Shield And Swords

Chapter 11— Forging Bonds

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Original Title: Sword Art Online(ソードアート・オンライン)

Original Concept by: Kawahara Reki

written by: wrathie

Author's Notes: School + Work = Less time for writing, sorry everyone!

Thank you, Bowpurity for the beta!

..

'So that's what happened... I'm sorry for raising it up in the first place, Kirito-kun.'

Heathcliff sighed as he smiled at Kirito, the younger boy looking apologetic as well. They were resting outside of the little cabin after that last fiasco that had raised the tension in the room for quite a bit.

Heathcliff was sure that Asuna was trying to get what had happened from Sachi now just like he did. It had taken a while to know what had happened, Kirito had been quite tight-lipped about it and after knowing what happened, Heathcliff did not hold it against him for doing so. Losing their precious guild mates in such a fashion would no doubt be traumatizing, but seeing how the two of them were able to recover from that loss in such a short while was both admirable as well as a cause of concern.

Even though Heathcliff knew that women in general were much better in dealing with stress and any psychological harm or trauma easier than man due to them being able and willing to talk, share and to seek help from friends about their condition, he doubted that Sachi had done so.

From his observations at how Sachi was able to mow down and to even take on foes in similar conditions to how her friends were killed so casually, she most likely had channelled all her energy, despair and strength to get over that fear.

Heathcliff hoped that at least Sachi was able to mourn for her loss like how Kirito-kun probably did. The boy was strong, but he had also been through quite a lot by himself, both as a beater as well as a solo and that meant that he was probably much better in dealing with such a traumatic situation.

At least Heathcliff hoped that was so.

'You didn't, it was Sachi... she's... never really gotten over it. Not... that I really blame her for it. I can't forgive myself too for what I did... I could have prevented it, but I didn't... That's my regret.'

'At least you were able to save Sachi-san.'

'… That's... I'm not so sure... that's the best thing.'

Kirito's words made Heathcliff pause as Kirito sighed while slipping down to sit on the dirt with a small grunt.

'I'm not so sure... what would I have done if I didn't save Sachi... would I have ended up like that too?'

Kirito asked quietly, the question not directed at Heathcliff but to himself even as the Commander of the Knights of the Blood simply remained quiet, lost in his own thoughts as well.

..

'It's really good, Asuna!'

Kirito couldn't help himself from exclaiming as he dug into the dinner that they had prepared from the materials that all of them had scrounged up together. Asuna was grateful for how her investment in the [Cooking] skill had paid off after seeing Kirito literally devouring his share of the food that she had prepared. It was a simple fair, the main course was a soup with a few side dishes of made most of vegetables like potatoes, turnips and carrots. There was one dish that was called 'mystery food x', not because it was not delicious, but rather the girls refused to tell the boys what meat it was made from.

'You're flattering me, Kirito-kun. It's not that good...'

Asuna blushed even as Sachi shook her head and said that Kirito was right.

'It's really really good, Asuna-san. You might even be better than Argo.'

'So the information gatherer cooks as well... but back to the topic. Asuna-kun, the food you prepared was simply divine. If I had known you had such skill... I would have never have taken so long to recruit you into our guild... Why don't you take up the position of Head Chef''

'Ahaha, you are really flattering me, Commander... but... I got here with my skills with my rapier. Not because of my cooking skills.'

Asuna gave a fierce and challenging glare to Heathcliff, it was obviously something that had struck a nerve, and her glare caused the older Knight to swallow a little before shaking his head.

'Are you certain, Asuna-kun? You would have no problems trying to conquer Aincrad with your cooking alone. All of us will be united under your cooking skills.'

Heathcliff sighed even as Sachi followed her example as she continued eating methodically, her chopsticks were moving at quite a fast pace despite the portion that she was eating was perhaps half of what Kirito-kun was desperately eating.

'Commander... did you forget what you told me...when you recruited me? Something... about how you would treat everyone equally with respect... regardless of gender, skill and level?'

Asuna was twitching in anger now, her entire body going rigid as cracks started forming in the porcelain cup that she was holding in her hands.

'How can food taste so good... I guess that's the power of a necessity... all of a sudden, it seems like the world is so much bigger and there are so many things that we have not experienced in Aincrad... To think that all this was prepared with D-grade materials... Unbelievable.'

Heathcliff was obviously not listening to Asuna at this point, not that he was the only one, Kirito too was nodding in agreement.

'I have decided on a course of action. Everyone, please listen to me.'

