The monstrous beast before him roared in defiance as it took in the enemies that dared venture into its chambers. It had the body of a dragon, armoured with silver scales that seemed to glisten despite the low lighting in the cave. It was equipped with a pair of vicious-looking claws that were probably bigger than his entire body, and a large, spiky tail that swung aggressively behind the creature. Perhaps the most startling thing about the large boss however, had to be the three heads that roared and snapped in unison, each firing off their own blasts of fire in anger.
A particularly brutal boss fight seemed to be in order, and Kirito sighed.
"Relax."
His voice resounded loudly through the chamber, and the large group of players behind him snapped out of their shock.
"Stick to the plan, on my mark." He looked around briefly for the affirmative nods before turning back to the girls beside him. "You girls ready?"
They nodded in return, and Kirito readied himself. The boss remained in its position, seemingly content to observe them. Three heads roared in unison, the sound nearly deafening in the confined space.
Kirito took that as his signal, and charged forward, leading the way for the offensive. His girls immediately followed, with the remaining clearers trailing a bit further back. The first strike would set the pace for the rest of the battle, and they had planned it several days in advance. It was thanks to the meticulous efforts of the scouting party that they had a good idea of what the boss was capable of.
Few plans worked perfectly in action however, and Kirito hoped that there would be no surprises from this boss. The disaster on the 25th floor still served as a silent reminder of just how badly a boss battle could go.
"Silica!"
He slowed down just a bit as they neared the boss, letting the smallest member of his group take the lead. The girl gave a shout of affirmation before setting up, stopping within lunging distance of the giant boss.
The short girl crouched slightly, her body parallel to the group. She raised her white buckler in the air, creating a platform that she held firmly with both hands. "Ready!"
Kirito leapt onto the shield, and the smaller girl let out a sound of exertion as she put her abundant STR stat to use. Giving him a boost along with his innate jumping ability, Kirito easily reached the near-limit of the dungeon ceiling before dropping down. The jump was calculated however, and the trajectory allowed him to meet the centre dragon head-on. He let out a shout before executing a familiar sword skill. His sword glowing a brilliant blue before landing squarely between the dragon's eyes. «Amplifying Strike» worked to weaken a small area considerably, but its conditions were tougher to meet on a boss. The area of effect was incredibly small, and whoever followed up would have to have incredible accuracy.
Ignoring the cry of pain from the boss, Kirito used the dragon's chest as leverage to push off, landing steadily on his feet. Just as he hit the ground, he looked up to see the figures of his group members already in the air, ready to follow up on his initiative.
Asuna arrived first, using the same method as Kirito, and readied her rapier.. She would only have one shot at this, and had to make it count. Eyeing the small red wound on the dragon left by Kirito's sword skill, she narrowed her eyes, and concentrated.
"Now!"
Using her most accurate sword skill, a simple stab called «Linear Pierce» that had a very high critical hit chance, she struck out deftly, causing the dragon to immediately flinch back in pain. Her thrust had been perfect and the bonus damage caused by both of their sword skills caused the middle head to scrunch up in pain.
She would have been worried as the other two draconic heads turned towards her, if not for her teammates. With mouths full of fire, and a furious glint of anger in their eyes, the two heads reared back to roast her.
"Hya!"
Lisbeth interrupted the right head with a well-timed «Impact» skill, the overhead strike causing the dragon to flinch and briefly become stunned.
At the same time, the left dragon head was met by Argo, who garnered its attention using several thrown needles, before reaching the angry head. As she came within range, her claws glowed a dark red in preparation for her strongest sword skill. Her weapons were not meant for interrupting bosses, and she would have to trigger a large amount of burst damage for it to happen.
She smirked as she activated her newly unlocked «Sinister Spectrum» skill, the 11-hit combo leaving bright red scars as she slashed through the dragon's eyes multiple times. Landing lightly on her feet, she assumed her move was enough to trigger a flinch as she did not see a large streak of fire.
In the span of a few tense seconds, they had successfully led the charge, blocking the initial flames which the three-headed dragon would have undoubtedly released. They had no time to congratulate each other however, as the rest of the clearers caught up. Each of them roaring with vigor, inspired by the brilliant opening they had witnessed.
The 34th boss battle had begun.
"Hah... t-that took... much longer than I expected." Silica commented between gasps, she had played a very active part in the battle after all. She received several nods of agreement from the rest of her party, each of them looking rather tired.
The group took a very well-deserved moment of rest as they observed the rest of the players. All of the clearers seemed to be hustling around the DDA members, as one of them had apparently gotten the «Last Hit». There was a general celebratory mood as everyone smiled and cheered one another. Another successful clear without a single casualty.
The three-headed dragon proved to be rather straightforward, discounting the fact that they had to interrupt the heads each time one prepared itself for a flame breath. What took the raid group so long had to be the absence of any notable weak spot, as its entire body was covered in silver, armoured scales. With most of the heavy hitters saving their cooldowns for interruption purposes, the brunt of the damage had to come from the more tanky players, as they suddenly found themselves not as useful. Heathcliff himself took care of the only other danger; the spiky-balled tail that tried to bash them every now and then.
Eyeing the celebration as one of the DDA members materialized the drop, a rather elaborate helmet made from the same material as the silver scales, Kirito found himself smiling. It had taken them a long time, and despite the numerous setbacks, the frontlines were now much more unified than ever.
Laughing slightly as Argo drooled slightly over the helmet, Kirito gestured for the girls' attention. They followed him as he led the way to the staircase that would lead them to the next floor. It had been a tradition of theirs; being the first ones into the battle, they would be the first ones to leave.
Opening the elaborate looking double-doors, Kirito sighed in relief as the next floor revealed itself. Long endless plains of grass were a welcome sight after the immense rocky terrain that had made up the 34th floor. He vowed never to take flat ground for granted again after his experiences on that floor, as even the main city had been slightly slanted.
Looking back at the girls, he smiled as they seemed to share his sentiments of relief, Lisbeth even collapsed happily on the grass. Silica joined her on the ground, followed by the rest of the girls. The weather was rather nice on the floor, with a warm, gentle breeze that seemed to caress the landscape.
He was tempted to fall asleep as he sat down beside the girls, but he knew that showing off his laziness this early on the floor was a sure way of angering the girls. They had all been rather busy these few weeks after all, putting their all into clearing the floors. He felt bad for arranging very little break time, as he knew the girls never complained in order to keep up with him.
