Floor 56. Snow Field. 1st of January 2024.

Kirito and Asuna ducked and weaved through a Boss's strikes in the middle of a snowy field as they attempted to take it down. Asuna ducked and weaved through sword strike after sword strike from the strange Golem creature, which was relentlessly hitting at them with every strike it had. Upon a dodge, a single strike landed upon Kirito's leg, slightly unnerving him. The two pulled back as the blizzard around them intensified. The thundering echo of a rifle shot through their eardrums and, as a deathly wind rushed by them, a shot pierced the Golem's forehead, reducing its life to half of what it had, or to Red in this case.

"W-What was that?" Asuna asked, face planted into the snow, quite literally eating it as she stared on at the Golem in fear. Two of its minions fell dead as a pair of contrails extended outward toward them, like airplanes' smoke trails. They heard thundering steps as out ahead of them, an armor-clad soldier jumped high, extending his sword arm up. The strange blade he wielded came down upon the Field Boss with a silent whirl and the Boss' life dropped to nil. Looking ahead and noticing the boss vanish into dust(Quite literally), the duo saw a white-colored cape, knelt ahead of where the monster once was. The soldier stood up, then slung his sword onto his hip and removed the cape.

His armor was incredible... A feat of engineering for this game they were currently stuck in, one that would've taken at least a year to design, another three to put together and a lot of expenses. Several pieces put together, all seemingly different yet the same. Part Roman Legionnaire, part Chainmail and Part Tank, that's what this soldier looked like in that armor. Standing up and walking behind him, the two also noticed how different in height he was from them. A seven-foot tall giant. His armor was painted white, with silver accents, stripes, running across it. His helmet had a small viewing slit cut right where the eyes would normally be and the rest was like a Ninja's mask, whilst his right shoulder was thickly padded, with a strange knife sheath, a Kukri knife sheath, with the knife in it.

"Kirito and Asuna... I presume..." A female voice from within the soldier's helmet inquired, strangely modified, startling both of them. When Kirito examined the soldier's back better... The curves came into view and he was embarrassed by the mistake... The woman turned toward them, then nodded and looked back at the spot where the boss used to be, opening her menu. She flicked to her inventory, then requested a trade with Asuna, to which the girl accepted reluctantly. The soldier, 'Six', was her character name, handed her the victory's loot, then picked her strange white cape up, slung it over her shoulders and pulled the hood over her head.

"You caught a glimpse of her level too?" Kirito asked Asuna, who nodded, then looked to him, not shocked, but surprisingly calm, and spoke "A level 200 on this Floor?"

"I know." Kirito said, then saw the woman turn toward them and signal them to follow. He looked to Asuna, who nodded, then the two started walking together with the cape and armor-clad woman. Walking for an hour or so, a mountain emerged cleanly into sight ahead of them and in its rock, a small cave, dug out quite cleanly. The woman walked inside, then the two followed reluctantly, their fingers wrapped around their weapons' hilts. Six sat down and wrapped her fingers around her hood, removing it from her head, then her helmet.

As she removed the helmet, the intricate details of the face the girl had under all that armor began to show. Bright white, long and wavy hair, a fair complexion with a few cuts, including a slice across her right eye that had seemingly healed into a nifty little scar, stood out. Her eyes were a pure golden amber, staring at the crackling fire in the middle of the cave and her and Asuna were comparable in beauty.

"Ahem." Another female voice resounded off to the left of Six, up ahead of Asuna and Kirito. A woman clad in a light armor stood ahead of them, sword slung on her hip. Her bright blue eyes were very machine-like, while her hair was bright blue, with strands of code running through it, but the rest of her seemed human enough. Her skin was pale, in comparison to theirs. Both the girls were awfully pale for their ages. The one who took their attention spoke "Betting my higher operating systems that you two are wondering what the hell you're doing here." Receiving a nod from Asuna and Kirito, she smirked "Well, we thought we'd pull you guys out of the frying pan for once..." She looked to both of them, a bit more serious "We've been asked to pull all the people stuck here that are still alive out of the game, but we need your help... Seeing how determined you two are to get everyone out makes me think we have a bigger chance with both of you around us."

"And I agree." The soldier said, removing a rifle from her inventory and checking it. The futuristic weapon's barrel was still smoking, probably because she'd shot the boss the two were going after. She nodded to them, then set her rifle onto the ground and stood up "I'm Noble Six. You may call me Six. Cortana's already told you her name... We have a plan onto getting where we want, but it's gonna take a while."

