The Breaking Point - Kirisuna

Really? Again?!

"My parents didn't get to raise me and I was an only child. I love Sugu but she's not my real sister and you can tell my parents treat me a little differently because I'm not their child too. It would've been nice to have a normal family, maybe even a real sibling that could feel the same things I'm feeling. I want Yui to have a sibling and for us to have a bigger family. For us to all have each other."

I didn't mean to worry her. Asuna turned to me with a sympathetic beam. She pulled me down on the park bench that was in front of the sandbox.

"I agree. I didn't have the best relationship with my parents and I wasn't around my brother a lot. I'd be more than happy to create that close knit family, not only for you, but for our future children too."

We grinned at each other before sharing a few quick pecks.

"Mommy! Daddy! Look what I made!" the small child yelled from a few feet.

A small sandcastle stood in the box now. It's was no where near perfect but it was Yui's first sandcastle, I was proud either way.

Asuna stood up to jog to Yui.

"This is great! Buttt... you need water to make an even better one. Let's go get some."

Asuna snatched the pail from the grain and held Yui's hand while walking to the open restrooms to fetch water.

I just watched in happiness. Simple life is the happy life I always say

. I enjoyed the spring breeze and the ambience which came with an empty park.

That was until my phone rang uncontrollably.

"This is Kazuto speaking."

"Mr. Kirigaya! There's been an emergency! A bug has been found in our system and we've been getting reports from inside the game. People are getting locked in ALO. They can't log out and we cannot log them out! We suspect it's happening from inside the game but we didn't want to makes moves without your judgement."

"How? I- ok ok. I'll be there as soon as possible. I don't know if this is severe so keep this away from reporters until I get there."

"Yes sir!"

I shut my phone down I racked my brain for every explanation possible.

Again. Really? Again?! How can this happen again?

... the seed? Is it possible the seed for Aincrad I donated to the game has the virus which locks people in the game? I mean, Sao was administratively controlled. But then again, Kayaba locked himself into the game too. The privilege he had was limited because he couldn't be seen making changes all the time, it was built into the cardinal system. The same system that could lock away an intelligence like Yui.

Was this my fault???

I stood up to pull Asuna and Yui from the activity they returned to.

"We gotta go."

"What happened?" Asuna being able to read my face immediately. Damn her for being so in tune with me.

"Kirito?" Asuna questioned me again and I took us into our work building.

"Right this way." A guard guided us into the safety team office.

"Daddy? I don't understand?". Little Yui studied the office we were in while I avoided Asuna's gaze. She was waiting on the explanation I was scared to give her.

"Yui, I need to ask for a favor."

"Of course!"

"I have here the world seed server for ALO. Can you connect through USB and run diagnostic. Anything suspicious you report to me."

"Got it !".  Yui's face scrunched in determination ready for her task. She planted her fingers on her temples to focus on all the information she was processing.

"Anything?" I asked. I didn't even notice me biting my finger nails obnoxiously.

"Kirito. I swear, if you don't tell me what's going on RIGHT NOW I-"

"Daddy! I keep getting reports from players inside the game of log out error. I tried going in and logging them out but the system is rejecting me. People are stuck in the game!" Yui blurted. Just what I was afraid of.

"W-What?!" Asuna looked horrified.

"Sir, what do we do?" my subordinates looked to me for the answer.

"..... I'm going to have to dive into the game and see what's wrong from the inside."

"Kirito, No! I forbid you. What'll happen if you get locked in the game too?!" Asuna held onto my wrist in a patronizing manner.

"I have no choice! What? Am I supposed to sit here and let people stay trapped while it's my responsibility for their diving safety? I have to do something."

"No. There has to be another way. Please..." The shake in Asuna's voice crushed my spirit. She knew the danger I had put myself in before. And she would have to watch me do it yet again.

"I'm sorry." Is all I could say.

"Then I'll come with you!"

"And leave Yui here alone? I don't think so. It's going to be alright, Asuna. This is my job. I love helping people, it's what I signed up for. I'm not going to endanger you or Yui doing my work."

"You can't be serious right now..." her hand let go of my wrist.

"Alright, team. Put me under."

Yui and Asuna followed me into the dive room where we would usually test the features on our dive products.

"Sir! When you're under we will be regulating your body and checking your ability to log out occasionally. If your body suffers and we can log you out, we will."

"What happens if he can't log out and he's suffering?" Asuna panicked.

The workers in the room stayed silent. It was best not to tell my fiancé that her hubby- to -be was destined to die in that circumstance and everyone would still be locked in ALO.

"Promise you won't dive in after me this time." I held out my pinky to Asuna. Pinky promises were sacred to us and I couldn't live with myself if she broke this particular one.

"But-"

"No buts. Promise me. I won't be long. I'll work as diligently as possible."

"I feel like I'm losing you all over again."

"Whoa. You are not losing me. Quickly in, quickly out. Once I come back, we can get right back to wedding planning. Deal?" I pushed my pinky closer to encourage her to make the promise.

Asuna's pinky wrapped around mine. Her face was angry in disappointment.

"If anything happens to you, I'll never forgive you."

"I love you too." I joked but Asuna wasn't having that.

"Good luck, Papa!"

I poked Yui's face in admiration like I usually do.

"LINK START!"

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A/N: it's not what you think. This is just a minor setback in a major operation. I needed the bits of drama okay? The next chapter will be better, I'm trying to optimize the Kirisuna love effect.

Yui's a real girl! I wanted to make a Pinocchio reference but I've never seen that movie, oops.