Pre-chapter Author's Note: Congrats to Asuna for winning the Waifu vote. May they be happy in a virtual marriage.
Chapter 17
April 17th, 2024
Kirito's eyes opened slowly, and he rolled over before burying his face in the hair of his bedmate and sighing happily.
It hadn't been long before he always had one of his... girlfriends? Wives? ...It hadn't been long before he always had one of his lovers in bed with him every night. It had started with Asuna arriving at his door late the first night after they'd entered their new agreement, and after an unforgettable night together he'd been... a little more accepting of the sudden relationship he'd found himself in. It helped that the girls spent a few hours the next day setting up a schedule to who would sleep in Kirito's bed on what nights, if they wanted to.
At least he got Sundays to himself, he thought. Then again, when it meant he got mornings like this one... it was worth it.
Asuna rolled over and smiled at him, the long-haired girl still half-asleep. "Mmm... Morning, Kazuto..." She squirmed closer and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. Even now, after a whole month of dating the girls, the early-morning wake-up kisses were still so romantic to him.
"Morning, Asuna," he said, reaching over to stroke her hair. The girl purred quietly under the attention, her breathing still slow and steady. "Hey, don't go back to sleep, we have to get up."
He tried to push the covers back and pull away, but Asuna's brow wrinkled in cute irritation as she wrapped her arms around him. "No," she muttered sleepily. "Pillow stays here."
Kirito sighed as Asuna clung to her. He loved her dearly, but her clinginess when she wasn't fully awake made things a little difficult.
It was really a good thing Yui slept on her own that night, he thought as Asuna buried her face in the crook of his neck, her legs wrapping around his. Otherwise, Asuna would be squishing the little girl between the two of them. From time to time, Yui insisted on joining her papa and mama in bed; it was nice getting to sleep as a family, and by this point Yui had cuddled with all of her mamas, but at the same time waking up with just the two of them made things a lot less awkward for... certain reasons.
Asuna's eyes fluttered open and a smug smile drifted to her face as one of those reasons prodded at her insistently. Before she could do more than start moving her hand down, the door opened. "Morning, you two," Leafa said cheerfully. "Time to get up!"
The two young lovers jolted upright like they'd been shocked, though Asuna rubbed at her eyes sleepily. "M-Morning," Kirito said, shifting the blankets across his lap.
Leafa pouted. "Aw, did I come in too early?"
"D-Don't talk about things like that!" His little sister could be so lewd!
"Good morning!" The next cheerful voice to join the conversation came from Yui as the young AI poked her head around Leafa. "Ah! You're awake, that's excellent! Asuna-mama, let's go make breakfast!"
"Huh?" Asuna was tugged out of bed by the excited Yui and led out of the room by the hand. At least she was wearing her nightgown, Kirito thought with a smile as the pair disappeared out of his room and into the hallway.
Asuna had been wearing a cute nightgown with ruffles on the hem, clearly designed by Ashley to flatter her figure and bustline; the tight white nightgown succeeded at that job, hugging her curves beautifully. It was short, barely covering her thighs, but Kirito didn't mind getting a chance to stare at her amazing legs in the slightest. A lace garter clung to her left thigh, creamy skin above hinting at what lied underneath the nightgown, and a similar lace ribbon hung around her neck, keeping the top of her pajamas from falling.
And still standing in his doorway, his little sister; the pajamas Leafa had taken to wearing recently were incredibly daring, and something that, if this weren't Aincrad, he was sure their mother would refuse on sight. The hemline of her nightgown was incredibly daring, making it clear that his sister didn't wear a bra to bed. It was looser than the one that Asuna wore, but that just meant his attention was always directed to her most prominent features. The emerald green dress looked really good on her; it was a good color.
Now that he was free of Asuna's tight grip, Kirito got out of bed and stretched, raising his arms over his head. It was nice to be free, no matter how wonderful it was to wake up with a beautiful girl in his bed. Silica in particular was really bad about that, latching onto his arms in her sleep and not waking up no matter what. Plus, she had this weird habit in her sleep or something, because he always woke up with her mouth clamped around one of his sleeves, drooling all over it.
He was starting to get used to dating the girls; it honestly wasn't that much different than before, though there was a sweet tenderness in all of their interactions. Idle touches lingered longer, smiles were more honest, cuddles were given freely and without restraint... It didn't surprise him that Sinon was the most physically affectionate out of all of the girls, always looking for a way to rest against him while they sat on the couch together. Their time in bed together was usually spent cuddling in a pile in the mornings, since Sinon liked to read before going to bed. Sometimes he'd read over her shoulder, holding her in his arms. Cuddling with her was fun; she was like a cat, honestly. Calm and collected most of the time, but get her alone and Sinon would be warm and loving.
"Kazuto? You're staring," Leafa said, and Kirito jumped.
He chuckled and got out of bed. "Sorry, didn't mean to." He pressed a quick kiss to Leafa's cheek and she giggled, returning it on his cheek. "I think Asuna will have breakfast ready pretty soon, I'm going to get changed."
Kirito hesitated, but Leafa just blinked at him. He sighed. "I love you, Sugu, but can I get changed in private?"
"Aw," she complained, but headed out of his room and downstairs. He sighed and shook his head, swiping open his menu to get changed out of his pajamas. His clothes reappeared in a flash of light and instead of his black pajamas, he was wearing his usual black shirt and pants. The girls might laugh about it, but he liked the color, so they could laugh all they want.
He walked out of the room and nearly ran straight into Lisbeth. "Hey, Liz," he said. "Ready to start the day with some of Asuna's breakfast?"
"Some of us have been up already, lazybones," she scolded him with a smile. "I already made a bunch of swords."
He laughed. "Good job, Liz." He reached out and patted her back.
Lisbeth smiled at him, before her eyes drifted up. "Ugh, you didn't brush your hair at all, did you? It's sticking everywhere. Stand still."
The pink-haired blacksmith had to stand on her tiptoes, but she was tall enough to reach without Kirito bending down. He stood still as she ran her fingers through his hair, fluffing it out and tugging at locks to put it in order. Honestly, Lisbeth being so concerned with appearances was kind of a surprise, but one he was glad to learn about. The first time he'd mentioned it when she fussed with his hair, she'd gone as pink as her hair and muttered, 'I'm a girl too, y'know?'. That she was a girl? He had no doubt. Sure, she was tomboyish, but in a cute, feminine way.
"There we go, that's better," Lisbeth said, letting her hands fall to his shoulders. A smirk spread across her face before she stood on tiptoes to steal a quick kiss from his lips. Kirito blinked at her a little stupidly, and she grinned before heading downstairs. He followed behind her, managing to overtake her and press a quick kiss to her cheek before they sat down in the living room, ready for breakfast.
