A/N: Sorry about the delay. Been brainstorming for ideas for Chap. 2-3 the past few days.
Chapter 2: Real Life Issues...?
Icefall Age of War Online, a game that allows individuals to experience a simulated version of full-blown war. The fear of death was almost completely negated unless you were in the higher levels - then the death penalty was extreme. A death penalty means that you lose a percentage of experience gained during your time without dying, the higher your level and the higher the percentage - But I - The Great Gabriel Frost of the extremely successful Frost Family do not fear death. Still, I have that sense of responsibility I had during my time in Sword Art Online. Something like that doesn't just go away. Lives in your hands, people looking to you for answers. You have to think resourcefully, rationally, calmly, and decide if a plan is going to work or not - unfortunately the way I learned from my mistakes was the cost of a few lives under my command.
Sssshk
My thoughts are interrupted as the door to the command room - filled with beep boops and several different operators and a sleep-deprived Asuna - opens. Both of my Brothers and a subordinate of mine named Charles step through the door and it closes behind them. Keita's face displays anxiety but the other two were still wearing their helmets, so I couldn't tell.
"Charles... new items... here." I open my inventory and transfer some loot obtained from the Mercernaries my personal militia killed directly to Charles. The items consisted of: 300 [Creds], 5 drums of LMG ammo, and finally 7 [Med-kits]. "That's all I got for you right now, make sure you get more ammo." I looked at him, and even despite his helmet I can feel a smug smile tug at the sides of his mouth. "Dismissed Charles..." I state with a nod and he walks out of the room.
Keita's eyes fail to make contact with mine, but he seems to be daydreaming about something. "Now... Keita!" I shouted and he jumps suddenly.
"Yes, Oniichan?!" He grey-blue eyes beam with pride at being called on directly.
"Time to log off, supper time, and we're going to talk to-" I feel my left eye twitch as I try to force the words out. "-My parents... tomorrow." I only manage the words thinking about something completely irrelevant, still that doesn't stop me from exhibiting my annoyance with a deep sigh.
"I finally get to meet your parents tomorrow?" Keita asked, smiling smugly.
"Yeah, try not to behave too outstandingly or they might replace me." I stated and let out an even deeper sigh - my parents were the kind of people that take pride over happiness. Well... their pride is their happiness to be perfectly correct.
"They'd do that?" Keita asked, his eyes watered slightly - and his bottom lip quivered slightly, he openly felt sad for me. I couldn't help but smile at Keita - but I also understood him, because he lost his own parents.
"Probably, they haven't done it yet but I doubt the whole saving what remained of ten-thousand people in the world's first Death Game will really matter to them. I can imagine what my fiance would say... and I also know exactly what my mother would say." I can feel my mood getting worse and worse the more I think about it. "See you on the other side." I state to Keita who nods with a smile and wipes a tear from beneath his eye - I then open the User Interface and press the log out button with my forefinger - thanking god that the logout button was actually there.
As I stand my vision is engulfed by whiteness and soon enough I find myself laying on my back and staring at a poster of myself, with the Aincrad castle in the background. The Black Swordsman is also there, with an arm wrapped around my shoulders whilst giving a thumbs up to the view - and the worst part about the whole poster is how upset I look. My eyes are cold, intimidating but the windblown hair I have in that image just negates the uncomfortable feeling most people would have, but then there's the massive Scythe in my other hand and the title all the other players and fans gave me: 'The White Reaper'. Regardless, 'The Black Swordsman' or my bestfriend Kirito and I are featured in an anime, with voice actors that don't even closely resemble the original... well maybe it would resemble me if my Canadian accent wasn't so prominent whenever I spoke Japanese. "Kirito." I whisper quietly with a smirk and continue to stare at the poster, even if that was a death game meant to be the exact opposite of fun, I think it turned out to be the exact opposite of what it was meant to be - with only the good things taken into consideration.
As I lay there quietly a shadow looms over me and I continue to stare at the ceiling with wide open and unblinking eyes.
"ONIICHAN!" Keita backhands me across the face, and furiously shakes me by my shoulders.
"Uwaaaa~~aaah?" I glance over to him with unblinking eyes and quickly brush his arms off of me.
"Oh... you're alive... sorry, you were just laying there for so long."
"Of course I'm alive..." I state bluntly and adjust my rimless spectacles, "It's not like I'd die from natural causes before my first-" I stop myself before revealing any more information.
