Disclaimer: I own nothing

Rated: T

Tokyo, Japan – November 6, 2022

Multiple Victims in Online Game Incident

"No..."

Kagome managed to snap out of her utter shock when the quiet word was murmured and she forced her eyes away from the TV news report and onto her mother's horrified face, "No..."

She bit her lip and her nails dug into her palms, "That man," She clenched her teeth until her jaw ached, "Is was him." The hatred leaked into her voice and her mother's brown eyes were suddenly upon her.

"Kagome," Nodoka said hesitantly and she exhaled slowly to try and calm her wildly flipping emotions down, "Kagome, you shouldn't–"

"Please, Kaa-san, don't try to defend him!" Kagome interrupted in a snappish tone, "He did this, despite knowing that Souta would be playing his stupid game!"

"I'm sure..." Nodoka began weakly before trailing off while tears formed in her eyes, "That he..."

"I'm going to find that bastard," Kagome said calmly, standing up and ready to leave until her mother's hand caught her arm, "Kaa-san!" She protested, thinking that her mother was about to defend that man.

"Even if you do, I doubt that anything you do will convince Akihiko to reverse this decision of his," Nodoka said grimly, tightening her hold on Kagome's arm before releasing it, "I know he also sent you one of those video game systems with the game with Souta's."

"I bet he was planning this the whole time," Kagome snorted with anger, "Planning on getting me to play as well. He knew I wouldn't be interested otherwise."

"Are you going to do it?" Nodoka asked and her mixed emotions clearly showed on her distraught face, "Are you going to play the game?"

"Yes," Kagome simply answered, "I'm not going to let Souta in there alone where he could die. And I'm not about to take that headgear off because there is no guarantee that Sesshoumaru's Tenseiga will work."

"I'm a bad mother for asking," Nodoka swallowed thickly and more tears fell from her eyes as she hugged Kagome tightly to her, "But please! Please protect Souta until someone clears the game!" She begged, sniffling into her daughter's shoulder.

"I will," Kagome said softly, hugging her mother just as tightly, "It shouldn't be too hard to stay alive. I probably know more about swordsmanship than all the other players," She stated, thinking back to the last year, 'It was a good thing that Sango-chan decided to teach me the ways of the Taijiya.'

Nodoka released Kagome, who quickly gathered the video game gear that he had sent her only a few days earlier, "Good luck." Nodoka whispered as Kagome set up the system and finally placed the NerveGear on her head.

'Why would you do this?' Kagome thought as her mind was brought into the game called Sword Art Online and the real world became absolutely nothing to her. Her anger only grew as thought of the creator of the game, Kabaya Akihiko.

'Why would you do this to Souta... Tou-san?'