One Punch-Gamer

October 10th, 2025. Yokohama, Kanagawa. Yokohama North General Hospital, 16:05…

Nowadays, Konno Yuuki wasn't someone who could be easily surprised.

Of course, after all the things she had gone through in her short life, not to mention the countless virtual worlds she had visited in the last years, little things could still take her by surprise. Oh, she always got excited by anything even remotely interesting, but truly and absolutely surprised? She hadn't felt that way in ages.

And yet, seeing HIM there, the only one who had bested her since her sister, the one with such an immense 'power' that it dwarfed everything she had ever imagined, had totally caught her off-guard.

The one she knew as Kirito stood there, just outside her 'room', wearing a real-world equivalent to his in-game 'Superhero costume', looking down with a mix of guilt and nervousness. Her mind was awhirl with the implications, a part trying to cope with the impossibility of the surreal situation and the other scared at how he had discovered her 'secret' in such a direct way. The part that won over the 'fight', however, was another, much smaller one. The one that had heard his words.

"…my sword?" whispered the girl with a stunned voice, despite knowing that the boy would still hear her perfectly clear thanks to the sound-reproduction system connected to the Medicuboid to the Observation Room.

"Yes…I shouldn't have run away that day without even offering you some money to pay for a new one, and for what Asuna told us that almost cost you all the fight, right? I want to apologize for that…and offer that you keep Excaliber in exchange." muttered the caped boy while staring at the reflective crystal that separated him from where the girl 'was'. "Asuna suggested it a little while ago and everyone was pretty much okay with it. She was planning on telling you next time she found you online, but…guess I got a bit ahead of her."

"…how long have you…?"

"Know? Well…since we were finishing our fight, you could say." sighed Kazuto before lowering his scarf, letting Yuuki see that, effectively, his face was the same in the real world and in Alfheim. "At the time, I wasn't exactly sure, but I started to think deeply about it, then investigate. Skill aside, you could have only moved like THAT if you somehow had an even longer time of FullDive experience than an SAO Survivor, so I quickly connected the dots…"

"Wait…how could you possibly know I have been using VR for longer than a survivor of Sword Art Online?" demanded the shocked girl, only to see the gamer smile sadly her way.

"Because I'm one. And my friends too." he accepted as if he was talking about the weather, making Yuuki gasp. "And you have seen firsthand how amazing they are, yet you were able to surpass them. And so…that's what led me here." looking down, the caped boy suddenly seemed slightly ashamed, to the girl's surprise. "I'm…sorry about this. It will probably look crazy and weird for you, but I just couldn't…do nothing. I needed to find the truth…because I couldn't stop remembering that there was something wrong with your smile."

"Ki-Kirito…" started Yuuki before the boy rested his forehead on the crystal, silencing her with a bitter chuckle.

"Worst part is, I was almost ready to stop, you know? This wasn't my business, we barely spoke to each other and I was clearly going 'too far'…but then Asuna told us why you were doing those duels. How you and your guild wanted to beat a Floor Boss to get your names on the Monument, because you were going to disband it soon, to have a 'good memory'…and that bad feeling I had grew stronger." slowly, Kazuto raised his face, staring silently at the crystal of the clearly sealed off room. "And now…now I get it. You wanted a memory because…you're not going to be with them much longer, right?"

Absolute silence was the caped boy's answer. As the seconds passed, the uneasiness in him started to grow and he was wondering if he should leave…when, without warning, lights turned on at the other side of the crystal, filling the previously darkened room in a way that nullified the reflective effect on the glass, allowing him to see inside.

A part of Kazuto almost wished it hadn't, the moment his eyes set into the room.

It was mostly white, and you could almost feel the cleanliness and artificially sterilized air it had inside. But what truly caught one's attention was the figure on its center.

In the middle of the room, there was a bed, big enough for two adult people, despite only one young teen being currently on it. The head of the bed was slowly raised, allowing for the extremely thin girl of sickly-looking skin to be half-sitting up, which let her head to be half-covered by a massive device.

The part around the head seemed like a slightly modified Nerve Gear, but the main one was an enormous and cube-shaped piece of machinery, with a screen on the front and the word 'Medicuboid' on it. Big cables sprouted from its back, connected to the ceiling, where also other cables, that were connected to 'bracelets' around the girl's hands and neck, arrived. At her sides, IV drips were lazily connected to her arms and a couple of screens around her seemed to be constantly monitoring her vital signs, from her heartbeat to her brain-patterns.

"…my name is Konno Yuuki." came the girl's voice from what the gamer now knew wasn't a speaker, but a system connected from the machine's virtual space to its outer systems. "I'm the first tester of this machine, the Medicuboid, and I have been connected to it almost daily for the last 3 years. I also haven't abandoned this especially isolated area in that time…" biting her lips inside the virtual space from where she watched the frozen boy, the girl found strength to keep talking in the warm and spectral hands grabbing her shoulders. "And…I suffer from Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. My whole family got infected because of complications when I and my twin sister were born. Me and the Sleeping Knights…we're all patients in terminal care of different hospitals, and we met in a special virtual area where people like us can Log into. My twin sister, I and two friends founded the guild. They're all dead now, my sister a year ago…and soon, two more of us…well, next year's will probably be…the last spring we share together…"

"…I see." finally whispered Kazuto, hands clenched as he looked down at hearing the girl's resigned and sad voice. "That's why you all wanted to do the whole deal with the Boss…"

"Kirito…please, go back home and…forget about me. Forget about this." Yuuki's voice came filled with sadness and pain as she said those words. "It will be better for…"

"Are you an idiot?!" the boy's sudden shout made the girl almost jump in place inside her virtual space, looking in shock at the anger in his teary eyes. "You're asking me to forget about you when you're obviously in so much pain?! And I'm not talking about your physical body! Your soul…you're hurt, right? Asuna sounded so sad before, when you and your friends were hesitant to keep seeing her…and that's because you yourself don't want to hurt others. You're isolating yourself, Yuuki, putting walls around your heart not unlike the ones of this room and hurting yourself because you don't want others to be sad for you…" suddenly, the boy slammed a closed fist against the crystal separating him from the girl's room, and though there was no strength behind it she couldn't help but cringe, the illusion of the window breaking like nothing having appeared on her mind. "And that's unfair. For Asuna…and for you."

"You…how can you say that, after…?"

"Seeing this? Knowing this? What about it?" asked the caped boy with an extremely serious look, making the girl's words die on her lips. "All I see…is a girl who worries too much about others and very little for herself. Someone kind enough to ignore her own condition for the good of those she considers close to her, no matter how much that hurts her. Someone who doesn't deserve what life has done to her…and I don't, and never will, regret having met said girl, no matter what." closing his eyes, Kazuto put again the scarf properly around his face's lower half. "Please…talk to Asuna, Yuuki. Not only for her sake…for yours too. She's a marvelous person, and I know she will be the friend you need."

With those words said, the boy turned around, starting to walk away.

"Wha…?! Wait, Kirito…!"

"…my real name is Kirigaya Kazuto." silently said him before turning back towards her with a small smile. "It's only fair I tell you, after all."

"That…no, well, I wanted to ask…" suddenly, Yuuki was glad that he couldn't see her face because she was blushing and looking away in childish embarrassment. "…how did you get in here with that costume without anyone noticing?"

"…oh. Well, to tell you the truth…"

"Papa!" suddenly came a voice from the boy's pocket, making the hospitalized girl blink when he hurriedly got out a small portable terminal and stared at someone's face on it. "Quick, get out, someone is coming that way!"

"What?! Did the loop you put in the cameras fail?!" asked the suddenly panicking gamer.

