(A/N:

PLEASE READ THIS AUTHOR'S NOTE BEFORE READING THIS CHAPTER!

Hello readers, this is KiritoIRL back with the second last chapter of this story.

I'm again sorry that I haven't uploaded in a year, but as this was my final year in university, I couldn't take chances. But then COVID-19 struck, closing my university and every other places I go to, which sucked, but at the same time gave me a lot of time to finish up this chapter. And believe me, this chapter has gone through A LOT of revisions.

In any case, wherever you are, I hope that you're all staying safe and healthy in this global crisis!

Now this chapter has a lot of meaning to me because it was already in my head the moment I started writing Mother's Reconciliation. Since Yuuki's family were Christians (though in the official translation of the LNs they changed it to Catholics, which I have no idea why they did so), I felt compelled to elaborate on the Christian beliefs in this chapter. So I spent a lot of time doing research and talking to a lot of people regarding Christianity (including different reverends and believers) and I've done my best to summarize what I've heard from them in this chapter. Though I'm not entirely sure if I've done a good job of it, I believe that I've tried my best. Let me know what you think!

That being said, I realize that much of what's written on this chapter may not necessarily be your cup of tea, so I'm actually bracing myself for some kind of criticism on this chapter in the reviews section. If you do have something to say about it, I would appreciate it if your criticisms are constructive and respectful.

Also, one of the inspirations for writing this chapter was a fanfic written by "King of Beasts" called "Strong Enough". It's a fanfic that takes place during Yuuki's funeral. It was quite the tearjerker when I first read it, especially if you listen to the song it accompanies. If you're a fan of the Mother's Rosario arc, I highly recommend that you check it out.

And lastly, I would like to give a special thumbs up to jamesbond3w. He had unknowingly given a slight prediction as to what this chapter was going to be long before I had started writing this chapter in one of our online chats years ago. So, cheers to you, jamesbond3w!

Anyway, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own SAO, its characters, or the OSTs. They belong to Kawahara Reki-sensei and Kajiura Yuki-sensei, respectively!)

Chapter 23 – Acceptance

April 4th, 2026, 4 PM. After Yuuki's memorial service.

Asuna was inside the church after the end of the memorial service.

About only ten minutes ago, she had met with Siune's real life counter part An Si-Eun, Kurahashi-sensei and Kirito. After a few more minutes of talking with each other, Asuna excused herself from the group, declaring she would be right back.

She then headed inside the church, straight to the hall where the memorial service was held and took a seat in the front.

The chapel was now mostly deserted with only a few people remaining; a stark contrast to how full it was merely about thirty minutes ago, seeing that it was filled with a crowd of well over a hundred people.

She also remembered the last time she was here; barely a week ago, only an hour or two after Yuuki had left this world. She had stumbled over the place and had prayed in this very hall then in her grief for her lost friend. And frankly, that grief was still there and only time would be able to heal those wounds.

Then she started to think about other things… such as the shocking discovery that she and Kirito had just found out from Kurahashi; that the provider for the Medicuboid's base design was none other than the Commander, Kayaba Akihiko himself…

(A/N: Play the OST: 'Past Sadness'.)

Her mind started to think of the irony behind this revelation. The man who had begun the virtual death game responsible for the death of almost four thousand people was also the same man who basically designed the device intended to save lives using VR; which in turn, helped preserve Yuuki's life for as long as possible.

She wondered if she would ever be able to understand Kayaba at all…

The seed Kayaba had planted with SAO had brought forth so many consequences. Both good and bad for both reality and the virtual world. The Medicuboid being one of the good consequences for obvious reasons.

She could feel that what had happened in the virtual worlds so far was just the tip of the iceberg. As if the events set in motion by the initiation of Kayaba's death game; which one could call another 'reality', had initiated a powerful chain reaction that would come to shake the foundation of the virtual worlds to the core.

As of now, not many people would be able to feel that reaction until it came to them in full force, but she somehow had the feeling that such changes would happen, slowly but surely.

Although she herself had no idea of what those changes would be, she couldn't shake off those feelings of both anticipation and anxiety.

She would see what exactly those changes would be when the time comes.

As she continued to contemplate on this, she heard a voice from directly behind her.

"Excuse me, Miss?"

Asuna turned her head to face the caller. There stood a middle-aged man that looked to be in his late 40s to early 50s looked at her with a gentle expression. Asuna immediately recognized the man as the reverend who had given the sermon during the funeral, and also the same reverend who she had briefly encountered when she was here last time.

"Oh… hello, pastor…" Asuna greeted.

"I remember you being here last Sunday. Seeing that you're here, you must be Yuuki's friend are you not?" He asked.

"Yes, I am…"

Hearing her confirmation, the pastor continued.

"Yuuki's doctor had tried to tell me that Yuuki had passed that day, but I was in the middle of my sermon when he tried to reach me… I only found out about it after my Sunday services were over and was getting ready to go home. After Kurahashi-sensei finally managed to get in touch with me and inform me of Yuuki's passing, I came back here to pray for Yuuki and her family. That's when I found you here. Now that I think about it, you were also here on Sunday after hearing about Yuuki's passing were you not?" The pastor asked.

"I didn't hear it pastor; I was there when Yuuki passed on…" Asuna answered. The pastor looked surprised.

"You were there in person…?"

"Yes… Yuuki's doctor Kurahashi-sensei called me when her condition became worse that day and told me to come to the hospital immediately. Yuuki wanted to dive into ALfheim Online once more; that's the VR world Yuuki and I would always meet with each other and so.. I dived into ALO with her and had everyone that knew her come and say their goodbyes before leaving this world… I'm sure you noticed all the people that weren't part of Yuuki's family being present today. They're all ALO players that were present for Yuuki's final moment, along with my friends that came here today" Asuna explained.

"Ah, I was surprised when I saw just how many people had come today… Yuuki's relatives thought that they, along with Kurahashi-sensei, and a few others would be the only ones who would be attending this service, but I am a bit glad to see that they came to properly say goodbye to her…" The pastor admitted.

"Yes, I feel the same way…" Asuna answered.

After a pause, the pastor asked another question.

"Please correct me if I'm wrong Miss, but are you Yuuki Asuna-san?"

Asuna looked surprised that the pastor knew her name.

"How do you know that?" She asked. The pastor gave a small smile.

"Yuuki told me about you every time we met. Kurahashi-sensei also told me that she did the same for him. He and I have contacted each other from time to time eversince Yuuki was admitted into his hospital, you see" He answered.

"Oh…" Asuna responded in understanding.

"He also said in one of our recent chats that you were a huge influence on Yuuki's improvements to her health… I just wish that her health had continued to improve…" The pastor trailed off sadly.

"Yes… I know…" Asuna answered. She decided to ask about something the pastor had just said.

"Excuse me, but pastor…" Asuna trailed off as she realized then that she didn't know the pastor's name.

The pastor seemed to have realized this as well.

"Oh, I'm sorry… I should have introduced myself sooner. My name is Koyama Kenji, the reverend of this church"

"Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you, pastor Koyama. Well, I was wondering if you don't mind me asking, you seem to be close to Yuuki… Were you close to her family?" Asuna asked carefully.

