20Hello again, ladies and gentlemen. It's time for the next episode of Copycat Gamer. It took a bit longer to make than the last chapter did but it's also much longer as a result - over 10,000 words! I would like to thank everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and/or followed. I really appreciate it. This chapter is for you guys and gals, I hope you enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online or any of its characters nor any other franchise or media that is mentioned within the story. Kawahara Reki owns SAO and the other anime/manga/comics or any other media mentioned belong to their respective owners.
"We cannot escape our origins,
however hard we might try,
those origins contain the key
- could we but find it -
to all that we later become."
- James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son
Chapter 2: Origins
October 2nd, 2019. Tokyo, Japan. Yuuki Residence, 20:16...
Kazuto was celebrating his eleventh birthday with his family, which included his mother, his adoptive step-father, and last but not certainly not least, his two loving sisters. No one else had attended his party, but then no one else was invited. He had no real friends to speak of. He never made any male friends. Most of his male classmates, and even upperclassmen didn't seem to like him very much, for some odd reason that he couldn't fathom.
He had made some various female acquaintances over the years, because of his 'saving people thing' as his sisters called it. There were also plenty of girls in his school who were pretty friendly with him. However, Kazuto wasn't particularly close to any of them, even if they did appear to want to get to know him better... The few times he tried to make friends with girls, his sisters didn't approve of them, for some reason, and ended up scaring them off. His sisters can be quite intimidating when they want to be. He guessed they were just being overprotective, and he couldn't exactly blame them, since he would have done the same for them.
His honorable grandfather, Kirigaya Kazuto Sr., Kami-sama rest his soul, used to attend his birthday parties as well, but unfortunately he had passed away when he was eight years old. He used to give more practical gifts than most people. For example, on his 8th birthday, his grandfather gave him a real life Katana, as a gift. It was quite well-designed, and very sharp too. Kazuto cut himself on numerous occasions while practicing, though it was rather convenient that he was capable of healing from his injuries quicker than most.
Kazuto's grandfather was a master of swordplay. He was a world-class kendoka of renowned skill, who retired from the international scene many years back. As such, he took it upon himself to teach his grandchildren, adopted or otherwise, the great art of the sword, when they were four, five, and six years old, respectively. Asuna quit early on, deciding that it wasn't for her and preferred fencing instead, which she turned out to be quite the natural at. The other two, however, continued to train relentlessly in the art of Kendo. Though Suguha, more than Kazuto.
Over time, Kazuto's laziness began to show, and he began relying on his powers to help win sparring matches, whenever his normal skills just weren't going to cut it. As unfair as this appeared to be, Suguha did not mind in the slightest because she was getting quite a good work out from fighting herself, so to speak. Kazuto tended to copy his sister's own ability, and use it against her. Suguha's own ability, as a result, progressed much faster than it would have otherwise, if she was merely besting a weaker opponent. In fact, she even managed to overcome and defeat Kazuto several times, despite his powers, with pure determination and resolve. Kazuto may have been able to copy her skills and abilities, but he couldn't copy her personality and character, what truly makes her special. In a match where, all other things being equal, her greater motivation and strength of will won out over Kazuto's more laid-back, happy-go-lucky nature.
Sure, Kazuto could have cheated and copied the skills of someone stronger, such as an overpowered fictional character or even his grandfather, but his pride wouldn't allow him to stoop that low just to beat his little sister in a friendly sparring match. In the end, he was copying Suguha's skills when they fought, for her sake. He could never, at his current level, have offered his sister the challenge she needed in order to improve, and he was well aware of this. Having inherited her grandfather's prowess and drive, she was just far too talented a kendo prodigy for an ordinary person to keep up with, which Kazuto without his powers certainly qualified. So instead, Kazuto did everything in his power to help Suguha reach her potential.
Kazuto was enjoying his eleventh birthday with his sisters and having the time of his life. Despite not having any friends to speak of, he never felt lonely because he always could count on them being there for him when he needed them. Kazuto had just finished opening his birthday presents and he was rather pleased with what his family gave him this year. His adoptive parents gifted him with a brand new laptop. It was one of the best and most expensive models on the market. They also provided him with his very own bank account, with a generous initial deposit to get him started. In their opinion, it was never too early to learn how to manage and make money. Asuna had bought him a high-end smart phone, that she had been saving up for. Probably as a means for her to keep an eye on him, as she kept saying she would do. Suguha, on the other hand, gave him several manga volumes of some of his favorite anime, as well as some new ones that he never read or saw before. If that wasn't enough, she also made him a superhero costume, complete with a long flowing cape, that she personally designed and sewed herself, for him to wear when he goes out to fight crime, and save the day. It wasn't particularly well-made since Suguha, bless her heart, was only ten-years-old and no master seamstress or tailor nor even designer, for that matter. However, none of that mattered to Kazuto, as it was the thought that counts.
"It's black, my favorite color! Thanks a lot, Sugu-chan, you're the best!" Kazuto flashed his sister his trademark irresistible smile, and enveloped her in a warm hug, which after blushing furiously, she returned.
"You too, Asuna-chan, Kaa-san, Otou-san." He quickly amended not to leave out his other family members who he really appreciated as well. Everyone joined in a group hug that seemed to last for a while, until Yuuki Shouzou cleared his throat, and they separated to hear what he had to say.
"Your mother and I have another surprise for you, son. However, this one in particular, is for you, and you alone. I am afraid your sisters will have to leave the room, so that we may speak privately."
His words resulted in an instant uproar, as the sisters immediately turned defiant. Not liking the idea that their own parents were keeping secrets from them, and now that their beloved brother was involved, they took it as a personal affront.
"What?! You guys can't be serious!" Asuna bellowed in outrage.
"I want to see Onii-chan's surprise too, Kaa-san, Otou-san!" wailed Suguha.
