Shield And Swords

Chapter 2— Holding a Shield

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Original Title: Sword Art Online(ソードアート・オンライン)

Original Concept by: Kawahara Reki

written by: wrathie

Author's Notes: So I'm writing more! Thank you, bowpurity for the beta-edit.

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It was originally nothing but a promise, an agreement that was made between two parties. And a promise was weird like that as each party might view the promise in a different light.

In this case, Sachi viewed the promise that Kirito made to her as something that she had pinned all her hopes on, the promise was why she was able to become stronger than before, it was a promise that was pulling her from the brink for despair.

As for Kirito, the promise was his certainty for the future, he knew that the 'promise' he made was one that would happen with so much certainty that the promise to him was nothing special at all.

But it was undisputed that the two different views of the promises were linked to each other, and they fed off each other. The two of them would have to work together, grow together, depend on each other, and if that link continued, their continued goals will be closer within their grasps.

For Sachi depended on Kirito's faith to save her, and even if Kirito only believed in himself, he would push himself for he knew that Sachi depended on him. So what if it was an indirect link between Kirito and the promise he made with her, the two of them were still interconnected.

Talk about believing in the person that the other believed in indeed! For Sachi believed in the Sachi that Kirito believed in, and thus she was able to work harder for his sake. And Kirito motivated himself to match up to the Kirito that Sachi believed in, making him work harder, and with higher goals than before.

So, the two of them believed in each other's promises, without any question or loss of faith. That was the extent and strength of their bond... so what if something about it changed?

What if, in order to fulfill the promise, Kirito had to save Sachi? Sachi, who had been the indirect motivator for Kirito to work harder, would become the direct reason for Kirito to wake up right now.

That was what Sachi thought of before she sent a private message to the one person she could depend on now, Argo the Rat.

..

Argo the Rat smiled cheerfully as she pushed open the door of the guild house. She hadn't even been aware that the Black Cats of the Full Moon had a guild house, actually she was quite surprised that Kirito even joined a guild in the first place, but SAO had always been full of surprises. But yes, having a guild house was a minor achievement for the guild as well, and Argo felt that celebrations were in order. Especially since it was Sachi who had asked her for help. it also made her feel happy that the shy girl was finally going to take up her offer of help, Argo did like being trusted after all. It was just a coincidence that it would also lead up to more sales for her rumour mill... but that's besides the point.

All in all, the whiskered information seller was in a good mood as she looked around at the place. The guild house was a fixer-upper, there were dust everywhere, the furniture was in disarray and well, it was quite simply a mess. But she was sure that they would be able to do something about it, the Black Cats of the Full Moon were quite a lively bunch after all, and she was certain that they would be able to break the solitude that Kirito himself had developed in the game as well as the beta.

Argo didn't quite approve of how he kept his identity and true level from the guild-members, but she understood in a way as to why he would want to do that.

He was a Beater after all, and the Black Swordsmanto the clearers was a presence to be feared, hated as well as awed. Argo herself wasn't that surprised, he had been just as awe-inspiring in the beta as well, so seeing him in the same dominating position at the top was really, to be expected.

The Wild Card to her was the leader of the Knights of the Blood, Heathcliff, who had appeared out of nowhere just recently with his superior skills with his shield. Argo felt that something was off about him, but wasn't able to place a finger on exactly what was actually wrong with him.

'You know Sachi-chan, when you told me that yo-'

..

Argo's smile was wiped off her face when she pushed open a door where she heard voices in it. In the few interactions that she had with them, it was plain to see that Sachi had feelings for the dense Kirito. Well, in this case Argo wondered if Kirito was truly dense or was avoiding the issue altogether. If it's the latter, Argo couldn't help but approve of their interaction, even if it had came at a cost for herself.

What greeted Argo however, was the sight of Sachi kneeling in front of Kirito, himself lying stiffly on the couch with a blanket placed over him. That would be quite normal, Kirito was prone to 'nap-attacks' episodes where he just simply, flopped and be in deep sleep. Argo had even caught him sleeping once while standing up, but this was different, as Sachi wore a face that Argo had only seen on Kirito once before, where he had been called a beatershortly after the boss fight of the first floor. Her eyes were hard, signs that she had bit herself in worry, Sachi's tense and straight posture just made the scene more surreal to Argo. This wasn't the shy and timid girl that she knew at all, and that itself made Argo worry, for this new change in her personality was definitely due to a traumatic event.

