[Chapter 44]

[-•¤Yuuki¤•-]

The halls were lively, and steps and chattering filled every inch of the school building as the students went about their lives. Some joyously laughed as a group, some staring through the windows to see the sports clubs going about their usual practice, while others ran across the halls carrying heaps of papers to their classes.

Passing by them, I found that Asuna was humming quite lovably this whole time, eyes showing gratitude upon finding solace as if flowers were circling her head. It's a miracle that she's in top shape after such a confession. Well, I don't mean to brag, but it's all thanks to my consultation.

Heheh, I still got it!

It's tough being a genius in motivational speeches! Coming up with the right words can be daunting to others, but not for me!

I'm so good with words that it's probably fitting to call me a prodigy. One, unlike this school, has ever seen!

Hue hue~ Akashi would be very impressed once I tell him.

"Oh Yuuki, that's so cool! You're like a therapist now. I'll treat you with some food to congratulate you, what would you like? Golden chicken wings? Sure, I'll find some right away! I wonder if there's an Inn that serves western dishes in Alfheim..." My totally-not-fake-and-precisely-accurate-interpretation of him in my mind offered his reward, making me carve a hungry smile.

HAHAAA~! Chicken wings! I haven't had those in a long time. Gosh, now I'm craving some! That's one more thing added to my bucket list. I'll be sure to pester him about it soon enough!

"So, are you excited?" My host asked a vague question as she looked over at me.

"Hm? For what?"

"Hm?"

A short pause followed.

"Ahah... Yuuki, you do know where we're heading, right?" She voiced her concern.

Now that she mentioned it, I'm not entirely sure why we haven't gone home yet since the school session is done for today.

"Would it be embarrassing if I said I forgot?" I gave an irresponsible answer.

"Oh, geez. Well, I guess I'll keep it a secret until you figure it out yourself!"

"H-Huh? Heyyy Asunaaa! I don't like thinkiiing~!"

"Nope, you'll have to either guess it right or wait for the surprise."

"Awww~ fiiine."

I began scanning the place, going through every bitty corner... The halls we're in were quite disconnected from the main section of the school as if it was newly built compared to the rest... There are more students around here too. Is this the main building for the classrooms?

Hmm. Maybe this is another year's section?

Ahhh, I ran out of energy to come up with anything anymore! I used too many brain cells in class today. I need a breeeak~!

"Yeah, I give up. What are we doing here?"

"Hold on to that thought. We're almost there."

"Hm?-"

The sound of banging tables echoed in the background...

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-=[]=-

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[-•¤Akashi¤•-]

"AKA-SHI, AKA-SHI, AKA-SHI,".

A handful of classmates banged their fists on their tables on each "SHI" they uttered, cheering me on whilst others surrounded me at a considerable distance, being careful not to interrupt me under pressure. Two of them decided to hold the crowd back, preventing the risk of someone bumping into my arm.

My pen raged on the sheet of paper with hundreds of horsepower, spewing the ink so fast it felt like the world was the one moving slower than usual. My brain is in a constant process, making calculations and recollections, basically shitting out answers like a supercomputer. My left hand kept holding the desk tightly as the right mercilessly gripped the ballpoint stick, dashing through the white surface of the papers.

Sweating oceans and eyes moving faster than my wrist, I gained total concentration on the test itself. Questions skimmed only for half a second and immediately given the perfect answer, no flaws present in its presentation. The brink of my sanity was closing in bit by bit with each set passed, boiling the blood streaming throughout my body.

This will be a test of endurance, fast-paced decisions and SHEER WIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLL!!!

AAAAAAAAA! MY, HEAD, HUUUUUUUURTS!

"DON'T MESS THIS UP, TORIYU! YOU GOT TEN SECONDS LEFT! GO GO GOOOO~!!!!!"

EASY FOR YOU GUYS TO SAY, I FEEL LIKE A TRUCK RAN OVER MY BRAAAAAAAAAIN, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

"He's not gonna make it!"

"BULL SHIT, he's gonna make it!"

"Akashi, if you pull this shit off, I swear to god I'll hand over my sister's hand in marriage."

"Shut the hell up, Nejire."

"FITTING REWARD FOR A MAN OF HIS STATURE! You're just mad that you won't get Akashi's privilege, Tokito!"