"Kazuto-kun will tell me and Suguha-chan everything you say anyway!" said Asuna hotly. "Won't - won't you, Kazuto-kun?' she added uncertainly, meeting Kazuto's eyes.
"Of course I will." Kazuto said.
Asuna and Suguha beamed.
"I am afraid we must insist." Shouzou objected.
"I am sorry, girls, but this is a personal matter that concerns Kazuto alone." Midori added.
"Whatever you have to say to me, you can share in front of all of us. I keep no secrets from my family." Kazuto asserted.
"Really? What about the time you-" Asuna sweatdropped, as she, personally, knew of a few secrets that he was keeping from their parents, thus contradicting his own statement.
"You're not helping, Asuna!" Kazuto interrupted in frustration. Now wasn't exactly the best time to argue semantics, he was doing this for their sake, after all.
"Very well, if you're sure that is what you want..." Shouzou finally relented, seeing that there was no dissuading his adopted son.
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I've never lied to my sisters before and I'm not starting now." Kazuto declared passionately.
"I think it's time, son." Shouzou shared a glance with his wife, and they silently decided that he would be the one to tell Kazuto.
"Time for what?" Kazuto looked at both his parents in confusion.
"The truth." Shouzou said simply, as if that, somehow, explained everything. "I want you to take a look at something." He took out a piece of cheap paper, that looked like it was bought from the dollar store. filled with foreign symbols that he didn't recognize. It appeared to be written in some foreign language, or a small child's chicken scratches, one or the other.
"I think it's from your parents, your real parents." He continued.
Real parents!? That doesn't make any sense, sure Tou-san died years ago, but... Wait, does that mean that... Onii-chan is... Suguha thought to herself as her eyes widened in revelation. The shocked girl covered her mouth with her hands, reeling from the news that turned her world upside down.
"My biological parents gave you my old chicken scratches when I was an infant? Is this the big secret you've made such a big deal out of?" Kazuto raised an eyebrow incredulously.
Everyone face vaulted.
"What? No! This is a message from your parents!" Shouzou explained in exasperation.
"You'd think my biological parents could have afforded to use better quality paper in their last message to their son. Why does it look like it was written in crayons... Anyway, what does it say?" Causing more than a few people to sweatdrop.
"I had my best men try to decipher it for years, but it's not written in any language known to man."
"What do you mean, Otou-san?" Kazuto couldn't comprehend how his adopted father failed to translate the contents of the message in all that time, with all the vast resources at his disposal. Unless, of course, it really was just a bunch of gibberish, as Kazuto originally thought.
"Your real parents weren't exactly from around... Here." He gestured around them.
Asuna and Suguha's eyes widened as they put two and two together, realizing what their father was hinting at. Suguha was especially startled, as she hadn't yet recovered from the blow of discovering that her dearest brother, that she was so very fond of, wasn't really her brother.
"Where are they from then? Saitama? Or do you mean to tell me that they're not from Japan? Am I a foreigner?" Kazuto, on the other hand, wasn't so quick on the uptake, causing everyone to sweat drop again. How thick could he be? They privately wondered.
"In more ways than you think, son... They're from out there, somewhere among the stars." Shouzou pointed to the nearest window.
"What are you trying to tell me, Otou-san, that I'm from another planet?" Kazuto spoke in disbelief, thinking this was some kind of joke. Sure, that kind of thing happened in a lot of fictional stories he read or saw, but he never thought it would actually happen to him.
"And I suppose you're going to tell me that you stashed my spaceship in the basement?" said Kazuto sarcastically, while giving his parents a look as if to say, 'are you kidding me?'
"Actually, it's in the garage." Shouzou reluctantly admitted. He worried that Kazuto wasn't going to take this well, but the cat was out of the bag now and they might as well show, and tell Kazuto everything. There was no going back now, whatever the fallout.
The Kirigaya-Yuuki family reconvened in the aforementioned garage. It was an isolated, secondary garage that was never used and kept locked up. Normally, children would have the curiosity to explore or do anything that they are not allowed to do. However, Shouzou was clever enough to offer the kids a tour in exchange for cleaning their rooms. Knowing full well that they would shudder away, upon hearing that. He knew that most people their age and even much older, tended to avoid cleaning their rooms like the plague, preferring to do just about anything but that. In front of them was a silver, metallic craft of unusual design, presumed to be Kazuto's ship.
"This is how you came into our world, son."
"I came into this world via a piece of scrap metal... Wow, and all this time I thought it was my parents having sex. Consider my mind blown." Kazuto's reply was dripping with sarcasm.
Everyone face vaulted once more at Kazuto's antics.
"Kazuto-kun, what your father is trying to say is that spaceship brought you here to Earth, to us." Midori tried to clarify for her son, who was obviously in denial.
"It was on this day, nine years ago." Shouzou agreed, confirming his wife's words.
"Wait. This is a joke, right? You don't honestly expect me to buy all this alien nonsense, do you? Please tell me this is all some elaborate April Fools's Day prank. I am just waiting for someone to shout, 'April Fools' and get this overly dramatic show over with, because this joke is getting old fast."
"But Kazuto-" Midori tried, in vain, to convince her son of the truth.
"But nothing! I am just your average ordinary human being like everyone else, and not some E.T. from a galaxy far, far away." Kazuto interrupted, still deep in denial.
"Kazuto-kun, you possess powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Have you never considered that maybe, just maybe,there is a grain of truth to this? Or did you honestly believe all normal humans were capable of blowing away the galaxy on a whim?" Asuna reasoned with Kazuto.
"Asuna-chan..." Shaking his head and slowly coming to a dawning realization that maybe, just maybe, his sister had a point. He suddenly rounded on his adopted parents in apparent anger. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?"
"We wanted to protect you, sweetheart." Midori gently replied.
"Protect me from what!?" He shouted, clearly upset.
