A/N: Sorry for the late upload! I had several things to do with college acceptances and financial stuff in the past weekend. Hopefully, this longer chapter will make up for it. It finally starts to flesh out Kirito and Asuna's interactions, in addition to my attempts at following the advice given to me by you guys! Tell me how I did please! Also, this is where the true parts of my story come out, instead of just rehashed cannon. Anyways, still looking for a Beta, and also an internet cookie for the one who can PM me with a theory for why Kirito is farming for the specific items mentioned so far through the story (Hint: Illfang was NOT the primary reason). Please do not post the answer in a review as I want it to remain as a surprise for the others. I just want to see if I'm making my foreshadowing too obvious or not. Anyway, please leave a review, and onto the chapter!
Oh, and could someone give me some directions to making the angle brackets appear without manually adding them in? HTML doesn't like me using them :3
Also, Disclaimers: I do not own anything except my own plotlines etc. etc.
Chapter 9: The End of Innocence
Kirito, Aincrad: Floor 2. Field of Clouds. D+40
"Ahh! A successful day of leveling!" Asuna exclaimed as she ran ahead of Kirito on their way back to the inn. "Wouldn't you agree Kirito-kun?" Turning around, she turned to look at him.
"Hmm." Kirito made a noncommittal noise, busy with his current task.
"Honestly though, I feel like it would've been more effective if someone hadn't insisted on leveling in a field two times further than the one closest to town." She glared meaningfully at Kirito.
"I told you, I was after the drops in that field." Kirito continued walking with his nose buried in his menu.
"Oh? So someone wants to take up tailoring? Who would've thought? The Black Swordsman sitting down and selling designer clothing?" Asuna giggled at the image.
"Not tailoring. Puffcloud Fibers have a different use."
"Really? What info broker did you get that information from? Last time I checked, it was only good for player-made costumes." Asuna's tone practically dripped of sarcasm.
"True, the composition of Puffcloud Fibers is very similar to cotton, which makes it a natural ingredient in tailoring. But even in the real world, cotton has other uses."
"Eh, whatever you say." Asuna's interest quickly changed to a different topic, as she knew how stubborn Kirito was at revealing information he didn't want to. "Well, I'd say that it's pretty impressive that I've leveled up more in a day than you did for the first time in the game!"
"Hmm." One word answers are always best when one has a higher question in their mind. Kirito also neglected to mention that he'd only gained less levels that day due to being far enough ahead of Asuna that the xp required made it practically impossible to level up further on the current floor.
"Are you even listening?" Asuna sounded distinctly annoyed, prompting Kirito to look up for the first time in five minutes. An angry Asuna was a dangerous Asuna.
"Of course. I'd say that it was pretty impressive." With the danger averted, he immediately turned his attention back onto his menu. "Did you know that Akihiko started his career as an archaeologist?"
"What?" Asuna was caught off guard at the sudden change in topic.
"Never mind, I'm just talking to myself." Kirito hurried to divert Asuna's attention. Hmm, wonder why he changed careers." He muttered.
"Maybe he didn't like the pay or the job?" Asuna put in her own thoughts.
"Maybe, but how did he develop the Nervegear when his previous focus had been on the past? The further I look into this, the less sense it makes." Kirito's thoughts were spinning as he tried to connect the Akihiko of today to an Akihiko digging through ancient ruins in search of artifacts of the past. Even for him, the divide between the two seemed too great to be normal, and it scared Kirito more than any boss SAO could throw at him.
"Akihiko is a genius. A mad genius, but a genius nonetheless. His history doesn't matter anymore. All that matters is getting out of this death game." Asuna was starting to sound annoyed again. Kirito's fixation of Akihiko confused her, and she didn't like being confused.
"Hmm, maybe." Though Kirito was still suspicious, he let the matter drop. An angry Asuna was a dangerous Asuna.
Kirito, Aincrad: Floor 2. Travelers' Road. D+40
"Wait." Kirito reached out and stopped Asuna in the middle of the track.
"What?" Asuna's voice sounded dangerously annoyed at being delayed from a bath at the inn.
