"Argo I..." Ichigo began before looking at his friends face. He was only slightly distracted as a black and red blur passed by him to the outer rim of the court. He shook his head once more. "Argo, I'm sorry. I can't leave till I help them." He finished determindly.
"Ichigo, we're Beta-tester! We know the best places to hunt. We need the levels to survive." She spoke hotly, but the ex-shinigami could see the desperation swimming in her eyes.
"And we will still know those places tomorrow." He looked to her before continueing in a softer tone. "Argo I don't want to do this by myself, please just stay and then we can high tail it to the next town in a few hours."
Argo looked ready to argue but she stopped short, staring into his eyes. She saw what others failed to see, beneath that cool, calm aura that he radiated Argo could see the lonliness in his eyes and she swore her heart cracked. With a mighty sigh she smiled at his determination before speaking.
"Fine, but you're treatin' me to dinner later alright?"
Argo got a smirk in response. "Why do I feel like you're gonna squander all my Col from me."
"Leave my presence! Before I change my mind worthless peasant!" She cackled maniacally before shoving Ichigo towards the front of the terrified players both young and old.
Standing on the rim of a beautiful fountain, it's stone pires shooting out water that glittered in the slowly disappearing sun as it fell, Ichigo could only stare out at the despair in forlorn silence.
Men were pushing and shoving their way out, screaming at anyone in their way. Many women began to break down, the weight of this new reality crushing them while the remaining few felt their maternal sides come out as they tried to console the heartbroken children.
(AN - I'm not sexist, I am a woman but I feel men would lash out in anger at anyone and anything whereas women would suffer more silently.)
Ichigo looked to his left, to where Argo stood and gained support from the beatiful glow her caramel eyes gave out. He shook himself, hardening his expression before adressing the crowd.
"Hey! Quiet!"
Almost immediately everyone settled down, which slightly unnerved the swordsman before he powered on.
"Do you all seriously think all this fighting is gonna acomplish anything!? Cause it ain't."
The crowd began to regress slightly, the children beggining to cry once more before Ichigo sighed wearily and he continued not unkindly.
"Look, I know it's hard. Hell, I'm surprised at how well everyone is acting at the moment but the worst thing anyone can do at this moment is be afraid, we have all been trapped inside this game together so we have to look after one another."
Murmers spread throughout the group as Argo smiled at Ichigo in support.
"It's alright to be afraid, but you can't allow that to fuel your actions. This game is called Sword Art Online, swords are everything here but if you allow fear to control you then that is all your blade will resonate with and you will die."
The swordsman sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he looked out at the scared crowd before his eyes zeroed in on a small boy, around the age of 12 with long black hair clutching a young girl around the same age with ash-blonde hair. His face immediantly softened.
"A man once told me that my blade resonated only with fear. That when I countered, I feared being killed. When I attacked I feared killing. When I protected someone I feared letting them die. This goes for all of you."
With a heavy sigh he pulled his sword from his back and stabbed it into the ground. He stared at the beauty in it's deadly edges while marking how different it was from Zangetsu. Ichigo smiled wistfully.
"Guess I can't ever escape you old man." He said softly. He gazed out at the crowd determined.
"Abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop. You'll age if you pull back. You'll die if you hesitate."
"Never accept this life as your own. Every sense is fake. Each chirp of birds you hear. Every bit of warmth from the sun you feel. It's all fake. But one day I promise you, I promise that we will make it home! I swear to you! On my blood and pride and honour! This I swear!"
He finished his speach staring out at the group and saw the change. Each and every one of them now looked ready.
Ichigo still saw that weariness from the days hardships but he also saw the impact his words created. Someone in the crowd began cheering and before he knew it the whole plaza was, swords were shining in the sun as the clouds retreated and they were lifted into the air.
Ichigo couldn't help but smile. 'Guess those words had the same impact on them as they did on me, huh old man.'
He studied the sword and how the metal gleamed in the light, and he swore he saw a cloaked man staring back.
Ichigo glanced at Argo and saw her wiping at her eyes slightly before he turned away again, this time towards the sky. He raised a hand to his chest and clenched his shirt where his heart lay.
'I can feel it. It's not raining anymore.'
0o0o0
I know this chapter is short, it was originally gonna be longer but I thought if I continued on after that last part then it would take away the emotional awakening of sorts for Ichigo. Have no fear, to make up for it i'm gonna be uploading chapter 4 real soon.
Also for those that didn't get it, the two kids were supposed to represent Yuzu and Karin, the first part of the speech about his blade resonating with fear was originally by Kisuke Urahara and the last part was spoken by Zangetsu.
The next chapter will be about setting up a place for the kids and the rag tag duo finally leaving.
Hope ya'all enjoyed it ^w^