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(15 Years Later)
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(Kazuto)
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The wind shifted northeast, causing me to be knocked off balance. I replanted my feet and placed my eye back to the telescope, staring through the lenses, gazing at the sky. The stars stared back at me with their shining brilliance. I backed away from the telescope and began folding the tripod, bringing it back into my study. I opened the french doors leading into an average-sized, office-like room, and closed them behind me. I placed the telescope in the corner of the room next to my PC setup. I turned towards the exit and left, walking down the hallway. I unconsciously stopped in front of the double doors near the end of the hallway. I approached the room and opened the doors, revealing a rather small room with shelves across each wall. The shelves were lined with magazines on small metallic holders. I walked over and picked one up. It had a picture of a NerveGear on it. The text read: "Young Genius Takes The Gaming World By Storm."
"Genius? Hardly." I whispered to myself, placing it down. I walked over to another one, picking it up. The text read: "25-Year-Old Kazuto Kirigaya Announces The Launch Of The NerveGear 3.0." I placed the magazine down and looked around before leaving the room. I stood outside the door thinking then went to the room across the hall. I opened the door and walked in, closing it behind me. I walked over to the machine standing approximately 8 feet tall in the corner of the room and placed my hand on it, closing my eyes.
"Tomorrow. Tomorrow will be the day. I promise that you'll be as amazing as you were years ago." I backed away from the machine and left the room, continuing down the hall and the stairs. I continued walking towards the Kitchen, then noticed that the fridge was wide open. I crouched down and hid behind the counter. I slowly made my way to the corner between the Foyer and the Kitchen. I took a deep breath in, summoned my strength, and peeked around the corner.
"Kenichi, what are you doing out of bed?" I stood up, turning the corner completely. Kenichi turned around in shock and rubbed the back of his neck in shame.
"Dad! I was just getting a drink of milk," He said, holding up the two-liter carton of milk in his hand. I walked over to a cupboard and opened it, pulling down a small glass cup, and placed it on the counter, closing it after.
"Okay, but hurry back to bed," I smiled. Kenichi dawdled over and handed me the carton.
"I know, but I couldn't sleep!" He chimed. I took the carton and filled the cup about three-quarters of the way. I handed him the carton to return to the fridge. He walked over to the fridge, opened it, and placed the carton exactly where it was before. He shut the fridge and sauntered over to the cup on the counter. He grabbed it and took a large swig. I guess he really was thirsty.
"Alright, now go to bed," I placed my hand on his shoulder. He downed the last bit of milk and placed the cup in the sink. He immediately turned and headed back to his room.
"Goodnight, dad!" He called, walking back down the hall of which he came. I walked over to the fridge and opened it. I looked around the fridge and made my decision. I closed the fridge, and pressed the button on the handle, opening the door once again, revealing a secret spot for storage on the door. We use this for all the drinks and foods that Kenichi can't have. I pulled out a beer and shut the fridge. I put my hand under my shirt and set the cap of the bottle between my thumb and index finger, popping the cap off. I have a jar on the counter for all my bottle caps. Just thinking of the number of caps in that jar shrouds me in shame. I took a swig of the bitter liquid and swallowed it, feeling it drip down my esophagus, and into my stomach. I heard a door down the hall creak open, then footsteps followed, slowly approaching the Kitchen.
"Open one for me?" Asada asked, leaning by the corner of the room. I went back over to the fridge and opened the secret door, taking out another beer. I opened it the same way I did mine and shut the fridge. Asada walked over and took the beer, taking a small sip. "How's the studying going?"
"I just have to add a couple more things, then it'll be ready for tomorrow," I answered. A shiver shot up my spine.
"Scared?" She asked. I nodded.
"What if it flunks? The VRMMO community can't take another hit, they'll shut it down completely." I asked.
"Hey, the NerveGear 3.0 went viral. They were all sold out within a day. You've been working on this for years. And besides, the first guy purposely fucked it up." She replied.
"Yeah, I guess you're right..." I muttered.
"Just make sure you don't miss any bugs," Asada joked.
"Don't crush my confidence, please," I chuckled. We laughed for a minute, then went silent.
"I love you," She said. I smiled.