"Ah, yes… Yuuki's parents and I have known each other for a very long time. So before they died, they asked me to keep seeing both Yuuki and Aiko-kun at least twice a month and keep telling them of the Gospel" The pastor answered.

"So you met Yuuki and Aiko-san on a regular basis; in the hospital?" She asked.

"Not in the hospital, no. Since both Yuuki and Aiko had to be kept in a germ-free room; even if I did go, we wouldn't have been able to hold a conversation there very easily. So I met with them in the Virtual Chapel using the Amusphere" The pastor explained.

Asuna felt a bit silly for forgetting about the germ-free room… It wasn't very hard to imagine it being difficult for him to hold a proper conversation in the hospital with him watching Yuuki and the Medicuboid.

Virtual Chapel was, as the name suggested, a VR space that emulated the hall of a church or a cathedral so that any religious group of people that couldn't meet together in the real world to hold worship could do so in the virtual world. This virtual app was quite popular with religious groups internationally, such as but not limited to Christians or Catholics.

There were other variations of this app that was intended to be used for other non-religious gatherings being used now.

"I would meet with the two of them on a bi-weekly basis; more than that if they wanted to. On Sundays they would listen to my Sunday sermon that was recorded on the church's websites and discuss them during our meetings as well. Even after Aiko passed away a year later, Yuuki still came to meet and talk with me…"

"Then three months ago, she told me that she had met a young woman in ALO that reminded her very much of her sister. And now that I've met with you in person, I can see what she meant. You do remind me very much of Aiko, Yuuki-san… Actually…" The pastor paused for a moment.

"I know that we've just met, but would it be alright if I called you Asuna-san? I would like to avoid confusion…" He asked.

"Oh, of course; please do" Asuna answered, remembering the discussion with Yuuki about the word play of both of their names while in front of Yuuki's old home.

(A/N: Play the OST: 'At Our Parting (piano only version)'.)

"Alright then… For the past 3 or 4 months, eversince she met with you, Yuuki had become more and more lively and cheerful. After the death of her parents and then her sister, she had become more repressed for a while, which was to be expected… Even with her other friends in her virtual guild; Sleeping Knights I think it was called, I could tell that she felt like she was alone, especially after her sister's death…"

Even though Asuna had known that Yuuki had experienced the grief of seeing her family eventually succumb to their illnesses, it still made her sad to think about them.

"Yes, I know that I haven't known Yuuki as long as you have, but I can somewhat relate to how she felt… Not to mention the issues she had with her other family members…"

The pastor gave her a somewhat surprised look.

"… I take it that Yuuki told you about her other relatives…" He stated, unsure.

"Yes… she did a little…" Asuna confirmed.

She remembered back during her visit to the Konno family's old home, and the brief discussion she had with Yuuki about her aunt. Granted, she didn't know much about Yuuki's other relatives but judging from that brief discussion about her family, she got the impression that Yuuki didn't get along too well with her family outside of her parents and her sister. It had been another factor that she could relate with Yuuki well at the time, with the conflict she had with her own parents only reaching a resolution the day before.

Paster Koyama sighed before he continued.

"While Yuuki's parents accepted Christianity and became believers, from what I've heard the rest of their family weren't too happy about it. And that must have worsened after their whole family were diagnosed with AIDS. I've met with some of them to talk with them and even tried to preach the Gospel to them, but they didn't want to hear it. I can only pray that they would one day see why Yuuki's parents accepted the Gospel" The pastor said.

"Did they really try not to see why Yuuki's parents became Christians and why they accepted this, Gospel?" Asuna asked.

"I can't say whether or not they've really tried; not for sure. And while I did want to press on about the Gospel to them, I can't force them to believe what they don't. I can preach it to them only if they're willing to listen. And I sincerely hope that they are willing to listen one day" The pastor answered sadly.

Asuna gave no answer to this, not really knowing what to say. She knew all too well of how one's own family could be a source of turmoil whether they intend to or not.

"I know how hard problems given to you by your own family are to deal with, believe me… I know… Especially when their beliefs or ideals conflict with each other, and even more if they believe that their own beliefs alone will be for the better…" Asuna said, recalling everything that had transpired between her and her mother for the past week.

Pastor Koyama gave a pause. It sounded like she was speaking from a recent experience. But then, he recalled what Yuuki had told him one time during one of their meetings online.

"Actually, Yuuki briefly mentioned during one of our meetings online that you had some trouble getting along with your family. I assume you're talking about that?" Pastor Koyama asked. But realized that he may have been pressing too much to this young woman he had only just known.

"Oh I'm sorry, you don't have to talk about that if you don't want to" He said.

Asuna paused, surprised that he knew about that. She briefly hesitated about elaborating her story to this stranger, but since he really did seem like he knew Yuuki and her family well she decided to trust him.

"No it's alright pastor, I'll tell you. Well… yes, to a degree… But back then, when I explained to Yuuki the problem I was having with my mother, she advised that I open up to her and speak what was on my mind. And it worked for the time being and I was grateful to Yuuki for it. But…" Asuna briefly paused.

"A few days after Yuuki died, I discovered that the problem hadn't been completely solved between me and my family. Things took a turn for the worst after that…"

She then proceeded to summarize how she had run away from home to Sinon's place, how her older brother had found her and convinced her to go to Miyagi with him, where he told her of their mother's past, and finally, how they had finally opened up to each other in the end. Of course she had to admit to him that she was an SAO survivor in order to make him understand her story, as well as how Yuuki had played an important role in making the reconciliation happen in the end. As she told her story, the pastor quietly listened on.

After she finished her summary, the pastor finally spoke up.

"I see. Well I'm glad to hear that Yuuki played such an important role in resolving your family dispute, whether she realizes it or not" He said.

"Yes… and there's something else… during those times. I kept hearing these voices… in my head, telling me to hate my family…" Asuna explained.

"Really? Voices?" The pastor asked her, looking more alert now.

Frankly, Asuna herself had no idea why she was telling this stranger of these things; things that if anyone else had heard they may think that she was insane (minus Kirito and her friends of course; but out of all of them, she had a feeling that Kirito and Sinonon would understand her best in that regard). And yet, here she was telling this stranger of a pastor of that.

The thing was, even during the sermon the voice had come back to taunt and distract her. She thought that she had gotten rid of it the day before but apparently she had been wrong.

"You might think that I've gone insane, hearing these voices from out of nowhere…" Asuna trailed off. But the pastor immediately answered.

"Not at all, Asuna-san; in fact I think you'd be very surprised of just how many people hear these voices you've told me"

It was now Asuna's turn to look surprised.

"R… Really?" She asked somewhat incredulously.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, before they accepted the Gospel, Yuuki and Aiko's parents had those voices torment them before as well"

Asuna was even more surprised when she heard that. Yuuki's parents had been tormented by those voices as well?

"Are you for sure? Yuuki's parents heard those voices as well?" Asuna asked again, finding it hard to believe.

