Disclaimer

I'm gonna make this as short as possible, this chapter is longer than Lovely Moon. It might not have much music to fit its scenes, but its length is insane.
You HAVE to read it in one go, which is why I didn't separate them into parts. Get yourself some freetime, around an hour or so, and come back.

Enjoy!

[Chapter 52]

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[ °●13th of January, 2026●°]

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[-•¤Yuuki¤•-]

"Why did he end up this way?"

"..."

"Out of everything he has told me, from the anguish, rage and regret I heard in his voice, why has he not once mentioned any of your names?"

"......"

The inn's window opened wide before me, flowing the breeze from the late morning atmosphere into the room as I gazed outwards into the heavens of New Aincrad's corners. I stood there, unwavering by the flurry of emotions bursting back and forth from my chest. There were no flaws in how I held my ground, for the urgency of the statement being made won't allow me the privilege to catch my breath.

This isn't about me.

"He grieved alone. For months on end, every single time he woke up, there was not one person there to see his despair. Why?"

The assortment of players behind me had no words to say as I held my gaze, too unbecoming to speak their mind, especially not after what they had heard. Describing the scene as dead silent wouldn't do justice, for it was like being in a crypt of preserved corpses, decaying for centuries. Whether these people behind me still have life in their eyes is unknown to me... I won't dare to turn around and see their faces.

I can't imagine-

...

I can't comprehend their expressions.

... How could I?

They just witnessed a detailed retelling of how their closest friend took the lives of murderers, only to bear the guilt that drove him to an act of suicide.

Could anyone imagine an expression of someone hearing such a thing?

In the short time I have stood here, they have already begun to break, rupturing from the inside out. The realization that dawned on these people poured down like heavy rain, as they have never thought his facade could hide such a tragedy.

But I was nowhere near the end, only scratching the surface of Akashi's turmoil. They needed to know... about every ounce of weight crushing his shoulders, how his condition could've led to his demise...

They have to acknowledge him... now more than ever.

"Did you know how close he was... to end it all? Even after everything he faced, there is no doubt in my mind that he had never—not once—complained to any of you about what he was dealing with. I mean, how could he? He never had the assurance from anyone in his life that they'd be there for him in his worst times, did he? He never had someone tell him that he could openly confess his sins and grieve, did he? No wonder he hasn't gotten the help he so desperately needed."

"And what did that do to him?..."

"He suffered."

"Staying alive was more torture than comfort for him back then. Do you understand how dangerous that is? He hated that floating castle with every fibre of his being, and the only thing stopping him from jumping off the edge of the Floors wasn't an endearing friend or partner. It was his self-destructive mind that kept him surviving all those days. He was begging himself to find ways to justify what he had done just so the guilt would stop eating him alive. But he was never answered... That search for redemption alone drove him to keep picking up his sword every day from then on out."

"Where did that leave him? To the front door of a Floor Boss in the middle of nowhere."

...

"What if he hadn't decided to end his life with a boss fight... and took a more direct approach instead...? What if... he didn't try to redeem himself anymore? What then?"

The air around me grew thicker.

"There couldn't have been anyone to stop him from doing so, could there? Since no one was there, to begin with... right?"

"If... If he hadn't survived that boss or had chosen another way, we wouldn't have him here with us today."

The dripping of tears was faint but numerous. I could hear them drop behind me as I kept holding the stool of the window, gripping it so tightly that I was sure it would've shattered into a thousand pieces.

"Why did he have to go through his grief alone? Why was he the only one who mourned for a friend whose real name he doesn't even know? Was it because he didn't tell anyone? Was it because he hid his despair so well that everyone had no idea how miserable he was?"

I clenched my palms harder.

"What kind of excuse is that?... It's unforgivable. A person like Akashi, who always took it upon himself to notice the troubles of others, deserves the highest form of gratitude and care from everyone he has been around. Yet he was given none of that, no one noticed, nothing was asked, and no care was given..."

"Why?"

At every end of my sentences, I could hear the slight sobbing under their breath. Some players covered their faces, pulled their hair in frustration, and knitted their eyebrows in disbelief.

"Wh-..."

I shook my head for a moment.

"What if he had died...?"

I willed myself to keep speaking.

"I... I wouldn't have been able to meet him. I wouldn't have been able to meet Akashi... and fulfil my guild's wishes..."

My fingers began to tremble, spazzing just at the thought of it.

Oh... god, help me...

I still can't bear the thought of losing anyone anymore...

"Would I have found someone else just as capable to help us...? Perhaps so, but..."

"Could there be anyone out there that can love us the same way he does?"

I lowered my head, finding that my will had begun to fade from my core. It seems even this is too much for me... Yet, I continued to force myself to push further.

"He was willing to do anything, beg for forgiveness, serve a life sentence, be hated by the families of those he killed... even..."

...

"I... I wouldn't even put it past him... that he considered confessing to the authorities to take him away. He'd do anything to cleanse himself of sin, just for a glimpse of redemption. He wanted to be punished for a crime he couldn't be at fault for..."

