Okay, here we are, another chapter. It sure turned out long...
Anyway, this is one of the most important chapters so far, maybe even the most important one, given all the background information and foreshadowing, but see for yourselves.
Last time, Akinym and Kirito went leveling in the Hollow Area, and now they want to have a chat at a "certain place". Let's see how that plays out.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online Re:Hollow Fragment or Sword Art Online in general.
Well, the place Kirito had in mind would be a "secret spot" in the Hollow Area right below the Administration Area, an – as Akinym had to admit – absolutely gorgeous garden.
When they arrived, Akinym took the whole scenery in from a terrace at the entrance. Two sets of stairs led down to a garden area with flower beds, a pond with waterfalls and a pavilion. The atmosphere was truly serene.
Akinym had no doubt that if this place was open to the public, it would be a tourist attraction.
Akinym: Hm, you certainly didn't exaggerate about this place, Kirito-san. I had my doubts, but I was wrong. This garden is beautiful.
Kirito: Right? It's like the perfect spot for a rest or a date.
Akinym [slightly annoyed]: I honestly don't have that kind of interest in you, you know?
Kirito [panicking]: O-of course not! Why would I even want that?!
Akinym [annoyed]: What do I know?! Anyway, why would you bring up the whole "date" thing now? Of course it's only misleading!
Kirito [slightly annoyed]: I get it! It just came to my mind. [thinks] I guess I really shouldn't have said that…
They decided to leave that awkward part of their conversation behind and went straight to the pavilion to start the non-awkward part.
Or so they thought… It was just that they went completely silent after they had sat down on the benches.
Akinym didn't really seem to want to start speaking himself. He just sat there with his arms folded, staring at Kirito sternly.
Kirito, on the other hand, didn't really know how to start. He didn't consider himself a conversationalist – overall sound judgment, at least when it came to strangers.
On top of that, Akinym didn't make this easy on him. Kirito could certainly feel the strict, unforgiving aura the girls had told him about.
There had been an awkward silence around them the entire day. It had been almost impossible to talk with Akinym about anything but their battles. Well, maybe that would be a good point to start.
Kirito: So… The Hollow Missions. I only know that there are several repeatable quests throughout the Hollow Area, and they seemed to be activated by entering certain zones.
Akinym [slightly curiously]: Hm, I see. And I suppose they are all hunting quests like those we did?
Kirito [slightly contemplatively]: Well, most of them are, but I've seen a few exceptions. I remember one quest that was about sneaking through an area, reaching a destination without getting spotted by any monsters.
Akinym: Okay, so that's what you have to do. Now, what's the point in them? You asked quite insistently that we do these Hollow Missions, [slightly sternly] so there has to be something behind them.
Kirito [slightly defensively]: Um, there is. I don't really get it myself, but there's an "Implementation" menu at the console in the Hollow Area. Apparently, there are a number of Sword Skills and items that can be unlocked there. In order to do that, you have to finish a number of Hollow Missions, though.
Akinym [curiously]: New items and skills? Something noteworthy, I guess?
Kirito [slightly excitedly]: Absolutely! This whole area has stuff that you probably won't find anywhere in Aincrad! I have the feeling that this new content could help us a lot with clearing the game!
That was indeed good news. However, the past had shown them time and time again that good news always came with bad news in SAO. Akinym had a specific idea as to what the bad news could be this time.
Akinym [doubtfully]: I see your point, Kirito-san, but what do you intend to do with these Sword Skills? Or rather than that, what plans do you have for any rare items? Do you plan to sell them?
Kirito [slightly contemplatively]: Well, I obviously want to use them… However, there are a ton of materials I probably can't use directly, not to mention that there's probably more equipment to find than I or my friends need, so yeah, I guess I'm gonna sell a lot of it. Why do you ask?
Akinym [slightly surprised]: Why? [mutters] Did you seriously not think about this? [says aloud, slightly sternly] Well, if you have exclusive access to above-average rare equipment, there will be a ton of players who will… not take kindly to it, don't you think?
Kirito flinched at the thought. Akinym had a point, the envy of the players had outweighed their desire to simply clear the game too often to ignore this issue.
He had kept the Hollow Area a secret from most players, and he hoped that Akinym would do the same once he asked him to, but he couldn't parade around fancy new equipment without players asking where he got it from. Eventually, others would find out about this place, and a lot of players would probably react begrudgingly to the fact that he had exclusive access to the Hollow Area.
