A/N: Hey Guys, are you ready for more Sword Art Online? Just make sure that the lights are on in the room, and you don't sit too close to the TV/Monitor!

In this chapter, we get to see Akira reunite with his friends on the 34th Floor. The beautiful beach floor that everyone absolutely loved, except for him that is. He wanted to fight monsters instead, because what man wouldn't want to waste his time killing monsters rather than staring at the beach babes? Not me, mhmm...nope not at all.

We get to see more of Alicia Rue and Sakuya in this chapter, who happen to be really close with Akira. I mean, if Kirito doesn't want them in his Scorned Women's Club, might as well give them to Akira amirite? No...okay...

Anyway, I'm glad all of you are liking this story so far, and I say this lightly since only a few of you have reviewed, one being the same person multiple times, which I appreciate...this one goes out to you G King, stay frosty.

So without further adoo, here's Chapter Ten for ya. Remember, if you get hungry Snap into a Slim Jim...

Sword Art Online

The Violet Assassin

Chapter 10

The Birth of the Phoenix

"So this guy Hayato is threatening you and forcing you to take your items?" Sakuya asked, taking a dainty sip of her tea. Akira felt rather embarrassed, but he gave the woman a nod.

"He says he will make my life a living hell if I tell anyone IRL. He also said he would track down my IP address and find out where I live. I didn't tell anyone until now because I was scared, but now I'm more pissed off than anything." he replied.

"Hmm, why is that Akira-kun? What makes now so different?" Alicia asked, giving him a catty grin. Her pet dragon, Alduin was sitting on her shoulder, munching on some peanuts she was giving him. He was at least glad she took his advice, even if she didn't get the reference.

"He wanted me to hand over a weapon that means a lot to me. I got it from a friend." he said, leaning into his seat. Rain's eyes widened a bit and she flushed, earning a sigh from Sapphira.

"There isn't much I can do, especially since he's a Salamander...but I will help you defeat him. The only way we can do this is settling it with a sword." Sakuya replied.

"If only, he works for Ymir so he has admin privileges. For all I know, he'll bright Excalibur to this fight and wreck my shit." he said, shivering at the throught.

"The Violet Assassin killed by his own sword, that would be painfully ironic." Sapphira said, giggling a bit.

"The Excalibur in ALO is nothing like the SAO version of it. Do you know how hard it was getting my hands on that? I had to do Sword Art Online's Grand Quest on the 73rd Floor." he said.

"Story Time?" Rain asked, clasping her hands together.

"Sadly no, that's a story for another time. Besides you don't even know why he hates me so fucking much. You already know this story Sakuya so you don't have to listen to it." he said.

"I don't mind hearing it again, it's fun to learn about my favorite Imp's adventures in Aincrad." the black haired woman said.

"Whoa wait a minute, I thought you didn't share this story with anyone else. How the hell did Sakuya talk you into speaking?" Sapphira cried out.

"Like I said, she reminds me of Alisha. It wasn't hard for me to just open up to her...besides no one understands me, no one except other players or SAO survivors." he replied.

"That's not it at all...Sakuya probably seduced him with those things like she does with other guys." Alicia cried, pointing to the older woman's breasts. She giggled, hiding her face behind her fan.

"No I am not denying nor confirming this."

"Whatever, I guess it's time for the obligatory beach chapter!" Akira said happily.

"Ugh...I don't want to relive this day." Sapphira muttered dryly.

Xxx

(July 31st 2023 2:09 PM. Location: Honolucia Beach 34th Floor)

The day the 34th floor was unlocked, everyone rejoiced. No one was expecting to receive a beautiful beach themed floor, but when everyone saw it, almost no one wanted to leave. Half of the 34th floor was a safe area. Honolucia Town was flooded with tourists and clearer players alike.

The town was almost like a Hawaiian city, with wooden boardwalks over the bright blue water, wooden buildings with bright colors and tropical plants everywhere. The biggest area of interest was the big boardwalk, as it had a strip of popular stores on it. The item shops and clothing stores run by NPCs were found here, as well as one of the popular NPC run restaurants, that served mostly seafood dishes. There was also an Ice Cream shop that was always flooded with people.