"I love you too," I replied, placing my beer on the counter. She did the same. I placed my right hand on her waist, and my right hand behind her neck. I looked into her eyes for a moment before leaning in, conjoining my lips with her. I pushed into the kiss a little, getting into it. Asada pushed back, but stronger. I grinned, slipping my tongue inside her mouth. She was defenseless, especially when I did this. I spun my tongue in circles, making Asada practically melt in my arms. But she wasn't going to be a victim of my dirty tricks. She backed away for a moment, teasing me. I leaned back in, hoping to reconnect, but Asada had other plans. Just before we closed the gap, she placed my bottom lip between her teeth and softly pulled, causing a chill to run throughout my body, making my knees weak and head spin. I regained my senses and fought back. I drove my tongue back in her mouth, being more forceful. I roamed every millimeter in her mouth, making her want more. I laughed and continued, sliding my hand down to grab her ass. She moaned softly with pleasure and ecstasy. We backed away from each other. Strands of mixed saliva still connected between our tongues. We stood there in each other's embrace for a few minutes, allowing the adrenaline to wear off. Asada looked up at me.
"Come to bed," She said with a hint of lust in her voice. I chuckled and placed both of my hands on her hips.
"Maybe I will," I said, following her down the hallway and into the bedroom. Just before the bedroom closed, I thought I could hear it. The ringing of a doorbell down the road. A drop of condensation from a cold beer. The beeps and boops of retro video games like Galaga and Pac-Man. The ding of a microwave telling you that your Hot Pockets are finished. The crash of waves against the rocks on a shore launching saltwater into the clear skies. The startup beeping from an old-school NerveGear. The clanging of swords crashing against each other. The sounds of squelching blood and cracking bones. But in a swift second, those sounds disappeared. And at the moment, it was only us. Asada and I. Just us. Only us. No one else. Not Suguha. Not Asuna. Not Rika. Not Keiko. Not Andrew. Not Minetaka. Not Midori. Not Haruki. Not Kenichi. Not Yui. Not Kayaba. Not Klein. Just us. Kazuto Kirigaya... and Asada Kirigaya.
***
(The Next Day)
With the soft whirring's dispersing, I opened my eyes. I scanned the room, concluding that I was in my Home Lab. I took the NerveGear rig off of my head and placed it on the table next to the cot I was on. I sat up and grabbed my laptop which was open on the same table. Cords were hanging out of my laptop that led to separate, unknown places throughout my lab.
"That's it!" I cried, pressing the "Upload" button that popped up on my screen. A loading bar appeared, and it slowly moved along until it reached the end. An alert came up.
"Mass Upload Complete
Ready for Launch
<=>"
The button at the bottom began flashing. A word was written on the button. "Launch"
"This is it," I said. I turned my attention to the clock on my wall. It read, "11:58" "This is it!" I got up and unplugged my laptop, running out of the room and down to the Living Room. Asada and Kenichi were in the kitchen getting lunch. "Come in here and sit down! It's happening!" The two came in and sat on the sofa next to me. I turned on the television and tuned to the news. We caught it just in time.
"...And were here right in front of Yodobashi-Akiba in Chiyoda City, Tokyo, where they just sold out for the new game on the market. The game that everyone is talking about. But first, let's give you a backstory. 20 years ago, a man named Akihiko Kayaba had launched the very first full-dive VRMMO, Sword Art Online, and we all know the tragic incident that took place within that iconic VRMMO. For 2 years, 10,000 players were trapped in the game, and out of those 10,000 players, 3,853 players had lost their lives both in-game and in-real-life. On November 7th, 2024, a young player who went by the name of 'Kirito', the real-world-name of Kazuto Kirigaya, fought and killed the final boss, who just-so-happened to be Akihiko Kayaba himself. And now, 20 years later, Kazuto Kirigaya, with the help of his wife, Asada Kirigaya, has invented what they call the 'NerveGear 3.0'. And now, on Saturday, March 26th, 2042, they are announcing the launch of what I would call 'a game to go down in history.' You may be wondering what this game is. So I'll cut the story there and tell you. The game that they're releasing is the all-new, refurbished, Sword Art Online! Kazuto and Asada have made hundreds of checks to make sure that no bugs are in the game's design. At first, the Prime Minister of Japan was reluctant to allow the project to commence due to past events involving Sword Art Online's original launch. But Kirigaya promises that this version will be revolutionary. He made an appearance on MMO Stream last week and announced that the game will have multiple changes along with his own small additions. Wow, look at the time. It's 11:59, people. Less than a minute until the launch. Countdown time!
