The Two Swordmasters

The Two Swordsmasters

The Two Swordsmasters

._._.~Five Years After Asuna's Return Home~._._.

The trees ruffled slightly as a teal haired young man slowly made his way to an old, burned home in the middle of the forest. His skin was lightly tanned and his arms were a bit muscular compared to a decade ago. Calloused hands were loose as he gripped a bow with an arrow already stringed. His arms were covered with bracers and wore a pair of slightly worn traveling boots. He wore an open black leather vest with an off-white ranch shirt underneath and dark brown pants. A small black clip secured a small bit of his bangs out of his eyes. His cerulean eyes were sharper than they were fifteen years ago as he observed the area around him. The forest was no longer its usual lush, vibrant self, but rather, a dull, dreary place. It made him wonder if it was really worth it coming back here. He sighed and said a single word with his mature high tenor voice. "Dead."

"Ahahaha...as much as I hate to admit it...." began a voice similar to his own behind him. The young man turned around to see his dirty blonde, twin brother scratching the back of his head with a disappointed look. His build was still slightly bigger than his brother and his height was just a centimeter taller. A sheathed silver sword was attached to his belt at his left side with a hand holding the handle. He wore brown leather fingerless gloves with two yellow gold feathers attached to the wrist and an off-white ranch shirt with his brother. Instead of a black vest, he wore a dark leather brown version. His pants were the same as his brother's. Apparently, they didn't have much to actually wear, but it worked one way or another. "It really is dead. I wonder if this has anything to do with him."

"...Maybe..." came his brother's answer. The both shared a grim look before continuing into the forest. They walked in silence, neither knowing what to say. After several long years, they had finally returned home. They never intended to leave in the first place, but at the time they were given no choice in the matter.

"It's been fifteen years...Yukio, do you think that pesky brat will remember us?" the older twin asked. The teal haired one, Yukio, shrugged as he stepped over a thick root.

"Eugeo, he was only four. I kind of doubt that he would." he said. Eugeo hummed in understanding. Over the past ten years, Yukio had gradually gone from speaking in short, one word answers to...a normal person...ish. Eugeo was overjoyed by the fact that he could finally hear his brother's voice more often than not.

"Maybe if we call you 'Yui-nii', then he would." Eugeo chuckled. Yukio sent him a glare.

"Shut up." he snapped. Eugeo just laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Ahahaha, if you say so~!" he sing-song voice. The younger twin glowered at him and decided to ignore him. It really made him wonder just how in the world did he manage to last this long with his annoying brother? Were the older ones usually this annoying?!

"S-setting that aside," Yukio said, changing the subject. "We should find that old woman who took care of Kirito a long time ago."

"You think she's still alive? I mean, it has been fifteen years..." Eugeo stressed, frowning a bit. The younger twin shrugged his shoulders.

"It's always worth a shot." he said. Eugeo stared at him for a moment to mull over the thought, before answering.

"Alright, Yu, let's go." He agreed.

"Now, let's just hope she isn't dead yet."

"...optimistic, aren't we...?"

._._._._._.

Kazuto cursed silently as he shot through the village. He just finished his duties at the farm nearby and he really needed to go back home. The animals on the farm were a bit of a handful, chickens somehow getting out of their pens, and causing mayhem for the cows and goats. He barely got five buckets filled with milk because of the mishap, and now, he was seriously late. He was a whole hour late.