The beach had soft golden sand, and several tall palm trees growing out of it. Bundles of grass grew here and there, and small red crabs could be seen walking about. The waves lapped at the shore, a bit of foam being left behind. Some kelp was also brought with the waves, but people seemed to ignore it. The entire beach was filled with players, all in their swim suits. The guys were either playing catch with their friends or swimming, the third obvious thing that they did was watch the girls sunbathe, as some got a little daring and took off their tops to tan their backs. Other girls were playing in the water with their friends, splashing each other senseless. And with it being the middle of summer, it seemed as if no one had a care in the world.

Except for those who actually found it more interesting to battle monsters than to spend time at the beach. Akira fit this description. Ever since the floor was unlocked, almost no one wanted to work on clearing it. He understood that people needed to relax, but there was a thing as too much relaxation. It was even worse that the front lines hadn't found the labyrinth's location whatsoever. That only drove people into settling in, and if they did, then they'd never clear the floor. He was currently in the Beach cave, a sub-dungeon of the 34th floor that was located on the west side of the main settlement. Within it were several sea themed monsters.

The one he had just dispatched had been called the Sea Bearing Crab. A red and lime green creature that rivaled the spider he had faced with Silica on the Fifth Floor. Its pincers were sharp, and he had been lucky to escape being cut in half, defeating those hadn't been fun.

The second type of monster he'd found was one called Fish Bones and just as the name entailed, he had to face white fish bones. The thing was, they were tanky as hell. Every sword skill he threw out had been either tanked or deflected with its tail. He had resorted to using Blunt attacks to take them down. He had been avoiding those from there on out.

The rest of the monsters were classified as either easy or moderately hard. Since all of the monsters were around level 45, they dished out some good experience, and him being level 62 made it easy to clear the area. Sadly, he hadn't found any information on the Boss Room at all, the labyrinth still eluded them even after three weeks of being there. The Front Lines streak of clearing a floor within a week had been broken by this one, and the fact that everyone was enjoying the beach made him worry a bit.

He defeated the last King Crab, watching as its pixels disappeared, the salty air hitting his nose and ruffling his cloak. The area around the cave was a bit damp, but the large mouth hole at the end of the cave gave it the sufficient light to walk around in. The sound of the waves hitting the sharp rocks below filling his ears. He turned around, sheathing his dagger and heading for the exit. He felt that ever since Kirito left the front lines, he'd been level grinding too much. No one knew why, but around a month prior, when the Front lines had been at the 30th floor, the teen just never showed up for the boss battle.

He'd been avoiding all of them since, showing up sometimes in town for quests, but then he'd be gone for a while. He was always in areas where he couldn't be tracked, and with Asuna being the Vice Commander of the newly formed Knights of the Blood Oath, no one had time to actually find him and ask him what was wrong. Even Klein couldn't get him to talk, but he figured it had to do with the guild he had joined.

Finally making it out of the cave, he was greet with the bright rays of the sun. He used his arm to block the light for a bit as his eyes got used to it. The soft crunch of the sand under his boots filled his ears. He stopped walking after awhile, just watching the waves. They reminded him of home. Venice Beach had been near his home, so he had always found the time to go, even with his sister being gone, or his parents being busy. There were times when his Mother would go with him, but most of the time he'd go alone.

After his accident however, he tried staying away from the beach entirely. His so called friends had ditched him, his girlfriend had left him, so it took away his love of the sea. He'd remained a recluse since then, skipping school for weeks on end and just sleeping the day away. Of course, his dad had hired tutors for him, but even then he wouldn't wake up until late. Eventually they moved to Japan for his father's business and he decided to stay there permanently. Being in Sword Art Online, it opened his eyes to beauty of the world. Even if this was a game, he could enjoy himself...but now that one of the major hitters was gone from the front lines, he had to at least step up to the plate and fill his spot. He had promised himself, that no matter how much he loved the game world, he'd fight to free his friends.

A message alert brought him out of his musings, he sighed and opened it, seeing it was from Sapphira. He quickly glanced at it, grimacing a bit from what was written.

"Hey Akira, its been a few days since we've spoken. I've noticed that you've been avoiding the beach this entire time. Rumor has it that your not even staying in Honolucia, you're actually going back to Panereze. Now, here's the purpose of this message, I want you to come with me and Aries and relax on the beach with our friends. You have no option and if you deny it, I will find you. Just be lucky the Ethics Code is on, or else I would literally cut your balls off. And trust me, its not so hard to manipulate a persons Menu when their asleep. So, you have Fifteen minutes after this message to meet us at the beach, and if you don't...well..I'm sure you remember Aries's particular weapon of choice."

