CHAPTER 5 - IMPROVEMENT
…May 10, 20th Floor, Green Moss Caves, ten days after the 29th boss fight…
"Come on! You can do it!" Keita shouted at the girl, when she jumped back evading the -Rock Eater-'s claw swipe. I tracked her movements and life closely, ready to jump in should she-
I'd say get in danger, but she just freaked and backed down. The worm-like monster made to strike, but I stole a page of Shirou's book and impaled it to the floor with a thrown spear.
Leaving the other guys to take care of the downed beast, I kneeled near the embarrassed girl.
"Sorry, I, I…"
"Don't worry. I told Keita it was a bad idea. Let's go back to -Sunshine Forest-."
"Come on! We're leveling up just fine!" Ducker laughed.
"I agree with Kirito here. These worms are just disgusting." But Tetsuo shuddered.
"We came here to help Sachi level up, guys. If she finds the monsters easier there, we should go there." Keita kneeled by our side. "What do you say?"
"Ah, I…" She looked at all of us. "I want the bugs to go away!" She shouted embarrassed.
"Okay…" I said. Hum, she dislikes bugs then? "How about golems?" I said aloud.
"Golems?"
"Yeah, there is this quest three floors up, which is really easy, and we fight a corridor of golems, one at time and they give quite a nice amount of -EXP-." I frowned. "Buut…" I raised a hand. "You must watch out for the boss, and leave him to me. And If I say retreat you retreatalright?"
"And they are not slimy or icky in the least, right Kirito-san?" Sachi asked me with hopeful eyes.
"Well…" I just shrugged. "They're made of rock."
… two days later, Black Iron Castle Dungeons…
"Rosalia-san, you have a visitor." I said to the imprisoned woman.
"Ahn, how cute… Your boyfriend came to see you again Rose-chan!" A deep voice came from the inner cells of the castle's dungeon. "Are you going to give us a peepshow today?"
"Shut up, ya jerkass!" Kibaou rattled his blade on the bigmouth cell's bars. Then his tone changed completely. "I'm back, like I promised." I admit she is an attractive woman, but from what I heard she killed a lotof people.
Well, orders are orders… "I'll be by the door if you need me…"
… three days later, 30th Floor, Forest of the Ents…
"Say, whose bright idea was this?" Lizbeth smashed a tree in rage.
"Come on Liz, focus on the moving ones…" I try to pacify our Mace master.
"I have to agree with her, Shirou. They're many, but they're weak." Asuna shook her head.
"I told you to let me come alone."
"Not a chance!" The three girls answered in synchrony.
"Okay…" I rolled my eyes. They're still mad because my stunt two floors below it seemed.
"No onii-chan, is notokay." Yuki smashed another -Wood Golem- "And you're not running solo until we're sure you're not going to jump in front of danger and get yourself killed."
"Fair enough." I used a -Sonic Leap- to destroy one and bashed my shield on another, forcing it back. "That means you're going to leave the frontlines though. Argo got a lead on that PK incident two weeks ago."
"She did!? How?" Yuki was surprised, and almost got a hit for it. Liz stomped the golem and bashed with her mace though.
"Yuki! Focus!" Asuna called, while applying one of her combo Skills on a particular close group.
As the last one of the small fries was destroyed, we regrouped, forming an arc of shields with Asuna in the middle. I'm starting to get used to this sword and shield, even if I revert to -Critical Blades-, as Kirito called it, if I'm not paying attention.
The large -True Ent- emerged from the canopy with a roar, his high size shaking the nearby tree's and making a cacophony of wood breaking noises.
We advanced. The shining trails of different sword skills marked the air, and the combined impact threw the monster to the ground. Asuna then lifted her Rapier and applied the -Last Attack- to the monster, satisfying the requirements to the quest.
"Who is left now?" Liz shrugged while tying her mace to her belt.
"Just Argo and me, I think." I opened a screen to unequip the shield and sword, and bring a dagger to my hand. "What now?"
