It was a beautiful morning, Rika felt, as she made her way to the (aptly named) Survivors school. Normally she would be walking with Keiko, however the young girl had to miss school that day. As she skipped down the path, the previous day's festivities came to her mind.
After Kazuto had woken up, everyone found out about the new Death Gun incident. They proceeded to get pissy with him for doing everything on his own (and with a cute girl, as usual). Afterwards however they had a mini party celebrating 'Kazuto and Shino kicking ass'. Both teens had been cleared from the hospital, with Kazuto's injury being far worse than any Shino had. The government guy, Kikuoka, had offered to give them the week off school. Both declined, wanting some sense of normal after what had happened.
Rika stopped in her tracks. Speaking of normal... Ahead of her was Asuna... without Kazuto. The sight was so irregular Rika had to pinch herself to make sure it wasn't a dream. Nope, all real. She did the only thing she could do.
"Hey Asuna! Wait up!" The girl halted and turned, a small smile coming on her face when she saw who it was.
"Hey Liz, I didn't see you back there. Where's Silica?" The shorter of the two girls came to a stop, breathing heavy, before speaking.
"She said she had some family stuff. What about you huh?" Asuna gave her a confused look. "Your boytoy. You two are never apart!" Realization took a moment as Kazuto was rarely referred to as 'boytoy'. However when it did Asuna spoke.
"Oh, he said he wanted to get here early. So he could work on some projects." The fact seemed to bother her, and now that Rikka thought about it he had seemed somewhat distant during the celebration.
"Well, are you ok? I mean, does that bother you?" The question seemed to catch Asuna off guard.
"What? No, no." She proceeded to give Rikka the fakest smile she had ever seen. "He's free to spend his time as he wants." The girl went silent after that, Rikka following as they finally came in view of the school
Bang! The gun went off.
Sinon could still see the bullet, spinning slowly in the air towards the unknown man. Could still remember the exact moment it went through him. The hole it made, and the splatter of blood behind him.
Bang! The gun went off.
The bullet moved in slow motion, a vortex of air surrounding it. The tip pierced the man in the post office, throwing him back with blood pouring down his face.
Bang! The gun went off.
Sinon put it down with a growl, slamming the button on the wall beside her. The machine came alive and dragged the target back to her. The center of the target was riddled with bullet holes. Her hands went to the gun, a Glock 18c, and began to reload it. She pulled the 33 round magazine from the gun and dropped it into her inventory. Sliding a fresh one in, she pulled the slide release to chamber the first round. She set a fresh target and sent it to 25 meters.
As the pistol began to buck in her hands, her mind wandered. The day after Johnny Blacks attack was a surprise. After all, she had killed another man, so why was she fine? In truth, Sinon was far from fine. When she had arrived home the Amusphere was on in minutes, Gun Gale loaded up, and over 10,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition bought. She had been there ever since, two days having gone by and only logging out for food and bathroom. The reason for her newfound range time?
Sinon was terrified.
It wasn't the same as her trauma, that had seen her unable to look at a gun. It was the opposite. She needed the comfort of a gun in her hands, to make her feel protected. However, the man she had killed, the Laughing Coffin member, had been five meters away from her. And yet she missed two of her shots. Firing one handed didn't exactly help her accuracy, not to mention she wasn't exactly used to a gun IRL.
So Sinon was practicing, firing her G18c on Semi-Auto with no bullet circle. In truth, the skill could be useful to her in GGO, As several powerful players had recently discovered the trick from Squad Jam. However gaming and competitions were the last thing on Sinons mind. Protecting herself and the people, the person, she loved was the only thing she could consider.
It was a shame, however, on how drastic her measures would become.
Kazuto looked at his phone and sighed. His thumbs flew across the keyboard, sending off the message with another sigh. He was on a street corner, in Chiyoda Ward. The very same one he had waited for Shino on one week prior.
Which was exactly what he was doing now, as the clock ticked another minute. It was then he heard a soft chime come from his bag. Unzipping it, he pulled his Augma out and set it on his head. The device wasn't as commonplace as when it first came out, thanks to the Ordinal Scale incident, however Kazuto and his friends still used it to communicate from in-game to IRL as well as talk to Yui. Currently it was being used for the former, a short message showing on his HUD.
