Happy New Year everyone! Hope everyone is ready for 2021 to step in and give everyone a new chance with life.
Thank you everyone who has been reviewing/faving/following my story thus far. Whether you know it or not, your reviews and everything do indeed help me continue to put these chapters out. Not to mention reviews that bring issues in the story to mind do help keep me aware of things I need to look at in future chapters. So again, thank you all.
Now let's step back into Aincrad to see how our heroes will go about this little adventure.
Disclaimer: Reki Kawahara is the author/creator of SAO. All rights and ownership of the material go to him.
Now then,
LINK START!
Chapter 15
The Girl in Black and White
Two days after the initial proposal, the couples stood before the church on floor 1. Both were dressed in their current attire, due to this ceremony being to bless the union before they were officially married back in Underworld. Kirito still in his black coat, Asuna in her KoB uniform, Eugeo wearing the uniform from the Axiom Church, and Alice in her armor. Among them were their friends, Klein and the Fuurinkazan guild along with Agil. Bercouli, dressed modestly to be somewhat professional compared to how he was normally, stood at the steps with Sheyta and Renly on either side bearing different colored cloths. It was a happy occasion, and everyone was anxious for things to get underway.
Bercuoli then stepped forward and announced, "Today, we are here to bless these pairs by the will of the goddesses. While not yet bound in matrimony, they will be bound by their promise and love for one another. It is this very nature that draws to the very meaning of the rings they possess. A perfect symbol of love, for it is never-ending. And so too shall it be for the ones gathered today." Even as he spoke, neither pair took their eyes off their partner. Each one beaming and restraining themselves from breaking apart the hands that joined them. Bercouli carried on, "Love is a mysterious and powerful force. As such, it is not to be treated lightly. Which brings us to our presence here today."
Looking down to Eugeo and Alice, Bercouli asked, "Eugeo, Alice, do you swear by the goddess Stacia to take each other as equals? Do you promise to pledge yourselves, your very beings, to each other for all eternity?"
"I do," Eugeo answered.
"I do," Alice complied.
Moving on to Kirito and Asuna, Bercouli asked, "Kirito, Asuna, do you swear by the goddess Stacia to take each other as equals? Do you promise to pledge yourselves, your very beings, to each other for all eternity?"
"I do," Kirito said, almost before Bercouli finished.
"I do," Asuna affirmed herself.
Bercouli smiled at their answers, then gestured for Sheyta and Renly to move forward. "These cloth strips you are joined by symbolize the bond you four are making with one another," he explained. "This bond has been fostered in you to this point. Let it cement your promise to always be united." Renly, who was working nervously, tied a blue and yellow cloth around Eugeo and Alice's conjoined hands, while Sheyta did the same with the black and white one for Kirito and Eugeo, albeit without any emotion or fault. Once both pairs had the cloth around their hands, Bercouli drew his Time-Splitter Sword and tapped the tip onto each pair of conjoined hands.
"Now by the power invested in me by the goddesses on high, I declare this union official," he proclaimed. And after he did, their friends let out a great cheer and congratulated the pairs. A new day dawned on a new path for the four from Rulid.
A little while after the ceremony, Asuna hurried out to the balcony of their new cabin down on floor 22 in the woods. She looked out in amazement at seeing the forest, lake, waterfall, and sky all before her. Alice joined her soon after before sharing a glance with Asuna.
"It finally happened," Alice said as her smile spread on her face.
"It did," Asuna returned, emotion still rampant in her voice, "it finally did." They were soon joined by the boys, who stood beside their respective partners.
"What are you two talking about now?" Eugeo asked.
Instead of answering, Alice leaned into him and muttered, "Nothing."
"Heh, yeah right," Kirito remarked. But they said nothing more as they basked in this moment together.
"We got the best house," Asuna commented.
To which Kirito brought up, "And now we're officially broke."
"Well what did you expect?" Eugeo griped to his friend. "Of course Agil was going to charge us an arm and a leg for those rings."
"It doesn't matter," Alice interjected, taking Eugeo's hand in her own, "because it was all worth it." Asuna agreed as she rested her hand on Kirito's. But the chestnut-haired girl noticed something was off with how Kirito stared into the distance.
"Kirito, what is it?" she asked.
"I'm just worried about how things will be when we get back to Rulid," Kirito voiced his concerns. "Like, how are we going to go back when they still think you two are criminals and probably heard what Eugeo and I did."
