A/N: Okay, I think this story is due for danger and excitement, wouldn't you agree? Yes? No? Well, either way, that's what this chapter will contain, along with some significant character development. We're finally getting more into what's happening the with Assault Team as they continue to clear the final quarter of the game. I know some of you were hoping for a more comprehensive coverage of the last 25 floors, but sadly, such a thing wouldn't fit well into my narrative. The Shattered Fragment Arc ends in three chapters, as strange as that is to say- after all, I've been working on this story for well over three years now.

In any case, congratulations to those of you that have managed to graduate school in the middle of all the Covid-19 insanity. Consider the quick release of this chapter as my graduation gift to you all (I seriously worked mad overtime to get this one done for you guys)!

P.S. We hit 150 reviews last chapter- thanks for all the support, guys!

Beware those who smile
The greatest danger's disguise
Is that of a friend

Old Habits

"That's the guy?"

"Apparently."

"He looks like a tool."

"You won't hear any arguments from me."

Kirito and I quieted ourselves as the subject of our discussion came within easy earshot. He was a tall, handsome man with curly blond hair and violet eyes, dressed in fine white armor trimmed with gold, and armed with a single straight sword. He walked with confidence, and his posture was that of a refined gentleman's.

I didn't trust him for a second.

"Greetings, gentlemen," the man said with a voice as smooth as his appearance. "How are you faring today?"

"Well enough, all things considered," Godfrey said in a jovial tone. He, one of his lieutenants, and Klein were all present for this meeting in Collinea, the new de facto staging point for the Assault Team. The rotund man was hoping to add this newcomer to his guild, which had seen better days in terms of numbers. However, he had been cautioned against taking any definitive measures until the rest of us had the chance to evaluate him, after the New Year had passed. After all, if this man was going to be fighting alongside us, we needed to be sure that he could hold his own on the field of battle.

"Glad to hear it," the blond man said with a charming smile. "My name is Alberich. I'm sure that all of us can get along quite well as we work together to conquer this horrible death trap."

"Okay, how's about we pump the brakes a little?" I said as I stood up straight, having been leaning against a nearby pillar. "You're not on the Assault Team yet, pal."

Alberich looked offended, but before he could talk back to me, Klein intervened by saying, "What our colleague here is trying to say is that we need to see what you've got before we clear you to join the front lines. We got no issue with you joining the Knights, but I'm pretty sure that they've only got room for top-tier fighters, right?" He aimed the last part of his question at Godfrey, who nodded reluctantly.

"I like the look of you, sir," he told Alberich, who seemed quite irritated by now. "But if you can't hold your own up here, I don't have room in my guild for you."

"Can you not see the quality of my gear?" the blond man sniffed. "No ordinary player could have acquired such fine arms and armor."

"The tools are only as good as the guy who's using 'em," Kirito remarked now, causing Alberich to face both him and I with an irritated scowl. "Your armor doesn't tell us everything we need to know about you."

"Who are you to question me?" Alberich demanded haughtily, drawing a raised eyebrow out of me. Whoever this guy was, he was clearly used to having things his way, an odd trait to find in a person that had been trapped in a death game for over two years, now.

"These are the Commander and Vice-Commander of the Moonlit Black Cats," Klein answered for us, drawing Alberich's attention back to him. "They're the Assault Team's… er, 'special cases' experts."

"Oh, am I a special case?" Alberich chortled smugly, my dislike for him growing by the second. "My, my."

"Yeah, I'd say you're a special case," I told him pointedly, eyeing his equipment critically. "How'd somebody like you get ahold of stuff that good without any of us ever having laid eyes on you before?"

"Quite fairly, I assure you," Alberich answered, sounding more in control of his irritation at this time. "I've been on the middling floors since the game started, you see, so my level gains have been nothing special, until I acquired this curious set of armor." He tapped his chest piece with a white gauntlet before continuing, "I obtained it during a special event, and it augments my EXP growth rate marginally. Ever since I began using it, my own levelling rate has increased dramatically."

I frowned at that bit- it was possible that he was telling the truth, but something still seemed fishy to me. That armor looks like it came off of a boss drop in the Hollow Area, I thought slowly. I seriously doubt that he got it off of something from a middling floor, even this late in the game. Possible, yes. Probable? No.

I noticed that Kirito was glancing at me out of the corner of his eye, so I shook my head in the negative, almost imperceptibly. Nodding his understanding, he stepped forward, shrugged and said, "Well, if you have to rely on special equipment to get you up here, I don't think we can really rely on you."

"Excuse me?!"

"You said it yourself, you've been grinding on the middle floors this whole time," Kirito pointed out. "The front lines are a whole other game, and if all you brought to the table is some fancy gear, you're not cut out for this. Klein, we'll see you at the next meeting." With that, he and I made to leave, Alberich looking furious.

"If that's their verdict, then I'm gonna have to trust what they say, "Klein said with an apologetic look at Alberich as we neared the exit gate.

"You're just going to accept the word of two children as gospel?!" he demanded. "You would all be fools to pass me over! I could defeat any of you here, single-handedly!"

Kirito and I paused just before we reached the teleportation stone, smiles creasing our faces. "Any of us, huh?" my guild leader asked as we turned around. "That'd be something, wouldn't it, Mataras?"

"I concur," I nodded with a wolf's smile, even as Alberich gave me a look that blended curiosity into his anger.

"Mataras?" he repeated. "You're Mataras?"

"What's it to you?" I asked with a warning note in my voice. Behind him, I was aware of the nervous look exchanged between Godfrey and Klein, and the reason for it was obvious. If this guy had bad blood with the Red Swordsman, things could get complicated.

"Sorry, I'd heard of you," Alberich answered, though he now looked pleased for some reason that I couldn't guess at, but I didn't like it. "I just never imagined that you would be the presence of such… distinguished company."

"We're getting off-topic," Kirito asserted, trying to bring the conversation back under our control. "You said that you could beat any of us, right? That'd be pretty impressive, beating one of the top players in the game." Cocking his head to look at Klein, the Black Swordsman added, "That'd be proof enough that he's ready for the front lines, right?"

"If he can beat you, I'd have no objections," the self-proclaimed samurai nodded. "How 'bout you, Godfrey?"

"If he can do that, I'll happily make him my vice commander," the bearded man confirmed eagerly. It was clear that he was hoping to see either Kirito or me knocked into the dirt after the amount of trouble my guild had caused his, but we weren't about to just roll over and let this newcomer step on us.

"Then choose your champion, and I'll show you what a mistake it would have been to turn me away," Alberich said as he drew his blade, a fine longsword colored purple, like his eyes. "I'll wait."

"I won't," I said as I stepped forward, my new sword in hand. As it had arrived in my inventory without a name, I was able to take it to Hollow Liz and have her give it one of my choosing. Remembering a book series that I had loved greatly when I was younger, I had dubbed the sword 'Zar'roc'.

