Chapter Four: Duel in the Jungle

A/N: Yes! Consecutive day updates. *pumps fist into the air* I am so proud of myself. Thank you for favoriting and following my story if you did. If you did not then I will hunt you down and kill you, or maybe just force you to press the follow button. JK! No seriously, you should follow my story; you would make me so happy if you did. Anyway, here's my next chapter. Please read and enjoy!

2023/07/18

The dungeon on Floor 24 was creepy. At least that's what Felicita thought as she Ryner and Riku walked through it together. It was basically just a dark jungle inside of a cave. Streams crisscrossed the floor, a gentle glow coming from them. It was very dark away from them though, and creatures could be heard lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right chance to attack their prey.

"How much longer until we can go home?" Felicitaasked, her hands behind her head and an impatient tone to her voice.

"Our goal today was to at least reach 5,000 col." Ryner answered, walking next to her and looking at his map. "We're only half way there."

Felicita groaned. Riku looked at her and laughed. "You're the one that set that goal, Felicita-san."

"I got carried away. Kinade-nee was teasing me again." Felicita answered, then glanced at Ryner. "Speaking of my Onee-chan, how was your date yesterday?" the girl asked with a smirk.

Ryner's eyes darted to the side; he was determined not to look at her. "We both know it was not a date."

"But you spent time alone together didn't you." Riku asked, joining in on Felicita's teasing.

"All we did was go to the market and do some house shopping." He said, blushing. The guild almost had enough col to buy a house that they liked a few floors above them.

"You still had to spend the night away from the guild." Felicita said, still smirking. "Come on. You had to have made some kind of move on her. I set that up perfectly for you. Kinade-nee would have asked me to go but I told her I had promised Silica I was going to go into town with her."

"Well . . . we did eat dinner out together."

"And . . .?" Felicita asked him, wanting him to go on.

"We had a conversation. It was fun, but I still don't know how she feels about me." Ryner said, his spirits seeming to lower.

Felicita punched him on the arm. He grunted in pain and Felicita said. "Don't worry, Ryner-kun. Things will work out somehow." Felicita pulled up her menu and looked at the time. It was about noon. "Let's stop for lunch." She said as she went over and sat down on a rock by a stream.

Felicita had been working with Ryner to help him to hit it off with her sister for the past few months. Riku and Silica were in on it too, but it was proving to be very difficult. Felicita still liked Ryner, but she tried not to think about her feelings, they would just make her sad.

"Why must you be so violent?" Ryner asked, sitting on a nearby rock. "You're just like your sister when we miss curfew or do something reckless, only you're like that all the time. I never would have thought that you were like this when I first met you."

"I only show my true colors to people in know." Felicita said with a smirk. "Now that I know I can really trust you guys, I let you guys see me for who I am."

Ryner raised his hand like a little kid would in pre-school. "Can I go back to not knowing you then?"

Felicita took out the lunch she packed and threw one at Ryner's head. He hadn't expected that, so it hit his face and he fell backwards and off of his rock. "Just shut up and eat, baka!" She yelled.

Ryner muttered to himself as he got back onto his rock. " . . . Violent, flat-chested . . ." Unfortunately for him Felicita heard him.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch what you said." she asked with a creepy smile on her face, a dark aura seemed to surround her.

"N-Nothing!" Ryner stuttered, quickly opening his lunch and eating the food inside. Riku chuckled as Felicita handed her a lunch as well.

Felicita opened her lunch. They all had the same thing: a sandwich and a container of water. The petite girl took a bite. "This is really good Riku." Felicita complimented, smiling at her friend.

"Thanks. I'm glad that you like it." Riku said as she returned the smile. "Cooking was something I couldn't do in the real world so I'm glad I could do it here." The girl looked down at her sandwich. "I don't think they're that good though."

"Yeah they are." Felicita reassured her. "You could make a lot of col if you sold them."

"No, don't sell them!" Ryner piped in.

"Why not?" Felicita asked, glaring at him.

"There will be less for me if you do."

Felicita picked up a small rock and threw it at him. It hit him on the head and he almost fell again. "Pig." Felicita said simply.

Ryner rubbed his head where the rock struck. "There would be less for you too you know. If you ate more maybe you would grow in certain areas."

