There was something extraordinarily comforting about the art of swords. It required precise movements and a steadied focus. Patience was paramount to refine such an art, and that was where most would-be practitioners fell off. Very few had the patience and desire to continually train with the sword, day in and day out, until they had mastered that one particular swing. Repetition on top of repetition, an endless stream of monotonous movements.

In the early mornings, with the sun barely peeking over the horizon, a lone figure could be seen. His eyes closed, framed by oddly delicate dark locks, he made for an interesting sight. He was in a field of grass, glittering from the early morning dew reflecting off the newly-awakened sunlight. Stretching from his hands, clad in a black and gold cloak made out of the finest material, was a sword; it glittered as well, the red-rubied hilt, and its extravagant white length, made of dwarven steel. His feet were parted ever so slightly, and his left hand dangled at his side, clasped loosely.

He started with a simple vertical swing, raising his sword up in the air and bringing it back down in a smooth, fluid fashion. It was nothing special to an outsider, but a trained eye would recognize the motion for what it was. One of the most basic movements he learned, yet one of the hardest. The very first thing he was taught, and almost the very thing that drove him away from his family art.

It was never good enough.

His swings were never strong enough, never graceful enough, and hardly even straight. Even if he practiced for hours and hours, it never seemed to have satisfied his teacher; his grandfather had been beyond strict. For a time, he had resented him so much that he sought to discard the art, to toss aside the sword that had felt so light in his hand.

It took him a long time to figure out why. His movements had always been fluid, if unconventional, and everyone else had always praised his skill with the sword. He had won against everyone in his age group, and even against some of his upperclassmen. There should have been nothing but praise from his grandfather. Yet, the old man gave him nothing but harsh frowns and even harsher corrections.

Kendo was an art, a discipline that was hundreds of years old, filled with centuries of traditions and ideals that he didn't give a damn about. To him, it was just a needlessly fancy way of fighting with sticks. Enjoyable when given free reign over his movements and suffocating under the strict rules dictated by his grandfather. It felt awkward, restrained, whenever he took the formal poses expected of him, imposed upon him.

It was as if he was merely pretending to fight.

It was his sister who urged him to continue, to make full use of his 'talent', and to make their family proud. So he struggled through it, and in a long and arduous process, he crawled to the top of the Kendo world, all the while pretending to understand its teachings and ideals. It was boring to him, to fight in such a restricted manner, no matter how much prestige he garnered or how much 'honour' he gained, it was all so pointless.

It was when his grandfather was on his deathbed, the result of an ailing disease caught too late, that he finally came to a realization. It had never been about winning, or about prestige. It wasn't even about how much stronger he became with the sword, or how many techniques he perfected. It wasn't about honour, or pride, or anything related to tradition.

In the end, it was all about inner-strength.

His grandfather, a man who had lived his life proudly, who had had always radiated strength, always had such a presence about him, had been reduced to a pale, sickly old man. His entire body was dying, and he could hardly move any part of him without excruciating pain. Yet, his eyes continued to radiate that same aura of strength, never showing the slightest bit of weakness. He declined the morphine, declined the hopeless treatments, and accepted his fate with nothing but a grimace. In his final moments, he had given him a single nod, and that was all Kirito had needed to understand.

True strength came from within. It was your will that determined how far you could go. It was a shame that it had taken his grandfather's death for him to finally understand. His grandfather did not simply teach him how to fight with a sword, he taught him how to be strong.

Here, in this virtual reality turned death game, strength was merely an illusion. A world where the power behind every swing was determined by a set of algorithms based on his character stats. Even if you could bring down a monstrous giant with a single swing of your sword, it meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. That very same swing would break upon the next boss, or whatever the game decides to throw in your path. In the end, it was only your inner strength that held true.

He followed his swing upwards, leaving a streak of blue in the air before he slashed down swiftly, leading into a sharp thrust. An invisible opponent visualized in his mind's eye followed his every move, parrying with an invisible sword. The face of his opponent was hazy, yet he could see the contempt and desire to see him fall. Forward and backwards, Kirito continued his shadow dance, faster and faster, until his swings were but a blur, and his movements unpredictable.

It wasn't very often that he allowed himself to break free, to let loose and engage in a fight without any limitations. His training taught him to be patient, to only strike when you locate a weakness. To have a steady hand and a clear head was the most important thing in a fight, no matter the circumstances. In Kendo, or in any fight, it was always important to keep yourself focused. Yet... Kirito often felt the desire to let himself fall completely into the flow of battle, where everything turns into a blur, and there was no longer any room to rely on anything but your own instincts.

It was exhilarating.

Perhaps it was why he had been so drawn to this world in the first place, a world of limitless freedom, to go about anything without the expectations of reality. Everything in this world felt so much lighter. Despite the fact that each of his swords were heavier than anything he had wielded in reality, it still felt lighter in his hands. No pressure to be someone he wasn't, simply a world where he could go about at his own pace.

He picked up his speed. A slash upwards, downwards, and into a thrust. Soon, he lost himself fully into the battle with his nameless enemy. He felt cold, despite the thrill of battle rushing through his virtual veins, he felt a cold anger grip him. In turn, his movement quickened, his intent to overpower his invisible enemy apparent. In his mind, he imagined the face of his opponent; he was mocking, laughing, and sinister. His mind went back to the beginning of the First Day. The red cloaked figure of Kayaba... he remembered, and soon the figure came into life. His enemy was everything he strived to fight against. The oppressor, the murderer, the one invisible hand that lorded over them as if he were a god.

A single thrust through the heart of his invisible opponent, and the battle was won.

Out of breath, Kirito retracted his arm, bringing back the sword that he had plunged forward, and sighed deeply. If only it were that easy. To be able to fight against the creator of this death game in such a way. To make the mad man pay for the countless death and ruin that had fallen upon all of the victims. The damage that had been inflicted upon the players of this game went beyond a simple glance, and he knew that those who survived this game would not be returning unscathed.

"Kirito-kun."

Turning around, he was startled to see the concerned gaze of Asuna staring back at him. Her hazel eyes locked into his, and he immediately put on a smile, refusing to let her know what he had been thinking of. "Asuna," he greeted with a light smile. "I didn't think you would be up this early."

She placed her hands at her waist, in a classical scolding position he had captioned 'Asuna pose number one'. "You weren't in your room, I was worried about you." She walked up closer to him and pushed a strand of errant hair away from his eyes.

"Ah, I just wanted some fresh air... to clear my head." He smiled at her as she looked him over, not even bothered by her mothering. It was cute.

"Hmm..." she murmured. "Is there something bothering you, Kirito-kun? You know you can always talk to me right?"

He nodded, accepting the bottle of spring water that she materialized for him and taking a long drink. "I know, don't worry, I just needed to think about a few things." He sat down under a large willow tree, sitting opposite of the shining crystal lake spanning as far as their eyes could see. It was rather beautiful in the dawn light, glimmering and pulsating with an almost ethereal glow. "I've always found that practicing helped clear my head."

Asuna carefully bunched up the plaid skirt she was wearing before sitting down next to him, their arms touching as she stared at the lake with him. "I can relate, there's something rather soothing about just practicing your form."

Kirito nodded, and sighed before leaning back, his head against the tree trunk. "Things have been rather interesting lately..."

"Why ever do you mean?" Asuna asked with a thin smile. "Certainly you aren't talking about the fact that our front lines are in turmoil, or the fact that a certain someone brought an unconscious girl home last night?"

Kirito groaned. "I didn't ask for any of that you kno—"

Asuna placed her index finger at his lip and he blinked as she smiled at him. "I know, I trust you more than anything Kirito-kun... besides, Sinon-san... from what little you told me, I feel terrible for her."

