Okay, here's part 2 of "On Equal Footing". Well, splitting this into two parts was definitely the right call. This chapter alone is more than 9k words long... Geez.
Anyway, the guild Ascending Moon has asked Akinym and Sinon for help, and now, Sinon will accompany them on a quest.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online Re:Hollow Fragment or Sword Art Online in general.
After they had decided that Sinon would accompany Ascending Moon on the quest, Akinym took his leave. Tsukuyomi wanted to explain the details to Sinon, but she had a slightly different idea. Now, they were on the way to the teleport gate.
Tsukuyomi [quizzically]: Okay, so you want to discuss this with someone else, right? Who is it?
Sinon: Well, if I understand you correctly, you have trouble completing that quest of yours, and you don't know what to do about it. To me, that sounds like you lack information, so the natural thing would be to go to an info broker.
Frankly, Sinon wasn't even sure that she could help them. She wasn't all that knowledgeable, and she hadn't even heard of a quest like the one Tsukuyomi had vaguely described so far.
Tsukuyomi [slightly contemplatively]: It sounds reasonable, that's true. We had this reliable info broker on the lower floors. He always bought information from the Assault Team or front-line brokers about the quests, monsters and so on. It was cheap, and he could sell the information to mid-level players at a low price and still make a living. [slightly dejectedly] Well, we can't rely on him anymore. Unfortunately, we don't have any idea about the info brokers here on the upper floors, so…
They arrived at the teleport gate and stepped on the platform. When everyone was ready, Sinon put on a small, confident smile.
Sinon: Well, fortunately, I know the best info broker there is. [slightly sternly] Teleport Arc Sophia!
One teleportation later, they were on the teleport gate plaza in Arc Sophia. Sinon took a look around, searching for a familiar hooded girl. Thankfully, she found her quickly.
It had been an uneventful day for Argo so far. Okay, it was still in the early afternoon, but Argo had the feeling she wouldn't get many customers today, so she actually wanted to head out herself and validate some quest intel she had got. She was a bit surprised when she came across Sinon and a bunch of unfamiliar faces on the teleport gate plaza.
Argo [cheerfully]: Yo, Sinon! Fancy meetin' ya here. Got some new friends? [teasingly] Or are ya ditchin' Akinym already? Poor guy…
Sinon [slightly irritated]: Give me a break, Argo! Besides, don't say such stuff in front of them, they already get the wrong idea way too easily!
Argo: Ooooh… Now I'm really interested…
And it certainly wasn't just Argo. As soon as Sinon had mentioned her name, the members of Ascending Moon had become wide-eyed. Well, except for ODE, who seemed "only" interested.
Junimenta: Are you really the player known as "The Rat"?! Amazing! I've never thought I'd meet such a famous person one day! It's amazing how many of these legends you know personally, Sinon-san!
Argo: Nyehehe, pleasure is all mine, kiddo! Always nice to meet a fan!
Sinon could only roll her eyes and sigh in exasperation. She could understand why these guys were excited to meet the first real info broker in all of Aincrad, but this was a bit too much for her taste.
Tsukuyomi [politely]: Well, I'm certainly glad to meet you, Argo-san! I'm, Tsukuyomi, leader of Ascending Moon. If you don't mind, there's a quest we'd like to talk about. We'd be glad about any hints on how to complete it.
Argo: Well, ya came to the right person for the job. I'll hear ya out, but let me tell ya in advance that juicy intel comes at its price. Got it?
To be perfectly honest, Tsukuyomi was actually a bit concerned about Argo's phrasing. They had got new gear recently (which was why they were so eager to enhance it now in the first place), and it had come at its price. On top of all that, they were saving for… something special.
Regardless, he accepted and began to explain their situation. Apparently, there was a cave in a ravine in the south-eastern part of the 85th floor. The monsters in there dropped most of the materials Ascending Moon needed.
However, the entrance was normally sealed. There was a quest called "Pest Control in the Mines" that granted access to the cave, and it remained accessible after completing said quest. The cave was actually a mine, and the quest was about exterminating bug-type monsters which had attacked the mineworkers. One part of the rewards was ore from the mine, which they needed, too.
There were mainly two problems Ascending Moon had encountered.
