Heyo! Got another chapter for you all.

First of all, thanks again for giving this story a read. And a big thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. I hope you all continue to enjoy what I put forward.

Oh, by the way, I am planning to put up a poll a little later. Just to talk about how I should do updates for everyone. Keep an eye out for that.

Disclaimer: Reki Kawahara is the creator and owner of SAO, not me. All rights to him for his work.

Now then,

LINK START!

Chapter 10:

World of Black

Following the meal the day prior, Kirito met with his friends and the other Integrity Knights to discuss matters. During these talks, the black-haired swordsman mentioned the guild Laughing Coffin to the group in the hopes that maybe they could tell him more about them. As it turned out, Bercouli did have more to address on the matter.

"We've been looking into Laughing Coffin ourselves, trying to apprehend their members before more lives could be claimed," he informed the three. "It's been another side mission the Integrity Knights have undergone besides clearing floors."

"We've never had a lot of luck catching them," Renly pitched in. "Any time we near them, they seem to vanish. Usually after they have done the deed."

"They are professional at their killings, I'll give them that," Bercouli commented.

Thinking on it for a bit, Eugeo brought up, "Maybe the reason they always elude you is because they know Integrity Knights are coming somehow. They probably know you enough to be aware of when you approach."

Pouncing on the idea, Alice suggested, "But with the three of us being new, they might be less wary. Perhaps we could apprehend their members."

But Bercouli shook his head, stating, "Even if you could catch one of them, they have an entire network of assassins all over Aincrad. We would need to have them rounded up in one place before we could ever hope to eliminate their group. For now, keep your wits about you. If you find anything out, let us know so we can all work together on this."

The three nodded, but it seemed odd to Kirito that Bercouli left out the Assault Team in this. Considering who was being affected, they would have as much at stake in finding out what Laughing Coffin was up to as much as the Integrity Knights. Not to mention they all had the same goals. There was more going on than just simple discontent.

But he didn't dwell on it as Eugeo informed, "Oh right, Kirito. We have something to give you later. It's not done yet, but we should have it ready soon enough."

Perplexed by his words, Kirito replied, "Uh… thanks?" He wasn't sure what Eugeo was referring to, so he looked to Alice for anything. Sadly, all she gave him was a menacing side glance.

But she deflated before telling the others, "Uncle, thank you for your aid. We will use this knowledge as best we can going forward." Then she addressed the boys, "Eugeo, Kirito, let's go."

Seeming surprised, Renly questioned, "You're leaving? But what about our scouting tonight?"

"We have been working with you on that for the last two months," Alice replied. "But we need our rest. We'll pick up tomorrow."

Before Renly could press the issue, Bercouli returned, "Alright. You all get your strength up. We'll catch up later." And with that, the three departed.

Arriving in a flash of light in Lyndis on Floor 48, Alice led Kirito and Eugeo to their humble abode. A small building with a water wheel on the side that ran into the creek. After setting their gear aside once they entered, Eugeo asked, "Alice, why did you say what you did to Bercouli?"

Letting out a breath, Alice explained, "Because we have two other things that will take up more of our time. And we need to think this out carefully if we want to have any chance of fulfilling our oath and getting our lives back to the way they were." Sitting down on the sofa, she started, "Firstly is this Laughing Coffin guild Kirito heard about. Their activities being as long standing as they are, there is no doubt there will be people seeking them to settle nefarious purposes. The Assault Team has been trying to find their base for some time. But they are crafty, not allowing anyone to find their place of operations. There's no doubt in my mind they have settled in an older dungeon."

"Probably," Kirito reasoned. "The place would act as a natural defense for them if anyone pursued them. And even if swordsmen or Integrity Knights got through those defenses, the members would be waiting to finish them off."

Sitting down in an armchair, Eugeo deduced, "Meaning any chance of defeating them is finding their operations with proof to give to the Assault Team to deal with them once and for all."

Nodding her head, Alice continued, "The other matter is Asuna. Yesterday's incident tells us clearly the ritual has a flaw. Even if the Pontifex can remake someone, who they were before can still arise from within their own minds. The trick is empowering them with strong memories tied to them. When Kirito mentioned the Gigas Cedar, she remembered so much right away and was losing her identity as an Integrity Knight. We need to seize the chance to keep the advantage of her recalling these memories so she can become the Asuna we know."

