November 13, 2024 - Floor 55 - Grandzam

Kirito rested her back against the wall, her arms crossed as Asuto sat on the war table, both deep in thought.

A recon team were scouting for the upcoming boss fight. It was a party of twenty members taken from five different guilds. Ten of them reached the center of the room, then the boss appeared. That's when the entrance closed, cutting them off from the rest of the party. And it couldn't have been more than five minutes or so, when the door finally opened. The room was empty. There wasn't any trace left behind of the ten soldiers or the boss.

"Three more hours of waiting..." Asuto asked looking back at her. "Something wrong?"

Kirito bit the bottom of her lip. "Don't get mad at me for asking this...but instead of going to the boss fight, could you please stay here?"

Asuto returned his gaze to the window, worrying the Swordsman.

"How can you ask that?"

Kirito stiffened at his tone. "...Because I'm scared."

"So, you wanna go to some place dangerous alone. And you expect me to stay here, where it's safe?"

"I don't want to. But...If one has to go, it should be the one-"

"Don't you dare." Asuto fully faced her from the war table, glaring in a silent anger. "It would kill me, waiting every second for you. And if you didn't come back, then what would even be the point of living any longer in this game?"

A spark of fear shone through Kirito's eyes as she slid down the wall and sat on the ground, resting her head in her arms. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm losing my nerve."

Asuto crouched down next to her, pulling her close in his arms.

"All I wanna do is run away with you. I don't care if we never make it back to the real world. All I want is to live with you... in our little house in the woods." She sobbed into his shoulder.

Asuto rested his chin on her head. "It'd be nice if we could do that. Being together... every day... forever...but we both know that it would be a lie."

They both knew that time was running out, it took two years to get to floor 75, and even if they did survive, it would only get harder from then on. But in the outside world, that window was closing even faster.

"That's why for now, we have to push through. Because I want to meet you in the outside world. I wanna us to go on real dates...and to really get married...And for us to grow old together. That's why..." Asuto's voice broke in emotion as he realized that tears were falling down his face.

Kirito grasped his hand, both of their fingers interlaced. "That's why we have to fight for now..."

Floor 75: Yurinia Plaza

The duo walked into a clearing surrounded by the top guilds of Sword Art Online, there was a few glares distrust directed at the two of them among whispers of hostility. There was a growing tension in the air the two couldn't avoid, but the appearance of two familiar faces somehow swept it all away. Klein and Agil smiled at the two of them as they approached, Agil now wearing new armor and equipped with a battle axe he was known for fighting with.

"Hey." Klein lifted his arm in greeting.

"No way. You guys are coming too?" Kirito remarked, unable to hide the smile on her face.

" That's the best you got, "no way"? I did not shut my shop down to come out here to be greeted so rudely. I thought you of all people would be a little more sensitive to my giving nature.

"Then, seeing as how you're so humble, you're not gonna mind if we take you off the drop list?"

"Wait now, let's not be too hasty." Agil swiftly responded. A few moments later the two chuckled, lightening their spirits.

"Seems like a rotten greeting after your guy's honeymoon." Klein remarked, looking apologetic.

Asuto and Kirito exchanged a glance before the Vice commander responded. "It isn't an ideal situation, but we'd handle this fast so we can go back to being on vacation." A smile tugged at Asuto's lips at the thought of possibly returning.

"Then, we'd better do our best so we can all wreck your place for victory celebration!" Klein cheered allowing them all to smile.

Asuto turned his attention towards Agil, "How does Liz feel about this?"

The older man grew a concerned look, "I'd be lying if I said she was okay about it. First of all she was furious you just messaged her about this who escapade, and I didn't make the situation better when I said I'd be leaving as well." Both of their expression's turned more somber. "If we don't come back, she said that she'll kill us both."

Asuto chuckled. "She'd do it too."

Suddenly, the group was pulled away from the conversation as a blue light revealed Heathcliff and his personal guard.

" 'Suppose it's time to go now." Klein remarked. The rest agreed in silence as the Front Line guilds started to follow Heathcliff towards the Dungeon.

"Ah, Kirito." Klein rested his hand on her shoulder. "Mind if I talk to you for a sec?"

The Swordsman nodded to Asuto and Agil who went ahead, leaving the two old friends together.

