Author's Note
So I have totally failed on getting a new chapter out once a month, but here is the latest update to the Children of Aincrad and I am determined to write it to the end! Again, any comments, ideas, reviews or constructive criticism are welcome. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 9: Dream a Nightmare
Floor 55 Granzam, KoB HQ, 14th December 2024
The hall was cold. Frozen like a polished tomb in an arctic tundra. It was cold in spite of the heated debate that was taking place between the six players who made up the KoB's leading council, and neither showed any sign of improvement. Asuna sat fixed up right in her uniform, doing her best to be engaged in the conversation even though it was giving her a headache. The topic was a miasma of different things, the vote for the guilds new official leader, the fight on the front lines, and the laughing coffin. All of which were important, but most emphasis lay on the vote, which made Asuna burn with anger. How could that be the most important thing when peoples lives were on the line?
Daizen sat to her right, he had been silent for most of the discussion, as head of Finances he had little interest in any of these topics so long as they didn't impede on making money. He was one of Roland's supporters. She had noticed how the room was becoming divided in two, those who wanted her to lead and those who wanted Roland, and what was worse was that Roland was trying to engage in a political struggle for power when she wasn't really interested. However, the thought of him leading the guild didn't sit well with her at all.
"I have said before and I will say again, if we want to push forward and be free of this game, then we need to start conscripting new members for training." Said Roland.
Asuna glanced at him, he was a difficult person to be around. He had short black hair, pretty much oiled to his head and slicked back. He was around eighteen years old at a guess, but he was a mature and ruthless adult by all accounts.
"What do mean by conscripting?" Asuna asked.
"I mean, if players are refusing to help us fight then we must force them. Obviously we will provide them with the best training and equip them to a decent standard, but we need every sword we can muster to keep the fight going."
"Who are we to demand them to risk their lives?" Yulwei asked, he was someone who supported Asuna although she wasn't sure why. He was a tall, dark skinned man in his late thirties, he had customised his hair to be a shimmering silver colour that created a stark contrast to his dark face.
"We are the elite fighters who have been sacrificing ourselves for their freedoms. I have no dreams of growing old in this game, but we cannot get out alone." Roland retorted.
"We are working with the independent guilds and the army, which happens to have the membership of a large amount of the players trapped in this game. The players you are referring to are the ones that are left over." Yulwei sent it back across the table.
"There are many splinter groups, guilds big and small who decided a long time ago that they didn't want to fight any more, that this was a losing cause. This is unacceptable."
"My lord Roland, I understand your anger but there are some who could not be put on the front lines." The voice of a much older player came, Gregor was fifty years old and one of the oldest players in the game. Asuna knew he supported Roland, but like a level hand guiding a young flame.
"The children and those who are perhaps ill fitted to deal with the tasks of the front line can be conscripted into admin work where they can be useful." Roland snapped much to the shock of the room. "I don't want to run a little empire of my own, with an iron fist that cracks whips and shackles people into service. But we need to unite everyone under one banner."
"We cannot force unity." Asuna said.
"But we can appeal for it, if our guild finally makes it's vote for a leader then as a proper unified group we can appeal to the others to join us, and as one, we can beat this game."
The room fell silent, contemplating Roland's suggestion. The council had been bickering for a long time since Asuna had awoken about the true leadership vote and she felt torn by her indifference and her concern for the guild. In truth she would prefer for someone else to lead and work with Kirito-kun to help the players defeat the game, leading required a certain amount of coldness. Something she had left behind.
"I can see this has been a difficult debate. Let's take a recess and come back to it in an hour." Roland said.
The other's were all in agreement and chairs squeaked and armour rattled as they all shuffled out of the large hall. Asuna was just pushing her chair back under the table when she noticed Roland standing on the opposite side of the table looking at her. She held his stare for a moment as the other players quietly left the room.
"Is there something on my face?" She asked.
"Asuna-san, may I ask you something?" He said.
"You may." She replied.
"Do you want to be free?"
Asuna gave him a quizzical look. "Of course I do."
"You want the other players of this death game to go back to their normal lives, see their families, mourn for the loss of their friends properly, and in the real world?"
"Yes."
He began to slowly walk around the large table.
"Then we need to unite this guild, we need to unite all the remaining players. It cannot be done any other way. We don't have the strength, the determination, the courage to face all of the enemies that face us. You know this to be true?"
She paused, suddenly more aware of her heart as it began to beat quicker. "Yes."
"My second in command has reported that your husband appears to be acting differently to this obvious truth."
"What do you mean?" Asuna snapped.
"He has been spotted working with dangerous rouge players, one of the KoB vanguard sent me this today." Roland opened his menu and slid a picture across the table to her as he continued to pace around the large wooden disc towards her.