Sinon was the white haired girl that Kirito had evidently brought back to their cottage on his back; apparently she had fallen unconscious due to some ordeal. Kirito told them briefly, of their shared past, and Sinon's brush with death, and in the end, the girls had been glad to accommodate the girl into their home with little fuss.

There was silence as they both thought back to the white-haired girl that was currently sleeping in one of their guest rooms. Sinon looked so much younger when she was asleep... a rather large contrast with how she appeared when awake. Cold eyes and a blank expression, he had always thought her empty expression seemed out of place from the brief interactions he had had with her, and now he knew why. The small smile on her sleeping face suited her a thousand times better.

"How is she?" he asked softly, wondering if she had awoken.

"Still sleeping, I think one of the twins were watching her in case she wakes up and ends up confused." Asuna smiled at the thought, they had been so eager to help. "Though I think she would rather see a familiar face when she wakes up."

Kirito nodded. "I was planning on being there."

Asuna stretched out her legs and continued to sink into the comfortable silence that had settled around them. Kirito had never imagined being able to just settle comfortably next to a girl, as they had always made him nervous with their actions. He could barely understand his own sister Suguha, let alone the other girls around his age. Yet... with his girls, he never had that problem, and was content to just spend time doing nothing with them. With Asuna, he often found himself joined by her in moments of peace, just enjoying the cool breeze and not saying much. He looked at the girl beside him fondly, her brown, chestnut colored hair framing her pretty face. Kirito could freely admit that Asuna was entirely special in his eyes.

The beautiful girl beside him let out a cute noise of surprise as Kirito abruptly stretched his arms out before yawning and settling his head down onto her lap. He hid a smile as she huffed before settling her hand onto his head, smoothing out his hair almost rhythmically.

Asuna smiled at the sight of the famed swordsman sleeping on her lap. Kirito, although a lover of naps and relaxation, rarely had time for it these days. She wouldn't say it to his face, but she found it adorable when he slept out in the open. It was too cute, and she had the image crystals to prove it.

Softly running her hands through his dark hair, and watching as his eyes closed and his expression relaxed, she murmured, "you know Kirito-kun, it's okay to rely on us sometimes..."

"Hmmm...?" His sleepy reply brought a smile to her face.

"You don't have to do everything by yourself, you know we'd do anything to help you." Asuna lightly pinched his cheek as Kirito was starting to doze off.

"Ow." Kirito winced. "So violent, Asuna."

"Oh stop whining, I know you were listening."

Kirito remained silent for a few moments, before sighing. "I know." He knew more than anyone just how willing his girls were to help him.

"You don't have to do everything by yourself," Asuna stated pointedly. "We're pretty good ourselves you know."

"Yea... I know." He felt pride rise up, remembering just how far his team had come since the early beginnings. There was no other team in the world he would rather have guarding his back. "I just don't want to see any of you hurt."

Asuna sighed loudly, glaring down at him in an exasperated expression. "And you think we do? Kirito-kun... that's not fair..."

"I'm sorry," he amended, knowing he shouldn't have said that.

"Without you, Kirito-kun, we... we wouldn't be here." Asuna knew that for certain. In the beginning of this death game, she had been ready to throw herself into the abyss, and if she had not died due to her inexperience then she would have died from her uncaring actions.

The friends she had now, the bonds and dreams she had... they were all because of him. The ernest boy resting his head in her lap, the one with the boyishly cute face and the inner strength that was surely unparalleled. It was his strength, and his kindness, that had drawn all of them together. With Kirito, everything was clear... everything was warm. To see this game through, and to be able to see him... everyone, at the other side. That was her goal.

There was a solemn silence before Kirito took one of her hands into his own and squeezed tightly, reassuring her. "I'm sorry... I'll try and rely on everyone more," he promised, looking up into her sad eyes. "It's not fair to you, to everyone else."

She nodded, "You better, Mister Leader."

They shared a smile, a smile between two people with the closest of bonds.

A gentle breeze rolled through the clearing, ruffling his dark hair, bringing about a melancholic air, as the rustling of leaves and the gentle sounds of nature filled his mind. It was such a nice day. He wouldn't have minded if they just spent the rest of the day like this, all of them, just relaxing and enjoying this beautiful setting. No matter what this world had become, there was no one who could deny that it was simply stunning in its beauty. Another world that sought to override reality with its own impossible beauty.

"Hey, Asuna..." he murmured softly, his voice almost a whisper. "If I wanted to just remain like this forever... would you follow?"

There was a short pause.

"Of course." Asuna peered deeply into his own eyes, with her own orbs shining with her conviction. "All of us, without a second thought."

He smiled. As I thought.

"I'm glad... though I would never ask that of you, or the girls." He closed his eyes, seemingly in thought. They all had their families at the other side after all, and surely it was what kept them going. "Giving up and living here forever... I know none of you would be content with that..."

He felt something soft and silky tickle his face, and he blinked open his eyes to see that a shadow had fallen over him. Rather, a curtain of beautiful chestnut-coloured hair settled around him, and he felt himself lost as the only thing he could see was the beautifully clear eyes of the beauty before him, her rose red lips pursed as she neared his face. He felt his heart quicken and his eyes widened as she closed the distance.

"Asuna, what—"

For the second time that day, her index finger stopped his words, and soon she was inches from his face.

She looked deep into his eyes, and Kirito found himself drawn into her hazel orbs, a feeling of something rising from within him. Her hands reached up to caress his cheek, and he marvelled at how soft and gentle her hands felt. He vaguely realized that his heart felt as if it was beating outside of his chest.

"Kirito-kun," she spoke ever so softly, and smiled down at him. "You really..." She inched her face closer. "Know..." Her whisper sent shivers down his spine. "Nothing..."

Then, she kissed him.


The very first thing she noticed when she woke up was the fact that she was comfy... very comfy. Her eyes struggled to open as she noticed the gentle embrace and softness of the blankets and pillows that surrounded her. It was almost as if she was floating upon a bed of clouds, such was the level of her comfort. Elsewhere, a gentle breeze flowed through the room, almost lulling her back to sleep with its light caress. Truly, she must have died and awoken in some sort of heaven.

She felt tired.

Yet, it was not the familiar feeling of tiredness that had frequently plagued her. It wasn't the tiredness that was a result of her fear and anger, a result of her feelings of helplessness that kept her up, restless and weary. No, this was the tiredness that came after a good night's rest, a feeling associated with having slept so long that her body felt too rested. It was quite a foreign feeling to her.

Her half-lidded eyes blinked open, and she let out a soft yawn as she tried to gather a sense for her surroundings. The room she was located in was unfamiliar, but she was not afraid. It seemed that she was in a victorian-era room, with the walls painted a light-blue. The bed she was currently resting on was a king sized four-poster bed that was almost too comfortable to be real. Not that she was complaining as she stared up at the ceiling of the bed aimlessly, her mind becoming a whirlwind of thoughts as she realized where she was.

Sinon could hardly reconcile what had happened last night. She had all but accepted her death long ago, ever since losing her closest friends on the 17th floor. Yet, as the strange black haired boy had saved her from a dangerous tumble off of a snowy cliff, and brought her back to safety, her world had swiftly began to change.

The boy from her past...

She had always known about him, a frequent visitor of her dreams, one of the few warm memories she had of her childhood. Sometimes she daydreamed about the boy with such a kind heart, wondering where he was or if he even recognized her. To think that she would finally meet him in this world... it was almost too much of coincidence to believe. Fate had never been kind to her, but in that moment... it was as if someone had been looking out for her.

Blinking, she brought up a hand to her face, and was surprised to find tears there. She was crying, but she did not feel sad. No, she felt... content... for the first time in a long while, she did not feel as if she was weighed down by the world. For such a long time, she had been lost, unable to look forward. Her past weighed heavily on her, crippling her, and making her unable to imagine a future.

