The Kirita Chronicles

by Knowledgeseeker66

What would have happened if certain characters' genders were altered while others remained the same? How differently would certain events play out & affect the development of certain relationships? Who will live & who will die? See how the alterations of certain characters' genders & histories will cause ripples throughout the story. Spoilers in reviews and polls.

36. Final Preparations

Author Notes: It is time to conclude Story Arc Four. This has been a long time coming, and I am happy to finally reach the end of this story arc. This is another step toward the eventual completion of the story, but that won't be for a while.

Where we last left off, Kira's guild arrived near the dungeon. Before her arrival, Kirita and the others had been exploring the dungeon in hopes of finding the boss' door. However, they were unable to do so prior to her arrival. Things did not get off to the best start between Kira and Heathcliff, but the potential problems have temporarily halted. Let's see how this all turns out in the conclusion of this story arc.

Unfortunately, while the reviews were generally positive for the previous chapter they were few and far between. While the previous chapters review count was disappointing, I hope things will be better this time around.

As usual, I hope you enjoy reading the chapter. Please leave a review because your feedback is greatly appreciated. Merry Christmas 2019 and have a Happy New Year.

/

The Kirita Chronicles

Story Arc Four: Forging Connections – Part XIII (Final)

Chapter Thirty-Six – Final Preparations

/

Troubles surround us

Even if you plan in advance

Problems can arise

/

What started off as another fine day of exploring in the dungeon turned dismal when Kirita received a notification. When her eyes were attracted to the notification on the corner of her screen, she saw it was a message from Heathcliff. The moment Kirita saw it, her feet stopped moving, and her heart sank. She 'almost' didn't need to read it.

Akio noticed that Kirita stopped moving as he turned around and asked, "Something wrong?"

Kirita looked to Akio and told him, "We need to find a 'Safe Zone'."

"…" Akio's mouth was briefly agape before nodding, "… Right."

As soon as she and Akio reached a safe zone, Kirita opened the message. After reading through it, she stamped her foot down. "This sucks!" Kirita softly said to herself, but Akio was able to hear it.

Without any other prompting necessary, Akio surmised, "So they finally arrived, huh?"

Kirita closed her window as she replied, "Yeah …" Kirita then combed her hand through her hair as she voiced in frustration, "Crap …"

Akio leaned against the closest wall and crossed his arms, "Well, that's annoying."

"Tell me about it!" Kirita punched the closest wall as she lamented, "Why couldn't we get lucky, again?"

"Kira was probably pissed after last time." Akio spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, "There was no way she was gonna let herself miss out twice in a row."

"Ugh … I know … I know …" Kirita sighed before she told Akio, "I guess we'll have to sneak around."

"We could," Akio suggested, "but maybe we could ask more about the situation first. Heathcliff might know more. We have a good thing going here, but Kira will probably want to take the entire spotlight and run ahead."

"Hmm …" After taking the words into consideration, Kirita replied, "That's a good point."

/

While Kirita and Akio were exchanging messages with Heathcliff, the Aincrad Liberation Front was making themselves at home in one of the Inns the town had to offer. Thankfully for all involved parties, it was a separate Inn from where the other guilds were staying. There would at least be some peace where the players would sleep. Regardless, tensions would remain high.

Wan Shotto bluntly decided it would be best to point out the obvious to the guild leader, "You know considering how we still need to find the boss door, and we need to work with them, you 'might' want to consider taking Heathcliff up on his proposal."

Kira asked in a perplexed tone, "Proposal?"

Wan Shotto replied, "I heard what he said early."

The space between Kira's eyes suddenly shrunk as she rhetorically asked, "You were listening in?"

Wan Shotto motioned to PoH as she answered, "Both of us were. Anyway, I heard what he said about his and the other guilds have been working in shifts. He practically gave you an opening to negotiate a shift for us."

Kira demanded to know, "And what kind of shift would he expect 'me' to take?"

"I don't know." Wan Shotto proceeded to remind Kira much to her chagrin that, "We don't have a lot to say since we got here 'last'. But that's what negotiations are for. We can try to negotiate something good out of this. Who knows? Maybe we can work 'something out'."

Before Kira could protest, PoH stood in, "She's right, Kira. We still have a long way to go, so negotiation with Heathcliff and possibly Delano would be in our best interest."

"Hmm …" Hearing two people giving her the same advice caused Kira to bite her lip.

Before Kira could say a word, PoH assured the 'leader', "This will be for the best. Believe me."

/

The timing of Kira's decision to have a meeting with Heathcliff could not have come at a better time. When Kirita and Akio were exiting the dungeons, they received a new message. It caused the looks in both of their eyes to brighten as they read it. Heathcliff would be occupying the attention of Kira and a few other guild members. However, he warned them that they shouldn't lower their guard because of it.

Shortly after receiving the message, Kirita noticed Delano approach them. Kirita had an idea of what he was about to say, but she let him tell them anyway, "I'll be attending this so-called meeting as well. I was just talking to Argo, and it would be a good idea for you to act as guest members of his guild."

Akio inquired with a hint of suspicion, "He's really fine with that?"

"Yep." Delano casually answered, "He said he doesn't want to lose money on all the business you're supposed give him."

"Heh." Akio chuckled, "Of course he said that."

"Typical Argo." Kirita concurred as she shook her head.

Delano ignored the comments as he informed the duo, "Well, he told me he's pulling those whole rat mask and cloak thing, so I'm sure you two have yours, right?"

Kirita confirmed, "Yes."

"Good. Then, I don't need to tell you what to do next." Delano waved the duo off as he started walking away, "I got a meeting to attend."

/

When Kirita and Akio returned to town, they remained vigilante as they returned to the Inn. Thankfully, it was as Heathcliff informed them. They were cautious as they made their way to the Inn by making sure to wear their mask and cloaks. However, these measures proved to be unnecessary.

Kirita and Akio would later find that the meeting went about as well as it could. Kira and her group would be doing the 'night shift' which meant they would most likely be sleeping during the day. This knowledge helped put Akio and Kirita at ease. However, they understood they couldn't relax either.

This arrangement didn't need to last long. Two days later the boss door was found. By defeating the mini-boss and finding the door, the preliminary information regarding the boss was available to all the coalitions of players. Kira proved again to be surprisingly cooperative with the other guild leaders. If Kirita had to guess, players like Wan Shotto were reeling in Kira's more impulsive and destructive behavior.

When the preliminary information regarding the monster was made available, it was revealed that the boss Kirita fought in the Beat Test was the same as the one in this version of the game. While Kirita wished she could breathe a sigh of relief, she knew she shouldn't. There could always be a key detail that was changed, and Kirita understood that one change could make all the difference.

Once again, Kira proved to be surprisingly cooperative. She appeared to be level headed and played ball. While she was allowed two parties of players the other four parties were represented by the different guilds. One from the Knights, one for the Conquerors, one for Klein's Fuurinkazan, and the one from the Argo Network. Kirita and Akio would be with the Argo Network for the battle since having those two spots allowed Argo's group to have a five player party.

Due to the Boss Room player limitation, the remaining players in the all respective guilds would wait outside the boss' room. They would be given a message or signal to enter the boss' room after the battle was won. They would all ascend the stairs and reach the eighth floor together. A good idea that would work swimmingly with anyone who wasn't part of the Aincrad Liberation Front. However, Kira did not raise any objections, so she did appear to be playing nice, for now.

/

On the night before the boss battle, Kirita was sitting on the edge of her bed as her eyes darted back and forth as they followed Akio's pacing. He had one hand on the handle of his rapier. It looked as if he was ready to charge into battle at the drop of a hat.

After watching him complete a couple of laps around the room, Kirita rhetorically asked, "Feeling a little tense, Akio?"

"…" Akio stopped in place as he turned his head to Kirita and replied, "A little, but I'm a little excited."

Kirita grinned as she inquired, "Hoping this can be a big moment?

"Well …" Akio was a little hesitant to reply, but he gave his response, "It would be nice."

Kirita encouraged before reminding him, "Go for it, but try to keep your mask on."

"Yeah …" Akio put his hand on the mask attached to his belt as he told Kirita, "I'll do my best, but I can't promise it won't break or something."

"I know …" Kirita lamented, "It'll suck if there's a problem now."

"Seriously?" Akio asked in disbelief, "Why'd you have to say that? Now, there really might be a problem."

"Sorry, sorry." Kirita sheepishly replied before getting off the bed, "Anyway, try to get some rest."

"Going somewhere?" Akio inquired.

"Yeah." Kirita answered, "I'm gonna pay Heathcliff a visit. There's something I want to talk to him about before we get going."

"I see …" Akio then said, "I guess we will be heading out after the boss battle tomorrow."

"Yep." Kirita stated, "I might as well say a few more things to him before we fight. I'll be back in a little bit." Without another word, Kirita exited the room and headed straight to Heathcliff's room.

