Chapter 10

October 18th, 2024

So, to recap. Kirito, Asuna, and I had finally managed to find the boss room after an entire morning of searching. We had followed my map by not following it; I had managed to map almost every bit of the Labyrinth with the exception of one segment. We made a beeline for that unmapped area and lo and behold, the boss door was waiting for us. We briefly discussed entering the room - I sided with Kirito when he wanted to enter the room. I needed to see the boss to try to guess a possible battle plan. Any information would be more than was available at the beginning. Kirito entered the room cautiously. As usual, I acted as rear guard; my ability to see Sword Skills the instant they were activated gave me unparalleled ability to avoid ambushes. Suddenly, one blue flame after another lit up, revealing the boss creature within. It was a large goat-like creature, standing a good fifteen feet. I looked up at its red eyes as the HUD filled up its health bars and revealed the name. The Gleam Eyes was intimidating; its appearance was helped by the cobra-like tail and the gigantic sword it wielded that was as tall as its owner was. Asuna grabbed Kirito's arm as the three of us stared at the boss.

The Gleam Eyes raised its sword and roared. The sound reverberated through the air, rattling my very bones. Its eyes glowed a bright blue; the difference from the normal deep ruby of most enemies was startling. I took a step back. "And, I'm gone." Without looking back, I took off at a dead run away from the boss room. From the screaming behind me, I gathered that Asuna and Kirito weren't far behind. We raced far away from the boss; I heard the door slamming shut behind me. The sound managed to cut through my instant panic and I blinked. I realized that the panic was slightly caused by the boss, and I slowed to a stop. Asuna and Kirito blew past me without stopping. I let out a piercing whistle. "Hey! Lovebirds! Mind letting the honeymoon wait until after we stop and think rationally?"

They stopped and walked back almost sheepishly. Kirito rubbed the back of his head. "What are you talking about?"

I shrugged. "I have no clue. It was the first thing that popped into my head." Asuna giggled and Kirito and I shared a grin. We walked slightly more calmly to the nearest safe zone. "If I hadn't stopped you, you would have run all the way to the safe zone, wouldn't you?" Kirito nodded ruefully.

Kirito looked at me as we entered the safe zone. "How do you stay so calm?"

"Courtesy of my particular neurosis," I said with a shrug. "When things go bad, I see things in pure logic. It's as if my emotions just shut down. I guess if things were bad enough I'd lose complete control and turn into a raging berserker."

Asuna and Kirito slumped against a wall as I dropped to the floor. We sat there, collecting ourselves for a moment before Asuna spoke. "That one's gonna be tough to beat."

"Deadpan understatement is my thing, Asuna." I said without opening my eyes or sitting up. "That being said, that one's gonna be tough to beat." I heard Kirito snicker and I grinned.

"You're right. I saw he only had that one big sword," Kirito said.

"It looks like similar to a claymore," I said. "Probably going to be using brute force and wide attacks with the occasional thrust." It wasn't exactly a claymore; it narrowed at the end with a slight curve. It was close enough that I hazarded a guess anyway.

Kirito grunted. "I'm pretty sure it's got special attacks, too." I had a feeling he was referring to the snake tail - I hadn't missed the lower half of its body.

"We're going to have to put tanks in the front and keep switching out just to wear it down," Asuna said absently. Even after losing our heads and panicking completely, she was still planning. I had to step up my game.

"Yeah," Kirito said. "And it wouldn't hurt to have about ten shield users.

"Shield users, huh?" The tone of Asuna's voice made me sit up and focus again. She was looking at Kirito out of the corner of her eyes, and I had a sneaking suspicion that Kirito had given her the perfect opportunity. It was up to Kirito to get himself out of this. I wouldn't say anything because Asuna would definitely interpret that as a cover-up.

"What? What's wrong?"

Asuna leaned forward and hugged her knees. "You are. You're hiding something, aren't you?"

Kirito gasped and his eyes widened. Then, he slammed a mask of nonchalance down. "What are you talking about?" It wasn't perfect, but it was the best he could do on such short notice. The one time I had been blindsided with a question like that, I managed to pull it off successfully through luck and practice. Kirito might have had the luck, but he didn't have the practice.

"I just realized something." Asuna's voice was calm, but her eyes were staring at Kirito as if she wanted to bore a hole through him. "The biggest advantage of using a one-handed sword is you can also use a shield. But you know what? I don't think I've ever seen you using one."

I decided to throw in my two cents; if I could distract her, that would give Kirito time to recover and collect himself. "I don't use a shield, Asuna. And neither do you. Why should Kirito?" I grinned. "After all, to each their own, right?"

Asuna turned to study me. I kept my face carefully neutral, meeting her gaze without flinching. "I don't use a shield because it'll slow down my rapier. Others don't because they think it looks dumb."

I shrugged. "They're right. Those things do look kinda stupid. But explain me."

Asuna studied me for a moment. "They'd slow you down too much. You move around too much to have something heavy weighing you down. Also, your fighting style."

I nodded grudgingly. "I hate it when you're right." She had nailed the two reasons I never used a shield. As my fighting style was entirely based around quick strikes and bare-knuckle brawling, I needed to be able to move as quickly as possible. A shield slowed me down considerably and prevented me from using my non-dominant hand for strikes.

"That's because you hate being wrong." Asuna turned away from me and leaned toward Kirito, studying his posture. He crossed his arms and looked away; I winced internally. It was clear he was hiding something. "And Kirito, how come you're not using the sword you commissioned from Liz?" Her eyes narrowed. "Very suspicious…" Her voice had taken on a teasing tone and I sighed mentally with relief. She was treating it as a small curiosity and not a mystery that needed to be solved. She was smart enough to figure out just what Kirito was hiding if she put her mind to it. Kirito sighed and I sensed his resolve wavering. I could tell he was on the verge of telling Asuna exactly why he never used a shield and why he didn't use the commissioned sword. Asuna made a small noise of satisfaction; she must have sensed it too. I watched Kirito as he struggled internally. He was wavering on the brink of telling her. He glanced at me; I could only shrug as little as possible.

Suddenly, Asuna smiled. "Oh, never mind." Her voice was bright and cheerful. It was as if she had never brought up the subject. "It's rude to ask people to justify their skills." Kirito sighed with relief.

I laughed. "Can I ask you to justify your Cooking skill?"

Asuna giggled and swiped open her menu. "Since it's gotten so late, we might as well have lunch here. Is this justification enough for you, Rythin?" I grinned. On her lap appeared a large picnic basket full of delicious things for us to eat.

"R-really?" Kirito leaned forward. "Did you make it yourself?"

I blinked. "Chill, dude. It's not like it's the end of the world if you don't get some more of her cooking." I turned to Asuna. "You did, though, right?" My voice was probably just as pathetic as Kirito's sounded.

