Sword Art Online: Faithful Hymn

Chapter 25: Eiji vs Leafa

A lonely park, maybe even too lonely. The weather was not to be considered great, either. Nothing really impressive can be said about this park and its surroundings, yet it's the perfect place for a sad, failed person to sit in. Albeit, this is what this boy thinks of himself. He portrays himself as a failure, as someone who couldn't save someone he loved.

Yuuna.

"I'm not strong. Never been." mutters Eiji in himself. He can't help it but to remember the word the cowboy-clad GGO player said to him, something that deeply humiliated him. Truth to be told, the name that the cowboy said to him reminded Eiji of his past, the one thing that meant everything to him, yet he failed it.

Nautilus.

Even thinking or saying the name to himself or someone else makes him feel disgusted. It reminds him of the weakling that was not able to help his friends, leaving them to suffer or to die.

"Back in Aincrad, at least I used to be something despite being a weakling. Look at me now, I kill people in VR in order to kill myself, my past, the thing that forged me into the purposeless kid I am now." Eiji continues to mumble in himself. The young man looks up, seeing three white birds flying across the park. Funny, somehow they greatly remind him of the trio of players he used to be a part of. This also reminded him of the third player back in Aincrad that he used to hang out with, even having a little competition regarding Yuuna's heart.

Shoji.

"Yeah, Shoji was a funny and wise guy. Always had the right advice for the right situation. He sure was the friend I needed." mutters Eiji with this time, a slightly happier tone. It truly means a lot to him, having had some people that he could hang out with. Since his personality is not the thing that he's proud of, especially not towards others, he's glad that there were people who liked him.

"Friend or not, it didn't help keep Yuuna alive. Only if my recklessness and weakness did not result to her death, I wouldn't have killed for fun in GGO." says Eiji in himself without paying attention whether was around him or not. As far as he is concerned, he is still the only one sitting on a bench in the park. The park sure was filled with green beauty, although the cloudy weather prevents people from going outside. So cloudy even, that it looks like it's almost about to rain.

"Let's see. That unknown knight and I were attacking that beast. Shoji called out to switch. His Sword Skill motion didn't run out and he was kicked all the way back to the edge of the arena. The next thing I heard was Yuuna, saying that he had to get out of there quickly. After the beast struck... Yuuna jumped in front of Shoij..." think Eiji in himself, making a change from talking to himself, thinking to himself. It was until this very moment that Eiji started to realize something that changed his entire perspective of the past.

It all comes together.

He is strong. Always was.

It was not his fault that Yuuna got killed.

Shoji killed her.

Shoji killed Yuuna.

Eiji places a hand on his head out of frustration. It can't be that his old, childhood friend would turn to be the villain of his past. It didn't just bother him that he is the reason Yuuna got killed. His 2,5 years after her death made him feel nuts. Distanced from the boy he used to be in Aincrad. Shoji made him disgust one of the top players of GGO, Sinon, wielder of the Phantom Bullet.

"...That's right. I'm not the one guilty for her death. Shoji made her suffer." Whilst scraping his teeth, totally out of control of what he knows is right, he stands up. His former self stands up from his suffering past, knowing exactly what he has to do now. Not much later though,