"Kazuto-kun..." Midori attempted to mollify her son.
"I-I need to get some air." Kazuto was feeling emotionally overwhelmed and needed to leave before he said or did anything he might regret.
Kazuto turned on his heel and quickly left the garage at a fast pace.
"Kazuto-kun." Shouzou tried to stop him by calling his name, but was ignored.
"Kazuto-kun!" Asuna ran after her brother, and the others followed her example.
They exited the structure and spotted Kirito a little over ten meters away. They ran toward the black-haired boy, hoping to get through to him. He didn't appear to be moving anymore, instead he was staring up at the stars, eyes filled with determination. In the next moment, Kazuto crouched down.
"Wait, Onii-chan! Please-" Suguha cried out, with tears in her eyes. As she and the rest of her family approached him.
However, before her pleas could get through to her brother, he pushed off powerfully with his legs and took off into the sky like a rocket. A shockwave sent the entire family flying backwards and to the ground, as all nearby windows shattered from the force. He was traveling so fast that in a couple of seconds, they couldn't see so much as a speck in the distance. Although, it probably didn't help that it was night-time, and thus vision was pretty limited.
"Onii-chan..." Suguha weeped, as she stared out into the sky where she last seen her brother. She hoped and prayed that he would find his way back to her safely. Despite the revelations that shook her to the core, she realized that deep down, she loved her brother with all her heart, and nothing could ever change that. It didn't matter to her that they weren't blood related or that he was from another planet, not really. None of that mattered to her because they didn't change the way she felt about Kazuto. To her, he was still the same person she knew and loved.
Kazuto quickly accelerated to escape velocity, and in under ten seconds he managed to reach orbit. He looked at all the stars around him, and privately wondered which one he was from. He wondered what his birth parents were like, whether they loved him, and if they were still alive. He still didn't know how to feel about that. My adopted parents lied to me! They kept something so important from me, for all these years, because they didn't think that I could handle it! This really upset Kazuto. He turned around and saw the Earth in all its beauty. Looking at a picture was one thing but it paled in comparison to the genuine article. The view was absolutely breath-taking. It was so beautiful, calm and peaceful. It helped calm Kazuto down, and clear his head. I should bring Sugu-chan here someday, she would like that. Kazuto recalled how his little sister was enamored of flying, and it was always her dream to reach out and touch the stars. He vowed that someday he would make his little sister's dream a reality.
Thinking about Suguha, Kazuto just realized how poorly he reacted and worried that he may have inadvertently hurt his family in his little temper tantrum. He felt really guilty for how he behaved now that he had some time to calm down and think things through. He wanted to go back and attempt to fix things with his family. He also wondered how his sisters would react to him, since they were just as surprised by this revelation as he was. He feared they might treat him differently or reject him altogether. However, Kazuto knew he couldn't just run away from his problems forever, he would have to confront them, sooner or later, and deal with the consequences. Should his worst fears be realized... Kazuto decided that he will cross that bridge when he comes to it.
There was just one small problem. He wasn't exactly sure how to get back home, as the world looks pretty different from space. He wasn't even sure which direction Japan was, let alone his home.
"This is a lot harder than anime makes it seem."
He reached out and tried to sense the life force of everyone on the planet, trying to find either Suguha's or Asuna's. Unfortunately trying to sort through over seven billion Ki signatures of human beings, not to mention all other living creatures, to find a specific one was like searching for a needle in a haystack turned all the way up to eleven. After a few minutes of trying his best, all it earned him was one major headache. He finally gave up in frustration. He materialized a map of the world into existence in his hands, examining it, and comparing it to the planet below, as he held the map upside down.
"There's got to be a better way..."
Kazuto facepalmed with his free hand.
Asuna had been busy embracing and comforting Suguha as the poor girl cried her heart out.
"What if he doesn't want to have anything to do with me anymore because I am not his real sister, Asuna-nee?"
"Don't be silly, Suguha-chan. Kazuto-kun had already known that much for years, and he didn't love you any less for it. Besides, if you would recall, I am not related to either of you and that doesn't affect our love for each other, right?"
"Of course it doesn't, but..."
"Listen, Suguha-chan, family is not defined only by blood. It is defined by love and commitment. It means to be there for each other, and have each other's back. It means to love each other unconditionally, no matter what, even on days when you can't seem to stand each other. It also means to never ever give up on each other, do you understand?" Asuna passionately stated while looking Suguha in the eye, conveying how earnest and serious she was.
"Thanks, Nee-chan. I really needed that." Suguha nodded in acknowledgement, touched by her sister's words.
"Anytime, Imouto. What are big sisters for?" Asuna gave Suguha a smile.
"Taking the blame for the little sister's wrongdoings?" Suguha giggled, trying to lighten the moment.
"Wise-ass." Asuna replied, glaring at Suguha in mock anger.
The girls were just about to make their way inside, seeing as it was almost midnight. Their parents had tried to convince them to go to bed several times already, but they insisted on waiting up for their brother. However they were all feeling exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally. They realized that there was no guarantee that Kazuto would even return that day, so all their waiting may be in vain.
Suddenly, a loud roaring sound was heard, as if a jet was heading straight toward them at record-breaking speeds. It was increasing in intensity as it got closer.
"What!? I don't believe it! Some stupid jet is heading straight for us! At this rate, it's going to collide with and kill us all! What are we going to do?" Asuna screams out, trying hard not to panic at such an unusual yet terrifying occurrence.
Suguha gasps in shock at hearing this, before taking a close look at the object heading straight for them and blinking in confusion for a moment and then quickly coming to a realization.
"That's no jet, Asuna-nee, it's Onii-chan!" shouted an excited Suguha, feeling happy and relieved that her brother had returned.
"Are you positive?" Asuna frowned in confusion.