For starters, the cave was extremely hard to find. Most of the 85th floor was a dense forest covered in equally dense mist. To make things worse, the normal map data collection didn't work. In conclusion, it was almost impossible to navigate through the forest. The first time they had found the cave, it had been pure luck, and they had yet to find it again. The last time they had tried to go there, they had got lost hopelessly, and they hadn't even found a way to any teleporter, so they had used Teleport Stones just to get back.
Well, and there was the reason why they needed a second attempt to begin with. To finish the quest, they had to kill all monsters inside the cave – to the point that no monster could be left. The respawn rate had caused them problems, though.
Argo [slightly contemplatively]: Hm, 'kay, I gotcha. I know the quest ya talkin' 'bout, and I think I can help ya. Since it's an old one, I'll make ya a good offer.
The Ascending Moon members were interested, although Tsukuyomi tried to bargain a little. In the end, Sinon had to convince Tsukuyomi to stop. She had heard enough stories about how Argo does business from Kirito and Asuna to know when Argo wasn't willing to give in at all.
One transaction later, Argo began to explain.
Argo: 'Kay, ya see, the thing with the monsters in that cave is that there are two groups. One is plain monsters with a low respawn rate. Easy. [slightly worriedly] The others have a queen, a slightly stronger version that's responsible for respawns. They respawn their buddies till there's a certain number. Ya hafta kill the queens first. There are three of 'em, lurkin' in some remote locations like a run-of-the-mill side tunnel or a hole in the ground. Kill 'em, and the monsters stop respawnin'.
ODE: Hm, now that you mention it, there were places like that, but they seemed a bit dangerous, so we avoided them.
Argo: Normally a good, reasonable idea, but here, it's a mistake. [slightly cheerfully] Dontcha feel down 'bout it, though! A lot of people did that.
Tsukuyomi: Okay, so we just have to kill the queens and after that the rest? That sounds… pretty straightforward. Is there enough time?
Argo: The queens respawn every three hours. That should be enough for the six of ya if ya don't mess up.
Kaito [slightly exasperatedly]: Well, if I get you right, there will be a ton of monsters coming from these queens, right? Sounds like a pain… Do we really have to fight our way through all of them?
Susanoo [teasingly, slightly haughtily]: What? Don't think you can do it? I'll slice right through them!
Kaito [upset]: Shut up! I'll easily kill twice as many as you!
ODE [casually]: Now, now, you two! Keep it down for now! Let's think about how we'll deal with that problem instead!
Sinon [contemplatively]: Well, I don't know the layout of the cave, but this sounds like the kind of situation where you're supposed to avoid the smaller monsters. I mean, even if we can fight our way through the respawning monsters, we'll still basically have to deal with a never-ending wave of minions at a small boss. You said that you didn't find the queens the first time, but you came across many monsters. Do they gather at certain points?
Argo [interested]: Oh, look at ya, Sinon! Ya got it! Now I almost feel bad for chargin' ya for this. Ya're right, Sinon, there are certain spots where the monsters gather. Just avoid 'em by hiding in a side tunnel or something, and you'll have an easy time dealing with the queens.
Junimenta: Wow, Sinon-san! You've come up with a better strategy than we did last time, and within a few seconds at that.
Sinon [slightly taken aback]: It's not that amazing. That kind of plan isn't even something I've come up with in the first place.
Frankly, it was something Akinym had taught her. When talking about different kinds of quest situations, he had also told her and the others a few things about quests that require to be stealthy. They had also gone on such a quest with Silica, Lisbeth and Leafa for training.
Junimenta: Still, I'm glad to have you with us! That way, we might do a lot better this time. [worriedly, slightly awkwardly] Well, if we get to the cave. [to Argo] Do you have any tip as to what to do about that?
Argo thought about it for a moment. There was a quest that rewarded players with the map data for various parts of the forest. All the Assault Team members had done it when they had cleared the 85th floor.
She wanted to tell them about it, but Argo stopped when she had a different idea. She began to smile mischievously – and Sinon immediately had a bad feeling about this. It wasn't so bad, though.
Argo: Well, I'd say ya just walk away from town and ya're good! Always directly away from town.