Scratching a happily purring Pina in his lap, Kirito let out a sigh of contentment as he took in the gentle atmosphere. Sitting around on the grass, talking about anything that came to mind, was a reminder to him of what awaited them outside of this death game, and he wondered if he could talk to them like this... on the other side.
"Hey." He called out to them, his tone suddenly wistful. "Lets go home."
On the 22nd floor, near the very edge of the habitable area was an abandoned farm lot. The large plot of land was in a secluded area, away from the main road. Although many players had chanced upon the land, it went unmentioned due to the fact that there was nothing notable. For those with the proper information however, the abandoned lot was an amazing opportunity.
In SAO, the ability to purchase permanent housing was a highly appealing feature. Especially since the players were now trapped in a death game, having a place to call home had been the goal of a good majority of the players. It was quite expensive however, and only the richest players could afford them, and even then, they often had to split the cost with another player.
Several other factors came into play when considering buying a home in Aincrad. The location played a large part, as the area determined what the home would look like. Homes in the larger cities were much more expensive than buying a house in a village, and a 'unique' house was worth much more than a generic model in a district. The system seemed smart enough to estimate the worth of a lot, as the buildings on the busy 10th floor had seen a sharp price increase.
Along with the price factor, you had two choices when considering a home. The first one was to purchase a generic building, one that was either made for merchants or for living and sleeping. These buildings were plentiful and the most affordable. The other, much more expensive option, was to purchase a plot of land. After buying the land, you had the ability to 'construct' a building on your plot. It was not 'true' construction so much as selecting and modifying several variables before having the game's system randomize the building. The second option was largely reserved for the richest merchants, and for large guilds who wanted a headquarters.
For the regular players who would have to already save up a considerable amount just to buy a mediocre house in a district, the idea of buying a customized building was unlikely. For the top guilds however, the only limitation was being able to buy enough land for their needs. The major cities rarely had any land to sell, and it was rare to be able to have a custom headquarters in a city. It was speculated that the higher leveled floors would have more land available, as more and more featured were unlocked.
The abandoned farm lot on the 22nd floor was unique in this case, as it was relatively close to a teleport gate, and thus the main city, while still maintaining its unique seclusion. To be able to purchase the land however, one had to go through the tedious motions of completing every single quest on the 22nd floor. Luckily for a certain guild, having the top information broker in the game made that requirement rather trivial.
Buying the land was a group decision, as the costs would set them back tremendously. However, the thought of having a home to call their own was highly appealing to the girls, as they were sick of constantly renting places. It would finally allow them to finally have their own rooms, and most of all, a place to call home.
The incredible cost of the land was covered largely by Argo, who had somehow amassed so much money, that she had started running out of places to invest in. Even then, it took nearly their entire savings to purchase the land and construct the building. The final result was undoubtedly worth it in the end.
Situated before a large lake, the grand cottage seemed to blend in with the scenery. It was three stories tall and had two balconies, along with a deck that overlooked the lake. The previous farmland had been also transformed, replaced by what seemed to be a myriad of different flowers that decorated the plot of land.
If someone were to take the main road from the 22nd floor, they would be surprised to see a new addition to the path. A spiralling road led the player to a gated entrance, decorated with a guild emblem. The insignia consisted of three swords, a golden one in the middle, bounded by a black and white blade on its left and right respectively. The Royal Sword's emblem was now rather famous, and luckily for them, the location of their home had remained secret so far.
It was here that the most famous party in Aincrad lived.
A sharp thrust to the left was blocked swiftly, her opponent's translucent blue blade parrying the attack rather easily. She had to sidestep the retaliatory swing from his other blade; a black steel longsword. Using the momentum, she twirled around him, aiming a thrust to his neck.
The sound of steel meeting steel resounded loudly throughout the area, as he blocked her thrust without even turning his body.
"Not fast enough Asuna."
His chiding tone made her huff, and she renewed her onslaught. Her black-haired opponent seemed to grin before adjusting his posture. His black blade met her rapier, knocking the thrust upwards, before he swung with his left handed weapon. She had to abandon her attack to leap backwards in order to dodge the horizontal swing.
She frowned as she slowly circled around him. His stance was relaxed, but she knew from experience that he was using it to catch her off guard. He had been on the defensive since the start of the battle, and it was annoying her to no end. Every single attack of hers, no matter how fast was blocked, and even if she followed up with more thrusts, he easily kept up with his two swords.
She growled lightly. "You're not fair Kirito-kun!"
"Oh?" He raised a single eyebrow. "How so?"
"You... you don't have a weak point!" She shouted at him. "Shouldn't you be weaker on the left side at least?!"
Asuna had been attacking him from all angles since the start of the battle, but no matter which direction she chose, her attacks bounced off the same way. She would have thought that his left side would be slightly weaker, since it was his seemingly non-dominant hand. Her theory was proven wrong, as he showed the same speed with either hand.
"Uhm...probably." He admitted sheepishly.
She sighed in frustration at his reply, shaking her head at him. He refrained from smiling as he took in her pout. She was pretty cute when angry.
"Let's switch it up, we're about to hit the time limit anyway." He said before lunging.
"Ah!"
An upward slash from his right hand, followed by a downward slash from his left. Asuna parried the first blow, but was caught by the second blade, which left a streak of red along her arm. Hastily backing off, she had to dodge and parry several more strikes that followed. "W-wait Kirito-kun!"
He laughed as he continued his onslaught. "Come on Asuna, only four minutes left!"
To the side, watching the two players spar with one another, were three other girls and a small dragon. They sat around a table, observing the two swordsmen. One of them sighed.
"They really are lost in their own world." Lisbeth said, getting noises of agreement from the other two girls. The three watched them enviously for a moment, as Asuna dodged deftly around his two swords. Though they were fighting, both of them had large smiles on their faces as they danced around another.
"Hua~... I'm jealous." Argo mumbled. Kirito and Asuna always had amazing chemistry together, especially in battles. Their sword styles complemented each other, and as such, they knew how to read the other. Compared to someone like her, whose style was quite unorthodox, the two of them seemed to be a perfect pair.
"It is pretty amazing though." Silica added, her eyes sparkling as she took in the elaborate dance. Her two 'idols' were always amazing to see in action. "They're both so fast."