She started rummaging through the basket. "Yep!" She smiled in pleasure. "But you two better take your gloves off before you eat."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, mother."

"Uh…sure!" Kirito was much more enthusiastic. After both of us had removed our gloves, Asuna handed out our sandwiches. "Here you go!" Kirito took his with an expression approaching reverence. I accepted mine and thanked her. I didn't bother waiting for her to tell me what it was made of, digging straight in and eating the sandwich in big gulps.

Kirito took a bite of his own. "Mm… This is good!" He didn't waste any more time on words, making his way through the sandwich with a speed equaling my own. "How'd you get it to taste so amazing?"

"Chalk it up to a whole year of training and study." Asuna pressed a button on her menu and suddenly my entire field of vision was filled with her notes. I looked at one; it detailed the exact quantities of ingredients needed to replicate the taste of ketchup. I nodded once, impressed. She had kept ridiculously articulate notes on all of her experiments, including the ones that she had performed a year ago. I grinned as I recognized one of the sandwiches she had made for me the previous December; it hadn't been one of the good ones. She was still learning back then. "Aincrad has everything you need. There's about a hundred different seasonings. I made everything just by calculating all the parameters used by the Flavor Recreation engine."

I blinked. "You just said words and they didn't make any sense. Can I have that in non-gibberish, please?"

"It's the engine used by Cardinal to…well, recreate flavors," Asuna said.

"Huh. That should have been obvious, now that I think about it." I grinned. Cardinal was the overall game engine running the entirety of Sword Art Online. It was an autonomous program that was designed to compensate for human ingenuity. In short, it was an AI program that changed as people changed. I didn't know much about how it worked, but I had spent some time studying the small snippets of code that had been leaked online. One such code snippet was the work that went into a useable item, and I was amazed at how easy it was. Just a small line of code in the object's file that told it what to run when used. That was all.

Asuna pulled out a small vial that contained a green liquid. "This was made with Grocua Seed, Shuqra Leaf, and Calum Water." She pulled out the stopper and poured a small bit into Kirito's palm. She offered it to me, but I waved it away. I watched Kirito as he cautiously tested the taste.

"It's mayonnaise!" Kirito said with a shocked look on his face. I was surprised as well. I wasn't aware that it was possible to recreate tastes present in the real world – I had resigned myself to finding new tastes to enjoy. It wasn't particularly hard to find things I didn't hate. There just weren't that many things I liked.

"And, I made this using Ebilba Seed, Sag Leaf, and Oola Fish Bone." She pulled out a vial with a purple liquid. Again, I refused the sample, choosing instead to watch Kirito's reaction. He was far braver than I was.

He sipped at the liquid, and sat back with a start. "Whoa!" He stared at his palm, shaking. "That…tastes exactly like…" He whipped his head around to pin Asuna with a stare. "Soy sauce!"

Asuna stared at him for a second before blushing and laughing. "You're right. I made the sauce for the sandwich out of that." I grinned; I knew I recognized something about the sandwich. It wasn't a new taste, it was just an old one that I hadn't tasted for some time.

"It's amazing!" Kirito searched for words. "It's perfect! Have you thought about selling this, because you'd make a fortune!"

I shrugged. "If Argo's taught me anything, it's that everything has a price." Asuna glanced at me when I brought up Argo, but didn't say anything. "I'd say this price is pretty high."

Asuna smiled. "You think it's that good?"

Kirito gasped and crossed his arms. His posture became defensive immediately. "Wait. You can't sell it."

"Eh?" Asuna stared at Kirito. "B-but why not?"

"Because there wouldn't be any left for me."

I burst out laughing. "Really? That's your complaint?"

Asuna could only stare at Kirito, absolutely speechless. Then she sighed. "My god, you're so greedy…" She turned away. "If you like it that much, I could always make more." I had too much difficulty with restraining myself from her expression, so I stood up and walked away from the two of them. I wandered around the edge of the safe zone, being careful not to exit.

Suddenly, I picked up the sound of several players approaching. Kirito looked up, startled, and I stood out of sight beside the entrance. Any players that entered would be unable to see me unless they were actively looking around. Kirito and Asuna surged to their feet as a group of six players staggered in. They were exhausted; I had a feeling that they had been searching around in the places we had skipped. I raised a hand to my dagger's sheath, but relaxed. I recognized the style of armor that the six players wore, the guild symbol, and the shock of red hair held back by a bandana that the leader wore. The interlopers were Klein and his guild Fuurinkazan. I wasn't surprised; even though his guild was small they had managed to become an integral part of the assault team. I had often used them as a separate group – they trusted Klein to lead them to victory, and my plans for his group were essentially 'let Klein do whatever he thinks is necessary'. It worked; he hadn't lost a single member of his guild yet. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kirito and Asuna relax as well. I listened in to the mumblings of Fuurinkazan. I heard mostly groanings about how 'This grinding is killing me' and 'I need a break'. I grinned; I did the same thing all the time. Complaining about things made them less terrible, somehow. I shifted slightly, enough that I could see Kirito, Asuna, and Klein while still staying relatively hidden. It was impossible to be actually hidden, given the nature of the safe zone, but I was behind the others. I didn't feel comfortable with people behind me – another reason I preferred to act as rear guard.

I watched Klein carefully. He looked up and gasped. "Hey! Kirito!" He was surprisingly excited to see Kirito; I hadn't realized that Klein still considered him a friend. I wondered if he still considered me a friend. I wasn't sure if he would, especially given the fact that I hadn't really ever talked to him past giving orders at a boss raid. "How ya doin', buddy?" I shook my head; Klein was just as outgoing as I remembered.

Kirito looked to the side. "Hey…Klein…still alive, huh?" I had a feeling he still felt guilty about leaving Klein behind on the first floor. He didn't have a choice; Klein wanted to stay behind and take care of his friends. Kirito needed to leave, and I went with him.

"Geez, you're the same as ever." Klein walked right up to Kirito. He looked over Kirito and did a double take when he saw Asuna. "Wait… whoa! You're a solo player! What're you doing with a…" His voice trailed off as he noticed Kirito's partner. Asuna was still standing in a ready stance, hand on her rapier. "…girl?"

"I coulda sworn you two have met before." Kirito looked back and forth. Klein was standing stock still, jaw dropped. Asuna was looking up at him warily. I would have been wary in her shoes as well; Klein was somewhat physically intimidating with his katana and heavy armor. "I'll introduce you." He pointed to Klein. "This is Klein, of the Fuurinkazan guild." He waved to Asuna. "And this is Asuna, of the Knights of the Blood." Asuna took a small step back. Klein still hadn't made a sound – he was still in the same position as he had assumed when he noticed Asuna's presence to begin with. Kirito waved a hand in front of Klein's unresponsive face. "Hey, c'mon, say something… What's wrong, you lagging?" That would have been a first, though. I started laughing quietly, shaking.

