Outlier

by TheCartoonFanatic01

AU. A minor flaw in Kayaba's plan has allowed one out of every 250 players who die in Sword Art Online to return to the real world instead of dying. So when Kirito finally clears the game and logs out, he is surprised to see a familiar girl of blue waiting for him. "Sa...Sa...chi...?" Kirito/Sachi, Kirito/Asuna, multiple other ships! R&R! LONGER SUMMARY INSIDE! RATING MAY CHANGE!

6. Fraction

A/N: Alrighty! I was finally able to do what I wanted to do, and that's update another one of my fics before updating this one! HUZZAH!

Anyway, before I begin, I just wanted to announce that this site is once again going through its seemingly monthly little problem of backlogging reviews submitted to stories, all across the board. But even so, don't be discouraged from writing and sending me a review! I'll still receive email notifications for them, and I'll hold onto them until the backlog problem is resolved. And in my experience, resolutions to these kinds of problems usually take about a week or so. So, don't worry if you submit a review to any story and you then don't see it in the review inbox. That's what's happening. The author is likely still aware of it via email notifications.

And that's as long as the author is not using a Hotmail or Outlook account for this site, but that's a whole different issue. For those of you who do not know, email notifications from this site have been disabled for all Hotmail/Outlook users for whatever reason, and that was months and months ago. I know this because I used to use a Hotmail/Outlook account for all my email notifications from this site. Acting on advice that I read from a user posting on the Fanfic Help Desk forum, I decided to switch my account's email address to Gmail, since the email notifications seemed to be working over there. Lo and behold, it did work, and I've stayed there ever since.

Anyway, in layman's terms, don't be worried about your reviews if you don't see them here, and I've got them handled.

Alright, enough of this rambling! On with the chapter. ENJOY!

P.S.: For updates regarding progress on my writing and just life in general, please check out my profile! I try to update it as often as I possibly can with any status update!

P.P.S.: Due to the slowly improving situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak, I am going to have to remind you all about the basic steps you should take if you want to stay healthy, courtesy of my university's reminder emails:

-Wash hands often with soap and water for 20-30 seconds at a time, and/or use hand sanitizer
-Avoid close contact with people who are sick
-Keep your hands away from nose, eyes, and mouth (I can't imagine how difficult this part is probably going to be)
-Eat well, get adequate rest, and exercise regularly
-Get a flu shot if you haven't already and are able to
-Stay informed on the COVID-19 vaccines, get shots if you're able to, and try to get a booster shot if you're eligible

And if you ARE sick (I hope you get better if you are), please be a good sport and save other folks the trouble of getting sick. You can do this by:

-Covering your mouth and nose with your sleeve, elbow, or a tissue whenever you sneeze or cough
-Not sharing food and drinks with others
-Avoiding touching your mouth, nose, and eyes (Again, I understand this is probably going to be difficult)
-Avoiding close contact with others
-Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects
-Staying at home if you're unwell (PRIORITY NUMBER ONE!)
-Staying calm and keeping yourself well-informed (My personal advice)

If you already know this, then great! If you didn't know any of this beforehand, please keep that information in mind as we all go through this trying time. It's a realm of unknowns at this point, and I wish myself and all of humanity well.

---

– November 7, 2024 –
Sekimoto Memorial Hospital

"And that's the end of my story."

Sachi took a deep breath, and the exhale she released was heavier than even she had anticipated. It was as if she had a lot of pressure building up in her, ready to explode from within, only for it to be freed in a gentler, more peaceful manner. Of course, not all of the pressure was relieved, but it was enough.

"I'm gonna have to tell him how I feel about him another time," she thought. "I don't wanna overwhelm him."

"Amazing..."

Sachi looked at Kazuto and saw that he was beaming at her. There was a small but powerful glimmer in his onyx eyes, a glimmer that she knew all too well. Pride. It was something she seldom saw in his eyes back in SAO, but every time she did see it, it was a moment to be treasured.

Then, his proud features were distorted by a weak, playful grin. "And to think you did all of that without me. I just can't believe it. Last time I saw you grapplin' with a challenge, you were crying like a big baby within seconds."

Sachi puffed her cheeks at him like a little girl. "H-Hey! I was a different person back then! I only had my spear and my shield to protect me-! H-Hey! Don't laugh, Kirito! It's not funny!"

"Sorry, sorry." Kazuto's laughter ceased almost immediately, and he wiped a single tear of amusement from his eye. "It's just, well...it was most certainly funny to me."

"Hrrrmmmph..."

Then, Kazuto smiled warmly at her. "Once I'm fully recovered, you should show me around, Sachi. Introduce me to all of the new people in your life. I'd like to meet them."

Sachi looked at him and reciprocated his smile with one of her own. "I'd like that too, Kirito."

A silence fell upon the two teenagers as they continued looking deeply into one another's eyes in admiration. The muffled sounds of nurses scrambling in the outside hallway and the traffic outside the building were tuned out. Nothing mattered to either of them, except for each other.

Then, the lovely silence was broken by another voice, a voice that made the hairs stand upright on Sachi's skin.

"Well, since this conversation's over, I guess you can start with me for the introductions...Sachi."

With a hitched breath, Sachi looked across her shoulder, towards the doorway. She could almost feel Kazuto tensing up in his bed as he followed her gaze. The first thing the two of them saw was the gleaming rectangular glasses.

"I'm glad to see the death game's finally over!" the man greeted kindly. He stopped leaning against the wall and walked up to Kazuto's bedside. "My name's Seijirou Kikuoka. I'm a lead investigator in the Sword Art Online Case Victims Rescue Force. It's good to finally meet you in person...Kirito."

---

CHAPTER 5: FRACTION

---

"You're Kikuoka?" Kazuto asked coldly.

"The one and only."

Kikuoka gave a tiny grunt as he sat down in a wheeled chair opposite to Sachi's seat. After taking a moment to acclimate himself to his seat, he casually rolled up to Kazuto's bedside, the chair emitting a small, unpleasant squeaking noise as it moved. He flashed him what seemed to be a friendly smile, but neither Kazuto nor Sachi were absolutely convinced of its authenticity.

"Well, as you can see, Kikuoka," Sachi said, "Kirito isn't Akihiko Kayaba. He's a real person, and he beat SAO, just like I said he would."

With every word that came right out of her mouth, Sachi's chest swelled just a bit with pride. She inwardly rejoiced from the knowledge that the man she hated, the man who forced her to dig deep into her memories and unearth two years of trauma, had been proven wrong, had been utterly discredited. The knowledge that her time with Kirito had been real and heartfelt, and that it can continue.

"I see," Kikuoka replied. However, he still maintained his friendly smile as he gave them both a casual shrug. "Ah, well. I am man enough to admit I was wrong. You've got a hell of a hunch, Sachi, and I commend you for that."

Then, Kikuoka reached into his pocket and produced several bags of candy and chocolate, along with a certain cellphone that Sachi knew all too well. He gently placed the items in Kazuto's empty bedside tray. They both noticed the phone was already recording audio.

"But now," he continued, "the real investigation begins."

"You're gonna interview him?!" Sachi exclaimed. "Now?!"

Kikuoka's glasses ominously reflected the peering sunlight again. "Why, of course. Reports of thousands upon thousands of SAO victims recovering from their comas are flooding the newsfeeds. Hospitals are being overwhelmed by all of these sudden awakenings. Over six thousand families have cause for celebration. But the SAO Case Victims Rescue Force's job isn't done yet. There's still the matter of finding out what exactly happened in the game. Not to mention finding Akihiko Kayaba."

"You don't have to worry about Kayaba any longer."

Sachi and Kikuoka both looked at Kazuto. The boy was sitting upright again, compared to his earlier relaxed position with Sachi. His eyes were narrowed slightly.

"Kayaba's dead," Kazuto said. "I killed him."

Kikuoka blinked in surprise. "Dead, huh? And by your hand?"

The boy nodded once, firmly so. "Yeah. Part of your theory was correct, Kikuoka. He was playing the game with the rest of us. He was under our noses for...God knows how long...until I unmasked him earlier today."

"Really..." A certain glimmer flashed through Kikuoka's eyes; it straddled the line between insatiable curiosity and sheer hunger. "Tell me more."

But he was met with a deep, dark, brooding silence from Kazuto. The investigator and the girl continued to look at him, the former wondering what he had to say next and the latter wondering what he was thinking about. Kazuto's eyes, so onyx that they looked like metal, were covered by loose bangs of hair, making them unreadable.

"Er, Kirito?" Kikuoka finally said, breaking the silence. "Hello? Earth to Kirito."

With pursed lips, Sachi quietly walked around Kazuto's bed and approached Kikuoka, who had begun to wave his hand in front of the boy's face. She clasped a hand around the investigator's shoulder, catching his attention. When he looked up at her, Sachi could only imagine the kind of terrible look she was giving him that would cause his casual, flippant face to falter even for a second.

"As you can see, Kikuoka, Kirito doesn't want to answer your questions. So, you might as well consider our lil' agreement to still be in place-"

"It's alright, Sachi."

Sachi and Kikuoka both looked at Kazuto. He was now focused on them again, and there was a certain look of resolve in his expression.

"I'll answer his questions," the boy said. "I'll tell him everything he needs to know."

"You...You will?" Sachi asked incredulously.

"You will, huh?" Kikuoka asked with a curious grin.

"A-Are you sure, Ki-Kirito?" The girl let go of Kikuoka's shoulder and approached Kazuto. "Y-You've only been back in the real world for a few hours now. I-I don't want you to-"

"I told you, Sachi," Kazuto interrupted again. "It's alright..." He then looked up at her with another warm smile. "I mean, after the story you've told, I think it's only fair that I tell one of my own."