While they were eating, the conversations flowed between all of the lovers naturally. Some small part of Kirito still remembered the awkward silences that had just started appearing at his old dinners with his family, back before he met Asuna and she turned his life upside down, so he couldn't be happier with the lively chatter. Silica was talking with Leafa and Asuna, waving her arms wildly as the other two girls listened with rapt attention; Lisbeth was teasing Sinon about something or other, making the glasses-wearing girl blush before she fired back with a comment that turned the tables and left the blacksmith with red cheeks herself.
"Kii-boy? Ya ignorin' me?"
Kirito smiled and turned his attention back to his own conversation partner. "Of course not, Argo. I'd never do that."
Argo studied him thoughtfully, then shrugged. "What can I say?" She smirked. "Yer a smart guy, Kii-boy."
"Argo-mama, I'm finished eating," Yui said from Argo's other side.
"Wipe your face, Yui," Argo said automatically, glancing at the Royal Blades's daughter. "Ya have jam everywhere."
Kirito smiled. "Anyway, you were saying, Argo?"
"Oh yeah. Sorry, got distracted by the kid." Argo swiped open her menu and slid the screen his way. "The Black Cats're helpin' out with the front lines, an' Fuurinkazan's been doin' good work, but by an' large the Knights of the Blood are takin' over clearing duties. Plenty 'a broken hearts in the DDA since Silica took a lil' break." She grinned like a Cheshire cat, propping up an elbow on the table and leaning against it. "How's it feel, stealin' away their idol like that?"
"Argo, table manners," Asuna scolded from across the table.
"Bah." the info broker stuck her tongue out. Still, she obeyed the master of the kitchen and dining room and sat back.
Kirito chuckled. "And your information network?"
"Our ninjas are keepin' track 'a all the big players, an' I've got enough informants feedin' me info I can know who took a dump an' when," Argo boasted. Lisbeth wrinkled her nose at the crudity, but Yui giggled.
"Are they still calling Kirito 'Lord'?" Silica asked.
Argo snickered. "You know it!" Kirito sighed as the girls laughed. It was flattering the first few times, but by this point it was a little embarrassing...
"...Do you think we should go back soon?"
The girls looked at each other, the conversations dying down or being put on hold for the time being. Yui, out of all of them, looked back and forth at her parents, blinking curiously as she sipped at a mug of milk slowly. Eventually, Asuna shook her head and smiled at Kirito. "Oh, Kazuto," she said. "I knew it."
"You couldn't have waited like, another week?" Leafa complained. "Now I lost the bet!"
"Bet?" Kirito asked, even as the girls passed col to Argo. The info broker accepted the coins cheerfully, making them dance across her knuckles to Yui's delight.
"We all knew you were going to get bored sooner or later," Sinon said with a smile. "We all tried to guess when."
"Yeah, and I had five weeks," Leafa muttered.
Silica sighed, her twintails drooping. "I thought you'd be bored after two," she admitted. "I didn't expect our honeymoon to last so long..."
Lisbeth nudged the young girl in the side. "But you're glad it did, huh?"
"Hey, L-Liz!" Silica didn't deny the statement as she stared off into the distance and let out a dreamy sigh. Kirito had a good idea he knew what she was imagining, especially after she giggled and blushed. The quick peeks at him as she fidgeted in her chair got rid of any room for doubt.
"Anyway," Asuna said, smiling peacefully like she hadn't just handed Argo five thousand col, "we'd already talked about this. We love having the time off, but... if you want us to come back to the front lines, we're willing to follow you, Kirito. You're our guild leader, after all. And..." She blushed. "And you're the boy we love, so of course."
Kirito blushed at the frank admission. Even after a month, he still wasn't used to them saying it straight to his face like that.
"Of course," Leafa said. "Kazuto is my husband, so I'll go anywhere with him!"
"Hey, wait a second," Lisbeth protested. "Your husband? You're his sister! You can't get married to him!"
"Cousin," Leafa insisted. "And we already have the engagement rings from the 45th Floor, remember?"
"Guh!" Lisbeth recoiled as if struck. "But you live with him in real life! If anyone should be his wife, it should be one of us, since we don't see him every day. It'd make me - I mean, it'd make whoever it is feel more secure."
Argo leaned forward and grinned. "I don't mind bein' A-chan's wife~."
"Argo!" Asuna blushed. "I-I was planning to ask my parents if I could marry Kazuto once we get out," she said with a blush.
Silica pouted. "But that's not fair, you're already Kirito's wife in-game..."
By this point, Kirito knew that the argument wasn't going to get solved any time soon. They'd already gone in enough circles over the subject as it was; if he had to be honest, he caught himself imagining Asuna as his bride from time to time, though the daydream about the ceremony always followed itself by five other brides standing behind her. He wasn't an idiot. He knew that sooner or later they'd have to sort that situation out. But at the same time, he wasn't an idiot, he knew that it would be better to stay out of it.
Yui tugged on his shirt sleeve. "Papa, if you want, I could go change settings in Cardinal, and then Papa can be all of Mamas' husband!"
He smiled and patted her head. "Sorry, Yui, but that's not really what they're talking about."
"But I want my mamas to stop arguing." Yui looked up at him, and her eyes glistened. Oh no, was she about to cry?!
"D-Don't worry, they're not really arguing," Kirito hurried to assure them. "Nobody's getting mad, we're all having fun."
Yui sniffled and blinked, before beaming. "Okay! If you say so, Papa!"
Kirito breathed out a sigh of relief before collecting his plates and heading to the kitchen to wash them. As he entered, he noticed Sinon standing by the sink, washing her breakfast dishes as well. Without asking or being told, he stood next to her and bumped her hip lightly before grabbing some of the wet plates and starting to dry them. Sinon smiled and bumped his hip back.
Once their dishes were handled, Kirito turned to look at the lively discussion in the living room. "They're still trying to figure out who'll marry you in the real world, huh?" Sinon asked.
"If only I could marry all of you," he sighed. "Not going to join in, Sinon?"
"I'm happy with just knowing you love me," Sinon replied, before prodding him in the chest with a slender finger. "And what did I saw about my name? You promised to call me Shino when we're alone, remember?"
"S-Sorry, Shino," he said. "Well... We'll figure out what to do about that when we come to it. Maybe matching wedding rings, even if I'm only legally married to one of you?"
Sinon shrugged. "Maybe. It sounds like a good idea, at least." She smiled at him. "I wouldn't say no if you chose me, though."
She really was like a cat, Kirito thought with a chuckle. Sinon blinked at him, but didn't ask why he'd laughed after he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.
With breakfast done, he headed back to his room in order to get changed. He had a date with Leafa that morning, and he didn't want to keep her waiting. He hummed, trying to decide which shirt would look better - "Go with th' one on the left," Argo said, kicking her legs.