Kirito sighed. Great, that was the last thing he wanted to deal with again! The Assault Team had enough trouble already…
Akinym [contemplatively]: Hm, if you distribute the rare equipment among the Assault Team, you'll not just strengthen it in its entirety, you might also do something about this problem, even though you'll still be the only one with access to the Sword Skills you were talking about.
Kirito: Well, I guess so, but are you sure that it's going to be that easy?
Akinym: I'm actually sure it's not going to be easy. The irrationality of the players has been surprising me from the very beginning, and I doubt that this will stop before we clear this game. However, the KoB has always had a policy of sharing information and resources for the sake of clearing the game, hasn't it? If you keep following that policy, I'm confident that Asuna-san can convince the rest of the Assault Team to accept that compromise.
Kirito thought about it for a moment. It was true, Asuna had a way with dealing with the Assault Team. Even in these chaotic times, she managed to keep its remains together.
They continued to talk about the Hollow Area and its potential impact on Aincrad and the Assault Team for a while.
Kirito mentioned the "Ultimate Sword Skills" that could be acquired at the nearby castle. According to his knowledge, these Sword Skills were supposed to be far stronger than any other technique in SAO.
It was too bad that the quest to get them was ridiculously difficult – or rather appropriately difficult given the reward. Kirito had started it with Asuna, but he doubted that they would be able to finish it anytime soon.
Akinym: Hm, after everything you've told me, I agree that this Hollow Area might help significantly. I can see why you want to explore this place so badly.
Kirito [slightly excitedly]: Right? Exploring new areas is always fun, and I like a good mystery to unravel. That, and it's quite rewarding on top of that! [chuckles] It's like a gamer's dream!
Akinym raised an eyebrow. Did… Kirito really see this as some sort of enjoyable game? Akinym wasn't sure even if the evidence was right in front of him. He simply couldn't believe it that easily.
Kirito didn't even notice Akinym's doubts, though.
Kirito: I'd also like to figure out how I got here, or Philia. Yeah, there's also a lot I have to find out about her role in all this! Well, at least exploring the place with her is fun, and she's a good guide!
Yet another reason for Akinym to raise an eyebrow. He contemplated what he should say for a moment.
Akinym [slightly doubtfully]: Kirito-san, do you really think that this… alliance with that orange player is a good idea?
Kirito [frowns]: I can understand your concern, really, but in all honesty, Philia isn't a bad person!
Akinym [slightly surprised]: What makes you think that?
Kirito [flatly]: Well, when I got suddenly teleported to the Hollow Area, I kinda ran into her, and we had to fight a boss together. We've helped each other ever since, so… Yeah!
Akinym [curiously]: And…?
Kirito: Well, and nothing. What else is there to say? We've essentially teamed up to explore this place, nothing wrong with that as far as I can see. I'd say there has to be something else behind that orange cursor, only that Philia is very secretive about it, but I respect that. All I can say is that I can feel that she's not a bad person.
Akinym had to close his eyes in order to hide the fact that he rolled them at Kirito's remark. An orange player was secretive about her orange cursor? Yeah, no surprise! The only surprise here was that the most notorious solo player in SAO relied on his knowledge of human nature instead of common sense.
Kirito: To be perfectly honest, I actually wanna help her getting rid of that orange cursor so that she can come back to Aincrad. Who knows, she's a seasoned fighter, and she might help the Assault Team one day.
Akinym [slightly shocked]: Kirito-san, are you serious?! I suppose you know that getting rid of an orange cursor, a permanent orange cursor, is extremely hard for a reason! Do you seriously want to bring a potentially dangerous criminal into the Assault Team?! Didn't we have to deal with enough of them already?
Kirito [upset]: Okay, look, I've told you: Philia isn't like that! She's just another player – another comrade – in a tight spot, and I have to help her!
Akinym [exasperatedly]: Ugh, fine! I guess I can't stop you if you want to find clues as to how to help her while exploring the Hollow Area. If you find something, so be it, but at least focus on productive tasks!
Kirito: Honestly, helping Philia is the most productive task in my opinion! What am I supposed to do here if not helping people?! And right now, I think Philia needs my help!
Akinym [very exasperatedly]: You want to…?! [tries to calm down a little] Okay, I see… [pauses to think] If you want to help her so desperately, you shouldn't bother with her orange cursor to begin with.
Kirito [interrupting]: What's that supposed to mean?! If she's basically trapped here because she can't enter a town in Aincrad, I obviously have to do something about that!
Akinym: Even if she's not trapped in the Hollow Area anymore, she'd still be trapped in Aincrad! If you really want to help her, you should focus on clearing this game, which is to the only way to help any players – all players, actually – including Philia-san!