A whirlwind of stabs from Asuna was deflected rapidly by Kirito's two swords. All the while, they continued to circle around each other.
"Mmhmm, it's very rare to see Kirito-kun duel-wielding now. I think he was embarrassed after the duel with Heathcliff-san." Lisbeth noted. "Speaking of which, I wonder how he does it..."
"Dual-wielding?" Argo asked.
"Yea, I didn't think it was possible in real life- well, you know what I mean."
Argo nodded before sinking deep in thought. "I agree. If I didn't know any better, I would say that Ki-bou has some hidden unique skill. But the way he moves is just too natural for a system ability." She regarded the smiling black-haired boy with an appraising eye. "He must have learned it somewhere before SAO... or maybe he's just that good." She added with a smile.
"Is it really that hard?" Silica asked curiously. Although Kirito made it seem easy and graceful, it wasn't like his one-handed fighting style was that much less impressive.
Argo scoffed. "If I didn't see it with my own two eyes, I wouldn't believe it."
"I don't think I would ever be able to use a sword with my left hand." Lisbeth added, it would just be too awkward and cumbersome for her. "And not to mention using sword skills..."
They all turned to see Kirito move back onto the offensive, attacking from wide angles that left Asuna staggering after each blow. The way he was moving left no indication that he favoured a hand. Both of his swords moved at the same pace, and sometimes at the same time.
"Yep, and Ki-bou can activate his sword skills freely from each hand." Argo said with a shrug. She had seen him switch sword hands often, even in the middle of a battle. It was almost ridiculous how easy he made it seem.
The idea of dual-wielding had always been extremely appealing to the beta testers; the majority of which came from MMO backgrounds. It was fairly common to duel-wield in standard RPGs and MMOs after all. When the players tried to utilize it in SAO, they realized just how realistic the game was. With the awkward motions and inability to use sword skills, the appeal of dual-wielding dropped rapidly.
They all turned their attention back to the two duelers when Asuna let out a girlish scream. The nimble girl had dropped her rapier in shock as Kirito dashed past her guard, and now had a sword pressed to her neck, held in a reverse grip. Her shocked expression shortly turned into a pout as she realized her loss. They watched on as she turned around, pushing Kirito onto his back petulantly.
"Those two..." Argo muttered, watching as Kirito laughed while Asuna scolded him for being so rough.
Lisbeth and Silica blinked as Argo made her way over to the two laughing players. They smiled as Argo pounced onto Kirito yelling something about 'her turn'.
Just another typical day.
"Kirito-sama!"
As soon as he stepped into inside, a voice shouted in surprise. The speaker was a black-haired girl around his age. She bowed slightly as he turned his gaze towards her, and he pointedly overlooked her state of dress. He didn't know how Argo convinced the two girls that were staying with them to wear a maid uniform of all things, but he wasn't going to question it. That road always led to more trouble than it was worth.
"Yes, Lily?" He said with a smile. She looked rather cute in his opinion, with her hair accesory and petite figure.
The girl looked up briefly, meeting his eyes for the briefest of moments before looking away again. "Uhm... there's someone at the door looking for you."
He frowned as he considered who could be looking for him, at his door no less. This home of theirs was fairly private after all, and very few knew of where it was located. Before he could open his mouth and ask her who it was, several figures tumbled in through the opened patio door.
"Ah!" One of the girls stopped hastily in surprise, almost bumping into Kirito. "What's the matter Kirito-kun? Why are you just standing there?"
Kirito moved further into the room, making room for the rest of the girls to come inside.
"Lily-chan?" Asuna called out in slight surprise. "Is something wrong?"
The two girls that had moved in with them were still extremely shy, especially in the presence of Kirito. To help them adjust to living with them, the girls allowed them their own space. The two of them had finally started settling down, even joining them at meals.
"Asuna-sama, Uhm..." She looked helplessly in his direction.
"Mm, seems like we have a visitor." He explained to the girls. They all blinked, none of them could think of a reason for a visitor. "I'll go see who it is."
He made his way to the main door, unsurprised when the girls all decided to follow him. He ran his mind through all of the possible suspects, before coming to one. He shook his head with a sigh as he neared the door. It seemed his guess was correct, as he gazed upon a familiar blue-haired clearer.
"Diabel." He greeted. Rosy, who was guarding the door valiantly, gave him a look of relief as she stepped back.
"Kirito-san." He greeted back with a nod. Any further words were stopped as he took note of the procession behind him. "...and girls."
Each one of the renowned girls of Aincrad gave him a stern glare in return. They never really forgave him for his stunt back on the first floor, although any real anger no longer existed. It had been something that had turned into a habit however, and Diabel couldn't really blame them. He really wished that they would stop with the glaring though, as the one coming from Silica looked decidedly out of place.
"What's he doing here Kirito-kun." Lisbeth asked with a frown. Her dislike for the guy aside, Diabel was a fairly important person on the front lines. His presence here was probably not because of a social call, despite Kirito having a tentative friendship with the vice leader.
It was Diabel who answered. "I have a bit of information for Kirito-san."
"I see..." If it was what he thought it was then it couldn't wait. Kirito gave the girls an apologetic expression as he beckoned the blue-haired player in. "It won't be long."
The girls did not like the fact that he was holding something from them, but understood. At Asuna's prodding, they moved towards their initial destination; the living room.
"Don't be late for lunch!" Asuna told him over her shoulder.
He gestured for Diabel to follow him before making his way over to one of the many available rooms. He was thankful that the cottage was quite spacious as the conversation he was about to have wasn't something the girls needed to know about.
He led Diabel into a spacious room, with a large glass window. The rooms had all been self-decorated so far, but still retained the theme of quiet elegance. Underneath the large window, there was a small round table with two chairs. Kirito gestured Diabel to take a seat before taking the opposite chair.
"Quite a place you have here." Diabel stated with an impressed voice.
"Cost quite a fortune." He replied.
"I'll bet."
There was a moment of awkward silence as Diabel seemed to struggle with himself. Kirito contented himself with staring outside of the window. Whatever the vice-leader was here for seemed important enough to wait.
"You were right." Diabel said after a few minutes. "I should have listened."
Kirito said nothing, merely sighing in return. "I see..."