"GUYS, SHUT IT! HE'S NEAR THE END!"

"Come ooooon! I PAID GOOD MONEY FOR YOU TO FINISH ON TIME, SO COME OOOOOON!!!"

"WHOEVER'S STILL INTERESTED IN BETTING, PUT THE MONEY IN THE BOX ON MY DESK!"

"FIVE SECONDS!"

The pressure was real, and the whole class of nerds watched as I stood up from my seat upon reaching the final stretch. There was no stopping, for I am still going OVER NINE-THOUSAAAAAAAAAAND!

"ALMOST THERE!"

"FOUR"

"THREE"

"TWO"

I terminated the last sentence of my answer with an epic final swipe of a line, a long and deadly sign of completion.

Exhaustedly falling on my chair, my final breath yelled a single word.

"DONE!"

The class rep holding the stopwatch pressed the button down and stopped his timer, shouting: "TIME! Perfectionists Group, check the answers!"

The group of OCD kids took every one of my sheets and compared them with their already signed papers. Their eyes passed each paragraph and equation at immense speed, for they are superior to me in terms of retinal precision. Their discussions were limited as unwanted ears do not listen in, but the job gets done regardless.

Those who banged their tables were literally on the edge of their seats, leaning closer to my desk to see the 'end results'.

My heart was beating in erratic pulses as if I had just run an entire marathon. The twelve classmates gathered around my seat as they cheered me on, now stepped back and let the nerds do their magic.

...

"It's concluded," Their words almost made me faint.

Please... tell me I'm free.

"... Ladies and Gentleman,"

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-=[]=-

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"He did it."

I slammed my hand VIOLENTLY on the table with everything I got, then raised the bruised fist high in gallant victory.

"LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

The whole class cheered like a football crowd, loud enough to be heard from the bottom floor of the school.

"AAAAAAYYYYYYYEEEEEEE!"

"YOOOSSSHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"NO WAY, NO WAAAAAAAAAY!!!"

The class went MENTAL.

Everyone got up immediately, shaking my tired body left and right as if we had won the war against the Americans. My hood was taken off by my peers, rummaging the hazel-coloured hair underneath. My sore eyes closed in perfect zen, resting easy from an entire hour of going through hyperspace speeds. Raising that bruised fist high still, I thanked my ancestors for allowing me the chance to experience this success.

"WOAH, WOAH, HEY!" The timer guy, the class rep, caught our attention, "THE TEACHER SAID YOU HAD TO FINISH BEFORE 3:50, RIGHT?!"

...

I opened a devil's glare at the man who asked, sending a chill down his spine. The very cells in my body were trembling from an itch of murder. My uttered voice was the incarnation of a million tortured souls, asking: "... Do not tell me that I have failed, maidenless wench."

"Oh. Nah. You finished exactly at 3:49, 58 seconds. That's fine."

My eyes rolled back into my head in relief, leaving a white, empty vessel.

"It's just... DIDN'T HE SAY YOU HAD TO TURN THIS IN AT 4:00 P.M?!"

The whole class looked at him in deafening silence.

"..."

"Well, SHIT!" They panicked immediately, waking me up before passing out.

"AKASHI, GET YOUR ASS TO THE STAFFROOM NOW!"

"IF ANYONE HERE COULDN'T SEND IN THEIR WORK IN TIME, WE'RE DEAD FOR THE WHOLE SEMESTER! COME ON!"

"MAKE WAY FOR THE DAMN CRIMSON ROSE WOULD YA?!"

I snatched the papers from the hands of my fellow science soldiers and dashed through the crowd. My shoes sealed tight, and my red hoodie waved across the wind.

I sped with everything I got towards the closed door.

"GO GO AKASHIIIIIIII~!!!" Their final cheer rang in my ears.

I'm gonna do it! After all those hours of constant brain grinding, I'll send this work to the teacher and slam it on his desk to save my class! THIS IS US! THIS IS OUR POWER! THE NEW GENERATION BRILLIANTS! WE ARE PROUD, WE ARE SURVIVORS, AND WE ARE THE FUTURE OF SCIE-

The classroom door slid open before I could reach the handle-

SHI-

My leg tripped me off my feet. OH, I AIN'T RUINING MY FACE LIKE THIS! I leaned on my back, body face up before I fell, leading the momentum to slide me through the door to the outside. An execution of stylish reflex!