Argo winked at Sinon, and the members of Ascending Moon where thoroughly confused now. Sinon needed a moment to catch on, but she understood what Argo was getting at, although she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the info broker's weird way to bring this across.
Junimenta: Um, is there something we should know?
Argo: It's a lil' insider, kiddo! Dontcha worry, with Sinon, ya will get it soon enough!
Immediately after meeting Argo, they returned to the 85th floor. Now they had to traverse the forest on that floor.
Frankly, it was an utterly inhospitable place. With the dense fog and the eerie silence, it was an overall creepy place. Regardless, the members of Ascending Moon seemed oddly cheerful.
Sinon, who walked at the back, observed them a little while keeping an eye out for monsters. They were talking about the weirdest things… For instance, Susanoo and Kaito made a bet: Whoever contributed less to today's quest would have to help with cooking in the evening.
Sinon herself remained silent most of the time, although Junimenta tried to strike up a conversation every once in a while. To be fair, she could learn a few more things about her temporary allies this way.
For example, she had wondered if the guild's name came from Junimenta's strange fascination with the moon, too. Apparently, it was a part of the truth. More importantly, though, the guild members had wanted to give their guild an "inspiring" name that was supposed to refer to their will to become stronger. At first, they had considered "Ascending Sun", but they had figured that this might've been considered arrogant, so they went with Ascending Moon in the end.
Sinon certainly didn't mind the humility. It was a nice contrast to Aincrad's Glory, the guild that was led by this creep Alberich, for instance.
Aside from these small chats, Sinon only spoke up when she spotted a monster with her Searching skill. She warned the others before the monster jumped out of the bank of fog around them.
Taking note of the other player's equipment, Sinon learnt that Tsukuyomi used a warhammer, Susanoo seemed to have some kind of pike, Kaito used a dagger, ODE brandished an enormous, two-handed longsword, and Junimenta had a scimitar.
As far as armour was concerned, they had ODE with heavy plate armour, Tsukuyomi and Susanoo with light metal armour, and Kaito and Junimenta with leather armour.
In the few fights they had on the way, Sinon could see that they were an overall well-rounded team, and they all knew how to fight, although they had still room for improvement.
Sinon guided them the right way every time they came across a fork in the path. It didn't take long until some people became a bit curious how she figured out the right way.
Susanoo: Hey, I don't wanna nag or anything, [slightly doubtfully] but how can you be so sure that this is the right way? I mean, this guy, Argo, said that we have to go into the direction that leads away from town, but how do you know that it's this way? This path leads us literally everywhere, and I can't see three metres ahead! Do you have some sort of superhuman sense of direction?!
Tsukuyomi [slightly awkwardly]: Well, I'd rather not put it so… harshly, [curiously] but I've been wondering about this, too. Argo-san mentioned that you'd know what to do, but what exactly does that mean?
Sinon sighed a little, but she couldn't blame them. It was probably better to tell them the "secret". She pointed at a bench that stood next to the fork they were just passing.
The bench was extremely plain and simple… except for the fact that it was painted in an obnoxiously jarring lime green. Frankly, it offended the eye.
Sinon: It's those benches. They all point towards the next teleporter. You can always get back to town just by following the path they face. The Council decided to put them everywhere as guideposts.
Now that they thought about it, they had seen a lot of these seemingly random benches in the forest. Apparently, they had missed the announcement about that...
Just as Sinon had said, it had been the Council's decision to place them there. In fact, it had been one of its first decisions, and it was the solution to a rather important problem. The 85th floor was perfect for farming various enhancement materials, but a lot of people – especially newcomers – didn't have the map data, and doing the quests to get this data could take a while.
To make things easier, Asuna had proposed to set up some sort of guidepost system. Actually, it had been Kirito's idea back when the Assault Team had cleared the floor. He had brought this up when travelling through the floor with her.
Kaito [confused]: But why benches? No, rather than that, why these benches?!
Sinon frowned. In a sense, that was her "fault".
During the discussion of Asuna's guidepost idea, the council members had figured that they could place certain items as guideposts, but these items mustn't deteriorate since that would defeat the purpose.
This had led to the next problem immediately. Most of the suitable items that had come to their mind would've been somewhat valuable, and at some point after placing them in random locations, pretty much anyone could just come and take them away.