Kirito...

To think that he would be that person. Perhaps the most famous player in this game, he was a figure that everyone knew. She knew him for the simple fact that he was seemingly her polar opposite. To fight on the frontlines straight from the beginning, to carry himself with no fear, to risk his life everyday for a goal that many thought was unreachable. Yet there was always a sense of awe that accompanied his name. With each accomplishment, with each floor cleared, the feeling of awe grew, as well as the feeling of hope. For many of the lost players in this world, he was their hope. All this time... he had been hers as well, from the very beginning.

She was brought back from her thoughts when she noticed the fluttering of the translucent curtains around her, and was startled when a flying creature of some kind flew in front of her, tilting its head as it peered into her eyes. It was a dragon, or at least some sort of miniature sized dragon, as its wings and tails were dead giveaways. Sinon gave the dragon a tentative smile, and was surprised when it mewled loudly in happiness and began to circle around her. She laughed, the sound echoing through the room and sounded decidedly clear.

It was when she decided to finally sit up, and when the friendly dragon decided to perch atop her ahead, that she noticed the single pair of eyes that were looking at her from the end of the bed.

She blinked. They blinked.

"You're awake!"


There was something definitely awkward about the scene in front of him.

It wasn't a bad scene by any means, but it was not what he had expected at all. Walking back to the house in a daze, with a happily humming Asuna by his side, it was only until he had arrived past the wooden gates that he had realized that he still had a very alarming situation back at the house. That situation was in fact a girl by the name of Sinon, and he had hoped to be home before she woke up, in an unfamiliar room and to unfamiliar faces.

Yet...

As he looked into the living room, at the group of girls laughing and talking as if they were old friends... he didn't know what to think. He was snapped out of his thoughts as Asuna gave him a pat on his back before walking towards the group, her eyes lingered on his, and he felt himself becoming flustered. His hands automatically reached towards his lips, and he found his heart beating unnaturally fast again.

Girls, he thought to himself, and merely leaned against the wall, content to observe the group at his leisure. There was a definite need of a discussion between Asuna and himself... but he had no idea when and how he would even begin. The girl in question had merely walked back to the house with him with a spring in her step, humming happily along the way. For now he decided the most prudent thing to do was to shelve the mass of nervousness and happy feelings for another day.

Shaking his head, he moved deeper into the cottage toward the atrium, where he was immediately noticed by the girls who had been laughing.

"Kirito-kun!" A few voices said at the same time, and he smiled at Lisbeth and Silica. Argo gave him a large grin and he nodded at her.

His hands waved a greeting before he took a seat on the single armchair facing the rest of the group. In the large, open atrium of their personal cottage—though certainly big enough to be considered a villa—seated around a glass coffee table were two large comfortable sofas, were five girls. To the sofa on his left, Argo and Lisbeth sat in their usual respective manners; Argo lazily sprawled across the arm rest nearest to him, while Lisbeth sat primly with a teacup in her hands. To his right, sat Silica, Sinon, and Asuna who had just joined them.

"Sinon," he called out quietly, looking over at the blue haired girl with a careful eye. She was dressed simply-a white shirt with black capris-a far cry from the hooded figure that he had interacted with in the past. He thought she looked lighter. "How are you feeling?"

Sinon gave him a small smile as she looked at him, a steaming cup of tea in one hand, and the cup plate in the other. "Much better, Kirito-san," she answered softly.

"That's good..." Kirito was relieved and he smiled back, with a hand behind his neck awkwardly. "I wasn't so sure with what happened yesterday."

The blue haired girl nodded, looking down at her tea. "Thank you for saving me... really," she said softly, not quite meeting his eyes. Her words held a deeper meaning.

The girls around him shared a knowing look. They had been told of her circumstances from Kirito, albeit a very brief version which had reminded them of Sachi. Asuna in particular, had resonated with her story deeply, knowing just how despair could affect you in this world. They knew better than to pry the quiet looking girl for more information however, and would not ask her to share her story unless she wanted to.

"Of course." Kirito smiled, relieved that the girl that he had somehow managed to rescue yesterday appeared to be in much better shape. They shared another awkward moment between one another, with neither of them knowing what to say, while the other girls remained silent.

"Ah hum..." Argo coughed lightly from her corner, her brown eyes staring intently into Kirito's own. "And where did you run off to this morning, Ki-bou."

Awkward silence broken. Kirito raised an eyebrow at the curly auburn haired girl that was stretched out like a cat before him. "Training," he answered simply.

"Is that so~," the cat-like girl said with a large smile before turning towards the long haired girl on the opposite couch, "is he telling the truth, Asuna-chi?"

Asuna, who was in the middle of pouring herself some tea, looked up in surprise. "Hmm, I suppose he was," she answered slowly, almost deliberately. "Although it looked more like play fighting to me." Her eyes were filled with mirth as Kirito gave her a small glare.

"Oho, was he doing that weird shadow fighting thing again?" Argo snickered.

"Oi, don't look down on my training methods!" Kirito defended. "It's a serious application of self-reflection, where you visualize an opponent and try to..."

The girls were giggling together. Kirito rolled his eyes, though he held back a grin as he knew they were merely teasing him. Even Sinon was giggling with them.

"Kirito-sama." A voice called out to him from his right, and Kirito looked up to see the figure of a blue haired girl smiling down at him. Her hair was tressed down to her shoulders, decorated solely by a hairpin in the shape of a rose. She was cute in many ways, but the most prominent feature of the girl was the fact that she was wearing a full-on french maid outfit. Indeed, her attire looked straight out of the 19th century, though it showed essences of a unique flair with gold trims and neat white frills.

"Rosy," Kirito greeted with a smile, looking at the large silver tray that she expertly held with one hand.

"I've brought tea and snacks," the maid informed him softly, and before he could protest, she sat the tray down onto the table and began to prepare the tea. With precision that only shocked Sinon, the maid began to pour the tea into the elaborate looking tea cup. It was a sight that wouldn't have looked out of place at any of the most traditional tea houses in Kyoto, except for the choice of attire.

"Thank you, Rosy," Kirito replied, taking the offered cup of tea, enjoying the light floral scent of crysthanamum and other herbs that he could not quite pinpoint. "I see you girls have outdone yourselves."

Rosy beamed at him, sharing a smile with Asuna and Lisbeth. The three of them had taken upon themselves to be the resident tea experts, experimenting with all sorts of flowers and herbs. Kirito, though preferring coffee to tea, could not deny that he was steadily being converted.

Taking a light sip, Kirito could only smile at the taste; it was not too sweet, but quite subtle with all of the unique flavours balancing each other out. Leaning back into the comfy armchair, he sighed with contentment. The early mornings that he shared with the girls was a routine that he highly enjoyed. The morning light, filtered in softly through the floor to ceiling windows of the atrium, washing everything with a warm glow.

Sinon was wide-eyed as she stared at the maid before her, dutifully refilling the bowls around the table with the snacks-cookies and shortcakes that made her mouth water-and could only look around her in confusion as everyone around her continued their light conversations without a care in the world. When the maid had entered the room, she had thought that it was some sort of hired NPC, given how she greeted Kirito and the way she was dressed. However, it was clear that the pretty blue-haired maid was in fact another player.

A player that quite clearly enjoyed being a maid.

Rosy, having finished refilling the snacks and replacing the teapot, took the serving tray with both hands and bowed in the direction of the only boy in the house. "Kirito-sama," she said in that soft, demure tone of hers. "Your schedule is clear today."

Kirito gave her a nod of thanks, and watched as she walked out of the room.

Sinon was quite flabbergasted.

"Wow... you guys really take this whole royalty thing seriously don't you?"

Kirito almost spat out his tea, as he stared at Sinon who was still in a state of shock. He had forgotten just how odd things appear from an outsider perspective.

