~June 7th 2024~

Kirito sighed running a hand over his face as he sat behind the large desk going through different leveling quotas and things of that nature. He felt like his head was about to explode. He groaned falling back in his chair.

"Is all of this really even necessary!."

Asuna giggled opening the doors to the guild HQ and walked inside smiling toward Kirito.

"harder than you'd think huh?"

He moaned laying his head down on his arms.

"Everything was so simple being a solo player. I suck at all of this planning and keeping up with what everyone in the guild is doing..."

Asuna smiled and laughed sitting down in the seat next to him placing a small sandwich she had made down next to him.

Kirito pouted glancing up as Asuna sat down and then he perked up seeing the sandwich knowing that it was one she had made. He grinned taking it and quickly unwrapping it.

"thank you!"

Asuna laughed and gave him a nod.

"wellllll..." she said taking a look at the quotas that he was going through and fixing them up a bit.

"that is why you've got me" she winked "your just the muscle behind the operation someones gotta be the brains." she teased giggling.

Kirito groaned looking at her taking a bite from his sandwich.

"hey, did you just call me stupid?

Asuna just continued going through the files and laughed.

Kirito looked up toward the doors as someone walked through them.

"Commander, Second In command the other guilds would like to have the meeting for the next boss floor tomorrow is that alright?"

Kirito grimaced at the man calling him commander and Asuna just glanced over at him closing her eyes and laughing before smiling as she looked over toward the other men. She gave them a nod.

"yes that's fine we will meet with them tomorrow."

The men nodded to them politely and walked out of the room.

Kirito sighed looking up toward his health bar and level.

"I really need to get back to grinding more i'm starting to fall behind..."

Asuna looked over at him and raised an eyebrow with a sarcastic laugh.

"oh? what are you only ten to fifteen levels above everyone else now?" she asked teasingly. Even she didn't know exactly what level or how strong Kirito was.

"ha...ha very funny but i'm serious especially if were going to be going at the next boss floor soon. I have a feeling that this is going to be a tough one for some reason. I wish that you could just be the guild leader your way better at it anyway." He said watching her.

She laughed lightly.

"i'm sure that everything will work out fine besides it's not like were jumping right into the boss battle without checking it out first. You are the leader of the strongest guild in the game after all you kinda have a bigger say in what goes on now." she laughed.

He just looked at her and sighed placing his hands on his hips. He then looked at her grinning a bit.

"I guess your right...second in command." he said knowing how much she hated him calling her that since she had re joined the guild with him.

Asunas eyes flashed and she gritted her teeth throwing a item off of the desk at his head.

"don't call me that!" she yelled angrily.

He grinned dodging the item swiftly and waved his hand a bit fanning himself.

"oh Lightning Flash then?"

Asuna jumped up taking out her rapiers.

"how about Asuna you jerk!" she yelled chasing him stabbing at him lightly.

His eyes widened as she took out her rapiers and he darted through the room away from her.

"okay okay Asuna! i'm sorry!"

~June 8th 2024~

Kirito sat down at the table for the meeting with Asuna next to him waiting for the other guild leaders and elites to show up.

Klein walked inside the room with his guild grinning as he spotted Kirito and Asuna at the table. He smirked walking over and bowing lightly.

"hello your majesty, your highness?"

Asuna looked over toward Klein and blinked confused "huh?"

Kirito narrowed is eyes knowing that with Klein it could never be anything that he would be happy about.

Klein chuckled and looked at them with a grin.

"oh you don't know? that's what there calling you two now."

Asuna just looked at him and tilted her head to the side.

"calling us? who me and Kirito?'

He nodded smirking.

"they are calling you two the king and queen of Aincraid. I'm a little upset that I didn't get invited to the wedding."

Asunas eyes widened listening to him and swallowed nervously.

"what! king and queen?! but where not..."

Kirito listened sighing and then narrowed his eyes as Klein made the comment about not being invited to the wedding. He cracked him in the head wiping his hands off after.

"invite that. Of course were not married"

Klein cried holding his head.

"awwwww come on man it was just a joke lighten up."

Asuna stopped and her eyes took on a different look for a moment and she narrowed them glaring at Kirito viciously.

"You don't have to say it like it's that impossible there do ya? what do you mean by that huh?"

Kiritos eyes widened looking over toward Asuna and he waved his hands in defense.

"uh...no I didn't mean it like that...ughhhhhh." he looked over as the other walked in and let out a sigh of relief.

"saved by the bell...'

Asuna glared at him.

"what was that?"

"oh nothing your highness...owwwwwwwww!"

Kirito sighed rubbing his head as the other men sat down at the table.

They gave them a polite nod and then the others began to speak.

"As we all know a few days ago we found the next boss floor and we need to begin to plan on how to go about clearing it."