Felicita stood up abruptly, blushing slightly. "You are really asking for a punch in the face right now!"

"If I were really asking for it I would call you a short, flat-chested bitch now wouldn't I?" said the smirking boy. This was basically how their bickering played out nowadays.

"Get over here and say that to my face you self-absorbed bastard!" Felicita said, definitely feeling murderous. The best Riku could do was hold her back. "Get over here so I can kick your ass and mop the floor with your face!"

"I don't think you should do that. You won't be able to get into the corners."

"That's it! You're so dead!" Felicita pulled out her sword. Riku couldn't really hold her back anymore. They slowly made their way to Ryner who was laughing on the ground. Felicita was about to stab him when there was a sudden scream.

The three of them went still. They didn't move. That scream sounded like a child. Riku let go of Felicita and pulled out her mace. "Let's go." she said. The other two nodded. Ryner pulled out his sword and they all ran toward where the sound came from.

The three members of the Timber Wolves had run through many trees and vines, until they came across a small clearing. In the clearing there was a group of four people. Three of them were standing and one was laying on the ground, curled into their body. Felicita immediately thought that they were being attacked by a monster. "Don't panic! We're here to help!" she yelled at them as she Ryner and Riku sprinted their way to them. Then Felicita noticed that something was wrong. She didn't see any monster anywhere, she only saw the group of four, and all of them seemed to be guys.

Then her heart dropped and she gasped. The three standing were kicking the one on the ground. Felicita yelled angrily and ran ahead of Ryner and Riku. She kicked the first guy she came to and he fell back several feet. Then she slashed her sword at the next one. He barely blocked and ended up being knocked away. Ryner then came up from behind her and punched the last guy in the face, sending him into the one that had blocked Felicita's sword. He and Riku came and stood in front of the boy protectively.

Felicita knelt down next to the boy who was curled on the ground. He was small and his arms and legs looked fragile. He had messy sand colored hair and his eyes were shut tight. She looked at his health bar. It was in the red. The girl quickly got out a healing crystal and used it on him. As his health returned to green, his breathing eased and he relaxed. He opened his eyes and looked up at the girl by his side. His eyes were a light gray-ish color.

Felicita was relieved. "It's ok now. We won't let them hurt you anymore." She said with a warm smile. The boy looked at her, tears in his eyes. Felicita squeezed his hand, then stood up, her sword poised to strike.

The boy she kicked walked closer to their group. "Hey, this is none of your business. I suggest you leave now before things get ugly."

"You were beating up an innocent boy." Ryner shot back coldly. "I think that we can get in your business. Why would you do this to him? As fellow players of SAO, we need to help each other out, not massacre one another."

The other boy laughed. He seemed to be the leader of the thugs. "There's no proof that people actually die, now is there? We can't see what happens in the real world. That Akihiko Kayaba guy could have been lying when he appeared on the day of the opening ceremony."

Felicita thought back to that day. It's true that the images Kayaba had shown them could have been fabricated. Even so, why would you not take the threat of death in reality seriously?

"That doesn't mean you can do whatever you want!" Felicita yelled. "We don't know if Kayaba was lying or telling the truth. Because of that we can't take any chances."

"It's just a game you little bitch. No need to get riled up." Felicita was really starting to hate this guy.

"Then were you just hurting this boy for fun?" Ryner asked.

"The reason we have for doing what we were doing is none of your concern. Just give him back and get out of here before we decide to do the same to you."

"Not after what you've done to him already. You'll have to get through us first." Ryner said, his eyes cold and steady.

The other guys smirked. "Fine, since I am feeling generous today," the leader said. "Just give us your mace user and we will let you take the kid and get out of here."

Ryner stepped in front of Riku. "What do you want with her?" he asked.

"Isn't it obvious? It's why I didn't ask you to give me that other girl. She doesn't even look like she's hit puberty yet."

"Who are you calling a short, flat-chested girl who wouldn't look good in a swimsuit?" Felicita yelled.

Ryner tried not to laugh. He couldn't help it. "No one said that, Fel."

"You perverted bastards were thinking it!" she stepped in front of Ryner. "Ok, assholes, I have a proposition for you. One of us from each team will duel. If we win, you let all of us go, including the kid. If you win you can do whatever you want."

The leader smiled. "You have a deal, pipsqueak."