/

When Kirita knocked on Heathcliff's door, she was immediately welcomed in. Heathcliff didn't feel the need to inquire what Kirita was doing in his room. He deduced it, and she confirmed it when she said, "Since the battle is going to happen tomorrow, I figured I might as well say this now. I … No, Akio and I really do appreciate the fact you let us work with you on this floor."

Heathcliff held out his hand and assured the young player, "No thanks are necessary, Kirita-san. I was more than happy to do so."

Kirita then inquired, "Are you sure you don't want anything? We can pay you."

"Hmph." Heathcliff put down his hand as he appeared to consider it for a moment before then responding, "There's no need. While traveling as our guests, the two of you did a fine job ensuring the survival of your fellow knights. Knights must protect people, but they must be capable of protecting themselves and their fellow knights first otherwise they would be worthless. One of the many reasons being a knight was seen as a sacred brotherhood."

"Um …" Kirita then sheepishly stated, "I'll admit I didn't expect you to say something like that."

Heathcliff stated, "Most people probably wouldn't. Some people lack a taste for chivalry or history."

"Chivalry, huh?" Kirita's voice became a little lower as she thought, "There's that word again."

This caused Heathcliff to tilt his head, "Did I say something wrong?"

Kirita shook her head, "No. Not exactly"

"Not exactly?" Heathcliff repeated before asking, "Do I make you uncomfortable?"

"No. No, it's not that." Kirita took a moment to calm herself as she insisted, "Not really, but um … I'm a little curious."

Heathcliff inquired, "With what?"

"Well …" Kirita combed her hand through her hair as she said, "This is a little awkward, but I … um …" Heathcliff remained silent as Kirita took a moment to ask, "Do you see me as a 'girl' first or a 'warrior' first?"

"Curious, huh?" Heathcliff asked.

"Well … yeah." Kirita replied.

Without hesitation, Heathcliff merely replied, "Both."

"Hmm?" Kirita wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"You are both." Heathcliff repeated himself before explaining, "It's as simple as that, and there's nothing wrong with that either because that's who 'you' are, and you can't let one thing define you. That would just be foolish. After all, you've more than proven your worth on the battlefield, and it wouldn't be proper to be rude to you. Of course, one shouldn't be rude to anyone, but that's especially true to a lady."

"Oh …" Kirita nodded her head feeling a strange sense of satisfaction.

"Of course," Heathcliff's voice became deeper as he put his hand on his sword's hilt, "chivalry does have its limits. If you were to challenge me to a duel, I would not hand you the victory. You'd have to earn it."

Kirita couldn't help but smile as she told him, "Now, that is something I wanted to hear. I 'really' appreciate that."

"Hmph." Heathcliff appeared rather pleased as he inquired, "Are you saying you wish to challenge me to a duel?"

"Maybe." Kirita clarified, "Not right now, but I'm interested. If I did challenge you, I'd like to see you fight at your best."

"And I you." Heathcliff removed his hand from the hilt as he told her, "You can consider this an open invention to challenge me whenever you see fit."

"Gladly. May the best player win." Kirita held out her hand accompanied by a grin underneath her mask.

Heathcliff was more than willing to accept the gesture. "Indeed." As they shook hands, Heathcliff inquired, "Before you go, are you curious about anything else? I have a feeling you might be."

"Well … Actually, I was wondering." Kirita scratched the back of her head as she hesitantly asked, "Why did you choose to be a knight?"

Heathcliff raised an eyebrow, "Pardon?"

Kirita explained, "I have two friends who call themselves the Samurai brothers." Kirita then stated, "You probably remember them. You might've …"

Before Kirita could finish, Heathcliff interjected, "You mean those two players that hang out with Argo?"

"Yes." Kirita sounded relieved before she continued, "They're really into the whole Samurai thing like you seem to be into the Knight thing. I get that Knights are a 'popular class,' but I'm curious about why you choose to be a Knight rather than Samurai or anything else?"

"Ah. I see." Heathcliff was nodding as he was pondering the right words to give a response. "A fair question. A very fair question."

"…" Kirita continued to look up as she waited for him to give an actual answer. It bought him some time to think of the right words.

/

While Heathcliff understood that Kirita was willing to give him time to think of a response, he also knew that he didn't want her to wait too long. He wanted his answer to be truthful. At the very least, as truthful as he could. His head was quickly pondering the possibilities as he thought back to his 'previous life'.

After a few moments, Heathcliff had enough inspiration to give Kirita what he thought would be a 'satisfying' answer. "You can say I had 'diversified' interests in math and history when I was younger." He clarified, "This was before I met my mentor who set me on my path. Various areas of foreign history caught my interest, specifically the Medieval Times. I always found it incredible how their 'Feudal Era' can compare to ours. Not to mention, history associated with legends, such as King Arthur, Excalibur, or the Knights of the Round Table, caught my fancy as well. I suppose you could say my younger self was calling out to me when I was coming up with 'certain' ideas."

"Huh …" Heathcliff looked down to Kirita who sounded rather amazed by what she was hearing as she replied, "Wow … That's quite a story."

"Like any story there is much more to it." Heathcliff then emphasized, "However, I would rather save it for another time if you don't mind."

"Of course not." Kirita then graciously replied, "That's fine by me. Thanks for telling me."

Heathcliff smiled, "You're very welcome."

"So …" Kirita took a moment before making another inquiry, "Would these 'diversified interests' be a reason why you were able to figure me out so easily. I thought I did a good job hiding."

"Somewhat." Heathcliff told her, "I never said it was easy. I've actually been interested in speaking with you since the first floor was cleared. You were quite elusive. You did a fine job keeping yourself hidden, but I believe associating with Argo gave you away. I just happened to be in the area when I saw you, Argo, and your friend, Akio-san, conversing with each other in town."

"…" Kirita wasn't sure what to say next.

"Before you ask, Argo didn't give you up." Heathcliff assured her, "I deduced your identity based on circumstance and the 'consistency' in certain rumors."

"Yeah … Okay …" Kirita uneasily replied.

"Anyway," Heathcliff decided to then capitalized on this moment, "As much as I would be happy to keep this conversation up, we do have a battle to prepare for tomorrow. Perhaps it would be best for you to get some sleep."

"Yeah." Kirita nodded, "Good night, Heathcliff-san, and thank you."

Rather than denying the gratitude, Heathcliff merely replied, "Of course. Good night."

Shortly after the door closed, Heathcliff turned to see Goro's body materialize behind him. Before Goro had a chance to speak, Heathcliff firmly admonishing his subordinate, "It is rude to listen in on other people's conversations, Goro."

"My apologies." Goro bowed his head before stating, "I was about to return when she entered your room, and quite frankly I'm surprised how open you've been with her."

"It was simple information." Heathcliff then stated, "I would share it with anyone if they asked."

"I'm sure you would." Goro remarked with a grin, but Heathcliff was unamused.

"Save your theories for yourself." Heathcliff then inquired, "How was the real world?"

"Everything is still running smoothly, sir." Goro reported.

"Good." Heathcliff then ordered, "Now go to sleep."

"Yes, sir." Goro complied.

/

When the gathering of players prior to the Boss battle began, Kirita and Akio made sure to stand with Argo, Kikuchiyo and Gorobei as the main leaders of this boss raid gave their two cents. Heathcliff, Delano, and Kira all gave their own speeches. With Kira in the mix, Kirita felt like it was turning into some kind of contest. A contest with a lot of fixed voters when Kirita looked over to the Aincrad Liberation Front members.

Kirita and Akio were doing their best not to draw attention to themselves which proved to be somewhat difficult. When one tries not to act conspicuous, it can inadvertently have the opposite effect. Luckily for Akio and Kirita, all the Army's eyes were on Kira. Staying silent was enough to keep them under the radar until the boss battle.

/

The trip to the boss room went without incident. However, this did little to allow Akio to feel relaxed as he had one hand on the grip of his rapier. While his blade did not move from its sheath, he was ready to pull it out. It was also lucky for him he was far from the only player to have his hand on his weapon. There were still plenty of monsters in the dungeon.

Akio glanced over to Kirita whose weapon remained sheathed behind her back, but her hands were not touching it. Instead, she appeared more relaxed based on how her hands were moving by her sides. Although, Akio could not see Kirita's face, he had a mental image that it was the opposite of his. He pictured her face to emitting a sense of calmness while his felt stiff as his heartbeat was rising to the point he could almost hear it. He attempted to follow her example and attempted to ease up by taking a breath.

Kirita whispered, "That's better, but don't ease up too much."

Finding that happy medium would always prove to be difficult at best, but Akio replied, "Okay."

/

When Akio stood in front of the boss' door, he could see it was as tall and wide as the others. It would allow a large number of players to fit through at once. However, the door was far from the only thing on Akio's mind. The discussion he had with Heathcliff played in his head. He had a goal that wasn't going to be easy to attain even if all the players in the group weren't hostile.

