

"Yuuki Asuna, the daughter of Yuuki Shouzou, retired CEO of RECTO Inc., has been kidnapped this morning. The perpetrators have left no clues. They have not made any demands. There is no motive so far," a reporter stated as soon as he turned the TV on. Sugu was shocked.

"Asuna-san? Kidnapped?" she exclaimed in shock. "Why would anyone do that?"

"Don't ask me," Kazuto replied bitterly. "I wouldn't have any idea." He felt angry and betrayed that anyone would do this to him. He snapped off the TV.

"But by the way, you received a letter. It didn't have an address, only a picture and your name on it. Do you know who sent it?" Kazuto looked blankly. She threw it to him, writing side down.

Kazuto flipped it over, and now all the psychological trauma he had experienced in all the games he played showed himself. He turned pale, he started shaking, and his face showed pure fear. Sugu thought it was worse when she saw him sobbing in his room. "No, no no no no. This cannot be happening to me. Is this what they want? NO!" and he just broke down into tears.

The picture on the envelope was the emblem of Laughing Coffin.

The Laughing Coffin that almost assassinated him.

The Laughing Coffin that would still traumatize him for days to come.

After shaking and trembling and sobbing for about 10 minutes, he finally built up the courage to open the letter.

We have Asuna.

Come by the Shichiseiken Grave in Ryuuchi City tonight at midnight.

If you call the police, she dies.

If you contact your friends, she dies.

If you don't come alone, she dies.

Time's running out.

If you really want to save her, get going now.

-Laughing Coffin

PS: This letter will destruct in 30 seconds after exposing it to the oxygen.

Sure enough, the letter disintegrated after Kazuto read it twice. "What did it say?" Sugu asked?

"I can't tell you that," explained Kirito. "Asuna's safety depends on me not saying anything."

"I see," Sugu responded sadly.

"There's a chance… There's a chance that I might die out there, so I want to really say that you've been the best little sister that I could absolutely have and… I love* you."

"Okay," she responded quietly, and even sadly. "Be careful."

"If they allow me to," he responded in the same manner.

5 minutes later, he was biking toward the train station, all thoughts of anything but rescuing Asuna lost in his mind. It was as if he was an animal, singlehandedly focused on one task at a time.

He was on the train by 9:30, the bike discarded and his belongings forgotten. He was unarmedly going against one of the most ruthless cold-blooded killer gang of all time and he was unarmed. Well, Asuna's safety depended on it, so he dared not risk.

*love in this case stands for 愛, which stands for more of family-type love.