"Yes… that's how they met me and became Christians. Yuuki's father Konno Yuichi met me first and he met Yuuki's mother Ayako-san later when she had the same problem. They kind of bonded together because they shared similar experience"

"After they accepted the Gospel and accepted Jesus Christ, the voices that tormented them went away completely. And after that, they told me that those voices never tormented them ever again"

Asuna heard this, but still found it a bit hard to believe. The pastor seemed to have realized this as well.

"I can see that you're still not entirely convinced, Asuna-san. So let me explain a bit more. Do you have time right now? Because this will take some time to explain" The pastor asked.

Fortunately, Asuna didn't have anything else to do the whole day. Her family; particularly her mother, had said to take all the time she needed. She was sure the rest of her friends as well as Kirito would understand taking a bit of time talking to someone who knew Yuuki well.

"Yes I have some time, though I do have friends who came here with me" She answered. She might as hear what he had to say.

"Perfect. I will try to explain as much as I can then. Is there anything you would like to ask me, Asuna-san?" He asked.

She did have questions; several in fact. About what he knew about Yuuki, her family amongst other things.

But she decided to ask about the one word that the pastor had kept repeating.

"Pastor, you kept saying this word; Gospel. I've heard it before a few times, but what does it mean exactly?" She asked her first question. The pastor gently smiled.

"I'm glad you asked. What we mean by the Gospel is God's gift of salvation. Let me start from the beginning" He opened the bible he had with him to the beginning, to Genesis.

"In the beginning when God created the world, he created the garden of Eden. Where he created all living things, as well as plants, animals, and even the first humans. Adam and Eve"

"When he was finished with his creations, he allowed Adam and Eve to rule over all the living creatures and eat anything in the garden. But he specifically forbade both of them from eating the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden; the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. But apart from that, they were free to do as they pleased"

"But sometime later; Satan the Devil possessed the snake that was close to Eve and tempted her to eat the forbidden fruit. It deceived her that the fruit would make her become like God and as a result, Adam and Eve were banished from Eden. The moment they had eaten the fruit of knowledge of good and evil, that was when all of mankind's problems began. By eating the fruit, they had left God's side and allowed Satan to deceive them"

Asuna listened on, paying full attention. She had heard the story of Adam and Eve several times before; it was a famous story even to non-Christians. She had heard or read the story before SAO and heard directly from Yuuki herself.

When she had heard this story before SAO, she had thought of it as just one of those many fairy tales out there in the world to fascinate children; at least that would have been what her mother-influenced self at the time would have thought.

But the next time she heard the story from Yuuki, she had felt herself listening closer than before. But she couldn't bring herself to interrupt Yuuki's flow of her story. She had questions she wanted to ask her back then but forgot the questions later on. But now that she was hearing the story again, the forgotten questions resurfaced in her head. And this time, she felt the need to press.

"Wait pastor, you said that God created the tree of knowledge of good and evil and commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from its fruit. If eating that fruit really did bring about such results, then why did he create that tree of knowledge of good and evil in the first place?" Asuna asked her first question. The pastor looked as if he had expected that question.

"That's a good question Asuna-san. You see, that tree was a form of contract; a contract between God and mankind. But it was Adam and Eve who broke the contract by eating its fruit, deceived by Satan. And by doing so, they have committed a sin; a sin of leaving God. We call this the 'original sin'. It is a sin that every human being has been guilty of since Adam and Eve"

"Everyone?" Asuna asked confounded.

"Yes everyone. You, me, every single man, woman, old, and young are guilty of this 'original sin' we are born into" The pastor nodded as he reiterated.

Asuna felt her expression change into a slight frown.

"But isn't that a cruel thing to do? To condemn mankind just for eating that fruit?" Asuna spoke her mind. The pastor remained unphased.

"No, it would have indeed been cruel if that was all there was to it. But that's not all" He explained. Asuna let him continue.

"God did indeed punish Adam and Eve by banishing them from Eden, but he didn't want mankind to be condemned forever either. You see, before God banished Adam and Eve from Eden he said to Satan that was possessing the snake that he would send a Messiah; an offspring of the woman that would break his forces as punishment for deceiving Eve"

"Offspring of the woman?" Asuna asked. What did that mean?

"You see Asuna-san, we are all offspring of men. Every single human being in this world are offspring of man. Meaning that we all have this original sin. And the scary thing is that no person can free themselves or anyone else from this original sin"

"But the offspring of the woman mean that he does not have the original sin, meaning that only he can resolve the original sin. That is Jesus Christ. God sent the Christ to save us from the original sin as well as from Satan the Devil"

The pastor then summarized the story of Jesus Christ; how he had been prophesied to be born through a virgin about 700 years before his birth (Isaiah 7:14) and then he was indeed born through the virgin Mary, then later in his life, performed miracles in Israel as well as preach God's words, only to later be persecuted by the Pharisees; the religious leaders of the Jews at the time, and died on the cross. He was resurrected three days later as stated by the Gospel proclaimed. (A short summary of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).

Asuna had heard Yuuki tell the story of Jesus Christ to her before when they were alone so she believed that she knew the details rather well. No doubt that this pastor as well as Yuuki's mother had told Yuuki the story that seemed to be the core of the Christian faith.

She still had quite a bit of questions to ask the pastor but decided to wait until he finished his story of Jesus Christ, which was similar to what Yuuki had told her as well as what the sources in the internet she had researched to satisfy her curiosity after hearing Yuuki tell them.

"So the voices you've been hearing Asuna-san, I'm willing to bet that it was Satan's doing. Satan was tempting you to do those things to lead you to destruction. Like I've said earlier Asuna-san, you're not the only one who have experienced in hearing these voices. I'm willing to bet that most of those who do hear these voices don't tell it to anyone else, even to people close to them. How long do you think a normal person will last against these voices?" He asked her.

Given her own experience, it would be likely that a normal person would be driven slowly insane if they didn't tell anyone about it. But even if they did, people that could probably do anything about them were probably shamans that would give them some kind of talisman or amulet and tell them to carry them around at all times, or a psychiatrist that would give them medications to suppress those symptoms but never be able to get rid of the root cause (which she knew quite well because Sinonon had told them herself).

"I… I don't think that they would last very long…" She thought out loud.

"No, they wouldn't. Not when they are up against the father of lies and master of deception. That's what Satan is: the father of lies and master of deception"

"Now Satan uses various tricks to deceive people; he sometimes uses more 'extreme' ways like directly telling you to do something or for people who have been possessed by the evil spirits for a long time. They themselves will be able to see those evil spirits that torment them. But often times, his methods are much more subtle at the beginning; such as depression"

"Have you ever seen the news to see that famous celebrities or intellectuals commited suicide? They had everything a normal person would want: fame, money, people who follow them and more. Yet, they are not happy. Why else would they commit suicide? Looking at such news, have you ever wondered why such people go so far as to take their own lives?" He asked her.

Asuna contemplated. No, it indeed wasn't uncommon to hear news that a famous celebrity or respected intellectual had killed themselves in Japan; in fact the same probably could be said to every other nation in the world. And yes, she had indeed asked such questions to herself each time she heard it.

"Yes… I have… so, do you have the answer?" She asked the pastor.