"I want to know, please... someone tell me..."

"Why did he end up this way?"

"..."

"Hasn't..."

My knees bent, and my head stooped lower.

I couldn't so much as speak coherently. It was too much...

It was too much to bear.

"Hasn't he had enough?..."

...

The agony of the people behind me dimmed the sky of its sunlight. Clouds rolled outside, meaning to rain. All they could do was sit, letting the veils of tragedy mask their hearts.

Kirito.

Asuna.

Lisbeth.

Leafa.

Sinon.

Silica.

Agil.

Klein.

Followed by the others standing close by:

Jun.

Nori.

Talken.

Tecchi.

Siune.

.... And...

...

"Doesn't..."

... I allowed myself to sob between my words...

"... Doesn't he deserve to be happy too?"

*Wwwhooooh~*

Strong blusters of wind severed the heavens.

"tap-tap-tap-tap."

Followed by footsteps rushing loudly nearby.

"CRASH!"

The loud bang that sounded like it ripped the inn's door off its hinges frightened everyone present with me.

...?

.

-=[]=-

.

[-•¤A¤•-]

His wings ached, twitching from the exhaustion of maintaining ear-piercing speeds across the skies.

His hand pressed sternly on the now opened door after barging it inwards, to everyone's surprise.

Despite the wind passing through his hair moments ago, his face was still bathed in sweat... dripping from his chin.

There was real fatigue in his breath, not caused by exasperation from physical strain but by the rising anxiety in his chest. He was gasping like he had run a mile in a minute.

Eyes shaking rapidly, he gazed straight at the cluster of people inside the inn.

What could he see?

...?

Indeed, he asked himself the same question, for he couldn't make out their eyes.

Static, numbed, distorted.

The eyes were blurred, almost torn off like a piece of paper from a book. Every face Akashi saw at that moment had emptiness hovering over them, forbidding him from witnessing the truth, the horror. It was his mind, terrified and nervous about what it might see. Ensuring he didn't immediately descend into an irreversible state.

Yuuki turned towards him as he kept looking at everyone around with an expression that begged for closure. Suddenly the heartache she felt spiked higher, beyond what was previously possible.

He started to cover his face, ashamed. Unworthy to be looked at by the people who stood with him side by side. He did everything he could, pull his hair down, wear his hood, press his palms on his bare complexion, yet nothing was enough.

A wave of regret built up in his heart, saying he never should've come here. The desperation to just hide and run away led to him unconsciously spreading his wings, but the voices in his soul forbade him from moving even an inch.

Unable to decide, he broke down, his emotional walls shattered. For the first time, his insecurities were placed in the face of the outside world.

He knew what everyone was doing here. It was no coincidence that the only individual he had ever confessed his sins to called every person he had loved to meet her.

However, it was too late, and he was well aware.

But why would she do this?

How could she tell his sins to everyone without his consent, his will?

...

Fortunately, the answer was obvious.

If not her, then who else?

Akashi is in no position to do so. He was holding on to dear life with his heart being tested to its limits just by confessing to Yuuki alone. How's he supposed to bear the thought of telling everyone else himself?

Forcing someone to relive the same misery in their life multiple times will only lead to a path of no return.

Would Yuuki even allow him to do that to himself again? As if she would. The first time was already heartbreaking enough for her to see, even more so when she couldn't do anything about it.

Being trapped behind a screen, unable to give him intimacy at the moment where he needed it most, wasn't something she could just walk away from unbothered.

That moment of inability was burned into her memory, something she will never forget.

Something she will not let happen again.

So she took it upon herself to be the one to share the weight of his burdens... since she knew that no one else will.

But it wasn't something she decided upon so hastily, no.

It's only natural for Yuuki to contemplate whether she should do this, especially after seeing how Akashi took the time to reconsider sharing details about Aiko out of concern for her.

But seeing him faint last night after using all the energy he had left in his body to convey his truth hardened her resolve. Since he was no longer capable of withstanding the emotional toll, she will gladly take his place.

To face one's past only exhausts the mind... and he has had enough of such struggles.

This is why he has found her here at present, confronting Kirito's group and the Sleeping Knights.

Being the person of astute awareness he is, he pieced together why she would do this without him knowing. Perhaps this was the only way.

If he had known, there's no doubt he would've done everything he could to stop her. Maybe it would've ignited their first argument together.

As such, all he could do was stay in place. Cowering.

His senses rose to levels he couldn't control, as his mind was no longer his own.

The visages have begun to influence his every move.

He closed his ears, attempting to mask everyone's sobs and rising heartbeats from meters away. He shook his head left and right, trying to stop thinking about the infinite outcomes of them having known the blood that used to drip from his hands. His subconscious voice clouded his judgement, rendering him incapable of staying composed:

They're going to hate me. All of them, Leafa, Liz, Asada. The knights, they'll hate me for even talking to them... I won't see Yuuki anymore. My life is spiralling... I'm done for. Please, forgive me. Please, understand me. Please accept me. I'm sorry. Forget what I've done. Forget them all. Forget I ever existed. Everyone, don't look at me, don't think of me, don't do this to me.