AWESOME LANDING BY AKASHI TORIYU ONCE AGAI-

...

When I was just about to stand up and make a run for it, I noticed that a person was the one who opened the door, grabbing the handle. What really caught me off guard was what my eyes were showing me, looking directly at a skirt as I lay on the floor. Not under them, just... the skirt.

...

Thank you, god.

Welp, now that I'm granted this blessing, I might as well enjoy it.

I didn't even bother to think as I said, "I'm just gonna guess who this is, based on the thighs."

"Excuse me, what?" A thunder's wrath echoed.

Oh, someone familiar?

"And your voice concludes my speculation." I scoffed.

"Oooooh, does iiit? A-ka-to~?" A second familiar voice began to growl menacingly, a genuine murderous intent radiated around her being that even I, myself, won't be able to comprehend.

"A girl with orange hair, correct? Puffy cheeks? Fists of fury? Hmm. Ah! Yes, I recognize this aura of yours, of course."

I snapped my fingers, "The Berserk Healer's stare... was it?"

"Pop."

...

WAS THAT A VEIN POPPING ON HER FOREHEAD?

"ARA ARA~! What a foul-mouthed pervert you happened to come across, Asuna~!" Her innocent tone unexpectedly spoke ruthless words from the camera.

Oh, it's Yuuki! For a moment, I forgot she was with her- WAIT, OH CRAP! SHE HEARD WHAT I SAID ABOUT THE THIGHS!

"Why don't you exterminate this trash from the surface of the earth for me, best friend?" She suggested to her host. A darkening sense is emitted from the lens of the camera.

"With pleasure~! Let's start by stepping on his face, shall we?"

"WOAH, WOAH, WOAH, NOT MY FACE, HEY!"

I barely got up in time to avoid her foot, and it looked like she put all of her strength into it too! Damn, woman! Do you want to demolish whatever's left of my pride? It's already bad enough as it is!

"What are you avoiding for Akashi~? I'm doing a righteous thing here! You've caused so much trouble in this world already. Disposing of you doesn't sound so bad, you know~?"

"What did I ever do to you, Asuna?!"

"Oh, have you forgotten?! You do realize the word "cute" you said earlier outside of my class led to many misunderstandings, don't you? Is it not fitting for you to pay for your sins with the destruction of your face~?" She cracked her knuckles and closed her eyes, giving a psychotic smile.

"What?! Asuna, you're scaring me! I meant that for Yuuki, not you! You're the one who misunderstood!"

"Tell that to my whole class, moron. They genuinely thought you were hitting on me. You know how dangerous that must be for you, right~?"

The probe continued, "Then you took advantage to look up her skirt, peeping TOM!"

"And what was that about my thighs?"

"Addressing a woman's cheeks? What are you, a stalker?"

"Fists of fury? Have you ever really tasted the force of these fists yourself?" They spoke in rows with each other. The sync was unreasonably perfect like I was talking to one whole person. "Tell me why I shouldn't ruin your life right now~?"

I held my hands up and attempted to calm them down with a stream of sweat falling from my face.

Oh my god, this is terrifying!

WAIT, I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!

"Asuna, for all things holy, I have this test to submit in less than seven minutes. If you would wait for just a moment-"

"Running away from a woman's punishment?" Yuuki's threatening voice constrained me. "That's not very 'cash money' of you, Akato."

Calling by my in-game name? IS SHE THAT ANGRY?!

"YOu tWo PleAsE I bEg of yOu!" I pleaded, backing away from them as Asuna got closer with a clenched knuckle sandwich. "We c-cAn TalK aBoUt tHis!"

She reeled her hand for a massive swipe, "Death before dishonour, Aka-"

"AKASHI, ASUNAAAAAAAAAA!!!" a loud shout called our names.

AAAAAH! THANK GOD, A DISTRACTION!

In the distance came running down the hall, is the one who wears pink, arms flailing at Mach speeds.

The berserker turned behind as the both of us said in sync, confused;

"Rika?"

"Rika?"

She expressed great fear as her legs moved like a horse, reaching her hands out for Asuna in a panic.

"Oh, so she's Rika?... OH, I remember her! She's that pink-haired mace user that challenged me the other day too!" Yuuki expressed her realization.

