Published: 01/14/2017; Saturday; 11:38pm; Unedited

Almost two thousand words. Huh. Haven't written that much for a single chapter in a while. 

Chapter 8

Kirito met up with Leafa, and they were walking around when Leafa got a message from Sakuya about a forwarded message about something that had happened in the game while they were gone.

"Ah," her eyes widened, "according to other players, apparently a girl fell from the World Tree and has been on the run. Some think that she's a special event or quest for the World Tree." Kirito froze, his own eyes widening, he could only think of one person who could pull that off.

"Is there any update on where she is now?" he asked, and Leafa was surprised at how serious is is suddenly. 

"Mm," she hummed, finishing the message, "there are people still chasing her, and by the looks of it, she should be nearing our current location."

"We're going to catch her."

"Eh?"

"Let's go."

"Wha-- wait! Kirito!"

~*~

These people were persistent, she would give them that. She had been running for a while now, eventually running out of the city and across a field of green to who knows where. She just needed to get away from that tree and maybe figure out how this keycard could work.

"Damn," Ume hissed, she was actually feeling rather exhausted, even if she was still in a virtual body, it still seemed to replicate her normal bodily reactions to things she would get tired from IRL. The last few people who had followed her this far had finally slowed to a stop not too long ago, and she really had to pick up the pace when they started flying, glad that Sugo had been stupid enough to probably not change her stats.

Oh yes, she knew all about him copying the algorithm of her Uncle's game and simply changing it to how he saw fit, he had, after all, admitted it to her face. Probably in hopes of thinking him smart.

Idiot.

She glanced behind her, glad to see no one, before slowing to a stop, gasping for breath, falling to her knees, her arms holding her up from hitting her head on the ground. Maybe she shouldn't have pushed herself so hard. But then they would have caught her and asked her questions. How was one supposed to explain her position?

A crazy bastard kidnapped my mind while I was being released from SAO along with three hundred other people and is holding all of us captive while conducting experiments on their brains and I need to figure out how to use this card so I can log out and save myself and everyone from the crazy bastard who I also happened to be in an one-sided arranged marriage with.

That would totally work.

She had to keep moving.

Looking up from the artificially perfect grass, ahead of her was just more greenery, but she saw mountains. To the right, their was a distant city from where she came from, the giant tree definitely giving it away. If she had been in a different position, she would stare at the tree from how beautiful it was, but that wasn't the luxury she had. To her left, she saw--

Oh no.

She shakily stood up, gripping the keycard, and started running again, but her legs gave out on her and fell. 

"Damn it!" she closed her eyes, and awaited the arrival of the two players she saw heading her way.

"Mue!" she jerked, hearing her player name before whipping around, eyes wide. The blonde seemed to be looking at her companion in confusion so Ume looked at him instead, and her first thought was no fucking way. "Ume!" Her mouth dropped and the blonde jerked to a stop with sudden horror as Kazuto-- Kirito-- landed and ran to her. As soon as he reached her, she was engulfed in a bone-crushing hug, as if he was afraid she would disappear from his arms.

Again.

"Kirito...?" she whispered, hesitantly hugging him back. "Oh my-- you're actually here...you...why are you...?" She pushed him away, looking at the different features that his character seemed to have. It was strange.

"For you," he breathed and she felt her heart clench at the words, before he corrected himself, "I'm here to get you out, I promised Asuna, and your family."

"You've met my family?" she parroted, seemingly embarrassed. "Great." She looked at the blonde standing not too far away, she was quivering, tears in her eyes. Her mouth opened.

"Nii-chan...?" Kirito whipped around, a small 'eh?' coming from his lips and he seemed to stare at her for a moment. "Nii-chan...is that you?"

"No way...Suguha?" Kirito called back and Ume could only watch awkwardly as the girl-- Suguha-- suddenly let her tears spill, and she turned around quickly, bringing up a menu and logging out. "Wait-- Sugu!"

"Who was that?" Ume asked, and Kirito bit his lip before looking at her.

"That was my sister," he paused, "apparently." She raised a brow.

"You didn't know it was her?" Before he could say anything she raised a hand, "Whatever, just get out of here and go talk to her. Obviously she didn't expect you to be playing again," she threw an accusing look at him and he looked away, then looking at her again.