"Hand the quest over, and go home to sleep." Asuna said, and Yuki perked up.
"I call dibs!"
I sweatdrop. "No, Yuki, you're notsleeping with me."
"Why can't I?! Silvine and the others can!" She puffed her cheeks and blew me a raspberry
Who?" I asked before it dawned on me. "They are NPCs, and only because I haven't managed to find a way for them to stop." I twitched.
"Not that you seem to mind it…" Lizbeth didn't cut me any slack.
I have been putting this conversation for too long by now. "I don't." If that's how you want to play…
"So you admit?" Asuna frowned.
I just shrugged. Maybe if she thinks I'm some sort of pervert, Liz will focus into someone else and follow with her life. I'm not going to be here forever, and it would be very inconsiderate of me to leave her behind.
…Like I did to Saber, Rin and my Sekirei.
I took out our -Haven Crystal- and activated it, moving myself to our common house in the Oasis Villa on the 28th floor. As I appeared, the local NPCs flocked around me trying to offer any sort of favors I could want.
"You look like hell warmed over." Argo's voice snapped out of my thoughts. "The girls were jealous again?" She giggled while slapping one of the NPC's below the waist line to get her out of the way.
"I'm not the right person for her, Argo." I looked at her somewhat divided between sad and happy expression before I added: "Neither for you."
Her mouth opened and closed for a few moments before she came to terms with what I said. Then she shrugged, which kind of surprised me. "I didn't hope to fool you for so long. You did say Dozen Times."
"What makes you think I didn't know all along?" I accepted the cup of tea one of the, I guess I could call her servants or maybe maids, provided and masked my amused smile with it.
"You can fool them, but not me." She picked a cup too, but spoke before drinking it: "You're afraid to die and leave Li-, us alone, isn't that?" She seated in our main room, burying herself in the comforters and pillows scattered around.
"I'm afraid that even if I don't die, we wouldn't see each other again." I admitted sadly.
"You love me, or her back?!" Her cup suddenly became acquainted with the floor, and her face turned very, veryred.
"Not in that way, I think. But I'm not the best person when it comes to drawing that line." I admitted softly.
"I don't understand." She admitted in shame.
I struggled to think of what to say, and then no more as I was hit by a flash of inspiration.
"I'm but a sword," I intoned softly " I've walked many roads, I've fought many enemies, Not once I've retreated, Nor once I've been victorious."
"I don't understand." She repeated.
"Neither do I, but is who I am." I admitted without shame.
… 11th floor, Taft, a few hours later.
"Can I count on you for the plan?"
"Yes, of course. I hate the bastard as much as you do."
"Then be ready for after tomorrow and bring the -Corridor Crystal-"
… two days later…
"Kusano-chan, Miya will complain if she finds you in my bed again." I woke up buried in the softness of multiple female bodies. The small girl twitched in my arms. "And no choking Musubi." I forced the embrace on my neck to change into a less uncomfortable position by turning to my well-endowed Sekirei.
Then it dawned on me that this 'Kusano' happened to have slightly curly hair and this Musubi was below the hundred mark in the bust.
I shot up and backed down, tripping on another girl in revealing top and see-through silk pants.
Even as my backside got acquainted with the floor amidst the moans and a gasp, I left a sigh of relief. I was just 'my harem' as my sister put it.
"What's with the noise?" Speak of the devil… No, it was just Lizbeth. In underwear. I twitched more.
"So you're ok flashing him?" My sister voice came way to cheerful from the direction of my bed, and Lizbeth looked at herself.
Then she SCREAMED.
"You guys are way too noisy in the morning…" Argo smirked. "I'd say get a room… but you did. Just remember to lock the door, or close the curtains in this case.
Liz was nearly self-combusting.
I just took the teasing in stride.