Even if Argo might admire Sachi more about how she was willing to abandon her fear like that, she wasn't sure if Sachi was forced to make that decision, made that decision herself, or had just resorted to this without knowing the implications. If Sachi had decided on this route because she had became unhinged and desperate, Argo had to stop her right now. Nothing good would come out of it.

Sachi was in pain, and was in crossroads about something, no doubt about Kirito, and Argo rushed over to rest a hand on her shoulder.

'Sachi, Sachi-chan, tell me, what happened,'

Argo was no fool, there was no denying that something happened, but she needed information to help her, if she could help at all.

'Please, take care of Kirito-kun for me, Argo-san.'

Sachi muttered softly even as she slowly got up from her kneeling position. The tone of her voice made Argo hesitate, for it seemed that Sachi's mind was made up. At the same time, Argo was disturbed to hear that Sachi's voice had gone even softer. Sachi had always been quiet, never raising her voice, and despite her presence never been missed in the group that she interacted with, it was never quite there as well.

Argo had to strain to catch Sachi's words, and she was unable to stop Sachi from moving away from the couch and where Kirito was.

..

'W-Wait, where are you going, Sachi? You can't leave him like this!'

It took only one look for Argo to know that Kirito had simply cried himself to sleep, or something similar. He was mumbling in his sleep, twitching, flinching, and shuddering while tears periodically formed in his eyes as he moaned out softly as well. He was having nightmares, and it made Argo feel pain and panic at seeing the unflappable and strong Kirito in this state.

Sachi never responded to her question directly, instead she just stood there impassively, looking at Kirito for a while before turning to look at Argo again. So she had asked her to help take care of him, true, but was this really what she wanted?

'You want me to take care of Kirito, Sachi? Then where are you going, why can't you take care of him now, Sachi? Kirito... He needs you now, you know that.'

it wasn't that Argo wanted to push the responsibility away, but she knew that she was right too when she asked her that. This wasn't about who was suited for the job, it was about who needed to be with him now. Kirito never allowed anyone near to him if he could help it, and since he allowed Sachi that, it was best if she was the one who stayed by his side to nurse him back to health.

'Besides, I don't know what's going on at all. You should be the one to stay with him, please, Sachi.'

Argo gave her a reassuring smile, but she frowned when Sachi shook her head.

'... You could find out, Argo-san. And... I have something else that I need to do now. Something... only I can do, for Kirito-kun. But... I need to prepare for it. I need... Kirito-kun to come after me. So please, won't you please look after him?'

Well, that was certainly true, she was the information dealer after all and there was nothing that she couldn't find out if she wanted to, but really, was this the time?

'Must you go now? Is this the... right time, Sachi?'

Argo asked again, losing to Sachi's hard and impassive stare as she sighed. She didn't quite mind, Sachi had a point as well, it wasn't just Sachi that Kirito opened up to, it was her too, and Sachi knew that. That was probably why Sachi called for her help. Even if it might be harder than she expected, and there was potentially a landmine here for her to discover, Argo found herself hesitating.

'Yes, only I can do this. I have to do this. If Kirito-kun doesn't... he will never get up again.'

..

Those words made Argo give a wry grin, it was like a love confession, a twisted one at that, and it could so mean a lot of things if Argo was able to record it. Still, the severity of the situation meant that Argo shouldn't joke about this,

'You're really determined to do this, aren't you, Sachi? I don't know what you are planning... but it would be dangerous for you and Kii-bou.'

Argo asked after a moment had passed, the time spent to evaluate Sachi's own resolve. She was both satisfied as well as worried that Sachi had not budged, nor did she show any indicator that she was hesitating or reconsidering at all. Whatever Sachi had in mind, had already been set in stone, and since it was her decision, Argo couldn't talk her out of it.