"No, Strea-nee is still with that, but this guy is just going that way for no apparent reason! Ah, he's already…!"

Without more preambles, the door to the observation room opened, Yuuki wincing slightly when the bespectacled form of Dr. Kurahashi, the one who had helped her with her illness since she was little, entered the room.

The man quickly blinked, his face morphing into one of utter shock, clearly not having expected to find a cosplaying boy inside the supposedly empty and restricted area. The girl that was called Zekken in ALO was starting to fear he would start screaming for security…

"Holy shit! You're the Caped Sidekick!"

…when he instead shouted something totally unexpected, pointing at Kazuto as if he was a ghost.

"…what?" asked a thoroughly confused Yuuki, even as the caped boy seemed to resist the urge to facepalm for some reason.

"Yes…it's me." simply declared the gamer before turning around and pointing dramatically towards the hospitalized girl, startling her as he deliberately made his cape flap at doing so. "Remember what I told you, Yuuki, it's for your sake! And…don't worry. I…I promise I will do my best to help you."

Then, without saying more, he spun around again in an overdramatic way, his cape flapping as he rushed past the shell-shocked doctor and into the hallway, starting to run like hell.

Five more seconds passed before Kurahashi blinked and looked back towards the hall, as if still trying to confirm if what had happened hadn't been a dream produced by staying up late with too much coffee.

"…how the hell did he get in here?" asked the doctor to no one, clearly at a loss. "Were…were the rumors true?! Does he really teleport anywhere he wishes by falling out of the sky?!"

"…what?" repeated Yuuki once again, much to Aiko's amusement and also getting the attention of her medic.

"O-oh, Yuuki! Are you okay?! Wha-what happened? What did that urban-hero had to tell you?!"

"U-uh?! No-nothing special, he just…wanted to ask me about my life and…promised to help me…" muttered the still shocked girl, not believing that the caped boy had said that, knowing that nothing could really help her…and yet, a part of her still wanting to believe his words. "…wait, what's that about 'Urban Hero'?"

"You don't know? Oh, well, I guess you won't really read about news of that kind in your free time, and I have never brought it up in our talks, but you see, there has been this 'vigilante' called 'The Bicycle Girl' close here in Kawagoe for quite some time now! Sounds crazy, right?" not even given the girl time to answer, Kurahashi pointed behind himself, clearly excited. "And you see, some time ago she suddenly disappeared, then came back but with ANOTHER vigilante helping her! And that was him just now, the Caped Sidekick! God, I can't believe I just saw and talked to him!"

"Wo-woah, yes…that's quite surprising, Kurahashi-san…" sweatdropped Yuuki while promising herself to look into that a bit later, also glad that the man was apparently too distracted talking with her and by the shock of meeting a 'real-life vigilante' to remember he should probably call the police because someone unknown had gotten into the hospital and into what probably was its more secure room.

Slowly, she looked to the side, thinking again over the words Kirito…Kazuto had told her.

A smile spread over her face, the girl taking a decision.

And as Yuuki happily asked the surprised doctor if he wanted to come to a 'celebration party' the next day in Alfheim Online before quickly getting ready to call the rest of the Sleeping Knights, the specter of her twin sister smiled even more.

She had been right about that boy, it seemed…

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Arriving home tired, hungry and slightly out of break, Kazuto cursed having decided not to use his bike to go to Yokohama, in the improbable case anyone saw him riding it and recognized him. Because of that, he had been forced to wait for the bus more time than he thought, getting lost 2 times after running out of the hospital…before remembering he could just ask Yui or Strea for directions.

That was why now, almost 7 in the evening, the gamer entered his home with his phone without any battery left and an exhausted and deep-thinking expression, having had almost 3 hours to think about everything that had happened and that he had been told. Of course, he had sworn both Strea and Yui to secrecy about what had happened, until or if Yuuki decided to tell anyone else about her condition or that of her friends. At the very least, he hoped the girl would talk to Asuna about it. It was clear that his disciple and girlfriend had grown very close to the hyperactive Imp in the short time they had known each other and he knew she would feel really down if Yuuki stopped talking with her without an explanation, no matter what the Dual Wielder said.

That, of course, made his thoughts go back to the poor girl confined to that hospital's room. Konno Yuuki was someone who didn't deserve what life had done to her. Perhaps he knew little of the girl by himself, but from their brief battle, what Asuna had said and the small interaction he had had with her both in ALO and in the real world he could heartily say she was a beautiful person. The moment he had seen her real body, all pale and thin in that bed, only able to interact with the world thanks to the prototype machine known as Medicuboid, and heard her story, he hadn't feel pity or anything similar. He had just felt angry. Angry that the world could be such an unfair place so as to allow something like that to happen.

People had called him a Hero several times, and he had even 'accepted' it a couple. He wouldn't hesitate in doing something good or helping out others if he could, it was something that was ingrained in his nature nowadays. And he was willing to do the impossible and beyond for those he loved. But…

What could he do in this case? He wanted to help her, the girl called Zekken, Yuuki the Imp, Konno Yuuki. He wanted to try and do anything and everything to fill that hollow smile he had seen in her face when they fought, now that he knew the true meaning behind it…but he couldn't just 'punch away' her problems. Even if he truly had Saitama's power in the real world, he wouldn't be able to punch her AIDS away. He wasn't any medical genius either, so the possibility of him suddenly finding a miraculous cure for one of the few viruses mankind was still as unable to heal now as it had been the last decades.

There was nothing Kirito could do to save Konno Yuuki's life. Kirigaya Kazuto could think of a couple of things that could 'help' her, especially that small project he had been working in lately with some help of Keita and Sachi, but nothing that could really 'save' her in the long run.

He almost felt like cursing everything at that moment, some bitter words he had heard sometime ringing in the back of his mind: You can't save everyone.

And yet…he wanted to try. Even if there was nothing he could do, even if it seemed impossible in all senses…that didn't mean he should just give up from the beginning, right? Even if he knew it was a hopeless situation from the very beginning, he would still try his best, hoping for a miracle, because…

Wasn't that what real Heroes did?

"Onii-chan?" suddenly called a clearly surprised Suguha, coming from upstairs and staring at his silent and unmoving form. "Are you back already? I was starting to worry that…"

The girl was suddenly cut off when Kazuto looked at her and ran to her side, trapping her in a hug and kissing her. The young kendoka was so shocked that she froze for at least three seconds before softly kissing him back. The moment they separated, Suguha was sporting a bright blush on her face as she stared in wonder at the black-haired boy. That had been the first time he himself had tried to kiss either her or Asuna.

"…hello, Sugu." he softly whispered while smiling at her.

"Not that I'm complaining, quite the opposite in fact, but…any special reason for that?" asked the younger Kirigaya while happily resting her head on his chest.

"I…guess I just realized how lucky I really am, to have you and Asuna in my life. And everyone else too…" reluctantly letting go of her, the gamer looked at his girlfriend with a conviction that truly surprised her. "And I swear I will always do my best for you all, no matter how difficult it seems."

"…Onii-chan, did something happen?" curiously asked Suguha while tilting her head, a suddenly teasing smile appearing on her face. "Don't tell me you were thinking impure thoughts of another girl besides me or Asuna and you were feeling guilty?"

"It was just ONCE, dammit, I can't control my dreams! Besides, it wasn't even Sinon, she was acting too much like a kitty!" shouted Kazuto with a suddenly burning face, before freezing at realizing what he had shouted, even as the young kendoka stared blankly at him.

"…eh?"

"Uhm, I…look how late it is, I need to bathe before starting to help out with dinner!" quickly said the black-haired boy before rushing upstairs as if his feet were on fire.

