Hello everyone! I'm truly sorry that this chapter took two weeks. I really don't have an excuse for the first week...BUUUUUT I've been working on a collab for the second, so that delayed my writing a bit. If you haven't already, check out that one as well. It's also an SAO fic, and we would really love it if you could leave a review with your thoughts. Anyways, I've also made this chapter a bit longer than usual to make up for the delay. Hope you guys enjoy!

Beta Note: Hey guys, Random again. Just wanted to let you all know that DK and I will be working our hardest to get these chapters out as soon as we're able, but sometimes life's getting in the way, hence the delay on this chapter. Either way, your patience is greatly welcomed and appreciated, and I hope you all enjoy this newest chapter of "Reality: Alfheim"!


Both Asuna and the cloaked figure jerked at the scream. The voice was familiar and chilled her bones, but she shoved off the sensation in order to deal with her assailant. Capitalizing on its moment of hesitation, Asuna quickly grabbed its arm. Before the figure could react, she pulled it towards her while simultaneously flipping over so she was on its back.

She pinned its arms behind its body, while her weight forced the figure against the bed. She twisted its wrists, forcing it to drop the knife into Asuna's waiting hand. Holding the arms with her other hand, she clasped her thighs together and effectively paralyzed her assailant's legs. She flipped the blade up to the now captured figure's throat.

"Who are you?" she asked, her question accentuated by a threatening growl. She was confused when the captured figure let a chuckle.

The laughter started normal at first; it was a deep voice, suggesting that he was a male. But it quickly escalated into high screeches, the maniacal tones bouncing around the room and resounding throughout Asuna's skull.

Pressing the knife further against the flesh of his neck, Asuna barked out a question. "Why are you laughing?!"

The man didn't respond at first, still chuckling. "Because you have a knife at my throat," he finally said.

Asuna was taken aback. Is he sane? "Why the hell is that funny?" she asked harshly.

"Because you can't do anything."

She blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

"You aren't part of our world. You're too weak; you won't kill me. You won't even hurt me, will you? So there's nothing to be accomplished by this."

Asuna gripped the knife tighter in her now sweaty palm. "You don't know that, so I think you should start talking."

"I do know that. Your heart is beating so fast they can probably hear it in the other rooms."

Wait, 'they?' Does he mean my family, or…did he come with friends?! Her eyes widened. Shit! Kirito! Mom! Dad!

Not wasting another moment, she quickly chanted a spell. It took a few precious seconds, but eventually water encased the man's wrists and ankles before freezing into ice shackles. Asuna shoved him into a corner, his insane eyes and smile taunting her the whole time.

She grabbed her rapier and sprinted out of her room, unnerved and worried. She ran to Kirito's room first, in time to see a flash of light shine through the open door. Before she could react, a figure flew out the door and slid across the floor. It crashed into a wall and laid still.

Asuna entered to see Kirito lowering his blades, breathing heavily.

"Kirito! Are you okay?!" she cried out.

He nodded, and then jerked back in surprise when Asuna hugged him. When she let go, his face was flustered.

"We have to check on my parents!" she said.

Kirito's eyes hardened. "Let's go."

They skidded out into the hallway, dead set on the master bedroom, when Kirito suddenly grabbed Asuna and shoved her down. A knife shot over her head, right through where it was a second before. Without hesitation, Kirito spun around and lunged with his blade. A figure quickly darted out of the shadows to avoid the jab.

Asuna quickly got her bearings and joined Kirito, each taking a side of the enemy. They studied each other warily before the assassin flicked another knife at Kirito. He easily deflected the weapon and took the man's moment of surprise to close in. The assailant leaped out of the way of the blade, but then stumbled and fell as Asuna kicked his legs out from under him. He landed on the ground with a thud, and a rapier was quickly pointed at his throat.

Asuna rapidly chanted the spell that she had used before, and the main was cuffed by manacles of ice.

Just as she turned to continue on, another scream echoed throughout the mansion, this time distinctly more masculine. Her blood turned cold as she realized who had emitted it, as well as the person who screamed when she was in her room.

"Mother! Father!" Not waiting for Kirito, she sprinted down the remainder of the hall at top speed. She grabbed the door frame of the master bedroom and swung in just as her father crumpled to the floor, along with her mother.


The funerals were held a week later. Kirito weaved through the crowd of mourning people; some close friends, others business contacts. He finally spotted Argo in an inconspicuous corner, her usually happy demeanor replaced by one of quiet sadness, blonde hair contrasting sharply with her black clothing.

"Hey," he said evenly, his voice devoid of emotion. Argo looked up, startled.

"Oh, Kii~bou! I was wondering where you were."

He shrugged. "Around." She gazed at him suspiciously, unused to his blank tone.

"Where is she?" Argo finally asked. Kirito instantly knew what she was talking about.

"Asuna's brother took her into the house a short while ago. She broke down again."

Argo shook her head. "She's usually so strong. Her parent's deaths broke her." Kirito remained silent.

"What about you?" she asked.

Kirito blinked. "I'm fine."

"You're not. You seem so…dead. I feel like you're taking it harder than Asuna, in all honesty."

"Well, I can't help it!" he shouted, his voice suddenly rising. "My own family died just over two weeks ago! And then Asuna's parents, who took me in and cared for me, were assassinated in their house in front of my eyes. I could've stopped them! It's my job! But I couldn't even catch them after they did it; no, they all escaped. And now all of them are out there somewhere, having gotten away with murder!"

Panting, Kirito came down from his furious high to see Argo cowering before him. Regret washed over him, cooling his rage.

"Sorry. I don't know what came over me. I just…"

Recovering, Argo spoke once more, albeit slightly shaken up. "No, it's fine. You were bottling those emotions up, weren't you?" Kirito hesitated for a moment before nodding, and then was surprised when Argo wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm sorry. You went through so much, and I…I helped by telling where-"

Kirito cut her off. "Don't finish that," he said, hugging her back. He let go quickly, guilt from an unknown source rushing over him. By the gods, why am I always like this around Argo and Asuna?!

Argo pulled away, wiping a tear out of her eye. "Right. Actually, I wanted to show you someone."

Kirito raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

Argo grinned. "My Alne contact."


They arrived to see a red-haired Salamander downing a cup of beer in one go, setting the empty cup in his already gigantic pile. Kirito just stared at him, and then slowly turned to Argo.

"I can see where you get your alcoholism from," he deadpanned.

Argo crossed her arms. "Excuse me, but one time isn't enough to classify me as an alcoholic."

"Yeah, but you drank like five bottles."

"I did not!"

"Did to."

"Did not!"

"Did to!"

"Did-"

"Guahuagh, Argo?" At the heavily slurred voice, the two arguing individuals turned to face the Salamander. He was slouching and seemed unsteady, but his eyes were clear and sharp. His mouth was twisted in what was supposed to be a friendly smile, though it came out as a grimace.

"Oh, hey Klein," Argo said nonchalantly, as if she was used to the man being highly drunk. "I want to introduce you to my friend, Kirito."

"Kirito, eh?" Klein shifted his focus from the girl to the Spriggan. "I've heard waaaaaay too much about you. Whenever this gal here isn't asking for some info, it's all 'Kirito this' and 'Kirito that.'"

The boy in question turned to face Argo. She was furiously blushing, though she didn't hide her head.

"S-shut up. I only do it because you would hit on me if you didn't."

"Oooooooohhhhhh, don't worry about that. I know when a girl is looking at another guy." Klein looked meaningfully at Kirito, who just returned a blank look. Argo promptly spun around, while seemingly all the blood in her body rushed to her cheeks.

"KIRITO WE SHOULD GO NOW!" she shouted forcefully. She grabbed his arm and dragged him along, not waiting for a response. Klein just chuckled as he left, and turned back to his drinks.


The two stopped when they reached the corner Argo was originally in. She had lost most of her blush, though a rosy tint was still present on her cheeks.

"S-so. That was Klein," she said.

Kirito sighed. "Is he always that drunk?'

