Kirito// SAO Fanfic

Dear Hell- Chapter 8

|November 7, 2024 Floor 55|

"The recon team was wiped out" Kirito exclaimed astonished at the sudden news.

"We sent in a 20 member party, taken from 5 different guilds, to prepare for the boss fight. However, when the first 10 reached the center of the room and the boss appeared, the entrance closed on them" Heathcliff exclaimed as I felt a heavy weight over my shoulders.

If I didn't take take off then I could've been with them and saved them...they wouldn't have died.

"An anti-crystal area" Kirito spoke in realization.

"And five minutes or so later, when the door finally opened... nothing remained in the room. Neither the 10 men... Nor any trace of the boss" he finished explaining.

Why didn't he call me sooner? Why didn't he send me there with them? I could have saved them.

"That's crazy" Kirito said terrified.

"But we still cannot give up on clearing the game" Heathcliff said determined "we'll have to attack with the largest group we can muster."

And risk more lives?!

"We'll help out with that" Kirito said speaking for the both of us "but Alcea's safety is my highest priority. If the situation gets risky, I will protect her over the rest of the party."

Kirito...

"And thats what I'm counting on. Someone who seeks to protect something can be powerful indeed. I'm expecting a good fight" he spoke as the meeting came to an end and they left first.

Three hours left...it's too long and I'm already growing anxious. Three hours and we go into the room that is on the bridge between life and death. How can I protect everyone and Kirito? Even I'm not invincible, unless I...

"Don't get mad when I say this" Kirito spoke up as I sighed knowing that what he is about to say might upset me "could you wait here instead of taking part of today's boss fight?"

"Why would you ask that" I said trying to hold in my anger.

How can he even say that?! I'm stressing over how I can protect you and everyone and you want me to wait here obediently like some stupid doll only to hear that half of you didn't make it.

"There's no telling what will happen if we can't use teleport crystals. I'm scared. If anything happened to you..." he said as I felt my heart breaking knowing that that's exactly what I'm feeling in a way as well.

"So you want to put yourself in danger, while I wait here, where it's safe" I asked as he looked down not wanting to make eye contact "If you went and didn't come back, I would kill myself! I'd have no reason to live anymore. And I'd never forgive myself for just waiting around."

"I'm sorry..." Kirito said clenching his jaw and squeezing his eyes shut "I'm losing my nerve, the truth is I just want to run away with you... we don't have to return to the real world. I want to live with you in that house in the forest forever!"

"Kirito, have you ever considered what's happening to our real bodies? When several weeks had passed after the game's launch, there was an incident where most players went offline for several hours, right? All the players were being moved to hospitals at that time. If our bodies are just barely being kept alive on hospital beds, I can't imagine that we can go on like that for long" I explained.

"In other words, whether we clear the game or not, we're still on a time limit" he said trying to reconfirm with me as I hid my face in his chest feeling my eyes water.