He glanced over her shoulder to see the info broker sitting on his bed, grinning like she'd won the lottery. Kirito realized that he was still shirtless, and had a good guess why she was so pleased with herself. Still, though, he trusted her fashion sense. "Sounds good," he said, equipping the olive-green shirt. Argo hopped off the bed and paced around him, studying his appearance closely. "So... You're going to talk to Heathcliff later?" he asked as she smoothed out some invisible wrinkles only she could see.
"Yep," Argo nodded. "Figure while ya went on yer date with Leafa, I'd get things rollin' on headin' back. Prob'ly need ta spend a few days gettin' back in shape, though."
"Thanks, Argo," he said.
"Nya hah hah! Praise me more! Or, better yet, take me out ta dinner soon!"
He smiled. "Sure thing." Argo snatched a quick kiss away from him before waving and darting out of the room. Kirito spent a few more seconds checking his appearance in the mirror in his room before heading downstairs to wait for his sister.
Leafa came hurrying into the room about five minutes after he'd sat down on the couch patiently. "Ah! Kazuto, sorry I'm late! D-Did you wait long?"
"No, of course not," he assured her.
His sister was wearing a long blouse with green cat shapes decorating it like huge polka dots. She had a thin brown belt around her waist, more for fashion than necessity; her flats were the same shade of brown. Black leggings drew attention to her legs, and while they weren't as shapely as Asuna's he still had trouble keeping his eyes off of them.
As a concession to the weather, the two lovers wore coats; Kirito had a nice black jacket while Leafa wore a red coat. She'd even swapped out her barrettes for a red pair, just to match it.
Leafa spun around, making the coat and blouse flare. "Well? How do I look?" she asked.
"Very pretty," Kirito said. "I'm almost tempted to say no, just because I don't want other guys to stare."
"Eheheh!" Leafa giggled and wrapped her arm around his, tucking herself neatly against his side. "Let's go have some fun!"
"Enjoy your date!" Silica called, waving from the couch. "I wish I could go too... Awawawa, what am I saying?"
The Kirigayas looked at each other and then laughed. Silica would never change, Kirito knew, no matter how comfortable she got with them all.
The air was chilly, but that was fine with Kirito and Leafa, since it gave them even more of an excuse to cling together. The leader of the Royal Swords and one of the members of the inner circle, the Black Prince and the Emerald Swordswoman... The two of them together, attracted stares, but Kirito didn't mind. It was embarrassing to get stared at in the beginning, especially when he'd just formed the guild and players had started paying attention to them, but now it was fine.
"Hah..." Leafa sighed as she cuddled next to him, the two young lovers walking down the main street of the 45th Floor. "Do you think they know we're siblings? Or maybe we look like a couple..."
"We are a couple," Kirito said with a smile.
Leafa hummed happily and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Hey, Kazuto, do you know what I miss?"
"Kendo? School?"
"Ew, school." Leafa stuck out her tongue and made a face, and both of them laughed. "No, I miss the summer festival we'd always go to as kids. You know, the ones where they kept thinking we were sisters?"
"Huh..." Kirito smiled. He and Sugu would always go to the festival and spend an evening wandering around, hand in hand. The last few years, they'd even dragged Asuna along to join in the fun, but it was still their little tradition. Every year, they'd gorge themselves on candy apples, cotton candy, and as much vendor-stall food as their stomachs could fit. Sugu would usually insist on trying to win some of the carnival games, and her stuffed animal collection was a testament to her chances at success.
They always underestimated her, just because Sugu was a girl. Kirito didn't care, the look on her face when she clutched the huge stuffed animals was worth it. Unfortunately, he was nowhere near as good at winning the rigged games as she was. He had managed to win her a huge stuffed dog...rabbit...tanuki thing with a leaf on its head a few years back, but he wasn't sure if it was still in her room. Of course, then he'd had to win one for Asuna...
Well, it was definitely fun to go to the festival with them.
Kirito nodded. "Yeah. Let's go as soon as we can, okay?"
"You got it!" Leafa cheered. "I'm gonna eat so much stuff!"
"Careful you don't get fat," he teased her.
"Hey!"
Kirito chuckled even as Leafa pouted at him. "Sorry, sorry," he said. "I'll buy you a crepe to make up for being mean, how's that sound?"
In an instant, Leafa's pout transformed into a huge smile. "You're the best, Kazuto!" She tightened her hug, squeezing his arm somewhere soft and squishy. He blushed and looked away while paying for the crepes; his sister got a chocolate one, while he got strawberry.
After he took a bite, he caught Leafa staring at his with a wistful expression and he sighed. "Go ahead, have a bite," he said. Leafa didn't need any more of an invitation before she took a huge bite out of the crepe, humming happily. "I meant a bite, not the whole thing."
"Oo cah haff suh uff ein!" Leafa said, and extended her crepe in his direction. Kirito was long-practiced in understanding his sister with her mouth full of food, so he accepted her offer and took a bite from the crepe.
Mmm... The chocolate mixed well with the strawberry, he decided, though if he wanted the best experience he'd have to alternate bites, or better yet mix the two together -
Leafa swiped her finger across his cheek and then popped it into her mouth, giggling. "Huh?" Kirito asked.
"You had some cream on your face, so I took care of it," Leafa said. Kirito blushed lightly and scratched at his cheek. This really wasn't his forte...
...
The door to Kirito's bedroom slammed open. "Hey, Kii-boy!" Argo barked as she darted in. "I've been lookin'..."
The Rat trailed off and blinked. Kirito and Leafa blinked back, staring at the info broker in total shock. Their actions were pretty obvious, thanks to the new wrinkles in their clothes; Leafa was pressed up against Kirito, grinding her body against his, and his hands were under her blouse, frozen in place by Argo's sudden interruption. Faint lipstick marks dotted Kirito's face and lips, and Leafa's makeup was smudged. It was... very clear what Kirito and Leafa had been doing before Argo barged in.
"Nya hah hah... Sorry, did I interrupt~? Don't mind me, keep on doin' what ya were doin'..."
In his arms, Leafa slowly grew red, then passed red into flaming, and then past flaming into horribly mortified. An endless stream of babble poured from her lips as she tugged away from Kirito, tried vainly to fix her clothes, and then ran past Argo into the hallway. Kirito watched her as she turned left and tried to run, then realized that Kirito's room was at the end of the hallway; she screeched to a halt, dancing in place, and then turned around and ran down the hallway for her room. Kirito and Argo listened as her footsteps thudded on the wooden floor until her door creaked open and shut again.
After a silent second, Kirito sighed and sat down on his bed. "Nobody knocks anymore," he sighed.