"Even if we manage that, how do we know she'll believe who she was before is her compared to now?" Eugeo questioned. "Face it, she is entirely sold on the idea that she came from heaven."

"No, she definitely began to develop doubts," Kirito informed them as he leaned against the wall. "When we were talking about Rulid and everything, she reacted to it more than she thought she would. If she was convinced she was an Integrity Knight sent from heaven, she wouldn't have reacted. Alice is right. These memories evoke stuff in her. Stuff from our time together when we were little. There's no way anyone can deny that." He remembered how she seemed to desire to know about what Kirito told her, how she behaved when he told her about the life she once had. That was the Asuna he knew. Eugeo and Alice would see it too next time they were with her on a raid or a quest.

Alice then concluded, "So those are our objectives while we are here. Anything else is secondary for the most part. That includes finding a way out of this castle and getting back to Rulid Village." The boys agreed, though Eugeo was more hesitant. With the matter settled, Kirito went over to a stack of papers they had on a table.

"Alright, let's see what jobs the people around here need from us," he said as he passed the papers to his companions. The three perused the requests, contemplating rewards as well as the jobs themselves to earn shia needed to maintain their house AND live in this castle. It was nothing new for Kirito and Eugeo, having worked in the Zakkaria garrison for so long, but for Alice it was still an adjustment.

Settling on one, Kirito announced, "Guess I'll be going to a nearby meadow to handle some killer wolves. The farmers have been losing livestock because those monsters have been killing them off. It should help cover the rest of this month's due." He got up and prepped his gear for departure.

Before he walked out the door, Alice warned, "Kirito, watch your back. Aside from monsters, I wouldn't be surprised if the people here proved to be just as dangerous. Remember why this place had been built in the first place." Kirito gave her a smile to acknowledge he heard, then walked out. The two remaining members looked around for jobs to settle in the meantime.

All in all, the job wasn't too difficult for Kirito to manage. He had tracked the wolves to where they were and figured out their pattern for attacking the livestock. From there, Kirito set a trap and managed to take all but one. The last one gave him pause as he saw it was the one injured by the trap and wasn't going to fight him. Not to mention its whimpering reminded Kirito too much of the two incidents where his friends were helpless. But, with that taken care of, he got his reward and was on his way back home.

When he was at the edge of the woods near Lyndis, he paused. His instincts were screaming that something was wrong. Everything around him seemed normal, until he realized they were too normal. None of the insects or birds were making noises. Gripping his sword, he slowly began to draw it. Then, he whirled around, and his blade met the dagger of a figure in a ragged cloak with his face covered underneath. He pushed him back as more figures appeared from the shadows. He then saw a brand on the guy that just attacked him: a picture of a coffin with a smiling face was on his arm.

"Laughing Coffin?!" he gasped, then questioned, "What are they doing here?" At least four of them were here to confront Kirito, each wielding different weapons. There was the man with the daggers that looked coated in some kind of toxin considering the residue on his black sword, another with a small sword he recognized as an estoc, another with a sickle and chain, and another with a meat cleaver knife.

"Well that's a shame," the one that just attacked him griped in a high-pitched voice. "I was really hoping to tear his little arms off while he lay motionless."

"Enough of your games," the one with the meat cleaver chided. Then he ordered, "Subdue him, but leave his death to me." The other members all smiled, while Kirito got ready to engage them. When they did come at him, Kirito saw they weren't as disciplined in combat as he had been. They simply rushed him with wild abandon. He parried the one with the knives quickly and used his knee to take him out. The one with the estoc took a bit of parrying before he moved in and jammed the pommel into his abdomen to make him reel for a bit. The one with the chain and sickle used his weapon more effectively by throwing the weighted end at him. Even when dodging, Kirito was struck a couple times, suffering blows in the cheek and calf. But he pushed through and got within his reach before striking him in the back of the head with his sword.

While they were recovering, he bellowed, "System Call! Generate Luminous Element: Arrow Shape. Discharge!" A trail of light shot into the air before exploding and lighting the sky. Once that was done, he faced the man with the cleaver.

