Sword Art Online

After The Incident

Chapter 21 – Another Game, Another Fear

~Kazuto´s POV~

I sighed softly and looked down at my phone screen. I had just received a text, a text from Kikouka. Kikouka was the head advisor of the Sword Art Online Victim Rescue Unit. They had been some of the people that was responsible of taking every unconscious SAO player back at the first day, and placing them at whatever hospital was available.

They had taken care of the players as best they could, providing food, water and money for the well care of the unconscious victims. When the players got out of the game, each player was teamed up with a psychological counselor from the company, to be checked up mentally and physically.

My mental advisor had been Kikouka, the head of the organization. I had been quite surprised that one of the big men would be assigned to me, but he had brushed it off as me saving everyone and clearing SAO being the reason.

Now he had sent me another text. We had kept in touch ever since I woke up from ALO, and he had thoroughly taken care of my mental health. He had been sure to text me, ask if I was ok, what I was doing, and etc. It was also one of those texts I thought I would receive, but, sadly, that was not the case.

"Come to my office, quick. I have important news"

One line of text. Short and straight to the point. It´s a wonder that a few digital bits would be able to make a person so nervous. I gulped silently and felt a drop of sweat roll down my face as I stared down at the text.

My first thought was that he, or someone from the police had somehow found Sugou. I both hoped and feared that, that was the case. Partly I hoped, since it would finally bring an end to that bastard´s plans. But I also feared it, since it meant I would have to confront the same person that had tortured me to near death several times, just to revive me and torture me all over again.

Asuna noticed my nervous behavior and she looked at me with a worried expression.

"Kazuto?" She asked silently as she put down the tray of cookies she had just brought in "Is something wrong?"

I looked up at her hollowly, nodding silently as I looked back down at my phone.

"It´s Kikouka" I mumbled silently as I deleted the message with the press of a button "He want´s to meet up. Important news he says"

"Oh really?" Asuna asked, getting worried as well "What do you think it´s about?"

"I don´t know" I mumbled a bit as I stood up and headed for the front entrance "But it might have something to do with that parasite, so I have to go"

Ever since he had captured me last time I had refused to talk about him in other names than The Parasite. He was not even that. Nothing so insane could be a living being.

"yeah, I know" Asuna mumbled with a nod "Let me come with you Kazuto"

"It would be best for you to stay here though" I said with a smile as I looked back at Asuna "I mean, it might just have something to do with me. Or a regular check up. I`ll tell you all about it when I get home"

"B-But…" Asuna mumbled as she walked me to the front door "What if it´s something huge?"

"Then I will tell you all about it when I come home" I said as I kissed her forehead softly "Come on Asuna. Yui needs a playmate anyway"

"Yeah…" She mumbled silently as she watched me leave her house "Please, be careful Kazuto"

"Will do hun" I said as I began walking down the street, towards the train station.

~About half an hour later~

I stared up at the tall skyscraper building belonging to Kikouka´s company. I had a bad feeling about it. Not the building itself, but the important news, Kikouka apparently had for me. I couldn´t explain it, but a part of me felt like I shouldn´t go in there. Like I should just forget it all and head back home.

But that would be running away from my fears. And I would never run away again. Sugou was my responsibility, and mine alone. If these important news really was about him, then I had to go in and confront it.

So I took a deep breath, and made up my mind, slowly walking into the skyscraper building. The receptionist smiled softly and held up a hand, signaling for me to wait for her to end a phone call. When she put her phone down she smiled softly and shook my hand over her counter.

"Good to see you again Kirigaya-san" She said with a smile "Do you know the way to Kikouka-san´s office?"

"Yeah, I think so" I said with an appreciative smile and a respectful bow "I´ve been here so many times, I should have learned by now"

"Haha, yeah that´s true" The receptionist by the name of Sakura said "If you can´t though, be free to ask me"

"Thanks Sakura-san" I said with a smile and another bow, before I headed to the elevators.

~A few moments later~

I took another deep breath before grabbing the door handle to Kikouka´s office. I smiled politely to him as I saw him behind his desk, and he smiled brightly and gestured for me to take a seat.

"Ah, Kirigaya-kun" He said with a smile "Thanks for coming on such short notice. Please take a seat"

"Thank you Kikouka-san" I said with a nod as I bowed before sitting down.

He smiled a little and pulled a coffee pot out from under his desk, smiling as he held it up for me to see.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?" he asked politely.

"No thanks" I said with a polite smile "I don´t really like coffee. And not to be rude, but I would rather get straight to the point"

"Alright, I understand" He said with a smile as he poured himself a cup of coffee before putting the coffee pot away.

I looked around his office a bit before he spoke.

