Okay, here's the next chapter, the first one to portray Akinym and Sinon's partnership, and as you can guess from the last "Little Preview", it's going to be a bit complicated.
The preview also mentioned a group of other players, and as "announced" in chapter 22, Ascending Moon is making its debut. There will be a bunch of OCs, but frankly, only one of them is going to be emreally/em important. The rest is pretty much there for context. You may guess who it's going to be if you want to. ;)
Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online Re:Hollow Fragment or Sword Art Online in general.
A few weeks went by, and the Assault Team cleared the 88th floor. Clearing the 89th floor came along nicely, too. April was coming to an end, and so was the journey to the 90th floor.
There were a few people who wanted to join the Assault Team on that last part of the journey, and as usual, they were working towards that goal on that day. Akinym and Sinon were among these people.
Currently, they were working on a quest on the 89th floor. To be more precise, they were fighting some Wise Treants in a tower near the labyrinth. It was a dungeon that had been cleared in order to gain access to the labyrinth.
Apparently, a bunch of monsters tried to reconquer the dungeon to shut off the teleportation device they needed to get to the labyrinth. The quest to defend the towers was so important that the Council had given it high priority.
Akinym and Sinon fought a small group of three Wise Treants at the moment. As usual, Akinym kept the enemies occupied while Sinon was on standby, ready to attack on Akinym's signal.
The problem was that he wasn't giving the signal. Instead, he fiercely fought the monsters on his own right now. Sinon wasn't really sure what to do, especially since she was eager to attack the monsters, which had already lost about half of their HP at this point.
Akinym deflected and dodged their blows as they swung their claws – or branches, technically speaking – at him. Predicting the trajectories of the attacks was difficult since the treant monsters used their crowns to obstruct his vision, and striking back was almost out of the question. The Wise Treants were so close that Akinym could see hardly anything but their leaves. Meanwhile, Sinon stood far enough away to see their bodies clearly.
Parrying another blow from the left, Akinym was struck in the shoulder from the right, and he noticed that he had been surrounded. He used a simple AOE Sword Skill, which basically consisted of swirling his spear around above his head, to repel the Wise Treants for a moment before leaping backwards though an open spot between them, and he backed away from them.
Sinon lost her patience with Akinym as he still wasn't going to switch. She aimed her Sword Skill Area Shot at the monsters now that Akinym wasn't in the way anymore.
Unfortunately, Akinym's attacked hadn't really hit one of the monsters, and it gave chase while the other two had to recover. Sinon's attack hit only these two, and to make things worse, she had dealt more damage than she had thought to one of the two monsters, and she drew its aggro. On top of that, she directed her attention to the Wise Treant that charged at Akinym, so she didn't notice the one that was attacking her immediately.
Akinym had to use his Parry skill to fend off a powerful blow from the Wise Treant. They tried to overpower each other for a brief moment before Akinym stepped back even further to get out of the stalemate, and the Wise Treant lost its balance for a second. He quickly proceeded to use Horizontal Spear before the Wise Treant could react and attack again.
The attack knocked it back, but thanks to that, an arrow soared between it and Akinym. Akinym was startled for a second, but he quickly realised that this had been Sinon firing at the monster, not predicting that he'd push it out of the way of her attack.
Akinym looked towards Sinon and wanted to tell her to wait. As he did that, he noticed the other Wise Treant that was attacking her.
Akinym: Sinon-san, watch out! Enemy to the right!
Sinon turned her head and spotted the approaching monster. She wanted to aim at it, but by the time she had generated and nocked another arrow, it would've already been too close.
Akinym: Wait! Try to get back, I'll give you a signal!
Akinym charged at the Wise Treant that approached Sinon. He used his Acrobatics skill for a forward dash with a tempo boost. Meanwhile, Sinon reacted to his command and leapt backwards to put more distance between herself and the enemy, which was closer than the Minimum Range of her bow at this point.
When he was close enough, Akinym used Armor-Breaking Lance against the monster. The unexpected blow from the side threw it off balance, and it tumbled to the side.
Akinym: Now!