"Wh-What's wrong?!"

"YOU TWO, MOVE AWAY! SHE'S GOING CRAZYYYYY!"

She cried helplessly, running past the numerous students with blue smudges all over her face like she ate something in a hurry.

I tilted my head, somewhat annoyed; "What did you do this time?! I turned in your papers just like you asked. Don't tell me you're here to kill me too!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAAAA!" She grabbed Asuna's arms and stopped on her toes, catching her breath. Did she run up here through the roofs or something?

"Hey. Hey, what happened?" Her concerned friend asked.

"Oh, it was horrible! I thought I was dead already!" She looked at the orange-haired maiden, holding tight.

"Hi!" The probe introduced herself, wh-WHY IS YUUKI SO CHEERY? I THOUGHT SHE WAS GONNA ENJOY SEEING ASUNA DESTROY ME?!

"Oh, HIII! You must be Yuuki! *pant* I'm Liz! Rika Shinoza-*cough* ah- *cough*-ki."

"She's our private blacksmith in ALO and SAO, one of the few people I know that's worth tolerating," I said with my arms crossed, crude and sarcastic.

"Hey, watch it! I'm *cough* tired, dammit!"

"If you're acting up over something minor again, I swear to GOD. What if the council catches you running the halls? I'll have to be the one to bail you out each time!" I poked her messy brown hair with a finger, nudging it in.

"Oh, don't you annoy me now, Mister Toriyu!" She grabbed the zipper of my hoodie and pulled me to her face, "You have no idea what I've been thr-"

"GUYS, SHE'S HERE!" Another familiar person screams again, filling the far reaches of the halls.

"CRAP, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" Rika couldn't finish her sentence. Letting go of her grip, she ran to the corner of the halls and went left, back into the main section of the school.

"Kazuto!" His wife called out to him as he ran closer to us, no different than the woman before.

"Seriously, what's happening?! I'm so lost! Does this happen all the time with you guys?" The number of Yuuki's questions grew each second while my deadline shrank.

"Honestly, some weird stuff happens once a month around this school. I doubt it happens anywhere else." Asuna sighed.

The black-haired tech student reached us, who were still confused about the current situation.

Stopping for a moment as he regained his stamina, his palms rested on his knees and looking down. He told us, "It's bad, this is very bad! Rika... *pant* Keiko. Keiko is going insane!"

I looked at him with an eyebrow raised, head tilted even more confused, "Keiko? SILICA?!"

"AND WHO'S SILICA NOW?!" Yuuki turned frustrated.

"A friend of ours too, Vocaloid, your age, cat ears."

"My age?!"

"YEAH, SILICA. SHE-"

"RIKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!" He couldn't finish his sentence either, and yet another yell interrupted us.

What came after was a Lovecraftian-like scene, spreading horror in our souls. The source of the yell was terrifying Asuna herself, or even Yuuki, for that matter. This is a child's unbridled wrath, a warcry, something you don't really see every day. Her body was small, and her eyes and hair were golden dark. Her physique makes her faster than any of us four. Her face was in pure rage and was steaming hot. I could see gas shooting out of her ears!

And her speed-

IT'S LIKE A DAMN BULLET TRAIN!

Assuming the situation, and based on the info given, I pieced together everything I've seen in my head to draw out a sense.

With the power of the extra brain cells bestowed upon me, I have finally come to a conclusion:

"KAZUTO, DID RIKA EAT KEIKO'S BLUEBERRY MUFFINS?!"

"SPOT ON, 'GENIUS'! SHE ATE, ALL OF THEM!"

"THERE WERE TWENTY!"

"ERADICATED!"

"W-WH-! SHINOZAKI, GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW, MISSY!" I yelled at the coward that left us to die.

Ohhh~ boy.

Well, pray, may God be with us on this journey.

"Agh, no time to think!" Asuna frustrated.

"You don't say, honey?! COME ON, SEEK REFUGE IN THE STAFFROOM NOW! KEIKO IS AFRAID OF TEACHERS! THIS IS CODE RED, I REPEAT, CODE RED!" Kirito ordered.

"OH, PERFECT! I GOT THREE MINUTES LEFT TO SEND THESE TO MY TEACHER! LET'S GO!"