"Just promise me you'll stay here. Wait until I come back."

"I don't know Kirito, I need to move. I can't risk getting caught, I can't go back to that cage." She shook her head, hugging herself. Kirito's eyes locked onto the card in her hands.

"What's that?" he gestured to it, and she shook her head.

"I'll tell you when you get back. Go." He frowned but pulled up his menu with his left hand (how original, Sugo, she thought sarcastically) and got ready to log out, looking at her firmly.

"Stay here." 

He logged out before she could say anything, and she huffed, trying to pull out the grass with a pout, grumbling.

"Bakazuto."

~*~

It took a long time, and Ume was actually getting anxious. Surely Sugo would realize soon or have been messaged by his followers that she had escaped. He would do something and she was running out of time to figure out how to get out.

She stared at the keycard. tapping it to see if it was an item, but then again, it might not even be an option for her. She tried opening her a menu with her left hand, like Kirito, and unsurprisingly, nothing happened. Then, as a last resort, she pretended to slide the card, left hand again, in the air, and a screen popped up.

A search engine.

"Oh my gods," she whispered, a keyboard had appeared and she immediately started typing, immediately going for a social media site in hopes of contacting her family and telling them to not have her marry Sugo as well as what was going on.

She was able to log in to facebook.

She breathed out from her nose, checking around her again, making sure she was safe, and went back to the holographic screen. A message popped up.

Narashi Kazuhiko has sent you a message.
-Who are you. 
-What are you doing on my sister's account.
-If you don't confess, I'll track you.

She let out a breathy laugh, because of course her brother would do something like that. She responded quickly.

~I don't think you can track your own sister who stuck inside this stupid game, nii-chan.

There was a pause before the ellipses popped up and she looked around nervously as she waited for her brother to reply, making sure there was no one around still. Kazuto was taking his sweet time.

She got a reply. 

-You're playing a dangerous game.
-Tell me who who are and maybe I'll think about not going calling the authorities.

She huffed.

~My name is Narashi Ume.
~When you were fifteen, you lost your virginity to a third year girl because of a bet and you had a bruise for two weeks because of that.
~My favorite snack is red bean buns and you hate that I eat them so much.
~When I was eight, you decided it was a good idea to take me to the pool and throwing me in despite not knowing how to swim.
~Mama and Papa had a thing for ferry boats.
~My nickname was the Ice Queen.
~And I am now apparently going to marry that bastard Sugo at the end of the week without getting a say in it and that's not okay.
~Asshole is crazy get a restraining order on him.

She paused when she got no response, only staring at the ellipses that has been there for a while as she sent facts about them.

-Ume?
~The one and only.
-Oh my god
-Where are you.
~I don't have much time to explain, so I'll summarize it as best as I can.
-Go for it.
~Sugo created a game called AlfHeim Online or something like that; when SAO was cleared, he trapped three hundred players' minds and is currently conducting experiments on their brains, and I was one of those people. Unfortunately, I'm on of the three hundred, but he decided to keep me in a cage so I could be a source of entertainment and have been dubbed as "his Titania". I won't mention the things he's done, but I need you to convince mama and papa to cancel the marriage. I was able to get out of the cage and get a card that seems to be my way out, it's the only reason I'm able to contact you right now, and a friend from SAO (Kirito, he's the one who got us out) had found out I'm here and is also trying to help me get out. 
-I never liked Sugo.
~You and me both, brother.
-What should I tell mom and dad?
-Should I tell them about everything?

~Yeah. And the authorities. Sugo needs to be put in an asylum, never to see the light of day again.
-I got you, Imouto. Will I be able to contact you again?
~Highly unlikely. I'm pretty sure Sugo plans on doing something to get me back and I'll most likely leave the keycard in Kirito's care. 
-...okay.
~Oh he's back. I have to go.
-I'll see you soon, Ume. I'll get you all the red bean buns in the store's inventory.
~I'll hold you to that.

She closed the hologram and Kirito looked at her surprised, "What was that?" She lifted the keycard before standing up and going to him, grabbing his hand and setting it in his palm before closing his fingers around it, holding his hand still.

"The key to saving me and the other two hundred-ninety-nine people trapped here."