Ignoring her dangerous tone, Kirito reached forwards and snagged a rope trailing downwards from a tree. "Someone set a trap here. From the location, it's pretty obvious that they aren't after NPC mobs. Though the placement is so obvious, I doubt anyone would've fallen for it."
Beside him, Asuna shifted uncomfortably.
Turning his head, Kirito raised an eyebrow.
"You saw the trap right?"
Asuna hesitated, before replying. "Y-Yeah! Of course I saw it! I was just about to warn you in case you missed it!"
"Right." Kirito deadpanned. "You totally would've fallen for it if I hadn't stopped you."
"H-Hey! I was tired and looking forward to resting at the inn!" Asuna protested.
As Kirito was about to tease her further, he suddenly whirled around, deflecting a thrown spike with his Anneal Blade +9 before it had even left the sheath.
"Come out!" he called.
"Kehehehehe!" A wailing laughter filled the air as six masked figures emerged from the darkening woods.
Kirito tensed as he saw the short stabbing swords held in their hands and the orange cursors above their heads.
"Give us all your items and we might let you live!" the leading figure's mask seemed to grin as he stepped forwards. Beside him, the rest fanned out to surround Kirito and Asuna.
Kirito hesitated, before slowly crouching down and setting his sword on the ground.
"O-oy!" Asuna's protest could be heard clearly as she raised her blade higher in direct defiance to the masked figure.
Kirito remained kneeling, "Give it up; they outnumber use three to one. With you being your current level, you could probably take on one at the most. Even I can't duel five at once while also keeping an eye on you." As he spoke, his eyes shifted around the circle. Ridiculously, he had to stifle a laugh at the names of the players. No matter how he looked at it, U171m473n00bk1ll4hPr0A55A551N was not a normal name. However, Kirito managed to keep a straight face.
Seeing Asuna hesitate, the leader put in his own thoughts. "Kehehehehe! Do as your boyfriend says now and be a good girl! Otherwise, we cannot guarantee your survival!"
Again, Asuna hesitated, before slowly lowering her rapier as well.
"Kehehehehehe! There's a good girl!" As the leader spoke, the bandits tightened the circle, eager to discover the kind of loot they'd get from the two travelers.
Slowly, Kirito opened his menu and brought out the drops they'd looted from the mobs that day. Handing the drops to the leader, he brought out a small jar of cream as well. As his hands neared the leader, the jar slipped from his hands, and Kirito ducked to catch it. Followed by the sound of shattering ceramic, Kirito muttered an apology to Asuna as his hands came into contact with the ground.
Grabbing a handful of dirt, he spun around on his heel, spraying the dust the eyes of everyone around him. As they stumbled back in surprise, his hand was already closing on his Anneal Blade +9. Squinting through the dust, Kirito's sword flashed outwards, cutting through two of the would-be PKers before they could even cry out. The panicked cries of their comrades served to mask the particles breaking apart. As his third strike reached towards his next victim, the figure instinctively raised his arm, and Kirito cursed as he found his sword blocked by pure luck.
With his advantage gone, Kirito retreated back to where Asuna was rubbing her eyes from the last of the dirt he'd tossed in her eyes. As he'd intended, it had prevented her from seeing his two kills.
Similarly, the PK group had also regained their senses, and now fanned out in a wide circle, warily watching Kirito as he held his blade at the ready.
"Where's XXXxxxUltimateProMLG360NOSCOPRxxxXXX and Chucknorris04837513?" The leader called as he scanned his depleted forces.
"Don't know, I'm assuming they ran!" Another shouted back.
"Could that guy have killed them?"
"Nah, he was after me, I just managed to block his sword!"
Kirito could almost see the frown behind the leader's mask as he circled around him.
"I'll be sure to deal with them later. For now, we'll kill these two. Imascrub! You take care of the girl! The rest of us will kill her insolent boyfriend!"
One of the masked figures nodded, before sprinting at Asuna.
In a single motion, Kirito spun around Asuna and landed a devastating kick into Imascrub's stomach.
"Deal with him. I'll take care of the rest." Kirito gestured into the bushes where Imascrub landed.