In the next moment, it became clear to Asuna as well. She was finally able to make out Kazuto with her own eyes, especially now that she knew what to look for. There he was, zooming through the air at great speed, with his arms extended outward like wings. Kazuto quickly circled around the girls and landing on the ground in front of them, his feet digging a trench from the sudden deceleration. A powerful wind stormed the field and kicked up a cloud of dust over a meter high.
"Hey guys! What's happening?" said Kazuto, attempting to sound cool, believing that he just made a badass entrance. Unfortunately, the moment was ruined when he began to choke on his own dust cloud and went into a coughing fit, causing his sisters to sweatdrop.
"Onii-chan, are you okay?" Suguha asked, concerned for her brother's welfare.
"Kazuto! How could you scare us like that! You nearly gave us a heart attack! You also made Suguha-chan cry! We were worried sick about you!What's wrong with you?" Asuna, on the other hand, was still upset that he genuinely frightened her before. She was also angry with Kazuto for leaving without warning, and making Suguha cry.
"I am very sorry, Asuna-chan, Sugu-chan... I didn't mean to frighten you or make you worry. I just needed some time to cool off, and think things through. I realized how stupid I was being. The whole alien thing hit me pretty hard, I guess. It made me question my own identity, and wonder if any of you wanted to have anything to do with me anymore. Now that you know the truth about me, I mean."
"How could you possibly think that, Onii-chan!? We don't care about that! You're still the same person to us, that we love and cherish, no matter where you came from! Nothing could ever change that!" Suguha passionately yelled her true feelings, blushing up a storm afterward.
"Suguha-chan is right, Kazuto-kun. It wouldn't matter to us if you were some Eldritch Abomination or a green-skinned alien slug person. You'd still be Kazuto-kun, our precious brother, to us and we would still love you."
"Thank you, my dearest sisters. I don't deserve to have such amazing angels in my life." Kazuto offered his sisters his most charming smile in genuine gratitude.
"Maybe not, but we love you anyway." Asuna said jokingly, while fighting off a blush. Suguha wasn't quite as lucky and flushed crimson from the compliment.
"Suguha was actually worried that you didn't want to have anything to do with her since you aren't blood related." Asuna continued.
"Nee-chan!" Suguha gave Asuna a betrayed look.
"Sugu-chan, that's not true! Please, please don't ever feel that way! We may not be blood related, but the both of you are my sisters. Blood doesn't make family, love does, and I most certainly love you both. We are a family, never forget that." Kazuto firmly embraced her, not noticing her blush, and after a moment subtly gestured for Asuna to join in, which she did.
"By the way, Kazuto-kun, what took you so long? We were out here for hours, waiting for you to show." Asuna brought up, out of genuine curiosity. She couldn't really understand how it could possibly have take him so long to return given how outrageously fast he was, not to mention the fact that he seemingly had the ability to teleport. Unless it really did take him hours just to calm down and come to his senses, she supposed.
"I er..." Kazuto hesitated, looking embarrassed.
"Kazuto-kun?"
"I kinda, sorta, might have, *cough* gotten lost..." Kazuto's cheeks reddened out of embarrassment.
"What happened, Onii-chan?" Suguha asked in concern.
"It's a long story. Let's just say that finding your way back home, from space, is a lot harder than it looks. So I kind of flew around, randomly asking people I encountered for directions. I might have freaked some people out..." Kazuto laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Kazuto..." Asuna sighed wearily, pinching the bridge of her nose to stave off the headache she felt forming. She loved her little brother to pieces but he could sure drive her crazy with his antics. It wasn't always easy being Kirigaya Kazuto's sister, but she wouldn't have it any other way.
January 1st, 2020. Tokyo, Japan. Kinuta Park, 11:14...
Kazuto and his sisters were walking together in the local park while relaxing and enjoying the scenery. The alien teen had his hands in his pockets while appearing preoccupied as if he was lost in thought, rather than paying attention to his sisters as they were conversing with each other. They both noticed his inattentiveness and tried to gain his attention.
"Hey Kazuto! Earth to Kazuto! Hey, are you in there?" Asuna waved her hand in front of her brother's face.
"Onii-chan? Is everything alright?" Suguha anxiously asked, worried that something was wrong.
"Huh? What happened?"
"You were kind of spacing out, Kazuto-kun." Asuna pointed out the obvious.
"Sorry, I have a lot on my mind. Listen, there's something I need to tell you guys."
"What is it, Onii-chan?"
"Yes, Kazuto-kun? You know you can tell us anything."
"Asuna-chan, Sugu-chan, I have come to an important decision." Kazuto tried to stall, while he organized his thoughts and tried to figure out how exactly he was going to rationalize his decision to his sisters in a way that would curb the inevitable fallout that would occur.
"I have decided to quit Kendo." Kazuto continued, after a moment.
Asuna and Suguha both gasped in utter shock.
"What!? But, Kazuto-kun, you love Kendo!" Asuna exclaimed in surprise.
"What about the Kendo Club, Onii-chan? Everyone will be devastated." Suguha was referring to the fact that Kazuto was the captain of their school's Kendo Club, of which Suguha was also a member.
"That may be true, but I've finally come to the realization that, due to my abilities, I might have an unfair advantage over ordinary people." Kazuto spoke, causing both girls to sweatdrop in unison.
"You've only just realized this now?" Asuna asked incredulously.
"Couldn't you simply just choose not to use your powers, Onii-chan?"
"It's not that simple, Sugu-chan. I don't trust myself not to give into temptation, in the heat of the moment, especially when I know I will lose otherwise." Kazuto replied, choosing to ignore Asuna's question.
The girls still looked unconvinced, and probably trying to think of a sound argument to counter his logic. "It's gonna be okay, guys. It's not the end of the world. I will just support the both of you in your endeavors, and cheer you both on." Kazuto smiled at his sisters.
