Author Notes: I'm glad that most of you liked the new style of the previous chapter. I understand it was not everyone's preference, but it was necessary.
While it is my intention to switch things up between bottle episodes and ensemble cast chapters, it won't always be possible for me to do that. My schedule can get really busy sometimes, and it could result in larger gaps between chapters unless I produce chapters that are somewhat shorter and/or bottle episodes. This is partly about me attempting to adapt to the changes in my life while continuing to do something I love to do.
I understand this relatively short chapter format might be a disappointment for you, but it might be the only way for me to proceed for the foreseeable future. When life changes and you want to continue making progress, adaption is the only way to achieve it. In this case, due to my busier schedule, creating relatively short chapters is the best way to do this. If I wanted to create extremely long chapters again, it would become far too frustrating to me. By doing this, I'll still be able to produce content for you to read, and I'll be able to keep pressing onward. That way we can all still get something out of this.
When it came to producing long chapters, they were time consuming even with my more flexible schedule before. It would easily take two or three times longer to produce such chapters. Using this format, the chapters can still be a decent length, and it will be manageable.
As of this moment, there are two manga adaptation in the works for this story on Devianart. One is being done by DGraySpartan for the Kirita and Delano fight that takes place in Chapters 18 & 19 while the second is being done by Manu-chann for the Christmas Eve moment between Kirita and Akio in Chapter 22. Both artists are exceptionally talented, and they have aspirations to become professional artists. They want to professionally produce Western made manga which seems far more possible in the 2010's given how manga and anime have gained more worldwide recognition. There appear to be Western publishers who want there to be a market for it. Here's hoping that happens.
As usual, I hope you all enjoy reading the new chapter, and please provide reviews. They would be greatly appreciated.
/
The Kirita Chronicles
Story Arc IV: Forging Connections – Part II
Chapter 25: Separate Paths – Part II – The Game Master & the Player
/
So close yet so far
Truer words have never been said
They shall remain so
/
Date: November 2008
Location: Japan
It was a day like any other. A brilliant, young man with a bright future ahead of him was walking through a quiet neighborhood. It was a bit far removed from the city life, but it felt 'peaceful'. It felt like the 'right' place to be for anyone else. Normally, he wouldn't be where he was, but he had been invited.
The young man stopped and took a breath when he reached his destination. For a few moments, his feet remained locked in place before he finally managed to get them moving towards the door. When he knocked on the door of this ordinary two story home, he was let in my by the young mother with open arms.
The young man had befriended the young mother and her husband after he won a contest and was recruited by them to work for the same company. Despite his young age, he proved to have far more potential than anyone they had recruited before. He possibly could become better than either of them one day. The name of this young man was Kayaba Akihiko.
"Don't be a stranger Akihiko-kun." The woman guided the young man to the living room. "You know you're always welcome here. You should stay for dinner."
Kayaba politely replied, "I appreciate the offer Suzuki-san, but I-"
"No buts!" The woman held up and waved her finger. "You need a good home cooked meal. I know you haven't been getting any staying at that office."
"It is crunch time to complete the project." Kayaba assured her, "Believe me. Katsumi-san would rather be here with you right now."
"I know. I know." The woman shook her head. "But you should still take care of yourself. That's why you are staying here to eat a meal." She looked Kayaba in the eyes and asked in a rhetorical fashion, "You got that?"
Kayaba nodded his head and replied, "Yes."
"Glad you agree." The woman cheerfully replied.
"Speaking of which," Kayaba held up a box and told her, "I'm sure Katsumi-san told you I was delivering this for him."
"Yes." The woman accepted the package and gratefully replied, "Thank you Akihiko-san. Be sure to make yourself at home while I finish dinner."
Kayaba calmly told the mother, "I do appreciate the welcome Suzuki-san, but it is hardly necessary."
"Nonsense. You're practically part of the family." The young mother happily replied. "Also how many times do I have to tell you? You can call me Tomoni. You've been calling Katsumi by his given name right?"
"Well … Yes I have." Kayaba merely, "I believe that is mostly due to how I spend far more time working with him directly."
"Hmph." Tomoni looked amused as she replied, "You're way of talking never gets old. It really is too formal."
"I apologize." Kayaba bowed his head slightly.
"There's no need for that." Tomoni waved her hand. "We both want you to feel welcome. Why do you think you were asked to deliver the package to me?"
"Hmm …" Kayaba thought about it for a moment.
"You know it's moments like this I'm really glad Katsumi took a liking to you after that competition." Tomoni fondly thought back on it. "He actually told me he thought recruiting you that day was 'fate' or something."
Kayaba raised an eyebrow. "Katsumi-san said that?"
"Um …" Tomoni raised her hands and shook her head as she told him, "Sorry! That came out wrong!" Tomoni sheepishly continued, "I- I didn't mean it to sound weird or anything. I- I meant that Katsumi has always been happy that he recruited you. That's what I meant. You've been a great help to both of us. We're grateful to you."
"…" Kayaba took a moment to process this as he replied, "I do appreciate you telling me that. You do not have to worry. I didn't find that weird." He then added, "Not really."
"Not really huh?" Tomoni jokingly repeated. "Anyway, I …"
"Wah!" Tomoni was suddenly cut off by the sound of the baby monitor lying next to the table.
Tomoni smiled as she looked at Kayaba. "Looks like she's up from her nap. I think it was about time you two were properly introduced." Tomoni turned around and began heading up the stairs.
"…" Kayaba said nothing as he merely followed the young mother.
When Tomoni opened the door, in the middle of the room stood a crib with a little dark haired baby girl lying in it. She could be seen reaching up waiting for someone to come into her view. The mother walked over to her daughter. She carefully picked up her baby while making sure to support her head. The baby was cooing excitedly at the sight of her mother.
"Cuchy-coo." Tomoni lightly tickled her daughter's side.
"Ha! Ha!" The baby laughed at the feeling of her mother's tickles.
"There, there Kazuta-chan." She stopped tickling her daughter and turned to Kayaba and rhetorically asked with a smile, "Isn't she adorable?"
"Yes." Kayaba lightly nodded his head with a reply, "She is quite … adorable."
Tomoni continued to hold her child as she told the young man, "You don't have to sound so stiff around me. You're not in the office now. You're here. Try to loosen up a little. You'll be doing us both a favor."
"…" Kayaba took a moment before replying, "I will try."
"Hmph." Tomoni smiled. "That's a start."
"Wah!" Tomoni looked to see Kazuta reaching out for Kayaba much to the young man's surprise. He raised an eyebrow at the sight.
Tomoni playfully asked, "Aww … Are you curious about who this is?"
"Wah!" Kazuta cried out as she continued to reach out.
"I'll take that as a yes." Tomoni up Kazuta and whispered to Kazuta's ear, "Well that's a friend of the family and your father's protégé. He's Akihiko Kayaba. You can just call him Akihiko." Tomoni quietly asked her daughter, "Can you say, 'Hi Akihiko'?"
Kazuta coos while continuing to reach out to Kayaba.
"…" Kayaba merely tilted his head at the sight of this.
"Aww. Did you hear that?" Tomoni cheerfully told Kayaba, "Kazuta just said 'Hi'." Tomoni nuzzled her head by her daughter as she playfully said as Kazuta continued to coo, "Did you? You did didn't you? Yes you did." Tomoni then looked to Kayaba and asked, "Did you hear that?"