Suddenly, Klein's hand snapped to his side and he bowed. He held out his right hand. "Hi, I-I-I'm K-Klein. I'm 24 and single and looking for a –" Kirito leaned forward and punched him straight in the gut. Everyone gasped, and I bit my lip to keep silent. Asuna leaned back, startled, as Klein soared backwards. Every single person in Klein's guild called out, 'Boss!'

Kirito blinked and suddenly realized what he had done. Before he could apologize, however, the five members of Fuurinkazan surrounded him. They weren't looking too happy. Kirito stood in front of Asuna, using his body as a shield. I sighed and walked forward. I crouched next to Klein where he was sitting, holding his stomach. "Call off your dogs, Klein," I said with a calm tone.

He looked up. "Rythin! Good to see you." He grinned. "Don't worry about them." He stood up and walked towards the cluster of players with a grim look on his face.

I looked up. None of the five had moved. Suddenly, they all leaned forward. 'Wow, are you really that awesome?' They said in unison. I realized why Kirito had placed himself in front of Asuna as he held off all five players as they shouted questions all at once. He looked back at Asuna with a grin. "Don't worry, it's cool. These guys are okay. Yeah, but, I don't know about Klein." Suddenly, he broke off. Klein had stomped on his foot. "What the hell?"

"That's payback." Klein said with a grin. "You weasel."

I snuck around the knot of players and tapped Asuna on the shoulder. She looked at me. "Klein and Kirito are old friends. Kirito taught both of us how to fight before all this started."

Klein continued digging his heel into Kirito's foot, ignoring his protests. "What're you doing with a girl? Holding out on me?" Asuna burst out in giggles at their joking around.

Klein grabbed Kirito's neck and pulled him into a huddled conference. "What's the deal man, spill it!"

"Uh…well…"

"Excuse me." Asuna said, smiling. "Kirito and I are together because we're sort of in a party."

Klein turned around. 'Huh?' he and his entire guild said in unison. I snickered. Kirito's penchant for avoiding parties was legendary – literally. I had heard rumors that the Knights of the Blood had actually started legends about him. There were eight legends in total, six about Kirito, one about Heathcliff, and apparently one about me, if Argo was to be believed. I had paid her, so she was to be believed. The legend about me was a little too pricey, so I didn't take her up on the offer to tell me what it was. "Kirito, you son of a –" Klein said, grabbing at Kirito's cloak.

"It's not what you think…" he said desperately.

Klein glanced over at me. "You, too?"

I shrugged. "Yep."

I would have said more, but the sound of heavy metal boots interrupted me. Asuna gasped. "Kirito." Every member of the small group of players turned around to face the entrance of the safe zone. I backed away from the group, putting my back to the wall. I tensed, lowering my right arm so as to get to the Nightblade easier. It wouldn't do any good in a safe zone, but if we were somehow forced out, they'd have to follow.

"What the hell…" Kirito whispered. I recognized the armor of the troop of players that were approaching, as well as their formation. They were members of the Aincrad Liberation Force, the amalgamation of the Army and various smaller guilds. They had been growing in power recently. "It's an army…" I snickered at Kirito's words.

Klein recognized them. "It's the big guild that runs Floor 1. What're they doing up here?" The ALF members continued approaching, and I could see that they were exhausted. They were all staggering and breathing heavily; nobody was watching behind them. One quick monster at their rear and they'd all be dead.

"They were almost slaughtered on Floor 25," Asuna murmured. "Instead of clearing levels, they've been trying to build up their numbers."

"Evidently, they've got plenty of numbers," I said, my voice taunting as usual. I didn't mean anything malicious by it; I was just being myself.

"I haven't seen them on the front lines in a while," said Asuna.

The ALF players had made it into the safe zone. The only one with a different uniform – it included a red sash – turned around. "At ease," he said. Immediately, every single member of the raiding force dropped where they stood. They were entirely wiped out. They wouldn't be able to move safely for a while. As the ALF used military ranks, I assumed the man who approached us had the rank of Captain. I doubted they would send anybody more important to the front lines. "I'm with the Aincrad Liberation Force. Lieutenant Colonel Corbatz." I raised an eyebrow; what was a Lieutenant Colonel doing up on the front lines?

"I'm Kirito. Solo."

"Rythin. Solo." If he was going to try to intimidate us, I would show off just as much.

Corbatz laughed nastily. "Sure you are."

I narrowed my eyes. "Wanna go one on one so I can prove it? Best out of five." I smirked. "I'll even give you a two point lead so it's fair."

Corbatz choked, trying to say three different things at once. I grinned tightly as he cleared his throat and tried again. "You've cleared the area up ahead?"

Kirito nodded. "Yeah." Neither of us were breaking eye contact with Corbatz. "We also got a map with directions to the boss room." I glanced at him momentarily; we could have used that to barter. Instead, Kirito laid out all of the cards on the table immediately.

"Hm…" Corbatz hummed thoughtfully. "Right." He raised his hand imperiously, palm up. "Hand over that map and we'll be on our way."

"What?" Klein exclaimed. "You want us to just hand it over? Do you even know how much a pain in the ass mapping is?" The player had to have their map open to ensure that they were mapping. If the map wasn't open, the map data didn't record. That meant that during a fight, they were almost useless for the first few seconds – the critical moments to swing a battle.

I tilted my head. "With your troops in that condition? You're either very good or very stupid." I narrowed my eyes and grinned mockingly. "I don't think you're very good." Corbatz flushed, and I knew I had scored a hit.

"We share our information and resources with civilian players all the time!" Corbatz roared. "And we don't charge a thing for it! We maintain order in the chaos of battle! So that all players can leave this world as quickly as possible!"

I smirked. "That, of course, explains your numerous contributions to the front lines." I paused and crossed my arms. I tapped my chin thoughtfully. "Oh, wait. That's me and Kirito. Oops."

"Regardless! It's your duty to cooperate with us!" I couldn't see Corbatz's eyes, but I had a feeling they were wide and staring. "So hand over that map!"

Asuna frowned. "Listen, you…"

Klein placed a hand on his katana. "You bastard!"

Kirito raised a hand to forestall Klein's actions. "Easy. When we got back to town I was gonna go public with the map anyway." He swiped open his menu. "It's cool."

Klein dropped his hand from the katana's hilt. "Hey now, wait. C'mon man, you're being way too nice to him."

I placed a hand on Klein's shoulder, using it to rest my weight. He staggered slightly, but braced himself. "Ah, it's all good. I know how to get there – my map's got the location too." I chuckled. "And if I'm being nice, something's definitely wrong."

"I don't care about making money off of map data." Kirito had almost finished the transaction with Corbatz. As I watched, both players pressed accept on the trade screen.

"Hm…" Corbatz turned and started walking. "Thanks for cooperating."

