this starts during the first boss battle. then skips two when Kirito sees Asuna again as the Vice Commander of KoB
"Asuna, Switch!" Kirito shouts. The raven haired teen runs forward, sword in hand. He swings to parry a strike from the gigantic boss's sword. The monster's sword phases through Kirito's. "Crap." The large sword strikes Kirito across his chest and sends him flying into Asuna. Kirito's HP lowers to 25 points. The boss raises it's sword to deliver the final blow.
"Kirito!" Agil shouts, running at full speed towards the two teens. The boss swings its sword downwards. A blur of green passes Agil, followed by a war cry. A blonde teen, wearing a green cloak, stands under the massive blade, a sword, shaped like the energy sword from the outdated Halo games, is blocking the blade.
"Elsa, now!" The blonde teen says. A teen, around Asuna's age with blonde/white hair, and also looks a bit like Asuna, runs up and pulls Kirito out of harm's way and out of the boss room. The blonde boy withdraws with no damage taken, followed by everyone Kirito and Asuna was with. Asuna stares at Elsa, recognizing the face.
"Sis? Is that you?" Asuna asks. Elsa looks to the brown haired girl and smiles.
"Well, I never thought I would see you nearly get killed by a boss. What a shame." The blonde in green says.
"Chris? Is that you?" Kirito asks weakly.
"The one and only." Chris says, chuckling, "Drink this, then we can fight like the old days." He hands Kirito a health potion. The raven haired teen drinks the potion and gets up. Chris sheathes his blade. Asuna raises an eyebrow at this action. Chris opens up his inventory and equips the item he was looking for, a pair of gauntlets appears around Chris's forearms. Kirito looks to the blonde boy with a questioning look.
"Those protects his forearms, he often blocks with those and attacks with his free arm." Elsa explains. Chris draws his sword once again, nodding to Kirito, the two males charge into the boss room. Followed by the rest of the group. The boss swings at Chris, the blonde male slides under the attack and follows up with an uppercut slice with his sword. Kirito jumps over the kneeling blonde and uses a horizontal strike. Asuna's eyes widen.
'It's like they know what the other will do before they do it.' Asuna thinks. Chris and Kirito jab the boss's midsection, soon the boss is close to death.
"I'll let you finish it." Chris says, glancing to Kirito, a bad mistake on his part. The boss swings his sword downwards, Chris can't get his sword up in time. Instead, he raises his left forearm and counters the attack with his gauntlet. Kirito delivers the final blow to the boss. The boss disappears into code and a giant congratulations is projected in the middle of the room. Everyone in the group starts cheering, until a shout halts the celebration.
"Why? Why did you let Diabel die!" Kibaou shouts. "You knew the boss would use that sword, why did you let him die!" The room grows silent. "One of you must be a Beta tester! Show yourself and receive the proper punishment!" The people group looks to each other, Kirito starts laughing. "You're a Beta."
"Indeed." Kirito says. The raid party begins to throw insults left and right. Until one catches Kirito's attention. "Beater? I like it. However, most of the Beta testers are beginners, you all are better than most of the Betas. I was the Beta that made it the furthest." Kirito goes to his item menu and equips the final attack rare item, the Coat of Midnight. "Don't get me mixed up with the other Betas." Kirito walks to the gate to the 2nd floor. Chris follows him.
"Wait!" Asuna shouts. Kirito turns to find Asuna, Elsa, and Agil behind them. "During the battle you shouted my name, how did you know that?"
"See the health bar under yours? Isn't there writing next to it? That is where the names of the party members are." Kirito explains
"I just noticed. Thank you Kirito." Asuna exclaims.
"You're a strong player, so when someone you trust invites you to join a guild, don't hesitate." Kirito says. Chris nods.
"Thank you. For everything." Asuna says. Kirito opens the party menu and ends the party between him and Asuna. "Take care." Kirito opens the gate. Chris follows behind him. They enter the second floor.
"So, how did you meet Elsa?" Kirito asks.
"I found her struggling against a field boss. I lent a hand and told her I was late to the raid party that was heading to the boss room, she told me her sister was in that party and we set off to get there." Chris explains. "Well, I guess this is where we part ways." Kirito nods. "If you get into trouble and need me to bail you out, send a message my way." Kirito nods, adding Chris to his friends list. Chris does the same. The two nod to each other, and walk down separate paths, each leading to a different town.
Two years later.
'It's been two years, I never expected them to start clearing floors with a top guild.' Chris thinks, looking to the Knights of the Blood Oath vice commander and top general. He sighs, the whole point of most of the front line players meeting in the cave was to figure out a plan to defeat the field boss. He jumps down from the ledge he was sitting on and walks up next to Kirito. He takes an image of the map and scales it down and looks at it. He flicks a push pin up in the air towards the large map on the table.