"Yes." Kayaba nodded his head again. "Loud and clear." He waved his hand and said, "Hello Baby Suzaki-san."
"Honestly." Tomoni shook her head. "What am I going to do with you?"
Kayaba bowed his head again. "My apologies."
"Hmm …" Tomoni grinned. "Well I guess that's your charm." Tomoni then stretched her arms while still holding Kazuta and asked, "Would you like to hold Kazuta by any chance?"
Kayaba's eyes slightly widened as his body moved back. "I'm sorry?"
Tomoni repeated her question, "Would you like to hold her?"
"Um …" Kayaba nearly took a step back when he asked for clarification, "You'd really be okay with me holding her? Your child?"
"I trust you. We trust you." Kazuta's cooing couldn't have come at a better time as Tomoni happily capitalized on it. "See. Even Kazuta wants you to hold her."
"…" Kayaba considered it for a moment before replying, "Very well. Who am I to deny an infant's request?"
Tomoni held out Kazuta while making sure to support her head as she handed her to Kayaba. "There … There you go." Kayaba did his best to hold the infant, "Be careful with her head. Careful. Okay. You have her. Good work."
"…" Kayaba looked down at the baby in his arms. The baby was reaching up to him. She wanted to touch his face. Kayaba decided to lower his face to let her little hands touch his cheek. He could feel her little fingers grip his skin. "Heh …" Kayaba lightly chuckled as he moved his head away. He mused as he felt unfamiliar muscles on his face flexing. "You're going to be a strong one aren't you?"
"Oh my." Tomoni had her hand covering her lips as she playfully asked, "Am I seeing things? Is that a smile I see?"
"…" Kayaba looked at the nearby mirror and replied, "I believe it is."
"Then you should try doing that more often. You look much better like that." Tomoni could see that Kazuta was still reaching up towards Kayaba. "You see that. She likes you."
Kayaba replied, "So it would seem."
Tomoni happily said, "You're almost like an older brother to her."
Kayaba raised an eyebrow. "Me?"
"Yes you." Tomoni asked in disbelief, "Who else would I be referring to?"
Kayaba shook his head, "But that idea is preposterous. I couldn't be her older brother."
Tomoni warmly replied, "As far as we're concerned, you're the closest thing to a big brother Kazuta-chan can ever have." Tomoni tilted her head and asked, "Don't you like the idea of having a younger sibling?"
"…" Kayaba looked down at the baby again before answering, "Honestly speaking, the idea has never crossed my mind. I've never even considered it a possibility. For all I know, I could have a younger sibling out there, but I never considered it."
"Okay." Tomoni's voice sounded more somber as she then asked, "That's fair, but what if you did consider that possibility? What would you say to that?"
"Well …" Kayaba attempted to say the correct words, "… I would say it would be intriguing."
Tomoni nodded her head. "That sounds much better."
"But what have I done to deserve an honor such as this?" Kayaba asked in a puzzled tone. "I only just met her."
"Because we trust you." Tomoni replied, "Do I have to keep repeating myself?"
"No." Kayaba shook his head. "I will accept the honor."
"Oh!" Tomoni giddily clapped her hands. "I'm so happy to hear that." Katsumi will be happy too."
Kayaba nodded, "I'm happy that you'll both be happy."
"Heh. Heh." Tomoni chuckled as she held up a finger and grinned, "Just so you know. Older siblings have the responsibility of being a role model to their younger ones. They need to look out for them.
Kayaba continued to hold the baby as he replied, "Sounds like a big responsibility."
Tomoni answered in agreement, "It certainly is."
"Very well." Kayaba replied. This would be the first of his visits to see the young baby Kazuta before the fateful day.
/
Date: January 2023
Location: Sword Art Online
Following the celebrations of Christmas and New Year's, the players once again mobilized to locate and eliminate the fifth boss. Due to earlier efforts, players were able to gather together and make relatively short work with finding the boss' lair.
As Argo previously observed, information regarding the fifth boss was unlocked following the defeat of the field boss and locating the boss door. If only one of the objectives had been completed, the information would remain locked. Following that revelation, locating and defeating the field boss' became the secondary primary objective on each floor. Unfortunately, the information unlocked wouldn't always guarantee the players would learn a weakness. Sometimes the players would only learn the boss' name or what type of monster it was. As a result, it would still require 'scouts' to check up on the boss before retreating. However, some information was better than going in blind.
During the fifth boss battle, Kirita and Akio were able to smuggle their way into the boss fight by hiding in plain sight. That time they fought alongside Gorobei and Kikuchiyo to represent the Argo Network. They all wore Rat masks so no one would be the wiser. 'Almost' no one would be accurate.
Kirita had been reluctantly forced to change her sword due to the power of the higher level monsters rendering it useless. As a result, her trademark Anneal Blade could no longer be a potential identifying feature. The same could be said for Akio's Wind Fluerent. However, neither player sold nor disposed of their weapons. Instead, both players opted to leave the said blades on display in their home on the fourth floor. They would sell and dispose of other weapons they would acquire and let go of, but these would remain.
Throughout the past month, the mysterious Beater of the first floor had become something of an enigma. The number of 'conflicting' stories from various players limited concrete data. It was generally agreed that she kept wearing different masks to avoid detection. Since a fair number of players wore masks it was like hiding a tree in a forest. Guilds were especially notable for wearing masks which fueled speculation that she'd been hopping from one guild to another.
Rumors of guild hopping caused some to think of the mysterious Beater as a leech. Others compared her to being a parasite. Others recognized that if she participated in all those boss fights, she made a contribution to the frontlines regardless of whether she was doing it for the last attack bonus or not. Her more recognized name would be the 'Masked Swordswoman.' It was a title Kirita herself was happy to accept.
Not too much was known about the boy she was seen traveling with the Beater following the first boss battle. He was as much of an enigma to the general public of Sword Art Online as she was. However, he did have a few key characteristics and the public had coinciding stories and agreed upon. He had chestnut hair and appeared to like tying into a braid on the right side of his head. However, that information could be rendered moot in light of the players wearing masks and hoods.
The Argo network among other players were well known for wearing hoods. One thing that would separate him form the others was his weapon of choice, the rapier. However, he was far from the only one to use such a weapon, especially since its piercing ability was appealing.
There was one particular rumor that was growing at an alarming rate in recent days. It was rumored he and the Masked Swordswoman were lovers and enjoyed the lifestyle of being fugitives. Some believed that the boy was the Masked Swordswoman's servant and she has him obey her every order. Neither Akio nor Kirita were thrilled about these rumors spreading, so they did their best to ignore them.
/
Kirita and Akio stood in a meadow of snow. He was holding her red scarf in his hands again. He happily held it up and said, "I fixed those tears you told me about."
"Heh …" Kirita chuckled as she scratched the back of her head apologized, "Sorry about that Akio. I got careless when fighting a monster."
Akio returned the chuckle. "Not a problem. It doesn't take much to fix something like this."
Kirita put her hands behind her head and lifted up her hair and playfully asked, "Do you mind helping me with one more thing?"
"Sure." Akio smiled as he wrapped the red scarf around Kirita's neck.
