Sword Art Online: The Crystal Swordsman

SAO Recollection

Upon leaving in the early morning, we returned home. When we got in the door however, I noticed something had come over K. He was looking blank and emotionless again. We all sat down and the others got to talking, but K didn't speak.

"Are you alright, K?" I asked.

He looked at me quickly then to everyone else. Soon, the room became silent and he took an uneasy breath.

"I think it's time I told you all this story..." K shivered.

"What's wrong, K?" Asuna also came to his aid alongside me.

Her and I were close so I thought nothing of it.

"My demons have been dealt with and suppressed thanks to you my love, but they rooted from a much darker evil..." K looked into my soul.

His eyes were a midnight purple without shine. It scared me.

"What kind of evil, K?" Leafa was unaware.

K slowly took his sword off his back to reveal that it had returned to its regular form. Without the galaxy inside, K's pure purple refined crystal blade was returned to normal. 'Soul' is what he calls this.

"It's time I told you all, about my side... of Sword Art Online..." K regretted to say.

The SAO survivors in the room froze and the others simply looked sad.

"Are you sure you want to do this K?" Asuna noticed his hesitation.

K just nodded quickly and shivered again. He bounced his leg impatiently and everyone waited.

"I started in the beta..." K said faintly.

"You were a beta tester too...?" Kirito didn't want to believe it.

"A VRMMO sword game? I couldn't pass that up..." K just looked at the floor.

"...Why didn't you tell us until now?" Kirito wanted to know information like that.

"...I buried most of my memories from SAO on purpose. I wanted to forget what happened and start anew... but in conquering my demons, I made way for the roots to resurface..."  K thought about it deeply.

"I'm sorry, K..." I realized this was my fault.

"No! Don't be sorry. You helped me, but I need your help again..." K asked.

"Always K. I will always be here for you." I said genuinely and held his hand.

K took a deep breath and paused.

"Take your time, K. We know exactly how you feel." Kirito and Asuna sat together.

"So do I..." Lizbeth admitted.

K gave her a smile from their distant memory but K recalled more events. I could almost see him sifting thru his memory. The events of SAO playing backwards until he reached...

"The beginning..." K remembered.

"Kayaba." Kirito said a name.

K's eyes began to water quickly. He froze and didn't speak.

"K??" I shook him.

"Maybe let him talk, Kirito." Lizbeth suggested.

Kirito looked at her.

"The tale of the Crystal Swordsman dates back long before Alfheim." Liz seemed to recall as well.

"You're saying..." Kirito was confused as to why he didn't hear of it then.

"It started in SAO." Lizbeth nodded.

Spriggan, Purple, Crystal Swordsman: K