The Incident
"Hi Asuna" Kirito spoke with his head on her lap. "Have you had any dreams of that day?"
"What day?" Asuna asked while peeling the skin of an orange above Kirito's head.
The two were on lunch. They were resting on the bench underneath a tree that gave them the best protection over the sun.
"The war" Kirito replies staring at the sky through the small openings the tree had.
"Oh...have you?" Asuna asked back.
"A little-uh?" Kirito said until a small piece of the orange peel fell into his eye.
Asuna giggled and took it off his eye and continued to peel the last of her orange. Once she was finished, she split it open and broke a small piece apart.
"What were they about?" Asuna asked sliding an orange into Kirito's mouth who accepted it.
"The moment the darkness took us" Kirito replies chewing on the orange piece.
"What's making you dream of that?...it's over, there isn't anything to worry about now" Asuna exclaims while eating her piece of the orange.
"You're right but...I don't know why I feel something strange these past days," Kirito said, eating another piece of the orange that Asuna gave.
"Is that why you are walking up in the middle of the night" Asuna states raising her eyebrow.
"Maybe" Kirito replies sitting up and taking the last piece from Asuna and swallowing it. "Mmm sweet"
"Hey!" Asuna said playfully punching his arm. "That was my piece"
"Ow" Kirito said rubbing his arm and getting off the bench. "I'll buy you more"
"You better-" Asuna states getting up. "but you better pay close attention which orange you are buying...buy the sweet one"
"Sweet one?...they are all one colour?" Kirito said starting walking.
"But they are different! You are bad at picking just….send me a picture of it before you buy it" Asuna said, feeling frustrated remembering the time he brought a hard orange home.
"Alright" Kirito replies agreeing with her because if he doesn't, he won't be sleeping on the bed tonight.
Just like in the game, they are officially living together. There is a long story on how that happened but they had too since, there has been new changes in their life.
OOO
On the opposite side of the city. There is another school that a certain boy was attending. A transfer student that started 4 months ago. He showed up in the middle of the year. Everyone was talking about him. He was known to be mysterious since he didn't share anything about himself. The only thing everyone knew was his name.
"Yusei" The teacher called checking her attendance.
A hand was raised at the far corner of the glass near the windows. The signal gave her the answer. Yusei was not much of a talkative person. He's a loner and average in attractiveness. His dark black eyes were what everyone talks about. It's endless with no life in them. He has black hair that never gets combed. Average height like most males.
He may not appear to be a scholar but he is good at studying. Takes time but he can quickly learn. Although that's part of his personality in wanting to know what he doesn't know. Which is ironic since he doesn't want to know about his past life.
He doesn't remember sixteen years worth of memory. To him, life started five months ago, the moment he opened his eyes to see two police officers. That should make him seventeen years old now but that doesn't mean anything to him. Ever since he woke up, he felt empty like he was an empty shell walking in a world that he doesn't recognize.
Only his first name he could remember, not his last so the police officers couldn't find his parents. Yusei didn't think too much of it and continued living well with what he understood. Eating, sleeping and studying. He didn't know why he was doing these things. He didn't care much about it all.
He stares at his reflection through the window. He never cracked a smile or showed any other expression except the one he sees now. A plain expression with no life in it but he breathes. His heart beats. Now he started feeling a headache.
It happens after he wakes up from a nightmare he was having. He couldn't describe how it went. It was a blur to him but trying to think about it, makes his hand shake. It really must have terrified him. It keeps repeating lately. The only thing he can deduct is that, he was a child in his dream.
Yusei looks up at the clock above the board. Class was about to end and he was going to go home. So he thought until a loud explosion appeared in the field outside. The sound caused the windows on the first floor to shatter. Yusei was lucky to be on the third but that didn't change the situation.
The fire alarm went off and the P.A system turned on. The principal told everyone to evacuate the school. There was panic in her tone which made every student panic and run out of the classrooms. Yusei just stared at the dust cloud that covered the whole view of the field.
He didn't panic like everyone else. He was more interested in what caused that explosion. A pair of red glowing eyes stared back at him through the smoke. The moment it did, his headache returned but was twice as painful. He got down on his knees. He felt like a nail was being hammered in his brain. He needed to go. He ran out of the class and started running.
He starts hearing more explosions. He felt the school shake while he was running down the stairs. It couldn't be an earthquake. It felt like something was banging against the building. He continued running down the stairs. He was shocked to see the exit out of the school was blocked by fallen debris. The only exit left was the one that leads to the field. He had no choice. He ran out the doors.
He started coughing through the smoke. He covered his mouth with his forearm and half his face with the other arm. He narrowed his eyes trying to find an exit out of the smoke. He could hear students voices around him. They were yelling for help and screaming in terror. Yusei could hear his heartbeat getting louder. He didn't understand this feeling. His foot hit a small piece of debris. He looks down to see pieces of the building along with metal poles scattered on the ground. He was shocked to see the trail of blood. He lowered his arms. The dust smoke soon turned dark. The pain returned in his head more severe.
"Argh!" Yusei got down on all fours, pressing his forehead on the ground. Flashes of his nightmare kept on flashing in his thoughts, making him hurt internally. It felt like he was getting suffocated.
"Ahhh!"
"Help us!"
Yusei used the strength he had to raise his head up to see some of the students on the ground trying to move away from the creature in front of them. It was abnormal, not human. Its body looks like a black armored suit made for combat. It was carrying a mighty sword with a blade longer than a 12 inch ruler. The two students had a terrified expression. They both looked at Yusei, seeking help but what can he do against that thing. Why would he in the first place?
