Chapter 1: Crossing fields
Tick, tock.
"Yuuki-senpai!"
Faint footsteps can be heard in the serene hallways as a light haired girl approach her senior. Said senior dazedly turns her gaze towards her, as if never believing.
"Congratulations! Yuuki-senpai! I heard you've top the exam!"
Yuuki Asuna stares at the girl as if she had grown two heads.
"Top? Exam?"
"Mm! And I also heard that you're being pursued by a young aristrocrat! I believe his name is Sugou Nobuyuki! You're so lucky Senpai!"
Asuna widens her eyes.
"Senpai, are you alright?"
Tick, tock.
"You're kidding right? How would I top an exam I never reviewed, in fact how could I review if I'm in A-"
Asuna started muttering but cut herself off. She doesn't understand. How could this happen? Weren't she in [Aincrad] together with-
-Kirito?!
"Senpai?"
The girl, who's supposedly her junior looks at her with worry lacing in her eyes, for she, just stood there, frozen.
Tick, tock.
Tick, tock.
"Kirito-kun, Kirito-kun, Kirito-kun..."
She mutters as she crumbles to her knees. She can't take it anymore, as she wraps her arms to the folded knees all she can think of was that, that serious face of a certain black haired youth framed with experience yet had the naivety of a child's.
She didn't know when her first tears landed in reality.
Asuna awoke with a start.
The mist in her vision started to clear up as she recollects the contents of her dream, but soon gave up as tears started to well up again from the corner of her eyes.
Just like what happened [there].
There, she would wake up in a simple bed.
There, the scent of the fresh trees would always greet her first in the morning.
Wooden walls, decorated with various memoirs would always welcome her sight by the time her eyes opened.
And most especially,
... it's because [he]'s there with her.
But,
... those weren't the things that filled her vision by now.
A luxurious bed, marble floors and cemented walls.
These are what made Asuna- Yuuki Asuna's room in the [real world].
She studied her surroundings once she got up from lying, and what took her attention was-
-an old looking head gear.
[NerveGear].
A FullDive model VR interface, called as the [demon machine]. As it had locked her and several hundreds of individuals inside a virtual reality world for almost two years. Only after a very long and fierce battle, had they been finally released from its grasp.
Yes they, she had returned.
But the one who liberated them and the one whom she had given her heart to was...
She turns away as a sharp pang assaulted her chest. She stood up and walks towards her bathroom. There she glanced at the full body mirror located at the wall.
Everything has changed.
o0o
Sunday, January 19th 2025
9:00 AM
Kirigaya Suguha somberly walked in the snow encased pavement in the road.
The weather was extremely cold, especially it's only in the mid-January morning.
Her drowsiness, long forgotten as she continued down the path and specifically because she had finished her early training exercises.
Her breaths cut short as she sped up once she saw that her destination is near. Her shoulder-length black hair swaying in the cold winter air as her two onyx eyes shone in the sunlight.
Her appearance, as she thought, was very different than her [brother]'s.
While her brother's had that feminine glow, all she got was a masculine side instead.
Thinking about it, the sober air, that was supposed to be dispersed earlier, returned and was back tenfold stronger.
Suguha shook her head and resumed walking. She took a deep breath as she enters the gate of a hospital.
The hospital in which her brother, no [cousin] to be exact, Kirigaya Kazuto was occupying.
Her brother had been admitted to this major hospital in Saitama. The place were his, supposedly, [parents] was admitted to and had held their last breath after that [accident].
And on the second time, [another] of their bloodline has to be admitted there again. All because of the nightmarish incident called [Sword Art Online].
This is also a place where she had learned of the [truth].
Suguha might've bursts into a sobbing mess had she had not done it earlier.
o0o
The first thing she saw when she arrived was her comatosed brother, restrained to the sickbed with numerous of cords and the dreadful headgear that concealed his head, and all she wanted to do now was to simply clings to him and weep...
"Ah..."
The moment she fully enters Kazuto's ward, Suguha suddenly froze in her footsteps.
There sitting in a chair, which is too close to her brother, is Asuna in casual clothes despite all her regalities and had been looking at her in a perplexed manner.