"Blizzards rain and the grounds are chosen, Spartan." Cortana smirked, unsheathing her sword, a Legendary Weapon, Excaliber, from her hip. "Before you ask, miss Asuna, I'm Six' Personal Smart Artificial Intelligence Variant. I can hack items and gear into my inventory that you wouldn't even dream to get to. From floor 100 that is... Of course, hacking through the Cardinal system that holds Aincrad and the SAO Universe up and running to get people out... I've diverted 0.1% of my Runtime to deal with that... But it's gonna take a while, seeing what tech I have to code in for Noble Six to keep her gear together."

Six started twirling her Kukri after unsheathing it, then showed the pair to sit down by the fire. She hummed an oddity of a tune. A song Asuna somehow recognized as she sang two or three of the words in english, surprising Kirito.

"Almost night, a Crimson horizon, painted thousand lakes red... As the army approach from the east, A hunter is switching his prey... All alone, a man with his gun, wanders into the wild... TRACKS YOU DOWN, YOU WILL NOT HIDE! ONCE HE IS ONTO YOUR TRAIL! Enter the night, flash in the darkness, White Death is headed your way, Fear of his foes! HERO AT HOME! Hundreds will fall by his gun..."

"You're in the sniper's sight, first kill tonight, TIME TO DIE! You're in the bullet's way, White Death's prey, SAY GOODBYE!" Cortana joined, grinning to her ears. "So you know the lyrics to the song, The White Death?"

"I learnt them by heart after first listening to the song when I was 7." Asuna admitted, though barely. She blushed, looking at Kirito, rather angered. "If you tell anyone about this..." She started, then Kirito sighed, nodded and waved her off, not wishing to hear her rant toward it. He looked to Cortana, then examined her, head-to-toe and asked "You said you're an AI?"

"Yep." Cortana chirped proudly, grinning "SMART Variant. I can think for myself and make over a thousand calculus within the span of miliseconds..."

"Who created you, then? The game?" Asuna asked, shocked at Cortana shaking her head. The AI Pointed to Six, grinning, then said "The people that made her the soldier she is also made me, and that's as far as I'm going onto information there."

"I see..." Kirito nodded, then looked to Cortana "Shouldn't we head to the Starting Town then? We may wanna deposit our findings from that boss."

Six shook her head and said "There's a certain gang around, hunting me and Cortana... We can't move from here without'em spotting us."

"Who?" Asuna inquired, already scared of the answer. Six looked to her, set her helmet onto the floor ahead of her, then nodded and said "Laughing Coffin. I killed one of their members in what you'd call a PvP Defense match... He attacked me, bad move on his bleeding part." She sighed, then stood up and unslung her Assault Rifle, cocking it and slinging her helmet on her head. Cortana looked at the pair, both scared of hearing what Noble Six had done. PvP Killing in this game was the same as murder... That bastard did deserve it. Six had shown them a record of the number of murders only he had to be part of Laughing Coffin. 35 killed players in total.

Either from willingness, or fear that if they didn't do as asked, she would shoot them, neither Asuna nor Kirito knew why, but they joined forces with the pair of odd girls, both armed and armored unlike anything the SAO Beater pair thought they'd see in a while. Later in the night, Six stood by the exit of the cave they were hiding in, scanning her surroundings, her sniper clutched in her right hand. Her HUD lit up as a pair of Laughing Coffin soldiers approached them, to which the Spartan instinctively raised the Sniper, meeting them both almost half a mile away from the cave entry.

"Ah, the Cheater..." One of the LC Members said, staring her down, a bastard sword clutched in his hands, dragged across the snow. Six grinned behind her helmet's mask as she settled her armor's targeting reticle on the man's head. IT flashed red and the Spartan steadied her finger on the trigger of the rifle, removing the safety. She barked toward them "What the hell do you murderers want!? I have already killed one of your men! What's another to me?!"

"Calling us murderers while you shot an innocent player? That seems quite fair, miss Noble!" The other one said, laughing maniacally afterwards. The Spartan squeezed the trigger and a shot cracked the air so close to one of the men's head he twisted back just from the wind. The Spartan looked to both of them, her eyes gleaming with hate, then said "THAT WAS A WARNING SHOT, YOU BASTARDS! As for your innocent man," Six practically spat the word out. She hated idiots like these "He killed too many players for me to let him go without a shot through his fucking forehead. SOD OFF!"

One of the men growled, then nodded "We will be back for you, Spartan! With MANY MORE MEN!"

"Go to hell." The Spartan growled in English. The two men of the Laughing Coffin gang turned and left, running. Six sighed, then slumped onto the exit rock and leaned her head onto the back of her padded helmet, letting the sniper drop into the snow, its barrel still smoking from the fired shot. She slid back down onto a seated position, then exhaled deeply. "Poor sods... Hell of a way to go, brains getting fried..." She looked to Cortana, Asuna and Kirito talking and laughing then a small smile slipped onto her lips. The smallest she's allowed herself to have since Reach. She stood up, slung her rifle on her back, adding it to her inventory, then walked toward them.