"You've heard about the new VRMMO game right?" He asked in a serious tone, his smile suddenly turning into a serious frown.

I nodded a bit as I frowned myself, knowing exactly what he was talking about since there hadn´t been all that many VR games out lately.

"You mean GGO right?" I asked as I leaned back in my chair "The MMO FPS game?"

"Correct" He mumbled as he stood up from his desk and walked over to the window.

"What does your big news have to do with that game?" I asked as I looked up at him.

"Everything my dear boy" He said with a frown "You see, about 2 months ago, the game, Gun Gale Online, was released. It was quite unexpected, since the news, and the world, had already heard the story about three hundred players, including you, being trapped inside ALO"

I nodded and frowned slightly from seriousness. I had heard it myself. The media and the world itself had brought serious critique upon the virtual reality genre of gaming. Several games had been closed down, and their companies shut down and collapsed as a result.

But some gaming industries had taken the chance and had stepped up to try again, GGO and some other VR games being created in the process.

"But, as you know, a new game has been born." Kikouka said with a smile "The game you know as GGO"

I nodded softly, not sure what to say. Kikouka took that as his que to continue.

"Well, you see my boy," Kikouka said as he sat down at his desk again "we think we might just have found Sugou"

I widened my eyes in astonishment and gasped a little from surprise as I stared at Kikouka. I couldn´t believe that they had actually found him. It seemed too good to be true.

"B-But…" I mumbled, still in a bit of an astonishment "How does the creation of GGO, and Sugou, connect to each other?"

"Well, you see," Kikouka mumbled as he took a sip of his coffee "a local police officer recognized Sugou on the street. But when he decided to hunt him down, Sugou had already realized that he was being followed"

Kikouka took another sip of his coffee, and continued his story.

"He retrieved to an apartment he had rented under false name, and plucked himself into the virtual network. He escaped into GGO, and left a note, saying that he had made sure that he would die if anyone pulled the Nervegear off his head."

"Then why not just kill the bastard?!" I said with a growl as I hammered my fist onto the table, much to Kikouka´s, and my own surprise "I mean, he deserves it! He almost killed me, and literally tortured me in front of Asuna and her family!"

"I know my boy, calm down." He mumbled as he looked at me with a serious expression "Because of Japanese authorities we are not allowed to simply let him die. The law says that no one can be judged before being put before a court. So no one else but the court can simply decide his fate. And he damn well knew this."

I growled softly from irritation as I clenched my fists.

"That unbelievable snake." I hissed through my teeth in anger "You want me to go in after him, don´t you?"

"That was the plan, yes." Kikouka mumbled with a bit of regret in his voice "I know you´ve been through a lot, but you´re the only one I can entrust with this important task"

"Why me!?" I yelled in anger, my rage getting blazed again "Why can´t people just leave me alone!? Why can´t I just live in peace with my family?!"

"Because there are still people out there who wish to hurt you AND your family." Kikouka said with a glare "As long as Sugou isn´t in prison, he still poses a threat to people around him. If we don´t put him out of this game for good, no one can feel secure."

"But why do I have to do this!?" I yelled in disbelief "Why not someone else entirely!? Someone I don´t even know!?"

"Because," Kikouka said calmly, only making me all the more angry "You know what he´s like and who you´re up against. No one else does. Sugou is unpredictable. And you´re one of the most skilled people I have ever seen. You and only you, can ever have a chance of putting him down. If I send any of my own men in, it would practically be suicide"

I growled softly of hopeless frustration, and looked up at Kikouka with a growl.

"I´ll have to think about this Kikouka." I mumbled with a shivering frown "I can´t decide just here and now"

"That´s understandable" Kikouka mumbled as he sipped of his coffee "But please, send a response before the next two days have passed. There´s a lot of planning to do because of this development"

~Back home~

I sat down in the sofa in Asuna´s home. I felt exhausted. I felt like any kind of happiness I had resided before that meeting had escaped me within seconds. Kikouka was asking an impossible demand, he knew that all too well. And yet he still tried. I understood why though. If I didn´t stop Sugou myself, I would put other people´s lives at danger.

And I would rather kill myself than do that.

"Kazuto?!" Asuna had immediately held me close in a hug as she saw my frustrated and sad self "Are you ok hun?"

"No, I'm not" I mumbled, on the brink of tears "Kikouka found Sugou. But he´s in GGO. Kikouka wants me to go after him"

"What!?" Asuna yelled in disbelief "Haven´t you been through enough!?"

"That´s what I told him" I mumbled as I looked at Asuna with hollow eyes "but if I don´t do this, I would put other people´s lives at risks"

"I don´t care about other people" Asuna yelled as she teared up "You´re my everything Kazuto! You can´t do this!"