"This woman is trying to kill me." he muttered to himself.

Since opening the 26th floor, they had all been hanging out more, and level grinding on their off time. Morrison was actually coming around, and his previous comments about Sapphira being a beater ceased. Sure, sometimes there were the teasing ones, but those were among friends. Nick had been busy doing his own thing, mostly leveling up his Two Handed Sword skills. Sasha was the only one who didn't stick around much, sure she did party with them for quests and the more difficult missions on certain floors, including the Super Boss on the 29th floor, but she usually steered clear of friendly gatherings. He wondered why, but he wasn't one to pry.

Deciding that it was better off to go along with Sapphira rather than run and have her attack him, Akira set his course toward Honolucia Beach. That however didn't stop him from thinking of ways he could avoid it.

"Maybe I can find a good hiding place in the Teens, a cave where I can't get hurt and I'm out of the search radius. There was that nice one on the 14th floor...nah, she'd still find a way to find me." he muttered to himself. He waved to a few people who greeted him, at least it was better to be known as a strong individual rather than a murderer.

It didn't take him long to find Sapphira. In fact, it was rather easy to find her. She had her long green hair down instead of in its usual twin tails. She was wearing a two piece bikini, which was a lime green color. It had little frills around the breast area, and a few flowers on it. The bottom was tied on, the laces being done in perfect bows. Of course since it was the menu that allowed you to equip it, you'd get perfect bows all the time. She shook her head, giving him a once over.

"Seriously? You're geared up?" she asked.

"Yeah, I wouldn't I be?" he asked.

"I asked you to come here to relax, why are you still geared up?" she asked sternly.

"I just came back from clearing a dungeon. Obviously I'd still have my gear on. The hell's the point in relaxing here? If we get used to it, no ones gonna want to leave when the floor is cleared." he said.

"Well, we haven't found the labyrinth yet. So why not just take some time off?" she asked.

"We've taken three weeks. Can we start taking this seriously and get with the program?" he asked.

"Listen, I don't know what the issue is, but you know damn well that you have to relax in this game or else your stress levels will make you pass out. It happened to Asuna back on the 28th floor, remember?" she asked firmly. He sighed.

"Fine, I'll relax. But after today, I'm going back to clearing this floor." he said firmly. He opened his menu and went to his mannequin. He pulled off all of his armor, and put on some purple and black swim trunks he had bought the first day Honolucia was unlocked. He closed his menu, crossing his arms.

"There's the spirit. Lets go meet up with Aries, she said she was going to buy a ball or something. Oh, and Sasha is coming along too." she said, leading him down to a more secluded area of the beach.

"You guys were able to get Sasha to come along? That's a miracle. She won't show up for anything unless the words Monster or Quest are mentioned."

"Oh, she decided to show up because we gave her some motivation." she said, a smirk on her face. Akira cringed. He was kind of scared to know what kind of motivation she spoke of.

The area that Sapphira had chosen was where most of the assault team members gathered. Some of them could be seen relaxing, while others were in groups, talking about the perfect areas to level up on the 34th floor. Some even discussed theories on where the Labyrinth could be. Sapphira stopped by some beach chairs, where a pink bag was placed. She grabbed it and started digging through it, muttering things to herself. She finally found what she wanted, a smile on her face.

"Great, Akira rub some sunscreen on me." she said, tossing him the green bulb shaped bottle. He stared at it oddly.

"There's sunscreen in this game? What the fuck for? It's not like our avatars will get sunburn." he said firmly.

"Goddamn it, just do it will you?" she shouted, earning several looks from the nearby players.

Rather than argue, Akira just uncorked the bottle, pouring the weird looking yellow liquid into his hands. He set the bottle down on the chair and started rubbing the lotion on Sapphira's skin. Surely she would be seeing the Harassment messages from him doing that, but she didn't seem to care.

"Watch your hands buddy. Any closer and I'll maim you. I don't mind going orange for a few hours." she snapped, making him lower his hands a bit. The quicker he did this, the better.

"So...any idea where the labyrinth could be?" he asked, trying to make conversation. The green haired girl shrugged, holding her hair tightly as to not let it get smeared with lotion.

"It could be anywhere. The fact that none of us have found it was what bothers me. Unless we hit a spot where we can't move on until the next version gets patched. I don't know if they can do that with us logged in." she said.