All of us watched him walk in silence. I decided to go for one last jab. "If you're thinking of trying to attack the boss, you're a bigger fool than I thought."

Corbatz stopped. "That is my decision to make."

Kirito gasped. "Hey, I just took a look inside that room, pal. And you can't beat that boss if your troops are half-dead! Look at them! They're exhausted!"

I shrugged. "He can't beat the boss anyway. You need talent to do that." I deliberately pitched my voice so that it wouldn't carry. I didn't want him to drag his troops to a grave.

Corbatz whirled angrily. For a second, I thought he had heard me. "Nonsense! My men are tougher than that." I relaxed. He was responding to Kirito's implication that they weren't capable of killing a boss. "They won't quit until I say so!" He turned back to his troops. "On your feet! C'mon, move!" Groaning with pain and exhaustion, his men staggered to their feet. I shook my head; Corbatz's pride was going to get them killed. I knew my own pride was liable to get me killed, so I didn't say anything, but I at least had the skills to back up my pride.

We all watched the small platoon walk out. "Oh, man," said Klein. "Are those guys gonna be okay?"

"No." My answer was blunt.

Asuna glared at me. "I'm sure they know what they're doing."

"Of course they do." I nodded. "Of course they do. There's no way they'd rush the boss without checking it out first. None at all." I kept my voice devoid of sarcasm, letting the words say it for me.

"Maybe we should keep an eye on them anyway," said Kirito hesitantly. He looked at Klein and his guild; they grinned. They would keep an eye on Corbatz and his men for us. "I don't know who's nicer, you or me."

I raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't I be an option?"

"You'd come in dead last."

I mimed a mortal blow. "Ouch, Kirito. That hurts. What did I ever do to deserve that?"

He started walking and I followed him. "I don't know. Insult me at every given opportunity, declare yourself a sociopath, constantly flirt with both me and Asuna…" His voice was playful.

"Well, yeah, but what did I ever do to deserve such scorn?" I laughed. I glanced behind me – Klein was talking to Asuna. As I watched, he bowed and Asuna turned to look at the two of us. I waved, and she waved back. Before I turned around, I saw her turn back to Klein with a big smile on her face. Whatever they were talking about, it was probably related to Kirito. He was the one person both people cared about.

We fought with Fuurinkazan for a while, clearing out the rest of the floor. As I watched, Klein pierced the side of the final Lizardman Lord. He swung his katana as it fell forward and burst into polygons. "That's the last one. Only thing left is the boss's room." He shrugged. "Maybe those guys used some sort of teleportation thingy to go back."

I didn't say anything. I wasn't too sure they had left; Corbatz was too cocky to back down from anything. Suddenly, a loud scream rang out. "That answer your question?" I spat. I didn't wait to see if he was insulted – I knew Kirito would handle it if he was hurt. Instead, I took off for the boss room at a dead sprint. I glanced behind me; Asuna and Kirito were only a few seconds behind. Klein and the others had been surrounded by more Lizardmen Lords, but I knew they could handle them.

Another scream rang out. "Idiots," Asuna said. We approached the open boss door and stopped by the entrance.

"Hey!" Kirito called out. "You guys okay?"

I took a better look and swore. The Gleam Eyes had managed to trap every single player on the opposite side of the room. They'd have to go past its attacks to escape. "Damn. Probably an anti-teleport field." If they hadn't teleported out by that point, after losing two of their men, they weren't leaving until they were all dead or The Gleam Eyes fell. As I watched, The Gleam Eyes swiped with its gigantic sword, sending another player flying. The Gleam Eyes was barely injured; the ALF guild members had been in no position to fight.

Kirito didn't hear me. "Don't just stand there! Use your teleport crystals!"

"We can't!" shouted a player from inside, holding up a crystal. "The – the crystals aren't working!" Another heavy blow sent more players flying. I wasn't sure how many would be left – probably none.

"I've never heard of a trap like this being in a boss room before," said Asuna. I was more concerned with Kirito – I had examined the room that he stumbled from when the Moonlit Black Cats were wiped out. It was another anti-teleport field, and he was probably remembering the same thing.

"The Aincrad Liberation Army does not know the word retreat!" I heard Corbatz's distinctive voice shouting from inside the boss room. "Come on! Keep fighting!"

Footsteps behind me made me turn. I saw Klein jogging up behind us – he was fine. "Hey! The hell's going on?" He gasped as he took in the scene.

"They're insane…" Kirito muttered. "They can't use their teleportation crystals…"

I leaned in close. "Remember later. We've got a job to do," I whispered. He looked at me with shock and I nodded. That nod told him that I knew what he was thinking, and he grinned slightly.

"We could distract the boss, but going in there's too risky." Kirito was at least thinking instead of reacting – it was a step in the right direction.

"But… Isn't there something we can do?" asked Klein. Kirito could only grit his teeth. I narrowed my eyes.

"Ready? Charge!" shouted Corbatz. All of his men spread out, trying to attack The Gleam Eyes.

Kirito stepped forward. "Don't do it!"

The Gleam Eyes reared back and then unleashed a breath attack. I exhaled – that was one of its special attacks. The entire formation of players was flattened. With the players pinned, The Gleam Eyes drew back its sword and slammed it into the ground. Dust filled the air. I saw several players go sprawling, but none burst into polygons. The Gleam Eyes whipped around and sliced upwards. I saw a figure wearing a red sash come flying towards us.

Corbatz crashed into the ground right outside of the boss room. I bared my teeth, preparing to fight. If I knew Asuna and Kirito, they'd lunge into the fight after watching somebody die in front of them. And I knew Corbatz was about to die – nobody could take that many consecutive attacks from a boss and live. "Hey!" Kirito shouted, and raced to Corbatz's side. "Hang on, Corbatz!" Corbatz's helmet shattered. He could only make choking noises as Kirito knelt by his side.

"I can't believe it…" Corbatz managed to choke out. His eyes opened wide and his body shattered into polygons. Another player had died to Kayaba's death game. I knew that right at that exact moment, the NerveGear of Corbatz's player was emitting a microwave pulse, frying itself and Corbatz's brain.

"No…" Asuna whispered, hands over her mouth. From inside the boss room we heard a scream. The Gleam Eyes had managed to corner another player. It slowly raised its sword, preparing to end the soldier's life. "No…" Asuna repeated, head down.

I knew what was coming. I triggered Future Sight and turned to Klein. "Asuna and I are going in. After we distract the boss, get the others out of there." He started to say something, pointing at my eyes, and I shook my head. "I'll explain later. Go!" I had a feeling Kirito was going to go public with his skill. I wasn't about to let him be in the public eye alone. I owed him too much.

The Gleam Eyes roared. In front of me, I could see Asuna shaking. The boss started to swing at the defenseless player. Suddenly, Asuna's scream shattered the air. "No!" It was a long, drawn-out denial as she rushed, rapier drawn, to attack the boss. I charged in as well, grinning fiercely. This was a terrible idea and we were all going to die, I told myself. That didn't stop it from being fun. From behind me, I heard Kirito scream our names. I ignored him, and I heard him lunge forward as well.

