WARNING: This story includes mature and sexual elements. The first portion of this chapter involves depictions of violence. Readers, proceed at your own discretion.

With the founding of the Human Empire, the people of the faith found enlightenment in the worship of the Goddess of Creation, Stacia—governor of life and creation. According to the scriptures, it was her blessings that allowed life to begin, both the living and the inanimate coexisting. And it is in her name that people whisper prayers for an everlasting marriage and the hope of having children.

~ Scriptures of the Goddesses, Paragraph 15

Asuna Yuuki was, by all means, a simple girl who wanted to protect the people she loved in her life. The 'SAO' tragedy had shaped her life for years to come, offering her the opportunity to take control of her life with both hands through grit and compassion.

Though fate had seen fit to throw her into a strange new world with risks beyond what she could have possibly imagined, she feared nothing. Not when she was with her beloved, whom she swore to fight for until her dying breaths.

And no army, a million men strong, will break her. All shall lay at her feet as a field of corpses in the end—such is her divine will.

Paralogue 1: Asuna | Stacia

People often said that, once you've peered into the abyss, you don't come out the same way ever again. Something about it being such a drastic experience that shakes your whole world. It was such a strange thing to consider, and certainly one that he took lightly back then.

Now, however, he knew he was in the same boat. And though he wished he could have attributed it to 'SAO', it was something far more personal than he would have ever realized.

Kirito recalled the first time he'd caught a glimpse of the underlying madness within his partner. A side of her that he'd never once imagined was her 'true self', devoted solely for his service and the utter annihilation of all whom she deems as threats.

It was particularly memorable because, at the time, the both of them were still trapped in 'Sword Art Online'. Twenty-second of October. Two days after he lost his duel to Heathcliff, forced to join the Knights of Blood in return. His pride aside, it wasn't a terrible start, and their first job was to go on a training excursion to the labyrinth on the fifty-fifth floor alongside Kuradeel and Godfree.

Now, Kuradeel. In case anyone needed a refresher; he was previously Asuna's bodyguard, whom he may or may not have publicly humiliated in a duel by breaking his sword. That, uh, certainly didn't go as he hoped, but he'd been willing to bury the hatchet and work alongside the guy. Maybe they could have hit it off and been friends (to an extent, perhaps).

That was all until he'd poisoned them and revealed his allegiance to the Laughing Coffin. At that point, it was safe to say that calling him an ally was off the table.

'You have got to be kidding me..!' He remembered the panic of that day, desperately fighting against his sleeping body, but only managing to flex his fingers. Back against the wall, mind scrambling for something, he tried desperately to reach for the two. "Kuradeel! Think about this! Don't—"

His shout fell on deaf ears, and he watched as Godfree—a man he barely recognized, but whom had welcomed him into the guild with a wide smile and a promise to look after him like a senior and his kouhai—shattered into bright red polygons, his screams severed like a snapped cable.

Another death. All because he couldn't do anything.

"Bastard..!"

"Keh…kehehe! Yes, I really am!" Mocked the lanky murderer, pulling his sword out of the ground, where Godfree's body previously was. His cursor, once a verdant green, shifted into a hideous orange, though he didn't seem to mind it. If anything, he relished the opportunity to bare his true colours. "And I must say, how cathartic it is to be rid of such a useless existence. You have no idea how frustrating he's been! Every single time, he treats me like I'm an amateur. Tries to treat me to meals and offer compliments. The nerve!" His scream is rising in tempo and manic, and the gleam in his eyes shift towards the ravenette. "And now that he's dead," the sword raised, aimed at him. "It's your turn."

Eyes wide, Kirito struggled harder to will motion into his body. Nothing worked. Kuradeel had slipped paralytic poison into their water canteens without them noticing. The status effect could be seen in his periphery, and kept true to its promise because everything refused his command.

Steps approached him, loud and clear and every single one leaving ice creeping up his veins. That only prompted him to try harder to will movement into his limbs, hoping that his efforts would be rewarded. But this was a game; and there were no such things as 'maybes' in it.

Once you were poisoned, that was the end of it.

His thoughts are cut short by the blade that stabs into his right thigh. "Gah..!"

"Finally… I get to finish the Coffin's dying wishes, and kill you, once and for all…"

"I-I thought we got rid of them…" He gritted out. Even if the pain was dulled incredibly to the point that the sword in his leg felt nothing like a pinprick, it was made worse by the cold metal against his virtual flesh. "Back in August…"

"Perhaps, but did you really think that you managed to get everyone?" His to-be killer cackled. "Come now, boy. Give us some credit. Even if our leader has been taken down, we'll strike back regardless, and continue killing players for the hell of it."

"Don't do this, Kuradeel… This isn't right."

"Really? Gonna' preach me on the rights and wrongs? Then I suppose I'll have to show what feels right for me."