"I will work five, no ten times, as hard for the both of us, Onii-chan! If I can't do that, I'll run twenty-five laps around the park! If I can't run twenty-five laps, I'll do fifty push-ups! If I can't do fifty push-ups, I'll do one-hundred sit-ups!" Suguha pumped a fist in determination, strengthening her resolve.
"I am sure you will, Sugu-chan. I have complete faith in you." Kazuto gently patted Suguha on the head in fondness, with a warm smile on his face, causing her face to heat up and turn pink.
"Oh, what about me, Kazuto-kun?" asked Asuna, not wanting to be left out.
"That goes without saying, Asuna-chan." Kazuto shared his smile with her as well.
September 28th, 2020. Kagoshima, Japan. Japanese National Fencing Championship Tournament, 16:55...
"Where the hell is Kazuto!? He is missing the tournament!" Asuna anxiously barked while pacing back and forth. It was the final round of the tournament, where Asuna was only moments away from facing off against her last opponent for the National Championship title. She worked her ass off to get here and she was determined to, in her own words, 'win the tournament, or die trying.' The only problem was that her brother, Kazuto, had yet to arrive.
Asuna had to arrive early for the tournament, and her family minus her brother and father, accompanied her. Her father had to work late and thus could not make it, but that wasn't new to Asuna. She was used to her father being often too busy to attend sporting events and the like. Her brother, on the other hand, was supposed to visit her father, at his office, in order to drop off some documents that their father left at home.
He was then supposed to head to Kagoshima and meet up with them at the tournament. That was hours ago. Asuna even provided Kazuto a map, with the address and directions to the tournament building on it. Asuna thought the plan was fool-proof that not even Kazuto could possibly screw this up, or at least that's what she thought...
"Don't worry, honey. I am sure Kazuto-kun would be here if he could. Something must have held him up." Midori tried to placate her adopted daughter.
"Yeah, Asuna-nee. Onii-chan wouldn't miss your championship for anything! I sure hope he is okay."
"It better not be another girl, or so help me..." Asuna let the threat hang in the air, causing everyone to shiver in fear.
Meanwhile, Kazuto knew he was in trouble. He knew Asuna would be upset with him for missing her championship. The problem was he was lost, again. He accidentally misplaced the map that Asuna had given him. Kazuto mixed it up with one of the files from some random employee from Argus, some guy by the name of Kayaba or something. Kazuto was sure that person wouldn't be very pleased to find one of his files missing and in its place a map to the championship tournament. He glanced at some technical files for something called 'SAO', whatever that was. Hopefully it wasn't anything too important... Kazuto didn't really care about that at the moment, though. The only reason he was even at Argus, in the first place, was as a favor to his adopted father. Shouzou needed some important documents delivered to his rival corporation, and Kazuto volunteered to help since it was on the way.
He tried asking people if they knew how to get to the National Fencing Championship Tournament. Unfortunately, most of the people that he asked for directions did not know where the building was located. Some claimed that they knew, but only to give him misleading directions, and thus making him even more lost than he was before. He had tried to locate Suguha or Asuna through their life force but he couldn't even remember what city the tournament was supposed to take place in. So he didn't know where to even begin to search for their life force.
Kazuto realized that he relied too heavily on that Kami-forsaken map. He couldn't even re-create the map with his powers because he didn't take a look at it beforehand, and thus cannot recall its contents. He knew he had to think of something as he was quickly running out of time, and simply running around randomly wasn't exactly efficient. Then it hit him, he could try to use 'super hearing' to get the job done. Of course, it was a bit of a long shot as the chances of picking out either Asuna or Suguha's voices out of millions of others wasn't exactly great, but he had to try.
Kazuto closed his eyes and focused his hearing, willing it to be amplified to superhuman levels. He was suddenly hearing all the ambient noise around him far louder than before, even picking up the slightest sounds that people cannot normally hear. He blocked it out and attempted to home in on his sisters' voices. Just as he predicted, it was no easy task as he was picking up all sorts of random conversations from all over the city and its surrounding areas as well, for hundreds of miles in all directions. Just as it was beginning to overwhelm him, Kazuto heard something that made him freeze.
"Alright, put the money in the bag! Put it in! No sudden movements. Don't even think about setting off the alarm. Hurry up!" He then heard the sound of a gunshot, followed by people screaming. Having heard enough, Kazuto vanished in a burst of super speed.
Eleven-year-old Asada Shino was with her mother in the local post office, just before closing time. Her mother needed to post a letter and, apparently, it couldn't wait until tomorrow. Shino was gazing around the post office in boredom, and she saw nothing particularly interesting. It was almost empty besides a few customers and employees that still remained. The customers were standing in line, patiently awaiting their turn, while the employees were serving the next person in line. She noticed the front entrance door swing open, and a rather shifty-looking man walked in. The man was middle-aged, wearing dark clothing and a similarly dark baseball cap. He appeared to be somewhat nervous as he narrowed his eyes and carefully scanning his surroundings, almost as if he was scouting the place out or something. It did seem rather suspicious and if she didn't know better, she might think the man was high on drugs too. She tried to stick close to her mother and keep her distance from the man as much as she could, feeling wary of him. She had a bad feeling about him but hoped dearly that she was wrong. Unfortunately, her instincts proved correct when he approached the postal service clerks, ignoring the line, which caused some people to be upset and voice their feelings to him.
"Hey! No skipping in line, buddy! Wait your turn like everyone else!"
"Sorry, sir. We're closed. You will have to come back tomorrow." One of the clerks tried to tell the newcomer, gesturing to the 'CLOSED' sign.
He ignored them, and then proceeded to throw a large, empty bag with a drawstring, and a money symbol drawn on it, at the nearest clerk. This initially confused the clerk, but he quickly fixed that by withdrawing a Type 54 'Black Star' handgun and aiming it right between the clerk's eyes, the intention clear.