Hesitating, Asuna asked, "What about you?"
"Two of them ran away, so I can handle fighting three on one."
Nodding her head, Asuna grabbed her rapier from the ground and dove into the foliage.
Behind her, Kirito drew his dagger as well. "Now, Who's first?"
Asuna, Aincrad: Floor 2. Travelers' Road. D+40
Wading through bushes was annoying. The branches grabbed at her clothing, and every rustle of the leaves made her jump. The fact that her opponent was nowhere to be seen also served to set her nerves on edge. Slowly, the clashing of swords faded behind her.
Asuna felt a flash of fear run through her. What would she do if she returned to find Kirito dead, and the other three waiting for her? What if Imascrub killed her while she was blundering through the woodlands?
The thought made her spin around, her eyes searching wildly for something out of place amongst the dense trees. Seeing nothing, Asuna turned back to the front. A flicker of movement in her peripheral brought her sword up in a piercing strike, just missing the tail of a startled rabbit.
Sighing in relief, Asuna tried to calm her pounding heart. In the gathering darkness, the shadows seemed sinister, and every flicker of motion seemed like a blade lunging towards her.
There! Her blade rose again. This time, her Linear shattered a branch which had been waving in the wind. Asuna felt anger at Kirito rising in her chest again. It was his fault that her eyes were still stinging from the dirt he'd thrown. Could he not aim more carefully? In fact, it was probably his fault that they were even in this situation to begin with! If only they'd gone to the nearer leveling field, she'd already be back at the inn, enjoying her bath! What was that stupid Puffcloud Fiber good for anyways?
In her anger, Asuna almost missed the glinting light which came down from above. Scrambling back, she managed to deflect the blade into the earth with her rapier. However, the advantages were all with Imascrub. Desperately, she retreated from the onslaught as she tried to find a break to gather her wits.
The break never came and Asuna found her health dropping to the yellow as another Horizontal managed to break past her defenses. Desperately, she kicked out. Her foot met resistance as her attacker howled in pain, stumbling backwards in a final, fatal motion.
With her eyes blinded by virtual sweat, Asuna blindly lunged forwards, her blade glowing with the first Linear of the chain which had made her famous. Instinctively, the second and third strikes followed almost immediately, along with the fourth and the fifth.
By the time Asuna realized that she was fighting another living player, it was already too late. Her sixth strike halted just in time for her to see Imascrub disappearing in a shower of polygons. Sometime ago, the mask had fallen off his face, and his terrified eyes could be seen clearly even in the gathering darkness.
While Asuna had visualized a demonic, deformed face behind the mask, she found herself surprised at how normal he looked. The dark eyes and black hair could have been from any one of her classmates at the school she attended. In a moment that could've lasted forever, Asuna saw the mouth moving in a single, distinct, terrifying word. Murderer!
Then, the polygons faded, and Asuna found herself plunged into the darkness of night. Murderer! Murderer! MURDERER! Her rapier clattered to the ground as she dropped to her knees.
"No," She whispered.
A white menu popped up in front of her, listing the drops she'd earned by killing Imascrub.
"No, no, NO!" Her terrified scream echoed through the forest as she tried to scramble away from the glowing menu.
Bouncing slightly, it followed her.
"No, I-I'm sorry" she sobbed "I didn't mean to kill you. I only wanted to get back home safely."
The terrified eyes of the person she killed stared back at her in the darkness, haunting her.
Kirito, Aincrad: Floor 2. Travelers' Road. D+40
Kirito sighed as his last opponent vanished in a burst of polygons. The leader of the group had been more skilled than he'd originally thought, managing to parry his strikes for several minutes before a mistake ended his life. However, the battles were done and Kirito needed to find Asuna as soon as possible. Swinging his sword into its sheath, Kirito glanced at the ground, his enhanced eyesight easily picking up the indications of Asuna's path. Nodding to himself, Kirito set off into the forest. The first indication that something was wrong was Asuna's crying. Leaping towards the sound, Kirito sped off in her direction.