Without saying a word, he pulled out his sword before stabbing it straight into his midriff, making him hack. The real danger wasn't the immediate pain, but watching as his health bar, previously a healthy green, slowly trickled down and down.

Yellow. The midpoint. It went down even more.

It was about to enter red.

"I can't believe this… After all this time, I'll finally be able to avenge everyone!" The madman's voice broke, laughter ringing across the valley. "I'll kill you, Kirito, for everything that you've done! And then, I'll find that bitch of a vice commander and send her straight to you in hell!"

"N-No!" His voice flared in reflex, teeth gritted. The image of the girl he had fought alongside flashed in his mind's eye, and the thought of her in danger made his blood boil. "Don't you dare touch a single hair on head, you piece of shit! I'll fucking kill you!"

"Kahahahaha!"

"Kura—"

It was like a mirage. At one point Kuradeel stood over him, ready to end his life. The next, a burst of jade engulfs their vision, followed by the man's body being sent flying into the wall like some kind of ragdoll, cracking stone with a hacked grunt. There was no mistaking the sound of clear metal ringing in the air, indicating the use of a «Sword Skill».

Hasty footsteps reach his side a moment later, a hand slipping behind his head and helping to crane it upwards. Something akin to glass shattered. His health bar, previously in the red, was instantly brought back to green, even if it wasn't completely replenished.

"Wha… Asuna?"

"K-Kirito-kun..!" The vice commander of the Knights of Blood and one of his closest friends, in her graceful armour of whites and reds, stared upon him with abject relief. Tears pricked in the corner of her eyes. "Ah, I reached you in time! Thank goodness..!"

"That's… How did you even…"

"I… got worried, so I followed you," she admitted. "Something just felt wrong to me, so I trailed you from afar. I'd hoped it wasn't anything terrible, but I got here too late. Godfree-san…" After a moment, she shook her head. "I'm just glad that I got to you in time. I'm so sorry, Kirito-kun…"

"I-It's okay, really. But Kuradeel…"

"Ah… Right, of course. Don't worry, I'll take care of him."

She looked so hesitant to leave him, but she slowly lowered his head and stood back. Her eyes, warm and loving, lingered on him before eventually shifting towards the murderer, who was glaring daggers at them from afar. She stood up, and began approaching him.

There was an exchange of words, though he couldn't exactly make out what it was. They weren't too close for him to really hear everything, but judging by the way Asuna's fury seemed to grow and Kuradeel was mocking her openly, it definitely wasn't going to be pretty.

After all, Asuna earned the position of vice commander through grit and perseverance. She had trained so hard to the point that she was one of the strongest fighters in this entire game, showcasing incredible use of the rapier that made her almost impossible to defeat. Even Kirito, for how much he trusted his skills, felt fear at fighting her. So if Kuradeel thought he was going to win against her, then he had something else coming for him.

And, just as expected, the girl made short work of him. With artful footwork and movements faster than the eye could follow, she stabbed and poked him before he could even make a counterattack, practically toying with him. His health rapidly depleted until it turned crimson.

Eventually, his sword was snapped out of his grasp, and Kuradeel whined in horror. "Eeeh! P-Please, forgive me!" The full-grown man threw himself into a prostrating position before the teenager, sheer terror in his voice. "I-I know, it was wrong of me to kill Godfree, a-and to try and kill Kirito! Please, forgive me, I won't do it again! I won't hurt anyone anymore!"

Urgh. Typical cowardly behaviour. The moment they're pushed into a corner, they throw aside all their pride and are reduced into pussies. Kirito almost wanted to roll his eyes at the shameful display.

"Is that so? You promise?"

"O-Of course! I'll never kill another person ever again! I swear it!"

Silence seemed to stretch out in that moment. Kirito had to crane his head to watch the two, unsure of why she wasn't saying anything. Even Kuradeel seemed confused, for he'd stopped trembling and dared to peek upwards to ascertain her expression.

Eventually, she did break the silence.

And that was by swinging her foot back—then cracking her boot across his chin.

The man flew back a fair distance, dust flying about. Kirito's eyes shot wide, mouth going wide at the indescribable display.

"You really had the balls to say such a bold-faced lie in front of me…" He could hear her say, sounding almost disappointed. "Here you are, on the verge of death and prostrating before me like a useless man, yet you still try and lie to me. Do you really think me an idiot, Kuradeel?"

Even if the pain was greatly dulled, Kuradeel was not blind to the danger he was in, actively distancing himself away from the girl as he crawled on his back. Stutters and pleas fell off his lips, while all Kirito could do was watch his friend's back.

"And you… you actually dared to hurt my Kirito-kun? My man? In what part of that stupid fucking head of yours did you think that I would actually forgive you?!"