"Excellent!" exclaimed Kikuoka. "Well, then-"

Kazuto's voice suddenly cut through the investigator's like a freshly sharpened knife. "On one condition."

Kikuoka blinked, but his grin didn't waver. "So you've got some terms, huh? Well, it's alright. Name it, Kirito. We'll see to it that your needs are satisfied."

Sachi was surprised when she saw Kazuto's eyes narrow, and his face took on an expression she had never seen before. It looked a little like the expression that he would wear whenever he battled monsters beside her and the other Moonlit Black Cats. But there was something peculiar about that expression. It was radiating more intensity, more determination, more emotion than expected from a normally quiet boy like him.

"I want you to find Asuna."

"Asuna?" Sachi asked softly.

"Asuna, huh?" Kikuoka asked with a raised brow; he was already reaching for his tablet. "I assume they're another SAO victim?"

"She's more than that," Kazuto replied, almost instinctually.

"She?" Sachi thought, already feeling the dread bubbling inside her gut. "More than that?"

"Okay." Kikuoka was already scribbling on his tablet. "Anything else you want to tell me about her? Physical description? Anything personal that she might've told you while you two were trapped in the game?"

Sachi did not hear Kazuto's answer. The entire world suddenly became distant to her, and all five of her senses suddenly became dulled. Her entire reality felt as if it was breaking apart beneath her, like the sheen of ice over a frozen lake.

"She's...She's more than that?" she repeated in her mind. "She's more than that? What...What does he mean by that?"

Then, whatever was left of Sachi's hearing caught Kikuoka's latest question, and it brought her back to reality.

"Who is this Asuna girl to you?"

"She and I..."

Kazuto's voice trailed off, bringing both confusion and concern to Sachi's heart. But above all that, it seemed like a brief, temporary reprieve for her.

And then, the hammer came swinging down with brute force.

"She and I are married. We...We love each other..."

---

"Kazuto!"

"Onii-chan!"

Sachi could barely register being pushed aside by Suguha, who was the first to reach Kazuto and embraced him in a tight hug that one could imagine was bone-crushing to the bedridden boy. Midori was the next to run up to her son, and with a choked sob and teary eyes, she put her forehead upon Kazuto's and placed her hands on his shoulders. Sachi was quickly torn between watching the happy family reunion and wallowing in the waters of her own misery.

"She and I are married. We...We love each other..."

"He loves someone else..." she thought with horror. "He loves someone else... He loves someone else, he loves someone else, he loves someone else, he loves someone else, he loves someone else, he-"

Her rambling mindset was interrupted by a hug. Sachi gasped and prepared to return it with a joyous smile, but then she remembered that Kazuto still couldn't get out of his bed.

"Thank you, Sachi," Midori replied. "Thank you so much for looking out for my boy."

Even so, Sachi reciprocated the hug anyway, swallowing down her formidable misery. "This is the thousandth time you've thanked me for that, Kirigaya-san. Like I said before, don't mention it!"

"Ohhh, I just can't thank you enough!"

"Well, Kiri- er, Kazuto's awake now, so I think you can stop with all the thanks..."

Sachi's peripheral vision then caught Suguha, who was giving her a small but bitter scowl while she stood beside Kazuto like a protective mother bear. Kazuto had an arm weakly raised high in the air, and he was now patting his younger sister in the back with a happy smile, having failed to notice the tension between the two girls.

At the same time, Midori broke the hug and patted Sachi on the shoulder. "Ohhh, I'm not done thanking you, Sachi." She looked over her shoulder at Kazuto and Suguha. "If you don't mind, Kazuto, I would love to invite her over for dinner one of these days. When you've regained your strength, of course."

"Huuuuuh?!" Suguha exclaimed, her face becoming as red as a strawberry.

"You...You want to invite Sachi over...f-for dinner?" Kazuto asked.

At first, the boy's awkward question brought concern to Sachi's heart. Then, that was consumed with giddy joy when she saw his eyes light up in a way she had never seen before. There was no mistaking the excitement that filled his face.

"Of course!" Kazuto sat upright so quickly that he winced from the overexertion of his muscles. "Sh-She can totally come over!"

And in that moment, a thought started to spread through Sachi's brain, infiltrating and infecting every corner.

"Maybe... Just maybe... If I keep Kirito's mind on me and off of her, then perhaps-"

"Huuuuuh?!" Suguha exclaimed again, her head whipping towards his direction.

Midori clapped her hands together in delight. "Awesome! Ohhh, I'm so glad the two of you will get a chance to interact in the real world and make up for all the time that you've lost. So, so glad, indeed!"

Then, the mother of two did something that made Sachi's guts squirm both with discomfort and excitement. She slowly turned her head to give the girl a discreet glance, and then she winked.

But before Sachi could react, a certain ringtone filled the room. Recognizing it, the girl reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out her cellphone.

"Whoa, that ringtone," Kazuto said, his expression now beaming from familiarity. "Was that-?"

"Oh my gosh, I forgot!" Sachi squealed. She lowered her phone and faced the Kirigaya family. "I-I'm sorry, b-but I have to go! It's an emergency!" She then looked at Kazuto in particular. "I'll see you later, Kirito."

"Yeah." His heartfelt smile was enough to melt her heart and make her forget about Asuna, if only briefly. "See ya..."

Sachi nodded and then ran out of the room, only to find herself maneuvering her way through the scrambling masses of doctors and nurses. She was already answering her phone by the time she was midway to the elevator.

"H-Hello, Tetsuhiko?!"

---

Niiza Shiki Chūō General Hospital

"Sachi! Oh, Sachi!"

The moment she stepped out into the hallway, Sachi was greeted by a tight tackle of a hug from Kotone. She already felt her shoulder becoming wet with tears of happiness. Tetsuhiko stood nearby, looking more elated than he had in years. A television hung over them, set to a news channel breaking the story about the SAO victims' revivals.

"Is it true, Sachi?" Tetsuhiko asked while Kotone continued to sob into the girl's shoulder. "The SAO victims are all waking up?"

Sachi nodded. "Yeah. I saw it with my own eyes. Kirito's awake, and he's well."

"Then..." Kotone broke the hug to stare into Sachi's eyes. "It's time for you to meet your little sister. For real, this time."

"Yeah..." Sachi started imagining herself with Keiko and having all sorts of fun with her. "Well, let's go!"

With that, the couple entered the hospital room, with Sachi right behind them. As soon as Tetsuhiko opened the door, the first thing they heard was the terrible beeping of the heart-rate monitor.

"Keiko-chan, sweetheart!" Tetsuhiko cried.

"It's us, Mom and Dad!" Kotone sobbed. "We missed you so-"

She suddenly cut herself off with a sharp, painful gasp, while Tetsuhiko stiffened beside the door. Upon taking her place between the two parents, Sachi saw what exactly the problem was.

Keiko was still lying on her bed, unconscious and wearing the blinking NerveGear helmet.

"W-What...?" Tetsuhiko asked, his voice soft and almost inaudible from disbelief. "I...I-I don't understand... Th-The news said everyone was waking up..."

"No..." Kotone started shaking her head, another kind of tears falling from her face. "No, no, no, no, no! No, Keiko-chan, no! You...You can't be! You can't still be trapped in that game! You can't!" She ran up to the girl's bedside and started to shake her cold arm vigorously. "Wake up, Keiko-chan! Wake up! Wake up, wake up, WAKE UP!"

Sachi didn't say anything and simply stood there, dumbfounded.

"That's...That's impossible..." she thought. "It's been on the news all day! SAO victims are waking up from left to right! A lot of families are being reunited! Hope is being restored! And Kirito is among them! He said he beat the game! So...how come...?" She slowly walked up to Keiko's bed. "How come she's not up...?"

"Wait a minute, Kotone!" Tetsuhiko suddenly cried. "Maybe she's just being delayed!"

Kotone looked at her husband with doubt. "De-Delayed...?"

"Ye-Yeah! Last I checked, the news said over 1,000 people were waking up. That means there's over 5,000 to go, right? I mean, if I remember correctly, Kayaba didn't exactly say they'd all be logged out at the same time..." He approached his wife's side, his smile shaky but persistently bright. "She's probably taking some time to say goodbye to everyone she has ever met in the game. She's probably saying goodbye to the game itself. It's been her home for two years, after all."

Kotone looked back at her young daughter, her eyes still leaking out tears. "I...I suppose you're right, Tetsu-kun..."

Tetsuhiko looked over his shoulder and beckoned Sachi over. "Come, Sachi. We'll all sit together, and we'll wait for Keiko-chan to wake up. You can be the first thing she sees."

An uncomfortable feeling of doubt remained lodged in her heart, but Sachi acquiesced and sat on the opposite side of the younger girl's bed. And together, the three attentively sat there, watching and waiting for her return.

---

– X-Y-X –

---

After three hours, the confirmed number of recovering SAO victims went from over 1,000 to over 2,000. Keiko hadn't yet woken up at that point.

After six hours, the number became over 3,000. Keiko still didn't wake up at that point.

After nine hours, it became over 4,000. Keiko didn't wake up at that point either.

After twelve hours, it became over 5,000. Keiko still didn't wake up.

After fourteen hours, it was over 5,500. Keiko still didn't wake.

After fifteen hours, it was over 5,700. She still didn't wake.

After sixteen hours, it was over 5,800. She still wouldn't wake.

After seventeen hours, it was around 5,825. She wouldn't wake.

After eighteen hours, it was around 5,850. She wouldn't wake.

After nineteen hours, it was revised down to 5,840. She wouldn't wake.