Akio had to glance around to remind himself that at least a third of the players in the Boss Raid were ready to label Kirita and him as criminals. The only thing preventing them from jumping down their throats was the virtual plastic masks covering their faces. Kirita may have been accustomed to it, but this 'protection' felt rather thin.

When Akio looked over to Kirita, he had a sense that she was not bothered by this as much as he was. He decided it would be best not to voice anything regarding this matter. At the very least, he shouldn't say anything before the boss battle began.

/

When the players selected to participate in the boss battle entered the room, the boss wasted no time making itself known to them. As the preliminary data informed them, their screens were telling them that this monster was Jisho. It had two heads and both heads looked like the heads of the mini-bosses that had been fought before. The monster had both short and long range weapons in its arsenal, so the players had an idea of what to expect.

By fighting the mini-bosses of this floor, it appeared to give the players practice in handling this boss battle. During the strategy meeting, it was mentioned that mini-bosses utilized 'reinforcements'. There was no reason to expect this to be any different. Unfortunately, there were no doorways the reinforcements would be appearing from that would allow some of the players to be placed as guards. Instead, after the players were partway into the Boss Room, the monsters were jumping down from the openings in the wall.

When Kirita looked up she sarcastically remarked, "Well, that's just great."

Heathcliff called out, "Knights! To the Western Side!"

Delano held up his spear and told his guild, "To the East!"

Kira called out her guild, "North and South!"

The different guilds ran around the boss to cover their respective points. Before too many reinforcements arrived, all four areas of the walls were being looked after by the different guilds. The remaining players, including Akio and Kirita, ran straight to the boss to challenge it head on.

/

When one of the reinforcements attempted to attack Heathcliff, he stepped to the side, the monsters body swung past him. In a blink of an eye, "Heathcliff swung down his sword. Before the monsters had a chance to realize what was happening the sword's edge cut into the back of its neck before cutting clean through. The monster's head barely had time to roll on the ground before its body broke apart and disappeared.

Another monster attempted to attack Heathcliff but he made the same performance, and the monster found itself headless as well. He didn't pay it any mind.

Every monster could try as hard as it wanted, but not one of them was able to touch Heathcliff. When another monster attempted to attack him, he thrust his shield forward. The shield slammed into the monster like it was a wall, and the monster fell on its back. Heathcliff thrusted his sword downward into the monster's stomach before it had a chance to recover.

After he pulled his sword out, he saw that more monsters were coming his way. Before he had a chance to confront it, an arrow whizzed through the air and struck the monster through its eye. Two players, Juho and Michiko, jumped in front of him.

Juho's mallet slammed into another monster's skull as he told his leader, "We can handle the monster's here! Take care of the boss!"

Michiko pulled an arrow back on her bow as she said, "Don't worry about us, Heathcliff-sama!" She released the arrow, and she shot down another monster as she loudly assured him, "We won't let any through!"

Heathcliff simply remarked, "Very well."

Without wasting another moment, he turned to join the fray against the boss battle as the rest of his guild continued to fight off the reinforcements in their area. Likewise, Kira and Delano's guild did the same for them. All three major guilds leaders converged on the main boss fight.

/

During the fight, while the monster had two heads, only one was active at a time. When one was fighting, the other would go silent and closed his eyes allowing it to go to sleep and recover. After the first two times, Kirita noticed that the heads appeared to become active based on their current amount of 'Health Points'. It was not random how they kept switching. Additionally, the fighting style would change based on which head was awake.

When the right head became active, it would pull out the large broadsword and shield. Its swing could cause the players to feel a 'gust' if the you're lucky to avoid it. When the left head would activate, the monster would put its sword and shield away and pull out its bow and arrow.

Even if a player attacked it, the monster could not be stopped from pulling an arrow back on its bowstring, and launching it. The bowstring was made out of strong material. The players weapons were either too weak or it was too strong.

Throughout a majority of the battle, there was nothing of note. The players were doing their part to slice the monster as best as they could, and it was losing hit points steadily. Even when the sword swing caused players to be briefly blown away, other players would then strike him. When the monster would pull out this giant bow, some players would take advantage of it to whittle down its heath points while others would simply do their best to avoid getting hit by the giant arrow.

That was until the monster was below twenty percent when it switched to using its bow and arrow. However, this time rather than aiming at the players actively fighting it, it aimed its arrow at the players who were fighting off the reinforcements.

When Delano saw this he called out, "Arya! Johnny! Heads up!"

Both Arya and Johnny Black turned their heads just in time to see the monster let go of the arrow. They were forced to jump out of the way to avoid the giant arrow that then became lodged into the ground where they were standing. However, this led to them being unable to prevent one of the reinforcements from breaking through the line of defense.

Delano was forced to rush to where the line was broken. He jumped while thrusting his spear through the monster's skull. He cursed, "Damn!"

Rather than firing another arrow in Delano's direction, the monster then turned to fire another arrow where Heathcliff's guild was and then to were one of Kira's teams were. Heathcliff briefly retreated to help his guild plug up the defense leak, Kira had one of her subordinates go in her place as she continued to fight the monster.

Afterwards, the monster then decided to continue firing several more arrows in random directions until it switched back to being a close range fighter when its health dwindled further.

/

Akio briefly coughed at the smoke surrounding one of the arrows lodged into the ground. He was lucky to get out of the way in time when Jisho was firing off the arrows. He leaned against the giant arrow as he was breathing heavily. He gritted his teeth as he saw the monster was continuing to fight off the remaining players while several of the others were doing their best to contain the reinforcements.

"Ugh …" Akio groaned as he attempted to steady himself, "Damn … What do I do …?"

Akio trailed off as he looked ahead again at the monster then he noticed Klein fighting it along with his guild. He could feel the gears in his head beginning to grind. The idea was coming to him as he looked around the area. He could feel the idea was ready to click.

"Are you okay, Akio?" Kirita ran over to Akio who looked in her direction.

"I'm fine … We just need to finish this quickly." Akio said as he pushed himself off the large arrow.

"Yeah." Kirita readied her weapon.

Seeing Kirita prepare herself caused Akio to think of something before requesting, "Kirita … I want to get the 'Last Attack Bonus', but it's …" Akio briefly glanced at the Boss, who was taking the offensive against the remaining players fighting it, before then asking, "Can you help me?"

"Of course." Kirita continued to hold her sword as she attempted to warn, "I can't guarantee …"

"I know. I know." Akio straightened himself up as he took a deep breath. He sounded far more calm as he told her, "I … I just need a little help. If I can do this just right, we might be able to finish him off with the next attack."

"Okay." Kirita replied without hesitation before then saying, "What do you need me to do?"

"Yeah … What do I … I just need the right amount of room to …" Akio's eyes were quickly darting all over the area. The 'reinforcements' the monster had calling up were under control. The different guilds were successfully holding them. He then noticed an area where there was a great deal of empty space. His eyes widened, "That's it!"

"…" Kirita remained silent as her head jerked back slightly when she heard Akio's outburst.

Akio then looked toward Kirita and inquired, "Remember how we distracted the mini-boss so Klein could get the bonus?"

Kirita replied, "Yes?"

Akio quickly suggested, "Can you do something like that for me?"

"Heh." It didn't take anything more than that for Kirita to figure what Akio was going for as she grinned, "Sure." Kirita pulled out her bow as she said, "Just tell me when."

Akio instructed, "I'm gonna run around the boss while he's distracted by the others. When I stop running, I want you to hit that bastard with as many arrows you can shoot."

Kirita grinned as she held an arrow in her hand, "Can do."

/

When Kirita saw Akio was in position, she fulfilled her part of the plan as best as she could. She pulled an arrow back on her bowstring. She pulled it back for maximum tension. She let go, and the arrow flew. The monster did not have a chance to notice the small object moving toward it at break neck speed. The only thing it could do was feel the arrow tip hit and get jammed into its eye.

"Gah!" The head cried out before then going asleep which resulted in the other head waking up and crying out.

This was Akio's chance. He ran toward the monster at break neck speed. When Akio was close enough, he used all the energy he could muster to propel him upwards. He felt as if he could jump a building when he was in the air but that was not the time to wonder about that. He had one chance to strike down this monster.

Over the course of the battle, the monster's health bar had been reduced to a few slivers. He could not afford to blow it now. It was in this moment, Akio felt the energy surrounding his arm and rapier before he released a barrage of rapier strikes that reduced the monster's backside to Swiss cheese.

Akio could feel each strike breaking through the skin before pulling out the rapier in rapid succession. He could only keep this barrage going for a few seconds, so he had to make sure every strike counted. There was no room for error.

The boss could feel as if a thousand needles were striking him at once, but he didn't have enough time to counter. In fact, all he could do was cry out until he saw the last of his health deplete.

Before gravity pulled Akio down to the ground, he unleashed one last attack. He outstretched his arm as far as he could as the rapier broke through the skin of the monster until his weapon was nearly buried into the monster's flesh. That last strike was all he needed. With the final strike, the last of the boss' health was depleted. Another battle had been won.