"I-I'm sorry! Please, mercy!"

"Did you give them any? Did you offer the same to Godfree when he begged you to stop? Did you give mercy to all the other people you killed?" Something about her tone was now chilling to the bone, making his breath hitch in his throat. "I don't think you did. And you would have done the same to Kirito if I never got here. He was so close to dying because of you. So, before you can ever take him away from me—"

"—I'll kill you first."

She didn't even draw her weapon. Merely lunged at the man and started bringing down her fists upon his face. While she didn't have access to the martial skills, that didn't prevent her from actually damaging another person.

But there was no intent to kill him in that moment. No. She recognized just how useless she was without a weapon, yet the fact that she continued to lash out at him without stopping made it very clear what she was trying to do.

She just wanted to break his face in. Wanted to show him just how pissed she was.

From even this distance, he could hear the sickening crunch of every bone in his head being broken and snapped. Kuradeel moaned and cried and begged, but all of that was drowned under the sounds of her fists beating into his face. This was a virtual world, so he likely felt very little of it. But if this was real, then there was no denying just how much pain she was causing.

His eyes. His nose. His teeth. His chin. His forehead. Nothing was left spared in her assault that to call her anything less than meticulous was impossible, gruesome as it was.

"You accursed piece of shit! You horrible, disgusting, worthless rubbish! How dare you try to take away the love of my life?! The man I would give all of me?!" She screamed like a banshee. Her fist cocked back and slammed right into his eye, a meaty thud resounding. "I was going to give him my love! I was going to find him in the real world and become his wife! And you would dare take that from me!"

The sheer vitriol spilling from her lips was so uncharacteristic of her that it kept him paralyzed on the ground, even when the actual status infliction had worn off. A-And… the man she loved? The man she wanted to marry? What was she saying?

Too stunned, he was too late to intervene. By the time his mind had caught up with his body, Asuna had brought down her fist upon his teeth one final time. By then, the damage had been done, and Kuradeel's body shattered; a final act of mercy, his death quiet and still.

The girl heaved, shoulders rising and falling with every breath taken. Strands of beautifully-braided hair stuck out at odd angles and her fists remain clenched tight at her side. If this was real, her hands would have been dripping with fresh blood. The tension was still palpable, every breath coming out almost like a wolf's growl.

He gulped. That was… There had been plenty of things she'd said back there that he was certain she hadn't intended to say. Maybe those had all just been part of his imagination. Yeah. He was probably crazy.

Crazy bastard that he was, his first thought wasn't to run from there. Instead, he listened to the foolish part of him that worried for her—for the girl he'd come to consider his best friend in this world—calling out her name. "A-Asuna? Are you alright—"

As if a switch inside of her was flipped, Asuna turned around fast enough to give herself whiplash. Wide hazel eyes stared at her before they began to water, her teeth gritting. "K-Kirito-kun..!"

She broke off into a sprint, breathless and almost in a fit of crying. When she got close enough, she threw herself bodily into his arms, knocking both of them backwards onto the ground.

And the next thing he knew, she kissed him with all her might.

Ever since that incident, the boy had been left mentally scarred, fearing for an inevitability that she would turn her blade on him if he ever came under suspicion for being her enemy. Knowing just what she'd been capable of truly put into perspective the quote 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'.

But Asuna had made it very clear that he would never be a victim of such. She'd proclaimed her love for him so loudly in that canyon, so wholeheartedly and so genuine, that there was no room for doubt that she truly wanted to be nothing more but his.

At first, he'd been shocked. He couldn't believe that the girl who was once his partner in the lower floors, and someone who had continued to grow in strides since she'd stepped up as vice commander of the Knights of Blood, actually liked him—a loner who had made too many mistakes that keeping a tally would just be impossible at this point.

Secondly, he was flattered… and admittedly relieved. After all, she was really popular amongst the player base (hell, she had her own dedicated fan club). Every guy clamoured for an opportunity to meet her, and perhaps for the both of them to be something more. If she'd fancied someone, then that would have been it.

Yeah, he had a little crush on her. One that he'd tried to bury deep down following Sachi's death, but now that she'd made it clear that he was the one for her, he couldn't help but feel glad. There was no one else he wanted, either.

And thirdly… he had to wonder if this really was the first time he'd seen such behaviour from her.

Oh, there was no mistaking that the persona she displayed to the entire world—that of a polite, kind girl who was no-nonsense when she wanted to be—was the real her. Even after they'd become a thing, that was just the kind of girl she was, and he loved her for it.

But that part of her… the one that would slaughter a hundred men if he demanded it. The one that hungered for his affection. The one that made it very, very clear that he was her entire world. Was Kuradeel's murder truly the first time he'd witnessed such behavior? Now having the benefit of hindsight, he thought back to the times when such a persona had ever reared its head before. And he was ashamed to know that he'd missed countless hints of such a thing before.

