Sword Art Online
After The incident
Chapter 18 – Hatred From The Past
~Kirito´s POV~
I ran down the steps of the porch, two steps at a time, and began running down the street. I ran down the street as fast as I could, fully determined to reach Asuna´s house before anything happened to her and her family. I was beginning to feel the burn in my lounges climb in intensity, but I kept going. My determination to protect the people I held dear was what kept me going.
I was panting slightly when arrived at Asuna´s home, and I dashed up her porch steps, ripping the front door and making a haste inside.
"Asuna!?" I called out desperately, not getting anything in response. "Asuna!?"
I began making my way into the living room, and I saw Asuna standing in the middle of the room, with the person I suspected was the female assistant of Sugou´s. They were both kind of covered by the shadows of the night and I stepped a little closer as my eyes began getting used to the darkness in the room.
"Asuna, are you ok?" I asked as I stepped up to her and looked at her with a worried expression.
When I didn´t get a response and Asuna merely pointed over at the other person in the room, I followed her finger and concentrated my vision on the person´s face. When my vision got more used to the dark lighting of the room, I could see the person´s face more clearly. It turned out it was Ichido, back from SAO. It was Sachi´s little sister.
"I-Ichido?!" I asked, shocked and at a loss for words.
She snickered a bit and nodded as she chuckled and produced a small hand gun from her pocket.
"That´s right you bastard" She hissed as she pointed the gun straight at me "Time to get my revenge for what you took from me!"
"Ichido, wait" I begged silently, holding up my hands in a protective way "Let´s just talk about this ok?"
"NO! I´m done talking!" She yelled, on the verge of tears "You took my big sister from me! It´s your fault they were all killed!"
"Ichido, just wait a second," I pleaded as I looked at her "I didn´t mean for that to happen! I swear I never wished for them to get killed!"
"I don´t care!" She yelled, unable to hold back her tears "What´s important is that you´re the reason that the one person I could rely on, is gone!"
"Ichido…" I mumbled softly as I watched her with a sad expression "You were not the only one who lost someone that day you know.."
"Huh?" She mumbled as she looked at me with a confused expression "S-Shut up! I don´t want to hear any of it!"
"Come on, just listen for a sec," I mumbled as I stepped forward slowly "I never meant for them to die. When I lost my guild that day, I felt like some part of me died as well. I was ready to commit suicide, just to get to apologize to Sachi for what happened…"
I could feel how the tears pressed in my eyes, but I managed to hold them back as I looked over at Ichido.
"But… She was the one saving me" I mumbled silently "If she hadn´t sent me that recorded message on Christmas eve, I might not have been here today… She told me that even if she died, she didn´t regret anything. She was happy."
"Shut up!" Ichido yelled, stomping in the ground "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"
I didn´t shut up though. I felt how my emotions got the better of me and pushed me to talk even more.
"Sachi was happy for the time she had had with me and the guild. She and her friends had shown me what it meant to be truly happy again. Even if we would spent all eternity in SAO, I felt like I was willing to do that as long as I was with those guys"
"The next who talks gets a bullet in the forehead!" Ichido screamed as she pointed at me threateningly.
"I regret what happened every single day" I mumble as I stepped up close to her "But that doesn´t mean that their sacrifices were in vein"
I slowly but surely grabbed hold of the gun, looking into Ichido´s eyes.
"You still have a chance." I mumbled "If you give up now, and promise that you´ll give up on your revenge plot, I will not turn you in"
"B-But…" She mumbled, staring back into my own eyes.
She looked down at her gun for a moment, and then slowly let go of it, looking downwards in defeat.
"Your parents are upstairs Asuna" she mumbled sadly "Go get them. I haven´t hurt them"
"alright" Asuna responded with a nod before dashing upstairs.
"Guess I would better disappear then" She mumbled silently, pulling the hood on her shirt back onto her head.
"Why´s that?" I mumbled "I mean, we can still be friends. Technically you didn´t hurt any of us, you were just confused"
"Yeah I guess so… And Asuna´s parents didn´t really see my face" She mumbled silently "Alright, I´ll stay in town at least. I owe you one Kazuto… Thanks for giving me another chance"
"You bet" I said with a smile as I pulled the magazine out of the gun and handed it to her "Keep the gun around, in case Sugou would appear again. We might never know with that guy, and since you´ve more or less changed sides, he might target you if he ever escapes prison again"
"That sounds secure" She said with a sigh and a soft chuckle "I´m really sorry for everything I did to you and Asuna, Kazuto… Thanks for the second chance, I really appreciate it"
"it´s ok" I said with a smile as I patted her on her head "I know what it´s like when anger takes over, trust me"
"Anyway, I should probably be getting home" She said with a soft smile "My grandmother is probably worried about me"
"Good idea" I said with a smile "Do you want me and Asuna to follow you home?"
"No it´s ok really" She said with a nod "I´m only living a couple of blocks from here. I should be fine"
"Alright" I said with a smile as I reached for my phone in my pocket "Here´s my number if anything should ever happen"
"Alright" She said as she grabbed for her own phone "And here´s mine. Think I´ll start taking a self defence class, if ever needed"
"Good idea" I said with a smile "Get rid of those clothes too, now that we´re at it. Asuna´s parents will surely give the police a description of you"
"But it´s one of my favorite shirts…" She mumbled with a pout.