"Yes, I do. Or rather, it's the Bible that holds the answer to that question. The Bible explains that the root cause of all of our misery is Satan's doing. It all started with Adam and Eve being deceived by Satan. Since then, those who are not under God have been under Satan by default, even those who consider themselves atheists. Because of the 'original sin' that Adam and Eve committed, when anyone is born into this world they are automatically under Satan's influence until they accept Jesus Christ and the Gospel. That holds true even now. That is why it's the duty of us Christians to evangelize God's word to as many people as possible so that they can receive salvation. It's the only way" He explained.

But there was one thing Asuna couldn't understand.

"But why must it be the Christian God or Jesus Christ that we must believe in order to receive salvation? Why not any other gods in other religions?" She asked.

She honestly doubted that she was the only person who would ask such a question. After all, there were plenty of religions and gods to believe in within Japan alone.

"I'm glad you asked Asuna-san. To answer that question, let me ask you: can you tell me one clear difference between Christianity and every other religion that exists in this world?" He asked.

Asuna stopped to think but realized quickly that her knowledge base on religions as well as Christianity weren't deep enough to come up with an answer.

"No… I don't know the answer…" Asuna trailed off.

"It's actually quite simple: all other religions in the world requires you to bow down to an idol of some sort; like a statue that's supposed to be the form of the god of that religion. But only Christianity advises against bowing down to an idol of any kind" He explained.

"But what's so bad about bowing to an idol then?" She asked.

(A/N: Play the OST: 'He Rules Us'.)

"Because by bowing down to an idol, unbeknownst to you, you are letting Satan enslave you (John 8:44, Ephesians 2:2). You may not notice it at the beginning but if you continuously bow to an idol, all kinds of suffering will come later on; may it be mental suffering (Ephesians 2:3, Matthew 11:28) or physical suffering (Acts 8:4-8). I've seen this happen for myself Asuna-san, and so have many of my fellow pastors both inside and outside the country. Then after death, the only thing that await you is the judgment of hell (Luke 16:19-31). But even worse, your suffering won't be over with just that, because those sufferings will be inherited to your children (Exodus 20:4-5, 1 Corinthians 10:20).

"This is what we Christians refer to as a 'spiritual problem' and it's exactly why it's scary. Humans are spiritual beings Asuna-san; and idol worshipping is just one way for spiritual problems to come to people. The only way to be freed from the spiritual problem is to accept Jesus Christ (John 1:12) and confess your faith (Roman's 10:9-10). That is the only way to be freed from the spiritual problem and receive God's salvation today"

He then gave a pause before continuing.

"I may have said things that may sound like I'm trying to insult other religious groups outside of Christianity to you, but such was not my intention. Because in a way I hold respect for the practitioners of those religions such as Buddists, because many of them teach ethics and moral lessons for people such as 'be respectful to others' or 'do not be arrogant' and many others. But as good as those morals and ethics may be, them alone cannot bring a person to salvation. Because if you practice ethics and morals while Satan controls your life, it's all meaningless. Without God and Jesus Christ in your life, they don't mean much"

The pastor then opened his Bible.

"Let me read you two scriptures from the Bible that I believe best describes the Gospel.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, New International Version (NIV))"

He flipped through the pages of his Bible again quickly and skillfully until reaching another scripture not far from the first one.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8, NIV)"

"Now here's something I want to make sure you don't misunderstand Asuna-san: when the first verse says 'eternal life', it doesn't mean that the believers will become immortal and never die in this world. No, it means that if we truly believe in Jesus Christ, then when our time comes to leave this world behind; meaning physical death, then through the Gospel, we will be beside God in heaven. This is what it means by the term 'eternal life' we know. Accepting Jesus Christ is the only way to be with God in heaven; there is no other way. And if we do not believe in Jesus Christ even until our very last moment, then after our physical death the only thing that awaits us is the eternal judgment of hell; that is the fate of every human by default since Adam and Eve. But by sending the Christ; his only Son to us, he demonstrated his love for us. Because through Christ, God has given us a way to be spared of hell's eternal damnation"

He finished his rather lengthy explanation to her question.

As the pastor talked, Asuna had listened quietly as he gave his answer.

But as much as she wished to outright believe that it was all true, since it was what Yuuki and her family had experienced and believed in, the skeptical part of her was still having doubts it seemed.

"Pastor, I'm sorry to say this but if the God you speak of really does exist, then why does he take away a life that didn't even get a chance to even live properly? Like Yuuki and Aiko-san? Why have them suffer such pains; pains that they didn't deserve? Why let the Konno's suffer; a family of his own believers?" Asuna asked. It was a question that had been plaguing her mind since Yuuki's death, and even more so when the voices started tormenting her as she ran away from home.

The pastor gave her a look of understanding.

"I'm not surprised to hear you ask such questions. But before I give my answer, I'd like to ask you some more questions as well. Would you be kind enough to answer them, Asuna-san?"

"Yes, of course"

"If I may interpret your original question, you just asked me if God exists, then why does he allow such sufferings to happen to people even his own believers. But then does that mean that you do not believe in the existence of God? Or any kind of divine beings?" The pastor asked.

That was a rather tricky question to answer for her. Personally, she had never paid much attention to the religious aspects of her surroundings; in fact she had tried not to become too involved with a religious organization as she had kept herself occupied in her studies even at a young age to keep her mother pleased, which included the shrine worshipping of the main Yuuki family branch in Kyoto.

But ever since she got out of SAO, she found herself praying to whoever that was capable of hearing her prayer in her mind whenever a difficult time came by. Watching Kirito go against Red-Eyed XaXa in GGO's BoB livestream had been one such time.

In Japan alone, there were said to be at least 800 gods in the major religions such as Shintoism and Buddhism. Which were the two religions that the vast majority of the Japanese population followed, noted by the countless number of shrines and temples throughout the island country. And even among those two religions, some of the followers branched off to create many different sects, likely worshiping other countless gods in their derived religions.

And speaking of population, the percentage of the Japanese population who practiced Shintoism or Buddhism were about 90%, while the percentage of Christians in Japan were vastly outnumbered, being only about 1% or 2%. This was likely due to the severe persecution the feudal lords such as Toyotomi and Tokugawa laid against the Christian believers and missionaries during Japan's Feudal era; a sentiment that more than likely stayed with the majority of Japan's populace until the end of the Second World War.

But enough digression.

"I… I'm not sure how to answer to be honest… I would like to think that there is a God watching over us all, but at the same time, I keep doubting that a God does exist… I don't know how else to describe it" Asuna explained almost timidly.

The pastor gave a small smile before responding.

"Well then, let's clear that up first. What makes you doubt that God exists?" He asked her.

Asuna contemplated for a bit before giving an answer she imagined would be what many others would say as well.

"Well, maybe the fact that we can't see God, I guess?" Asuna answered uncertainly. She felt a bit silly not being able to come up with any other answer. But it was the first thing that came to mind.

The pastor gave a look as if he had expected that response.

"Then Asuna-san, let me ask: do you have a soul? A conscience? A mind? Or to put it differently: can you prove to me that you are human?"

Asuna looked baffled at being asked such a question. But the answer was obvious for any human being.

"Well, yes..."

"Then can you show me that you have a soul, mind and conscience?"