Kirito went silent. He couldn't really argue about that, as much as he'd like to. Regardless of anything Akinym had said, he wouldn't let Philia be stuck in this place all by herself until they defeated the final boss. No, he would do something about that sooner.
Kirito [slightly annoyed]: Honestly, I don't understand why you are against the idea that clearly. Like I said, I understand your concerns, but still! I thought that someone who spends his time training others would be more willing to help… With that attitude, why do you even help all the mid-level players anyway?
Akinym [calmly]: Well, I couldn't ignore the dire situation of the Assault Team and the problem at hand. Not to mention that I couldn't possible deny that request from Asuna-san. Frankly, I'm deeply indebted to her, and if nothing else, I owe it to her to help her here.
That actually wasn't what Kirito had meant, but it still piqued his interest. According to what Asuna had told him, she had never really met Akinym before he had come to the 76th floor. Well, except for a few boss battles, perhaps.
Kirito: You're indebted to Asuna? What do you mean?
Akinym: It's… a long story. I honestly don't wanna talk about it, I don't even see why I should tell you. You probably shouldn't bother Asuna-san about it, though, I doubt she knows anything about it.
That was honestly just confusing. Kirito figured that Asuna had probably saved Akinym's life at some point, maybe during a boss battle, and she had simply paid it no mind.
Kirito [hesitantly]: I see… [calmly] But to be honest, that was actually not what I was talking about. What I want to know is why you started to train other players in the first place!
Akinym: Oh, I see. [slightly contemplatively] It's… Hm, Kirito-san, I guess that I need to tell you first that I was… a beta tester as well.
Kirito [slightly dumbfounded]: O-oh… I see…
Akinym: Frankly, I hardly played the game during the beta. I wasn't really interested. Believe it or not, but it was actually my parents' idea that I play it. I didn't take SAO seriously at all. Well, not until it turned into a death trap.
Kirito shifted uncomfortably on his bench. That was interesting and all, but he wished that Akinym would get to the part that had something to do with his question.
Kirito [slightly hastily]: Okay, okay, I understand that, [calmly] but what exactly does that have to do with your role as an instructor?
Akinym: Despite not playing much, I still learnt all the basics of the game, so I had an advantage when the game launched. An advantage that I wanted to share, though. You see, I suppose that I was one of the people who reacted comparatively calmly when Kayaba announced… [clears throat] Let's just say that I was raised to solve problems if they arise, so that's what I tried to do.
Kirito [curiously]: By teaching others how to play the game?
Kirito figured that this would make sense. He had heard of some beta testers who had tried that, even if they had only had limited success. He was under the impression that Diavel had been one of these people.
Akinym confirmed Kirito's assumption with a nod.
Kirito [slightly happily]: So you wanted to help them survive in this world? Well, that's good to hear.
It was a glimmer of hope that Akinym was an overall helpful person after all, even though Kirito had to admit that his optimism at this point was a bit exaggerated.
Meanwhile, Akinym reacted to this optimism with a slightly confused stare.
Akinym: Well, you're not wrong. There were countless people who recklessly endangered themselves, most of which thought that they were going to die anyway, so they could at least "die while facing their fears". [slightly annoyed] An utterly irrational approach…
Kirito cringed a little when Akinym said that. Well, that wasn't how he would've phrased it, but he got the point…
Akinym: I've told as many people as possible that it was understandable – even a wise choice – to fight in this world, but not just to die. They might die, that was true and is true, but they should at least try to survive. If they thought they would die anyway, they had nothing left to lose, so they could at least die trying instead of dying by rushing into a horde of monsters haphazardly. They would either survive until the end or die as they thought they would, so there was a chance of winning without any risk of losing even more. I usually argued like that. Some people listened.
The hidden meaning behind that stung, Kirito felt slightly sick just thinking about it…
To be fair, a lot of people had just committed suicide out of sheer desperation. Others had thought that dying in the game was actually a way to log out, and that Kayaba Akihiko had made all the "death in the game means death in real live" up… Not that Kirito had ever believed that.
Kirito [slightly sadly]: Well, you've tried to do what you could. At least you could save a few people back then.
Kirito had to admit that this was probably more than he had done at first.