"You do this kind of stuff in your favorite clothes?" I said with a raised eyebrow "I always knew you were weird, but wow…"
"Shut up!" She said as she playfully punched my arm "Anyway, I better get going. Thanks… For everything"
"No problem" I said with a smile "Keep in touch will you?"
"Definitely"
She smiled softly at me and sighed as she turned away from me, and began walking out the door. But right as I was about to turn to the stairs leading up on the second floor, to check on Asuna on the others, I suddenly saw Ichido dash back to me. I blushed dark red and almost gasped from surprise as she planted a small peck on my cheek.
"Asuna is lucky" She said with a smile as she giggled and ran back out the door.
I stood and stared after her as I rubbed my cheek, a dark red blush forcing it´s way along my cheeks.
"W-Well that was definitely unexpected" I mumbled silently and dared a smile on my lips.
I chuckled slightly and tried to force the blush away from my cheeks as I stepped upstairs, walking into the master bedroom where I could hear Asuna and her parents silently.
"I´m personally going to set the entire Japanese police force into finding that psycho!" I heard Asuna´s mother whisper hysterically.
I sighed softly as I stepped inside and looked at the group of four people, consisting of Asuna, her brother, and her parents, huddled together on the bed, holding on to each other as if it was the last time they were going to see each other.
"Don´t bother searching for any of them" I said with a serious expression "That person before got away, and Sugou is currently being held up at my place by my friend. None of them is going to be a threat anymore"
"How can you be so sure Kirigaya-kun?" Asuna´s mother asked silently.
"Call it a gut feeling" I said with a little smile "Is everyone ok in here?"
"Yes, we´re fine" Shouzou mumbled "None of us are hurt at least"
"Good" I said with a smile as I looked over at Asuna´s brother "How about you? Not hurt are you?"
"Nope, i´m fine" he said with an appreciative nod "You know, I just… Want to thank you, for protecting my sister. I wasn´t strong enough to do so"
"It´s ok" I said with a smile as I clapped him on the shoulder "You were caught by surprise. And she´s my family too. I need to protect the ones I love"
"Yeah you´re right" he mumbled as he sighed "I still find it quite embarrassing that I´m not even able to protect my own family"
"Oh please Kouichirou" Ms. Yuuki said with a stern look "Even if you hadn´t been caught by surprise I wouldn´t have let you fight"
"Huh!? Why not mom?" He asked in a surprised tone.
"Two reasons" Ms. Yuuki mumbled in a matter-of-fact tone "One, a parent´s job is to protect his or her family, not the opposite way. Second, you have next to none experience with combat"
"T-That´s true, but…" He mumbled with a pout "I can´t seem to recall you ever having any sort of self defense classes either"
"While that may be true," Ms. Yuuki mumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest "It´s still me and your father´s job to protect you, not the other way around"
"I guess there´s no arguing with you!" Kouichirou mumbled as he looked back at me "The point is that I thanked Kazuto here for helping us out. If he hadn´t we might have ended up dead"
"Hey!" Asuna yelled as she puffed out her cheeks in an adorable matter "I was here too you know!"
"Of course, I know that" Her other brother responded her with a smile "But from what I could hear from downstairs, apparently Kazuto has a deeper emotional background with this person. Isn´t that right Kazuto?"
Oh damn. Kouichirou knew that I knew who their captivator was. Asuna´s parents would without doubt ask who she was now. And if they did I would have no choice but to tell them.
"Y-Yeah… I know the person" I mumbled as I looked down regretfully "We have… Let´s just say, troubled pasts with each other"
"Oh, is that so?" Mr. Yuuki mumbled as he suddenly joined the conversation "Would you care to tell us who he or she is?"
"I-I´m sorry sir but… I can´t" I mumbled silently "She is a person who means a lot to me and uhmm… I gave her a second chance. I mean, she technically didn´t hurt anybody right? So, she hasn´t really done anything wrong!"
"Hasn´t hurt anybody?!" Ms. Yuuki yelled in disbelief "My good boy, she tortured you along with Sugou right in front of our eyes!"
"I know, I know" I mumbled softly "And I know that she hurt me badly.. But I´m still willing to give her that second chance!"
"W-Why the hell would you-"
Ms. Yuuki was suddenly interrupted by her husband as he put a hand on her shoulder, and shook her head.
"Don´t honey" He mumbled as he looked at her with an almost pleading expression.
"W-Why not!?"
"I trust Kazuto" He said with a determined expression "And I trust the choices he makes. Whatever you decide to do, my boy, I will support your decision"
"T-Thank you very much sir" I mumbled as I bowed politely "Let´s just hope it was the right choice I took!"
"I have no doubt it was" He said with a warm smile and a nod "Again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We owe you one"
"That´s quite alright sir" I said with a smile "I don´t believe in favors. You do good deeds to help others, not to push them into a corner with favors later on"
I smiled softly and looked straight over at Asuna.