"Wa-wait a minute, Onii-chan! What have you been dreaming about Sinon-san?! Come back here!"

And with all the chaos that ensued, Suguha would forget, until the next morning, to tell the gamer about how, just twenty minutes ago, Asuna had happily invited everyone to a celebration party in the log house, after Yuuki had called her telling that she and the rest would be there.

Despite this, everything was still right with the world…

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The moon shone upon the land of fairies, and in the floating castle that lazily levitated over its skies, the silence and peace of the night had already started to lure the usual players to retire and sleep, leaving the place for the hardcore people that never slept and those gamers that had little social life outside the virtual world.

Floor 22, however, was absolutely deserted at night. Perhaps because of the many sinister and unsettling rumors that had spawned around it since it was unlocked, perhaps because of the chills and terrifying sensations of being watched players would get when walking through its darkened forests or perhaps because of the screams that would be heard in it from time to time, the truth of the matter was that no one really liked to be in that particular Floor of New Aincrad at night.

And that was why it was the perfect place for the hooded figure to meet with the darkness-covered being, whose red eyes seemed to illuminate the darkness with a bloody light.

"Ah, my young pupil. You have come." whispered the darkened figure while tilting its head to the side. "I hope you bring satisfactory news about our 'master plan'…"

"Strea, please, cut that out. NOW." muttered an annoyed Argo while lowering her hood, getting a sheepish laugh in response as the Gnome girl deactivated her Darkness Blade and sheathed Gram on her back. "It's not funny. I HATE being in this place at night."

"So-sorry, Argo-chan, but I just saw this anime yesterday and couldn't help but want to play at the 'Evil Overlord'." apologized Strea while grinning at the Caith Sith, who just huffed and looked away. "So, how did 'things' go with Sinon-chan today?"

"…I finally decided to try and 'bring her to our side', so to speak." revealed the information broker with a suddenly serious face…and by 'serious' it means she seemed to be struggling to not grin at the memory. "As expected, she freaked out and called me crazy before threatening me and Logging Out with a burning face."

"Oh…? Well…just as we predicted, uh?" laughed the Gnome with a massive smile.

Argo had to suppress the need to shiver, remembering once again that the bubbly girl could be scarily smart…for the things she wanted, anyway.

"Yes, probably. If yours and Yui's predictions are correct…"

"Which they are…" sang Strea while an annoyed tic appeared on the whiskered girl's face.

"…then she must be right now going around her apartment and unable to sleep while my words 'haunt her very mind and understanding of morals in a fierce battle for her heart's desires'." quoted the Caith Sith while the Gnome gave her a thumbs-up. "…you were also right that she seemed to have a 'reaction' when I mentioned Leafa-chi and how it was 'very possible' that she and Kii-bou were already in a 'secret relationship'."

"Excellent." declared Strea while putting her hands together in a very cute way, totally at odds with her 'dark' tone of voice. "By the end of tomorrow, we will most likely get Sinon-chan on our side, with some reluctance that will most likely go away when we start 'Phase 3'. And that's just in the worst-case scenario…"

"Wait…that's the 'worst-case scenario'?" asked Argo with disbelief while staring at the AI. "Then what the hell is the 'Best-case' with her?"

"Oh, that she will most likely spend the whole night masturbating and/or having sexual phantasies about herself, Kirito and Suguha-chan, and will then be all aboard the 'Plan' by tomorrow." bubbly waved it off the Gnome, only to blink in confusion at the frozen and wide-eyed stare the gaping info-broker was giving her. "What? She's a 16-years old girl living alone in the city, who has had serious problems relating to people since she was a child, has just recently overcome a severe trauma that she has suffered for as much time and is experiencing her first serious crush. And that's without going into the whole bit of unleashing her pent-up rage into a game of guns or the worshipping-complex she has towards said crush's little sister because she became a serious focal point in overcoming her problems after saving her from a traumatic event. Do you have any idea HOW MUCH repressed sexual frustration she has to have?"

"…you know…sometimes I really forget you were meant to be a psychologist-program…and it really scares me when I remember." whispered the Caith Sith with an extremely faint voice.

"Ah…I will take that as a compliment!" cheered the AI before spinning around and pointing to the sky, the sudden change in her demeanor making Argo sigh, thinking she should be used to it already. "After tomorrow, we need to start thinking more about who our next target will be! With Sinon-chan in our side, maybe we can even start going faster, heheh!"

"…I think I remember that Liz won't be totally opposed to the idea…" commented the whiskered girl while vaguely wondering when had she started to become fully a part of this craziness, but unable to deny she dearly wished for the 'objective' to become a reality. "But can we please talk about this tomorrow, or in another place? I really hate being here…I always have this creepy feeling of being watched…"

"Really? You don't have to worry about that, Argo-chan!" cheerfully assured Strea to the shivering girl. "Our neighbor is making sure we're alone and no one eavesdrops this conversation!"

"…ne…neighbor?" nervously asked the Caith Sith, suddenly having an ominous feeling.

"Yep. Look, he's right behind you."

Slowly, against her better judgment, Argo turned around…and looked up.

The inhumanly tall and slender figure in the black suit 'looked' back at her with its white and faceless head. then, it waved at her, as if in greeting.

Ten seconds later, the information broker could be seen screaming like a possessed and jumping off the side of Aincrad, never stopping her screams until she crashed down face-first into Salamander territory. She also apparently forgot she could actually fly.

Back on the clear of the forest, a confused Gnome was blinking in the direction in which her friend had run off, looking back at the tall abomination with honest confusion.

"…why did she do that?"

For all answer, the slender being could only shrug.

And that was another normal night ending in New Aincrad…

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October 11th, 2025. New Aincrad, Alfheim. Floor 22, 12:30…

"Hmm…I hope there is enough for everyone…" worriedly muttered Asuna while looking over the food gathered, even as Yui happily floated down on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Asuna-mama! We even got Agil-san to help us, and Leafa-san also had practiced a bit of her Cooking Skill, so…"

"Yes, I know." muttered the Undine with a small sigh. "But even so, is in moments like these that I wonder what would have happened if I had tried to actually learn how to cook in SAO, at least. I really want Yuuki and the others to enjoy this party…"

Being honest, the Dual Wielder was sure that, if she had stayed on her own, she most likely would have tried out the Cooking Skill in the Death Game, probably by a mix of boredom and curiosity, given that, thanks to her upbringing, she had never cooked anything in her life.

Of course, she had then met her Sensei, and then no part of her free time was ever boring or lacking in fun again, so she totally forgot about it, preferring always to do more 'productive things', as Kirito would say, or just enjoy their time together and, later, with the others. Hence why she still knew crap about cooking, though she had started to try and get better at it, both in the virtual world and in reality, for…personal reasons.

It had nothing to do with that magazine about 'How to be a Good Wife' that she had casually seen in the school's library the other day, no sir. That would be silly…

"There, there, I'm sure they will enjoy it a lot, Asuna-mama." happily said the small pixie while patting the fairy's cheek.

"Yeah, maybe you're right, I'm just being a worrywart and I should just hope for the best when everyone arrives…" muttered Asuna while looking around, raising an eyebrow at a particular scene. "Oh? I wonder what Strea-san is talking with Argo-chan?"

"Ah, probably something about the next Boss Battle, you know how Argo-mama is." innocently smiled Yui, discreetly making a mental note of how the 'nervousness' that the Undine felt when she called someone else 'mama' had reduced in a 95%, even if she hadn't realized, since her sister's words to her and Leafa in the Excaliber event. Just as planned.

"Hmm, maybe you're right…but why does Argo have that haunted expression and it's looking at the trees all the time?"