One such incident that he could recall was… ah, it was the very last day of March, 2023. That had been a particularly terrible day because it was the day the boss of floor twenty-five was defeated—but not without great losses.

Perhaps Kayaba had intended for this. That, for every quarter of Aincrad, there would be a drastic difficulty spike in terms of geography, mob strength, and even the boss itself. In theory, it would promote teamwork and careful preparation amongst the players, which would make the victory all the sweeter.

But that day, not a single man celebrated the victory.

Kibaou, that blasted idiot… With little useful information and too much pride, he and a party of around forty members had charged into the boss room. Perhaps they wanted to be the first to clear the room, get the reward first. Even in a game, there was just no avoiding damned politics because there were always going to be idiots.

But the losses had been too severe. With more than half of the guild wiped out in that fight, it had drastically impacted the strength of the frontlines. Kibaou and his guild, forced to lick their wounds, retreated from the frontlines ever since, leaving a massive vacuum behind, and leaving many players contemplating on the possibility of ever getting out.

And out of nowhere, Kayaba… ahah, sorry. Heathcliff emerged from the ashes and started the Knights of Blood guild, intent on replacing the Aincrad Liberation Squad and be a part of the frontline efforts.

"I've never even heard of him," he said, looking outside of his window. It was raining now, pattering gently against the glass as the skies darkened, akin to dusk despite it being in the afternoon. "Maybe he's just been training in secret all the while and trying to build his strength."

"Could be," sitting at the table opposite of him, Asuna hummed in contemplation. "He seems like a reliable sort, though. We could use more of those."

"True. We've had dumbasses like Kibaou going around getting people killed. Having someone more clear-headed will be good for us."

"Mmhm…"

Shooting her a furtive glance, he noticed how listless she seemed. She was even chewing her bottom lip; a quirk she did whenever something really got her gears grinding.

"Hey," he whispered. "Are you alright?"

"…Eh?" Blinking, those beautiful hazel eyes looked up to his. She tried to hide the conflict in her gaze by laughing afterwards, but he'd already noticed. "Oh, it's nothing! Sorry, just lost in thoughts today. Must be all the rain."

"Asuna…"

"I mean, it's not like I'm thinking about the Knights of Blood or anything! Really!"

So that was what she was thinking about. The boy sighed. "You're thinking about joining them, aren't you?"

"N-No!" She cried out. "It's just… I got invited to join it."

"Oh yeah? By someone you know? Or maybe a friend joined recently and reached out to you."

"No, it… It was Heathcliff himself."

Whoa, what? The very leader of the brand-new guild specifically called for her to join his guild? Talk about an honour.

Still, he understood why he decided on her. As a teammate, Asuna was able to work well with just about anyone, regardless of status or background. And as s fighter, Kirito would rank her in the top ten, for her finesse with the rapier and her technical skills easily put her above many others.

Yeah. It was… It was a really good idea to ask for her to join his guild. Made all the sense in the world.

"I… I'm thinking of rejecting his offer—"

"You should go."

He hated himself for saying those words. He hated even more seeing the look of shock and hurt on his partner's face a mere second later. "W-What?" Her voice sounded fragile, making his heart lock up. Still, he pushed on.

"Right now, the frontline's in a bad place. You know it, I know it. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if even the players who're living on the first floor know it. It's terrible, and we can't just let our momentum stop here," after a pause, trying to contemplate his words, he continued. "And you joining this new guild might just help a lot—"

"—I'm sure it'd be a big change from the norm, but I know you, Asuna. You're a great person, and you'll get along with everyone in your guild easily. And… you'll give courage to a whole lot of people out there," he smiled, hoping she didn't notice how pained it looked. "This isn't an opportunity you should let go of, Asuna. I know you can do so many great things."

And he was sure he would have looked back on today and cursed himself for letting go of one of the few people he genuinely cared about. Going back to being a lone player would be… it would be so difficult. They'd always been together since god-knows-when, so for all of that to disappear… he didn't want that.

But he could bounce back from it. He would have to.

"B-But I don't want to!" The sudden exclamation had him jolting in place, eyes wide. "I want to stay with you!"

At the time, he felt like the happiest person in the world, knowing that his partner wanted to remain with him just as he did too. It would have been simpler to accept it and leave it there.

But he'd been stubborn, refusing to accept it. "Come on now, Asuna… I can't just let you waste your time sticking with me. You'll be able to do so much more good if you join the KOB."

"But that's not what I want!" She shook her head. "Kirito-kun, I want to stay with you!"

He did too. But he couldn't afford to be selfish and keep her chained to his side. "Asuna, you joining the guild would be a huge boost in morale, and that's something all of us desperately need at this point. Something to give us hope that we can continue fighting."