The three of us turned away from the sprinting Silica, getting ready to bolt.

If Yuuki were really with us on this, I would've gone and carried her in my arms so she wouldn't have to run by now. HAH, not at all. I bet she would've caught up to Rika on her own if she wanted to.

But for now, though, let's enjoy this ride together as it is, Yuuki!

I grabbed onto Asuna's right hand, the arm that has been shouldering our new friend for the entire day.

I looked at Kirito as he stared at me, very concerned and almost disgusted for holding his girlfriend's hand. We yet again shared neural links and spoke telepathically without a word;

(Bro, the hell you doing?)

(Chill, I'm sorta holding Yuuki's hand, not hers.)

(Oh- OOOOHHH, gotcha.)

"PREPARE, YOU TWO, THIS IS GONNA BE A BUMPY RIDE! SORRY IF YOU FEEL SICK OVER THIS, YUUKI!" I warned just in case.

The black swordsman gave a wide smirk as he set our mark, "READY,"

"Hey, wait, Kazuto! Akashi!"

"GO!!!"

"WH-WOOAAHH!!!" We pulled her as we ran with all our might, smiling excitably and enjoying every moment of this comical chapter of our lives.

This is hilariously stupid, but I'm loving it!

.

-=[]=-

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[-•¤Yuuki¤•-]

This... what is this?

What on earth is even happening? Really?!

PFf-TAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA WHY DO I EVEN BOTHER!

This is the most fun I've had with new people my whole life! Their dynamic was unbelievable! It's like they came straight out of a show! DOES STUFF LIKE THIS HAPPEN ALL THE TIME?! IS SCHOOL REALLY THIS INTENSE?

Have I been missing out on stuff like this my whole life? Seriously? Does everyone have this level of wit and chaos with their friends, or am I just so lucky to have come across the most insane group of people in the universe?!

I'M AT A LOSS FOR WORDS! THIS IS SO FUN!

Oh, how I would LOVE to send my prayers to God for this blessing!

I'm... so glad to be a part of it.

What amazing, hilarious adventures must they had together...

I never felt anything like it...

I looked through the screen, displaying his hand...

The warm, soft, yet sturdy hand...

It's like he's holding on to me as the two of us ran...

Yeah, I'm sure that's why he grabbed onto Asuna without a care in the world...

It's like I was with them, running across the hall as the sun shined on us teenagers, going through life in the prime of our youth. Akashi, holding me and leading me to happiness.

This feeling, this magnificent feeling I never knew I could have... It's the same as when we jumped across that river in the Panareze markets...

Yes! The feeling of childish excitement!

Just when I thought we were about to go home. When I thought this day couldn't get any better., they kept giving me all of these wonderful recreations of a perfect youth... These people... I had never wanted to know more about a group this badly...

Akashi... Akashi... Thank you for giving me this opportunity... to meet you all.

Akashi, Akashi.

"Akashi!!!" I called him out as the wind dashed through his hair, unable to keep my gratitude within.

He turned his head, simply by the left of his eye, it showed signs of wholesome innocence under all that sarcasm and attitude, the truest sparkle of joy he has ever had with his friends...

His attractive smile was once again stuck on him like glue... as if it's going to stay there forever.

"ALL OF YOUUU! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHIIIING!"

I screamed my lungs out, finally releasing the bottled up adrenaline in my veins and successfully letting out my own fair share of yelling!

"You're one of us now, Yuuki! We're happy to have you with us!"

That's right... That's right!...

Mom, Dad, Aiko... I don't know what else to say...

I-

"I'M SO HAPPY TO BE ALIIIIIIVE~!" I cheered and stood up in this virtual space, hands as high as I could!

All of us laugh our worries off as the birds of the real world fly past the windows, creating a spectacular scene to engrave in the depths of our souls.

The girl chasing us was like music to our ears;

"GET BACK HERE ALL OF YOUUUUU!!!"

[The End of Chapter 44]

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Author's Notes

How do you like the new look of the chapters? It's way better ain't it? I thought it was about time I updated how the chapters are formatted and decorated a few stuff to make them seem cleaner and less plain. This was a very fun chapter to write because of how frickin hilarious the comedy was in my head. I just smiled through this whole process and this is surely one of my favourite ones by far.

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