Armed and ready, I stood across from Alberich with a confident smirk as I opened my menu and sent him a duel request. It was set to stop the match as soon as one of our health meters dipped into the yellow zone, as we didn't want to have any fatalities during a simple test of arms. As soon as he hit the 'accept' button, I asked him, "Out of curiosity, what level are you?" Kirito, I noticed was moving to watch alongside Klein and Godfrey.

"One hundred-twenty-five," he said proudly, which surprised the onlookers, and admittedly gave me pause while the one-minute countdown began. "And you?"

The only ones with levels higher than that are those of us that lived in the Hollow Area, myself included, I thought, my suspicion about the validity of the man's backstory continuing to grow. Every time we level up, it takes longer and longer to reach the next one- I haven't levelled up in over a fortnight, and that's with me putting extra time into Hollow Area quests. But even Kirito, with time spent training in the Hollow Area, just made level one-twenty-two before Christmas.

Pushing these thoughts aside, I answered, "Level one-thirty-eight." I was pleased to see Alberich's handsome face acquire the look of someone that just bit into something very sour, and isn't quite sure what to make of it. "Sorry, did I scare you?" I taunted him, causing his features to resume their angrier cast.

"Superior level or not, my gear and skills are unrivalled," the man asserted, causing me to broaden my smile to an almost demented level.

My sword flickered with orange firelight as I responded, "Then I imagine that this will be over quickly."

The bell sounded, telling us that we could begin the fight. In most battles I've fought, the person to move first is the winner, I thought as Alberich charged at me, his sword glowing red in preparation for Sonic Leap, a skill that would more than likely break through any guard that I put up. In this case, however, I think that the reverse will be true. Something was off in the way that he was moving, but I wasn't quite sure how, just yet.

I waited until the last moment to make my own move, which was to simply spin out of the way of the wide strike, my cape billowing with the movement, and catching Alberich's eye with it. Long had I worn bright red for three reasons; the first was simply that it was my favorite color. Second, after I became known as the Red Swordsman, was the fact that the color was associated with my identity, and thus its appearance alone could frighten my enemies. Lastly, red is the color that the human eye is most attracted to- a fact that I often exploited in my diversionary tactics, just like I was doing now.

Alberich's attention was temporarily on my cape, so he didn't see my sword coming around until it slashed him across the back, cutting through his armor like a hot knife through warm butter. "Augh!" he cried in frustration as I followed this with a back-kick that put him on the ground during his post-motion paralysis.

"Rookie mistake, leading a battle with a sword skill when you don't know what kind of tricks your opponent has up their sleeve," I told him as I waited for him to get up, more amused than anything. "Sure, that works fine on the lower floors, where every monster's reaction time seems slow to us, but that won't fly up here."

"You little brat!" Alberich snarled as his sword glowed light blue, signaling the start of the Horizontal Square attack. "I'll teach you to mouth off to your superiors!"

"Right," I laughed as my sword came up to rest on my shoulder, the flames still dancing on its surface, though they did not burn me. "I forgot, name-calling will kill the mobs every time! Silly me, how could I forget?"

Alberich's blade move fast as he let out an enraged scream, but my suspicions about his movements were becoming clearer now. His speed and power are in keeping with his level, but his timing and accuracy… I proceeded to easily block all four strikes as he danced around me, his movements easier for me to read than a grade-schooler's adventure book. He's too obvious with his attacks. He plays like a beginner.

On the last strike, I deadlocked our blades together, and I allowed the smile to leave my face in place of a smoldering glare that still haunted the nightmares of many yellow players in the Black Iron Palace. "My turn," I growled.

My sword then turned into a cyclone of fire and metal, smashing Alberich from every direction, driving him back step-by-rapid-step across the courtyard. He tried multiple times to counter my movements, but the instant I saw even the smallest flicker of light coming from his fancy sword, I beat it out of position and cancelled the skill. I drained his health points steadily, his fancy armor probably being the only thing that kept me from annihilating his gauge in mere seconds, as opposed to the near-full minute that it did take.

When I got impatient with his resistance, I smacked his sword to the side, reached for my belt, and darted closer to gut him with a dagger tainted with paralysis poison, causing his body to go limp, and sending him crashing into the dust, earning him a sympathetic wince from Klein and Godfrey. After that- without even giving him a chance to surrender- I stabbed him in the back of the head three times, which sent his health into the yellow zone, and ended the match.

Without bothering to look down at my opponent, I sheathed my knife and my sword, turned on my heel, walked toward the town gate, and called over my shoulder, "We're done here; the guy plays like a novice. The only thing he'd be good for is cannon fodder."

"Based on the way he tried to attack Mataras, I'd have to agree," Kirito said as he moved to follow me. "Later, guys."

Alberich wasn't willing to let it go just yet. "You cheater!" he shouted at me as my boots touched the teleportation gate. "I don't know what you did, but you cheated me of my victory. Fight me in an even battle, little boy!"

"Little boy?" I derisively laughed back at him. "Don't let the baby face fool you, pal. I'm a grown-ass man, and I'm not the one throwing a tantrum because I lost a duel. Get on my level, and then I'll happily give you a rematch. Until then, bite me."

"You're going to regret this, you hear me?!" Alberich threatened as Kirito came to stand by me. "You'll regret not accepting me as an ally! Far better that than to have me as an enemy!"

"Pal, I am the Red Swordsman of Aincrad," I snorted, even as Klein and Godfrey walked away, disappointment written on their faces. "Unless you know something about Avalon, you don't scare me."

"Avalon?! What?!"

"Yeah, what?" Kirito asked me as I prepared to teleport us out. "What is he talking about?"

"I'll explain when we get to the meeting place," I answered before reciting the incantation to take us away.

"So your last Christmas gift, as it were, is from a creepy Secret Santa?" Kiriha asked dubiously. "I mean, nice sword, but are you sure it's safe to use it?"

"I had Liz look it over," I answered, having just informed the rest of the guild about the message that was possibly a threat? "It's safe- and a really good piece. Like, I don't think I'll find something this good in the Hollow Area until we clear floor ninety-five, good."

"May I?" Strea asked as she held out her hand, which led to me handing over the item in question. We were all gathered in the Hollow Area control room, ready for a day of hard levelling in the testing grounds after a week of vacation. Actually, me, Sinon, Yuuki, and Rain had only taken a couple of those days to relax before heading back out into the dangerous dungeons of the hidden world, seeking more EXP and rare items to help further our quest to escape SAO. Kirito and Rivka joined us on one of those excursions, but for the most part, they chose to enjoy their time off.

"I say we investigate this Alberich character," Philia said while we waited for Strea to finish her examination of the weapon. "He sounds like he could be trouble."

"I agree," Sinon nodded. "He's never shown up on our radar before, but that doesn't mean that he's not capable of doing something less than virtuous with his fancy gear."

