๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฎ. ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ, ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป. ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ผ๐ฒ'๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น, ๐ญ๐ฒ:๐ฏ๐ฌโฆ
It was a cold evening in the city, but many people were still out in the streets, preparing or finishing their shopping for the incoming festivities.
Yet, one could easily tell that the mood wasn't as cheerful as it usually was around this time of the year. In fact, one could notice the same in almost every corner of Japan.
As one girl currently sitting at the side of a hospital bed knew, that was because of the incident that had affected the whole nation.
Even now, almost 2 months since it began, the Sword Art Online Incident still affected everyone in the country and even the world beyond. No one had been able to find a way or clue about how to release the trapped players yet, and that was something that affected everyone's morale, though it was certainly harder for the families or loved ones of those trapped inside that virtual world.
And Kirigaya Suguha was one of such people. As she did almost every day, the young girl sat while looking at the unconscious form of her 'brother', that thrice dammed helmet around his head seeming like a physical curse in her eyes.
He was getting thinner and his skin had gone a little paler. It hurt her, seeing him like that, way worse than she had ever thought anything could hurt her.
She just couldn't believe that just when they FINALLY had begun to reconnect, to stop being two strangers in the same house and to get to know each other again, when they had found something they could enjoy togetherโฆsomething like THIS had happened.
It almost seemed like a cruel joke of the world. The 'revelation' that her mother had given her not long ago didn't exactly help matters.
To think that she and Kazuto weren't really brother and sisterโฆof course, she didn't think anything less of him just because he had been adopted, and technically he was still her cousin, butโฆ
Suddenly, the strange and unexplainable way in which he had started to drift apart from her and her parents since 4 years ago made much more sense. The boy must have discovered the truth and, being only 10 years old at the time, it had affected him very badly. He had isolated and tried to distance himself emotionally from them because, suddenly, he didn't feel as if he belonged with their family.
She had taken it way better because, despite being just thirteen years old, she was also very mature for her age. Maybe it was because of how she had been practicing kendo since very young. Their grandfather had always been very strict and insisted that the sport needed as much mental as physical fortitudeโฆ
An old memory of the short time her brother practiced kendo together with her shot through her mind. That also brought back that day he told their grandfather that he didn't want to practice anymore, mainly because of his growing interest in computers thanks to the influence of their mother job on him. The man, who was someone deeply rooted in old traditions, had been outraged by that.
But then, Suguha had then gotten in the way and told him that she would train hard enough for the two of them, to calm down their grandfather, scared that he would end up hitting Kazuto with his shinai.
She remembered that the boy had been especially sweet with her after thatโฆuntil he found out the 'truth', at least.
That had changed again when they shared that seemingly silly but precious moment, laughing and enjoying together the adventures of a bald man frustrated of ending every fight with one punch. That seemingly unimportant anime had managed to make them close again. Suguha couldn't remember being happier in a long time.
And now, because of a madman's whims, Kazuto wasโฆ
"Onii-chanโฆ" muttered the girl while putting a hand over his. "I miss youโฆ"
Closing her eyes, she tried to give some of the warmth of her hand to his, despite knowing it would be futile. Thanks to the 'Nerve Gear', no external stimuli could reach Kazuto. She could understand it better now, at least.
The first week of the incident she had spent many nights crying at his side, sometimes even shouting and asking him to wake up between sobs, even going so far of blaming him for breaking their promise just to see if he would react.
She felt the worst after having said those words, despite knowing he couldn't hear her.
A look at the clock made her aware that it was almost 5 in the evening. She would need to head home soon.
Through the first weeks of the incident, either she or her mother would sometimes spend the night in the hospital, she more often than not despite what her mother said.
Eventually, she had returned to 'normalcy', going to school and her kendo practices and trying to not let what had happened show too much.
With a final sigh, the girl let go of her adopted brother's hand, standing up and giving him one last glance before exiting the hospital room.
Even as she walked out of the hospital and into the cold night, Kirigaya Suguha couldn't help but feel very small.
"โฆthere is nothing I can do for himโฆ" she weakly muttered as she started her walk back home. "Onii-chanโฆI wish Iโฆ"
The girl closed her eyes, banishing that line of thought for her own good before looking at the passing cars. She shouldn't be feeling bad for something like that.
After all, she was just a teenage girl. There was nothing she could possibly do forโฆ
'๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐โโฆ๐๐ ๐๐.'
Suguha froze, those words suddenly shooting through her mind even as her eyes widened.
'๐ผ๐ก'๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ข๐ก ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐! ๐ผ๐ก'๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐, ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐, โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ค!'
Suddenly, the girl was no longer walking but running back home.
๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ
After watching One Punch-Man together with her brother, Suguha has been the first one in asking the usual question of 'Who is your favorite character?'
Her brother, obviously, had answered Saitama and refused to change it when she had asked who else BESIDES Saitama.
In his own joking words, why would he need to choose anyone that wasn't as cool as the guy who could beat everyone and everything (Even if that frustrated him most of the time) with no real effort?
That had ended up with her pouting and mock-hitting him, even as he pleaded between laughs for her to stop.
Then, he had asked who HER favorite character was, if it wasn't Saitama. Kazuto seemed to be sure she was going to say 'Genos', so he seemed truly surprised by her answer.
Because there had been a character who both siblings had laughed at, the first time they saw him. Whose character's name in itself was a 'joke' about a much more famous and older series of Japanese heroes. He was not only a side-character but also a 'crappy' one at that.
