A/N: Ok, I hope you had a Merry Christmas and will have a happy New Year, for I'm back with another chapter! This chapter will focus on the Yuuki siblings, and tell things from Kouichirou's point of view.
Also, this chapter contains a reference to a character from another anime. If you're a fan of this anime, I think you should get the reference easily, even if the reference itself may seem a bit subtle. The only clue that I will give for this character is that he is an older brother, like Kouichirou. Now, please enjoy and tell me what you think on the review.
Oh, and a thumbs up for Autistic-Grizzly and Dark-Paladin-Duelist for getting the reference from last chapter! Chapter 18 was indeed based on Lucy Heartfilia's story from Fairy Tail!
And another shout of thanks to TheSib and jamesbond3w for once again helping me out with this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own SAO, its characters, or the OSTs. They belong to Kawahara Reki-sensei and Kajiura Yuki-sensei, respectively!
Chapter 19 – Brother and Sister
April 2nd, 2026, 9:30 AM, Tokyo Station.
Asuna sat quietly along with her brother on the bench that was on the platform of the Shinkansen express bullet train that would be arriving in less than 5 minutes. The platform was surprisingly crowded and slightly noisy, even though it was a weekday; Thursday, to be exact.
While they had arrived and met up in the station with no problem, maybe it was because of the events of yesterday and the day before, but the two siblings found themselves sitting in awkward silence.
Asuna had barely been able to sleep yesterday from everything that had happened the day before. But even so, when she was woken up by Shino two hours ago, she didn't find herself to be tired at all. She ate the food her friend prepared and got ready to leave for the trip to Miyagi. After a few supportive words, Shino left for school while Asuna proceeded to Tokyo Station.
Kouichirou tried to say something to dissolve this awkward atmosphere, but before he could think of anything, a commercial that he hadn't seen before aired on the advertising screen.
(A/N: Play the OST: "Ubiquitous dB" by Yuna (Kanda Sayaka) - from 0:00 to 1:54)
On the advertising screen, a pretty young girl with white hair and red pupil started dancing and singing to the music. When she started singing along, the background behind her shifted to various parts of Tokyo city. The girl continued to sing through the first verse and chorus of the song and when the first verse came to an end, a few sentences appeared alongside the girl: 'Introducing: Ordinal Scale. Coming soon with the release of Augma, the first ever AR (Augmented Reality) device.' The other people who were also waiting for the train to arrive looked at the screen with interest.
"Hoh… So they've already released another trailer, have they?" Kouichirou stated, sounding impressed. This peaked Asuna's curiosity. She looked to where he was looking to see the commercial with the white haired girl still dancing and singing to the tune. She spoke up when she saw that it was an advertisement for Augma as well as the highly anticipated Ordinal Scale.
"Augma, huh? I've heard about it in school. I was thinking about trying it out with my friends once it releases. But who is that girl? I don't think I've seen her before; is she a new idol?" Asuna asked, finally deciding to break her silence.
"Well, you could say that. Her name is Yuna. She's the mascot for both the Augma and the game released with it: Ordinal Scale. Actually, she's an artificial intelligence." Kouichirou revealed; the last bit of information surprising her.
"Really? She's an AI?" She asked.
"Yeah… I was pretty surprised when I first saw her using the Augma too. The way she moves and speaks… I couldn't distinguish her from an AI and an actual person. It's pretty incredible. Ordinal Scale is going to be a big hit when it comes out, that's for sure" He said.
"I… I see…" Asuna said, but then suddenly trailed off, something that didn't go unnoticed by her brother.
"What's wrong, Asuna?" He asked.
"Well… it's just that… a few weeks ago, we were discussing about the Augma with my friends along with the Sleeping Knights…" Asuna answered.
"Oh… I see…" Kouichirou responded, starting to see where this was going.
"If… if only Yuuki had survived long enough for the Augma to come out, we… we could have shown her the real world through it… Kirito-kun said that when it does, he may have been able to do something so that she could use it to see the world better…" Asuna said, her voice starting to break. At this, her brother comforted her silently. He was hoping that she wouldn't break up crying again, not in such a public place. Thankfully, she seemed to manage stopping herself from crying.
"Yui-chan may be able to use it once it comes out, but I just can't help but wish that Yuuki could have experienced it too" Asuna said, unaware of the small blunder she had made.
"Yui-chan? Who's that, another friend of yours?" Kouichirou asked, slightly curious. It was only then that Asuna gasped, realizing her slip of tongue.
"Oh, yeah… she's another friend of mine in the virtual world…" Asuna answered a little too quickly in a slightly higher pitched voice, raising her brother's suspicion.
"Ok… but, why are you so flustered all of a sudden? Just a moment ago you were almost in tears too." Kouichirou asked, one of his eyebrows was raised.
"I'm telling you, it's nothing! She's another one of my acquaintances in ALO that we meet up from time to time!" Asuna answered, her voice almost back to normal; almost.
Kouichirou was now more curious than ever. He wanted to press on and ask more, but decided not to for the time being, not wanting to make his sister uncomfortable. Asuna, seeing this as a great opportunity to change the subject, quickly racked her brain for a new topic of discussion.
"So… I wonder who it was that decided to come up with Augma." Asuna said. Kouichirou knew the answer to this question.
"Augma was created by Dr. Shigemura. He's the professor at the Toto Institute of Technology…" Kouichirou said, but furrowed his eyebrows, presumably at the mention of the Professor for some reason. Asuna took notice of this.
"Nii-san? What is it?" She asked. Kouichirou then voiced what was on his mind.
"It's just… it's about Professor Shigemura… there's something that concerns me about him… although it's not really his fault, frankly." Kouichirou said, seeming to be thinking about something.
"What are you talking about? What about him?" Asuna asked her attention now at him. At least he managed to get her mind off her grief.
"Well…" He was about to give his answer, but as if on cue, a bell rang loudly with the announcement that their train was approaching their platform and sure enough, they could see from the distance the Shinkansen bullet train approach the platform.
Then, Asuna remembered their discussion just moments before.
"So? What about the man?" Asuna asked.
"That's… Ah, nevermind, it's not really important. After SAO and the old ALO, I doubt something of that scale would happen again." Kouichirou sighed, as he did, the train stopped and its doors opened to let some of its passengers leave.