As their eyes met, Asuna smiled and spoke;
"Good Morning, Suguha-chan."
"G-good morning... You're pretty early for today, Asuna-san."
"Is that so? How about Suguha-chan, don't you have kendo practice?"
"I've finished early today."
The young lady, Asuna beckons her to sit beside her, in which Suguha complied to.
Asuna, Yuuki Asuna is also a [SAO Survivor] along with others that had often, if not always, visited her brother. And among others Asuna seems to be the one who has a [thing]together with him that Suguha can't help but feel a slight twinge in her heart.
But then Suguha had been happy.
She felt really happy for her brother. For him to have such loyal friends that even after being released was able to reminisce their time being with him in that world, even if he's the one being left behind.
For them, her brother, that person was an important individual in that illusionary world, especially for Asuna, and she heard this directly from her a month ago, in which that time, this chestnut haired girl can only support herself by crutches as she explained the details to Suguha and her mother.
Before, she would think that such thing is ridiculous. But now, Suguha could somehow understand. She could see it by herself that this fragile older girl truly loves her brother very much, as tears would always treathened to fall just for him.
Asuna would always visit Kazuto every three days, if not for her rehabilitation. Suguha was sure she would always come by herself if she can take the time and Suguha will see it clearly.
Asuna, sitting in front of that slumbering brother of hers, holding his hand as she bows her head for a silent prayer for him to wake up, just like the way Suguha once held it, praying tirelessly.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Just like Asuna, she too, wants Kazuto to return, and she promises, she'll mend their torn relationship and she'll tell him that she had known already...
o0o
Two months ago, at the top of the floating castle [Aincrad] in its 75th floor, Asuna had witnessed the final battle between her husband the [Black Swordsman] Kirito versus the [Knights of the Blood] commander, the [Holy Sword] Heathcliff but never seen the final moments as she had died protecting Kirito. But nonetheless, both she and him had completed that death game.
The once to be called the [Flash] had returned, awakened in a private hospital room.
But her most important person had yet to return.
She had found out, thanks to her father and that guy in a black rim glasses and suit, said to be a representative of the [Ministry of Internal Affairs - SAO Countermeasure Division], giving her the fact of the whereabouts of her beloved.
And as the [top] clearer of the game, it was just easy to follow Kirito-kun's player information through server data.
That was what he says.
Though the escalated feeling of Asuna from learning she could met Kirito-kun in the real world was easily deflated once the black rim glasses guy stated that he, among 300 others across the country had yet to wake up, thinking it was only a [lag spike] occuring in the server. But that was long enough, as of now they haven't woken up at all.
Something, no someone was behind all of this, and Asuna was sure that it's not the Commander's[1] fault, because she was there, when the time he lets himself be engulfed by the destruction of his beloved world.
Of course, Asuna had tried to enter that world again, as secretly as it is since her parents refused to, but was only led to failure.
For that time she just let it be, and then came her rehabilitations.
It's been painful, but in order to see must do everything as she can, one at a time.
And after a month, she sets out to visit him.
Despite the initial refusal of her mother, Yuuki Kyouko, she was finally allowed to have her freedom of visitation rights only in one [condition].
That is for her to meet up a man every weekend.
She accepted though, for Kirito-kun's sake. Anyway, she can always shake off that [man] if she wanted to nonetheless.
And then, she had met Kirigaya Suguha and Kirigaya Midori, Kirito-kun's sister and mother.
That led to the current situation she found herself is.
When Suguha-chan had entered the room, both of them succumbed a comfortable silence, silently gazing at the sleeping boy, and occasionally launching casual conversation with each other. Asuna could tell that the younger girl, while not totally uncomfortable with her, always seems a bit distracted in her presence especially when she wore that worn down expression.
She understands though, what right does Asuna, a stranger had to pay someone a visit before the relatives?
And so, when the younger girl had excused herself for the bathroom, Asuna founds herself leaning on the bony frame of a chest the slumbering black haired boy has.
She held her breath as she desperately tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall again.
"Mou, Kirito-kun... what would you say if you saw me like this..."
"I'd say you'd look so lovely with that sad expression on, Asuna-san."