He wasn't impressive in any sense, didn't had any 'cool' powers, equipment or abilities like others, much cool-looking, heroes had. He didn't seem to be more than a running joke.
And then, the Sea King Arc happened.
Even when the mighty monster had totally destroyed several heroes, all of them much more powerful than him, one being even an S-ClassโฆDespite the fact that there was no way for him to do ANYTHING against itโฆthat man had still faced it, stopping the Disaster Level-Demon monster from killing Genos.
Not even he believed he could slow down the powerful beast, much less win against it. He KNEW he was fighting a hopeless battle, that he was most likely going to dieโฆ
But he had still fought on. He had still used every ounce of his will to stand time and time again, despite his body being beaten and broken by the Sea King, who didn't even have to try hard to slam him away.
Because that's what a HERO had to do. Because he was someone who truly embodied that ideal. Because no matter how weak or useless he was, no matter how little he could do, he was ready to give it ALL to protect the innocents, all in the name of Justice.
His words had even managed to make the hopeless people BELIEVE in him and cheer him up, even when he himself had accepted he had no chance. His Will and Spirit were contagious, his Heart pure and righteous, even more so than any other character in the strange series except for maybe Saitama.
And in a way, his effort had been WORHT IT. Despite utterly losing, as it was clear was going to happen, both siblings had realized that, if he hadn't been there and done his best, Genos and all the civilians there would have died before Saitama showed up. The Strongest Man himself had been there to catch him when he fell, and tell him something that rang more true than anything else, before going to save the day himself.
'๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก. ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ก.'
Despite Kazuto's denials when she called him out on it later, she would always know that even her brother had been moved by the speech of the one who called himself the Cyclist for Justice.
That was why Licenseless Rider was and would always be her favorite character.
Because despite seeming nothing more than a powerless guy that ran around failing, at the end of the day, he was much more of a Hero than many others, stronger ones.
He was someone who had a Heart of Justice.
And remembering his words had shaken Suguha to the core, making her wonder WHY she had felt so useless and just cried for so long.
Because even if she was small, just a simple teenager that had no way of helping her brother or doing anything about the SAO Incident, she could still TRY to do SOMETHING.
How could she just surrender and cry when she hadn't even tried yet? Hadn't Licenseless Rider taught her (Like many other hidden 'teachings' that the seemingly silly anime had) that one shouldn't give up until trying their very best?
And so, that's why she was currently sitting on her brother's room, the 3 monitors of his computer turned on as she finished reading what she needed.
The clock said that it was 7 in the evening. She had spent a bit more than an hour, but now she knew all that she could about the SAO Incident without being part of the government. She had gone through all the news and official info she could find, and even through some forums where people discussed everything about it, from theories about Kayaba Akihiko's plans to fundraisings for the people whose families were trapped. She had even discovered that the daughter of Yuuki Shouzou, CEO of RECT Inc. (The company currently taking charge of the SAO Servers), was also one of the victims of the incident.
Smiling softly at remembering it had been Kazuto who had showed her what she knew about how to navigate through the network so efficiently, while they had been looking for the One Punch-Man manga, Suguha closed the last window after finishing writing something on a paper and started to turn off the computer, thinking.
She gave another look to the clock, then at the small paper where she had written the address of the SAO Case Victims Rescue Force's building on the city.
Her mother was going to be late for work again that day and she didn't want to worry her, but she would never make it in time running, and she didn't have any money for the bus right thenโฆ
Suddenly, Suguha's eyes widened and, after an instant of hesitation, the girl ran downstairs.
Slowly, the door of the small garage of the Kirigaya House opened.
As if it was meant to be specifically dramatic, the light coming from it directly illuminated the object lying against the wall on the furthest corner of it, forgotten by time and yet seeming as sturdy and ready as ever.
Suguha could swear she was hearing a certain epic and very cool Theme Song playing on the background even as she looked directly at her brother's old bicycle.
Quickly, the girl walked towards itโฆand stopped, as if just remembering something. It was silly, almost stupid, really, and she needed to hurry, butโฆ
"โฆwhere did mom put those bicycle helmets?" muttered the young kendoka while starting to look around for said items.
And as Suguha walked towards some of the boxes of the garage to search for a helmet she could useโฆshe didn't see how the bicycle suddenly shone with ethereal light, for a brief instant.
The next moment, she shouted in victory at having found a (Strangely of her size) soft-green and yellow riding helmet.
Even as the girl exited the house atop the bicycle, on Its Throne Above Everything, [FATE] smiled once again.
It looked like things were going to get even more interestingโฆ
๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ
๐ก๐๐ซ๐ง ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ช!
"Huff, wah, how long has it been since I rode one of theseโฆ? Uh? Oh, hi everyone, this is Suguha! Uhm, I'm not really sure of what's going on, but it seems I need to give you the preview for the next chapterโฆKids, never do something like this while riding a bicycle, okay?! It's dangerous and you may get hurt! Anyway, next time on 'One Punch-Gamer': 'Inner Strength!' Kirito meets someone he thought he wasn't going to see again, and he and his disciple suddenly haveโฆfollowers? And what will happen when the wish of one for surpassing her limits grows stronger?! Don't miss it!...wait, what's this even about? Who is Kirito? Ahh, I don't have time for this, I need to keep moving! Don't worry Onii-chan, I will do my best for helping yo-!"
๐๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ช!