Akinym: Well, I suppose you're right. Don't get the wrong idea, though! I've had more important long-term goals. My intention has always been to save as many people as possible from this death trap, but that will obviously only work if the players can clear SAO. I know that there were people who thought that only the beta testers had a chance to do that, but I doubted that. As I said, I was a beta tester and I didn't think that I could play a big role, and I knew of others who didn't fare better. If the players of SAO really wanted to escape, all of them had to work towards that goal, not just the beta testers as they probably weren't enough.
Kirito [slightly doubtfully]: Wait, so all that was just part of a plan to form a stronger fighting force?!
Akinym: Basically. It was all I could do at that time, and it worked quite well for a while. [slightly exasperatedly] Well, that was until this weird spike-headed freak started an old-fashioned scapegoat game. Ugh, what was his name again? Kiwibean?
Kirito [taken aback]: Um, Kibaou.
Akinym [flatly]: Eh, close enough. [calmly] Either way, my "disciples" back then started to question why a "probably selfish beta tester" would help them. For free, at that. [slightly exasperatedly] Well, and then, the whole "Beater" nonsense happened.
Kirito [slightly defensively]: U-um, yeah… You see, when we defeated the first floor boss…
Akinym raised a hand to signal Kirito to stop.
Akinym: You don't have to apologise, Kirito-san. I've heard of that… incident. [annoyed] Frankly, it has never made sense to me. Why would people assume that a selfish person who hoarded information for his own benefit would suddenly do something as stupid as acting like the average internet troll right in front of several people? Not to mention that this was a one-time-only incident.
Akinym took a short break. He looked extremely irritated in that moment.
Kirito figured that Akinym needed a moment to regain his composure, so he thought that it was a good opportunity to voice his thoughts on the matter.
Kirito: Well, they started to doubt Argo's strategy guide, and that would've been bad news for all players. Not to mention that this ongoing vendetta against beta testers had to stop, so… [slightly dejectedly] I thought that directing all that onto a single player would be for the best.
Akinym: I can understand that. [dryly] Only that you've totally failed.
Kirito flinched slightly. Akinym didn't have to put it that way!
Akinym: Seriously, did you really think that you could stop players from blaming beta testers that easily? Sure, you managed to stop people from doubting the strategy guide until players discovered the intel quests for floor bosses, and those who had been willing to accept beta testers before were still willing to do so. Those who hadn't been – unsurprisingly – didn't, though. [exasperatedly] I get that you had to act on the spur of the moment, but was this really your best idea? Of course people wouldn't think better of beta testers just because of this poor act, just because some random troll made fun of them.
Akinym sighed. He was almost sure that Asuna would've done a better job if she had been in Kirito's place. Who knows, maybe she would've found a way to resolve this nonsensical issue and to keep the Assault Team together like Diavel had before he had… well, died.
Kirito [slightly upset]: Well, excuse me for not solving every issue we've had. It's not like I had ever dealt with anything like this before!
Akinym: It's okay, pay it no mind! As I said, I won't blame you for the irrationality of others. [sighs] It's just that after that incident, my students finally came to the conclusion that I was "obviously trying to give them false information to save my advantage as another dirty Beater", so they stopped listening to me. [groans, mutters] Does the irrationality of humans know no bounds?
Kirito [awkwardly]: W-well, I guess that's… that. [slightly dejectedly] Sorry to hear that it ended that way.
Akinym [flatly]: Don't be! It was their decision. I just had to accept it and move on, trying to play this game for real this time.
Kirito thought about that for a moment. Sinon had told him a bit about what Akinym had shared with her about his past. According to her, Akinym needed some time to get used to the system, but once he had done that, he caught up with the Assault Team eventually.
Kirito [curiously]: That makes me wonder… You made your way into the Assault Team at one point, didn't you? So… Why did you took up your role as an instructor again after that? That's something I'd really like to know. I mean, did you not like it in the Assault Team, or…?
Akinym [slightly contemplatively]: That's… another long story. [calmly] It is true that I – technically speaking – joined the Assault Team around floor forty. Anyway, I wouldn't say that I was a… permanent member. I was only there for a few boss battles, and I usually played a minor role like taking care of adds.
Akinym leant back on his bench. He was getting to a… rather unpleasant part.
Akinym: I was there at the boss battle on floor fifty.
Kirito flinched at the thought. That battle had been, unsurprisingly, one of the most horrific ones in the history of SAO. He had been there himself, and it was an overall unpleasant memory.
Akinym had to pause for a moment to deal with the mental image of desperate screams and vanishing polygons as well.
Akinym: The Assault Team suffered severe losses that day. Not enough to obstruct the clearing of SAO right away, though, and it certainly didn't throw it into complete disarray as it happened another twenty-five floors later, but it still got me thinking.