Asuna looked at the picture, she saw Kirito leaving a dilapidated building with another player wearing a shroud of grey, tight clothing and a conical hat. The marker above their head was red. Her eye's were wide with shock and curiosity.
"There must be an explanation for this." She said.
"Perhaps, but I have word that he has also been involved with a splinter group who have been in hiding for over a year. Some elite players not wanting to do their part to help free us from this game."
Another picture came across the table. It was of Nobuo and Ichiro taken in some town, it appeared to be Collinia. "This was taken shortly before they made their way to floor 79."
"How..." She stuttered.
"Asuna, I question your belief in wanting to be free from this game." Roland said, now standing directly in front of her.
"Why? I want nothing more than to be free."
"Maybe, but I know you would rather not see Kirito die, or any others for that matter. Without a united front, more players will die."
"Then take the leadership, I don't care. I wont be terrorised for it." She said recoiling from him.
"Asuna, I would never do anything like that, you misunderstand." He said with a warm but ultimately chilling smile. "I cannot gain a completely united guild alone, even if you gave me the leadership there are those who don't trust me. We can't go on dreaming of freedom and you're connection to Kirito stops you from committing to the fight for freedom."
"Then what are you looking for?" She asked.
"As it appears that Kirito-kun is not acting within the Guilds interests, or in the interests of the players. What ever his reasons for working with these other people, they do not match our goals, yours and mine. So I propose this..."
"Marry me."
The sheer arrogance of him almost made her vomit, even though it was physically impossible to do so in the game. An attempted romantic union tangled in a political snare, it felt like a demand more than a question, .
"You cannot be serious." She exclaimed, it was almost laughable, but she didn't feel like laughing.
"I cannot lie Asuna, you are a beautiful woman and anyone would be honoured to marry you, but I offer much more than love and protection. I offer the chance to help save all the players from this game, with you by my side we could show everyone we are strong and ready to lead everyone to freedom."
Asuna literally couldn't speak, her heart was screaming the words 'No!' over and over again. Yet a part of her knew the possibility of saving everyone, all the players acting as a unified guild, they could win. The conflict was almost unbearable.
"We'll tell the others that the meeting is over for now, think about my offer. Just don't take too long, the world needs a leader sooner rather than later."
She felt herself nodding and then shaking her head, then felt her face burning, she turned and knocked a chair over on her way. She half turned to pick it back up, but decided against it and walked swiftly from it all. She couldn't look back at him, nor the room. It was cold.
It was a beautiful day, the sky was mostly clear but for a few clouds that floated gently over head. The wind was cool and refreshing and had a smell of mint and pine, and the sun was a warm and welcoming contrast. Kirito could see the lake from his little spot on the hill, and the vast forest of trees around them on the floor. He could see their cottage in the distance, and he felt at home. He looked down and laying on the ground next to him, her head resting on his outstretched leg, was Asuna. She was silently dozing. Nothing in the world made him feel more at peace than seeing her sleeping softly, and the fact that she tended to sleep on him was only a bonus in his eyes.
The world was as it should be.
He felt her stir and look up at him with a sleepy smile, her eye's shining like the sun reflecting off the lake. Those eyes that had once seemed so cold and distant when they first met were now full of love and he returned it with a look of his own. Despite her lying on his lap, he felt like he missed her. Her arm was wrapped tightly around his waist but still he felt the distance between them was like a great impassable ocean.
He heard faint laughter on the wind, light and full of joy. Running along through the field was a small child wearing a white frock, her long black hair flowed behind her as she came bounding over the field towards them both. Asuna was no longer next to him, instead she was running towards the child and they met with a great hug, laughing as they spun round.
Yui Chan...
The lightest cloak of grief folded over him as he started to become conscious of his surroundings. Asuna was holding Yui's hand and the pair were looking away down towards the lake. Then Yui turned to look over to Kirito, and with a wave he heard her call to him. She wanted him to see something. Something important. The sun lost it's warmth and the wind gained a sinister chill. She shouted something at him now, urgently and with fear.
There were other figures standing with them, all looking down the hill into a growing expanse of darkness, the sky began to burn the colour of blood and Kirito found himself trying to walk to the group to see what was wrong.
"Kirito." . A man's voice...
Floor 79 - Gräfrath - 14th December 2024
"Kirito?" Klein said, gently nudging Kirito on the shoulder waking him from his snooze.
"Klein, if you are going to make a habit of disturbing my dreams might I suggest you buy stronger armour." Kirito said followed by a long yawn.
"Hey at least I wasn't so close this time." He replied.
"True, you've got to be thankful of the little things."