"…" Kirita remained silent as she felt the softness of the scarf encircle her. The feeling of this made Kirita's checks blush as brightly as the scarf she was wearing.
When Akio was finished wrapping the scarf around her, Akio held onto the end of the scarf as he chuckled. "Heh. I don't think I could ever get tired of seeing you like that."
Kirita's cheeks were still flushed as she closed her eyes and replied, "Th- Thank you …" She was once again having difficulty thinking of what to say next. As she was trying to think of something, it suddenly began to feel hotter around her. "I really feel wonderful. I … I don't what to say …"
"Um …" When Kirita opened her eyes, she saw Akio's head was looking around. His eyes were widened and scoping the area. "What the …" He was beginning to sweat as he nervously asked, "Are … Are you feeling that Kirita?"
"Hmm?" Kirita suddenly didn't feel that cold anymore. In fact, she was beginning to feel hot. She could feel sweat beginning to crawl down her face as well as she checked her surroundings. She saw that the meadow around them was no longer covered by snow.
Kirita looked at the ground to see the snow not only quickly dissipated into the ground, but the ground was unnaturally shifting even for the virtual world. The ground was covered in fertile green grass, but it suddenly began to change colors. It began shrinking as it turned brown.
"The grass is eroding!" Akio exclaimed.
"What the hell?!" Kirita shouted.
It only took a few seconds for the eroding grass to disappear from sight. The ground itself changed from having soft, healthy dirt to hard and barren. Kirita and Akio could feel the shifting of the ground underneath their feet. They could feel the new roughness of the ground hitting the soles of their shoes. It was as if time was fast-forwarding and forcing their surroundings to age beyond reason or nature.
Before either of them could fully fathom what was going on, the air in the area around them wasn't just feeling warm. The ground beneath them was beginning to feel hot. It felt as if they were standing on top of an oven that was in the middle of preheating. Kirita and Akio was shifting the positions of their feet and lightly hopping as they attempted to prevent their feet from being on the ground for too long.
"Ah! Ah!" Both Akio and Kirita shouted as they did their best to keep their feet in the air.
Akio and Kirita looked around to see what appeared to be a wooden platform nearby, and they quickly made their way to it. It provided some temporary relief to their feet, but it would not last forever. The two were breathing heavily as their hands were on their knees and sweat continued to trickle down their faces.
They were both still wearing their winter clothing as they stood straight and looked at each other. Kirita put her hand into her bag and pulled out a teleport crystal and Akio did the same. She said, "We have to get out of here!"
"Yeah. But what happens if it's worse in town?" Akio asked in concern.
"How could it be worse?" Kirita asked in disbelief.
"We were just surrounded by snow two minutes ago." Akio rubbed his forehead as she remarked, "I could think of some things."
"Well we're gonna be cooked if we stay here." Kirita could see the heat 'wavy lines' in the air. "We gotta take a chance."
"Fine. You win." Akio asked as his head began to move up, "You got any ide-?"
"Yeah I think-" Before Kirita could finish her sentence, she saw Akio rush towards her with his hand outstretched. She could feel his hand push her away which caused her to fall on the wooden platform.
"Gah!" Kirita roughly landed on the wooden platform's surface. Even with her clothes on, her virtual body could still feel the roughness of it. She would not want to step on it barefoot.
After Kirita hit the platform, she opened her eyes and looked up to see there was a dark hooded figure falling from the sky. The figure was holding something overhead and landed where she was standing. Kirita was sure she heard a 'swooshing' sound and the soft impact of the dark hooded figure landing on the wood. Whoever that was then held up a teleport crystal of his own and then vanished leaving Akio standing in front of her motionlessly.
"…" Akio stared blankly in front of Kirita not moving an inch.
Kirita was sitting when she softly asked, "Akio …"
"Ah …" Akio's lips parted slightly and whimpered before a line formed on his forehead.
Kirita could feel the breath leave her virtual lungs and her eyes widen as she saw the red line crawl down Akio's face. Kirita's mouth was wide open as both sides of the red line began to separate. Akio's head had been split in half. Kirita could see what was directly behind Akio's head as the space widened. Cracks began to form around the two halves of his body.
There was no time to react. Kirita was barely able to register anything when Akio's body shattered to pieces and evaporated in the air. She was left sitting on the wooden platform staring in disbelief with wide eyes and her mouth left ajar. The light in her eyes slowly left, and they became blank and dull.
Kirita remained sitting there for a few moments before standing up and taking a step towards were Akio was once standing. The heat in the air was building around her. She held out her arms and felt around as if she was trying to touch something.
After a few moments, Kirita fell to her knees. She looked down to the wood below her. Besides moving her hand to touching the red scarf that remained around her neck, Kirita was motionless. She let the heat continue to boil around her until her eyes closed.
/
"Ah!" Kirita body bolted up from where she was lying with wide eyes and sweat crawling down her forehead. She grabbed the red scarf around her neck with her right hand. Kirita was breathing heavily as her eyes looked around.
As her eyes combed her surroundings, she saw there was trees, dirt, and rocks. The air felt cool. She then saw that there were other players sleeping soundly. They were sleeping either in their own respective tents or out in the open.
"…" Kirita put her hand on her forehead as she took a moment to say to herself, "… Right … Right …" She looked behind her to her own tent and then to the stars that were above her. She said to herself again, "That's right …"
Kirita then stood up. She could feel her virtual heartbeat was beating too fast. She decided to walk away from the sleeping players. As she walked away, Michiko peered through her tent to see Kirita's retreating figure. She then closed the opening afterwards and went back to sleep.
As Kirita stood on the edge of their camp, she took deep breath as she gazed at her surroundings. She shook her head. She closed her eyes as she began rubbing her temple again. "What was that …? What did I see again …?"
"Having trouble sleeping?" Kirita's ears perked up as she heard a voice behind her. She turned to see that the voice belonged to Goro, the right-hand man of Heathcliff. He was sitting by a still lit campfire.
"Yeah." Kirita activated her menu and pulled out her mask and put it back on before continuing her answer. "I- I think it was a bad dream."
"Hmm …" Goro stood up. He stepped towards Kirita with his hands behind his back and remarked, "An all too common problem regardless of the day and age. I take it that your dream must've really bothered you if you felt the need to walk away from the others."
Kirita hesitantly answered, "I- I guess so. I can't really remember what exactly happened."
Goro's hands remained behind his back as he stated in a matter-of-fact tone "Hardly surprising. It isn't unusual for dreams to be forgotten shortly after awakening."
"But …" Kirita rubbed her forehead as she pushed her hair back as she cringed at what she attempted to recall, "I can remember how I felt … kinda …"
"Also not surprising." Goro motioned to the campfire. "Would you mind telling me how you felt? I'm all ears. Sit."
"…" Kirita lightly bit her lip as she considered.
"It's fine." Goro sat back down by the campfire as he told her, "If you don't feel comfortable speaking to me, that is perfectly understandable. I will leave you alone then." Goro looked at the fire as he said, "That will-"
"I was happy at first." Kirita said on impulse.
Goro turned his attention to Kirita again. "Hmm?"
"I remember there was snow and I was happy." Kirita held onto her scarf which Goro's eyes could not help but be drawn to. Kirita walked towards the campfire as she told Goro, "I think there was … I was just happy."
"…" Goro wordlessly nodded his head.