She was alerted by that deep voice of the [man] she truly dreaded to see.
She looks behind her and see the person entering the ward.
"What are you doing here, Sugou-san?"
"Ah, how cold of you, haven't we been meeting up each other during Saturdays and Sundays?"
The man named Sugou, walks towards her with a smile. At first glance, one could say that he was a positive person, by looks and by deeds. Tall, intelligent and polite. A man with a smile that can charm everyone even if he is already barely past his 30s.
But that was only a facade.
Sugou Nobuyuki is a snake, a vulture even, that only sees Asuna as a piece of untouched meat and was always ready to reap her out once he deemed she was fresh enough. Asuna can perceive that side of him.
At her hardened glare, Sugou just shakes his head and continued walking to the immobile and vulnerable comatosed Kirito laying in the meager hospital bed.
"Next month, no, I want it to be next week."
Asuna narrowed her eyes.
"You're beautiful Asuna-san... and I want you to wear the bridal gown."
He then went to stand next to Asuna by Kirito's bedside and started poking the boy's cheek, in which Asuna felt revolted to.
"What do you mean? Gown, why would I wear such thing?"
"You're marriage to me that is."
Asuna felt cold sweat run towards her body, not comprehending Sugou's words.
"Do you think, I would approve of that?"
"Oh most certainly, given to the circumstances you've put yourself into, dear Asuna-san."
From poking Kirito's cheek, Sugou's hand reached out to Asuna's smooth chestnut hair and it instantly filled her with a sense of disgust.
"When you were in the game, you lived together with him, didn't you?"
And from the smile he wore, Asuna more certainly knew that his words had a barred truth.
"You hated me since the time I was officially adopted to your family, I was hurt by that you know, and here I would find that you had opened up with a stranger in a [fake] world, unbelievable really."
Sugou's fingers neared Asuna's lips.
"Stop."
She can't take it anymore as she grabbed the offender hand and flicked it away.
"Of course I hate you, I know your [TRUE] colors, and just so you would know, I'll never marry such a man like you!"
Asuna hisses, almost like screaming.
"Tch, tch, Asuna-san, Asuna-san, Asuna-san."
Sugou provoked with a smug sing song voice, moving from Asuna's side to the opposite, facing the, supposed to be, sleeping boy.
"Do you think you have much of a choice, hm? Honestly, Asuna-san. Do you know what happened to [Argus]?"
"I heard they got broke."
"Correct. From the development cost, together with the damages put them in debt and the company eventually went bankrupt. So here's the fun part, the SAO server maintenance is now under the responsibility of, yours truly, RECTO's FullDive technology department. Now, who do you think is the one taking care of the problem?"
From the other side of the bed, Sugou looks at Asuna mockingly.
"That is to say, your [precious] boyfriend is still alive because I permitted it. Therefore. don't you think I should be compensated by [you] for all the troubles? Am I wrong? Besides..."
The sweat that gathered earlier in Asuna's temple founds its way and roll in her cheek, a silent sound accompanying its fall to the floor.
The smile from Sugou's face disappeared as he spoke in an icy tone.
"I don't know what happened between you two in the game, but remember this Asuna-san, if you don't answer me by next week's time, who knows what'll happen to him."
Asuna couldn't do anything but clench her fists, frustration founding its way to her face. This man, this man is using Kirito-kun's situation for his advantages! What a cowardly fool!
She was about to tell him to get lost and that she will never marry him when she was interrupted by the door opening. Turning back she sees Suguha-chan carrying a vase full of freshly picked flowers. Said girl turns to them with a bright smile.
"Arre, Sugou-san, good to see you here!"
'Eh?'
Shocked, Asuna could only stare at the younger girl with disbelief.
"You knew him?"
"Of course, Sugou-san is the kind young man that's sponsoring Onii-chan's hospitalization, and he weekly visits him too."
At Suguha's words Asuna became speechless. Sugou got up from his perch and smile back at Suguha.
" Yes, Kirigaya-san is right. Now if you'll excuse me. Asuna-san if you don't mind, and please... don't forget."