"Sorry, I lost track of time in game. Will be there soon.-Sinon"
Since when does she play so early? The question was a valid one, as Shino -or Sinon in this case- rarely logged on before noon, and it was ten in the morning. After another twenty minutes she finally came running up.
Kazuto gave her a lazy wave when he saw her, pushing himself off the wall he was leaning on. She stopped a few feet away, bent double and breathing heavily. Kazuto noticed that something was, off, about her. For one, she was wearing sweats and a T-shirt. Very casual for her, especially at a Cafe she had always tried to dress up for. Two was her face. Her eyes looked shallow, while her skin looked somewhat paler than normal. That added on to her cause for lateness made him realize what she had been doing.
She hasn't logged off in days...
That fact alone was enough to shock him into silence. Shino was unaware of his internal workings and simply glared up at him through her polymer glasses.
"Are you just gonna keep staring or say something?" The words shocked Kazuto into action, and his mouth opened before he could stop it.
"Wow you look like you got hit by a bus."
The sound he made as he hit the pavement was the most satisfying thing Shino had heard in days.
The three (Counting Kikuoka) were sat around the same table as before. And just as before, they ordered on the governments tab. It was about the only good thing to come out of the meetings, at least from Kazuto's point of view. Speaking of which...
"Are these going to become regular meetings, Kikuoka? Because I don't appreciate having to drive out to Chiyoda constantly." The question was the first real words spoken at the meeting, with only traditional greetings beforehand.
"Don't worry Kirito, this is the last time, I swear." The older teen didn't look convinced but let it go, while the younger of the pair was still immersed in her cake. Kikuoka took a moment to push his glasses up before speaking. "I just called you here to make you and Miss Asada aware of the security around your homes." Kazuto's mouth thinned at that, no doubt predicting what came next.
"Seeing as the JSDF cannot afford to waste resources, our men will be pulled back from the 24/7 surveillance." Kazuto was visibly upset with the turn of events, but before he could argue Kikuoka held up his hand to stop him. "I can't change this, despite how much I want to. Fact of the matter is the higher ups think you're safe. However there will still be constant police patrols, so you won't be completely unprotected." Kazuto yeilded with a grumble about stupid governments, but spoke again a moment later.
"If that's all you wanted to tell us why did we have to come in person" With that Kikuoka just grinned.
"Two reasons, one because I felt it more appropriate to tell you in person. Two, I really like the food here."
No you can't hit him. He is a government agent. Despite the logic, he still wanted to punch the man in the face.
The group all got up to leave, heading towards the door. Shino, who had been silent the whole meeting, tripped and landed on Kikuoka, correcting herself as fast as possible.
"Sorry about that, must still be tired from my run over here." Kikuoka just laughed.
"No worries Miss Asada. I'll see you both another time." And as they went their separate ways, Shino slipped her hand into her pocket.
Along with the stolen phone.
The wooden shinai cleaved through the air, striking the opponent in their midriff.
Suguha Kirigaya hit the ground not a second later. The protective padding around her body prevented any serious damage, but that didn't help her pride. nor, she thought, did the hand currently reached out to her.
"Good fight Sugu! you almost beat me that time." Kazuto Kirigaya looked down at his adopted sister with nothing but pure sincerity. A look that made her feel guilty at the jealousy she had felt not a minute before.
"Oh please. I haven't been able to beat you since you finished rehab, Big Brother." She took his hand and yelped as he effortlessly pulled her up. It wasn't just his rehab that had caused the sudden increase in his conditioning. No, that had been caused by the Augma incident. After realizing just how out of shape he was, Kazuto had begun practicing Kendo with Suguha, just like he had promised after waking up.
"Well sis if you practiced fighting without your wings in ALO a bit more, maybe you would get better IRL." Suguha grumbled at that, but conceited his point. After all, Kirito was only as good as he was now because of his skill as the Black Swordsman.
The two made their way back to the house, stopping at the outdoor faucet to clean up a little. Kazuto was splashing some over his face when Suguha spoke.
