CHAPTER XI
[FOREST MINIONS]
The atmosphere of the forest wasn't new to me; I regularly hunted, trained, and sometimes participated in patrols. There, a special group of soldiers consistently accompanied me along, and the Elucidator was always buckled on my left hip. However, right now, as I stepped deeper into the area covered by trees, everything around me was dead-silent. There was no one to watch my back, and the sword I have in hand is nothing but an old copper blade found in the old storage room.
They said the beast was a fast, savage killer. For years, it had been feared by many of the residents of the unfortunately-situated village. Located in the middle of the forest, the beast's attacks could not be predicted, and neither could the beast be chased or hunted down. Countless lives had been cut short, for the furious beast was unbeatable. And yet here I was, standing alone, assuming that I could defeat it with what I had.
The minor injury in my head was treated at the village, though it still tingled a little. It was bearable now, so it shouldn't prove to be a hindrance.
True, I would lose the battle, but on the contrary, I didn't plan on fighting it. If I dodged his attacks until I enter a safe zone, I might be able to escape.
A gentle wind blew, swaying the ends of my hair as it ran past me. I took a deep breath and continued walking, constantly scanning my surroundings.
I might have walked for an hour or two, but I never noticed anything strange, until I heard a loud roar close to where I was standing.
Instantly, I held the sword right in front of me as my eyes alternately looked on both left and right. I would be lying if I say I'm not afraid, instead, I could feel the trembling in my hands as I gripped the sword harder.
Heavy footsteps slowly thudded on the ground as I heard it get closer and closer to me.
A big droplet of sweat rolled from my temple to my chin as I gritted my teeth and looked at the source of the noise.
What is THAT!? It's HUGE!
The beast was huge. It was around five times as tall as me, its girth around four times my height. Its fur was red, and there were two stripes that were just a shade darker than the sky going down on both sides of its neck. Its long tail that was half as long as itself swished out from behind it, and that thudding I heard from earlier was being made by muscular legs that were twice as tall as I was.
Its rather small arms (compared to the rest of its body) held a wooden buckler and a huge axe; I definitely would not survive a hit from either weapon.
After another loud roar, he raised his buckler in preparation for a shield bash. I saw it coming towards me, and so I waited until he couldn't change the trajectory of his strike, jumped to my right, and avoided his first hit, which whooshed past me.
Illfang turned his head towards me, and before he split me in half with his ax, I ran underneath him and continued running further. I was able to dodge him twice now, but it wasn't enough to compromise my escape. The heavy footsteps followed me, but they sounded the fast-paced beating of war drums.
Crap! I'm getting tired, and I can't think of any tricks to get him off me!
Asuna gazed towards the clear skies. Her hands clenched into a fist and her heart aching as if it could break anytime.
She knew of Kazuto's strength; she knew of his quickness and cleverness, and she trusted him. But, what if something happens? What if everything wouldn't turn out the way it should be? She gulped, shaking those thoughts away. No doubt she is worried, after all, she wanted to see him again.
"It'll be okay."
Asuna quickly turned around to see the source of the voice. She saw an old woman— her hair already full of grey, her body moved weakly, and her face wrinkled as she smiled at Asuna.
"Y-yes, grandma." Asuna reciprocated the smile.
The older woman reached out her right hand to let it land on Asuna's shoulder, tapping her gently. "You trust him, so he'll come back to you. I'm sure of that."
The chestnut-haired lady blushed at the statement. The village might be thinking that both Asuna and Kazuto are a couple, however, Asuna didn't argue and just nodded.
Another person approached. It was the easily recognizable village chief, whose light blue ponytail gave him away.
"Mother, you should be resting," he said, as he held the woman's arm to help her walk. Asuna watched them walk away before she decided on strolling around the village.
She looked at the people's faces. Despite them being effectively imprisoned in a small village by a ferocious beast, the people looked happy. Kids were running around, giggling as they played with their friends, adults who continued their everyday lives appeared to be enjoying their chores. Asuna breathed deeply as her lips curved upwards.
