***
Hey, Familia of the Closet! This should be it. The final chapter, aside from the epilogue, of course ;). I have big plans in store for the next chapter. Hope you enjoy the rest:). Love ya!<3
-Seijirou
***
(Kazuto)
"Klein..." I whispered, tears flowing down my face. I reached for him as I did Asuna when she was slain in Sword Art. A soft knock at the door interrupted the "trance" I was in.
"Kazuto?" Asada walked in, scanning the room. Her eyes landed on me. She walked over and knelt in front of me.
"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked. I whimpered, thinking of Klein.
"Klein... I-I..." I managed to say through my sobs. Asada's eyes grew wide, she pulled me closer.
"I'm sorry," She said, holding me as tight as possible without suffocating me.
"I saw him..." I whispered. Asada grip loosened. She backed away, staring into my eyes.
"What?" She looked puzzled. I thought for a second then shook my head.
"Nothing, nevermind," I said, standing up. She stood up along with me.
"Are you sure?" She questioned. I nodded and walked toward the door, Asada in tow. We walked back to the lobby where Suguha, Midori, and Minetaka were waiting.
"Ah, good, you found him," Midori chimed. "Where was he?" Asada thought about her answer carefully.
"Getting a drink," She replied. Midori nodded in acknowledgment.
"Can we go now?" Suguha whined. I walked up to her chair and grabbed the handles, beginning to push her out the doors. She didn't get mad at me. But instead, she smiled. Minetaka stepped in front of us and walked in the direction of the car, we followed him. "Oh, let's stop for food on the way home!" Minetaka chuckled.
"Alright," He nodded.
"Where are we eating?" I asked, mentally rubbing my stomach, thinking of a nice, juicy burger. Asada could see me drooling and laughed quietly.
"You know exactly where I wanna go," She exclaimed. Minetaka shook his head, laughed softly.
"McDonald's it is," He sighed, unlocking the car. I pushed Suguha's wheelchair next to the back left door and opened it. I grabbed her under her arms and slowly lifted her into the car. Once she was in, I folded the wheelchair and put it in the trunk. Asada opened the back right door and got in, sitting in the middle seat, right next to Suguha. I got in and closed the door. After putting on my seatbelt, Midori turned around and smiled as Minetaka started the car and slowly drove out of the hospital parking lot.
***
The soft sound of the radio masked Suguha's ragged breaths. Asada was asleep, laying on my shoulder. I had her phone in my pocket because it kept falling out of hers. Her phone began vibrating to the beat of her long notification sound. I slowly lifted it out of my pocket and looked at the screen. An email, from Tohoku University. I looked at her quickly then opened the email. The first line gave me chills.
"Dear Ms. Shino,
We regret to inform you that your application to Tohoku University has been rejected..."
I was shocked, for three reasons. How could she get rejected, why didn't she tell us she was applying to the most prestigious school in Japan, and why didn't they send a letter? I looked at Asada once more before going back to reading.
"Dear Ms. Shino,
We regret to inform you that your application to Tohoku University has been rejected. Although you've been rejected, we wanted to check in with you. We've sent about five letters informing you of your application, but all of our deliverymen have claimed that you were not there to receive them. And a couple of them complained of an awful stench coming from your unit. Please let us know if you're alright.
Sincerely,
Hideo Ohno, President of Tohoku University"
I closed her email and turned off her phone, slipping it back into my pocket. She was rejected. How could she get rejected? Her phone vibrated once more. I pulled it out and looked at it. Another email, from... Haruki Suzuno. I opened it and read it, not looking at Asada.
"Asada Shino,
By now, you should've gotten the email from Tohoku saying that you were rejected. And I think I owe you an explanation. I bribed the President into rejecting you. But I have a reason for doing so. If you know Kazuto well, you'll know that he got into the Tokyo Institute of Technology. I'll admit, I did do a little intruding into your lives. But I was curious. And as it turns out, you two were planning on going to different schools. I doubt either of you two even knew about each other's plans.