"Eh, not like we mind seein' ya naked," Argo said with a leer. "Or th' other way 'round, either~." She padded over to his side and started wiping off the lipstick prints Leafa's ardor had left. He wondered idly what she meant by that - did she mean that he didn't mind them seeing him naked, or that the girls didn't mind him seeing them naked? Of course, he didn't say anything out loud. Argo would just grin and give him some teasing answer before walking away with a wiggle in her step.
Instead, he sat through her fussing patiently. "Sho," he said as she wiped at his lips with a handkerchief, "what did you need, Argo?"
"Oh yeah, almost forgot." Argo tilted her head, studying Kirito, and then nodded and stowed her handkerchief away again. "Heathcliff's gonna be comin' by later today. Said somethin' 'bout wantin' ta see us in person." She snickered. "My guess is, he's gonna say congrats on marryin' six beautiful ladies."
"Nobody knows about our relationship, though," Kirito protested.
"Eh, it's an open secret," Argo shrugged. "Last time I checked in with Klein an' his crew, poor guys were torn between praisin' ya as a god an' damnin' ya ta the pits 'a hell."
"I guess it could be worse," Kirito sighed. "Are they the only ones that know?"
Argo snickered. "Pret~ty sure th' entire playerbase knows by now. Yer not the Playboy Swordsman fer nothin', Kii-boy."
He sighed and hung his head. "I hate that you won't kill that nickname."
"Why? It's cute~."
He sighed again and stood up. "When did he say he's arriving?"
"Mm... 'Bout two, three minutes."
Kirito stared at her, and she grinned at him without saying a word. "...Whatever," he sighed. "I'm hoping you warned Asuna before you talked to me? You know she'd want to make tea and snacks."
"Yeah, yeah, I already talked ta A-chan, she's gettin' her Hostess Skill ready," Argo said.
"Well, that's good. Am I good to go?"
"Pretty as a gal ready fer her first date~."
"Argo."
Argo laughed. "Nya hah hah! Don't worry, evidence of yer little make-out sesh with yer sis is gone."
Small mercies, at least. With that sorted, Argo and Kirito headed downstairs, the girl peeling off to head into the kitchen. Kirito looked around the living room and saw Silica sitting on the couch next to Sinon. Each girl was reading a book, the archer absently scratching behind Pina's ears as the little dragon snoozed across both girls' laps. "Hi Kirito!" Silica said as he entered. "Oh! I looked into the things Argo wanted me to look into. There's a few easy dungeons on the 63rd Floor that we didn't do, and they'll be perfect for getting back in practice!"
"That's great, Silica. You've been a huge help, thanks." He patted the girl on the head, and her smile was pure bliss as she tucked her hands underneath her chin and giggled. She'd been acting like that every time he patted her, ever since she tried on the cat ear headband. Silica had practically melted in pleasure when he'd scratched behind her ears, and apparently some of it carried over despite removing them the next day. Maybe it had been because he'd scratched her kitty ears for several hours?
Someone knocked at the front door and Sinon jumped in her seat. She blinked and then blushed when Kirito grinned. "Oh, shut up," she muttered, even though nobody had said anything. "Who's at the door?"
"Heathcliff is coming over," Kirito said. "That's probably him."
Sure enough, when Kirito opened the door, the older guild leader stood at the entrance. "Come on in, Heathcliff."
"Pardon the intrusion," Heathcliff murmured as he walked in.
Kirito led Heathcliff into the living room and sat down, where Sinon and Silica briefly made room for Kirito to get comfortable before they snuggled up against him. He grinned weakly at Heathcliff's look, the older man taking a seat on the couch across from him. These two were the least likely to pay attention to time or place, come to think of it...
"Your break seems to have agreed with you," Heathcliff said diplomatically.
"Heheh..." Kirito scratched his cheek awkwardly. "You could say that."
He was saved from making awkward small talk thanks to Asuna's timely arrival. She swept in with a pot of tea and a tray of cookies, setting them on the table. "It's good to see you, Heathcliff," she said with a gentle smile. "Please, help yourself. I'm sorry we couldn't prepare lunch in time."
"It's no problem at all," Heathcliff demurred, pouring himself a cup of tea and sipping at the fragrant drink. "I've encountered a ramen shop on the most recent Floor that I inteded to visit."
"Well, then," Asuna said, "we got lucky, didn't we! I'm going to go clean up, I'll be back in a minute." Naturally, Kirito wouldn't meet with another guild without his second-in-command there; but at the same time, Asuna wouldn't be caught dead doing official guild business in her apron, no matter how cute Kirito thought it was.
Sinon munched on a cookie and Silica coaxed Pina to try another while Heathcliff sipped at his tea. The guild leader set the teacup down on its saucer with a clink and said, "From what I've heard, you've taken in a young girl, Kirito?"
Kirito's smile widened. He could talk about Yui, their pride and joy. "That's right," he said. "Yui! Can you come in here? There's someone I'd like you to say hello to!"
"Coming, Papa!" Yui called from upstairs.
As the footsteps ran towards them, thumping down the stairs, Heathcliff simply raised an eyebrow. "She... We kinda adopted her?" Kirito offered.
"Who is it? Aunt Sachi? Uncle Klein?" Yui asked, running into the room - and then coming to a dead halt as she stared at Heathcliff.
"Yui, this is Heathcliff, he - Yui?" Kirito frowned. "Yui, what's wrong?"
Their little girl had gone pale, eyes wide and staring, as soon as she'd walked into the room. Her body started shaking, and then Yui opened her mouth and screamed. The world sounded like static was buzzing in his ears, and if he'd been paying any attention Kirito would have noticed that little graphical errors were flickering in and out of existence at the edge of his perception. He wasn't paying any attention to anything other than Yui, however. His little girl was terrified of something, and he didn't know what he had to kill.
Kirito was halfway out of his seat before Sinon rested a hand on his chest, gently pressing him back down. The glasses-wearing girl smiled at him when he gave her a worried look and nodded. She stood up and hurried over to Yui, kneeling by the young AI child and wrapping her in a huge hug. Yui's screams were muffled slightly, but they still tore at his heart. "Shh, shh..." she whispered. Her hands stroked Yui's hair. "It's okay, Yui, I'm here. Your mama is here, Yui. Deep breaths, deep breaths. In... and out..."
Kirito nearly lunged out of his chair again when Yui's scream cut out abruptly and the girl toppled over, Sinon catching her in her arms like she'd expected that to happen. "What's going on?" he asked, panic barely concealed in his voice. "Is Yui -"
"She passed out, that's all," Sinon said and shook her head. She sighed. Meanwhile, the rest of the Royal Blades relaxed; everyone was in the living room, since naturally they'd all come running the instant Yui started screaming. "I don't know what caused it, but she had a panic attack from something. I recognized the symptoms." Oh. Kirito knew exactly why she'd recognize the symptoms and the thought made his heart feel heavy. "I'll stay with her until she wakes up."
