[Story Rewrite]

Yo! Poetry here. So, I wasn't quite fond of how some of the writing ended up. As such, I decided to rewrite quite a few parts. I'm sorry I've been taking a long time. I just ran into a long writer's block without any new ideas. Rest assured, however, that I'll try to work on the story as long as I possibly can. Anyhow, thanks for the support!


Hey- Normal talking

Hey- Kazuto's inner monologue

'Hey'- People thinking

(Hey)- Inner circles mean places or time skips

~Flashback~

[Disclaimer: I don't own MHA or Sword Art Online]


At a young age, I realized that a happy childhood Is just wishful thinking.


{Queue song: "Anyway" - Divide Music}


"Wrong stance Kazuto! Again! Do it right this time!" a voice screamed out.

"B-but I'm too tired" the five-year-old child whined out.

"Nonsense! You're my heir! You've got the Kirigaya blood running through your veins! Soon you'll need to live up to the high pedestal you'll grow to stand on! Just like myself." Enji Kirigaya exclaims with a haughty voice and an air of arrogance.

He is a tall man with a very muscular physique. He has dark black hair spiked up around his head with sharp light blue eyes and a small stubble around his jaw.

"Ugh, I hate this! Why do I have to follow your stupid rules anyway!?" Kazuto screamed out with tears of frustration welling up in his eyes. His appearance was that of a mixture of a masculine and feminine facial structure with a small hint of fat around his jawline. He also has short black hair and coal-black eyes.

"As long as you live under my roof, you will follow my rules without any complaints. Got it?" his grandfather states with steel in his voice and a hint of killing intent.

"I-I…" Kazuto tried to stutter.

"What brat!? You're driving my patience!" he shouts with venom dripping in his voice.

"F-fine. It doesn't mean I'll like it though!" says Kazuto through the mist of fear.

And so started the hardest training of my life. Not even hell itself could compare to the type of torture he calls "training". That's if getting hit by a shinai every second I try to catch my breath counts as training. However, a year after Suguha turned five years old, my grandfather took a certain interest in her. I saw the shine in his eyes when he saw me fail. Disappointment. Annoyance. Disgust. I felt it all. After losing consciousness yet again in the four-hour match against my grandfather, I woke up to the sound of screaming with said grandfather on one side of the door and my mother on the other side, with little Sugu cowering at her side.

"This has gone on long enough Enji! I stayed out of your way when you threatened to tell Kazuto about his relationship with us. Well, not anymore! I saw the way you trained him. You're leaving bruises all over his body for god's sake! Bruises no child should have Enji! I won't let the same thing happen to Suguha!" exclaimed Midori Kirigaya through rivers of tears.

She was a woman with dark hair a shade lighter than Kazuto's. Her hair is in a bun with two bangs framing the sides of her face which is that of light, fair skin. Suguha is a small little child a year younger than Kazuto. She has short black hair and dark grey eyes close to blackish with a childishly round face.

She was right about my bruises for one. They were a sickening blue and purple, like a broken blue emerald on the break of dawn. It made me feel fragile, useless. I totally HATED that feeling the same way I hated him then.

Enji felt his face heat up with repressed anger that it's a surprise his face hasn't caught on fire.

"How dare you! The reason I haven't thrown you and your disgraceful husband out of my estate is because the boy needs family figures! Even I know that!" Enji states in clear irritation.

"It sure doesn't seem like you do! You can't call this a family if all you do is take him away from us! You're trying to do the same to my daughter! Admit it!" Midori yelled out.

"Enough!" Enji screams out as he goes to backhand Midori.

The minute I saw his hand, I rushed to my mother's side without a second thought. Who knew that that small action led to the moment I knew I sold my soul to the devil himself…

"Enough grandfather! Leave them alone! I'll do as you say! Just leave mom and my sister out of this!" Kazuto screamed out.

His outburst made Enji freeze up and lose his composure for a second. He retracted his hand with a hint of amusement dancing within his piercing blue eyes.

"Hmph. Very well. But keep this in mind boy! If I don't see any improvements within the next few weeks, your sister will take your place." Enji spat out as he retreated to the training room.

"Like I'll ever let you touch her!" Kazuto grounded out at his grandfather's retreating form.

Little did he know that Enji's mouth twitched into a small smile for a quick second.

I kept my promise to that bastard, however. Days had turned into grueling weeks.

"Keep going brat! Go for a feint and then go for a vertical slash. NO! Wrong stance brat! Try again." Enji instructed.

Kazuto is seen running through his grandfather's instructive katas with grace and dignity fit for royalty. His motions too fluid to the point of being choreographed into a beautiful 'picture perfect' motion. He had been going through the same upward swing and defense variations for three hours straight without any break and he is starting to get at his wit's end to the brink of bland madness. His grandfather's scowling further cementing his hatred.

"What's the problem now, oh so honorable grandfather? The motion not graceful enough for you?" Kazuto spat.