Kirito nodded.

"has anyone looked into it at all yet?"

The man shook his head.

"not possible, it is an anti crystal zone so where going to have to go in without knowing the attack patterns or what to expect."

Kiritos fist clenched under the table.

Asuna frowned looking over toward Kirito knowing what he was thinking.

He sighed looking at the men.

"so what do you think would be the best way to go about it?"

He shook his head.

"honestly there is no good way to go about it but we were thinking that we would send a first group in to test and try to gauge the boss attack patterns and then send in the others. We haven't went into details about the actual battle formations or plans yet.

Kirito just looked at them and glanced down at the table.

"that's going to be very risky for the first group going into check things out. If the boss is to much and they can't hold it off before we arrive then there not going make it."

The man nodded.

"I know it is risky and there is no point in trying to lie about it. I see no other options as of right now though."

Kirito just looked down trying to think but he had nothing.

"also a few of the elites of The Knights have volunteered to be the group to go in first with your blessing."

Kiritos eyes widened for a moment looking at him then over to Asuna who was a member of the battle unit for the elites.

She looked at him and shrugged not having known anything about it.

"I think that this is there way of trying to make up for what happened with Heathcliff." the man said looking toward them.

Kirito shook his head.

"I don't know...I can't just approve something like that it's not my right to put them in that position."

The man sighed looking at him.

"I understand but if they don't it's just going to be another group from another guild that will go in first."

Kirito swallowed staring down at the table.

"i'm sorry...I can't approve of them just going in like that.I don't have control over the other guilds but..."

The men nodded.

"We understand your decision and we will contemplate the exact approach of what we are all going to do once the details of the first group are ironed out. We will meet back with you here once it is all sorted out."

Kirito just nodded walking out of the meeting room staring down at the ground.

Asuna frowned looking over toward him.

"hey are you alright?" she asked looking at him.

Kirito just stood there.

"I know that this is pretty much the only way to clear the floor and another group is going to be at risk because of me not allowing ours to go but...I can't just let them go in their and get killed on my watch...I've..." he bit his lip clenching his fists.

"hey"

Kirito looked at Asuna as she pulled his face up with her hands lightly to look her in the eyes.

"if that's how you feel about it then that is what we will do. You are just trying to protect those players and like they said in there. You aren't the leader of all the other guilds so if a group decides to go in and put themselves at risk then there is nothing that you can do about that okay?'

He looked at her and listened forcing a nod with a sigh.

"I guess your right..."

Asuna smiled and then smirked pulling away from him and tipping forward on her toes crossing her hands behind her back.

"of course I am i'm always right." she joked then smiled and laughed "come on dinner time."

Kirito shook his head and laughed with a light smile and nod. It still amazed him how Asuna always seemed to be able to say exactly what he needed to hear every time.

~June 8th 2024~

Kirito sighed and relaxed sitting back once he finished eating and looked over toward Asuna in her apron by the stove. He came over to her house nearly every day for dinner now and she always cooked something amazing. He rested his head back just watching her as she smiled getting the food ready. He wondered what things would have been like or what would have happened to him already if it wasn't for Asuna. He just shook his head not thinking about it and continued to watch her feeling an odd feeling in his chest. He clenched his fist together tightly.

He had to clear this game and get her back to the real world. He had to.

"here ya go!" she smiled walking over with the food but stopped and blinked as she looked at him staring at her seemingly in a daze or something. She frowned snapping her fingers in front of him.

"Hey Kirito? what is it? is something on my face or something?" she asked.

Kirito blinked snapping back into things and shook his head forcing a smile with an awkward laugh and rubbed the back of his head.

"oh no sorry just kind of zoned out there for a second."

Asuna blushed looking down at sat down across the table from him.

Kirito looked over as he heard the sound that he had a message.

"huh? who would be messaging me this late?" he asked bringing up his menu and opening it.

His eyes widened and slowly he began to shake as he read it.

Asuna looked at Kirito as he read the message and frowned getting scared by the look on his face and body language.

Kirito swallowed deeply reading the message from the front lines guild leader telling him that the elites of the Knights Of The Blood Oath had went on to be the first group in the boss room even after they told them his decision and that the boss was far stronger than they thought. It wasn't going well.

Kirito gritted his teeth slamming his fist down on the table and jumped up running toward the door jetting through his menu to his equipment.

Asunas eyes widened as Kirito jumped up and she jumped up as well her heart racing.

"Kirito what's wrong! where are you doing? calm down!"

"Stay here!" he yelled running out the door his gear falling over his shoulders. Not his Knights gear but his actual black gear.

Asuna started off after him and scuffed darting toward the door after him.

"not a chance!" she called out following behind him.

