Sword Art Online: Forgotten Edition

Fragment 22 - Day Off

Floors 19-21 were cleared through the hard efforts of the front liners. Hero has officially joined Haru's party and has gotten used to the rough situations that they would be put through. Although, the most recent floors haven't been too rough on them due to the fact that people have become more cooperative and stronger.

Floor 22 was a place that no one expected to exist in this virtual world. It was a place that seemed like a perfect area to relax, as the trees swayed from the breeze of the wind that passed through. There was a large lake in the center of the floor as it was surrounded by a sea of verdant leaves. The place embodied a sense of peace that they weren't able to experience on the previous floors.

"This feels nice~" sighed Haru he had his eyes closed while walking down a green path. The young boy was wearing a simple dark blue shirt and tan shorts that were different from his usual getup.

"I second that...This may be a death game, but it has its own positive aspects to it..." said Musashi as she was looking at the map of the floor. In contrast to her usual armored outfit, she was wearing a caramel-colored long sleeve and baggy dark brown pants as her casual clothes. Her hair was also braided to the side instead of her usual ponytail hairdo.

"It's hard to imagine that there are no monsters in this area, it's really spacious," Hero couldn't take his eyes off the blue sky that filled the entire floor. With his axe and shield unequipped, Hero's physique was exposed as he wore a red shirt that seemed a little tight on his body and loose black pants.

The trio followed a path until they found an open area near the edge of a cliff past the trees. The view that the cliff offered was extraordinary. They were able to see the lake from a high point of view, and the wind was calm as it passed through.

Haru was the first to settle down as he laid on his back to enjoy the game's current setting. Musashi and Hero did the same.

It was silent for a while until the youngest player broke the ice with a taboo question.

"Hey...do you guys miss your family?" He asked while staring at the sky with a passive expression.

People didn't talk about their real lives in the game because it was a sensitive topic, but Haru felt that since these are people he trusts there wouldn't be any harm in asking.

"Always...." immediately answered Musashi, "my mom, little sister...even my dad. A day hasn't gone by where I haven't thought about them."

"...." Hero looked at Musashi then stared at the blue sky. It took a bit for him to respond but he shared his true feelings. "I....hate my family, mainly my parents. The only person I didn't have any bad blood with was my big brother. We didn't talk much but...I know he looked out for me indirectly," he crossed his arms behind his head, "...I don't really miss anyone..." at that moment the face of a girl he knew in real life popped in his head, but he ignored it.

I guess everyone has their own family problems...Thought Haru.

"There are days where I forget because I'm having fun, but when I remember I just curl myself up into a ball and cry. My kind Mom who would sing me lullabies, my strong Dad always made me feel like a superhero and my older sister who was always looking out for me...I...miss them..." the young boy began to sob, wiping the tears on his face as they fell on the grass beneath him.

Musashi and Hero immediately sat up and looked at each other, then at the young boy.

That's right...he's only a kid. He's been put into a situation where he couldn't rely on anyone but himself. I lived away from my family so I was fine...but... Musashi had a pained expression on her face.

I forgot...Haru may be strong but he's not invincible. At a young age, he's put in a life or death situation but not by choice...Yet he's putting himself out there handling the situation, better than I did, and managed to be this strong. A small smile formed on Hero's lips.

"It's okay. We've gotten this far. Even though we're still about 80 floors away from reaching the top, there's no doubt that we'll get there. It's only the beginning," the older sister figure reached out and began to rub Haru's head, "you'll be alright," she said softly.

"Yeah! As Musashi said, it's only the beginning! By the time we know it, we'll already be at the top! Along with our allies, this virtual hell will be over! Besides, I'm blessed by Lucifer, the fallen angel! I'll...We'll get stronger, and you'll see your family!" Hero jumped up and stuck his arm out for Haru to grab.

The young player wiped away his tears then looked up at his comrade and grabbed onto his arm. "Thanks, guys." he looked at Hero and Musashi with a smile on his face.

The trio would be set to do great things in the future, but little did they know of the dangers that awaited them in the upper floors to come. As they got stronger, so did the enemies. Soon "struggling" became a common thing and the only way to overcome that was working together.