Sword Art Online: Faithful Hymn

Chapter 6: Yuna

The AI, who already gets considered as a real girl by Shoji, keeps staring into his eyes. Shoji is not even thinking about the technology behind the girl, because he is filled with emotion. He automatically assumes that the girl is in fact Yuuna, his lost childhood friend, his eternal love.

'Shoji, are you okay?!', asks Tetsuhiro, who still gasps due to the AI's big reveal.

Tetsuhiro, who still stands next to the fallen boy with an AI on top of him. Tetsuhiro grabs the AI girl, and lifts her up, giving Shoji room to breathe. It's not that the AI is heavy or anything, Shoji was not able to breathe well due to the shock of the girl in front of him, resembling Yuuna. Not only Shoji was amazed by how the AI's arms felt, even Tetsuhiro holds onto the AI's arms to feel the soft skin she possesses. Shoji helps himself up, and can't help it but to look at the AI's figure once again. A few seconds later, Tetsuhiro lets go of the AI's arms and looks at the two developers who are minding their business on the sidelines.

'Koshiro, Watari, I want the two of you to leave, alright?'

The two gentlemen did not hesitate to obey Tetsuhiro order. Since the blonde-haired developer, Koshiro, already experienced a taste of what Yuuna's father was capable of, they immediately make sure they get out of the area alive. With the two of them gone half a minute later, Shoji, Tetsuhiro and the AI are the only ones in the room. Both men are standing speechless in front of her. She absolutely looks beautiful. It almost feels like that no person would be able to surpass her beauty.

'Y...Yuuna..', Tetsuhiro says softly whilst panting.

The girl turns her head from Shoji to Tetsuhiro, who now looks in his eyes instead of Shoji's. She then looks around the environment, not fully realizing where she is.

'...Where am I?', asks the AI girl.

That voice... is what Shoji is thinking in himself. He takes one step back, realizing that... the AI girl sounds the exact same as Yuuna back in Aincrad. Tetsuhiro also is amazed by the girl's ability to speak so fluently, although he is not as thrilled as Shoji. He would probably wonder why the boy is behaving like this.

'Shoji, are you all right?', asks Tetsuhiro.

'Don't tell me that you don't hear it, mister Shigemura! She sounds exactly like Yuuna!' says Shoji.

'I think you are hearing what you desire to hear. I don't blame you for that, it's only natural..', says Tetsuhiro in return.

After realizing that Tetsuhiro's words make sense, Shoji stands normally again. After shifting gazes from the girl to Tetsuhiro, the girl slowly walks towards him, standing in front of him. She switches from facial expressions, from confusing to worrying.

'Sho...ji? Do you know who I am..?

Shoji wouldn't blame the girl for being confused. Even he is confused himself. It almost feels like he is walking down memory lane, encountering Yuuna in the process. Despite that, Shoji knows he has to man up in order to answer to the girl's question. After taking a deep breath, he responds as casually as possible.

'Your name... is Yuna.'

Tetsuhiro, who listens as carefully as the AI girl does, doesn't really know what to say. He expected Shoji to tell her that her name was Yuuna, though he calls her Yuna. It sounds the same, yet it's different, and Tetsuhiro likes the idea of that. The girl then changes her gaze to Tetsuhiro, who she also asks: