September 1, 2023 – 40th Floor140 Days after the April Incident:

Consumed by blue fire as the teleporter activated, I felt the familiar warm sensation, the peculiar feeling of my virtual form being broken down and transported. My body shone white and I was gone, though just for a split second. Soon a new surrounding appeared, a town I was unfamiliar with. There were people milling about the plaza, talking, laughing. I was back on the front lines.

I wasn't sure what I expected when I arrived. Shocked expressions? Guards attacking me? Nobody even seemed to notice me. I was almost disappointed, but I guess it made sense. Though I wasn't unknown, Cyril wasn't exactly a famous name.

Reaper was a far more well-known name.

I stepped off of the teleport platform, scanning the crowd for familiar faces. I see none; at most I see people half-recognized from boss fights or dungeon patrols in the past, but none of them approach me or even turn to look at me. A few people stopped to look at my bow, surprised that they were seeing an archer, so I unequipped it to avoid drawing attention.

Around me, members of the various front-line clearing clans milled about. The most prominently featured was the Holy Dragon Alliance, which had the most men on the front-lines now that the Army changed its priorities. Nowadays, army officials on the front lines were rare.

It was cold on this floor, cold enough for my breath to show and for me to wrap my coat around myself tightly. I opened my inventory and equip items with a higher warmth setting. It was September now, and was getting colder on all the floors. Somewhere I felt that it was a bit more cold than it should have been here, but the stray thought didn't linger long.

I head for the nearest inn to collect my thoughts. The building was starting to fill up with people as the day ended. Dungeon mappers sat quietly around booths, discussing their days, exchanging data and planning for the future. There was no conversation of the distant future, or of real life. Not anymore.

We have long since moved past that.

Quietly, I moved through the crowd, avoiding eyes and hoping for no familiar faces. I rented a room from an NPC without incident, then headed upstairs and disappeared inside, collapsing onto the bed, my head in my hands.

Asuna the Flash. My target. She was a respectable woman, an upright and honorable character, albeit cold and distant, especially to whom she considered to be less reputable members of the SAO society. To people like me.

It had been a long time since I had last talked to her, though I remembered it clearly. It was the day Sebastian disappeared.

o

A few hours later, it was nearing midnight. As night had fallen, so had the snow, in soft and fragile waves. I was surprised by it, as it seemed a bit early for snow, but I supposed the seasons didn't follow exactly with reality. I watch the mist as I breathe out, taken aback by the beauty of this virtual world. As I held out my hand, a snowflake floated into it, melting when it touched the skin.

Staring across the town blanketed in white, I see the guardhouse where I knew the front-line clan leaders were meeting. Right now they'd be sitting around a long table with a few solo players standing against the walls, listening and occasionally offering input as the clan-leaders discussed the layout of the new floor. The floor strategy would be debated, voted upon and eventually decided by these few. Representatives, they called them collectively.

Briefly, I thought back to Julius and Janice, the murdered Army Representative and his wife. I smiled grimly. Their deaths set me down this road. I wonder when it will end.

Ahead of me I saw another building, a weapon shop, closed for the night. Two pairs of footsteps exited it, leading away from me into the dark. The players who made the prints must have been walking close to each other, maybe even holding hands, assuming the footprints had been made at the same time. For some reason I stopped and stared at these for a long time.

Finally, I looked up towards the guardhouse and wondered about how I would manage to pull off my plan with Asuna. I had two weeks. I figured a week of planning and preparing, then a week to attempt its execution, despite the inherent difficulties.

There were two challenges.

The first challenge was simply engaging in the necessary fight. I wanted to avoid going orange, so a duel or making Asuna orange first would be preferable. However, Asuna was reported to have never been orange, if the information brokers were to be believed. Also, she dueled very rarely, and the few cases that she did were first-hit duels, which were duels until the first clean hit or the first to 50% health.

The second challenge was luring her to the appropriate area and making it a public affair. To prepare for that incident, I'd have to hire someone to stalk Asuna. Easy enough, considering her many admirers, though I'd find it personally distasteful to deal with such people. It was amazing how pathetic people could be. The amount of attractive women in the game, the ones still alive, at least, were few. People jumped at any opportunity to associate themselves with these women, especially because of the existence of the Ethics Code. Some people took this a bit too far, becoming obsessive stalkers who would do anything to get close to the particular girl they lusted for.

And that was just the type of person I would need.

o

February 3, 20231st Floor69 Days before the April Incident:

"That's... that's the key I stole." Sierra gasped, leaning against the wall in shock, her eyes wide. "The one I stole... How did... how did you get it?"

The energy had gone out of me, and I leaned against the door, suddenly exhausted. It wasn't easy to absorb; I suppose I was still in shock. Sebastian had collapsed onto the bed, his head in his hands. He was shaking his head, whispering slowly to himself.

"No... No..."

"Are you sure, Sierra?" I asked, pointing at it. Sebastian's grip on it was tight, his knuckles white with the effort. Sierra nodded slowly, blinking back tears. I turn my attention back to Sebastian. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to find out what happened. I needed to find out why he couldn't have waited for me. No words came.

"Brother, how-" Sierra stopped herself, and I realized this was going nowhere. We were alone in a house after murdering a woman I didn't even know. She was the target Christian had given us; I was sure of that. However, I had no way of knowing if anyone else lived in this house with her. For all I knew, someone could be coming home at this instant.

Technically speaking, nothing illegal had been done. A Sleep PK was a loophole in the system, a way to murder without turning orange. In a town, if you challenged someone to a duel to the death while they slept, then used their own finger to accept the challenge, you could kill them while they slept and the game would register it as legitimate. It was an unfortunate glitch, but unavoidable.

It was only recently that the practice had become known, but it was yet another life-changing aspect of SAO. People could not sleep unless they were sure they could be alone or undisturbed. To sleep around someone else was akin to trusting them with your life. Inns became a necessity, and houses were bought up quickly when the feature was found out. In an inn, you were essentially locked within an impervious room in order to sleep soundly. In a house it was the same way, except you were issued a key when you bought the house.

I suppose the system was supposed to be as realistic as possible. If you didn't lock your door, someone could waltz into your house and rob you blind or kill you, and you would simply be a fool. However, if your key was stolen then the house becomes unsafe. In light of these facts, I suppose the woman who was murdered by Sebastian hadn't yet found out about the missing key, or else she would have been staying at an inn.

Why this woman, though?

I shook my head, leaving Sebastian and Sierra alone as I started to pick my way through the house, examining the objects for any clue of a second resident. I found my proof almost immediately. A picture hung on the wall just outside the bedroom, showing the woman who died and a man I didn't recognize. From the way they were embracing, I could assume they were close.

"Sierra!" I call her over. "There's a second resident. We need to get Sebastian out of here quickly, before someone comes back." I read the plaque under the picture. "Julius and Janice, married December 25, 2022."

She looked me in the eye, confused. "Why? None of us are orange. What is he going to do?"

"We can be marked as orange if he reports us as trespassing." I explain, then further, "And plus, if Sebastian's discovered as a murderer, it could hurt his reputation. People wouldn't be able to trust him or my clan, especially on the front lines. This man could be home at any time. We must-"

"He's not going to be home." Sierra said suddenly, interrupting me. I stare at her, confused.

"What?"

"That man in the picture," She pointed, "He's the Army Representative."

"The what?"

"The Army Representative. You know, the guy whose key I stole?" She hesitated, just for a moment. "The one who was killed? If he was involved with her, then I think we can safely assume the second resident was him."

"So then the key you stole..."
"Sebastian got it somehow." Sierra still looked shaken, but she had stopped stumbling over her words, which I took as a good sign. "He has to tell us from who."
"I'm not sure if-" I stop, looking around the corner, towards Sebastian. He was still sitting on the bed, head in hands, apparently not listening. I lower my voice regardless. "I'm not sure if he's going to tell us anything. I know he was gone all day today, and my scanner reported he never left the city. I think we just need to get him out of her first."

"I-" Sierra's eyes were tearing up again. "I don't know how much help I can be. I mean, I... I only just now found out that my brother was even inthis death game, and now he's a murderer? It's all so much to absorb. I can't..." Sierra shook her head, backing away. "I need to clear my head. I'm sorry."

She took off running. I called after her, but it was useless. With Sebastian in the other room, I didn't dare to chase after her. I swore. This whole situation was a mess. A woman murdered, a woman involved in the death of a man recently assassinated. That man whose key was stolen, which was then used to kill the woman.

