SAO: The Legend Of The Black Swordsman

Chapter 13

Kirito stared at the amber eyes of the young girl and nodded his head to which she replied with another sad smile.

"Who are you searching for, Kirito-san?", she asked.

"I am searching for my sister - Yuuki. Have you seen her by chance?", he asked her, yearning for some knowledge of her whereabouts, but as he had expected, she solemnly shook her head.

"No, I haven't. I am sorry, I can understand your pain. I too am searching for someone - my best friend. She and I planned to celebrate her birthday here, but a day that was supposed to be unforgettable for her in a positive way, turned out to be the biggest nightmare of our lives", she grimaced.

"Right", Kirito mumbled, unable to think of a proper reply, and then remembered about Asuna at that point. He was sure that if he did not go back to her in another couple of minutes, she might kill him. "It was nice meeting you, Yuna. I hope you find your friend. Be safe"

"You too, Kirito-san. I wish you will find your sister too", she smiled and waved softly, until she realised something. Yuna bolted towards Kirito and tapped him in his shoulder.

"Do you need something, Yuna?", he asked her and she nodded her head uncomfortably.

"Yes, well, I do. Kirito-san, I am short on Cor, and I badly need some. So can I please play you a song? I promise - it won't be bad. I earn Cor by singing. So, please? Can I please play you a song? And...And I've really admired your intentions to help all of us - I was there when you spoke on the podium, the first day here. So, please? It is my wish. Please let me sing you a song", she pleaded him, clutching her lute tightly and Kirito tried resisting the look on her eyes - but they reminded him so much of Yuuki, especially how she used to look at him so innocently when she needed something from him or wanted him to protect her from Suguha.

"All right. You can play me a song", he said and mirth filled her eyes. She stretched her arms a couple of times and cleared her throat, before starting her song, plucking the strings on her lute softly.

Kirito could not explain what was going on when she sang. It was like the voice of an angel. Her naturally melodious voice was only the fuel to her skill with her lute, and the slow pace of her song was almost like a lullaby. He had just gotten out of a nerve-racking battle with Heathcliff and he was sure that he wouldn't fall asleep that day, owing to the adrenaline rush that courses through his veins at the moment. But two to three minutes into her amazing song, he was sure that if he was given a bed, he would be able to sleep for a solid two days. Another syllable later, Kirito blacked out, sleeping like a baby.

Time Skip

"KIRITO-SAN! KIRITO-SAN!!", Yuna yelled, desperately shaking him by his shoulders, and Kirito woke up clutching his temples with a wince.

"Wow. I haven't fallen asleep here so fast. That was amazing", he groaned out, rubbing circles on his temples with his index and middle fingers.

"I..I am sorry, Kirito-san. I thought you might like my song, but I guess my singing is not your cup of tea, right? No matter. I'll find someone else", she said in a diffident tone.

"What? No, no, no. Your song was really good. I mean, I actually fell asleep during it. If someone falls asleep during a song, it is a good vibe. It is negative only if someone falls asleep during a movie or a play or something", he said, mumbling the last portion causing the petite brunette to giggle, causing him to smile in return, happy to know that he was able to spread a tiny amount of happiness to another suffering soul, and transferred a good amount of Cor to Yuna who kept thanking him for the money non-stop.

Kirito got up, ready to leave the shrine but the corner of his eye caught his stats, which intrigued him. A few minutes back, he was sure that his HP was not as high as the amount it was showing at the moment. It was full, without a doubt, but his max HP had increased. A couple of minutes later, the increased amount of health slowly started to decrease and settled down at his usual amount.