This in only a fan fiction, I do not own Sword Art Online in any format.

Life can be strange, take turn and directions you would never expect. If you told Kiri to that he was going to be a player, and teach a lady player how to fight and survive in this flying castle, he would have asked you to go to a healer, because you would clearly be either sick or insane. As far as Kiri to could remember Aincrad was his home, born and raised by his loving mother and one young sister. But here he was explaining Asuna the basic training regiment of a foot soldier in the Royal guard.

"As I was telling you training your skills is one thing, train your body as well. Training is the way of life for warriors like us. Grow to overconfident, or underestimate an enemy and you are as good as dead." Asuna understood that what she didn't understand is, why was she using skills at imaginary targets.

"Practice makes perfect, a few hundred feet from here is a hidden dungeon, it is called the duality dungeon, and it is not on any map. We will get our one and only weapon there, it will save us a small fortune in the long run." Asuna stopped her last attack and looked at Kirito. "You must be a beta, well what so especial about the dungeon?" Kirito to finished his last attack and told her to sit down.

"There are two dungeons in one, you do them back to back. Meaning you do one going in,and as soon as it finishes the other starts in the way out. The first is the black sword, the other is called the white shield. In the first, you must defeat 100 enemies so that the boss appears. The boss fights a duel with you. The other you must defend against 100 attacks, the boss will then ask you a question."

Asuna understood then that the weapons were the reward from each boss. The reason he had them use skills that they found comfortable, was maybe because the weapon the boss gave depend on what skills were used most. "Couldn't someone kill us and steal the weapons, they must sell for a lot of col," Kirito told her that these weapons were living weapons, they grew stronger as the user did, and no they could never sell them, because they would always return to the user, if they took one and ran, the weapon would return to his chosen warrior, or be destroyed when said warrior died.

"The test is harsh because these weapons are capable of being the strongest, and because they are loyal to their warrior. A true friend in any battle." Asuna asked why they were waiting, he told her that they were already at the entrance. They were just waiting for it to open. She then saw as the sun went down in the horizon, and as the last rays shown they hit the wall on the raised platform behind them With a big release of wind the door opened.

They both walked into the door and it slammed shut. Then they saw a hundred sword-wielding skeletons. They were all running towards them in a long corridor, the only light came from the torches in the walls. Kirito calmly walked and with Asuna they began to defeat the monsters. Each time they defeated a monster the door on the other end of the corridor began to open. It had a symbol of a skull with two swords right below the chin.

Little by little they fought the skeletons and walked to the slowly opening door. The skeletons did not stop even as they saw their kind die. It was almost as if the skeletons wanted to die. As they reached the door the last skeleton died and the door opened. They walked inside, and the room had one small desk, with a man sitting in a very comfortable chair.

"You sure took your sweet time getting here, Hel was getting mighty lonely without you. But I will not simply give her back you must take her back from me." Asuna did not understand why the monster was talking, a language she could understand. He was a tall muscular man, wearing black rusted armor, the helm looked like a human skull.

"Sorry for the wait, Loki. But you know I would come and get her." The monster began to laugh, and in a gesture he made the duel challenge notice appear before Kirito. The room changed to a large open area as soon as he accepted. The duel was a first strike duel. The two fought with everything they had, Loki even threw dirt hoping to blind Kirito. But sure enough, as he threw the dirt Kirito threw a small rock knocking the sword out of his opponent's hand. He was declared a winner as he hit him with his sword.

"That was pretty low of you, Loki. But I guess I am one to talk. Don't worry I plan to make your little girl, get to fight a lot more than last time." Asuna asked who was Kirito talking about. Loki explained that Kirito had been the only one to find his hidden dungeon. He told her that he created just three living weapons. He'll, Fenrir and Jormungand. Hel was an ever transforming blade, Fenrir was a large hammer that too could change shape, Jormungand is a whip that could burn through anything.

The blade looked pretty happy to be held by Kirito. The best friend a swordsman could ever ask for. "Now you just need to signal that the second part can begin. I just hope you didn't do anything to upset Freya. I remember how mad she can get." Loki laughed and pushed a stone and told him, that if he still remembered then this next part shouldn't be that much of a surprise.