It was Akinym who had found the "solution". If they used sturdy furniture, which had high Durability and would deteriorate slowly, and if said furniture looked horrible, they could set up that guidepost system without worries about theft. Akinym had had this idea when he had remembered something Sinon had said about his Slouch Hat of the Sage: This "thing" looked so outrageous that most people wouldn't want it even though it was extremely useful.
Sinon: It… was a pragmatic decision. [slightly sternly] Anyway, that's how it is! And one more thing, [to Susanoo] there's something you seem to be wrong about. Argo isn't a guy.
Susanoo [confused]: Huh? [very surprised] HUUUUUUH?! Are you telling me that that hooded pipsqueak was a GIRL?!
Sinon [annoyed]: Yes, and you better don't let her hear that if you know what's good for you!
Kaito [teasingly]: Hehe, too bad, wannabe god of bruteness! [determinedly] This might be my chance now that you've basically already blown yours!
The way Kaito raised his fist in a triumphant gesture was just cringey in Sinon's opinion, and she rather wanted to forget about all this. She wanted to get going, but she figured that she should check the surroundings for monsters again. It's been a while, and when Sinon remembered Susanoo's surprised outcry, she had a really bad feeling about this.
Noticing an approaching enemy, Sinon's eyes widened, and she clenched her bow tightly.
Sinon: Hey, watch out! Behind you!
Before she could nock an arrow to get ready or Susanoo could react to the warning, a monster came out of hiding. Most of the monsters around this area were werewolf-themed, and this one was no exception.
Susanoo was struck in the back, but he recovered from the shock quickly and deflected the next blow with his pike.
Susanoo: Sneak attack, huh? I'll get back at you for that and strike you down!
He thrust his pike at the monster, but it swayed to the right, and Susanoo couldn't hit it cleanly. He had pierced its left arm, but it wasn't enough to keep the werewolf at a distance. It lashed out at Susanoo with its jaws and sunk its teeth into Susanoo's forearm as he tried to keep his grip on his weapon.
Susanoo tried to get free or to push the werewolf away, but he wasn't strong enough. These monsters had quite high Strength.
Susanoo was lucky that the party member with the highest Strength, ODE, came to his rescue. ODE thrust his sword at the monster, which was programmed to react to attacks from the side, so it tried to parry the blow with its claws.
It wasn't strong enough, though, and the tip of the sword dug into its paw. The werewolf let Susanoo go, and it leapt backwards a little before starting a counterattack, swinging its claws at ODE. ODE parried the attack with a swing of his sword. The monster tried to overpower him, but ODE was strong enough to hold his ground.
By now, Sinon had a few arrows ready for an attack.
Sinon: Alright, let's fight this one for real! Let me get the first attack! I need a free field of fire, though.
Tsukuyomi: Okay, got it! You heard it, guys, right? Susanoo, Kaito, be ready to switch if necessary! ODE, are you good to go?
ODE [slightly strained]: Ready when you are!
Sinon took the starting stance for Triple shot, aiming at the werewolf.
Sinon: Ready!
ODE pushed the monster back, just a little, but it was enough for him to get free and leap backwards and away from it. Sinon unleashed her Sword Skill, firing three arrows in quick succession.
The first two shots hit its chest, but it raised its arm to block the third shot. Nevertheless, it had sustained significant damage now. Sinon was still a bit dissatisfied, but she reminded herself to keep focused.
Sinon: Switch!
Susanoo stepped up, dashing at the werewolf and thrusting his pike at it as if he was seeking vengeance. However, the werewolf ducked, and the pike merely grazed its shoulder. Now, Susanoo was wide open for a counterattack, and the werewolf seemed to use that, attempting another attack with its fangs. Susanoo had the feeling that this monster seemed to like his flavour.
This time, however, it didn't get to finish the attack. A dagger pierced its jaws – Kaito had fended off the attack.
Kaito [slightly haughtily]: Let someone who's up for the task handle this!
Kaito used the Sword Skill Cross Edge, and the two slashes it consisted of formed a perfect cross on the monsters head and neck. Despite that, however, the monster didn't die, and it quickly got ready to attack Kaito while he was vulnerable.
Kaito: Dammit!
Tsukuyomi: Switch, you two! Susanoo!
Tsukuyomi's command made Susanoo snap out of his shocked state. He immediately took the starting stance of Deadly Road, unleashed the Sword Skill and finished his opponent off.
Everyone took a deep breath after that.
Tsukuyomi: Alright, that's done! Good job, everyone! And I'm actually impressed, Sinon-san… [slightly awkwardly] I've tried checking the area for enemies, but I couldn't find anything.
Sinon [slightly taken aback]: It's not that impressive… [slightly dejectedly] Besides, it's not like my warning helped that much.
Kaito [teasingly, slightly haughtily]: Well, that's just because Susanoo is so damn SLOW!
Susanoo [upset]: Shut up, at least I know how to actually deal damage! [teasingly, slightly haughtily] Your measly dagger almost seems to be for show. [slightly annoyed] You got a perfect hit on that wolf and still dealt so little damage!
Kaito [upset]: You know I don't have that much DPH, I focus on Agility and Dexterity! [teasingly] Meanwhile, you try being "balanced", but in the end, all of your stats are half-assed!
Their argument became a bit noisy at that point. Sinon wanted to intervene because that could cause some trouble. It might've been hard to stop them from fighting, though. Thankfully, ODE took care of that… by whacking both of them on the head.
ODE: Okay, that's enough for now! You better stay focused on your surroundings, or you'll get into such trouble again!
Sinon [sternly]: True words! The monsters here are attracted by sound, so you should stop making so much noise! [calmly] And spotting them isn't easy. Um, Tsukuyomi was it? If it's okay with you, how high is your Searching skill?
Tsukuyomi was a bit taken aback by the question. Normally, players wouldn't ask for such information. He could understand the question under these circumstances, though. Regardless, he didn't want to tell someone he had just met his skill levels.
Tsukuyomi: Um, may I ask why? I mean, what about it?
Sinon: Well, it's just that this fog has some sort of stealth effect, and it neutralises Searching unless you have at least five hundred proficiency points.
That explained why he had never been able to find any monsters in the surrounding forest… Tsukuyomi's Searching skill had only 496 proficiency points right now.
Tsukuyomi: I see… [slightly awkwardly] I guess I've neglected that skill a bit. [sighs, slightly dejectedly] I'm the only one of us who has that skill, yet… [slightly contemplatively] Well, we've mostly done quests that didn't require keeping track of enemies, so it's never been necessary. So far, that is.
Sinon: That's true. From what I've seen so far, the Searching skill is quite important on the upper floors. There are a few camouflage mechanics like this fog. You should put more effort into leveling that skill.
Sinon had certainly done that. Ever since she had started training, she had worked on her skill levels almost non-stop in order to catch up to the Assault Team. Her own Searching skill, for instance, was already around 600 proficiency points, which meant that she had overtaken Tsukuyomi in that regard despite spending significantly less time in SAO.
Sinon: I could tell you a few tricks when we're done. If you want. For example, there's a quest on the seventy-seventh floor that allows you to raise your Searching skill by fifty points, and you only have to find a number of non-hostile creatures in a small, easy dungeon.
Thinking about it, Sinon remembered how Kirito had mentioned that quest. He had speculated that it was one of the quests that Cardinal had apparently implemented to "make up" for the skill reset due to a system error.
Tsukuyomi [happily]: Thank you very much, Sinon-san! I'll gladly do that!
Junimenta: I have to say, though, Sinon-san, you really know a lot about all this… Like the thing with the benches or now with the monsters. It's really impressive!
Sinon: I just know the right people, I guess.
Apart from hearing some stuff about the Council from Akinym and Asuna every once in a while, listening to Kirito's thoughts on the mechanics was quite useful.
Sinon: Besides, the only reason why I know about all that is that I was here with Akinym-san to farm materials for enhancing my own weapon.
Sinon took a look at the bow in her hand. The feather bow Ullr had been obtained in the final quest for her archery equipment. This time, however, she hadn't received help from Akinym but from Kirito, who had found the perfect materials in the Hollow Area.