Sinon used Triple Shot, and each shot was a clean hit. With the defense debuff, that was easily enough to take the Wise Treant out.
The remaining two monsters attacked Akinym. He received a hit at the right arm, but it wasn't serious. Within mere seconds, Akinym was ready to defend himself properly again.
Seeing the situation her partner was in, Sinon got ready for another attack. Akinym heard her nocking another arrow.
Akinym: Wait a moment!
Before he let Sinon take over, Akinym used Trapezoidal Slash, a 3-hit AOE Sword Skill. As the name suggested, the three slashes formed a figure that resembled three sides of a trapezium. After using the skill, he went to the right. Well, it was more like stiff tumbling since he had hardly recovered from the post-motion delay at that point, and he crashed into one of the Wise Treants.
Akinym: Switch!
Sinon grasped the meaning behind Akinym's manoeuvre quickly. He had given her a clear field of fire on the Wise Treant on the left side, so Sinon attacked it with Milion Howling, the Sword Skill she had got from the quest she had gone on with Akinym, Saburo and Typhon.
Milion Howling was a seemingly simple attack, using only one arrow for an exceedingly powerful shot. The special gimmick of this Sword Skill was that it allowed the user to move their arms freely between taking the starting stance and unleashing the skill, so they could aim the attack manually. Basically, the Sword Skill was like a significantly buffed single, "normal" shot, and it was to Sinon's liking.
Sinon aimed at the Wise Treant's face. It was its weak point, and the attack was strong enough to take it out.
At the same time, Akinym thrust his spear into the remaining monster's face. He barely managed to keep the monster at bay while his attack depleted its remaining HP, but it was an overall successful tactic. The third Wise Treant shattered into polygons, and Akinym and Sinon had taken care of this group of monsters.
Neither of the two was really happy, though. Sinon even sighed dejectedly.
Sinon: I wish I could say good work, but that was a bit too chaotic for that, wasn't it?
Akinym: It was a bit rocky.
Now that he could think about the course of the fight calmly, Akinym quickly realised just how bad their teamwork had been. No proper Switching during most of the battle, unwanted drawing of aggro, getting in the way of each other's attacks…
Akinym's style and Sinon's could come together very well, but that didn't mean that they would automatically. This battle had been a perfect example for that simple fact, and it certainly hadn't been the only one. The same thing had been happening over and over again ever since they had joined forces.
Akinym knew that it was also his fault. He took the monsters on first. As such, it was his task to determine when to switch and to give Sinon the signal, yet he hadn't done that.
Akinym [slightly contemplatively]: Well, now there's the question what exactly went wrong and what we could do about it in the future…
Sinon [slightly dejectedly and worriedly]: I guess I shouldn't have attacked before you'd tell me to switch. I was just impatient, but I've thrown the battle into disarray that way. Sorry about that…
Akinym: It's not just you. I should've given the signal to switch in the first place. I have yet to get used to working with a partner, and I'm still pretty much in "solo mode" when it comes to doing this kind of quest. Good teamwork needs time to be established…
Sinon: Yes, but… [mutters, dejectedly] I could work with Liz, Leafa and Silica just fine…
Akinym: New partner, new dynamic. It's as simple as that. Don't be so hard on yourself!
Sinon [slightly tiredly]: Well, I'll try… [slightly insecurely] So, what do you think we can do about it? I'd really like to do something about our coordination, too.
Akinym looked at Sinon discontentedly. He tried to hide it, though. Nevertheless, it really bothered him how she completely relied on him here, but not because it was inconvenient. While Akinym wasn't an expert on unrivaled teamwork either, he had seen enough groups work together to know that this wasn't a healthy partnership.
Whenever they had discussed their mistakes in previous battles since forming a party, Sinon had been overly self-critical, almost self-deprecating. At first, Akinym had "complied" and just explained his point of view and what she could do better (as she had wanted to know).
After a short while, however, Akinym had realised that their dynamic was essentially the same as it had been when he had been Sinon's instructor and not her partner. Back then, that kind of attitude had been fine, but now, it was just an issue.