Felicita turned to Ryner and Riku. "Please let me duel." She pleaded.

"Are you sure?" Ryner asked, concerned.

"Yes. He pisses me off more than you do." Felicita was angry. She wanted to get revenge for the boy and the insults that she and her friends had been thrown. She was scared though, she couldn't deny that, but she was determined at the same time.

Ryner saw this, and smiled. "Ok, I'll let you. I know you won't let us down." Felicita nodded, then turned to Riku. Riku looked her in the eyes, then nodded. Felicita then looked at the boy on the ground. She smiled at him, then walked toward the three jerks.

"So, you send yourself to get your ass kicked, huh?" The leader said, meeting Felicita between their two groups.

Felicita sent him a duel invitation. "You shouldn't cuss so much. Your soul is already black enough." He just chuckled, amused and accepted, making their duel a timed battle.

The countdown began. Felicita held her sword up while her opponent equipped a sword and shield. She really found it insulting that he did not take a ready stance.

They had a staring contest; Felicita stared with hatred while her opponent stared with nonchalant amusement. All Felicita thought about was her desire to defeat him.

The countdown ended, they had about one minute and thirty seconds. Felicita charged him wanting to stab him right in the stomach. The only thing he did was move his shield to block her. She hit the shield several times because he kept blocking. Then he hit her with his it, stunning her and he slashed her across the chest and she fell back. He tried to kick her but she rolled, only to be cut again on the arm by his sword.

Felicita felt really scared. Was this how she was going to die? He was so strong, how was she going to defeat him. The girl froze for a second. She was kicked and she screamed.

"Felicita!" Ryner and Riku were calling her name. They were depending on her. She had practically bet their lives away and she had to pull them out.

Through her fear. Felicita got up. About thirty seconds were left. The jerk was about to say a retort but Felicita charged him again, faster than before. He barely had time to block. All Felicita thought about was stiking faster, harder to smack that smirk off his face and grind his pride into dust on the floor. She was able to knock his shield out of his hand, he looked surprised. The petite girl then began to cut him every which way she could. He tried to block and counterattack with his sword, but the most he could do was scratch her cheek. Then as three seconds were left, Felicita kicked him in the chest, sending him flying back into his goons. The duel ended, Felicita's health was on the edge between yellow and green while her opponent's had begun to turn red. Felicita had won.

Ryner and Riku cheered, Felicita sagged in relief. "Damn you!" Felicita looked back at the thugs. They were rushing her, weapons drawn. It was too late to defend herself and her friends were too far away to save her. The girl closed her eyes. She was going to die.

There was a strangled cry of pain. Felicita opened her eyes in confusion. Another boy was now standing in front of her. He had black hair that hung around his intense, dark eyes. He wore a long black coat, a crescent moon on the chest and he had a one-handed long sword strapped to his back.

He glared at the two he had knocked aside. "You know, it's not very cool to be sore losers. You should accept that you were defeated and learn from it."

"Who the hell are you?" One of the boys on the floor asked.

"Just a solo player passing through." He drew his sword, and held it at his side. "You should leave now, before I decide to teach you a little something about good sportsmanship."

"Like you could beat us." One of the guys said as he rushed the strange newcomer. He barely reached his target before the swordsman in black knocked his sword away and tripped him.

He stood there coolly. "You're just wasting your time." He said as he sidestepped the next guy and kicked him in the side, sending him sprawling.

Everyone stared at this strange person. Who was he? Felicita could not help but think that she had seen him before.

Then a loud grinding noise filled the air. Felicita looked to where it was coming from. It was a giant, stone cobra. It slithered through the trees and stopped near them hissing. Then more came, gathering around them.

"Crap." Felicita heard the swordsman whisper. He turned around and grabbed her hand. "Run!" he yelled, pulling her towards her guild mates. As they passed them, Ryner and Riku followed and Felicita grabbed the boy on the ground by the hand and pulled him along with them. They ran into the forest, snakes following close behind them.

A/N: There it was, my 4th chapter. What's going to happen next? Why were they beating up a little kid? Who is this mysterious swordsman? Ok, actually, that last question is not that hard to answer. Everyone should know who he is. Not to worry my darlings, I will answer these questions next update. Please review when you are done. However, I will not force you to . . . probably.