Heathcliff crossed his arms sternly even as Sachi and Asuna turned to look at him, expecting, anticipating and fearing his words all at the same time. Kirito on the other hand, continued eating till Sachi reached over to snatch the chopsticks out of his hand to get his attention.

Heathcliff ignored Kirito, who was trying to take back his pair of chopsticks from Sachi and continued, his eyes stern and serious as he declared emphatically to everyone.

'What we have witnessed, eaten and experienced today is truly something divine.. And as such, I shall propose this. Asuna-kun's cooking shall be a secret that shall be guarded on the pain of death within this circle of individuals here. This is not only to ensure that we would all continue to be allowed to partake in a slice of heaven in Aincrad, but to protect the rights, privacy, freedom and integrity of Asuna-kun. To all the members present today, I seek your cooperation to guard this secret with your life. If you do accept my proposal, all of you will be invited to partake in Asuna-kun's cooking at least once a week within the headquarters of the Knights of the Blood as my guest.'

..

'Wait, don't I get a say in this?!'

Even as Asuna tried to stop or to chastise Heathcliff for proposing such a ridiculous agreement for the sake of her cooking, she started to panic even more when Sachi stood up and offered her own terms a moment later.

The black-haired girl was unusually grim as she answered Heathcliff's proposal with serious expression as well.

'Three times a week, and we can invite Argo as well.'

'Only if Argo-san be subjected to the same restrictions, Sachi-san.'

'Argo is a person of her words. We will ensure that no one else discover this secret besides us.'

Sachi nodded her head firmly even as Heathcliff offered a hand to her in agreement, the Leader of the Knights of the Blood giving her a satisfied smile at the quick deduction by Sachi as well.

'Then we are in agreement. From this moment onwards, I, commander of the Knights of the Blood and the members of the Black Cats of the Full Moon shall defend this valuable asset with our lives.'

'With our lives.'

Sachi repeated softly as well, much to the utter horror of Asuna who believed that the two leaders of the guild had gone insane from her cooking. Desperate, she turned to Kirito for help, only to drop to her knees in despair at how Kirito too had gotten up in support of the idea.

'With our lives!'

'T-That's... that's it!'

After a few moments, Asuna finally snapped before shooting to her feet in anger, or perhaps in embarrassed fury at the three idiots in front of her. Who would ever think up such a stupid idea right off the bat?! Either her commander Heathcliff was insane, or she was at taking this idea too far. If this was what could be termed as a normal day in the Knights of the Blood, Asuna really regretted joining the guild in the first place!

Then again, Sachi and Kirito too, the two of them were obviously crazy enough to be led by Heathcliff-san in this little practical joke gone too far. Why was everyone so fixated over her cooking anyway?!

'Obviously some monster has caused the panic or the confused status on all of you. This joke has gone on long enough. Please pardon me, commander, Kirito-kun, Sachi-san... it will hurt... but I have no choice but to knock some sense into the three of you right now!'

She wasn't going to let the three of them have the chance to escape or to defend themselves!

Asuna grabbed a knife from the table before dashing forward, aiming for her commander in righteous fury. The familiar feeling of the system assist aiding her with the execution of [Linear] ensuring that her attack was flawlessly and hopelessly fast.

The sound of the knife striking porcelain could be heard even as Sachi blocked her attack by using an empty plate as a shield for her commander.

'What is this, Asuna-kun? Is this is a sign of mutiny? Men, our precious asset is attempting escape! As the leader of the Knights of the Blood and the proposal of this alliance, I hereby order that we show how Asuna-kun how serious we are regarding this!'

As Heathcliff ordered pompously, those who knew him would have stopped breathing for the smile he had on was a mischievous one, one that had not been seen in years even as the two younger individuals besides him grabbed their own 'weapons' from the table.

'Ahhh... Alright, alright! Since all of you are so serious about this... I'll play with you! If I win, the three of you will have to stop babbling about this embarrassing thing! I'm not JUST a cook! I'm a warrior! And labelling me in a role like that is PROHIBITED!'

An aura of overwhelming rage started to surround Asuna even as the other three realized that perhaps, maybe, Heathcliff's little joke had gone on a little too far. Was it really a joke? The two members of the [Black Cats of the Full Moon] wasn't sure as Heathcliff simply roared with amusement as he pointed a fork at Asuna without flinching.

'That is the spirit worth of the deputy commander of the [Knights of the Blood]! Come, my men, onwards!'

..

What really happened that evening was lost to the annals of time, but what was certain was when the dust settled, Asuna was still able to lecture the other three about proper behavior, decorum and how they should always keep in mind the rights and feelings of others. What was also well known was how after that day onwards, the good relations between [Knights of the Blood] and the [Black Cats of the Full Moon] were firmly established between the leaders and influential members of the group.