Sure enough, a hundred archers were ready for him. As the two began to walk towards the exit, Kirito heard the first arrowhead straight towards Asuna. With a regular sword he was a magnificent swordsman, with Hel he was a force to be feared by his enemies, the sword split in two and became two magnificent blades. With a sword in each hand, he struck down the arrow. Asuna also tried to strike down one, but it simply was too fast, this made her ask the obvious question, "What level are you?"

Kirito took down another arrow, and began to think really hard about the answer, they were half way to the exit, and he decided to hell with it, he was going, to tell the truth, or at least about his level, "I'm not that high, my level is 78." Asuna was taken by surprise, he was 74 levels higher than her. "So since we formed the party, how much XP points have you gained from us defeating monsters?" Kirito did not answer just made a hand sign that said it all. A big fat zero.

He struck down the last arrow, and she checked her status display, she had gained three level in the corridor. A very beautiful knight showed up and did not look at all happy to see him. "So happy to see you, Freya. But those were more than 100 arrows. I would expect that from Loki, but never you." She simply had to double the number of arrows, since he was the only one actually managing to do anything against them. Kirito told her that his friend was not that high in level, that it would be unfair to think she could do something that took him a full day to figure out.

"All the excuses in the world and that is the best you could come up with?" Asuna asked if there was any personal reason that she was so harsh on him. Freya actually smiled as she said that. She indeed has a very personal reason and the cause of her anger just asked her to know that very reason. Freya simply smiled, and while trying to look calm she answered. "Truth be told, I was expecting Kirito to solo this dungeon like he did last time. I even made this special armor set for him, but now that there are two completing this dungeon, well it pretty much means I will not get to give him the armor, instead I will have to give you my weapon if you answer my question."

"I don't want to waste time, so go ahead and ask." Freya could simply consider her reaction, the impatience of youth, or she didn't like her surroundings. "What walks on four in the morning, two in the afternoon and three in the evening?" Asuna didn't even need to think about it, she answered man. Freya laughed as it was just an icebreaker question, to get her more relaxed. "It is the most precious treasure, even when found it does not last, what is it?" Asuna told her that she already answered her first question, but she would answer again. The answer was love.

Freya liked her answers and she took something from her belt and threw it at her. It was a rapier. A simply beautiful blade, Freya told her name was Urd. She looked hard at Kirito and smiled to see that Hel had changed to her standard form. She thanked her for the weapon, and when she has close she has pulled closer before she could even blink the hug was over. She did not understand why would Freya do that, till she saw her saying the words to check her items later. I guess it was useful that Asuna could read lips.

The two went to a nearby hunting field to let Asuna get used to her new sword. Hel had decided to talk with Kirito in spirit form. "Any reason you are so willing to help he?" Kirito told her that much against his better judgment, he was ordered to live as a player, having her nearby made it easier for him to blend in, he also told her that some of these players or invaders engaged in not-sanctioned murder and the Red King wanted these disrespectful killers dealt with.

"Kirito, who are talking to? I have been trying to get your attention for a good ten minutes." Rats, Kirito knew he forgot to tell Asuna something. Might as well teach her, and let those two start a friendship now or pay the consequences later. He told her to follow him to a rest area and told her to sit down."Unlike normal weapons, living weapons have a spirit and personality like us. Now take your blade hold it where you can see it, and greet her, just like you would me."

Asuna did so and the spirit of her rapier appeared a very exotically dressed lady, with a really good figure but her hair was two colors, most were black but had a streak of white to one side of her hair. "Took you long enough, How many times do I have to scream, I am no good with slashing moves. Pierce, stab, poke, which ever you prefer but no slashing." Kirito told Asuna that forging a friendship with her blade would make her stronger. She asked if anyone else could see Urd. He told her they could if she told her materialization words, or if she needed to save her friend's life.

She asked if she could meet Hel. Kirito told her that she was shy, in truth she wanted to see her in action and maybe get used to working with her own blade first, deep down she did not want to be pestered for gossip about Kirito and what he had done before meeting her. Those times were precious to her, and so she wanted to keep them private, Kirito was the only one that had ever been kind to her after all.