Kirito overcame the flooding memories to the point that he could focus on Akinym's story again just in time for the interesting part. He even leant slightly forward, albeit subconsciously, eagerly awaiting how that battle was connected to leaving the Assault Team.
Maybe that experience had scarred him in a sense, or who knows, he might've lost someone important in that battle.
Akinym: It was the same problem that I saw at launch. The current forces might not be enough to make it all the way to the end. There would be casualties on the way, and that would whittle down the manpower little by little until it would be essentially depleted, [worriedly] probably long before we'd reach the hundredth floor. [calmly] The losses in the battle on the fiftieth floor – [slightly worriedly] the thought that such a battle would probably take place at least two more times before everything would be over – reminded me of that. [calmly] As a member of the Assault Team, I could only bring one person to fight – myself. As an instructor, however, I might rally dozens of players in the long run. That's… the story.
Kirito needed a moment to take all this in.
It wasn't an emotional trauma, it wasn't loss or anything like that. It was – at the end of the day – scheming! Cold, calculating scheming.
For a moment, Kirito found himself yet again in the situation that he wanted to disagree as strongly as possible, but he couldn't really argue against Akinym's point of view. Deep down, Kirito knew that he had a point.
When he took another look at Akinym (at his facial expression, to be precise), however, Kirito realised what tilted him the most about Akinym's story. It wasn't what he had said, it had been how he had brought it across.
The whole time, his voice had been relatively even, and sure, he had worn a worried expression, but that was not how someone should speak about those who had fallen, at least as far as Kirito was concerned.
In his mind, Kirito could see several people who had died right in front of him while he had been powerless to do anything about it – anyone from the members of the Moonlit Black Cats to the raid party in the boss battle on the 75th floor. He relived their deaths and the regret he had felt as soon as his instinct for survival had allowed it.
However, another person, who actually hadn't been there, was there. It was Akinym, who looked at the vanishing polygons of those who had died with a slightly discontent expression while he calmly analysed how their deaths might make clearing the game harder.
Kirito [angrily]: That is not how you talk about the death of people! They're not just numbers! Yes, we want to clear this game, but we want to do it for the players, so we have to respect their lives!
Akinym was startled at first, but now that he could take a calm look at Kirito gritting his teeth, he thought about the situation for a moment, and after that, he was pretty much just annoyed and clicked his tongue.
Kirito [distrustfully]: I actually have my doubts if I should really let you take care of my friends now! You say you'll teach them how they can become members of the Assault Team, but the more I hear, the more I have the feeling you'll just turn them into cannon fodder.
Akinym: What an utterly ridiculous thought! The whole point of the training is that they can join the Assault Team without being cannon fodder! What good would it do if they just went and got themselves killed?!
Kirito: Then why do you treat them like soldiers?! They've told me that you're basically a clichéd military instructor, to the extent that some of them are downright frightened of you! They're still just girls who didn't sign up for a war, so treat them nicer already!
With that, Kirito got something off his chest that he had really wanted to say on this occasion.
Akinym [slightly dumbfounded]: Nicer, you say? [annoyed] For the love of… [sternly] Of course they've signed up for a war! The moment they decided to join the Assault Team, they've absolutely signed up for the war against Aincrad! I need to prepare them accordingly, and that means mentally, too. You've fought floor bosses, Kirito-san! Do you really think someone who can't take harsh words from their instructor could withstand that kind of terror?! Such a person would crumble in the presence of a floor boss!
Once again, Kirito hated to admit it, but he couldn't argue with that. He had seen his fair share of people who had joined boss battles only to quit the Assault Team immediately after that, although that usually happened only when the boss battle didn't go well, which didn't happen very often.
Kirito tried to think of an appropriate response for a while… to no avail. Akinym wasn't really in the mood to talk anymore, so the conversation basically just came to a standstill.
After about five minutes of uncomfortable silence, they came to the conclusion that it was better to return to Aincrad.
Shortly thereafter, two people appeared on the teleport gate in Arc Sophia. Akinym and Kirito had returned, and since it was already pretty late, they decided to call it a day.
Kirito [slightly nervously]: Well, that was… [clears throat] interesting, to say the least.
Akinym: Indeed.
Paired with his icy stare, Akinym's reaction showed clearly on what note this day ended.
Akinym focused on the upper left corner of his vision for a moment. Level 73, huh? Well, he had been relatively close to level 72, and the Hollow Area had a high difficulty level, so killing monsters there gave a lot of EXP. With Kirito's help, Akinym had indeed leveled quite efficiently today. It actually wasn't that much, but he couldn't expect more from a single day of leveling, so it had to be enough for now.