"Kirito, that won't matter," Asuna replied, determination evident in her face. "I don't give a damn how the villagers will think about us. It's not important to me, and it shouldn't be important to you either."
"But he has a point Asuna," Eugeo defended. "The villagers won't accept us back after all we did. I doubt they'll even respect us."
Resting a palm on his cheek, Alice assured, "You both worry too much. If we can't live with everyone again, we'll make a home out in the woods. We'll make our own home, farm our own fields, everything we need to be self-sufficient. And we'll be united, body, heart, and soul."
Asuna nodded, and held Kirito's face herself, "Even if we have to run away from the world, we'll stay together and live as we want. As husbands and wives." And the two pairs shared their feelings with each other in their new home.
Some days passed since they moved into their new home, and things had been amazingly pleasant. The four friends spent an equal time together as well as in their respective pairs, doing random activities in town or handling quests to earn money for themselves. But through the mundane, the troublesome, or the repetitive, the four found delight in this time they had together. And their bond seemed unshakeable after everything.
One morning, Asuna had awoken early and was beside the boys' bed, gazing down at the sleeping form of Kirito, still dressed in her night clothes. She couldn't help but marvel how cute he looked when he slept. In the nine years since they had been apart, she was happy something like this remained unchanged from the boy that gave her so much.
Resting her hand on his cheek lovingly, Asuna whispered, "I love you Kirito. Now and always." Gently to try and not disturb him, she lay by his side as she embraced him, relishing this little moment. But it didn't last as Kirito began to stir, forcing Asuna to sit up before he noticed her rather forward embrace. How she wished they were married so she could hold him like she just did even more so. But she stomped the thought out of her head before greeting, "Good morning Kirito."
"Morning," Kirito replied groggily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He then asked, "Did you say something just now?"
"No! Nothing at all," Asuna answered. The commotion between the two caused their companions to wake up as well.
When Alice noticed Asuna over by the boys, she teased, "Seems you can't get enough of your groom-to-be. I'm not sure that would be behavior to encourage."
"No, it's not like that," Asuna protested. Then she redirected by suggesting, "Anyway, let's go do something fun today. Just the four of us."
Letting out a sigh, Kirito pointed out, "Didn't we do that sort of thing yesterday? And the day before that?"
Pouting, she challenged, "Oh, you don't like having fun?" It was a joke, but Kirito had it blow over his head since he was still a little sleepy.
That is until he suggested, "Actually, there is something we could do. Let's take a walk to this part of the woods I heard about."
"I'm all for it," Eugeo responded as he became more awake. "Just going on a simple walk sounds like a nice change of pace." The girls agreed to the idea, and everyone got ready.
Rather than wearing their armor or battle gear, the trio had much simpler clothes to wear for leisure. Kirito wore a simple black shirt and pants, seeming rather bland. Eugeo was a bit brighter, wearing a sky-blue, long-sleeved shirt and tan shorts. Asuna had on a bright yellow sweater and a brown skirt. And Alice wore a blue dress that was reminiscent of the one she wore as a child. The two pairs walked hand in hand down a walkway leading towards the lake. No one aside from Kirito knew where they were going, but they all were content in the silence with each other.
That is until Asuna requested, "Hey Kirito, can you put me up on your shoulders?"
Surprised by the odd request, Kirito questioned, "Huh? Why?"
"Come on, it's not that weird of a request," she told him. "Besides, between swinging that axe back home and all your sword fighting, you should be strong enough to hoist me up."
"Asuna, is this really necessary?" Alice questioned, just as put off as Kirito.
"Oh come on Alice," Asuna retorted. "You've been thinking about doing the same thing with Eugeo."
Turning red, Alice argued, "No I have not!" But when she looked at Eugeo, she turned her head away in embarrassment at the very idea. Kirito saw no harm after thinking it over a bit more, so he bent down to allow Asuna to get on. She hitched up her skirt a bit to make it easier, but then glared at Eugeo so he would turn away and give her some decency.
She then warned Kirito, "If you turn around, I'm going to slap you."
"Are you getting on or what?" Kirito inquired, keeping himself facing the other way. Eventually, Asuna slung her legs over his shoulders and urged him to rise. He did so with a bit of struggling, and the girl marveled at being able to see much further from her vantage point.
Her hand on her forehead, Alice grumbled, "This is childish."
"Oh stop complaining, it's wonderful," Asuna debated with her. Then she urged, "Alright, let's go north-northeast." And they proceeded along the path to the lake.