He received a smack to the head courtesy of said man's shinai. Looking upward, all he saw was his scowling face.

"You're moving recklessly! There's no thought in your strikes. Your form is too rigid and you tend to overthink the kata motions." Enji pointed out matter of factly.

"Doesn't...that sound like stupid jibberish? You're stating opposing factors. Think, but not too much? Move fluidly without overthinking? What the fuck?" questioned Kazuto.

"That language is unbecoming of an heir, boy" stated Enji with a frown.

Ignoring Kazuto's scoffing, he continued. "Watch me move. Take notes and analyze brat. You'll only see this once."

Enji was going through his dubbed "Hummingbird style" based on a Chokuto fighting stance. He moved so swiftly to the point of being a blur through the retrospective of space. Moving from side to side thrusting from the tip of the sword to doing several vertical slashes while doing half a cartwheel. Lastly, ending with a backflip while thrusting the sword to the right in a midway swing. His moves quick and fluid just like his fighting style's name as it seemed like a dance rather than an attack with the speed of a hummingbird.

Kazuto had his jaw dropped onto the mat. He got to admit, his old man may be a bastard without a soul and an oversized ego to boot, but damn him if his arrogance wasn't well deserved. After all, he was a legend in the International Kendo Championships during his old days. Seeing it up close, however, might have piqued Kazuto's interest to learn some kendo. If only just a little bit.

The drive of wanting to protect his family was left unsaid.

"See that, child? If I were in my prime, I'd move even quicker." Enji stated with arrogance dripping between each syllable.

Trying to downplay his awestruck face, Kazuto plastered an emotionless facade with a bluntly "Let's get on with it" while taking his stance. A lingering fire of determination roaring inside his own dark eyes.

Not all was bad, however. I remember vividly how on my seventh birthday, my mother was in for a shocking discovery.


~Flashback~

"Wow, Kazuto! How did...you do all this?" exclaimed Midori with a twitching smile.

"What do you mean mom? I just thought It'd be cool to have a computer at home..." questioned Kazuto innocently.

Midori hung her head for a second.

"Kazuto, when you said you'd be happy to have a computer, I thought you wanted me to buy you one. I didn't think you'd be talking about making one!" Midori stated exasperatedly.

There was a long pause hanging in the air. Then…

"You mean kids my age don't build computers?"

Midori hung her head again with a sweatdrop.

~Flashback End~


So yeah...apparently I was a prodigy. Not only by my mother's standards but by his as well.

"Good. You're learning quickly." Enji praised. "Not bad brat."

"Thanks, grandfather" Kazuto exclaimed emotionlessly, although a hint of surprise was shown through his eyes.

"Never let your guard down brat!" Enji roared out.

"Ugk" Kazuto was too caught off guard to do anything and felt the full force of the Shinai hit his stomach.

"You have the smarts needed to counter my attacks yet you let your guard down by the most meager of praises!?" Enji shook his head in disappointment. "This would certainly not do. Get up. We're not finished. For letting your guard down, I'll add one more hour to your training."

Kazuto grunted on a low note.

Throughout the years, my life had turned into a grueling emotional rollercoaster. The most scarring, however, is discovering the truth.

"You've been getting better. I guess I won't need to teach that girl after all. Well done, you're dismissed." Enji praised blandly.

"Thanks for the reminder, grandfather." Kazuto spat out quietly.

As he was about to leave, something inside of him compelled him to stay. Call it fate if you want, but Kazuto would state otherwise. Anyways, Kazuto and fate decided to stick around and listen to Enji's one-sided conversation. To say he was shocked afterward would be an understatement. No, he felt betrayed.


(Inside the Kirigaya Dojo)

"I've taught your son how to protect himself Yukito. He's a bit rough around the edges like how you used to be. I'm sorry that it might seem a bit harsh, but it's hard thinking that I could possibly lose him just like I lost you if he's not prepared for the real world. I truly am sorry...my son." Enji spoke softly to the whisper in the subtle wind.


(Outside the dojo)

Kirito's back was against the wall with glossy eyes. He didn't register his grandfather's words after he spoke that name. Yukito...he knew he heard that name before! He heard his mother cry every time she spoke his name as well as the name Aoi. Did they leave them to the hands of Enji? Did they abandon him? What about Suguha? Is that...why he hasn't met them? Did they not love them?

With so many thoughts swirling through his mind, Kazuto quickly ran to his room and turned on the computer. He wasn't hailed a prodigy for nothing it seems as he quickly downloaded his files from the National Registry and found the information he sure as hell wasn't ready for.

Name: Kazuto Narusaka Kirigaya

Relations:

Narusaka Aoi (Mother, Deceased)

Narusaka Yukito (Father, Deceased)

Kirigaya Midori (Aunt)

Kirigaya Minetaka (Uncle-in-law)

Kirigaya Suguha (Cousin)

These... these are all lies right!? He quickly clicked on his 'parents' files. It read the following:

Narusaka Aoi and Narusaka Yukito. Parents of Narusaka Kazuto. Deceased.