Klein dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "I bought you a drink, though I don't think you will appreciate it."
"I do Klein, thank you. What about food?"
"It's coming."
They were sat in a small rectangular room with a high ceiling, the walls were grey and unadorned. Kirito was sat on a long bench against the wall behind an old but sturdy wooden table, there were several other chairs around them and a small leather sofa on the other side of the room that had seen better days. There was one open doorway on one side of the room that lead to the main tavern, and sluggish orange light came through it into their dim lit room. At the other end was a large oval window that went almost as high as the ceiling and gave a good view of the town and ruined city beyond. Kirito noticed the sleek figure of Raziel sitting on the window ledge, the moonlight coming from the window shone off his conical hat.
"Was it a good dream?" He asked suggestively grinning at him.
Kirito didn't credit it with an answer, the events of his dream still lingering on his mind like an eerie cloud. "Where are the others?"
"Getting food." Said Klein with a smile. "We were about to start talking plans when we noticed you had fallen asleep."
"The scruffy one said we shouldn't wake you, it's too dark to head out into the ruins now any way." Raziel added.
"For the last time my name is Klein, where did you find this guy Kirito?" Klein said.
"He's been hunting on the same trail as me and offered some information as a barter for a party."
"What sort of information?" Klein asked.
Ichiro and Nobuo came through the door holding some bottles and a couple of baskets of food, which they lay out on the table.
"Now that everyone is here, perhaps you'll find out." Raziel commented.
Ichiro took a seat on long bench next to Kirito, Nobuo took a chair at one end of the table next to Ichiro, Klein remained seated opposite Kirito. The food wasn't the best, but given the town was under siege the simulation of rationed food was accurate. Bread and cheap cooked meat, manly food. The group dug in.
Klein had met Kirito and Raziel at the floor's entrance, and Kirito had been surprised to see Nobuo and Ichiro with him, instead of his guild. The revelation that they would now be joining the front lines hadn't quite sunk in yet, and his feelings towards Nobuo were now: undecided. He felt an odd mixture of anger, friendship, hate, distrust and indifference. The tall stranger who had offered him help freely, was once close to Asuna in way that only he had ever been, and Nobuo had made her feel so guilty by hiding away after his apparent death. Yet here he was again, he had reasons for not wanting to leave the game which were now forsaken, and he was willing to fight for other people's freedom. Kirito watched him from the corner of his eye, undecided indeed.
The group finished their meal in silence and sat quietly for a moment before Raziel rose from his spot by the window and stood at the end of the table. He quickly let out his perception to make sure there were no hidden ears listening in.
"All quiet." He said.
"What information do you have then Raziel?" Kirito asked, point blank.
"Direct aren't you?" He said with a grin. "Very well, through my investigations I have discovered evidence of a connection between two guilds. The Divine Dragon Alliance and The Laughing Coffin."
"We already know the Laughing Coffin are supposedly linked to the DDA's disappearance though." Klein protested.
"Wrong kind of connection. I don't know when it started, but the Coffin had been dealing with the DDA. Weapons, items, and information in exchange for money and... ignorance. They get their valuable items, and they don't pay attention to the murders." Raziel countered.
"Say what?!" Klein exclaimed.
"Raziel, this must be false information. The DDA played a vital part in the Coffin's initial downfall, they launched the Crusade! I was there!" Kirito said.
"Both these statements are true Kirito-San, the DDA were the ones leading the Crusade and lost many in the fight against them. It is with regret that I found their acts of heroism were just a shroud hiding the real reasons for the battle."
Kirito shot a look towards Ichiro and Nobuo, both of whom sat as if they were made of stone, unmoved and unnerving.
"You knew?!" Kirito said.
"We were long in hiding before this happened, but we had heard rumours of shady deals taking place." Nobuo said.
"Shinji said he had witnessed one when he was captive, that was the first we had heard of it."
"Why didn't you inform some one?" Kirito said.
"The risks were high Kirito-kun, we were exiles with nothing but rumours and speculation to go on. What would telling someone have achieved? Especially if they don't trust us." Nobuo replied.
"How about saving people's lives?" Klein asked.
"May I interject with a counter argument?" Raziel interrupted "The DDA covered a lot of their tracks, any accusations made against them would've been near impossible to prove and even worse relations with their already estranged guild would've been the result."
"So how did you come to know the truth?" Nobuo asked.
"The meeting your friend says he witnessed..." Raziel paused, like a cat toying with it's prey, he seemed to be enjoying the reveal of this scandal. "Only one member of the DDA conducted the deals with the Coffin, a go between for the guilds. He's intelligent, hugely secretive and cunning to say the least, but for one very problematic flaw."