After twenty hours, it was revised to 5,845. She wouldn't wake.

After twenty-one hours, the numbers were static. She still hadn't woken up.

After twenty-two hours, the numbers remained static. She still didn't wake.

After twenty-three hours, two people, both previously unaccounted for due to errors, were added to the tally. She wasn't either of them.

One day after SAO was cleared, Keiko and 299 others still didn't wake up.

A day turned into two days. Two days turned into three. Three turned into a week. A week turned into two weeks. They turned into a month. And by that point, a horrible yet undeniable truth dawned upon everyone.

For those 300 people who hadn't yet woken up, SAO wasn't over. The death game was still being played.

---

– X-Y-X –

---

– December 25, 2023 –
Kirigaya Residence, Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture

"And now, back to our top story.

"Sadly, the numbers remain static. Three hundred SAO players remain trapped in irreversible comas, with no real end in sight for the death game Sword Art Online. Very little remains publicly known about the events of November 7, 2024, also known as R-Day, where 5,847 players miraculously escaped their horrible fate after the game was ostensibly, finally cleared. Testimonies from the surviving players have been kept confidential by the Japanese government.

"The SAO Case Victims Rescue Task Force can only confirm that Akihiko Kayaba, the creator of SAO, remains at large. Some believe he's using the remaining trapped players as a bargaining chip for when he is tracked down, while others believe he's using them for the next stage of his experiment, whatever it may be-"

CLICK!

"Damn..."

Casually tossing the remote away on the sofa, Kazuto Kirigaya stood up with some considerable difficulty, his weak, still-developing legs forced to bear his upper body weight. With a grunt, he clambered away from the TV set and through the living room of his home. Not the log house that he and Asuna had bought at the 22nd Floor of Aincrad, the one the two of them called their humble getaway for only about a week. No, his old home. The old, spacious, oppressively Japanese-style home. The one where he always felt like he didn't belong in for years now.

But now, there was nothing else in the world that mattered to him more than accepting this home back into his arms.

"AGH!"

One moment earlier, Kazuto was trying to get to the kitchen. The next moment, his world turned into a colorful blur for a magnificent split-second. And then, he found himself literally hugging the floor, pain assailing his body everywhere.

"Onii-chan, wh-what was that?" a voice called. There was a set of footsteps, which was soon followed by a horrified gasp. "Oh, my God! ONII-CHAN!"

The boy was quickly helped to his feet, and he smiled at his savior.

"Thanks, Sugu," he said, "but I had it handled."

He was instantly met with the girl's trademark pout.

"No, you didn't!" she cried, her voice slicing through his eardrums faster than Heathcliff using his hacks. "For the love of- How many times do Mom and I have to tell you?!"

The adolescent girl marched over to the living room and then returned with a certain object that made Kazuto's metallic eyes narrow.

"Two years of fighting bosses, monsters, and PKers in SAO," he thought, "and I'm now being rewarded for the fruit of all my labor...with a frigging cane. Great. Just great."

The cane that he hated so much was shoved into his hands.

"Use. Your. CANE!" Suguha snapped.

"And I told you and Mom many times," Kazuto replied as he set the cane down against the nearby sofa. "I don't need it." He ambiguously glared at it. "And it's not mine, it's Grandpa's. Big difference."

The former swordsman tried walking to the kitchen, mostly to prove his point. Unfortunately, his legs buckled underneath his own weight, and he was about to fall again when Suguha wrapped her arms around him, steadying his body.

"I swear to God, Onii-chan..." the girl whispered in concern. "You may not be as much of a brooding jerk as you used to be, but this stubbornness of yours is just as annoying. It reminds me of Grandpa!"

Kazuto scoffed playfully. "Hey, are you calling me an old man?"

"Why yes, yes I am! You and him may not have had the best relationship, but you're alike in more ways than you think!" After making sure the boy was steadied, Suguha grabbed the cane and forcibly shoved its handle into his hand. "And I'm sure Mom would agree!"

"Oh, I'm sure she would."

Then, Kazuto looked down at the cane, his eyes narrowing again. "The handle's so rubbery, so plastic-like, so...fake. It's nothing like a sword at all..."

"Now, then," Suguha said with her arms crossed, "what is it that you needed from the kitchen?"

The boy blinked, dragging himself out of his self-imposed reverie. "I-I was hoping I could get the turkey out of the fridge. Sachi's coming over, and I wanna make sure it's warm for her..."

"She and I are married. We...We love each other..."

The stab of pain and uncertainty struck Kazuto's heart again. This time, he managed to suppress his grimace and look at Suguha, just in time to see the shadow falling over her eyes.

"Yes," the girl replied in a monotone voice. "Yes, of course..."

She prepared to walk to the kitchen when Kazuto spoke to her, his voice serious and defensive.

"Sugu, I know you and her didn't get along well when I was...there...but I'm back now. I'm alive, Sugu." Kazuto hobbled a couple of feet toward Suguha, reluctantly using the cane as his support. "So please, c-can you stop hating her for what happened?"

Suguha clenched her fists against her shorts and refused to look at him.

"No."

"And why not?" Kazuto hobbled a little closer to her. "She's just here to help. I helped her in SAO, so I think it's only fair that she-"

"I don't care what the two of you were in that game," hissed Suguha. "I don't trust her, Onii-chan. I just don't."

Kazuto sighed in defeat. "Alright... I can tell where this conversation's going, so I'll just reroute it somewhere else. Sugu, could you at least pretend to be nice to her when she comes over?"

Suguha dryly scoffed, the sound carrying a tone mixing bitterness and sarcasm. She looked over his shoulder with a half-teasing expression.

"That's what you call rerouting the conversation somewhere else?" she asked.

Kazuto's serious face didn't waver. "Please, Sugu?"

She looked away. "I'll be indifferent to her. That's the best I can do, Onii-chan."

With that, the girl walked into the kitchen in a bit of a huff. Kazuto watched her approach the fridge, open it up, and bend over so she could find the turkey. At first, he observed her with disappointment. Then, he couldn't help but chuckle softly to himself.

"You think I'm a lot like Grandpa, Sugu? You're no different yourself."

---

Prompted by the ringing of the doorbell, Kazuto hobbled over to the front door with his cane. This time, he tried to look a little stronger, and he carried a somewhat suave attitude to his movements. Most of all, the smile on his face, while small in size, radiated the most enthusiasm that he expressed in quite a while. Using his free hand, he unlocked the door, took the knob with anticipation, and turned it, opening the door.

As soon as he did, Kazuto felt a sudden burst of freezing cold air flowing into the hallway, relentlessly showering him with temperatures colder than the Arctic. But even so, he felt nothing but absolute warmth blooming inside his chest, as well as the small, somewhat guilty dance in his heart as he looked at her.

"Merry Christmas, Kirito!" Sachi greeted, her own little smile just as enthusiastic.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Sachi," replied Kazuto. Then, he noticed the presence beside the girl in blue. "Hi there. You must be Asada. Sachi's told me about you. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The other girl looked away in an attempt to hide her soft blush. "...L-Likewise..." she replied, her voice slightly muffled by the thick scarf she was wearing over her mouth.

Kazuto blinked from surprise at Shino's current behavior, a betrayal of the cool, levelheaded personality that Sachi's story impressed upon him. But before things could become awkward, Sachi spoke up, her tone unusually chipper.

"Well, then! May we come in?"

Kazuto gathered his thoughts and hastily, nervously replied, "O-Of course!" He stepped aside and gestured into the hall. "Come on in, come on in. You two must be freezing by now!"

Sachi and Shino stepped inside the Japanese-style home, allowing Kazuto to close and lock the door behind them. Then, he looked at the two girls: whilst Sachi was removing her shoes and baby-blue coat getting herself reacquainted with her surroundings, Shino was looking around, her face mostly unreadable even as the shining glimmer of awe in her eyes was unmistakable.

"My mom will be here in another hour or so," Kazuto said. "In the meantime-" He looked at the paper bags the two girls were carrying. "You two can make yourselves at home."

"Thank you, Kirito," Sachi replied.

"Y-Yeah, thanks..." Shino whispered in a sheepish, nearly inaudible voice while she began to remove her own shoes.

Kazuto chuckled and shook his head. "Sachi, I told you before, we really shouldn't be calling ourselves by our gamer-tags anymore. I mean, we're not in SAO anymore, so-"

"Well," Sachi interrupted, "my real name's Sachiko, but you just called me 'Sachi', my gamer-tag. Hypocrite much?"

"She's got a pretty good point," Shino added blankly, her voice still muffled by her own scarf.

Kazuto briefly gagged before exclaiming, "Th-That's not fair! Y-Y-You were the one who made the rookie move and gave yourself a-a shorter version of your real name as your gamer-tag! I-I mean, everyone knows that Sachi can be short for Sachiko!"

Sachi smirked teasingly. "Well, what else was I supposed to do? Take the first two syllables of my surname and the last syllable of my first name and put them together?"

"Hamachi?" The image of the Japanese amberjack fish flashed through Kazuto's mind, and he sheepishly chuckled. "Well, I guess the name of a fish wouldn't have been the best choice for a newbie like you..."

"I like hamachi," a muffled Shino said out of nowhere, her eyes peering at the couple from above her obstructive scarf.

"And I like the name Kirito," added Sachi. "It rolls off the tongue much easier than Kazuto-kun or Kirigaya-kun. So!" She raised a finger. "Kirito it is!"

Kazuto opened his mouth in an attempt to protest her decision, and to remind her of classic gamer ethics. However, the adolescent stopped when he saw how happy Sachi's face was even at the prospect of using his gamer-tag as a referential term. So happy, in fact, that he abruptly forced his mouth shut. A warm, fluttering feeling started bursting in his stomach as he followed the two girls into the house.