OOO
"What's going on?" Kirito asked, noticing a crowd of students leaving the school.
The two just got inside the building and were surprised to see lines of students just leaving the building along with the teachers. Their home room teacher came to them.
"Why are you two standing around...you must leave right away"
"But why? Did something happen?" Asuna asked, curious.
"There has been news about a potential threat to the schools across the city….across from this school, there was an explosion. No news what caused it but every school got the news to have everyone leave..so come on now" the teacher starts following the crowd of students.
"Explosion...could this involve him?" Asuna asked Kirito.
"I don't know...I haven't heard of him ever since that day...I didn't get any message from him but I'm sure he will appear to save the day-" Kirito said smiling until Asuna got pushed into him. His hands quickly reacts. He wrapped one arm around Asuna while the other slipped its way somewhere squishy.
Asuna shifted her eyes to the person that shoved her. Strains of blond hair came to her vision. She follows it with the girl with aqua blue eyes that looked back at her.
"Sorry" she said looking serious and continued running.
"What's up with her?" Asuna asked before getting squeezed.
Her face turned bright red and slowly turned at Kirito who was blushing and nervously chuckling. This was not his intention.
"Kirito!" Asuna yells slapping his face.
OOO
Their voices were echoing in Yusei's head. He didn't know them so why does he feel like he needed to do something? His body was getting up from the ground. His hand grabbed hold of a metal pole.
"Why.." Yusei spoke softly. The creature lifted its blade. Yusei dashed to him gripping the pole with both handles. "GET AWAY!"
His eyes were filled with anger. He put all his strength in one blow. The pole made contact with the blade that split the pole in two with ease like slicing paper. Yusei eyes widen with shock. His head turns to the monster that looks back at him. Yusei quickly feels a hard punch into his gut that made him launch to the cement wall.
"Argh" Yusei said after his back made a crater. He let go of the piece of the pole he had in his hand and slid down until he was sitting on the ground. His head dropped. He started coughing out blood.
"T-that...didn't feel like a regular punch" He said slowly looking up at the figure shadowing him. "W-hat the hell...a-are you?...why are you here?"
"A dark soldier" It responds in a deep tone. "Here to collect the darkness of humans"
"The darkness.." Yusei said slowly and chuckled a bit. "Isn't this new"
"Why are you smiling...you don't show fear like the others?" The soldier asked curiously.
"Because they are afraid of dying...in my case...I've been dead a long time ago so I'm not afraid of dying a second time...I have no reason to live so...do what you have to...collect the darkness I have...if there is any" Yusei states in a relaxed tone leaning back revealing a small smirk on his face.
"A strange human...and yet….I sense a great amount of darkness in you" The soldier points its blade to his chest. "You just made it easier for me"
Yusei smiled at his comment and felt the blade pierce his chest. He coughed out more blood. "This is it" Yusei thought seeing the blade in front of him get blurry. "I can finally...rest-"
OOO
A gust of wind propelled a woman wearing all black except her bright yellow scarf that wrapped around her neck. Her blond hair was in a ponytail. She jumped from one roof top to the next in a hurry. She could see the smoke coming from the endangered building.
"Are you almost there Kira?" said a male voice in her ear piece.
"Ya...just a little longer" Kira replies, creating more wind to speed her up.
OOO
"Ahh...it burns!" Kirito said rubbing his forearm.
"What's wrong?" Asuna asked noticing his pain.
"I don't know" Kirito replies pulling up his sleeve.
His skin was turning red causing Asuna to worry. Kirito felt like his arm was on fire. It got to a point where Kirito fell on his knees. Asuna went by his side trying to comfort him. Holding him close to her.
"It's going to be alright...hang on...I'll call the ambulance" Asuna states.
Kirito couldn't say a thing. The pain was getting worse. Smoke started coming from his arm. Kirito clenched his teeth hard together trying to hold in his yell. Asuna noticed a marking was appearing on his arm.
"Aahhh!" Kirito shouts before the marking is finished being made. A pair of wings were tattooed on his right forearm.
"Wings?" Asuna said confused.
The burning sensation slowly went away along with the redness. Kirito watched his new tattoo that he didn't spend a thing disappear into his skin. A loud thunder shock echoed through the city led by an explosion.
The two turned their heads to the direction of the noise.
OOO
Kira stopped jumping and looked up at the grey clouds hovering above the school. The whole sky quickly turned grey. It started to rain like crazy. She needed to hurry.
OOO
Red lights were flashing in a dark room. The flat screen at the center of two smaller screens on each side were bright red with text on it.
"Portal Breach Opened in multiple areas"
No one was there viewing the screen.
OOO
Asuna was supporting Kirito having him lean against her and draped his arm over his neck. It was difficult for him to walk. Kirito could still feel some heat on his arm. The rise of wind did help.
Although, leaves were getting into Asuna's hair which she did not enjoy. Soon, a newspaper slammed against her face.
"Hmph!" Asuna said, stopped and crunched the paper and pulled it away from her face.
Kirito chuckled by her reaction. He took a second to read the headline.
"Missing Hero….again"
There was a hero in this city that they didn't know about since they recently moved into this city.
The reason they did move, involved the one that saved them. The one in the picture wearing a different suit than what they saw.
"When are they going to stop saying that" Kirito states.
"Well he isn't that popular here I hear with the news" Asuna replies.
"Even so….he isn't gone...not him" Kirito said with no doubt in his voice.
"I know...with his skill and power, he wouldn't let himself get caught without putting up a fight" Asuna exclaims.
"So….where is he?"