Raziel opened his inventory and produced a small, black leather book. It was worn at the edges but mostly in good condition, there was a thin strip of purple silk attached to the spine that acted as a book mark. He placed it on the table and slid it in front of Kirito.
"He made a habit of writing all of his dealings down." Raziel said.
Kirito opened the book and began trawling through the notes, dates and times, who was present, what was discussed and dealt. The information about the book still placed it under the ownership of the player and Kirito's finger scrolled to the name.
"StibKnight." He read.
"The name of the go between, and this book is the physical evidence of all their dealings." Raziel added.
Kirito shot another glance to Nobuo "Recognise the name?"
Ichiro slumped back against the bench and let out a long sigh, and Nobuo leaned forwards placing his elbows on the table.
"All too well." He said. "StibKnight was our squads commanding officer."
"The one who sent you to die?" Klein asked in a hushed whisper.
Ichiro grunted in agreement.
"How did you get this book little ninja?" Nobuo asked, looking at Raziel suspiciously.
"I'm not little, and the means of obtaining it will remain... private."
Kirito took a long swig from his drink and looked out the window into the moonlight. "So what were the reasons for the Crusade?" He asked, understanding that the answer may not be what he wanted.
"Ah the truth, it seems your commanding officer 'StibKnight' had a taste for the expensive side of life and had been skimming off the top of a few deals. The DDA weren't receiving full payment for their silence and the Coffin weren't being paid their share for the weapons and items."
"How did you find out about that?" Klein asked.
"During the Coffin's reign of terror I began probing the DDA for suspects in terms of shady deals as something didn't seem right, I found that StibKnight was very willing to sell various items of high value for a very good price. His means of trading were so secretive out of all the DDA members I dealt with that I began following his movements to find out where he was getting the gear. I managed to see one of his meetings and everything clicked into place. And so the DDA grew more and more nervous, as their professional relationship with the Coffin went under, and with blood on their hands they suddenly saw fit to wash it off. So instead of addressing their business deal they covered all their tracks and launched the Crusade with the assistance of the other players to wipe the Coffin out, along with all traces of their deals." Said Raziel.
"It seems they were sloppy if you've managed to pick up that note book." Kirito replied.
"Not so, considering I only got this book recently; you see they weren't counting on him disappearing at the time. Poof! Gone without a trace. Until nearly a year later..." He gestured to Kirito "If we could open our hymn books to page one hundred and four." Kirito flicked through the open book to the page Raziel had stated. He skimmed through the notes and saw the outlines of a new deal between the Coffin and the DDA, one that discussed new terms dated the 9th of December 2024.
"The Coffin wanted to ally themselves with the DDA again in exchange for the release of their members?" Kirito kept reading. "The Coffin have mapped areas of the 79thfloors main dungeon and it says they were offering it as an initial good will gesture, there's even a piece of the map with the notes..." Kirito said, unable to believe his eyes.
"Yes... and no." Raziel said, he paused again looking at the faces around the table and how they were all listening intently. "Oh you boys don't know what you're in for. The Army, the DDA? All played for fucking fools! Why would they need help getting members out when they were already out, XaXa's been spotted on more than one occasion and news of the Coffin's return has moved from whispered rumours to the front page of newspapers, but the DDA discarded it as hearsay. They were too busy in their new seat of power to pay attention to the rumours going around on the lower floors. This entry-" Raziel stabbed the page with his finger. "Was not about a deal, it's the outline of a scam."
"Who the hell in their right mind would set free Coffin members?" Ichiro asked.
"Especially the likes of XaXa." Kirito added.
"A very unsavoury player indeed, not really an army member any more but still with ties to them. You know him I believe..." Raziel smirked at Kirito as he took out a picture of a player and slid it to him.
Kirito's teeth ground together in his mouth, "Kibanou." Images flickered across his mind, the orange spikey haired rouge who had been at the boss battle on the first floor. The one who had called him out as a Beater, the one who had turned the Army into his own personal tax collection service.
"It was him who let out the players?" Kirito growled, crumpling the picture in his hands.
"Everyone has a price Kirito, I learnt what Kibanou's was when we met for a little...chat. He sold everyone out for a very poor price, but I wont go into details on that."
"So the Coffin had already gotten their members out and then what? Were just gonna screw the DDA out of their money?" Ichiro asked.
"No big man, that entry outlines StibKnight's final act of betrayal. The DDA have been lured out into a trap and murdered. And as Kirito and I have witnessed, what ever happened to the DDA, it is still happening." Raziel finished and returned to his perch on the window sill.
The room went deathly quiet as the weight of all that was discussed sunk in and everyone stared vacantly, digesting the information.
