SAO What Ifs

Episode 21: Beyond Time

.*7/7/26: 9:59 AM; Ocean Turtle Sub Control Room*

The alarm kept going off, and there was 51 seconds and 8 milliseconds left until the underworld closed and the Max Acceleration kicked in, Renko was standing at the hatch waiting for Alice to be ejected from the Underworld. The ejection was at 93% once it reached 100 the light cube was in the hatch, Renko gasped since she was not expecting to get Alice out of there, but Kirito and Asuna were able to get her over to the real world side. 

Renko opened the hatch and she removed Alice's light cube then she looked to see that another one followed, "Asuna who is this last light cube?" Renko asked, "That is Eugeo, he is Alice's childhood friend and he recently became her boyfriend, they are very close." Asuna said, "Ok, Asuna both light cubes have been ejected now grab Kirigaya and log out of there." Renko said but Asuna had a different answer.

"I'm sorry Renko but I'm not logging out, I need to stay here with Kirito and he can't be here all by himself. If that happened he would be depressed for 200 years, and I can't have that so I'm staying here with him." Asuna said, "But, Asuna you don't have to." Renko said, "Yes I do actually, because I know that he needs me and I need him. But you'll like Alice. She is really sweet and so is Eugeo. Make sure that they are always together and happy, they both have the biggest hearts that I have ever known, please take care of them. Everyone who knows them loves them, so for their sake and for mine and Kirito's do not allow those hijackers in Main Con turn her into a weapon or anyone over there. Also please tell our family that we are sorry that this happened, tell our friends that I said thank you, I'm sorry, and Goodbye, one last thing please have Mr. Kekouka log into ALO and visit our log cabin in New Aincrad to tell our beloved Daughter Yui that we're sorry and that we love her." Asuna said, Renko gasped then the countdown hit 0, and the Max Acceleration kicked in now the Underworld was at 5,000,000 times normal speed and it was also closed so now Kirito and Asuna were stuck in there for 200 years.

Kekouka was heading down the ladder to the Maintenance Connecter, with Higa on his back. They hear the alarm and Kekouka looks up and he gasps because he has a feeling that Kirito and Asuna were both going to be stuck in the underworld. "Higa," Renko said the blond looked up and waited for Renko to speak, "I have Alice's light cube with me she is safe, and another citizen from the underworld came with her, his name is Eugeo. But Asuna will not be coming back to the Ocean Turtle, she is staying in the Underworld with Kirigaya. " Renko said, "She did, did she, well I had a feeling that might happen, but I will try to get them both logged out of there as soon as I can. Be ready to pop the locks on the bulkhead door when I call back." Higa said then the call ended and Kekouka started to head down the ladder again. 

Renko placed Alice and Eugeo's light cubes into a case for safe keeping, Renko sighed then the doors to sub con opened and Nakanishi walked in. "Dr. Kojiro," he said getting her attention, Renko looked in his direction so that she could hear what he had to say in the report. "Agents are standing by at the bulkhead door it's ready to be unlocked, it's clear so far just give the word and our plan can be put into motion." He said, Renko nodded, "Thanks I will do that," Then she turned back towards the monitor, there was a clock displayed and it showed how much time has passed inside the underworld, 'A minute has passed since the max acceleration phase has started, so 10 years have already passed in there. What is taking Higa so long to log them out? Hurry up Higa, Kekouka, these two need you both to be on your A game please don't get too slow remember that their AI daughter Yui needs her parents.' Renko thought, as she thought about what may happen if they failed at their mission.

Kekouka was having a hard time carrying Higa back down to the maintenance connector, but he was pulling through since Kirito and Asuna needed them at the moment. Higa was in his thoughts as well about bringing back the Blackswordsman and his Lightning Flash, and what might happen if they failed but he was brought out of his thoughts by Kekouka talking. "I beat your thinking that this is out of character for me don't you?" Kekouka asked, "No, well maybe since I never seen you like this before Kecks." Higa answered, "I figured that much Higa, I have a good reason for doing this, and yes one of them is to save Kirito and Asuna because they have been through so much in these past years and I'm deciding to give them a brake from our VR problems but there's another reason that is not as big as saving the power couple of SAO." Kekouka said, "You do?" Asked Higa, Kekouka nodded his head as he continued to head down the ladder.