The girls giggled at his expression of embarrassment, none more so than Argo. "Hah! You should've seen the twins back when they first joined us."

Lisbeth laughed. "Didn't they used to call him 'Master'?"

"If I recall correctly, they started with 'Lord'," Asuna added, her eyes filled with mirth.

"Oi!" Kirito interjected, desperately trying to keep his embarrassment from showing.

"Um... wasn't it 'Your Highness' after a while?" Silica chimed in with a thoughtful expression, causing the rest of the girls to laugh harder.

"Silica, not you too," Kirito said in a betrayed voice, though a hint of a smile could be seen on his affronted face. "I keep telling them to just call me by name..." Though it was futile by this point.

Argo gave him a knowing smirk. "You just gotta accept it Kiri-bou, think of it as your punishment for trying to run away from us after the first floor."

Kirito blinked owlishly. "I did?"

"You did," Lisbeth chimed in happily. "Besides, I think the whole prince theme fits you perfectly."

"Agreed," Asuna added, nodding with Silica.

Sinon sipped at the delicious tea in her hands, bemusement showing on her face at the antics going on around her. Once again she was reminded of the warmth that seemed to radiate from the dark haired boy before her.

"I dunno why you keep rejecting it Kiri-bou~" a certain whiskered girl said with a large grin. "You told us it was your nickname in school."

Kirito palmed his face at the inquisitive look sent by both Sinon and Silica. "I should've never told you three."

Asuna, Lisbeth, and Argo shared a knowing look. They had all enjoyed learning about Kirito's past, and had done their best to pry as many details out of the boy as they could.

"Um... why was Kirito-kun called a prince in school?" Silica asked, her head tilted cutely to the side. Apparently she had missed this story, but Silica was always eager to know more stories about her favourite dark-haired boy.

"Don't say anything," he warned the three girls who had opened their mouths ready to speak. Silica pouted in turn.

"I would also like to know." Sinon continued to sip at her tea primly, but her eyes clearly showed a high level of interest.

The girls all smiled, and Kirito muttered, "Never telling another school story..."

To say he was embarrassed about his time in school was an understatement. The three girls had all guffawed at him when he explained how he used to get out of love confessions and crowds of girls. Of course, it was only recently that he could look back and see how distracting girls before they fully confess to him with his charm only served to lead them on and ultimately inspiring them to come after him with renewed vigor.

"Save the story for later...?" he pleaded.

Argo merely smirked, and opened her mouth to respond, but was beaten to the punch.

"Certainly, Kirito-sama," the white-haired newcomer of the group said with a serious tone.

There was silence. Then, the laughter of the girls filled the air as well as the groan of an embarrassed teenage boy.


It was shortly after the breakfast—turned—brunch, when Sinon found herself sitting on a lounge chair on the large open deck adjoining the atrium. The midday sun was gentle, and the well-regulated temperatures of the floor, coupled with the cool breeze coming from somewhere in the south, only served to relax her further.

She had been deathly afraid in the beginning, after being startled by the smallest girl in the house—Silica had of course apologized for scaring her—and being led into the main floor to meet the rest of the girls. She was uncomfortable with others, which was why she had sought comfort in solitude, afraid of past mistakes and afraid of making future mistakes. She had fully expected the residents of the cottage to treat her with suspicion and unfriendliness.

Yet, the three girls that had met her in the atrium were exceedingly nice. Argo had greeted her with a knowing smile and a small bow, before commenting on her choice of attire which had sent a flush to her cheeks. Lisbeth immediately transferred over some more comfortable clothing—to which she had immediately protested, not wanting to be a bother—that had fit her much better than the standard default sleeping set. Silica had brought her some tea and before she knew it, they had sat her down onto the comfortable couch and began to slowly converse with her.

They had only spent an hour talking before Kirito and Asuna had arrived back, but in that short period of time, Sinon found herself happily taking part in the conversations that followed. They were friendly... exceedingly kind, and did not ask her for a single explanation as to why she had seemingly shown up overnight at their house.

Sinon was at a lost. Peace and tranquility did not come easy to the white-haired girl, not when her dreams were often plagued by nightmares of her past. Yet here she was, undoubtedly in peace, feeling lighter than ever.

"Care for some lemonade?" A voice rang out from the entrance, by the large glass doors.

Asuna was the beautiful chestnut-haired girl that Sinon did not have the chance to meet earlier in the morning. From their brief greeting, and the few moments of conversation that they had shared, Sinon had already come to like her. Asuna was kind, smart, and remarkably intuitive; the other girl's eyes held a considerable amount of understanding.

"Thank you," Sinon said with gratitude as she took the cool glass of lemonade offered to her, the cubes of ice clinking.

The long-haired beauty smiled at her before taking a seat next to her on another lounge chair. "I hope you've been enjoying yourself here. Please let us know if you need anything."

"Oh, please don't mind me." Sinon waved one hand in alarm. "I… I've already intruded so much, and you've all done so much for me!" Her eyes were wide as she looked at Asuna.

"Alright… but seriously let me know anything changes okay?" Asuna replied earnestly, before relaxing fully onto the lounge chair with a small smile.

Sinon nodded, and simply sipped at her lemonade, letting out a noise of contentment at how sweet the drink was. In just a few short hours, she had already been exposed to such an amazing array of food and drink that had already blown away her preconceptions. She was almost tempted to pick up the cooking skill when Asuna had revealed that she had in fact prepared everything they had for brunch.

In the background, loud shouts and laughter could be heard coming through the open door. Kirito could be heard trying to keep the peace as the angry voice of Lisbeth pierced the air. The laughter of Argo and Silica, as well as the sound of running feet could be heard as the group was likely subjected to another one of the many antics provided by their resident information broker.

The group's dynamics had been odd to observe as an outsider, but the more Sinon observed, the more she was amazed. In this household of many girls and one single boy, she was surprised to see that it was held together so tightly. It wasn't a big secret as to why everyone in the house got along so well. Though she knew that the girls were all very close friends with one another, the dark-haired boy in the house was what held everything together so perfectly.

Kirito was often pulled into conversation from left and right, the girls looking for him for acknowledgement more than anything. It would have been amusing if not for the fact that eyes seemed to lit up when his gaze was shared, and that laughter spilled easily when in his presence, or the fact that smiles were permanent fixtures on their faces in his presence.

More than that, it was the things left unspoken in the minutiae of conversations, the unconscious touches of kindness, the eyes filled with understanding and support that was ultimately what caused the girls to gravitate towards the dark-haired swordsman. Sinon felt a sort of longing that she believed had long since been suppressed. It was the longing for a family… a real family.

"Asuna-san," Sinon said softly, eyes peering at the distant mountains. "How did you first meet Kirito-san?"

"Kirito-kun?" Asuna asked, her smile evident, as she thought about the question more however, her smile became muted. "…It was not a very good first meeting."

Sinon turned to look at her, noting the hint of sadness on her voice. "From the way you guys interact, I would have thought you were all childhood friends."

Asuna giggled. "Is that right? Though I do agree with you, we're very close to one another." She looked fondly over her shoulders into the atrium where a loud scuffle could still be seen taking place. "But it wasn't always like this… none of us knew each other until we started this game."

"Really? Not even you and Kirito?"

"Really. Though I suppose Argo was friends with Kirito from the beta testing… before what happened."

Sinon was surprised with how forthcoming the girl next to her was with the information. Even now, after 49 floors of the death game, beta testers were still not treated the same as a regular player. "So then how did you two meet?"

"We didn't really meet normally… Kirito-kun found me first." Asuna hugged her knees close to her as she remembered the early days, those dark times had been a blur to her, but never quite forgotten. "I had been grinding away aimlessly for days you see. Killing the same type of mob, not quite caring if my health points fell to nothing or if I managed to get lost. I could not remember if I was eating or sleeping during those times."