"We have to get out there, if there are survivors..." Klein said.
"I agree." Nobuo added.
"Raziel said it's too dark to head out into the ruins... Lets rest up and leave at first light." Kirito said, he then got up from the table.
He nodded at Klein and shot glances at the others before heading out of the meeting and to his room, he had heard enough talk of betrayal for one evening.
It was late, the night sky clear from all clouds with a solid pearl moon sat looking down on the gloomy city. Kirito sat at his large window gazing out at the stars with his thoughts floating pointlessly around in his mind.
It's all so messed up...
The DDA, for all their personality issues, had been a strong guild and had played a vital role in beating the game. Now their legacy was to be remembered as traitors, and the remaining players would be lucky to organise themselves to regroup and defeat the game now. There was a sound from outside his door, then a gentle knock. Kirito got up, walked over and opened it a crack to see a pair of green and blue eyes staring back.
"I thought we should talk." Nobuo said.
"Can't it wait till morning?" Kirito asked in a mono tonal drone.
"I think it's best we speak in private."
Kirito sighed, let the door open and walked back to his place by the window, Nobuo closed it behind himself and took another seat opposite him.
"I guess the first thing I should start with is an apology." Nobuo said.
"For what?"
"For leaving so swiftly after assisting with Asuna."
"That was probably the least of your grievances."
"I wasn't gonna break into a big discussion about my relationship with her whilst she lay unconscious in front of us, it was something that needs to be explained at the right time, although it seems she has already informed you."
"What about letting her think you were dead for nearly two years? Is there an apology for that?" Kirito asked, unsure why he suddenly felt this burst of anger.
"Yes but not for you... Kirito-kun I came here to tell you something important: My coming to the front line was a choice that I had long been contemplating, and it is only recently that I found the final push to do it."
"Why are you telling me this?" Kirito shrugged.
"I don't know, just felt like it was right. My time alone has been necessary, but I have strength and knowledge to offer the players who wish to be free."
"Strength and knowledge that could've been put to work a long time ago. I still don't understand why you're telling me though."
"Because, even though our meetings have been brief, I felt that you were an honourable person. Strong and honest, I liked that. Fighting through the dungeon on floor 75 was like fighting by Ichiro and Shinji, like my brothers, and I saw you as a friend. And in a world where I can count those on only one hand, that meant something."
"I admit that you not telling me about Asuna was difficult to understand, maybe not even my business really. But I don't know how I can trust you, after you kept yourself hidden for so long." Kirito replied with earnest.
"Fair, but we all hide from the past sometimes. The longer we hide the more we are convinced of the need to. But it catches up on us, I have faced my mistake head on, and I am far from repairing the damage I have caused. The only thing I can do now is give everything to make it right, for Asuna and all the players trapped here. Be it life in a prison or death in a fantasy."
Kirito looked at him, unsure what he meant and even more unsure how to reply.
"Well, I can see that you are still unsure about the events of the past, I understand. I just wanted to try and smooth it out with you. I'm not here to re-open old books or rekindle old fires, you and Asuna have a love that me and her never had." Nobuo's gaze went out the window as he stared at the stars. Kirito wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the faintest trail of a tear on his cheek. "I'm just happy that someone made it better, did it better than me." Nobuo said.
"Nobuo?" Kirito asked.
"I fucked it up Kirito, more than this I knew it in my heart from the moment it happened, and I just didn't want you to hate me for my mistakes... I do enough of that already." Nobuo's head sunk down into his hands.
Kirito was taken back by the words, if there was anyone who understood the self loathing that came from horrible failures: it was him. Sachi's death always weighed on his mind even after all this time, and he remembered his overwhelming urge to throw his life away in a final and undoubtedly lost cause so that he could end the guilt.
"I don't hate you." Kirito said softly with a smile. "I know exactly how you feel."
Nobuo looked up at him, a smile of gratitude on his face. "You do?"
"Let me tell you a story; about a guild called The Moonlit Black Cats..."
The group were up before sunrise, the stars fading in the sky as it turned from black to a tinge of orange and grey. They walked quietly down the streets towards the gates through a frost covered and gloomy town, their breath misty on the air. It was the first time Klein had really looked around the town and his mouth hung open slightly at the gutted buildings and burnt craters.
"This is nothing Klein, the ruins beyond the town are far more impressive." Kirito said in passing.
"Impressive? I was thinking more along the lines of horrifying." Klein replied.
"The scruffy samurai is afraid of buildings?" Raziel asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
Klein grumbled under his breath as they continued south, past the floors main entrance and teleport square. It wasn't long before they reached the main encampment for the other players. Things were quiet, as they had hoped. They slipped through the square unseen and moved for the gate, Klein was just about to breathe a sigh of relief until he saw a squad up at the gate, a squad wearing white and red armour.
