Equis Art Online II

As the car drove up to the restaurant, Kazuto looked over at Asuna, whose head was on his shoulder. She gave off a contented sigh, and Kirito smiled. He gently tapped her on the cheek, and she opened her eyes and smiled.

"We there?" she asked drowsily.

"Yes." Kyouko said.

"Alright." Asuna said, undoing her seat belt. Kazuto got out and helped Asuna out of the car. As they entered, Kyouko spoke with the waiters, who guided them to a small, private room for four. As they sat down, the waiter handed out the menus. Kirito looked over the entrees, and nearly gasped. Everything was expensive, almost as expensive as the Cafe' where Chrysheight had told him about Death Gun.

"I can pay, If you want." Kazuto said.

"We'll handle the tab, Kazuto." Shouzou said.

"Well, I guess, but I still have some money left over from a job I did, so I was hoping to use that. You know, make a good impression." Kazuto said.

"It's no matter. We'll handle paying." Shouzou replied.

Kazuto sighed and put his arm around Asuna, who smiled and leaned on him.

"You seem very close." Kyouko said. "Mr. Kirigaya, may I ask you a few questions?"

"Sure." Kazuto replied.

"How did you two first meet?" She asked.

"Well, it was day two of SAO's release." Kazuto said. "Nearly every player in the newly formed assault team was forming groups to take on the first floor boss. I saw Asuna had no partner, and I asked her to join my group, and she accepted. After the boss battle, I gave her some advice. If she wanted or was invited into a guild, go ahead. I had no idea she would join and become the second-in-command for the biggest guild in Aincrad, the Knights of the Blood Oath. We went our separate ways for a while after that."

"I see. Then how'd you get back together?" Kyouko asked,

"It was, well, interesting. We and a bunch of other players were discussing how to take out the 27th floor boss, the GeoWeaver, and since the K.O.B. was leading the assault, she was leading the meeting. After an argument, I was lying down under a tree, enjoying myself, when Asuna showed up. I kinda asked her out to lunch, and she reluctantly accepted." Kazuto replied.

"After that," Asuna added, "We got caught up in a murder investigation, which we ended up solving and catching the criminals involved.."

"Criminals?" Kyouko said, not flinching.

"Yeah. You should know, that if you committed a criminal act in the game, you got an orange marker for a few days. The orange marker usually went back to green after a bit, but If you committed too many crimes, you got a red marker, signifying you as a criminal. That one didn't go away, so you got called a "Red Player."" Asuna said. "Red guilds, or criminal guilds, when they got cleared, their members were usually sent to the prison. PK'ers...player killers...were included. It was knowledge to a certain group of people that if player-killing wasn't in the rules of SAO, it wasn't against them."

"Who were these people?" Shouzou asked.

"They called themselves...Laughing Coffin. Also known as...the Murder Guild." Kazuto said grimly.

Kyouko and Shouzou flinched.

"They went around killing on a daily basis. They knew that if they dropped a player's health to nothing, they would die. But they didn't care. The assault team eventually stepped in to capture them. During the attack, they ambushed us, since they knew our plan. In the middle of the chaos...I killed two of them." Kazuto said. "I didn't get an orange marker due to both being self-defense."

Kyouko sighed.

"And how did you deal with the fact that you killed them?" she said after a few seconds of silence.

"I attempted to force myself to forget it even happened. Until recently, that is. That's another story, for another time. But now...I think that if I learn to accept it and move on, I'll get some peace." Kazuto said.

Kyouko nodded. "Continue."

"After that, I had just returned from hunting a Raggout Rabbit, one of the rarest monsters in Aincrad. My friend Agil, a merchant, and I were talking about it when Asuna showed up with her guild-appointed bodyguard, Kuradeel. We had a rather...interesting discussion about trading the ingredient for it to be cooked up, and Asuna said..."

"Half. Deal?" Asuna said, finishing the sentence.

Shouzou laughed a little.

"A rather interesting bargain."

Kazuto chuckled.

"It was. I spent the night at Asuna's place, before I headed to a meeting spot we had arranged. Then, she came tumbling out of the portal gate and right onto me. I kinda made a little mistake and she slapped me, before running and shielding herself with me. Turns out her bodyguard was staking out her house early in the morning. He tried to force her to come with him, but I protected her. He challenged me to a duel, I beat him, and then..."

"I fired him." Asuna said proudly.

Kyouko smiled.

"I'm glad you did. He sounds like a rude man."

"Was." Kirito said.

Kyouko looked ad him.

"Later, after a particular series of events, involving me losing a duel to Heathcliff, the K.O.B's commander, and me joining his guild, I was out on an expedition with Kuradeel and a player named Godfrey. Kuradeel poisoned out water and he killed Godfrey right in front of me. Remember Laughing Coffin? Turns out Kuradeel was a member. You should know that once your orange marker went away, you could pass as a regular player, and join guilds. Red players could infiltrate guilds that way. Kuradeel dropped my HP to almost nothing before Asuna rushed in and saved me. After she got up and almost killed him..."

"I let my guard down." Asuna added. "Then, he almost cut me in two, before Kirito blocked the slash with his arm. He lost a hand, but he used his other one, using a Melee skill, to drop Kuradeel's HP to nothing." Asuna said, and Kazuto nodded. "After that, I kind of broke down, and then Kirito..."

"What?" Kyouko asked.

"I pulled her close and I kissed her." Kazuto said. "Then, we made a promise to stay together, to the end of our lives, in Aincrad and in the real world. I then asked her If I could stay with her for the night."

"And I thought he wanted...well...you know..." Asuna said sheepishly.

"I do. Did you..." Kyouko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No. I just wanted to keep her company. When she found that out, she lunged at me, clad in her underwear. I will say, nothing's more scary than a mad Asuna, coming right at you with a punch, clad in her underwear, calling you a dummy at the top of her lungs." Kazuto said, and Asuna blushed. Kyouko smiled, and Shouzou chuckled.