Ever since he had realised it, Akinym had wondered what he could do about it. He had an idea, and he had already made arrangements for his plan. It would start after they'd finish this quest.
Speaking of which… Akinym opened his menu and checked the quest log.
Akinym: I'm not sure right now. I'll think about it once there's time. Right now, there are still some monster we have to kill. The quest is progressing nicely. About a dozen more, and we're done.
Sinon [slightly tiredly]: A dozen more, huh? This quest is kinda annoying given that its only purpose is to secure the route to the labyrinth, which is actually open already.
Akinym: I guess that's in the nature of main quests. They aren't rewarding in the classical sense, but they're crucial. Besides, this quest still gives everyone who participates EXP based on the number of monsters they kill, and we'll get Corridor Crystals for defending the towers. We can use them later to establish a shortcut to the boss room.
Akinym closed the quest log and opened the map instead.
Akinym: I guess we can head back already, though. The other parties can deal with most of the remaining Wise Treants. Let's just kill any we come across on the way out!
Sinon nodded. Frankly, today's battles here had been rather discouraging, so she'd gladly leave this place.
Akinym: Now that I think about it, there's this guild that applied for a place in the Assault Team. They wanted to meet us, and since there's still time, I guess we could do that today.
Sinon [slightly curiously]: A guild? Hm, I guess we could do that…
Sinon couldn't help but wonder what kind of people would pique Akinym's interest to the degree that he'd be willing to meet them. Sure, he was a member of the Council – and in charge of dealing with applicants at that. Regardless, this was the first time that he met a guild of applicants, and he brought her along for some reason…
The guild in question happened to be "Ascending Moon". Akinym and Sinon met them on the 85th floor, just outside Nidorath, the main city.
Sinon was immediately taken aback a little by the fact that they were only five people. She knew that most guilds were quite small, but that wasn't even a full party.
One member of the guild stepped forward when Akinym and Sinon approached them. It was their leader, a guy who seemed to be around Akinym's age, although he assumed that Akinym, one of the members of the Assault Team Council, would probably be older than him. His name was Tsukuyomi. He recognised them because of Akinym's gear and Sinon's bow.
Tsukuyomi: Hi, I take it that you're Akinym-san and Sinon-san? I'm Tsukuyomi, leader of Ascending Moon. Thank you for going along with our request.
Akinym: It's okay. Since you probably already know us, I'll skip introductions. [to Sinon] Unless you have something to add?
Sinon [flatly]: Not really.
Akinym: Alright. In that case, I know the names of your members, but not who is who, so…
Tsukuyomi [slightly cheerfully]: Sure, we'll introduce ourselves! Guys!
Tsukuyomi turned towards his guild members, to two guys who seemed to be a little bit younger, to be more precise. They were Susanoo and Kaito. They… didn't seem very motivated when they introduced themselves briefly. In fact, Tsukuyomi became a bit suspicious.
Tsukuyomi: What's the matter, you two? When did you ever act so meekly?
Susanoo: What's even the point here? [determinedly] I only want to impress pretty girls!
Kaito: Yeah, but as he said: What's even the point here? [points at Akinym] She already has a guy, so we've already lost! So unfair…
Akinym [annoyed] and Sinon [upset]: What do you mean, "she has a guy"?!
The fact that Akinym and Sinon had the exact same thought only irritated them even more, especially since Susanoo and Kaito felt somewhat assured in their belief because of it. Even the other members of Ascending Moon smiled either awkwardly or teasingly.
Akinym stepped forward. He had closed his eyes and was trying to ignore the feeling that these guys would only cause him a headache.
Akinym [slightly sternly]: Listen, I normally wouldn't care, but I don't need people jumping to weird conclusions around me! We're ingame partners, as in we work together while clearing this game, and that's the end of the story! So if we could move on with the…
Akinym opened his eyes again and wanted to look at Susanoo and Kaito while telling them to focus on the introductions now. When he did that, however, he saw them right in front of him, running forward.