Argo shook her head. "Well, he wasn't actually drunk. He was faking it; he believes that girls dig that kind of thing. He can actually hold his liquor very well."

Kirito raised an eyebrow. "Is he an alcoholic?"

"No, surprisingly. He just drinks whenever he can, but I've seen him go through a month without a beer and he was perfectly fine."

"Hmm…interesting. But why did you want me to meet him?"

Argo crossed her arms and looked away. "Because I don't want to keep any secrets from you anymore, even the small ones."

"Huh?"

"I'm being spied on."

Kirito froze. "What? By whom? Wait….don't tell me…"

"Yep. Klein came to me as a potential informant, but he actually works for Mortimer."

"The Salamander leader?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then why do you keep him around you?!"

"Two reasons, actually. One is that he actually informs me. He has wide network that he can call upon for information, and I can also send information through him as well. The second is that I don't know why he's spying on me. Sure, I'm an infamous info broker, but he's not here for that reason as far as I can tell."

"So you want to find out?"

"Exactly."

"But why are you telling me this?"

Argo looked up into his eyes. "I told you, I don't want to keep any secrets. At least, not the ones you don't have to pay for. I don't expect you to do the same."

Kirito was about to ask why she wanted to be so open, but then he remembered the conversation he had with her.

"I killed your family."

Shaking his head to clear the thoughts, he focused his attention back onto Argo. "Alright. But I would feel bad if I didn't share my secrets as well."

"You don't-"

"I know. But I want to." He smiled warmly at the blonde, who returned it after a moment of hesitation. She waited expectantly for a bit, causing Kirito to feel awkward.

"Well?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"You said you would share your secrets with me."

"But I don't have any!"

"Whaddya mean you don't have any secrets?!"

"I mean, nothing that you don't already know. I'm a Winged. You knew about Midori and Suguha. You knew my address and my father, even if you didn't know that they were mine. And you know that I'm the-" He cut himself off before he could say it out loud. He looked around before leaning in close and whispering, "That I'm the Black Swordsman."

He pulled back and was surprised when he saw Argo blushing again. "Uh, Argo, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing," she squeaked out. "Uh…where's Aa-chan?" she asked, using her pet name for Asuna. Kirito looked around the room.

"I don't see her...she might not be presentable yet. Though Kouichirou should be back…"

Growing suspicious, he quickly exited the room, followed by Argo. "Hey, Kirito, where are you going?!"

"To their house. Something doesn't feel right."


That something turned out to be an investigator. Kouichirou was seated in the main living room, facing another man. Kirito and Argo walked in, and Asuna's brother moved his attention to them.

"Ah, Kazuto. Nice to see you. Who are you with?"

"Oh, this is Argo. But what's happening here?"

"It's a standard questioning." This time, it was the man who answered. "We need as much information as possible to catch the culprits. It's also very convenient that you're here; we need to question you as well."

"Um…ok…"

"We'll be done in a few minutes. Please stay on the premise."

Kirito nodded and started walking out.

"Oh, Kazuto." He turned to face Kouichirou.

"Yeah?"

"She's in her bedroom."

Kirito nodded before exiting. He walked swiftly through the halls, Argo struggling to keep up with her shorter stride.

"My gods why are you so tall?!" she asked.

"I'm not that tall. You're just short."

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"Am not!"

"We're here."

"Am-wait, what?"

Kirito had stopped and was facing Asuna's bedroom door. Taking a deep breath, he opened it and went through.

He found Asuna sitting on her bed, facing a corner. She didn't react when he opened the door, but as he approached, she said, "I told you I'm fine Kouichirou. I don't need-"

"Guess again!" Argo chirped.

Asuna turned around. "Kirito? Argo? What are you guys doing here?"

"We were getting worried," Kirito said, moving around the bed to sit next to her. Argo elected to collapse on the far side and crawl over. Asuna spared her a glance of disapproval before turning back to Kirito.

"Um, thanks. But I'm really-"

"Don't hold it in," Kirito interrupted.

Asuna froze for a second. "W-what do you mean…" She sniffed and a tear rolled down her cheek. "Listen, I r-really am fine."