"Asuna I have to!" I yelled as I wrapped my arms around her body "If I don´t do this… This nightmare will never stop"

"B-But… But…" Asuna mumbled as she lightly beat me on my chest "You promised… Not to worry us anymore Kazuto… You promised"

Asuna was crying now. I could feel her tears staining my clothes. I could feel myself shatter inside as I tried to comfort her. I had to break another promise. She was right. I really DID promise everyone not to worry them anymore. But, in order to protect them all, in order for me to keep them safe, I had to break that promise. It was either that or let them be in danger.

"A-At least… Let me go with you" Asuna said in a pleading manner as she looked at me with eyes shining of tears.

Her request took me a bit aback, but I pulled my wits together and furrowed my brow as I shook my head.

"No. I can´t let you do that" I said sternly "if I let you do that and something happened to you… I wouldn´t be able to forgive myself"

"No. I´m not accepting that" Asuna said with a growl as she raised her voice slightly "You´re always putting all this pressure on your own shoulders. You´re carrying the world by yourself! We´re supposed to be partners, lovers! We´re doing everything together! When we work together nothing can touch us, you know that!"

"B-But…"
"No buts!" she said as she stood up sharply and dried her eyes "I´m going, and that´s final. Now it´s my turn to protect you! I refuse to just stand on the sidelines, and helplessly watch! I´m going to help this time!"

I looked up at her in astonished silence. Her speech had caught me off guard, taken me aback. I was surprised by the fact that she had raised her voice, which she normally never did. But it was true, we always helped each other in SAO. But in my will to protect her and the others, I had forgotten that she wanted to protect me too.

"I-I´m sorry Asuna" I mumbled silently as I gave up on persuing her to stay here "But I beed you to be ready for anything. No one knows what that snake could do"

"Understood" She mumbled with a nod as she sat down beside me again "Let me help you, ok?"

I nodded softly.

"Ok" I mumbled silently as I leaned against her and closed my eyes.

~The next day, at the hospital~

I sighed softly as I looked up at the white ceiling of my hospital room. Beside my own bed stood Asuna´s, with Asuna herself sitting on the bed egde, looking at the floor nervously.

Yesterday we had told our respective families, and our friends, what was going to happen. They had tried to talk us from it at first, but our decision was clear, and absolute. We were going to bring an end to this nightmare, once and for all. When our families had realized it was useless to try to convince us otherwise, I had contacted Kikouka, and told him that I was agreeing to the plan.

He had arranged for us to get a private hospital room, and our own private nurses to keep an eye on us in case anything would happen. But I was still extremely nervous. Who knew what Sugou was going to do when we finally confronted him in there. In GGO. Who knew WHAT he could do, with his amount of money and power.

Maybe he had even gotten game master privileges for this game as well. I didn´t know what he had planned for us at the time, but I knew he was prepared for us. Asuna being here with me did give me some comfort in my nervousness though, I must admit.

Aki Natsuki, who was our private nurse at the time, and also the person being responsible for my rehabilitation after getting out of ALO, was currently checking the heartbeat monitors for both me and Asuna, before giving us both a thumbs and a smile.

"Everything is clear guys" She said with a smile as she looked at us "Now, if something bad should happen, the Amusphere should pull you out of the game if your body takes damage, so don´t worry about that"

"Good, thanks Natsuki-san" I said with a smile as I sighed a little.

"Aww, Kirito" She mumbled with a disappointed expression "You know it´s Aki!"

"I-I´m sorry" I mumbled as I smiled softly, looking over at Asuna "Are you ready hun?"

"All ready" Asuna said with a smile and looked down at her phone, where she had Yui pulled up on an app "Now, Yui, I will give my phone to Aki now. If you want to follow us in there, just let Aki know, ok?"

"Ok mommy" Yui mumbled with a worried expression "Just, be careful ok? I would hate to lose my daddy and mommy"

"We know honey" Asuna said with a warm smile "We´ll be careful ok?"

Asuna kissed the phone´s screen softly before handing the phone to Aki, and lying down. I lied down as well and took a deep breath, preparing myself for the worst. I looked over at Asuna and reached for her hand, and she did the same with me.

"Ready?" I asked softly.

"Ready" She said with a smile and a nod.

"Then…" I started as I looked up at the ceiling, and gave Asuna´s hand a little squeeze.

"Link, Start!" We yelled in unison, as we were thrown into the virtual realm once again.

A/N

Hey guys! Hope you liked this chapter!

It´s finally coming down to this! I have been so excited to include GGO in my fanfic, and it´s finally happening! #Excited

I hope you guys are excited too! Let´s see what happens next chapter, shall we?

See you next week dear readers!