What did these people do?

Or rather...

What did these people know?
I walked back to Sebastian, wracking my brain for clues. Immediately I considered the Army man who the key had been stolen from. I needed more information about him. Who hired him to transport the key, and why? The image of the woman dying burned in my head, but though the image wouldn't fade, I felt little emotion for it. As I helped Sebastian onto his feet, softly talking to him to get him moving, my mind didn't stop.

Why do I not care about that woman's death?

Why does it matter more that I know how all this is connected?

Does this murder even bother me?

But I push the thoughts away and help Sebastian out of the house.

o

September 1, 2023 – 40th Floor140 Days after the April Incident:

"Argo is none too pleased with you right now, Cyril," The kid rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "If you need a stalker so badly, I suggest finding some different broker. Someone who is willing to deal with those... unsavory types."

"Look, just tell Argo-" I start, but he cuts me off.

"I'm not telling Argo anything. We're done." He walked back into the alleyway. "Find someone else to do your dirty work." I roll my eyes, but he doesn't see it. The kid runs off into the dark, and I curse, pissed off. I suppose it wasn't unexpected that I was turned down. Argo was one of the honest players, one of the few honest information brokers, more interested in helping others than making money. Still, I had offered a large amount of money for this.

So I'd have to find a more... understanding broker. It would put me behind my schedule, but I suppose no plan goes perfectly. Morally, I should be debating inwardly about killing Asuna, considering she was virtually a fucking saint in this game, which was a rarity. I smile as I walk back towards the inn.

I guess it was a good thing, then, that I had no intention of killing her.

o

I spread myself out on the roof of the inn, ignoring the cold as much as I could. The wind had started to blow and it seeped through even my winter gear, but I didn't mind. It helped me focus.

I needed to focus.

Closing my eyes, I listened to the sounds of the dying night, as midnight began to turn and morning was born. Beneath me in the inn I could hear the revelers and tavern-goers realizing they had to sleep at some point. Down on the streets I heard the stragglers, solitary, though due to desire for privacy or a sense of being ostracized I did not know. In the distance I could hear the barely-present cries of monsters, or of patrols in the dark.

"I hear everything," I say quietly to myself, smiling. "This whole city. The people. All the life that comes and goes. Everything."

"Except for me."

I jump at the sound, shooting up straight quicker than I thought possible. I could feel my virtual heart start to race as my eyes began to adjust to the darkness. Ahead of me, standing on the top of the roof where the wood support stuck out, was a female form. It was one I knew well.

"Hey there, Cyril." She teased the words, hopping down towards me. "Long time no see."

"This is unexpected-" I start, but she wraps her arms around me and kisses me. When we break, I crack a smile. "That was even more so."

"You should message me more," Sierra said, smiling back. "Can't think that you went and killed yourself, eh?"

o

February 3, 20231st Floor69 Days before the April Incident:

"What do we do?" Sierra leaned against the wall out in the hall of the inn. Inside the room I had rented was Sebastian, who had hardly spoken since the murder. "I was hired by the Resurrectionists to steal that key."

"And Christian was the one who wanted her dead in the first place, so I'll bet my life that he's tied in with the Resurrectionists somehow." I state, leaning next to her. "We have to get to the bottom of this. What can you tell me about the Resurrectionists? Be as specific as possible."

"I..." Sierra stopped herself, biting her tongue. I look over at her questioningly.

"What? What is it, Sierra? What's wrong?"

"Could we... maybe... do this later?" Sierra said slowly, not looking at me. "I mean, I just found my brother after years of separation, y'know? And I've got work, and then Brian's been messaging me, demanding to know where I am, and I don't know... I just-"

"Sierra, don't worry." I say, wrapping my arm around her. "We'll take care of this. We just gotta go one step at a time." I pull her tighter. "Your brother is a good friend of mine. We're going to figure everything out."

She grabs the front of my jacket, pulling me tighter, burying her head into my chest. "Is it really going to be alright? I mean, that was..." I can hear her sob softly. "Murder." She quietly added.

There's no way she's involved in it. I stroke her hair, thinking. I need to find Christian. Sebastian... he needs to tell me something!

I extract myself from Sierra and open the inn door, letting us both inside. Sebastian sat motionless on the bed, staring at a wall.

"Sebastian, we need information." I say simply. Sierra next to me says nothing, but so does Sebastian. "Sebastian! This is important! I need to track down whoever gave you that key!"

Sebastian looked up slowly, staring directly into my eyes. I notice he looks like he'd been crying. "Why?" One word, simply spoken. Empty. Sierra steps back.

"To figure out who is behind all this."

"Why?"

"Because we have to track down the Resurrectionists!"

"Why?"

"To help people!"

"Why!?" Sebastian shouted, standing. He grabbed the front of my coat, pulling his face into mine. "Why the fuck should I care what happens to those other people? Why the fuck do the Resurrectionists matter? I had everything figured out. The job would have been perfect and necessary, but you had to go and fuck everything up!" He narrowed his eyes, dropping his voice. "I would have killed that woman and walked away happy if you hadn't brought her to me." He pointed at Sierra with his free hand, his tone acidic. "She was my payment. She was my reason. Without that, I killed for nothing! This is your fault Cyril. Yours!"

I was speechless. Sebastian simply pushed me backwards, storming out of the room.

"Brother!" Sierra called, grabbing his arm.

"Shut up!" Sebastian yelled, slapping her arm away. "Why did you even join this game? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I don't understand." Sierra's already red eyes were tearing up again. "Brother, what's gotten into you? Why did you do all this? Why are you acting this way?"

"You!" He shouted, "You caused all this! You, and him!" He pointed at me. "It was my sister, my business, Cyril. My sister,-"

"Sebastian, I-" I start.

"MY BUSINESS!" He shouted, then turned towards the door, slamming me as he exited. All of a sudden, the room seemed deathly quiet. Sierra collapsed on the bed, crying.

o

"Why isn't he back? It's already morning." Sierra asked, looking out the window. She was still in her nightclothes, a simple snow-white slip. It amazed me that she was willing to sleep in the same room as me, considering the inherent dangers. She had just met me yesterday. To trust me so soon was, well, foolish.

"Sierra," She turned towards me. Her eyes were still red from the night before, but she seemed better contained now, more put together. The room had one bed, so I had decided to give it to her. As I sat up, my back sore from sleeping on the floor, I couldn't help but be surprised by the realism of it all. The light shone through the window, setting the room ablaze in light. Her hair lit up in the brightness, and for a moment I was stunned by the brilliance of it all. She sniffed, and the picture was broken. I shook my head, about to speak, but Sierra interrupts me.

"I... uh... I don't think I was acting rationally last night." Sierra started, walking towards me. She sat on the edge of the bed, sniffing again. "It probably was a mistake to even follow you to my brother, to-" She sniffed again. "To even be here. With you. Now, I mean."

"What happened last night isn't your fault." I stand, looking her in the eyes. "What Sebastian did, it has nothing to do with you. It isn't-"

"But it is." She said simply, her eyes slightly watering, but her voice still stable. "How well do you know my brother? How close are you guys?

"I've known him for few months. We started a clan together."

"I... see. Has he ever talked about... me? About our family?" Sierra asked, his expression odd. I couldn't quite place it.

"He mentioned you disappeared for years with your mother." I said. She nodded. "I imagine this wasn't the greatest reunion."

"No. No it wasn't." Sierra started to tear up again. Seeing her, I just wanted to help her. To say something that could comfort her, but I didn't know what. Somewhere inside I couldn't help but wonder if I just wanted to help her because she was attractive, but I pushed that thought aside. I couldn't think of anything, but I had to say something.

"Sierra, I..." I hesitated, but quickly recovered. "I'm going to make sure this all works out, okay? Everything will be fine." She looked up at me in surprise, and her cheeks seemed to turn red. I couldn't tell if it was from blushing or crying.

"Anyway," She waved her arms. "It doesn't matter. Let's just... let's just focus on figuring this whole thing out."

I pause for a long while, but ask "What can you tell me about the Resurrectionists?" She sighs, but collects herself.

"It's probably best if I show you."

o

We walk out into the inn's main room, which was virtually empty at this time of the morning. Sierra walked next to me, her arm looped around mine, staying close. We were almost at one of the doors when I heard a familiar young voice calling.

"Hey! Cyril! We're back!" I turned to see Azaj bounding towards me, all smiles. Behind him was John, who betrayed little emotion as usual. What was extra surprising was the person behind the two of them, a muscular and tall woman, who carried demon helmet under one arm.