"Aa-chan…" Argo said quietly.

"D-don't c-call me t-tha-"

Both girls were surprised when Kirito suddenly reached over and grabbed Asuna, pulling her into a hug. A flash of jealousy went through Argo, but she forced it down. Asuna quieted for a second, startled, before the dam broke and she started crying in earnest.

"T-they're d-dead!" she sobbed. "T-they were k-killed! R-right in f-front of m-me! I-I c-couldn't do anything! I j-just collapsed!"

"Sshhh," Kirito said, trying to soothe her. A few of his own tears rolled down his cheeks, dropping into Asuna's hair. He looked up when another set of hands wrapped around him.

Argo hugged them both, her arms barely long enough to reach behind Kirito. "You're silly guys. You can't expect me to not join the group hug." She was trying joke, but her quiet voice and solemn tone told otherwise.

"Kazuto?" Kouichirou's voice interrupted the moment. "The investigator wants to see you now."

Kirito regretfully released his grip, leaving the two girls on the bed. "I'll be back as soon as possible, alright?" They gave slight nods.

Asuna slowly stopped crying once Kirito left the room. Argo backed away, and silence engulfed the room.

"Why do you hate me?" Argo asked suddenly. Asuna turned to face her, but quickly dropped her gaze.

"I-I don't know."

"You already told me that. But it can't be the real reason."

"…You're right. I don't think it is. But the issue is that I don't know the reason. I just feel like I'm fighting over something with you."

"What could we possibly be fighting over?! We didn't even know each other until two weeks ago."

"That's the problem. But it has to be something, right?"

"Well, what things do we both share?"

Asuna thought for a minute. "Um…we're both girls."

"I doubt we'll fight over that."

"Hm…I mean, the only other thing I think about would be Kirito…."

Argo froze, which caught Asuna's eye. "Argo? What's wrong?"

"N-nothing."

Asuna raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with Kirito?"

"Nothing!" Argo shouted, her cheeks coloring rapidly. Asuna, who wasn't as dense as the boy in question, quickly caught on.

"Oh god," Asuna said, her eyes widening. "You have a crush on him too!" Argo buried her head in her hands.

"Shit, now this makes complete sense," Asuna continued. "I must've felt some deep female instinct when I saw you! We both like the same guy!"

"'Deep female instinct?'" Argo asked, peeking past her fingers.

"Don't sweat the details," Asuna said dismissively, waving it off before continuing. "The real issue is why you didn't tell me anything! You knew the reason why we were fighting all along!"

"One simply does not tell another person about who they like, especially if that person also has crush on the same guy. And besides, I didn't know that you hated me because-"

"Wait. If you didn't tell me BECAUSE I had a crush on him…"

Argo mentally cursed at herself for letting the information slip. "Asuna-"

"How long have you known?"

"…I saw you two at that clearing, on your date."

"All the way back th-WAIT YOU SAW THAT?! AND IT WASN'T A DATE!" Now Asuna was the one who was blushing, her cheeks become a rich shade of scarlet.

"Uh….yeah?"

"JUST BECAUSE WE SLEPT NEXT TO EACH OTHER DOESN'T MEAN WE DID ANYTHING ALRIGHT?!'

"Who said you guys-HOLD ON WHAT DID YOU GUYS DO?!"

"NOTHING I SWEAR."

"YOU GUYS BROKE MY HEART THAT DAY AND YOU WENT AND HAD-"

"WE DID NOT HAVE-wait, we broke your heart?"

Argo looked away. "Yeah. I heard you guys talking. He's engaged to you, isn't he?"

Asuna turned beet red. "W-what! No! We were just hanging out! It wasn't even a date! I'm not even sure if he returns my feelings!"

"Huh?!" Argo looked back, eyes brimming with hope. "But I thought…"

"You thought wrong."

Argo finally smiled. "Yes! I can finally get Kirito!"

"Excuse me, but I have a crush on him as well."

"Well, did you have a crush on him for over a month?"

