SAO x Dark Souls Volume 3: Assassin of Gun Gale

Chapter 4

Kazuto: You've gotta be shitting me. What were you thinking? You do realize they have a grudge against him, right?

Kikuoka: That's why I didn't tell him. We needed someone that knew how VR worked for this case and none of our people are experienced enough.

Kazuto: Well I'm not letting him do this alone. It could have devastating consequences if something goes wrong.

Kikuoka: I can't let you do that. You'd be interfering with a federal investigation.

Kazuto: Tough luck then. You sent my brother headfirst into a dangerous situation and I'll be damned if I dont help him out. I owe him a debt I can never repay. Arrest me if you want, but I will not let him lose himself again.

With his point made, Kazuto walked out of Kikuoka's office without looking back. He was furious because of the deception created by both Y/n and Kikuoka. He wasn't going to let Y/n fall into a cascade of negative emotions brought on by the conflict which he was drawing dangerously close to. Back in SAO, the two of them were known as two of the strongest players. Though they'd split and gone in different directions, they still fought by each other's side when the situation called for it. Y/n had saved him from a gruesome fate and to that end, Kazuto vowed to do everything he could to return the favor. With a goal in mind and a burning flame of determination lit in his body, Kazuto returned home and got to work on preparing to assist Y/n.

(Y/n pov)

Nurse Aki sat there with me as I cried my eyes out. I felt embarrassed that she'd seen me like this, but I needed comfort and she'd been there to offer it. Even though I'd been part of the Kirigaya household for a while now, they just didn't understand. Kazuto was fortunate that Asuna lived through it all. Every time I saw them together I felt an emptiness in my heart. Even if I tried to hide it, I craved that feeling of companionship and love I once felt.

"I'm sorry," I said

Aki: You have nothing to be sorry for. You lost someone very close to you. It's only natural to feel this way. It takes a lot of time to come to terms with things like this.

"I dont know why Im suddenly breaking down like this," I said

Aki: It looks to me like you have survivor's guilt. You feel as if you should've been the one to die so that she could live. Tell me, is that correct?

The thought never crossed my mind before but now that she was mentioning it, I realized it was true. I tried to hide my guilt by looking for other things in life to make me happy but the second anything that reminded me of Koharu appeared, I was reduced to this pathetic state.

"Yes," I said

Aki: Recovering from something like this often takes several years. It is perfectly normal for you to be feeling this way. People with the same situation as you go for long periods with no problems. But they can also experience episodes like yours where the feelings of guilt and regret resurface. The best thing for you would be therapy. I'd like nothing more than to offer that help to you, but it's outside my area of expertise.

"No, you've done more than enough. I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me. You provided me with the comfort and warmth I couldn't get anywhere else. The only one who knows what I'm going through is Kazuto but he can't do much to help because he just doesn't understand as well as you do" I said

Aki: Well thank you. I can recommend a good therapist for you but I'm afraid my usefulness ends there.

"It's okay. I'm glad you gave me the necessary push to get better" I said

I glanced behind her at the clock on the wall and realized that the downtime before the prelims was almost up.

"The prelims are about to start, so I need to get back," I said