At said lake, Eugeo noticed there were fishermen by the water trying to catch the fish that lived here. They took notice when Asuna grabbed a branch and nearly had a bug collide with her face. Kirito seemed to dip his head lower as if wanting to shrink and disappear.
Spotting his friend's distress, Eugeo spoke up, "Asuna, maybe you shouldn't draw this much attention." The girl took notice of what he meant and saw Kirito entering a mood of sorts.
"Do you want me to get off Kirito?" she asked.
But he told her, "No, you're fine where you are." And he rushed off with Asuna crying out before laughing and forcing the other two to catch up with the antics he pulled.
In a denser part of the woods, the four entered an area where a light fog was settling in. The trees were more packed together, blocking most of the sunlight at the forest floor. It gave off a bit of a spooky vibe that sent a chill down the arms of Asuna and Eugeo.
"What is this place Kirito?" Alice asked as they stopped.
"In this place, there's a rumor that people can see ghosts," he answered.
Growing nervous at the mention of 'ghosts', Asuna quizzed him, "You mean like those old monsters on one of these floors, right? The Astral ones?"
"Nuh uh. Real ones," Kirito corrected. Then he recounted, "A villager in the nearby town mentioned it to me a couple days back. About a week ago, a carpenter was just finishing gathering wood for a project he was working on. It got late, and the road was beginning to get dark. As he walked, he looked over and saw something white." Asuna tensed as the story was being told, while Eugeo was shaking in place.
"Terrified, the carpenter ran home as fast as he could," Kirito continued, wearing a malefic grin. "And ever since, when people come into this neck of the woods, some claim to see the thing in white too. Before long, it was believed a ghost inhabited this area." As he spoke, Asuna looked up and saw something white going between trees. She blanched as she saw it.
"Um, Kirito?" she said to get his attention.
But the boy continued, "Every time, the ghost would walk between trees. But no one knows whether it was vile or lost." Seeing the shape pass between trees again, Asuna cried out as she struggled to get off Kirito's shoulders. Flipping over, she landed on the ground and hid behind Kirito.
Frightened by her behavior, Eugeo chided, "Don't scare us like that Asuna. It's just another of Kirito's ghost stories." But she huddled against him, pointing in the direction of the thing in white she saw. The three looked and quickly spotted it. Kirito was shocked, having believed the story was just some fable told to scare people. Alice became worried about what it was. None of them had their swords, so there was no way for them to defend themselves if this was a monster.
That is until they saw the figure in white fall back. And Kirito called out, "That's not a ghost!" And he rushed over to check on it. Asuna called out to him, but he forged on ahead. So the three followed begrudgingly. They caught up after a while to see Kirito cradling a curious sight.
He was holding a little girl in a white dress. Her skin was pale while her hair was as black as Kirito's and reaching down to her waist. They didn't understand why a little girl was out here in the woods on her own.
Alice knelt to use a Stacia Window to check on her, but she was repelled by something the minute she tapped the sigil. Eugeo went to check on her as she assured everyone she was fine.
"What was that all about?" Alice questioned. "There isn't a power in the world to repel someone using a Stacia Window to check on their condition. Not unless they had their status sealed. Only the highest priests or the Pontifex could do such a thing."
Picking her up, Kirito told them, "We should bring her back to the cabin with us. She might be hurt or something." No one argued the point, but Alice eyed the little girl warily. What secrets was she hiding?
They got the little girl back to the cabin as the sun began to set. She hadn't woken up or stirred in all that time, making the group even more anxious. She was still alive, that much they figured out. The question that remained was what was wrong with her.
"Why do you think she was out there in the woods by herself?" Eugeo asked.
"I couldn't say," Kirito answered. "She must be a resident that has lived here in Aincrad. If she had committed a crime like violating the Taboo Index, she would have ended up in the church. Or the Pontifex would be trying to make her into a servant there. Maybe a sister in training."
"That's if she was proficient in Sacred Arts like I was," Alice reminded. Then she contemplated, "Still, if her Stacia Window is sealed, she might have a high Art Authority."
"Poor thing," Asuna said sadly. "She must have been out there for so long."
"We'll keep her here until she wakes up, then figure out what happened to her," Kirito proposed. The others all agreed to this. But then Alice asked Asuna to talk with her in private.
In the living room, Alice told Asuna, "Something is not right about that girl Asuna. You can't be refused to see someone's Stacia Window unless you have high affinity with the Sacred Arts. And there's only one person who has such power."