Sinon remained silent, though the shock was apparent on her face. She as well, remembered those dark early days where many players leapt off the edge of the world, and the amount of despair that had permeated everything.

"I remember very clearly, the moment he called to me, and spoke to me. Like I was finally awake for the first time…" Asuna closed her eyes remembering the dark-haired boy who had offered her his assistance without asking for anything in return. "He gave me water and bread—the blandest thing I've ever had, yet at that time, it was the most delicious thing in the world. He then told me not to give up hope, to believe in him if I could not believe in anything else." It was a ridiculous thing to ask, to put all your hopes onto a stranger. "But you know… I did believe in him, as crazy as it sounds."

Sinon did not believe that it sounded crazy at all, giving her a small nod.

"It was days later that I found him at the gathering place for the first boss, and it made me realize that he could do it—and that I could help." Asuna's cheeks were flushed with red as she remembered the next part. "I—I then told him to take responsibility."

"R-responsibility?" Sinon asked, embarrassed, her mind trying to connect the dots that were not quite there.

"For making me believe again," Asuna answered quietly. "For giving me hope when I had none… for a lot of things." The last part was said in a whisper.

Asuna had an emotion on her face that Sinon could not pinpoint. "I see," Sinon said contemplatively.

"And after that, I met with the rest of the girls for the first time, and together we trained for the first floor boss… eventually beating it, and the rest is history." Fond memories of those times filled Asuna's thoughts; of the struggles in the beginning, of the scattering of dark moments in their shared history, and of the uncountable moments of happiness.

Sinon looked pensive. "Thank you… for sharing that with me." Her mouth took on a wry smile. "It seems like Kirito-san has a habit of saving others."

"That he does." Asuna giggled. Together, the two girls shared a look of understanding and solidarity. They both had been saved by the kindhearted dark-haired boy after all.

"I…" Sinon began, after a moment of contemplative silence, "would like to share with you—all of you—my story… yet…" She turned quiet.

Asuna slowly reached out and took a hold of one of the white-haired girl's hands, gripping them gently with both of her own. "We understand," Asuna said softly. "You don't have to say anything right now… just take your time."

"Thank you." Sinon was relieved, a thankful smile on her face.

The long-haired beauty stretched out her arms above her, before yawning. "I think I'll head inside and start thinking about dinner. But before that I'll show you to your room.".

Sinon got up with Asuna, and hesitantly started to follow the other girl into the cottage. "I—I really don't need my own room, Asuna-san."

"It's no problem, Sinon-chan! We have tons of room," Asuna replied immediately. Their cozy villa-sized cottage had been continuous upgraded since the first day they bought it, and it could easily accommodate an entire raid party by this point. "Did I mention we have an in-ground pool on the second floor?"

Violet orbs widened in surprise… then turned hungry. "Show me!"


After dinner, and shortly after the sun had set, Kirito found himself alone on the deck of the cottage, looking out at the serene lake. The clear lake reflected the night stars and the bright moon, it was glittering beautifully. The dark-haired boy leaned forward, elbows resting against the railing and looked out contemplatively at the distant mountains.

Their white-haired guest had gotten along splendidly with everyone, even managing to join the conversation during dinner. He had expected her to be reluctant and shy, maybe even resentful at his actions—forcibly 'rescuing' a girl by bringing her into your home was not the most innocuous method. He was glad that she did not seem to resent him, and from his careful monitoring over the day, he could tell that she was enjoying herself. Asuna seemed to have resonated with the girl especially, and he noticed that Sinon was especially relaxed in the other girl's company. Silica in addition, seemed to have gained another idol in Sinon when the older girl talked about how she used her spear as a solo player.

"Ki-bou~" A soft voice called out to him from the right, and Kirito smiled at the small girl who joined him at the railing. "Trying to sneak off again are you?"

"And why would I ever do that?" he asked humorously, giving the shorter girl a wry look. Although her continuous antics involving his person had slowly tapered off, he was still wary of Argo in a lot of ways. Especially when she owned several compromising picture crystals of him, and insisted on collecting more.

"No reason," she stated cheerfully, and happily scooted over so that her arms were touching his own. Her auburn locks were less curly than usual, and she had managed to change into a onesie with a cat and mouse motif while he wasn't looking.

"What do you think?" she asked expectantly.

Kirito had to admit that she looked rather cute. "It suits you," he told her.

Argo beamed happily, giving him a small twirl before settling beside him once more. "Ashley-dono made it for me, as part of her new silk pajama series."

"Pajama series?" Kirito asked hesitantly.

"Mmhm. The pre-orders have already been sold out for weeks you know. It'll be all the rage once she finishes her tweaks," Argo said, a large smile on her face. "All of the designs are based on us ya know~"

Kirito opened his mouth, almost on the verge of asking if one of the designs were related to himself, but then hastily closed it.

"That's... great," he said aloud, and then quickly tried to move the topic onwards, "try to keep it within our budget though... as much as I enjoy seeing all of you in cute outfits, we're on the verge of being in the red this month."

"Cute huh?" Argo asked slyly, a grin forming on her whiskered face. "You're not really convincing anyone Kiri-bou... but no matter, I suspect this endeavor will actually net us quite a bit of profit actually."

Again, Kirito had questions that he did not want the answer to. Instead, the dark-haired boy gave the smaller girl beside him a wry grin before looking back onto the shimmering lake. The night was quiet for the most part, with the silence being filled with the natural sounds of the mountain; with cicadas singing, the trees rustling in the wind, and the calming flow of the vast lake before them. In the background behind them, he could hear the voices of girls talking and laughing, a sound that was equally as calming as the perfect scenery around them.

"Is everything in order regarding the front lines?" Kirito asked, his hand resting against one cheek as he thought back to the ordeal that had occurred with the 50th floor boss one week ago. The fallout had been dramatic to say the least, and the front lines were still reeling from the loss of life.

Argo frowned, her brows furrowed in thought. "Yes... a few bumps here and there, but everyone should be there at the meeting tomorrow."

The girls had been furious at the more outspoken clearers who had tried to lay the blame on Kirito. Argo had more than a few words to say to the DDA members, all but destroying them with her sharp words. Kirito would have found the sight of the diminutive girl shouting at the much larger boys humorous if not for the graveness of the entire situation.

"Good... thank you."

Argo huffed, arms crossed unhappily. "Ingrates... I almost dare any of them to miss the meeting tomorrow. The sheer nerve of those…" Several profanities were muttered under her breath.

Kirito gave her a small smile. "It's alright, Argo. No need to be angry on my behalf."

"It's not alright..." She muttered back, staring at him piercingly. "I don't like it when others think badly of you."

"Argo..." Kirito had to blink as the small girl before him lost much of her known humour.

"It's just... don't they realize how much you are shouldering? How happy they were to lean on you—on all of us—until now, and all of a sudden you're to blame for deaths that were unavoidable?" she said angrily. "You should be mad, Kiri-bou!"

Kirito was smiling.

"Argo... thank you," he said seriously, giving the frustrated girl in front of him a pat on the head. "Really, thank you."

The pat on the head caused Argo to stumble forward, her head somehow coming to rest against Kirito's chest. "K-ki-bou?" She stuttered into his warm chest.

"It's enough that you are angry on my behalf," the dark-haired boy said softly, the closeness of his voice sending shivers down her spine.

All the anger melted out of the smaller girls in an instant, and a touch of red coloured her cheeks, though unnoticeable in the dim outdoor lights of the balcony. The scent of fresh grass and something sweet much like vanilla hit her nose, and she sighed deeply into Kirito's chest. Her arms wrapped around the boy before her, and Argo hoped that somehow she could manage to stay in this position for the entire night.

"You are really not fair, Kirito-kun..."