"Oh, so that's what this was about? That Ordinal Scale would become another SAO? That's not going to happen." Asuna said, wanting to reassure her brother.
"Yeah, you're right… it's Augmented Reality we're talking about, not a full-dive Virtual Reality, so I doubt anything like SAO would happen. Now come on, let's get in." He said, grabbing their baggage, sounding reassured. Asuna followed suit, with her bag in hand.
Although to be honest, Kouichirou was still worried. As he and Asuna sat down on their designated seats, the train started to move slowly. He looked outside to see the advertisement screen passing by them, which was still advertising the Augma and Ordinal Scale with Yuna in the background.
'But given the professor's connection to that man… I just hope that I'm thinking too much… I can't go through what happened during SAO all over again…' Kouichirou hoped, finally taking his mind off the topic.
Little did he know that in only a matter of few weeks, his sister would once again be involved in another incident with her friends and boyfriend in Ordinal Scale. But that would be another story for another time.
Fall, 2007. Yuuki manor.
A young boy was in his room doing his homework for school. Frankly, he wanted to either go out to play with his classmates, or play with his baby sister who was only a few months old now. But he had to finish school work, and then go through the extra study material his parents had provided.
While it was fun studying and learning something new, and everyone praised him for being a quick learner, he wished that everyone would give him some break from time to time; especially now that Asuna was born.
But just as he was about to leave the room, he suddenly found himself on the floor after losing his balance from being startled. He felt an enormous tremor throughout the whole house. It seemed that another earthquake had hit the region. As he quickly got to the center of the room like his parents had taught him to do during an earthquake so that he wouldn't get hurt from falling objects in his room, he barely managed to hear a wailing coming from another room. When he registered what the noise was, he immediately got up from where he was sitting and headed to his sister's room. As he did, the tremor stopped as if it had never happened. The earthquake had stopped as suddenly as when it had started.
He arrived at Asuna's room to see the room in a slight mess. Some of the objects had fallen from their original places, but none of them seemed to be damaged. But that wasn't important. Kouichirou quickly got to the crib in the room where the wailing was coming from. There laid his baby sister, clearly frightened from the brief but powerful earthquake. She continued to wail even as the boy picked her up and attempted to calm her down. Even though he was an elementary student, he wanted to take good care of his little sister. He had adored her since she was born and wanted to see her safe. He just hoped that his parents would be back soon from work.
(A/N: Play the OST: "Thinking Tenderly of You, Music box version", found in the SAO Music Collection)
"It's okay… it's okay little sister… It's over… it's over, so don't be scared anymore… Your brother is here to protect you, okay?" Kouichirou whispered to her, trying to calm her down.
As he continued to rock her in his arms, Asuna gradually calmed down to the point she was no longer crying. When she stopped completely, she looked up to her brother curiously and cooed, making the boy smile.
He brought her over to his room to play with her. Although he still had some more work to do, it wasn't urgent so he decided to just spend his time with his sister for now.
About half an hour later, Kyouko came back home, worried. The earthquake had happened when she had left the house for a moment after all. But when she saw that Kouichirou was playing with Asuna, she gave a smile. Of course, Asuna was far too young to be able to move around by herself as of now, so his playing with her consisted of entertaining her by himself by peekabooing and making funny noises, or even gently tickling her, all of which she found to be very entertaining, if her constant giggling was any indication.
Deciding to let her children play for a little while, she left her son's room.
When dinner time came, Kyouko called to him that dinner was ready but heard no response. Going up to his room and going in though, she couldn't help but cover her mouth in delight. There laid her son on the bed, with her daughter lying on the pillow beside him; both of them sound asleep.
Shouzou had followed her to his room, only to see the adoring scene before them. They debated shortly of whether they should wake their son up for dinner, but ultimately decided to let them sleep for just a little more. So, they closed the door as quietly as possible.
November, 2014.
It was that time of the year again for the third year middle school students: high school entrance examination period. Kouichirou had to admit, he was feeling a bit nervous about the exam, but he knew that he was ready. After all, he had breezed through the middle school curriculum with no big problems. His parents were encouraging, at least for the test. But he would have appreciated those encouragements more if they were more supportive of him outside of his studies.
He had asked them to let him travel for a week or two with his friends after the exam results were out. They allowed him, with the condition that the exam grades were to their satisfaction.
He was currently getting ready to head out to school. It was a slightly chilly Friday morning. Soon enough, he would be done with the middle school examinations. He really needed a break from the constant overnight stays in the library, and the tiring private educational institutes he had to go to after school.
As he was about to get up to leave the house, he heard small footsteps approaching. He looked back to see a chestnut haired seven year old girl standing near him, looking like she wanted to say something.
"What is it, Asuna?" He asked gently. To this, she started to fidget slightly, as if she was hesitating to ask what was on her mind.
"Um… onii-chan…" She spoke timidly, making him smile a bit.
"If you want to say something to me, don't be scared to." He said in an encouraging tone. To this, she finally spoke up.
"I was wondering… when your 'tests' are over, can we play together?" She asked.
"Ah… I was planning to go on a trip with my friends once the exam is over. Mom and dad said I can go as long as I ace the exam. And I know that I will." Kouichirou said, both apologetically and confidently. Asuna of course, gave a disappointed look. He felt sorry that he had to turn her request down. Frankly, he would have opted to play with her under other circumstances, but he really needed some time away from home.
"Aww… well… you never know, right…?" She mumbled. Kouichirou heard this however.
"Oi… are you actually hoping that I'd fail my exams, just so that you can have your brother all to yourself?" He joked, teasingly. To this, Asuna shook her head vigorously.
"No, no! I didn't mean it like that! I just…" Asuna denied. He just chuckled in response. It was just too cute to see her flustered like she was now.
"I know how you feel, Asuna. I want to play with you like we used to as well. But I have high school and eventually university that's coming up after middle school, and that's no joke either. And you have to prepare for elementary school too, remember?" Kouichirou reminded her. She had finished kindergarten not too long ago and would be going to elementary school in about a month.
"I know…" Asuna said, her tone containing clear disappointment. At this, Kouichirou silently gestured her to come over to him. Asuna did as she was silently asked. When she was only a few centimeters away, he lightly poked her forehead with his index and middle finger together, which made her give a small squeak in response.