"Happy, aren't they?" came a masculine voice.
Asuna turned to Diavel who is now beside her, his eyes fixed at the children running around the area. She nodded then followed his gaze.
"How did you manage everything?" she asked.
"You just have to embrace what you have and be thankful for it."
Just as he said those words, the village man-at-arms ran to him.
"They're here! We will be saved!" he announced, causing both Asuna and Diavel to be perplexed at first but as soon as the guard explained, they raced towards the gate.
He's already back? But... The thought crossed Asuna's head. She was happy and excited to see Kazuto, but she was also worried and uneasy. But when the heavy doors opened, her heart sank.
Roughly 40 to 50 fully armored royal knights were riding their horses, and the person in front of them caught her attention.
He dismounted his horse and walked towards chief Diavel who was standing in front of the crowd.
"I, Raios Antinous, candidate to the throne of Aincrad, have heard about the beast in the forest, and I have come to free you from the ruthless monster!"
The crowd cheered, and hope was written all over their faces.
"Lord Raios, I, Diavel, chief of this village, could not thank you enough for your bravery. You have come to save us." Diavel knelt on the ground, his head touching the ground.
The whole village reciprocated his actions, and left without a choice, Asuna followed them.
"Rise, my people." Raios said.
The chief was the first one to obey. He then lowered his head as spoke. "Your grace, if I may," he placed his balled, right hand to his chest and lowered himself even more. "Is the boy who brought the message...safe?"
"Boy?" Raios asked, eyebrows furrowed, perplexed at the chief's inquiry.
"Y-Yes your grace. A young boy, Kazuto. He was very brave to risk his life in order to save ours."
Raios almost flinched upon hearing the word. Anger rushed through his veins. What's with that guy?! Why does he always have to be ahead of me...again?! He wished that he had just heard it wrong, but it could also be the explanation of his disappearance from the mansion. Raios clenched the handle of his sword tighter in annoyance. He then took a deep breath to hide it and said, "I'm sorry, I haven't heard anything from him. Proper research and mapping was the reason why I found this place."
Diavel knew Kazuto's chances of survival were critically low. He wasn't surprised by Raios' news, but Asuna only worried even more. Nevertheless, she kept convincing himself that he would be fine, that she should trust him.
She watched as Raios' men brought in more food into the village. Grain, meat, honey, and spices. They even included a few garments for the residents. The villagers were overjoyed that they insisted on offering Raios a feast.
The people immediately rushed off to help prepare the celebration, so Asuna offered to help with the preparation. Although she seemed to join the people in their happiness, she could never hide the anxiety in her eyes. Moreover, she was annoyed at how everyone seemed to forget about what happened.
"Are you worried about him?" the older woman from earlier appeared into the kitchen, startling Asuna a bit, but recovered immediately and smiled sadly while mixing the contents of a huge pot.
"I'm sorry, I don't want to ruin the atmosphere but I just can't stop thinking about him. It was all my fault," she answered.
"It's okay to be worried, especially when it's someone special." The older woman smiled at Asuna.
He wasn't someone special to her but Asuna didn't argue and replied. "He shouldn't be in much trouble if I have lowered my ego. He shouldn't be risking his life for all of us." Asuna's chest suddenly tightened. She stopped her movements and looked at the woman. "It was all my fault, and I couldn't do anything to at least help."
"Sometimes, all you can do is hope," she smiled at Asuna once more before walking away.
After a heartful feast, Raios stood at the center. "My men and I will start tracking the beast down, while some of them will stay in order to keep the village safe. I, Raios, candidate to the throne of Aincrad, guarantee that after we take down this pest, everyone will live freely and without fear."
The crowd cheered loudly and celebrated with much joy. The gates were half-opened, and guards in and outside of the village were doubled as they prepared to investigate the forest.
Asuna had been trying to eavesdrop, in an attempt to find out about Kazuto's whereabouts, but unfortunately, she found nothing, causing her to grow worried even more.
