Nightfall had come. The only light still shining through the shop's windows came from the dim street lanterns outside. Lisbeth carried a small candle around the store as she took a final tally of her inventory.
She had adjusted to spending most of her nights alone in the empty workshop ever since she became a resident of Aincrad. There were rare exceptions, such as when she shared a sleeping bag with Kirito while they were gathering materials in a dungeon a few weeks ago, but being by herself after working hours was always the norm. It usually never bothered her, but this night felt different. Every time she stopped to make sure this sword was still in its display case, or that axe was still hanging on the wall, she felt as if someone was standing just over her shoulder. Each time she turned to investigate, however, there was nothing was nothing but empty space behind her.
She sighed and shook her head, joking to herself for letting her nerves get the better of her. She was in her own home. As nice as it sounded, she didn't need Kirito holding her in his arms and guarding her from imaginary dungeon monsters every night. It would be wrong if she tried to get between him and Asuna, anyway.
When she was finished in the store, she made her way to her upstairs bedroom with a relieved smile on her face.
The feeling she wasn't alone came creeping back when she entered the room. After glancing over her peaceful surroundings and reassuring herself again, she placed the candle on her windowsill and made her way to her wardrobe. She had just started to reach inside for her nightwear when something convinced her to turn around.
This time it wasn't just empty air behind her. A robed figure stood only a few feet away from her, dwarfing her small stature. She recognized him instantly as the same figure that had taunted her and the thousands of other players the day they had become trapped in Aincrad. All of the trauma she had faced that day and spent months trying to overcome suddenly flooded back into her mind.
Lisbeth stumbled backward with a cry of shock and landed with her back pressed against her dresser. She glanced up toward the unexpected guest with a look of fear frozen on her face, prompting him to speak.
"Rika Shinozaki. Kyoto City Hospital. Registration number 2,084. Blacksmith."
Lisbeth remained petrified in terror. The mysterious figure's voice continued to rumble from the shadowy void under his hood.
"Interesting. You've spent the past several months settling into one area of Aincrad so you could help those around you. Most of your peers prefer to wander aimlessly through some repetitive adventure trying to make a name for themselves, but you've found a sense of normalcy in your new life by creating a home for yourself and providing assistance to others. You're exactly the type of candidate I'm looking for."
Lisbeth gathered enough of her senses to blink. She forced herself to sit up as she weakly spoke.
"What do you want from me?"
The cloaked figure answered in the same calm, unconcerned tone as before.
"Certain players have begun to abuse faults in the SAO system, allowing them to complete the game much faster than I ever anticipated. I would deal with the matter myself, but I'd prefer not to compromise my in-game identity. I'll need at least one Moderator to help me restore things to my original estimates, to make sure everyone has a fair chance to complete the main questline."
Before she could question him further, Lisbeth leaned forward and reached for the sides of her head. She winced as she tried to fight a sudden migraine.
"My... head..."
The shadowy figure's reply only added to her panic.
"The discomfort you're feeling is a normal physical response. Your NerveGear's input function has been activated and is making a few permanent alterations to your neurochemistry. It should only last for a few seconds."
Lisbeth recoiled in horror.
"Whatever you're doing, stop it! Haven't you already done enough to me?"
She violently shook her head and clenched her temples, trying to push an invisible weight out of her hair. The robed figure lowered his tone as if he were trying to console her.
"I suggest you try to relax. You're the first player I've had an opportunity to test this feature on. There's already an unfortunate chance it could lobotomize you, and you're only going to raise that risk if you put more strain on the system."
This only terrified Lisbeth more. She spent several more moments groan softly, bringing her knees to her chin as she tried to cope with the throbbing in her head.
Then she was quiet. She lowered her hands back to her sides as she regained her bearings, adjusting to her strange new thoughts. Finally she raised her head, offering her guest a humble smile.
"What do you need me to do, Mr. Kayaba?"
Somewhere in the shadows of his cowl, the mysterious figure grinned to himself.
A small dagger materialized in Lisbeth's hand, which she brought toward her lap to investigate more closely. With a blade made of sharpened obsidian and a black handle to match, it didn't look much different from the kind of weapon she could forge for herself. She liked to work with more aesthetically appealing materials, such as silver or polished steel, but an item's practical use was always the most important factor in the end.
The figure calmly explained the weapon's properties.
"Your new weapon is called the Blade of Woe. It's small, lightweight, and won't take up much room in your inventory. Under normal conditions, it's nothing more that a standard melee weapon with a fairly low damage rating. Appearance wise, it's the perfect sidearm for a blacksmith who just wants a basic means of defending herself. No one will think twice when they see it you carrying it around."
She carefully measured the surface of the weapon with her index finger as he spoke.
"But when used against targets I authorize, the Blade can turn you into one of the most powerful players in the game. When its full abilities are unlocked, it becomes a high-level dagger that bypasses the target's armor rating and depletes all of their available hit points in an instant. It will defeat anything it strikes in one hit."
Lisbeth stared at the knife for a few more seconds, then tilted her head innocently.
"Who do you need me to get rid of?"
"I feel you're not quite ready to deal with some of the more problematic players, but there is one minor offender I'm sure you'll be able to handle. So far she hasn't done anything other than act as an accomplice to one of the game's bigger problems, but she still concerns me, and she's slowly becoming more powerful on her own. Your play record indicates you've already become close to her. That should make your mission even easier."
Lisbeth couldn't see his eyes behind his hood, but she could feel them staring down at her coldly.
"I want you to dispose of the player with the username 'Asuna.'"
Her hands clenched eagerly around the handle of the dagger as she nodded obediently. She was still aware Asuna would die in the real world the moment she was defeated in Aincrad. Thanks to her new, more aggressive mindset, this made her even more anxious.
"You can count on me."
Some of her enthusiasm faded when she briefly glanced to the side, quietly doubting her own ability.
"Um... I don't really have good stats for playing stealth quests, though. What if someone notices me PKing?"
The cloaked figure answered in an encouraging voice.
"So be it. If you can't complete your mission discretely, at least make an example of her and show some of the other players what happens when they try to take the easy way out of the game. I can teleport you to a safe location if anyone is foolish enough to try and avenge her."
Lisbeth gave another attentive nod, then lowered her head to hide a growing blush.
"One other thing..."
When she glanced upward again, there was a hopeful sparkle in her eye.
"Since I'm going to get Asuna out of the way for you, can I... have Kirito?"
The robed figure answered in a low chuckle.
"That sounds like a fair reward. He's part of the larger problem I was speaking of, but I'll spare his life if you can keep a close watch on him and come up with some other way of ending his pathetic rebellion."
Lisbeth was overwhelmed with joy. In the back of her head, she was already thinking of clever ways she could limit Kirito's power for his own safety. Maybe she could forge a magic sword that negated his attack strength, or design some armor that reset all of his stat bonuses. She would have to get creative, but she was optimistic she would be able to save his life.
"Thank you, Mr. Kayaba!"
The cloaked figure returned her gratitude by disappearing from the room, finally leaving her in peace.
Lisbeth climbed to her feet and studied the knife one last time. She placed it in the dresser with some of her personal things, then changed for the night. She wasn't worried about getting her hands bloody. She never stopped to think about how many other terrible deeds she might be asked to carry out. In her mind, it was all already justified. The only thing she could think about as she cheerfully dozed to sleep was the life she was going to spend with Kirito.