Frankly, the materials had seemed to be even better than what Cardinal had expected to be used. Sinon believed that the quality of the bow she had crafted had depended on the materials, and Ullr was an extremely good bow. It had high Attack, granted bonuses for Strength and Dexterity, the Maximum Range went up to 50 while the Minimum Range went down to 3.
Junimenta: Oh, yeah, right! I still can't believe that you know all these incredibly famous players! Like Akinym-kun, who is a member of the Council. Or the Black Swordsman! Say, is it really true that you can stand up to him, Sinon-san?
Sinon: That's not that hard! Well, to be honest, I probably can't keep up with him when it comes to proficiency in this game, but he's basically incapable of talking back.
Tsukuyomi [slightly confused]: Huh? How so?
Sinon [slightly exasperatedly]: He's basically an idiot. You know how everyone has a weakness? [dryly] Kirito's weakness would be girls.
Susanoo [very annoyed]: Are you sure it's not the other way around? He only seems to be "weak to them" in the sense that he can't help but hog them all to himself!
Kaito [frustrated]: Yeah, what's the big idea?! There are guys here who don't have anyone, so hold back a little! Harem-having bastards should die!
Sinon [sighs, exasperatedly]: That's not what's going on! The only thing Kirito can't help but do is to act like everyone's hero. Well, without explicitly meaning to. It just happens that he constantly runs into girls somehow, and all of them end up sticking to him.
Junimenta [slightly confused]: Well, that seems to apply to you, too, Sinon-san.
Sinon: Well, I guess that's true. To be fair, he has his qualities. First and foremost, he's extremely dependable. [looks at her bow] For instance, I would have never got this bow without his help.
Junimenta: I see. [contemplatively] Hm? Wait a moment… The way you talk about him and defend him… What if it really isn't Akinym-kun but the Black Swordsman who you…
Sinon [very sternly]: No way.
Sinon's swift reply took Junimenta a bit aback, and it wasn't just her.
Sinon: Let me make this clear: That's a definite no. It's not happening! I said he had his qualities, [very irritated] but Kirito is also the most irritating guy I've ever met! Just thinking about it makes me mad… Way too often, he acts or speaks without thinking! He would tell a girl to take a giant bug from a monster without a second thought! [mutters] And he has the audacity to make jokes about it afterwards…
Junimenta: Um… Should I understand this?
Sinon [irritated]: It doesn't matter! The point is… Ugh… [sternly] Listen, Kirito already has someone. Asuna, nobody else! And honestly, she's the last person I want to cause trouble. Got that?!
The members of Ascending Moon just nodded timidly. Sinon's outburst had confused and frightened them to some extent. Well, except for ODE, who just smiled to himself because of all the "drama".
Sinon, on the other hand, sighed in exasperation. This discussion had been so tiring… She wanted to suggest to get going, but ODE cut in while drawing his sword again.
ODE: Sinon-san, watch out!
Sinon could barely process ODE's warning before she noticed a growling noise from behind herself. As it turned out, Sinon should've heeded her own warning. Raising her voice had attracted a werewolf monster, and it struck her in the back before she had a chance to defend herself.
The monster wanted to attack again, but ODE stopped it by swinging his sword at it, so the monster had to dodge instead. ODE's attack missed, though, and after the tip of his sword was slammed into the ground, the monster dashed at him instead.
ODE couldn't raise his sword again in time to fend off the oncoming attack, so he tackled the werewolf instead. He rammed his right shoulder into the werewolf's chest, and the impact knocked it back. However, the monster managed to slash ODE's left shoulder in return. Not that it dealt much damage.
Tsukuyomi: I'll go in! ODE, back me up! I'll need cover after my Skill!
Tsukuyomi tried to outsmart his opponent. He had seen the werewolf's bite attack, and he was sure that he could counter it with one of his own Sword Skills. Furthermore, preparing a Sword Skill would catch the monster's attention, Tsukuyomi had learnt that by now. Therefore, he took the starting stance of Smashing Strike, a simple Sword Skill consisting of swinging the weapon in a wide arc and downwards onto the target, which would also cancel its attack.
Seeing ODE preparing to use Avalanche, one of his Sword Skills, out of the corner of his eye, Tsukuyomi was confident that this was a good tactic. He would catch the monster off-guard, and ODE could hit it while it was thrown off balance.