You should've seen him, in Sword Art Online. It wasn't a game to him, it was never a game to him. It was life and death. It was life and death to everyone. Most people chose life, others... not so much. The way he moved, the way he fought. It was elegant, aggressive, perfect. The reason he was the best player, was because he had determination, means, and someone to fight for. Right now, you are that someone. He fought for Asuna Yuuki in Sword Art Online. And just a couple of months ago, he fought for you. Correction, he fought harder for you. He truly loves you. He loves you more than life itself.
And that's why I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to leave him like that. Don't make the same mistake Akihiko Kayaba made.
In a couple hours, you should get another email. The contents may surprise or anger you. But trust me, it's for the best.
Sincerely,
Dr. Haruki Suzuno, Former partner of Akihiko Kayaba"
I felt movement on my arm and looked over. Asada began to wake up. I quickly closed her email and turned off her phone. She looked up just as I slipped it back into my pocket.
"Mnnn," Asada yawned. She looked up and me and smiled.
"Have a good nap?" I asked. She nodded and nuzzled into my shoulder. I felt the car slow down, and come to a halt. I looked out the windshield. We were leaving the freeway, entering Toshima City. The car began moving now, heading towards the eastern side of the city. I looked out the window, looking at all of the shops along the way. The scent of baked goods, assorted meats, gasoline, and cigarettes filled my nose. Before we knew it, the car had pulled into Suguha's requested restaurant.
***
The sky was dark now. It wasn't a far trip between home and the restaurant, but Suguha decided to have 4 meals. We passed all the shops I saw before. The neon signs glowing like lightning bugs flying through a forest. I looked at Suguha, she was looking out her window as well. Asada was passed out again, Midori was on her phone, and Minetaka was vibing to his music. The day passed by fast, although we started it a little later. Asada's phone vibrated again. I slowly pulled it out of my pocket and checked the notification center. It was a third email. The email that Haruki was talking about. I opened her email and read through it.
"Dear Ms. Shino,
We are happy to inform you that you have been accepted into the Tokyo Institute of Technology. We understand that we were not your first choice, but we do hope that you choose to attend our orientation meeting. We apologize that you did not get into the school you'd hoped. But we look forward to seeing you walking down our hallways.
Sincerely,
Kazuya Masu, President of Tokyo Institute of Technology"
I turned off her phone and placed it back in my pocket. Haruki applied her to the school I was going to. Why? Did he know what my dream was? I'll tell Asada at some point. But none of that mattered. All I wanted was to go home and sleep. I noticed that Minetaka had hit the power button on the radio.
"Welcome back," He said, slowing down and pulling into the driveway of our house. I softly shook Asada awake, her head arose, viewing her surroundings.
"We're here," I whispered. She nodded, undoing her seatbelt. I did the same. Once Minetaka came to a stop, I got out and went to the trunk of the car, pulling out Suguha's wheelchair. I unfolded it and brought it over to her door. She opened the door all the way. I reached over and lifted her from under her arms, pulled her into the chair. I pushed the door closed and brought Suguha inside, Asada followed me. Midori slowly pushed the front door open, revealing the interior of the building. It looked the same as it did before I was taken. Since the threshold of the house was off the group by a couple of inches, I had to kick up the front end of Suguha's wheelchair to get it in. Once we were all in, Midori closed the door and turned on the lights. Nothing changed, it was all the same, like a dream, or a nightmare. The sofa, coffee table, kitchen table, chairs, plants, drawers, cupboards, appliances, everything, all the same. I pushed Suguha to her room and opened her door, bringing her inside. "On the bed?"
"Yeah..." She whispered. I put her next to the bed and lifted her, placing her on the bed.
"Need anything else?" I asked. She hesitated for a second.
"Is a hug too much?" She whispered. I smiled and sat next to her, pulling her into a warm embrace. She was the one to back away, looking into my eyes. "Love you, bro."
"Love you too, Sugu," I smiled, getting up and leaving the room. I walked back to the living room where everyone else was waiting. Asada was next to Midori on the sofa and Minetaka was in the armchair next to the sofa. I acknowledged my presence, they looked at me. "I'm gonna go to bed." Midori and Minetaka nodded. "Asada?" She got up and followed me to my room. I opened the door, allowing her to enter, then closed the door behind us. She walked over to my shelves and scanned them, looking at the comics, books, and figurines. She stopped at my NerveGear.
