book one: unrequited || sword art online

Epilogue

Published: 4/12/2016; Tuesday; 11:35pm; Unedited

Wow. I am good. Also, BOOK TWO IS OUT.

Epilogue

"I'm sorry, Kazuto," she had whispered just enough for him to hear, her eyes glazed over as she looked at him, a weak smile gracing her lips. "Stay alive and get out of here...Kirito...Asuna..." she breathed, "Goodbye." Her head turned, looking over at Kayaba Akihiko, revealed to be her uncle, "I still love you, Uncle." Her eyes fluttered closed, her glowing body shone brightly before shattering into millions of pixels.

Kirito looked down at his arms, her small body missing from the security of his arms. Dropping his sword, he reached out, trying to grasp the pixels, as if it would bring her back.

The first person he trusted. The first to know his real name, and him to know hers. The girl he had grown fond of, so used to her presence that it was normal to be together, whether it was arguing or bickering over something, laughing about a stupid joke or story, or just sleeping in the shade of a nice day--

Narashi Ume was gone.

He fell to his knees, tears escaping his eyes, a single pixel floated down to his hand, shattering into smaller pieces upon touching him, disappearing as if they were never there.

"...my...what a surprise..." Kayaba called, having covered up his guilt, his horror, his sadness quickly and his mask was on once again. Oh yes, Kayaba Akihiko actually adored his niece, he had looked out for her in the game as much as he could without making it seem suspicious. She was one of the only family members to enjoy something that he loved as well, and they both bonded over RPGs and MMORPGs, and had agreed to help him design some bosses for a game he was working on. Of course, he didn't tell her what the game would be called or the true purpose of the game-- and when he saw her in the game he made, almost dying on his watch, he made it his job to protect her, because this was all his fault. But not only had he let her die on his watch, he had killed her, he's cute, adorable niece. "It shouldn't be possible to recover from paralysis independently. I guess these things happen too."

Kirito clenched his fist, before reaching for Ume's sword, which had ended up next to him, she was probably going to block Kayaba's attack but knew she wouldn't be able to make it, and his own sword as well. He attacked weakly, in a daze from her death. Kayaba closed his eyes, disappointed, and swung his own sword up, knocking the black weapon out of Kirito's hand.

Kirito looked at it, before looking down at the ground, Ume's sword still in his other hand. Kayaba stabbed his sword through Kirito's chest, Asuna shrieking at the sight and action, crying. She had watch a person, one she's know since childhood, though never getting along, it still hit her hard.

Kirito watch as his health slowly went down, his eyes closing, health red and about to hit zero. 'This...this is it,' he thought, his gauge hitting zero, Ume's smiling image, her in his arms, eyes glazed, appeared in his head.

"You better not die better not die on my watch, idiot."

"Stay alive and get out of here, Kirito...Asuna..."

"Hey, Kazuto, when we get out of here, let's meet each other in real life. I've never had any friends, but you're the first I've trusted in a long time."

"You're such an idiot, idiot."

"Don't ever die, Kirito, people need you."

He breathed in, a notification popping up in his view. 'You are dead.'