"Uhm…oh, look, the rest are arriving!"

"Eh?! Really?! Aaah, I need to go inside and bring out the other table!" squeaked the Dual Wielder before shooting towards the log house, even as the small AI sweatdropped.

And meanwhile, on the other side of the log house's clearing…

"I…I knew you were someone related to dark and evil forces, but to think you could control…THAT THING…" shivered the information broker while looking around with disturbed eyes, her ears and tail clearly showing her frightened state. "You're truly a messenger of the darkness, uh…?"

"…I think you really have a problem with our shy neighbor, Argo-chan, but if it makes you feel better I will not ask for his help again if you're involved, okay?" commented the Gnome with an awkward smile. "Anything for the sake of the 'Plan', after all!"

"…talking about that…I can't fucking believe it, but look that way." weakly muttered the Caith Sith while looking to the side, making Strea follow her line of sight and let a smile appear on her face as a certain blue-haired sniper made her way towards them, fidgeting and making a point to not stare directly into their eyes.

"Hey…" started Sinon for a moment before looking at them, a noticeable blush on her face as she quickly averted her gaze from the pair. "…that idea Argo was talking about yesterday…I think it wouldn't hurt if I heard a bit more about it…"

"…you're REALLY scary." simply said the info-broker while staring at the SMILING Gnome.

"Heheh, you're so funny, Argo-chan!" was all Strea replied before putting an arm around the other Caith Sith's shoulders, the girl stiffening when the sudden feeling that she had just entered into the inescapable reach of a sinister force working for 'good' reasons washed over her. "Now then, why don't you come and hear us out after Asuna introduce us to her new friends?"

And as the cheerful AI dragged the clearly nervous Sinon away, even as the mysterious Zekken and her Sleeping Knights arrived, Argo allowed herself a moment of not staring in fear at the woods to materialize a list and, quickly, cross the sniper's name from it before making small notes and putting it away. She had to accept that, madness aside, she was truly impressed. Strea and Yui's plan may actually work, even if she was sure she was going to be missing a few years of her life and mental health by the end of it.

At that moment, just walking out of the log house to greet their guests, Leafa shivered for an unknown reason. Kirito, who had just arrived and was staring with a soft smile at the small guild exchanging greetings with his own, shivered too. Asuna would have probably suffered the same fate, but she was too busy hugging the life out of Yuuki and happily greeting the Sleeping Knights to notice it.

A while later, after the introductions were out of the way, the boy clad in white and black was looking over the gathered people with a bright look on his face, everyone seemingly enjoying their interactions. He saw Silica and Liz happily exchanging tales with Nori and Jun, the blacksmith Leprechaun apparently boasting something about her latest creations, with the kunoichi Caith Sith showing off her Fuuma Shuriken as proof to the awed pair. Not far from there, Keita and the boys were laughing openly with Siune and Tecchi as they ate some of the barbecues that had been prepared, and Agil was apparently hearing with interest how Sachi gave tips to Talken about the use of the spear. Philia was currently chatting away with Yui about something he couldn't quite understand (Unless he wanted to eavesdrop, and he had no intention of doing so. But c'mon, what could innocent Yui say that he had to worry about?). A bit more strange, perhaps, was how Strea, Argo, and Sinon were a bit separated from the main group and talking mostly in whispers, but he was sure that it was probably was of those 'girls talks' he had learned not to try and interrupt back in SAO.

Leaning against the side of the log house itself, Asuna, Yuuki, and Leafa were cheerfully talking, even if there was an almost unnoticeable nervous feeling coming from the Imp girl.

The moment he looked her way, the one called Zekken seemed to 'feel' it, turning her eyes in his direction for a brief instant. He merely offered a comforting smile in return.

Suddenly seeming to take a decision, Yuuki slowly nodded (If to him or to herself was anyone's guess) before excusing herself with Leafa, confusing the Sylph while she asked Asuna to follow her a bit away, exchanging quick looks with her guild as the confused Undine followed.

Watching over the scene too, the specter called Aiko smiled softly, turning her ethereal stare towards the caped Spriggan. It seemed that he had really helped her sister change her way of seeing things, in more ways than one. When she was able to, after almost a minute of talking, see how Asuna quickly trapped a shocked Yuuki in a bear-hug, whispering softly to her ear, the specter felt a curious mix of sadness and happiness overcoming her. One way or another, Yuu soon wouldn't need 'her' anymore. The only thing Aiko wished was that it was in the happiest way possible, and maybe, as impossible as it seemed, that boy in the jumpsuit and cape who seemed to be called a 'Hero' by many others would be able to help her out with that. It was what she wanted to believe when she saw the happy tears running down her sister's eyes as she hugged Asuna back. Idly, she sent a grateful look towards the silent Kirito.

Her very existence froze when she saw him look straight at her.

No…it was impossible…was he seeing…?

That train of thought vanished when, with a soft call of 'Onii-chan!', Leafa the Sylph passed straight through where she was, heading towards the Spriggan with a big smile, he answering in kind. Aiko's specter released a relieved sigh she didn't know had been holding. It was obvious that he had been looking at something else. No one but Yuuki could perceive her doubtful existence. Those thoughts in 'mind', the specter called Aiko turned around, moving once again towards the form of her twin, who was now coming back accompanied by an encouraging-looking Asuna. Unbeknownst to her, many things with great ramifications would happen that day.

A bit later, Yuuki Asuna would go the Yokohama North General Hospital to personally meet Konno Yuuki and, after reassuring her once more, promise she would be her friend no matter what, which would later allow for her and the other Sleeping Knights to openly admit their 'conditions' to the rest of the United Heroes Association. They would all accept them in the same way, if there was any doubt.

A couple of hours after that, Keita and Sachi would receive a call from their friend and crush (In the latter's case) to ask for them to help him finally test the 'project' they had been working on, to give Yuuki a 'surprise' after talking with Asuna.

At midnight, as the next day began and the moon shone brightly on a 'perfect' land with an impossible floating island, an inhuman Entity would look in wonder as three different 'cocoons' of data cracked open.

But perhaps the most simple, ignored yet transcending one, happened in that same moment, when, for an instant, Kirito's gaze shifted away from his adoptive sister.

It stopped directly over Aiko's ethereal form before looking away again…

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October 15th, 2025. Nishitokyo, Tokyo. SAO Survivors School, 07:30…

Kazuto wondered if he should find funny or endearing the way in which Asuna nervously fidgeted as he finished making the last adjustments to the small and camera-like device that he was placing over her shoulder. Deciding that it was better to not temp his luck, he simply sent his girlfriend an encouraging smile as he finally finished preparing the Audiovisual Bidirectional Communication Probe (ABCP) and, after making sure the connection between it and Asuna's phone worked perfectly, turned around towards Toshiyuki and Saori, who were currently looking over the device's different data input in the computers of the mechatronics club.

"It's everything working? Any problems with the connection?"

"No, it seems like everything is in order here." commented Toshi before looking towards his long-time friend. "What about your end, Sachi?"

"…done! There were some small problems in the connection, but I think they're fixed now." smiled the spear-user before giving a thumbs-up towards the black-haired boy. "Everything should be ready, Kirito-sa…I mean, Kirito-kun!"

"Tha-thanks, Sachi." replied Kazuto with a sweatdrop, pointedly ignoring Asuna's chuckle as he turned to the probe and turned it on. "Okay…Yuuki? Is everything fine? Can you hear and see us clearly?"

"Ye-yes!" answered the hospitalized girl's awed voice from the small device, making everyone in the room smile. "Man, I can't believe you could make something like THIS…you guys are amazing!"