"You kept it?" She asked.
"Yeah, a reminder of who I am," I replied.
"How poetic," She chimed.
"I guess so," I said, thinking about the poeticism in that. She walked over to my PC setup and chuckled. She flipped the switch on the power bar on the far left of my desk.
"Nerd," She said. I had LED strips running behind my monitor and around my PC. My keyboard and mouse had LED lights below the buttons. My monitor background was of Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy. Specifically, the picture that Square Enix used as the trailer thumbnail for Final Fantasy VII Remake.
"Says you," I laughed, sitting on my bed. She flipped the switch once again and walked over to me, sitting next to me. I laid down and gestured for her to come next to me. She laid down as well, nuzzling into my chest.
"Goodnight," She whispered. I smiled and pulled her closer.
"I love you, Asada."
"I love you too, Kazuto."
***
(2 months later) (Kazuto)
The brisk touch of the wind caused a shiver to go down my spine. I opened my eyes, looking around the area I was in. A backroom to some building. I stood up and walked over to the mirror. I looked at my outfit. A black suit with a white dress shirt. The top button of the shirt was undone, and the suit jacket was undone. I nodded and left the room. Minetaka walked up to me and placed his hand on my shoulder.
"I'm so proud of you," He said, smiling wider than the Cheshire Cat.
"Thanks," I said in return.
"They're ready for you," He said.
"Where's Midori?" I asked.
"I gave her a special task. She'll show up later." He said. I nodded and began walking down the hall. He followed. Before we reached the large wooden doors and took a deep breath in, walking into the room. A chapel. The doors closed behind us. People in extravagant outfits sat in rows. Most of them, I didn't know. Asuna, Rika, and Keiko stood by the altar. Andrew and Enki stood on the opposite side. The people I knew the most were in the front row. Suguha, Sachie, Mizue, even Haruki and his family. But not Tsuboi. I wanted it to be him standing next to me. Goddammit! Calm down. Come on, Kazuto, get a grip. We continued walking slowly down the aisle until we reached the front of the room. I walked up a couple of steps that were there and stopped. Minetaka walked to my right, joining Andrew and Enki. Not 5 minutes later, the doors opened once again, revealing what I thought was a dream. Asada walked into the Chapel wearing a long, v-cut, strapless white dress that faded into teal at the end. And a teal lace veil rested over her face. Midori walked along with her. And then it hit me, Minetaka got Midori to walk with Asada because her own parents aren't present. I took a scan of the attendants. No one. We couldn't have a proper wedding because we lacked the people required to do so. Everyone who was attending, aside from the people I know, was invited by Midori. All of her FaceBook friends. Asada walked up the steps and stood across from me. Midori sat in the front row next to Suguha. The priest behind the altar cleared his throat.
"Now that everyone is present, are we ready to begin?" He asked me. I nodded firmly. "Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the joining of Kazuto Kirigaya and Asada Shino in marriage. With love and commitment, they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife. Love should have no other desire but to fulfill itself. But if your love and needs must have desires, let these be your desires: To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To know the pain of too much tenderness. To be wounded by your own understanding of love and the compassion that love brings. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving, to rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy, to return home at eventide with gratitude and loving embrace, then to sleep with a vision of the beloved in your heart and a song of love in your dreams." He paused for a moment. "Do you, Kazuto Kirigaya, take Asada Shino to be your lawfully-wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward, until death do you part?" I looked directly into Asada's eyes with a soft, passionate expression on my face. She smiled in return.
"I do," I said, allowing every demon inside of me at the moment to release, flowing through the building, past every door and window, and out the front doors, into the air, never to be seen again.
"And do you, Asada Shino, take Kazuto Kirigaya to be your lawfully-wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward, until death do you part?" He said, looking at Asada. She looked at me, her face showing signs of nirvana. She smiled, throughout everything. No matter what, she smiled.
"I do," She said smoothly.