He's in turmoil and agitation. All that's going through his head is chaos compared to when he woke up less than an hour ago.

All he could think of were unorganized bursts of words expressed in great disarray, which was why he couldn't narrate this journey for the time being.

Amid his peril, his spine began to drain the strength from his legs. The cowardice overwhelmed him, making him subtly lean forwards for a moment, slowly but surely leading to a total loss.

Yuuki saw the signs crystal clear:

He was about to fall to his knees, weeping. His soul will be thrown into the pit of despair.

No, stop.

She whispered to herself.

At a moment's notice, her instincts kicked in steadfast. She sprinted onto the table as a running start, using it as leverage to jump above the players before running straight to his progressively failing self.

She couldn't do anything before... and had been longing to just tell him everything was going to be okay.

How she wished she had been able to hold him tight since last night, letting his tears run across her fingers as he was assured that she won't ever abandon him.

How she would do anything to prevent him from crying in front of her like that. After all, he's the person whose strength she admires most.

She reached her hand out to him, and so did her soul, wishing to stay close to his side until the final moments of the universe.

When the instant came where her arms wrapped around his head, pulling him ever deeper to her chest, she couldn't decide whether to apologize or let her tears run down her face.

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry! Everything's okay. I'm here with you. Hey hey hey, I'm here. Please, please don't cry. Don't- Hey, Akashi, please... don't cry... Don't cry for me. Oh, I'm so sorry I couldn't stop you from feeling this way. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this. Please..."

In between her words, she would snivel helplessly. Her voice would break, turning fragile compared to when she held her ground moments prior. She supported Akashi's body, hugging him tighter as he bent lower to her height, preventing him from falling. She couldn't bear to see him on his knees anymore, not now that she was there with him.

He held on tight, taking in every ounce of warmth she offered so the voices would cease entirely. Her curing presence remained essential, for its effects have already halted his worsening state.

Yuuki gently placed her hand on his cheek, looking up at his face to see if he could bear his tears. But all she saw were his closed, squinted eyes and streams flowing endlessly, gritting his teeth.

He didn't have to say a word, but she could tell he was trying his best to not have eye contact, what with his fear of what he'd witness in her and all.

Seeing this, she couldn't help but ask:

What has she done?

"I'm sorry I did this to you... I don't know what else I should do. I just wanted you to be happy... like how you tried your best for me yesterday..."

"Please don't cry..."

Another person jumped out from his chair amongst the seated, running toward the two.

His hands held onto Akashi's shoulders firmly.

"Akashi! Aahhh, what was I thinking? Hey, listen. Look at you... How did it come to this? I thought-" His familiar voice was one Akashi didn't expect to hear so soon.

"!...?" Out of suddenness, he opened his gaze, looking at the person behind her, only to see the pitch black eyes of the man he entrusted his life with.

How curious, the man's eyes had no such shroud as the others...

"I'm so sorry too. I'm so-... All of this is happening so fast... I-I didn't know how bad it was for you. It should've been apparent from the start. How could I have thought you were able to find the help you needed by yourself when the only people you had at the time were just us? Asuna and I had no idea, we..."

He faced down. Guilt ran deep in his heart.

"No... No, no, no. I can't keep lying to you, especially when you're like this..."

His fingers gripped harder.

"I was hesitant to help you since the beginning."

Yuuki's ears twitched, and her eyes widened as she turned her head towards him.

"I'm not going to keep coating my words anymore. We are at fault for leaving you to your own suffering... I am at fault."

"Every one of us from Aincrad was so caught up in our own problems that we couldn't take the time of day to think about you. Your demeanour and strength made it seem like you would've been the best of us... it made us think you were fine on your own... W-We thought you won't allow yourself to be weak, compared to us-... Compared to me... who can't help but always try to find a shoulder to cry on, whether it'd be Asuna, Liz, anyone..."

His excuses continued to persist as if he's struggling to find ways to justify his own incompetence.

This is the Black Swordsman, failing to accept what has become of his inability. He was being pushed to face his flaws. Yet here he is, unknowingly refusing to admit to his shortcomings.

Many don't tend to see this side of him, much less acknowledge it. To them, he was the Hero of Aincrad, whose blades swung at speeds imperceptible to vision. But in truth, he's as much of a 14-year-old shut-in as he was during the first day he set eyes on the Black Iron Palace all those years ago.

Most people forget that he, like those his age, suffered an abnormal factor in his growth due to his experiences in Aincrad. The lack of social awareness he has was never addressed or improved upon. In fact, it was encouraged by the people he surrounds himself with.

Akashi wasn't like them, or to put it simply...

He wasn't a girl, finding his clumsiness to be favourable.

This fact alone was why Kirito unconsciously set aside his responsibility as his friend... He was simply too unequipped to give meaningful help. Every girl by his side could only see the glorious image of his skills. But never his flaws. Now he has no choice but to abide by what his inability resulted in. The reality of what he is... was now rendering him unable to face the consequences of his actions.