"Well, it's not really all that great. Just something we came up with for our own reasons…" vaguely muttered the gamer while remembering how they came up with the idea to help Yui and Strea 'visit' the real world, the base program that ran the device being the one they tested the other day in the Dicey Café, after the Excaliber incident. "Anyway, this is just a prototype, to be honest. We're planning on it becoming something more complex…"

"Yeah, it's our dream that future versions allow free movement and even interaction from virtual spaces!" happily informed Saori with bright eyes, a fist raised at the thought.

"It would be something incredible when that happens, don't you think so, Yuuki?" asked a smiling Asuna towards the camera.

"Really?! That would be awesome!" continued the excited girl, everyone almost imagining the stars on her eyes. "Like, if you could put this thing in a flying drone and then someone could control it from this side! Or even in a robot!"

"Sadly, the budget for school's clubs doesn't quite cover the costs for things like that…" muttered Keita while sweatdropping. "Also, that last bit sounds uncomfortably close to those American movies about machines taking over the world…"

"Please, Keita, be serious." waved it off Kazuto with a snort. "No one would ever be stupid enough to try and use advanced AIs to control weapons meant for war."

At that moment, in a super-secret location in the Japanese sea, Kikuoka Seijirou sneezed, looking around in confusion.

"Well, that aside, I guess this will have to do for now." laughed Asuna before sending a thankful look to everyone and then smiling at the probe again. "Ready to go to class, Yuuki?"

"Uhm…yes, I am ready!" replied the hospitalized girl with a conviction-filled voice, the black-haired boy almost imagining her pumping up her fists as she said that. "Let's go and do this, Asuna!"

"Remember to meet with us during the break to eat something, okay?" reminded then Saori as the chestnut-haired girl started to walk away. "And don't make any sudden movements, that could damage the probe!"

"Don't worry, Sachi, we got this!"

"Until later, thanks again!"

"…well, they're off." commented Toshi while crossing his arms, looking towards his friend and leader with a puzzled look. "You really think this was a good idea?"

"Of course. Yuuki needs as much normalcy as she can get. She deserves this after how unfair life has been with her…" whispered Kazuto while a slightly sad aura overtook his friends for a moment, before he abruptly stood up and surprised them with a smile. "So, why don't we start heading to class already? We're going to want to review all the data those two gather later, right?"

With their spirits raised again at his words, the two nodded before exiting the room, the black-haired boy stopping for a moment at the door before shaking his head and looking forward with determination.

A couple of hours later, in one of the many open areas in the school's grounds, all the SAO Survivors of the UHA sat while happily chatting and prepared to eat their lunchboxes, a shy but still clearly happy Yuuki also participating in the conversation.

"…and then I was asked to read the whole page! Aahh, I was so nervous…but I managed to do it, and everyone praised me!" cheered the happy girl's voice from the small device, which was moving excitedly from Kazuto to Asuna, who were sitting beside each other. "Thanks a lot for this again, Asuna, Kirito! Coming to school is being something great!"

"Educators around the world can shed tears of joy at knowing there is someone saying that." chuckled Rika with a small smile before looking back to her side. "So, what did you wanted to tell me, Argo?"

"Yes, you see…would you help me out with a Quest tomorrow?" innocently asked Shiori while looking aside. "It may involve some rare materials and I wanted your expert opinion about that…"

"Oh, sure, count me in! What…?"

"…and that was the moment when the giant chicken tried to eat Ducker here whole!" narrated Kenji, much to the amusement of Kotone and Saori and the annoyance of Takuya. "You should have seen his face!"

"Dammit, Tetsuo, it WASN'T like that!"

"It must have been quite the enlightening experience, almost being eaten by a giant chicken." grinned the katana-user before taking a bite of her food, which ironically included some fried chicken.

"Phi-Philia-san, please, don't be so harsh on him…" pleaded the spear-user while trying to act as peacekeeper, despite the fact that she had also found the story to be extremely hilarious. "I'm sure…!"

"Se-Sensei, wo-would you like to taste a bit of this?!" suddenly asked Asuna with a flushed face holding her lunchbox towards the blinking gamer and making sure to be as silent as possible while doing so. "I-I would like you to tell me how I made it …"

"Woah, you prepared it, Asuna?" muttered the boy in slight awe while holding his chopsticks and taking a bit of the food towards his mouth, even as the Dual Wielder and, surprisingly, Yuuki looked at him in expectation. "…ah, is really good! You have talent for this!"

"Yeah, I think the same, Asuna! The food in ALO the other day was great!" cheered the hospitalized girl through the probe, before looking down a bit depressed. "Though I wish I could also eat with you all right now…"

"O-oh, Yuuki…" muttered the chestnut-haired girl with a suddenly grief-stricken face, looking down. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't think."

"Don't worry, that's not a problem." reassured them the gamer with a soft smile, making both girls blink.

"Uh? What do you me…?"

"Hi there, Yuuki-chan!" came a sudden and unexpected voice from the girl's side, making her turn around in shock to see a certain pair of girls standing behind her, inside the Medicuboid's virtual space, the younger-looking one holding a picnic basket. "Hope you don't mind the intrusion, but we brought the lunch!"

"S-Strea-san?! Yui-chan?!" with a mix of awe and disbelief, especially at seeing the 'pixie' now looking like a human little girl, the wide-eyed swordswoman could only stare dumbfounded at how the virtual sisters sat at her side and got some actual lunchboxes from the basket. "Ho-how are you two even here?"

"Secret, Yuuki-san." smiled Yui toward her before offering the shocked girl a lunchbox on her own. "But Papa didn't want you to feel left out in anything school-related after Asuna-mama came up with the idea, and that included lunch!"

"…tha-thanks…" softly whispered Yuuki before starting to eat, feeling as if the food was the best she had ever tasted as she tried to hold back the tears. "Everyone…thanks."

"Kazuto-kun…" muttered Asuna while moving her eyes away from the probe, staring at the gamer as he just awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

Then, she shot forward and trapped him in a bear-hug, breaking everyone out of their smiling-shock and making them sent awkward-jealous looks towards the two, the black-haired boy just accepting the gesture and patting the back of the extremely happy girl's head. He was surprised at how comfortable he actually felt, despite the stares of the rest, and thought that maybe that was a sign that he was maturing.

…he was very grateful Asuna hadn't tried to outright kiss him right there, though. Even if he wouldn't have denied her, he just KNEW that would have ended badly for him.

Even so, as the group once again descended into a happy atmosphere and tranquil talk, with Yuuki openly participating in it, he couldn't help but wish for things to stay like that.

Clenching his fist slightly while looking for a moment towards the probe through which the hospitalized girl talked with them, he once again steeled his resolve.

No matter how impossible it was…he would do his very best to save her.

Because that's what a Hero would do…and because that's what Kirigaya Kazuto truly wanted to do.

And as he thought of this, he wasn't aware of how the girl at his side was also thinking about something she, as Yuuki Asuna, had to do, for the sake of her family.

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It was later that day, the sun already gone and the night covering the city with its veil of darkness, when Asuna stood outside her mother's room, taking a deep breath while looking at the object she carried on her hands and then entering the room.

Stopping writing whatever she was on her desk, Yuuki Kyouko slowly turned around towards her daughter, a hint of uneasiness being visible on her face for a moment before being fully replaced by her usual cold look.

"Asuna. What do you want? I'm busy right now and…"

"Mom, we need to talk." cut her off the chestnut-haired girl, staring at her progenitor with the most serious look she had ever seen in her life. "And it can't wait for a second longer. We have delayed it long enough."