"Wow... What the hell is wrong with me today...?" Kazuto looked down at the floorboards that he strolled over, following in Sachi's footsteps. "No. This isn't entirely new. You always get these feelings whenever Sachi's here. You're just excited that she's been alive all this time, and that she can now be a part of your life..."

"I love you, so very much."

Kazuto held down the writhing worm in his gut and followed Sachi and Shino into the living room. Once the trio entered, they froze upon spotting Suguha standing there, a knife in her hand.

"Uhhhhh..." Sachi swallowed as lightly as she could. "H-Hi there, S-Suguha..." Then, she quickly gestured to Shino, who had her eyes narrowed at the kendo practitioner. "O-Oh, a-and this is my friend, Shino Asada! She's my plus one for this dinner. Kiri- uh, K-Kazuto knows about her already."

They were met with a cold silence and a deathly stare from Suguha. The younger girl's face was slackened into a neutral expression, but her lips were pursed tightly, and her eyes were glimmering with disapproval, even hatred. Kazuto started to sweat while eyeing the knife in Suguha's hand.

"Sugu...?" the boy asked, trying his best to sound innocent. "Why do you have a knife...?"

For a few seconds, Suguha didn't respond. Then, while keeping her eyes trained on Sachi, she lifted her index finger and used it to absentmindedly stroke the blade's cleaned, gleaming surface. And that was when she spoke.

"For cooking, obviously."

She walked back to the kitchen, leaving behind a rigid Shino, a relieved Sachi, and a stunned Kazuto.

"THIS is her idea of being indifferent to Sachi?!" Kazuto thought.

---

"So tell me, how was work today, Kirigaya-san?"

Midori swallowed and lowered her silverware so she could smile at Sachi. "Busy as usual, dear. But hey! Those magazines aren't gonna write themselves! And as long as computers remain the face of our future, we are gonna be as informative about them as possible!" Then, she noticed certain movement at the corner of her eye and frowned like a mother would. "Kazuto, what'd I tell you about wiping your mouth? We've got guests here, you know."

"I know, I know," the boy grumbled with his mouth half-full. He took a napkin and used it to wipe the corners of his lips.

Once he was done, Kazuto scanned the table. It was just him, Sachi, Midori, Suguha, and Shino for the dinner. As usual, the family patriarch Minetaka couldn't make it due to his overseas work. It was still intimidating for him, being the only male in the midst of a group of females. Nothing like the more gender-balanced, if not male-biased, settings of Aincrad he sometimes found himself in.

"Now, then," Midori continued while facing Sachi, "I didn't know you celebrated Christmas, Sachi."

"My dad was a Christian and converted my mom," Sachi explained with a nostalgic smile. "We celebrated all the Christian holidays when I was little. I even memorized all the Christmas songs by heart."

Kazuto gawked at Sachi in surprise. "Sachi's parents were Christian? I didn't know that. I just...I thought she only knew that 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' song..."

At the same time, the girl's smile then faltered somewhat. "We... We stopped after he died and my mom remarried..."

"Oh..." Midori gulped lightly before moving on. "We-Well, you've been in this home many times before, Sachi. You know that we're more partial to the Shinto and Buddhist faiths."

"Y-Yeah." Sachi looked around the home, admiring all of its features. "The three of you have such a lovely home."

"And know that it's always open to you, Sachi." Midori smiled sweetly. "Regardless of your faith."

Sachi looked back at her with a smile of her own. "Thank you, Kirigaya-san. I've always appreciated your hospitality."

"It's no problem." She then made a dismissive wave. "And please, stop it with all this 'Kirigaya-san' nonsense! How long have we known each other? I think we're at the point where you should just call me 'Midori'."

Sachi blinked in surprise before smiling again. "Okay...Midori..."

With an embarrassed blush, Kazuto averted his gaze from the conversation. "Jeez. It's like Mom's trying to induct Sachi into the family or something..."

Suguha seemed to have the same thoughts, for she bitterly mumbled, "Jeez, she might as well just call you 'Mom'."

"Suguha..." Midori piped up, sternness trickling through her upbeat voice.

The younger girl grumbled something indiscernible, but Midori chose to ignore it, allowing her to take another bite of her fried fish.

"And how're your studies going, Sachi?" Midori asked.

Sachi briefly eyed Kazuto before sighing in disappointment. "Good, I guess."

"You guess?"

"My grades are always somewhere in the seventies range." Sachi pursed her lips. "It's disheartening, actually. If there is one thing that hasn't changed about me since SAO, it's my average grades..."

"Well, at least you've found a niche at the moment." Midori waved her raised fork at a certain direction. "Kazuto's grades were all over the place, if you don't count that PC research elective class he took in junior high."

"Mooooom," Kazuto moaned in embarrassment, "do we really have to talk about my grades? In front of Sachi, no less?"

"What? It's true!" Midori's voice took on a childishly bossy tone. "You're very lucky the school didn't kick you out with all of those grades you kept getting in some of their classes!"

The boy buried his face in his palms with a moan. Then, he heard Midori say something that made his heart leap.

"Sachi, why don't you tutor him?"

"Wh-Wh-What?!" Sachi dropped her chopsticks, which landed on her plate with a soft clatter. "M-Me, t-tutor Kirito?!"

Suguha too stiffened at her mother's suggestion.

"Of course!" The mother's eyes shone with excitement. "I do mean it when I say Kazuto's grades were all over the place. The only classes he never really had problems with were that PC research class and his math class. But all of your grades are consistent, so I think you'd be a good influence on Kazuto's academic development."

Sachi's face turned scarlet, and she started frantically waving her hands. "No, no, no, no, no! I-I'm flattered by your trust in me, Midori! I really am!" Then, she blurted out, almost as an afterthought, "I-If anyone were to tutor Kiri- uh, Kazuto, it'd be Shino! Her grades are better than mine!"

"Are they now?"

With that, Midori focused her attention on Shino, and she was surprised to see the girl scarfing down the food with muted exultation, acting almost like a starving cat. Kazuto and Suguha followed the woman's gaze and were equally stunned by the visitor's enjoyment of their mother's dishes, which they admitted would easily pale in comparison to some of the best food places out there.

"Asada?" Midori asked.

"Hm?" Shino looked up from her plate while still chewing her food. "Whu?"

"Sachi tells me your grades are good. Would you be willing to help her tutor Kazuto?"

"Wait, why do I have to still tutor K-Kazuto?!" protested Sachi.

Midori ignored her and addressed Shino. "Well, Asada? What do you think?"

Shino stopped her breakneck chewing and slowly, awkwardly swallowed. Then, she warily looked at Midori, then at Sachi, then at Suguha, and finally, at Kazuto. Once her normally cool eyes met his metallic own, she silently, shyly looked down at her lap and lightly grabbed at her skirt. An awkward, reserved aura swiftly gathered around the bespectacled girl like a protective shield, making Midori swallow in apprehension.

"A-Actually...you can forget that question," the woman said kindly before taking a spoonful of rice. "So, Asada, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself? Sachi's mentioned you a few times before, but she hasn't gone into great detail."

Once again, her question was met with silence from Shino. By that point, Sachi decided to act in her friend's stead.

"Asada's not from around here," Sachi explained. "She lives in an apartment that she rented in Nishitōkyō."

"That she rented?" Midori repeated. She looked back at Shino in surprise. "You live alone, my dear?"

"Sh-She does," Sachi replied, reacting quickly once again. "B-But she used to live in that area, so she knows it well."

"I-I see..." Midori recomposed herself and lightly cleared her throat. "I see. Well, then..." She gave Shino another warm, gentle smile. "Asada, I want you to know that this home will always be open to you too. Any friend of Sachi's is a friend of Kazuto's in my book."

"Thank you..." Shino quickly mumbled, her voice almost indiscernible.

Midori continued to smile at the bespectacled girl for a few more moments. Then, she turned her head towards Kazuto in time to notice him looking at Sachi, and her smile took on a playful quality.

"Well, Kazuto?" she asked.

"H-Huh?" The boy looked at her. "What?"

"Is there anything that you'd like to say to Sachi?"

Kazuto blinked rapidly in shock, and he slowly glanced at Sachi. To his dismay, she was looking back at him expectantly, and he immediately felt a blush erupt on his cheeks while his heart persistently hammered against his sternum. With an uneasy exhale, and a mental curse directed at his mother, he looked down at this plate and rubbed the back of his neck. Then, he gave a sharp cough and looked back up at Sachi.

After all, he was the Black Swordsman, the Beater, the one who cleared SAO once and for all. This challenge was nothing compared to all of that.

So, he said, "Thanks for coming over, Sachi."

When an awkward silence punctuated his sentence of gratitude, Kazuto started beating himself up in his mind.

"DAMN IT! THAT WAS SO GODDAMN WEAK!"

---

Kazuto felt a strange tug of longing in his heart while he watched Sachi follow Shino to the front door. Upon reaching her shoes, the girl in blue stopped and turned to give him another soft but lovely smile.

"I had fun, Kirito," she said. "I think we can both agree that this Christmas was a lot better than the last one."

The boy chuckled in understanding. "Yeah, it definitely was. We need to have more Christmas celebrations like this."

"Mm-hm!" Then, all of a sudden, Sachi's grin took on a playful quality, similar to Midori. "And you need to talk more next time, Mr. Thanks-For-Coming-Over."

"H-Hey!" Kazuto protested in embarrassment. "FYI, in the real world, I'm not the powerful swordsman I was in SAO! I'm just an average flunkie, a NEET!" He looked away. "A nobody..."