"You can't be suggesting she was sent by the Pontifex," Asuna protested.
"No no, far from it," Alice assured. "The Pontifex always struck me as someone who desired control above all else. I don't think she would try and use a child like that one in any way." Easing up, she said, "It's just, who else is able to have that kind of protection on their status? It has to be someone trying to hide something."
"But Alice—" Asuna began to argue.
But her friend told her, "Asuna, I know you are concerned for her. I know you too well. But don't let your concern blind you to what could be hidden beneath your nose." Asuna was left having to contemplate her friend's word of warning. But even with all that, she couldn't look at the situation like she could. They both knew that it was impossible.
That night, the boys opted to sleep in the living room and let the girl have their bed. The girls would be nearby if something happened. However, as much as she tried, Asuna couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about the little girl in the bed next to them. She began to think about how much that girl must have suffered on her own out there, with no one to help her. Being careful not to wake her friend, she got out of their bed and went over to lay next to the girl.
"Don't worry," she whispered, "I'll be with you. I'll keep you safe." She gave her a small peck on the forehead before going to sleep next to her. Unbeknownst to the chestnut-haired girl, the little girl smiled while she was next to her.
The next morning, Asuna started to awaken. She noticed she was facing where Alice slept. She turned her head to check on the girl before noticing something. She was wide awake, staring at her with a curious face. Asuna shot up while the girl slowly rose.
"Kirito, Eugeo, Alice," she called to her friends. Alice arose after being awoken, and the boys came in sleepily. But when the three saw the girl was up, they snapped out of their sleepiness and went over. They gathered around the bed as the girl looked around at them. "Are you okay? Do you remember what happened to you?" Asuna asked her. The girl looked down as she thought, before shaking her head.
"Do you remember your name?" Eugeo asked next.
The girl took a while to answer, but she eventually uttered, "Yu… i." With more confidence, she told them, "My name is Yui."
"Yui," Alice repeated. She followed up by asking, "Do you remember how you ended up in the woods Yui?" Yui shook her head at this, so Alice went on to ask, "What about your family?" Yui again answered negative. "Then what about—"
"Alice, leave her alone," Kirito admonished. "You're scaring her." Yui was indeed withdrawing into herself with each question Alice asked. She apologized and softened her demeanor for the time being. Sitting on the bed, Kirito introduced, "Nice to meet you Yui. My name's Kirito."
"Ki… to?" Yui tried to repeat.
"Almost. Ki-Ri-To," he sounded out his name for her. "Try again." But the girl still struggled to say his name.
So Eugeo offered, "My name's Eugeo. Why don't you try saying mine? It might be easier."
But again, Yui just uttered, "Yu-yo."
"Yu-Ji-Oh. Try again." But again, Yui couldn't say his name correctly either. The girls tried with their names too, but Yui could only say "Una" and "Riso", much to their dismay.
Giving her a small pat on the head, Kirito decided, "Maybe we'll try something else. Anyway, do you know where your family is?"
But Yui answered, "No. I don't remember anything." Asuna was devastated to hear this. To not know something so important seemed too cruel.
But Eugeo offered, "Well we'll help you find them. In the meantime, just call us by whatever feels comfortable." Yui looked to her lap once more as if in thought while Alice was about to leave the room to see what they could make for a meal.
But she stopped when Yui said, "Daddy." As she looked back, Yui looked to Kirito and told him, "Ki-to is Daddy." Then she looked at Asuna and spoke, "A-una is Mommy." The two she regarded were a little taken aback. Mainly due to the implications being made with those titles. But as they reeled, Yui looked like she was about to cry.
Then, to Alice's shock and horror, Asuna replied, "Okay. I'm Mommy." This brightened Yui up, and she hugged Asuna while calling her Mommy.
"I guess that makes me the Uncle," Eugeo joshed to Kirito.
But then Yui turned and hugged him, and she called him, "Uncle." This caused Eugeo to face-fault while Kirito chuckled at his friend's misfortune.
What did we do to have this happen to us? Alice thought, appalled at what had just occurred.
A little later, the four were eating their breakfast that Asuna managed to make. She was just finishing a dish to make for Yui, who sat next to Kirito as he looked over some quests to take. Eugeo was using a whetstone to keep the Blue Rose Sword nice and sharp, and Alice was looking through letters from their friends on the upper floors. As Kirito ate into his spicy sandwich, he felt Yui watching him for some reason. But it wasn't long before Asuna had a small dish set out for the little girl. Though she didn't go for it right away, which worried Asuna a bit.