"Your first...?" Keita tilts his head and grins creepily, he even leans in closer.
"Nothing. It's not important." I adjust my rimless spectacles once again and get out of bed.
"Are. You. Sure?" Keita grabs me by the tail of my shirt as I brush past him and make way for the door.
So instead of putting up with being annoyed for the next year and a half with these stupid questions I slowly turn my head and put on my [Devil Glare]. The effect of the skill is that it incites mass fear into the hearts and minds of those who get a good look at it. "Yes..."
Keita gulps and takes a step back, "I was just kidding... you probably already got your first kiss anyway... right?" Keita asked with a giggle and shrugged nonchalantly.
For some reason, my left eye twitched. "I was going to say girlfriend." I stated bluntly, and then Keita looked confused with the statement I had just made.
"Does that mean..." The color drained from his face and he shivered - wearing a grimace. "Twin...cest?"
I turned the rest of the way towards Keita, "Hmmm? Twincest?" I asked bluntly, "Is that something you study in school?"
His cheeks flushed red, "Ahh... uhm... I... err... yeah!" He exclaimed wearing what was supposed to be an innocent smile which just so happened to scream guilt and conviction - perfectly normal.
I shrug, somewhat confused, but nonetheless we are wasting too much time. "Anyway, we've wasted enough time already and we only got another sixteen hours of travel time on the bus. You can tell me all about it on the way there."
Keita's left eye twitched this time, and he gulped. "So can we take the airplane instead?"
"I suppose..." I state, slowly and somewhat suspiciously removing the tickets from my pocket after already having made reservations so far ahead of time, and planning this entire conversation out and turn of events so perfectly. Of course, I know everything there is to know about Keita. I know that Keita was an individual that is highly attracted to cute things such as stuffed animals and enjoys sweets. I also know how he harbors secret affections and fantasies in that little locked box underneath his bed filled with an album containing pictures of me... no, that doesn't sound right. Keita lost both of his parents and should be keeping an album of his parents in that locked box as a keepsake and constant reminder of what he lost... I am just a role model that he want's to be like when he grows up when he becomes me I will be discarded like a used tissue... but what is there to gain by becoming somebody like me? And is the album really of me or his parents - what does Keita think of me? Okay so I don't know everything.
"Oniichan..." Keita whispers and tugs on my sleeve as we walk out of the hotel room to go eat breakfast in the restaurant downstairs.
"Hm?" I respond in acknowledgement of whatever question he's about to ask.
"...Why did you decide to look after me?" He asked, he sounded quite timid, and vulnerable right now. I feel like the answer I usually give him would be inadequate to satisfy his... inquisitive question. So instead of giving a pathetic heartless answer as I usually do I slowly adjust my rimless spectacles and offer a slight smile.
"Why you ask?"
Keita's expression turned from serious to intrigued and playful in an instant. "Well... for one... you don't spend any time with me... you never want to play, or help me practice."
I raised a hand, "Any list of excuses that I could tell you would never amount to the actual reason as to why I decided to take care of you... and I'm not about to tell you - I'll leave that much to your imagination." I stated with a slight smile and ruffled Keita's hair.
"Whaaa?" Keita looked dumbfounded, "That still doesn't answer why you don't help me..." His expression turned to one of agitation.
"Are you hungry?"
"Don't dodge the question!"
"I'm the type of person who observes and criticizes... with the horrifying gracelessness I've seen in your stances and form I don't see why you'd want to spar."
"AHHH?!" Keita's expression turned to one of outrage. "You think you know more about Kendo than I do?!"
"I wouldn't say I knew more, but being an egotistic individual... I'd say that I know enough to beat you." I began and paused for a moment as I turned the doorknob and we started walking through the corridor, these corridors were lit by yellow lights and were pretty small compared to those that were in SAO, these corridors were only wide enough to fit two and a half grown adults walking down the hallway - shoulder to shoulder of course. "Don't get worked up... that's exactly why I avoid assisting you." I smile, though it feels like an impish gesture.
"..." He glares at me, but I can see that he feels hurt.
"Still hungry? I'll get you some cake."
He beams with joy...
...but soon he'll experience horrors that no man, woman, or child should ever have to witness with their own... two... eyes.
"Yay!" He exclaimed and we're off to the restaurant.