Is he alive? Dead? Injured? What if he needed help? What if he is in pain?
She saw the soldiers saddled up, their chainmail skirts tinkling with each movement. The suppressed feeling in her chest was too much; before the gates were fully closed, she dashed outside, following Raios' men.
"Lord Raios!" she called to him.
Raios clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes in annoyance before halting his movements and looked down on the lady standing by his left side. When his eyes landed on hers, he felt the atmosphere change.
Just by looking at Asuna proved that she wasn't like any other maiden, and he found it seemingly…interesting. He made a signal for his men to proceed while he turned to Asuna.
"What do you want, woman?" he asked.
Asuna smiled, crouched to the ground with her head lowered in respect. "Lord Raios, I know it must be selfish of me to ask, but please, Kiri-Kazuto was here, he tried to help us. He might be still out there. Please, help him," she begged.
Raios grimaced bitterly. Even the woman whom he finds intriguing is anxious about Kazuto? Why...does it always have to be him?!
"I see." Raios turned towards the forest. "I'll see what I can do. But for now, you must return inside where it is safe." He smiled at her before heading towards the woods.
Sure, Kazuto might have gotten in this village first but it didn't seem like he gave himself a proper introduction. The villagers didn't know of his real identity, so Raios still had his advantage.
Asuna did as he ordered and tried to distract herself by helping some of the villagers. After a few hours, Raios and his men returned, bringing good news that a cave—presumably the beast's shelter—was found.
She waited for the perfect moment to approach Raios as it would be disrespectful for women like her to confront someone as highly ranked as Raios, any time they wanted.
But a few minutes after they arrived, two soldiers approached Asuna and requested her presence before Raios. Asuna, without thinking twice, agreed instantly. She was so eager for Kazuto's whereabouts that it was all she could think of.
The chestnut-haired girl entered Raios' tent and immediately lowered her head. She thought that since Raios is also of royal blood, he too must be worried about Kazuto.
"I see, the boy you mentioned, Kazuto, tried to fight off the beast. What a foolish idea." Raios chuckled, sitting on his desk.
Asuna looked up to Raios with widened eyes and asked worriedly. "D-did you find him?"
"We found his body."
B-body?
Asuna's heart raced as she shook her head vigorously, tears welling up in her saddened eyes. "N-no, i-it can't be...no…"
"He's dead." Raios then glanced at his guards, giving them a signal to leave. As soon as they left, Raios stood up and walked closer towards her.
"Who are you?" he asked in a serious, low tone.
That's when Asuna minds her situation. She was so busy thinking about Kazuto that she forgot to worry about her own safety.
"Reports came in saying that both of you came here together yesterday. You don't have to lie, I know you have something to do with that useless Prince."
Asuna was panicking inside. Raios could find out about her true identity, and the worst, he will find out that Kazuto was betraying the Kingdom. Still, she had no more cards left to play, and she had to gamble with what she had left. For now, Kazuto's safety was her priority.
"Lord Raios, I am nothing but the humble servant of the Royal Prince Kazuto."
Raios only let out a scoff. "I see. Well then, I'm interested in how long you could sustain those stories."
Asuna remained silent, looking down as she avoided Raios' gaze.
A brief silence before Raios spoke, "Kazuto." he chucked, walking around Asuna. "Why did you call him by his first name when you ran to me? Is it not disrespectful for a mere slave to call his master by his name?"
"The Prince himself ordered me to call him by name," she replied confidently.
"You're interesting." Raios smirked. "But since he's already dead, you're set free from your duties. How about I take you to the palace with me?" He walked closer to her until he was just a hair's breadth away. Using his finger, he moved the lock of hair falling from her shoulder and Asuna could hear him breathe deeply, inhaling her scent. She found it very disgusting but she stayed stiff. "I would like you to become my personal servant as well," his cold voice whispered into Asuna ears, she could feel him smirking as he talked.
"He's not dead." Asuna replied sternly, causing Raios to step back and look into her face.