"What's wrong Yui? Aren't you hungry?" she asked.
To which the girl answered, "I want what Daddy has." Said individual looked at his sandwich, then seemed to think about something.
"I don't know Yui," he warned, "Mommy makes this extra spicy. Even Eugeo can't handle it."
Pausing in his sword care, Eugeo commented, "The only one who can handle it has been you so far. I just wonder if you even have any taste to sense how hot that stuff is."
Despite their warnings, Yui persisted. Kirito relented and offered his other half to her. The girl accepted it and took a big bite. Her face scrunched up as she ate, and everyone braced for her to cry out from the intense heat.
But, to their amazement, she swallowed and said, "I like it. It's yummy."
"Man, you must have an iron stomach," Kirito remarked. "We should have an extra spicy dinner tonight."
"Hold on, we can't go that hot with the food," Asuna reminded. "We need to make something all of us can enjoy."
"Well, you heard the lady," Kirito said.
And Yui repeated, "You heard the lady." The two shared a laugh, and even Asuna couldn't help but smile at how Yui interacted with everyone.
Eugeo was happy to see Kirito enjoying himself for a change, but he quickly noted how Alice seemed to watch Yui rather intensely. He couldn't help the impression that she was upset at how Yui engaged them, especially since she came into their lives out of nowhere.
Later, Kirito and Asuna took Yui out front and began to play with her. Kirito let Yui chase him around at times, roll around in the grass, or even lift her in the air and pretend she was a bird. Eugeo watched them from the doorstep alongside Alice. Not wanting to leave matters, he got her attention to ask her.
"What's wrong Alice?" he inquired. "You seem upset at Yui for some reason. This isn't because she thinks Kirito and Asuna are her father and mother, is it?"
"No Eugeo, that's not it," Alice responded rather coldly. Her attitude put him off, but she apologized for it as she softened her features. "The truth is, we don't know who she is and what she might be capable of. I mean, I was unable to open her Stacia Window. That sort of thing gives me a bad feeling. Doesn't it do the same to you?"
"Well not really," Eugeo admitted. "Being honest, having Yui around actually feels nice. In a way, it feels like we have someone that we can give the best life to. Something we never had growing up."
"Eugeo, she's not even their child," Alice told him, watching as Asuna held Kirito down so Yui could tickle him. "She's a total stranger. Not to mention her family is probably out looking for her. I should mention her to Uncle."
Eugeo went over to his partner and rested a hand on hers. "Alice, stop worrying so much," he requested. "I know it may seem like a bad idea, but Yui doesn't mean us any harm. And besides, she's just an innocent girl who lost her memory. Do you really want to put her in the same situation you were in not too long ago?"
Alice recalled how she had been taken by the Integrity Knights for something so simple. It had been terrifying for her. And there was little doubt Bercouli would probably do something similar with Yui if he learned about her.
Relenting, she said, "Alright, we'll sort this out on our own. But I still can't shake the feeling that there is more to Yui than some little girl from the woods." Eugeo held her at his side to comfort her, and she leaned into him in kind. The two watched the three on the field play and laugh, seeing something truly wonderful.
It was decided that the four would try to find Yui's family floor by floor. If they were in Aincrad, they had to be in one of the towns established in the castle. Their best bet would be floor 1, starting in the Town of Beginnings.
The next day found the four friends and child entering the almost empty town, having their battle gear in pouches they carried as well as their swords at their sides. The arrival reminded the three that came here earlier in the year of their encounter with Kayaba, the ruler of Aincrad. It was hard to fathom everything they had come across since that day, not to mention getting Asuna back after she suffered through a ritual the Pontifex put her through. But they pushed past the memories and set about finding Yui's family.
Holding her in a piggyback fashion, Kirito inquired, "Anything here look familiar Yui?" The girl looked around the plaza, but shook her head.
"Let's go around town and see if anything reminds her of something," Eugeo proposed. "Sorta like what happened with Asuna."
"That'll probably help," Asuna agreed. And the group started walking around town.
The entire town was practically devoid of any life, even the shops that appeared to normally be running seemed empty of any occupants. Eugeo looked in one of these old shops to find the building completely abandoned.
"Where is everyone?" he asked. That was when Alice noticed a flyer on a nearby shop that looked rundown. Pulling it off the door it was attached to, she shared it with the others.