Just before I was out of earshot, I heard Klein mutter, "Ah, what the hell." I laughed. I knew he'd help. He wasn't capable of leaving somebody to their deaths.

Asuna jumped high in the air and unleashed a rapid series of Sword Skills. She was moving faster than I had seen her move before; she was finally using her full speed. It was amazingly fast, and a detached portion of me noted that down and filed it for future use. The point of her rapier slammed into the boss's back and it halted. The edge of the sword grated on the soldier's armor, leaving sparks. The Gleam Eyes turned, and that was when I made my move. I took the low road – I raced toward the boss's left leg. As I passed, I slashed at where the hamstring would be. I knew I wouldn't be able to cripple it; I just hoped that striking at a relatively weak spot would do more damage. I examined the wound that I left in my wake as I passed; it glowed a faint sickly green and I smiled tightly. The poison had taken effect. Roaring in pain and anger, The Gleam Eyes spun, lashing out. I hit the ground, sliding on one leg and leaning back as far as I could. The left leg passed over me and smashed into the ground where I had been. I caught myself and scrambled to my feet; The Gleam Eyes took a swing at Asuna. She glanced off of the sword and spun in midair. The Gleam Eyes reared back and hit her with a straight punch. I exhaled briefly to steel my nerves. I wouldn't be able to help her by checking on her status in the middle of battle – I needed to keep the boss occupied. The Gleam Eyes drew back to deal the finishing blow on Asuna, and I swore. I jumped up, sheathing my Nightblade on the way and charging a Martial Arts Skill on the way up. As I reached the peak of my leap, I spun and lashed out with my left heel. It slammed into the unprotected neck of The Gleam Eyes, dealing damage. It was just enough to slow the strike, and I landed on the shoulder of the boss. I looked down; Kirito was standing in front of Asuna. He had likely deflected the slowed strike enough that it missed Asuna.

"What are you waiting for? Get out!" he screamed. I knew he could handle the boss long enough for everyone to get out. I jumped on the edge of the sword and slid down, grinding on the heels of my boots. It made a few satisfying sparks. I landed next to Asuna and helped her up.

"You alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah…"

From behind me, I could hear Kirito screaming in rage. I turned back to see that Kirito had attacked The Gleam Eyes to prevent it from killing the wounded soldiers from Corbatz's party. I could see the remnants of where the attack would have landed thanks to Future Step, and I grimaced. Neither the soldiers nor the members of Fuurinkazan that were helping them walk away would have survived. The Gleam Eyes slowly turned. Kirito had finally gotten its attention – the only other damage we had managed to inflict on it was the poison I had managed to land on the boss. It was draining The Gleam Eye's health, but slowly. We wouldn't survive long enough to have the poison kill it, though. We'd have to hurry it along. With a blur of metal and flashes of red streaks, I watched as The Gleam Eyes fought Kirito one on one. They both took damage, but Kirito couldn't take as much punishment as The Gleam Eyes. He blocked an overhead strike with his sword, but I could see from my HUD that his health was draining quickly. "Move, damn it!" I shouted.

"Kirito!" Asuna cried.

"Get out of there!" Even Klein was shouting at Kirito to move.

Somehow, Kirito managed to find the strength to knock away the sword. He turned and ran, not a moment too soon. I watched the red line and sighed with relief – Kirito was out of the way of the next attack. The Gleam Eye's sword slammed into the ground just behind Kirito. The strength of the blow was enough to knock Kirito off his feet, though he easily recovered. He stayed crouched, eyes narrowed. He glanced once at Klein, and once at Asuna. Finally, he glanced at me. I gave him a 'what are you waiting for' gesture. He wasn't sure if he should use Dual Blades. He tilted his head slightly; 'are you sure?' I tapped the side of my head, pointing at my eyes. He saw the red gleam and nodded. I had used Future Step in public, revealing it to Klein. Kirito trusted that part of my judgment, at least. Cries from other side of the room erupted as The Gleam Eyes turned back to the wounded soldiers. Fuurinkazan had managed to extract only a few – the majority of them were still lying on the floor. Kirito saw that. I could tell by the tightening of his muscles that he had made a decision. He closed his eyes, and The Gleam Eyes took that as an opportunity. It drew back its sword, the blade glowing a pale purple. I swore – the path of the straight thrust would hit Kirito directly. I rushed in front of him and braced myself. As the blade came for me, I brought up both of my hands and pushed to the side. The diamond gloves protected me – I made a mental note to thank Ashley if I survived this fight. Behind me came the scraping of metal on metal. I looked behind me and saw Kirito standing there. He nodded – he was going to use the Dual Blades. The thrust ended, and he took his chance. "Hey Klein, Asuna, listen! I need ten seconds. Keep him off me!" He glanced at me, and I nodded. He didn't need to ask me to help him. I would have done so anyway. I ducked as The Gleam Eyes swung again. I couldn't see the path of that attack, as it wasn't a Sword Skill, but I had seen the windup coming. That was the boss's weakness – its blows were brutally strong but it had a very slow startup for all of its attacks.

"You got it!" Klein and Asuna rushed forward. They passed me and I jumped back to crouch next to Kirito

"About time." Kirito only grunted and kept scrolling through his menu. I glanced at him. "If you're in the way of a strike, I'll tell you where is safe." He looked up and nodded gratefully. I stood and moved away – I wanted to be out of Kirito's way when he went on the offensive. Klein was the first to be knocked away; he was sent flying by an unexpected backswing. Asuna sidestepped another strike as she tried desperately to close. She needed to get in close to use her skills.

"Okay, I'm ready!" I heard Kirito shout from behind me. My face creased into a psychotic grin as I realized he was about to kick serious monster ass. Asuna countered the Sword Skill of The Gleam Eyes with her own, knocking it off balance. I recognized an opening when I saw one – apparently, so did Kirito. "Switch out!" She didn't need to be told twice – she jumped out of the way, landing next to Klein. I had already done my part by poisoning the boss; now, I had to act as support. I stood next to Klein as well. As the boss thrust forward, Kirito parried it with his Elucidator. He reached out, and a blue light formed on his back. It was the sword he had commissioned from Lisbeth.

He drew it and slashed The Gleam Eyes with a Sword Skill, leaving twin red marks down its chest. I heard Klein gasp beside me. "Two?" I didn't answer, focusing on the battle. The Gleam Eyes tried the same tactic again, an overhead smash. This time, however, Kirito crossed his swords, catching the sword. With a scream and a burst of strength, he knocked away the sword and lunged, leaving more red marks on the boss. I watched the fight, interjecting warnings when I could. If Kirito was in the path of a Skill, I warned him and told him which way to dodge. I could feel Klein's eyes staring at me occasionally. The Gleam Eyes tried another smash attack. Kirito dodged to the right, following my shouted commands, and charged a Sword Skill. My eyes widened; the red signs of a Sword Skill were numerous, crossing over the body of The Gleam Eyes countless times. It was the most in-depth and complicated Sword Skill I had ever seen.