Kirito made his way as fast as possible up to the boss floor and slid to a stop looking around spotting the other guild members just now arriving their as well in front of the open boss room. Kirito quickly took out both of his blades darting forward. His eyes widened seeing a Knights player destroyed by the monster in the room and then the final remaining one stood watching in fear his health already low.

The men looked over toward Kirito darting forward and gritted here teeth.

"Kirito no!" they tried to grab him but couldn't stop him far to strong.

"get off of me!" Kirito yelled jerking away from them trying to get into the boss room. He gritted his teeth anrily as Klein and Agil wrapped around him trying to hold him in place.

They gritted their teeth trying to hold him but were having trouble.

"Kirito man don't! it's suicide and there is no point there all already gone except for one and your just going to get yourself killed.!'

"I don't care! get the hell off of me!" he thrashed around savagely to break away from them.

Asuna ran full sprint into the room breathing deeply her eyes flashing around. She watched as Kirito rushed forward breaking away from one of the guild leaders and then her eyes widened looking up toward the boss room. A knights player getting destroyed leaving only one. Had they went on ahead ? She gritted her teeth and then looked forward again her eyes widening as Kirito tried to get into the boss room her heart dropping. She watched thankfully as Agil and Klein managed to grab him but it was clear and she of all people knew they couldn't stop him.

Kleingritted his teeth trying his best to hold Kirito.

"damn it man calm down!' he yelled noticing Asuna running toward them off in the distance. His eyes widened and he ringed as Kirito elbowed him and broke free of them both.

"damn it Kirito stop please i'm beggin you!"

Agils eyes widened nervously not knowing what to do.

Kirito gritted his teeth eyes wide rushing forward toward the boss room raising his sword but gritted his teeth as something crashed into him and he went rolling across the ground. He opened his eyes up angrily but narrowed them seeing a panting Asuna on top of him.

"Asuna?!" he gritted his teeth.

Asuna tried her best to hold Kirito down as the final Knights player was taken out by the boss monster. She cringed as Kirito thrashed trying to get up using everything in her to keep him down but even in this position it was hard.

"Kirito please!" she cried 'stop!"

Kirito gritted his teeth trying to get up but not wanting to hurt her either.

"Asuna get off of me!"

"no!" She yelled looking down at him not knowing if she could hold him with tears in her eyes.

"Listen to me Kirito! I know this is horrible and you think it's your fault somehow but it's not! they felt like they needed to do this and they did it! just like every player in this game make decisions to do things every day.! you decided to risk your life to save me and those players on that boss floor. Heathcliff decided to go the route that he went and Klein,Agil, Liz Beth everyone chooses what they want to do and it's their choice! you can't save everyone Kirito!"

He bit his lip hard looking up at her tears in his eyes and shook his head.

"I said they couldn't go if I would have let them or went with them or something..."

"then you and them would be dead! what is you getting yourself killed going to help?! i'm not going to let you rush in their and get yourself killed!" she cried out shaking her head "it's because of me that any of this even happened and that you are even with the guild right now and dealing with this! and if you get killed then i'm..." she cringed looking down at him tears in her eyes "I can't let you die I just can't! I love you Kirito!" she cried.

He just scrunched his eyes looking at her breathing hard and blinked listening to her.

Asuna cried throwing her head down into his chest on top of him digging her hands into his shirt.

"please...please just stop please...you can't die...or i'll die" she cried

Kirito swallowed deeply and looked at her on top of him and closed his eyes leaning his head back before opening them staring up at the ceiling . He just let his arms drop to the sides his sword falling from his hands. He laid there like that for a moment and then frowned keeping his eyes up on the ceiling. He slowly moved his arms tightly around her hugging her.

"Alright" he said simply

Asuna just cried curling into him as she hugged him.

Klein watched them and closed his eyes letting out a sigh.

"damn man this stuff is getting to be to much for me" he said shaking his head.

Agil nodded.

"oh well at least she was able to stop him."

Klein nodded looking over at them.

Kirito stayed quiet as he and Asuna walked out of the dungeon. He stared down at the ground and then suddenly stopped.

Asuna frowned as she noticed that Kirito had stooped looking down at the ground sadly and nervously.

He moved over in front of her closely and looked down at her. Maybe she was right about everything. He thought about everything that she had done for him and just now with her on top of him and looked down at her a serious look crossing his face.

"Asuna"

She frowned looking up at him but blinked seeing the look on his face not knowing what to think of it.

He stared into her eyes and clenched his hands together tightly.

"will...will you marry me?" he asked.

Asunas eyes widened immediately and she blinked staring at him. Her eyes filled with tears again and she reached up covering her mouth. She lunged forward and nodded digging her head into his chest.

"yes."

Kirito blinked as she grabbed him and wrapped his arms around her tightly hugging her. He placed his face into her hair as he squeezed her tightly.

Next Chapter 22- The Other Side.