Kirita sat across from Goro as she told him, "Then everything fell apart. I think there was fire … maybe … and," Kirita gritted her teeth as she continued to rub her head before giving up, "… I don't know what else I just … I think …" Kirita looked directly at Goro across the campfire as she told him, "I think I was scared then I woke up."
"Hmm …" Goro nodded his head again as he touched his chin. "Being able to wake up from a nightmare can be a relief. Unfortunately, it can also give the dreamer a strong sense of anxiety like you're feeling."
"…" Kirita remained silent as Goro spoke.
Goro put his hands on her knees as he told her, "You may not be able to remember your dream, but it is possible your dreams are trying to tell you something."
Kirita moved her head forward. She could feel the heat of the virtual fire as she asked, "Like what?"
Goro answered, "Like you're afraid to lose something. Something that makes you happy. Dreams are our subconscious after all."
"But …" Kirita held her scarf, "Dreams could be other things … Can't they?" Her voice was filled with uncertainty.
"Hmm …" Goro nodded his head. "They can be. Dreams aren't an 'exact' science unlike the virtual world ironically. They can be many other things or even a mixture of them. Some people believe they could be our gateways to the future. A visit to the past. Or even tell us a 'what if' scenario. They can even be some 'way out there' version of everything we know."
"Yeah …" Kirita looked over to the side as her fingers still clutched her scarf "I-I thought so."
Goro advised Kirita, "Whether that be the case of not, I would strongly recommend that you don't take a dream lightly, especially one that makes you wake up."
"Mmm ..." Kirita remained holding the scarf as she considered his words.
"Is there anything else that you have on your mind?" Goro asked.
"Well …" Kirita glanced back to the tents behind her before turning back before saying, "This is something I was-" Kirita quickly corrected herself, "Akio and I were curious about your guild, but I wasn't really sure when to ask, but since we won't be bothering anyone else I-" To say that Kirita was having difficulty spitting it out would be putting it mildly.
"Out with it." Goro encouragingly told Kirita, "If you have something to ask, just ask. It won't do you any good not to ask. Maybe it might help you."
"Okay." Kirita took a breath and said, "I'm a little curious about how your guild." Kirita scratched the back of her head as she awkwardly added, "I'm not really sure what you could say. I don't want to ask you something you wouldn't want to answer, but I … Well Akio and I were just curious about a few things."
"Heathcliff and I knew each other in the real world before." Goro unhesitantly answered.
"Really?" Kirita asked while raising an eyebrow underneath her mask.
"Yes." Goro nodded. "He and I go way back before this all started. He always had qualities to be a leader, and I was more than happy to let him be the leader of this guild. As for the others," Goro motioned to the tents behind Kirita, "You should ask them yourself. I would recommend speaking with Michiko first. She'd be the easiest for you to approach."
"…" Kirita took a moment before replying, "Thanks for the advice."
Goro replied with a smile. "Not a problem." Before saying another word, Goro suddenly felt something Hmm …" Goro looked over his shoulder before telling Kirita, "If you'll excuse me, there is something else I need to take care of. Talk to you later."
"Thank you …" Kirita softly said before clarifying, "For listening."
"Not a problem." Goro then stood up and walked away from the campfire leaving Kirita by herself. When he walked away, he looked over his shoulder to be sure Kirita was still there. When he was sure she couldn't hear, he looked to his side and said, "You know you can speak to her right now if you wish. It would probably be a good idea for you."
The person he was addressing was none other than the Guild Leader, Heathcliff, a.k.a. Kayaba Akihiko, sitting by a tree. He looked from his position and asked, "What exactly was that back there?"
Goro glanced over to see there were no other players around. In fact, he saw the nosiest player now keeping Kirita company by the campfire. They both knew that no one else would hear them. Goro walked towards Heathcliff as he asked, "Are you upset?"
Heathcliff shook his head, "No, but I'd appreciate it if you would answer my question."
"Certainly." Goro calmly replied, "I was merely trying to get to know Kazuta-chan better. A little player-to-player bonding so to speak. Something I would highly recommend you do as well."
"Hmph." Heathcliff offered no actual response other than crossing his arms.
Goro then told his leader, "By the way, she seems to be having nightmares. She's gotten up like that the day before." Goro glanced over his shoulder to see Kirita was still sitting by the campfire with the other companion keeping her company. "If the way she holds that scarf is any indication, I'm sure you can take a guess what they've been about."
"Hmm …" Heathcliff's arms remained crossed.
"Wouldn't most people in your position try to dissuade her from forming such an attachment with a boy at her age?" Goro rhetorically asked, "She is only fourteen right?"
"…" Heathcliff remained silent.
Goro asked, "What're you going to do about that?"
Heathcliff replied as he uncrossed his arms, "I'll consider the options."
"I would consider them 'wisely'." Goro shrugged as he continued, "After all, Kazuta-chan is a responsible girl. I doubt she has any of those kind of thoughts. Even if she did, she doesn't seem to know about the 'Ethic's Off'-"
Goro then stopped speaking when Heathcliff stood up and looked him directly in the eyes. When Heathcliff glare met his eyes, Goro could feel himself freeze in place like a deer in the headlights. He stood motionless as his eyes widened. He even seemed incapable of breathing for a few moments as he failed to think of anything to say in response.
"…" Goro was silent for a few moments as Heathcliff's gaze kept him still, but he didn't retreat. He stood his ground, and he managed to utter, "Okay then …" Goro uneasily moved on by saying, "Anyway, you really should try getting to know her and maybe Akio-kun as well. It would do you a lot of good." Goro advised, "This is the best time for you to do that with Kirita-chan."
Heathcliff broke eye contact as he attempted to reply, "I did. I-"
Goro interrupted Heathcliff, "Learning about her through a screen or seeing her as a baby doesn't count. Try getting to know the 'her' that exists now. You might be surprised by what some documents can't tell you."
"Hmm …" Heathcliff crossed his arms.
Goro reminded Heathcliff, "You've been looking forward to meeting her for some time. Now that the moment is here, you seem barely capable of having a normal conversation with her one-on-one. Sure you're fine when other players are around, but I've never seen you try approaching her yourself." Goro tilted his head as he asked, "Is the great Heathcliff-sama capable of getting cold feet?"
"…" Heathcliff's glance was still to the side as he remained silent.
"I guess I can't really blame you for getting cold feet." Goro shrugged his shoulders as he remarked, "If you told her the whole truth, it would be one hell of an ice breaker."
"…" Heathcliff remained silent.
"I have seen how satisfied you've been with how you've accomplished some of your 'goals' recently." Goro remarked, "You were quite satisfied. More than I thought you'd be. Perhaps getting to know Kirita-chan better should be your next goal. You'll be doing both of you a disservice for not trying. You are basically the only family she has. Maybe you should try living up to that role."
"Hmm …" Heathcliff still offered no response as he sat by the tree again.
"I'll be taking my leave now. See you in the morning." Goro then left for his tent leaving Heathcliff to remain sitting by the tree by himself.
/
While Goro and Heathcliff were having their conversation, Argo sat in Goro's spot across from Kirita. He playfully remarked, "I can see you're not much of a 'Sleeping Beauty,' but I can't say I'm surprised."
Kirita looked up and tiredly replied, "Argo …"
"The very same." Argo proudly put his hand on his chest along with his trademark grin.