Exiting the large bathing room, Kirito sighed contently as the cool night air hit his skin, cooling him down from his time in the steaming pool. It was late in the night, and the girls had all headed off to bed shortly after taking their time in the baths. The sounds that had come from the second floor had been… concerning and at the same time, exciting in many ways.

Shaking his head from his hormonal thoughts, the lone boy in the house began to head towards his room near the end of the hallway. His room was the one nearest to the balcony, while the girls shared the needlessly large master bedroom. Though they had many bedrooms to spare, the girls had apparently gotten used to sleeping near each other, and had installed multiple beds in the suite instead. Sinon had been given the room directly across from him.

As if materializing from just his thoughts, he spotted the white-haired girl leaning against the railing of the balcony, looking up at the bright moon. The moonlight shown against her pale skin, and almost seemed to reflect off her silky hair. She wore a simple light-blue nightgown which billowed in the night breeze.

"Sinon," he greeted, startling the other girl. He almost laughed as she placed a hand against her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.

"Kirito-san, don't do that," she said in a whisper. "How are you always able to sneak up on me?"

Kirito raised an eyebrow. "The girls do say I have a bad habit of doing that," he replied, joining her at the balcony. "And just call me Kirito, Sinon."

"…You are very annoying you know that," she said, almost petulantly.

"I've been told that as well," Kirito agreed, a slight smirk on his face, causing her to roll her eyes.

Together, they shared a comfortable silence, both peering out into the distance with their own thoughts.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, not turning to look at her. He noticed when the girl tensed beside him, before relaxing.

"I…" Sinon started, eyes looking down in thought. "I honestly think I am," she admitted after a short moment. "Today… has been the happiest day I've had in a long time."

Kirito smiled. "I'm glad. I know everyone enjoyed having you here."

"All of them are incredible. Really, just knowing that all of them fight on the front lines simply amazes me." Sinon had heard the rumours, the stories, and seen them from afar. But in person… it was hard to picture the kind hearted and relaxed girls with the strongest players in the game.

The boy beside her nodded in agreement. "They really are. Sometimes I wonder where I would be without them, and if I would be anywhere close to where I am without having met them." He could no longer think about a time in which the girls did not exist in his life, supporting him wholeheartedly.

Running a hand through his dark locks, Kirito turned to the girl beside him. "I'm really not that strong you know… contrary to all of the rumours surrounding me. Fighting comes easy to me, dealing with everything with everything else is hard. I am sure that the girls help me much more than I help them."

The words resounded deeply with Sinon. Fighting had been all she had known in the long time that she had spent in this death game. It had been her escape, the only path left to her.

"Perhaps if not for them, I would just be another solo player, simply observing from the side."

Sinon shook her head. "Somehow I doubt that, Kirito." She could not imagine that the boy beside her could ever simply step aside and observe.

"Maybe," he agreed wryly. "In any case, I wouldn't be who I am without the help of my friends... my family." He took a moment to gather his thoughts. "What I'm trying to say, Sinon, is that it is okay to rely on others."

Sinon remained silent. Her unspoken thoughts easily read by the dark-haired boy beside her.

"Being strong is lonely… but it doesn't have to be." Kirito pushed off from the railing he was leaning against, before turning towards her. "Take as long as you need, Sinon, but I hope that we can be friends—all of us."

"I… I would like that," she whispered, not meeting his eyes. "I don't want to impose—"

He waved off her response. "Nonsense, we have plenty of room, and I'm sure the girls would love to get to know you better." Kirito knew that the girls had enjoyed her company, and that they would appreciate another friend. It wasn't as if they had lots of friends after all. "We won't force you or anything, but just give it a thought okay? You can stay with us as long as you need to."

Seeing her nod slowly, Kirito smiled before walking past her towards his room. "Have a good night."

Sinon, her white hair flowing gently in the breeze, sighed before heading towards her room as well. She carefully considered Kirito's words to her, and was uncomfortable with the wealth of emotions that had spread throughout her. Fear, apprehension, longing, happiness… hope.

Her lips curled up in a gentle smile, and for the second night in a row, she dreamed a wonderful dream.


It was shortly after midday, that the activity in «Algade» began to pick up significantly. The large city on the 50th floor was the second largest city in the game, right after the «Town of Beginnings» on the 1st floor. As it was now the front line, the only players occupying the city were the clearers or those related to the clearing effort. Merchants, artisans, blacksmiths, and information brokers were just a few of the types that came to this floor.

Of course, given the nature of the game, there were many adventurous lower-levelled players who often travelled to the front lines to explore the safe cities and to hear the latest news about the clearing efforts. It was these players that were now whispering to each other in excitement as they noted the increased activity in the city. The teleport gate in the main square had been a scene of much activity shortly after noon, and the reason for their whispers were the fact that it seemed like all the clearers of relevance were gathering.

Full clearer meetings were relatively rare, with only boss strategy meetings being the cause in most cases. «The Prince» disliked attending any non-important meetings, and it was only «The Thief» who tended to attend the merchant meetings or item distribution discussions. The «Unbreakable» Heathcliff was much the same, only attending the boss meetings and avoided the public as much as the famed Prince did.

Onlookers looked on with deep interest as the top guilds of Aincrad began to arrive; their members weaving their way past the main street with stern expressions. Nobody got in their way, especially with the current mood that had permeated every floor. The defeat at the hands of the 50th floor boss was well known by now, and it had sent the rumour mills running for days. It had been the first major setback since the disaster on the 25th floor after all.

The whispers picked up as they spotted the «Knights of Blood» walking imperiously with their top members. Heathcliff's expression was expressionless as he nodded at the various other leaders, while exchanging words with the vice-leader beside him. The blue-haired Diabel looked grim while he discussed with his leader, the other members falling in line and forming a protective layer around them.

Following the red knights were the grey and blue knights of the «Divine Dragon Alliance», with their three leaders leading the way. The three of them were discussing something heated, arms gesturing and scowls evident on their faces. One was a bulky plated knight, another was a thinner male with leather armor, while the last was an average built two-handed sword user. Surrounding them, forming an aggressive bulwark were several dozen members of their guild, all of them with somber expressions.

They were the topic of much discussion.

Though the rumour mills were hardly accurate these days, none could challenge the fact that two of the DDA had perished during the boss fight. Their names had been confirmed to be crossed out at the «Monument of Life».

Many other guilds filtered through, along with notable solo players who pushed through the crowds as they neared their destination. At the end of the main road was a grand tavern called «The Lucky Boar», and it was large enough to hold hundreds of players at once. For a great amount of money, one could rent out their basement, which was clearly what the clearers had done today, much to the chagrin of the onlookers hoping to hear the meeting.

Kirito did not look happy as he materialized onto the 50th floor, immediately noting the large crowd that had formed along the main road. "I told them to avoid the 50th floor," he muttered as two figures fell into step beside him.

"What do you expect from those KoB cultists?" Lisbeth asked with a sigh. She was dressed in the normal black and white of their guild, gold trims accenting their theme.

"I don't like crowds…"

The dark-haired boy smiled at the smaller girl to his left. Silica huddled closer to his side, with Pina perched on her shoulder. "Thanks for coming anyways."

A loud murmur began to build in the crowds as they spotted the three of them. The «Royal Swords» uniform was infamous by now, as well as the sight of the famed «Beast Tamer». They knew of the dark-haired boy in the middle of course, and of the pink-haired girl to his right. Silica was just more noticeable from a glance.

Inwardly, Kirito was thankful that he managed to convince Asuna and Argo to stay behind today. The two of them looked downright murderous in the morning as they had prepared for the day. If the two vice-leaders had come along with them, he knew that things could quickly go out of hand. Their fury, when combined, was almost divine.

