Title: The Black Knights
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Asuna or Liz or Silica or Sachi or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: When Asuna sees through Kirito's speech after the first Boss fight, she makes a decision that changes the fortunes of many.
Kirito walked away from the raid group, adjusting his brand new black coat. He used the portal to proceed to level two, leaving many of the raid group staring after him in shock. It had hurt him to speak down on the other Beta testers, but he felt it necessary to protect the other Betas and allow them to help the other players. He was walking along the short path from the level two entry portal exit to the first safe zone village on the level. He had just entered the safe zone when he heard a voice behind him.
"Why did you lie?"
He turned around and saw Asuna standing just inside the safe zone boundary looking at him with a quizzical expression.
"What?" Kirito asked.
"Why did you pretend that you did not care about anyone?" she asked. "Because if that was true, you would not have helped me."
"Come on. Let's get a room at the inn and we can talk." Kirito said.
Asuna went slightly red with embarrassment and then anger rose.
"Why you…" she began.
"In an inn, no one can hear through a door unless they knock." Kirito replied. "Or have a really high listening skill, which no one will have yet."
Asuna huffed and then followed him. They booked in to two rooms and then met up in Kirito's room.
"So… what was that all about?" Asuna asked again.
"It's simple. They were about to turn on all Beta Testers. I don't know how many of us there are but all of the other players are really going to need their knowledge of what is happening to survive." He explained.
"So you do care?" she replied. "That's why you helped me."
Kirito moved over to the window and looked out into the plaza below. He saw a few players moving through the town, including Agil and a few others from the first level boss raid group, showing other players around.
"So what are you going to do now?" Asuna asked.
Kirito looked over his shoulder at Asuna, her chestnut hair flowing down her back, except for two bangs that framed her face. She was sitting on the bed with her legs tucked up under her short red skirt, with her red vest's trim fluttering over her white blouse. After a few seconds he fully turned and looked at her.
"Head out, fight. Further and faster than anyone else. Join in on raids on the level bosses. Clear the game." Kirito replied at last.
"You can't expect to do that alone. You'll die." Asuna said. "Look, you told me if someone I trusted invited me into a guild I should join. Right?"
Kirito simply nodded.
"Yeah, well there is only one person in this whole game I trust." She declared. "We worked well together. And you said yourself that working with others increases the chances of survival."
"I don't know." Kirito said, uncertainly.
"If you don't agree, I'll just follow after you anyway." Asuna said, her hands on her hips.
"Fine." Kirito said, opening up his menu and sent Asuna a group invite.
The message notification showed up in front of Asuna and she clicked on the accept button with a slight smile on her face.
The three tanks of team six took the hit from the level boss of floor 55 on their shields, watching as the shield durability dropped dramatically, as the high damage players behind them made their attacks.
"Team six, switch out." Came the order of the Raid Leader.
The six players moved back, fully expecting another full raid group to take their place. Instead they were replaced by two players, both dressed in black. Both were also wielding a single one handed sword, without a shield.
"They're going to get slaughtered." One of the just relieved tanks said, about to charge back into the fight.
"No they won't." The leader of team six, a veteran Assault Team player replied. "They are the Black Swordsman and Black Lightning."
"Oh my god. The Black Knight Guild." Another of team six said.
"Who?" The first tank asked.
"Just watch." The leader said. "This fight is over."
Kirito and Asuna took the fight to the boss. They worked together with almost perfect timing, dodging the boss's attacks and then darting in for lightning fast strikes before dancing back out of range. Kirito darted in and sliced off the arm of the boss that was threatening team four. Asuna switched in and hit a critical point on the boss with her Rapier but took a slash to her black breastplate in return. As she stepped back, her health bar going down into the yellow, Kirito stepped in and with three quick flashes of his sword the boss's HP went down to zero and it dissolved.
"Damn it." Asuna said, looking down at her now split breastplate.
Asuna looked over at Kirito who nodded and then went to the conference between the Assault Team leaders. There were a number of guilds represented, including the Knights of the Blood Oath.
"Congratulations." The commander of the Holy Dragon Alliance said. "You Black Knights got the Rare Drop again."
"Did we loose anyone?" Kirito asked, ignoring the snide comment.
"Some serious injuries, particularly in team four, but no deaths today." Heathcliff, the head of the Knights of the Blood Oath said.
"That's good." Kirito replied. "Just letting you know that the Black Knights are going off the line for a while."
"Any particular reason?" Heathcliff asked.
"We've been on the line too long. We're worn down and need to repair, rearm and rest a while." Kirito replied, before turning to the Holy Dragon Alliance commander. "Guess that means you might have a shot at some floor boss drops."
Kirito returned to his place by Asuna's side and they used their teleport crystals to transport out of the Boss Room.
The glow of the teleport faded and revealed the town of Lindas on floor 48. Kirito and Asuna walked through the streets to the shop with a large waterwheel attached to the side of it. They walked in and were greeted by the NPC shop girl who let them into the back where the Blacksmith was working. Kirito slouched against the wall while Asuna simply leaned while they waited for Lisbeth to finish on the two-handed axe she was working on.
"That for Agil?" Kirito asked, when Liz finished the Axe.
The Black Knights were different to all other Guilds. In SAO there were two types of guilds. Combat Guilds and Artisan Guilds. The combat guilds were just that, made up of players who went out to fight monsters and clear dungeons, and most had the aspiration of becoming a Front Line Guild as part of the Assault Team. Most combat guilds shunned players who practiced non-combat Artisan skills such as blacksmithing, shopkeeping and info-broking, even as they relied on the services these other players provided. The players who followed these non-combat skills were either independents or joined artisan guilds.
Lisbeth was one of the best Blacksmiths in SAO, a competent Mace Wielder and a member of the Black Knights Guild. She provided custom weapons and armour to the Guild and the other Assault Team members. The fourth member of the guild was Agil, a shop keeper in Algede on level 50 and an expert two-handed Axe wielder who occasionally joined in on floor boss fights. That was another thing that made the Black Knights a rare guild. Most front line guilds had upwards of thirty platers, often more, but the Black Knights had only the four, and half of them did not play on the front lines all the time.
"No." Liz replied, "It's for someone in the Knights of the Blood Oath. So, how's things?"
"I need my armour repaired." Asuna said. "Got sliced up by a floor boss."
As Liz began looking at the rent in Asuna's breastplate, Kirito opened up his menu and began sorting through his inventory.
"Found these." Kirito said, opening up a trade window with Liz. "They're fairly rare metallic material drops."
Liz looked up at the words and checked her trade window, staring at the ten items in there.
"Oh my god, Kirito." She exclaimed. "Do you have any idea how much these are worth?"
"Whatever." Kirito replied. "Use them to make Asuna some new armour or whatever. I'm off to see Agil."
Kirito turned and left leaving Asuna and Liz behind. Liz turned and stared at Asuna.
"What?" Asuna said. "We got the drops while clearing the dungeon."
"Yeah, and they are rare enough that you could sell one of them and buy the best accommodation on a cleared level." Liz replied. "I can make you a replacement weapon and breastplate that is ten times better than what you are currently using with just two of these."
"Huh." Asuna said in contemplation.
TBC…