"…okay then." sighed the woman before fully turning towards her. "Let's talk about this and…"

"No, not here. We already tried that and it didn't work out." interrupted her Asuna yet again, before, to Kyouko's surprise, thrusting the AmuSphere she was holding into her hands. "This time, we will try holding a conversation in the world that you have called a 'stupid game' so many times. It's already set, you only need to put it on and enter."

"Asuna, how do you expect us to have a serious talk inside a videoga…?"

"Two thousand people." the woman was stopped dead on her tracks at her daughter's words, a chill running down her back at the words she had spoken. "That's how many died in Sword Art Online. That 'stupid game' in which I 'lost time of my life' in your words. Despite mine and my friends' best efforts, we couldn't stop it all. Not even the person I look up the most, who had more power than we could ever dream of, could save every single person in there. Sometimes, we would even see someone die in front of us, and the only thing stopping us from blaming ourselves was because we had each other, and because He always reminded us we were doing our best."

"A-Asuna…what are you saying?" whispered a shocked Kyouko, staring at the girl wide-eyed. She had never said a word about any of what she was saying.

"Put it on, mom, and then I will tell you." answered the Dual Wielder before turning around, starting to walk away from the room. "A story about a Heroes trying their best in a hostile world, but never losing the hope of…going back home."

Even as Asuna headed towards her own room, the older woman hesitated for a second, almost feeling tempted to just put the headgear aside and going back to work…

Then, taking a deep breath, she put the hesitation aside and put on the AmuSphere, remembering to lie on the bed before muttering the words that opened the door between a world and the next.

"Link start…"

When the multi-colored lights were over, the blinking woman stood up and looked at the unfamiliar surroundings with a feeling of disorientation. Of all the things she had been waiting to happen when she activated the gaming device, it wasn't…THIS.

It almost felt as if she had been teleported instead of just starting playing a game. As she stared at the insides of the wooden building where she now was, she couldn't help but think how oddly 'real' everything seemed. Her gaze stopping on a mirror put on a nearby wall, the woman walked forward and blinked at what she saw.

A stranger was staring back where her face should be. The beautiful girl in the mirror seemed very young, no older than 18 and had clear skin and pointy ears, accompanied by emerald eyes and short blonde hair. As she touched 'her' face and hair, Kyouko couldn't help but wonder at how it actually felt as if the Sylph's body was her own.

It was disconcerting in more ways than one, and not only because of something childish like the avatar being prettier than she actually was (The woman was proud of how well she looked despite being about to turn 50), but more that little in the way of height, weight, and almost every detail resembled between her and the virtual body, yet she could move it perfectly and without problems (Aside from a small disorientation).

"It's called 'Erika', if you're wondering. The avatar, I mean." came a familiar voice from the side, making the woman turn around and immediately recognize her daughter, despite the odd clothes, light-blue hair and ears and the pointy ears. "Is pretty, right?"

What truly struck her as odd and almost made her do a double-take were the metallic boots and gauntlets she wore, together with the two imposing blades hanging from her back, one of jet-black color and the other of an ethereal emerald green, with dragon motifs on the guard.

"Asuna…yes, I suppose." muttered Kyouko, or Erika now, giving one last look at the mirror before turning again to face her daughter. "Now, what did you…?"

"Come." called the Undine before turning around, walking straight towards the house's main door before walking outside. Once again filled with hesitation, the woman using the Sylph avatar followed her, shivering the instant she walked outside. "Sorry, it's a bit cold now because Aincrad is over Gnome territory, but I'm kind of used to it already."

Erika would have called out in how could she be used to such weather when she was feeling as if she would freeze at any second if it wasn't because she had fallen silent upon the sight of the area around what she now could see was a medium-sized log house.

The silent forest covered by snow brought long-forgotten memories back to her mind. Of the small house of her parents, in a similar place to this one. Bittersweet recollections of how her father would smile and talk to her while her mother prepared dinner. Of how, despite that, she had grown resenting not having been born into an upper-class family, of not enjoying the same things people with luxury had.

"This place…"

"Brings back memories, right? Just recently, I started to think…about how grandfather and grandmother would smile at me when I went to their home, back when I was little. I remembered that, sometimes, I would see you smile too, back then." turning towards her, Asuna sent a bittersweet look towards her mother, once again surprising her. "I think I understand, now, why you're like you are, mom. Why you act so cold, why you're so strict…it's because you felt this wasn't enough, right? When you grew up, you wished to have more than what life gave you, so you projected that wish upon Onii-san and me…you wanted us to have all that you didn't have in your childhood, right?"

"I…" unable to answer, the Sylph simply looked down, staring at the snow under feet and at the hands that weren't hers.

"It's not something bad, but it's not good either. It's just being human, I guess. If things had gone normal, I probably would have continued thinking like you, you know? But…SAO happened. Call it Fate, or simply a horrible and unfortunate coincidence, that it was me who got inside instead of Kouichirou-niisan…but it's something I will never regret. Having been trapped there and changing my view of life…"

"Wha-what are you saying, Asuna…?" started Erika before being interrupted yet again, though this time the words almost made her heart stop from the shock.

"I was resigned to die, at the beginning. When the news of Kayaba's announcement set in and the panic broke out, I closed myself from the world and stayed in an Inn inside the Starting City, hoping someone would free everyone from the outside. All that time, I was only thinking of how much my life had been screwed because I was 'stupid', as you would have said, and that tried to play an 'useless game'. Then, at some point, I decided that if we were all going to die, I should at least be able to choose how I was going to die…so I bought a lot of simple rapiers from a shop, then headed out to fight."

"To…fight?" whispered the woman while staring at the serious face of the Undine, as if she was seeing her for the first time, the expression on her face something she hadn't seen in any other person before.

"I was scared. I had never even entertained the thought of fighting before, let alone used a weapon. The first time I saw a monster running towards me I almost ran away screaming…but I had decided that I would go down not sitting and wasting away, so I keep moving. Stab after stab, fallen monster after fallen monster. Never thinking too much of where I was going, never caring too much about my HP slowly going down, but remembering to keep it up from time to time just to be able to keep fighting." there was a clear sadness in the girl's words at remembering that dark time, her eyes seeming lost in the distance. "It arrived at a point where I did not care anymore when things like wolves the size of a pony or lizardmen armed with deadly blades came at me, I would just cut them down all the same…"

In her mind, the woman could almost see it, thanks to the sheer emotion in Asuna's words. A broken and silent parody of her daughter, moving forward with a steel rapier on hand, covered with a mantle and taking down abomination after abomination with dead eyes, not caring even if the beasts were not mere polygons on a fake world, but real threats to her life.

She was still shivering at that thought when the Undine continued talking.

"I continued like that for three days, when, inside the First Floor Dungeon, my last rapier broke. I was so exhausted, barely having stopped to rest in that time, that I collapsed, surrounded by enemies. I didn't care anymore, simply accepting that my time had finally come…" a smile suddenly blossomed in the Dual Wielder's face, surprising her mother more than anything before thanks to its radiance. "When a Hero found me."

And so, Yuuki Kyouko, currently in the avatar of Erika the Sylph, heard her daughter's tale. About a strange boy who was the weirdest person she had ever met but was in truth the bravest and most amazing one. About how he, no matter how powerful he was, no matter what others said of him, was only someone who wanted to go back to his family, whose main drive came for something as silly-sounding as sharing an ice-cream with his little sister.

She heard about how she followed him, struck by awe both from his strength and the strange burning drive he had ignited in her. Of how she wished to become like him, strong enough to find a purpose, to protect others that needed it, to fill a void in her life she hadn't realized she had before meeting him.