There was only one thing that Diabel could be referring to.
"Anyone hurt?" He asked, after a few moments of consideration.
"No, the ambush failed. They didn't consider how many of us were there, and ran away as soon as we appeared."
"And the informant?"
The silence was all Kirito needed to confirm his suspicions.
A few weeks ago, someone interesting had apparently contacted Diabel. The contact had used a third party to relay a message to the vice-leader. The message was short and simple, but the content was staggering. It promised information on the notorious members of the Laughing Coffin guild.
Laughing Coffin. The pking guild that was responsible for all the previous murders, finally had a name to go along with their dark emblem. Even though their activities had almost halted altogether, the fear that the red guild seemed to cause had increased with the discovery of their name. It was probably their method of revealing the name that had caused more fear amongst the players: A single player had suffered as his team were tortured in front of him, only living long enough to bring the message to the clearers, before leaping off the edge of the world in his grief and despair.
The mysterious informant had promised a time and location to meet. Of course, Diabel had found the entire situation to be quite suspicious. Surprisingly, the first person he contacted had been Kirito himself. It was a situation that Kirito would have liked to avoid, but given the current circumstances, it wasn't something they could afford to overlook. Any information on the red guild was crucial.
His initial advice was for Diabel to gather a group of trustworthy players - including Kirito himself - in secret, before meeting the informant with the relative safety of numbers. Even if it was a trap, the sheer numbers and levels should be enough to drive away any ambush. Plus, the meeting area was relatively safe, being just at the edge of town. This was mostly to protect Diabel, since he doubted the 'informant' was being truthful.
Diabel had been ready to follow his advice, but decided to inform the leaders of the front lines first. Heathcliff had been accepting of the plan, and so were the DDA leaders, and they each assigned some members to go with Diabel. That had been the initial meeting. When he met with the hooded figure, he had been ready for anything. All the players accompanying him had been ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.
They needn't have worried. The informant was truthful to his word, and spoke with Diabel in hushed tones and a shrouded face. Through the brief conversation, he had already gained considerable knowledge on the red guild. Namely, information about their leader, and how their organization was structured. It was a shock to learn just how organized the red guild was, and how much sway the leader seemed to have. The informant spoke with a shaky tone, and hastily bid Diabel good-bye as soon as he finished.
"It's all my fault... I should've done more." Diabel mumbled sadly. He recalled the scared eyes of the informant, the player had been so nervous and twitchy. When he had looked into his face, he was shocked to find that the player was incredibly young, being 12 at best.
"It's not entirely your fault." Kirito said sadly, closing his eyes in thought. Even though the informant had revealed everything to the best of his knowledge, many of the players had thought that he could be of further use. "Sending him back in wasn't worth it."
After the initial meeting, and the wealth of information that had been revealed, most of the clearers had been excited. They now knew how many pkers there were, and roughly how they worked. They knew their leaders, and how much their hierarchy affected them. With this much information, most of them believed that they could be easily dealt with.
They needed one last piece of information however, and that was the location of their headquarters. The informant was a 'green', meaning he was not part of the main group that committed the murders. Instead, he was a simple information gatherer that marked potential targets and brought information about the clearers to the leaders. It was agreed, despite some minor protests, that the informant should find the location of their base.
The first sign that something had gone wrong was when the informant didn't contact Diabel for a week. The second sign was the informant sending a PM that requested a meeting in a remote location, alone. Afterwards, Diabel's friends list along with the crossed out name on the monument stone, confirmed their fears. He had been executed.
There was a soft knock from the doorway of the room before a figure entered, carrying a serving tray. She apologized for the disturbance before coming over to their table and putting the tray down. Kirito smiled slightly at the blue-haired girl as she laid out the tea set with surprising grace. Diabel himself looked at him with a raised eyebrow, silently asking for an explanation. Kirito simply grinned wryly, he had long since gotten used to their antics.
"Thank you, Rosy." He said to the maid girl. She blushed lightly before bowing, looking like the perfect picture of a servant.
"Kirito-sama." She said softly before leaving the room.
He sipped nonchalantly at his tea, pointedly ignoring Diabel's wide-eyed stare. "Drink. It's really good."
"You guys really take this 'prince' thing seriously don't you?" Diabel asked with amusement, raising the teacup to his lips. Taking a sip, he was surprised at how good it tasted.
"Urk... don't remind me." Kirito shook his head wryly. "I've long since given up on trying to stop them."
It wasn't that he disliked having the two maids attending to him, it was just that he was a bit unnerved at their enthusiasm. The two girls tended to place him on a very high pedestal, and he found himself trying to meet their image of him almost subconsciously. It didn't help that Argo approved of their behaviour wholeheartedly, saying that he needed more 'womanly touches' in his life. He had no idea what that meant.
He nibbled on a piece of biscuit, observing the blue-haired player out of the corner of his eye. He seemed more relaxed than earlier, but he could still see the effects that the entire situation had on him. Despite the limitations of the game, the signs of stress and lack of sleep were present on the vice-leader's face. Kirito hadn't noticed it before, but the way Diabel seemed to move indicated an extreme lack of sleep. Most likely the guilt was pressing down on him.
"Diabel." His voice startled the blue-haired player, causing him to almost drop his cup. "He knew what he was going to do. What he was risking."
Diabel knew that of course, he had been the one to ask the informant if he was willing to help after all. He even tried to dissuade him at first, noting the immense danger he would be placing himself in. But the boy seemed resolute, citing the amount of atrocities that he had helped commit as a perfect reason to help. He still felt that he sent him to his death.
"He was just a kid, Kirito." Diabel stated tonelessly.
To that, Kirito had no comment. There really was no way of justifying the boy's death. He had gotten mixed up with the wrong people. Murderers who had no remorse, and no qualms about killing one of their own.
"By the way..." He began slowly. "Who knew of his identity from our side?"
Diabel furrowed his brows in thought. "Well, most of the KoB would know... and some from the DDA." Although none of them knew the informant's ingame name, they had been there when he had first confronted him.
"Do you know them all?" Kirito asked suddenly. "Or rather, do you trust them all?"
"Of course!" He frowned. "We've fought on the front lines with all of them."
Kirito did not respond, merely taking a sip from his cup. The insinuation had been planted however, and Diabel found himself growing restless.
"What are you trying to say, Kirito?"