Kaito brusquely shoved him away, and the two guys ran up to Sinon, not stopping until they stood right in front of her, at which point they started to introduce themselves once more, this time much more excitedly… and with more cringeworthy poses.
Susanoo: Hi, I'm Susanoo, named after the one and only badass god! Just as him, nothing gets me down, so you can count on me!
Kaito [upset]: Ah, forget that guy who named himself after the god of bruteness! [haughtily] If you look for someone with true elegance, look no longer! I'm Kaito, just as the Phantom Thief, Kaito Kid! An illusionist, smart and mysterious – and quite popular with the ladies.
Susanoo [annoyed]: Yeah, so he's the exact opposite of you! You wouldn't even get what a girl wants if she told you perfectly clearly!
Kaito [upset]: Hey, watch what you say, wannabe god! Besides, your role model would turn a girl into a comb, so like you're one to talk!
Susanoo [upset]: Hey, that's just for safekeeping! Anyone who throws around horses is a swell dude! And your role model doesn't even exist!
Kaito: As if yours does!
Susanoo: Apologise to all Shintoists this instant!
Their fight basically turned into a brawl while they started to talk about slaying eight-headed snakes. Apparently, Susanoo claimed doing something like that, referring to something the guild did on the 10th floor. Kaito, however, retorted that he had been the one to poison "that monster" (while "not using alcohol") and that Tsukuyomi had been the one to finish it off.
Sinon didn't pay attention at this point, though. She had been startled when the two guys had rushed up to her seemingly out of nowhere. Now, however, she was just annoyed. Not only had these two randomly assumed that she and Akinym were a couple, now they were even hitting on her – in such a nonsensical manner at that!
She wanted to tell them off because of their behaviour, but when she opened her mouth to complain, Akinym shut them up instead. He whacked both of them on the head.
Akinym [angrily]: Shut up already! Nobody cares! And show some restraint, dammit!
Susanoo: Ow! Hey, nobody messes with Susanoo no Mikoto, and certainly not with me either!
Kaito: Yeah, what's your problem?!
Akinym: You are! What do you think you're doing, pushing people like that only to bother others?!
Akinym got caught up in the brawl as Susanoo and Kaito decided to team up to take care o their "common rival" first… It didn't end well. Well, for Susanoo and Kaito, that is. They shouldn't have messed with someone with impressive agility and martial arts skills.
Akinym had overpowered them in no time, pinning both of them to the ground. He bent one arm of each guy backwards while pressing his knees into the spots between their shoulder blades. He tried to distribute his weight evenly in order to use it to keep both of them on the ground.
Kaito: Let me go! The police couldn't catch the Phantom Thief, and neither will you!
Susanoo: Getting in the way of your rivals like that isn't nice! You've had your chance!
Akinym: Shut up!
Meanwhile, Sinon covered her face with her palm, shook her head and sighed.
Sinon [mutters]: Why do guys have to be so dumb?
Another member of the guild slowly walked up to Sinon. She saw that out of the corner of her eye and turned towards him… only to be startled by the sight of a man with a physique that rivaled Agil's standing in front of her. Sinon took a step back, not feeling well around the physically intimidating man. She had already felt a bit uncomfortable seeing the man when she and Akinym had approached the group of players.
He… shall be called ODE for now. ODE was a man in his middle or late fifties, and a part of his hair had already turned grey.
He crossed his arms and smiled at Sinon.
ODE: Don't mind these two! They're good guys, you have my word! They're just a bit overenthusiastic, but you have that with young, energetic fellas like them. You see, Sinon-san, they are actually totally inseparable, but young guys like them like to compete a lot. [slightly tiredly] And man, they compete in everything! [calmly] One of these things happens to be who gets a girlfriend first, and… [slightly awkwardly] let's say they don't leave out any opportunity to win that competition. [reassuringly] But don't worry, they're not overly pushy! Just tell them that you're not interested and they'll give it a rest. I guarantee it!
Taking a closer look at ODE, Sinon realised that his stance – his entire demeanour – was extremely relaxed and casual. His smile was particularly genuine. Seeing that, she could relax a little.