"Sorry Asuna; maybe next time." He said, chuckling. Asuna gave a cute little pout in response, making him think that she honestly couldn't be anymore cute. Then, someone else decided to join the scene.
"Kouichirou, you should get going. You'll be late" His mother said, walking towards them.
"I have plenty of time to get to school, mother" Kouichirou retorted. Kyouko gave a slightly exasperated sigh.
"I know that you've done well in middle school so far, we don't need you becoming sloppy afterwards. High school and especially university are no jokes you know. So keep your grades up so that you can get into the school that you want no problem. Do you understand?" Kyouko said to her son.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Kouichirou sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eye. She had been saying things along those lines all the time lately and he was starting to get tired of hearing her say them. He knew his own limits and how to study accordingly. So he knew that he was going to get through the exam no problem.
"I'm off then. See you later mother, Asuna." Kouichirou said, opening the door.
"Bye onii-chan!"
"Be safe on your way."
With that he went off to school.
November 5th, 2022, Saturday, dinner time
It was here… it was finally here. The latest game that was sure to be revolutionary in the genre of gaming; the first ever VRMMORPG game: Sword Art Online, developed by the creator of the NerveGear hardware itself, Kayaba Akihiko.
Although he didn't look like it, being a top grade student and all, he had interest in games, and even if he wasn't, the concept of virtual reality had been around since decades ago, but it was only now that true VR had finally become a reality. Plus, although the NerveGear had been out for a while now, before SAO, none of the software that required the NerveGear to use so far had fully taken advantage of the hardware, but the beta testers of SAO all had very positive receptions for the game. So of course he was excited for it.
It was just a shame that he wouldn't be able to play it tomorrow, which was the launch day for the highly anticipated Sword Art Online. He had a business trip to Osaka for Recto tomorrow. Oh well… having Asuna play it in his place would do he supposed. He felt like she needed some break, although she probably wouldn't admit it.
He had gotten into their father's company Recto as soon as he had graduated from university, and this was his first ever business trip for the company, so he couldn't say no to it. Plus, although he was the son of the company's CEO, his father had told him to start working from the bottom and work his way up to the top with time, so he was now busier than ever. While the experience from his work was all the more rewarding, he wanted a time out from time to time. And SAO just might be the thing he needs when he gets back from this trip.
As he was finishing getting ready, he heard a knock on his door and told the person to come in. Asuna came into the room, about to tell him something.
Asuna was now a middle school student, now preparing for high school. She had gotten very serious about earning herself a good career and that good grades and a prestigious school would be the first step for them. No doubt that their mother had a heavy influence on her desire for success. He really hoped that this wouldn't be a bad thing.
"Nii-san, is that…" Asuna started, looking at the device, seeming to know what it was.
"Yup. It's the NerveGear, and the copy of Sword Art Online. You've heard of it, haven't you?" He asked.
"Yes… I heard some of my classmates and juniors talk about it." Asuna said, seeming to be slightly curious.
"It arrived earlier today. If only I didn't have that business trip tomorrow, I'd play it the day it launches." Kouichirou sighed, obviously lamenting at the unfortunate fact.
"Were you really looking forward to it that much?" Asuna asked, now more curious than ever. She didn't know that her brother was that much into games. She had seen the advertisement for Sword Art Online plenty of times on her way to school and back. Some of her juniors even asked if she was interested in them. But, being the model student that she was now, she said no and that she had to use that time to study.
"More than you'd think. The lead developer, Kayaba Akihiko is thought to be one of the brightest programmers in the country, so with him being the lead developer, this game is definitely going to be a blast." Kouichirou said. He hadn't been this excited for a long time.
"I see…" Asuna said, her curiosity increasing more and more.
"Hey, I know. Since I won't be able to play it tomorrow, why don't you give it a try?" Kouichirou suggested much to her surprise.
"Eh?! Me? Try it out?" Asuna asked.
"Sure, why not? It'd be a waste if no one uses it for the launch day. Just so you know, only 10,000 copies were released to the public and they were all sold out instantly! If I didn't have the connections with Recto, I probably wouldn't have been able to even get my hands on them! Just try it tomorrow." Kouichirou encouraged.
"I… I don't know…" Asuna said, a bit hesitant to try the unfamiliar device out.
"Hey, just think of it as you're going to another world. Besides, I think you can use some stress relief. I don't know about you, but I think you've been pushing yourself a bit too hard lately. Just log in, play for a few hours and then log out, as simple as that." Kouichirou said. If only he knew at this time…
"Hhm… Alright… fine… I am a bit curious about it too." Asuna finally admitted.
"Great! Then try it out tomorrow and tell me what you think so that I can try it out when I get back." Kouichirou said, handing her the NerveGear as well as the copy of SAO.
"Okay, but how do I log into it? Do I have to press a button?" Asuna asked.
"Oh, right… You'll have to calibrate it before you log in. The instructions are in the game. And when you're done with that, make sure that you're lying down in a comfortable position. Then say 'Link Start' to full-dive in." Kouichirou instructed.
"Uh… full-what?" Asuna tilted her head a bit at the unfamiliar term.
"Full-dive; it's what they call it when you log into VR. Because when in the game using the NerveGear, your body will be in a comatose state until you log out of it." He explained.
"Oh, I see… Alright… then, might as well try it out tomorrow." Asuna finally let her curiousity get the better of her.
"Alright then; make sure to tell me what you think afterwards, okay?" He said to his sister.
"Okay. Thanks, nii-san!" Asuna said, making him smile. He then looked at the clock to see that it was almost 6 o'clock.
"Now let's go to dinner before mother starts nagging us for not being on time." Kouichirou said, to which Asuna giggled.
"Mhm!" Asuna responded.
At this time, both had no idea what kind of disaster this small conversation would bring forth for the next few years.
November 6th, 2022. A hotel in Osaka.
Kouichirou and his co-workers had arrived in Osaka via bullet train this afternoon. A meeting would take place in a few hours for the business transactions but until then, he had free time.
He had currently gotten into his hotel room and had unpacked his belongings. So, looking to relax, he turned on the TV in the room and turned to one of the drama channels to watch one of his favorite shows.