"So, what's going on with you and Asuna lately? Have anything planned?" The question made Kazuto freeze, a startling realization coming over him.
"I don't know, we haven't spoken in days" He seemed to be shocked at that simple statement, not even realizing the fact till just then.
Suguha felt a small spark of hope at his words, before she tracked it down and stabbed it mercilessly. Asuna is your friend. You don't get happy when your friends' love life is in danger. Although Rikka might disagree with that sentiment.
Confusion settled over her a moment later as her own realization was brought forth.
"But you have been on your phone constantly over the last few days. Who were you messaging if not Asuna" Kazuto scratched the back of his head, something Suguha knew was a sign of him getting nervous.
"Well Kikuoka asked me to keep an eye on Sinon, so I've been texting her." Understanding dawned over Suguha, and with it a pang of jealousy. Sympathy for Asuna followed.
"Well then, I guess that's good. But you should probably text Asuna when you get the chance. She is your fiance after all."
And with that Suguha went inside, leaving Kazuto to his thoughts.
Shino Asada had a plan. A crazy, stupid plan. She knew that. But it would protect her friends. It would protect him.
Unlike Kazuto, Shino realized what was happening. She was falling for him. It was painfully obvious. But she knew it couldn't happen. He was engaged. To her best friend no less. And they loved each other.
But she still had to protect him. Which was why Shino came up with the plan.
The idea was simple, the execution less so. Steal Kikuokas phone, find out where the SDF and IA thought Black was hiding, and stop them. Originally she had thought stopping them was the most difficult part. Until she realized one slight mistake.
Kikuokas phone was locked.
Such a simple thing. An obvious conclusion anyone would come to. Except Shino. And now she couldn't find the information she stole from a government agent for.
As she was contemplating how to resolve her massive screw up, her doorbell rang. The sound startled her, causing her to fall off the bed with a loud thud. Recovering, she hid the device under her pillow and went to the door as the person knocked, clearly getting impatient.
Shino opened the door and was surprised to see a young woman there, although 'woman' might be an overstatement as the girl was around the same age as her.
The girl was wearing an oversized hoodie, with the hood pulled up to cover her blond hair. Her brown-gold eyes looked up at Shino with a hidden amusement, while her hands were crossed in front of her plaid skirt.
"Can I... help you?" Shino asked out of politeness and pure confusion.
"Actually I think I can help you" the girl's voice was confident, but Shino noticed she put more emphasis on the end of her sentence. Her confusion became ten-fold when she processed what the girl had said.
"Uh well I'm not gonna buy anything if that's what you mean..." Door to door sales weren't common but still happened. And that sentence was straight out of sales 101. But when the girl giggled at her reply she reconsidered her reasoning.
"No, I'm not here to sell anything. 'cept maybe information. And from what I hear you're in desperate need of it, Shino Asada." The second her name passed the girl's lips, Shino started reaching for the knife behind her door.
The Laughing Coffin members from last week also wore hoods. Her hand rested on the hilt of the kitchen knife, but hesitated to draw it. She had to be sure.
"Who are you? And how do you know my name?" She couldn't deny the shake in her voice as she spoke. She was terrified. The girls amused smirk didn't help, however her next words did.
"Simple. I'm a friend of Kirito." Those 6 words calmed Shino down considerably, though not enough to disarm.
"I know most of his friends, I've never seen you." And of course it has to be another cute girl. Her mind pointed out. His annoying habit of attracting women like flies aside, she was curious on who the girl was if Kazuto never mentioned her.
"Well me an' him haven't been in contact till recently. Do you mind if I come in? This conversation might be better to have inside." Shino slipped the knife into her waistband and opened the door wide to allow the girl in. The girl passed her without a glance and without even looking, spoke again. "You can put the knife down. You won't need it."
"Why should I? You haven't given me any proof you are who you say" Internally Shino was shocked the girl spotted it, but she knew not to show fear to the girl. Said girl turned around and that amused look in her eyes was stronger, like she was laughing at an inside joke.
"Oh? Are you saying Kii-Boy never mentioned anyone named Argo?"