Sachi frowned and approached him. "Hey."

Then, she did something that surprised him. She gently took his chin between her thumb and index finger and turned his face so he could face her again. And then, she raised her other hand...

And flicked him on the nose with it.

"Ow!" Kazuto stumbled back, holding his nose as it lightly stung. "S-Sachi! Wh-What was that for?!"

"It's a little something my mom used to do whenever I was bad." Sachi beamed at him again. "Kirito, you're the one who cleared SAO! You saved over 6,000 people! 6,000, Kirito! You brought joy to all those families, and you also provided real closure to the 4,000 families who lost loved ones in the game! You're not a nobody, you're a hero!"

"A-A hero...?" Triggered by Sachi's diction, Kazuto guiltily looked down at the floorboards. "I didn't save everyone, Sachi. 300 people are still trapped somewhere..."

An image of chestnut hair fluttering in the breeze flashed through his head, and he suddenly felt guilty for feeling the tug in his heart.

"She's still trapped somewhere..."

"Oh..."

Though he didn't see it, Kazuto could tell Sachi was also hanging her head low.

"Are...Are you going to visit her...?" she asked.

He nodded somberly. "Yeah. I'll stop by the hospital tomorrow." Then, he lifted his head and tried to give Sachi a friendly, welcoming smile. "Do you wanna come? I'd love for her to meet you, Sachi."

After a moment's hesitation, Sachi lifted her own head and reciprocated his smile with her own.

"No, thank you," she replied plainly. "I have to walk Shino home, and then I have to get home and sleep. I've got a, uh, ahem, errand to take care of tomorrow. F-For Tetsuhiko and Kotone."

"I understand, I understand."

"And Shino will be helping me out too, so she's gotta sleep."

They both glanced at the aforementioned girl, who already had her pale-brown winter coat, scarf, and shoes on and was waiting patiently and quietly at the front door, like a cat waiting for its master. Her scarf was wrapped around the lower part of her face yet again, obscuring her mouth, and her eyes were blank and seemingly unfocused while staring off into space.

"Thank you for allowing her into your home," continued Sachi. "I really appreciate it."

"Ah, no problem," Kazuto replied earnestly. "It's just like what my mom said: she's welcome here anytime." He smiled at Shino and waved at her, but she merely looked away and did not return it. "To tell you the truth, she reminds me of you, Sachi."

Sachi looked at him, stunned. "She does?"

"Yeah. Shy, reserved, hiding behind an invisible shield-"

"H-Hey! I wasn't like that!" She hesitated. "W-Was I...?"

Kazuto chuckled and looked back at her. "I'm glad that you're looking out for her, Sachi."

She blinked in surprise. "You...You are...?"

"Yeah. I really am."

He gave her his widest, brightest smile, which didn't say much, but he still felt proud of his effort.

"I swear, you've become a different person since we last saw each other, Sachi," he said. "A better person. And I'm proud of you for that."

Sachi continued to look at him, her face ambiguous and indecipherable. It was clear to Kazuto that many, many thoughts were racing through her mind at breakneck speeds. He felt the same way too. He didn't know why his heart felt so happy and uplifted, and yet so utterly miserable, in Sachi's presence, and why those conflicted feelings were magnified tenfold every time he even thought about Asuna's prone, comatose form.

"I don't know why I feel so strange around Sachi," he thought. "It can't be because of what happened to her in SAO. No, I've moved past that. Especially now that I know she's been alive all this time. So...what is it...? What are these feelings that are brewing in my heart...?"

"Thank you, Kirito."

"Thank you. Goodbye."

Kazuto suppressed a horrified gasp and refocused on Sachi. At first, he could've sworn he saw her falling through the air, just like she did when she died.

Then, he blinked, and she was standing upright again, giving him a shy smile and tucking her hands behind her back like a bashful schoolgirl.

"It's all because of you, after all," she said tenderly. "You're the one who inspired me to do better. To become a better girl a-and a better person. To rise above my past and my old self. And for that, I'm very grateful. Very. And I-" She suddenly hesitated for a moment, before continuing. "I know there's still 300 people trapped, a-and that she's one of them...b-but that doesn't mean you're not a hero. Th-That just means...there's more work to be done."

"There's more work to be done..." Kazuto repeated, more to himself than to anyone else.

"Yeah. So..." Sachi hesitated again. "Y-You should never give up, Kirito! There's always another way! Always!"

Kazuto stared into the girl's deep eyes and saw nothing but resolve and compassion in them. He always never pondered on what other people thought of him during his fateful final battle with Heathcliff on Floor 75, the battle that decided the fates of 6,000 souls. But now, he knew.

And now, he had an idea on what it was like to admire a hero.

"Thank you, Sachi," he said. "Thank you...so much..."

---

– X-Y-X –

---

"It's all because of you, after all. You're the one who inspired me to do better. To become a better girl a-and a better person. To rise above my past and my old self. And for that, I'm very grateful. Very. And I-"

"I love you for that..."

After saying her joyous final goodbyes to Kazuto and Midori, Sachi escorted Shino out of the Kirigaya family property and onto the sidewalk, into the embrace of the winter night. Then, the two girls headed in the direction of Nishitōkyō, side by side and in synchronization with each other. At first, neither of them spoke, instead delving deep into their thoughts. And then, one of them decided to take the initiative and break the ice.

"Kirito, was it? He was cute."

Sachi nearly choked on her own spit. "Wh-Wh-Whaaaaat?!"

Shino nodded stiffly, her face comically blank. "I'd like to fuck him and have his baby."

"Sh-Sh-Shino!" Sachi stammered, her voice overwhelmed by her overflowing, chaotic mix of emotions. "Wh-Wh-What're you s-saying?! S-Si-Since when w-were you so v-v-vu-vu-vulgar?!"

Though she couldn't see Shino's mouth behind her thick scarf, Sachi suddenly imagined the small but wry smile forming on her friend's lips.

"Ohhh, just admit it, Sachi," the bespectacled girl said, a playful tone shining through the cracks of her cool façade. "You like him. You've already mentioned him to me so many times. And...it's no wonder you'd sometimes skip out on our get-togethers..." She blinked once. "I understand now."

Sachi blushed intensely and looked away. "I-I don't like him, Shino!"

"Yeah...you're right. You don't like him. You love him." Shino met her friend's eyes and spoke again before the other girl could protest. "I see it in the way you look at him, every time."

Upon reading Shino's narrow, focused gaze, Sachi knew that she was beat. With a sigh that emerged from her mouth as a cloud in the winter cold, she slowly looked down at the concrete blocks comprising the sidewalk.

"So, does he know?" Shino asked.

Another cloud emerged from Sachi's open mouth. "You already know the answer to that."

"Then..." The bespectacled girl stared ahead. "You should tell him."

Sachi pursed her lips. "I shouldn't..."

"And why not?"

"He's got her."

"She and I are married. We...We love each other..."

"He's in love with someone else. Someone with a lot more courage than me, if their marriage is of any indication."

"But...that someone is one of the 300 still trapped, right?"

Sachi glared at her friend. "What're you saying, Shino?! That I snatch Kirito away from her while she's like that?!"

"We don't know what's gonna happen to those 300."

"Maybe not, but even so, I care." Sachi's expression slackened in empathy, the image of a comatose little girl appearing in her memory. "Keiko-chan's also among them, Shino. Whatever fate Asuna has, Keiko-chan shares it with her. One way or another."

Shino sighed, a cloud of her own being expelled from her orifice. "So that's why you declined Kirito's offer to go with him to the hospital?"

Sachi swallowed. "I...I don't know what to feel about Asuna, Shino... On one hand, I...I envy her for beating me to Kirito. And whenever I envy her, I visualize her in that hospital bed, unable to get to him anymore...and...it makes me...I don't know, a little happy. But on the other hand...whenever I think of her in that bed, that makes me think about Keiko-chan, who is in the exact same condition as her. And whenever I think about Keiko-chan...I feel nothing but care for her..."

"And then that care is carried over to Asuna..."

"Well, it's not like I'm a-a sadist or a yandere or anything like that either!"

"I see..." Shino blinked slowly and silently. "Well...I may not be experienced in love, Sachi...but you know as well as I do that I'm a great reader. And that doesn't just apply to books."

"Huh?" The girl in blue blinked, surprised. "What do you mean, Shino?"

"You've got a lot of baggage when it comes to your feelings for Kirito. And if you don't find a surefire way to take care of it, you're just going to explode one of these days. No matter what happens next."

With that, Shino picked up the pace, while Sachi started to slow down, her mind becoming preoccupied with a cacophony of conflicted feelings and thoughts. In the midst of her inner storm, Sachi could barely register her friend's position now becoming a short distance away from her, away from any analysis or judgment.

A single snowflake began to fall gracefully from the sky.

---

"Wow. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place."

Sachi took a deep breath as she stared at Mari from the other side of her screen. The nurse had just returned to her seat after retrieving a cup of freshly brewed tea.

"I don't know what to do, Mari," she said. "I love him...but he loves someone else...someone who loves him back, but is now far out of his reach. It's...It's not fair..."

"Well, no one ever said life was supposed to be fair," Mari replied consolingly. "We've just gotta make do with what we've got right now and look forward to the new day." When Sachi did not look assuaged or convinced, the nurse only broadened her smile. "Hey, chin up, Sachi! I'm sure someone better will show up in your life, Sachi. Someone who'll truly love you and care for you."

Sachi looked down in shame. "But...I'm afraid, Mari..."

"Of what? Of being with someone who's not Kirito?"

"No. Of actually loving them back." She looked up with pursed lips. "Because...I know that, no matter how much I'd love this person, those feelings will never be as strong for the feelings that I have for Kirito."