Akashi's downfall could've been prevented... if only he hadn't left him under that tree.

Kirito forced himself to see things for what it was. Mustering the truth of what ran over his head that led to this circumstance.

"Or... maybe all that is just an excuse." His lips formed words, precise to what he wanted to convey.

"-Maybe... I refused to care about your problems regardless of whether you had told me."

The radiating air of Yuuki's temper reignited the second she comprehended his confession.

"What are you saying...?" She begged for his clarity.

"... I'm saying I didn't care."

He turned his head away as he kept talking, embarrassed.

"It's true... It's just as you thought, Yuuki... This happened because I didn't care enough about Akashi. There's no other way to put it."

With all he had in him, Kirito addresses the man he has done so many wrongs to.

"I was selfish. All I could think about was Asuna and the other girls' well-being, not yours, Akashi. It had not once seemed to me that you were suffering more than what you were willing to let out, more than what I could've imagined. I'm a horrible friend for not thinking of being there for you... How could I have allowed myself to let things turn out this badly?..."

"In the end, that's all I could think about, isn't it? All I could think about was myself. I'm the kind of person that, to this day, has never understood how others feel. Asuna can hide it all she wants, but I'm not the person everyone thinks I am."

"Kirito..."

"Even then, after you risked your life for Asuna and me countless times, we didn't start to see you as one of us until Alfheim, did we? Suddenly, we had the time to think about your livelihood... because all of us had moved on from Aincrad. We were cared for, and we were given support. All except for you... How ignorant."

"..." The undine maiden kept her lips shut tight, unable to protest or say otherwise. She knew that all he said was indeed the indisputable truth.

"Why did we only start caring about you once we've been freed from despair... and not support one another when we had the chance? I just couldn't wrap my head around it myself. What other reasons could there be except ignorance?"

Akashi could feel it. His legs were trembling as Kirito spoke.

"?! Akashi!"

While Yuuki was distracted, he lost all function from the waist down, falling abruptly. Her temper ceased, and Yuuki got down with him before proceeding to keep him close. She laid her eyes off of him for one second. Which was more than enough for things to deteriorate. Kirito now kneeled to his right side with worry painted all over his face.

This is the most sincere he had been with Akashi for over a year. With that, he now understood what his flaws as a character had done to his friend.

"And... I should've told you this a long, long time ago... but you need to know now more than ever..."

He shook his head.

"You're not the only one... who has taken multiple lives."

"!!!?" Akashi couldn't believe what he was hearing.

The sound of a brushing gown closed in on him.

Shortly after, a set of soft, delicate fingers abruptly held Akashi's hand as he succumbed to the reality he was faced with. His eyes still widened.

"There was no other choice." Yet another familiar voice rose.

"My ego against you in Aincrad got the better of me, more than I would like to admit..." Asuna held him to his left, sitting neatly to confess her own sins.

"We would always argue in front of the assault team whenever we presented contradicting strategies, which led to me hating you at first... I suppose that rough first impression of our relationship made it difficult for me to be considerate of you. Unlike Kirito, you and I never made up..."

He gave her the side-eye, unable to turn and face her as Yuuki kept him to her chest.

"I suppose, in a way, my inconsideration must've led to you being unaware of what Kirito and I had to face ourselves... On one of the days that I would do anything to avoid arguing with you, the Knights of the Blood Oath and a handful of chosen players went on a hunt for the Laughing Coffin's hideout..."

"H-huh?..." His heartbeat tripled.

"I went out of my way to refuse to invite you to the raid, as I thought you would only hold us back... Many lives were lost, and from that day forward... Kirito and I promised ourselves to never speak of it again. Which is why you wouldn't have known anything about it..."

"A-Asu..."

She hardened her clasp, and so did her heart leak water from her eyes.

"We had killed people too... Akashi. We killed them to prevent more losses of innocent lives. Their murders were getting out of control, and wiping them out was our only option. It was so excruciating for us... God knows how difficult it was to find closure after such a tragedy."

"We, of all people, knew exactly what it was like to have stolen lives... But at least... At least we had each other to get us through it. While you... you put up with all that regret alone with no one to open up to, and I... I-I can't..."

The distortion in her eyes subsided from his sights...

"That must've been so painful for you... I'm sorry, Akashi. As Kirito said. It was a selfish thing to do... We really were inconsiderate of you. Please, I'm sorry for everything I've said. I'm sorry for all the mind tricks I've done... for the heartaches I've caused."

Yuuki's core bore a tear. Seeing Asuna in grief wasn't easy for her either... yet, she couldn't let go of her position. She needed to keep her arms wrapped around him at all times. There's no need for her to get worked up over what they have to say... He needs her to be the vessel that keeps him together.

Before he could muster words to respond, something leaned on Akashi's back.

"I think I'm the worst one of all..."

Lisbeth's silky pink hair accompanied her meek tone.