"Sweetheart, I hope you understand how Aincrad was grateful for his noble sacrifice. He did try to fight that monster that caused him too many injuries to survive. We were exploring the whole area when Illfang arrived, and the barely-alive prince was the perfect prey. He should be thankful for what I did."
Asuna's chest tightened as if it was being squeezed roughly. A river of tears fell from her hazel orbs as she tried to shake her head. "N-no...I-It can't be…he's not dead."
"Oh, yes, he is!" Raios laughed. "You should have seen the look on his face when I told him about what you did."
"You're a monster!" Asuna yelled, causing Raios to anger at her statement but what she said next insulted him even more. "How dare you do that to your relative, to your family?! I will never heed to you as the future King of Aincrad!"
"You bitch!" Raios roughly pulled Asuna by the hair and brought her face closer to his. "I could kill you, right here, right now and no one would care. Take back what you said," he ordered.
The stare he received from Asuna already told him of her refusal. "I'm going. The future King of Aincrad is alive." She sternly stood up to him before using her strength to push Raios away and dashed outside, taking a sword as she did.
"Get her!" Raios shouted to his guards but Asuna used her full speed to run towards the forest.
As she went deeper, they stopped following her. While catching her breath, Asuna continued walking.
Where could he be?!
"Kirito!" she screamed. "Where are you? Are you okay?"
Dusk was coming, and she still couldn't find any traces of him, not until she stumbled on a stone. Asuna groaned and massaged her ankle to ease the pain. It didn't leave a deep scratch, but why did the stone have blood stains on it? That instant, the pain in her ankle disappeared immediately as the red, dried, texture gave her more hope.
She looked around and not only noticed another of the same substance but it was trailing into a certain direction. Asuna got on her feet and immediately traced it, however, it eventually stopped.
Tears gathered in the corner of her eyes once more and she took a deep breath and screamed his name.
"Kazuto!"
Her breathing became faster and her heart rate increased. Fear began to conquer her whole being.
What am I doing here? What if Raios was telling the truth? Kirito…are you dead? Will I also end up the same way as you?
She held her sword tightly in front of her as she felt the ground tremble with heavy footsteps. Asuna was surely an excellent sword fighter, but not once had she faced an opponent ten times as big as a normal human being, especially in a place like this. She immediately hid behind one of the trees and watched the Kobold Lord walk towards her direction. However, it didn't heed of her presence. The beast shortly stopped his tracks and turned to Asuna but it eventually walked away.
'It kills everyone he sees.' That's what the people said, but what Asuna witnessed was the opposite. Suddenly, the bushes around her started shaking, and smaller creatures that looked similar to the beast—wearing full armor and wielding maces—appeared. There were a lot of them, and they kept appearing.
Asuna became cautious of attacks on all sides as she readied her sword to repel her assailants. From the right, a sentinel leaped towards her, and Asuna used the sword to fend it off. They ran to her, one after another, and it was a surprise how she was able to withstand it for even a moment. Asuna was outnumbered, and the sentinels began attacking together, and she could only handle one or two at the same time.
She thrusted her sword forward and slid it sideways before blocking another hit. She felt another one raise its arm to swing at her with its mace, but even if Asuna noticed it, it was too late to act. She knew it'd hit her.
With the small distraction, one of the sentinels that had missed a mace swing caught her off-guard, managing to punch her in the stomach. She had been winded, and all Asuna could do was shut her eyes before the mace hit her head. But after several seconds, nothing came.
"Dammit!" she heard a familiar, masculine voice curse. She shot, opened her eyes and turned to the source of the voice.
His black hair danced with every swift movement he made every time he swung his sword.
"There's no way we can fight all of them. We'll have to find a way to get away." Kazuto said. "Don't worry, I have your back."
Although Asuna was overwhelmed with relief, she couldn't let her emotions distract her any longer. With a deep breath, she steeled herself once more.
"Yeah, I got your back too."