"As long as it doesn't take away from our progress through the game," Kirito cautioned them, leading me to laugh out loud. "What?"

"Says the guy that just gave his guild a whole week off," I snorted. "Make up your mind, pal."

"He's got a point," Saphira snickered. "Kind of a mixed signal we're getting, here."

"Ha-ha," he grumbled in response. "Suddenly everyone's a critic…"

"Not me," Sachi said as she nuzzled his shoulder with her cheek. "I like your plans."

"You're his wife, you have to have his back by default," Rain giggled.

"Hey, Mataras?" Strea said as she lowered the sword, her examination apparently completed. "There's nothing in this sword that'll hurt you, but its origins are strange."

"I kinda figured that when it arrived from an unknown sender," I said dryly. "Did you find out who it was?"

"No, but after I ran the item's ID against the Cardinal's database, I found out that this item is meant to be for GM accounts only," she answered as she held it back out to me. "And it's not the kind of weapon that an MHCP could generate without raising a red flag in the system."

"Wait, so that means-"

"It's very likely the final boss sent you this gift, as it were," Strea nodded, interrupting Yuuki. "The question now is, 'why?'"

"If the Hollow really is Kayaba, it makes sense," I murmured as I mulled the situation over in my head. "He has a flair for drama, hence the medieval lore reference, and he seems to have a sort of way of acknowledging a person's accomplishments, at least in his head."

"What could he be acknowledging this time?" Rivka inquired as she folded her arms with a frown. "Also, what?"

"Remember how he gave us a chance to fight him on even terms after we proved that 'Heathcliff' was just a disguise?" Sinon answered, already seeing where my thoughts were headed. "He was acknowledging our accomplishment with a reward, so to speak."

"In this case, he might just be acknowledging his defeat at my hands, since his death didn't end the game," I guessed. "Then again, who knows why he does anything?"

"Why only you, though?" Kirito asked with a frown. "Sinon fought him too, so why not acknowledge her?"

"Mataras landed the final blow," Silica reminded us. "Maybe that's why."

"Whatever the case is, I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth," I said as I sheathed the weapon. "If he wants me to have this sword, I'll thank the bastard by gutting him."

The next few weeks flew by faster than any of the previous ones ever had. Come February, we had just cleared floor ninety, which was a new record for the Assault Team as a whole, and we managed not to lose a single party member the entire time, difficult though the dungeons and bosses were. Throughout all of this, our guild made sure to quietly distribute gear from the Hollow Area through a few fences, though Argo was our go-to. After some debate amongst ourselves, we decided to allow Fuurinkazan and Agil access to the Hollow Area, as they had been our strongest and most long-lasting supporters. They didn't use the hidden world as often as we did, but their levels and gear rapidly improved thanks to their incursions into the place.

During that time, we heard not one word from Alberich, but Strea was unable to locate him, either. She even tried to search for his data in the system based on his handle, but nothing came up when she did. As a result, we told the rest of the Assault Team to be on the lookout for the man, as it was becoming clearer that nothing good could come of dealing with him. Godfrey even thanked us- albeit begrudgingly- for keeping him from accepting him into his ranks.

Our bonds as a guild grew ever stronger with each passing day, and I found myself getting excited at the thought of getting to meet everyone in real life, as we had all agreed to meet up at Agil's place as soon as possible once we got out. Apparently the man and his wife owned a bar back in Japan, and he had promised us a party when we were liberated.

Not everyone in the guild were the best of friends, of course, but there was an undeniable camaraderie that had formed between us because of everything that we had been through together. Rain eventually stopped trying to flirt with me- even I could figure out what she was doing after a while- and just tried to get to know me, as the man behind the Red Swordsman that she had long admired for saving her. It was weird, admittedly, but she was genuinely invested in protecting the other members of the Cats, so I did my best to be accepting of her as she was. I was also glad to see Rivka and Sinon making a genuine effort to get along with each other, even if there was the occasional moment of friction between them.

It did help that we started holding a bible study every now and again, as Sinon was keen to learn more about the faith that she now shared with some of us. I was honestly surprised to find that there were several different types of the Bibles in the house's study, but it definitely helped to make my life easier. The others even joined in to listen as I, Saphira, Rivka, or even Yuuki did our best to explain the history and mysteries contained in the ancient texts. We were by no means great teachers or scholars, but we did our best to share what we did know, which sometimes turned out to be kind of funny. Rivka had a habit of wanting to study the mysteries of God's benevolence, while I liked to highlight his humanity, especially during the times when walked as the Messiah. Saphira liked the history and the context that one could draw from secular sources in comparison to the Word, and Yuuki just plain loved the supernatural feats of God and those that he chose to be His messengers.

So rapidly did time pass us by that we began to feel a daily buzz of excitement in our bodies. The end goal was in sight! In a matter of weeks, we could finally be home, out from under Kayaba's death threat that had long loomed over our heads like a shroud. Soon, very soon, we could be free.

We will be free, I vowed as we triggered the warp gate on the ninetieth floor. Ten more of these, and we will be home. No more fighting for our lives, no more wondering if my sword is gonna break mid-battle, no more stupid-big ant monsters…

As our guild descended down to floor sixty-five in order to head home for a much-needed respite, a strange twinge of nostalgia pulled at my gut. No more quiet nights in the home library, no more cooking the food that we caught together, no more early-morning training sessions with the others… Wait, am I gonna miss this place?!

The thought was a confusing one. We had spent so long trying to get out of the game that I never really stopped to consider what we would be giving up when we left. I knew that we would all stay in each other's lives, but the times of us spending every day together were coming to an end. We would be free, but it wouldn't be without a price.

Damn my habit of thinking ahead, I thought with a morose sigh.

"What's eating you?" Saphira asked as we walked ahead of the others. Sachi and Kirito had headed down to their cabin in order to meet up with Yui, so the guild naturally fell into place behind me, despite my insistence that they could go on ahead.

"Just thinking about what happens when we get out," I admitted. "I'll need to find a job, I imagine, but I dunno who's gonna hire a guy that didn't finish high school, and hasn't ever worked before."

"Maybe Reiko's dad can help you out," she suggested. "He's sure to have a position that you could be trained for, and he'd understand our situation."

"It's a nice thought, but he was one of Argus' investors, remember?" I told her. "I doubt he escaped this whole debacle unscathed. Besides, it would feel weird to work for him, especially if… Well, you get the idea."

"Don't date the boss' daughter, right," she giggled, though she kept her tone low enough that Rivka wouldn't hear. Her face sobered up as she added, "I'm sure there will be some kind of work program for guys like you. It's not like you're the only one that's gonna be in the situation of being too old for school, but lacking experience for a job, right?"

"True, but who knows how long that'll take, or even how effective it will be?" I sighed. "Sorry, I know I can't really do much about it besides worry, but I can't help but try to plan ahead."