A few moments later Shino sat awkwardly at the table, a small cup of sencha hiding her expression as she observed the small girl before her. The hoodie had come off, revealing golden-brown locks of hair, cut short in a style very similar to Shino's own. Her brown eyes danced with veiled amusement, her smirk matching. The main thing that had calmed Shino down however, was her outfit. The black skirt and dress shirt combo was a familiar one, as she had personally seen Asuna and Rikka sporting the same uniform. What still confused her was the girls proclamation that she needed information. It was true, but what could this girl provide her?
"You know, if ya keep staring like that, I might get the wrong idea." The girl, Argo, was grinning wide. "Sorry, Don't swing that way. Although you are pretty cute." The teasing remark brought Shino back to earth, the question finally forming on her lips.
"So, why are you here." Argos grin seemed to widen further, before her hand came up and tossed a card onto the table and gestured for Shino to look. What she saw shocked her.
It was a JSDF I.D. card. And it was Argos.
"H-how? You're barely older than me!" On closer inspection the card showed the girls real name, Tomo Hosaka. The girl grinned at her, and when she spoke the amusement was clear in her voice.
"You didn't think Kii-boy was the only one recruited by Kikuoka, did you? Mine was just a little more official. Apparently he saw potential in my information gathering skills. Like the Death-gun file he used to recruit Kii-boy." The information was slow on being processed, but Shino finally put it together. It was surprising that the JSDF could even recruit her, being so young. But Shino felt there was some unofficial workings behind this as well.
"So you're with Kikuoka? What do you want with me?" The girl's expression seemed to radiate a smugness that she had only seen from Kazuto when he was teasing. The connection between the two becomes clear.
"Simple, I know you stole his phone. '' Shino wilted. "And I can help you get into it" Shino started, a clear questioning look on her face. A hand was held up before she could ask and Argo started speaking. "I know you're wondering why I'm helping you and not arresting you. It's simple. I may work for the JSDF, but I am not loyal to them. The only thing I pledge to is money. Info broker first and foremost. Not to mention I know you want to use the phone to find Kanamoto. A goal I agree with, since after all if he is out of the picture, Kii-boy is safe."
"That's exactly why I'm doing this. To keep him safe." Shino's voice was firm, her resolve more so. Argo flashed a small smirk in return.
"I figured. After all your friends with him and your female, which tends to mean some feelings involved. You hoping to save prince charming and get a reward~" Shino's face went bright red, moreso because Argo had hit right on the mark with her feelings. Her roaring laughter said she knew it to. Damn her...
"Y-yeah well your friends with him too! And unless you're hiding something in that skirt, you fit your own parameters." The girl finally calmed down and gave Shino a teasing smirk.
"Oh? And would you like to check?" Shino's face turned even more red, causing more teasing laughter from the girl. "Ahhh thats precious. But in answer to your thinly veiled question, no I don't have those feelings for him. Although at one point I did have a small crush on him, he quickly became more of a brother figure. Although with how his sister is that's not saying much..." The last sentence was mumbled, but it caught Shinos curiosity. No! Focus on the present. more pressing matters at hand.
"So how is this going to work. You unlock the phone, then leave and the rest is up to me." Argo raised one eyebrow at the question, the unimpressed expression seeming to be foreign to her.
"After how you handled the last incident. Not quite. Lets just say I have my own score to settle with them..."
Kazuto woke up to a loud ringing. His phone was going off, caller I.D. telling him it was Asuna. Checking the clock it was 2:30. He grabbed his phone, worried. Asuna only called that late if something was wrong. As he picked up the call his fears came true.
"Asuna? What's wrong?"
"It's Shino! She's gone!
The words caused a gasp to slip from Kazuto's lips, his breath coming out in short bursts.
"What do you mean gone? Give me the full story" He got up and started dressing as Asuna gathered her thoughts.
"I was texting her to check up on her, and she wasn't responding. Mr. Kikuoka told us to keep an eye on her I got worried. I went to her place, but it was empty! The only thing left was a note saying not to look for her." Kazuto opened his door and rushed down the stairs. The hall closet was opened with force, as Kazuto reached in for a coat.