"They can do the same thing they did on the first day, put us in a sort of comatose state to patch it with the new data. But I doubt that'd be a thing, I feel like Kayaba planned for the long run of this. So he has to have all 100 floors ready to be cleared." he said, finishing the area in the middle of her back, he moved down to her legs, looking at the sand instead of at her.

"Right right...I just want to understand why he did this. What was his need, his purpose?"

"Guess that's a question we can ask him once we clear the Ruby Palace." he said with a smirk.

"Hey guys, sorry I took so long."

Akira looked up, seeing Aries run to them, several pool toys in her hands. She had bought a blue life saver with white clouds printed on it. She also had a few pool noodles and a rainbow colored beach ball. She set them on the sand, allowing him to see her white colored bikini. While Sapphira's had been a bit simple, Aries had quite a lot of detail on it. Hers had frills around the sides of it, and it tied in a bow in the front. The bottom was a simple one piece, with a frilly hem. She also had white heeled sandals on, which wrapped around her ankles.

"Hey Aries...you look so cute in that swim suit. I told you it went well with your skin color." Sapphira said excitedly, batting away Akira's hands, which were still covered in sunscreen. Aries giggled a bit, brushing a bit of pink hair out of her eyes.

"Yeah, I thought so too, and it was cheap, only 40,000 Col."

"Jesus Christ up in Heaven. You spent 40,000 col on that swimsuit?" Akira shouted, clearly taken aback. The girl eeped, hiding behind Sapphira, almost as if she had been caught taking a cookie from the cookie jar.

"I-I-did..but."

"My god, I cannot understand why women just like blowing money on clothes. 40,000 Col could have bought you a decent weapon, some decent armor, hell it could have bought you a small house on the 22nd floor. But here you are spending it on a swimsuit." he said firmly.

"Back off Akira. Just because you want to clear the game doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves. What happened to getting out and smelling the roses?" she asked.

"I haven't seen a single rose in this entire game." he said, crossing his arms.

"I don't think she meant it the literal way." a new voice said.

Akira looked at the new arrival, eyes bulging from his skull a bit. It was Sasha, who had arrived a little late to the meeting. She was carrying an orange tote bag, filled with what he assumed was her beach things. She was wearing a bright orange bikini top, with a Phoenix print over her right breast. She wore a black bikini bottom, which brought out her skin color perfectly. Her long orange hair was still done in its usual ponytail, though she had it to the side this time, and it ended right below the waist. To him she looked absolutely stunning. She must have noticed because she adopted a playful smirk. She stopped in front of him, tracing her finger over his jaw line.

"You know its rude to stare." she said.

"Alright, enough messing with him Sasha. Just set your stuff there and lets hit the water." Sapphira said, grabbing Akira's arm and pulling him along.

"I'll be right there, I gotta take my sandals off." Aries said, earning a nod from the green haired girl. Sasha giggled once she was out of ear shot.

"I think she's jealous." she said.

"Jealous?" Aries asked, clearly confused. Sasha looked at the sky, deep in thought.

"How do I put it, um...it's when a girl or a guy like another person, but there's this other person, sometimes cooler or prettier than them attracting the attention of the person they like." she said.

"Oh...Geloso...sorry. Sometimes, Japanese words confuse me." she admitted.

"It's alright sweetheart. I'll try not to confuse you...but...it's a little interesting to know Sapphira has a romantic interest for Akira. I mean, I would expect her to, since she was with him since day one. But I didn't think she'd get possessive of him." she said.

"He is rather nice. He seems uninterested most of the time though, but he won't hesitate to help you if you need it." Aries said, a little blush on her face.

"Hmm, maybe I'll get to know him better." Sasha replied, moving toward the surf, lost in her own thoughts.

"What the hell was that?" Sapphira said, turning back to Akira who still had a bit of a dazed look on his face.

"What was what?"

"Jeez, you saw Sasha and froze up like a total idiot. Do you like her or something?" she asked, fuming a bit.

"I dunno...I don't think I can focus on someone when I'm trying to clear floors." he said with a shrug.

"Yeah, but if you ogled her a little more, I'm sure your eyes would have jumped out of your skull." she deadpanned.

"So? You said relax right? I might as well enjoy the view." he said, glancing at a few girls who were walking by. They giggled and gave him a wave as they passed by, making him smile a bit.

"Ugh...men, their unbelievable." Sapphira said with a huff.

"I disagree Mademoiselle Sapphira, I believe men are quite reliable yes?"

"Morrison, what are you doing here?" Akira asked, glancing at his friend who had randomly appeared beside them. He was wearing a black swim trunks. He had a towel wrapped around his neck.

"Nick found all of you on the map so we figured it was time for a little break. We've been on the 33rd floor grinding for a while, hoping to be strong enough for the boss, but we came back and no one has found the room." he said, a bit dejected.

"I've walked through every dungeon on this floor, but found nothing. You...haven't seen Kirito have you? I haven't heard from him in a while, he doesn't even reply to my messages." he said, earning a head shake from the teen.

"Sorry, I haven't seen him. Perhaps Nick has...ah, here he comes." he said, glancing at the brown haired teen. Akira groaned, seeing what he was wearing a bright blue Speedo, and earning several laughs from the people he passed. The teen seemed to take it all in stride. He stopped before his friends, snapping his towel at Morrison's ass, making him shy back a bit.

"Sup fellas. Damn Sapphira, you're looking fine."

"Ugh...even worse. I'm gonna go in the water." she said, hastily walking off. Aries and Sasha met up with them, watching the green haired girl literally dive into the surf.

"What's her deal?" Nick asked.

"I don't know. She got all jealous because Akira was ogling Sasha." Aries said with a shit eating grin, earning a blush from said teen.

"I was not ogling. I was...admiring...yeah." he said, quite unsure of himself.

"Well whatever, lets just enjoy the day. We don't have to worry about anything, at least for a bit." the javelin user said, walking off toward the water.

"Come on guys, lets have some fun." Aries said, pulling Akira and Morrison with her. Nick rolled his eyes and followed along.

Akira was at least thankful for having so many good friends. While they were all having a splash fest, or hitting each other with pool noodles, he got enough time to reflect on his time in Aincrad. While most thought the game was a curse, he thought otherwise. He was glad to have gotten stuck in the game, because he at least has such great friends like them.

"It's been forever since we decided to party up like we did back on the 25th. We only did that for the 29th and the 31st Floors. Maybe its time to ask them, if they'd be willing to form a guild."

A wave of water hit him in the face, making him cough loudly. His eyes stung a bit and he looked at the assailant, who was hiding behind Nick.

"Aries...you know it sucks having salt water in your eyes right?" he asked sternly.

"Uh...it was an accident Akira. I didn't mean it." she said.

"You're about to get it, Nick hold her down." he said with a smile.

"You got it boss. Sorry miss, but you're not going anywhere." he said, holding her arms behind her back.

"Ahh, no...I'm sorry...please it was an accident." the girl cried, wriggling in Nick's firm grasp.

"Too bad, now its your turn." he said, using his Martial Arts Skill to send a large blast of water at the mace wielder. She cried in pain, the lukewarm water soaked her to the bone. Akira let out a laugh, holding his stomach.

"Oh yeah, lets see how you like this." Aries cried, tackling the teen into the water. Both of them started wrestling, splashing each other when they had the chance.

"This is great, how long do you think the durability on her top is?" Nick asked. Morrison glanced at him, brows furrowed.

"Why would you want to know that Monsieur Nicholas?" he asked.

"Because idiot. You've never seen titties? It's the perfect chance." he said, rubbing his hands evilly.

"Yo Akira, German Suplex." Sapphira cried loudly, pumping her fist in the air. The teen seemed to heed her request, and wrapped his arms around Aries's waist.

"No, Akira please. I don't know if my top has enough durability." Aries pleaded, but it was ignored by the teen. He lifted the girl with ease, slamming her into the water, causing a loud splash. Sapphira laughed loudly, low fiving Nick who was also egging them on. Akira surfaced, shaking the water out of his hair.

"Man, that was great. You okay Aries?" he asked. He looked around for the pink haired Italian girl, a bit worried. She finally surfaced, brushing the water out of her eyes.

"Akira you idiota, I told you to be careful, this swimsuit doesn't have much durability." she said, just as the bikini top shattered into pixels, flying away on the wind. Her eyes went wide and she screamed, covering her chest. Blood burst from Nick's nose, and the Bleed Status appeared beside his HP screen. He fell back in the water, completely out of it.

"See what you do idiot?" Sapphira said.

"You're the one who fucking told me to Suplex her." he shouted.

"Alright alright, lets just cover her up." Sasha replied, using her arms to cover the pink haired girl up, Sapphira did the same. The sound of a menu being opened filled their ears.

"Hey Aries, I'm sorry alright. I didn't mean to make your top burst." he said, rubbing his neck.

"It's alright Akira. You didn't hear me, I'm just sad I wasted 40,000 col on this." she said, finally getting a new swimsuit on, this time a one piece blue suit, which hugged her curves perfectly.

"I'll pay you back later alright? Why don't we just get out of the water for now?" he asked. Everyone agreed, walking out of the water. Morrison and Sasha dragged Nick out of the water, leaving a trail of pixelated blood in their wake.

Akira was quick enough to claim one of the beach chairs near the palm trees. Sapphira was on the sand, tanning her back, even though he doubted her skin color would change since it was virtual sunlight. Nick was still out of it, and Aries was flushed with embarrassment. Morrison returned with a basket, which was filled with sandwiches. He set them down, a small smile on his face.

"This is the best NPC made food on this floor. A lot of players said it was really good...everyone take one." he said.

"Thanks man." Nick said, suddenly sitting up. He grabbed his sandwich and tore into it, sighing contently at the taste of the food.

"Leave it to him to react only when food is present." Sasha said, grabbing one and handing it to Aries, who whispered a thank you to her. Akira grabbed his own and unwrapped it, leaning back in his chair. He nodded to himself mid bite.

"I guess now's a good time as any."

"Hey guys, I wanted to talk to you all about something. It's sort of important." he said, after he swallowed his food.

"What's wrong? Who did you impregnate?" Nick asked.

"What...no one retard. People can't have kids in SAO." he said firmly. He shook his head.

"That aside...I was wondering, since we all seem to work well together, how about we..I dunno...start a guild?" he asked.

"A guild?" Aries asked, brow raised.

"Yeah...we work well as a team, and if we start a guild, then we can take more elite requests from the townspeople and work better. We wouldn't have to venture into the wilderness alone. We'd always have a partner to watch our backs. We'd be like...a family." he said, a small smile on his face.

"Family huh?" Sasha muttered.

"Hmm, sounds like a sweet deal Akira. Thing is, managing a guild isn't all peaches and gumdrops. Its hard work, are you saying you have what it takes to be our leader?" Sapphira asked.

"I think so. I don't think it's gonna be that hard. Besides, I got a prime Beta Tester here to help me when I need it." he said.

"Okay...say we start this guild...what would it be called?" Nick asked, head propped on his hand.

"I was thinking...maybe Rising Phoenix."

"That's...not a bad name actually. The Phoenix is a symbol of life in some old cultures of the world. Plenty of people thought the sun was actually a Phoenix in disguise. We'd be like a light, a beacon of hope for those on the lower floors." Sapphira said.

"I'm completely digging this idea. We can pool our money together and buy a house here. We'd have access to the beach for the rest of the game." Morrison said.

"I don't think so. If we have our HQ here, then we'd be tempted to spend our time here at the Beach. I want our HQ to be in a place where a lot of people have easy access too. A place where we can feel at home. After all, we're gonna be like a family." Akira said firmly.

"Well...we could search for the labyrinth and clear it out...we can get a place up on the 35th floor. I don't know what kind of floor it's going to be, but who knows? There might be some prime Real Estate locations. Besides, I've been wanting to try my Negotiation Skills." Sapphira said with a bright smile.

"I can't believe those exist." Nick muttered under his breath, taking a bite from his sandwich.

"I think it's a perfect idea. What do you think Sasha?" Aries asked, the orange haired girl remained silent.

"Is...something wrong Sasha?" Akira asked, worried about his friend.

"I don't think I can join another guild Akira." she said, after a few minutes of silence.

"Another? You were in a guild already?" Sapphira asked. This was the first time any of them had heard this. She nodded, brushing some lose orange hairs from her face.

"Back on the 4th Floor, me and my friends from school formed a guild. It was one of the first five that appeared in Aincrad. It was called the Scarlet Lilies." she said, a frown on her face.

"Oh...I remember that guild. I heard from some people on the Seventh Floor that there was this six girl guild that went into a dungeon and fell in a pitfall trap. Only one person made it out, but no one knew who she was." Morrison said, looking sad himself. Sasha nodded, a tear running down her cheek.