Starting Town of Floor 56.

Six received several glances form people around town. With her rifle slung on her back and her cape over her armor and head, she, Kirito, Asuna and Cortana found themselves by an Inn in the local place. Upon entry, they were greeted by a dozen faces of people who were stuck with them in that game. Most of them gasped upon sighting Six walk in, the high-caliber rifle she had, stuck to her back. She ignored the stares as she walked ahead, to see a young girl playing with what seemed to be a little feathered dragon. The creature was blue-colored with bright red eyes, staring at Six, whilst her owner, Silica, a girl which Six met in her search for Kirito and Asuna, could only smile upon sighting the armor-clad colossus.

"Big Sis Six!" The girl cried, jumping and hugging the Spartan, who was surprised by the sudden outburst. Looking to Cortana, who was giggling, the AI Shrugged, then went to the side of both.

"Silica?" Kirito inquired, to which the girl turned toward them "Ah, I see you found Kirito and Asuna. Great!"

"Your info lead me straight to them, kid." Six said, patting her on the head as a hint of fondness glimmered in her words "Good job."

Silica smiled, then saluted Six, to which the Spartan saluted back. Taking a seat at the bar, Asuna tapped her on the shoulder. The Spartan, seeing a flurry of questions incoming from the rapier-wielding girl, nodded, then leaned on the counter and said "I know the kid. She got in trouble with some mobs here on this floor, to which I had to jump in and save her." Six waved off the statement, adding in a dull tone "She tells me that's how she met Kirito early on."

"And... What about the others staring at you?" Kirito asked, staring back at a few of the people. Their shocked expressions were a clear-enough sign they knew the Spartan. She nodded, pulled the hood off her head, then removed her helmet, clipping it to her belt. Sighing, the girl looked back at the people around, three of which were girls and nodded, then ordered a drink, turning back to the counter "I don't know why..." She answered in a quiet tone "Maybe seeing a Spartan is all-too-uncommon in 2024..."

She received her drink seconds later, then downed half the cup's contents. A shot rung out behind her and she stopped it with the metal cup, people screaming as they took cover, all but Asuna and Kirito. It rung, and the deformed bullet landed on the ground. The Spartan's quickdraw instincts kicked in and she turned and snapped her pistol up. Seeing a man clad in a similar cape to hers, an old World War Two rifle in hand, its barrel still smoking and the hood covering his face partially in the darkness. The Spartan grinned, then slung her pistol on her hip. The man grabbed his rifle by its leather strap, slung it on his back, then the two met in the middle of the room, staring at each other, Six with a proud smirk.

"We gonna sit here starin' each other down? Or are we gonna shake hands and get drinks?" The boy inquired, to which Six let a short laugh escape, then shook the boy's hand and added "Ryuu Asami, the man I never thought I'd see again."

"Hey, that's my line, Spartan." The boy said, patting her on the shoulder, then sitting down. Looking to Kirito, he nodded and said "Kirito, right? Six has been hunting for the Black Swordsman for a while now."

"Uh-huh..." Kirito nodded, a bit shocked by the reveal, then extended his hand to the boy "C-Can I ask who you are?"

The boy grinned, then nodded "Aye, Chief. I'm Ryuu Asami, Known as The White Death among fellow WW2 VRMMOFPS/RPG Players and the SAO VRMMORPG Players alike. Came to SAO Because I heard what happened here. My parents had to agree to me doing something so insane as 'going into another game to save people', but I have my reasons." He looked to Six "So, tell'em about the new Boss Raid yet?"

Six shook her head, then grabbed her new drink and gulped down a fourth of the cup. She added in a calm tone "I was just about to." She looked to Kirito and Asuna, then nodded "We have a job for you guys... Something that might attract a bit of attention... First things first, don't worry. Nothing big... Just to test your abilities, you two." She walked toward a table with her drink, downed whatever was left of it, then looked back to them "Some new boss appeared down east of here, deeper in their fields. Hear he's a bit strong for this floor, but I don't doubt you'll be able to kill it."

"We call it Operation:TALVISOTA." Cortana smirked, nodding "In honor of Ryuu's achievements."

"And... What are we supposed to do?" Asuna inquired, worried. Six nodded, then shoved an envelope down toward them and said "We want you to take it out..."

"We'll be giving you minimal help. Heals and such." Cortana said, grinning.

"And of course, if the situation gets hairy, Sniper Backup." Ryuu smirked, settling his sniper on his shoulder "Whaddaya say, kids? In it to win it?"

Asuna and Kirito exchanged glances. If all party members here were going to be there, they may have a chance... It took them a minute to consider gear, possibilities and patterns... Then Kirito turned to Six and nodded.

"I think We're in..."

The spartan grinned, then nodded "Great... Gear up. We're going now."