"Starburst Stream!" I heard Kirito shout. His Elucidator licked out to slice the belly as he led into a thrust that ripped upwards with his other sword. Spinning, he sliced the area where the wounds crossed two more times. Bringing his swords together, he left a gigantic gash on the creature's stomach. It roared in pain. Kirito's skill still wasn't finished, as he slashed diagonally in both directions, leaving an X-shaped trail of red lines. He then slashed upwards along those same lines, cutting the boss twice. I watched the health bars drop.

"What the hell kind of skill is that?" I heard Klein mutter beside me. I ignored him, watching Kirito's movements. He had gotten much better while the two of us sparred in secret. He used all of his strength and speed, increasing the rate of attacks. He slashed downwards then led into a straight thrust with his Elucidator as his moves got faster and faster. I could tell he was concentrating as hard as he could to keep his footing and fight as fast as he could. The Gleam Eyes shifted slightly, charging a skill.

"Upper right!" I shouted. Kirito spun in midair, using his momentum and the blue sword to parry The Gleam Eyes's sword. He swapped grips, flipping the swords around and boring into the stomach of The Gleam Eyes. He took a right cross to the face but ignored it; I was starting to get worried. Nothing would stop Kirito now, not even his health. I looked – he was in the yellow zone. Kirito somehow managed to start moving even faster, slashing in every direction with both swords with abandon. The entire Sword Skill hadn't finished yet, and it still looked like a graceful dance. The two fighters traded blows. Suddenly, The Gleam Eyes grabbed Kirito's Elucidator. Its health was in the red on the last bar, but Kirito's health was only a sliver. The Gleam Eyes lunged forward with its sword – beside me, I saw Klein and Asuna start to race forward. I stayed where I was – I could see the two red lines of the Sword Skills. Kirito would be safe.

Kirito ducked under the blow and thrust forward. His left sword pierced deep through the boss. I watched as its health bar drained to zero. Its body glowed with blue light and burst into thousands of tiny polygons. He remained still as the results screen appeared and disappeared. None of us paid any attention to what we had received. I turned off Future Sight and frowned when I saw how grey Kirito was. He had used up the last of his strength. I hurried over to support him – I had a feeling I knew what was about to happen. "Is it…over?" he whispered as I approached.

"Yeah." I tried to grin. "It's over. You're okay." He lowered his swords and looked up at the large Congratulations sign that was hanging over his head. I checked the health bars again – Kirito's was just a corner of red left. A few seconds longer or without the assistance of the Nightblade's poison and he would have been the one bursting into polygons. Without a word, Kirito started to topple over backwards. I caught him before he hit the ground, expecting that to happen. I had passed out enough after a near-death experience that I recognized the warning signs. I slowly lowered him so that he was lying flat on the floor.

By that point, Asuna and Klein had managed to shake off their paralyzing surprise and rushed over to see what had happened. "Kirito!" Asuna screamed, as if by calling his name he'd wake up. "Kirito!" There were tears in her eyes.

I stood up and stepped aside. Anything that I could do was done after I caught him. I was out of healing crystals – that was a problem that I needed to rectify as soon as I returned to town. Klein turned and walked up next to me. "So… wanna tell me what the hell happened?"

I turned to him. "Where should I start?"

"What's the deal with your eyes?"

I shrugged. "Future Step. It lets me see the paths of anything the system assists." I didn't elaborate. It had started off just being sword skills, but as I leveled up the skill it started showing me the path of things like Acrobatics maneuvers.

"Whoa…that's crazy!" Klein exclaimed. I glanced over at him – he was extremely excited. "So that's how you knew where the attacks would land." I nodded. "Okay, then…"

Before he could ask me anything else, I saw Kirito sit up. I moved over to crouch beside him. "Hey, buddy. Head hurt?" I knew from experience what he would be feeling. My reasons for passing out weren't exactly the same as his, but the basic physical reactions would be the same.

Kirito raised a hand to the side of his head. "Man…my head…" He dropped his hand and looked around. I realized that the two of us and Asuna were the center of quite a bit of attention. My hackles raised – if this grew messy, I wasn't sure if Kirito would be okay. He was still exhausted from the fight. "That was too close…" Kirito said. Asuna rubbed at her eyes. "How long was I out for?"

"Just a few seconds…" Asuna's voice trembled with unshed tears. She lunged forward to grab Kirito in a tight embrace. "You reckless…idiot…" She lost all trace of composure and started sobbing into his shoulder.

Kirito gasped, and then smiled. "Jeez, don't hug me so hard. I'll lose the last of my HP." I snickered – it might have been a tasteless joke but it was well-timed.

Klein walked over. "Corbatz and two of his men were the only ones who didn't make it." Thanks to Kirito, the rest of the platoon was safe.

Kirito looked down. "We haven't lost a player in a boss fight since Floor 67…" I looked away. I hadn't been able to come up with any sort of plan to save the players, and I knew Kirito would feel guilty. It was just as much my fault as it was his.

"That wasn't a boss fight, that was suicide." There was an odd note to Klein's voice; I couldn't tell if it was admiration, fear, or pent-up emotion. "Corbatz was a damn fool." He waved over to the remaining soldiers. "There's no point to any of this if you die!" He realized how he sounded and shook his head. His smile was back. "You're not off the hook either, Kirito, what the hell'd you do just now?"

I tapped Kirito on the shoulder Asuna wasn't burying her face in. "The cat is well and truly out of the bag now. Should you go first or should I?"

He glanced at me, and then turned back to Klein. "I don't think you wanna know."

"Oh come on! I've never seen anything like that before!" Klein exclaimed, waving his hands wildly. I was starting to get uncomfortable with all of the staring.

Kirito sighed and looked to the side. "It's an extra skill I picked up. Dual Wielding…"

At once, everyone gasped and started shouting questions. How he had unlocked it, what the fighting style was like, things like that. Klein stepped forward. "Dude, are there prerequisites?"

Kirito grinned. "If I knew that, I'd have shared it by now."

Klein pulled up his menu and started scrolling through the skill list. "It's not on the info broker's skill list… and neither is yours, Rythin."

Every eye was suddenly on me, and I unconsciously dropped into a defensive position. My eyes darted back and forth. Even though I was going to go public with the details, it still didn't help my nerves to be stared at. "Er…hi?" I gave a half-hearted wave. "I'm Rythin. Nice to meet you."

"What'd you say it was again?" Klein asked.

I sighed. "Future Step. And you're not going to find it there. It's an Extra Skill just like Kirito's Dual Wielding."