"I was the one who was leading them. Monica, Grace, Daniella, Sakura and Karen. All of us were well equipped, ready to take on the dungeon the clearers left behind for the beginner level players to tackle. They saw a treasure chest in the room in front of us and decided to run ahead..that's when it happened. Monica tripped the trap, and they all fell down. I was the only one who didn't. I made it to the edge, just in time to see two of them burst into pixelated data. Sakura and Grace...they were the first to go. Monica, Daniella and Karen were all struggling to hold on, each hanging on to each other's legs. I couldn't pull all of them up, I wasn't strong enough. Karen ended up letting go, saying that she was glad to have met us all and that she wasn't going to weigh us down, it was either her or all of them. Daniella did the same. I tried pulling Monica out, but she had been so distraught.

She had been the leader, she was the one that told me to lead them for that dungeon, and she let go of my hand, saying she couldn't live with the guilt. I lay there, numb after everything that happened. In a split second, I lost every friend I had. Watching as they all hit the ground and broke into nothing more than polygonal shapes. All of them...my friends...my little sister...I failed all of them. That's when I decided to end my life as well..but then, this little girl with a dragon stopped me from jumping. She said she wasn't about to watch another person commit suicide ever again. She told me she had considered doing the same thing several times, but ever since she met her dragon, and this other boy who saved her life, she was fighting. Fighting to get free...I listened to her advice, and I started power leveling, so I could be come strong for them. For my little sister Keisha, who I failed by not being able to stop her." she said, finally finishing her story.

Akira just sat there, unable to say a word. Aries was crying too, consoling the warrior who had all but broken down. Sapphira sighed, looking to the sky as if it had all the answers she was seeking. Morrison and Nick just remained silent. He knew they'd lost someone to the game as well. That's when Akira stood up, he took Sasha's hand, grasping it firmly in his own. She looked at him, green eyes still wet with tears. He brushed them away with his hand, a gentle smile on his face.

"Sasha, you didn't fail your sister. No one knew about the trap, and no one knew what would happen. I learned a long time ago, that blaming ourselves for the deaths of others in this world, only serves as our downfall. We won't think straight, and that drives us to become weak. Level isn't everything, you have to be able to stomach that guilt, and use it to further yourself. You need to hold your head out high, and scream to the sky, I will beat this game.

And you will, you'll beat this game for your friends, and you'll make it out to the real world, and you'll see Keisha again. Maybe not in the same way that you remember her, but one day you will meet each other again, whether real or virtual, or spiritual. You will meet each other again...you have friends now, we'll help each other out. I'll make sure you make it out of here alive, so you can be with her again. Even if she's gone, she's still in your heart." he said.

Her lip quivered and she started crying again, she wrapped her arms around him, crying into his shoulder. He smiled a bit, and rubbed her back, reassuring her that she'd be fine.

"So, how about it?" he asked again, once she had settled down.

"Yeah Sasha, I don't think we can start a guild if we're missing our prime Javelin user. After all, you did a fuckload of damage to Cerberus with that one Javelin Skill." Nick said.

"It wouldn't be the same without you Mademoiselle Sasha." Morrison said as well. She looked at all of her friends, nodding in agreement. Akira smiled.

"Alright then, let it be known that from this day forward, we are no longer Solo Players, but are all members of this guild. We will protect not only each other, but those who are defenseless against the wilderness of this game. We will help those in need, even if we have to risk our lives to do so. We are Rising Phoenix, and we will clear this game." he said, putting his hand outward.

"Yeah." they all chanted, placing their hands on top of his own. And just like that, their new guild was born.

Xxx

"Whoa wait a minute, you mean to tell me that instead of relaxing on the beach you wanted to hunt monsters?" Alicia asked, giving Akira an incredulous look.

"Of course, I couldn't slack off. Kirito was going through some rough shit during that time, so I had to step up and help clear dungeons." Akira said, taking a sip of his drink.

"Yet somehow I get blamed for Aries's swimsuit." Sapphira said, looking a bit dejected.

"Well you did tell him to do a suplex." Rain added, earning a glare from her. They all stopped talking, turning to Sakuya who was still giggling to herself. Alicia looked at her, her ears wiggling a bit.

"What's so funny Sakuya?"

"I'm sorry, just the image of Nick in a speedo is too funny. I've met him before, but I never imagined him doing something like that." she said, clutching her sides.