"I'll find her, if anything comes up keep me posted '' His winter coat was in the wash, so he grabbed a spare from Suguha's father. The overcoat went down to just past his knees, the navy fabric giving a familiar weight that Kazuto longed for.
"Okay. Be careful, and don't do anything risky. I... I love you." The phone beeped as the call ended, and Kazuto stuffed it in his pocket before reaching for another object he carefully set on his head.
"Hello Daddy!" Yui greated as his Augma activated, the familiar tinkling reaching his ears.
"Yui I don't have much time to explain. Sinon might be in danger and I need you to track her phone for me." He grabbed the keys to his bike as he was talking, rushing towards the door.
"I'm on it! You can count on me Daddy!" She gave a small salute as he opened the door. But as he was about to leave, something caught his eye. He grabbed the object and set out, hoping beyond hope he made it on time.
Shino regretted a lot of things in life, her PTSD chief among them. However in this particular moment, her temper was the biggest regret. The same temper that made her miss her shots at Kirito during BoB, and which caused her to rush the three Laughing Coffin members as soon as she saw them. As she saw the knife flash towards her, she realized maybe rushing in without a plan wasn't the best idea. Lucky for her she had backup.
"Hayyah!" A second knife countered the first, her savior knocking the blade down and spinning into a combat roll. Argo jumped up and came beside Shino, transferring into a combat stance easily. She transferred the knife into her right hand, left slipping in her jacket and pulling out a second before passing it to Shino.
"I called this in, SDF will be here soon. We just need to hold them off. I know you're not trained with a knife but keep the pressure on them. They most likely won't pull a gun unless needed since it will bring attention." With a flash the girl moved forward engaging two of the opponents, one of which Shino recognised to be Kanamoto, or Johnny Black. Argo wasn't entirely correct. Shino, or rather Sinon, had minor combat knife training from the GGO tutorial. That being said, she had no thoughts about beating opponents like this on her own. After all, most of them had years of experience with a blade. Standing still wasn't going to help though.
Shino ran after the third one slashing down with her knife. The man easily evaded her, stepping to the side and grabbing her wrist. His elbow struck her in the face, hand slipping forwards to take the knife from her hand. He pushed her back and spun the knife expertly.
"You know, you're completely outmatched here. I'm not opposed to letting you go. Not as blood thirsty as the rest of this lot" He gestured to the other Laughing Coffin members, both in a dizzying melee with Argo.
"As much as I'd love to take you up on that, I can't have you teaming on my friend back there" The confident smirk she wore was a mere mask, panic welling up inside her.
"Suit yourself, but I'll at least be fair about it." He tossed the knife back to her, and she gave him a nod. She moved the next moment, stabbing at his stomach. He dodged back, and did so again as she slashed at his shoulder. The game of cat and mouse continued before she lost her patience and tried something more risky.
Her blade flashed towards his side before she checked her attack and thrusted towards his throat. The feign caught him off guard and he barely dodged, the blade scoring a line on his collar bone. His surprise registered on his face for a moment before a sadistic grin broke out.
His hand shot out and caught Shino's wrist again, spinning them so they were back to back, with her elbow on his shoulder. He pulled down on her arm, causing her to scream and drop the knife. He caught it easily and dropped her, turning slowly with the blade still clutched in his hand. Shino pushed herself back desperately, but the distance meant nothing. That is until a small object flew through the air and into his chest.
"Urk.." Shino looked at the man, who seemed to choke. The reason why was clear as the small black handle of Argos knife, sticking from his chest. He took another hard step before falling to the ground a few inches from Shino. The victory was short-lived however, as a yelp cut the air.
"Argh!" It had come from Argo, as the member she was fighting saw the distraction for what it was. His pommel connected with her temple, dropping her like a sack of flour. He grabbed her collar and threw her next to Shino, before walking slowly towards them. Grabbing Shino by the hair, he dragged her up to a kneeling position. Her defiant eyes met Kanamoto's crazed ones, his lust for murder apparent.
"Well well, if it isn't Kirito's little friend. Not here to protect you now is he?" His blade traced her chin but he pulled it back, sheathing the knife in his coat. When he pulled his hand back out, a suppressed VP9 came with it. He placed the gun against her forehead, resting his finger on the trigger.