Klein scrolled through the list again. "Yeah. It's not in there." He looked at the two of us. "Looks like it's just you two who have it." He paused. "Hey, you've got a Unique Skill!" I braced myself for action. "Way to stay on the down-low, Kirito, Rythin." I relaxed. Klein wasn't going to start anything; his guild would follow his lead, and the soldiers were too damaged to pose a threat. "How can you two keep an awesome secret like that from your buddies?"

I chuckled. "Actually, my buddies already knew." Klein mimed being stabbed in the heart. "No offense taken, I hope."

Kirito spoke up. "About six months ago, I was scrolling through my skill menu. And it was just… there." That was when he told me about it. I was subtly flattered that he'd trusted me enough to tell me – it probably helped that I had confided in him. Trust begets trust, naturally. "Dual Wielding. But…" He looked down. "If anyone else found out I had a skill like this…"

Klein placed a hand on his chin. "They'd get pissed because you had something they didn't."

I nodded. "That managed to coincide with the rising number of red players. You can understand why we were loath to bring attention and resentment on ourselves. No matter how well a secret is kept, three can know a secret only if two are dead." It was an old saying – particularly apt, given the nature of the game.

"Some gamers are like that, but not me." Klein said defensively. "You're right, though. People would definitely be jealous you had that." He leered at Kirito. "And that…"

I looked over. Asuna was still clinging desperately to Kirito's body. I leaned over and poked the top of her head with an index finger. "You going to stay there all day?" She didn't respond.

Klein still had a smug grin on his face. "Well, they say your character is built by life's challenges, so keep soldiering on, young man."

Kirito looked to the side. "Easier said than done."

"We're going to go trigger the warp gate." Klein turned to look at the three of us. "You coming?" I pulled myself to my feet. I wanted some of the glory for beating a boss without planning anything.

Kirito shook his head. "Nah. I'll catch up later. I need to rest for a bit."

"I heard that. Have a safe trip back." Klein started walking away. I followed him. Before taking more than three steps, he stopped and turned back to Kirito and Asuna. "Oh, by the way… You know how you ran in there, to rescue those Army guys like you did?" Kirito made a sound of confusion. "Well… you know… glad you did." Klein wiped his face. From where I was standing I couldn't see what he was wiping away, but I did see something fall from his hand when he brought it down. "Anyway, I'll see ya." He waved without looking back. I resumed my trek up the stairs to the next floor, not looking back. Kirito and Asuna would be fine by themselves. I didn't need to guard them anymore. "Hey. Rythin." I turned and looked at Klein. He was standing a few steps lower than me on the way to the next floor.

"Yeah?"

"Watch out for those two." Klein grinned. "They're good kids."

I felt a faint smile touch my lips. "Trust me, I do. They're the only two I can stand, after all."

"Ouch." There was no pain in his words, though.

I shrugged. "It's nothing personal. I just hate everyone except for them." I started moving up the steps again, and after a few seconds Klein followed. By an unspoken agreement we didn't talk about what he had said. I checked the party listing at the top left of my HUB. Asuna hadn't dissolved the party, which told me she was taking leave from the guild. She wanted to be with Kirito, and I couldn't blame her. It was different when he was the one who almost died.

I walked up the stairs automatically, delving deep into my own thoughts. Kirito was too important to me to shrug off his death like it was nothing. I suddenly realized what Kirito and Asuna had been trying to tell me. Any death, even if it was mine, was a loss to those who cared about the deceased. I realized how my friends had felt when I had foolishly risked my life to prove that I was strong. Kirito and Asuna were the strong ones. They had the courage to admit that they cared about other people. It was strange, really; it was impossible for me to form strong connections with many people. I literally couldn't care if they died. But somehow, Asuna and Kirito did. I dedicated myself to keeping them alive, while they tried their hardest to make sure everyone survived.

I examined my feelings for the two of them. I cared deeply about their survival. I recognized that as the closest bond that I could form about another person. I knew that if they were to fall, my emotional stability would be shattered. I was placing everything I had in their trust.

Asuna loved Kirito; I knew that now. The way she acted, the way she reacted, to his presence told me all the things I needed to know. I had studied the different forms of social interactions. Friendship, infatuation, lust, and love. I had never expected to see that last one form in Aincrad. Most people took until they were grown to discover what love was. Then again, I thought, nobody here was a child any more. We had all been forced to grow up to survive. Technically, as I was asexual, I didn't have any sexual desires. That didn't mean that I couldn't feel love. However, as an antisocial jerk, that avenue was remarkably limited. I had to form a tight bond of friendship with another person to even be able to care about them, let alone in that way. With Asuna and Kirito as an emotional safety net, I would be able to tentatively feel out other players. If they understood and could accept my various and plentiful problems, it would be possible to form another support for myself. I needed that support. The only people that I could conceive of offering friendship to were those I had already met; Klein and Argo. Those two were the only ones who I could stand for an extended period of time. They knew how I could act and accepted me for who I was. I realized I had been doing them a disservice by keeping to myself. I hadn't realized it, but Klein and Argo were just as willing to be close to me as Kirito and Asuna had been. I told myself I would try to reach out to them. I had a feeling that Kirito and Asuna were growing tired of my dependency. I had to find someone else that could share their burden.

October 19th, 2024

"When I said I wanted to talk to you sometime, I didn't quite mean it this soon." I said, breathing heavily. Argo was sitting just inside the door I was pressing my body against. "What did you do?" She had told me to meet her in that particular house. However, when I arrived at the floor she was staying on, I had been mobbed almost immediately. They recognized me from the images in the daily newspaper as the player with the Unique Skill Future Step.

She twitched her nose. "Just my job, Ry."

"Must you call me that?" I rolled my eyes. Argo had decided that was my new nickname and called me that most of the time. I complained constantly, but it never did any good. "Anyway, now I can't go out in public without being attacked by people." I sank down into the chair opposite from her. "I didn't really want to be in the public eye, you know."

She snickered. "Then why'd you tell me about Future Step?"

"Evidently, I had just received a concussion from something and wasn't thinking straight." I shook my head ruefully. "You work fast, though. I must say I'm impressed."

"Oooh, a compliment from Ry, our friendly neighborhood sociopath. I'm flattered."

"Don't call me that. How'd you do it?"

"It was simple, really." She poked at the table absently. "Those Army people spread the rumors like wildfire. From there, it was easy to fit it into the next edition of the newsletter, especially after you confirmed the rumors."

I nodded. "Very ruthless and profitable. I approve."

"Thank you, thank you. You still don't have it as bad as Kirito, though."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Apparently, several of my associates heard about his Unique Skill as well."

I closed my eyes. "They tracked down his house and camped out, didn't they."

"Yep." Argo's voice was cheery. "Them and about thirty other swordsmen."