Asuna was speechless.

"Well, how can we even show someone those when we can't even see it ourselves?" Asuna voiced what was on her mind. The pastor gave another smile.

"Exactly my point Asuna-san. You can't see a person's soul or mind with your eyes. And yet, you were able to answer quickly that you had a soul and mind because you knew they existed, despite not being able to see them yourself. Do you understand what I am trying to say?" The pastor asked.

Asuna again found herself stunned at the pastor's logic.

Now that she thought about it, yes, every human being had a mind and a soul. It was a universally known fact. But we all knew they existed and that every human being had them despite them being invisible to one's eyes. After all, the best any person could do to show one's mind was describe them with facial expressions, words or action. The human soul and mind were invisible and intangible yet very delicate things that everyone knew existed yet couldn't physically prove of their existence. So then what exactly was the point of asking whether or not God exists, when humans can't even prove the existence of their own mind and soul; something that everyone knew that existed?

"So, are you trying to say that it's pointless to ask to prove that God exists? Because you can't prove it physically?" Asuna asked.

The pastor looked surprised at her interpretation.

"Hmm… yes… that's a clever way to put it. When non-believers ask us to prove that God exists, I'll bet that they are expecting to see some kind of miraculous sign; something supernatural or things that can't be explained through modern science to make them believe, like healing the deathly sick and perform other miracles as Jesus had. But that is not how God works. Yes, he does show his work through conspicuous miracles sometimes, but that's not his primary way of showing people of his work. Usually, God works in mysterious ways; ways that often takes time for us humans to see"

"Besides, even if such miracles did happen in front of those non-believers I'm willing to bet that most if not all of them would still not believe that it was God's doing. They would either dismiss it as just a coincidence or think that it was a trick to deceive them. And even if they did believe, they would stay more focused on the miracles and not God who made it happen"

Asuna having seen for herself of just how stubborn and closed-minded people could be when it came to their own ideals, both in SAO and the real world (such as her own family), it wasn't very difficult to picture their denial.

And speaking of miracles…

She honestly could say that she seen plenty of miracles in the past few years in a lot of forms: escaping SAO alive despite having been 'killed' at the last moment, Kirito coming to rescue her from Sugou's clutches in the old ALO, how she had managed to convince her mother to let her stay in her current school 3 months ago and convincing her mother the day before yet again to have her give Kirito a chance.

Convincing her mother had been; in her opinion, the most challenging obstacle she had to overcome. Not just for herself, but for her relationship with Kirito and the rest of her friends. She had always thought that convincing her mother of something was next to impossible and would take a miracle for it to happen. Yet it had happened; twice. And she had honestly thought that there was some divine intervention when she had managed to convince her mother both times.

So, why was she doubting now?

"If it helps, here is another way to think about it Asuna-san: in your VR games, someone created the world that you play the games in, yes? Nowadays those game worlds are becoming more and more realistic. But then what about the real world that those virtual worlds were based off of? Things like the trees, the sea, the sky, the birds and animals that live in them? Would it really be crazy to think that in this 'real' world, a living God created them all as well as created mankind?" The pastor asked her.

Asuna began thinking about the question.

No… it wouldn't really be crazy to think that this 'real' world also had a creator, just like the virtual worlds have a creator as well. After all, humanity had given all kinds of scientific theories on how this world came into existence, but no one could give a sure and solid proof of any of those theories.

"And if God exists, the what about the Devil? Do you think that Satan the Devil and evil spirits exist? Evil spirits that are invisible and can possess people? Have you ever met someone whom you felt like they were being possessed by something? Something that made them to things a person should never do?" He asked.

(A/N: Play the OST: 'Something is Strange'.)

Asuna didn't even have to think for the answer. It was a definite yes. After what she had to go through because of Sugou Nobuyuki as well as fighting PoH, his lieutenants and the deranged members of the Laughing Coffin in SAO, how could she say no? When she herself had seen the looks of all their eyes; eyes that reflected their horribly twisted souls; eyes that looked as if they were being possessed by something… pure evil?

And what about the voices that had constantly tormented her since days ago tempting her to do something that would eventually make her hurt herself and her loved ones?

After going through those thoughts, Asuna finally voiced her answer.

"Yes… I have met people like that… more than you'd think…"

The pastor looked a bit surprised, as if he had been expecting her to say no. After all, it wasn't something that people would be fond of confessing. But then again, this young woman was an SAO Survivor. It wasn't crazy to think that she had seen a low point of humanity.

"I see… well, people possessed by those demons are completely under their influence. Some of those possessed people even go as far as to deceiving themselves into thinking that they are a god…" The pastor explained seriously.

Asuna's eyes widened at hearing this… At this point, she had to wonder if this pastor was capable of reading people's minds… For his description fit Sugou Nobuyuki so perfectly. The loathsome man had always ranted on about using the brainwashing tools he was experimenting with to become a god during her imprisonment in the old ALO. He had practically been the Devil's puppet for lack of a better description.

"I know what you mean pastor, believe me… And the voices I've been hearing until now… how else would I explain it?" Asuna said.

The pastor recovered from his surprise.

"Then do you believe that Satan and evil spirits exist?"

At this point, Asuna couldn't even think of anything to say to counter the pastor's question.

"Yes… I do…" Asuna answered.

"Good. Then what about our question before this? If Satan and evil spirits exist, then what about God and Holy spirits?"

After a few seconds of pause, Asuna answered.

"Yes…hearing what you have to say, I think I do believe that God exists…" Asuna answered sincerely. If all she had been through, both good and bad had led her to resolve what she had believed to be impossible, then how could she doubt now the existence of the God Yuuki and her family believed in?

And it seemed that the pastor could see her sincerity, for he gave another smile.

"Very good Asuna-san. Now that we've answered that question, let us return to your original question: why God would allow hardships to fall upon Yuuki and her family…"

"Let me read you another verse from the Bible. If Yuuki considered you as someone who she could fully trust that she would tell you about her family matters, then I have a feeling that this verse will sound familiar to you" He said as he flipped the pages of his Bible until he found the verse he was looking for.

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He'll not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV)

Asuna tried to recall the conversation she had with Yuuki about the verse the pastor had read to her but for some reason had trouble recalling Yuuki saying something like that in her memory.

Seeing this, the pastor seemed to think briefly.

"There are a few ways to interpret this verse Asuna-san, but Ayako-san interpreted it like so: 'Temptation can also come from our own suffering… to try and tempt us into doing things that we will never forgive ourselves for doing'. I have a feeling that she was talking about almost killing herself and the rest of her family when they were diagnosed with their illness." The pastor said with a voice tinged with sadness.

Asuna was also saddened to hear it, only able to imagine how Yuuki's mother had felt when she gave her confession.

"So let me rephrase the verse according to Ayako-san's interpretation: 'No suffering has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He'll not let you to suffer beyond what you can bear. But when you suffer, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.'"

(A/N: Play the OST: 'You are not alone #3'.)

As soon as Asuna heard that part, her eyes widened as her mind instantly flashed back to January of that year, when she had gone to Yuuki's old home and had talked with her through Kirito's probe. She finally recalled what Yuuki had told her that related to this Bible verse.