"Every time you entered my smithy, I always put up a front hoping you would never figure out what I was feeling... Despite all my attempts, I can sense that you had constantly been able to piece everything together regardless, even when you didn't mean to. It was so frustrating, but I expected nothing less from you."

There was a reason why she chose to place her head behind him. It was because she knew she was nowhere near strong enough to see him like the others. His image in her mind was precious to her, someone whose words cut deep when giving critics and acts harshly towards her every now and then. She didn't want that impression of him to be tainted, so she hid away.

"I was supposed to be the person... Who you can let off some steam with. The kind that you can rant with about players, go on tangents regarding Aincrad's politics, talk about questlines you had trouble with, everything. But one day, I stopped being there for you, hung up on my own problems about a boy who won't love me back... By the time you came in at my worst, I was the one who first noticed the change in your voice and the lack of enthusiasm in everything you do... That must've been the period when your friend had just passed away, right?..."

Flashes of Armen went through his head, making him bend more intimate to Yuuki's embrace.

"I can't believe I never asked about it... The signs were right there. I just didn't bother to acknowledge them, or perhaps... I assumed you would've brought the topic up on your own. That's really stupid of me... Maybe if I had taken the time to sit beside you in those days, you wouldn't have turned out this way."

Having remembered his emotions at the time of losing his dear friend and being unable to share his grief, he began to wail...

"Aaaaa-Aaaaaaaaaaaa!"

However, the blacksmith continued: "I failed as a supporting friend. I shouldn't even be allowed to be here like this. But I want you to know that I'm sorry as well... and... that everything is going to be okay..."

Akashi reached and bound his arms around Yuuki as much as he could, letting his heart burst out with relief for finally being able to sound his sorrows.

Footsteps grew closer around him as everyone stood up from their seats.

"I have known you for almost a decade... and I took our long-lasting friendship for granted. As kendo partners, even the weight of your sword wasn't enough for me to catch what you've been through." Leafa voiced her mind, looking down at him as she clenched her dress.

"In fact, when I was struggling to come to terms with my misfortunes, you wanted to talk to me and see what was wrong, didn't you? I could tell from how you always glanced over me at Andrew's bar during the SAO Survivor's Celebration, worried. I... didn't want to head over to you because... I knew you'd be right. I was scared of what you might say to me, even more so if you managed to figure out what happened. It's especially terrifying when I haven't even moved on from what I was dealing with at the time. In a way, that led to me avoiding you too... despite you only meaning to help... I'm sorry."

One after another came to his side.

"It's unbelievable that my own trauma was settled before yours, even though I've only joined all of you so recently." Sinon raised her dissatisfaction.

"Unlike me, the others have known you for years. So why did I have to be cared for first...? My virtues don't amount nearly as much as yours to deserve it... You've gone above and beyond in everything you do when you start helping people. They owe you more than they can possibly give back. I know that for a fact... So to only have known now about how similar we are... that we share the same gut-wrenching headaches and perplexing anxiety... it makes me so angry at myself. We should've gone through it together. At least that way, it would've been easier for you. Having someone you can relate to."

The cait sith held her hand to her chest, mellowing her voice.

"Akashi, we were prisoners of our broken minds, destroyed into pieces by a bullet straight to the noggin. We can't let the past stop us from picking ourselves up and piecing it back together. You told me yourself, didn't you?"

His ears twitched:

"Stand on your own two feet, even if your legs feel like they'll shatter under the weight of your fears. That saying works for you too, don't you think?"

He had lapsed instantly, recalling the day he said those words to her for the first time.

"...!" He ceased his wails, looking up finally to see. To him, she was Asada Shino first before Sinon. A student who asked for his help in her studies. Who would've thought his tutee would be the one to feed him his own advice.

He didn't know when, but he found all the haze from their eyes had disappeared completely. Leafa's grass-like hue and Sinon's aquatic glitters shined in sincerity, yet they appear to be shedding tears too.

"You shouldn't blame yourself like this, Akashi!"

A squeaky, high-pitched voice yelled to him from further back.

"Haven't you ever thought of all the good things you've done? Hasn't anyone told you?!"

Silica pressed her frustration, yelling with vigour.

"I'm sure Yuuki, Sinon and Leafa have hundreds of things to say about you, don't they?! What if those people you've killed had continued to find other victims? Wouldn't you regret that more? What if I was one of them, and I couldn't get anyone to come to save me? Would you still regret preventing them from doing so?!"

Her tantrum was uncalled for but justified. She was someone who the others thought couldn't have been able to speak her mind at all. But seeing how even she could distinctly see the blessings of Akashi's actions says a lot about how she had mentally matured for her age.

"You were supposed to be smart, right? So how can I figure that out, and you can't?!"

Yuuki felt some sense of pride for a moment, as that was exactly what she said to him the night prior.

-===============================-

==Flashback, Chapter: Lovely Moon==

"Please... despite being so smart, you can't even see the bigger picture." She shared her mind.

"You blame yourself for killing the people who took away someone you cared about... How many people on earth could say the same about themselves?"