Sugou patted Asuna's head, in which she tried hard not to slap because it'll be improper if Suguha-chan can see something like that, nodded to the youngest of the three and curly leave the room.
o0o
The meeting with Sugou still burned in Asuna's memory, even after Suguha-chan had asked her how she had known Sugou-san or even after she left the hospital and went home.
She can't answer Suguha for now that the man she thought was helping her brother is actually a man using him to his advantages in setting Asuna herself. Sugou is deeply trusted by her father and now he had gain the trust of Kirito-kun's relatives, a thing that took her long before she had.
This is what she truly feared for.
That the time she spent together with Kirito-kun is nothing but a dream, an illusion for the eyes of the adults.
"What should I do...? Kirito-kun..."
Tears of sadness started to slid down from her face, to the hands folded in her lap.
She was startled when her phone beeps softly. The melodic hum of the device deeply reminded her of the days Kirito-kun and her met their daughter [Yui].
Answering the phone, not bothering to wipe her face, Asuna spoke in a watery voice.
"Hello..."
『Asuna-san, it's me, Kirigaya Suguha.』
Asuna widened her eyes. True, she had given the Kirigaya family her contact information, for if ever Kirito-kun wakes up they'll contact her. She just didn't expect that the youngest Kirigaya to do the deed just yet.
『I'm worried for you Asuna-san. I don't know what really happened, but when Sugou-san left, you looked realy pale. Are you alright?』
Hearing the voice Kirito-kun had probably always heard before, Asuna can't stop the smile that grows thinly in her lips.
"Yes, I'm fine Suguha-chan, you don't have to worry."
The other line became silent. For a moment, Asuna thought that Suguha had probably hung up if not for the next sentence coming from the other line.
『Cheer up. If you truly love Onii-chan, then you shouldn't give up so easily. I know Onii-chan is strong so he'll survive, for you and for us.』
That was enough for Asuna. The last streaks of tears in her face slowly fade away and disappear completely.
o0o
Asuna was awakened by an electronic sound that indicated she has received a mail.
Said email was from [Agil]. An old friend and a merchant from SAO. Asuna and Agil met together with the rest of their SAO friends once they found out about Kirito's situation and everybody exchanged mails.
Asuna has kept in touch with everyone. From Lizbeth, Klein and another friend of Kirito-kun, a girl named Silica.
And the most recent message she got was the one she receive as of now.
[LOOK AT THIS] was the title of the message, and once she opened it she thought she stopped breathing.
A single picture was attached to it.
Even if it's a bit pixilated, Asuna can't deny that she knew who was depicted on it.
Even if it's only a computer generic one, she would know,
A blackened cage stood in the foreground. Inside were a marble table and chair were placed. In the chair was a boy, draped with a black silk tunic and an Arabian pants, chained.
She knew that face, she knew very well.
That raven locks, androgynous face and all black clothing, regardless of the type of clothing, were undoubtedly Kirito. Even if that ebony transparent wings stretched out behind ostracized the view, she knew it was him.
"Kirito-kun?!"
o0o
Agil's cafe and bar is located in Taito Okachimachi. As soon as Asuna saw that trademark title of his [Dicey Cafe], she hastily opens the door and spotted the bald giant man behind the counter.
"Oh, you're fast."
"What is that picture, Agil-san?"
In any other occasions, Asuna would likely start a lighthearted conversation with the tan man, but right now she is in a big hurry, and Agil must know it.
Agil or in the real world [Andrew Gilbert Mills] frowns a little then brought out a rectangular package under the counter and pushed it to her.
[Alfheim Online] it reads.
"That's another VRMMO released for the [AmuSphere], the successor of the NerveGear. It's also compatible with it, as long as the RAM is usable."
"Home of the faeries... huh?"
"I've heard it's quite difficult."
Agil placed a steaming cup of tea in front of Asuna in who accepted and took a small sip, laughing a bit.
"[Levels] don't exist anymore in that game. All skilled depends on a player's athletic ability, but pretty much the same as SAO."
Asuna contemplated.
"So [PKing] is encouraged?
"More so, it's a battle of different fairy races."
Agil's smile broadened as he notices Asuna loosening up her serious demeanor.
"In that game, you have the ability to [Fly]."
"Fly?"
