book one: unrequited || sword art online

Chapter 11

Published: 11/17/2015; Tuesday; 10:17pm; Unedited

I blinked at the little girl in front of me, Yui, who was staring up at me as well, and I was honestly not sure how to react to the fact that these two just 'adopted' this girl when she appeared out of nowhere. From what Kirito told me, I have a faintest idea as to what she might be, but...it's highly impossible. I reached out to her, poling her cheek, stoking her hair and bending down to look her straight in the eyes.

"Mue-san?" Yui asked, no longer afraid of me as she was when we first met, considering I kicked Kirito when we came in, for my own reasons that Asuna doesn't need to know about (I made sure that he wouldn't say a word or I would strangle him until his HP was in the red zone).

Sorry, just need to test a theory," I murmured, "so you were in a forest?"

"Yes."

"What were you doing there?"

"I...I don't know."

"What do you remember?"

She seemed to be deep in thought, Asuna and Kirito were in the next room due to me request for them to leave the room, her eyes seemed distant, as if re-living something, "...watching."

'Watching?'

"Watching what?"

"Aincrad."

I narrowed my eyes, "Why?"

She blinked, the sparkle in her eyes returning from its previous dullness, "Eh?"

I frowned, 'She lost the memory...I must have triggered something in some way...' I shook my head, and gave her a small smile. "It's fine, let's go back to your...mama and papa, yeah?" She immediately lit up and agreed, shooting up off her seat on the bed and darting to the door and exited the room. I stayed on the edge of the bed, bringing my thumb and index finger to my chin, eyebrows furrowed. 'No, she couldn't be one. She has no memory...but then again, in Code Lyoko, Aelita loses her memories, but that was just a show, it couldn't possibly be true...'

"Mue?"

I jumped, looking towards the doorway, Asuna stood there, her expression serious, "What?"

"...What to do you think?" She asked, slowly, almost reluctant. I turned away from her, staring at the wall for a moment, then shook my head, ridding away my thoughts.

"I'm not gonna lie, I think she's an AI."

"AI?" She repeated, confused. I raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?" Kirito walked in, eyes narrowed.

"Knowing you, the thought probably crossed your mind as well, Kirito," I shook my head, standing up, "but you have to count it as a possibility. I honestly thought it was near to impossible, but here I am, questioning one. But for an AI to be away from where they belong...something must have happened to make her lose whatever memories she does have. Other than that, I've got nothing."

He was quiet, and Asuna looked back and forth between us, before frowning, "Will someone tell me what an AI is?!" She whined. I rolled my eyes.

"Artificial Intelligence." Kirito and I answered at the same time, and I took out a warping crystal, and quickly changed into my armor.

"Are you going in the front lines again? You've been fighting a lot lately," Asuna spoke up as I equipped my sword. The familiar pain in my heart returned, and I narrowed my eyes as I looked at her with a glare.

"I have my reasons." She sent a confused look, but otherwise said nothing.

"Just be careful," Kirito smiled gently, "I'll see you on the newspaper, then, miss 'Ice Queen.'"

I clicked my tongue, looked away and muttered the meeting town for the raid, disappearing into a blue light and suddenly I was in a different area altogether. I head towards a shop to buy more warp and healing crystals before I head towards the meeting place for the raid and mapping.

~*~*~*~*~

I breathed heavily, using my sword to keep me up as I used another two healing crystals, it wasn't a floor boss, but the thing was a boss alright. The thing had wiped out more than half of our soldiers and the leaders were fixing to draw back.

But I wasn't.

I regained my footing, new-found rage building within me, I roared as I ran, the boss turning to me as it sensed me as a greater threat than the people he was about to attack. He swung his shining sword at me, I jumped, dodging it and landing back on the ground only to keep going. I took a shark right turn as he swung down, and suddenly I was sent flying. I skidded to a stop but immediately got back up, and going again, eyes half-lidded, not caring anymore.

'I don't care if I die here.'

I brought my sword up to clash against his, blocking his blow and continued forward and started slashing at him relentlessly.  His HP then hit the red zone and he jumped back, roaring and holding up his sword which suddenly turned black.

The sword seemed to charge before he swung it down to the ground, creating a shock wave. I jumped and ran back and away, as did others who were screaming for their lives as if it would help, afraid of death.

'I'm not.'

As soon as the wave was gone, I ran towards the boss again, who also ran towards me, and this boss fight suddenly became a duel in my mind. Just me and the boss, the boss and I. He gave a critical hit that sent my health to the red zone, but I didn't stop unlike most.

"Mue! Stop! We are retreating! You can't beat that thing yourself, you'll die!" The leader of the Knights of Blood Oath shouted at me, I knew he wanted to stay and fight, but with how many people we had left, it wasn't going to happen and we both knew it. What confused me was that unlike his normal monotone and uncaring voice towards other people, he sounded genuinely concerned for me.

But that was immediately pushed to the back of my head as I strove forward quicker than ever, darting around and dodging strikes at me while dealing them back ten-fold. It was when he raised his sword in a familiar manner, its HP practically gone, almost as a last-resort, the sword glowed, charging.

"I won't let you," I whispered, shooting forward, and preparing the last dealing blow.

"MUE!"

It swung the sword down, I spun in a quick skill and my sword glowed brighter with my movments and--

Time seemed frozen.

The health gauze hit zero.

And all I could see around me were blue pixels of light.