Mari's eyes softened in realization. "And you're afraid that you'll wind up breaking that person's heart."

Sachi somberly nodded. "Kirito means so much to me, Mari. I had never felt safer and more self-assured when he came into my life. And now..." She looked down again. "Now...he's just as far away from me as Asuna is to him..."

"I see..." Then, after a moment of grim silence, Mari's smile returned. "It's alright, Sachi. You just stay strong and continue to be there for Kirito, just like he was always there for you. Keep doing that, and I'm sure that, no matter what happens, the both of you will appreciate the time you get to spend together. Understood?"

The girl looked at her former caretaker and nodded. She blinked a couple of times, staving off the developing tears.

"U-Understood, Mari..."

"That's the spirit!"

---

– X-Y-X –

---

– December 26, 2023 –
Tokorozawashi General Hospital

Kazuto could barely register all of the stimuli surrounding him as he limped into Tokorozawashi General Hospital. Instead, his senses were in overdrive now, and he felt minuscule in the looming, oppressive nature of his current environment. He had never felt so tiny and meaningless, not even when Akihiko Kayaba appeared in the Town of Beginnings and informed all 10,000 SAO players that their lives would change forever. Images of Asuna's tangible yet so skeletal body invaded his thoughts, bringing a shudder down his body.

With his senses laser-focused on the path ahead, Kazuto knew nothing but solitude as he entered the elevator and took it to one of the hospital's upper floors. And when it arrived at his destination, he was the only one out.

He walked down the cramped, busy hallway, ignoring the doctors, nurses, and patients that he passed by, and eventually came to a stop beside a certain door. Although most of the sign beside it was obscured by a nurse, Kazuto could still read the last kanji, which read "-na". He suddenly froze in her tracks, his body becoming straight and rigid like a board.

"When we were logged out of the game," he thought somberly, "I thought...I thought that I'd get to see you for real this time. That I'd get to see you smile, that I'd get to touch your hand when you reach out to me... But now..."

He took a deep, elongated breath, opened the door, and stepped inside. The first thing he saw was the shadowy outline of a bedridden person, illuminated by the cloud-dimmed Sun.

"Now..."

Kazuto passed by the surprised nurse and took a hold of the curtain. He then moved it by an inch, but one last, lingering shred of doubt stopped her from continuing any further. But the boy's persistent resolve easily overwhelmed that nagging doubt, and he fully drew the curtain back.

More rays of sunlight started to pierce through the grayness, illuminating the pale, comatose girl that Kazuto beheld.

"Now I'm just waiting for you...and I'm absolutely powerless to do anything about it..."

"Asuna..." he whispered.

She was just the way he left her, still, soundless, and emaciated. With a soft flinch, Kazuto approached Asuna's bedside, grabbing a nearby chair that he could sit down on. Once he did, Kazuto took her hand, and as expected, it was as cold and bony as before.

It had been such a tender feeling, to be able to hold Asuna's hand in SAO. In the real world, not as much.

It was just not the same without her.

"It's such a shame, isn't it?"

Kazuto felt his heart skip a couple of beats. He shot up from the chair and reached for his sword, only to realize seconds after that he was groping at empty air. The man walked further into the room, the dim sunlight still reflecting off his pair of rectangular glasses.

"After all the hard work done in both real life and the virtual world, we couldn't save everyone." Seijirou Kikuoka looked down at Asuna's comatose body with sympathy. "It makes you wonder what the point of all this is, doesn't it? Why God decided to curse us with this terrible outcome. It's maddening."

"What do you want, Kikuoka-san?" Kazuto asked, his voice low from suspicion. "I told you everything I needed to know."

"Yes, and in the presence of your friend Sachi too," Kikuoka replied. "I don't know what she told you about me, but I can assure you, Kirito, that I'm not the man she thinks I am."

The boy narrowed his eyes. "Maybe not, but making people poke through years of bad memories tends to instill that kind of impression on people. Especially vulnerable people like me."

"What're you talking about? You don't seem so vulnerable yourself. Aside from the cane and all."

Kazuto gritted his teeth while tightening his grip around the useless rubber. Kikuoka seemed to notice his reaction, since he took another chair, sat down on it, and set his suitcase beside him, trying to look as casual and non-confrontational as possible.

"I apologize, Kirito," the investigator said. "I was out of line. I thought a little humor would break the ice, but-"

"Don't say any further," Kazuto interrupted harshly. "The more words come out of your mouth, the less likely I am to put my trust in you."

"Well, unfortunately for us, I do have something further to say." Kikuoka opened up his suitcase and pulled out a manila folder. "I believe this will be of interest to you and Sachi. It concerns the faulty NerveGear that spared fifteen lives before SAO was cleared."

Kazuto blinked. "What about 'em?"

Kikuoka opened up the folder, which Kazuto noticed was filled with some official paperwork. The investigator spoke as he read the folder's contents.

"Ever since the first outliers, for lack of a better term, woke up from the game, the SAO Victims Rescue Task Force went to work straight away. We hoped to learn the cause of these sudden awakenings and see how we could apply our findings to the thousands of others who were still trapped. Unfortunately, Akihiko Kayaba was always one step ahead of us. When the police raided Argus's headquarters, they only uncovered a few scraps of paperwork."

"I know this already," Kazuto replied with narrowed eyes. "Skip to the part where you have new information for me."

Kikuoka slowly blinked in amusement. "Well, this hasn't been made public yet. Only two dozen or so know this, but..."

He showed Kazuto the folder, and the first thing the teenage boy saw was specs of a NerveGear helmet. The specs were annotated with handwritten notes, but many of them were blacked out with sharpie ink. What little un-redacted notes he could read had something to do with the NerveGear's exterior covering.

"There was little for the Task Force to go on, but it was enough to leave a paper trail. A paper trail that we followed. And after months and months of sleepless investigations, we now know a little more compared to November 2022."

Kikuoka turned the folder away from Kazuto's prying eyes and read it again. "We now know that, in April 2022, a month before the NerveGear was released to the public, a single batch was found to have had defects of an unspecified nature, and that this batch was ordered to be returned to the factory for reevaluation."

"An unspecified nature?" repeated Kazuto.

"The paperwork that we have relating to that faulty batch is incomplete, and what we do have had a number of portions redacted, ostensibly to protect Argus's trade secrets. But at this point, the Task Force strongly believes these defects are related to the weakened microwave transceivers that spared the outliers' lives. No other design or manufacturing defects were found in our examinations of the recovered NerveGear helmets. And we also believe the survivors' NerveGear were a part of that batch, and these faulty NerveGear had somehow found their way onto the market."

Kazuto blinked in surprise. "Do you know how that happened?"

Kikuoka shook his head. "Unfortunately, it's all guesswork from here."

"Who was supposed to do the reevaluation? Do you know that?"

"Not officially..." The investigator raised his head slightly. "But everyone involved in the production team at Argus told us that if there were any problems with the NerveGear or Sword Art Online, they had to be directly reported to one person, and one person only."

The boy lowered his head in realization. "Kayaba..."

"In your testimony," Kikuoka said, "you said that you had a private moment with him before you were logged out of the game. I know you described that entire exchange between you two, but I need you to think back to that time and place again. Was there anything, absolutely anything, that indicated he knew about those defective NerveGear?"

Kazuto's eyes softened. He tried to think back to that conversation and remember the face of the man he had conflicted feelings about. But now, all he could visualize was himself and Asuna sitting on the transparent surface, alone with each other, watching as Aincrad disintegrated into bits of code, kissing...

He then looked at Asuna. "I...I..."

"Think, Kirito," Kikuoka said urgently. "Was there anything that you can think of, anything that now stands out to you in retrospect?"

"I..." With his eyes still on his wife's prone form, Kazuto swallowed. "I...asked about the people who died..." An image of Sachi exploding into polygons flashed through his mind. "I asked about them... A part of me... A little shred of me...was hoping that he was lying about people dying in real life if they died in the game... I...hoped for some sort of salvation for those people...for so long..."

"And what about the 4,000 people who died? What about them?"

"They'll never return. In any world, real or virtual, once you're dead...you're gone."

"He was adamant...that when someone died in SAO, they died in the real world..."

There was a small twitch of disappointment in the corner of Kikuoka's lips.

"I see," he said. "So...from what you're saying, Kayaba indicated that he had no idea about the defective NerveGear."

"You know what, Kirito?"

Kazuto's eyes narrowed, and he looked at Kikuoka. "No."

"I wanna believe it's still out there."

"No, he didn't just indicate it."

"That somewhere and in some other world, my castle is still standing, taller than ever."

"He didn't know anything about those NerveGear..." Kazuto's expression became firm. "Just like how he isn't responsible for these 300 players who are still trapped. I just know it."

"Oh?" Kikuoka arched an eyebrow. "Based on what?"

"Akihiko Kayaba may be many things, but he's not a man who would renege on a promise. Since day one, he was honest and straightforward with us. And he told me that all he ever wanted was to experience a reality of his own design. To live in it and breathe in it and feel the stakes of it. That's what SAO's boiled down to, all this time. An opportunity for him to experience a little bit of something that eluded him in his dreams. Something that the real world could never achieve. For a moment, I thought...I thought I connected with him on that...

"So...that's why..." Kazuto clenched his fists in determination. "I think Kayaba isn't behind Asuna's current condition, nor the faulty NerveGear that spared Sachi. I think something else is going on, something that's happening behind Kayaba's back. I don't know what it is, but what I do know is that you've got all this wrong."

Kikuoka gave him a little smile. "Do we now?"

The boy simply nodded at him.