The trigger was pulled back slowly. Shino stared at it, her fate all but certain. She was so focused on it that she failed to notice the approaching footsteps, nor the sinister grin on Kanamotos face. At the last second, his off-hand came up, A long knife blocking a much longer bamboo Shinai. The eyes behind the wooden blade burned with anger and hatred, the normally black irises seeming to shine gold.
"You'll pay for that..."
All Kirito felt was anger. His focus completely on the opponent in front of him. The berserk rage he was known for in SAO bubbling up inside him. When Yui had told him Shino was at the Tokyo waterfront, he feared the worst. Now facing the combat zone he had came upon in the industrial district, those fears were almost realized.
She's ok... for now.
"Heh.. I was wondering when you'd show up. You know you're getting pretty predic-" What ever he was going to say next was cut off as Kirito rushed him, Shinai held behind him before coming up in a diagonal slash. His "blade" was met by Kanamotos, the two locked together as their respective wielders pushed back.
"How rude of you. Attacking while I'm speaking. I love it!" The knife was pulled back as Kanamoto stepped to the left, leaving Kirito over extended. He leaned back as the knife flashed towards his face, Shinai coming up in a desperate parry. He managed to knock the knife down, and slid his sword up towards Kanamotos face. A dull Crack! sounded as it made contact, causing Kanamoto to jump back. His hand came up and wiped the blood from his broken nose.
"To think, if that was a real sword I'd be dead. Where's your Elucidator now Black Swordsman?" The title was spoken with barely hidden disdain, a sneer flashing on the man's face."Can't believe we got our asses handed to us by a punk ass kid!" His knife was held in front of him, but it dipped slightly when Kirito began to laugh. It started slow at first, a small chuckle, but quickly reached a roaring sound.
"Ha! You think I need a sword to kill you? You're just a coward hiding behind a knife. I could beat you with a damn umbrella. As is, you're lucky my weapon is only wood." His sword set back in that oh so familiar stance. He dashed forwards in a charge as a voice broke out.
"Kii-boy! Catch!" He looked towards where Shino was and for the first time noticed Argo, who was tossing something his way. His off hand came up and caught it, spinning the long rebar in his hand while charging Kanamoto. With the long coat he was wearing, and the duel weapons clutched in his hands, he was a mirror image of The Black Swordsman. Who he felt, he really was inside.
"Shit!" Kanamoto backpettled as the duel weapons came slashing down. His hand went into the hoodie and grabbed the handle of his VP9, pulling it out. The weapon was knocked from his hand by the rebar. His knife came up to block an overhead cut, but he cursed as the rebar caught his hip, the jagged tip scoring a line there. Both opponents jumped back, breathing heavy.
No words were spoken, the taunts and jeers losing all meaning in the life or death fight. Both fighters tensed when a dull thrumming reached their ears, and Kirito glanced to the side for only a moment, a mere second. It was all Kanamoto needed as he rushed forwards, knife thrusting towards Kirito. The mimic of SAO's Vorpal Strike struck true, the blade sinking into Kirito's stomach. Kirito's rebar positioned last second, and sank into Kanamotos chest. The dull thrumming reached its crescendo as a black helicopter appeared, spotlight glaring at the two figures as they both collapsed to the ground.
In hindsight, it wasn't any one thing that woke him. One moment he was resting in a (somewhat) peaceful slumber, the next he was staring up at the hospital ceiling. The incessant beeping reached his ears, and he let out a groan. He moved one hand to grab his face, but it felt trapped under something.
Or rather, someone... The girl was easily recognizable, after all he had just fought to near death to save her. Shino was asleep with her head resting on his arm, hand gripping his. It was clear she had been there for some time, as her clothes were wrinkled and glasses smudged. However Kazuto was relieved to see she was mostly unharmed, save a few cuts and bruises. As his worry washed away, the anger came back. And it was that anger that caused him to reach for the button labeled "Call Nurse".