"That's… And why does it have to be me? It can be anyone."

"You're well-known, whether you like it or not. When people hear the name 'Asuna', they immediately feel safe, knowing that such a strong player like you exists to fight for their freedom," he shrugged. "That's just how it is."

"O-Okay. Then how about you join me too?"

Truth be told, he'd thought about it. He would have requested joining the guild if only so that he wouldn't have to be separated from his best friend. They worked well together, after all, so being in the same guild wouldn't really detract from that.

But fear kept him in check, something whispering in the back of his head to reject the notion. His gut curled and his throat clogged. The faces of five friends smiled at him, welcoming.

Only for all of them to die. His failure. His fault. More blood on his hands.

"I… I'm sorry, Asuna," he whispered, weak. "But I'm not ready to join a guild. Not yet."

"T-Then you're leaving me? Y-You're getting rid of me..?"

His eyes shot wide, heart clenching at the hurt in her voice. "What? No! That isn't it at all!"

"But you're telling me to leave, and you wouldn't come with me. Y-You're trying to get rid of me," her voice cracked, utter fear overwriting her expression. "I-It's my fault, isn't it? I've always just been baggage that's stuck to you since day one, a-and I'm always troubling you because I don't know much about the game. And I have such a terrible personality, and I'm ugly, and I-I'm a horrible friend and I don't deserve to be by your side..!"

"No, Asuna!" He yelled, reaching forwards to take her hands in his. So soft, yet he knew just how strong they were. But seeing the girl before him crying reminded him that she was still just that; a young girl trapped in a world determined to kill her. "Asuna, none of those are remotely true! You've always helped me, you're one of the greatest girls I know, you're beautiful, and you're the best friend I could ever ask for! I never want to let go of you! But..!"

But he had to accept that her joining the Knights of Blood—of leaving him behind—would do everyone good. They had their run. Now, it was time to end it.

"But… I can't just keep you tied down to me when you can do so much more good in a guild. I desperately want to be selfish, but that wouldn't be fair to you," his chest felt tight, yet he pushed through it, staring into her eyes and wanting to never look away. "Please, Asuna. Just for me… Go, Asuna. Please."

Asuna's expression was conflicted in that moment, trapped between hesitation, anguish and understanding. Eventually, she nodded, hands tightening. "I… I understand. I'll go."

"I'm so sorry."

"N-No, it's… it's okay. You told me before that you weren't comfortable with the idea of joining a guild. I can't push you into it," God, he didn't deserve her. She was so understanding of him, so forgiving, he didn't deserve her kindness. "It's just… you really can't come, huh..? It'll be so weird. Not seeing your face in the morning."

"It really will be," he chuckled weakly. "No lunches together, no daily spars, no arguing about who should get first pack of the bathroom."

Asuna's giggling followed his, no less exhausted. "Yeah. Silly things, and I guess we took them for granted. But now, just thinking that I'll never get that ever again…"

"You're being dramatic, Asuna. I'm sure you'll find someone close enough to have these kinds of experiences with again."

"I won't," the firmness behind her answer had him surprised, more so the following words: "No one can replace you, Kirito-kun."

Gah, shit. How could she say these things with a straight face? He felt his own burn in embarrassment (and, admittedly, some amount of joy), but he forced it away with a shake of the head. "M-Maybe. Either way, I know you'll be fine, no matter what."

"Y-Yeah… A-And… I'm glad that you don't hate me… I was so scared that you…"

"I don't see a life where I could possibly hate you, Asuna," he shook his head. "I meant what I said. You're precious to me, and I'm really glad to have you in my life."

"…Thank you…"

No one said anything after a while, and the two just sat there in their shared apartment, looking out the window and wondering of the future without one another. She would depart the next day, Kirito sending her off with a lighter smile and a firm belief that she would do fine. And Asuna would promise him that she would message him whenever she had time, enough to leave him with a chuckle and a heart already forlorn.

He'd never noticed the way she almost hyperventilated when she asked him if he was going to leave her. He'd never thought much about that broken look on her face, akin to her entire world being shattered before her very eyes. He'd never thought about how just how desperate she'd been about staying with him. He'd never realized, at the time, that she was suffering a mental breakdown from the idea of being shunned by the love of her life.

All the things that he'd missed, and he'd just been focused on moving forwards ever since. He never noticed her madness developing.

"Kirito-kun!"

"Bwaaah!"

Heart attacks weren't possible in this game—literally, because these were just their virtual avatars, and their real bodies would only die because of a microwave attack to the brain. But that didn't mean it wasn't impossible for them getting surprised, i.e. right now.

"J-Jeez!" He clutched his chest, grimacing at the smiling girl standing nearby. "You really try'na get me killed here? I almost threw my back out!"