As he started to settle down on the bed to relax however, the drama suddenly stopped to show a news broadcast, to his slight annoyance. But what the newscaster said, made him stop whatever he was thinking.
"We interrupt this program for this urgent news: The highly anticipated VRMMORPG game Sword Art Online could potentially have become a death trap for the people playing it." The news cast announced, halting Kouichirou's train of thought.
(A/N: Play the OST: "He Rules Us")
"Soon after the launch of the game, the developer of Sword Art Online and NerveGear, Kayaba Akihiko released a statement that the players playing SAO cannot log out of the game by themselves, and the only way for them to log out is to clear the game. Moreover, he has also stated that any attempts to remove the NerveGear headset by someone in the real world, or the death of the player in the game will result in the NerveGear releasing a microwave powerful enough to destroy the brain of the wearer, resulting in their deaths."
"WHAT?!" Kouichirou yelled, horrified.
"At first this was thought to be a hoax and was not taken seriously, until approximately two hundred people have been reported dead because someone had attempted to remove the NerveGear from the players. Therefore if you have a friend or family who has logged into Sword Art Online, please do not attempt to remove the NerveGear and call the hospital immediately. As of now, the hospitals all around the country are working to transport the trapped SAO players to their facilities to be taken care of until they can be safely released from the game." The newscaster announced. No… this… this was ridiculous… this had to be some kind of bad joke… it had to be…
"As we speak, the authorities are investigating to locate and apprehend Kayaba, as well as find a way to release the trapped players. Argus, the company responsible for developing SAO alongside Kayaba is attempting to help the authorities to locate Kayaba and release the trapped players. As of now, Kayaba's motives for turning this highly anticipated game into a death game are unclear as he has made no demands for ransoms of any kind. With the authorities investigating this catastrophic event, we can only hope that they can bring an end to this death game and for the surviving SAO players to return safely. We will report back once there has been any development into this situation. This was a breaking news from JTV."
Kouichirou sat where he was, blankly horrified. Sword Art Online, a death game?! What was Kayaba thinking?!
But then he remembered exactly why he was horrified: Asuna. He had told her to play the game in his place… If this whole death game thing was real, then that would mean…
He snapped out of his horrified trance to grab his cell phone.
'Please… please, tell me that she hasn't logged into the game yet… She'll be in terrible danger if she does…!" Kouichirou anxiously pleaded.
Quickly dialing home, he sincerely hoped that it would be Asuna that picked up. But when the phone did pick up, Sada's voice answered, making him grow even more unnerved.
"Sada-san! Where is Asuna?!" He yelled into the phone.
"Young master? The young miss should be in her room…" She answered, both puzzled and unsettled at his unusually urgent tone.
"Have you seen the news; about Sword Art Online?!" Kouichirou asked in the same tone.
"Y… yes." She said.
"I have the NerveGear and a copy of SAO. I told Asuna to play it in my place when it launches; stop her if she hasn't logged into it, now, NOW!" Kouichirou bellowed, now sounding like he was in full panic.
Sada gasped in shock and dashed upstairs to Asuna's room, only to be met with the very scene that Kouichirou was dreading. Asuna was lying unconscious on her bed, with the NerveGear on her head.
"Young miss! No, this can't be!" Sada said, distressed.
"Young master, what should we do?! She's already using the NerveGear…!" Sada informed the unfortunate news.
Kouichirou could have sworn his heart stopped when he heard that it was too late… Asuna was already trapped inside SAO, along with the other ten thousand players.
'No…! No no no no no!' He desperately tried to rack his head on what to do.
"A… Alright… first, call the hospital and tell them about the situation. And whatever you do, DO NOT try to remove the NerveGear from her head under any circumstances, do you understand?! Two hundred NerveGear users have already died because someone did exactly that!" Kouichirou warned sternly.
"Yes, I understand." Sada reassured.
"Alright… I'll try to find out more about this whole incident. Inform mother and father of this, and especially warn mother not to touch the NerveGear, alright?" Kouichirou requested.
"Yes, young master." Sada confirmed. With that, she hung up.
As soon as she hung up, Kouichirou rushed out of his hotel room to tell his superiors of the situation at home. To hell with the business trip; he had bigger things to worry about now. He had to find a way back home as soon as possible.
November 7th, 2022. One day into SAO. At the hospital.
Kouichirou stood right outside the hospital room, already knowing that he wasn't going to like what he would see inside.
His superior let him come back to Tokyo after understanding his situation, so he booked the earliest express train ride back to Tokyo, which was this morning.
He braced himself to confront the scene that was waiting inside. After knocking, he entered Asuna's ward.
Both of his parents were present, obviously distressed at the fact that their daughter could potentially die at any time until SAO was cleared.
Kouichirou's eyes finally landed at the very person of interest lying on the bed, with the crown of thorns NerveGear strapped on her head. He instantly felt his body freeze and his blood run cold from the scene in front of him.
(A/N: Play the OST: "Her Cruel Past")
If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that she was just sleeping, not in an indefinite comatose caused by the NerveGear. But the harsh reality was that he was responsible for her current condition… He should have been the one stuck in SAO, not her! If she ends up dying in the game, he would never be able to live with it. To think that his suggestion that she relax for a bit by playing SAO would turn into this nightmare of a death game… He could only pray that Asuna doesn't endanger herself in the game.
He was so caught up in observing Asuna's pitiful state that he didn't notice his mother approaching him until she was right in front of him. Before anyone could say anything though, he felt an impact on his face, which had enough force to snap him out of his trance. Both Kouichirou and his father's eyes opened wide in shock at his mother's action. He hand automatically went to his cheek where the impact from his mother's slap could still be felt.
"M… Mother…" Kouichirou started, bewildered. But when he saw the look on her face, he couldn't continue… Tears were openly falling from her eyes, which in itself was a rare occasion. He would have retorted on this, if the current situation hadn't been so grave.
"Why… Just why did you have to get your hands on that wretched device and that game?! Look what you've gotten Asuna into! I thought you knew better than to have Asuna waste her time in this kind of thing, but now she's stuck in that death game for who knows how long! She might never wake up in the worst case! Tell me that device isn't yours…! Tell me!" Kyouko broke down, agonized. Even as she grabbed him and shook him telling him to answer her, he just couldn't gather up his thoughts anymore. He was lost completely in his own guilt… She was right… he was the one who put her into this mess…
"Dear, stop! Stop it!" His father yelled, restraining her.