Kazuto smirked as he held the sword in front of him and prepared to block another attack. However, Kazuto's expression turned into agitated distress, unnoticed by Asuna as he gritted his teeth, holding back a painful grunt while striving to focus on the fight at hand.
"Look for an opening. There's a river nearby, and these sentinels aren't good swimmers."
"Roger!"
Asuna continued to launch a hit while Kazuto defended her.
"Now!" Asuna exclaimed.
Kazuto followed her lead. As another kobold tried to stop them, Kazuto parried the overhead mace swing, sending the offending kobold off balance, while Asuna dashed in, stabbing its head with her rapier. As soon as the Kobold dropped to the floor, the two of them made a break for the river.
Asuna could see the water from there, and if they kept up their pace, the escape would be a success. However, when she turned around to check on Kazuto, he was far behind her, panting, limping his right leg, and his furrowed eyebrows and heavy grunts showed that he was experiencing pain.
"Kirito!" Asuna cried worriedly.
"Don't stop! Forget about me, keep running. I'll catch up," he insisted, but he probably didn't plan on keeping his words as his speed was only slowing down almost as he was about to stop at any moment.
"Idiot." Asuna ran back to him and braced his arms around her shoulder to help him move. "I'm not leaving you."
Although it was difficult, Asuna managed. She was carrying half of Kazuto's weight, and there were fast and strong enemies behind them.
"We're almost there! Hang on, Kirito!" She used all her strength to drag Kazuto faster as the sentinels kept getting closer to them.
Eventually, they reached the river, diving in. The sentinels didn't try to pursue them, and they were home free as soon as they reached the far bank.
Both of them were finally able to breathe as they watched the enemy slowly retreat. Asuna sighed in relief and turned to Kazuto, but then again, her eyes widened when the water surrounding them mixed with red liquid. It must have been the same blood she tracked.
"Kirito! You're bleeding! Where is it?"
She helped him into the surface by the edge of the water and gently sat him up. Just right above Kazuto's knees was a white cloth—that has now turned red from the bleeding—bandaged over the ripped garment.
Asuna slowly untied it, and after cleaning his wound, replaced it with a clean cloth from her dress.
"Does it hurt really bad?" She asked.
"Yeah, but not as bad as before." Kazuto knew that Asuna must have been really worried about him, which was probably why she stepped into the danger.
"It's bleeding from that fight. Try not to make sudden movements." Asuna tied the cloth slowly, afraid to hurt him.
"Asuna…" Kazuto's hoarse, yet soft voice stopped Asuna's motions. Realizing her guilt, she froze and avoided looking into his eyes. She hesitated for a moment, but slowly looked up to him until her hazel eyes were locked with his onyx ones.
"I told you to wait for me. You're not used to this, you could've died!"
"They told me you were dead!" Asuna retorted. "They told me you died…" she began sobbing, letting her tears fall freely from her eyes.
"Asuna…" He was used to seeing her being tough, competitive, annoyed, but this was the first that he witnessed her vulnerable state. She is crying, but what struck him even more was the fact that the reason why she cried….was him.
"Why would you think I-" Kazuto paused, recollecting the events that happened this morning. "...Raios."
His forehead wrinkled as Kazuto was disgusted by the sound of his name at the tip of his tongue. Out of vexation, he suddenly grabbed Asuna by the shoulders and looked straight into her eyes with worry reflecting on his face.
"Did he hurt you? Did he do anything to you?" he asked.
Kazuto was very aware what kind of person Raios was, and he knew very well of how beautiful and attractive Asuna was, but he was relieved when she shook her head to answer his question. "N-no. Nothing. They told me you were dead. That he killed you. Kirito, if anything happens to you, I am all to blame. This is all my fault! I'm so sorry!" She cried once more, as she lowered her head facing the ground.
"Yes, Raios did give me a hard time, using me as their bait, but look at me, Asuna." She didn't obey and continued to avoid his gaze while wiping her tears, making Kazuto repeat his words more gently. "Look at me." He used his thumb and index finger to lift Asuna's so that she could face him, and he smiled.
