The surviving members of Laughing Coffin were all sent to the prison.
The reactions among the surviving front-liners varied widely.
Some sighed in relief that the battle was over. Others mourned fallen comrades.
Some vented their rage at the enemy. Others sat in silence.
The atmosphere, unsurprisingly, was heavy.
Even Kirito, with a grim expression, approached Hachiman.
"It's over."
"Yeah."
"How many for you, Hachiman?"
Kirito asked hesitantly, choosing his words carefully.
"Four."
"Same here. They say fifteen total, so you and I took out more than half."
As key figures in defeating the enemy executives and ending the battle, Hachiman and Kirito, due to their strength, had faced more enemies than most, resulting in them killing more players than the others.
Amid the somber mood, Klein suddenly stood up and shouted.
"We did kill the enemy! But in doing so, we protected those who would've been victims! Let's not forget that!"
It might've been just words, but they rang true—a lifeline for the front-liners.
"Exactly!"
"We protected the people we care about!"
"Everyone, hold your heads high!"
The group seemed to regain some spirit, voices of agreement rising here and there.
Those who had been sitting stood up, lifted their faces, and began heading out of the cave one by one.
Outside, Asuna rushed over, worry etched on her face.
"You're both okay. Thank goodness."
"Yeah."
"I heard PoH wasn't there."
"Right. Probably planned to use his men as decoys from the start."
"One guy can't do much alone. Just stay vigilant, and we're good."
Klein and Egil joined them, and the five started walking toward town.
Egil was the first to speak.
"Sorry, you two. This kind of thing should be handled by us adults, but we ended up putting a heavier burden on you."
Kirito responded.
"Egil, none of that. It just happened this way. We all discussed and decided this together. I know it's weird coming from me, but we all share the weight equally. Don't sweat it."
Klein nodded enthusiastically.
Hachiman stayed silent—not unusual for him, but he seemed... distant, like his heart wasn't present.
"Hachiman...?" Asuna ventured.
"Hm? Oh, what's up?"
"Nothing, just... everyone else is showing some gloom, but you seem..."
"Are we that obvious?" Kirito asked.
"Yeah. Klein's trying so hard to act cheerful it's obvious. Egil's probably used to hiding it from running a shop, but his face is stiff. And Kirito, it's like there's a big 'doom' written behind you."
The three reacted.
"That's..."
"Asuna's been..."
"Starting to sound like Hachiman!"
"Oi, what do you guys take me for?"
Hachiman snapped back, briefly shaken from his daze.
Asuna, hearing their responses, hurriedly apologized.
"Sorry, I was so worried earlier, but seeing you all okay made me relax, and I just..."
"Asuna, that's not a save," Kirito teased.
The five finally cracked smiles at their banter.
"You two really save us."
"Yeah, it's reassuring."
"Hachiman never wavers, huh."
Asuna's expression darkened slightly at that.
"I wasn't there, so I can only imagine how tough it was for everyone. But I can't truly understand that pain, so all I can do is try to stay positive..."
"That's enough, Asuna. No one wants to see you down," Kirito said.
"Yeah, your positivity saves us too," Klein added.
"Asuna, we want you to keep smiling!" Egil chimed in.
The three spoke in unison.
"Thanks, and... sorry," Asuna said, bowing to them.
"What now? Grab some food?" Kirito suggested.
"Yeah, Hachiman, you in?"
Hachiman remained silent, that distant air about him again.
"Hachiman...?" Asuna tried, shaking him lightly.
"Hm? Food? Nah, I'll pass for today."
"Alright."
"Then let's head out."
"Uh, Asuna?" Klein asked.
Kirito pulled Klein closer and whispered.
"Look at Asuna, man."
"Huh?... Oh."
Asuna hadn't let go of Hachiman's sleeve since shaking him, clutching it with a worried look—a telltale sign she was concerned or anxious about him.
"See ya!" Klein called.
"Yeah," Hachiman replied.
The three headed toward the town's bustling district.
"You're not going, Asuna?"
"Oh, um, Kirito, hold on."
Assuming Asuna was joining the others, Hachiman turned and started walking alone toward the teleport gate.
Asuna, still concerned, ran to Kirito to thank him.
"Kirito, thank you so much for watching Hachiman's back."
"Hey, I promised. Hurry up, he's getting away."
"Right."
Asuna chased after Hachiman.
The three, walking on, talked about him.
"You notice, Egil?"
"Yeah, something's off with Hachiman."
"Huh? Isn't he always like that?"
"His words, sure, but he was... spacey."
"Looked to me like his heart wasn't there."
"Now that you mention it, yeah, maybe."
"Asuna seemed to pick up on it too. It'll be fine with her," Kirito said.
"Yeah, she's got Hachiman covered," Egil agreed.
"Sounds kinda nice!" Klein laughed.
" Klein..."
Hachiman found himself sitting on his couch at home.
Asuna was beside him, holding his hand.
"Uh, what's this situation? Asuna, your hand..."
"It's not 'your hand,' Hachiman. Finally awake?"
Asuna let go and waved a hand in front of his face.
"...How was I acting?"
"Like you didn't hear me calling, totally out of it."
"I see..."
"You okay?"
"Yeah. It's coming back to me."
"Was it something from today? You didn't seem down like the others, so I thought you were fine, but..."
"Yeah, that 'fine' is probably the problem."
Hachiman began to speak, haltingly, about what he'd felt.
"Before the fight, even with my resolve, I hated the idea of killing. But when it was over, I thought, 'Is that it?' Killing here is just an effect flashing for a moment—nothing like the real world. But thinking 'Is that it?' isn't right, is it? I felt relieved, sure. Fewer people will get hurt. But that's not something you should feel after killing, right? Normal people would be more broken up, suffering. That's when it hit me—maybe my heart's already broken. Then everything went dark, and I don't remember much after."
Hachiman let out a heavy sigh.
"Asuna, am I still human? What if the me here is just code, and the real me's already dead?"
"No!"
Asuna shouted, pulling Hachiman's head to her chest.
"You're crying right now, Hachiman. Programs don't cry."
"Huh? I'm... crying?"
Hachiman realized tears had been streaming down his face without him noticing.
"The you here isn't a program or a robot. You're the same Hachiman—calm, dependable, low self-esteem, lazy, sometimes saying stuff I can't follow."
"O-Oh... the second half's not exactly praise, but yeah, I'm still alive."
Hachiman looked slightly relieved.
"You're just a bit numb right now. Everyone on the front lines is probably feeling it a little."
"Numb, huh..."
"But as long as you can cry, you'll be fine. And if you start to lose your way, I'll make you cry!"
"Oi, that's not quite right. But if it comes to that, go easy on me."
Asuna's strength, something I lack, might just keep me myself till the end, Hachiman thought.
"Thanks, as always."
"I'm always being saved by you too, Hachiman. Probably from the very start."
"Yeah?"
"Feeling calmer?"
"Yeah, I'm good. So, uh, can you move that thing pressing against my face...?"
"Thing?"
Hachiman's face flushed red, and Asuna realized what she was doing.
"You perv, Hachiman!"
She leaped back and slapped him across the face.
"Oof, that was a solid hit... Definitely woke me up."
"Sorry... but that was your fault!"
"No, you were the one—"
"What?"
"Nothing..."
"But see? That made you feel alive, right?"
"Yeah. Next time something's up, hit me like that again."
"You mean the slap, obviously?"
"Obviously."
Relieved to see Hachiman back to himself, Asuna left shortly after.
The incident was brutal and far from fully resolved, but knowing they could handle their emotional struggles together was, for Hachiman, the greatest gain of all.
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