Sixteen years later... 

Kirito 

I woke up, in the simulation room, felt like I was in a dream. It felt fuzzy, but I couldn't remember what I was thinking about. 

As I walked out, I just felt something , something that I had forgotten. 

I shook off the feeling, as I promised to meet someone that I care about. Asuna. 

Asuna Yuki. She is the important person in my life , as our relationship is everything to me. 

Ever since we met in SAO, she was always support me, and I couldn't bear of something would happen to her. 

I sigh as I sat down in Agil's place. 

"Kirito, you feeling ok?" I turn to see my friend, Sinon, who helped me get through another game called GGO. 

She used to have a terrible past of handling guns. When she was a kid, she and her mother were in a bank and a gun owner was about to hurt her . 

In freight, she used a gun and pulled its trigger to protect her, but in the end, it gave her a terrible fear of it ever since.

"I'm sorry, Sinon, I just lost in thought, that's all." I replied to her as she sat down. 

"Say, Kirito, I think that you lost some weight the last time I saw you." She said, as I realize maybe she was right. 

Ever since Rath recruited me to be a test subject, I wasn't able to sleep well, and it totally effect me. 

But something else was bothering me, like that I had forgotten something important, but what could it be?

As I was thinking, the door opens as I saw Asuna coming inside from the pouring rain! 

"A-Asuna!?!" I exclaimed with pure shock, but Sinon smiles at her with a greeting, "Hey, there, Asuna." 

I said, "Asuna, why are you here?" 

My girlfriend seems to be annoyed by my question. "Kirito, I came by to check on you. Seriously, you really had me worried." 

I sigh, "I'm so sorry that I worried you, Asuna. But Rath really is something else. It allows me to go through a simulation, but I had no recollection of what I done .

All the memories were gone. " 

The girls were amazed by this, as Asuna said, "Really? Well, that is something ." 

I nod, with total concern. 

As the rain stopped, Asuna and I walked home together. 

"Kirito, have you decided what to do?" She asks. 

I was offered to go to America to see the new technology that they have , and see what type of games they had. 

But I knew for certain . ... I can't thought of leaving Asuna behind. 

"Asuna, I did decided. I'm going to go to America after all. With everything that had happened during the Ordinal Scale and SAO, I ... I want you to come with me! 

I know I'm asking too much of leaving your family behind, Asuna. It's just that... I can't bear of leaving you! "

Asuna smiles at me, as if she knew that I would ask her . 

"Kirito, I would go anywhere with you. " 

We begin to blush furiously, as I said, "Asuna." 

That was when we kissed. 

I sigh in total relief that she is going to be with me to America. As we walked through the dark streets, I felt that something wasn't right. 

"Asuna, stay behind me." I instruct her, as I was guarding her to preventing her from getting hurt. 

"Well, well, it seems I had found you, Kirito." The person before us said. 

In the shadows, it was a boy around our age, but I knew that we encounter each other before. 

The guilt shook me like a lighting bolt. 

"Death Gun!" I declared, realizing who he was. I was in protective mode around Asuna, as I tried to pull out my sword, but I realized that there wasn't one. 

"Oh, right, it's just a reflex." I thought in my mind as Death Gun was getting closer to me. 

"Honestly, I can't believe this is the Black Swordsman, the one who beaten me in GGO. Well, it's time for you to die!" 

He has a dart , but I knew that I have to counter it. 

I pushed Asuna, as I said, "Asuna, you have to get out of here, quick as you possibly can, do you understand?"

I pulled out my umbrella, as he and I crossed paths as he stabbed me with the dart as I stabbed him within his leg. 

Last thing I hear was Asuna. 

"Kirito!!!!!!" 

Asuna

I panted with fear. I look closer to Kirito, as an total relief, it seems that the dart make him into a coma-like status, as if it would take days for him to wake up. 

I lifted Kirito to his house, as Sugu saw her older brother unconious. "What the hell happened?" She stated . 

I sighed, looking at Kirito in a worried state. 

"We were ambushed by Death Gun." I said, as the teen was in total shock of what happened to us. 

"You can't be serious. Why would Death Gun attack both of you? It doesn't seem fair." She said, as we put Kirito to his bed. 

"I really don't know. All I know is that Kirito actually put Death Gun to the ground by stabbing him with his umbrella as a defense item. 

I couldn't protect him." I said, felt awful for what happened to my boyfriend. 

Sugu sees the tension inside me, as she touches my shoulder. "Asuna, you really don't have to worry about Kirito. 

He'll be back to us before you know it." 

I stare at him, "I really hope that you are right about this , Sugu. I really do. I won't rest until he is back safe and sound." 

I sigh, as I thought in my mind, 

"Kirito... wherever you are, I hope that you wouldn't be so reckless or do anything crazy."