"This isn't his fault! How could he have known that Kayaba would do this kind of thing?! How could anyone have known? Kouichirou has got to be blaming himself for this whole thing, so please, let's not make him feel any worse than he has to…" Shouzou said. After having her let go of their son, he held his wife, who was still sobbing incoherently.
"Asuna…! Asuna…!" His mother wept profusely, and Kouichirou soon found himself crying as well.
They didn't know exactly how long they were in Asuna's ward for that day weeping. It was without a doubt, one of the darkest days for the Yuuki family.
September 30th 2023. The hospital.
(A/N: Immediately after one of the flashbacks from chapter 16.)
Kouichirou made his way to the entrance of the hospital after parking his car, doing his best to control his temper. He was so caught up in his emotion that he had almost run straight into a red light on his way there. He had made his way to the hospital after the infuriating argument with his mother. His mind was still thinking about his mother and what she had said. Preparing for the possibility of Asuna never waking up? How could she cast her own daughter aside like that, especially on her birthday?
Every second of every day since the SAO incident started, he had blamed himself for Asuna being trapped in this horrid death game. He still remembered that day when he suggested her to try SAO out in his stead.
Kouichirou fiercely fought to prevent the tears from falling down his face. All he wanted was to give his little sister a chance to take a break from the stress their mother had been putting on her. Instead, he had thrown her headfirst into a fight for her life. It wasn't fair. None of it was.
'Asuna… please come back soon.' Kouichirou thought to himself. He came up to the receptionist to notify her of his visit. If there was one thing he was grateful for about his family's name, it was that it had allowed Asuna to get the best conditions possible at a big hospital like this.
"Hello, I'm visiting Yuuki Asuna again please." He told the receptionist, whom he had seen a few times before on his visits in the past. The nurse also remembered him.
"Hello again. You really are a dedicated brother. I'm envious." The nurse said.
"Thanks…" Kouichirou responded.
"But someone beat you to the punch in visiting your sister this time, I suppose." The nurse said.
"Wait, someone else? Did my father come?" Kouichirou asked, surprised to hear that someone else was here.
"No, he said that he was a family friend. I've seen him come visit your sister alongside your father quite a few times." The nurse answered.
(A/N: Play the OST: "Oberon")
He didn't know what had gotten into him. The next thing he knew, he was rushing to the floor which Asuna's ward was on via stairs. All the elevators in the main lobby of the hospital were far away from the first floor, so he felt like the stairs were his fastest option.
'That son of a bitch is here?!' Kouichirou thought, furious that he would dare come to her ward, alone at that. You never knew what he would do to her when he was alone in there with her still in coma.
When he finally reached the floor where Asuna' ward was, he rushed straight to her ward and opened the automatic door, not bothering to take a breath. And much to his fury and hatred, standing next to his sister's bedside, Kouichirou saw Sugou Noboyuki. The wretched smug grin of the man quickly changed to an innocent smile when he noticed Kouichirou come in, but the elder Yuuki brother wasn't fooled for a second.
"Why hello there, Kouichirou. I suppose you would be here on your little sister's birthday, wouldn't you? Asuna's lucky to have such a caring older brother like you." Sugou said in a seemingly caring tone.
"Enough of your facade, Sugou. You've got a lot of nerve coming here, alone at that." Kouichirou snarled in a tone of disgust.
"Oh, now that's a bit harsh, don't you think? You say that as if I've come to a place I shouldn't have." Sugou said innocently, making Kouichirou angrier.
"Don't give me that! What were you doing to Asuna before I came?!" Kouichirou questioned; his voice dangerously low.
"Whatever do you mean? I'm simply here visiting Asuna, a person so very close to my heart. What makes you think that I would do something to harm her?" Sugou asked innocently.
"With that twisted heart of yours, I can think of various things." he responded coldly.
"Oh please. With what evidence are you making such an outrageous accusation? If only she could tell us herself of what exactly I did, but of course that's impossible since she's still sleeping, isn't it? IF I even did lay a finger on her." Sugou said, clearly mocking him.
Kouichirou was finding it harder and harder not to punch that arrogant smirk off his face.
"Get out before I call the nurse. I don't want you anywhere near my sister." At this, Sugou held his hands up in defeat.
"Fine, fine, I'll go." he said as he moved from Asuna's bedside. As he walked past Kouichirou, he whispered into his ear.
"I should remind you that I am the one keeping your sister alive, in a sense. I'd appreciate it if you acted a little more grateful. We wouldn't want something to happen to her, now would we?" He asked slyly before finally taking his leave.
Hearing the door close behind him, Kouichirou took his curled up fist and slammed it against the wall. "Damn it all!" He slowly walked up to Asuna, tears in his eyes as he looked down at her peaceful sleeping face.
It was true… After Argus went bankrupt not too long ago, all of their SAO servers were transferred to Recto Progress. But that meant putting Asuna in that wretch's care. Of course, Sugou knew that if anything happened to her, it would do him no good, so Kouichirou doubted he would actually do something to harm her. But that mere fact that he had to rely on him for Asuna to be safe infuriated him to no end.
He couldn't remember the last time he felt so resentful towards his parents; for their complete ignorance regarding Sugou, as well as allowing the bastard to take care of his sister.
(A/N: Play the OST: "In Your Past")
"Asuna… please… whatever you do, come back home to us alive." Kouichirou said through his crying. He wiped away his tears on his sleeve. "Until then, you can trust your big bro to keep you safe." He sat at her side and smiled at her.
"Oh right, I guess I should probably do this for you. Mom won't be here to do it after all." Kouichirou said. He closed his eyes and began to sing softly.
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear sister
Happy Birthday to you
After he finished, Kouichirou stared silently at his sister for another few minutes before getting up. "I suppose I better go. It was nice seeing you Asuna." he said as he turned to walk away. "Happy Birthday sis. Let's hope your back here with us by the time the next one comes."
With that said, he closed the door to her room behind him and walked away, leaving Asuna alone in her room with only the chirping birds to bring sound in.
