Heartwarming / Nightblade

Beware of unmarked spoilers.

Nightblade

• Kirito and Asuna surprising Rythin with a replacement of one of his old armor pieces for his birthday, which he completely forgot about.
  Kirito: It's your birthday, isn't it?
  Rythin: Yes, it is. I managed to forget. (beat) You shouldn't have. Now I feel like I have to get you two something.
  Kirito: It's not necessary.
  Rythin: But appreciated, no?
  Kirito: I wouldn't say no.
  Asuna: C'mon, open it already.
  Rythin: I don't know...maybe I should hold on to this. Can't I appreciate the moment? It's not every day I get a gift.
  * Asuna glares*
  Rythin: I'm opening it right now, okay? What's in this, a pile of bricks?
  Kirito: Well?
  Rythin: I...you... Where did you get this?
  'Asuna: Kirito had the leather left over. I brought this up a month ago and we worked together to kill the Bloodwyrm.
  Rythin: I'm...speechless. Wow. You two... I'm not sure about social interactions. Is this the appropriate time for a hug?

Nightblade II - Wings of Vengeance

Nightblade III - Defining Strength

• Rika assuring Nick that they all really do care about him after his breakdown with Yuuki, especially heartwarming considering the normal Snark-to-Snark Combat between the two of them.
  Rika: God, Nick, we've been worried about you. You've been so distant lately, and then Yuuki tells me you were saying something about wanting to DIE. We care about you, you idiot, don't you get that? We all love you. Maybe not the same way we love Kazuto, but we still love you, damn it! You're our big bother! I don't want to lose someone else!
• Nick and Kana's little chat at the very end of the story.

Nightblade IV - Book I - Viper's Bite

• E Class offering to help Nick out after seeing the scar across his chest for the first time.
  Yada: Nick, are you... okay?
  Nick: ...Yyyyyyyes?
  Yada: You can tell us anything, no matter what, we'll help you. We're E Class, we stick together.
  Nick: I...
  Isogai: Look, man, I know you like to keep your life private, and we respect that. But, I mean, you don't ever talk about your family, or your home life, or anything! And then when you stood up to Coach Takaoka, you said you hated your father. And now seeing that... Nagisa told me you said you lived by yourself. Is that because... because you had to run away? Was someone hurting you?
  Nick (internally): Wait... they thought I was being abused?
  Nick: What?! No! I'm... I'm not... No! No, no, it's nothing like what you're thinking. I... Okay, look. It's a long story, and I really don't have time to tell you all right now. Let's just... Let's just say that I got this, because I was an idiot, and it was my own stupidity at fault. I live alone because of reasons that I, um, don't really feel like talking about because it's a long overly complicated story.
  Nick (internally): How do you talk about almost dying to people? How do you tell them that you should, by all rights, be dead?
  Nick: It's nothing, it happened a while ago, and I'm fine. Honestly. You should see the other guy. Bastard got what was coming to him, and he can't hurt anyone from jail.
  Yada: If you ever need anything, just give me a call, okay? Even if it's just to talk. You're always welcome to come over and have dinner with my family, if you want.
  Maehara: Yeah, same here. My folks won't care. We always have leftovers anyway.

Nightblade IV - Book II - Viper's Kiss

• Outer Space Time really shows how much Nick truly missed Kana and the rest of his family, even when Asuna and Kana are about to leave during their short visit in Assassination Classroom Nick doesn't want them to leave.
  Already I missed them, even though they were right behind me. Every shred of my body wanted to just turn around and run back to Kana and Asuna, wrap my arms around them, and never let them go.
• The (possible) Epilogue of Viper's Kiss shows how tight the bond between all the members of E Class, including Nick, is. When Nick uses the STL machine to revisit the world of Assassination Classroom, the characters experience a reunion that shows just how deeply they all care for each other.

Nightblade IV - Book III - Viper's Eclipse

• Ritsu rejoining Nick in the Underworld to find Kirito, which to her is the first time in three years that she's seen him.

Nightblade Sidequests

• Nick's mother telling Kana to take good care of him.
  Nick's Mother: You're good for him. I was worried when he came out of that game, he was different.
  Kana: We were all different coming out of Sword Art Online.
  Nick's Mother: I'm just glad he found you. He's so much happier than he was for so long. You're welcome here anytime.

Nightblade - Brave Song

• Basically any Nick and Kana moment throughout the story counts, but special mention to their date after Nick's first one on one encounter with Eiji. The two of them know that their memories are fragile thanks to what happened with Asuna, and want to cherish the time they've spent.
• Nick and Shino's moment at her apartment after Nick's fight with Eiji. The back and forth banter between the two of them while Shino is patching Nick up goes show that despite how much they feign the rivalry between them that truly do care for one another.
  Nick: Thanks, Shino, but that was dangerous, showing up there.
  Shino: Like going after that guy in the first place wasn't? So, the next boss fight, where is it?
  Nick: Huh? No. No, Shino, I'm not letting you do that and put yourself at risk. Kazuto already told you what happened to Asuna, I know he did.
  Shino: So? I'm not an SAO Survivor, so I should be fine, right?
  Nick: That's... I don't think that's how that works... Well, Din?
  Din: I don't think you should be affected, Aunt Shino. The scan was targeting SAO data only, so you should be safe.
  Nick: I don't want to take you, I don't want you at risk, even if it's less than one percent.
  Shino: I'm going to go with or without you. After all, you can't tell me Kazuto's not going, right? That's what I thought. Hey, it'll be okay, you know? I'll have you there to look out for me. And I know you won't let anything hurt me.
  Nick: Hah... You're certainly troublesome, my dear little sister.
  Shino: Only because you're so much trouble yourself, big brother.
• Kana asking Nick to live together once they're in college, one of the most heartwarming moments in the entire series.
  Kana: Hey. Y'know, I've been thinking...
  Nick: Yeah? What about?
  Kana: About us, mostly.
  Nick (terrified): Oh?
  Kana: Nothing bad, more like, we're going to start college in a few months, and... I was just wondering what we'd do about housing and stuff like that.
  Nick: We're suppose to live in the dorms for our first year, and then we can choose between dorms and off-campus apartment housing. Though from what I've heard the dorms kinda suck, so-
  Kana: For someone so smart, you can be really dense sometimes. I'm talking about living together while we're in college. And... maybe after that, if we're ready.
  Nick: Are you... sure? It's a big decision.
  Kana: I know, I'm not expecting an answer right away, but think about it, okay? But... soon?
  Nick: Yes.
  Kana: Oh, good. Let me know when you-
  Nick: No, not that, the first thing you asked. Yes. I think I'd like that. Living together in the off-campus apartments. But, for the other thing.... how about we wait, a little bit?
  Kana: What did you have in mind?
  Nick: I think, maybe... after we graduate. Once we can support ourselves, we'll talk about it again. Does that sound... okay?
  (Kana hugs Nick tightly with the happiest expression Nick has ever seen her with)

Other

• The series of "Big Sisters" omakes, proving that Nick really will go to any length to make his family happy... even if it means embarrassing himself and playing dress up for the girls. Doubles as a Funny Moment by the end.
• Sinon's end route during Gaiden after being "injected" by the syringe.
  Shino: Don't scare me like that, I thought that you were...
  Nick: I'm not going anywhere, promise, I have to protect you for the rest of our lives, right?
  Shino: Yeah... That's right.