"Looks like they're trying to fortify the gate." He said.
"What ever they're doing we may have a tough talk on our hands here, lets try to keep it civil." Kirito said.
"We're all about being civil, right Nobuo?" Ichiro said nudging his brother.
Nobuo just smiled from under his horned helm.
The group marched up to the gate and they saw Sagarni ordering her KoB squad around like a grand commander as they were putting a huge iron drop bar into place across the gate, one of the other players pointed towards them and her head snapped round, her scowl focusing on Kirito.
"What are you doing here? Didn't I say only full parties over level 80 could leave the city?" She spat.
"Well we're only one down." Kirito said.
"I count four of you, or are you blind as well as stupid." She said.
Kirito did a double take of their group, Raziel had vanished much to everyones surprise. Nobuo looked at him, shrugged and gestured that they should just carry on.
"I guess we are only four, but our levels are all above 80 we are more than strong enough to handle the mobs." Kirito said.
Sagarni pondered a moment before shaking her head firmly.
"No, I'm sorry the KoB's rules are final, only full party's may leave the..." She trailed off as Ichiro walked past her defiantly, the other KoB members weren't sure whether to even try and stop him.
Ichiro grabbed the large iron bar that rested in hooks across the gate.
"Hey what are you doing, it took five of us to lift-" One of the players tried to object, but Ichiro lifted the iron bar out with a grunt of effort and dropped it with a resounding clang at Sagarni's feet before flinging open the gates and walking out.
"I guess the KoB's rules don't apply to the Children of Aincrad..." Kirito said as he watched Ichiro march out into the wasteland.
"He loves making a scene. Shall we go?" Nobuo said.
Kirito nodded and they all followed Ichiro out of the gate past the gob smacked KoB players.
"Wait, Kirito! I order you to halt! The guild commanders will hear about this Kirito!" Shouted Sagarni.
"Send them my best regards!" Kirito called back.
He heard her let out a growl of frustration before ordering the gates closed and there was another resounding bang as they were shut out. Klein chuckled for a moment but was then struck by the view around them, like a bomb had just gone off that left nothing but charred remains and rubble as far as the eye could see. Ichiro had climbed onto a large piece of broken white stone and was gazing around at the ruins.
"This is like nothing I've ever seen before." Said Klein.
"It's really something isn't it." Said Raziel, who had somehow materialised next to Klein.
"AHG! Holy fucking shit, you crazy ninja how did you do that!" Klein shouted almost falling on his back side.
"The means of my following you out will remain private, but suffice to say that I would rather remain unseen by... official guild types, if you know what I mean." Raziel replied.
"Perhaps letting us know this before hand would be nice, you made Kirito look like a right fool talking to that KoB chick." Said Klein.
"Raziel-san, where are we heading? This place is so chaotic I don't know where to begin." Kirito asked, ignoring Klein's remark.
"The book tells all Kirito-kun," Raziel began walking a pointed off towards the west. "The meeting place is marked to the west under the remains of a grand cathedral-"
"Where the land's mouth spews forth the evil of this floor..." Kirito said reading from the book's entry.
"Indeed." Raziel replied and he continued walking.
Ichiro jumped down from the rock and fell in with Klein. Nobuo nodded to Kirito as he followed.
"Sounds like a magical place." He said.
The group marched on through the gloom into the western ruins, keeping to the clearest paths as best they could. The city up close was horrifying indeed, the splintered beams protruding from crumbling walls made the broken empty shells appear as rotting corpses in the mist. The further they went, the more signs of siege warfare they found; huge abandoned catapults, broken battering rams and ladders lay amongst the ruins. The smell of smoke and damp hung in the air and Kirito felt an unease settle over him like the mist on the city. There were no mobs. Further they went on Raziel's lead and still nothing came out of the shadows.
The sky's twilight tinge shone out over the city as the day went on and the mist lifted slightly leaving only a cold chill behind. Everyone seemed on edge. A loose brick fell from a nearby building and all of them leapt back drawing their weapons charging combos towards the inanimate object before sighing with annoyance.
"This is crazy, why haven't we run into any mobs yet?" Nobuo said.
"So much for Sagarni's warning, but something doesn't feel quite right about it." Kirito said.
"We should keep going." Said Raziel.
The group pressed on at Raziel's urgency and they came out onto a large open square and found themselves overlooking even more of the ruins from a high cliff. From the vantage point they could see the broken remains of a monumental cathedral and what appeared to be a massive fissure in the ground. There were many walls that separated the city into sections like wedges of pie. Kirito spotted a route down some precarious stairs and the group made their way down it and onto one of the walls. They followed it along, looking down into more ruined houses. They took a break for a moment under the shadow of a guard turret.