The archer picked up Yui like the little girl was weightless - Kirito knew that was a lie, he'd given his daughter enough piggyback rides when Asuna hadn't claimed his shoulders first - and carried her upstairs. Kirito watched them until they were out of sight, and then turned back to Heathcliff. "Sorry about that," he said. "I... That's the first time that's happened."
"Please, don't apologize," Heathcliff shook his head. "You're not at fault."
Asuna took a seat next to Kirito, and he rested his hands on her. Asuna smiled weakly at him and laced her fingers with his, squeezing his hand. He was pretty sure it was for her comfort, but the touch did make him feel a little bit better. "So, Heathcliff," Asuna said, "I've heard your guild is doing well. Congratulations."
"Thank you," Heathcliff said. "And it seems your vacation has done well for you. I suppose congratulations of my own are in order?" His lips quirked into a faint smile when Asuna, blushing bright red, snatched her hand away from Kirito's like he'd been burned.
Kirito, grinning, leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Asuna's cheek. "K-K-K-Kazuto!" Asuna wailed. "Wh-what are you doing?! We have a guest!"
"I know."
"Ooh, are we givin' A-chan kisses?" Before Asuna could react or get out of the way, Argo leaned over the edge over the couch and kissed Asuna's other cheek.
With his second-in-command reduced to a thoroughly blushing mess, Kirito laughed and looked back at Heathcliff. "You could say that," he said again.
Heathcliff sipped at his tea. Kirito was pretty sure it was to hide a smile. "In any event, I received Argo's message earlier, and thought I would come by to make sure you know that there are no hard feelings. The Royal Blades will still be considered the official leaders of the front lines when you return."
"Thankies," Argo sang, perched on the couch arm. "Wouldn't want Kii-boy ta have ta beat ya in another duel, eh?"
"I don't think my reputation could take it," Heathcliff admitted drily.
The guild made a little small talk, but Kirito couldn't keep his worry about Yui's condition hidden for too long, and he was pretty sure Heathcliff picked up on that. After enjoying the tea and cookies, the guild leader said his goodbyes and left. From there, Kirito didn't remember consciously deciding to go up to Sinon's room, but he blinked and was standing outside of her door.
Sinon answered the door when he knocked lightly. "She's awake but resting," Sinon told him in a quiet voice. "Once she woke up, all she could do for a few minutes was shake. She was mumbling something about not going back, but that stopped after a minute."
"Poor girl," Kirito sighed. "Can I..."
"Sure."
Sinon opened the door wider, and he could see Yui curled up on the bed. As he entered the room, Yui sat up. "Papa!"
"Yui, are you okay?"
"Mm-hmm!" The girl nodded vigorously. "But Sinon-mama said I should just rest for a while."
"Then your Sinon-mama is very smart, as well as beautiful."
"Flatterer." Sinon rolled her eyes with a smile. "And I told you, call me Shino when we're alone."
Kirito took a seat on the bed and casually stretched out on the bed next to Yui. "Hooray!" Yui cheered. "Nap time with Papa! Sinon-mama, join us, join us!"
Kirito grinned. "Yeah, Shino, join us."
Sinon shook her head. "It's not fair to look that cute," she muttered. "Especially when I can't stay."
"Aww," Yui complained, before snuggling up against Kirito's chest. "Guess I get to sleep with Papa all by myself, then!"
Sinon shook her head again, muttering under her breath about something Kirito was pretty sure she called 'sleepeons'. Kirito chuckled and smiled, resting his head on the pillow. It smelled nice... like Silica's shampoo, come to think of it, he realized. "Feeling better, Yui?" he asked with his eyes closed.
"Yup! You're warm, Papa."
Kirito let his breathing slow down and become regular as he relaxed. His daughter was safe, she was feeling better, and all was right with the world. Though he couldn't help but wonder what had caused the attack in the first place, if only so he could protect her in the future. Sinon had explained things a little bit, back when she had first joined the guild...
...
Sinon clasped her hands together. "It's..." She sighed, one arm crossing her chest to hug her arm. Kirito wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be okay, but that might have sent the wrong signals... "Whenever I see a gun, or anything like that," she said, her voice quivering just a bit, "it's like I lock up. My heart starts pounding, and I can't move or do anything other than scream. I can't even let go of the toy gun I was using to practice..."
"That sounds... awful," Asuna said.
"Most of the time, I have to run to the bathroom and vomit," Sinon admitted. "I know it makes me weak, but - eek!?"
The poor girl had been grabbed in one of Asuna's patented Big Sister Hugs. Both Kirito and Leafa had plenty of experience with it. Sinon, on the other hand, hadn't been prepared in the slightest and had been awkwardly pinned in Asuna's embrace, though she clearly didn't mind. "The fact that you're facing it makes you strong, Sinonon," Asuna said. "Don't you think otherwise."
"...Sinonon?"
"Yeah! I think it sounds cute!"
Leafa giggled weakly. "Asuna..."
...
But what had been the trigger? For Sinon, she'd needed to see something that reminded her of that moment. But the only thing Kirito could imagine could scare Yui like that was that time she'd mentioned spending in the early game, having to deal with being locked away, forced to watch players suffer and be helpless. That would make sense, Kirito thought, since she was talking about not wanting to go back. She didn't want to get locked away again, he realized. But why would seeing Heathcliff, of all people, have triggered that reaction?
It just didn't make any sense, Kirito thought. Heathcliff was one of the strongest players on the front line. He had never dropped below green health, and he was a user of one of the few Unique Skills in the game. He was a little strange, yeah, but that shouldn't remind Yui of being trapped... In fact, the only thing that Kirito could imagine would send Yui into that kind of panic attack, aside from being trapped again, would be seeing -
No. That couldn't be possible. His heart froze for an instant. It stalled just long enough for his lungs to ache, and then started pounding like a jackhammer. Trying his best to not let what he'd just thought show on his face, he gently sat up and said, "Yui?"
He made sure to speak softly, so as to not wake up the girl if she'd actually fallen asleep, but Yui sat up and stretched, yawning widely. "When waking up, you and my mamas yawn for an average of seven seconds, Papa!" she told him. "So I tried emulating it. It was fun!"
"I can't say I've ever thought yawning was fun, Yui..." His precious little girl. The thought of leaving her was terrible...
Yui giggled. "Well, it was! So, what did you want to ask me, Papa?"
He swallowed. "When... When we clear this game, what happens to you?"
The question hung in the air, and Yui shifted her weight. All at once, Kirito saw the little AI in his daughter rise to the surface. "You don't have to worry about that, Papa," Yui said. "In order to avoid the Cardinal system's detection, I shifted my main program to your NerveGear! My database and storage is all saved off the network. Plus, I took the liberty of adding an item to the guild inventory. If you use the item, it will run my processes. Think of it as waking me up from sleep, if you want."