"Well you're certainly energetic." Kirita asked, "Shouldn't most people be asleep by now?"
"Meh." Argo shrugged. "I'm not that interesting. What is interesting is that I can see something's keeping you from your beauty sleep."
"Really?" Kirita tilted her head and asked, "What's your story then?"
Argo sighed, "Weren't you paying attention? I just said I wasn't that interesting." Argo stated, "Kinda like you I didn't feel much like sleeping." He then shifted the topic, "But then I heard some nightmare hitting your alarm. Not just once either. Isn't that right? Must be pretty serious."
"…" Kirita bit her lip lightly before answering, "… Yes."
"Wow." Argo held his chest as he playfully remarked, "Getting into a deep emotional chat with a stranger rather than your good friend. I must say I'm hurt."
"Come on!" The wrinkles in Kirita's eyebrows underneath her mask formed as she stood up and protested, "It wasn't like that! It wasn't that emotional!"
Argo held up his hands as he sheepishly replied, "Sorry. Sorry. Just having a little fun."
"Ugh …" Kirita groaned as she sat again. "What are you doing here Argo?"
"Just here to talk. You kinda looked like you needed to talk a little more." Argo then assured Kirita, "Don't worry I get it. You needed someone to talk to, and Goro was the first option you saw. I guess the fact he broached the subject would be the reason right?"
"Heh …" Kirita scratched the back of her head as she replied, "Kinda yeah …"
"I guess that's the answer then." Argo took a breath before saying, "Sorry to hear my best customer has been having nightmares. That's a real shame."
"Do you-" Kirita began to speak but paused. She then tried again, "Would you happen to … you know …"
Argo leaned forward. "What?"
"Do you know anything I could use …" Kirita hesitated to finish her sentence, but she did, "… to help me sleep?"
"…" Argo lightly dug his right thumbnail into his pointer finger before answering, "If this was the real world, I'd know exactly what to recommend you. Strong stuff that'd make nightmares a thing of the past."
Kirita then asked, "But?"
Argo shook his head. "But this isn't the real world. Options like that might not exactly be 'possible.'" Argo air quoted.
"?" Kirita raised her eyebrow underneath her mask as she asked, "What do you mean by 'exactly'?"
Argo slightly grinned as he answered, "I noticed some vegetation in Sword Art Online is a replica of what we see in the real world. It stands to reason we 'might' be able to find it here."
Kirita concluded, "You haven't found it."
Argo replied, "I know a few places where it's not."
Kirita inquired, "Do you think you could find it?"
"Hmph." Argo confidently replied with a grin. "If it's here, I'm sure I will." He then added, "Eventually. One of the many benefits of running a guild that specializes in information."
"Okay." Kirita opened her menu and asked, "Can you tell me some places you've been to?"
"Mmm …" Argo stroked his chin before replying, "I suppose I can give you that, but I'd like a favor."
Kirita asked, "Yes?"
Argo put his hands together as instructed Kirita, "If you find any, you are to inform me and me alone." He was looking directly into her eyes as he sternly asked, "You got that? It'll be our secret."
Kirita nodded, "Sure. I can do that."
Argo grinned, "Excellent. I knew I could count on you." He then activated his menu and sent Kirita message. "That'll tell you where I've been. At least now you'll know where not to look."
Kirita glanced at the information as she said, "This should really help." Kirita looked at Argo and asked, "By the way, how do you know so much about this anyway?"
"Hmm?" Argo raised an eyebrow.
"I was just taking a shot in the dark when I asked." Kirita asked in a suspicious tone, "You seemed to know exactly what I wanted and how I could get it. How did you know that?"
"Oh." Argo cleared his throat, "I- I've been pretty good at looking up stuff for quite a while. I didn't just pick it up in Sword Art Online." Argo shrugged as he merely commented, "Being an info broker wasn't too far from what I had in mind for the real world."
Kirita raised an eyebrow again. "Is it now?"
"You can count on it." Argo grinned as he asked, "Would you like to know more?"
"Hmm …" Kirita asked, "Is there a catch?"
"You really are getting to know me well." Argo casually replied.
"I'll pass for now." Kirita stated.
"Mmm." Argo shook his head. "A little disappointing, but I guess that's the breaks."
"Back on track please." Kirita asked, "What're you going to do if I find them?"
Argo grinned again as he said, "I'll see if there're more interested parties. I can only imagine how many players here might be in need of a little 'relief'."
"Heh." Kirita shook her head as she chuckled. "Good old Argo."
"Once again." Argo shrugged, "What do you expect? If we can find them we'll be doing everyone a service. No one can argue against that."
Kirita said, "You'd be surprised."
"…" Argo nodded for a moment before agreeing, "Very true, but that's how business always is." Argo replied as he then moved his head to look up into the 'ceiling sky' above them.
The two of them remained by the campfire for a while longer before either of them decided to try getting sleep again.
/
Under the starry sky ceiling, Akio was looking up as well as he sat down on a log. He knew what the sky really was, but his eyes felt drawn to what was above him. If he didn't know better, he would believe the stars were shining brighter than ever. He then looked down at the bracelets that encircled his wrists.
Akio adjusted his bracelets before hearing Gorobei call out, "Hey Akio! You gonna go to sleep! We got a big day tomorrow!"
Kikuchiyo chimed in, "We don't want you falling asleep on us."
"I'm coming." Akio said in response.
/
The following morning Kirita decided to take Goro's advice and approached Michiko who was by the campfire. She could see that she was kneeling by the campfire while brewing something with her pot. Kirita stood still for a few moments before taking another step forward. As Kirita was slowly approaching Michiko, she continued to check her pot to make sure everything was brewing right.
When Kirita stepped on a twig, Michiko's ears perked up and she turned around. She looked to see Kirita standing a few feet away from her. She was wearing her mask as she slowly raised her hand and uneasily said, "Hi."
Michiko asked, "Can I help you with something?"
"I-" Kirita had both hands behind her back as she shifted her feet. She softly said, "I was hoping to talk to you Michiko-san."
"Sorry?" Michiko held a hand to her ear as she said, "I didn't quite catch that."
"Ugh." Kirita groaned as she took her mask off and asked, "Do you mind if I ask you something?"
"Oh." Michiko shifted her body and stood up, so she could be facing Kirita. "Of course not. Go right ahead." Michiko motioned for Kirita to take a seat. "What'd you want to talk about?"
Kirita and Michiko both took a seat before Kirita asked, "I was wondering how you joined Heathcliff-san's guild?"
"Ugh …" It was Michiko's turn to groan as her eye flinched. She rubbed her hand on her forehead and pushed her hair back before answering, "That's a day I really wish I could just forget."
Kirita was taken aback before reflexively asking, "Huh? What happened?"
"…" Michiko's teeth was gritting.
"Oh!" Kirita's eyes widened as she shifted on her seat. "Sorry." Kirita put her hands on her seat and began to get up. "I'll just be-"
"No." Michiko held up her hand and Kirita sat back down. "It's fine. Everything worked out in the end." Michiko took a breath and put her hands on her legs before she filled Kirita in. "Jūhō and I were surrounded by these monsters. Jūhō acted as a decoy so I could escape." Michiko's nails began to dig into her virtual leg as she spoke.