-===============================-

"It's not like you to be crying like this! You told me I shouldn't cry over my lack of confidence, didn't you? Don't go back on your word now! You still have to set an example for me! I'm your junior, remember?!"

Indeed. Silica, like Sinon and others few, was not responsible for Akashi's decline into despair. They were his friends after the events of SAO, meaning they had no part and had no way of knowing what had taken place. He, especially, only met Silica at the Survivor's School as acquaintances, later developing senior-junior ties for academic purposes. Although she had nothing to apologize for, it certainly didn't stop her from wanting to share her mind.

A hand suddenly laid on Akashi's hooded head.

"Kid, all that general assumption from the public that we Survivors are potential criminals is getting in your head."

Klein gave his two cents as one of the few grown-ups at the scene.

"Don't let peer pressure from society influence what you think is right or wrong. They can beat you down with their words, discriminate against you in ways you never thought of, and reject you in any way, shape, or form. But don't you ever give in. They'll never understand what we've been through, what it means to fight for your life every day of the week. Don't beat yourself up over it."

The man looked above, reminiscing about his hardships.

"Imagine what life as an adult is like... when you've killed someone yourself too."

"...!"

"Yeah, that's right. I was one of the players K.O.B invited for the sweep... There are a lot of things you don't know, Akashi. Your genius can only go so far."

Agil's voice followed.

"I've lost some good people I know to the Laughing Coffin before. Not a day goes by where I haven't wondered what their lives would've been like if they were set free from SAO. As much as I want to mourn, I owe them that I live my life to the fullest in their honour. To continue helping those in need in any way I can."

His intimidating voice generated an aura.

"Akashi, I know what you've done in your spare time between clearing floors... You've donated your earnings to the players on Floor 1 to 10, didn't you? Your name was everywhere in the fund-raising campaigns across the cities. I might even say you've done much better work than I did."

He crossed his arms, eyes closed.

"You should raise your head high and keep moving forward with that generosity... You'll never know when someone out there might need you. I'm sure your friend, Armen, would want you to be that way."

Not a moment passed, and the Sleeping Knights poured their souls to give him strength.

"I want to thank you, Akashi."

Siune stepped forward.

"It must've been difficult for you to keep finding the will to live after being forced to face your demons. I understand how tempting it is to just let go and lose to the voices in your head. But don't give in to them now, not after getting so far. You still have so many things you need to do, don't you?"

Jun narrowed his eyes, taking away his pride from interfering with what needed to be said.

"You've done more for Yuuki than most of us had since we've known her. If not for you, dreams would've stayed dreams. Actually, no... she would've still only dreamed of dreaming further. Yuuki is hopeful, but she's never the kind to put too many expectations into something. After all, her background only allowed such few miracles... But after meeting you, it was like she could face the world and heaven can reverse. Not a moment in her life did she imagine her horizons to be so vast before."

Nori bowed her head, formally sending her gratefulness.

"You and Yuuki have inspired us all to keep moving forward with a smile on our faces, using our wit and our will to push on. Our conditions might be eating us alive, but so long as we have courage in our hearts, we believe we will see another day. Thank you for paving the road for us."

Talken raised his voice out of respect.

"Thank you for still being here with us, for not ending the life you have that led to us meeting you!"

And finally, Tecchi:

"And thank you... for taking care of our Guild Leader."

They all soon followed Nori, leaning their heads forward as a sign of gratitude for all he has and will do for their sake.

"N-No. You don't-"

Akashi's heart couldn't accept such an immense form of admiration from his peers, making him hesitant to stay there and take it.

Before he could push himself to stand up and tell them to stop, Yuuki assured him with a stroke of his hair.

"Don't refuse this, please... You deserve each second of it. These people will stick with you to the end of the world, whether in reality or virtual. Please. They're thanking you unconditionally, so there's no need to be so modest... okay? Stay here with me..."

He hears her whispers, making him feel a sense of comfort that has long been absent from his life. His eyes grew soft, leaving only the marks of tears behind as they dried upon uncovering his newfound strength given to him by the knights.

His insecurities were shredded away from his soul as streams of light untangled the suffocating binds that irritate his mind. Each and every last one of their words became a part of him, freeing him, curing him of a disease that seeped in through scattered memories of loss.

As it would seem, he was finally made whole.

Having clarified the fog that plagued his sights and how his visages have allowed him the room to breathe, he realized there might be someone he was missing.

"..."

"Where's...?"

...

One final person remains.

The others that surrounded him made way for the footsteps coming forth. A breeze swept the scene, and her cream-white dress flowed elegantly.

Her white hair was long... with some strains having been braided neatly. Resembling that of a princess locked within a castle, unable to grow alongside the outer world.

The grand decorations etched across her skirt were a spectacle to witness in detail. But it doesn't appear to have swayed Akashi's attention, for he was most fixated on who she was.

Yuuki figured the person's presence was what was left to seal this moment forever. As such, she loosened her hug and gave a last look at his healed face. What was once dripping with emotions indescribable to man, now finding content with the warmth that flooded his being.

