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

Chapter 28

POV: Kayoko
Present Day

There are two types of change.

There's the type that's lightning fast, that changes your life in a couple of words. When your parents tell you they're getting divorced, when someone tells you your grandma's dead, when you take one wrong step and fall off the line.

They shake us, shatter us to rearrange us to the place we're meant to be. Sometimes, it can be a good type of change. Sometimes, you become so broken that there's no going back to the way you were before but you keep going. And sometimes, you look back and think "I'm glad this changed occurred."

Then there's the other type of change: the slow-burning type. The type that grinds away at your soul, eats your insides until there's nothing left of your former self. You're never going to go back to the way you were before. Nobody notices there's something wrong until they look back and think,

"What happened to you?"

And the only thing you can reply with is,

"I grew up."

The change me and Kyozo experienced is a mixture of both, it's surprise and heat and shock all at once. It's the raining of stars and the falling of moons; it's the sky at night, for once, fully black. There's no light to shine through the haze.

It's the same for the sword embedded into the pavement beside me. Black and red crawl up the blade, causing the light that once would've reflected off it to dim. Thorns poke through the sides of the metal, reaching to puncture my fingertip as I run my hand close to the edge.

Not here. Not now.

I can't test it on myself with the crowd's eyes fixed on me; on the tattoos that span my back, down my spine. They burn into my skin, a brand always reminding me of what I've done; as they should do. Meant to do.

Asuna, Kirito and Kyozo all talk to a purple haired girl. Asuna has her arm slung comfortingly over her shoulder, using her soft voice to lull the tears away. Kirito stands, brooding like always, but his eyes hold a tinge of concern, only noticeable if you've been on the same team for a while. And Kyozo, well, he just smiles.

And it's one of the most painful things of all. Rather than think of the killing of an innocent man, my brain remains empty, staring out into the distance. I remember the time where all I once wanted to do was to kiss that smile. To have it smile at me. Those words I told him were a lie.

And that's the most painful thing of all.

I sheathe the sword at my side. Out of all the player in the game, perhaps I'm the most suitable for this type of sword. An immortal soldier holds a sword that can kill players. Irony at the highest level, isn't it?

I don't have to push my way through the crowd of people; where the sword landed, there is already a perfect circle in place, as if everyone's afraid of the sword, and not the wielder. It's more convenient as I make my way towards the team I've gathered.

"Did you see anyone else?" Asuna asks, hand moving soothingly down the girl's spine.

Her voice shakes, understandably so, but there's something in the octave that doesn't sound right, "I-it was just for a second, but I thought I saw someone behind Kains."

"Did they seem familiar?" Kyozo's voice has the exact same tone he used on that message on Christmas Day. It's comforting, and yet, bone-chilling.

The girl, hands clutching her skin tight to hide her trembling, shakes her head, causing her purple hair to sway, "No."

"Do you know anyone who would've wanted to kill him?" I ask. Asuna glares at me as I approach, but I ignore the warning in her gaze. Out of every player, I know the most about this game, and I know this much of all: my uncle would never make a weapon that could kill in safe towns. I know it. This game follows pre-set rules, and that's one of them.