Sword Art Online: The Swords of Night and Dusk

Chapter 13: Yui's Heart

The Next Day...

October 25th, 2024 Floor 1: Town of Beginnings

Kirito, Yuuki, and Yui stay at a church where the woman Kirito helped earlier, Sasha, looks after children who have become trapped in SAO. Yui recovered from her panic attack, but sadly, Sasha has no information that can help lead to Yui's parents when Kirito and Yuuki asked.

"Sorry to barge in." said a woman entering the building, she then turns to Kirito and Yuuki and Yui and bows her head, "My name's Yulier.  I apologize for the conduct of the soldiers from the previous day. I need your help, Kirito.  The Army had become corrupt as a result of the influence of Kibaou." 

Yuuki's eyes widended.  The player who first called Kirito a "Beater".   She turned to Kirito, he seemed angry.  But she could tell that it wasn't that he was called Beater because of Kibaou always causing pain and distrust to others.

"He's the vice-leader of the Army." continued Yulier, "Kibaou was also responsible for sending the group of Army players to fight the Gleam Eyes, a fight that resulted in massive casualties, including the party's leader Kobatz." 

She also explained that leaders of the guild were ready to expel Kibaou, but Kibaou managed to trap the Army's leader, Thinker, in a dungeon located beneath the first floor.  Kirito and Yuuki became suspicious of the story. 

"You sure?" asked Yuuki, she then leaned towards Kirito, "Could it be a trap?"

"I don't know." said Kirito, "Could be...who knows...after all...I am Kibaou's most hated player..."

"I believe that she's telling the truth." said Yui looking at both her parents.

Thus, Kirito and Yuuki decide to defer to their daughter's judgment and help Yulier.  When they got to the dungeon, they encountered many powerful high-level monsters lurking about, which Kirito was able to fend off.   He was fighting a bunch of huge crab-like monsters while the others were talking as Kirito had his fun.  He soon came back.

"How're you, Night?" asked Yuuki.

"I had a blast, Dusk." said Kirito as he giggled from his nickname, "Besides, they dropped some items."

"Really?  You get anything good?"

"Uh huh."

Kirito then pulled out what seemed like a red leg.  Yuuki gulped at the look of the item.

"Wh-what is that?!" she stammered.

"The remains from the monsters." said Kirito, smirking.

"You mean those weird crabby things?!"

"Hey, you know what they say, 'The weirder the meat, the better the taste', maybe you can cook somehting up later?"

"Not on your life!"

Yuuki then threw the leg from Kirito's hand and threw it away.

"Yuuki!" said Kirito, he then opened hismenu again, "Dang it, then what am I supposed to do with THESE?!"

Kirito took out a whole pile of the legs.  He began to play throw them at his shrieking in-game wife.  After they were done, they then found Thinker. 

"Thinker!" said Yulier.

"Oh, thank goodness!" said Thinker.

All of  a sudden, the group is attacked by the Fatal Scythe, a powerful boss monster suited for floor 90 and higher.

"Go, we'll hold it off!" shouted Kirito and Yuuki.

As Yulier and Thinker teleport out of the dungeon using a nearby GM console, Yui suddenly summons a massive flaming sword and fells the Fatal Scythe in a single stroke.  H-how?!  thought Kirito.  Her parents came by.

"You remember, don't you?" said Kirito.

"Yes...Kirito...Yuuki..." replied Yui, her parents slightly flinched, "...everything in Sword Art Online is controlled by one, single, massive system called Cardinal. It was designed to operate entirely on its own. It functions to regulate balance of SAO according to its very own discretion. From monsters, NPCs, and AIs, to drop rates for items and money. Everything here is controlled by whatever kind of process Cardinal executes, including the psychological care for players. Mental Health Counseling Program, prototype one, code name; Yui, me."

"AI." said Kirito in a pained tone "Artificial Intelligence."

"Mhm...that's why I'm able to put players at ease when they're around me. That's also why I have the emulating-complex-emotions ability. Nothing about me is real...even these tears aren't real..."

"Then, what about your amnesia?" asked Yuuki.

"Ever since the official launch of SAO, the Cardinal Program restricted me from contact from other players, just to monitor their mental states. Rage, terror, and despair was all I could see, but then I noticed you two, you two had joy that filled each others hearts whenever there's doubt, and I wanted to get as close to you as I could..."

"So that's why you were in the forest."

"My capabilities for each player was different. For you two, I was someone you could take care of...nurture...and for the very first time...I...I...I felt like a real person, not just some AI that cane mimic human emotions."

"Maybe that's because you're feeling REAL emotions." said Kirito.

"Why, that's silly. I just a program. Everything I am is just ultimately code."

Yuuki then placed her hands on Yui's shoulders and kissed her fore head.

"Oh, Yui," she said, cupping her daughter's cheek, "we're a family now, AI or no AI, you're our friend, a family...a daughter...me and Yuuki's daughter..."

"Go on." said Kirito, "Tell us what you want. Speak your mind, Yui."

Yui's eyes widened in shock. She was surprised, even though she explained what she really was, they still accepted her. She then held out her arms.

"I...I want to stay with you...forever!" she said with tears in her eyes, "Mommy...daddy!"

"Then you shall." said Kirito

The two then pulled their daughter in close. But then, Yui's smile saddened.

"Thank you." she said, and her body began to glow.

"Wh-what's going on?!" asked Yuuki in panic.

"I rejected the system's orders...I'm being erased..."

"There's gotta be a way to-!"

"It's okay...Mama...you take care Papa...the two of you...please bring happiness to others."

Yui's body then disappeared. Yuuki collapsed onto the ground in defeat. But then she heard Kirito scream in rage.

"Kayaba!" he shouted, he then got to the GM console that was next to them and began to type super really, really fast, "You're not taking anyone else from us!"

Soon, the computer exploded.

"What did you do?" asked Yuuki.

He then handed Yuuki a tear-shaped item.

"Wh-what is this?" she asked.

"Her physical make up was corrupted.  I stored her in my Nervegear's local memory as that item." replied Kirito, a smile then formed in his face, "It's Yui's heart."

Yuuki then began to cry. Yuuki began to comfort her. She then handed him back the item.

"Here," she said with a forced smile, "You should take it."

"No," said Kirito as he handed it back, "you take it. You'd look prettier with that."

Yuuki smiled back and kissed Kirito. She then placed it on her neck. The duo then headed back to Floor 22. Where hopefully, everything would be better.

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Thanks for Reading!

Yui, no!