Thankfully for her, we were saved of this potentially dangerous conversation by something, a message I think, which forced Argo to bring her menu and type something for a few moments. Considering her face's expression, those were quite dire news:
"There has been a Jailbreak in the Black Iron Castle. One of the members of ALF is dead, and the other is missing." Argo paused. "Kibaou is the missing one."
A serious air descended over the room instantly, cutting all the idle chatter and teasing. 'Ok, I'm not thankful anymore.'
"Please tell me they're considering the possibili-" I didn't realize I was speaking until she cut me off.
"Yes, there is a reward for bringing the guy alive and the others already have theirs put up again." She seemed a bit surprised at my reaction. Oh, it's the first time she sees my 'battle mode' out of the rare boss battle meetings she attended. "More important, he wishes to hire the - Avalon Knights- to find the whereabouts of the runaways."
"Tell him we accept." Asuna's voice cut sharp as a blade. "If they are coming after us, and I suspect they are, we're not going to wait idly until they have our backs to stab."
"We should be discreet though, so we can take them by surprise." I offered.
"So we're like L' following the trail of a suspect?!" Yuki cut the tension with one of her own obscure anime references, which by Argo's seemed to get by her laugh.
"More like Kira actually," She answered. "…don't let they know about you, act normally, and figure out their names and if possible, where they are." Argo winked to Yuki, and I exchanged a look and a shrug with Asuna and Lizbeth.
… May 26, 30th Floor, Eastern Marsh…
"Are you sure this is safe, Kirito-san?" Keita asked me for what felt like the twentieth time. "This is only a single floor below the frontlines!"
"Yes, but as I said before, this is one of those places that the environment is more dangerous than the mobs. I can dispatch one of the smaller trolls here with two or three strikes." I waved his concerns. "You only have to be careful in bringing a map and a -Teleport Crystal- in case you get lost. As for the bigger trolls, pot, switch, and prefer evasion to damage if they turn red. And once we finish the quest, we get the high quality materials to upgrade our weapons."
"Yeah, come on boss! We can take it!" Ducker pumped his fist in the air.
I turned to the left trail and guided them deeply in the muddy forest. The sound of metal grinding against rock and wood signaled we're approaching another party, in the middle of a battle.
I couldn't be more wrong.
It wasn't a party, and it wasn't a battle. I stood like petrified, and I saw a single slip of a girl, long straw colored hair, thigh-high boots, elbow gloves and a light green cheongsam dancing in the middle of the trolls, her spear skills lighting the shallow pond at regular intervals, tearing through them like they were made of wet paper.
It was a slaughter.
She evaded low, then spun supporting herself in the shaft of her weapon, her legs lashing out and caching one of the monsters with the unarmed skill -Heaven's Fall-, then she spun her weapon behind her back and lowered her torso forward, using the blunt end to unleash another skill smacking the face of one advancing enemy, and them the bladed tip to cut the hand of the one charging a skill at her back. With her momentum ended, she brought the weapon parallel to her stretched leg and them up in a sweeping strike, finishing the last of the trolls.
Then she spoke with the captured NPC, collected her reward, and was gone in a crystal teleport effect.
I twitched. I have to ask Argo about her later. Those skills weren't spear skills. And she was fighting like six of them! That is insane!
"You saw that?" Sasamaru cheered from my side. "That girl kicks ass! I never knew you could do that with a spear!"
"Yeah, she was like whoosh, and then she kicked the bastard on the shin, and then her blade skrrt and his hand was gone!" Ducker mimicked with exaggerated motions.
"And she was pretty cute too! Man! I should have asked for her contact!" Sasamaru whined as we laughed it off.
I signaled them to stop. "Ok, Ok. Now that you're done ogling the girl who isn't even here anymore, get ready because the trolls will be back soon." I saw Sachi send me a weird look as I was sure she noticed me as entranced by the showdown as them.
The trolls came, and I tried to help their morale by attacking along, but I shouldn't have bothered. I don't know which kind of magic that girl did, but even Sachi, who was usually afraid of taking the lead, stood forward and advanced on the newly spawned monsters.