Only at this moment did she feel confident about no longer needing to keep him close. Having ensured herself, she moved to his side, handing it off to the other who had chosen to speak.

Seating herself in front of him, the lady of the Toriyu siblings found herself dripping water on her thighs, clenching her fist.

"I thought... just by hearing about Yuuki's condition earlier was... all my heart could take. That alone already had me feeling like fainting on the spot."

She wiped her face with her sleeves.

"The idea that someone I know was... going to die... is not something I wished I'd ever experience again. But life never warns you of these things. It should've been obvious to me by now..."

For a moment, she took a deep breath.

"You know... I logged in with a smile today, thinking that maybe the world finally had some good news for me to be happy about. With what Yuuki calling me here and all."

She twiddled her thumbs.

"Then... more people showed up after I arrived, which should've been a clear sign that something was wrong. I didn't think much of it, of course, since I was glad to have the chance to meet your friends after all..."

"But... it didn't take long for me to see what was happening."

"..."

He kept his head low, allowing her to express what she needed to without worrying about appearing vulnerable in front of her little brother.

"Somehow, in one way or another... you've constantly found ways to hurt me, you know that?"

"Mm..."

"Do you know how hard it was to hold myself back from being the nosy sister that keeps pushing you to tell me things? About how your day has been, how much homework you have, how your friends have been treating you, everything you could think of? Hell, the biggest mystery you've kept from me was your entire life in SAO. It has been at the back of my mind for months, and I just wished that one day, one, damn, day, you finally tell me what you've been through. But I didn't make a fuss about it, did I? I respected your privacy, your space, and your virtual life..."

"But to think that... you've kept this many things from me. About how you've lost your friend, about how you've killed seven people, how you suffered alone with no one there for you... Am I supposed to just... bear all that myself?"

"I-... I can't even get mad at you, or scold you to death about not telling me, can I? Because how could've you told me, right? You can't remember even if I forced you to, huh? Yeah, I know why."

"You lost your memories... after trying to kill yourself, is that it?"

A surge ran through his spine, sending a frost-like hold on his body.

"Now that, THAT, I can't look past. What point were you trying to make by throwing your life away like that? Are you saying you shouldn't be allowed to live after what you've done? You do understand how I almost lost you, right?"

He stood silent.

"I won't ever get to see you again if you didn't survive. Did you think of that? Did you want me to come into your ward one day to see you dead? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"

She grabbed his head, letting her authority as his family make a statement he'll forever recall.

"DID YOU FORGET I EXISTED, IDIOT? DIDN'T YOU REMEMBER WHO STAYED BEHIND WITH YOU AT HOME?! HUH?" Shaking him left and right, she ripped away from her modesty.

Only one person here has the right to do such a thing to him, and it appears she's taking full advantage of so.

"YOU WENT THROUGH SO MUCH PAIN THAT YOU FORGOT ALL ABOUT ME, RIGHT? JUST BECAUSE YOU KILLED PEOPLE, ALL OF A SUDDEN, I DON'T MATTER ANYMORE TO YOU??? AM I NOT YOUR SISTER?!"

"Y-you-"

"FOOL! YOU KNOW FULL WELL WHAT I WOULD'VE DONE IF I LOST YOU! I CAN'T LIVE OUT HERE ON MY OWN! I CAN'T TAKE CARE OF MYSELF AS WELL AS YOU DO!"

"Y-Yoro- What are you-"

"I WOULD'VE DIED TOO, YOU SELFISH PRICK!"

The shock exploded straight in his eyes.

"I CAN'T KEEP... LIVING WITHOUT YOU!... You're... You're all I have left around..."

"..."

Of course.

He never gave it enough thought despite how collected he appears to be. Every calculation, assumption and prediction will never be final or correct. There is always a factor that plays a part, one he hasn't taken note of.

This often leads to moments like these, where he finds himself dumbfounded at his own recklessness. In this case, amid his search for death, he completely disregarded his own sister.

This is the Crimson Rose.

A person who was no different from the others who disregarded him.

Like others, he's human.

And humans remain human because they sin. Ignorance will always be a part of their cycle. Whether it'd bring good or bad is up for debate. However, this proves that even the most gifted and kindest people can still find themselves responsible for hurting others. There is no difference between them so long as there is breath in their lungs.

Akashi is no exception. He couldn't see past his desire to end it all, leading to him never realizing that if he had died that day, he would've been responsible for not just 7 deaths... but 9.

Himself... and his sister's.

"I've told you... time and time again about how happy I was that you woke up. The relief was impeccable. It was like a dream. But you don't know what life was like after that for me."

"You were different, and I couldn't understand why. I-I thought, surely something must've happened between those 2 years that made you develop all these habits that... appeared out of nowhere. It might not mean anything to you, but they mean a lot to me."

"I was scared. I'm terrified to realize that I might not know you anymore. What if it wasn't my little brother that woke up that day? Who would give me an answer if I asked? I wanted to know, Akashi. I wanted to know what happened to you..."