January 28th, 2025, Yuuki Residence.
"Massive backlashes from the public could be felt strongly regarding the recent revelation of the ALO incident today. Countless people were present at Recto Progress, the electronics company that had been in charge of the SAO servers after Argus, to protest and demand a proper apology. The public has been outraged ever since it was revealed that Recto Progress was responsible for the three hundred SAO Survivors staying comatose." The news announcer said, with the footage of the angry mob of protesters in front of Recto Progress. There were so many people there that the police riot squad was present, just in case the protest got violent.
"The mastermind behind this incident was the company's head of its RND Department, Sugou Noboyuki. Sugou was arrested by the police after it was discovered that he was responsible for holding the three hundred SAO Survivors captive in the company's own VR game, Alfheim Online, performing illegal experiments on their brains. Fortunately, the three hundred SAO Survivors do not seem to remember anything regarding the experiment, nor do any of them show any lasting symptoms. But the future of Virtual Reality looks very bleak; with not just SAO, but ALO, which was once praised for being safe through the use of the Amusphere, majority of the public eye sees Virtual Reality to be too susceptible to crime. ALO is expected to be shut down due to its massive decline of users along with the public criticism with Recto Progress soon-"
Shouzou turned off the television and sighed to himself. This entire scandal had been a disaster. More than anything, he was grateful to have Asuna back with them safe and sound, there was no denying that. But everything after that had been a nightmare. Learning what Sugou, a man he had trusted with so much, had done behind his back, not to mention the way he had treated Asuna. His company was in shambles now, facing a myriad of lawsuits. Not to mention, Recto's stock prices this week was a complete laughing stock. Recto Progress would be closed down at this rate, and the main Recto branch also suffered a heavy blow. All of this had also led to his decision to resign as CEO of the company to take responsibility.
"It's alright dear. We'll make it through this somehow." Kyouko put a hand on her husband's shoulder.
"I just can't believe all of this. I never should have trusted Sugou." Shouzou sighed.
"Well, it's a bit late to say that now." the voice of Kouichirou was heard as he walked into the room, still upset with both of his parents for what they had put Asuna through, despite his constant warnings.
"Kouichirou, now is not the time for this. Your father is-" Kyouko told her son, but he cut her off.
"I warned you over and over again not to trust Sugou, didn't I? If you'd even bothered to listen to me, things wouldn't have been as bad as it is now! Dad is getting what he deserves for giving that bastard so much power; you both are. The only one who didn't deserve any of what happened is Asuna." Kouichirou said coldly.
"I understand you're upset about what Asuna had to go through. We all are but-"
"Well, that's not good enough; not when you still refuse to admit your active role in this whole disaster! Need I remind you that you were prepared to marry Asuna off while she was in a coma for goodness's sake?! And what have you learned? Clearly nothing since you're still trying to control Asuna's future." at this point, Kouichirou was practically yelling.
"Watch your tone, Kouichirou. I am simply trying to give Asuna what's best for her." Kyouko said sternly, making Kouichirou scoff in response.
"Apparently, what's ACTUALLY the best for her and what you THINK is the best for her are two different things!" Kouichirou retorted, much to his mother's ire.
"Then please, by all means, tell me what you think is really the best for her!" Kyouko said, irritation starting to become audible in her voice.
"Let her breath, for one! It hasn't even been a week since she was freed from SAO and Sugou! She's going through a tough time with the rehabilitation treatment, and you're already planning on stressing her out more with your 'plans for her future' again? Can't you ever give her a break?!" Kouichirou accused.
"She has no time for breaks, now that she's lost 2 years of her time because of that accursed death game; partially because of you, I should add!" His mother stated in accusation. Kouichirou found himself unable to counter this; because no matter how much he hated to admit it, it was true.
"But, given her talent she's shown before all this, I'm sure she can pull through after she readjusts to society again. Besides, she's not yet old enough to-" She was cut off by Kouichirou who had recovered and quickly executed a counter attack.
"Not old enough to what? To choose what she wants to do for herself; who she wants to be with? So what you're saying is that instead of letting her live her life, her choices should instead be made by the person who's partially responsible for her spending an extra two months comatose? It's true that Asuna spent two years in SAO because of me, but you're in no position to lecture me." Kouichirou saw by the look in his mother's eyes that he had hit a sore spot with that last comment, but he didn't care.
"Kouichirou, I-"
"Save it. You may act like you're such a great mother who knows everything, but as far as I'm concerned, your credibility died with Sugou's reputation." Kouichirou declared. Seeing that he was successful in stunning his mother into silence like she had done to him earlier, he pressed on, feeling slightly satisfied.
"Well, since we're on the topic, I'll just go out and say it: If you want to press on and continue pressuring Asuna like you did with me, then so be it. But let me tell you something: You two may like keeping yourselves pressured, but I'm not father, and Asuna is NOT you, mother. I may have been able to handle it, but after what Asuna's been through, I wouldn't be too surprised if she snaps at you eventually. And if she does, don't say that I didn't warn you." Kouichirou stated. His father finally decided to intervene.
"Kouichirou look, you're right… you and Asuna are certainly not us. And you have every right to be angry at us. I'm sure Asuna will understand once she knows what we've all been through. She's an understanding child." Shouzou reasoned. But Kouichirou disagreed.
"Understand you say? Yes, she does have a big heart, but would she be able to understand once she learns how mother reacted when she was trapped in SAO?" Kouichirou questioned, to which both of his parents' faces whitened.
"Yo… young man… you wouldn't dare…" Kyouko stammered slightly, clearly caught off guard. Kouichirou had always been bitter towards her for how she had acted towards Asuna eversince her first birthday during SAO; but he wouldn't dare tell Asuna about it… would he?
"Oh don't worry; I'm not going to tell anyone about this, especially not to Asuna. She's been through enough pain already and I don't plan on adding to it by telling this to her. But that being said, you can continue with your 'plans' for her future if you want but make no mistake: if your plans make Asuna suffer like she did in ALO again, or keep making her meet more of your 'capable' suitors when she doesn't want to meet them, then even I don't know how I'm going to react. So don't test my patience any further and don't make me regret not stopping you mother; because I've just about had it with you. I can endure and tolerate a lot of things, including your ego; but know that when it comes to my sister, even my patience has its limits." Kouichirou finished, followed by an uncomfortable silence for his parents.