"Mama always told us that God wouldn't allow us suffering that we can't endure"

The memory strongly resonated to her mind, giving off emotions that she couldn't quite describe.

It all fit… that verse must have been what Yuuki's mother held onto to endure the pains brought to them by their illness. She must have read the verse to Yuuki and Aiko to help them endure their pains as well…

She could feel the love Ayako-san had for her children as she heard the interpreted verse; she could feel her desire to help them endure their pain and live their lives to their fullest. To let them know that God, Jesus Christ was with them till the end. To let them know that their suffering was not without meaning and was indeed endurable.

"So Asuna-san, please be honest with me, do you still hold a grudge against your mother or feel any resentment towards her for putting you through those hardships? If you do, please let go of them now and forgive your mother. Holding onto such feelings won't do you or anyone else any good. It will only give Satan a foothold in trying to tempt you in the future. For he will use any scars of the past that we hold onto to deceive us" The pastor requested.

Asuna thought briefly on his words and knew that he was right. She had thought when she learned of her mother's behavior during her time in her virtual coma, she thought that it wouldn't be a problem again if she decided to forgive and forget. But the problem was that deep down in her heart, she hadn't forgiven her mother or forgotten her actions, leaving her invisible scar unattended and negative emotions bottled up, until the time came last week in the form of her mother's decision have her meet more suitors to have those bottled up emotions to explode all at once. It also hadn't helped that the voice kept on fueling those hateful thoughts.

But now, after the heart-to-heart talk she had shared with her mother yesterday regarding her time in SAO, as well as learning of her mother's fears through her brother, she could finally say with certainty that she no longer resented her mother, nor did she want to.

"You don't have to worry about that anymore, pastor. After talking with my mom yesterday, this time, I can say for sure that I've forgiven her and no longer resent her" Asuna gave her answer.

The pastor smiled again in response, believing her.

"I'm glad to hear it, Asuna-san. Are you able to see it now? The way I see it, you meeting Yuuki, becoming her friend, helping each other out, you going through the hardships you had with your family, as well as the hardships Yuichi, Ayako-san, Aiko and Yuuki went through, I now believe that it was all to lead you to this moment. I know I've said as much as I could in such a short period of time about the Gospel and the Christ to you on Yuuki and her mother's behalf. But ultimately, whether you choose to accept them or not is entirely up to you. So now let me ask you, Asuna-san: would you like to accept God and Jesus Christ as your savior?" The pastor asked her the big question.

She had one last question before giving her answer.

"And Yuuki and Aiko-san, did they accept the Gospel and Jesus Christ too before they passed away?"

"Yes, they did… I am confident that they did… So now, I have no doubt that they have now been reunited with their parents by God's side in heaven" He said.

(A/N: Play the OST: 'Peace, Again'.)

Asuna now knew without a doubt that was the case as well.

Asuna contemplated deeply. It had been a lot to take in, hearing everything pastor Koyama had told her. She was still a bit unsure of what to do… whether to accept Yuuki's God or not. She now found herself being able to believe more in Yuuki's God more than before. She even started to think on the pastor's words on whether everything that had happened in the past week had indeed been planned by God…

Besides, if believing in Him could really get rid of the voice, she had to give it a try.

"Yes… I'd like to see for myself more of what Yuuki and her family believed in… I think that I do believe in God… and… I will accept Him" Asuna gave her answer.

Of course, she still had some questions; probably too many in fact, but at least she was now able to understand the Christian belief. Some of the things she had heard today would probably take time to sink in. But she now felt like she could really believe.

The pastor gave yet another smile; a noticeably big one, obviously happy to hear the young woman's answer.

Asuna only then realized that she hadn't checked the time since their long talk began. She looked at her phone and was surprised to see that almost an hour and a half had passed just talking with pastor Koyama. The others must be waiting for her!

"Um, pastor? I'm sorry but I think I should get going soon. My friends should be waiting for me to finish up" She said.

"Alright then, I think I've said all I wanted to say. Thank you for your time Asuna-san. Oh, but before you go, I'd like to give you a few things. Please wait, I will be right back" He said as he stood up to go to the door on the back of the sermon room. Asuna said that she would.

It didn't take very long for him to return back to the room with a note in his hand. What was it? A journal?

As the pastor sat back down, he folded his Bible and proceeded to put his hand in his pocket to pull out a rosary with a cross. He put the rosary on the Bible then the Bible on the journal and handed it to Asuna, to her surprise.

"Here, I'd like for you to have these" He said. Asuna's face maintained her surprise.

"But why… the Bible and cross are yours aren't they? Wouldn't you need them more than me?"

"No, Asuna-san. These are not mine; this Bible, cross and this journal belonged to Ayako-San" The pastor gently answered.

Asuna was again stunned at his answer. Those items belonged to Yuuki and Aiko's mother?

"I have my own Bible back at home. I've kept her Bible with me since their passing in their memories. Before she and her husband died, they asked me to keep these with me, read the journal for myself and give them to the next person that I think would need them. And seeing that you are her daughter's close friend, I think she would have been happy to know that these ended up in your possession. And if Ayako-san was still alive and well, I'm sure she would have wanted to tell you everything I have told you today" He said with a small smile. Asuna didn't know what to say.

"Besides, I already made copies of the journal so you don't have to worry about that Asuna-san" The pastor explained. Asuna remained quiet, staring at the gifts.

"So please read them on your own time. It contains what Ayako-san had been through since she accepted the Gospel. And if possible, if you can spare at most 5 minutes of your time every day, read the Bible. You should be able to read a chapter or two per day if you do so. And lastly, try praying to God. Keep doing that and see if you still hear the voices" The pastor said.

Asuna noted his tone of confidence.

"How can you be sure that the voices will stop?" Asuna asked. The pastor again gave a smile as he answered.

"Because Asuna-san, people who I had evangelized to who had voices tormenting them, the ones who truly believed all told me that after they accepted the Gospel, they stopped hearing the voices, including Yuuki and Aiko's parents. Some said that the voices went away almost immediately after I had told them of the Gospel, while others said that the voices still returned to tempt them away from the Gospel, but they became less frequent as they held on to the Gospel until they eventually went away completely"

"So don't take my word for it Asuna-san and try them yourself and see what happens. But I can assure you that you have nothing to lose by investing just 5 minutes a day reading what I've given you. Can you do that, Asuna-san? Not for my sake, but for your own as well as Yuuki and her mother?" He requested.

There wasn't even a reason for Asuna to say no. If she could be rid of the demonic voice tormenting her, she had every reason to try it. She herself couldn't get rid of the voice completely as it had come back only a day after she thought she had gotten rid of them. At that point, she could tell that it wasn't something she could solve on her own. Although there had been some lingering doubts in her mind about it, that part was now an extremely small part to the point it was non-existent.

Besides, the journal and Bible were left behind by Yuuki's mother. That alone was enough reason for her to take some time to read it. And what better time to do so when she would be going with her family to a trip for about a week starting this Monday without having to worry about her studies?

"I will read them pastor. To have something that gives me a connection to Yuuki and her family… I can't tell you how much this means to me… So, thank you…" Asuna bowed her head to show her gratitude. She could feel tears starting to well up in her eyes.