/

After delivering the final strike, Jisho's body shattered to pieces, and Akio landed on his feet. Unfortunately, his legs gave way. He then was on his knees. He wasn't hurt. He just didn't have it in him to keep standing at that moment. It was in this moment that he saw a notification appear on his screen telling him that he was given a reward.

'Last Attack Bonus' were the words that were flashing in front of him. Those were the three words he wished to see as his mouth opened wide with excitement. It was a moment that should have filled Akio with a great amount of pride. However, when he looked over to Heathcliff who was looking in his direction, Akio felt his heart jump.

What started as a smile began to curl downwards. He the closed his menu as he saw Kirita walk toward him. He forced himself to stand up as he told her, "Thanks a lot."

"No problem." Kirita then asked, "Are you feeling better?"

"I'm fine." Akio brushed himself off and corrected, "I'll be fine. I guess the excitement caught up to me or something."

"Right." Kirita then warned, "You know … We're gonna have to be extra careful. I don't think this boss was as hard as it was in the Beta Test. This feels like a breather boss."

This caused Akio to inquire, "You're a lot stronger now than you were in the Beta Test, right?"

"Yeah," Underneath her mask, Kirita told him, "but I think having a better teammate helps things too."

"…" This elicited a blush from Akio. He was grateful that his mask prevented anyone from seeing it.

When Akio began to hold up his hand to say something, he was interrupted by the interjection of Delano, "That was well done, Akio."

Akio glanced over to Delano who appeared rather pleased despite what just happened. Akio couldn't help but feel confused as he asked, "You're not pissed? I thought you wanted to be in the limelight."

"Hmph." Delano merely replied, "The limelight belongs to the one who earned it. You earned it this time."

"Um … Wow …" Akio could feel his blush deepen under his mask at the unexpected praise, "Thanks."

"Keep it up." Delano patted Akio's shoulder, "If you do, you might become someone I'd consider challenging to a duel someday."

"Heh …" Akio looked Delano in the eyes through his mask and told him, "When you want to challenge me, you …" Akio briefly hesitated before then saying, "You can challenge me."

Delano grinned as he patted Akio again, "Not bad. Just work on the execution a little, but not bad."

"…" Kirita couldn't help but put her hand under her mask to contain her nearly erupting laughter.

/

Even with their masks on, it became more than obvious to Kira that those players that were in the center of attention were none other than Kirita and Akio. They were in plain sight for all to see. Kira had always known that Kirita was among the crowd, and her eyes confirmed it.

Reason was quickly leaving Kira's mind as the space between her eyebrows closed and wrinkles began forming on her forehead. This was followed by narrow eyes and gritted teeth. Her fingers curled into a fist and her virtual fingernails began to dig into her skin as her arm began to shake.

The moment Kira took a step forward she felt something encircled and grab her wrist. The strength of this grip held her back. Kira looked behind to see it was the one eyes Wan Shotto keeping her in place.

With barley contained anger, Kira snarled, "What're you doing?"

Contrarily, Wan Shotto answered in annoyance, "I'm saving you."

Kira attempted to break off the grip as she demanded, "Saving me from what?"

Wan Shotto held on tighter as she pulled Kira in and told her face to face, "Do you really need to ask? Just look over there." When Kira looked to where Wan Shotto was motioning toward, Wan Shotto told her, "This could be the worst possible time for you to attack her."

Before Kira could say a world PoH chimed in, "She's right. Kirita is surrounded by her allies right now. If you attempt to attack her now, they will fight back, and I don't think it would end well for us."

"…" Kira's teeth remained gritted as she said nothing.

Wan Shotto pointed out, "We already got one set of eyes on us. We don't need anymore."

"What?" Kira looked to see there was one set of eyes. They belonged to none other than Heathcliff. The moment her eyes met his, she wished they hadn't. While his face appeared 'neutral' his eyes certainly weren't.

Heathcliff's eyes pierced through her. Her virtual heartbeat sped up exponentially as he remained staring at her as if it could act as a chain or wall preventing her from taking another step. Kira eased up on her struggle and Wan Shotto let go of her. Kira remain in place before turning around and stating, "Another time."

Kira wasn't going to stick around in the same room as the Beater or her allies. She would have her guild wait outside the boss room until the other players left, and they would ascend to the next floor later. With the Aincrad Liberation Front gone from the area, there was a sense of ease.

/

Some of the players from the other guilds received a message from their respective guild leaders that it was okay to enter the Boss' room. When some of the players opened the door, they saw that Kira's guild were leaving the boss' room. Even from that distance, Kirita could tell that they raised eyebrows, but they shrugged it off, and they kept walking. Kirita almost laughed when she saw that, but she put her fingers above her lips to suppress it.

Akio and Kirita looked as the door closed behind Kira and her guild. Akio glanced over to Heathcliff who merely nodded and Akio returned the nod. He then turned to Kirita and remarked, "She saw us, but she's letting us go."

Kirita merely said, "Looks like it."

Argo stepped toward the duo as he informed him of the obvious, "She's obviously letting you go because going after you now would be impractical. Just look around." The Rat motioned to his guild, the Conquerors, Klein's guild, and even the Knights before pointing out, "You two have managed to round up quite a few allies. Despite her best efforts."

"I guess we have …" Akio sounded rather surprised by the realization.

Kirita merely said, "Yeah …"

That caused Argo to inquire, "Are you disappointed?"

"No. I'm just … kinda surprised." Kirita then said, "I guess some things have a way of working out."

"You can say that again. However," Argo warned, "don't expect her to give you guys a head start for long. If you have anything you need to do before heading back to your village I suggest getting it over with quickly. Who knows if Kira will maintain her 'cool head' the next time she sees you."

"Ugh …" Kirita cringed at the thought.

"We'll be ready." Akio stated.

"Good." Argo stated, "See you up there." Argo then walked away.

"Even though he's right ..." When Argo was out of earshot Kirita remarked, "That was still too close."

Akio leaned to Kirita and whispered, "At least, we won't need to worry about them for now. This means you have your opportunity."

When Akio motioned to Klein, Kirita gave a loud sigh as she reluctantly replied, "Okay. I'll do it …"

Akio patted her shoulder, "I know you can."

Kirita at first slowly walked toward Klein's direction before she suddenly felt something on her back push her forward. Kirita glanced to see it was Akko pushing her with a grin on his face. Kirita couldn't help but shake her head as she was walking toward Kiln at a more 'accelerated pace'. When she was close Klein took notice, and happily said, "We did it again, Kirita."

Kirita merely said, "Yeah …"

"Something wrong?" Klein tilted his head, "There's something I want to talk to you about. Do you mind if we talk … to the side when we get up there?"

Klein merely replied, "Of course not."

/

Akio was watching the exchange between the two players as another player stood next to him. He looked up to see it was Heathcliff who commented, "I would say that seems promising. Wouldn't you agree?"

Akio nodded, "Yeah … I think so …"

Heathcliff turned to face Akio and told him, "Congratulations on achieving your goal."

"Well …" Akio scratched the back of his head as he told him, "It wasn't just me …"

"I know." Heathcliff then suggested, "I think it might be best if we continue this conversation somewhere else."

"Um …" Akio was hesitant, but he replied, "Sure."

/

After reaching the new floor, Kirita didn't bother checking out what the new town had to offer. While other players had their run of the place, she and Klein stood off to the side away from prying eyes

As they stood in the alleyway, there was an awkward silence that hung in the air. While the silence only lasted a few seconds, they felt stretched out in Kirita's mind. She lightly bit her lips. Her hands were pulling at the side of her pants. She felt like she needed to keep her feet planted in the ground, so she wouldn't begin pacing. Even with her mask on, she felt more anxious trying to speak with Klein than getting ready to fight the boss.

"Um … It didn't surprise Kirita that Klein was the first to say something. He took a step forward and asked, "Are you feeling, okay? You don't look so good. Are you sick?"

"I …" Kirita attempted to speak.

"Wait." Klein accidentally cut her off as he reminded himself, "This is the virtual world. We can't get sick, can we? Or can we feel sick like the real world? I know I'd rather not test it out, but it would be good to know."

"I'm not feeling sick, Klein-san." Kirita finally answered. Klein remained silent as she waited for Kirita to finish, "I'm just trying to think of the right words to say. I didn't really think this through."

"Okay." Klein stood there and said, "I can wait." He then advised, "Just take a breath and it'll come to you."

"Hmm …" Kirita nodded. She then reached for her mask and partially revealed her face. Klein could see her eyes, but Kirita held her mask over her nose and mouth.

…" Klein continued to remain silent. Kirita could see he was pressing his lips together to resist the temptation of making a comment.

Kirita finally put her hands down to her sides, so her face would be on full display. Her first word were, "I'm glad you're here."

"Um …" Klein awkwardly replied, "Thanks."

"Hold on! Hold on!" Kirita rubbed her head, "That was out of order. That wasn't supposed to be the first thing I said. I meant to say something else. Let me start over."