What he didn't take into account was the fact that the werewolf didn't have to use his bite attack. Instead, it swiped at him with its claws. Tsukuyomi considered still using the Sword Skill, but the way the monster lunged at him, it would crash into him afterwards. If it had attacked as intended, the Sword Skill Tsukuyomi had in mind would've knocked it back.
In the end, Tsukuyomi only wasted time he didn't have on thinking, so before he knew it, the monster hit him. He broke away from the stance, so using his Sword Skill was out of the question now. On top of that, the monster wanted to slash him again.
This time, however, someone jumped in to help. It was Junimenta, and she attacked the monster with Leaver, a scimitar Sword Skill that consisted of an upward cut followed by a downward cut. The attack hit the arm the monster swung at Tsukuyomi and severed the paw, so its attack failed.
Junimenta [slightly annoyed]: Be a bit careful, Tsuku!
Tsukuyomi [slightly shocked]: Juni, what are you…
He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the monster turning towards Junimenta. Rather than discussing the situation, Tsukuyomi wanted to prevent it from attacking.
It wasn't necessary, though, because Junimenta kept her guard up and pierced the monster's shoulder before it had a chance to strike. Now it tried to bite her, but she just ducked in order to dodge. Junimenta quickly went past the monster while slashing through its body with a swirling motion of her scimitar.
Junimenta: Switch!
Tsukuyomi took the chance to use Smashing Strike, hitting the monster's back. However, he hadn't considered that Junimenta might've told someone else to switch in. ODE had still been on stand-by, and he had thought that this was his signal.
By the time they had noticed the problem, both he and Tsukuyomi had already started their respective Sword Skills. Tsukuyomi was faster, so his attack came first, but before he could draw his weapon back, ODE's sword crashed into Tsukuyomi's warhammer rather than the monster's body. Tsukuyomi even lost his grip on his weapon in the process.
The werewolf was about to attack again, and Susanoo had to step in to prevent that. He pushed the monster away with his pike.
Susanoo: What the hell are you guys doing?!
Junimenta used the 4-hit Sword Skill Melee Slash, which wasn't enough to finish the monster off. Kaito had to jump in and follow it up with one of his Sword Skills to do that.
Junimenta: Phew, that was kinda nerve-wracking. [slightly worriedly] Sinon-san, are you okay?
Sinon: I'm fine. Thanks for the help! And the warning, [slightly awkwardly] although it also came a bit too late.
ODE: Well, sorry about that. By the time I saw that monster emerging from the fog, it was already too late, I guess…
Sinon: Probably. And we should probably get going before another one pops up here.
Tsukuyomi: You're right. Let's keep moving!
Ascending Moon departed, walking down the path that would lead them to their destination. Sinon stayed behind for a moment.
She took a look around, especially behind her. When the monster had attacked her, she could've sworn that she had heard another sound, something like hurried footsteps. There was nobody, though. She had even looked for the source of the sound instead of joining the battle.
Well, Sinon figured that she might've imagined it, or rather than that, the noise had probably come from the attacking monster. For now, she followed the rest of her party.
The mission went as planned in the end. They found the cave without much trouble. After a quick strategy meeting at the entrance, they went inside.
First, they took out the three queens. They had to walk around the different tunnels a lot, but it was overall not that hard.
ODE slowed them down a bit. Frankly, it wasn't a surprise, at least not to the rest of Ascending Moon. ODE focused on Strength and Vitality. That made him sturdy, but also slow. In the end, they decided that ODE should gather or take out smaller monsters that were scattered around remote areas of the cave. He should lure them to a designated location if necessary. Sinon wondered if he would be okay, but the others had trust in their tank, and ODE just told her that "an old man wouldn't want to slow the young folks down".
To be honest, it was the right call. The queens hid in relatively narrow spaces, not exactly a good location for someone of ODE's size to fight. The last queen, for instance, was located in a side tunnel that was barely big enough for two people to walk side by side.
Switching would've been extremely difficult in such narrow spaces. Sinon was particularly worried at the start. She couldn't have really done anything without a free field of fire. However, the group came up with the idea to lure the queens into slightly more open areas to fight them, and Sinon's archery had been pretty good for that. With Susanoo as a makeshift tank, they had taken the first two queens out without major issues.