Said man seemed to scowl briefly, then muttered, "You want something done right, do it yourself." He slowly stepped forward with his weapon at his side. Kirito grimaced at his aura. Unlike other swordsmen like Volo, this aura felt more ominous. But there was something else too, something not found in any human he knew. He only felt it once, back in the End Mountains two years ago: Bloodlust. This man wanted death. He wanted to relish in it, to savor it, to bask in its very existence. It overwhelmed Kirito, causing him to falter a little.

Deciding to get this over with, he charged at the man with a great cry. But partway to him, his muscles seized and stopped, causing him to collapse to the ground hard. He struggled to look up and saw the man seemed rather pleased with himself. He hadn't moved at all, so what took him down? Then another figure appeared in his field of vision and knelt next to him.

"I got him boss," the man with the high-pitched voice reported gleefully. "He ain't gonna be movin' anytime soon. Can I get his arm?" Kirito grit his teeth at this man's words. He figured it was his dagger that got him. Kirito shouldn't have been so lenient on these guys. Now he was going to die.

Seeming indifferent, the man simply said, "Keep him alive. I want to take his Life personally." The man squealed with glee at the prospect. He drew a much larger knife and slowly brought it to Kirito's right shoulder. He dug in partway, causing Kirito to cry out in pain. He then felt more intrusions: a stab in his left thigh, his back being carved into. The other two were cutting him up as well. More wounds were opened by them as the dagger-wielding man slowly cut more into his shoulder, seeming to savor his suffering. His mind was occupied only with pain. Nothing else came to mind, not even the thoughts of his friends back home who may be too late to save him.

As the knife reached halfway into his shoulder, there was a cry of anguish. But it wasn't from Kirito. Everyone looked to see the man with the daggers being assailed by a wolf. Kirito thought it was just another random monster when he saw its leg was injured. It was the one he let go. The wolf bit into the man as he screamed and cried out. He begged for his boss to save him, but there was no salvation coming. In the end, the wolf dug into his throat, ripping it out and silencing him for good. The other two backed away as the wolf turned to growl at them. He wanted to scream at it to run, to save itself. With that leg it wouldn't be fighting anyone. He wanted to beg it to leave him. He was dead, not even worth food for itself. But the wolf hovered over him, baring its teeth and making itself threatening. With the other two backing away, it turned to the cleaver man. Said figure seemed unaffected by the introduction of a wolf. The two stared for a moment before the wolf lunged for him.

In that split second, he smiled before swinging up. His blade met its body, causing it to cry out as blood sprayed out. Kirito could tell it was lucky and didn't receive the full attack, but his heart stopped nonetheless. The wolf fell beside him, whining at its injury. It looked up to him with its fading eyes, and Kirito felt something from it. This wolf, this creature he had hurt and left without its friends and family, it had bonded somehow with him. Why or in what way, Kirito couldn't fathom. But now he didn't care about surviving this encounter. He wanted this wolf, that risked its own life to save him, to live.

"Tch! What a nuisance," the cleaver man's voice rang out with disgust. Kirito looked up to see him hovering over the two, weapon raised to end their lives. Kirito began to notice that his Life was low, with his vision going black so he saw only shapes. He was going to die. He was never going home. He closed his eyes and braced for the end, praying to Stacia that his friends forgive him for breaking his promise.

But the blow never came. Instead, he heard metal clashing. The sound seemed distant, like it was kilors away. He opened his eyes a squint and could barely make out distinct armor belonging only to an Integrity Knight.

"A… lice…" he breathed before he passed out.

Kirito! KIRITO!

Regaining consciousness, Kirito slowly opened his eyes. As he did, he heard Eugeo's voice call out, "He's awake. Alice, he's waking up!" As his vision returned in full color, Kirito saw Alice rushing in, her armor absent so she only wore the uniform underneath it. She and Eugeo looked down at Kirito with relief.

"Thank the goddesses you're alive," Alice said with a hand over her heart. "We thought you would never wake up, even with your Life returning to you. We thought Laughing Coffin had done something worse to you."