"This part of the city must have been a slum, look how cramped all these houses are." Ichiro said.
"I suggest we try and stay high up, if something goes bad, running through those streets looks like a good way to get completely lost." Nobuo said.
"Agreed." Said Kirito, the wind blew gently across the landscape and caused an eerie moan as it passed through the withered spire of the guard tower above.
"Still no mobs." Klein said, his hand had not left the hilt of his katana for all the hours they had been travelling.
"We're close." Whispered Raziel.
"Can you hear something?" Kirito asked the group.
"Yeah, it's the sound of the wind creeping the hell out of me." Said Klein.
"No, I can hear voices." Kirito said looking over towards the cathedral.
Raziel leapt to his side looking out to try and hear it.
"I don't hear anything." He said.
"I'm telling you guys it's just the creepy wind." Said Klein, just as soon as he finished speaking, a scream echoed from the direction of the cathedral.
"That's no wind." Said Nobuo.
"Kirito with me, Nobuo, Ichiro and Scruffy flank to our left and come up from the south side of the Cathedral." Ordered Raziel.
"It's Klein, KLEIN!"
"But that means going into the streets." Ichiro said.
"No time for finding another route if you wanna save lives." Said Raziel with a grin.
"What's the plan once we're in position?" Nobuo asked.
"Wait for the signal." Said Raziel before skipping off along the wall with Kirito behind him.
The group split up and Kirito ran swiftly and silently behind Raziel, they found a stair case down from the wall and headed along a deserted street leading towards a large oval area in front of the cathedral. They came to the opening and Raziel grabbed Kirito and dropped them together behind a fallen chunk of rubble. Beyond them was a massive broken square where a gigantic fissure had split the earth. It had a slope that lead down into darkness, an entrance to the floors main dungeon. Standing at this entrance were six players clad in black poncho's, there was one wearing a skull mask and Kirito tensed up at the thought of fighting XaXa again. There was a seventh player, he stood out from the rest, he wore heavy steel armour and Kirito could've sworn it looked exactly like the kind the DDA wore. Except it was as black as night and a full helm that covered his face with a ghostly effigy of a laughing demon, on the players back rested an incredibly vicious looking scythe.
"It's the man himself." Raziel said.
"StibKnight?" Kirito said.
They noticed something move on the floor by StibKnight.
"She still tries to move, haven't you given up on hope yet?" Shouted the black knight at the writhing figure on the floor.
Kirito noticed two other prisoners lying near the players, their green markers still hung in the air showing they were still alive.
"Three hostages." Kirito said.
"And the element of surprise." Said Raziel. "Kirito-san, I must advise you. It is not my mission to bring these men to justice the same way you do."
Kirito looked at the ninja, his pin prick eyes staring harshly back from under his conical hat.
"What kind of advice is that?" Kirito asked.
"Just stay out of my way." He said.
"Fine, but we need to make sure the prisoners are safe first." Kirito replied.
"We need to move quickly, I say we charge in, I'll go for StibKnight and you take the prisoners. The others will see us and bring up the rear."
"We'll never get there without being seen." Kirito said opening his inventory, he took out the smoke vials Shinji had given him when they met on floor 13. "These might give us cover for getting out the prisoners."
"What are they?" Raziel asked.
"Smoke bombs, I'll throw them out and snatch the prisoners away, then we can fight them head on without worrying about losing the last surviving DDA members." Kirito said.
"The longer we prat about the less time we have, lets just attack."
"If we charge in we risk them all being killed before we even engage them. StibKnight's right on top of them, one swing from that huge fucking scythe and any way of tracking down PoH and the Coffin HQ could be lost."
"It's too much time wasting, they could teleport out whilst we sort out the prisoners." Raziel growled. "I won't lose my chance to get this bastard!" Raziel snapped and he leapt over their cover into the square.
"Raziel!" Kirito called instinctively.
Raziel made straight for StibKnight, drawing his ninja-to blade and sprinting across the open courtyard like a spectre of death. Kirito desperately hurled the smoke bombs over his head just as StibKnight saw him charging towards his group and suddenly they were completely engulfed in smoke.
"Watashi wa shi no kagedesu!" Screamed Raziel as he attacked.
Kirito drew his swords and raced towards the green markers of the DDA members, the sound of confusion and clashing steel surrounded him as he ran into the cloud trying to reach them. He bumped into a stumbling black poncho who screamed at him and lunged with his dagger launching himself onto one of Kirito's black Elucidator's, the dying player realised his mistake with a look of horror before bursting into pixels.