'Well, it's going to cost you. My services are never for free, I know I promised to waive one offer of service for you, but in this case it's going to be a little more expensive than usual.'

Argo gave a devious grin back, but it was Sachi who made Argo stumble again as she nodded, before holding out a key to her.

'What's... this?'

As Argo took the key from Sachi, she frowned before giving a grimace at the item's description.

'The house to the guild house... are you...'

Argo frowned at the key, but she wasn't letting go of it either. It was a vexing and complicating situation that made Argo unsure of Sachi's intentions. This was definitely not what she would expect from the shy girl who used to like hiding behind their guild member's back, that was for sure.

'Would you join our guild, Argo-san? Kirito-kun needs help right now, and you are the only person that I can trust.'

Sachi paused in her speech to bow to Argo slowly, keeping her head down and kept it there, and would probably continue to keep it there if not for Argo starting to laugh helplessly. She knew that it was not the right time to do that, and she felt bad doing it, but the sheer audacity and bluntness that Sachi displayed now in probably desperation was enough to tickle her funny bone, as well as to make her aware of how desperate she was.

'... Ahaha... Fine... I'll accept that as payment... never say that Argo the Rat doesn't honor her promises.' Argo pocketed the key even as she accepted the Guild Invitation from Sachi.

'Then, Kirito-kun would be in your care, Argo-san.'

That was the last time Argo would see Sachi for a while, her hands gripping on to herself in worry as Sachi equipped herself in the biggest room of the guild house. Finally Putting on her gloves, Sachi gripped onto her shield tightly before bowing to Argo again and leaving the guild house for her important task.

Argo did not foresee that would be the beginning of another tale, the tale of a shy and timid girl, who was forced to change herself completely in her desperation to save someone else.

..

'Who would have thought it was Kii-bou and Sachi-chan.'

Argo winced even as she pressed a cold press on Kirito's forehead. The boy was sweating profusely, perhaps a fever? Or perhaps it was her own mental illnesses that was causing him to be sick. She had been up for the entire night now and Kirito still didn't look peaceful.

True to her title as the Rat as well as the information dealer, Argo had asked her contacts, a wide multitude of them to look for any news regarding Sachi and Kirito's predicament.

It wasn't hard for her to find out that the entire guild, save for the two of them had died, the exact details weren't that clear but it still made Argo wince anyway.

Anyone would be traumatic after that incident, survivor's guilt was something that she had seen more than her share of people who had experienced it. But like most of the players, after six months, everyone had pushed those dark thoughts to the back of their mind.

Humans were the best at adapting after all, they had to, or else they couldn't survive. Argo also knew that Kirito was also a victim of survivor's guilt, only in a much more deeper scale for he never confronted it, choosing to bury it deep inside him and holding it inside him while ignoring it at the same time.

He had held up considerably well, and Argo had hoped that Sachi would be able to help him pass the problem when he had introduced him to the Black Cats of the Full Moon.

It was her guild now too, come to think of it, and although it sounded silly that an information broker was part of a guild, it does give her some benefits, like a bigger inventory store for her rarer equipment trades as well as a point of contact for her clients to actually find her.

Argo knew that this deal was a very bad one for her, but Sachi and Kirito's predicament had compelled her to accept it. It wasn't the best trade, it was a horrible trade, but Argo also understood that Sachi had no one to turn to. She hardly knew anyone besides her own guildmates as well as the friends that Kirito had introduced them to, probably only Klein and Agil besides her.

So she was the only choice. Klein might offer help, no, he would offer help but due to Kirito's stubborn pride, Sachi couldn't consider it. Agil might be a good choice, he was certainly caring and yet discreet enough for Kirito to depend on him more than others, but at the same time, Argo also accepted the fact that it was really hard for Sachi to approach Agil as well. He was a big softie at heart, but he did look intimidating.

..

But again, it all came back to the rumors that had came back since she had done some digging. There was a sighting of an individual half dragging and half carrying another into the woods. The rumor was that it was a new quest about an abducted NPC, or perhaps it was one of those kidnapping cases that had died down after the Army took care of it.

