Her Mission To Save Them All || Sword Art Online Fanfic

Chapter 27

POV: Kyo
Present Day

My spine presses against the rough brick of the wall. If I tilt my head, I can see the square looming before me, and the streaks of sunset aflame in the sky. I remember a time where seeing myself splattered upon those paving stones would be a relief. Now, all I feel is disgust as my lip curls upwards.

The crowd still gathers below the clock tower, waiting for Asuna. Even though it only seems like hours since the girl disappeared inside the purple bubble that now eats the faint light from the sun, it has only been minutes.

I narrow my eyes at the bubble, feeling the knot in my stomach tighten. I tap my fingers against the sword hilt strapped to my side, wanting to relieve my muscles that are itching to move. Someone's been murdered, and that's not even the biggest worry spidering its way up my spine.

Opposite me, guarding the door, Kirito holds the same expression, dark eyes glowering at the sword embedded into the pavement below. It casts a long, foreboding shadow that moves along with the setting sun, growing longer as the sky darkens.

Within the clocktower, silence is strangling, but I feel no urge to break it. Kirito does instead, saying softly, "She's been okay if that's what you were wondering about. Not perfectly stable, but okay."

Those words seem to lift a weight pressing on my spine. A small one, and not the biggest I've been carrying thanks to Kayoko's lie, but my body feels lighter nonetheless. "Thank you, for looking after her."

"Sorry for not telling you sooner." I move my eyes upwards and meet his, and within his irises, shines an apology. For everything. For being a beater, for not being able to protect everyone, for the lies and deception.

 I dip my chin, only slightly. I'm not ready for forgiveness, not by a long shot, nor am I ready to run off into the sunset to solve a murder like we're best buddies, but the shadow cast by the sword worries me more than it should do.

Logic tells me the murder should've been a cruel use of the duel system, something while horrible, upholds the laws of this twisted game. It also tells me, however, that the girl I love - once loved - isn't dead, despite what the menu said that day. Despite what my heart now says. 

The girl that stood in front of me, that I kissed in the field, that is now enclosed within that bubble, is dead to me. It's better for both of us that way. Everything inside me screams it. When I look at her, my heat no longer skips a beat. When she smiles, if she smiles, I feel no urge to smile back, to joke, to say anything other than what's necessary.

What she did was unforgivable. I want to believe that what I should feel in my heart is burning, raging hatred. Instead, I feel nothing, and that scares me more than this murder, more than feeling my blood spatter on the pavement, more than Kayoko's death had made me.

The bubble shrinks, revealing the figures of the two girls, one in armour white edged with red, and the other, red armour tinged black. Their hair flows as the same length, one braided, one unbound, one a deeper shade than the other. One's brown eyes shine with fury, and the others are subtler, giving the air of sadness, regret. At those feelings, I avert my eyes. 

 Asuna storms past, fuming. Her fists clench and unclench like she's half way between punching the other girl in the face, and halfway between hugging her. I don't blame the reaction, the information is a lot to take in. But, I wouldn't have allowed it if I didn't think Asuna could handle this kind of burden. Rather than to me, she heads to the opposite side, and points at Kirito with a finger,

"You, me, downstairs. We've got a murderer to catch."

Her eyes swing around to Kira, who remains rooted in the place she stepped out of, hands hanging uselessly at her side. Her sword lies neglected on the ground. I wonder why she would've thrown it away if that's what she claims to be loyal to now.