Kirito looked between the two, then struggled in saying, "W… wo…"

"What happened?" Eugeo guessed his friend was asking, and answered, "Well, you got ambushed by Laughing Coffin. They found the body of one of their members. He was a knife-wielder who specialized in paralysis toxins. Just a low grunt by Bercouli's guess."

"Wo… wol…" Kirito tried speaking again.

"Kirito, we didn't get to you for a while," Alice told him. "You were lucky Uncle had Sheyta shadowing you. She drove them off."

Finally, his strength improved, Kirito asked, "Wolf… where...?"

"Wolf?" Eugeo questioned. Then he realized something and informed, "That wolf, it's okay. Sheyta saw it save you, so she left it to us. I've been looking after it. Mostly because it didn't seem to want to leave you."

Crossing her arms, Alice explained, "Since you let it be, it must have considered you its new pack. Wolves tend to be abandoned when they fail their pack, or so Renly told me. He came by too, per Uncle's orders. The wolf scared him to death. But it didn't seem to mind Eugeo or I. Odd." Kirito tried to lift himself, but Alice urged, "No Kirito, lay down. Rest."

But Kirito tried to argue, "But the wolf. I need to—"

"It's alright," Eugeo assured. "It's gone off to hunt a few times after I got it back to health, but it stays under the water wheel. So it's hidden."

Satisfied the creature was alright, he then asked, "How long was I out?"

To which Eugeo answered, "Two days. I'm just about to go get our meal." Out of nowhere, a knock came at their door. The flaxen-haired boy went to answer it while Alice checked on Kirito both physically and with the Stacia Window. But she stopped when Eugeo exclaimed, "Wha—Asuna?!" Not too long after, said individual came into the room and saw Kirito in bed, bandaged and looking a little worse for wear. In her arms was a basket, with what no one knew.

She seemed bashful and apprehensive as she claimed, "I hadn't seen you three on the frontlines the last couple of days. I asked the Commander what happened, and he told me about the attack. So I thought I would make something for you."

Rising to her feet, Alice responded, "That is a very generous gesture Asuna. We thank you."

Looking away, she stated, "I'm just doing this so we don't lose some of our best members. I don't want to see you three die on me." They accepted that reason, but the three wondered if this might be more of their Asuna breaking out from the Integrity Knight Asuna. Either way, she sat down beside Kirito's bed and revealed what was inside: sandwiches filled with meat and veggies, with some sauces drizzled in. Alice helped Kirito up so he could take one of the sandwiches Asuna offered. Once everyone had one, they all took a bite. Immediately, Kirito's mouth exploded from the flavor. It was more delicious than anything he had before. The only thing coming close were the sweets from the Jumping Deer back in Centoria.

"It's delicious," he muttered as he started wolfing down more of his meal.

As she ate, Asuna mentioned, "By the way, I noticed there was a wolf by the waterwheel. You three should be careful when you leave."

"Oh, that's okay," Eugeo assured her. "That wolf saved Kirito's life."

At that, Asuna choked on what she had just swallowed. Once she recovered, she shouted, "What?!"

Intimidated, Eugeo repeated, "I said that it saved Kirito's life. It is staying out there probably to make sure he's alright."

"Not that," Asuna demanded. Bearing down on the boy, she interrogated, "Do you mean Kirito was nearly killed?"

Stepping in, Alice pulled her back and asked, "How do you not know? I thought you said Un—the Commander told you about what happened. Sheyta and Renly both informed him. And you said you found out from him. No one else knows about the attack yet."

To that, Asuna clarified, "I meant Commander Heathcliff of the Knights of the Blood Oath. He told me there had been an attack on this floor. And I hadn't seen you three on the frontlines. I just figured you were staying to help the victim." Alice stepped back; a bit embarrassed at the misunderstanding. Sitting down on the bed, she commanded, "Tell me." So Kirito told her about the attack, not leaving out any details. He even mentioned defining features like the weapons and their fighting style. When he finished, Asuna seemed even more distressed than ever.

"That was PoH," she told them. "Their leader." And this dropped the temperature in the room quite a bit.

"Why would their leader want to kill me?" Kirito asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Asuna replied. She then went on to explain, "We only know about PoH based off his signature weapon: that cleaver he wielded. But he rarely ever takes on a job, always willing to let his grunts do the work. To go after you means either he or his client thinks you are more of a threat to them."