"Isn't it obvious?" He met the accusing stare with his own impassive gaze. "You know what I'm talking about."
It was something that had been on his mind lately; the integrity of the clearers. He knew that many of them were loyal to some extent, or else they would never risk their lives for the cause. But given the size and scope of the clearers, it was hard to keep track of everyone. He thought it would be quite easy to sneak someone into the DDA or even the KoB given the right circumstances.
"But that's..." Diabel trailed off, lost in thought. He was someone that prided himself on being a capable leader. It was the reason why he was considered the most approachable clearer. But even given his open personality, he could not say that he knew everybody on the front lines- or even in his guild.
"It would make sense." Kirito noted solemnly. "None of our undercover efforts have yielded anything, and don't you find it odd that they seem to pick up in activity every time we are busy?"
It was true that the murders happened most frequently during the time the clearers were either all involved in clearing the front lines, or preoccupied with a strategy meeting. The notorious pkers seemed to maneuver around them at every turn.
"I... I have to talk to Leader-sama about this." Diabel got up stiffly from his seat. The possibility of having a traitor amongst them gave him a sickening feeling.
Kirito got up at the same time. "I'll walk you out."
The mood had suddenly turned sombre between them and Kirito couldn't help but sigh. He hated being the bearer of bad news, but it had to be said. The movements of the Laughing Coffin members could no longer be just a coincidence. It was obvious that there was at least one traitor amongst the clearers. The question as to who, and how many; wasn't an easy mystery to unearth.
He opened the door for Diabel silently. The blue-haired player gave him a nod of respect as he made his way out into the afternoon sun. "Diabel."
The vice-leader turned around with a questioning expression.
"His name... what was his name?"
He looked at him with surprise in his eyes before answering.
"Sora."
The hustle and bustle of the afternoon crowd was a common sight on the 30th floor of Aincrad. The somewhat recently cleared floor had a main city that was quite large in size, favouring an industrial design. Being primarily built from a unique type of brick, the structures of the city seemed to give off a red glow in the afternoon sun. A myriad of building sizes seemed to sprawl from the centre of the city; where the teleport gate was located.
Two figures phased into existence at the feet of the teleport gate. The stragglers that hung around the gate looked on in curiosity. One of the players had shockingly pink hair that fell down to her neck, and was dressed in a rather eye-catching uniform. Black and white were the primary colours of the uniform, and although it clashed heavily with her hair colour, the player seemed to fit perfectly into the ensemble. This player was known to several of the onlookers, and if they did not know her personally, they recognized her uniform and guild emblem.
The other player was someone that almost every one of the players knew. She had light auburn hair that fell down to her neck in a similar fashion to the girl beside her. Dressed in a similar uniform, save for the lack of a skirt, and a pair of shorts in its stead. She had a mantle that wrapped around her snuggly, and as she scanned her surroundings with a trained eye, most of the players averted their eyes. The whiskers that adorned her face was an obvious indicator of her identity, and the way she smirked at most of them was a clear sign of who she was.
Lisbeth, and Argo of the Royal Swords. Immediately whispers broke out from the small crowd of onlookers.
"The usual huh?" Lisbeth muttered with a sigh. Beside her, Argo lightly grinned before patting her back.
"It's not so bad Lis-chan."
She winked at several of the onlookers and grinned when they looked away with a blush, even some of the girls. Argo had long since gotten used to the stares that accompanied them.
Before she could reply, two more figures materialized into existence behind them. The light revealed the two figures to be two smaller girls. It was obvious that the two players were related to each other by their likeness. They were dressed in the same uniform as Lisbeth, although trimmed with a soft blue instead of the royal gold. Adorned with a flowery hair accessory each, they made for quite an adorable sight.
"Ready girls?" Argo smiled as the two girls gave a short bow before falling into step slightly behind them.
Together, the foursome moved past the crowd easily, as everyone parted ways for them. Sometimes it was easier to use their reputation to their advantage, especially in this case. Moving onward from the teleport gate, the streets were packed considerably with players of all levels. This was what happened when a new city was discovered to be a hotspot for merchantry.
Their uniforms contrasted greatly with the surroundings, and numerous whispers seemed to follow them as they passed. Ever since the duel and the articles that had been published, their notoriety had reached its peak. If there was such a thing as celebrities in Aincrad, then the Royal Swords were the ones to fit that role. It helped that there were now numerous photos and descriptions to associate the names with.
"So, how was Kirito-kun?" Lisbeth glanced back curiously at the two girls slightly behind her.
The two 'maids' shared a brief look before replying. "Kirito-sama seemed relaxed..."
"But?" She pressed.
"Diabel-san was rather upset." Rosy finished hesitantly.
Lisbeth sighed, shaking her head. "That can't be good."
"Mmm, probably not." Argo agreed from her left. She knew exactly what role Diabel played on the front lines, and anything he had to consult Kirito with, was not something to be taken lightly. "In fact, I have a good idea as to what they were most likely talking about."
"Really?"
"It's related to the information meeting from two weeks ago."
"Laughing Coffin?" Lisbeth almost shouted in alarm. Seeing the troubled stares from the onlookers, she toned her voice down. "You mean... the informant?" She asked in a hushed whisper.
Argo nodded. "Diabel was his contact." Even she had scoffed at the blue-haired player when he had revealed the source of his information. Being the premier source of knowledge in Aincrad, it was understandable that she was hesitant in accepting the new information at face value. But the information had been correct, having been verified by herself personally. "Judging by Diabel's presence, the mission failed."
She said the word bitterly. The whole idea had been a disaster in the making in her eyes. She was someone who dealt with information gathering everyday, and even she would never go so far as to risk a life. It was never worth it, and guessing by Diabel's visit today, she was proven right. It left an unsettling feeling in her stomach.
Lisbeth looked down sadly, silently reprimanding herself for being one of the supporters of the mission. She had been one of the many that had pushed for more from the informant, justifying the risk as reasonable. It had been easy to forget that the regretful pker was just another human being who wanted redemption.
"Everything is so bleak these days..."
It seemed like every week heralded the start of a new scare for the trapped players. Whether it was the ever-present fear of Laughing Coffin, or the increase in violence from a scattering of different orange players. There was even a recent article that revealed a sinister case of sleep pking; the poor victim was dragged out of her bed into the outskirts of town. An unnatural state of fear had enveloped Aincrad.
