3rd Person P.O.V.
Flashback
Location: 22nd Floor, Aincrad
One night in Sword Art Online, Argonaut and Asuna currently enjoying the night sky of Aincrad after the two sneak out from their Log House without telling Lisbeth and Silica as the two want to spend their own private time.
Argonaut: It's a shame you can't see the stars in Aincrad. Through, this scenery isn't so bad either.
Asuna: I've never seen a shooting star. Since the night sky where I live in the Real World is too bright.
Argonaut: Ohh... So you're city girl, Asuna.
Asuna: Come on, Argonaut-kun, don't make fun of me.
Asuna said, pouting and Argonaut think it was really cute for her to show this side of her that she rarely shows it to others.
Argonaut: Hahaha... There's a rather famous star gazing spot near my best friend's hometown. There's even an observatory there, albeit small. I always go with her every time before I was trapped in SAO.
Asuna: "Her", huh...?
She said, looked at Argonaut with a scary expression on her face which makes Argonaut slightly scared at her gaze.
Argonaut: Asuna-san... Can you please not look at me with that scary eyes?
Asuna: Sorry. Old habit. Back to the stargazing topic, let's make a promise! To go see a shooting there someday.
Argonaut: Good idea, Asuna. We also need to invite Liz and Silica. I hope they do not mad at me for leaving them tonight...
Asuna just giggles seeing her boyfriend that had trouble expression as he thought about getting nag by Liz and surprisingly, Silica.
Asuna: To do that, we have to ensure that we survive and clear this game.
Argonaut sitting up from his lying-down position as Asuna scooted closer to him.
Argonaut: Yeah... If we come back alive, I'll get you, Liz, and Silica a ring as a present on the side as well.
Asuna nodded as she places her left hand on top of Argonaut's hand before they slowly intertwined their fingers.
——
Present
Location: Yuuki's Residence
Date: April 4th, 2026
Asuna currently in her room writing some notes in her notebook while listening to some music using headphones.
Finished on what she was writing down in her notebook, the orange-brownish chestnut hair girl put down the pen and grabbed the teacup that on the side of her table. She gracefully took a small sip of the drink before putting it back down.
Suddenly, Asuna got up from her seat and walked towards the window frame. Once she arrived there, Asuna slowly pulled the curtains to look at the city's lights from the horizon.
——
Location: ARGUS Facility
Somewhere in an old abandoned building named ARGUS, there is a forty-eight-year-old man with grayish hair and an extended goatee beard walking in the corridors. The man wears a white lab coat over a shirt with a tie.
???: 6th November 2020. The day 10,000 users participated in the opening of "Sword Art Online", a FullDive virtual reality game for the NerveGear. And, by the hands of its developer, Kayaba Akihiko, 10,000 users were forced into a cruel death game where "game over is death in real life", with no way to log out on their own.
The man continues to walk through the corridor, heading somewhere inside the building.
???: Among the overwhelming despair, some took up their blades to clear the game. As well as people who gave in to their terror and severed any contact with others. And there even some who stole the lives of their fellow players. And so... after 2 years that felt like an eternity, on the 7th of November 2024, due to the heroic actions of 1 player, the game was cleared and the people were released.
The man said, holding a book that contains the incident of SAO and the list of its survivors. The name of the book is "The Complete SAO Incident Records".
???: In the end, there were around 6,000 victims. And the incident came to an end with the death of its mastermind, Kayaba Akihiko. The surviving players were dubbed as "SAO survivors". And have currently returned to leading normal lives in the Real World.
The man then closed the book as he had arrived at his destination. Later, he stared in front of him at the unknown machine in the room. It was a huge rectangular machine with a complex design on it. On the left side of the front of the machine, there is the SAO signboard.
The man then put his left hand on the SAO signboard, slowly traced it down before muttering something.
???: Wait for me... Yuna.
The man then continues to look at the machine as the lights in the room are turned on.
——
Meanwhile, somewhere on the tall building, two people are standing on top of the building, overlooking the city's light from above.
??? Girl: Aww... I wanted to sing a bit more...
One of the two people said with a bored expression on her face. She has a slender body and legs, which can make people mistake her for a fairy. She has long, straight, pure white hair and ruby-red eyes. Her attire consists of a futuristic, black and purple one-piece dress and thigh-high socks.
??? Boy: You'll get to sing more. Both tomorrow and the day after that.
The other person replied to the white-haired girl with a casual tone. He was a 20 years man that had decaying leaf-colored hair, light brown eyes, and was about 178 cm or 5'8 feet. His attire consists of a dark purple motorcycle jacket, black motorcycle leather pants, and purple sneakers.
??? Girl: Really!?
She said, brightened up at the decaying leaf-colored hair boy's words.
??? Boy: Sure. After all... It's only the beginning, you see... Of our revenge.
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Augmented Reality Hero Argonaut: Ordinal Scale
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