"Why? I'm no one special," Kirito tried to reason. But the issue was that PoH had gone after him. So someone did think there was something about Kirito that required him to get personally involved. The question remained as to who wanted Kirito dead and made PoH think it was necessary to get involved.

But they decided to put it aside for now, seeing as how they didn't have any other leads, and went back to eating the delicious meal. As they did, Kirito asked, "Say, Asuna, what made you come down here anyway?" She didn't answer right away, keeping her head down so her bangs shadowed her face. The other two listened in, curious as to why Asuna was down here at all.

After some silence, she answered, "I had a feeling. Maybe more like a premonition. I don't really know myself. But last night, I had a dream. In it, I saw four children playing around a great, black tree. But then, the boy with the black hair was left alone. I was about to go to him until something forced me to close my eyes. When I opened them, he was lying on the ground, dead. His body is covered in blood." Looking at the boy resting, she said, "When I think of that boy, for whatever reason, you always come to mind. Why?" Kirito wasn't sure what to say to her. His first instinct was to deny it by saying it was a dream, but he knew Asuna would not take that kind of answer. She had been growing more curious since her memories started coming back.

So instead, he told her, "There's a village far to the north in Norlangarth. Once, there was a great black tree there called the Gigas Cedar. In the village, there is a Calling where someone had to go and chop away at it until it was toppled. It was originally meant to take centuries because of the tree's immense Life and incredibly hard bark. The last people to have that Calling were two boys. They were friends with two girls, who would come to spend time with them and even bring lunch." Looking up at her, Kirito revealed, "I was one of those boys, Eugeo being the other. And the girls that came up to us were Alice and…" He paused there, unsure whether she would believe him or not.

But Asuna prompted, "And?"

Losing his nerve, Kirito just said, "And someone very important to me." He could feel his friend's staring at him, almost reprimanding him for backing out like he did. But he didn't want to risk pushing Asuna away. She still believed she never lived in Rulid to begin with. He wanted her to remember on her own, so that she could be herself and find her way back on her own power.

Said Integrity Knight took in all this information, but she was still unsure about something. Why was the boy meant to be Kirito always so prevalent to her? Could there be something else she was missing? Something even he wasn't telling her? She quickly dismissed the second question, convincing herself that Kirito was being honest. And she knew he was. Especially with her own memories backing them up. She had begun to remember the three, but when they were far younger. And they were with her and having fun together.

Picking up her basket, Asuna said, "Thank you Kirito. I want to talk to you again, when you get better. I want to know more about these memories I have." And she walked out after saying farewell to Eugeo and Alice.

After she left, Eugeo exclaimed, "What were you thinking Kirito?! You could have helped break the Pontifex's ritual. Asuna could have remembered everything."

"Kirito, why did you do that?" Alice demanded, equally upset.

To which Kirito calmly explained, "If I had told her she was from Rulid, she would have denied that ever being true. Then we would have fallen back to how she had been when we first met. I couldn't risk it." He then added, "Besides, she might have mistaken it for me trying to woo her or something. I mean, you do know how often some of the Assault Team tend to eye her." Eugeo couldn't deny that, since he had been aware of it and brought it to Kirito's attention in the first place. Alice could see his reasoning, but she still thought he was being too cautious.

She then asked, "What about the wolf then?" And they were reminded of their other issue. But Kirito had a hunch on what to do.

The wolf came right up to him once Kirito was helped outside. It looked at him almost expectantly. Kirito smiled before being helped down to its level.

"Thank you for everything," he said. "I won't forget what you did for me." The two stared at each other for a minute, as if using their eyes to speak. Then the wolf took off for the woods.

Eugeo, watching it go, murmured, "I hope it can find a new pack someday."

"It'll be alright," Kirito assured him. "I know it will.

A couple weeks later, after clearing the 67th floor and opening the 68th, the three were returning to their home in Lyndis when they saw what looked like a notice of sorts. Alice opened it up, and her eyes widened at the contents.

As the boys came up to her, she told them, "We need to go back. They have found Laughing Coffin's hideout."