Ten!
Nine!
Eight!
Seven!
Six!
Five!
Four!
Three!
Two!
One!
I took a breath in and exhaled. I pushed down on the mousepad, hearing the subtle click, causing the laptop to make a dinging noise. I read the screen.
"Project: "Sword Art Online" has been officially launched." I read the alert on my screen.
"Congratulations," Asada smiled. I nodded and closed my laptop, standing up off the sofa.
"Are you guys ready?" I asked. Asada and Kenichi nodded. I placed my laptop on the coffee table and began leaving the room. They stood up and followed me up the stairs and down the hallway. We walked down the hall until I stopped in front of a set of double doors. I opened the doors and allowed Kenichi and Asada to enter before me. Once they were in, I shut the doors behind us and walked over to a workbench on the far wall. On the workbench were three NerveGear 3.0s. I grabbed one and looked at Kenichi. "You ready for the virtual world?" He nodded gleefully. I pointed to one of the three cots in the middle of the room. He walked over to the cot and sat on it. I placed the NerveGear on his head and helped him lay down. "Comfy?"
"I'm okay, Dad," He smiled.
"Now remember, when you log in, look for someone named Kirito, okay?" I said.
"Okay, dad," He replied. I turned and looked at Asada.
"Your turn," I said, going back for another NerveGear and brought it back to Asada. Once she sat down, I placed it on her head and helped her lay down. "You okay?"
"Yup," She smiled. I nodded and went for the final NerveGear. I sat on the cot and placed the NerveGear on my head. I laid down and turned my head to look at Asada and Kenichi.
"Just close your eyes and say 'Link Start'. Okay?" I said. They nodded in reply. I turned back to the ceiling, closing my eyes. "Hold on, old friend. I'm coming." I took a deep breath in and exhaled.
"Link Start!"
***
"Welcome to Sword Art Online. It appears you have a save file for this game. Would you like to continue with that file?" The main menu AI spoke the same way as she did a year ago. I changed it so that you can speak to respond to the main menu AI. I thought for a moment
"Can you copy the avatar from one file to another?" I asked
"Yes, I can do that. Would you like me to take the avatar from your save file and place it in a new one?" The AI spoke robotically.
"Yes," I replied.
"Okay, please state your name and gender." It said.
"Kirito. Male." I stated.
"Okay, Kirito, enjoy the open-world environment of Sword Art Online. I look forward to speaking to you again." The AI finalized. My surroundings began to form. The Central Plaza of the Town of Beginnings. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I whipped around and saw a girl, dressed in blue. Her shoulder-length, turquoise hair softly shifted in the wind.
"Hey, Kirito," She smiled. No way I could mistake that smile.
"Hey, Sinon," I said back. A young boy, no taller than I was when I first played the game, approached us. He wore tight, brown pants with a black tunic.
"Have you seen someone named Kirito?" He asked. I smiled at his innocence.
"It's me, Kenichi," I said. "And your mom." He walked a little closer and hugged us.
"Thank god, being on my own was a little creepy," He looked as if he saw a ghost.
"Well, you found us now," I said. I looked in the top right corner of my vision. The time was 12:04. "Here we go." I walked away from the two and approached the stage on the southern-most side of the plaza. I stood on the stage and faced the thousands of players in the crowd. The time was 12:05.
"You got this," Sinon gestured.
"Players!" I shouted. Everyone stopped talking and put their attention on me. "My name is Kirito! But all of you know me as Kazuto Kirigaya. Inventor of NerveGear 3.0, and new CEO of Argus But that's not its name now. The company that runs Sword Art Online is known as Chimera Corporations. I hold the legacy of Sword Art Online. And I'd like for you all to explore the world that I did years ago. But for veterans of Sword Art Online, there were some changes and additions. For instance, I made it so if one group or one person were to advance to the next floor, someone who wasn't part of that siege will still have to fight the boss. I did this so the game wouldn't be cleared as quickly. Also, the tutorial I set up. A combat tutorial. Before I allow that tutorial to commence, please know that this game is 100% safe. My wife and I have been developing this game for a decade. No bugs were missed. No defects were made. It is safe. This concludes my introduction, you may now leave the plaza, or you may stay for the tutorial. Thank you. And enjoy the world of Sword Art Online." I jumped off the stage and approached Asada and Kenichi.