"Okay." Klein stood still and waited.

"I wanted to say …" Kirita lightly bit her lip again. She could feel the words stuck in her throat. They were right there, but they were having difficult escaping until she thought about what Klein said a few monsters ago. He closed her eyes and took a breath and lowered her head, "I'm sorry, Klein."

"What?" While Kirita was looking to the ground, she pictured Klein's head jerking back at the unexpected apology. Kirita stood up straight and bluntly told him, "You know what this is about."

"…" After a moment, Klein merely replied, "Yeah, I do."

"Hmm …" Kirita then said, "It's pretty belated … It might not mean much at this point, but I'm sorry for abandoning you that day. I really am …"

There were a handful of responses that Kirita was expecting to come from Klein. When he told her, "Don't worry about it," it didn't surprise her.

Kirita felt 'conflicted' upon hearing that words. She sincerely asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Klein affirmed before adding, "If anything, I should apologize to you."

"Me?" Kirita pointed to herself while feeling dumbfounded. Why would you apologize to me? I'm the one who left you behind.

Klein reminded her, "You wanted to take me with you, and I tried to guilt trip you into doing something I wanted to do instead."

"Guilt trip?" Kirita questioned before realizing, "You mean finding your friends?" When Klein nodded, Kirita replied, "How was guilt tripping? You were just asking me for help."

"I was …" Klein paused and then said, "Look, I was being a little selfish when I did that. I wanted to help my friends, but I also know you were telling me the truth. All the good questions and hunting spots were taken by the time I found them. It took a while before they would respond. I wanted you to be our guild, but we also would have held you back, and slowed you down. I was sure you were at the first boss battle, and but I didn't go partly because we were slow in leveling up."

"…" Kirita remained silent as she continued to listen.

Then, I heard about what happened during the battle. A lot of things were said." Klein firmly stated, "The only story that I thought even remotely sounded true was what I heard from the Argo Network. You needed help that day, and I wasn't there because we were too weak, or I thought we were too weak. Chance are you would've been to. Imaging how many other players would've died without you on the frontlines. Or maybe we would've parted ways. I could totally see that happened. Couldn't you?"

Kirita merely replied, "I guess …"

"The point is …" Klein did his best to articulate, "There's really no point in feeling bad about that day. Things worked out pretty well all things considered. I don't have any complaints. Aren't you gland how things worked out?"

"Um …" Kirita hesitantly answered, "Mostly."

"Mostly, huh?" Klein shrugged, "Sounds good enough to me. If you want me to forgive you, that's fine with me. I forgive you. Do you forgive me?'

"I …" Kirita was momentarily struck as she attempted to respond. It took her a moment to come up with, "There's nothing to forgive."

"Great." Klein clapped his hands together with a wide grin. "Let's try to move on." He happily offered his hand, "Put it there."

"Heh …" Kirita slowly returned the smile, "Sure." The two shook hands and Kirita told him, "I do mean it. I'm glad you're here."

"It took me long enough." When their hand shake ended, "Klein pointed to himself, "you can be sure that you're gonna see a lot more of me in the future."

Kirita replied, "I hope so."

"You will." Klein patted her should, "Enjoy your vacation. You earned it. I'll take care of the frontlines in the meantime." Kirita chuckled in response.

/

After parting ways with Klein, Kirita decided it was best to head back 'home'. First, she had to find Akio. She lost sight of him while she was talking to Klein. She figured he was probably killing time in town. Kirita ran off like a shot to find him.

Before locating her partner, she encountered two familiar players, Juho and Michiko. Kirita figured she might as well properly say goodbye to them as well as see if they knew Akio's whereabouts. She walked over to them, and they noticed her approach.

"Enjoying the new town, guys?" Kirita playfully asked.

Juho remarked, "I'm surprise your still here. Aren't you going on vacation?"

"Had something to take care of before I left." Kirita asked, "How are you guys feeling after that boss fight?"

Michiko replied, "I think it was a little easier than the last one."

Juho concurred, "I agree."

Kirita pointed out, "I think that might be due to the mini-bosses we took care of."

"Probably." Juho replied.

Kirita then asked, "You guys heading straight for the next tower?"

"No." Juho stated, "We were checking the Quest Board earlier, and there's quite a few to choose from. We're gonna tell Heathcliff that we want to take care of a few side quests so we can level up more."

"Hmm. That's smart." Kirita nodded, "I'm sure there's plenty to choose from and lots of rewards to get."

Michiko playfully replied, "You know it."

Kirita then said, "Besides, this boss might not have been that hard, but things could get tough this time."

The only word Juho said in response under his helmet was, "Yes …" While Kirita couldn't tell what kind of face he was making underneath it, she was certain he must've had an 'uneasy' expression.

"Anyway," Kirita decided it was best to segue way into what she really wished to ask, "Have you two seen Akio-san? I was hoping I could find him around here."

"Have you tried messaging him?" Michiko suggested.

"Heh …" Kirita chuckled as she sheepishly scratched the back of her head, "I didn't actually think about that … I thought I'd spot him easily."

"Well, the last we saw him he was talking to Heathcliff-sama." Michiko pointed down the street. "If they're still talking, they should be at the end of the street and you take a right."

Kirita graciously replied, "Thanks a lot."

As Kirita began to walk away, her body suddenly stopped upon hearing the sudden outburst from Michiko, "Hold on!"

Kirita briefly felt her body stiffen before she turned her head to look at Michiko, "Yes?"

"Before you go," Kirita saw Michiko held out her hand as she then offered praise, "It was a pleasure fighting alongside you Kirita-san."

Kirita couldn't help but feel a sense of relief before turning around again to reply, "Thank you. It was great working with you guys too. I hope we can work together again soon."

"I'm sure we will." Michiko then told Kirita, "I'm sure Heathcliff would be more than happy to welcome you to the guild if you want."

Kirita held up her hand, "Let's not go that far."

"Suit yourself." Michiko then stated, "Anyway, we got some preparations of our own to handle. Take care of yourselves."

Kirita nodded, "Will do."

Michiko warned, "Just be careful when you're on the vacation will you?"

Kirita sounded a 'little' annoyed as she insisted, "I just said I would."

Juho added, "Try not to get yourself killed."

"Killed?" Kirita was taken aback, and Michiko looked over to her partner in disbelief as Kirita began to say, "We're just going on vacation. What could we …" Kirita then trailed off.

"Do you see my point?" Juho rhetorically asked.

Kirita merely said with a blank look, "Yeah …"

"Um …" Michiko decided to do her best to diffuse the 'awkward situation', "If you run into any trouble, you know how to contact us."

/

While Kirita was speaking with Klein, Akio was having a conversation with Heathcliff on the opposite side of the village away from prying eyes. Akio was interested in what Heathcliff had to say to him. He was hoping he could finally learn more.

When they were alone, Heathcliff told him, "About what you said earlier, there is something you should understand." Heathcliff remained firm as he told Akio, "Leaders don't get things handed to them or at least good leaders aren't supposed to. They're supposed to earn it. However, they can't always achieve their objectives without 'some' help. I know I wouldn't have accomplished what I have without help and neither would Delano nor Argo."

"…" Akio was silent upon hearing that.

Heathcliff then stated, "The essence of a good leader is knowing what you can do and what you need assistance with. Why do you think guilds have sub-leaders? Every leader needs a right hand man."

"Well …" Akio admitted, "I kind of always thought I could be Kirita's right hand."

"Hmph." Heathcliff stated, "You could. It is a valid option."

Akio sounded dismayed as he said, "You make it sound like it's a bad thing." Then he sounded concerned, "Is there a problem with that?"

"Not at all. Kirita is a fine player who also has leadership qualities." Heathcliff remarked, "There is no doubt about that. However, I believe I see something even more in you."

"Excuse me?" Akio raised an eyebrow.

Heathcliff answered, "I believe you have the potential of being a leader."

"Me?" Akio pointed at himself as he voiced his disbelief, "Are you serious?"

Heathcliff affirmatively replied, "Very much so."

"Why?" Akio pointed out, "I'm nothing compared to you or Delano."

Heathcliff remained firm as he stated, "That kind of deprecation is unnecessary, Akio-kun. I'm certain Kirita-san would've told you something similar."

"Um …" Akio admitted, "I think she has."

"And she's right." Heathcliff complimented Akio further, "You have a good head on your shoulders. You're willing to take initiative, and you've greatly improved as a player." Heathcliff added, "From what I've heard. You might be more capable than you give yourself credit for."

"I …" Akio hesitantly replied, "… I guess so."

"There's also this to consider. Not everyone starts out as a great leader. In fact, most people don't. They have to learn." That caused Akio to briefly open his mouth when he heard that, but he remained silent as he listened to Heathcliff, "Before they can learn to lead, they need to know how to follow. I myself followed in my mentor's footsteps. I learned from him and he guided me. I learned much from him before I became a leader myself. I'm sure it is similar with you and Kirita-san. She's guided you. You learned. You know what you need to do because you followed her example. You apparently did pretty well when you did that mission with the Samurai Brothers. I was informed you were basically the leader of that group."

