Broken. (SAO fanfiction)

Chapter Five

Asuna and I had left by noon. Saying our feeble goodbyes was surprisingly difficult, but I knew I only had so much time. I had 59 days...but not all my friends did. The sounds of the sad crying of Sachi wouldn't leave my mind. Why was she keeping it all to herself?

...
Why didn't I help her?

I stayed silent as Asuna and I kept walking through the now crowded alleys and lanes, obediently following the trail on the map. The architecture evolved as we walked farther and farther by the minute. From a village to a quiet foresty terrain with a few small houses and cabins that overlooked the sparkling blue lake. Much like our house on floor 22 in Aincrad. We emerged from the trees that shaded the land, darkening portions of the soft green grass. We hadn't encountered as much as I had anticipated. That was, until nightfall, when we had no place to go as we had arrived outwards onto a slab of barren land  that lead, as it seemed, to nowhere. In the distance, we saw the sun set, coloring the horizon line to an orange color. Asuna shot me a look.
        "We keep moving." I told her, looking at the map, helplessly. "There doesn't look like there'll be a village for miles."
        "Even so, would someone travel out here?" Asuna asked.
        "Maybe that's what Garin was so worried about. He said nobody would go in search of the virus." I said. "Whatever, lets just keep going, the quicker we get out of here, the better."
          "It doesn't look like we'll be getting anywhere anytime soon." Asuna sighed, opening her inventory. She clicked on an item and it appeared in her hand. She handed a wad of wrapped paper to me. I opened it and gave her a smile as I eagerly looked at the wonderfully prepared sandwich and bit into it hungrily.
        "Garin let me use the kitchen before we left." Asuna grinned "it took two seconds."
        "I almost forgot..." I said through my mouthfuls "what food in the real world tasted like... but... I think this is better... than anything I've ever tasted."
         "Just wait until we meet in the real world..." Asuna smiled slightly. "I'll make you all the sandwiches you want." I don't know why, but that triggered an awkward silence.
           "We will meet in the real world right?" She said softly.
           "Of course!" I said sincerely. "Once we defeat this virus, and we return to the real world, I'll find you, and we can be in love again..."
            "Y-yeah..." Asuna smiled.
           "AND we can eat allll the sandwiches!" I added.
         "Kirito, seriously." Asuna nudged me.          "Sorry." I grumbled. Asuna laughed and hugged me tightly as we walked slowly, listening to the faint sounds of our footsteps as we walked across lonely rock. I felt comfortable and confident now, my hunger bar filled, my heart the same. But as the night fell threateningly, I felt pressured to get fast to the dungeon, remembering that morning. We walked faster and faster and I felt more jittery as the darkness deepened the night. I moved in sync with the sounds around us which had now surfaced suddenly. As my footsteps started to echo slightly I felt like I could hear growling and I felt like I was being watched through the shadowy blackness that I seemed to blend in to. It was just Asuna behind me. That was all. Hearing the hard breathing closing up behind me caused me to draw out my sword and spin around to face the glaring intensity of narrowing blood red eyes. I screamed as the creature bit violently into me. I saw the screen flashing red as my heath bar sank down. I swung my sword blindly to defect the wolf's next attack. It rammed headfirst into the blade, causing its heath bar to sink down to a warningly red color. I wiped a bead of sweat from my forehead after I struck it one last time, permanently ending its illusionary life. I glanced around, hoping I was finally rid of them, and being crushingly put down. I tried to look at all of them at one point as I saw each of them approach me in a menacing way. Where had all my strength gone? Wasn't I a beta tester? A powerful player? No. I needed to get out of that mindset. I grunted and heaved my sword at the next incoming attacker, my pupils dilating as I swung at all the monsters, slashing them in a straight line.
"ASUNA!" I called out. "ASUNA CAN YOU HEAR ME?" I spun around, there were still half the pack left, not ready to back down. I scrambled past them, foolishly coaxing them to chase blindly after me hungrily. I could see my heath bar going down as I was ambushed with scratches, bites, claws. I hollered Asuna's name again, over and over in a blind panic as I sliced each wolf that jolted at me at full speed. Another down, and another, when would they all be gone? Where was Asuna? I swung one final time as I was attacked by a last wolf that had jumped upon me harshly, clawing and ripping at my face, turning my heath to a 40...30...20... I slashed another time, finally turning the creature weak and unable to fight. I finished it off with one more blow as I staggered up quickly and looked upon the shattering remains of the monsters. I overlooked the scene of battle and inhaled a deep breath. I had no clue what was with me back there. Usually I was capable of defeating these monsters like nothing. I was able to protect myself and my friends so well...so...what was wrong with my powers? Had they just suddenly disappeared? I had my sword skills...but they did nothing.
"ASUNA, WHERE ARE YOU?" I screamed out, opening my inventory in search of something that may help me. No. Nothing. I rushed past the past fighting scene and scrambled around to find her.
"ASUNAAAA!!!" I finally howled. The sound pierced my own eardrums, as I hoped for a reply, even a desperate one would be fine. Anything. Anything to know she was okay.
"Kirito!" I heard a faint plea in the distance as a reply to my calls. I rushed towards the sound in a desperate rush of relief but also panic. I saw Asuna's figure appearing towards me as I ran. Her hand was outstretched towards me, ready for me to go to her, but as I reached out to touch her, her body just simply

Shattered.