"…" Michiko's actions did not go unnoticed by Kirita who remained silent.
"He could've … No." Michiko shook her head and corrected herself. "He would've died that day if Heathcliff-sama hadn't been in the area. We were lucky. Very lucky."
"I … I see, but shouldn't that be a good memory?" Kirita asked.
Michiko crossed her arms as she told Kirita, "Jūhō is only alive because of luck. Luck. That's a blessing, but I still have to remember if things had been any different he'd be dead. I can't let that happen again. I won't let that happen again."
"Oh …" Kirita's eyes darted away from Michiko and looked towards the fire.
Michiko uncrossed her arms as she told Kirita, "Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful that Heathcliff-sama welcomed us into his guild. We both would probably be dead if it wasn't for him. He's a good man."
"Hmph." Kirita looked up as she asked, "Well at least a bad memory led to something good right?"
"Yes …" Michiko hesitantly replied, "… I suppose so …"
"…" Things became quiet at the campfire for a few moments before Kirita suddenly became overcome with the urge to begin yawning. She put her hand over her mouth as she jaw stretched as far as it could.
Michiko asked out of concern, "Did you have trouble sleeping last night?"
"Yeah … A little." Kirita answered.
"Was it a nightmare?" Michiko followed up, "I saw you get up last night."
"…" Kirita took a moment. She leaned back and looked up into the ceiling sky before answering, "It was kinda a nightmare, but it kinda wasn't … Maybe you could say it was a dream that turned into a nightmare."
"Hmm …" Michiko shook her head. "We've all been there. Believe me."
Kirita replied, "I guess …."
Michiko offered, "Maybe I can help you relax a little."
"Hmm?" Kirita looked back at Michiko.
Michiko answered, "I'm pretty good at making tea back in the real world. It's helped both Jūhō and me. It might help you too if you're interested."
Kirita smiled. "Thanks. I'd be happy to have a cup."
"Okay then." Michiko checked her pot and said, "Looks like it is ready." Michiko pulled two cups out from her menu and poured the tea into both of them. She held one cup with two hands and offered it to Kirita. "Here. Have some tea."
"Thank you." Kirita accepted the offer with both hands as well. Unsurprisingly, the tea felt rather hot. Kirita nearly dropped the cup as soon as she touched it, but she was able to avoid that. Kirita took a whiff of tea before slowly bringing the tea to her lips. She slowly drank a little before happily remarking, "Mmm. It's pretty good."
Michiko smiled as she replied, "I'm glad you think so." She then said, "I'm glad the ingredients in this world still taste and work the same as ours. Cooking might've been simplified here, but I'm glad making tea still seems to be the same. At least if you want to make it yourself."
"Hmm … yeah." Kirita sighed as she told Michiko, "I wish cooking wasn't simplified so much. It's not as much fun."
Michiko inquired, "You find cooking to be fun?"
"I was getting pretty good in the real world. My sis- I mean …" Kirita was still holding her tea as she cleared her throat and corrected herself, "I cooked quite a few things by myself and sometimes with other people's help. It was a lot of fun to do all that stuff. When I managed to make something good after working so hard, it just felt like … I don't know a 'victory' I guess."
"Hmm …" Michiko nodded her head.
"Now all that's pretty much gone." Kirita lamented, "Being able to cut everything to pieces by touching it with a knife might be easy, but I can't say I feel satisfied doing that."
"I see where you're coming from." Michiko replied.
"At least you still have the fun of being able to make tea. How'd you get so good at it?" Kirita asked before taking another sip.
"…" Michiko was silent for a few moments before answering, "You could say it was more or less a family tradition. I'm sure you understand how important tea ceremonies are. Culturally speaking."
Kirita finished taking another sip before replying, "I know a few things. I've never been to one myself. Not a real one, but I have read about them."
Michiko told Kirita, "Well it is tradition for the women in my family to be capable of making tea and perform a role in the tea ceremony should the need ever arise."
"Oh … Was it hard?" Kirita tilted her head as she asked.
Michiko lightly bit her lip before answering, "Depending on the company we had." Michiko attempted to shift her tone as she smiled and told Kirita, "However, I'm happy I learned how to make tea. I like being able to make it casually whenever I want for some real people and not some stuck ups."
Kirita nodded her head, "I see."
"Heh …" Michiko scratched the back of her head as she remarked, "It is a little embarrassing to admit, but I'm not particularly skilled at cooking."
"Huh?" Kirita raised an eyebrow as she asked in disbelief, "You're good at making tea, but you're not good at cooking?"
Michiko shrugged. "I've never needed to. I never really thought about it at all. I just did a lot of things my family wanted me to."
"…" Kirita remained silent.
"So um …" Michiko hesitantly asked, "Is being able to cook really that fulfilling for you? You said it was like 'victory' every time you finished something right?"
"Well yeah. Kinda." Kirita did her best to reply, "I never thought about it that much either, but I definitely could say I felt a sense of 'accomplishment' when I cooked a meal."
"Why do you feel this 'accomplishment'?" Michiko inquired.
Kirita put her hand on her chin as her brain pondered what to say next. "Hmm … Well … let me think … Ah!" Kirita tapped her foot on the ground before snapping her fingers. "You start out with these ingredients, and you know what you want to make. There are a whole list of steps in-between. After you managed to get what you want by following the steps, it makes you happy that it came out the way you wanted."
"Hmm …" Michiko nodded her head. "Makes perfect sense."
"Would you like me to show you?" Kirita offered, "It isn't as good at the real world, but I could try showing you what I mean about getting what you want from cooking."
"Can you cook on this?" Michiko motioned to the campfire and the tray above it.
"Won't be a problem." Kirita pushed up her sleeves. "Even without Sword Art Online's simplified system, this would be a piece of cake."
/
While the conversation between Michiko and Kirita remained private, it did catch other's attention. Outside of earshot, Daizen and Jūhō took notice. Daizen's first question to his fellow guild member was, "What do you think they're taking about?"
Jūhō wearing his full body armor over his entire body casually replied, "Making girl talk I guess. It'd be a good idea to stay out of it."
"I hear you." Daizen took a drink before then asking, "So … What do you think of that Kirita?"
"She's an …" Jūhō took a moment to consider the right word, "'interesting' player. I can see why Heathcliff would want to recruit her."
Daizen then inquired, "Do you think she'll take him up on his invitation."
"How should I know?" Jūhō shook his head. "It's her choice."
"Yeah. Yeah. I know, but I think she'd make a good addition to the guild wouldn't she?" Daizen grinned as he stated, "I'm sure Michiko would be happy to have another girl on the team wouldn't she? They seem to be having fun over there."
Jūhō stated in a matter of fact tone, "Not all players are meant to be on a guild."
"Huh?" Diazen asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Jūhō informed Diazen, "From what I can tell non-guild and guild players have different lifestyles. She might be better off on her own and teaming up with guilds when she has to."
Diazen argued, "If she teams up with a guild so many times, shouldn't she might as well join up with a guild"
Jūhō replied, "Not necessarily."
Daizen tilted his head, "Why not?"
Jūhō answered, "There are benefits to being in a guild, but not everyone likes the idea of being bound to one. They'd rather enjoy their freedom."
Daizen then asked, "What makes you say that?"
"Because I …" Jūhō trailed off before he said another word.