She smiled so happily that Kirito couldn't help but put his hand on her head. "Good girl," he praised her.
"Eheheheh!"
So... As long as they had that item, they could bring her back. But at the same time, there was no guarantee that there would be another game that would be compatible with SAO's engine. It was still incredibly risky - and what happened if he got disconnected? Would Yui still be safe?
Kirito's mind was whirling with thoughts, until a pair of small hands wrapped around his chest and Yui leaned into his chest, hugging him. "It's okay, Papa," she said. "I think I know why you're asking... and it's okay. I-It's like falling asleep, that's all..."
"Yui..." Kirito hugged her tightly. "I love you so much, Yui. And I know everyone else does too."
"In the end, I'm just an AI... and it's in my core programming to help players," Yui mumbled.
"You're more than an AI, you're our daughter!" Kirito said. "And the others feel the same way. We... We don't want to lose you, Yui!"
"I-I'll just go to sl...sleep, and not get to see you anymore..." Yui sniffled. "Papa... I'm confused. I shouldn't be thinking things like 'I want to stay with them', but I want to!"
"It's okay, Yui, it's okay," he said. "You're not just some program. You're family. If you want to do something, all you need is to say it."
"Papa... I want to stay with you forever!"
As Yui buried her head in his chest and bawled, Kirito stroked her back. This little girl had upended their life. Thanks to her, he was dating... and practically married to six beautiful girls, and everyone loved everyone else. He owed her so much, the least he could do was give her this. While Yui cried, he whispered promises he knew he might have to break, swearing that no matter what, she would be able to stay with them forever.
"Yui," he said once her sobs had dried into soft sniffles and the occasional hiccup. "Do you think I'm right?"
Yui sniffled again and sat back. "I do, Papa. I know you are."
"...Thank you, Yui," he said. "Now, let's go wash your face, okay?"
Sniff. "Uh huh."
April 18th, 2024
The Teleport Gate flashed with light, and Heathcliff stepped through onto the 22nd Floor. "Sorry to call you out like this, so soon," Kirito said, scratching his cheek.
"It's no problem at all," Heathcliff replied. "It provides me with an opportunity to step away from the paperwork for a moment."
Another point in favor of his deduction, Kirito thought. Even if Yui hadn't confirmed his suspicions, the fact that Heathcliff, possibly the second-strongest player in the game, spent most of his day passively sitting behind a desk instead of fighting on the front lines... It was definitely fishy, and Kirito wasn't talking the kind that he could find in the lake. So he'd sent Heathcliff a message and asked to meet again; then, that morning, he made sure to kiss his loves goodbye and headed out the door.
Without much small talk, Kirito led Heathcliff down the winding path. Most of the time, he would go on walks down this wooden path, the trees on the right and the lake shining with reflected sunlight on the left. Asuna would always insist on getting a piggyback ride, Silica would want to walk hand-in-hand, Argo would cling so tight to him as to be a second skin... He had a month of memories from this place, all of them fantastic.
"If you don't mind me asking," Heathcliff said, breaking the silence for the first time, "where are we going?"
"I just wanted to walk around for a little bit," Kirito admitted. He fished at that pier with Leafa when he'd just started training his Fishing Skill. She laughed at him when he couldn't catch anything at first, he remembered. The clearing was good enough, and he turned to face Heathcliff. "But there are a few question I'd like to ask you."
"Oh?"
"Well, they're more like requests," Kirito said. Heathcliff blinked, but otherwise didn't react. "I'm not planning on dying here today, but if I do, I want you to make sure all the girls won't kill themselves. I don't care what you have to do, but the Royal Blades can't die if I fall." He gritted his teeth. "It's not fair to them, but I won't let them hurt themselves.
"Second, I want to fight you." Kirito's eyes narrowed, and he unsheathed his dual blades. Elucidator was cold in his hand, a heavy weight reminding him of his responsibilities, and Burning Heart was warm to remind him of his relationship with the other. "And if I win, I want everyone trapped in here to be set free."
"I'm sorry, Kirito," Heathcliff said politely if a bit puzzled. "But I don't follow. How would I be able to do any of those things?"
"You're right," Kirito said with a nod. "The leader of the Knights of the Blood wouldn't. But someone with admin privileges would, right? Like the creator of Sword Art Online. Akihiko Kayaba," he spat.
In an instant, something in Heathcliff's demeanor changed. The well-meaning yet slightly overbearing leader of the second-most powerful guild in the game vanished, and was replaced by someone calm, cold, and ruthless. "Ah," Akihiko Kayaba said, wearing the face of a different man. "So you did figure it out. Bravo, Kirito. Well done. If you don't mind satisfying my curiosity, how did you discover the truth?"
"...A lot of small things, actually," Kirito said, tightening his grip on his swords' handles. "The way your health never dropped below half, even against the milestone boss. Your Unique Skill is pretty fishy, too. And every gamer knows that watching someone else play an RPG is pretty boring. But the biggest clue was Yui."
"The girl?"
"Yeah," Kirito said. "Her official title is MHCP001. An AI created by Cardinal. When she saw you, she had a panic attack and kept saying she didn't want to go back to the dark. When I thought about how you'd ordered her to do nothing, to ignore her core programming, even when players were suffering and dying in front of her-!" He stopped, taking a deep breath. Don't get upset, he told himself.
Kayaba watched impassively, a detached air about his face. The look of a god, staring down at one of his subjects from an unreachable height.
Once he was pretty sure he had his temper under control, Kirito continued, "I figured that the only person who'd trigger a reaction like that was the one who'd given her that order and trapped her in the first place. And that would have had to be Akihiko Kayaba. You."
"Amazing," Kayaba said, shaking his head. "Truly remarkable. Well then." He slammed his tower shield down in the dirt, staring straight at Kirito. "You are correct. I am Akihiko Kayaba. And it should come as no surprise to you, Kirito, that I'm the final boss of SAO."
Kirito gritted his teeth. "So what? Now that you've admitted it, are you just going to kill me to cover it up?"
"Oh, God no," Heath- Kayaba, Kirito reminded himself, shook his head. "That wouldn't be sporting of me. Not in the slightest. Instead, I have a better idea. I think that I'll leave the front lines and head up to the Ruby Palace on the very top Floor. I will await the clearers there."
"You're just going to run?"
Kayaba opened his menu, extra panels spilling out. The admin menu, Kirito realized. "It is a shame I have to leave so soon. The Knights of the Blood were coming along nicely. Oh well. They're strong enough to stand on their own - and if not, I'm certain the Royal Blades will be able to take them under their wing. But before I go... I'll grant your request," he said. "You wanted to fight me properly, yes?"
"Without your immortality?"