"Then as we are gathered here today, I now pronounce you, husband and wife." He smiled, then looked to the side at the little boy holding a pillow. "Wear these rings as a reminder of the vows you have just taken." The boy walked forward towards us and handed me a ring.
"I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, our wedding day." I said, then held her hand softly, sliding the ring onto her second-to-last finger on her left hand.
"I will forever wear this ring as a sign of my commitment and the desire of my heart," Asada said. The boy then handed her the other ring and walked away back to the side of the room. "I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, our wedding day." Asada said, in complete duplication to me. She held my hand and put the ring on the same finger that hers is on.
"I will wear it gladly. Whenever I look at it, I will remember this joyous day and the vows and commitments that we have made." I said, letting my hand slowly fall to my side.
"And now, by the power vested in me, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. Kazuto, You may kiss the bride." The priest gestured to Asada and smiled. I lifted her veil and placed my hand on her side, pulling her closer, placing a soft, lingering kiss on her lips. As the rest of the world drowned out, the faint sound of cheering and clapping could be heard from the audience. There was nothing left. No more clapping. No more cheering. No more priest. No more bridesmaids. No more groomsmen. No more audience. No more rings. No more extravagant outfits. No more wedding. Just me and Asada. As the kiss came to an end, the world came back to life with a blast of sounds. The hands and voices of family and strangers alike, celebrating the union of two newlyweds. We backed away from each other and turned towards the audience. Asuna handed Asada a bouquet of roses, wrapped in plastic to protect her from the thorns. She held the bouquet and grabbed my hand. We began walking down the aisle, heading towards the large doors. Right before we exited the room, Asada stopped and let go of my hand. She held the bouquet with two hands and tossed it backward. A few seconds of silence passed, followed by a group of gasps. Asada and I turned around, seeing who caught the flowers. Near the front of the room, Suguha could be seen gripping the red, pink, and white roses. Floods of people surrounded her, prying at her, asking if she had a boyfriend or even a crush. Through a crack in the crowd, I could see a tear fall down her cheek. I walked over and pushed through the people, kneeling in front of her. She looked at me with more tears falling down her face. I placed my hand on hers.
"You alright?" I asked.
"I just miss him..." She whispered between quiet sobs.
"I know, I miss him too," I looked at the floor.
"Why did he have to go, Kazuto? Why?" She sobbed.
"I don't know, Sugu." I pulled her into a hug. She hugged me tighter than I expected, but that was okay. Once she let go, her tears had disappeared and her sobs had quieted. "You okay now?" She nodded. I stood up and walked back over to Asada, who grabbed my hand and led me out of the Church, towards Minetaka's car. We didn't want to be flashy with our wedding, unlike other couples. Minetaka got in the front and turned the engine over.
"Sachie is driving Midori and Suguha home," He said, peeling out of the parking lot. I nodded, looking out my window. I felt something move so I turned around. I noticed Asada reaching into her bag that was on the floor. She pulled out a metallic object. The engagement ring I gave her. She slipped it onto the finger with the wedding band on it. I smiled and put my arm around her. She sank into me, closing her eyes. I closed my eyes as well, envisioning what the future could be like. A future where we don't have to live in fear. A future of which no evils shall invade our lives. A future where Sword Art Online can't hurt us anymore. A future where Asada and I can live together, and have a family.
You know what I mean.
That one thing that everyone craves.
That edging feeling of safety and warmth.
A place where you could walk around and be safe from a pack of Dire Wolves.
A place where you don't need swords to survive.
Just your mind, and heart.
A place that I want to reside in.
A Normal World.
***
THE END
Hey guys, it's finally over. The Gunpowder Blade is over. I'm not gonna lie. This book carried on further than I expected it to. But look on the bright side, this isn't the end of my writing. You will get more books and stories. Whether they be about real events, imaginary events, anime, video games, or ships. You will get more. Thank you all so much for reading this. I had a helluva time writing this and I hope that I get requests for more books like it. I look forward to seeing you all in the next book. Love ya!<3
-Seijirou
P.S. Stay tuned for the Epilogue ;)
***