"That was really good, dad," Kenichi smiled.
"Well done," Sinon said.
"Thanks," I chuckled. I stopped and looked at the stage. "You're gonna want to see this." We looked towards the stage. An avatar descended from the sky, a man dressed in red, traditional armor.
"Good afternoon, my name is Klein, and I am your Combat Tutorial!" The avatar called.
"Kazuto..." Sinon whispered.
"I took the data from his first playthrough and made it into a fully-functional, in-game Artificial Intelligence," I explained. Kenichi ignored us, watching Klein power up a sword skill and execute it. He seemed fascinated, and confused. As if he had... wait... could he have... no... it's impossible... unless...
"Hey, Dad, who is that?" Kenichi pointed to Klein. Maybe... just maybe...
"That's my best friend, Tsuboi Ryoutarou. He passed away 15 years ago." I said, reminiscing about Klein.
"Passed away? But he's not dead." Kenichi looked at me with a puzzled expression. My head shot up, a tear escaped my eye.
"W-What do you mean?" I asked, wiping away the tear.
"I see him all the time. At school. In the mall. Even at home." Kenichi explained.
"Does he ever talk to you? Are you able to come into contact?" I asked.
"Yeah, now and again. We'll talk. And the first time I saw him, he gave me a handshake." Kenichi continued. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Give me a second," I said, opening my player window. I sent each of them a friend request and waited for them to accept. Once they accepted, I placed a kiss on Sinon's lips and hugged Kenichi. "I'll be right back." I swiftly opened my player window and logged out.
***
I opened my eyes and sat up, pulling the NerveGear off my head. I stood up and placed it on the cot, running out of the room and into my Study. I went up to my desk and took a box out from under it. I placed it on the desk and looked inside it. The side of the box read "Kayaba files." When I took over Argus, I was given a box of Kayaba's old research. I thought that there could be something in the box that would tell me about this whole Klein ordeal. I began rooting through the files. I found plans for the NerveGear, Sword Art Online, and some other game called Arc Light Online, but nothing of interest to me. I sat in my chair and leaned back, feeling beat. Then I thought about something Kayaba said to me a while after I woke up from the underworld.
"Kirito, sometimes, you really have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to get what you really desire"
I jumped up and thought for a moment. That's it! I reached into the box and pulled out all of the files. File after file until nothing was left. At the bottom of the box was the usual cardboard platform. But something was off. There was a small hole on the side of the platform. Small enough that a pencil could fit. I grabbed one of the pencils off my desk and inserted it into the hole. I slowly lifted the cardboard out, revealing a file with a book at the bottom. I knew it. I pulled out the file and opened it, a single piece of graph paper resided within. I scanned over it. A formula and a small vial were expertly sketched onto the perpendicular lines of the paper. The title of the graph paper was smudged. All I could make out was the word 'Serum'. I put the paper back in the file and placed it on my desk. I picked up the book and opened it. The inside of the book had a handwritten title. It said 'Project SAS Log'.
"Project SAS?" I muttered. I flipped through the pages slowly, looking for a glimpse of something. About halfway through the book, I unconsciously stopped on a page. I looked at the top, it read 'Log #134'. I began reading.
'Kazuto Kirigaya, my test subject, was successfully injected. Now we wait for results.'
What the fuck? I read the next log.
'Amazing! His vitals are steady, and his hippocampus is fluctuating like never before. Meaning that he is remembering things. I just pray that the serum is doing its job.'
I went to the next log.
'I finally decided on a name for the serum. I call it the Sword Art Serum (SAS).'
Holy shit. I went to the next log.
'It worked! I can't believe it worked! I used directly-connected wires to make a live stream of his dreams and thoughts. I can't believe it worked. He's thinking of Sword Art Online, his past. Now to wake him up.'