"Oh, don't be such a pansy," she giggled, sitting beside him. Closer than he thought was appropriate, but seeing how they were really good friends, he thought it was okay. "Sooo. About my invitation for lunch…"

"Yeah, yeah, I got your message," he chuckled. "Honestly, you don't have to message me every single day. I know we promised to stay in touch as much as possible, but don't you think it's too much of a trouble?"

"A-Ahaha… That's…"

Caught off-guard, the girl was left stumbling over her words, face a little red. None of the KOB vice commander was seen in this moment; just a really beautiful, really embarrassed teenage girl. It was such an adorable sight, and he swore he felt his heart skip a beat.

"W-Well," he coughed into his fist. "I don't mind. I, um, I'm happy that we get to talk together a lot."

"T-Then I'm glad!" She huffed, looking away from him. "I'm just worried that you'll somehow end up forgetting all about me."

He rolled his eyes, making a remark about how it'd be impossible for him to forget a 'scary girl' like her. She responded by poking him in the sides as she whined, making him giggle.

This day was January, in 2024. It was a month since he came to terms with Sachi and the Moonlit Black Cats' deaths, though even then, he had trouble properly moving on. There were nights where his sleep had been restless, mind always conjuring up images of their deaths for him to relieve just to torment him.

But he had to make an effort to get better. He knew none of them would have wanted him to keep burdening himself with their deaths, even if he knew he would continue doing so. Their bloods were on his hands, and he refused to wash them clean.

At least things were calmer now. Rather than continuously tormenting himself with memories of their deaths, he opted to instead remember their better days together, promising to do even better and prevent such an accident from ever repeating itself. That would be his way of redeeming himself.

A finger poked him in the cheek, making him perk up and stare at Asuna's pouting face.

"Were you even listening to me? I've been speaking to you for almost a minute when you went off to who-knows-where."

"Urk. Sorry, sorry. I was thinking about…" He hesitated on whether he wanted to speak to her about his past guild, then shook his head. "About how you were doing. You're no grunt, after all; you're actually the vice commander, yeah?"

"Mmhm. It's a big post, and I'm honestly shocked by the fact that Heathcliff-sama sought to put me in the position. There were others more worthy of the role, I feel like."

"Well, he definitely trusts you a lot if he made you his second-in-command. Good work on that."

The girl whined at his words, complaining about the heavy workload, annoying job of tutoring hard-headed trainees and boring meetings. He listened with rapt attention and chuckled at her exasperation, admittedly relieved that the Moonlit Black Cats hadn't been as stiff as that.

While he listened to her, he couldn't help but focus on her face. Her beautiful eyes were wide, a little nose and thin lips that caught his attention every time they moved as she spoke. Her long hair was a river of chestnut that looked meticulously cared for, despite all the battles she must have partaken. Her skin was so soft, so creamy, reminding him that she was a girl.

And then his eyes dropped down to her neck, where he took in her whole appearance afterwards; a red and white uniform that didn't have much attention to detail, but even the simplicity of it was pleasing to the eyes. The sleeve was left exposed at her shoulders, revealing her delicate skin. With her sitting down, he even noticed the pleated red skirt that ended just above her thighs. Her legs disappeared into white stockings that ran all the way down to her brown combat boots, completing the set.

With his examination over, Kirito had only one thing on his mind.

Holy shit, she's so hot.

"Kirito-kun?" He froze up at the voice calling his name. "Is everything okay?"

"I-I," his tongue suddenly felt thick in his mouth, the words tripping like a drunkard on the streets. "It's, I mean, that's…"

"Let me guess, you were lost in thoughts again? Ignoring me on purpose, perhaps?"

"No! I was, um, I-I…" When she raised her brow inquisitively at her, he felt like screaming. Pressured greatly, the words ended up rushing out his lips like a gushing river. "I-I couldn't help but look at you, a-and I know that sounds really creepy, but you look really beautiful! Fuck, I mean—N-Not that you aren't pretty, but you just look really good! L-Like, the red and white really fit you, and I just ended up staring at you for so long and I swear I didn't do it on purpose and I'm so sorry don't hurt me!" That last bit came out as a cry as his arms flew up to his face, teeth gritted and eyes screwed shut in case she thought about punching him for being a creep.

God, why was he such a dumbass?! Worse still, how could he just ogle her like that? She was his best friend! She didn't need this kind of treatment from him, of all people! Hell, she was so far beyond his league that it wasn't even hilarious!

Like, who in their right mind would even assume that the two of them could ever be dating? The sheer difference in their standings was laughable, and he knew better than to entertain such dumb fantasies. He himself didn't even dare go down that lane of thought!

One minute of silence turned into two, and then four. Kirito slowly peeked an eye open, wondering why the vice commander hadn't just throttled him into the ground. Was she writing up a report of his sexual harassment? Worse, was she messaging Argo about what he'd done? Please, no! He'll lose face across the entire player base!