Lisbeth and Silica, while also furious on behalf of him, were less likely to pull out a weapon if any arguments occurred. As Kirito looked at Lisbeth's darkening expression however, he wondered if that was true. Silica at least remained content by his side, ignoring the numerous stares sent their way.

As they arrived at the tavern, he was thankful that the clearers made way for the three of them, away from the prying eyes of the crowd. The clearers had taken over the first floor of the bar, with members from every guild occupying the tables and bar seats.

"Kirito-san." The greeting came from the left of the door, from a taller man with a red bandana adorning his forehead.

"Dynamm-san." Kirito looked over and saw the shield user from «Fuurinkazan» sitting with two of his fellow guild members.

They gave him a greeting of their own, before gesturing to the far right corner. "Klein went down to the basement already with the other leaders."

"Thanks." He gave them a nod, before heading over to the corner. It was obvious that all eyes were on his back, but he gave no indication that he was bothered by it. An impassive expression fell onto his face, meeting the stares with his own. They turned away.

A noise of surprise came from Lisbeth and Silica as they both spotted a black-clad figure waiting near the walls to the back. Kirito smiled, his stony face fell as he steered his team towards the girl, seeing that she was joined by a few males with the same black equipment.

She had dark-blue hair framing a soft, cute face, though she remained expressionless until she saw them coming towards them. Then, as if summer had come, her expression thawed and she gave them a small smile. Her attire was black, accented with white, with heavy leather and plates protecting the vulnerable areas.

"Sachi!" Lisbeth and Silica called out, both reaching out to hug the girl before them.

"Silica-chan, Lisbeth-chan," Sachi greeted happily, before meeting his eyes, her expression softening further. "Kirito-kun."

Kirito waved at her, smiling as the three girls immediately started catching up. It had been a while since they last saw the «Moonlit Black Cats». Though they were all friends, they did not meet up often; ever since the Black Cats had thrown themselves fully into grinding. They helped them out with advice and equipment every so often, but for the large part, the group of former computer club students had done all of the leveling on their own.

"Kirito, good to see you again," greeted a tall brown-haired teen. Keita had a carefree expression on his face as he stood next to Sachi and the other two males of the Black Cats.

"Keita, Tetsuo, Sasamaru." Kirito returned the greeting, stopping before the three males, and looking them over. They were all equipped with the same black and white plated armour that represented their guild theme. He could scarcely reconcile the three members of the Black Cats with the ragtag group of players that they had met at first. Gone were the hesitance in their steps, replaced with a cool confidence that spoke of just how much they had trained.

They had long since joined the front lines.

"Here for the boss meeting?" The dark-haired swordsman asked curiously. He knew that they did join the general meetings where possible, but they had never taken part in a boss meeting yet.

"Yep, Sachi thought that you might need some support," Keita affirmed, looking fondly at the figure of the blue-haired girl talking rapidly with Silica and Lisbeth. "And it's about time we made the final leap."

Kirito raised an eyebrow. "Not that I mind—we appreciate the support—but are you sure?"

Though he knew from what Argo and Asuna had told him, that the Black Cats were in the high 60s in terms of levels, he did not know If they were ready to join a boss battle just yet. As if sensing his concern, the three teenagers in front of him stood straighter.

"We are sure." The three of them shared a look. "It's what we've been training for all these months."

It had been a humbling experience, watching the four remaining members of the Black Cats pick up the pieces after the death of their dear friend, Ducker. Kirito and the girls did not expect that they would have ever recovered as well as they did, and would not have blamed them if they all decided to take a step back from training efforts. Instead, the opposite happened. Immediately after the conclusion of the Christmas event, the Black Cats had become determined to grow stronger.

The small guild rejected most aid and offers from any guild, content with being a four-person party. Their results spoke for themselves, as they were now one of the strongest parties on the front lines, contributing greatly to the mapping efforts. However, the most surprising aspect of the renewed «Moonlit Black Cats» had to be the fact that Keita was no longer their leader.

"Kirito-kun, we're ready." A steady voice informed him, and his eyes met green orbs filled with silent determination. "We'll follow your lead in there."

Kirito gave the surprisingly stern girl a look of surprise, noting the seriousness in the blue-haired girl's expression. "R-right. Let's head in then."

With a small smile, he led his girls along with Sachi and Keita down into the basement of the tavern. Sachi had easily replaced Keita as guild leader after the events of Christmas, and from what Kirito could see, none of the Black Cats had any issues with it. Sachi had become strong in many ways, but the biggest difference had to be her level of determination.

She reminded Kirito of Asuna.

Making his way down the wooden stairs and into the dimly lit basement, he shook his head at the torches littering the walls, illuminating the cobblestone floor and walls. It was one of those places that reminded him of what a thief's guild might look like. Shortly after arriving at the bottom of the stairs, he was drawn to the center of the large basement where a long table had been set. A few figures were sat around the table with numerous other players standing around the table.

The whispers and discussions died down as Kirito entered the light, thankful that there was at least one overhead light in the center of the room that provided illumation. The players cleared a path for him, and he did not protest as it led him to a spot to the right of Heathcliff. An expressionless face turned towards him, and he nodded a greeting at the leader of the Blood Knights.

To the left of Heathcliff sat the three main leaders of the «Divine Dragon Alliance», and their expressions were as somber as ever. He immediately spotted Sansa, expecting some sort of reaction, but was slightly surprised to see just a passive expression on his face. Around the rest of the table were the leaders of the remaining clearer guilds, and a few solos. He sent a nod to a few of the solos he knew, and a wave to Klein.

Behind him he felt the presence of Silica and Lisbeth settle near him, along with Sachi and Keita. Their new appearance did not raise any eyebrows, as everyone in the room were at least familiar with the Black Cats' clearing efforts.

"Now that we are all here," Heathcliff began with a stern tone, his hands steepled in thought. "Let us talk about how to proceed with the 50th floor boss."

Diabel set a recording crystal on the table and set the crystal on display mode, showing the large imposing figure of the six-armed Buddha statue that they had failed to defeat. Nervous mutterings rang out as the clearers thought back to the imposing boss that had almost destroyed them.

"We'll first go with a recap of what we know from our last encounter. Then we shall proceed with the strategy meeting as to how to take it down." Seeing the nods from the other leaders, Heathcliff continued, "First, we shall go over the phases in detail."

Hearing as Heathcliff, with input from Diabel, proceeded to lay out the mechanics of the floor boss, Kirito paid close attention to the reaction of the other clearers. Most had grim expressions on their faces as they listened to the boss patterns in detail. Though a few of the members in this meeting had not experienced the boss first hand, the majority had faced the boss and had come away with fear rooted deep into their hearts.

Kirito remained silent for the most part, only interjecting at moments where he could elucidate on the exact mechanics of the phase transitions. For example, as the boss' skin turned from stone to flesh, the areas that were fleshy took considerably more damage. Moreover, there were a few weak spots he had noted from how the boss moved, including the Achilles heels and the back of its knee.

The discussion that followed was heated as ever, as multiple voices could be heard trying to steer the opinion towards their ideas.

"We should double—no, triple the amount of tanking parties for the last phase."

"Idiot, we'll never survive that long with all of our damage dealers converted into tanks!"

"No, we should try a kiting strategy, and have a few of us run around the boss-his turn rate was slow."

A solid idea in theory, but Kirito shook his head. "His turn rate increased exponentially during the final phase."

"But we could have more than one player kiting," added Malik, one of the three leaders of DDA. His thin face was angry as he stared at Kirito. "There's no way to tank that last phase as we all know."

"Nonsense! Heathcliff could do it with better equipment!"

"We can pull in more shield users from the players," added another voice from the crowd.

"You saw what happened at the end, his shield broke! And even the «Beast Tamer» got sent flying."