I read the next log.
'I woke him up and asked him what he saw, but I made sure that he couldn't see me. He said that he saw a light and a hospital blanket. But he stopped and began crying. He muttered some word beginning with the letter 'K'. I'm ecstatic that it worked, but I'll have to hook up a live feed of his vision to understand what he sees.'
Did he wake me up more than once? I don't remember it. I read the last log.
'I get it now. He's seeing his friend that died in the test run. Tsuboi Ryoutarou. Wow. I never expected the results to be this revolutionary. Amazing. Now all that's left is to tie up loose ends.'
The Sword Art Serum? He gave me this prototype drug, and for what? So I would see people from SAO? And somehow, it infused itself with my genes and passed the serum on to Kenichi. Goddamn, Kayaba. This is revolutionary shit right here.
"Ah, I see you've found my research." A glowing man floated down from the window and landed on the floor.
"I did, and I gotta say. It's amazing. How did you think of this?" I asked.
"It was just a small pipe dream where you could bring the virtually bound to reality. And with this drug, I've made that possible." He said.
"Did you design it to infuse with the subject's genes?" I asked.
"No. That was not my intention. But I guess it worked out in my favor." He explained.
"I guess I have to thank you," I said.
"No need to thank me. Remember, I'm the one that trapped you in that so-called death game." He corrected.
"That's precisely why I need to thank you. If I hadn't played Sword Art Online, I never would've made the amazing friends I have today." I said.
"Well then. You're welcome, Kirito. But this will be the last you see of me. I think it's high time I stop ruining your lives with my wretched plans to renew my transgressions." He said.
"I had a good run, Kayaba. Thank you, for everything." I smiled. Kayaba turned and faced the window.
"Goodbye, my friend," Kayaba whispered, disappearing into nothingness.
"I'll see you soon," I said, running back to the test room. I picked up my NerveGear and put it on, laying down on the cot. "Link Start."
***
I opened my eyes and looked around. I was still in the plaza. I noticed Sinon and Kenichi sitting on a bench.
"Hey!" I called. Their heads perked up. I walked over to them.
"Hey, what did you need to log out for?" Sinon asked.
"Nothing. Just left the window open in my Study." I played off the truth. "What say we take a little trip?"
"Sure!" Kenichi smiled. I opened my player window and invited Sinon and Kenichi into my party. And from there, I opened my map. I selected Floor 100 and hit teleport. All three of us teleported at the same time.
Our avatars generated right in front of the Ruby Palace.
"Why are we here?" Sinon asked.
"I want to show you something," I replied, opening the large, wooden doors to the Palace. I told you that I'd see you soon, Kayaba. We walked inside and stood before the Final Battle Arena. A man was down on one knee in the middle of the room. He stood up and looked at us.
"Kirito, is that who I think it is?" Sinon asked. Kayaba, or Heathcliff, stood in the room, unsheathing his sword and shield. I opened my player window and opened my save file section. I switched to my old save file and waited for it to load. In the place where I was standing, now stood the Hero of Aincrad. My first Sword Art Online avatar wearing his iconic Blackwyrm Coat, with The Gunpowder Blade on his back. I unsheathed the monstrous sword and walked further into the room. Out of the corner of my peripherals, I saw the same flicker of hope in Kenichi's eye that I saw in my own. Like he was ready to jump in there and help me fight. Like nothing could stop him.
"Time to do this, Kayaba," I shouted. How nostalgic this is. "Sinon, give me a hand?" She nodded and quickly switched her save file to the one that was made 15 years ago. She ran in and equipped her bow, standing parallel with me facing Kayaba. I grinned.
"Here we go," Sinon whispered. I held my sword above my head, yellow light radiated from it, beams bounced off the walls. Sinon pulled her bowstring back. 100 bullets filled the air above us. I remember this feeling. As if it was all running back to me. I lowered my sword, so it now faced Kayaba. And at the same time, Sinon released her bowstring.
And at that moment, we said it. We said the lines of which we did years ago.
"Carbon Thunder!
"Carbon Lightning!"
Thank you for lending me your strength, but after this, I'm afraid we must part ways.
It was nice getting to know you.
Goodbye...
Gunpowder Blade...
THE END