An icon flashed in my peripheral vision, and I finished off the troll immediately closer before taking a few steps back and looking at the general picture. They're doing fine.
I opened the message.
We have a problem. Kiba-ahou took Rosalia out of Jail, and he is plotting something. We need help finding him. Can we count on you? -A
"Kirito-kun!" Sachi's voice brought me out of my distracted state to find that they already get rid of all the monsters and closed the quest.
"Eh, sorry. I got distracted."
She held my hand and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, you'll go back to your friends soon." She looked to the side for an instant. "And we will be with you."
"Ah… Ok." I think she is misunderstanding something here…
"Yeah, and maybe I will manage to find that cutie on the frontlines!" Sasamaru cheered. "And I'll totally ask her number!"
… July 29, 28th floor, White Sand Desert, northern side.
"Are we really meeting Argo. THE Argo!?" Kirito-san nodded at my companion's question.
"And we're going to get weapons for the next boss raid from a couple of friends of mine, Yes." I send a mock pitying look at Kirito, but couldn't keep from shaking inside. We did it. We're finally going to the frontlines. I should be happy, I should be proud, but I can't help but be nervous and afraid, even if Kirito says we're capable.
"See it over there?" He pointed a tall cliff that closed this side of the floor's edge. "That is where the boss of this level was. It quite a battle." He chuckled with an amused face.
"So you got many hits in?" "Did you got the LA?" The other guild members focused they attention on him. He just shook his head.
"Nope. One crazy player agro the boss all by himself, and fought him alone on the cliffs, winning with just a sliver of life on himself."
"Hey! I heard that once! It was the -Immortal Swordsman- right?" Tetsuo seemed even more interested than before. Well, the guy is kind of his idol from what he said.
"Yeah, that one. Though is 'Immortal Knight' or 'Invincible Swordsman' from what I've heard."
"Same thing, mr. 'Black Swordsman', 'Wandering Knight' or the 'Boss Beater'." Kirito put his hand to his face. He always hated being called by his titles.
He then pointed the Oasis we noticed earlier and changed the subject. "We're here."
"Wow, look at all those girls around!" Ducker pointed at the NPC ladies in the skimpy outfits. I'm pretty sure women don't dress like this in the Middle East.
I walked with Kirito to the green eyed girl with the small balloon icon where her lifebar should be. Well at least she was wearing a proper shirt, even if she has an unsettling smile.
"Hello Traveller! How could this humble one could be of assistance?"
Kirito answered straight to the point as he taught us to do. "I'm looking for Argo, Shirou and Lizbeth. Are any of them around?"
"I never thought you'd walk around with a fan club, Ki-bou." A small blonde walked out of the tent right behind the NPC, and motioned for us to enter. "Welcome to our humble abode." She motioned to the magnificent tent around us, then to one of the cushion piles scattered in the main room. "Shirou and Liz are out, I was just leaving myself. What do you need?"
"Nice to see you too, still well after so long…" He muttered in a sarcastic tone.
Keita and the others choose to enter at that moment, and were as impressed as I was at the amazing guild home they had.
"Well, I happen to monitor the stats of all my interesting contacts every week or so. So is less time for me than it was for you. 'sides, Shirou did said you're doing fine when you met in the 34th boss fight meeting."
"Ok. She just says that she's stalking you!" Sasamaru shivered. "That is just creepy." I can agree with that.
Argo's, I think that was her at least, look would be considered murderous by that point "Not stalking. Keeping tabs, and my info up-to-date. I don't need to stalk, ne." She then focused on Kirito. "You said you needed weapons and armor right?"
"No, I didn't really said it. But you deduced right. Mine is good for the next floor or so, but theirs need upgrading badly. I'd also like info on the boss, and the minions." I politely took the tea from another NPC girl.
"You're bringing them to fight the boss!?" Argo choked on her tea.