"Well …" Akio humbly replied, "It did go well."

"You see." Heathcliff sounded 'encouraging' as he told Akio, "You're already proving yourself to be a leader, and you didn't realize it. There could be quite a promising future for you if we can escape."

Akio corrected him, "When we escape."

"Hmm?" It was Heathcliff's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"You heard me. When." Akio emphasized, "I'm not going to go with 'if'. I used to think we could never get out. When I met Kirita, that changed. I've met more and more players who're going to give it their all not only to survive but win. I'm one of them. We are not going to let this game be the end of us. We will fight. As long as we keep moving towards the goal, I do believe we can do this."

"Hmph." Heathcliff was amused, "Well said. Nice to see some optimism. Picked that up from Kirita-san?"

"A little … I wouldn't have gotten here if it weren't for her." Akio answered, "That's a fact. I also think it's a fact if we work together, we can do this."

Heathcliff replied, "Glad to hear it. I look forward to what you two will do in the future."

Akio stated, "Me too."

"Now about what I was saying before." Heathcliff then said, "Apologies if I'm out of line, but I can imagine you've had a desire to be in charge in the real world, but you've had to suppress an extent. Doesn't that sound about right?"

"…" Akio silently takes a step back.

Heathcliff was rather pleased as he pointed out, "I'm not hearing a clichéd denial from you. That must mean I'm on to something."

"I …" Akio admitted, "I'm not really sure how to respond."

Heathcliff assured the young player, "You don't have to. Just think things over. You have plenty of time."

"Hold on!" Akio held up his hand, "Kirita is a better player than me."

"And?" Heathcliff almost sounded disinterested.

This led to Akio asking the inevitable question, "Why aren't you telling her this? Shouldn't she be a leader?"

"Akio-san," Heathcliff rubbed his head before continuing, "Being a great warrior and a great leader 'can' go hand-in-hand, but not always. Even if Kirita has great fighting skills and has more experience that doesn't mean you can't be better than her at other things. That's just how life is."

"…" After taking a moment, Akio reluctantly replied, "I see … You do have a point."

Heathcliff replied, "Exactly."

Then that led to Akio inquiring, "Then, doesn't that mean there are people better than you at some things?"

It was Heathcliff's turn to be stunned but it was only for a moment. However, that moment was enough to leave an impression. The stern face moved back with his eyes widen and his lip parting leaving his mouth agape. That lasted about three seconds before he regained his composure to give a response.

The first thing Heathcliff said was, "The answer would be 'yes', but I would rather not give details like that now. I hope you understand."

"Fine." Akio reluctantly shelved the topic.

"However," Heathcliff stated, "I do hope players like you and Kirita will become better than me."

Akio raised an eyebrow, "Really? Why's that?"

"Practicality." Heathcliff explained, "We'll need players to be just as good if not better than I if this game is to be cleared."

"Hmm …" Akio nodded.

"By the way," Heathcliff then asked, "would you like to know why I asked you to complete the challenge?"

Akio attempted to give an answer, "Because completing your challenge means I'm capable of being leader?"

"Not exactly, but you were determined." Heathcliff then emphasized, "Determination is important for a leader. You also did it on your own without asking for Kirita to 'hand' you the victory."

"But …" Akio then appeared to realize, "Oh, I see … It's like what you said before. I asked for her help, but I didn't ask her to 'give' me the victory, right?" When Heathcliff began to open his mouth to reply, Akio continued without noticing he interrupted Heathcliff, "I told her that I wanted it, but she said she couldn't guarantee it, but after I told her the plan, she did her part, and I finished it off. That's what you were getting at, right?"

Seeing an opening, Heathcliff replied, "Exactly. There's nothing wrong with asking for help. You didn't ask her to give it to you. You asked her for help to get it." Heathcliff remained firm as he stated, "I'm pleased you are understanding there is a difference."

"…" Akio remained wordless as he looked at Heathcliff with awe.

Heathcliff assured him, "You don't have to worry about this now. After Kirita-san is done speaking with Klein, I suggest you get going before Kira is done with her temper tantrum."

"Heh." That elicited a grin from Akio as he repeated, "Temper tantrum. Heh. That's a good one."

"It is, isn't it?" Heathcliff seemed mildly amused as he concurred before looking to see a familiar face approaching them. "Speak of the devil, Kirita-san is coming our way."

Akio looked to see Kirita was walking toward them. He then looked to Heathcliff and asked, "Hey, do you want me to keep what you said to me between us?"

"For the most part." Heathcliff stated, "I'll trust you to be discreet."

Akio nodded, "Okay."

"There you two are." Kirita spoke up when she was close enough, "I've been looking for you." She then looked to Heathcliff and told him, "I was hoping to say goodbye before we get going."

"You don't need to." Heathcliff stated in no uncertain terms, "You'll be back on the frontlines before long, and we'll meet again soon enough."

Kirita insisted, "Even so, I wanted to thank you again for all your help."

Heathcliff held up his hand, "You've thanked me more than enough, and you don't need to. You did more than your fair share."

"Yes, I know, but I still felt …" Kirita finally decided to take a hint, and she partially changed course as she said, "I look forward to working with you again."

That caused Heathcliff to smile as he said, "The feeling is mutual. However, there is something I've been meaning to ask you about in regards to that last boss fight?"

Kirita asked, "Like what?"

"Honestly," Heathcliff stated, "the battle went much smoother than I anticipated. I appreciate how much your efforts made it easy, but it nearly felt 'too easy'."

"I was actually thinking the same thing as well." Kirita then said, "I think I remember that I wasn't leveled up nearly as much in the Beta Test than I am here, but I also think this 'Jisho' was a breather by comparison."

"Duly noted." Heathcliff pointed out, "I suppose you would know since you were a Beta Tester."

Kirita sounded a little uneasy as she replied, "Um … Yes."

"Speaking of that, it seems like you should probably leave soon." Heathcliff warned them, "Although, it seems like other players only get a whiff of you during the boss battle, which means you must do a good job hiding yourself in the crowd."

Kirita replied, "We're gonna have to try doing that more."

Heathcliff then inquired, "Have you told the others you'll be leaving?"

Kirita answered, "I told some of them we'd be taking a break after this floor."

"Good." Heathcliff then told them, "Then, you'd better go now."

"Yeah." Akio grinned as he said, "Who knows how much longer Kira's temper tantrum will last."

That elicited a laugh from Kirita, "Ha! Ha! That's a good one."

Akio laughed as well, "I know right." Akio turned to see Heathcliff silently gaze in his direction. All Akio could do was sheepishly grin and shrug before walking away.

/

As Heathcliff watched the two players walk away, he couldn't help but briefly smile as he shook his head. It would be a little while before they fought together again, but he know it won't be long either. The frontlines is what brought out the potential in both of them, and it was the only way they could get home. They would return after a break. He knew there would be no need to sour it.

Heathcliff saw Goro approach him as he commented in a deadpan tone, "You aren't forbidden from taking part in the conversations. You are my sub-leader."

"I was keeping an eye on the Army." Goro informed Heathcliff, "They'll be coming up shortly, so now could be a good time for those two to leave if they don't want any trouble"

"Is that so?" Heathcliff then looked at the duo as he remarked, "Then, they have impeccable timing."

"Indeed." Goro then shifted the topic, "On a related note, I can see why you see potential in that boy."

Heathcliff stated, "Yes. Superior combat abilities do not necessarily equal superior leadership."

"We already know that's not an issue for you." Goro put his hand on Heathcliff's shoulder as he advised, "However, we should meet with the other guild members before making any more decisions."

"Very well." Heathcliff ordered, "Draft the message."

Once again, Goro complied, "Yes, sir."

/

As Kirita and Akio were heading toward the teleporter of this floor, it did not surprise them to see a few players waiting for them. They were Argo and Delano along with members of their respective guilds. Delano was the first to speak and his words were not surprising either, "Took you long enough."

Arya followed up with, "We were starting to wonder if you were gonna show up at all."

"Hehe." Kirita chucked under her mask, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Yeah, well." Arya patted Kirita's shoulder, "Have a good time you two." She looked to Akio and told him, "Try not to take too long either, would you?"

Kirita merely replied, "Thanks. We won't take 'that' long."

Delano then said, "I hope you have a 'reasonably' good time as well, but don't forget. Make sure to keep your promise, Kirita-san."

Kirita assured her fellow player, "I won't get rusty."

"Good," Delano took a step forward and challenged, "because I'm gonna want another duel when you get back."

"Count on it." Kirita declared as she held out her arm, and Delano grabbed it. The next challenge was set.

After Kirita affirmed her promises, Delano turned to Arya and said, "Arya. Let's meet up with the others."

"Yes, sir." Arya immediately followed her leader while giving Kirita and Akio one last wave.