"And then?" Kyouko continued.

"We got a house together on floor 22 of Aincrad. We also got married. In game." Kazuto said.

"It was the best week or so of my life there." Asuna said.

Kyouko smiled.

"Then...well..." Kazuto said.

"Should you tell her, or should I?" Asuna said.

"Tell us about what?" Shouzou asked.

"We..kinda adopted one of the most powerful AIs ever developed, named Yui, made to manage the psychological states of the SAO players, as our virtual daughter." Asuna said. "The reason I've had my phone out while I've been doing homework is that she's currently programmed into it."

Kyouko gasped slightly, and Shouzou raised an eyebrow.

"And...She's your virtual daughter?" Kyouko asked.

"Yeah. We were the ones who found her in SAO. She's been with us ever since." Kazuto said, and Asuna took out her phone. Dialing Yui's number, Kyouko then heard a yawn come from the phone.

"Mommy? I was sleeping. What's going on?"

"I just wanted you to meet your grandma." Asuna said, and Kyouko blushed.

"Wow!" Yui replied. "Give me a second!"

The phone's screen turned gray, and the image of Yui's human form, though a bit pixilated, became visible. Asuna set her phone up against a glass so she could see.

"Hi Gramma!" Yui said with glee, seeing Kyouko. Kyouko smiled, blushed, and picked up the phone.

"Hello...Yui. It's nice to meet you." she said.

"it's nice to meet you too!" Yui replied, smiling. "If we were in ALO, I would give you a hug!"

Kyouko blushed and replied "I would too."

"Yui, if you're ready, you should go back to sleep." Kazuto said.

"Okay, daddy! See you soon!"

Kyouko handed Asuna the phone, and after telling her "goodnight." Asuna ended the call. Shouzou smiled at Asuna, who blushed.

"Asuna...why did you hide this?" Kyouko asked.

"I didn't know how you'd react, that's all." Asuna said.

"Well, most likely, I would've reacted how I just did." Kyouko said. "I'm impressed with you, Asuna."

"Thanks, mom." Asuna said.

"I think our orders are here." Kazuto said, as a waiter set their respective orders in front of them. As they began to eat, Asuna cleared her throat.

"So, If I may, I'd like to finish." she said, and Kazuto nodded. "After that, and after our leave of absence, where we met Yui, and almost lost her, we were brought back to the front lines to clear the 75th floor boss, the Skull Reaper. After the battle, Kirito exposed the commander as Akihiko Kayaba. And they dueled, and If Kirito won, he would clear the game and log everyone out, no strings attached. When Kirito was about to lose, I threw myself in front of him to keep him alive. Then, as I dissipated, I saw Kirito drop Kayaba's HP to nothing. Then, the two of us woke up on a platform outside Aincrad, and we talked with Kayaba. Then, he logged us out. Then...Old ALO." Asuna said.

"I see. And Sugou." Shouzou said grimly.

"Yeah. I'd rather not talk about that, if that's okay." Asuna said.

"It's fine." Kyouko said.

"Yeah. So, that's pretty much the whole story of how we met." Kazuto said.

Kyouko sighed.

"Kazuto...I'm sorry."

"What for?" Kazuto asked.

"I misjudged you. Thoroughly. When Asuna first told me about you, I wasn't sure if you were the right one for her, truth be told. But now, I see I was completely, and totally wrong. Kazuto, accept my thanks, and my approval."

"I accept. Thanks, for giving me a chance." Kazuto said.

Kyouko smiled.

"There's no need for that."

As the dinner continued, suddenly, they heard a phone ring. Kyouko took out her phone and sighed.

"I had hoped this would've come later. Asuna, Kazuto, Shouzou, will you excuse me?"

"Sure."

As Kyouko walked outside, Asuna looked over to see her stand by the window. Through the breeze and the silence, she could make out a few words.

Sister...proceedings...tomorrow...

Asuna's thoughts ran rampant with worry. As Kyouko reentered the room, Asuna looked at her.

"Mom, is there something going on that I should know about?" Asuna asked, and Kyouko sighed.

"There is. Your father and I are adopting a child."

Asuna and Kirito's jaws dropped.

"I had hoped to keep it a surprise, but I didn't know for how long. Her name is Harushi Takamodo. She's twelve years old. Her family died in a fire, and a close friend of mine manages her case. When she asked me to adopt her, as there were no other open families, I couldn't say no. Your father's already agreed to this."

Asuna sighed, and then smiled.

"To be honest, mom..."

Kyouko looked at Asuna.

"I've always wanted a sister." she said, crying tears of joy.

"Good news, then. She arrives tomorrow at six PM sharp. You may feel free to attend, Kazuto, if you wish." Kyouko said.

"You want me there?" Kazuto asked, Asuna sighed.

"Could this be a family thing, Kirito?"

"Alright. Wait...I have an idea." Kazuto said.

"You wanna bring her to the Dicey Cafe'?" Asuna said.

"I'm pretty sure that the group's gonna want to meet her too." Kazuto said.

"The "Dicey Cafe'?" Kyouko asked.

"Remember Agil the merchant?" Kazuto said. "That's the cafe' he and his wife run downtown. Despite the name, it's very nice and respectable. We go there often."

"We do indeed." Asuna added.

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Shouzou said.

"Fine. After she gets settled, we'll take her over." Kyouko said.

"Alright." Asuna said. "And mom?"

"What?" Kyouko asked.

"I think Yui's going to faint when she finds out she has an aunt now." Asuna said.

"She most likely will." Kazuto said, and everyone laughed.

As the dinner continued, the moon rose from behind the clouds and into the sky.