"With fairy wings. This game is equipped with a [Flight Engine], enabling users to fly freely, though there is a 10 minute time limit."
Asuna seems amazed by that fact, but she is too worried to really care, even if she can fly with wings in the game, she must find Kirito-kun first.
"Alright, I know already. Now, what's the case of the picture?"
The african-american man once again brought out something under the counter. It's a piece of paper consisting more of those pictures and handed them towards Asuna.
"What do you see?"
"Kirito-kun."
"Thought so. It's a game screen shot, the resolution's pretty bad too."
"Please elaborate, Agil-san."
"That was taken there, in Alheim, inside ALO."
Asuna studied the materials Agil had accumulated. It depicts a male and female faery facing the bright full moon and an overview of its world map, territories, and at the center of it was a giant tree.
"This, the [World Tree] or [Yggdrasil] is the goal of the players. The first race to reach the city atop will be granted eternal flight."
"Eh? It's not allowed to simply fly up?"
"It's impossible, and even with the highest stamina a player may have, one can't even reach the lowest branch. So often players comes up with crazy ideas, such as the [guild] who use their flight like a multi-stage rocket to propel themselves up."
"That's... pretty crazy but creative nonetheless."
"Apparently, and it's a success too. One of them even managed to climb up a branch and took a lot of pictures as evidence, and even managed to get closer to that mystery cage."
"Birdcage..."
Kirito-kun was trapped, but... why?
Asuna picked the module up and stared at it, focusing at the print on the bottom of the box.
[RECTO Progress]
"Asuna? What's the matter? You're a little pale."
"Uh, nothing, it's just think that I may know now as to what's really happenning."
Asuna said, gazing down while thinking of that wretched man- Sugou Nobuyuki - had blurted towards her.
Just as she thought, there is something fishy going on in this whole ordeal.
o0o
Asuna left after explaining everything to Agil, and he let her have the game not until he gave her enough warning and precaution about the game. The man also adviced her to contact that black rim glasses guy if necessary which she reluctantly agreed to. Agil also said that he will help her in any ways he can and he will inform the others about it, Asuna can never be grateful.
[Alfheim Online]
She hadn't been really listening to Agil's explanation about the game but she is determined to dive. So getting her NerveGear, which was supposed to be destroyed by now but ended up in her safekeeping because she refused to leave those [memories] harbored in that world, and inserted the module into the console.
After a few seconds, the main indicator light stopped blinking and confirming the sequence.
She stares at it for a moment and with a fire of passion in her heart, she puts the headgear on.
"LINK START!"
Myriads of colors welcomed her once she felt her consciousness leaving the reality and a female automatic voice greeted her.
She proceeded to calibrate the setting S and finally settled onto arrivin in a whole new world.
The account registration interface shows up and she began creating her game character. Since its RECTO that's been regulating this world, it's likely that Sugou will know that she had logged in if she uses her old [username] so for now she'll use another.
[Erika] would suffice.
And among the nine races, she chose [Sylph], because she believes that their territory is the most nearest to the World Tree, she's sure to that.
After completing the initial set-up, the artificial voice rang out bidding Asuna, no, Erika a "Good Luck" and she were sent to her starting point.
[Swylvain]
o0o
A/N:[1] Commander= Asuna pertain to Kayaba/Heathcliff as Danchou/Commander
Aaand that's a lenghty chapter 1, my pen's all dry up you know, I give that to you~
Aaw, no Kii-bou this chapter but don't worry he'll show up soon~ :3
Then, thanks for all who reviewed in the prologue~
to Mayuko-chan-san,
hm, maybe because it's the same plot that you thought its "strangely familiar" with another fic, I tell you, I've read that fic and believe me, this and that is not of the same page ne (But at the same time I was inspired by that~ Big wave to Miry-0-chan-san~)~
to vigolo1-san,
yes, I'll continue this, don't worry
(I also want to see Kii-bou fighting against all odds~!)
to Delta Marauder-san,
I think so too, but thanks anyway~
to StarElsie-san,
thanks~
Thanks for all those who favourite/follow and would you care to leave a review pweeeaasee~
See you all again in the next update~
Lovelots~
NishikaYui