"You always do," she said as she gave me a soft bump with her elbow. "We'll be okay, either way. And I'll do what I can to support us, too. You're not alone in this."

"Yeah," I said with a smile. "Thanks, Sis."

"Anytime."

Because we had cleared the ninetieth floor, Kirito and the other guild leaders agreed that a weekend off was in order. We were all excited to be getting close to home, but it wouldn't do us any good if burned ourselves out, which was something that even I couldn't really argue against.

"As long as we're not taking a full week off," I told my commander as we sat in the common space of our house.

"Are you ever gonna let that go?"

"Have you met me?"

"I'm just glad that we'll finally have a chance to take Mister Nishida up on his offer," Sachi giggled, prompting me to look a question at the pair. Seeing it, Kirito's wife explained, "He's a fisherman that lives in town near to us, and we recently became friends. He's got a side quest that he's been wanting help with for a while, but we've been busy with clearing the game, and the lake was frozen over during Christmas vacation."

"Lake?" I asked, still feeling confused. "What is this, some kind of aquatic monster quest?"

"Maybe?" Kirito answered. "Apparently the big lake on floor 22 has a mob in it called 'the King of Fish', or something like that. This Nishida guy has a maxed-out fishing skill, so he's been able to get him on the line several times, but he's never been able to reel it in."

"And he wants your help?" I guessed. "You're gonna haul it in?"

"I think I can pull off a switch with a rod, but I won't know until I try," he shrugged. "You and the girls can come watch, if you want."

I thought about it for a moment before nodding and saying, "Why not? Been a while since I've seen you make an idiot of yourself."

"Hey!"

"Sorry, but since you and I aren't in rival guilds anymore, it's been pretty hard to figure out ways to be entertained."

"Mataras," Sachi said with an exasperated tone. "Why do you have to take joy in taunting your friends? You're just like Ducker and the others." At the mention of our old guild mates, I tensed up, waiting to see if the subject of them would trigger a stream of unpleasant memories for her, but she seemed to be okay. However, even if I didn't say anything, something on my face must have showed, because she smiled softy and said, "It's okay, Mataras. I still miss them, but I'm not going to break down every time I think of the old days. Kirito has helped me to move past that." As she spoke, they intertwined their fingers and shared in a smile.

"In any case," I said to get their attention again. "Kirito getting beat by a fish? Sign me up with front-row tickets."

"Oh come on," Kirito grumbled. "You make it sound like it's gonna be a big event. It's literally gonna be Mister Nishida and our guild, that's it."

"Just our guild and the old guy, huh?"

"Shut up, I didn't think anybody was gonna make a holiday of it."

It was our day off, and the sun was shining down on floor 22, much like it had when I married Sachi and Kirito at this very lake several months ago. There was- much to Kirito's chagrin- a crowd of over fifty people in attendance, some of them even holding up signs that wished Nishida and Kirito good luck. A few were also watching from their canoes a little ways off shore. It was a little chilly out, but nothing that a sweater- or in my case, a cloak- wouldn't ward off.

The fisherman himself looked to be in his sixties, with a balding head and a heavyset figure that made me wonder how someone like him wound up playing a video aimed at much younger audiences. To each their own, I suppose, I mused as Saphira and Sachi stood by my sides.

"Ten grand say Kirito bites it," I snickered as our guild leader moved to greet the older man, who had a very large fishing rod in one hand.

"Make it twenty and you've got a deal," Saphira said as she held out her hand.

"Done," I agreed, and we shook on it.

"You're both terrible," Sachi said with a sigh and a shake of her head.

"I killed over two hundred people and am responsible for the deaths of nearly twice that number," I deadpanned. "I assumed my ill manners were a given." Turning to Saphira, I then asked, "What's your excuse?"

"You're my older brother."

"Fair enough."

"Anyone seen Rivka?" Strea asked as she walked up to our gathering. "I thought that she would be here by now."

"She and Sinon went to go pick up some fruit in town on floor fifty," I answered easily. "She said that they might be running a little late."

"Aw," the AI pouted. "It'll be a shame if they miss out."

"Looks like they're going to," Philia said as she pointed at the pier, where Kirito was standing by Nishida, rod in hand. "I think he's about to start." As the old man drew back the pole, silence fell across the lakeside, as it was a time-honored tradition that fishing waters be undisturbed by noise created by man.

With a smooth motion born of hundreds of hours of practice, Nishida cast the line far out into the lake and then remained perfectly still while he watched the bob for any signs of movement. Everyone waited with baited breath, wondering if the giant fish would even bite, or if we would have to wait for another cast. I couldn't remember the last time that I had seen a crowd of this size be so quiet, but I was also interested to see what would happen next, so I hardly paid it any heed.

As it turned out, we didn't have to wait for very long. Kirito and Nishida seemed to exchange a few words in lowered tones before the older man gave a mighty heave with his rod glowing green, and shouted, "I got the sucker! It's all you now, Kirito!" He then passed the pole over to my friend, who seemed to look down at the thing with puzzlement.

Without warning, he was nearly yanked off of his feet by the unseen monster, which surprised me. What kind of STR stat does this thing have if it can do that to him?

Whatever the answer was, Kirito was not about to give in that easily. "Come…! On…!" he grunted as he pulled against the rod, slowly making headway up the pier as he dragged the unwilling fish away from its preferred residence. As he pulled, Sachi and some of the other girls cheered him on along with the others in the crowd, while Saphira and I waited to see which one of us would be out a few thousand col.

Before that could be decided on, however, the cheers of the crowd were replaced by shouts of alarm, followed by most of the people beating a hasty retreat as they saw a large shadow emerging from the depths of the lake, including Silica, Sachi, Yui, and Rain. "Really?" I commented as I watched them go. "They can take on the biggest monsters in the game, and they're scared of an oversized fish?"

Before Saphira could answer me, the line on the fishing rod snapped, sending Kirito rolling up the pier, much to my delight and Saphira's regret. "Ha!" I crowed. "You owe me some col!"

"Savor it, pal, cos I'll skin you on the next one," she grumbled as she reached for her menu.

However, we were soon both distracted by an enormous spray of water that heralded a gigantic orange fish that easily stood over fifteen feet high, and waddled around on six legs. "Looks like he brought in Nemo's ugly cousin," I commented while everyone else panicked. "Anyone want a shot at this thing?"

"Nah," Saphira answered.

"Nope," said Strea.

"I'm not a fan of fish," added Kiriha, followed by the rest of the girls that had stayed to watch up close. Even as she spoke, Kirito ran away from the monster to hide behind his wife and Nishida, to my further amusement.

Noticing that the giant fish monster was giving chase, I sighed and pulled my bow out from within my cloak and fitted an arrow to the string. "Fine, I'll do it," I muttered as the arrow lit while I drew back on the string. I sighted, exhaled, and released the tension on the string, letting the arrow fly straight into the left eye of the mini-boss, instantly annihilating it.