Akinym: Anyway, thank you for your help today, Kirito-san. It should… help.
Akinym said that so flatly that Kirito wasn't entirely sure if his thanks was even sincere. It seemed more obligatory than anything else.
To be fair, Akinym usually acted politely (although he seemed to get upset easily), but it was usually a cold gesture, something that seemed to express disinterest rather than genuine respect.
Judging from everything he had seen or heard so far (especially from their few interactions), Asuna seemed to be the only person Akinym genuinely respected. It probably had something to do with that debt he had mentioned, whatever it was. To be perfectly honest, it kind of worried Kirito.
Kirito [hesitantly]: Well… Yeah, sure. Just… try to help your students, they'll need it.
Kirito quickly opened his menu to search for the option to dissolve the party. It was time to end this awkward situation and to part ways for today.
Akinym [flatly]: I've intended to do that anyway, so…
Once the party was disbanded, they bid each other goodbye briefly. After that, Kirito began walking back to the inn while Akinym remained where he was for the moment. He would head back to the inn eventually, but he figured it would be better not to return with Kirito.
While Kirito was walking away, he tried to process what he had learnt about Akinym today. It was… a lot, he guessed.
First of all, he came to the conclusion that Akinym probably had the necessary skill and knowledge to teach players what they needed to know to play successfully and become members of the Assault Team one day, provided that said players had the necessary talent and made the necessary effort.
There was also the fact that he played relatively successfully as a solo player, even though he also had his responsibilities as an instructor. To be fair, Kirito knew that a "side job" wouldn't necessarily keep a good player from fighting at the frontlines. After all, he had helped the Moonlit Black Cats for a while and had kept up with the Assault Team nonetheless. It had just taken know-how and additional effort.
Given his relatively inefficient fighting style, Akinym had to do something right to level up to level 71 as a solo player. Kirito didn't know what exactly that was, but there was just no way around that fact. Well, Kirito guessed that it was particularly careful planning and… Hm, who knew? Maybe very good battle tactics? It could be.
Anyway, skill and knowledge weren't the problem, and under other circumstances, Kirito would've been relieved that his sister and his friends could learn how to play on the upper floors from Akinym.
It was just… his attitude. Kirito couldn't put his finger on it, but Akinym didn't seem to… value life. It had been strange to see someone ostracise orange players and talk about the deaths of people as if it barely was a reason for concern.
Kirito didn't know what to think of this. Sometimes, he had thought about the reasons why player killers… well, killed players. A disregard for the value of life had always been on the list he had come up with.
With that in mind, what should he think of Akinym? It wasn't as easy as it had seemed at first. Once Kirito had recovered from the initial shock, he had also realised that Akinym didn't give off the same vibe as the player killers he had met. This applied to both bandits, who killed for personal gain, and Laughing Coffin, who killed for amusement.
He didn't really remind Kirito of players like Kobatz, who were just reckless, either. Akinym seemed more like… a grimmer version of Heathcliff. Kirito wasn't satisfied with that comparison, but it was the best he could come up with.
In the end, Kirito had to acknowledge that he probably still missed several pieces of the puzzle known as Akinym. He just felt that there was more to him than he could see right now. For starters, he had no idea why he acted the way he did.
One reason why Kirito had trouble to come to a definite answer was that he had been a player who had been misjudged. As far as some players were concerned, he still was. As the infamous Beater, he had been ostracised.
Kirito had to admit that some of his actions had made this the seemingly reasonable course of action. After all, he had wanted it that way. Nevertheless, the other players had simply never considered what reasons he might've had.
This reminded Kirito of what Akinym had said about the whole "Beater issue". With that (and other things he had said) in mind, Akinym actually didn't seem like an unreasonable guy.
At the end of all these thoughts, Kirito could only sigh. He simply didn't know what to think, and frankly, he was to tired to think about this anymore.
He still didn't trust Akinym, at least not completely. He decided to stand by for now. As long as Akinym genuinely helped others, he wouldn't do anything, but Kirito would keep an eye on him.
Meanwhile, Akinym gazed after Kirito for a while. Just as Kirito had his thoughts about Akinym, Akinym had his thoughts about Kirito.
Kirito hadn't been the only one to observe his temporary partner. Akinym had done the same whenever he had the chance to.