It was totally blown out of scale, but in the heart of every rumour, there was a grain of truth in it. Like the saying, there's no smoke without fire. What didn't made Argo smile this time was how it seemed to say too much, for too little. Whatever happened to them, it wasn't enough for them to lose their guild members in the dungeon, it was enough to render them incapable of doing anything but to try and rely on each other for comfort and help. There was more than enough teleport crystals in the guild's store, and that meant that...

'They couldn't get away from what had attacked them.'

Argo sighed as she sank down to sit on the cold floor, biting a finger furiously even as she looked up to see Kirito wincing again, another bad dream causing him extreme discomfort before she started wiping his sweat soaked face again.

'Kii-bou... just what happened, really?'

Argo asked softly before resting her head on the couch, reaching for his hand and settled down to look after him, just as how she had promised Sachi.

..

It hurt, it really hurt, and the sounds of the wolves snarling and yipping at her did nothing to distract her from the slight pain that she felt as they tore into her.

But all of it was lost on Sachi as she continued to engage the pack of wolves that she had lured and aggravated for about half an hour now. It wasn't a simple mob of wolves, it was at least a combination of 6 packs, meaning a total of thirty individual wolves were trying to attack her together.

And yet, they were unable to truly pose a threat to her, if the indicator on her HP bar was true. She was taking her share of damage, yes, and although it didn't hurt as much as it should, the fear of being attacked in such a fashion was terrifying enough.

For Sachi, who had always feared dying, and was unsuitable for the role of a tank, it was like a nightmare come true.

But even that did not stop her, for she had seen even more terrifying things, like having her friends cut down in front of her.

It did tear at her heart every time she thought of it, and it was like she felt a part of her die inside. But Sachi couldn't stop now, not when she had to be get stronger, when she had to push her limits as much as she could now before she placed her life on the line for Kirito-kun. If Kirito-kun didn't come for her, at least... she had a fighting chance to make it out alive.

Those morbid thoughts made her footsteps even heavier, and she ignored the wolves that leapt towards her again in lieu of more important things.

She had to be strong, Sachi knew that, and she had to face her fear, and this reason alone brought her to the first level, and to the low-leveled wolves that would not pose a threat to her. Their constant attacks may only stung, but what couldn't be replicated was the sounds, the smell as well as the image of those monsters attack her relentlessly. She had frozen up when she saw the huge group of monsters attack them, and Sachi knew that was the first obstacle to overcome if she wanted Kirito-kun and her to face their fears. The wolves always came in packs, in larger mounts and even respawned quickly, making it a good place for her to at least mentally prepare for what she would be facing again. It also had the additional benefit of being able to train her own skills, Guard and Parry were indispensable for a tank, and lastly... she needed experience in fighting large groups like this.

Nothing could ever beat real, first-hand experience after all.

..

Sachi had to make Kirito-kun come after her, she had to make him understand that if he truly wished to fulfil their promise, he would have to save her, because her life already belonged to him. She was saved by him, and she would not let him forget that. If he gave up and subsequently died, the Black Cats of the Full Moon would die with him. He had always been Sachi's hope, and that by itself was something that was more than a burden, it was a sign of hope and belief for them. He had to understand that, he just HAD to!

Her friends might had died because of many reasons, she was at fault, so was Kirito-kun, but this didn't mean that they should just give up. She was sad and devastated that her friends were lost, they were dead, and they... they had so many things that they wanted to do, but now they couldn't accomplish them because of what they had experienced.

Because, Sachi didn't want it to end like that, not because Kirito-kun gave up just like that as it would mean that their friend's sacrifice and lost were in vain. Maybe it had, but Sachi didn't want it to truly end like that. Her friends had always encouraged her, and in their deaths, Sachi knew that was truer than ever. Her friends, they died, but they definitely still lived. So, she couldn't give up, not when they would surely, want to encourage her to go on. To live, and to escape.

..

Why had she survived and they hadn't? The answer was because of Kirito-kun, he had saved her and she had been a burden. Just because Kirito-kun was stronger, meant that he shouldered more of the blame and that was something Sachi couldn't accept, for that weight had already crushed him, and would continue to haunt him for a long time seeing how affected he was.