A moment later the door was opened, startling Shino awake. Her eyes widened on seeing Kazuto awake, but before she could comment the nurse approtched. Neither managed to get a word out as the nurse busied around Kazuto, checking random instruments and dials. Finally she came to a stop in front of the bed.
"I'll go fetch your doctor, Mr. Kirigaya." She bowed and made her way out, leaving the two of them alone. I was hoping the nurse would take more time, or kick her out. The following silence was deafening, both looking away from one another. Kazuto gathered his thoughts, but was hesitant to speak. Finally, he found his voice and spoke a single sharp word.
"Shino." The girl flinched at the use of her name. Kazuto rarely used it, preferring Sinon as the name he met her by. That he used it now showed his anger. "Nothing to say? No explanation for why you suddenly went missing? Or why I found you beat half to death by Black?" She rose to meet his gaze, a flicker of defiance in her eyes.
"Laughing Coffin had to be destroyed. I did what I thought was right." The look in his eyes made her want to drop her gaze, but instead she held it.
"What the hell were you thinking!? No scratch that. You weren't thinking." His voice rose, basically yelling. Shino, however, didn't back down.
"Of course I was thinking! If they escaped then they might have comeback to kill you!" She was standing now, finger digging into Kazuto's chest.
"That's no excuse to get yourself killed! If I didn't get there when I did you would have died." He sat up in his bed, refusing to be lower than her.
"Then maybe you shouldn't have come!"
"I promised to protect you!" Kazuto's shout was met with silence, Shino backing up. "In the cave, you told me I had to protect you for the rest of your life. And I'll be damned before I let anything happen to someone I lo- care about." Any further arguments were silenced by his words, but before Shino could comment the door was opened once again, the doctor coming in
"I'm sorry Miss Asada, but I'll need to see Kirigaya alone. I'm sure you understand." She was ushered out but one thing stuck in her mind all the way to the waiting room.
Did he say he loved me?
Twenty minutes later and Kazuto still wasn't in the best of moods. Mostly because of the lecture he was receiving.
"-And don't even get me started on how stupid it was to go in there without backup. Seriously Kirito, what the hell?" Kikuoka was pissed And rightfully so. After all two people whose safety was his concern ended up almost dying, not to mention his agent also in the hospital. All in all it was probably a very stressful day. And Kazuto could sympathize, he really could. But that didn't mean he wanted to be the brunt of Kikuokas stress relief.
"Look, what was I supposed to do? Sinon was in danger, and according to you Argo already called for backup, so me doing so would have been pointless." He could see the frustration on Kikuokas face as he spoke, but he wasn't quite ready for what he said next.
"Do you know how many laws you and Sinon broke? Trespassing, vigilantism, assault. Just a short list." Kazuto's eyes grew wide, and a small bit of fear wormed its way into him. "Lucky for you, Argo has gone on record to say you and Sinon were civilian consultants drawn into a crossfire between the JSDF and a rogue element." The relief came crashing down immediately.
"Please thank her for me. And thank you to. If it wasn't for you we'd be dead." Kikuoka smiled at the praise, likely the first thanks he had gotten since the rescue. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened after I was out." Kikuoka seemed to consider it before speaking.
"Well Kanamoto was arrested. His wound would have been fatal if not for us. So far he has remained unconscious. One LC member was killed by Argo, and one escaped during your and Kanamotos fight. Some light property damage was caused but nothing major. However the interesting thing was LC seemed to be fueling up a Helicopter before Shinos intervention. According to the flight log, it was from America." Kazuto was surprised at the news, but not overly so. "We traced the vehicle back to a company called Glowgen Defense Systems. It's a private contracting company with ties to the American NSA. One of their employees owns the helicopter. His American I.D. was false and it only took us a few days to find out he was wanted in Japan for several counts of murder, as well as some other crimes." Kazuto was stunned at the wealth of information, and the sheer depth of how far LC reached.
"Kikuoka, what was his name? The employee." Kikuoka tapped on his tablet, bringing some unknown information up.
"His real name is Vassago Casals. According to this he's an SAO survivor, as well as a GGO player. In GGO he went by Subtlizer. In SAO..." Kikuoka pushed his glasses up, the light reflecting off the lenses.
"In SAO his name was PoH"