Argo clasped her shoulders. "Cheer up Lis-chan, it'll get better." She smiled at her, and Lisbeth nodded lightly in return. "And besides, we always have each other."
Lisbeth had to smile at her words. It was true that nothing seemed to bother her when she was in the presence of her friends. Their cottage by the lake was a haven, almost untouched by the harsh realities of SAO. Sometimes it was like the game faded away, and they were free, leaving only a happy care-free life by the lake.
"We're also here, partially to address that." Argo lazily pulled up her game menu, sending off some replies in a flurry.
"I wonder about that." Lisbeth looked at the mousy girl beside her. "How many do you think will show up?"
Argo smirked. "You have no faith Lis-chan~"
"Well, I mean it's such short notice." Lisbeth huffed in return, crossing her arms. "And besides, I'm sure all of the eligible players are in guilds already."
As they passed the many vendors on the street, and onto the outer district of the city, Lisbeth noticed the steady decline of players. It seemed that the majority of the players hung out in the crowded merchant districts instead of the outer rim. It was understandable as the only structures on the outer edge were mainly houses.
"Oh? Wanna bet Lis-chan?"
Lisbeth was in the middle of opening her mouth for a confirmation before they stepped out from the urban sprawl and onto the very edge of the city. The city was not walled, and instead had an encircling canal. The very edge of the city, where the canal met the brick roads, was quite spacious.
It was absolutely packed with players. As far as she could scan with her eyes, there was a seemingly endless array of players. Male and female, short and tall, with varying levels and equipment to match. They seemed to be chatting animatedly amongst each other, and a sense of excitement lingered in the air.
Argo looked at her with a knowing grin, and Lisbeth could do nothing but gape at the sheer concentration of players. "They...they're not all here for us are they?" She asked in disbelief.
Argo's reply was lost in the sudden increase in noise from the crowd. They turned to see every player switch their attention to the foursome that had appeared. Excited murmuring and expectant looks seemed to circulate. Lisbeth had a sudden bad feeling about why Argo had specifically asked for her assistance today.
Looking down at the smaller girl, she sighed as she took in her pleading expression. The foxy girl had a quivering lip and watery eyes. If she didn't know the girl so well, she would have squealed and promptly hugged her. There didn't seem to be any other way to dissolve the situation, as the crowd continued to pick up in noise.
She manipulated her game menu slowly, opening her inventory to equip her ever-reliable mace. The players who could see her action seemed confused, and looked on with shock as she raised the large weapon over her head.
-CRACK-
"QUIET!"
Absolute silence. The immense blow caused by her sword skill caused every player to jump up in fright, and her harsh voice served to even silence the startled yelps. She scanned the suddenly silent crowd with an appraising eye. Nodding slowly as all of the players cowered at her stare, she turned expectantly to Argo.
Argo looked back with wide-eyes, not expecting the sheer efficiency of the girl beside her. "R-right."
Turning towards the waiting crowd, she cleared her throat before shouting. "Welcome to the Royal Swords recruitment event!"
He walked into the lounge tiredly, the conversation having taken its toll from him. With all of the troubling events lately. he found it harder than ever to relax. With increasing violence and hate, despite the approaching winter season. He had thought that they were long past something as petty and mindless as this.
"Kirito-kun?"
He turned his head slightly to see the figure of Asuna, dressed in her casual outfit and equipped with a white apron. He gave her a tired smile as she stepped out from the kitchen and into the lounge.
She seemed to sense his fatigue, and didn't comment as he sat down heavily on the couch. She moved behind him on the couch so that she could lean over him. "Didn't go so well?"
"No..." Kirito muttered. He couldn't say he was looking forward to whatever came from the investigation that Diabel would no doubt carry out.
He was surprised when she draped her arms around him in a comforting manner, and leaned into her soft touch almost subconsciously. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she leaned her head down so that she could whisper into his ear. "It'll be okay Kirito-kun."
He had to smile as she tried to comfort him. It wasn't like he actually needed any comforting, but he couldn't complain. Sighing in contentment as she ran her hands through his hair, he wondered why Asuna was acting this way today. It was true that she was much more affectionate in the privacy of their home, but the way she was acting right now was quite unusual.
"Are you hungry?" She asked softly.
He nodded in reply, noting that it was far past the time for lunch. "I missed lunch." He stated with a sudden realization. "Sorry Asuna."
"It's alright Kirito-kun." She patted his head as she stood back up. "I'll bring you something right now."
He watched her walk away with an affectionate smile. He wondered what he would do without the mothering the girls tended to subject him to. Probably starving somewhere in the snow at this moment, grinding away with no end in sight.
It was a short while later that Asuna walked back in with a tray in her hands. His stomach grumbled as he spotted the pair of gourmet sandwiches on the plate. Eyes sparkling, he thanked her wholeheartedly as she set the food down in front of him.
Taking a bite of the delicious sandwich, he almost moaned aloud at the exquisite taste. It seemed that Asuna had leveled up her cooking once again overnight, as the flavours had changed slightly.
"Uwah... so good." He took another bite before staring at Asuna seriously. "Asuna, you're amazing." He praised fervently.
The girl blushed prettily before sitting down beside him. "Mou, Kirito-kun, you always say that." Although she tried to brush him off, she loved the feeling of contentment that his praises always seemed to bring. She watched him eat with a happy smile on her face.
"By the way Asuna." He said between bites. "Where are the rest of the girls?"
"Silica-chan is upstairs, changing, and um..." She thought for a moment. "Argo took Lisbeth and the twins somewhere for business... or that's what she told us." She told him with a small frown. The way Argo had smirked while dragging away the reluctant Lisbeth didn't really sit well with her.
"Huh... interesting." He was too tired to think on why Argo had taken Lisbeth with her, but he knew it would only lead to more headaches.
He finished his meal with a satisfied sigh, leaning back to stretch widely. "That was great Asuna." He complimented the girl next to him.
She merely smiled as she took care of the plate. He would have offered to clean up after himself, but the girl would have none of that. Sometimes, he thought that she took the unofficial role of housewife too seriously, or maybe Argo's teasing had finally corrupted her.