But Sachi also knew that they, or he, couldn't afford the time for him to recover. When the Black Cats of the Full Moon left the first floor, she had seen first-hand how different the second, and the subsequent floors were from the first.

The first floor was terrible, it being the place where the players who had given up hope and had despaired were all gathering in. They continued to pray it was a nightmare and was too terrified to leave, or to take even more risks by leaving and pushing themselves.

Sachi still had nightmares about the place at times, remembering that she had been one of them, and could have lost to SAO if not for her friends and Kirito-kun.

She would rather die than allow Kirito-kun to end up be in the same state as those people, for he was better than that, he had the potential to be much stronger, Sachi knew it.

That was why she was here, training herself, steeling herself for what she would have to do. The wolves in the first floor was the easiest monsters that could swarm and mob her while still remaining safe. Sachi feared death, everyone did, but she also knew that she truly did not have the will, nor the determination to live in this world if not for her friends.

She had lost to Sword Art Online, she would definitely be killed if left alone, not because she was weak, but because she would crumble in front of death and not struggle against it. Her heart had given up, and she knew that despite her best efforts, she was prepared to die at any moment.

A person who was prepared to go, would be the first to fall, as they wouldn't struggle. They wouldn't fight for that 1% chance of survival, they would simply accept it. And that, was what Sachi must change first. For if she didn't, she'll forever be a burden to Kirito-kun, and would cause him more pain if she fell. For if there was one thing Sachi didn't want to, it's to cause Kirito-kun pain.

'…'

..

Sachi remembered the crystal that she had prepared for Kirito-kun that was stored in their shared inventory window, and she gave a small bitter smile in what she recorded there.

It was true, she wanted to know why they met, and it was more importantly, to help Kirito-kun. But she was done being timid, she would never forgive herself if she couldn't tell Kirito-kun this by herself, face to face.

She would fight to remind Kirito-kun of his promise, of what he could do, and even if she had to steel her heart to do so, then so be it.

Sachi raised the shield that she was holding to block the attacks from the wolves, parrying and blocking, Sachi started to tear into the pack with her sword at well. Even if they outnumbered her, the damage they dealt was quite low due to her being at least 20 levels above them. But it still hurt, and they did chip at her HP as they attacked. It was exactly the way her friends had died, outnumbered, outgunned, and facing foes that would not quit no matter what happened to them.

Even as one fell, two came to take it's place, and they would never quit, for they were programs, machines, inventions created to attack and kill them, the players. Sachi was mad at them for killing her friends, but they simply could not understand what they were doing. They were simply following instructions given to them, and even if it was cold comfort, Sachi could start to understand why Kirito could kill the humanoid monsters so easily now, and why he placed so much blame on himself.

For it wasn't the monsters fault that they died, it was the players themselves.

..

'No more... never.. again.'

Sachi mumbled to herself even as her reaction time got better this time, her shield raising up to block an attack on her left and then sweeping back to take out another on the right. Her eyes narrowed, and despite her ever decreasing HP bar, Sachi's sword started swinging as well, cutting down the wolves as they disintegrated into polygons in front of her eyes. Each one that she cut, was another one that would appear till they clear this Death Game. Each one that she destroyed was another step towards that goal and promise that Kirito-kun promised. Each damage that she received was one step closer to the reality of her death. And so Sachi swung hard, desperately, and deliberately into the mob, encouraging more to attack her, more to remind her, and more to steel her.

For she didn't want to see anyone go through the same thing she did, that Kirito-kun did, to bemoan their weakness, their inability to save their friends. Never again, she promised herself as instead of blocking the next attack, Sachi flung her shield forward viciously, knocking the wolf back before it disintegrated into polygons as well. Her vicious act even caused the wolves to pause for a moment as Sachi screamed into the night, provoking and terrifying the wolves as she changed her stance, gripping her sword tightly in one arm even as her shield was held firmer, closer to her.

'Kirito-kun... won't you save me?'

Sachi looked up and asked sadly even as the wolves surrounded her again, ready to end the life of another adventurer. As Sachi's sword and shield flashed in the darkness of the night, so did the numbness in her own heart.

Author's Notes: R&R, it'll be nice!