Turning around to look up at Kirito and the rest of the stunned onlookers, I shouted at him, "And that's why I fish with a bow!"

"That's not fishing, it's… water hunting!"

"Same difference!"

The prize yielded for defeating the King of Fish was a rare fishing rod, which I quickly surrendered to Nishida. "I'm not one to just sit on the side of a river or lake and wait for the fish to come to me," I told him when he insisted that I keep it, as the spoils of victory. "Besides, there's something to be said for persistence paying off, and my friends tell me that you've been trying to get that monster for a while." Seeing that I wasn't about to change my mind anytime soon, he accepted the prize with thanks.

Once that was settled, Saphira gave me my money from our bet, and we decided to wait for Rivka and Sinon to show up at the lake, so that we could all go hang out at Kirito and Sachi's cabin afterward. However, by the time that the entire crowd had dispersed, and Nishida had gone to try out his new rod, there was no sign of either of them, and they hadn't answered any of our messages since we separated that morning.

"Should we be worried?" Sachi asked once the last bystander had left.

"Sinon is tough as they come, and Rivka's one of the most accomplished spear-handlers in SAO," Kiriha answered casually. "I'm sure they're fine, whatever they're doing. They probably just got held up by Argo or Agil."

I was about to say my piece when Strea announced, "While I would normally agree with you, I think that we may have a serious problem on our hands." This sent a shot of alarm through me, so I moved closer to my friend while she added, "They're not anywhere on floor fifty. According to the map, they're somewhere on floor ninety."

"What?" I asked. "Why would they-?"

Ping!

A sound in my ears alerted me to an incoming message, which I quickly opened, a pit of dread settling in my gut as I did. However, that dread swiftly turned into raw fury as I scanned the words in the letter. "Okay," I seethed, startling the others with my sudden vehemence. "Now he's done it."

"What?" Saphira asked me worriedly. "Is it Reiko? Or Sinon?"

"Technically both, but neither of them is the sender," I answered in biting tones. Flicking my eyes back to the top of the message, I read aloud, "Arrogance comes at a steep price, friend. If you wish to see your lovely friends alive again, you will come to the dungeon of floor ninety, and you will come alone. I won't bother telling you to come unarmed, but at the first sign of a naked blade, they're dead. You have twenty minutes. Sincerely yours', Alberich." Finished reading, I let the message close in disgust.

"Game plan?" Kirito asked, all traces of fun and humor gone from our group.

"I'm going in alone, of course," I answered shortly. "I can't even take the chance that this guy might be bluffing. I don't know enough about him to act on a profile like I used to when I was dealing with scum like him. Although, all things considered, it might be time to revive some old habits of mine."

"So what, are the rest of us supposed to just sit at home and twiddle our thumbs while we wait for everything to turn out alright?" Kiriha asked hotly. "At least let us follow you to the dungeon entrance."

"No dice," I said firmly. "But I won't send you home, either. Head to the control room, monitor me from there. Maybe once Strea gets a visual, she can figure this guy out, and then you can move in with a corridor crystal."

"We won't be able to teleport directly to your location if we haven't been there yet," Sachi said, looking worried. "The best we could do is the dungeon entrance."

Floor 90's dungeon was only a short walk away from the town, and if it was anything like the last few floors, the size should be considerably less than the dungeons we used to deal with. From what we could tell, the majority of the level outside the main maze was made up of small, floating islands, all of them equipped with teleportation stones that made for easy travel between them. At the very least, it shouldn't take my guild mates long to find me if things went south.

With this in mind, I said, "I can handle myself, don't worry. Alberich is a pushover when it comes to battle, so I'm pretty sure I can take whatever he's ready to throw at me."

"Be careful," Philia warned me as she grabbed my forearm before I could leave. I was surprised by the intensity of her gaze as she looked me in the eye and said, "Your partner isn't gonna be able to watch your back in this one, so don't go in there, half-cocked, okay? We're all worried about you."

"I know," I replied sincerely, touched by her concern, when only a few months ago she would have sooner run me through than care about my well-being. "I have confidence in my skills, but I won't go in assuming that I've already won, I promise." As I finished speaking, Philia nodded slowly and released my arm.

"Go kick his butt, whatever he's planning to do," Yuuki said with a fierce expression. "We'll be right behind you as soon as we figure him out, or you give us the signal, okay?"

"Thanks," I said with a slight smile. "But don't count Rivka or Sinon out of the fight, just yet. Those two are some of the toughest people I know."

"Your boyfriend is running out of time," Alberich said as he walked by Sinon, who glared at him without a word. The man then stopped in front of Rivka, who was also being quiet, before he said, "Or sorry, is it you that his heart desires? I suppose we'll learn soon enough."

"Can you be any more of a cliché?" Sinon snorted, speaking for the first time since she and her guild mate had been captured. "What's this gonna turn into, you make him choose which one of us lives as revenge for humiliating you?"

"Partially," Alberich admitted. "I am rather curious to see who he values more- the girl that has been with him since the beginning of SAO, or the one that stood by his side as his accomplice in genocide?" Sinon and Rivka's eyes turned toward one another, prompting Alberich to laugh at them. "Ah, I see that I have your attention, now."

"Who are you, really?" Rivka demanded, instead of answering him. "We know your handle isn't Alberich. And how was it that you and you friend were able to capture us without setting off the anti-harassment function?" When Sinon and Rivka had been grabbed from the corner of a dark alley and brought to the large room where they were now chained to a wall, they had not once been given the opportunity to send Alberich or his companion to the Black Iron Palace, and it wasn't because their hands were tied behind their backs. The prompt had simply never appeared at all.

"That, my dears, is something that I will explain when the Red Swordsman joins us," the man said with a creepy smile. "I'd rather savor the looks of collective surprise on all your faces when the time comes."

"Well, whatever your plans are, you're gonna lose out, in the end," Sinon spat. "Whether or not Mataras comes alone, you just made an enemy of the single deadliest player in SAO. You'll be lucky to escape with your life."

"Now see, I would normally share your concern, but I've got a few tricks up my sleeve," Alberich said as he pulled a couple of rags out of his inventory. "Now, hold still. You can spectate when he arrives, but I'd prefer it if the audience doesn't participate in the upcoming demonstration."

Sinon let him get in close before she jerked her head forward, smacking him solidly in the face hard enough that he went sprawling on the stone floor with a foul curse. The archer smirked as he got to his feet, red-faced and seething.

"Nice," Rivka commented.

"You're going to regret that, little girl," Alberich snarled.

"Worth it."

I ran all the way to the dungeon entrance, where I was startled to see a familiar face. "Kuradeel," I growled as soon as I recognized him. "You're in on this?"

"I was the one to provide the information that Alberich was so desperate for, so it's only fair that I get to see the fruits of revenge being plucked," the skinny KOB member said as he smiled triumphantly at me. "Put your weapons and cloak into your inventory, now. We need to see that you're unarmed for the meeting."