Cause of death: Car crash

This is a lie, right? His parents are here, aren't they? But...if that was so, why did his 'father' have that awkward aura around him when he tried to interact with him? As if he didn't know what to do with him? Could...could it be true?

There was a knock at his door followed by the opening of said door that cut off his musing.

"Kazuto honey. Are you here?" Midori asked as she went inside the room.

As soon as she did, she was met with Kazuto's intense and broken eyes.

"Ka-kazuto what's wrong?" Midori asked worriedly as she got closer to him.

"Is it true?" he questioned emotionlessly.

"Is what true?" she asked nervously as she took a look at the open files on his computer.

"A-are you really my aunt?" he asked in a small voice as he observed her face morph to one of shock and guilt.

"Kazuto wha-" Midori was about to take a step to hug the broken boy when he ran past her and out of her sight.

"W-wait! Kazuto!" Midori screamed out once she got rid of her shock.


(With Kazuto)

He had been running around the estate, trying to stop the tears from falling but to no avail. He ran to the closest door he could find, which turned out to be the dojo. He was letting his tear flow without any remorse and he hated it. He hated feeling this way. But, they lied to him. Lied! Was their love sincere? Was it all fake!? What about Suguha? How should he treat her? Should...should he leave her alone? She was innocent, wasn't she? Should he isolate himself? Wh-

"Oi brat!" the voice he knew all too well rang out. "The hell are you doing in here? There's no training at this time. " Enji questioned blandly as he slid open the door.

"Shut up! I-It's nothing!" Kazuto screamed out through sobs.

"Sure don't seem like nothing" Enji scoffed. "Stop being a coward and come here! You seem unstable."

"F-fuck off! I-I'm not in the mood for your pointless banter!" Kazuto screamed through tears.

"Oho! Finally grew a pair didn't you brat?" Enji mocked amusedly. "Too bad your bark isn't as great as your bite."

Kazuto jumped up to his feet with adrenaline leading his body. Running as a man possessed, Kazuto attacked wildly, like a rabid dog trying to kill its prey. After all, kendo wasn't the only thing Kazuto was taught.

Using the Krav Maga fighting style, Kazuto attacked in a fit of blind rage not caring if his punches connected. Enji, seeing this, just scoffed and dodged Kazuto's wild strikes with ease.

"What a disgrace. I've taught you to block your emotions and this is what I get in return? How pitiful." Enji spat out as he continued to dodge. "Your movements are sluggish like a wild beast. Your parents must be rolling in their graves. Hmph. No wonder your dear mommy and daddy left you behind. I'd probably do the same if you were my spawn."

His words may have stung him a little bit, but it had the desired effect. Although Enji hated insulting his deceased son and daughter-in-law, he had to rile Kazuto up to smack some sense into him. The way he is now, he'll just cause more trouble in the end.

"Shut up. Shut up. SHUT UP!" Kazuto roared. "What do you know!? You're just a cold-hearted bastard! You don't care about us! You just hurt others!"

"Just like how you're doing it now Kazuto?" Enji stated sternly while using his name. It helped stop Kazuto if the shocked look he got in return was any indication. After all, he was always called 'brat' and not by his given name.

"What are y-"

"Don't start with that brat. We both know what I'm talking about! I heard you and Midori talking."

Looking at Kazuto's still shocked face, Enji continued to press on.

"Weren't you the one that preached about protecting family?" Enji accused as he saw Kazuto's face morph to one of raising guilt. Good, he just needed a more subtle push.

"Well? Weren't you!?" he screamed out.

"I-I didn't mean it. I-" Kazuto spoke softly.

"Yet you did brat." at Kazuto's flinch, Enji sighed. "Ugh. Look here Kazuto…"

As Kazuto laid on the matted hard wooden floor unmovingly, Enji embraced him into an awkward one-armed hug.

"Even if you're not related to them by blood, would it really affect how you view them?" he asked sternly. At Kazuto's shake of the head, he continued.

"Midori loves you as if you were her own son, your cousin views you as her actual brother, hell, even Minetaka smiles at your antics from time to time. If that isn't what a family is all about, I'm not sure what is. I hardly know it anyway…" he muttered the last part silently.

At this, Kazuto's laughter was muffled by his grandfather's still awkward one-armed hug.

"O-Oi brat! Don't think I'm getting soft on you now! We still have more training to continue." At Kazuto's nod, he let him go."Now, dry your tears and go apologize to Midori. She's probably worried sick by now."

"O-ok grandfather" Kazuto stated with a small smile.

"Good." Enji smirks. "Now get out of here brat! You're getting too emotional for my liking!"

As Kazuto goes to his room to apologize to his 'mother', Enji looks up at the starry night sky by the window with a small, wishful smile.

"I hope you're looking Yukito...Aoi. He's growing up to be a fine young man. One I know you would have loved seeing growing up." Enji states with a single tear rolling down his cheek only muffled by the night sky.