Susanoo and Kaito weren't so pleased, though.
Kaito [dejectedly, slightly upset]: ODE! Why did you say that?!
Susanoo: Yeah, I might've finally had a chance!
Sinon [sternly]: No, you don't! [Kaito wants to say something] Neither of you!
Susanoo and Kaito: Rejected again!
Akinym [annoyed]: What did you expect?! [to Tsukuyomi, slightly sternly] Can't you do anything about that nonsense?!
At that point, Akinym let their arms go and got off them, so they could stand up again.
Tsukuyomi [slightly awkwardly]: I'm afraid not… Sorry about their behaviour, [slightly reassuringly] but I swear that they're reliable when push comes to shove! [slightly exasperatedly] If only they could learn to act normally around girls…
ODE [laughs, playfully]: Don't worry so much, Tsukuyomi-kun! You don't wanna turn grey before I do because of this, do you? They're still young, and they'll learn it eventually! [calmly] Oh, right! My introduction… You can call me ODE! Everyone does.
Sinon [slightly nervously]: Ah, o-okay. [slightly contemplatively] I've never seen anyone use an abbreviation as a name, though. What does it stand for?
ODE began to rub the back of his head awkwardly. He wasn't the only one who reacted this way. All of the other members of Ascending Moon looked away nervously. Even Akinym seemed a little exasperated after guessing what was behind it.
ODE: Well, you see… It stands for "Obsolete Dolphin Enigma", my actual username.
Sinon took a moment to think about it. Her English lessons so far hadn't covered all that vocabulary. However, she had read a lot, even international literature, and sometimes, the English version of a book was much easier to come by than the Japanese one. As a result, she had got a bit ahead of her grade in terms of English skills. Well, not that she had had much of a social life that would've got in the way of her studies…
Anyway, she figured out that this name didn't seem to make any sense, and she began to stare at ODE in bewilderment.
ODE [defensively]: Come on, it's not such a bad name! I mean, that's what you kids do these days to give names, isn't it? You take some English words and just put them together! That's cool these days, isn't it?
The fifth member, a girl by the name of Junimenta, stepped forward.
Junimenta [slightly annoyed]: It isn't, ODE! Just how often do we have to tell you?
ODE [slightly dejectedly]: I get it, I get it! You could cut an old man some slack, though.
Junimenta turned to Sinon with a smile.
Junimenta [cheerfully]: I'm sorry about that, Sinon-san. [slightly annoyed] And about our two idiots, too! [slightly cheerfully] Anyway, ODE is right, you don't have to worry about them! If they cause you any trouble, I'll have ODE and Tsuku deal with them!
Tsukuyomi [exasperatedly]: You don't have to impose that on us every time, you know that, Juni?
Susanoo and Kaito walked up to Junimenta. They were quite displeased as well.
Susanoo: Yeah, why do you always reprimand us like that?
Kaito: You could just help us for a change!
Junimenta [slightly annoyed]: Help you harass other girls? [slightly sternly] Yeah, I don't think so!
ODE walked up to Susanoo and Kaito from behind. He put his arms around them, putting both of them in a headlock, before lifting them off the ground. The two boys tried to struggle free, but it was no use.
ODE: And I, for my part, don't see anything wrong with that! We're here because we need Akinym-kun and Sinon-san to help us, and you're already causing trouble for them, you rascals!
Kaito: ODE! You don't have to be so harsh!
Susanoo: Yeah, show some understanding… and restraint!
ODE: If you two want to be men, take your punishment as such!
Sinon watched the scene somewhat exasperatedly. However, she was also a bit relieved. She had been worried that the members of Ascending Moon would be hard to deal with, but they only seemed a bit weird. Frankly, it reminded her of the time when she had met Kirito, Asuna and the others for the first time.
Junimenta [slightly cheerfully]: Right, I should also introduce myself. My name is Junimenta, but that's a bit of a mouthful, so you can just call me Juni!
Sinon [slightly exasperatedly and confused]: Why did you name yourself like that if it's too lengthy for you…
Junimenta [slightly awkwardly]: Well, you see, I named myself after the word "junimentai". You know, the geometrical figure.