"Jeez, if you want to see him do that then head on to the beach area of Alfheim. That bastard is always there, stalking girls as if they were prey. The kid is never getting a girlfriend." Akira said, shaking his head.

"I doubt it, remember that girl he met in Grandzam? I think she's interested in him." Sapphira said.

"What, you mean Serah? She actually likes that dumb fuck? Man I have got to have a little chat with her. Anyway, we're up to our first quest as a guild. Rising Phoenix made their first mark in Aincrad by taking out the 34th Floor's Boss. The Kraken!" he said ominously. Rain shivered a bit, shaking in her seat.

"Wait, so there truly was a Kraken in SAO? Sakuya told me you had a bet going on, did you win?" Alicia asked curiously.

"Oh yes I did, one million col. It was such a great day for me." he said, about to finish his sandwich. Sapphira batted it out of his hand, causing him to cry in shock. The sandwich hit the ground, bursting into polygons seconds later.

"My sandwich. It was innocent!" he whispered, looking at the spot where the morsel had landed.

"Serves you right asshole." the green haired girl said, though it fell on deaf ears.

"Um...Akira, are you okay?" Rain asked.

"Shh...I must grieve." he said.

"You can have mine if you want. I'm not really that hungry." she said, pushing her plate forward. His face lit up as he snagged the half eaten sandwich off the plate, taking a bite out of it.

"Phamk You!" he replied, causing her to giggle.

"Anyway, I think I came up with a solution on how you can beat Hayato...you ever here of the Burning Sword?" Sakuya asked, earning a head shake from the violet haired teen.

"What's the Burning Sword?" Sapphira asked curiously.

"Well supposedly, there's a dungeon said to lead to Valhalla itself. If you complete the quest, 'To Defeat a Champion', you'll get an item that will let you go into Valhalla. Apparently, you can find a legendary weapon in the depths of the dungeon. The Burning Sword, Ascalon." Sakuya replied. This information captivated their attention.

"You mean to tell me there's a weapon out there just as strong as Excalibur?" Akira said.

"Mhmm...it supposedly takes a one handed sword skill of 985 to Equip it. This is all a rumor though, so I'm not sure how accurate it is."

"A 985 skill level huh? My one handed sword is only at 500, I would need to power level that skill through constant fighting. Sakuya, I know you want to defeat Illfang with the rest of the Boss Raid but, would you mind coming with me? You can come too Alicia." he said, glancing at the Cait Sith player.

"Normally, I would turn you down, but I guess I do owe you a favor for that fight you and Kirito handled. I'd be honored to tag along."

"Same here, the second best player in SAO is about to wreck someones shit, and I want front row seats to the show!" Alicia said joyously.

"I am offended! How is this idiot the second best player in SAO? What about me?" Sapphira cried out.

"I'm sorry, did you reach level 102 by the time the game was cleared?" Alicia asked.

"Well no...but.."

"Exactly, I rest my case." the Cait Sith leader said, adopting a catty smirk.

"Now now, let's not fight. We can head out now." Akira said, sending a party request to the two girls.

"Just so you know Rain, in all my time in ALO, which isn't much mind you, I have never seen Sakuya draw that sword. People say she beat the previous Sylph leader without even pulling it from the scabbard. So if you ever see her even start to draw it, shit's about to get serious." Sapphira said, making the redhead gulp.

"Not to worry dear...unless you cross me, I doubt I'll ever use my sword against you...maybe." she said, giving her a wink.

"Now now, let's not scare the shit out of her. So where's this quest located again?"

"Jotunheimer, there's a path that will lead us to a small village. The Quest NPC should be there, but like I said this is all based on a rumor. Don't get your hopes up." She said.

"Hey, if we can't get Ascalon, we can always go after Excalibur, if it's still there." Sapphira said, remembering what their mutual friend had told them.

"Pfft, as if, that sword belongs to someone else and you know it. Besides, that dick weed Hayato most likely has it. Once I defeat him, I'll force him to put that sword back. He doesn't deserve a Holy Sword, let alone be a player of this game. Lead the way Sakuya." he said, earning a nod from the black haired woman.

"Hey, how about you tell Rain about our first quest as a guild? I'm sure Rue wants to hear it too." Sapphira said.

"Sure, I'm up for another story." Alicia said, a grin on her face.

"Damn, and I was so looking forward to educating her on what a Sith Lord is." he said, earning a laugh from the others.