"But not... not like this..."

"..."

She placed her head on his lap, facing down whilst holding on to his hair. Her sob was the loudest in the room, signifying how it was she who felt the most out of this ordeal.

"I'm sorry..."

She loosened her hand, letting it fall. Akashi prevented them from doing so and held onto them gently.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that. I was just... I wanted you to understand what it was like..."

After a short sniff, she raised her head, continuing as she gazed into his eyes:

"My dearest little brother, I... have wronged you too."

"I couldn't keep up with you and the constant changes the world faced, so I just stood in place expecting you to stay with me. I wanted you to be the naive, clueless kid that would have an attitude towards me but always stayed nearby. I see now that... it was you who I needed to be there for, not the other way around. And that I have to keep moving forward on my own, for your sake."

"Though, to have been here to see it with my own eyes, I now know how many great friends you have... Not one of them saw you in a negative light despite what your anxiety told you. This makes it so I can rest easy whenever I'm not there for you since I know they will be... Isn't that priceless...?"

"..." He could see the spiralling mix of nebulae in her eyes as she spoke.

"They've already told you what you needed to hear from them, so... I'll tell you mine."

"We all forgive you for what you've done. I forgive you."

"H-huh?" His hood fell on its own.

"We all still love you, no matter what happens. I love you."

"Hah... Aaa-"

"And we'll always be there for you from now on... I will be there for you."

She clasped his hands between her own... and then pressed them together on their foreheads.

A family-known tradition that had persisted for hundreds of years now remained till this very moment. Tying their souls together with a string of hope meant to last for a lifetime.

"Aaa-Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" He surrendered to the moment with a wail as before, expressing the raw emotions he wanted to convey with words yet failed to. Indeed, this cry was sufficient to communicate his appreciation to the others and his beloved sister.

The clouds, once again, had parted from the heavens following the conclusion of this renewal of bonds.

Sins were cleansed with each confession they gave.

To symbolize this, the sky finally poured rain.

Yorozu and Yuuki spread their arms wide, enveloping him whole with an embrace. The others followed, especially the ones who were most responsible, creating a mass of warmth on the floor as the sound of rainfall masked the atmosphere.

From this day onwards, they will remain transparent with one another. In hardships, in grief, in despair.

Though, the question remains.

Will the colours of his soul prove to be worthy of defying the test of fate?

Indeed, only time is willing to provide such an answer.

Let's not dwell on what-ifs, for the moment they share at present is insurmountable in value.

All that can be done now is hope.

May he prevail in pleasing whom which he must not disappoint.

[The End of Chapter 52]

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Author's Notes

Chapter 50 to 52 was drafted as a SINGLE Chapter. One.

That's close to 15,000 words, which could've easily been an entire Sub-Arc on its own, but that's not the case.

I know how the end of this chapter above says it's the start of Together Forever Sub-Arc, but really, it began in Chapter 50. It simply felt right to put it here of all places as it is marked as the true beginning of this part of the story.

This was by far the most emotionally taxing story I have ever faced throughout my time writing, as it required me to think from each and every one of these characters' perspectives. They needed to be real to their personality without going beyond what was necessary. It wouldn't have made sense if Leafa started bawling out of nowhere during her scene, would it? After all, she had no part in Akashi's turmoil.

I was glad that I established the point of view of [-•¤A¤•-] prior to this chapter, as it allowed me to write from a neutral standpoint compared to having to narrate Akashi or Yuuki's thoughts.

It would've really made things confusing to both write and read, so it was really helpful.

To those who haven't figured it out, [-•¤A¤•-] is an off-hand narrator of this story that serves as an alternate point-of-view. In other words, the "No one's PoV" guy. I didn't like having to read that disclaimer before in other fanfictions, so I did a little trick of my own whenever I needed it without disrupting the experience.

As you may have guessed, there might be a possibility that [-•¤A¤•-] is a character. As for who it is, I can't say for sure. You'll have to figure that out on your own.

Now, I want to share with you the trickiest part of this chapter. Kirito.

I was dead-straight in making this chapter slanderous to his character. I was. No doubt about it. Although I love who he has become in Underworld and all, I still found that dense and ignorant side of him to be unbelievably irritating. This chapter shows how all that stupidity in his head could lead to very serious outcomes that he would've been responsible for.

If Kirito and his friends continued to endorse or avoid acknowledging this personality trait he has, there's no way he can develop beyond who he is now. Sure, he suffered and learnt a few things, but that hasn't DRAMATICALLY changed how he acts, did it?

I want to protest against that approach to character writing, so I did this. I had him see how dangerous it can be for him to stay that way. I wanted him to grow.

Akashi could've died because he was too stupid to figure things out himself, so I hope he never does it again. But who knows?

Ahem, that's all I have for tonight. I've spent a solid week every day trying to get this chapter to hit the way it should. I can only pray that you had fallen in love with it as you had with the others.

Thank you so much for reading, and please give me a vote so others will come to experience this with us.

As always, I love you all.

And I'll see you very soon.

Goodbye.

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