Sinon [confused, slightly hesitantly]: Okay… Why? And why not just "Junimentai" if that's behind it?
Junimenta [slightly upset]: That wouldn't sound nice! I want my name to sound nice if I can pick it! [slightly awkwardly] Well, and I picked that name because I had to study for math classes, and I couldn't really remember that figure and all the formulas that well, so I chose the name as a reminder of sorts.
Sinon (and Akinym, too, by the way) was a bit bewildered by this reasoning, but in the end, it was just another sign that she was surrounded by weirdos – and such circumstances weren't new to her.
Sinon [slightly exasperatedly]: You sure have… interesting takes on your names, I'm not gonna lie… Well, it could be worse, I guess. When I was introduced to "Tsukuyomi" and "Susanoo", I was almost sure you'd be Amaterasu. What's with all the "gods" in your guild?!
Junimenta: Well, that's actually a coincidence, you know? We hadn't known Susanoo before we met in this game. [slightly happily] Tsuku's name was my idea! I think it's a really good name, [slightly dreamily] especially since the moon is always so pretty!
Tsukuyomi averted his gaze when she said that. He started to blush.
Tsukuyomi: Juni! You don't have to say it so bluntly!
Junimenta: Of course I have to! Like, the full moon is always shining so brightly, bringing light into the darkness. It's also kinda soothing if you think about it! Hm, I'm so glad I recommended that name to you, Tsuku!
Junimenta latched onto Tsukuyomi's arm at that point, which only embarrassed him further.
Tsukuyomi: Juni, snap out of it already!
Junimenta was a bit confused for a moment.
Meanwhile, Susanoo and Kaito apparently stopped caring about ODE's "punishment". Instead, they stared at their leader and the girl on his arm apathetically.
Susanoo: Damn, the lovebirds are at it again.
This somehow made Junimenta realise the situation she was in instantaneously. She blushed, too, and let go of Tsukuyomi's arm.
Junimenta: Ah, sorry, Tsuku! I… [mutters] I got carried away.
ODE put Susanoo and Kaito down again. He began to laugh wholeheartedly while looking at the two "youngsters".
ODE: Why so bashful all of a sudden, Juni-chan? At this point, you might as well be open about it and go all the way! [feignedly seriously] Oh, but remember to get a room!
Tsukuyomi: You're not helping, ODE!
Tsukuyomi's complaint was just met with even more laughter.
Meanwhile, Akinym just took note of that exchange without thinking much of it. Sinon, on the other hand, wondered if she'd get entangled in some kind of story with two dense leads who were obviously into each other, maybe without realising it.
Although… Now that she thought about it, didn't she know another certain couple who could be both completely into each other in public as if it was the most natural thing in the world and extremely bashful if someone "called them out" on it? All that while certainly knowing about each other's feelings, of course.
A closer look revealed that Tsukuyomi and Junimenta even wore the same pair of rings Kirito and Asuna had used before they had done that marriage restoration quest. Sinon figured that she might not have to deal with two dense idiots here…
Junimenta [upset, slightly embarrassed]: You don't have to be like that, you guys! [pleadingly] Sinon-san, can't you help me? You have to help out a sister here!
Sinon [taken aback]: Why me? Why do you automatically assume that I can relate to that problem… [mutters] if you can call this farce a problem…
Junimenta: Have you never been in such a situation with Akinym-kun? Like earlier! Doesn't that count?
Akinym and Sinon [sternly, slightly upset]: We're still no couple!
They looked at each other in exasperation before covering their faces with their palms, wondering why they couldn't be so in sync on the battlefield. Even their reactions here were perfectly synchronised, and they weren't even trying.
As they had feared, the members of Ascending Moon weren't really buying it. Well, at least Junimenta showed mercy… to some degree.
Junimenta: Well, it's just… There aren't that many female players to begin with, and if one teams up with a male player, you get kinda suspicious, you know? Not to mention that… [slightly at a loss] I don't know, we get this kind of vibes? [calmly] Like, he even stepped in when Susanoo and Kaito were getting on your nerves, protecting you and all!
