"So what now?" Kirito asked as Hisoka jumped from the balcony above the door. Asuna let out a sigh of frustration and Kirito started walking, not waiting for the two to catch up.
"What information do we know?" Hisoka asked, running to catch up with Kirito,
"We have the spear." Kirito pointed out, pulling the spear from his inventory.
"If we learn where that spear came from, it might lead us to the perpetrator." Asuna said, catching up to Hisoka and Kirito.
"Then we'll need someone with an appraisal skill. Neither of you… have one… right?" He asked, looking from Hisoka to Asuna.
"Of course not." Asuna said, flicking her hair out of her eyes. Kirito's gaze lands on Hisoka, who shrugs,
"No." He says, "But then again, neither do you." Asuna then stopped, frowning,
"Must you two address me so curtly?" She asked, making Hisoka grin beneath his mask, which made it hard for Kirito to keep a straight face.
"Um… Well, maybe… "Miss," then?" Kirito thought for a moment as Hisoka struggled to keep himself from laughing.
"What about "Milady"?" Hisoka said, biting his lip to keep from laughing. Kirito's eye twitched and Asuna sighed in a fashion much like an angry bull.
"Or, "Vice Commander-sama?" Kirito suggested as Hisoka dug his nails into his palm to keep from chuckling; Kirito just looked more and more frightened of Asuna, ""Lightning Flash-sama"?" He stood there as Hisoka watched Asuna's reaction.
"Just call me Asuna." Asuna turned her nose up, a pink tinge entering her cheeks. Kirito smiled weakly,
"Roger. Anyway, do you have any friends with an appraisal skill?" He asked, to which Asuna thought before answering.
"A weapons merchant friend has it… But this is their busiest time, so it may take a while." Asuna said. Hisoka couldn't think of anyone besides Kirito whom he had pleasantly interacted with for the past six months so that was no help.
"I see. Then let's ask an item merchant I know." Kirito smiled, genuinely.
"Does not interest me." Hisoka said, "I will be hunting. Message me when you get what you want." Hisoka said, taking off into the night, while Kirito and Asuna's eyes follow the grey blur into the distance.
Hisoka had felt an odd presence watching over the three of them, and again when he left on his own. Once securely in the woods, he looked around for a few minutes before calling, "Whoever is out there, show yourself."
"How very astute of you… Silver Knight." The cool voice said as a man emerged from the shadows. Hisoka searched his memory for the name that connected with the voice, knowing that it had some significance.
"Grimrock." Hisoka said, quietly, making Grimrock glare. Hisoka tilted his head to one side, watching as Grimrock circled him.
"You and your two friends are stopping the brilliant plan I have been able to watch from afar." Grimrock wrung his hands together as Hisoka watched. Four people stepped from behind the trees. "You see, if all goes as planned, I will be able to kill all three of those opposes and take what is rightfully mine - not that anyone would ever know. Remember - floor 19, you incompetent morons." He spat at the hooded figures.
"Who are they?" Hisoka pointed to the four who now stood around, swords drawn.
"I've come too far for you to ruin this. Next are your little friends." Grimrock spat, sending the four after Hisoka. Grimrock turned away, walking out of the forest.
"Don't worry; it will only hurt a little bit." The first one said. Hisoka pulled out his cleaver and the four murderers started.
"You four are part of the Laughing Coffin, correct?" Hisoka asked, to which they all nodded. "Then you must know what I do to members from the Laughing Coffin." Hisoka watched as one advanced on him. Slicing cleanly through, he cut the murderer's life in half, before back swinging and watching as he burst into a thousand glittery triangles.
The other three then started to hesitate. Hisoka stood straight after collecting all the items from the killer, before yawning. "I've been looking for a real challenger. I am once again, disappointed." The rest of the night passed in a blur as his body went into autopilot and before he knew it, he was waking up at mid-day.
Kirito had messaged him, telling him to meet at the Fifty Third floor inn, but to stay outside - Yoruko still didn't trust him. Hisoka obeyed, just hoping to get more information than the misleading note from the killers last night, which had led to an abandoned dungeon filled with explosives (poorly made ones, which is why he survived). Before long, Hisoka was standing outside the door, waiting to see if something happened. Then there was a cry of
"Hisoka! Window!" Hisoka crashed through the door, past the strange man sitting in the chair who was poised watching as Yoruko fell out of the window. Hisoka took a leaping dive out of the open window, watching as Yokuro burst into pieces much like the murderers from last night.
"Yoruko!" Kirito screamed as Hisoka stood there in her wake, before seeing Kirito take a flying leap onto the building top. Hisoka followed suit, watching as Kirito races a top the tiled roofs following a person cloaked in black which fanned out behind them.
And it all came rushing back to Hisoka, it made his head spin, how similar it was, how he had chased his sister a top roofs just like this, only to end up killing her…
"Stop! Kirito! Stop!" He shouted, but it was too late, he fell to his knees as the bells began to chime and the cloaked figure teleported away.
And so Kirito went back to Asuna and the man, who were shocked and bewildered, while Hisoka followed slowly behind them, his head spinning.
"Wait out here." Kirito whispered to Hisoka, who nodded quietly. Hisoka heard Asuna and the man yell at Kirito, but couldn't care less at this point. He just needed to hunt down those slimy Laughing Coffin morons.
After about half an hour, Asuna exited the inn room as Kirito tried to calm down the man, who - through his screams - Kirito had learned his name was Schmidt.
"Who are you?" Asuna hissed, making Hisoka look up from where he was slumped against the wall.
"The Silver Knight." He replied, quietly. Asuna pulled the mask off of his face, ripping the cord that attached it.
"Hisoka!" She whispered, watching the cruel pain return to Hisoka's vision. Asuna backed away, dropping the mask to the ground as anger tinted Hisoka's vision.
"You never even said good bye and I lost my freaking arm." Hisoka spits, before remembering why he wore his mask. He picked it up off the ground and held it to his face.
"You owe me information." Hisoka said, his voice switching to an emotionless mono-tone. Asuna looked taken aback.
"We aren't done." She said, almost incredulously. Hisoka nodded,
"Fine. It had better be worth it."