Daizen put his hand to his ear and asked, "I'm sorry. I didn't catch that. What were you getting at?"
"…" Jūhō took a breath before he answered, "Because if this was a regular game, I probably would've been happy enjoying that freedom. Going where I wanted and when I wanted sounds like it'd be great."
"I can get that, but," Daizen pointed out, "this game isn't exactly normal."
Jūhō countered, "And her circumstances aren't normal either."
"…" Daizen took a moment before shrugging, "Touché."
Jūhō shook his armored head before stating, "Either way this is her choice. Best to not interfere with that. Otherwise she'll definitely say no."
Daizen remarked, "You seem to be an expert on women."
Jūhō replied, "I just know there are certain boundaries that men should avoid crossing."
"I see." Daizen then inquired, "In that case, what is the deal with you and Michiko? Are you two-"
Jūhō cut Daizen off. "There's nothing to talk about!" Jūhō was looking at Daizen through his armored helmet. Even though Daizen couldn't see Jūhō's eyes, he could feel them piercing him which caused the hairs on the back of his head to begin standing up. "You already know what is important. We've known each other before this started. She was able to get me the game, and that was that. Nothing more. Nothing less."
When Jūhō looked away, Daizen then said, "Come on man." Daizen patted Jūhō's armor which caused a small 'echoing' sound. "You expect me to believe that's it. You've got to give me more details than that. You just gotta."
Jūhō pushed away Daizen's arm as he sternly remarked, "I don't 'gotta' do anything."
"Ouch." Daizen feigned feeling hurt. "The cold shoulder?"
"…" Jūhō offered no response.
Daizen finally took the hint and backed down. "Okay fine. I get it. Personal stuff. A boundary I shouldn't cross." Jūhō nodded in response. Daizen gave Jūhō a wink as he told him, "Just so you know. I'm rooting for you. Later."
"..." Jūhō remained silent as Daizen backed away. He looked at his hand for a few moments then looked toward Michiko before deciding to walk away himself.
/
"Mmm." Michiko's smile was as wide as it could be as she enjoyed Kirita's cooking. It felt like heaven in her mouth. As soon as she swallowed she commented, "That was delicious Kirita-chan."
Kirita was taken aback by Michiko's last comment as she slowly replied, "Um … Thanks." Kirita cleared her throat as she told Michiko, "I've been doing my best to perfect my cooking skill, so I'm glad it's been paying off."
"Mmm." Michiko took another bite of her food. "So-" Michiko felt there was still too much, so she made sure to swallow before then asking, "So you're really this good at cooking in the real world too?"
"You bet. I take cooking classes. I always would cook with- um …," Kirita corrected herself again before saying, "I mean I'd cook at home a lot too. So I've had a ton of practice. I just hope I won't have to try learning things from scratch again. Cooking here is a lot easier, but it simplified it too much. I might lose my touch."
Michiko shook her head. "I don't think you need to worry about that too much Kirita-chan."
Kirita's ears perked up again. "Hmm? What makes you so sure?"
Michiko took another quick bite before replying, "Well … Someone as skilled as you … I know you're skilled. Even with Sword Art Online's cooking system being simplified, you clearly know what you're doing. I'm sure you know how to cook like most people know how to ride a bike. It's almost impossible to forget."
"Um …" Kirita didn't feel nearly as confident, "I hope you're right …"
"Hmph." Michiko winked. "I'm sure I am."
"…" Kirita didn't know how to reply to that other than simply taking another bite.
"Anyway, this was a good breakfast." Michiko inquired, "Do you think you'd be willing to cook dinner for us or something like that? I'm sure the others would love to eat your cooking."
Kirita smiled and accepted the request, "I'd be more than happy to. You guys are letting me travel with you after all."
"Hold on!" Michiko held up her hands and shook them and her head. "This isn't about paying us favors or anything. You don't owe us a thing. Heathcliff-sama and Goro-sama were the ones who approached you and made the offer in the first place. We're all getting something out of the deal."
"Even so, I still want to help." Kirita then said, "I don't like being a … what's it called …" Kirita scratched the side of her head with her right pointer finger before then snapping her fingers. "Oh. A freeloader. A NEET."
"…" Michiko remained silent for a moment before chuckling, "Heh."
Kirita tilted her head, "What's so funny?"
"Heh …" Michiko put her hand on her mouth as she sheepishly replied, "Sorry. Sorry. That's just adorable."
Kirita was taken aback. "Adorable?"
"Yeah. You don't have anything to worry about." Michiko assured Kirita, "Believe me you are not a freeloader. I've seen my fair share, and you're not one."
Kirita firmly stated, "And I don't plan on becoming one."
Michiko replied, "Glad to hear it. Does that mean you know what you want to be?"
Kirita shook her head. "No. I'm still in Middle School. I think it's a little early for that. I know what I like, but I don't know what I want to do."
"I see. Well that's just …" Michiko paused. Her eyes widened as she nearly choked. She almost dropped her food before exclaiming, "Wait! What? What did you just say?
"Um …" Kirita paused for a second before replying, "I know what I-"
Michiko cut Kirita off, "Did you just say you're in Middle School?"
Kirita answered, "Yes."
"Seriously?" Michiko asked in disbelief.
"Um …" Kirita shifted in her seat. "Is that a problem?"
"No." Michiko shook her head. "It's just … I thought you were …" Michiko looked Kirita up and down before finishing, "… older."
Kirita's eyes briefly glanced down before uneasily replying, "…. I get that sometimes."
"Woah um …" Michiko put her hand on her head as she tried to process what she just learned, "that's a little unexpected."
Kirita could feel her heart sink as she pulled one her legs and she laid her chin on her knees and asked, "You … You're not going to treat me differently now are you?"
Michiko shook her head again. "No! I … It was just a surprise. I seriously didn't see that coming. I'm sure it'll wear off."
"Okay …" Kirita uneasily replied.
"But …" Michiko stood up as she told Kirita, "… I will say this. It is great you want to do something. I've seen people who are either deadbeats or born to be deadbeats, but that's not you." She happily shook her head. "Not by a long shot."
Kirita smiled as she sat up straight. "Thank you Michiko. I greatly appreciate that."
"You're welcome. I mean every word." Michiko then looked at some of the other player and saw Jūhō on the other side of the camp. "I guess we'll be heading out to our objective soon. You should get ready."
"Already am." Kirita pointed to where her tent and belongings were.
"Oh …" Michiko sheepishly relied, "Then I'll just finish getting ready."
"I'll be waiting." Kirita stood up while brushing off her pants and walking towards the edge of the camp. As Kirita walked to the edge of the camp, she passed by Heathcliff who couldn't bring himself to say a word.
When Kirita was out of earshot, Goro told Heathcliff, "This is another opportunity. You should take it sir."
"…" Heathcliff couldn't bring himself to say a word in response.
/
After leaving the campfire, Michiko made her way over to where Jūhō was. He was underneath a tree checking over his armor. He was retightening his helmet as she approached. When he saw her, he inquired, "So what's the Beater like?"
Michiko sighed before replying, "First of all, please call her by her name."
Jūhō nodded his head. "Okay. How is Kirita-san?"
"Kirita-chan is very nice." Michiko smiled as she told Jūhō, "I think she's a good person to have around."
Jūhō remarked, "I think Heathcliff and Goro would agree with you on that."