"So, uh, Cyril," Azaj started, pointing at the woman. "This is my sister, Steffana. I've been gone these past few days looking for her. I coulda sworn it was her in the courtyard that one time, you know? So I tracked her down. Had no idea she was even playing!"

Surprised, I shake her hand. "I'm Cyril, and this is-" I pause, looking at Sierra, wondering what she was to me, "a close friend, Sierra. I've seen you on the battlefield a few times, Steffana. You're quite the fighter."

"Thank you." She says stiffly. "Any friend of my little brother's is a friend of mine."

"Family is... uh... a wonderful thing." Sierra says, somewhat awkwardly, but she smiles and shakes Steffana's hand anyway.

"Azaj means the world to me." She says, ruffling his hair. He protests loudly. "If it came down to it, I'd kill for him."

o

Sebastian – February 3, 2023 – 1st Floor – 69 Days before the April Incident:

"I didn't think you'd be back so soon."

"Thanks for the key."

"I figured you'd need it for the job. Your sister was excellent at acquiring it."

"So you stole it in advance. Why go through the trouble?"

"I've got my reasons. Sends a message, you know?"

"To whom?"

"A few high-ranking friends."

"An Army Representative and his wife. I think your 'friends' are obvious."

"Sharp one, aren't you?"

"Don't insult me. Our agreement, it..."

"What? Spit it out, Sebastian."

"I got my sister my means independent of the job. I want a different compensation instead."

"Different compensation? Well, I don't quite roll that way. However..."

"However?"

"I am in need of expert help."

"..."

"And you have proven your ability."

"..."

"My disputes with the Army are not settled."

"Find someone else."

"I've got a great offer."

"Not interested."

"Just one more job, Sebastian. Then call it quits. How about it?"

"No."

"Alright, I'll sweeten the deal."

"What can sweeten murder?"

"Trust me. I know just the thing."


Author's Note.

Hey there. I've decided to start responding to reviews publicly on the end of each chapter. Since I don't have time to go through all of the ones posted in the past, I'm only using the reviews from chapter 7 here, then chapter 8 for the next chapter, and so on. Only the reviews posted before I post each new chapter will be responded to. If it gets to a point in the future where there are too many reviews to respond to, I'll pick and choose which ones to respond to (though I doubt that day will ever come). Anyway, please review in the future! If you're interested in reading my responses, continue on below.

SatoFumizuki: Well, the genre is partly romance. Granted, romance is not the primary focus of this fanfiction, though it will be present.

Eternal Longing: Yeah, I noticed the tense issues especially when I was writing this chapter. I tried to keep things consistent but, knowing me, I probably missed quite a few. As for Eri, well, Cyril is a complicated guy in the future section, morally speaking. He may view himself as wanting primarily to save Eri, but is that truly his main motivation? Notice he didn't think of her at all in this chapter. Of course, I didn't really shed light on what's really going on in his head in the future section for this chapter. As for levels, well, I would say Asuna and Cyril are about even, considering they're both front-liners.

AmosTheBaka: Thank you for the compliment! It feels kinda weird to say that here, instead of in a PM.

FallenVanguard: In my opinion, a character is made through their flaws, not through their virtues. To be honest, characters like XaXa and the Laughing Man are my least favorite to work with, especially when they're just introduced. The evil of characters like that often comes off as one-dimensional and it's difficult to build a believable character off of someone that initially appears so immoral. XaXa in the light novels is completely nuts, so I can't really do much to him without breaking canon, but the Laughing Man is mine to do whatever I want with. Depending on how much I choose to use him in the future, I may wind up trying to make him more rounded.

FrostyMouse: There was a key in Sebastian's hand last chapter. The origin of that key is explained in this chapter.

While I know there were more reviews made since I published chapter 7, I only responded to the ones made directly for chapter seven out of time constraints. So... if you want your review to be responded to, make sure it's for the correct chapter. If I can tell that you actually meant to review for the right chapter but didn't for some reason, I'll probably respond to your review anyway.

Anyway, thanks for reading these review responses! And remember to review! I need those.

Edit:

I changed a line in this chapter that erroneously claimed that the Army Representative was directly stolen from, when in actuality it was a messenger that it was stolen from - an extremely important fact for my story. It is now correct.