Not giving them another word in, Kouichirou walked out of the house. He'd fight against his parents and an entire army if it came to it in order to help his sister. That was something he would be sure his mother understood.
March 31st, 2026, Kouichirou's room.
(A/N: Once again, immediately after one of the flashback's from chapter 16.)
Kouichirou was furiously throwing his belongings into his bag. It was literally a few minutes ago that he had run out of the house to chase after Asuna, only to fail because of Asuna catching a taxi before he could get to her, to which he took his fury out on his parents after coming back home.
He couldn't remember the last time he was so angry at his parents; actually, yes he did. The last time he was angry at his parents to this extent was when Sugou's crimes were exposed to the public, and consequently learning what his sister had to go through for the two months after SAO. He should have seen this coming… He should have been more forceful when he had warned his mother to not pressure Asuna against her will any further.
When she had allowed Asuna to continue going to the SAO Survivor's School, he was surprised to say the least; that she may be giving her some break after all. He was also slightly proud of his sister, being able to stand up for herself and voicing her opinions, managing to convince their mother of letting her stay in her current school.
But it seemed that he had misjudged his mother… letting Asuna stay in her current school was apparently just a ruse to buy time so that she could again try to make her meet more suitors. It wasn't that he had anything against the boys; it was just that after Sugou, he had completely lost faith in his parents' ability to judge people. And most importantly, Asuna herself had always been against the suitors, especially more so after SAO. She had kept meeting Kirigaya Kazuto, her rescuer, which was the biggest reason why he was against letting Asuna meet more suitors.
But that didn't matter now… Asuna had left them now leaving behind only bad memories. He had enough as well… he was going to leave from this frustrating and suffocating house as well.
After he finished packing, he went downstairs to confront his parents once again, only to see his father talking to someone on the phone.
"Thank you, Kirigaya-kun… I really don't know what to say other than that…" His father said to the person on the phone. Kouichirou's attention sparked immediately at the name. So, that was Asuna's boyfriend on the phone, was it?
"Alright… We'll try and talk to her at school and… see if she'll listen to what we have to say then… Once again, you have my thanks… Good night." With that, his father hung up the phone. As soon as he did, his mother came into the room as well.
"Was that the Kirigaya kid on the phone?" Kouichirou asked his father, just to make sure.
"Yes… he found where Asuna is." He informed them.
"Where?" Both mother and son asked in perfect sync.
"She's staying with one of her new friends; it's someone we don't know. Asada Shino, that's her name. From what Kirigaya-kun said, they've been friends since three months ago." Shouzou said.
"So where is Asuna at?" Kyouko asked.
"I don't know… he wouldn't tell me… but he told me that friend of Asuna's said to him that she would go to school tomorrow. I'm going to her school tomorrow and talk with her." This bit of information relieved Kouichirou very much. At least they knew where she was now. But before he could express his relief, his mother cut in.
"I'm coming too. I really need to have a talk with that girl!" Kyouko declared with slight tone of aggression. To which Kouichirou objected.
"No, absolutely not! Do you think she'd listen to you in her current state? She needs time to calm down and forgive you for what you've said to her!" Kouichirou argued.
"Forgive me for what I've said to her?! Was what I said to her that wrong? Alright, I might have done too much by slapping her, but I've always done what I did with both you and Asuna's best interest! When will you learn that? And what's more, didn't you hear what she said to me: that your father and I are no better than that wretch?! How could she say such a thing?" Kyouko said, making her son groan in frustration.
"Well, you might as well be! I get that you have noble intentions, but can't you just see that Asuna hates what you're doing?! Please, just stop it already!"
"No, I will not stop! I just want to protect her! What kind of trouble or danger would she face if I'm not there to protect her?" Kyouko said.
"What danger? What protection?! SAO is over, Kayaba is dead, and Sugou is behind bars now! It's been that way for about a year and a half!" Kouichirou argued.
"Maybe so, but ever since the end of that death game, Asuna has been meeting that boy nonstop. I need to do something about him!" Kyouko argued back. Kouichirou's expression changed to that of slight confusion.
"That boy? You mean Kirigaya? What's so bad about him? Wait, don't tell me, let me guess: because he doesn't have the social status to support Asuna?!" Kouichirou asked, frowning.
"Well, that and his influence on Asuna! She keeps going on to the virtual world to play games and waste precious time, especially when she already lost two years of her life because of the virtual world I might add!" Kyouko argued. It was true; after SAO, it may be common sense for its survivors to want nothing to do with virtual reality. In fact, his mother actually allowing Asuna to even keep playing VR games in itself was a miracle indeed.
"Your endless concern for her is very admirable, but this is just too much! You're being too paranoid if you ask me! And look what your paranoia has done today! You've driven the very person that you wanted to protect out of the house in tears; brilliant job! I told you, both of you: don't make me regret letting you be in charge for Asuna's future!" Kouichirou bellowed, feeling heat rushing to his face from fury.
"Kouichirou-" Kyouko started, but for the umpteenth time, she was cut off by her furious son.
"So what if the Kirigaya kid still wants to play in VR even after SAO, big deal! At least he can seem to manage his time and balance out playing games and studying! I think he has potential and skills mother; just the things that you seek! Besides, have you already forgotten that he saved Asuna from Sugou when none of us knew that it was even happening? And what's more, HE informed us where Asuna would be tomorrow! Don't you think that he at least deserves a chance?!" Kouichirou shouted.
Kouichirou had never really met Kirigaya Kazuto other than seeing him briefly on the day Asuna woke up, so he was kind of skeptical with him as well like his mother was at first. But after hearing things from Asuna's side, of the times he saved her life and she saved his, when they both knew nothing about each other in the real world, he started to trust him more and more. He wanted to actually meet and talk with him if he got the chance, which he never did due to his work schedule.
"Why does it have to be him of all people? Why not any of the boys that I had in mind? Why can't she give them a chance?!" Kyouko asked.
"Boys chosen by the very person who almost sold her off to a sadistic criminal? Oh yes, I'd love to meet and preferably like them enough to marry them straight away if I was Asuna! The difference between them and Kirigaya is that Asuna actually LIKES the kid and wants to continue seeing him!" Kouichirou snarled sarcastically.