Rumours had it that Heathcliff and Kirito became sworn brothers over their drinks in that small cabin, Sachi and Asuna became not just good friends but confidants as Sachi had been the one who had supposedly stopped the two parties from hurting each other in their mini-war.

There were of course other rumours like how Kirito had prostrated in front of Asuna while begging for the leftovers from their dinner and Heathcliff apparently discussing an entire list of inventories to be offered to Asuna for use in her kitchen with Sachi.

The most exaggerated one was of course the grand plans that the three of them drew for a huge kitchen for Asuna's own use in one of the floors of Aincrad.

The secrets of Asuna's legendary cooking skills were of course kept a secret from all the players from Argo till the game was cleared a year later on.

However, one thing definitely happened that day. And that was the sole reason that Asuna agreed to the wishes of the alliance that had been forged between the two guilds.

Asuna partook in the food that Heathcliff, Kirito and Sachi had prepared herself.

It was said that after that feat, Heathcliff had no choice but to declare that Asuna had proven herself more than capable of being the Commander of the [Knights of the Blood], much less of the deputy commander due to her courageous behavior.

How accurate those rumours were of course unverified and only the four members who were there on that day knew the truth of what happened that day.

..

'Where are you heading off by yourself, Sachi-san?'

Heathcliff was happy and proud to admit that it has been a very long since he had so much 'fun' in one day spending time 'playing' together with the younger players. He had always been outstanding even amongst the clearers due to his age and his choice of heavily customized armour that gave him the title of [Paladin] when he started to take a more active role within the clearers as well. It wasn't his doing at first, but he had ended up with players who were nearer his age of the 30s. Perhaps they just deviated to each other as their thought patterns and way of thinking were much more similar as compared to the younger generation of players.

So it was quite a treat as well as a refreshing change to see that there were still players out there who were still enjoying the game, experiencing it while still struggling within it.

Heathcliff could tell that Kirito-kun was enjoying himself when he fought, to a certain extent Asuna was the same as well. She was proud of her own skill and achievements in the game. Sachi on the other hand was trudging on along by herself with her goals and conviction within the game itself, probably to clear it with her own power.

Heathcliff was very glad that he had met the three different individuals and was happy that they had forged a bond and connection between them as well, ensuring that they would meet again. It was a pity that he couldn't persuade Sachi or Kirito to join his guild, but if they could continue the working relationship, and friendship that they had formed today, it would be close to having them in their guild anyway.

'… Heathcliff-san.'

Sachi answered him softly even as she equipped her shield, the Ancient Carapace even as she wore a wolf-skin cape as well. The new set of equipment made Heathcliff a little tense as he closed the door behind him. He had felt a disturbance in the living room here he and Kirito were sleeping in after letting the girls sleep in the only available room in the cabin.

When he sat up, he was quick enough to see that it was Sachi who had left the cabin by herself and had given chase.

'Well? Are you going out hunting again?'

Heathcliff asked patiently even as he started to equip his own shield as Sachi looked unsure how to reply. It wasn't a guilty look, she was just unsure of how to answer and by the time she started again, Heathcliff was beside her.

'Yes I am. We are just a few tens left of meeting the hidden-boss.'

Sachi spoke softly even as Heathcliff raised an eyebrow at her words.

'Hidden-boss?'

..

'So... the hidden-boss of each race would only appear after you kill a set number of monsters within one raid?'

Heathcliff asked patiently even as Sachi nodded in agreement.

'I can't tell you how many, or which Mini-boss races I have defeated. It's confidential. Even Argo doesn't know all the prerequisites of all the hidden-bosses.'

No doubt that Wolf-skin was one of the rare monster-drops from the hidden-boss of the Wolf Race. Heathcliff gave a crooked grin even as he asked Sachi whether it was alright to tell him that.

'Kirito-kun knows as well. But he too doesn't know the prerequisites... and you would follow me no matter what, Heathcliff-san. It is more efficient if I at least told you that much.'

'That's true, is this the first time that you had sneaked away at night by yourself? What if the hidden-boss killed you? What would Kirito-kun think?'

Heathcliff wasn't blaming the girl, he was just curious as to what her reaction would be and was reminding her of what would happen if she failed. Just like how he knew that Asuna-kun had feelings for Kirito-kun, Sachi herself had her own feelings for Kirito as well.

'I won't fail.'

'It's good to be confident and all, but Sachi-san, did you ever fight in the front-lines before. Bosses are on a different level, it's practically impossible to stop a boss's attack or charge by a single player, no matter what your level is. It just doesn't work that way. You might be able to block it's attacks, but that doesn't mean you can hold it off forever..'