To be fair, he was the kind of person to focus on the task at hand, whatever that meant in the particular context. During their battles in the Hollow Area, it had meant focusing on his own fights. However, he had seen how Kirito finished off monsters at a relatively high level with apparent ease. He had also caught glimpses of Kirito's battles while he had fought himself.
For instance, Akinym had to acknowledge just how well Kirito had fought the goblin archers. Archers were a tricky target, and now that he had seen them, Akinym was happy that he probably wouldn't have to deal with them in Aincrad. Ranged attacks were nasty since the players couldn't really fight at range themselves…
Yet Kirito managed to find a way to deal with this. Akinym didn't know how long it had taken to come up with the technique Kirito had used, but that was not the point anyway.
Kirito had dodged the archery attacks very well, and his attacks had been excellent, too. More than anything else, Akinym acknowledged that the timing of his Sword Skills had been perfect. He had hit his enemies when they had been vulnerable, but at the same time, he had made sure that he wouldn't get hit by a rain of arrows when the delay after the Sword Skills might've left an opening.
All in all, Akinym could see that Kirito was indeed the top player of SAO at the moment.
However, Akinym had also come to the conclusion that, outside of battle, Kirito didn't have anything going for him. As a person, Akinym viewed Kirito as utterly uninteresting.
From his point of view, Kirito was just an exemplary paragon hero with "noble intentions" such as "saving everyone around him" because "it's the right thing to do". No rational reasoning whatsoever… Well, at least he was good at giving bland speeches about the "value of life".
Seriously, Akinym couldn't see anything Kirito had going for him. So he cared for people, especially his friends? Wow, what an achievement!
While he was aware that he had no proof, so he'd openly admit that this was just pointless speculation, Akinym could easily picture Kirito as a clichéd gamer in the real world, someone without anything noteworthy in his life, so he had probably jumped at the opportunity to be SAO's "Black Swordsman".
Akinym [mutters, exasperatedly]: What a ridiculous thought! If it was actually true, it would be both sad and absolutely believable…
Nevertheless, Akinym couldn't help but notice that this "naive hero" persona seemed to have an interesting effect on people. In particular, it was extremely bizarre how Kirito managed to get girls flocking to him.
Akinym remembered Philia's… "first impression" of him: It's not a girl. It took him a while to realise it (since it wasn't really important), but the female-to-male ratio in SAO was quite low, yet the female-to-male ratio in the group around Kirito was quite high.
Even Akinym's personal experience lined up with this observation. He had trained more than one hundred people, it might even be around two hundred by now, but he could count the number of female students before he had set foot on the 76th floor on the fingers of his hands. Here, however, he had five female students. Four of them formed one group, and three of these girls had a strange focus on Kirito.
Well, judging from what he had heard, Akinym figured that Leafa was Kirito's sister in the real world, so he guessed that was just family connection. As for Silica and Lisbeth… he had no idea.
It wasn't just them… Keeping Asuna aside, there was also Philia. She had seemed a bit aloof and cautious, but she had acted in a more relaxed manner around Kirito. This might just be the good acting of a dangerous killer who tried to lull their prey into a false sense of security, though. Akinym wasn't sure about that.
Ah, right, there was also that rumor about an allegedly "unbridled" girl who had recently started following Kirito around. According to that rumor, said girl had no inhibitions to the point that it was basically a lack of common sense.
Well, he had heard that rumor from some of his students, and judging from what he had seen, they were just a bunch of envious "sad virgins". Akinym shook his head in disbelief about this thought. They were trapped in a death game, in the middle of a war, and some people seriously found time to complain about another guy "getting all the girls".
Frankly, it didn't matter one bit to Akinym if some of his students were absolutely smitten with Kirito. It wouldn't matter if all of his students were. Akinym was fine with whatever motivation his students had as long as it motivated them to end this game with as many people alive as possible.
He had only been curious if Kirito actually had anything that would pique his interest, something that would make all this attention, especially Asuna's, feel justified. Alas, Akinym was merely disappointed. From his point of view, Kirito acted like a goofy, clueless idiot most of the time outside of battle. Maybe that was what girls were into these days? Well, not that it mattered.
Akinym sighed. He got a higher level today, and a bit more knowledge, so it had been a productive day, but in the end, he felt dissatisfied. Well, there was no helping it.
By now, Kirito was nowhere in sight anymore, and Akinym figured that it was time to return to the inn.