Seeing her sincere action, the pastor now fully smiled happy to hear such answer.

"And thank you Asuna-san, for taking your time to listen. I'm sure that if Yuuki and Ayako-san were here, they would have been happy to see this. Now, before you go, let me pray for you. Prayer is an important part of the Christian life. It doesn't have to be long; in fact, it can be less than a minute. What's important is that you tell God through your prayer of what's on your mind. Do you understand?" He asked.

Asuna wanted to say yes, but when she thought about it, she realized that she didn't really know how to pray. Granted, she had technically prayed before, during the time she had been in this church briefly a week ago right after Yuuki's death, but at the time, she had to admit that her thoughts were a grief-stricken mess, thinking whatever sad thoughts that came to mind.

"Uh, pastor? May I ask when I pray, what am I supposed to say? I know you just said that I have to speak what's on my mind, but I'm still not sure what I'm supposed to say…" Asuna trailed away, feeling slightly embarrassed about asking such a question. But instead of chastising, the pastor explained gently.

"Don't worry. Believe it or not, praying is something many Christians struggle with, even for those who have been Christians since they were young. But it's nothing complicated really; in your prayer, the key thing is to be sincere in what you pray for. You can confess what kind of problem you've experienced or currently experiencing. You can also pray for another's well-being. Whatever you feel are truly important to you, say them in your prayer. Does that answer your question?" He asked.

Asuna nodded her head in confirmation.

"Good. Now please repeat after me" He requested.

Asuna did as he asked.

Pastor Koyama closed his eyes, folded his hands and crossed his fingers. Asuna did the same.

"Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner.

I've lived my life not knowing where I came from, why I should live, and where I am supposed to go.

I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son and I want to trust Him as my Lord and Savior from this day forward.

I believe that Jesus's blood has forgiven all my past, present and future sins.

Please, let your Holy Spirits guide my life and help me do Your will.

In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen."

As soon as she finished repeating pastor Koyama's prayer, Asuna heard a voice.

But it wasn't that Satanic voice that would cause her to doubt; no, it was a familiar voice in fact. One she thought she would never hear again as long as she lived…

"Thank you… Asuna…"

(A/N: Play the OST: 'You are not alone (piano version)'. Can be found in the SAO Music Collection.)

The pastor opened his eyes as he finished his prayer. But as he saw the young woman in front of him silently shed a single tear, he was a bit concerned.

"Asuna-san?"

Asuna was again surprised at herself. She didn't realize that tears were flowing down her cheeks again until just before the pastor started to reach the end of his prayer. And she was in the real world this time too! She had so much more control over her tears in the real world than the virtual one; being in ALO with her mother the day before being a solid proof of that… She wasn't sad anymore… she had now accepted that Yuuki was gone… As she had repeated after the pastor's prayer, she felt glad… and when Yuuki's voice spoke to her, she was happy… so why was she crying?

She felt something resonating strongly with her current emotion. It was a feeling that she again couldn't quite explain, but it felt pleasant; as if it was somehow taking the pain of the wounds that she had received in the past week away from her; taking away the burdens of her heart, making it feel lighter than it had before. More and more she let this feeling resonate with her heart. As she did, she started to feel not pain but something else… pure gratitude…

If she had doubts that the Devil's voice wouldn't return to whisper deceptions into her ear, they were gone now.

And it felt like all of this had happened in less than five seconds after the pastor called her name.

"I… I'm fine pastor. I really can't tell you how grateful I am…"

Then she remembered that Kirito and the others must be waiting for her now.

"I think I should get going now… my friends must be waiting for me…" Asuna said. The pastor nodded.

"Alright. Thank you again for your time, Asuna-san. And if you have any questions for me or would like to hear more about the Gospel, then you're welcomed to come back here on Sundays. We usually begin the Sunday service at 1 o'clock. If you can't make it in person, then you can go to our church's website and the sermon will be posted there. If you wish to talk in person, my contact information will also be on the website as well" The pastor informed her.

"Yes, I will I promise. Good day to you." Asuna bowed and bid her farewell.

"To you as well"

Pastor Koyama watched Asuna leave the room. He then closed his eyes and started praying to himself, grateful to God that He had allowed him to meet a close friend of Yuuki and to see that Yuuki had such a wonderful friend by her side until her very last moment.

Asuna exited the room to almost run into someone who had been approaching the door.

They both gave a small yelp as they stopped in time from crashing into one another.

Asuna looked up to see that the perpetrator was Kirito.

"Oh, Kirito-kun!" She exclaimed in surprise.

"Asuna… I," Kirito tried to say something but whatever he was going to say was lost on his lips as he noticed the traces of fresh tears on her cheeks.

"Asuna! Were you crying again? Did something happen?" He asked, voice laced with great concern.

Asuna just smiled at seeing her boyfriend's caring behavior.

"No, nothing's wrong Kirito-kun, I'm really fine!" She assured him.

"Are you sure?" He asked again.

"Yes, I'm sure… I'm sorry, I didn't realize that I was taking a lot of time talking with the pastor of this church… he was an old friend of Yuuki's parents so we ended up talking a lot" Asuna explained apologetically. The reason he had almost crashed into her in the first place was probably because he was trying to figure out where she had been for the last hour and a half.

"I see… It's okay… besides, I was caught up talking to Kurahashi-sensei and Si-Eun-san this whole time about my VR Probe… I didn't notice how much time had passed until Liz and the others came to tell me that you weren't back yet… so I'm not exactly in a position to criticize you…" Kirito explained, looking apologetic as well.

The two then shared a chuckle at each other's expense.

"So, what were you and that pastor talking about? About Yuuki, I'm guessing? And what are those?" He asked, curious; the final question being asked with his gaze directed to her hands.

Asuna was about to tell him the details but realized that it would take too long to explain if she explained it where they currently were, even if there was almost no one around in sight anymore. So she decided to give a very short version of it.

"It's actually a pretty long story… but yes, it was about Yuuki her family and why they became Christians… And these… these were a gift from the pastor" She answered.

Kirito stared at the items in her hands.

"A gift?" He asked.

"Yes… he said that these rosary, Bible, and journal all belonged to Yuuki's mother…" She explained. Kirito's expression changed to that of understanding.

"Oh, I see…" He said as he smiled, now completely convinced that she wasn't crying because she was sad.

Knowing how close Asuna and Yuuki were, those were probably the best gift a family friend of the Konno's could give her.

Kirito really had to say that he was proud of her; not that he hadn't been before, of course…

She had handled Yuuki's death as well as the sudden problem between her family better and faster than he had expected.

He had of course been told by Asuna herself that she and her mother had reconciled the day before along with Liz, Silica, Sinon and the rest of their friends. Needless to say, they were all ecstatic to hear it.

"Yuuki would've been proud of you Asuna… I know it…" He gently said to her. Asuna gave him another grateful smile in response.

And to act upon that feeling, she embraced him; the three important relics still in her hands.

"Thank you… Kirito-kun" She responded happily.

Kirito returned the embrace.

"Anything for you" He said.