"And besides" I said with a little smile as I sat down beside her "You guys are my family now. You are someone important to me. You have shown me so much kindness and support from the very beginning. I don´t want that support and kindness to go to waist"
I could see how Asuna´s cheeks burned up in a blush but none the less she smiled and nuzzled closer to me.
"Aww you" She mumbled silently as she kissed my cheek "Such a romantic"
"Eww you too, get a room!" her older brother said with a chuckle.
Asuna´s blush intensified as she glared at her older brother.
"You´re one to talk Kouichirou!" She yelled "I have seen how much you like to make out with your girlfriend!"
"H-Hey!" He yelled in retort "I thought we were supposed to keep that as a secret!"
"That was before you decided to tease me!" Asuna said with a huff as she dug her face into my chest form embarrassment.
"Oh my god… You´re impossible to argue with!" Her older brother mumbled in frustration.
"Trust me, I know that" I said with a chuckle.
"HEY!" Asuna yelled as she punched my arm lightly "Who´s side are you on?"
"I´m not on anyone´s side!" I said as I rubbed my arm "I´m passive in this situation!"
"Grr, you´re so annoying!"
I chuckled softly and kissed her forehead softly.
"Sorry hun" I mumbled as I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and squeezed her body a little "Better?"
"Maybe…" She mumbled as she pouted.
"Anyway," Mr. Yuuki mumbled as he cleared his throat "What about Sugou? What happened to him?"
"You don´t have to worry about that" I said with a smile "Unless he somehow overpowered Klein, he should be sitting on the backseat of a police car right now"
Right as I said that, my phone rang.
"huh?" I mumled and looked down at my pocket in surprise "Oh, sorry guys, but I have to take this"
I walked off a bit from the others and picked up the phone.
"Hello?" I mumbled as I stood in the hallway.
"Dude, I´m so sorry…" It was Klein´s voice in the other end.
"Huh? Sorry?" I mumbled, not able to understand "Sorry about what?"
"I don´t know how he did it, but…"
The tone in his voice sent a chill down my spine.
"Klein, what happened!?"
"There was this sound outside.. A loud bark of some kind" He mumbled "I turned my head for two seconds because I was startled, and…"
"What is it Klein?"
"Right when I turned my head, Sugou had grabbed a bottle of some kind" He said as he grunted of pain "He bashed me down with it and took off somewhere. I tried following him, but he´s gone"
My whole world froze as I heard those words. Here I thought we had finally caught the bastard, but he is still in the free world, free to do whatever he wanted to me and the people I held dear.
"We need to find him Klein!" I yelled loudly "This has both your and everyone else´s life on the line!"
"I know, I know" He mumbled as he grunted again "Dude, I´m really sorry. I should have payed closer attention to him"
"It´s ok Klein" I mumbled with a sigh "We´ll find him, I promise you"
"Ok… I-I have to go now. The paramedics are treating me and your mother and sister"
"Ok, call me if you get better ok? I´m coming by right away"
"Ok, see you soon…"
When the phone call ended and I heard the infamous three beeps, I sighed and closed my phone, looking down at the floor with an infuriated growl.
"Damn you Sugou…" I mumbled regretfully "I shouldn´t have left Klein all alone with him"
I sighed softly as I put my phone back in my pocket and walked back into the master bedroom, back to the others. I frowned and felt how I was about to cry from frustration and fear. He was still out there, I had no idea where he was, and the worst thing of all, is that he could strike at any moment. There was no time to waist. We had to find him, before he had any kind of chance at striking.
"Kazuto?" Asuna mumbled silently as she saw me "Is anything wrong?"
I looked over at her with a sigh. I knew the news would hit her hard, I just didn´t know how she would take it.
"Sugou is missing…" I mumbled silently "He surprised Klein and escaped somehow"
"W-WHAT!?" Everyone in the room yelled in surprise.
Suddenly my phone buzzed again, this time from receiving a text.
"Oh sorry, let me just check my phone" I mumbled silently as I opened my phone again.
It was from an unknown number:
"Hey Kazuto. Surprise, surprise, your little friend wasn´t enough to keep me down. Cause I am free, free as a bird. Good luck finding me. And just know, my good friend, I will find you, and every little friend you might have in town. And I promise you, I will kill every single one of them in cold blood. And you and your precious little girlfriend is not safe either. Enjoy your last living hours, cause you and all you hold dear, is going straight to hell"
A/N
Hey guys! Hope you liked the chapter!
So, I have some exciting news for you guys!
In about four months prior to this, I have been writing for exactly a year! To celebrate, I have decided to do a one shot of an anime of your choice!
Should it be of SAO, Corpse Party or something entirely different? Please tell me in the review section!
You guys can also choose which genre it should be, like romantic/comedy, or horror/despair!
And now to something completely different.
All my thoughts goes to CorpsePartyLover 3850, since he is going through some tough times right now.
And even though I don´t know any details about it, I still hope he gets better soon.
I´m thinking about you buddy, and I hope you keep your head held high.
Other than this there is not much to talk about.
See you next week.