A cute yawn echoed softly through the lounge, and Kirito craned his neck to see the small figure of his youngest party member. Silica looked around before meeting his eyes, and she smiled in greeting. Pina immediately squealed as she saw the familiar black-haired boy that she had taken a liking to. The small dragon landed deftly on his head, circling slightly before settling down contently.
"Hey Silica." He greeted the girl, hands absently reaching up to scratch the pet dragon behind the ears.
"Kirito-kun." She greeted back, happily taking a seat beside him. "You're finally done talking."
"Yea..." He confirmed. Silica noticed his downtrodden expression, and looked at him with concern.
"Is everything alright?" She asked worriedly.
He smiled wryly at the concerned girl, reaching a hand out to ruffle her hair fondly. "It will be." He replied. She smiled at his answer, and didn't press anymore. She trusted him completely.
"You two sure look cozy." Asuna remarked from the side.
Kirito hummed in agreement, while Silica blushed lightly by his side. Asuna sat down on his other side, and sighed as she sunk into the cushy furniture.
"Tired, Asuna?" He asked with a grin. The girl muttered incoherently, leaning her head to rest on his shoulders.
"You're contagious, Kirito-kun." She mumbled, causing him to chuckle.
He leaned his head back, taking care not to dislodge the resting dragon atop his head, and sighed happily. All of his troubles seemed so distant when in the company of his girls. He wondered how that came to be, but decided not to question it too hard. He had long since passed the stage of questioning his relationship with the girls. Instead, he chose to cherish every moment he had with them.
The late afternoon sun bathed the area in a warm glow, and he felt his eyelids grow heavier with each passing moment. The only sound in the room was the soft, rhythmic breathing of the two girls by his side. He wrapped his arms around them and pulled them closer to his side. They snuggled closer to his warmth, eyes already closed in sudden fatigue.
Finally, he closed his eyes in contentment.
Lisbeth watched with tired eyes as the last of the applicants walked away from the makeshift table that the twins had set up. The sheer number of the players had been incredible, and each of them seemed eager to please. It didn't help that most of them seemed starstruck and wanted to make small talk rather than go on with the short questions.
"Phew." Argo leaned back, stretching her body that had been sitting for the past few hours. Even someone as patient as her was worn down by the applicants. "Finally over..."
There must have been at least 200 players that showed up in order to apply. An absolutely amazing turnout considering how little time the short ad was put up for. Sadly, the majority of the applicants would not be able to join them. Not because of level requirements or game limitations, but because they were only there for their own selfish reasons.
Argo had always been a great judge of character. She was someone that observed from the background, constantly categorizing and judging her surroundings. She could identify a lie a mile away, and could estimate the potential of a player from just their eyes alone. It was because of these skills that she knew just how few of the applicants were viable recruits.
What she was looking for was simple. Loyalty and resolve; the want to grow stronger in order to protect. It was sad that what she had gotten from most of the players was the want to grow stronger by association. They heaped praises on her guild, subtly and sometimes blatantly wishing for a lucky handout, but offering nothing in return.
"We going home now?" Lisbeth asked with a yawn. She had been standing beside Argo as a bodyguard figure. That didn't stop the many players from talking to her however, always asking about the guild and several rumours.
"Yup." Argo said, packing the table away, as it vanished into her inventory with a flash. She scanned the note that she had been writing to herself with a critical eye before saving it. Nodding in satisfaction, she turned to the girls. She had to refrain from laughing aloud as she saw the twins leaning on each other, swaying on their feets. They were barely awake.
"Let's go home girls." Clasping the twins on their back to wake them up, Argo led the way to the gates.
Lisbeth fell into step beside her, while the twins hastily followed. "Neh, Argo-chan, are we really going to recruit some of them?"
Argo glanced at Lisbeth with curiosity. "Maybe, why?"
"They didn't seem serious." She answered frankly. "All of the girls there just wanted to gossip about one thing or another, and the guys... " She shuddered as she recalled their not-so-hidden leers.
"Mmm, you have to look underneath the underneath Lis-chan." Argo chided. It was true that the majority of the players would drag them down. But that wasn't to say that the entire event had been unfruitful. "In fact, I believe we have found ourselves several new recruits today."
At Lisbeth's disbelieving stare, Argo elaborated. "I kept a list of all the names I thought were noteworthy. I'll have the twins run some background checks on the list later." She wanted to make sure that there wasn't anything abnormal about the players. She didn't take any potential candidate at face-value like the other guilds. "After that... I guess we will go through the list together."
"With everyone else?"
"Of course."
Lisbeth hummed in thought. "Does Kirito-kun know about this?" She didn't get her answer from the foxy girl earlier that morning.
"...He will." Argo revealed reluctantly, causing Lisbeth to sigh. It was no secret that Kirito didn't want to recruit more members into the guild, even though many had even approached him personally about it. His initial reason was that the guild was doing fine with just the girls and him, and that any new players would break their cohesion. But that was just to throw them off of the main reason; he was scared. Scared of being responsible for lives that were directly under his command. Even as the leader of the front lines, the few deaths that had happened were shared between the other leaders equally. The girls may have accepted his excuse, but Argo knew the true reason.
"He won't like this." She added.
Argo nodded in agreement. "He won't." She could be insanely stubborn when she wanted to however, and she was sure that Kirito would eventually see her side of things. The simple fact was, they needed people that they could trust. Besides the Fuurinkazan, there were no others that they could trust explicitly.
"But he won't have a choice." She smirked. Kirito was insanely weak when she applied her pleading skills. If she added another one of the girls into the equation, he stood no chance. The only question was which girl to convince.
Her thoughts were interrupted as they approached the teleport gate. The area was devoid of players since it was almost night time. It was a bit sad that the majority of the players seemed too scared to venture out at night, despite the safety of a city.
"Coral!" She shouted into the gate. The world rebuilt itself around her, and she stepped out into the familiar village on the 22nd floor. She waited for the girls to appear beside her before continuing the familiar trek back home. The sun had almost set completely, bathing the area in an eerie orange glow.
Spotting the intricately built gate, she pressed a hand to the engraved emblem, waiting as the gates swung open with a flourish. She skipped along the cobblestone path to the door, waiting impatiently for the other girls to arrive. Lisbeth glared tiredly at her, wondering just how the foxy girl could still be so energetic.
"Hello~" Argo called into the cottage as soon as she stepped inside. She frowned when she didn't get a reply. There should have been all three of them inside, unless they decided to go somewhere without telling her. That would be unforgivable.