"Alright, put the money in the bag! Put it in! No sudden movements. Don't even think about setting off the alarm. Hurry up!"
Everyone looked frightened as they stared at the armed robber in terror. Shino caught movement in the corner of her eye and then, as if in response, the robber fired his weapon, instantly killing the clerk. A few people screamed at the sight, becoming even more scared for their lives. He then pointed his gun at one of the remaining clerks, a young lady, gesturing for her to take over.
"I thought I said no sudden movements. You see what happens when you don't listen. Let that serve as a lesson to all of you. You move, you die. Now, hurry up and put the money in the bag or you're next, toots!" He threatened the female clerk and, considering his recent actions, she was inclined to believe him. Thus, the clerk started filling up the bag with money from the cash register, as instructed.
Suddenly, the front door shattered into matchsticks, and standing in its place was a black-haired boy around her age, if not a year older. The boy was dressed in a black, skin-tight lycra bodysuit and matching long flowing cape. The letter 'K' was emblazoned on his chest in white, permanent marker. He looked so utterly ridiculous in that getup that she fought to suppress a laugh building up in her throat, in spite of the deadly serious nature of the situation at hand.
The ravenette gazed around the room, and narrowed his eyes upon seeing the dead clerk behind the counter. "Drop the gun and surrender. I suggest you come quietly." He coldly stated to the armed robber.
"Oh? and who are you supposed to be?" The robber's attention focuses on the new arrival. The young female clerk takes advantage of the robber's distraction to subtly trigger the silent alarm. Now all they would have to do is stall the postal robber until the police arrive.
"The name's Kiri...to. Yeah, that's it! You may address me as Lord Kirito, evildoer. The Dark Lord of...Justice!"
"I may not be much of an expert, but isn't 'The Dark Lord' supposed to be a 'bad guy' title?" Shino spoke up, surprising herself for her audacity.
"Kuso! Really? Aww, I spent hours coming up with that. Then how about The Dark Knight?" Everyone sweatdropped at this.
"I am pretty sure that's taken..."
"How about The Flash?
"That is also taken." Shino had to resist facepalming.
"Then how about-"
"Enough of this! Either shut your trap or I'll shut it for you! Now, will you join the other hostages or do I need to put a bullet through your brain? Decide!" The madman pointed his handgun at the strange, costumed boy. Shino hoped the strange boy would listen to reason and back down otherwise she feared the kid would not live to see his next birthday. Sure, the kid might be a little weird, had a bad fashion sense, and she didn't know him, but that didn't mean she wanted to see the boy murdered by this lunatic.
"The answer is...neither one! Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way." Shino closed her eyes, she couldn't watch.
The robber fired his gun at his chest and the bullet appeared to bounce off his chest. Shino flinched as soon as she heard the gunshot, fearing the worst. As she opened her eyes, she was in for a shock. The ravenette was still standing, and in one piece. She was sure the young boy was done for. Did the robber miss? The other people around her looked pretty freaked out.
"They always choose the hard way..." Kirito sighed.
The robber continued discharging his weapon as Kirito casually made his way closer to his opponent. The bullets bouncing off his chest, not slowing him down in the least. Shino's jaw dropped in utter shock. She tried to convince herself that the raven-haired boy was wearing a ballistic vest or some other type of body armor to protect himself.
"What the hell!? Are you wearing some kind of bullet-proof vest or something?" He aimed at the kid's forehead, even at his eyes. However, it was no use, the bullets were deflected as if it hit some sort of invisible barrier. If it was possible, Shino's jaw dropped even lower, as her theory was blown straight out of the window. The bullets had bounced off his completely exposed face. There was no possible explanation for something like this that Shino could think of.
"Or something." Kirito couldn't keep the smug smile off his face as he continued his casual stroll toward the robber, taking his sweet time as if there was no need to hurry.
The robber quickly grabbed for the nearest person within reach, which turned out to be Shino's own mother. Shino's eyes widen in response as she feared for her mother's safety. "Kaa-san! N-no!" Shino tried to tackle the robber and save her mother but he hardly batted an eye as he knocked her away with his foot, sending her falling back and down on her butt. Her attempt to intervene and rescue her mother foiled by the nature of the maniac being significantly more competent than she initially assumed.
"Don't come any closer! Take one more step and I swear I will blow her brains out!" He held his pistol right to her temple, while giving the newcomer a look almost as if daring the boy to make a move.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"Oh, and why not?" The dangerous crook humored the child.
Kirito took exactly one step forward as if to call his bluff. Proving he was deadly serious with his threat, he pulled the trigger. For a moment Shino felt as if the floor fell out from under her feet. She couldn't breathe. Then she heard the click of an empty gun, and her whole body flooded with relief. Shino's mother screamed out from the shock of coming so close to dying, her life likely flashing before her eyes.
"You're out of bullets." Kirito had the biggest smirk on his face.
"Kisama! H-how did you!?"
Kirito turned to look at Shino and spared her a smile. It felt as if he was reassuring her that everything was going to be okay, and there was no need to be afraid. Somehow, against all logic and reason, she believed him. There was just something about him that made her believe in him despite the fact that she just met him. The boy then winked at her, causing her to flush. The moment he turned back to the madman, however, his features formed a far more menacing expression.
A dramatic orchestral score started playing in the background. It was somewhat akin to the music sometimes played on the speakers of a shopping center except much louder and more epic than the standard music you usually hear on the radio. It sounded more like the soundtrack you would hear in a major blockbuster movie. Shino could have sworn this post office branch didn't have speakers or a radio for that matter. So then, where was the music coming from?
"What the? Which one of you bozos turned on the radio?"