Kayaba nodded. He tapped a button in his menu, and a red hexagon appeared in front of him. 'Changed into Mortal Object', it read. Kirito's heart started racing. This was it, he realized. The one-on-one duel that would free everyone. He couldn't let himself think about what would happen if he failed. "This is interesting," Kayaba said, drawing his own sword and hefting his tower shield. "The player with Dual Blades... The one with the fastest reaction time in the game. You always were intended to be the hero of the story. But you've surpassed all of my expectations and become leader of the most powerful guild in the game. Congratulations, Kirito."
He couldn't help but feel that Kayaba's words were genuine, as twisted as they were. The commander - no, the man in front of him was praising him for his performance in his game.
Whatever. Kirito forced himself to put the words out of his mind and focus on the fight in front of him. He'd already fought Kayaba once before, back on the early Floors, and while he'd been less experienced and powerful then he'd nearly broken through the Holy Sword's defense. He just had to be careful not to use Sword Skills - because Kayaba had designed the game himself, and would know all of the Sword Skills by heart. Kirito remembered that he'd only been making himself vulnerable when he used his Sword Skills back at their first duel, and he didn't expect this to be any different now.
With a shout, he launched himself forward, kicking off the ground. His right sword swept up in a slash that Kayaba blocked, his shield shifting to the side with a spray of sparks, and Kirito used the force to spin, Burning Heart cutting out in a horizontal swipe. It nearly sliced into Kayaba's armor but the older man dodged the blow. Kirito crouched and jumped back as his instincts screamed, and Kayaba's sword slammed down into the ground right where he'd been standing. If he hadn't reacted in time, that would have split him in half! Growling, Kirito dashed forward again and unleashed a combo he'd developed while training at kendo with his sister. It was powerful and even managed to scratch Leafa from time to time.
He jumped in the air at the last second, avoiding the shield bash that he'd seen coming. While in midair, he slashed down with both weapons, cutting at Kayaba's exposed chest. Metal screeched as his blades cut through the metal; Kayaba's armor was top tier or he would have done more than chip damage. Undeterred, Kirito forced his body, now upside down, into the trigger position for Crescent Moon. The Martial Art Sword Skill activated and Kirito kicked in a move straight out a cheesy kung fu movie, flipping his body and slamming his heel into the ground. "Hyah!" He shouted, thrusting forward with Elucidator. The point sliced open Kayaba's cheek, the older man barely getting out of the way in time.
For the first time that fight, Kayaba's eyes had widened. Red polygons floated away from the open wound, and Kirito grinned. His sister could dodge that attack most of the time, but Kayaba had been caught off-guard. He might know all of the Sword Skill combos, but if Kirito fought him under his own power... He wasn't as powerful as his sister, but Kayaba wasn't as good as Sugu either. He could win this!
"Remarkable," Kayaba said. "You truly surpass my every expectation, Kirito."
"Shut up!"
Without pausing for a break, Kirito dashed forward. His swords hammered away at Kayaba's shield, sparks flying from every collision. Kayaba slashed at him and Kirito parried the blow, his swords crossed at the hilt. His health still drained from the impact and he grunted in pain before thrusting Kayaba's sword aside and continuing the assault.
Clang clang clang.
Kayaba seemed to be getting his feet under him, though, and his shield was blocking Kirito's every move. Kirito gritted his teeth harder. Faster... He had to be faster! So that he could beat Kayaba and save everyone!
Clangclangclang!
Kirito hammered away, smashing his swords against Kayaba's shield. He tried every trick in the book, and they were working once or twice; a stab to the center of Kayaba's tower shield shifted it to the side and let Kirito slash at his unprotected side, though Kayaba had claimed a wound of his own in return. Kirito took a second to back away when Kayaba swung his heavy longsword and stole a glance at his HP. Just a little bit below yellow... but Kayaba's was a few slivers in the green.
The difference was in their equipment, Kirito realized. He had powerful equipment - his Heart of the Relic breastplate was small but gave him a huge boost to defense, and the Blackwyrm Coat Ashley had made was holding together well - but Kayaba was wearing a set of heavy armor. Plus, his Holy Sword boosted his defense to max.
Kirito shouted a cry and launched himself forward. He had to go even faster! His swords blurred as he swung, searching for any gap in Kayaba's defenses. If he could get just one... good... hit...!
"Haaah!" he shouted, and drew his swords back to strike at Kayaba - and unconsciously, his body fell into the old, familiar position to start his most powerful Dual Blades Sword Skill. In his drive to go as fast as possible, and strike hard, he'd made a mistake.
As his body moved in the system-guided, and most importantly predictable, moves, Kirito felt his chances at winning slip away. Kayaba's face was bored as he took measured steps back, shifting his shield in tiny movements that perfectly countered each of Kirito's swings. He didn't give up, though, moving his body with the motions to speed up and increase the power. It was a simple technique, and one that he'd mastered -
- and utterly useless against the creator of the game. Kayaba blocked everything perfectly, taking shreds of chip damage, and Kirito finally froze as his Sword Skill ran out and locked him in place. "Game over, Kirito," Kayaba announced, raising his sword over his head. It glowed red, and swung down.
"Don't hurt my brother!"
Kirito's eyes widened and Kayaba's head turned to the side, but before his sword could continue its descent Leafa's katana clashed with it. Glowing sparks flew as she struggled against him, his little sister gritting her teeth with effort. The post-Skill freeze faded and Kirito immediately slashed with his Burning Heart, but Kayaba's Sword Skill had ended as well and he leaned away. The tip of Kirito's blade scraped across Kayaba's armor, finally pushing the man into the yellow.
"Wh-what are you doing here?" Kirito panted.
"Idiot!" Leafa snapped, gripping her katana in a ready position. "I'm your sister, of course I'm going to know something's up when you give us all kisses goodbye before leaving! So Argo followed you."
"I didn't notice..."
"Nya hah hah! I'd hope not~!" Argo melted out from the shadows and winked at Kirito. "I'd be ashamed if ya did."
"Sorry we're late," Asuna said as she stepped out and took up a stance beside Kirito, holding her rapier pointed at Kayaba. "Argo had to run back and get us after you challenged Heath... Kayaba to a fight."
"I can't believe it," Lisbeth sighed, shaking her head. "We trusted you! You were someone the clearers could look up to."
"Save your breath." Sinon was sitting in a tree, her bow nocked and aimed at Kayaba. "He doesn't strike me as the type to be remorseful."
Kayaba's eyes swept across the assembled guild, before he shook his head. "The hero's loved ones arrive," he said. "A last-second twist in the narrative. I think we should call the battle here, then -"
"His hands!" Kirito shouted as Kayaba let go of his shield to form the sign that would let him open the menu. "Don't let him open his menu! That's how he uses the admin console!"