"Thought your boss said I could keep my weapons?"

"Only so far as the dungeon entrance," Kuradeel said smugly. "Put them away, and I'll let him know that you've arrived on time. If he doesn't hear from me in the next two minutes, your girlfriends are dead."

I scowled at him, but I complied with the request, shedding my cloak and gear into my inventory. "Why not take them from me?" I asked him. "Not that I'm complaining."

"My inventory is close to being full, so I don't want to have to deal with the weight limit penalty," he shrugged. "As long as your weapons aren't within reach, I know I can keep you at bay."

It's cute that you think that, I thought as I finished stashing the last of my knives. Out loud, I asked, "Now what? You gonna send me into the dungeon, unarmed, and hope that a mob finishes me off in exchange for letting the girls go?"

"Hardly," the man scoffed as he finished sending a message, presumably to Alberich. "Now, walk in front of me and follow my instructions to the letter."

A short walk through a dark maze later, and we came to a dead end. I let out a sigh and asked, "Is this the part where you run me through?"

"No," Kuradeel answered. "Knock on the wall, three times, hard as you can."

Oh, secret passage, I thought as I did as I was instructed. I'd think this was cool if I wasn't thoroughly pissed right now.

Sure enough, a few seconds after I had banged my fist on the stone, the wall slid away to reveal a large, well-lit room, with Alberich standing in the middle of it, a self-assured smile on his face. "Do come in," he said mock politeness as I stepped through the entrance, allowing the door to close behind me, and locking us in. "I'm so glad that you could join us. Don't worry- Kuradeel will see to it that we remain undisturbed."

"Where are they?" I asked harshly, uninterested in playing any more games than were necessary.

"Oh, they're over there," he said as he made a casual gesture toward the wall on his left, where I could now see Sinon and Rivka, chained to the stone, and gagged so that they could not speak. "I would advise against making any sudden moves, though. My new friend can be a little… eager." As he spoke, his hand move to aim his thumb over his shoulder, pointing at the shadows behind him.

At first I couldn't see what he was talking about, but then I caught a glimmer of movement from within the darkness, and I nearly had a heart attack. Looming behind the man was the scepter of Kayaba- the faceless being that had announced to us our fate on the first day of the game. It was smaller now, and it had no voice, but the thing was no less intimidating for it, and it was still large enough to rival the Gleam Eyes in size. How did that thing get here?! And why does it sound like it's going to obey this guy?!

After a few seconds, I said, "I have questions."

"Oh please, do ask," Alberich said with another confident smile. "We have all the time that we need in here. However, I should warn you that no matter how much you stall, there are only two outcomes to the events that are about to transpire."

"Okay then," I began, glad that he was as overconfident as I thought he would be. Strea, I hope you're listening in right now.

Turning to Sinon and Rivka, I called out, "Are you two okay? He hasn't done anything to hurt you?" Both of them shook their heads in the negative, as they had enough range of motion to do so. Satisfied for now, I turned back toward Alberich with my arms folded in front of my chest, and asked, "How are you in control of that thing behind you? What exactly is it? Also, what's it doing here?"

"My, my, eager to learn, aren't we?" Alberich taunted me, causing me to growl impatiently. "This 'thing' was a subaccount for Akihiko Kayaba, but since I have GM credentials, I can make it do what I want, as long there's no one controlling it from the primary account. That's also how I knew about this place, and how I managed to trap your lovely friends here without fearing retribution from that pesky anti-harassment code."

"GM credentials?" I asked, making sure to choose my next words carefully. "I thought Kayaba was the only player with access to those."

"There were several manager's accounts made prior to the game's launch, but that bastard locked everyone else out," Alberich growled, his pleasant demeanor finally breaking down a little bit. "Fortunately, I have some knowledge as to the machinations of his designs, and so I was able to secure this account, Oberon. Now I walk as a god among men, just as he did."

"Oberon?" I repeated with a short laugh. "Now I see why you went with a different name. It'd be fairly embarrassing to go around referring to yourself as the king of the fairies."

"Funny you should say it that way," Alberich said, a sinister smile creeping across his face as he did. "You see, when a king has been robbed, the person committing the crime can expect a rather harsh retribution, can't they?"

"Only if they get caught," I smirked. "Also, with the way that you're talking, I'm starting to think that you're not even a veteran player in SAO. You're new to the neighborhood, aren't you?"

"Yes," Alberich nodded once.

"Is that right?" I sneered back at him. "So what kingdom do you rule, that I trespassed against?"

"The empire of the Yuuki family," the man answered angrily. "Allow me to introduce myself properly- I am Sugou Nobuyuki, head of VR research and development at RCT progress. And you, Red Swordsman, robbed me of my way into my proper inheritance, and for that, I will be compensated!"

"Yuuki?" I repeated, my mind conjuring up memories of our dual-wielding sword maiden. "What does she have to do with this?"

"So you do remember Asuna, do you?" Alberich snapped, leaving me feeling even more bewildered. "She and I were set to be married, which would have made me the heir to her father's vast fortune! And you ruined it all by killing her!"

I blinked at him a few times before my brow bent downward and my voice took on a harsh growl. "Let's set a few things straight here," I began. "First of all, the 25th boss was the one to kill her, not me. If you wanna point fingers at the guy pretty much responsible for her death, I already put him six feet under, so that score is settled. Second, I'm pretty sure Asuna would have rather drank hot bleach mixed with salt and vinegar than marry a scum wad like you. Lastly, what the hell made you think it was a good idea to dive into SAO, where one wrong move gets you killed?"

Alberich scowled at me before admitting, "You're not wrong on the second count, which is why it was the perfect opportunity to push our wedding through with her family, when she couldn't say 'no' for herself. In the real world, the company that I work for took over SAO's servers, which is how I was able to monitor your player data, and put you and your friends close to Asuna at her time of death, as well as spending a great deal of time with her beforehand. As for your question, I came in here under the impression that- as a GM- I would be able to leave whenever I pleased, as Kayaba was able."

"Lemme guess," I interrupted him as laughter rose up in my throat. "He booby-trapped the accounts of anyone dumb enough to come in here?"

"Regardless, the rewards will be worth it once I manage to lock everyone in here, permanently," Alberich smirked back, causing alarm to fill me.

"You what?"

"See, back in the real world, I'm in business of studying the long-term effects of what VR does to the human mind," Alberich explained. "But ethic laws prevent me from exercising certain… creative liberties. Therefore, I needed an environment undisturbed by the outside world in order to conduct real experiments, and wouldn't you know it, Kayaba provided just that. Honestly, why he wasted such potential on a mere child's video game is beyond me…"

"What are you trying to do, exactly?" I demanded, my anger continuing to grow at the man. "You're not just after research in here. If you were, you could have offloaded the data when the game finished and everyone was set free."