Seeing Silica flinch at the memory, Kirito sighed. The discussion once again devolving into arguments. Tapping the table irritably, he knew that it was only a matter of time before angry heads turned violent. Once it spiraled past that point, there was no longer any way to proceed with the strategy meeting. Already, at this meeting, he could see the thin thread that was keeping everyone together and civil.

After the incident on the 50th floor, morale remained terribly low, and even now at this meeting, the absence of several notable clearers could be felt. Clearing and boss fights were not treated as a mandate. Only the bravest—or foolish depending on who you asked—players volunteered themselves for the process. Kirito could hardly blame the players who decided to bow out of the fight having seen the magnitude of their foe. The front lines were just one more defeat from dissolving completely. If they did dissolve, he did not know how long it would take before clearing efforts were renewed.

But it was that fact that steeled his resolve. Slamming his hands on the long table, Kirito surprised many of the players gathered. The usual aloof leader of the Royal Swords did not usually have outbursts, no matter how heated a discussion became. "Enough."

Kirito eyed the silent players one by one, meeting their eyes with his own, a serious expression on his face. "We're going to defeat this boss," he began slowly, gathering all their attention. "After what I have seen from the boss first-hand, I know that our only hurdle will be the final phase. We are not equipped well enough despite our high levels to tackle that phase without injury, as we saw during our battle." Kirito had no doubt that the 50th floor boss was meant to be a monumental road block in the original game. One of those roadblocks that players could only clear with a massive loss of life. In their current situation, however, any loss of life was unacceptable. "That said, it doesn't mean that it is insurmountable."

Taking a moment to gather himself, he turned resolutely to the image of the Buddha still shining above the recording crystal. The players were treated with the figure of a solemn but resolute Kirito. "Forty-nine floors I have fought with all of you, forty-nine bosses we have defeated." His eyes were steel. "I don't plan on stopping on this floor, not when we know how much we have sacrificed, not when we know what we carry with us. To stop now would be to forsake all of the lost... I will not have it."

He now held their full attention, every single player in the basement holding their breath at his tone. Though he was just a teenage boy, he spoke as if he was a veteran of war. And in many ways, he was.

"Now, here's what we're going to do."


Concluding the meeting, Kirito remained seated as the rest of the clearers rose and began to head up the stairs to rejoin their guilds. Many had an excited expression on their face, while others still remained somber and hesitant as they discussed what had just occurred.

Heathcliff sent him an unknown look, and a nod before taking his Blood Knights with him. Diabel shot him a look of amazement before following. Similarly, many of the other leaders at the table sent him the same look before rising as well. Klein in particular looked like he wanted to say something, but given the low mood around the basement, he merely gave Kirito a pat on the shoulder before heading out.

Looking behind him he could see the concerned looks of Silica and Lisbeth, as well as Sachi. Shaking his head at them as they waited for him, he indicated them towards the staircase. Silica pouted, while Lisbeth frowned deeply, but they were slowly herded towards the staircase by Sachi. The blue-haired girl gave him a nod and a smile, before leading them outside. Her expression was one of excitement.

As the room cleared in a steady pace, Kirito remained seated, looking at the three remaining members of the DDA. Ryuken, his seat creaking as his large figure rose, gave him a guarded look as he shared a glance with his other two leaders. Malik as well, sent him an appraising look as he rose, his thin face held a frown. The two patted the shoulder of the remaining member of their guild, sharing some short words with him before leaving for the stairs as well.

Not long after, there were now only two members in the basement of «The Lucky Boar». Kirito did not immediately look at the grey-haired older boy seated to his left, a couple of seats separating them. He merely tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, slowly gathering his thoughts.

Sansa remained silent, though he did not look away as their gazes met. This meeting of theirs had been requested by Kirito, and it was through the urging of his guild mates that he decided to hear what the famed player had to say.

"I will not apologize," Kirito said at last, the words immediately causing Sansa to bristle in anger. "Because that would be insulting, not to me, to them."

The grey-haired knight gave him a surprised look, though an angry expression remained on his face.

"All of us here have put our lives on the line in hopes of clearing this death game," Kirito explained, staring at his hands. "We all know what we signed up for. We all know what could happen at anytime during a boss battle." Kirito clenched his hands as he thought about the fear that used to grip him anytime the girls in his party had come close to harm. "But at the same time, we still do it… we still fight."

Turning towards Sansa who was now looking contemplative, Kirito continued. "To apologize would be to spit on their memory, on their sacrifice," he explained. "Instead of lingering on how they died… we should focus on why. And I think you and I both know the answer to that."

Kirito was sure that fault could be found somewhere. Perhaps the dead players should not have hesitated when they did, perhaps Kirito could have called for retreat as soon as Heathcliff became overwhelmed, perhaps Sansa could have better overseen his comrades. Perhaps all they needed was the game to calculate one more critical hit.

It was a pointless endeavor.

"I'm not unaffected you know," Kirito said quietly, looking away from Sansa's eyes. "Don't think for a second that each death on the front lines do not affect me. I remember each and every one of them." Kirito closed his eyes in memory, of every single player cut down due to some unexpected occurrence or variable. Every death had been—at least partially—under his command. "The only way I know how to move on is to carry on their desires with me. To see this death game to its end."

The dark-haired boy sat up, no longer looking at Sansa, and turned towards the staircase, leaving the grey-haired knight deep in thought. As the light in the center of the room brushed off of Kirito, covering the regal looking boy in darkness, a hint of determination could be seen in his eyes.

"Takk and Kimal." Kirito's voice surprised the contemplative knight, as the name of his recently dead comrades hit his senses. The boy's next words however, almost sent him into shock. "On the 10th floor… Vale was his name. He was a close friend of yours, wasn't he?"

"You…" Sansa whispered breathlessly, as painful memories of his dearest friend hit him. "You remember him?"

"I do. He asked me to let him lead his own party," Kirito answered as he neared the staircase, looking back one last time at the distraught looking guild leader. "He was a good man," he said softly, before heading up the staircase.

Sansa, sat in his chair lifelessly, thoughts of his friend who he had considered an older brother filled his head. Vale had always held Kirito in the highest regard in the beginning, and had always encouraged the DDA to cooperate more with the effeminate looking swordsman, despite their reservations at following a younger boy. Sansa had thought that it was Kirito's leadership that had ultimately gotten his brother killed… but he always knew in the back of his mind that Vale would not have blamed the swordsman for his own death. He had always spouted valor and honour, like some sort of fairy-tale knight.

Left in the lonely silence, the grey-haired teen was lost in his thoughts; lost thinking of the past, and the future.


Author's Note: Hello World!

Yes, I'm still alive everyone. I would just like to say thank you for all of the continued support throughout my period of missing in action. A ton of positive PMs and reviews... seriously you guys are awesome. I won't bore you all with the details of my delay, but suffice to say that life is interesting.

About this story, I have a lot of things that I feel I could have done better, looking at the first few chapters is just dismal in terms of plot. But you know what, I still find everything entertaining to read and write about, much like SAO. In Japan it remains insanely popular (all of the movie tickets were sold out during my time there), and for good reason. It is very entertaining, and the characters continue to remain interesting, something that I can't say for a majority of other shows.

Regarding the plot:

So looks like most of you guys enjoyed the Sinon backstory, but many of you are correct that it does seem convoluted and not well-built. I agree, adding Sinon should have been gradual, but alas, it is hard to do in an unplanned story. I hope though that my characterization and the future character interactions can convince you that Sinon adds to the story.

Hope this chapter was up to par, I've focused on character interaction and dialogue (somewhat of a weak point of mine), though sacrificing some plot progression time. Is the character focused chapters more entertaining than the action-focused ones? I would like to think so, but let me know!

As always, any reviews are greatly appreciated!

You can discuss the story on the SAO Fanfic Forum thread (link in my profile).