As they watched the players walk away, Akio commented, "Those two are off."

Kirita asked, "What should we expect?"

Akio replied in a deadpan tone, "Another duel?"

Kirita shrugged, "Pretty much."

"Well you two." Both players attention was captured by the Rat known as Argo who casually said, "It'll be a shame, especially for you. After all, you're not gonna get your daily dose of Argo for a little while."

Akio remained deadpan as he asked, "You mean you can't be getting our money?"

Argo's voice continued to sound casual as he replied, "That too." Before they had a chance to leave, Argo decided to add, "On that note, I think I'll be seeing you guys again a lot sooner than the rest of them."

"Oh goody." Akio then said, "Like that's a surprise."

Argo chuckled, "Heh."

Akio commented, "Knowing you Argo, that'll probably be true."

"What can I say?" Argo shrugged as he said, "I like keeping in touch with my favorite customers. Make sure that restaurant gives me extra special treatment when I get there."

"Um …" Kirita awkwardly told the Info Broker, "I don't think we can do that, Argo-san."

"Fine." Argo willingly compromised, "Then, make sure the food is at this best."

"I think I can do that." Kirita replied.

"Great." Argo then waved off as he said, "Then, I'll see you soon."

As Argo walked away, Akio couldn't help but comment, "Well, that was 'classic Argo'."

"Yeah," Kirita then rhetorically asked, "but what do you expect by now?

Akio then said, "I learned that it's better not to make assumptions."

"Seriously?" Kirita then asked, "You're saying that ..." Kirita then shook her head, "Never mind."

"…" Akio remained silent as he then saw the Samurai Brothers were walking toward them.

"Hey, you two." Kikuchiyo warmly told them, "Have a great vacation."

Gorobei gave a friendly warning similar to Delano as he said, "Just try not to have too much fun, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." Kirita assured him, "Don't worry. We'll keep up our game."

Gorobei was about to speak before he and the others noticed the door from the previous floor was opening again. Gorobei's voice suddenly became serious "You guys better get going. Now!"

"Right." Kirita looked to Akio and told him, "Let's go!"

/

With the oncoming arrival, Kirita activated the teleportation device. From the perspective of the Argo Network, Kirita and Akio disappeared before they caught sight of the new arrivals. To Kirita, the experience was different while going through it.

Kirita could feel her body through a 'sensation'. For a lack of a better word it felt like she was going through some kind of 'change' or 'alteration'. There was slight tingling sensation before it felt like pieces of her body were separating all at once before immediately being put back together. Kirita closed her eyes as the light surrounded her. When she reopened them, she not only felt like she was back together, but they were in a different but familiar location.

Kirita touched her stomach as she commented to herself, "I'll never get used to that."

Akio asked, "What was that?"

Kirita shook her head, "Nothing."

"Hmm …" Akio decided to drop it and said, "I feel like that was a little too close."

"Yeah …" Kirita sighed as she scratched the back of her head, "There were things I wanted to talk about and the time really went by."

Akio stated, "We're gonna have to be more careful in the future."

Kirita replied, "Yeah …"

"Man …" Akio looked up to the sky. The sunny skies of the eighth floor were replaced by that cloud covered sky and they wasn't a signal ray of sunshine. Akio strongly suggested, "I think we should get moving."

Kirita looked up and concurred, "Right …"

/

Back on the eighth floor, Kikuchiyo and Gorobei witnessed the duo's bodies disappear and entered into one of the previous floors. As they stood there, Kikuchiyo asked, "What do you think those two will do on their vacation?"

"Who knows?" Gorobei shrugged, "But trouble follows them. Chances are it'll come crashing down on them soon enough."

Kikuchiyo replied, "Probably."

Gorobei then looked to see at the newly arriving Aincrad Liberation Front as he commented, "Trouble kind of follows us too, so let's get moving before it catches up."

Kikuchiyo nodded, "Yeah. Let's go."

/

With the duo gone, Heathcliff was busy speaking with several members of his guild when Delano and his own guild were approaching him. Heathcliff turned his body to face the player that wished to speak with him.

Delano crossed his arms as he said, "I have to say you're not bad Heathcliff."

Heathcliff returned the compliment, "You fought very well during the boss fight as well. I can see why you have your own guild Delano-kun. It was an honor to fight alongside you."

"Since you are so good," Delano couldn't help but be curious as he inquired, "this makes me wonder what exactly you were doing on the first floor or some of those other floors. We could've used you …"

"You little …" Godfree attempted to approach Delano with gritted teeth, "How dare you …!"

Heathcliff raised his hand in front of Godfree, "Stop Godfree! That's enough!"

"…" Godfree suddenly became silent as his hands dropped and his mouth closed.

Heathcliff then stated, "I appreciate your passion Godfree, but it is hardly necessary. Delano had asked a simple question. There is no harm in giving him an answer."

Godfree looked to the side, "Very well …"

Heathcliff put his hand on his chest as he answered Delano's question, "As much as it behooves me to admit it, my guild was not prepared at the time. However, I took measures to ensure our readiness these past few floors. I knew if we weren't ready this time, it'd become increasingly difficult to catch up."

"Hmm … I understand." Delano then said, "In that case, there is something I would like to speak with you about. In private." He then pointed, "There's a meeting room over there we can use."

Heathcliff accepted the invitation, "Very well. I'll be back in a little while." He then warned, "Do not go off on your own while all the Aincrad Liberation Front is wandering around."

The guild members complied while Heathcliff and Delano made their way to a meeting room. As they were walking, Heathcliff was sure he overheard two of Delano's guild members, Arya and Johnny Black talking to themselves. They didn't seem to realize their voices carried even when they attempted to be quiet.

Arya 'softly' spoke to Johnny Black, "Is Delano-sama about to offer that guy advice?"

Johnny Black was grinning as he said, "I think so."

"Well …" Arya gleefully remarked, "Delano-sama has had an interesting way of doing things."

"Pfft." Johnny Black remarked, "Tell me about it."

"Quiet you two," The player known as Slade admonished them, and they quickly became tightlipped and stood straight.

Heathcliff didn't say a word as he continued to follow Delano. Instead, he simply smiled in amusement which vanished quickly. When Delano glanced over his shoulder, it returned to being neutral.

When it was just the two of them, Delano made sure the door was closed before telling him, "From one guild leader to another, I'm sure we can both agree that the guild members are our responsibility."

Heathcliff had no issue concurring, "Indeed."

Delano then said, "I'm sure we can also agree that leaders who put their subordinates at risk so they can rush ahead are not worthy of the title."

Heathcliff repeated, "I concur."

"You've done right with your guild. You made sure they were ready as they could be." Delano then said, "From what I can see you've done commendable work.

Heathcliff graciously replied, "Thank you."

Delano then said, "However, there is one thing you should keep in mind."

Heathcliff inquired, "And what's that?

Delano took a step closer and told Heathcliff, "It is important for a leader to push their subordinates and not hold them back."

"…" Heathcliff was silent for a moment. "… I appreciate your words Delano-san. I'll keep them in mind."

"You're very welcome." Delano then said, "However, while we are on this topic, I have to say that your skills as a player are something of note, Heathcliff. You've done well to make it this far."

"I appreciate the compliment," Heathcliff remarked, "but I'm aware you've made far more contributions that are worthy of praise."

Delano grinned, "Such modesty is quite befitting of you."

Heathcliff stated, "I've come to learn it is best for others to compliment you rather than complimenting yourself."

"Hmph." Delano was amused.

Heathcliff then followed up with, "Allow me to pay you another compliment. I'm interested in putting your skills to the test."

That pleased Delano very much as he replied, "What a coincidence. I was about to say the same thing. I'd like to know if another player besides Kirita was worth my time."

Heathcliff confidently replied, "I'm sure I'll be able to fulfill your expectations."

"So. Time and place?" Delano was only feeling 'half-eager' as he said, "I'm willing to go a round now, but I can't help but feel the timing isn't quite right."

Heathcliff nodded, "I concur. I'd rather there be a better audience for our duel than this.

Delano replied, "Agreed."

Heathcliff suggested, "Maybe an Arena could suffice."

"That'll be a sight. It would make for a show." The 'show 'was playing in Delano's mind before he then stated, "Personally, I can't say I'm 'that' particular. Just as long as it's a good place to fight, that's good enough for me."

Heathcliff replied, "Well, I don't have any preferable venue in mind either. If that's the case, I take you it that you won't mind it when I offer suggestions."

"It'll depend, but I'll probably be fine with it." Delano offered, "Just tell me when you want to talk."

Heathcliff affirmed, "I will."

/

As the duo were walking through the forest, Kirita noticed something 'white' floating in front of her caused her to stop. Kirita then looked up see there was more white fragments above them which brought a smile to her face.

"Snow." Akio looked up as he recommended, "Let's get moving before it can pile up.

Kirita nodded, "Okay."