They stayed together like that for a few minutes, reaffirming their mutual feelings and devotion for each other.

Asuna felt the gratitude she had been feeling as she left the sermon room amplify; it now extended to Kirito, Leafa, Sinon, and all of her other friends for supporting her during the unfortunate dispute between her and her mother; which she could now put behind her.

She released him to look at his face.

"I promise I'll give you more details on what that pastor and I talked about when we're alone, alright Kirito-kun?" She said.

Kirito nodded.

"Alright, but I'm holding you to that" He responded. Asuna smiled again.

Oh, and speaking of her mother…

"Oh Kirito-kun, I almost forgot. There's something important I have to tell you" She said in a more cheerful tone.

Kirito slightly cocked his head.

"What is it?"

"I told you earlier that I made amends with my mom… but in order to do that, I had to tell her a lot about what happened between you and me in SAO" She informed him.

Kirito froze and his expression became slightly worried.

"And… what exactly did you tell her about me…?" He asked tentatively.

(A/N: Play the OST: 'He, or she'.)

Seeing Kirito's adorable reaction, she decided to tease him a bit while suppressing a giggle.

"Oh, nothing much~ just the fact that after you saved me like a knight in shining armor, we got married, bought a house, spent the night together, and had an absolutely adorable little daughter together~" She recited, her attempts at suppressing her laugh becoming more and more difficult.

And seeing Kirito's expression change from initially tentative to unamused then into looks of bewilderment and then into absolute horror at the prospect of Asuna admitting those sensitive details to her mother, she finally couldn't hold back anymore and burst out laughing.

"Pfft…! Ahahaha~!"

"Hah?!"

And the terrified squeak he let out, along with looking at her as if she had grown a second head, was the best part.

It was fortunate that no one was around their immediate vicinity or they would have attracted a lot of attention to themselves.

Kirito was happy to hear Asuna give out a genuine laughter after everything that had happened the past week, but that didn't stop him from asking himself what Asuna had been thinking to tell such things to her mother.

As for Asuna, it felt so good to be able to laugh out loud like this again after a week of nothing but unhealthy cluster of emotions.

After calming down from the laughter she had needed, she decided she should get to the main point; seeing Kirito's expression still stuck in his horror-struck trance.

"Kirito-kun, I'm joking! Did you really think that I would tell her about Yui-chan when even I'm not ready to tell anyone else about her?"

This seemed to snap him out of it, only realizing then that she had been playing with him.

"Oh… don't scare me like that, Asuna…" Kirito sighed in relief.

"But I really did have to tell her that we did end up getting married in SAO and lived together after saving each other's lives…" Asuna answered a bit sheepishly.

Kirito, who could tell that she wasn't joking this time, had the look of terror starting to appear back on his face.

"But honestly, she took it rather well. After explaining how we met and what we've been through together, I really think that she's starting to see you in a new light" She explained.

Hearing that did make him feel slightly less anxious.

Alright; time for her to drop the bomb…

(A/N: Play the OST: 'Think Tenderly of You'.)

"And that's why she wants you to come over to our house for dinner sometime and have a talk with you" She said, smiling again as she delivered the news.

This time, Kirito stood absolutely frozen.

It wasn't the worst kind of news for him; in fact, considering his relationship with Asuna, it was great news since they could now be rid of one of their biggest obstacles by getting the approval of someone who was against their relationship the most until now.

But at the same time, having to meet Asuna's notoriously strict mother face to face was a prospect no less daunting for him.

"Etto… Asuna, I…" Kirito tried to say something but Asuna cut him off.

"And just so you know Kirito-kun, she said that she won't take a 'no' for an answer" Asuna said with finality.

Kirito took a second let that piece of information sink in.

He sighed in defeat.

"I guess there's no avoiding it now, is there?"

"Nope, afraid not~" She said happily.

"Alright… then I guess I better get ready…" He said, trying to be enthusiastic.

"That's the spirit! And if he gets the chance, I think my brother will want to see you as well" She said, making Kirito swallow nervously.

She decided that she had now teased him enough.

"But you'll have plenty of time to prepare, since our whole family is going on a trip for 2 weeks starting on Monday" She said.

Kirito made his surprise known.

"Wait, you're going on a trip on Monday with your family? But we don't have a break from school yet…" He stated.

"I know, but after everything that happened, we all thought that we could use a little break; it was my mom's idea, believe it or not. Besides, the doctor told her not to go to work for 2 weeks, so it's better than just staying at home" She informed, much to Kirito's surprise again. He had already known that Asuna's mother was in the hospital as Asuna had told him and their friends before the memorial service began.

"Are you sure that we're really talking about the same person?" He asked, evidently still not recovered from his surprise.

"I'm sure, Kirito-kun. This is great news, don't you agree?" Asuna asked, clearly ecstatic.

"Yeah… sure…" Kirito responded, still looking nervous.

"Don't worry Kirito-kun, I'm sure you'll do fine" Asuna encouraged.

"Yeah… thanks Asuna"

"Anytime" She responded back.

"Hey! There you are, you love birds! We've been waiting for you since forever! Come on!" A familiar friendly voice called out to them.

They looked to see Rika waving at them.

(A/N: Play the OST: 'Trying to Understand'.)

Ignoring the slight blushes appearing on their faces, they decided to comply.

"Come on, let's go Asuna"

"Right!"

As they headed towards Rika, Asuna started to think about Yuuki again.

She was no longer with her, but if by any chance, God above was allowing Yuuki to see what had happened to her right till that moment, she wondered what her friend would say.

She knew that she would be glad to see that Asuna had eventually overcome the Devil's trial, as well as the problems between her family.

But as much as Asuna missed her, she still had made a promise to Yuuki; that should they ever meet again, she would tell her of everything she had experienced in her lifetime.

So she would live on, gaining new experience each day so that she could share what she had felt and realized today when she met her again. She had every intention to uphold her promise to Yuuki.

She knew she would always remember this day as long as she lived.

Always.

(A/N: And that's it! Hope you all enjoyed.

Again, I may have mentioned some deep and religious topics in this chapter, and I don't expect many of you to believe them at first if you haven't experienced them yourself. But there are people in this world who have experienced them or have seen someone close to them experience them.

At first, when I introduced the "Devil's voice" in chapter 9, I initially was going to leave it as a dramatic effect, but as I researched and talked to people, I came to realize that people hearing voices that torment them is actually a very real and serious problem. That's why I decided to include it in this chapter. So, do you think that Asuna really accepted Christianity or not? I'll let you decide.

One of the many reasons I decided to write this chapter was because SAO, despite it technically being a sci-fi story, I kept feeling like it contained philosophical or even "spiritual" aspects in the stories, while introducing very realistic life problems, which was one of the reasons I was so drawn to the SAO series.

In any case, I'm glad to have finally gotten this chapter out of my system after having the idea for almost 5 years…

Next chapter is the final chapter! It shouldn't be too long length-wise, but I'm still technically in school and I have to take online courses. I'll do my best to balance out my time and deliver the last chapter ASAP.

Until then, remember social distancing and stay healthy; all of you.

If you enjoyed, don't forget to leave a comment.

Yours truly, KiritoIRL.)