Before Kirito had managed to finish the second sentence, Sinon's arrow was already flying through the air. It slammed into Kayaba's arm, damaging him and knocking his hand out of line. Naturally, the system wouldn't recognize such a sloppy movement as a command, and Kayaba's eyes narrowed. "Let's go!" Kirito shouted, and the girls shouted back.
"Fine, have it your way," Kayaba declared, raising his shield and sword again.
Before he could do more than bring it back behind his head, the blade glowing, Kirito heard someone's voice. "Over here!" Silica shouted, and a wave rippled through the air. Kayaba grunted as his body stiffened, a massive speed penalty being applied because he targeted someone other than Silica. "Quick, while he's slowed!"
"On it!" Asuna's rapier flashed out, and like a thousand shooting stars her Linears filled the air, colored lines converging on Kayaba's form. He couldn't react to her lightning speed and red slashes littered his body. "Liz, you're up!"
"Switch!" The blacksmith jumped, hammer held over her head, and slammed it down with a thunderous crash. Her strength was amazing, but Kayaba had managed to get his tower shield in the way in time. Of course, sheer power wasn't what Lisbeth's goal was. "Now!"
Argo darted in, cloak rippling around her form, and ducked low. She tucked into a roll, wicked claws slashing out, digging into Kayaba's heels while he was unable to respond. He grunted and was forced to take a knee, the system recognizing the damage as enough to weaken his leg. "Get 'im!"
"Right!" Kirito nodded to his sister, and she smiled. Together, the Kirigaya siblings drew their blades back and charged forward. His blades glowed yellow, energy jumping like a solar prominence and lightning on his Burning Heart and Elucidator, and her katana sparkled a radiant green. They slashed, both of them slashing down perfectly -
- and they slowed to a halt a few steps past Kayaba, frozen in place. They didn't worry about being attacked from behind; the others would never let that happen.
After a second of his heart hammering in his ears, Kirito turned to see Kayaba kneeling in place. Three lines crossed his whole body, forming a six-pointed star that centered right over his heart. He watched as the outline of Kayaba's body shimmered, fuzzing around the edges for a second like a low-quality video transmission. The man's head fell forward, eyes closed like he was asleep, and his health drained... until Kayaba's health bar disappeared with a quiet beep that everyone heard.
"We... did it," Asuna breathed.
Everyone else was silent, staring at the man that had trapped them in the death game. His avatar glowed white, nearly blinding them, until it shattered with the sound of breaking glass. Blue polygons, the same cheap effect that happened when any regular mob had been killed, floated up in the sky.
"On April 18th, at 11:35 AM, the game has been cleared," a pleasantly neutral female voice said. The voice was sourceless but echoed through the air. "Repeat: the game has been cleared."
...
Kazuto opened his eyes, and everything was so blindingly bright that he closed them again. He blinked, his eyes slowly adjusting, and when he could see he realized that the roof overhead wasn't the log cabin that he'd grown used to having overhead. Instead of brown wooden planks, he looked up at a smooth grey ceiling dotted with brightly glowing fluorescent lights. It was harsher than the warm lamp he'd grown used to, living at the Log Cabin.
His head turned to the right, feeling heavier than it had for two years. It stopped before he'd fully turned, leaving him staring at the corner of the room, but he could still see the wall. A window had its curtains drawn back to let light into the room, too bright for him to see outside. It hurt to look at, a little bit. So Kazuto turned his head the other way. The struggle only took a second before his head stopped again. This time, out of the corner of his eye he could see a bed to his left, and a little bit past that a doorway.
He let his head fall back to the pillow. This was... the real world, he realized. He was lying in a hospital bed. As he slowly became aware of the antiseptic smell, he lifted his right hand up in front of his face. It was... healthier than he'd expected. He'd expected it to be almost skeletal, but somehow his body was more or less the same as it had been when he'd first logged into SAO with his sister and best friend.
Sugu... Asuna... All at once, the last few moments of his time in Aincrad rushed back to him. They'd been standing in the clearing where the combat that decided their fates had finished, and they'd heard that strange announcement... and then everything had gone white. The Royal Blades had found themselves standing in the sky, orange clouds swirling below as the castle Aincrad crumbled away and fell into oblivion. Kayaba had been there, too; not as his avatar, but the young inventor Kazuto remembered staring at pictures of as he pored over the man's few interviews. They'd had a chance to ask a few questions, but... hadn't really received any satisfying answers before Kayaba announced that his time was up.
Still, that wasn't important. What was important that they'd promised that they'd find each other in the real world, and then they'd fall in love all over again. Asuna, Sugu, Kana, Shino, Rika, and Keiko...
Kazuto sat up in bed, his body following his mind's orders after only a second. But marveling at his surprising fitness after being in a two-year coma was the last thing on his mind. He reached up with his hands and groped at his head, exploring the NerveGear strapped securely to his head. He clicked the strap around the base of his chin and pulled it off; for the first time in two years, he was free. Long black hair spilled down his back, ending at his shoulders. He smiled weakly. Right, he thought. Two years... Of course his hair would grow.
The sound of a bed shifting made him turn to the side, and his heart leapt into his throat at the sight of his beloved sister staring back at him. "Sugu..." he croaked out, throat unused to making sounds.
He saw her lips move and knew somehow that she'd said his name. The world was silent, but that didn't matter. She was thin and some of her defined muscle had faded, but to Kazuto she looked absolutely beautiful. He set his NerveGear helmet aside and swung his legs out to the bed. He took a second to test his weight, and when they would support him he stumbled across the tiny gap and fell into Sugu's waiting arms.
He was never going to let her go, he promised himself. Not Sugu, and not any of the girls.
That's it, folks. Kayaba defeated, game over!
I decided to dedicate a large chunk of the chapter to showing how the Royal Blades live together because that's what the story is mostly about. They're a family, not just a group of girls all interested in the same guy, and I wanted their interactions to show that. So, most of the time Kirito is talking to girls one-on-one and they're chatting with each other. Or, in Argo's case, flirting with Asuna.
Yes the resolution to the story is abrupt, but with how things happened I think it was natural. Once Heathcliff showed up, I knew that Yui would have to react to that; considering how she had her freakout in canon, I figured it was justified. Once that happened, the dominos just started falling into place and things escalated.
The fight with Kayaba I knew was going to end with all the girls showing up and having a big fight together. And if you say that Kayaba went down too easily, it was seven on one and he was surrounded. There was nothing he could do. (Besides, it meant that everyone got to show off a little bit.)
I decided to skip over Kayaba's little speech at the end of the game for a few reasons, but chief among them is that nothing new would have happened? Basically it's his question/answer session followed by the Royal Blades sharing their real names with each other so they can find each other in the real world. (and don't worry, the Kirigaya's weirdly in-shape bodies will be explained next chapter.)