"'Due to failure to pay taxes to the Aincrad Liberation Army, this eviction notice takes effect for this shop,'" she read, then figured, "The Aincrad Liberation Army. So our first encounter wasn't by accident. They really are this crass."
"So much for keeping the first floor towns safe," Kirito said bitterly.
But they didn't have time to dwell on it when they heard someone protesting down an alley. Without a moment's hesitation, the four rushed towards where the commotion was. There they found a woman in an outfit like those of the sisters at the churches in Underworld confronting six Army grunts. Behind the grunts were three kids, two boys and a girl, who had some gear gathered in front of them.
From what they heard, the sister had been behind in paying taxes to the army, and they weren't accepting the kid's gear or their shia. She looked ready to confront them when the four arrived.
Striding forward, Alice demanded, "What do you think you are doing? Do you not know church staff are exempt from tax laws?"
"In Centoria, sure," one of the guys replied haughtily. "But this ain't Centoria, sweet cheeks. And our rules are that everyone contributes to helping clear this castle. And I mean everyone."
"That's wrong and you know it," Eugeo argued. "The church's only income is donations from the people. You can't just demand taxes from them whenever you want."
"And what are you going to do about it kid?" another grunt challenged. Eugeo felt his temper rising, and he reached for his sword. But Asuna held her arm out to stop him.
"Let me," she told them. "I'll handle these idiots." She smoothly drew Lambent Light as she approached the men. The one closest to her laughed, not even phased by her fierce expression. Behind her, Kirito was smirking, fully aware of what was going to happen.
In a split second, Asuna struck the man in the face. But thanks to the Sacred Art in towns, the blow merely blew him back. Another tried to attack her, but she ducked and jabbed him hard in a chink around his abdomen. Another tried grabbing her, but she spun and kicked him over to her friends. Eugeo was ready to receive, as was Alice, and the two cut upwards, knocking the guy on his back and at their feet.
"Be grateful this is a safe zone," Alice regarded with indifference. "As an Integrity Knight, I would have the authority to reduce your Life by 70%. But since it can't go down, I can continue to torment you with more attacks like this. As can my friends."
Her words sent tremors in the goons, and they quickly fled with their tails between their legs. After they were gone, the three friends sheathed their weapons as the kids and sister approached and thanked them for her help.
"Did you see that Yui?" Kirito addressed the girl on his back. "Your Mom is really something. Same with Uncle and Auntie." At his calling her 'Auntie', Alice turned and glowered at Kirito. He flinched briefly, but then Yui shifted on his back.
When he turned to look at her, he saw her face was etched with terror. So he tried to assure, "It's alright. Your Mommy's not a bad person." But Yui wasn't looking at Asuna. She was staring at Alice.
"No," she muttered, terror laced within her words. "Stay away. Stay away."
Alice was perplexed by this behavior, as was Asuna and Eugeo when they took notice. Kirito tried to calm her down, but she kept rambling on. "Keep away. Keep away from me," she went on. She seemed to wrestle with Kirito as he fought to hold his grip on her, prattling, "The bad lady. The bad lady is here."
"Auntie's not a bad lady Yui," Kirito tried to reason. But then Yui got more violent and managed to loosen Kirito's grip. She ran back the way they came, forcing Kirito and Asuna to chase after her. Kirito quickly caught her, and Yui started to fight even more.
"No, she'll take me away," she cried out, fighting Kirito with every ounce of strength she had. "I don't want to forget. I don't want to turn into her puppet."
"Yui, calm down!" Kirito tried telling her.
Coming up next to him, Asuna pitched in, "Yui, what's wrong? What are you trying to say?"
"I don't want to go," she cried harder. "The bad lady will get me. The bad lady." Faced with no other option, Kirito pulled her into him and held her close. He shushed her softly, even as she fought him.
"It's alright," Kirito whispered tenderly, even as Yui fought on. "Mommy and Daddy are here. We won't let you be taken by the bad lady. We're right here with you."
Yui's struggles began to die down as Kirito continued to comfort her. Before too long, she hugged close to Kirito, crying into his chest.
"Daddy," she whimpered, "Mommy."
Heartbroken, Asuna joined in comforting the little girl. She added her own assurances that all would be well.
Eugeo and Alice came up not long after, looking down at the scene. As they watched, without anyone noticing, Alice's eyes flashed purple before they returned to their normal blue.