The duo picked up the pace as they ran through the rest of the forest. They had remembered the exact path they needed to find the village. As they were running, there were a few things that caught Akio's attention, but he decided to keep it to himself for now.

Shortly after the duo returned to the village, the snow was beginning to accumulate on the ground. They could see that the village would be covered in a blanket of white again like it was during Christmas and New Year's. After their arrival in the village, they were officially in a Safe Zone allowing them to enjoy the developing sight. Kirita smiled as she looked up to see what looked like mini-puff balls falling from the sky.

Now that they were in the safety of the village, the duo were safe to do what they wanted. Akio looked to Kirita who was ready to start having fun.

/

Kirita stuck out her tongue and stretched it as far as she could hoping to catch at least one. Kirita could feel her tongue stretched to its limit when she felt something cold land on it. Kirita was so overjoyed to succeed as she pulled her tongue back and jumped in celebration proclaiming, "I did it!"

"Heh." Kirita could hear Akio chuckling next to her. The two players looked at each other in the eyes before they heard the sound of children. Kirita broke eye contact as she watched the children play.

Kirita saw one of the children pack the snow together in a ball. The boy then wound up his arm before letting his friends know, "Take this!"

The boy then launched the snowball at one of the girls who complained, "Hey!"

Then one of the other boys shouted, "Snowball fight!

After the boy shouted those two words, his face was pelted by a snowball. Afterwards, it escalated into an all-out 'Snow War'.

Kirita was almost excited at the sight of this. She took a step forward only for something to encircle her wrist and stop her in place. It was Akio, and she asked, "What's wrong?"

"…" Akio appeared to take a moment before telling her, "Maybe we should just let the NPCs have their fun. They are … 'kids' after all …"

"Ah …" Kirita briefly looked down as she slowly replied, "I guess so …" Kirita then looked at the child NPCs play as she softly said, "It just looks fun …"

"…" Akio took a moment before he released his grip, "If you want to have fun with them, I won't stop you. They'll probably be happy to have you."

"Do you want to have fun?" Kirita attempted to suggest, "We can build a snowman or something?

"Maybe a little later … I'd rather get some rest first." When Akio's stomach began growling, he added with a blush on his face, "And get some food."

"Of course." Kirita replied, "You should get some rest. I'll see you back at the room as soon as I win this."

Akio smiled as he told her, "Good luck."

/

While Kirita wished to join in the snowball fight, Akio sternly wished to prevent her from playing with them. He heard and understood Kirita's reasoning, but the bottom line was still the same. These 'people' were all NPCs. They did not truly exist as far as he was concerned.

After Akio gave an excuse, Kirita seemed to buy it, but the disappointment was evident. Hearing Kirita's tone caused Akio's heart to sink. He then realized it wasn't right to do something like this, so he let go of Kirita's wrist. When he watched her throwing the snowball at the other NPCs, Akio couldn't help but smile as he shook his head. However, what was important was the Kirita was having fun. It was good enough.

Akio saw how Kirita would put the snow together than throw it. Her smile was wide as ever as she was pelted by snowballs. It never waivered. It couldn't waiver.

After Akio had watched enough, he could see that Kirita was still having fun. It was unlikely that she would be done anytime soon, so he decided to turn in.

Before heading upstairs, he ordered some soup that he could take with him upstairs. The soup was steamy and too hot for him to hold, so he balanced it on a tray. Unfortunately, every step he took threatened to cause it to spill. It was a relief after he managed to open the door and place it on the table.

When Akio began eating, he couldn't help but sigh. The room felt empty, and he could hear the laugh coming from outside. Once again, he couldn't help but chuckle when he heard that before returning to his soup. By the time Kirita finally returned with her own bowl of soup, Akio was long done and he was lying on the couch.

After Kirita entered the room, Akio slightly moved his head and cheekily remarked, "Someone had a little too much fun."

"Heh." Kirita sheepishly replied, "What can I say? Time flies."

"Yeah …" Akio leaned back, "It sure does."

"By the way, thanks for the soup." Kirita held up her soup as she told him, "The manager said you paid for it earlier."

"Yeah, well," Akio casually replied, "I had a feeling you'd forget about eating."

As if on cue, Kirita's stomach began to rumble as she said with a blush on her face, "I guess I did."

/

Not long after Kirita was finished eating her soup, she suggested, "I guess we'll just turn in for the night."

"Yeah." Akio concurred, "I wasn't really thinking we'd do much after just getting back."

"What about tomorrow?" Kirita eagerly suggested, "Want to build a snowman?"

"You really like snowmen, huh?" When Kirita nodded, Akio replied, "That sounds good, but I also have a few other ideas we can try out."

"Oh?" Kirita raised an eyebrow, "What do you want to do?"

"I'll give you a hint." Akio grinned as he leaned forward, "It'll always be something that'll take advantage of how cold it is outside."

"Hmm …" An idea popped into Kirita's head as she excitedly asked, "Skiing?"

Akio didn't appear to be expecting that suggestion as he asked, "Is that even an option?

"I don't know." Kirita shrugged her shoulders, "I was just throwing it out there."

"Hmm …" Akio suggested, "I guess we can ask around. It won't surprise me if there were, but not this time. This will be something a little less intense, but it definitely requires concentration."

Kirita then said, "… It's not snowball fight.

Akio confirmed, "No."

Kirita then suggested, "I'm guessing it won't be sledding."

Akio shook his head, "Nope."

"Would be … um …" A few ideas moved through Kirita's head before it came to her, "… Ice skating?"

Akio snapped his finger, "We have a winner."

"We're going ice skating?" Kirita then asked, "Where?"

Akio informed her, "When we got into town, I noticed some of the NPCs ice skating, so I figured why not."

"But …" Kirita then started to sound a little nervous as she said, "I've never tried that before."

"Don't worry about it." Akio pointed to himself, "I'll be there to help you. When you fall flat on your face, I'll be there to pick you up."

Kirita was unsurprisingly sarcastic as she remarked, "Gee, thanks."

"Heh." Akio chuckled, "No problem." The two of them looked at each other and smiled as the snowflakes continued to cover the window.

As the snow fell outside, the two friends remained warm in their home discussing potential plans for their vacation. There were quite a few things they wanted to do now that they had free time, and they would do their best to enjoy them. The duo would see for themselves that even on vacation there would be adventures awaiting them.

/

Author Notes: This chapter marks the end of Story Arc Four. Of course, it is more than that. This chapter will mark the last update for the story arc, this year, and this decade. Honestly, this marks an interesting milestone that I never really considered until it dawned on me. It was all just great timing.

I decided that this would be a good chapter to end on since Kirita and Akio have both managed to successfully accomplish a goal. They have formed connections with other players, but now it is time for them to take a well-deserved break. I don't plan on skipping out on their little vacation either. Similar to how there was a 'Honeymoon' story arc for Kirito and Asuna, they will get a 'vacation' story arc.

Speaking of breaks, I decided to put this story on a temporary hiatus similar to how the Alicization Anime is going on hiatus during Winter 2020, but it will come back for Spring 2020, so this story will return for then. It will be nice to take a little break from writing the story while also giving me more time to prepare the future chapters. Hopefully, this hiatus will allow things to come together.

Regarding the Seventh Floor boss, I decided while writing the chapter that he would be one of those minor bosses that never really gets much attention. I decided to fast forward his fight for the most part and get to the point with Akio finishing it off with Kirita's help. I figured that was the most important thing. Additionally, I wanted to give Kirita and Klein their moment after the boss battle, and I didn't want to bog the chapter down too much with an overly long battle.

What did you think of Kirita and Klein coming to terms with each other and their mutual guilt regarding what happened? I figured Klein could feel a little guilty for trying to get Kirita/Kirito to find his friends when he knows Kirita/Kirito had a valid point. I could picture he might've realized he would ultimately hold Kirita/Kirito back while Kirita/Kirito simply felt guilty about leaving him behind. I personally like that I had the two have some kind of resolution rather than waiting until the 75th floor like in canon. Two months is already long enough compared to two years.

As some of you might have read in my author notes for "Into the Fog", I recently lost a member of my family earlier this year. That person was my father. His death was not a surprise to me. His health had been declining significantly over the past few years. I was expecting it to happen sooner rather than later, but he probably could have lived a couple more years. Unfortunately, he made massive mistakes during Christmas 2018 and Father's Day 2019 which took a toll on his body to the point of no return.

The last time I saw him was two days before he passed. When I think about him, I always think of his last words to me which will remain forever in my mind, "It hurts so much." I'll never forget how horrible my father looked that day. I remember how he peacefully went to sleep shortly after he said that to me. He tried saying something else to me, but he was unable to make it audible.

Anyway, my father and I had a mixed bag relationship. If you have people you need to resolve issues with, do your best to resolve them. It'll be good for the both of you. Do everything you can to make sure things do not remain unresolved as long as both parties are willing to listen to each other. Both parties need to be capable of speaking to each other.

On a happier note, despite the loss, I still had a Merry Christmas. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!