A/N: Hey readers! Its you favorite SinonxKirito shpper here back again with a new story! So uh first things first. This shit is kinda dark, hence the M rating. And really edgy. So bear with me here.
Speaking of dark, one of the Betas on this story has there own twisted story goin on. The beta I'm speaking of is Tawnis, who helps me format a lot of the story as well as flesh out the scenes (or rather he tells me what scenes to flesh out.) His story is called Fractured Code, yall should take a look. He's an amazing writer.
Also before we get started, a few things to clear up. All my stories from now on have a shared "universe". Any OC's or character traits from past stories will exist in this one as well. Think of it as the "Schoolsenpai universe". Example: Argo was JSDF last story, Argo is JSDF this story.
Anyway, on with the story!
[EDIT 4/16/21, Corrected beta names, fixed A/N]
Betas: Tawnis(Format), TwistedFilms(Vocabulary/Editing), A Port In Any Storm(Grammer, Spelling, ect)
The empty glass hit the counter with a slam, drawing the attention of nearby visitors as they were ripped from their conversations by the sound. The perpetrator, uncaring, ignored their annoyed stares and raised his hand towards the barkeep.
"Another one!"
His words were heavily slurred, his intoxication coming through clearly. The bartender let out a tired sigh before adhering to his request, sliding a glass down the counter to the unruly man. He took a sip of it and cringed before settling back down.
"Ugh, your gin tastes like water."
"That's because it is water. I'm cutting you off man, you're wasted."
The man stood up to say something, but faltered and tripped. He just about managed to catch himself on the stool before he fell.
"Come on Andrew... Just one more? For a friend?"
The large barkeep snorted. "It's precisely because we're friends that I'm cutting you off. Can't have you leave here not knowing which way is up again."
The man frowned. "Fine. I'll just leave now then. Maybe I will find a more accommodating establishment somewhere else!" He turned around with a huff and made for the door.
The bartender reached towards him and called out. "Kirito, wai-"
The man spun around and interrupted him.
"Don't call me that!" He walked back up to the bar and leaned over it, pointing at the barkeep. "Do not call me that. My name is Kazuto. Not Ki... not that."
Kazuto Kirigaya pulled some money from his pocket and tossed it onto the counter.
"Thanks for the drink, Andrew."
He saw the knife before it struck. He tried to cry out a warning, but it was lost in the pouring rain around him. The silver blade shot up, and Kirito heard the impact.
The attacker stepped back, and the dagger came out with a sickening squelch. Kirito rushed at the figure, who panicked and tried to stab him. The years he had spent in the death game had taught him how to respond to situations like these.
His left hand connected with the attackers' wrist, as he stepped into the strike and latched onto the man's shoulder with his right. Next, his right leg came up behind the attacker's and tripped them backwards. They dropped the knife, and Kirito caught it before plunging it viciously into the figure.
Once the unknown assailant went rigid, he dropped their body to the ground. Kirito didn't spare them another thought as he turned around and rushed to the side of the victim. Her eyes were closed, her skin pale. Chestnut-colored hair was stuck to her face from the rain, and her usual braid had come loose. His heart almost stopped at the sight The pool of blood beneath her was growing quickly, and Kazuto knew he had to get her to a hospital as soon as possible.
"No... Asuna! Please! You have to wake up!"
There was no response, even when he jostled her. Undeterred, he pulled her into his lap and kept trying.
"Please, wake up... We have to go!"
Still no reaction. His heart froze to ice as he realized what had happened.
"No... Please... Don't leave me. Please."
He let out a choked sob before looking to the sky, the rain splashing across his face, mingling with the tears running down his cheeks.
"Asuna..."
Kazuto shot upwards with a gasp, sweat dripping from his face. He looked around the small, cramped room in a daze before reality came back to him.
A nightmare. That's all it was.
There was a soft groan somewhere to his right, and he turned to see a girl in the bed next to him. He had forgotten her name, or perhaps never even bothered to ask for it in the first place. It didn't matter, after all, since she would be gone soon. That's how he liked it. It hurt less.
He looked over at the clock resting on the bedside table.
6:55.
Well, it was basically morning.
Kazuto pulled the covers off himself and rose. Grabbing some grey sweatpants from the ground, he sat and slid the soft fabric over his legs before standing again and leaving the room.
The apartment he lived in was small, but still rather spacious by Tokyo's standards. The bedroom door led out to a small living area, with a kitchenette attached to it. The bathroom was on the other side, with a closet next to it.
All in all, it was a good place to live, if you ignored the scattered clothing and empty beer cans everywhere. It was pricey, however; a little over 100k a month. Kazuto could afford it, though, with the sheer amount of jobs Kikuoka gave him.
He walked towards the bathroom, noting the small rays of light flickering behind the room's curtain. Stepping into the cramped space, he turned the light on and stared into the mirror. Cold, dark eyes stared back, attached to a person he could not recognize. His hair was long, nearly shoulder-length, and disheveled. He had bags underneath his eyes, and dark stubble decorating his jaw.
In other words, he looked like shit.
Kazuto felt something wet on his face, and came to realize they were tears. He gave the mirror a watery smile.
"God, Asuna... I'm such a coward now."
The nightmare still lingered at the forefront of his mind, although calling it a nightmare would perhaps not be entirely accurate. It had been a memory of the day Kazuto had been forced to watch his beloved Asuna get murdered right in front of his eyes.