"Well, that is an interesting theory...but of course, we've got no proof of that." The investigator stood up. "We don't even know what happened with that reevaluation."

"It doesn't matter," Kazuto replied. "I just know something's up, and it's got nothing to do with Kayaba."

"Well, I can assure you that we're pursuing every angle, and that we're following where the clues lead us."

Kazuto scoffed quietly. "Of course, you are." Then, he blinked slowly in puzzlement. "You said this would be of interest to both me and Sachi. I'm still not feeling interested in this, just a little more confused."

"Oh. Well, I thought Sachi would've liked to hear more on why she survived when she should've died in the first place. As for why I didn't just tell her myself in the first place, well, you already know why."

"So you've decided to use me as a messenger," the boy replied dryly. "How delightful."

"As for how it interests you, well, do you remember what I told you about the two dozen or so people who already know about this? Well, a number of them are Japan's top scientists, and they've used our findings as a starting point for what they hope will be the invention to end the SAO Incident." Kikuoka's glasses gleamed. "Once and for all."

Kazuto blinked again, this time in confusion and intrigue. "What're you talking about?"

Kikuoka gazed towards the foggy, cold window. "Thirty lives... Thirty lives we wasted on experimental medical operations and procedures to shut down NerveGear and log them out from the outside. Every time a medical professional claimed to have found a method that could possibly find a roundabout way to avert Kayaba's plan and save trapped SAO players, it simply ended in tragic failure and ruined careers. There were even a couple of cases where victims fell for con schemes and wound up paying a terrible price for it."

"There was nothing that could've been done," Kazuto replied. "I read the reports myself. Once activated, the NerveGear are sensitive to movement. Anything that it perceives as a threat to the microwave transceivers, it activates its defense mechanism, which is to kill the wearer as Kayaba had planned. So..." He looked at Asuna once again. "What makes these new professionals think they have the key to saving the 300 remaining players who are still trapped?"

"Movement, Kirito. Movement. That was the key they needed." Kikuoka looked at Kazuto. "If the NerveGear are sensitive to movement, then how about a more creative, out-of-the-box solution?"

"What're you talking about, Kikuoka-san?" But the gears in Kazuto's mind were already whirring, and he was putting the jigsaw pieces together. "Are you saying...they're going to try to remove the NerveGear...without moving it at all?"

"Not exactly remove. More like...disable."

Kikuoka flipped a page in the folder, and Kazuto blinked in surprise. Displayed before him was the photo of a device that looked like an alien blaster straight out of a sci-fi movie. The first thing that stood out to him was the single white stripe running down the barrel and slide.

"They're calling it the White Star," Kikuoka continued. "It's a miniature EMP weapon. The output's weak, but it should still be more than enough to disable the NerveGear."

Kazuto sprang forward and grabbed the photo of the White Star from Kikuoka's folder. He looked at it in disbelief, then at Asuna's comatose body yet again.

"They think this will save Asuna?" he asked.

"Yes, Kirito," replied Kikuoka. "And that was reverse-engineered from the defective NerveGear. The EMPs are powered by the weakened microwave transceivers, which have resulted in the EMP wave's weak output. If all goes well, the EMP will short-circuit every part of the NerveGear, including the microwaves, before it even knows what hit it. The paperwork that we found of the NerveGears' safety tests indicated that no harm would befall the wearer if the unit were to be turned off completely, without any warning."

"Indicated..." Kazuto's expression fell back into its somberness. "Which means you're not a hundred percent certain."

"Yes, that's true. But it's different compared to what was done before. And they did a test-run on a NerveGear unit that was provided to them by an SAO survivor." Kikuoka displayed photos of a NerveGear helmet, which was partially covered in soot. "The test found only internal damage to the NerveGear and nothing external. Nothing that would affect a wearer. The scientific community is confident that this will work. But there is one last step that needs to be done, which is a trial run on a live, active NerveGear."

"In other words..." Kazuto narrowed his metallic eyes. "They're gonna use it on someone who's still trapped."

"Yes. Ten, actually."

A terrible, horrible feeling started to wrap itself around Kazuto's body, squeezing tightly like a boa constrictor. His grip on the photo of the White Star tightened.

"Wh...What...What are you...saying...?" he asked in a shaky voice, though he already knew the answer to that.

Kikuoka blinked slowly in concern, but nevertheless, he replied, "The Yuuki family volunteered Asuna for the human trial. In a few more weeks, they will be testing the White Star on her and nine others."

All of a sudden, Kazuto felt as if Asuna's unconscious, unmovable body was getting farther and farther away from him. In a subconscious act, his grip relaxed on the White Star photo, until it slipped out of his hand and fluttered to his feet.

---

– X-Y-X –

---

Alfheim, Parcellus Hot Springs, Undine Territory

The warm spring water poured all over Sachi's body, plastering her blue hair against her exposed fair skin.

"Haaaaah!" a voice moaned in elation while water sloshed next to the Undine. "I don't know why I didn't come here more often! The Undines sure have the best hot springs!"

"Watch it, Leafa," another voice replied in monotone. "'Cause it looks like Recon's finally living up to his name."

"Wh-Wha-Whaaaaa?!" squeaked a third voice, which sounded the most feminine out of the quartet despite the speaker's true gender. "I-I-I swear, Leafa! I-I wasn't looking! Honest!"

A horrified gasp, then-

"PERVERT!"

Sachi wiped the water from her eyes and opened them, just in time to see an equally naked Leafa throw a full bucket of water at the opposite side of the steaming spring, where Recon's head was poking out from underneath. Even at the long distance, the hapless Sylph warrior couldn't dodge it in time and was struck right in the forehead, almost being knocked out by the force of the impact.

"Careful, Leafa," Sachi said maternally. "If you knock Recon out and leave him in the water like that, he could drown."

Leafa pouted while sitting back down into the pool. "Hmph! He could just respawn anyway!" Then, she glowered towards the entrance to their private booth. "Seriously, whose idea was it to make the hot springs mixed-gender?! If it weren't for that, I'd rate this experience ten outta ten stars!"

"Actually, according to the game canon," Sinon coolly replied while submerged neck-deep in the hot waters, "Undines are known for their historically liberal views of baring the body. In the old days, being naked was a pretty common practice, even when it came to members of the opposite sex. It was actually encouraged, to promote skin-ship." Then, she closed her eyes. "Or so the forums say."

"Yeah, forums. Where all the perverted guys like to hang out. Totally trustworthy."

"Maybe something was lost in translation. Either way..." Sinon opened her eyes again and gave Sachi a side-glance. "The Undines are basically a bunch of nudists one step away from a full-blown orgy. Quite an interesting choice of Fairy race, if I do say so myself...Sachi."

It was Sachi's turn to pout. "H-Hey! You're acting like I'm some sort of...of inner pervert, Sinon!"

"Maybe you are..." Sinon slyly slid further and further into the water, until her lips were almost submerged. "I mean, you keep ogling Leafa's chest as much as Recon does."

"I swear, you girls, I'm not ogling her! Besides, it's not like I can see much of anything through all this steam!"

Recon's miserable protest fell upon deaf ears. Sachi and Leafa both gasped in horror, and the former looked at the latter with a blushing face of embarrassment while the Sylph covered herself up again.

"N-No, I-I didn't!" Sachi cried defensively. Just then, she apprehensively twiddled her fingers while guilt started chipping away at her soul. "...W-Well, actually-"

"Oh, my God!" Leafa screamed. "I can't believe you!"

Sachi screwed her eyes shut. "We-Well, I can't help it! How can you expect yourself to have big boobs like...like those a-and NOT expect any eyes to be on them for even a second?!"

"I can't help how I look! My avatar's appearance was randomly selected!"

"You do know you can customize your appearance afterwards!"

"Well, call it an acclimation to my body!" Leafa raised an index finger in the air, looking a little like a snobbish, know-it-all little sister. "You only get one body in this lifetime, so your soul must be one with your body and your body one with your soul if you wanna win a fight! That's what my grandpa used to say to me and my brother!"

Sachi was about to spit a retort when something else that Leafa said prompted her to switch directions.

"Oh. I...I didn't know you had a brother, Leafa."

Leafa blinked. "Oh... We-Well, yeah." She crossed her arms, unintentionally making her breasts larger in the process. "I do. Now you know."

"This is the first time I've heard about him," Sinon commented.

"Yeah..." added Sachi while she joined the Cait Sith in the water. "You know, you've never really talked about your home life, Leafa. All we know about you are your accomplishments in kendo."

A look of discomfort crept onto Leafa's face, and with a sigh, she sunk into the springs too. "Well...I don't talk about my private life for a reason, you know. It's private."

Sachi gave her a warm smile. "But we're your friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah, Leafa!" Recon called from the other side of the springs. He started to wade towards the girls, his motions guided by unconscious impulse. "Tell us more about your home li-!"

"IDIOT! I TOLD YOU TO STAY OVER THERE!" When Recon hastily obeyed, Leafa calmed down and sighed again. "To be perfectly honest, you two...my life story isn't really something you want to hear." She turned away from Sachi and Sinon. "We're not even in the same party anyway, so what's the bother?"

An awkward silence briefly settled over the group, and the only sounds heard were the sloshing of spring water. Finally, a few moments later, Sinon broke the silence with her calm voice.

"That's right." She looked Sachi. "We never really did form a party, did we? After all this time..."

The Undine's face immediately took a firm expression. "W-Well, after all the battles and missions we did together, I think it's time we changed that!"

Leafa looked at her in surprise. "Wait a minute, are you sure about that...?"

"Yeah!" Recon called. "We're still in a party with Sigurd, after all!"

"Him?" Sinon asked dryly. "I can't even remember the last time we teamed up with him."

