The Day the World was Painted Red

Déjà vus and Growth

Asuna POV

The light receded from his field of vision and what she saw had her feeling like she just woke up from a bad dream.

She was back.

Back to where it all started.

Back to the town of beginnings on the plaza where her life changed.

She was back there for the first time since that day. She had left and never looked back. Leveling up, grinding, and working herself until she fainted, all in order to get out of this hellish game.

Could this all have been a dream? Those 2 years of suffering and fighting?

A small part of her desperately hoped she hadn't spent 2 years inside the game. But her logical part of the brain knew this could never be true no matter how much she wished it to be so.

A simple look on her body assured her that was the case as her equipment was way too high level for a beginner.

She suppressed the shock and logic took over. She wasn't the rich girl she was before. She had survived on the frontlines of this deathtrap for a whole year now. She had been in more stressful and dangerous situations before. This couldn't even compare to being surrounded by high level monsters and not having a teleportation crystal. She shivered at the memory.

She started paying closer attention to her surroundings. People were here, the place was the same and the faces were familiar just like last time but that was where the similarities ended.

Nothing else was like before. There were fewer people, as many had died in that 1 year, and the ones that had remained weren't the same. These ones looked nothing like the crying, terrified, complaining and cowardice mob that was present last time. Since then they had seen close ones die. They had probably come close to death themselves more than once. Experiences like those can change a person.

After the initial confusion they had nothing that even resembled fear. No, if anything looked furious! Furious and determined.

Her headache seemed to have short of subsided but she still felt the aftermath. That was the worst waking up of her life. She was in pain. Not the kind of tortures but the kind of the worst possible hit on the head you can suffer without passing out. It would seem, by the grunting she heard that she wasn't the only one that felt it. On a closer inspection though the ones that grunted were only the high-level ones while the lower level ones seemed perfectly fine. Why was that?

She allowed her eyes to wonder through the crowd forpeople she recognised.

She spotted her guild master, Thinker talking around calming the few uneasy people who had never left the town of beginnings. Mostly children too scared to put their life at risk. That man truly inspired her and that is why she joined the guild. That and the fact that the guild comprised almost solely from people who were just as passionate about clearing the game as her. She felt really lucky to have found them.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream. Followed by a man desperately shouting at the top of his lungs. 'YOU MANIAC. YOU PSYCHOPATH. WHY? WHY NOW? HOW MUCH WILL YOU HAVE US SUFFER BEFORE YOU ARE SATISFIED?'

Whose voice was that? It seemed familiar but she couldn't exactly pinpoint it. The answer was revealed to her when shocked people started getting away from a kneeling, wide-eyed man in a black cloak looking at the sky. That was Kirito but why was he screaming? What had happened and who was he talking to? She looked at the sky trying to see what he was looking at but nothing was there yet. Although people were waiting for the warning signs to cover it up.

They were certain it would happen but as it stood now Kirito was screaming at the blue sky. She looked down at him again. He looked broken, desperate. Not even close to the person she knew. The person that she had teamed up with on the first boss battle or the person at the meeting room was nothing like this man she saw now. This one seemed completely out of it.

Without thinking, her body acted on her own and she rushed to him. She kneeled in front of him put one hand on his shoulder and with the other she forced him to look at her. His eyes suddenly relaxed. He seemed to be coming in contact with the real world more now. She took courage from this sudden change of attitude and hesitantly started talking

'Kirito...' She pause not sure of what she was going to say next. On the contrary Kirito seemed to have regained a grasp on his laid-back attitude even though she knew it was a tough-guy act. No one could transition from that shocked to this calm in mere seconds but maybe it was for the best. Their whole army and their enemies were here. Any weakness would not be taken lightly and if it meant he had to suppress a mental breakdown so be it. Her train of thought interrupted by Kirito answering to her

'Yes?' He said gently urging her to continue. His eyes gave up a wave of comfort that washed over her. His sudden change of attitude paired with those eyes had her gapping not sure what to say or if she wanted to say anything at all. Kirito nevertheless proceeded to answer her unspoken questions in a very intense tone.

'Asuna I am truly sorry for that breakdown. I have no time to explain but you have to understand after Kayaba brings us up to speed most people here will be in a worse mental condition than I was. Something terrible came with that update and the courage exhibited now by everyone will crumble when everyone learns what it is! We have to prepare them somehow... please I need your help. I don't know how to do it.' He finished the last sentence with an almost pleading tone. In the meantime a circle of people had been created around them. Everyone was watching, curious to what happened.

Asuna looked at Kirito. She went closer to him and whispered to his ear.

'Stand up. Try to look stoic and inspiring. Follow my lead and say what you need to say.'

Kirito nodded.

They got up slowly and turned to the people around them back to back. Asuna gave a scanning gaze before she started talking.

'Comrades, it would seem that this update had more to it than what meets the eye. Kayaba, if he dares to finally show up, will explain it to you clearly but until then prepare yourselves. No matter what he says be strong and know that we can clear this wretched game. Together.' She earned a round of shouts. 'Don't let that psycho see you weak. Through all the times we have fought his creations we emerged victorious. What does it matter if an update changed some things? WE-SHALL-WIIIIIIIN!' At this point almost the whole plaza was shouting. She turned around to see Kirito half turned to her. A lopsided smile on his face. More honest than his tough guy act. This was truly genuine and made her go all fluttery inside.

'Not bad for an impromptu speech?' He said still smiling

'Thanks.' Was the only thing she managed to say before blood came off the ground.

A/N: Since you read this up until the 8th chapter I will guess you like the story. A little secret (sort of) for your trouble. This was originally meant to be an SAOxOverlord but it was revised so magic and other overlord elements were taken away from it. Although I did keep some mechanics (Player made sentient NPCs) from now on it will walk its own road having half of my attention (the other half will be on an Artemis Fowl ff I have). If you wish for the overlord crossover to continue as well message me and you can adopt the story. As always glad to entertain you