Chapter 16

I said to him as he smiled replying "I'm sure you have one that's great, c'mon tell me one". I sighed a bit as I lightly bobbed my head up and down, saying "Alright, I have one, but don't tell Toru.". Kirito patted my back saying "Nothing gets out between us guys" as he smiled, I looked down and took a deep inhale and then exhaled.

"It was back on the first floor, I just got to Harunka village and took up the quest to get a certain sword. When it spawned, I rushed over to it and it's one of the bigger mobs. It towered over me and It wasn't an easy fight at the time, I was... sloppy... I wasn't able to hit him for a lot of hp, but I had enough endurance and stamina to keep the fight going.

Eventually I managed to kill the monster, I was...Near-Death at that point... The sun began to set like this one, and I knew I was a goner. So I just let myself fall and slip into a deep sleep. But I wasn't dead, I was saved mysteriously.. I then found out the day after that someone had left me coordinates to Tolbana's coliseum, a couple days before the big raid.

When I got there I expected a man to have me repay him for saving my life. I won't lie, I wasn't expecting Toru to be the one who saved me... It...It was like love at first sight... She was brave, she was independent, she was courageous, and she was very charming... Something about her was very different from the other girls in this game.

And...it drew me like a fish on a reel... I was in-love with her from then on..."

I took a deep breath and exhaled once again, looking over at Kirito who was in tears. "Why are you crying?!" I was shocked as It was the first time I saw Kirito cry, "Its...Its so beautiful...the...the story was...just...beautiful..." he said sobbing as I opened my inventory and handed him a handkerchief.

He blew his nose into the handkerchief and he wiped his eyes, I then said to him "Don't let her know about this, if she knew...I don't know what I'd tell her then...".

Meanwhile, Toru sat there, near the door slowly crying from hearing this. Asuna handed her a couple of tissues as she rubbed her tears away. The footsteps were heard going to the doorway as Asuna and Toru quickly ran towards the couches. We walked in as we saw them on the couches, "You guys were home already?" I said as I was confused.

"Uh huh!"

Asuna replied as I saw Toru and her eyes, a little red as they looked at the time. "We better get going" I said to Kirito turning to him as he nodded, saying "Thanks for stopping by". "No problem Kirito, anytime" as we fist bumped each other.

I swiped down my menu and equipped my armor, my jacket and armor materializing onto me. I looked at Toru who was laying on the couch, lending my hand out to her saying "Ready to leave?". She looked at my hand as she sat up, grabbing her hand smiling and trying to hold back tears nodding.

I pulled her up and onto her feet, I looked at Kirito and Asuna as I waved goodbye to them. They waved back as we exited out of the log cabin, walking down the hill and following the path. The moon was in the skies as the lake's water reflected the stars. We walked along the path, silent as we took in the view of the lake.

"Kirin.."

Toru said as I slightly turned my head, hearing her out. She then looked over to me saying "Are...Are the things that you said about me...true..?" as she felt conflicted about my statement earlier. I stopped, she looked at me as she felt her heart drop. I took a second to say something as I turned around holding her hand, pulling her in and hugged her. "Yeah...every word..." I said to her as she just began tearing up again.

"You're very courageous... It inspires me and all others to continue living...It's a trait that made me fall for you..."

I whispered to her as she smiled, feeling warmth and closure, she replied to me "I know...you're a kind person...You just have a hard time showing it...".

I smiled holding out a teleportation crystal, whispering "Floor 75" as we both teleported to Floor 75. Three days passed since we met Kirito and Asuna on floor 22, Toru and I were strolling through a runned-down city as Toru got a message. I kneeled down to pick up some mushrooms as I looked over to Toru, quickly putting away the mushrooms and asked her "What is it?".

"Asuna just messaged me, they're heading down towards floor 1."

I became somewhat dumbfounded upon hearing "Floor 1". I asked her "Uh... Say that again?" as she repeated "Asuna and Kirito are heading down to floor 1". "Oh okay, so I wasn't going insane after hearing that" I said to her straight up as she tilted her head confused.

"Why are they going back down there?"

I said to her as I opened my inventory and drank out of a flask. "The leader of Aincrad Liberation Force was found down there, apparently there's a secret dungeon down there" she said as I spat out my water and coughed holding my neck. "WHAT!" I shouted on the top of my lungs as I ran up to her.

I grabbed her by her shoulders saying "TELL THEM WE'LL MEET THEM AT THE TOWN OF BEGINNINGS!!!" as I scurried to pull out my teleportation crystal. "Ahem" Toru said as I turned and she held one, I felt stupid after my scurry as I walked to her and held her hand a little embarrassed.

"Floor 1, Town of beginnings!"

She shouted a bit as I looked at her saying "Wait you can-" as my sentence was cut off by us teleporting to the Town of Beginnings. "-Specify?" I said as we got to the Town of Beginnings, she looked over and replied "Yeah, you didn't know that?" as she walked ahead. "Of course I didn't know!" I shouted a little, catching up to her as we walked over to an orphanage.

I looked at the Orphanage sign feeling uneasy as I said to her "Are you sure we're at the right place..?". "Yes, these are the coordinates Asuna sent me" Toru said to me as she walked in, I followed behind her as we saw a bunch of children playing and having fun in the area.

"Good god it's like World War Three in here..."

I thought to myself bracing myself as we walked through what was a play section of the orphanage. Asuna waved as we looked and walked over towards her. "Good to see you guys made it safely" Asuna said as Toru replied "Yeah, we have crystals on us all the time".

I looked at the table as there was the Orphanage caretaker, Asuna, Kirito, the 2nd in command of Aincrad Liberation Force Yulier, and a small girl with long black hair and gray eyes. "Hey Kirito?" I asked him as he turned his attention to me, "Who's kid is that?" I said pointing at the strange little girl sitting at the same table as us.