"You are a smart boy, aren't you?" Alberich chuckled. "Well, the next part of my plan is what brings your lovely friends into this."

Before he could continue, I intensified my glare and said, "Mark well, and listen, Alberich. They will have no part in your schemes. Attempt to bring them into it any further, and I will tear down everything that you have worked to build." I didn't move a muscle while I spoke, but anyone who knew me well enough would be well aware of the fact that I was very, very close to losing my temper.

Alberich merely smiled at me again before saying, "You might scare me, little boy, if not for the fact that I hold all the cards. See, research shows that the human mind can learn to associate certain sounds and images with memories and emotions. For example, a war veteran that hears a loud bang will associate the sound with being shot at, or being in proximity to an explosive. Or how a child might associate a certain song or image with happiness, see? These emotional triggers are strong, and they are the result of external influences. Imagine what I could do if I had direct access to someone's mind, and was able to expose them to certain images that would provoke emotions like anger and fear, and then tied them to certain key phrases."

"You'd have human attack dogs," I finished for him, my voice flat. My hatred for him was now mixed with a healthy dose of disgust. I've killed people with more honor than this snake, but as things are now, I can't kill him.

"That would be one application of my studies, and now that you know what I'm about, you have a choice to make." Alberich gestured toward the girls again and said, "You are going to choose which one of them will die here, in front of you. But the one that you let live will be saved as the final test subject for my experiments, which will render her into my porcelain doll, to do with as I please. Perhaps I'll even let you witness the perfected results." A sinister laugh escaped him, pushing me closer to the brink of losing my restraint, and causing the girls to look sickened at his words and intentions, both spoken and unspoken.

Doing my best to keep ahold of myself, I asked him, "Why not experiment on me? If I'm the one who supposedly wronged you, then why take it out on them?"

"Because they represent everything that matters to you, just as the fortune of the Yuuki's meant everything to me!" Alberich shouted. "Do you know what that fool of man is going to do with his money, now that you've caused his daughter's death?! Upon the event of his death, he's willing it all to the families of the people that died in this damn game! As if they have a need of it more than I! My research will change the world, and they'll waste his charity on pity parties that accomplish nothing!" Spit was flying from his mouth, and I realized that the man was properly insane. Not just overly ambitious or drunk with power, he was actually certifiable.

"So because you took away everything from me, I'll take it all from you, starting with these two!" Alberich shouted as he drew a red-purple dagger from his belt that gave off an unsettling aura. Stalking toward my friends, who struggled viciously against their bonds, he added, "And once I've broken you with them, I'll go after your sister, too. Now… Which one dies, Red Swordsman?!" He had reached the two of them, and now he was holding the dagger against Sinon's neck, who had gone very still and was staring at me with dark resolve.

When I didn't answer immediately, Alberich swung the dagger around to press against Rivka's abdomen, though not hard enough to cause damage. "Choose quickly, boy, or my hand might just slip," he hissed. "Bear in mind that this is a very special dagger- one little graze will be fatal to the person wounded, even in a safe zone. The victim's health points will continue to dwindle, no matter how many health potions are used, no matter where you run." As I searched Rivka's gaze with my own, I saw the same look in her eyes that I could see in Sinon's.

My left eye twitched before I let out a very long breath. "You've put me in quite the predicament, Alberich," I said slowly. "If I choose for my partner to live, the girl that I've loved will die here, after so many battles spent trying to secure her freedom." My words seemed to startle Rivka, but I kept my attention focused on Alberich, who had a crazed, smug grin plastered on his face. "At the same time, if I choose my oldest friend, then the girl that's had my back through the worst days of my life will be the one to perish in front of me. And either way, the survivor will be subjected to a living hell, which in our cases, would be far worse than death. So…"

I paused, and Alberich eagerly asked, "Yes? Have you made up your mind?"

"Kill 'em both," I said bluntly, causing him to stiffen with surprise, the knife jerking away from Rivka's body, much to her momentary relief.

"What did you say?" he asked, apparently unsure if his virtual ears were working correctly.

"You heard me just fine," I said in a hard voice. "I will loathe myself for the rest of my life for this, but if it's this or your options, then I choose to free them from your control. So, go ahead- kill both of them. That is, if you think you stand a chance against what I will become once they are gone." My internal wrath was burning so hotly now that I'm sure my eyes were gleaming silver, as they did whenever I reached an emotional extreme in the virtual world. "I told you what would happen if you brought them into this, Alberich. They won't be held hostage, and fancy dagger or no, even with a big boss monster to back up your play, I will end you."

There was another factor that Alberich wasn't considering here- and that was the fact that I knew both of them would rather die than become his plaything, no matter how painful it might turn out.

"Y-You're bluffing," he said, clearly rattled by my change in demeanor. "You couldn't live with yourself if you let something happen to them."

I wasn't bluffing- if one or both of them died here, Alberich would pay for it with his life, personal reformation be damned. Since I had already made that abundantly clear, however, I chose to say, "Drop the dagger, walk away, and pray that I don't find you, because that's the only way you're getting out of this alive. You underestimated me, Alberich- there is always another option than the ones that people threaten me with. My ability to find it is what's kept me alive all this time."

"And it's about to be his undoing," a familiar voice said as the air behind Alberich and to the side of the girls began to ripple, a clear effect of a corridor gate. As Kiriha and the rest of the Moonlit Black Cats- minus my sister and Strea- stepped through the portal, armed to the teeth, Alberich tried to lunge at Rivka, but was stopped by Philia's sword-breaking dagger.

"I don't think so," she snapped as she shoved him back, followed by a sword swipe from Kiriha that severed the hand holding the dagger. This turned her cursor yellow, but it could be fixed later with a karma quest. For now, all we cared about was Alberich crying in shock and fury as his plan began to fall apart in front of him.

Kirito picked up the dagger, put it in his inventory, and said, "It's a good thing that this room is normally reserved for people with GM access- Strea was able to send us in, and she's working on getting the door open behind you so we can get out of here." As he spoke, the air behind them stopped shimmering, the gate already having been closed.

"Took you guys long enough!" I barked at them, relief flooding my mind. "What was the holdup?!"

"We wanted to see how it played out," Yuuki said sarcastically as she aimed both of her swords at Alberich. "Move and it's a world of hurt for you, dude."

"Problem with that," I said as I reached for my menu in order to re-equip my items. "He's got GM privileges, and the anti-harassment function doesn't work against him. We can't exactly hold him in the Black Iron Palace."

"I say we drop him off the side of the map," Sinon growled as she stormed across the room, seeking to retrieve her weapons, which had been stored on the wall opposite her and Rivka. "You might have decided not to kill anybody else while we're in here, but I'm not feeling so generous right now."

"Can't say that I disagree," Rivka added darkly. "I think I'm starting to understand why Mataras went on a rampage against psychos like you."

"If you move toward me again, the boss will-!"