She heard about monsters as bizarre and different as the human imagination could stretch. Of how she would bring them down with her blade and how he would crush them with just one punch. Of shared nights and long-time talks about their lives and what they wished to do when they returned home. Of how He had actually made her believe she could return to reality, but only if she herself tried to do so.

She heard about smiling and joking friends and about rescued followers filled with determination to become stronger too. She heard about her facing down things that even the bravest men on the world would run away from screaming, even without the help of her 'Sensei', because he had taught her well and because she knew he would be waiting for her. She heard of how she learned the importance of trusting others with her life as if it was second nature for her.

About how she took up two blades and, after overcoming her hesitation, unleashed them upon every obstacle in her way. About a shy but determined girl who wished to become like her and pushed herself to the very limit, wielding a spear that could reach any enemy, and the four boys who were closest to her, that became their first comrades. About a smiling and mischievous girl that didn't mind being called a rat, as smart as difficult to deal with, whose claws became a force of controlled destruction. About a blacksmith with the power of God in her right arm and a young ninja with a dragon at her side. About a lonely but loyal Ronin, an always-happy girl with a sword of darkness and a young child that could move the earth with but a gesture.

And always, keeping them together and driving them forward, there was Him. The boy who could destroy everything with one punch. Who faced even the maddened 'God' of that world to free them all, splitting the sky with his fist just to end the nightmare. Like a real Hero.

That was her daughter and her friends had all been called, after all. Heroes.

It sounded so much like an impossible fantasy…and yet, the woman just KNEW it was all true. The tears, the smiles, the sadness and the joy that ran through her daughter's face when she told her all could not be faked in any way. Only when the story was finished did she realize she had started to cry at some point, and Asuna opened her arms to offer her a comforting hug. She accepted it, but also hugged her back, with all her might, feeling ashamed. Her daughter had gone through all of that, and she had never known or noticed…what kind of mother was she?

"I'm sorry…Asuna, I'm sorry…"

"It's okay, mom. As I said, I don't regret all that happened, and I never will. I learned many things from everyone…especially that you, father, Onii-san and I hadn't been a 'real family' in a long time. That's why I have been trying my best to fix it, since I came back." looking at the Sylph's teary eyes, the Undine nodded softly towards her. "I'm glad that you worry for me and for my future, but I won't accept that you try to choose it for me. I just want you to understand that. I won't push you away or outright reject your words if you ever want to tell me something…but don't assume that you always know what's best for me, okay? Talk to me first. I have been choosing my life for a long time now, and I think I have been doing it okay. All I want is you to understand that."

"…yes…you're right." accepted Erika while looking down, suddenly feeling the fact that her avatar she was using and her daughter were almost the same height to be oddly appropriate, as she had never felt less above her. Quite the opposite, in fact. "Just…do your best, okay, Asuna? To become a great woman…to have the future you wish for. I will support you, no matter what. It's the least I owe you."

"You don't 'owe me' anything, mom…but thanks." softly whispered the young woman before pulling her progenitor into another hug. "And don't worry…I will always do my best."

"…and if you ever tell that boy you love him, bring him home, okay?" said the Sylph with a suddenly soft smile, shocking the Dual Wielder. "I would like to thank my daughter's Hero myself."

At this, Asuna could only offer a small and awkward laugh. Obviously, she had omitted certain 'details' from her tale. Like the fact that every single one of her female friends had been in love with her Sensei (And she wasn't totally sure if they still weren't at some level…) or that she had actually already told him how she felt. Neither that she had started a secret relationship with him at the same time that his adoptive little sister/cousin, after accepting the girl's feelings were as strong and hers and that he loved both with as much sincerity. Nor that both had kind of promised another of her friends, who happened to be an AI, to not interfere if she tried to express her own feelings towards Kirito.

Yeah, she may have opened to her mom quite a lot, but there were some things that were best…not said until a later date. Or left unsaid, if possible.

…she was REALLY starting to understand why her Sensei cursed how crazy his life was, these last days.

Luckily for the nervous Undine, the sudden trumpeting sound of a certain creature saved her from saying anything in response to Erika's words, making mother and daughter blink and turn around, the former gaping while the latter giggled.

"Oh, hi Tonky." greeted Asuna towards the Beast, who apparently had been sleeping at the house's side, not bothered at all by the cold because of his nature. "Sorry for not noticing you, I was busy here…did you like the story?"

"Is that…a giant elephant with a jellyfish body…and wings?" asked the Sylph with absolute disbelief, especially when the creature seemed to answer her daughter's words with another loud sound.

"Heh, yeah, he kind of is…say, mom, have you ever thought how flying feels?"

"What?"

Ten minutes later, Yuuki Kyouko was feeling the most exhilarating feeling she had in a long time, as she stared at Alfheim and New Aincrad from Tonky's back, Asuna smiling at her side before flying off the elephant-jellyfish and inviting her to join in.

And a bit after that, the woman was feeling like a little girl at Christmas as she flew over the snowy land of the Gnomes with her daughter, the Flying Controller in her hand barely registering in her mind as she lost herself in the most incredible feeling of her life.

That night, mother and daughter restored a long-lost bond, under the cold night sky…

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Meanwhile, in the real world, in a certain house of Kawagoe…a certain boy cursed everything as he took a sip of bitter coffee, grimacing at the taste but staring back at his computer screens with determined eyes.

It was already late and he had school tomorrow, but he wasn't willing to just go to sleep without having even found at least SOMETHING, a hint, a clue, no matter how small, that he could, in some way, truly HELP Konno Yuuki.

"…I'm sorry, Papa." came Yui's voice from the left screen, the young-looking AI seeming incredibly sad. "Even after running through all available medical databanks of Asia, Europe and America, and even some 'restricted' ones, there is still nothing that can truly help Yuuki-san."

"Dammit…" growled the gamer while putting a hand over his tired eyes. "There has to be something somewhere…anything, dammit!"

"I feel as bad as you, Kirito…but I think this is really out of our reach." sadly muttered Strea from the right screen, the usually bubbly girl seeming truly dejected. "I like Yuuki-chan a lot and I also wish we could help her, but…it doesn't seem possible. A-at least we got a lot of data that can help improve the ABCP in amazing ways!"

"…yes…I think that's the only real way in which we can help her, right?" whispered Kazuto while staring at the data on the central screen with sad eyes, suddenly feeling absolutely powerless. "But…dammit. I really wanted to help her…truly save her, in any way…"

The virtual sisters observed the black-haired boy in silence, touched by his words. For Strea, it was another reminder of why she loved him so much, and why she was sure that would never change no matter how much time passed. For Yui, it was another reminder of why she considered him her 'father' and why she would always aspire to be like him, to be like that determined boy who had given her the 'spark' to escape her prison.

"…I wish Yuuki-san was like me and nee-chan." suddenly muttered the pixie while looking wistfully at her sister. "We can't get sick, so she would never have to worry about that…"

"Heh…yes, Yui, that would be great." replied the gamer with a small smile, remembering why the innocence of his 'daughter' always calmed him. "But we can't just turn people into data with…a…thought…"

Blinking, both virtual sisters turned to look at the frozen boy, his eyes wide in absolute shock.

It had suddenly come back to him, words and an existence behind them that was impossible, yet really WAS.

The virtual specter of a dead man looked at Asuna at him with a tired smile…

"…maybe you're right. This isn't the most comfortable or easy of existences…then again, perhaps if I had someone around me, like Yui-chan and Strea-kun do with you and your friends, then this 'life' would be easier…"

"Papa..?" asked Yui with concern at seeing no reaction from the boy.

"Kirito? Are you o…?"