"Take the prisoners!" Shouted the muffled voice StibKnight under his full helm.
Kirito saw two more poncho's appear through the smoke heading for the DDA members, one snatched up a limp body only to be cut down by the lightning fast strike from an almost invisible ninja-to blade. Kirito made a run for one of the prisoner's when he came face to face with a pair of red eyes.
"You!" Hissed the voice of XaXa, and he slashed at Kirito who leapt out the way.
XaXa saw a male prisoner on the floor and stabbed his rapier through their back, ending them in a flash of broken light. Kirito let out a mind bending war cry, two swords in hand and full of the energy fuelled by vengeance.
This time, I will end you!
The pair battled in the swirling smoke, XaXa reeling from the full power of the duel wielder and struggling to stay alive. Every time he tried to attack he had to flounder away from a deadly counter from Kirito. The duel wielder threw out his blinding assault of combo's carving blew streams of light through the haze. XaXa took a glancing blow across the shoulder a fell back, he stumbled back through the smoke over the limp figure of another prisoner. Realising this he quickly held his blade over them ready to stab, and glared at Kirito with menace. Kirito faltered in his assault unsure how to proceed.
"Infinity!"
A great flash of blue light went up through the smoke with a rush of wind that cleared the air as Nobuo pulsed through a coffin member in a wave of shattered pixels. Everything was chaos, Raziel was locked in an epic fight with StibKnight and only two other coffin members were still standing as Ichiro and Klein charged in, shouting all the way.
"Enough!" Shouted StibKnight.
He disengaged from Raziel, and re-grouped with XaXa who had the last two prisoners under his arms. Raziel was in a furious rage, leaping forward he tore into one of the coffin members and slashed his blade across their throat before launching another brutal stabbing attack that punched through the last coffin members face. They burst into pixels as he charged towards StibKnight.
The dark knight laughed at him as he opened a corridor, the air shimmered around him and XaXa passed through, StibKnight placed his scythe onto his back and followed.
"No!" Raziel shouted in rage and he bound through the shimmering corridor just before it faded.
"Raziel!" Shouted Kirito, but he was gone and nothing could be heard but his voice echoing off the empty ruins around them and gentle breeze moaning through the streets.
The group looked around them, Ichiro and Klein were puzzled by the results as they had only just reached the area and everything had already ended. Nobuo was standing over near the entrance to the fissure where he had landed from his infinity skill.
Kirito stood with his head bowed in shame.
All of this effort, all this time. Wasted.
"What happened to Raziel?" Klein asked as he approached Kirito.
"He ran through the portal after them."
"We lost them?" Ichiro asked grimly, and Kirito gave an equally grim nod.
Nobuo stood shocked still looking into the fissure and Ichiro joined him, Klein looked at Kirito and sighed feeling his friends anguish at the result of their fight. He then went over to the others to give him a moment of peace. Kirito looked over to them and felt his heart quicken. The sky a was a grey and crimson smear of twilight that offered no warmth, the wind blew sinister and chilling and the group were stood looking out into an ever growing expanse of darkness. Just as he had dreamt. He felt himself being drawn to them, curious to see what lay beyond the hill. Curious and terrified.
"Kirito-san!" Klein called.
Kirito ran over to them and his breath caught in his throat. He stood at the beginning of a huge slope down into a dark and foreboding cave at the bottom of the fissure. The entrance was a massive expanse of at least a hundred meters wide. The sheer size and depth of the wound in the earth was the least of their shock though. Nobuo stepped forwards a few feet and gathered up a helm from the floor, stamped on the forehead was the mark of the laughing coffin, tagged like graffiti on a wall.
Littered all across the entrance, strategically placed and assembled were hundreds of pieces of weapons, shields and armour of the Divine Dragon Alliance. Banners hung torn and broken, swords stabbed into the ground with helms atop them like grave stones. Every manner of spine chilling shrine to death had been created from their equipment, violated and marked by the coffin. Kirito couldn't believe his eyes. A warning? A threat? All of it was like the remnants of a ghostly battlefield that left only empty armour but no corpses.
Nobuo dropped the helm and stepped back like he was going to feint. Then he turned and walked back to the group, his eyes hidden under his own helm, his face a harsh mask of anger.
"Where do we go from here?" He said.
Kirito couldn't even conceive an answer to the question, when on the distance they heard something.
"What's that?" Ichiro asked.
"It's the towns bell." Kirito said.
"Why is it ringing? And how can we hear it all the way out here?" Klein asked.
Kirito was about to answer when they began to hear the distinct sound of monsters spawning from the fissure and all around them. Soon the darkness was a heaving mass of glowing red eyes...