Akinym [slightly exasperatedly and sternly]: Oh, don't get the wrong idea! That was because those idiots thought they could trample over me out of horniness! [points at Sinon] If she wants them to get beaten up for bothering her, she shall do it herself! She's old enough!
Sinon [slightly annoyed]: Keeping that aside, you don't have to ignore that part, though! I don't wanna deal with their nonsense either!
Akinym: Oh, please, as if you couldn't deal with those numbskulls!
Kaito [interrupting, slightly upset]: You could hold back a little, we're standing right here!
Akinym: You can deal with Kirito-san, so I don't see why they should be a problem.
This seemed to pique Junimenta's interest. To be fair, the rest of Ascending Moon was also somewhat intrigued, but her eyes lit up, and she spoke up before any of the others got a chance to.
Junimenta: Wow, you can go head-to-head with the Black Swordsman?! You're amazing! Now I'm sooo glad that you're willing to help us!
Frankly, Sinon was quite taken aback by Junimenta's… enthusiasm, and she had the feeling that the girl had got the wrong idea, but she also provided her with a welcome opportunity to change the subject from the romantic relationship she actually didn't have with Akinym to the reason why they were here in the first place.
Sinon: Well, speaking of that, I haven't been told yet what exactly you want. You want help with a quest, is that correct? So, what are we talking about?
Tsukuyomi: Ah, right. You see, we want to join the Assault Team, but we're aware that we still have to become a lot stronger before we can do that! For starters, we want to enhance our equipment, and we've come across a dungeon that's apparently a good place to farm the materials we need. There's a quest to get access to it, [slightly awkwardly] but so far, we're not doing so well.
Akinym thought about the situation.
Akinym: Well, it's a bit vague, but I generally don't see a problem. Although… [slightly dejectedly] I'm afraid that I can't come with you right now. There's something I have to do for the Council. [calmly] I guess I could accompany you in a few days, but if you don't want to wait, [looks at Sinon] I guess Sinon-san could still help you.
Sinon [slightly annoyed]: That sounds almost as if you're forcing this on me.
Akinym [slightly exasperatedly]: I've just made a proposal! You're free to refuse just as anyone else here. [looks at the members of Ascending Moon] That is, if you want to turn them down.
Sinon looked at the group of people, too. They had started to look quite dejected when Akinym had mentioned that he couldn't help them, at least not today. It was obvious that they had been looking forward to this, and they probably wanted to become stronger quickly.
Frankly, Sinon sympathised with them. They were overall nice people, and they wanted to pull their weight, just as she had been doing for a while. She had received the help she had needed, so they deserved the same, didn't they?
Tsukuyomi [slightly politely]: Well, it would be a pleasure to get your help, Sinon-san, but we'd understand if you didn't want to do this without your partner! We could find another quest in the meantime!
Sinon: No, it's okay! [slightly reassuringly] To be honest, I don't have anything else to do, so I'll gladly help.
That certainly lifted their spirits. In Susanoo and Kaito's case, Sinon actually didn't like to see that, especially since they seemed to be… a bit too encouraged.
Akinym: Well, it might actually be better this way. If I'm not with you, you can join their party. It might make things easier.
Tsukuyomi [slightly excitedly]: We'll gladly do that! Let's make this quest a success, Sinon-san!
...which they will do next time, that's all I'm saying right now.
You wouldn't believe how hard coming up with all these names was... Ugh, I hate giving names...
ODE was actually the first one. After that, I came up with Susanoo. With the Shinto mythology theme and the name of the guild, Tsukuyomi was next.
Kaito was the next one, and Kaito Kid is a character you may know from Detective Conan/Case Closed or Magic Kaito 1412.
Junimenta was the last one. If I didn't mess up while looking it up, "junimentai" is the Japanese term for "dodecahedron". At first, I wanted to call her Dodecahedra, but I realised that the background story wouldn't work if I based the name on the Englisch term (since they're still supposed to speak Japanese).