"Do absolutely nothing," Kirito interrupted him with a glare as he held up his elucidator. "Why do you think it didn't move to defend you after Kiriha cut off your hand? Strea revoked your admin privileges. It won't move unless it's antagonized, now."

"Who-?! They can't do that!" Alberich shrieked at him. "I hold the same authority as Kayaba in this world! I'm the god of this realm! Bow down before me and beg for your lives, peons! You will all suffer my wrath for the part that you played in Asuna's death!"

"You don't get to speak her name so lightly!" I roared as my sword blazed, which I'm pretty sure caused Alberich's real body to piss itself. "Her death hurt us beyond your capacity to understand, so don't even try to justify your actions with it! And for the record, you're not even worth mentioning in the same breath as Kayaba, unless it's in regards to my kill count!"

"No, Mataras," my sister's voice called out as the door behind me slid open to reveal her holding Kuradeel in a headlock, despite his struggles and curses. "You're not killing anyone today, or ever again, got it? Kayaba's the exception, but I won't let you stain your hands again, not even for creeps like these."

"Yeah, well, I'm not about to let you get your hands dirty, and if these two get out, they'll definitely cause us trouble again," I countered as Rivka came running over to me, allowing me to put an arm around her. "What do you suggest?"

"Strea and two of the others were able to supersede his privileges, so they're bound by the same rules as the rest of us, now," she said calmly as she tossed Kuradeel hard enough to crash into Alberich, sending them both sprawling on the ground with pained groans. "You guys get Sinon and Rivka out of here while I deal with them."

I paused at this while Sinon approached with hers and Rivka's gear in hand. "You sure?" I asked her with a frown. "I'd prefer it if you had backup." Part of me was hoping that she'd take me up on that so I had an excuse to stay and vent my pent-up frustrations on the two connivers.

"I'll be fine," she assured me with a genuine grin. "I'm stronger than anyone in the game, even you, remember? These two won't even be a light exercise."

"…Okay," I finally conceded. "Just be careful with them. I dunno if he's got another one of those special daggers." It's more important to make sure that Rivka and Sinon are safe, anyway.

"Nah, they only get one per account," she told us. "Go on. I'll be right behind you."

"You'd better be." As I left, I felt sure that she would be safe in how she handled the two of them. After all, she was far more capable of keeping her temper reigned in than I ever was, and it was true that she was significantly stronger than me. Dealing out a punishment to the two of them would be no issue for her, right?

"Come on," Sinon said as she led the way out of the dungeon, a hard look in her eyes. "Let's get out of here before I kill 'em."

As we headed out, Rivka said in a low voice, "What was that you said about me? When he was telling you to choose between us?"

I felt my face go a bit red, but I managed to keep my expression neutral enough to say, "Later- in private, okay?"

"Okay."

As soon as the last of the Cats had left, Saphira put Deathcalibur on her back and let her arms fall to her sides, a look of cold contempt on her face. It was just her and the two men in the room with the boss hovering passively against the back wall, having remained motionless the entire while.

"You two nearly ruined my brother again," she said in a soft tone that was somehow far more frightening than any yelling that the others had done. "You would have gone on to invent an entirely new form of slavery, and you disrespected our friend's life and death with your ambitions. There will be a severe consequence for this."

"I should have killed your brother when I had the chance," Kuradeel seethed, though he made no movement toward her. "Because of him, the once-glorious Knights of the Blood-Oath is in shambles, and I have lost all credibility with even those in my defaced guild! He ruined everything!"

"You ruined your life all on your own," Saphira replied while Alberich finally got to his feet, still clutching at his arm as though it pained him. "What's your problem? Pain absorbers are in effect, it can't hurt that bad."

"For you, perhaps!" Alberich snarled. "I had to use a damaged NerveGear to make the dive! The pain absorbers only work at sixty percent!"

"Is that right?" Saphira murmured. "Then I suppose I feel just a little bit bad for what's about to happen to you." With that, she turned on her heel and started walking toward the exit, leaving the two men supremely confused.

"What are you planning?!" Kuradeel barked. "I know you won't kill us, and with the door open, we can teleport out of here!"

"And what about when it's closed?" she asked in that same calm tone as she continued to get further away from the two men, their guts beginning to sink rapidly. "If I remember correctly, this becomes an anti-crystal trap once the barrier is shut. And with your admin privileges gone, Alberich, you won't be able to let yourselves out."

"So you'll leave us here to starve?!" the blond man demanded. "Who do you think you are, little girl?!"

Saphira paused just inside the door before she looked over her shoulder with a chilling smile that would haunt the two men even in Hell. "I said it as a joke once, but I guess you could say I'm the Blue Reaper," she answered them. "And who said anything about starving to death?" She raised her right hand, a throwing pick between her pointer and index fingers.

"What will you do with that?" Alberich laughed, though he was still put off by her unsettling facial expression.

"You were right, I won't kill you," she told the two before she flicked her fingers, sending the dart flying between them, toward the back of the room- and right into the face of the boss monster, which set a pair of red eyes to gleam dully from within the hood.

Alberich and Kuradeel exchanged a terrified look before they heard the sound of the door closing, cutting off their only escape route. Before they could even scream, they heard Saphira say from the other side, "I don't have to save you, either." Then the door shut.

Asuna: Hot damn!

Mataras: And that is why you don't mess with people in my family.

Kirito: I knew that you had it in you to be that kind of cold, but I never expected it from Saphira, even after how she fought off Sinon and Strea in the Hollow Area.

Saphira: Surprise.

Asuna: Seriously, how do you pull off that kind of presence?

Mataras: Let's just say that my family has a history of making trouble for people that give us grief- and I'm not just talking about the characters in my stories.

Kirito: Wait, what? What does you family do?

Mataras: I will leave that to your imagination. The only other thing I'll say is that the early 20th century was host to some pretty badass members of my family, and I'm very proud to be of their blood.

Asuna: Well... whatever that's all about, thanks for killing off Sugou, and so quickly, too.

Mataras: Originally, I actually planned to stretch this out over two chapters, but it wound up flowing better to do it this way. I also really, really wanted to get rid of him.

Saphira: Then what happens next chapter? You said we have three more to go, right?

Mataras: Correct. Next chapter will be the prelude to the final battle, and we'll have our characters settling a few matters before we head up to the Ruby Palace.

Kirito: So, another fluff chapter?

Mataras: More character development than feel-good material, but yes, I suppose that you could make that argument.

Asuna: Next time- Sorting Affairs.

Saphira: When does that come out?

Mataras: One week- and before you start freaking out, again, I've had a lot of time to work on this story lately. Now that we're close to the end, I'm firing on all cylinders to bring us close to the finale of this arc.

Kirito: I'm sure I'm not the only one looking forward to it!

Saphira: Be sure to put your vote up for the poll that Mataras mentioned during the last chapter, as it will close on the same day of the next chapter's release. Until next time!