It only took one glance at the battle site before Kirito realized what had happened. The discarded rapier and glowing menu were dead giveaways. Cautiously, Kirito approached, dropping down beside her and placing an arm around her shoulder.
Asuna jumped, her eyes searching wildly around her for the ghosts only she could see. Recognizing Kirito, she immediately buried herself in his arms, seeking solace and comfort from her only source of normalcy in the Death Game.
"I killed him" She whispered, "I'm a murderer."
Holding her tightly, Kirito shook his head, "No, you aren't. That player was the murderer. Didn't you see the orange marker? He would've killed you if you hadn't done anything. It was self-defense."
"Still, I killed him. He called me a murderer with his last words."
Kirito cursed to himself. He'd originally planned to ease Asuna into the reality of the death game on floor 3, with the humanoid NPCs. Instead, she'd made her first kill an entire floor before he planned.
"No, Akihiko killed him." Kirito whispered, "In any other game, he'd respawn at the starting town without his gear, and he'd still be alive. It was Akihiko's programming that killed him."
"But I was the one who caused his death. Akihiko made the weapon and I pulled the trigger." Asuna's voice sounded frighteningly fragile.
Kirito had no reply as he tightened his arms around her, seeking to comfort the girl who held the fate of the world in her hands.
Eventually, Asuna's sobs subsided and she withdrew from his arms. "Well? What happened with your opponents?"
Her voice sounded steady and normal, but Kirito knew better. Even with his fellow Spartans, he'd never seen anyone recover so quickly.
He hesitated, before quietly replying, "Two got away, one died."
For a fraction of a second, Asuna's composure broke again, before she regained control over her face again. "How do you stand it?" she murmured, glancing sadly at a spot between two trees.
Kirito hesitated, and then he realized that it would be better for her to hear a part of the truth. It would be good for her to be able to talk with someone who understood. Even if that proved fruitless, at least it could distract her from her current nightmare.
"It wasn't my first kill," he murmured.
Asuna's eyes widened as she heard the first bit of Kirito's past. Momentarily, she found herself distracted by the mystery of her partner's history. "Wasn't your first kill?"
"Yeah, I can't tell you the circumstances yet, not until you're ready. However, I made my first kill a while ago, in a situation that few could comprehend."
Momentarily, Asuna felt a thrill of fear run through her, before she pushed it aside. She had no right to be judging him for killing another when she'd done the same minutes ago.
"D-Does it ever get easier?" Again, the image of the PKer's face flashed through her mind.
Kirito shook his head. "No, but you do become used to dealing with it." Kirito smiled grimly, "It's equally terrifying as it is relieving."
Shaking his head one last time, Kirito grabbed Asuna's hand. Picking up her rapier, he carried it in his free hand as he led her back to the inn.
Kirito, Aincrad: Floor 2. Travelers' Inn. D+40
Kirito sat in Asuna's room with a light blush on his face as he waited for her to come out of the bathroom. Despite being a battle-hardened Supersoldier from five hundred years in the future, he had to admit that his life as Kirigaya Kazuto had changed his views dramatically. To pass the time and distract himself, he brought out the articles he'd been looking at earlier in the day.
The click of the lock brought him out of his thoughts. Looking up, he saw Asuna walking tiredly out of the room.
"Go to sleep, I'll talk to you in the morning." Kirito whispered softly, before turning to the door leading into the hallway.
"Wait." Asuna's voice drifted over to him. "Stay here for today, please. I can't stand the thought of being here alone."
Kirito hesitated, ready to decline the offer before she'd even finished talking. However, her fragile tone made him realize just how troubled she was over that day's events.
Nodding cautiously, Kirito replied, "Alright, but I'm taking the floor."
Guiding her over to the bed, he watched her climb in before lying down on the ground beside her. Slowly, the lights extinguished themselves as the game reacted to their behavior.
Marveling once again at the detail put into SAO, Kirito wondered what it would've been like if Akihiko had never started the Death Game.
Just before he fell asleep, he felt Asuna reach down, doubtlessly searching for comfort. Wordlessly, he gripped her hand as he drifted off to sleep.