It had been a mugging gone wrong. The man had approached the two lovers when they were on their way home. Kazuto had gotten aggressive before Asuna had suddenly thrown him behind her.
He hadn't been able to spot the knife before she did. And at that point, it had already been too late.
Asuna ended up taking the blade for him.
Following the assault, Kazuto had been arrested for manslaughter. Kikuoka had thankfully come to his rescue, getting the charges dropped on the condition that he continue to work with Rath and the Ministry of Self-Defense for the foreseeable future. Needless to say, Kazuto had agreed immediately. It was mostly freelance work either way, like the Death Gun incident.
Asuna's funeral had been a... morbid affair. Friends from both the real and virtual worlds had shown up in order to say their goodbyes.
Kazuto had not.
His thoughts were interrupted by a single sharp knock at the door. From that alone, he instantly knew who it was, and also that he didn't feel like dealing with her at the moment. That being said, if he didn't open up, she was likely to just pick the lock.
Sighing to himself, he exited the bathroom, flicking the lightswitch off as he did. He waded through the discarded clothing and piles of trash with practiced ease, a surprising feat considering his aggressive hangover. Finally, he came to a stop in front of the door, opening it to reveal a somewhat smaller woman standing in the hallway. Her military fatigues were the first thing to catch his attention; the Flecktarn Camo was a rare sight to see on her. The striking blonde hair was next - an unusual colour for a Japanese woman.
But of course, the main thing that caught his eye was the lockpicking set she held in her hands. Kazuto gave an exasperated sigh.
"Really, Tomo? Couldn't give me a minute before you tried to break in?"
The shorter girl gave him an unimpressed look before replying. "Well, if you'd actually open the door more often then I wouldn't need to break in now, would I? Speaking of which... You gonna let me in or not?"
That short-tempered attitude was rare for Tomo Hosaka, more commonly known as Argo the Rat. Kazuto opened the door wide to allow her entry, and she walked past him without a glance. She didn't bother taking off her shoes, as Kazuto's own were not in the foyer. Plus, the apartment was already filthy enough, something she noticed as soon as she walked into the living room.
"Jeez, Kii-boy, what the hell happened in here? It looks like a bomb went off. Actually, no, scratch that; it looks like a damn nuclear fallout."
Kazuto made a 'tsk' before moving to the small kitchenette.
"First off: don't call me that." He opened the small fridge and grabbed two bottles from inside. The light clinking sound clued Tomo in as to its contents. "Second: if you're planning on staying for a while, you might as well join me." He popped off the cap using the corner of the fridge before handing it to her.
"You know that I'm technically still on duty, right?"
He didn't retract the bottle, so Tomo grabbed it and took a swig. The bitter flavor was somewhat unpleasant, but the alcohol itself was a welcome stimulant for the discussion to come.
"Why are you already drinking, anyway?" Tomo asked "It's barely past sunrise."
Kazuto simply shrugged.
"Don't have to deal with the hangover if I stay drunk."
Whilst his logic wasn't wrong, it still pissed Tomo off to hear him say that. She slammed her bottle down on the counter, glaring daggers at him.
"For fuck's sake, Kirito! This has to stop! The drinking, the shit at Agil's place, and-"
Her outburst was interrupted by the bedroom door opening. The girl standing in the doorway had enough decency in her to look embarrassed, disheveled clothing leaving little to the imagination as to why she was there. Her eyes darted between the two of them nervously before she spoke in a soft voice.
"Umm... E-Excuse me... Kirigaya didn't mention that he had a girlfriend. I'm... sorry if I'm causing any trouble."
Tomo pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed as Kazuto took a swig of his beer and leaned against the counter in a nonchalant manner.
"Don't worry, I'm not his girlfriend. Just a very concerned friend."
That last part was delivered with a glare towards the subject of the conversation. The unknown girl walked past them with a wide berth, opening the door to leave.
"Well... I'm going to go now, so uh… Bye."
She shut the door behind her as she left, and Tomo looked over at Kazuto with poorly veiled frustration.
"And apparently," she continued, "you're still sleeping around. I thought you would have learned after Su-"
He interrupted her mid-rant, which only irritated her even further.
"Alright, first off; call me by my name. Second, Andrew cut me off. I was just raising a complaint with the owner. Third, your advice was to never have a one-night stand with someone I know." He pointed towards the door. "I don't even know her name, so... mission accomplished."
"Goddamn it, Kazuto... Can't you see that I just want to help?"
This time, it was his turn to slam the bottle down.
"And what makes you think I want help? I never asked for it!"
A sharp smack echoed throughout the room, and it took Kazuto a moment to realize what had just happened.
Did... Did she just slap me...?
"You need help, whether you like it or not! But fine; if you're going to act like an entitled prick, then I'll leave. Kikuoka needs me, anyway."
Tomo stomped towards the door, her temper flaring up violently. She opened it to leave, but as she did so, Kazuto called after her.
"Running away again...? So, you're just like the others then."
Those simple words caused her to hesitate just for a moment, but finally, she stepped outside with a small, defeated sigh.
"Goodbye... Kirito."
Then, she was gone.
So uh... that happened 0_0
This story was created when I realized I'm not very good at writing Asuna... It takes elements from some real literature such as John Flanagans "Royal Ranger" series as well as some elements from Fanfiction such as Coeur Al' Arans "Not This Time Fate". And don't worry, not all the chapters will be depresso espresso.
Anyway, tell me what ya think and I'll see you next time
Next Chapter: March 7th