"That is where the field boss should be, right?" Chris asks. The KoB top general looks to him surprised.
"Yeah." She says. "You have an idea?" Chris looks over the map in deep thought.
"Nope, I got nothing." Chris says finally. "You Kirito?"
"Huh? No." Kirito says. The vice commander slams her hand on the table.
"We'll lead the field boss into the town!" She shouts, her chestnut brown hair clouding her face. The general thinks over it, then nods in determination.
"The NPCs!" Kirito shouts.
"While the boss is killing NPCs we will strike and kill it." The light blonde general says.
"We can't just do that! The NPCs are…" Kirito starts.
"Alive? They'll just respawn." The vice commander says.
"Elsa, Asuna, I will not take part in this." Chris shouts.
"Nor will I." Kirito says.
"As vice commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath, I am in charge of this operation." Asuna says. "I am placing Elsa in charge of tactical command. You will obey our command." Asuna and Elsa glare at the solo players. The meeting disbands. Chris and Kirito walk together towards the village.
"Hey." A deep voice calls behind them they turn around.
"Oh Agil." Kirito says.
"Why are you four like that?"
"Two years ago, I knew they could be strong, I never imagined them clearing floors with a top guild." Kirito says.
"I guess we just get along." Chris says. The three begin to walk to the nearest town. Kirito and Chris stop under the shade of the tree. "We'll see you around Agil." The African man nods. Kirito lies down on the grass, Chris jumps to the strongest lower branch, and the two fall asleep. A few hours pass before they are rudely woken.
"What are you doing?" A female voice asks. Chris wakes up and looks down to find Elsa and Asuna looking angrily down at Kirito.
"Oh, it's you." Kirito says. Chris sighs, jumping down from the tree, surprising the girls. Chris sits on the wall close by, facing the girls.
"You do realize, that the other lead group members are out in dungeons. You're out napping?" Elsa says.
"It's Aincrad's nicest season and its nicest weather setting." Kirito says. "Going into a dungeon would be a waste of a nice day."
"You don't realize, that each day we spend in here, means a day lost in the real world?" Asuna asks.
"We are alive here, in Aincrad. If I were going to die tomorrow, I would make most of today." Chris says. "The wind and the sun, it makes me feel alive." As to prove his point, a light breeze goes by.
"There's nothing special about this weather." Elsa says.
"If you lie down, you will see what we mean." Kirito says. Falling back asleep. Chris nods, before jumping back up into the tree. Asuna looks up at the sun, before looking down at Kirito. She lies down on the ground while Elsa sits against the tree, and the both slowly start to fall asleep. Chris wakes up after a few hours, he jumps down, nearly landing on Elsa. He jumps backwards, surprised. Kirito wakes a few moments later. Christian leans against the wall. Kirito jumps in surprise to find Asuna on the ground sleeping. "I didn't think they would actually fall asleep."
"Welp. Things never go to plan." Chris says. "We should make sure no one Sleep-PKs them." Kirito nods. The black swordsman sits on the wall. Another few hours pass before Asuna and Elsa wake up. They find Chris and Kirito looking back to them.
"Morning. Sleep well?" Kirito asks. Asuna reacts, nearly drawing her rapier. Kirito ducks on the opposite side of the wall as her. Chris stays on the wall, he looks back to the sunset, rolling his eyes. Elsa reacts to this, by pushing the blonde boy off the wall. Chris crashes on the ground and rolls down the hill. Asuna covers her mouth while Kirito bursts out laughing.
"Thanks for that." Chris replies sarcastically.
"You're welcome." Elsa replies.
"One meal." Asuna suddenly says, surprising all three. "Elsa and I will buy one meal for you two." Elsa looks to Chris, who shrugs, and nods. The four walk to the nearest restaurant. They arrive at the restaurant, much to everyone's surprise. They sit down at a table near the back of the restaurant.
"Isn't that Asuna and Elsa of the knights of the Blood Oath?" A player asks.
"Yeah, that's lighting flash and ice princess, but who are those guys?" Another player asks.
"So," Asuna starts. "We really should thank you."
"Eh?" Kirito asks.
"For watching over us while we were asleep." Elsa says.
"No problem." Chris says.
"Sleep-PKs, a dirty trick that uses the duel system." Asuna says.
"Normal duels are just a test of strength, you can challenge a sleeping player by using their finger to press the OK button. Then you can keep attacking until you kill them." Elsa explains.
"Yep. I have stopped a couple of those in the past." Chris says. The three look to him in surprise. "What, I hate hackers." Kirito laughs while Asuna and Elsa covers their mouths.
"I remember you continuously killed a hacker in the beta until he deleted his avatar." Kirito says.
"That was fun." Chris chuckles. Suddenly, the fond memories are interrupted by a loud scream.