Kirito reached out with his right hand. Suddenly, the Type 54 'Black Star' is ripped out of the villain's grip by some invisible force, and it flies straight into the black-haired boy's outstretched hand. Upon catching the gun, he effortlessly crushes it into powder. Not giving the villain any time to react, he closes his hand into a fist, and the mad villain reached for his throat. He looked and acted as if he was suffocating - as if someone or something was choking him and yet no one was physically touching him. It felt so bizarre and unreal to Shino, and the only explanation that her brain could provide was that this boy might very well be endowed with supernatural powers, as unbelievable as it sounded.
Kirito looked as if he was struggling with himself, internally, whether to let the robber live or die, the wrongdoer's life was literally in his hands.
"D-don't do it, don't kill him. I know he is a really bad person, and he probably deserves it but..."
"No, you're right... This scumbag isn't worth it. My sisters would have said the same thing." Kirito releases his invisible grip on the bad guy, who proceeded to gasp for breath in apparent relief. The boy turned his back on the culprit and started walking toward Shino.
"Are you okay, miss?"
At that moment the robber glared at the boy with malice and pure, unadulterated hatred. Wasting no time, he took out a second, hidden gun he kept on him, just in case. Shino's eyes widened dramatically, and she opened her mouth to try and warn Kirito before it was too late. However, before she managed to get a word out, the gunman attempted to shoot the boy again, somehow hoping that he would have better luck with the boy's back turned. The young eleven-year-old dodged the bullet as if it was child's play, without even looking, by merely tilting his head to the side just enough to let it pass through unimpeded.
Kirito quickly realizes that was a mistake as the bullet continues on its current trajectory, which Shino just happened to be standing in the way of. The bullet was just about to make contact with Shino's face when it suddenly stopped in mid-air just a few centimeters away from her left eye. Shino stared at the hovering bullet in absolute horror, realizing just how close she came to death. She quickly moved back and out of the way of the bullet's path, just in case it suddenly decided to change its mind and finish her off. She looked up and saw the black-haired boy's gaze on her, staring at her in compassion, worry, and perhaps even regret. She realized that he must have saved her life. Looking at him in a new light, he didn't seem quite as silly and foolish as she originally thought. He looked more like a hero now, somehow.
The boy turned back to the robber, looking like an angry deity about to unleash his wrath and perhaps that wasn't so far from the truth. The young hero proceeded to let loose a telekinetic beat-down, the likes of which have never been witnessed before. It was a miracle the bad guy survived as Kirito tossed him around the room like a ragdoll. Perhaps it was the drugs in his system, just like in that one movie Shino saw where a wealthy drug lord was able to withstand numerous gunshots because of the cocaine in his system.
Kirito then finishes it by telekinetically throwing him into a wall on the other side of the room hard enough to knock him out.
"Now as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, are you okay, Miss...?" he let the word hang, as to allow the young woman to fill in the blank with her name.
"Shino, Asada Shino. Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks to you. Thank you, by the way, for showing up when you did."
"It was no trouble at all, you don't need to thank me. I was just doing the right thing. Someone had to stand up to that overgrown bully. My name is-"
"Kirito, yes I know. I heard you state it when you first came. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kirito." Shino extended her hand as if to shake the boy's hand in greeting.
"The pleasure is all mine, Asada-san." Kirito took her offered hand, while bowing, and touching her knuckles with his lips. Shino immediately blushed from the gesture.
"P-please call me Shino, I think you've earned that right after everything you did for us, Kirito-kun."
"You were very brave, Shino-san. To try to take on that armed and dangerous robber for your mother's sake, that was very impressive." Kirito gave her an easy, charming smile.
"Well, I..." If it was possible, Shino turned a deeper shade of crimson at the compliment. She tried to clear her head when she remember something that the boy mentioned earlier. "What were you saying about you're sisters before?"
Kirito froze, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. "Kuso! I forgot! The tournament! It's already 5:36 PM, Asuna-chan is going to kill me!" He quickly rushed over to the young, female clerk and asked her for directions to the National Fencing Championship Tournament and fortunately, it turned out she knew where it was and very helpfully supplied the directions he asked for.
"I apologize for leaving on such short notice, but I am really late for my sister's big tournament and if I miss it, I'll never hear the end of it. Perhaps we'll meet again someday, Shino-san. Farewell." Shino nodded and was about to respond when she suddenly heard the sound of police sirens, distracting her.
She heard a whooshing sound behind her, and when she turned around - Kirito had seemingly vanished into thin air. Where did he go? There was no sign of him anywhere. For a moment, she wondered if she imagined the whole thing considering how surreal it all was. The cops swarming in through the doorless entrance of the heavily damaged postal service building and arresting the perp, who looked half-dead, quickly put an end to that theory.
"That's strange...why is there a bullet floating in the air?" One of the officers mentioned as they walked around the bullet and examined it, even trying to wave their hand over the hovering object to see if some invisible rope or string was keeping it in the air but to no avail. Suddenly, as if time decided to unfreeze, the bullet moved again following its original course, narrowly missing the police officer, and a few others before finally embedding itself into the wall, frightening everyone there.
Shino also noticed that the music from before had stopped playing when he left, which made her wonder if he was responsible for that as well. He was the most interesting boy she had ever met, and she wondered if she would ever see him again. Deep down, she hoped that someday she would...
Kazuto ran as fast as his legs could carry him, far exceeding the speed of light. He was that terrified of Asuna-chan's wrath. The end result was that he arrived at the tournament building in no time flat, literally. The problem was, as it turned out, was that the competition was already over. He briefly wondered if he should have reversed time so that he could actually make it in time. However, he didn't really understand the mechanics of time travel too well and didn't want to, inadvertently, undo all his efforts to foil the postal robbery. He was feeling far too lazy to have to do everything all over again. It was just way too much effort and he was tired.
So he headed for Asuna-chan's present location to accept his punishment like a man, with his head held high. Though, on more than one occasion, he considered the merits of just turning around and running for his life with his tail between his legs. Eventually, he found her with Sugu-chan and their mother.