Eventually, curiosity won out, and he slowly parting his arms to carefully ascertain the girl's state. Maybe this is like those horror movies where it's the moment when they finally let down their guard that the killer then drives a knife into their eye. Sure, this was a safe space, but that wouldn't be any less scary.

Instead, all he got was the sight of the back of her head, for she'd turned to face the other way. He couldn't even tell what she was doing, which left him shaking with trepidation.

"U-Um, Asuna? Y-You're not plotting my murder, are you—Eep!" He flinched when she suddenly stood up, still not looking at him. "A-Asuna? Listen, I'm so sorry. I know my apologies might not mean anything to you, but I swear I wasn't trying to be a pervert or anything—"

"Kirito-kun."

"Y-Yes!"

"…Did you mean it?" The question gave him pause, and he waited for her to elaborate. "Everything that you said. Did you really mean them?"

The fact that her words weren't tinted with anger gave him some hope that she wouldn't outright murder him. He pondered on simply telling the truth before deciding to go for it, nodding even though she couldn't see him. "I did," he answered genuinely. "You've always been beautiful. Hell, I'd be lying if I called any other girl in this game—or even the real world—more beautiful than you. But right now, in this moment, you're just… amazing."

"I see," shit. Was that the wrong answer? Thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case when she turned around, all smiles, though there was no mistaking the healthy flush on her face. "I'm glad you noticed. Otherwise, all my preparations would have gone to waste…"

"Huh? Wait, what preparations—Asuna? Wait, where are you going? What preparations were you talking about? Asuna? Wait up!"

Thinking back on that moment, he'd assumed that she'd just been really embarrassed at his honest praise. He'd even been delighted that she hadn't hated him for what he said but actually appreciated it, making him wonder if she liked him.

Had he taken a proper look at her face in that moment, though, he would have noticed just how flushed she was. How twisted her smile was. How hard she breathed. How her entire body practically thrummed with energy. How, in a way, he could only consider her to be in a state of euphoria—and all because of him.

May was a peaceful month, April being far more memorable because that was the month where he felt like he'd just experienced a noir detective movie. And yeah, that sounded really childish, but come on! It was really cool and suspense-like! He literally felt his IQ increase by, like, ten points.

To be fair, the situation was really serious. Watching Caynz dying in front of him when the both of them were in a safe zone had been the biggest fright at the time, making him question everything and wonder if the rules no longer mattered. And when his guildmate 'died' as well, that really set the panic in.

That it all turned out to be a convoluted drama amongst guildmates spurred by a hysterical widower was… well, he didn't want to insult either of them, but holy shit they wasted so much time with their mind games and shiz.

Ah well. With that case solved, he'd been happy that May was much less eventful. Just the occasional training, a visit to Silica after he'd been done exploring a dungeon, and now dinner with Asuna in a nice-looking restaurant that one of her colleagues recommended to her.

"You know, you didn't have to pay for my meal too. If anything, it should be me doing the paying."

"It's fine, it's fine. It's not like we get to meet up very often, so I don't mind treating you every once in a while. Besides, my work pays well."

Yeesh. Rub it in his face, why don't she? He rolled his eyes but said anything, letting her have that. Being the second-in-command of an entire guild, KOB easily being one of, if not the best guild in the entire game definitely comes with a huge boon.

"And you don't need to worry about paying me back, okay? I'd be happy to share dinner with you, always."

At the time, the inflection in her tone had gone completely over his head, more focused on the waiter approaching their table with their food. "Yeah, well, don't expect me to take advantage of your kindness all the time. I wouldn't be able to call myself a decent human being if I let you pay for my every expenses. Morals, you know?"

"Alright, alright, Mister Righteousness."

The two snickered, enjoying their meals shortly after. And though there wasn't much chatter, he'd be lying if he said he didn't find the moment incredibly comfortable.

When she'd joined the KOB, he'd been afraid that she would have been really busy to the point that the only times they'd ever see each other was in raid meetings. While her workload was pretty heavy, they'd both been able to make time to see each other regardless, and he always enjoyed their meetings.

Today, especially, was a good day. After checking in on Silica, he'd just wanted to relax and do nothing related to fighting or exploring. So when Asuna messaged him asking him if he was good for dinner, he'd jumped at the opportunity.

Did that make him seem needy? Hopefully not. He didn't want to come off as desperate or whatever, but he really did like seeing her. Moments like these are the time to catch up.

"So hey," he began, debating on whether he was going to push aside his peas before deciding otherwise. This was a game. Might as well eat up everything. "I heard you guys tracked down a splinter cell from Laughing Coffin and took them out. Is that true?"