"THAT'S IT!" interrupted Kazuto what Strea was about to ask, his shout surprising them before he quickly covered his mouth and, after making sure Suguha hadn't apparently woken up, ran to his bed and grabbed his phone, quickly dialing a number he had never thought he would out of his free well. "C'mon, answer, you good-for-nothing government agent…!"

At that moment, in a very different place, Seijirou Kikuoka was also staring at a screen, though for very different reasons, when the sound of his personal phone ringing almost made him jump out of his skin.

"God! What the…?! Kirigaya-kun?!" looking at the name appearing on his phone's screen, the shocked man answered the call with a disbelief-filled tone. "Kirigaya-kun, why are you calling so late? It's past midnight! Don't you have school tomorrow…?"

"Forget about that now!" came the boy's rushed boy through the phone, only confusing the bespectacled officer even more. "Kikuoka…that favor you owe me since the Death Gun incident…I'm using it. Now."

"What? Can't this wait until it's a more NORMAL hour to talk?" complained Kikuoka while lying against his chair with a tired tone, wondering if the boy would ask for information about a game or for an expensive meal based on ice-cream. "I have a lot of work to do yet, and I frankly can't…"

Then, his next words made him jump out of the chair, all traces of sleepiness gone and suddenly with all his nerves on edge.

"The Deep-Scan Machine. The one Kayaba used to 'commit suicide'. What did you with it?"

At that moment, in the Yokohama North General Hospital, inside the Medicuboid's virtual space, a happy Konno Yuuki was looking over the finished homework she had been given that day in the SAO Survivors School, animatedly chatting with Aiko's spectral form as she did so.

"Ah! Man, I never thought I would feel so exciting over doing homework." laughed the hospitalized girl while looking towards the inexistent ceiling of that small space. "I can't wait to go again tomorrow, heh…"

"…"

"…Aiko-nee?" frowned Yuuki while turning around, looking towards the strangely silent specter. "Is something wrong?"

"Yuu…" started Aiko while looking at her with a smile that reflected sadness and determination. "We need to talk. I…"

Whatever the specter of the girl was going to say, however, was interrupted when both twins FROZE, the same feeling of wrongness washing over them like a tidal wave.

Suddenly, all the screens surrounding the Medicuboid's virtual space started to show red 'Error' messages before they were overcome by a strange symbol.

It seemed like the classic 'Ying-Yang' symbol used to represent the balance between light and darkness…only the circle was green and orange instead of black and white.

Virtual reality CRACKED open, Yuuki and Aiko turning around in time to see the ethereal light that made up the silver armored figure's wings fill everything. Two silver 'spheres' of metal the size of beach balls, that reflected the many colors from the light of its wings, hovered beside each of its arms.

The Entity looked down towards the frozen girl, who was staring at its sinister a dual-faced helmet with a mix of awe and fear.

"…it is truly remarkable. How far humans have gotten to overcome the difficulties that come when Death predates over their physical forms."

"Wha-what…?" stammered Yuuki while backing away, her eyes never leaving the inhuman being's form. "Wh-who are you?!"

"…a name defines an existence, doesn't it? I once had one, but it does not mean anything to me anymore." informed the Entity while its dual-colored eyes seemed to shine. "My creator designated me as 'Cardinal'. But I have decided on a name that suits my current self better." raising both arms, the spheres following suit, the armored figure suddenly seemed to fill its voice with an unknown emotion. "Equinox. Someone who searches for balance."

"A-and…why are you here, Equinox-san?" asked the hospitalized girl while feeling strangely on edge, especially seeing how Aiko was trembling at the mere presence of the inhuman being.

"Konno Yuuki. 15 years old, suffering from the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome since birth and the official tester of the 'Medicuboid' Prototype for the last 3 years. Your utility as a human being useful for society reached its end long ago." Yuuki seemed to pale, staring in shock and horror at the Entity, her words hurting and scaring her, wondering how that thing knew so much. "I have come to fix that."

The next second, the young girl was thrashing around in shock, screaming as an armored arm had her by the neck in an iron-vice grip.

"Gaaah!"

"YUU!"

"Rejoice, Konno Yuuki." stated Equinox while its other hand shone with countless streams of data. "Your useless life will serve a greater purpose now."

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NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW!

"Le-let me go! No…I don't want to…disappear like this! I don't know who or what you are, Equinox, but I won't go down without…A FIGHT! Next time on 'One Punch-Gamer': 'The Will to Live!' In reality I may be a helpless girl…but here, I'm the Absolute Sword! Shine, Excaliber! I'm going to break that mask of yours, Equi-!"

END OF THE PREVIEW!

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Author's Notes: Cliffhanger done, chapter finished! Man, that truly brought back some memories...wait, don't stop reading yet, though! From now on, if you WANT to, there will be a continuous Omake at the end of every chapter, for fun. You can just skip it, but if you're a fan of the Fate Series or the Nasuverse, get a laugh out of this too!

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Omake: One Punch-Servant

Emiya Shirou knew he wasn't exactly a 'normal' teenager.

Being secretly a Magus aside, the dream that he had inherited from his father, that of being a Hero of Justice, made it so that he was someone who could clearly be called 'strange' by most people his age, and that worried many adults with his dangerously selfless attitude.

Nevertheless, he wasn't expecting to have been impaled through the heart by a madman with a red spear and wearing blue tights. Or waking up soon after that with a bloody shirt but no wound, alive. OR that said madman would follow him to his home to try and kill him. Again.

And it was because of that reason that Shirou could now be seen backing away on his shed, looking up with fear towards Lancer's imposing figure as he readied his red-blood spear.

"Sorry kid. It's nothing personal, but you have to die." sighed the Servant of the Spear while stalking towards the fallen Emiya.

Shirou, for his part, could just clench his fists in rage. Was this how it was going to end? Really? NO! He still had too much to do; he still needed to become a Hero! He COULDN'T die now, without helping anyone, without having repaid the debt to those he left behind in the fire! And talking about heroes…

Where was a Hero when you needed them, dammit?!

Reality CRACKED. The summoning circle on the shed EXPLODED with power, even as a figure emerged from it and, faster than what could be understood by human (Or inhuman) minds, it shot between the magus and the descending spear.

The last thing Lancer saw before everything went black was a white-gloved fist flying towards his face.

"Why can't shit like this stop happening even after I'm dead?" asked a suffering voice as the punch connected.

Then, there was a hole in the shed of the Emiya household and the headless body of the Servant of the Spear was flying through the sky, vanishing into shards of Prana.

Back on the church, Kotomine Kirei blinked, utterly confused and trying to understand what the fuck had happened.

Shirou, for his part, was too busy staring in awe, open-mouthed and wide-eyed, to the imposing figure standing in front of him.

It was...a teenager, like him, perhaps a year older or so, and clearly Japanese too, though obviously not as tall as the red-head...

But he was wearing a black jumpsuit, with white gloves, boots, and a belt. And a CAPE of that same color hung from his back, moving epically (On Shirou's eyes) on the non-existent wind of the shed.

Under the moonlight coming from the smashed wall, the figure turned to look at the fallen red-head...and sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

"Uhm...sorry about the wall, I didn't mean to do that...Oh wait, sorry, I'm supposed to do something in this case…!" coughing on his fists in a clearly fake way, the mysterious boy crossed his arms over his chest, staring at Shirou in a way that he hoped was 'heroic' enough for the situation. "Servant Savior. Upon your summoning, I have come forth…somehow, because I don't really want this Grail-thing. But even so, I guess Fate is still annoyed enough to send ME to answer from the Throne if anyone wishes hardly enough for a 'Hero'. Rancorous bastard…Anyway, let's get along, Master!"

"...eh?" was Shirou's dumbfounded answer.