Sword Art Online: Faithful Hymn

Chapter 23: Standalone's Quest

Warning: This chapter includes a moment of assault. It is nothing terrible, but be warned that you may get uncomfortable with reading this in case you are sensitive to these kinds of events.

"L..Love?" asks Yuna in such a tone where it's clearly noticeable that she does not really know the answer to it. It wouldn't be a surprise for Shoji that she has no idea what the definition of love is. Truth to be told, many don't even know. So an AI girl who got released from her slumber only two days ago practically can't have knowledge regarding love.

"Yeah, love. It's a great feeling that you can feel in your heart. It's when two people deeply care for one another, and wouldn't want to leave each other's side, never." Yuna then lifts up her head, keeping a little distance between herself and Shoji. She looks at the boy, tears developing in her eyes.

"But... I don't feel anything in my heart! I deeply care for you, as well as always staying by your side, but I don't feel anything..." says Yuna with a piteous voice. Shoji has an idea how that's possible. It surely isn't Yuna's fault, that's one thing he knows. Just like many other AI, Yuna might not be able to feel or understand love, and perhaps never will.

"Yuna, please don't cry. No existing AI knows how to feel emotion, let alone to feel love. The same thing could be the case with you!" says Shoji out loud, hoping that his words make sense to the girl. To no avail though. "No you don't understand Shoji! Mister Tetsuhiro told me that I am supposed to be the perfect teenage girl! I should be perfectly capable of knowing what love is, as well as feeling it!"

While having the feeling that Yuna might never fully understand what her deepest desire could be, as well as doubting that she can have a future with Shoji, she stands up, running out of Shoji's bedroom and scaling down the stairs. Not much later, Shoji can hear the girl change uniform, as well as slamming the front door shut. Is this what Shoji's legacy was meant to be? Is that how it was all supposed to end?

"YUNA!"

The boy runs as fast as he possibly could down the stairs, opening his front door to see if Yuna was still in his sights. Although the entire street in front of his house is empty, no sign of Yuna to be seen. He knows it is no use to follow Yuna, knowing that her speed could match his incredible speed. With this in mind, he closes the door, bursting out in tears as a result of Yuna's actions. But there is one thing that prevents him from snapping.

He refuses to believe that this would be the end. It just can't be.

20 minutes later, in the middle of an alley

"Well well, what beautiful bitch have we walking down my alley like this?" Yuna hears ringing her left eye as she is leaning against a wall she found rather comfortable in an alleyway. She just got here, revealing her presence to other and unknown people. But knowing that someone else rather than Shoji is about to interact with her makes her more than nervous. The white-haired diva has knowledge regarding swear words, so she is not deaf to what the man who approaches her just called her. The girl looks at the man, who's rather tall, slightly broad, and neither does he look like a Japanese man.

"Please, just let me be. I am in a bad mood right now." says the girl with the most pleasant accent she can come up with, due to her still feeling sad. The man who just heard her response reveals a smirk on his face, getting even closer to the girl.

"A bad mood huh? Well I can certainly help you feel better.." says the tall man with an ominous voice. The man gets even closer to Yuna, so close even that the girl starts to feel uncomfortable. The sinister man touches one of her arms, as well as grabbing her black-gray jacket. The girl quickly looks around her, seeing if anyone is near. She doesn't, only seeing the man in front of him and herself, getting assaulted by a man she has never done harm to.

"What are you doing? Get off of me!" shouts the girl, revealing that she has fire in her. The man laughs, knowing that she can't do anything to protect herself. "Whahah! You got a little fight in you. I definitely love a woman who does that." says the man with a happy tone. Yuna had hoped that he would stop doing what he is doing right now. Nevertheless, he doesn't, continuing his shed of enjoyment. He lets go of her jacket, placing a hand on her cheek and moving her head like this closer to his.

"Someone help me!" shrieks the girl with all of her might. Not knowing whether someone will show up or not, she is defenseless. Her only hope is to await someone's help. With the man quitting pulling on her jacket, Yuna can see he prepares to move the hand towards her chest.

"This can't be happening. Only if I stayed safe with Shoji, yet my recklessness and eagerness for love made me a victim.." thinks Yuna in herself, preparing to experience what will happen any second now. With the man laughing, and Yuna crying as result, distant footsteps could be heard. Before the white-haired teenager knew it, someone came to her rescue!

"Let go of her, you bald fatass!" shouts the unknown guy's voice. He quickly delivers a punch to the man's face before he even had the chance to touch the girl at spots she strictly refused. The man falls onto the ground, coughing up some blood as result of the harsh landing. The red-haired bandana wearing man, who Yuna would assume 25 years old, raises his thumb up to assure the girl that everything will be fine.

The harasser gets up, raising his fists. "Why, you little fucker!" yells the man before he charges towards the guy who saved the defenseless girl. The protector clearly knows how to protect himself, after seeing that he manages to block every punch and fist thrown at him. Five seconds later, the attacker who is already fatigued by the force he put in his movements, aims for his pocket as he reveals a pocket knife. He raises the blade, preparing to attack the man once more. The red-haired man dodges his knife-attack, grabbing his arm as well as making it crack. The man drops his knife, falls next to the protector's knees who kicks it away. As a final move, he kicks the man in his belly, making him fall onto the ground again. The attacker stands up, running away from the scene.

"Yeah go running you little weasel. Harass your mother next time alright?" says the red-haired man who just might have saved Yuna's life. "Oh my god, are you alright sir?" asks Yuna to the guy who still catches his breath from the fight. "Don't worry about me, has he done anything to you?" asks the guy with a shiver of worry. After thinking quickly, Yuna is able to respond with a smile again. "No, nothing terrible at least."

The man raises his hand, willing to shake his with her hand. Yuna agrees, raising her hand as well, knowing that she just made a new acquaintance. "The name's Klein. Good to meet you!" The girl thinks whether she should call herself Ruby again or not. After deciding, she knows that it might be for the best to not reveal her real identity, as Shoji recommended her. "I'm Ruby. Pleased to meet you too!" With both of them smiling, Klein reassures her that they have to get out of this alley.

"We should get out of here, it's definitely not safe for both of us. I know a pretty good cafe not far from here. Wanna come?" says Klein to his newly made acquaintance. With Yuna having nowhere to go except for Shoji's home, which she still wouldn't find comfortable, she approves.