"Asuna deserves someone far better than him." She said, unrelenting.
"Well, he's certainly a far better choice than Sugou, wouldn't you agree?!" Kouichirou exploded. Just as his mother was about to answer back angrily, Shouzou finally intervened.
"Alright, enough!" He yelled, growing sick of the argument between the mother and son. He had been looking for a chance to break up their argument from the start, but just couldn't find the right moment until now.
"Asuna ran away, and no amount of arguing will change that! But at least we know now that she will come to school tomorrow! Here's what will happen: I will go to Asuna's school tomorrow to talk to her, and I will go ALONE." Shouzou declared, surprising both his wife and son.
"But dear…" Kyouko started, but Shouzou raised his hand, gesturing her to stop.
"Dear, I know that you're concerned for Asuna, but after what you've said to her, I think Kouichirou may be right on this one. Asuna is probably being irrational from feeling so many different emotions at once; first from Yuuki's death and then because of us. I think it's better that I talk to her first and then you can talk once I bring her back. I've been to plenty of negotiation and have been convincing people all the time during my time as CEO. I believe that I'm the most qualified person to convince her to come home. So please, the two of you stay here for tomorrow." Shouzou reasoned, clearly determined.
A long silence ensued at Shouzou's compromise. Finally, Kyouko answered.
"Very well. Just please, bring her back. I don't want to lose her again…" She relented, her voice falling, much to Kouichirou's relief as well as Shouzou's concern. With this settled, Kouichirou decided to go back to his room.
"Forget about dinner. I'm not hungry." He said as he headed upstairs, avoiding eye contact with his mother, clearly still upset.
She wanted to call out to him and talk; without shouting, but just as she was about to call out to him, her husband gently stopped her, saying that he needed some time alone.
As Kouichirou came into his room, he slammed the door shut and jumped on his bed. His eye immediately landed on his bag which he had packed, making him think whether he should just go ahead and leave. He thought and thought for what felt like hours. Ultimately, he decided to stay a little longer and see how things turn out.
He hoped that his father going to Asuna's school tomorrow would be enough to convince her to come back. But somehow, he kept feeling that it wouldn't be so simple. He tossed and turned on his bed, trying to rid his mind of the persistent unease.
As he continued his internal battle, he suddenly heard a knock on his door.
"Kouichirou…? Are you sleeping?" He heard his mother's voice said from the other side of his door.
He gave no answer. Deep inside, he wanted to shout at her to leave him alone, but he was mentally exhausted from this whole sudden crisis and didn't want to waste what remaining energy he had on another argument. So he just decided to stay quiet and hoped that she would just go. Thankfully, he heard a small sigh and footsteps moving away from his room.
He didn't know how long he remained lying down on his bed, nor did he have any idea of when sleep finally claimed his tired mind.
But after what felt like only moments later, he heard a faint voice calling out to him, as well as someone shake him awake.
"…i-san! …i-san! …ke up!"
The familiar voice said, growing louder each second.
"Nii-san? Nii-san, wake up!" Asuna called out to him. He could also feel a gentle shake coming from beside him.
Kouichirou's consciousness snapped back to the present at his sister's waking.
"Ah… wha…?" Kouichirou moaned, still dazed from being woken up so suddenly.
"We're here. We should go grab our bags." Asuna said. And to prove her point, the train announced that they would be arriving in Miyagi Station in a few minutes.
It was approximately a two hour trip from Tokyo to Miyagi on the Shinkansen line, so he was mildly surprised that he had slept through almost the entire trip. So, shaking off his sleep, he got up and helped his sister get their bags and prepare to get off the train.
He had fallen asleep minutes after getting on the train, most likely because he wasn't able to sleep too well the previous night. He had tossed and turned in the bed, with sleep unable to claim him for the majority of the night in his sleeping quarter that was provided by Recto last night.
As the train stopped and opened its door to let the passengers off, Kouichirou couldn't help but think back to the past that he had dreamed just now.
How much had he cared for her since she had come into his life? He had adored her since her birth, and somewhat protective of her (of course, not as much as their mother was), having witnessed some of the dangers that she had unknowingly went through, as well as keep Sugou away from her if he could help it and try to be there for her when she was young whenever he got the chance.
But as he got busier with school and eventually work, with his mother's constant pressure added to all that, as time went by, he found it more and more difficult to stay in the house for an extended period of time. He had wondered various times whether Asuna was feeling that kind of pressure at home, even before SAO. But as much as he wanted to be there for her, his newfound obligation to work, as well as wanting to be away from the pressure of his parents had eventually made him be away from home so often that he was unable to be there for his sister, even as he knew that Asuna would be taking on the full force of the pressure put oh by their family. He had always felt guilty of that part, and that guilt had escalated with SAO, as well as the old ALO.
He was thinking that although right now, their parents couldn't have chosen a worst time to try and set up meetings for suitors for both of them, but at the same time, he was glad that he was able to get a break from work for the current and next week, especially with Asuna's grief period for Yuuki happening currently.
This trip to to their maternal grandparent's home was meant to help cheer her up a bit, as well as make her feel more at ease, away from their parents. He just hoped that it would work. He wished that she would smile again like she had as a young child. He was her brother after all, doing what he could to look out for his dear little sister.
With a hopeful heart, Kouichirou and Asuna left the train and ventured into the city of Miyagi.
A/N: And that's it for another chapter. Next chapter will still focus on the Yuuki siblings as they spend their day in Miyagi. Here's me hoping that someone will be able to get the reference to that certain character from this certain anime in this chapter.
Some of you have complained that Kirito doesn't have much role in this story, but he will show up later in the story to do more, just not too much, because remember, Asuna is the main focus of this story, much like the Mother's Rosario arc.
Also, after the New Year comes, I will once again be busy with school. So the time to work on the next chapter will be restricted. But the good news is that now we're about 75% into the story! I can finally see the end of it now! I'm hoping to be able to finish this story by this year. We'll see how things turn out.
I can't thank you all enough for your encouragements and supprts for this story. I will see you all sometime in the next year with a new chapter.
Yours truly, KiritoIRL.