I kept a straight face with difficulty. "That's quite a bit. I suppose I should be glad I don't have a skill that works in duels."

We fell silent for a while. It was a comfortable silence, the kind that used to hang between me and Kirito or me and Asuna when we had nothing to say. Argo was equally as ruthless as I could be, selling information to anybody who could pay. I maintained a distance from everybody, but she was right there in the midst of the crowd, gathering information. At any given gathering of people, it was safe to assume she was somewhere in the crowd. I lived my life assuming she was behind every door and hiding under every rug. It made things make a little more sense when she somehow knew everything. I hadn't been surprised to learn that she knew all about me. She hadn't been surprised when I told her everything the night before. Everything being used in the mostly literal sense; I told her about my asexuality and Future Step. I had also discussed being a sociopath and talked to her about my emotional instability and connections to Asuna and Kirito. She had reacted strangely twice – once when I admitted to being asexual and once when I said that my friendship with Asuna was just that and nothing more. Both times she got a far-away look on her face, as if she was weighing pros and cons of the information she had just heard. Argo was someone I could trust despite her profession, strangely enough; her word was her bond. If she said something, it was true. I felt comfortable around her. There wasn't any risk of being betrayed.

I stood up and broke the silence. "Well, I told Kirito I'd meet him on the 50th Floor. I suppose I should go dodge the crowds some more."

Argo looked up at me. "Don't be a stranger. I'd hate to lose one of my best customers." I routinely bought information from her, mostly about anything related to me, Kirito, or Asuna. I cultivated a healthy dose of paranoia, and having her on the lookout for any rumors about me or the two people I cared about was a safety feature. I didn't want to be surprised. "See ya, Ry."

"I doubt I'll be able to stay away for long." I gave her a sardonic grin. "Bye, Argo. And stop calling me Ry." I slipped out of the relatively small house and looked around. I didn't see anybody, and I quickly moved away. I stuck mostly to the shadowed alleys. I knew that my armor was fairly distinctive, and I didn't want to wait for any person to catch more than a glimpse of my armor or my figure. I slipped through the various alleys, sometimes doubling back. It was inefficient and time consuming, but I managed to make my way to the Warp Gate without much trouble. I hesitated on the edge of the clearing, watching the ebb and flow of the crowds as they wandered around. I found a small opening and took it. I moved quickly but calmly, a trick I had picked up during my days at school. I kept my head down and dodged through the crowd. I managed to work my way through the crowd without incident – I sighed in relief as I stepped onto the platform. "Transport, Algade." The warp gate burst to life and I let the light cover my eyes. When it cleared, I was standing on the 50th Floor.

Unfortunately, every eye was on me – a warp gate bursting into light and sound tended to draw attention. I heard whispers starting up about my armor. I heard a definite mention about Future Step, and several people started moving in my direction. I swore and hopped the fence bordering the warp gate, bolting for an alley. Algade's layout was in my favor; it was filled with twisting alleys and confusing passageways. I checked behind me and slowed down – nobody had managed to follow me. I made my way to Agil's item shop. As I popped out of the nearest alley, I heard a shout. A red and white blur blew past me, and I whirled to see Asuna sprinting for Agil's door. I turned the other way and saw several players running in my direction. I blanched and took off after Asuna. She managed to make it to the door and held it open for me just long enough to slip in. She slammed it behind us and we bolted for the inner door. I opened the door and we slipped in. As I closed the door, I heard the outside door open. Nobody would enter the back room without Agil's express permission, so we were safe. Asuna bent over, breathing heavily. "What are we going to do, Kirito? We've got ourselves a huge problem!" Without explaining, she turned to go back outside. I placed a hand on the door to stop her and peeked out myself. Nobody was in there; whoever had followed us had given up and left. I turned back and quickly took in the scene – I assumed that because Kirito's house had been found he had asked Agil for a place to stay. Lisbeth was sitting there as well, likely doing repairs on Kirito's equipment.

We made our way back to the warp gate without incident. Asuna followed Kirito while I went my own way, ducking through back alleys and taking the most twisted paths possible. I reached the edge of the warp gate by keeping my head down. Asuna and Kirito approached from a slightly different path. Nobody had followed them either. "Where to, Asuna?" I asked.

"Knights of the Blood HQ," she replied. Turning to the gate, she said, "Transport! Granzam!" Kirito and I followed her lead. We were greeted by a small detachment of Knights of the Blood guild members. They provided us with safe escort to their headquarters. Several players came out to see what the commotion was about, but were rebuffed by our escorts. Before long, we were shepherded into Heathcliff's room.

"Outside of boss fights, I don't think we've ever met…Kirito." Heathcliff's voice was smooth. Something dangerous lurked behind it, though.

"Well…there was that conference on Floor 67." Kirito said. He was standing beside Asuna in the center of the floor. I had deliberately taken up a position slouching against the wall. When Heathcliff saw me leaning against the wall, his eyes had narrowed but he didn't say anything. He knew that nothing he said would earn my respect. "We talked a little bit there. Commander Heathcliff."

Heathcliff didn't miss the brief pause before Kirito gave his title. He closed his eyes and inclined his head. "Yes, that was a difficult battle, wasn't it? We almost lost a few players there, too." He opened his eyes. "We may be the top guild, but we barely get by with the amount of troops we have. And now here you are, trying to poach one of our best players." I narrowed my eyes. He sounded as if it was a personal insult. "I don't know what to say." His tone of voice was very familiar, but I couldn't place it. It reminded me of how I sounded sometimes.

Asuna started to say something, but Kirito held out a hand to stop her. "If she's that important, maybe you should do a better job picking her bodyguard." I smothered a short laugh. It looked like I didn't have to have that talk with Heathcliff after all.

I couldn't let Kirito have all the fun, however. "Is Asuna really the only competent member among you?" I shrugged. "Then again, that might explain why you're having so much trouble these day."

"You have my sincerest apologies for any troubles you might have had with Kuradeel." Heathcliff folded his hands in front of him. "But you must understand we simply cannot allow our second-in-command to leave the guild, just like that." I exhaled slowly. Kirito and Asuna did the same. Heathcliff opened his eyes and stared at Kirito. "If you want her, you'll have to use your Dual Blades to take her from us." I clenched my teeth, absolutely furious. My rage was slowly starting to wake up. "If you can defeat me in combat, you will be free to take Asuna with you. On the other hand, if you lose, you will join the Knights of the Blood."

Kirito gaped at Heathcliff. I glanced at Asuna – she was looking at Kirito with concern. He nodded, eyes burning with anger and determination. "Yeah, okay. If you want to settle this with swords that's fine by me. We'll have ourselves a duel then."

1) It is really hard to convey just how much of an asshole Rythin sounds like when he wants to try. Just imagine the smuggest tone you can.

2) I wasn't sure on the spellings of the ingredients, so I took a ballpark guess.

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