Asuna's hands stopped moving. "Where'd you hear that from?"

"Argo told me about it," he answered with a shrug, pausing to feed himself a piece of chicken. "You guys caught them?"

"…We weren't able to," her answer came as a whisper. "They were hysterical—almost suicidal, even. When we arrived at their base, they fought without care. We were forced to put them down."

"Ah…" He put down his cutlery, frowning. "Are you alright?"

"Mm. I'm fine," when she smiled at him, he could tell that she was trying a little too hard. "I… It was definitely surprising, you know? I mean, it felt like they didn't care at all if they were going to die or not. And we just didn't have the opportunity to spare them. So, we… were forced to put them all down. All eight of them."

Shit. That's terrible. His hands reached forwards for hers, grasping them gently. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. Killing another person… It's not something anyone should ever experience, made worse when we consider the consequences in the real world," his sigh came heavy. "People die out there, after all. And they shouldn't have to."

And Kirito knew how heavy that burden was. Coper died because he hadn't tried to help him. He may have tried to get him killed by a monster, but was that reason to let him die? And then there was Diavel, whom he could have saved if he'd just fed him a potion. Not to mention Sachi and the cats…

He shook his head, smiling weakly at the girl. "Either way, I'm just glad that you're safe. That's all I could ask for."

"K-Kirito-kun…" She whispered, face flaring. Just seeing that made him suddenly self-conscious, and he snatched his hands back.

"J-Just..! You know, I really care for you, and it's not like I'd prefer them to die or whatever, but..! Argh…" His head met the table. "I'm so bad at this…"

"Heh… Don't worry. I know exactly what you meant."

He tilted his head so that his cheek was on the table, and he couldn't help but smile a little. Of course she did. They'd been partners for such a long time, exploring dungeons and fighting in the wilderness together. Having this level of bond and understanding was just natural to them now.

"…Well!" He said out loud, sitting upright once more. "For what it's worth, at least the players will be a little safer. We'll need to keep an even closer eye for any activity from Laughing Coffin. Can't have them running around killing people."

"Mmhm. I agree…" And then, with a hushed voice, she whispered to herself: "And I won't let anyone hurt you…"

"Hmm? What was that?"

"Nothing! Say, would you like a bite of my salmon? The spicing is done really well. I might practise it later myself."

"Sure, don't mind if I do. Oh, and you're practising cooking skills now? That's pretty cool."

"Heehee! If you'd like, I'd be happy to make you something in the future."

"Would I love to!"

They talked and talked, and perhaps to the outsider's view, they looked like a couple having a relaxing dinner together. He didn't think that of course; they were just really good friends reconnecting over silly experiences and hardships, growing closer despite their distance and laughing over the littlest things.

Now, if only Kirito had asked her about the excursion she'd gone on to hunt down the Laughing Coffin subgroup. He'd accepted the fact that eight members were killed that day by her and several other knights, but the truth couldn't have been further from the truth.

He'd found out only recently, prior to his involvement with Underworld. Ever since they'd handled Red Eyed Xaxa in 'GGO', he'd gotten curious and asked her about her own involvement with the Laughing Coffin, including this event—and would severely regret not asking earlier, as well as reminded of the fact that his future wife was terrifying.

As it turned out, the Laughing Coffin had identified him as a great risk, seeing that he'd disrupted their operations more times than they could count out on the field. Nothing personal there, except for the fact that they literally kill other people. Of course Kirito would be involved in fighting them.

Regardless, they established a subgroup tasked solely with plotting and executing his assassination (talk about drastic decisions. It's not like he was that dangerous, was he?), and details of their plans and location had been leaked via an insider playing double agent. News of such reached her ears… and she had not been pleased.

So it was that The Flash marched into the dungeons of the fifth floor all by her lonesome, bringing nothing but death to eight men that day, offering a very brief, very personal experience of true terror.

Truly, any who dared take away her beloved from her would face her wrath. Guess that hadn't changed up until now…

Author's Notes:

Nothing more romantic for Valentine's like writing a terrifying paralogue about everyone's favourite wifey. Very nice.

I had this chapter written looooong ago. I think the same time I wrote the prologue, even. I planned to release this chapter after introducing Asuna, but knowing that I'd be introducing the rest of the characters more or less at the same time, I couldn't find it in me to just binge release so many paralogues.

Either way, I'll decide when it's appropriate to upload a new goddess's paralogue. Each will dive into the origins of the girls and take a more introspective look at them throughout different worlds—SAO, ALO, GGO—as well as real life.

Of course, I don't think I need to spell this out, but this entire story is like an AU of sorts, with multiple events altered to better fit the theme we're trying to achieve here. And each one will be written from Kirito's perspective, so the exploration of each girl will be considered more personal. And hey! More room for insanity. Sticking to the theme here, folks.