Michiko rhetorically asked, "They really want her to be part of the guild don't they?"
Jūhō reiterated, "Wouldn't surprise me, but it is her choice. Do you think, she'd say yes if they asked her directly rather than with a 'roundabout' invitation?"
"Hmm …" Michiko thoughts for a moment, "I'm not sure, but I doubt it."
Jūhō inquired, "What makes you say that?"
Michiko stated, "Just a feeling."
"…" Jūhō took a moment before replying, "Good enough for me." He dropped the topic and said, "So do you think things will go smoothly with this mission?"
"We got as close as we could. After we get into that cave, things are going to get … sticky." Michiko could feel her body shake.
Jūhō's armor could be briefly seen shaking as well as he replied, "Yeah … I'm not a big fan of them either."
"I know." Michiko rubbed her temple as she lamented, "I just hope Kirita-san will be okay with this. She did kinda let it slip that she hates spiders."
"All it took was a little screaming." Jūhō mused as he continued to adjust his armor. He then commented, "It kinda makes me wonder why she decided to come with us for this mission rather than taking on the werewolves."
"Hmm …" Michiko titled her head as she considered the possibility, "Maybe practice for the real thing?"
"…" Jūhō shrugged his shoulders as he said, "Whatever the reason. She made her choice. She'll need to stick with it."
Michiko confidently replied, "That's not going to be a problem."
"Probably not. Either way. We need to finish our preparations. We got a fight ahead of us." Jūhō declared and Michiko was more than happy to agree with that.
/
Kirita was watching their interaction from a distance as she was watching she couldn't help but make a note to herself, "That is interesting. Now that I think about it. I've never seen Jūhō-san take off his helmet or his armor. I'm no stranger to keeping my face hidden but it looks like he tries to keep everything about himself hidden. He doesn't take it off even when indoors. When we eat, he takes his food into his room or tent. The only one he allows in would be Michiko, so she would know the story."
"Hmm …" Kirita scratched her chin before shaking head and thought, "This would definitely be personal territory. It'd probably be better to not bring anything up about it, but um … I can't help but wonder … is it a really bad scar or …" Kirita shook her head again. "No! No! No! Not now. Think about that some other time. For now just act like you always have."
When Kirita stood at the edge of the camp, she didn't have her sword equipped. Instead, Kirita had her bow and quiver strapped over her shoulder. She placed her hand on the strap as she looked in the direction of the cave they'd be entering.
Kirita was able to see their destination from this distance. Despite the distance, she could feel a sensation begin to take over her as she looked at it. She could feel her hand begin to shake followed by her knees. She could feel the virtual hairs on the back of her neck begin to stand up. She did her best to remain perfectly still as she waited for the rest of the players to finish their preparations.
As Kirita stood there, she reflexively touched the red scarf she kept around her neck. She could feel the shaking ease up but only a little. She closed her eyes and took a breath. The air from her breath was briefly visible, but her eyes remained closed as her hands remained on the scarf.
Kirita's ears perked when she heard a twig snap behind her. She let go of the scarf as she turned around to see Heathcliff himself was approaching her. He asked, "Is something on your mind? You appear anxious?"
Before Kirita answered, she looked away and quickly reequipped her mask. He was standing next to her when she looked to her side and answered, "I- I'm fine. I'm just you know … Psyching myself up for the fight." As Kirita spoke she adjusted the fingerless gloves. She made sure they were as comfortable as possible.
"…" Kirita's movement did not go unnoticed by Heathcliff who then remarked, "As we discussed regarding possible strategies, you can remain fighting from a distance with your bow and arrow if you wish to."
Kirita patted her own shoulder as she replied, "That's what I had in mind."
Heathcliff nodded, "Understandable."
"…" Both players remained perfectly quiet for a few moments. Kirita could feel a breeze lift her hair and clothing ever so slightly. Heathcliff lightly bit his lip.
"Your guild members really respect you." Kirita blurted out.
"Excuse me?" Heathcliff asked.
"I- I talked to a couple of your guild members." Kirita answered, "They really respect you. They trust you. You've done quite a lot for them."
"They have made contributions as well." Heathcliff replied.
"Yeah. I'm sure." Kirita then stated, "But you still did a lot for them. You're kinda like Delano. You're both strong, your guild members are loyal to you, and they respect you. Sword Art Online needs players like you and him to help us win this game."
"…" Heathcliff took a breath before firmly replying, "I appreciate the compliment Kirita-san. I also know players like you are necessary as well."
"Heh." Kirita chuckled. "Thanks." She scratched the back of her head, "I'll be sure to have your back when the fighting starts."
"I know everyone can count on you when we're in there." Heathcliff stated.
"You seem to have a lot of faith in me." Kirita asked, "Why do you feel that? We only met each other a few days ago?"
"I'm a good judge of character. If I wasn't, I would not have gotten as far as I have." Heathcliff crossed his arms as he stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "I know what to expect from you, and I know you won't let me down."
"…" Kirita didn't know how to respond to that other than simply nodding.
"Good." Heathcliff stated, "Then let us be off. It is time for the Knights to begin making their long awaited debut."
/
Omake
Kirita: "I can't believe we finally reached twenty-five chapters."
Akio: "Do you think this story will reach another twenty-five chapters?"
Kirita: "Hopefully. The author hopes this story can reach even beyond that, but it all depends on how it develops."
Akio: "Good point. Given certain changes, some things might even speed up or slow down."
Kirita: "Yeah. It really all depends."
Akio: "So where do we go from here?"
Kirita: "We just have to wait until the next update."
Akio: "How long do we have to wait for that? It was months between this chapter and the last. The author really can be really inconsistent when it comes to the rate of producing chapters for this story."
Kirita: "Very true. I guess the only thing we can do is just keep supporting the author with reviews."
Akio: "Be sure to not just read but review the author's work. Sounds like we've said that before."
Kirita: "And we need to keep saying it again and again."
/
Author Notes: This is a milestone chapter. I have finally reached twenty-five chapters. Personally, I'm proud that in this chapter we finally have both Kirita and Heathcliff in the same scene both in the past and the present. This chapter was primarily about the main protagonist and antagonist of the story.
From the first chapter of this story, I intended on changing the relationship between Kirita and Heathcliff. I wanted a far more personal connection between these two individuals rather than how they were strangers to each other in canon. Personally, I enjoy the personal connection I gave to Kirita and Heathcliff. It gives more backstory to both characters and something that I wish to continue exploring.
Regarding Tea Ceremonies, I learned a little about their cultural significance during my trip to Japan a number of years ago. Apparently, one of the ideas was that this would be a sacred hospitable moment between two parties. The idea is that the party would leave the Tea Ceremony as friends to the host because there was a legitimate possibility that the next time they encountered each other, they would be enemies next time. You could think of a Tea Ceremony occasionally being the calm before the storm. Of course, that isn't always the case, but that was one thing they functioned as.
As I previously stated, these relatively shorter chapters will most likely be the style I'll be writing from now on. I think it might be for the best. I'll focus more on certain plot points and characters, and I'll be able to provide extra polish to the chapters. In some cases, when I add polish, certain scenes will be added or expanded like it was for this one.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas 2017 and Happy New Year 2018. As usual, please provide feedback. It will be greatly appreciated. See you next time.