"Well, no…but that doesn't mean you get priority! We don't know who he likes. He might like me a lot more than you."

Argo immediately lost her joy. "Yeah…you're right…he can't…like me…"

Guilt overcame Asuna. "Argo, what's wrong?"

Argo pulled her knees up and hugged herself. She looked like she was on the verge of crying before looking up and opening her mouth.

"I-"

They were interrupted as the sound of footsteps echoed into Asuna's room. Kirito entered, looking disturbed.

"Hey," he said distractedly. Argo and Asuna looked at each other.

"Is everything ok?" they asked in unison.

"Yeah, yeah. We should head back now. Kouichirou is already there." Without waiting for a response, he turned around and walked away.


Later that night, Kirito was walking through the streets. Darkness engulfed every corner; the moon was hidden behind the branches of the World Tree, only occasionally poking through.

He pulled his cloak closer around him before entering a building and climbing a flight of stairs. He hesitated in front of a door before knocking.

"Argo, it's Kirito," he said. He waited a few moments, and knocked again. "Argo, please, I need to talk to you. Wake up."

The door opened a crack, and a set of bleary eyes peered through. Once they registered that yes, it was Kirito, they widened with surprise before disappearing.

Argo threw the door open, revealing her mess of disheveled hair. She wore a nightgown, though it looked like she had thrown on only moments before answering.

"Kii~bou! What are you doing here this late?"

"I need information."

Argo stared at him for a minute. "Can't this wait until morning?"

"No."

"…Alright. Come in, and we can talk."

He entered, and Argo shut the door behind him. He sat on the bed next to her.

"Alright, what do you need?" Argo asked.

"I need you to promise me something first."

"Why? What is it?

"Promise me that you won't tell a soul about this. Even Asuna."

"Kii~bou, you know that I wouldn't do that anyways. What do you need to ask?"

Kirito closed his eyes, as if preparing for a finality. He opened them and looked at Argo with a steely conviction.

"I need to know everything you can tell me about Laughing Coffin."


"HE'S WHAT?!"

"He's gone! Just a note saying that he'll get revenge! No warning or anything! We can't find him anywhere in Alne. Please, Argo, do you know anything?"

The blonde stopped pacing and looked at the Undine. Asuna looked devastated; fear, worry, and grief were all etched onto her face.

How could Kii~bou do that to her? Argo thought. How can he do that to us? She reflected on the conversation they had last night.

No wonder why he wanted me to promise that, she thought bitterly. She refocused, and let out a sigh.

"He came to me last night, asking for information about Laughing Coffin."

"What!" Asuna leaped up, shocked. "What the hell does he want with the murder guild!"

"I don't know! All I could tell him is that their last sighting was at the Salamander capital!"

Asuna froze. "Wait. He couldn't have…"

"Oh gods…" Argo whispered. "Why…"

She suddenly remembered the man who has asked her about Akihiko Kayaba. Oh shit he was with the guild, wasn't he?! Does that mean Laughing Coffin attacked his family?

Asuna arrived at the same conclusion that she did. "Laughing Coffin must've been the one who attacked his family! That's the only way to explain the part about revenge!"

"But then why would he wait until now?!"

"I don't know! But he was looking weird after he met with the investing-"

The looked at each other. "THE INVESTIGATOR!" the cried out.

"He must've told Kii~bou that Laughing Coffin were the people that attacked his house!" Argo said.

"And then Kirito came to you for information about them so he can try to find them!"

Argo swore. "What the heck was he thinking, just leaving spontaneously like that?"

"I don't know! But we have to go after him! He'll get killed."

Argo thought for a second, her mind racing. "I know a guy that we're going to need if we're heading to Salamander territory. Kii~bou's a Winged, so he'll be much faster than us. Our only hope is to meet him there."

"Ok. We can get supplies and then meet your guy."

"Right! Let's-"

Before Argo could finish, Asuna sprinted out the door, leaving Argo in her dust.

"Go…"

With a sigh, she chased after Asuna.

We're coming for you, Kii~bou.


As always, a review is super-appreciated, so if you could leave one, it would make me infinitely happier.