Perhaps it was possible when SAO was a MMORPG and not a VRMMORPG. In MMORPG, players could select to play in different views, first player or third player and in general players would prefer third players as it would give them a much better grasp of the situation around them, as compared to in first player where they would be limited to what they could see or pick up with their eyes, their sense of touch and their hearing.

It was something that was quite manageable until one saw how big some of the monsters could be, in such a situation any and every information they could gleam of their surroundings would be important. Missing and being attacked from behind from another monster just because one was distracted could mean the difference of life and death. As such, Heathcliff wondered if Sachi really considered how fragile the players were in the game, especially since she wasn't as high level as any one of them. Even if Sachi had grown two levels today due to the sheer amount of monsters they had cleared, it also showed that she was quite a few levels apart.

It wasn't all bad though as SAO was still governed by the game mechanics itself, and that meant that if the players level themselves enough, the lower floor monsters who might be gigantic still couldn't match up to them. Just like how Heathcliff was able to stall a boss once with his shield. The way the monster flailed at him was terrifying, and the deterioration rate was much higher than his own regeneration rate, it was just stalling for time and not really how a forward and a tank should ideally function.

Such was the unfairness of the levelling system, but it was also a system that they had to work with since they were stuck with it.

'I know. But I won't fall against a hidden-boss. I made a promise... and I intend to keep it. It might be one that I might be unable to truly fulfil or to keep, but if I myself do not believe in it or to act on it... no one will.'

Sachi's answer made Heathcliff pause, it wasn't that Sachi didn't have confidence in herself, she also knew about the perils and dangers of being over-confident in SAO, but the fact remained that for Sachi, if she did not show that confidence in the first place, she won't believe in herself.

It was such a looping ideal that it made Heathcliff chuckle at the sheer incredulous state Sachi was in. It was both admirable as well as pitiful, but more on the former. Sachi was still a diamond in the rough, but her brilliance as well as determination made Heathcliff fired up as well.

'Well, I won't let you die today, Sachi-san, if you would accept my assistance?'

Sachi paused even as she equipped yet another brand new short-sword before turning to bow to him.

'… Please, Heathcliff-san, I would be in your care then.'

For a moment, her eyes showed her fear even as Heathcliff smiled to reassure her.

'I will guard you with this shield of mine, Sachi-san. An ally and friend of mine would never fall in front of me.'

Heathcliff didn't know that those words echoed what Kirito had told Sachi quite a while ago, causing the girl to blush a little before she regained control of her emotions again.

'Shall we? We should be back in around an hour.'

Sachi declared even as Heathcliff gave a crooked grin in response, Sachi-san was harder to tease than Asuna-san as she was perhaps more mature in her ways. But that wasn't a bad thing, he did always admire and was attracted to serious, responsible individuals after all.

..

Even as the two of them left, there was another individual who was peeping from the windows and who had witnessed the entire exchange. She was a little too far to hear what was being exchanged, but Asuna found herself unsure how to truly react to what she had witnessed.

Asuna was pretty sure that today was the first meeting between Commander Heathcliff and Sachi-san, but from the two's quick exchange, the two of them looked as if they were old acquaintances that were sneaking away by themselves.

It was suspicious, really suspicious and her curiosity was getting the better of her by the moment.

After all, Commander Heathcliff was a very different person from how Asuna had imagined him to be. She had of course seen him in battle before, heard him give speeches during the clearer meetings as well as his prowess and ability in battle. She had always viewed him as a serious individual who is both stern and kind, and yet could not tolerate any nonsense. Kind of like the disciplinarian of a school actually. Perhaps kind of fatherly as well if one looked beyond that gruff exterior of his.

But it turned out that he was perhaps closer to them than she had thought. Commander Heathcliff was as serious and stern like she had imagined, but he had also been quite happy to chat with them, to offer advice and to even crack a few jokes with them. He wasn't like a disciplinarian after all, more of like the home-room teacher who couldn't keep himself smiling at the class during home-room, the kind who would buy food for the students out of his own pocket to celebrate their good results at exams and to even stay back to help them with their class's activities.

He was nice, and she was very glad that she had agreed to join the KoB, even if the joke earlier had gone too far.

But to see him pay so much attention on Sachi... well, it wasn't odd, seeing how he already mentioned that he was curious about her. But Asuna just felt that his interest on her was still a bit too much.

'Where are they going anyway?'

Author's Notes: This is one of those chapters that happen once in a blue moon. Hope everyone got a laugh out of it!