"There you are, Onii-chan! We've been looking everywhere for you! Guess what? Asuna-nee won!"
"Really? Is that true?" Kazuto looked pleasantly surprised, looking at the rest of his family for confirmation.
"Where have you been, Kazuto?" Asuna coldly asked while narrowing her eyes.
"That's right, Kazuto-kun, you're sister is the new National Fencing Champion of Japan." Midori cheerfully told her adopted son, trying to head off Asuna's fury.
"Congratulations, Asuna-chan! I knew you could do it! You're an amazing fencer!" Kazuto beamed at Asuna, his smile was so genuine and full of warmth and affection, despite the fact that just moments ago he was dreading how his sister would react upon seeing him.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Kazuto! Where have you been!?" Asuna snarled, not one to be deterred so easily. However, despite her comment, she still couldn't help blushing from Kazuto's words.
"I am sorry, Asuna-chan. Please forgive me. It wasn't my fault. I, er, sort of got lost...again, and some people needed my help so I ended up having to save the day."
"I totally understand, Kazuto-kun." Asuna smiled sweetly with her eyes closed. Everyone in the building felt a cold shiver run down their spine for some inexplicable reason.
"Y-you do?" Kazuto was weirded out and confused by her sudden change in demeanor.
"Sure, I do. Saving lives is far more important than my insignificant little tournament that I only spent my whole life training for... Oh, by the way, the person you saved, what was her name?" She added the last part as if it was a mere afterthought. Sensing what's coming, Midori and Suguha slowly backed away, not wanting to draw Asuna's attention when she was on the warpath.
"Asada Shino." Kazuto automatically replied before realizing his mistake.
Everyone felt her unholy rage that evening.
One Asada Shino felt a chill crawl up her spine, for some reason...
Author's Notes: Since it seems that nobody minds, I might continue making Omakes from time to time. Please don't hesitate to let me know what you think and how I can improve my writing. Also, again, if anyone is interested in volunteering to be a beta, please let me know. Thank you! :)
The Reason for the Death Game
Kayaba Akihiko was in his lab working on the NerveGear and Sword Art Online, both set to be released within the next couple of years. A representative from RECT Inc. was supposed to come by today to drop off some very important files for him. He just received the pepperoni pizza he ordered and was just about ready to dig in, when his phone rang. He sighed as he answered it.
"Yes? This is Kayaba Akihiko speaking. How may I help you?"
"Kayaba-sama, we have a bit of a...situation downstairs. We need your expertise, sir."
"Alright, I will be right down." Kayaba sighed in resignation. He knew it was one of the downsides of being him, everyone was always bugging him for his help or advice. It greatly annoyed him at times, but he knew it was simply one of the 'perks' of being a celebrity.
Akihiko left his computer lab to solve whatever problem that had required his unique skill set. He arrived almost half an hour later, helping out those morons who called themselves scientists. They couldn't even do something so ludicrously simple without me holding their hand... He noticed his files had been moved out of their proper order, and even worse...his pizza. His beloved, mouth-watering pepperoni pizza with extra cheese had been half-eaten! Oh the humanity! No! My precious! When I find out who did this...
He wondered if it could have the same person who was supposed to come by. So in order to confirm this, he checked over his files to see if the ones Akihiko was waiting for had finally arrived. What he instead found, was a map of Kagoshima, which also included an address and directions to some specific location. Looking it up online, Akihiko discovered it was directions to one of the National Sports Festival branches, which hold various sports and competitions across the country. He supposed that the messenger accidently left it here when they came. Perhaps he would come back one day to pick it up or perhaps not, Akihiko didn't care about that one way or another. Except for the fact that, if this person decided to show his face here again, Akihiko was going to make sure they paid dearly for his pizza.
Lamenting his lost pizza, Akihiko was looking over all his files when he noticed something was wrong. Some of his files were apparently missing. He double and even triple checked everywhere but they just weren't there anymore. Kuso! This is bad! Without those files, the log out button of his future VRMMO would not work. That means that players would not be able to exit the game once they entered, at least not until the game was officially cleared where Cardinal would automatically log them out. Furthermore, it would disable all revival items as well as the safeties of the NerveGear, upon destruction of the avatar or if they were tempered with or else removed prematurely.
Akihiko was panicking, wondering what he was going to do. If the public found out about this, he would be ruined. Argus would lose millions if not billions. It could also possibly spell the end of Virtual Reality Gaming. He couldn't let this happen but choice did he have? Sword Art Online was supposed to be a fun, and enjoyable VRMMO. He was supposed to go down in history as the father of virtual reality, as the brilliant mind who made it all happen. Now, instead, it was doomed to be a Death Game. Akihiko would have to adapt his original plans and he was nothing if not flexible.
He would just have to pretend to be an evil criminal mastermind, and take the responsibility of kidnapping ten thousand people. He would need to use an earlier version of SAO that still had a perfectly functioning log out button, for the beta version. Otherwise, the cat would be out of the bag a bit early.
Sure, people who hate his guts, and Argus could still become bankrupt, but at least Virtual Reality Gaming would continue to survive, and that was the important thing. He would make sure of it by creating the World Seed. He would also make certain he would never have to see the inside of a prison cell, by undergoing a major gamble that is practically akin to suicide.
Later, Kirito would confront Kayaba Akihiko and demand the reason for why he started this madness.
"Why? Why did you do this?"
"'Why', you ask? I... forgot that a long time ago. Why indeed..." bullshitted Akihiko, wanting to spare Kirito the horror of knowing that the young gamer was indirectly responsible for the death of thousands. The boy had been through enough, and Akihiko kind of grew fond of him, eventually even forgiving him for turning his beloved creation into a Death Game. However, he would never forgive Kirito for that pizza...