Klein looked unsettled, rubbing his hand on the back of head as he usually did. "Well um, the thing is..." He pulled up his menu and sent something over to Kirito. "Merry Early Christmas, I guess?"

Kirito tilted her head in curiosity, and opened it.

"I never used it." Klein said, walking past her. "I guess I didn't really want to, considering the circumstances. But...," He turned his head back. " I am happy that you've found someone to cherish."

Kirito only looked back after she heard him take a few steps towards the main group, and after a minuet she followed.

Kirito stood a few feet away from Klein as the entire group the tension returning as Heathcliffs voice rung out in the hall.

"The Knights of the Blood Oath will be out in front distracting the boss and blocking its attacks. In the mean time, the rest of you have to stay sharp and try to figure out its attack patterns. I won't lie, this battle will be hard. But I have faith that we can and will prevail. For our day of liberation!"

Everyone yelled out in agreement.

However Kirito took a deep breath to gather her thoughts, but was surprised when she felt someone clasp her hand, looking back she saw Asuto smile reassuringly.

"I won't let anything happen to you. Promise. So make sure you protect me too, okay?"

Kirito returned his smile, squeezing his hand once more before reluctantly releasing her grasp and replacing it with the hilt of her swords.

"Always."

Everyone surrounding them unsheathed their weapons in preparation for the unknown.

"Don't die, guys." Kirito directed towards Agil and Klein who stood nearby.

"Ha, same to you, buddy."

" Can't die today when I'm gonna make a fortune off today's drops."

Heathcliff:
Forward to play on!

Guy:
Nothing's happening. Where is it?

"Up there!

Above them on the ceiling waited a dangerously large skeleton-like insect clacked it's bones together as it fell down from the ceiling towards the placers with shinning red eyes.

"SCATTER!" Heathcliff immediately yelled out. The players divide themselves out towards the outer reaches of the stage they were placed upon. However there a few stragglers could only stare up at the monster heading down towards them, shaking in fear.

"This way! Hurry, run!" Kirito called out, grabbing their attention. They ran towards the group of her, Agil, Klein, and Asuto but in a split second as the Monster touched the ground, the entire field turned red it's pincers slashed the two player's in range, sending them flying. Asuto rushed ahead to tru and carch one of the men, reversing the grip of his rapier, but the four were only met with destroyed data.

"T-that was one hit..." Klein stuttered.

"We can't even get close enough to hit the damn thing." Agil clutched the grip of his battle axe tighter at his newfound fear.

The Skull Reaper blindingly dashed forward again towards a larger build up of players standing behind Heathcliff. The Commander fearlessly stepped forward and blocked the deadly attack of the monster but failed to intercept it's follow up as it killed another player and spazed out on the arena, delaying any chance of it's fight pattern to show.

Kirito caught it's next attack, wordlessly countering it by using both of her swords in a defensive stance. "Get back!" She called out and two players immediately ran back out of range. The Skull Reapers comparative strength was too much, it forced Kirito onto her knees, and without hesitating used two spare pincers to slash at her unprotected sides.

It's too strong!

Both Heathcliff and Asuto suddenly appeared, deflecting the attacks, and the pushing back the monster altogether. Asuto grasped Kirito's arm, pulling her to her feet.

"If we block it together, we have a chance."

"Okay." Kirirto nodded in response. "We'll deal with the scythes! Everyone else, attack the sides!" Kirito called out as she, Asuto, and Heathcliff charged forward. While the rest of the group followed up with a barage of of slashes. Kirito turned her head towards the sound of Agil's battle cry, for a moment her heart stopped as the Skull Reaper slashed directly towards him.

"Agil!"

The smoke cleared to reveal he was the sole survivor of the attack, muttering something under his breath and then retreating to use a crystal. Kirito sighed in relied for a second as she re-gripped her weapons.

"Ready, Kirito?" Asuto looked at her with a determined expression.

She responded with a smile and charged in again alongside the other two strongest players within the game.

We're going to get through, all of us, together!

I am going to make you all dislike me so much next update...all according to keikaku :) Kehkehkehkeee

jord477 - HAHAHAHAAA, i am the most heartless of monsters. (But my reasoning will come in time) These dorks are already a couple, they're just awkward teens, who are both introverted in their own way.

NEXT TIME, THE END OF THE WORLD...or another side story that i binge wrote to be part of the last chapter but was the main reason that I delayed for so long.

I hated it so much.

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