"I'm alive. And none of this is your fault." To reassure her, Kazuto cracked a small smile and patted her head. "So, don't cry. I got your back, remember?"
It felt like the suppressed pain in her chest was freed and the guilt she had was enveloped with Kazuto's warm and gentle words, and it started fading away.
She made a sudden movement, bringing herself closer to him and embraced him tightly. Kazuto could feel her body quivering as she continued to sob in his arms. The hug was unexpected, but the simple gesture lifted tons of anxiety in Kazuto's head. For a moment there, he found peace.
He really wanted to return the hug and lifted his arms, but sadly, he stopped midway before reluctantly lowered it as thoughts rushed through his mind once more. He must save the village, face Raios, and more importantly, protect Asuna.
Can I do it all by myself? He starts to doubt himself but he mastered to hide the worry with a simple smile.
When Asuna pulled away from him, her worried face looked into his. "Kirito. I want to help. I know I can," she pleaded.
"Asuna...it's too dangerous. I can risk it, especially a Princess like you—"
"Kazuto! I can. Just trust me. What do you want me to do? Just sit here and wait?! You've been protecting me, and if you're going out there to face that monster all by yourself then who will have your back? I want to protect you too!"
A brief silence followed, and Kazuto's eyes softened as he looked into Asuna's. "Asuna...it's dangerous—"
But Asuna didn't let him continue as she grabbed her sword and pointed it towards Kazuto. "I'm going," she said sternly.
"...okay."
His approval made Asuna smile as she sheathed back the sword.
"We have to go back." Kazuto stated and attempted to stand up. Asuna assisted him, but her face saddened.
"How are you going to fight like that?"
Just then, they heard the sound of horses running but what caught them was the sound of metals along it.
It could be the enemy! Both cautiously turned to the direction of the sound but relief took over when their eyes landed on the riders.
"Eugeo! Alice!" Asuna shouted.
The pair spotted them immediately and stopped right where they are. Alice rushed to get down and embraced Asuna. "Thank goodness you're safe. We've been worried!" she pulled away from the hug and checked Asuna from head to toe. That's when she noticed Kazuto's injury.
Asuna gave them a brief explanation of what happened. Eugeo ran off, and after a few minutes, he returned with a bunch of leaves in hand.
"We use this in the Underworld. It will ease the pain and stop you from bleeding but it's not going to heal it."
Eugeo squeezed the leaves together before pressing them on Kazuto's wound, earning him a loud, painful grunt.
"It'll feel better in a few minutes," said Eugeo.
Kazuto responded, "Thanks."
"How did you find us?" Asuna asked the couple, turning to see the direction where they came from.
Alice walked towards the horse and brought two familiar blades as she came back. "We found these and followed your trail. You must've fallen on that cliff."
Asuna and Kazuto both sighed in relief when their swords were returned to them. They were happy to finally have their better weapons on them.
"So, what's gonna happen now? It's getting dark." Eugeo stated, glancing up the dusked skies.
"The Kobold Lord is heading towards the village."
The three turned to Kazuto with a surprised expression.
"T-the what?" Alice stuttered.
Kazuto explained about the beast and the village they found in the forest, while Asuna told them about Raios' activities and what he said about Kazuto. Eugeo clenched his fist in anger at the news and Alice held Asuna's hand in concern for what her friend had gone through.
"Raios led his men into Illfangs territory, and now, the beast has gone mad. I've been observing him and he's been ignoring people. If we follow the direction he's going, it will lead straight to the village. Everyone is in danger. It's too late to go back and bring reinforcement. We must hurry, we're running out of time." Kazuto said.
The four of them looked at each other with determined faces, but Asuna saw Kazuto's troubled eyes. She crouched next to him and placed a hand on his shoulders.
"You have the three of us now. So, what's the plan?"
Her soft words gave him confidence, and a smile appeared on his face. He looked at the three of them and nodded.
"Okay, let's do this!"