"If Sigurd has a problem with us forming a party together, then we can handle it," Sachi said determinedly, her eyes still trained on Leafa. "Come on, Leafa. You taught me and Sinon everything we need to know about ALO! We fought together and hung out together! For God's sake, we're the ones who completed that little Parcellus side-quest and got this trip to the hot springs as a reward! We might as well make it official!"

Sachi quickly opened her menu, traveled to the "Offer" tab, and selected the "Party" option. Sinon's, Leafa's, and Recon's gamer-tags appeared, the only usernames in her "Friends" list. Without hesitation, she selected all three handles, and in a moment's notice, notifications popped up in front of the other three players.

[Invite]

[«Sachi» has invited you to join her party.]

[Yes] – [No]

Sinon immediately accepted her friend's invitation. As for Recon, the girls didn't see him from their side of the spring, but Sachi soon got a notification of her own, confirming his acceptance of her invitation.

As for Leafa, she eyed the invite for a few more moments, her green eyes becoming cloudy with thought. Then, she took a deep breath and lifted her shaky finger over one of the options.

"Well...he did say we were free to leave and rejoin as we wish..."

...

...

...

The soft pinging noise indicated Sachi's newest confirmation to her party.

...

...

...

"That doesn't mean I'm now willing to share personal details, though!" Leafa snapped.

Before Sachi or Sinon could respond, the quartet heard the door to their private booth open up, which was followed by a booming voice seconds later.

"Sachi?"

"Huh?" Reluctantly tearing her eyes away from the uncertain Leafa, Sachi took a nearby towel to cover her modest chest so she could raise her hand. "R-Right here, sir! Is there anything that you need?"

The Undine warrior ventured further into the hot springs booth, his gaze hardened and serious despite the risqué nature of his location.

"Yes," he said. "Lord Fjord wishes to have an audience with you."

Sinon, Leafa, and Recon blinked and looked at one another in confusion. As for Sachi, she only had one word to say.

"Huh?"

---

Parcellus Castle

"Well, well, it seems that you're building an impressive track record for yourself, Sachi."

The fully-clothed Sachi swelled with immense pride while she faced Lord Fjord, who was standing in a private office with a gigantic window that overlooked Parcellus and the bordering ocean. The Undine Lord gazed longingly out of the window and upon the city that he called his domain. As such, he didn't witness Sachi humbly bowing her head before him.

"Playing a major role in the last five battles to keep the Salamanders and Imps out of our territory, assisting our alliance in completing significant side-quests with powerful items as rewards, and most of all, helping your fellow Undines when the opportunity arises..." Fjord nodded slowly in acknowledgment. "You make the Undines proud, Sachi. You really do..."

"I'm flattered, Fjord," Sachi replied with a smile. "I really am. But I'm just trying to do my part to help the Undines in the Grand Quest. Th-That's all."

"And you are doing a marvelous job at it, and then some...for a healer who's played this game for almost a year..." Fjord blinked once, slowly and idly. "Four months, and I am now hearing tall tales abound, regarding a certain healer equipped with a powerful weapon that negates Dark Magic, the trademark of the Imps. A weapon that's sent the Salamanders and Imps fleeing every time they see it. A healer that they call the 'Sapphire Shielder'."

Sachi swallowed. "The Sapphire Shielder, huh? Sh-She sounds like a very powerful player, Fjord-"

"You may cut the sidestepping, Sachi." Fjord turned and regarded his subject with interest. "I know you're the Sapphire Shielder, and I want to see it."

The girl was taken aback. "Pardon me?"

"You heard me. I want to see it. I want to see your weapon."

A tense silence entered the room, which was soon broken by Sachi's voice.

"Are you asking me as an acquaintance...or as-"

"As your Lord, Sachi," Fjord interrupted. "I am asking you as your Lord."

An uncomfortable feeling of doubt tugged at Sachi's insides, but she knew she had no choice but to obey. With a bowed head of loyalty, the Undine female pulled up her menu and equipped the «Trident of Protection». The item materialized in her hands, earning her Fjord's surprised reaction.

"The «Trident of Protection»," the Undine Lord said incredulously. "No wonder..."

Sachi looked at him in intrigue. "Wait...you know about the «Trident of Protection», Fjord?"

"Only the rumors..." Fjord approached her and gently took the trident from her hands, admiring the sight and feel of it in his own. "As major locations in the Undine Territory, Hermet and Lake Mjøsa are chock-full of quests that are exclusive to this Territory. But among those quests, the one said to yield the «Trident of Protection» as a reward is the most coveted. Players from other races have traveled to Lake Mjøsa on their own time to trigger and complete it. But an exact method to do so has remained elusive...until now, apparently."

"Well, I don't see how..." Sachi looked at the «Trident of Protection» with softening blue eyes. "I mean, the only reason I have it is because I just...found it..."

Fjord looked at her in surprise. "You...You found it. Just like that."

Sachi nodded once in affirmation. "Yes."

"And you did nothing to earn it? Nothing that even resembled any sort of quest?"

"No. Not to my knowledge, no. Not even a notification that a quest had started." She looked down to her feet. "I'm...I'm surprised that I was even allowed to equip it..."

"Hmmmmm..."

Fjord looked down at the «Trident of Protection», then back at Sachi. The girl briefly looked up without raising her head, and through her peripheral vision, she could've sworn she saw some sort of glimmer in the Undine Lord's eyes.

And then, Fjord held out the trident to her.

"I don't believe in coincidences," he said. "It seems to me that finding this trident isn't part of the quest."

Sachi looked up in surprise. "You think so, Fjord?"

"Yes. I think it's what you do with the trident that'll be part of the quest." He held the trident out further to her. "And I'd like for you to find that quest and see it through to the end."

Her eyes wandered from Fjord's to the «Trident of Protection». Its shining blue exterior reflected the golden sunlight from outside, giving it a lustrous glow that seemed to beckon to her. It was almost like it was alive, calling out to her...

She took it from Fjord's hands, albeit reluctantly.

"But..." she said, "I don't even know where to start..."

Fjord gave her a tiny grin. "Well, just keep up what you're doing, Sachi. Keep doing what you're doing right now, and I'm sure everything will fall into place for you. Eventually."

---

Next Time: Best Fit Line

---

A/N: And there you have it! We have a chapter focusing on the aftermath of SAO's conclusion and how Sachi's newfound presence in Kirito's life is changing him. And as you can see, there's going to be a whole lot of stuff for our favorite black swordsman to unpack! Oh, and maybe there's some unresolved baggage going on between him and Sachi, just as Sinon had eloquently put it!

And outside of that, there are other developments too! Because we are now in a divergent timeline, Silica has wound up joining Asuna in becoming one of the 300 players who have yet to wake up despite SAO being cleared. That's sure to put a damper on Sachi's wants and needs when it comes to Kirito. And there's going to be an experiment regarding a brand-new tool that scientists hope will be the key to the SAO Incident coming to an end, once and for all?! And Asuna's been volunteered as a test subject?! It makes you wonder how this'll affect the maniacal plans of a certain sexual harasser...

Now, I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:

-MeMyselfAndI82907:

1) Well, don't worry. Expect to see some glorious shining moments from characters who otherwise had their spotlights hogged by Kirito. :D

2) Yep, and Leafa's going to be in for quite a surprise when she finds out the truth...

3) Yes, just sit back and wait for the drama! Because it's going to roll in with the force of a wrecking ball... ;D ;D ;D

-MassiveCollateralDamage:

1) Thanks! I'm so glad I could provide you with some good reading material for your latest late-night prowl! I hope you remain signed on for the rest of this adventure, because it's quite a doozy and I, for one, am fully intent on finishing it!

2) I'm glad you enjoy the friendship between Sachi and Sinon! It's going to become a major plot point for this story, so I suggest you keep an eye on these two characters as we move along with the story. ;D ;D ;D

-BruhMoment65:

1) Yep, the Fairy Dance Arc has truly begun for real, and this time, it's going to be a lot crazier! You'll see in the following chapters!

2) Weeell...let's just say...Sachi and Suguha's relationship is going to go through quite the wringer. Grab the popcorn and perhaps some napkins!

3) Yes, yes, YES! It's quite annoying how the franchise takes the other girls' crushes on Kirito so lightly, especially when it's clear Kirito/Asuna is going to be the endgame, no matter what! Granted, the light novels are still ongoing, so perhaps a true resolution to all the girls' story arcs is still on the horizon. But in the meantime, the franchise is being coy with our feelings and expectations, which is just... *shakes head disapprovingly* Anyway, I'm definitely going to give all of these girls closure on their feelings. And it's going to be dramatic for each and every one of them. ;)

4) Mm-hm! As I've said many times, Kirito/Asuna vs. Kirito/Sachi is going to be a duel of the ages here.

5) Thanks! I'm glad you like my portrayal of that angle! We never really saw any sort of societal stigma against the SAO Survivors in canon; anything that the characters must deal with for the purposes of their recovery is more personalized and psychological in nature. Here, we're going to see more of what society thinks about these survivors. And I'm going to keep making these portrayals as realistic and engaging as possible! :D

Now before I sign off, I want to announce that I will be out of town for a week, starting tomorrow. I'm going on a family trip to good ole San Francisco and do some sightseeing there. It'll be the first time since the pandemic started that I've ventured right out of Southern California, where I live. Wish me luck and loads of fun! I'll try and fit in some writing work whenever I can do so at the hotel. But regardless, expect there to be a little lag (pun intended) between this chapter and the next update. I'll try and keep all you guys and gals posted if I get good Wi-Fi! :D

Well, hope you enjoyed the chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!