As he was about to get going, he continued his last thought. Akinym had hoped to figure out what Asuna saw in Kirito, why she had chosen him as her partner. The only conclusion he could come to was that this was for Asuna to know. Well, it was none of his business anyway. It would only play a role if…
Akinym started to chuckle at the thought he was about to have, but then he suddenly stopped. And not just chuckling, he also stopped walking. His expression changed quickly to one of concern.
What if – hypothetically – Kirito's "heroism" affected Asuna's decisions? At first, Akinym doubted that an overly irrational attitude of a single member of the Assault Team, even if it was the strongest player in SAO, would harm the players since Asuna was still in charge of raids or anything like that, so her calm judgment could keep them in check. Now he had his doubts.
Akinym had heard rumors about Kirito and Asuna's relationship, and he had seen a few things himself. He had talked with Asuna a few times, always about his work. All in all, she had acted as he had anticipated: friendly and cooperative, but also levelheaded and focused on the matter at hand and the objective well-being of the Assault Team. When he saw her around Kirito, however, she seemed more… laid-back?
Akinym didn't really know how to describe it, but he noticed a certain unique closeness between these two. Furthermore, he could confirm that it wasn't just him. In particular, the members of what seemed to be the "Kirito fan club" talked about how "lovey-dovey" they were every so often.
Under other circumstances, that would be none of Akinym's concern, but love was a powerful motivator, which could be good or bad depending on the situation. If Kirito insisted on irrational actions, her personal feelings could lead Asuna to a questionable decision.
Kirito's connection to the leader of the Assault Team combined with his position as SAO's top player could give him substantial influence on decisions, even if he couldn't deal with this influence properly.
The longer Akinym thought about it, the more he became worried. His expression changed from worried to pained before long as he gritted his teeth and began to sweat.
If faced with a significant challenge that required sound judgment, would Kirito be able to make the right decision? Would he be able to, let's say, choose between sacrificing other players to save the raid party during a boss battle and trying to save each and every single one of them, even if it meant that the raid would probably end in distaster?
Akinym [thinks]: Would he be able to choose? To choose… [very nervously] choose… choose… [upset] Choose!
Akinym covered his face with one hand, shaking his head in short, vigorous bursts as he tried to get rid of the picture that was forming inside it, a picture of a dense, marshy forest and two figures.
He began to take a few deep breaths. At first, he had to force himself to breath calmly, but the action became natural before long, and his mind returned to reality.
Akinym reminded himself to think about this calmly. In the end, he came to the conclusion that Kirito wouldn't make the pragmatic choice. He would make the morally right choice.
After all, he hadn't been able to choose the Assault Team and the rest of Aincrad's population over Philia. 6,000 players on the one side and a single one on the other, and he had chosen… Akinym honestly didn't want to finish that thought.
Given everything that he had heard and seen, especially from Kirito himself, Akinym feared that Kirito's naivety might cost countless lives, maybe even their chance to clear SAO, at least anytime soon. That was something Akinym couldn't let happen.
He thought about what to do. It was probably for the best not to act rashly. For now, everything seemed to be fine. If it stayed that way, there was no reason for worries. Akinym decided to do something if anything bad happened.
Until then, he would make a plan and start preparations. For now, he only had to keep an eye on Kirito...
So, that's all for today. Akinym and Kirito distrust each other, so... Yay?
Some of you might think, "Wait, didn't Kirito have problems deciding whether he should help Philia or the Assault Team in the last chapter? Why is it the other way around this time?"
Well, I don't know to what extent the novels go into this, but I've always seen Kirito as someone who gets sidetracked easily, someone who deals with the problem right in front of him, whatever that means in the particular situation. I think it makes for an interesting character flaw, and it means that he could need occasional help from someone who doesn't lose track of the "big goal", whoever that's going to be. ;)
I've also never been convinced that the whole "Beater" spiel would/should have worked out, at least not to the extent that all other beta testers were off the hook. I'm not sure what the novels state about this, I only know what I've seen in Integral Factor's story, and the version of the story that is referenced in this chapter is based on that.
Also, do the novels actually go into the boss battle on floor 50? I've found information on the battle on floor 25 and floor 75, but not 50... I've just assumed that there were losses, too. Anything else wouldn't really make sense to me...
Anyway, I'd like to say a few things about where things will go from here. For now, I'll get to the part where Sinon get's her Sniping skill. After that, we'll have a little time skip, the adaption of the final part of Sinon's "training arc" in HF and get to the "juicy" part of Akinym's character arc that has been hinted at in this chapter. That said:
Little Preview: It's time for the girls to start battle training. They are doing well... at least three of them. One of them might need a bit more help. Maybe Cardinal has an idea?