"Ki-bou! Sil-chan~, Asuna-chi~"
She was about to yell louder when she spotted the familiar black hair of her favourite boy. From her vantage point, she could only see the back of his head. She saw a flicker of chestnut-brown hair and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Whirling around the coach she was about to say something when the words caught in her throat.
The scene in front of her was absolutely adorable. Kirito slept with his head tilted slightly to the right, resting atop of a familiar rapier-user's. His sleeping face looked vulnerable and open as usual, and Asuna seemed to be drooling slightly onto the boy's shoulder. What completed the image had to be Silica resting her head on his lap, with her dragon curled up beside her.
"Argo-chan, what's wrong?"
She spotted Lisbeth and the twins looking curiously at her from the entrance, and she simply gestured for them before resuming her staring. They gasped as they took in the same adorable scene.
"So cute..."
Argo suddenly felt a surge of exhaustion fall over her. It seemed like the day had finally caught up to her. Making her way over to the sleeping trio, she sighed as she sat down to the left of Silica. The other girls seemed to get the idea as they took in similar positions on the couch, with the twins resting by the arms.
Everything else could wait. For now, the only thing she wanted was to be at home. With her family.
He felt a sudden chill fall down his spine, and suddenly this whole idea of theirs didn't seem so appealing anymore. Nonetheless, he pushed down the baseless fear he felt in favour of staring down the monster before him.
"Switch!"
That was his cue, and he hastily stepped in to take the place of his friend. His arms blurred and his trusty dagger swiped through the air in succession. The golem mob exploded into light, and he let out a sigh of relief as the last monster was finally taken out.
"Great job, Ducker."
He smiled at his leader before rubbing the back of his neck. "Come on Keita, that was nothing!"
He shared a smile with Tetsuo and Sasamaru before looking at the lone female member of their team. Sachi had changed considerably since the first weeks of SAO. The previously nervous and shy girl had changed almost overnight since their meeting with the Royal Swords. She now wielded her sword and shield with unflinching grace. The blue-haired girl gave him a pretty smile, and he blushed in return.
His two friends beside him shared a hidden grin, patting his back heavily. "Are you blushing Ducker?"
He sputtered. "O-of course not!"
The group all laughed at his expense, and he pouted. It seemed that he was the butt of their jokes lately. Not that he minded, as he knew it was one of their attempts in keeping up the good mood. Indeed, their training sessions were now filled with laughter and banter. A far cry from the previously somber and heavy sessions.
"Shall we continue?" Sachi called out after they had gulped down their healing potions and waited for their health to fill up.
That feeling was back again. Before he could voice his unease, the rest of the group nodded in affirmative, falling into step as Sachi lead the charge. The narrow corridors of the dungeon seemed to spread wider, the deeper they went in. Sachi, being the shield and sword user volunteered to lead the charge. She had done a superb job so far, calling out rotations at the perfect opportunities.
The group hadn't encountered anything that was out of the ordinary so far. Although the mobs tended to appear in groups, it was nothing they couldn't handle. And if they had to, they could resort to hit and run tactics. They were more than ready to tackle this new dungeon. Their levels were high enough, and their teamwork never faltered.
So why was he feeling so nervous? It was probably because it was the first time they would be attempting a newly discovered dungeon. One that had never been mapped out before. They were aiming for the discovery bonus at the end, something reserved for the first party that cleared it.
Or was it because it was Sachi that was leading them. It was not that he doubted her leadership ability, no, far from it. It was because he was afraid for her safety. Each time she ran into a group of mobs with impunity, he felt his heart drop. Each time she ducked and dodged or brought up her round shield to block, he felt his heart clench. He didn't like her taking the most risk for them.
"Ready?" She asked them. They nodded, including Ducker. He put his feelings aside for the moment as Sachi purposely triggered a floor tile.
The walls around them glowed as the trap was triggered and several golems appeared from the walls. They had repeated this three times already, so it was no surprise when Sachi immediately tackled the furthest ones, taking their attention for the most part. Keita and Tetsuo immediately took on the closest ones. He and Sasamaru had the easier job of striking when the mobs were distracted.
It was now almost routine to them, and as the last golem dispersed into light, they didn't bother with further congratulations. Ducker sipped at a fruity HP potion while scanning his surroundings curiously. Something was triggering one of his passive skills, as there was the green outline of a doorway at the edge of his vision. He was about to call out the oddity to his guildmates when he saw something that made his heart stop.
Sachi had gone inside.
Disregarding everything around him, he dashed forward. All of his considerable AGI points were put into use as he rushed past his startled teammates and into the room that Sachi had just gone into.
"Sachi!"
The girl craned her head around to stare at him in confusion. Her hands were gripping the lid of a elaborate-looking treasure chest. It was opened halfway.
Startled cerulean orbs met his own. His mind raced, everything seemed to slow around him as he took in the situation. There was no time.
The room turned red.
A/N: Merry Christmas everyone!
Finally an update, now that exams are over, expect regular updates to be back. As a side note, it is really, really hard to write cohesively without an outline. Just a tip for new authors out there (Really should have outlined this story!).
Nothing much to say about this chapter, besides that things are in motion. Events are unfolding faster than in canon, and despite Kirito's best efforts, there is little he can do to stop them. He just has to deal with them.
Pking may have stopped for now, but it is even worse in some ways. For the pkers, the only way they are going to commit their crimes, is if they plan it with great detail in advance. There is no more regular thugs pking, to be a pker is to be able to outsmart the best of the best.
Clearing continues at a fast pace, understandable given the more unified leadership. There is one drawback to this. The group has not been tested under stress, so far the bosses have been cleared with little difficulty using the information given by scouts. You can bet there will be issues concerning the 50th floor boss.
Thank you for the feedback everyone, and please continue to send me suggestions/ideas/thoughts!
Thanks a bunch to n0mster for beta'ing this mess.
Visit the forums everyone, I want to see more ideas.
Next Chapter: Grey Winter
SAO fic recommendations of the day:
The One Ultimate Way by LighthawkKnight
-Hilariously awesome Harem Antics.
-May contain spoilers for later volumes
TAIC by Victory3114
-Interesting concept with Kiriko.
-Looks to be branching out from canon which is always good.