"Not yet." Kirito rolled his eyes. "They just reached the security margin. But they're going to help with the minions, and watching a boss fight before being in one helped Lizbeth a lot."
"Point." She smiled. "Well, Shirou and Liz left a bit of equipment selling here and an NPC taking care of the shop. Come along, I'll show you around. "
I shared a look with Yuki, and she nodded. Sending a message to Shirou and Liz, we approached the seemingly abandoned house with our -Teleport Crystals- ready.
I sneaked around and looked through the window while Yuki kicked the door open wither mace at ready.
Its karma I swear. "Yuki, if the door can open, a push will suffice as much as a kick." At the lack of well, anything, I sheathed my rapier.
"But kicking is so much more bad*ss!"
"Urk." I looked around. There's no dust or anything to mark how long this place has gone without use, but judging by the position of the chairs or the overall look and feel of the cot, this place was inhabited sometime in the past. "Looks like is another dead end."
"Home then?" Yuki at least had the grace of look sheepish.
"No, there's three more places to check." She sighed. "Then leveling. I want to reach 50 before we get to 37th floor, and keep increasing the margin."
They haven't let me near the door that time. We kept attacking the boss, -Growler, The Ogre King-, while other parties focused on his goblin minions. His hammer skills were kind of troublesome, but we were aware of them, and stayed out of reach. By alternating parties, we kept the rage low and most of the attacks general area strikes instead of Player targeting Skills.
"Yeah! One more sucker to into the sack!"
"Yuki, language." I admonished. No one seemed to care much, since they were most boys, except for our party, Kirito's guild girl, and that Solo player that struck the boss last.
If I could only place where did I saw her before…
"See, Chiho is awesome! Boss or not boss, as long as she have a spear, nothing can stand on her way!" Uzume pumped her fist in the air.
"I'm relieved my son is behaving with more restraint too." I left the room to deliver a few papers due tomorrow to the engineering sector.
Minaka was right out of the door.
"What do you want?" I asked before thinking.
"Just checking out on the kids." He answered uncharacteristically serious. I immediately took note that the cameras of the corridor were off.
"Why do you care? You're not their father. You renounced that right long ago."
"Eh? I'm helping, am I not?" He suddenly turned his boisterous self.
"If you call sneaking up at night and injecting my kids with weird concoctions and putting them through weird procedures then no, you're not helping."
"Our kids."
"Whatever. I'm going to engineering and you're not to be left with alone them." I grabbed his collar and started pulling him with me.
"Takamii… Takami-chan?" While he whined and kicked as a child.
I looked at Matsu while she typed some commands on a console and frowned at her lack of disregard for her supposed Ashikabi-to-be. Here he was, a prime example of male specimen, bathing himself (not that I care), and she was there operating a boring terminal.
Strange enough by itself, even stranger considering that she acted the complete opposite when Takami was around.
As she didn't seem to care, I changed to another channel, or player in case. We couldn't do more than watch, but boy, we could watch. This terminal was linked to some sort of supercomputer in the basements (one of them at least), which according to my hacker friend duplicated and processed every information received or send to Aincrad and turned them into images. Not only we could watch through the eyes of every player around here, but we could also project viewpoints to see them from afar. As easy as changing channels.
Flipping and surfing around, I stopped once I got a nice view of the other Avalon Knights also in a relaxing bath. Shirou was a lucky bastard. Those girls were quite cute, and would only grow as time goes on…
I looked back to Matsu, and she hasn't even noticed the changes in the sounds coming from the screen. I don't know if her guard was just lower when the two of us where together, or if it she was simply uncaring as I couldn't make head or tails of that weird programming language.
I could however, understand more than I let on. She was plotting something. What I didn't know, is if she knew I knew that she knew something was happening, or she took me not only for ignorant but stupid too.
Well, I'm not asking here or now, and there are more delighting matters to focus on the moment. Like Yuki's enjoyment of skinship between friends…