Sword Art Online: Faithful Hymn

Chapter 62: Crawling Back To Nothingness

March 27th, 2026

Everyone,

The last few weeks have been a journey towards a new hope of light for me. Never have I ever expected to find happiness in life again, not after what happened to Yuuna on the 40th Floor of Aincrad. During the two and a half years that came after her death, I have lived in isolation without having any recollection regarding what happened past the point of her death.

Ever since then, I have lacked trust, conviction and the will to get back on my feet again. I was paralyzed, thinking I would never be able to recover ever again. On the SAO Survivor School, I would have remained as a person who kept suffering from his trauma, taking medication against my will in order for not getting motivations for suicide anymore.

If I got taught one thing, it's to never lose hope, because there always is a ray of hope when you least expect it. I thought I had become a lost cause in the end, until..

I reached out to Yuuna's father, Tetsuhiro, who helped me to recreate Yuuna as an AI. At first I wouldn't believe that she had the potential to cure and heal all of my problems. I wouldn't, because Yuuna is not to be replaced, and I still believe that to this very day.

But if anything, I was everything but right about Yuna at first. She was not just a piece of machinery, she was way more than that. I considered her to be her own unique person, distinguished from Yuuna. I guess you could say that the amount of love I have given her would be equal to the love you give to Yui, Kazuto and Asuna.

Anyway, after officially becoming a couple with Yuna, it did not take long for a friend of mine from SAO to take her life by accident, meant to take mine instead. His whereabouts are unknown to me, and I am also hoping to never see his face again.

But then I regained consciousness from our battle, awakening in a hospital bed, and all of you were there for me! At first I believed it was a mere dream of mine, but I came to realize that you all care for me, even after leaving you all in the dark after I managed to reunite with Yuna when Shino, Rika and I could restore her memories and self-control.

Since you all care for me so much, and for me vise-versa, I need to rediscover where my heart truly lies. Right now it's out of control, and I don't know what to do anymore. I want to assure everyone that everything I've said to anyone during the last two weeks, they are no lies, and I truly meant what I said. I care about every single one of you, and I hope you appreciate me for the person I am as well, nevertheless my heart that often does not know what to do anymore.

That's why I ask all of you to not contact me for a while. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself. When I return, I have to submit my apologies to all of you. It may as well change the view of how you may see me, but I am not able to open myself up yet regarding this matter.

Kazuto, Asuna, Yuuki, Shino, Suguha, Keiko, Rika, the ones of the friend group who I haven't met yet, you will always stay with me wherever I go. Please don't ever forget that.

Let's meet again when the time is right.

Kind regards,

Shoji

One day later, March 28th, 2026