The third one was almost comically easy. As already mentioned, it hid in a small tunnel. However, this one was also stuck to the wall. Sinon could just shoot arrows at it from outside its attack range while Susanoo was also fighting it in order to keep it from resetting, and the battle ended without any problems.
After that, they dealt with the small fry, and before they knew it, the quest was finished, and they could return.
They walked on a path that led up a slope and out of the ravine. Everything had gone so well and smoothly… but now, that stopped.
It all began with a rumbling sound coming from the ravine. Sinon was the first one to hear it due to the fact that her Searching skill was the highest, giving her the longest range of vision, and as a side effect, she also had the best range of hearing since relatively far-away objects were still displayed to her.
When she turned around, she saw a dust cloud… which seemed to come closer. The others noticed it before long, too.
Kaito: Wait, who are these guys?
Kaito pointed at two players who came running their way. They seemed to be in quite a panic. This made Sinon realise what was going on.
Sinon: They're chased by monsters! And certainly a bunch of them! Let's get out of here as fast as possible!
She didn't have to say that twice. They all started sprinting up the slope. There was only one problem.
Tsukuyomi: Dammit... ODE! Are you okay? You're falling behind!
ODE: Sorry, guys! Must be my age catching up to me, but I don't think I can outrun whatever is after us!
Tsukuyomi: That's not your age, it's just your stats! Dammit, what are we going to do?
Sinon: He should use a Teleport Crystal while…
Sinon stopped when she heard another rumbling sound from above. Looking up, she saw some rocks falling down.
Sinon: Wait! Go back for a second!
They barely dodge the rockfall.
Sinon took another look up. There were several formations of loose rocks. She had heard of this kind of trap. Tremors that were strong enough would trigger them and cause rockfalls like the one right now. The falling rocks could deal considerable damage, and on top of that, they might push them down the cliff.
Sinon: New idea: We should all use a Teleport Crystal!
The members of Ascending Moon exchanged worried glances, and Sinon really didn't like where this was going.
Tsukuyomi: Sorry, Sinon-san, but remember how we've told you that we needed these crystals to get out of the forest lately? We didn't get new ones yet.
Sinon: That honestly should've been the first thing you did! Ugh… What now?
ODE caught up to them. He wasn't out of breath, but stamina alone wouldn't get him out of this situation.
ODE [determinedly, slightly sternly]: You kids should go! I bet you can make it out of the ravine before these monsters catch up. Just watch out for these rocks! I'll hold them off, but you have to get out of here!
Susanoo [upset]: You gotta be kidding, ODE! That's not happening!
Junimenta [worriedly]: There have to be dozens of monsters! You can't withstand that kind of attack!
ODE: Nobody said I would. But neither would you, which is why you have to get out of here!
Tsukuyomi [determinedly]: Sorry, ODE, but leaving you behind is not an option!
By now, the monsters were close enough to identify them. It was a pack of wolves.
Incidentally, there was a pack of wolves in the ravine, and there was a quest to hunt their cubs to weaken the pack. It was a fairly dangerous quest as the players who did it had to avoid getting caught by the other wolves. The two players who were running away from them had done that quest, but they had been careless for a moment.
There were easily two dozen wolves coming their way. The chances were grim, but no member of Ascending Moon wanted ODE to sacrifice himself.
Tsukuyomi [determinedly, slightly apologetically]: Sinon-san, I can't expect you to go along with that, of course. If you don't mind, would you take Juni and get out of here?
Junimenta [very upset]: Wait a second, Tsuku! Is that your pseudo-heroic behaviour again?!
Tsukuyomi [slightly exasperatedly]: Juni, that's…
Junimenta: Forget it! I don't want ODE or any of you to die, so I'll stay as well! [sternly] And there's nothing you can do about it!
Tsukuyomi [sighs, mutters]: This is why I don't want you to go on these quests with us in the first place…
ODE [sternly, slightly teasingly]: You're in no position to complain, Tsukuyomi-kun! I've told you to run, but you didn't listen! None of you kids listen when you should! What am I going to do with you rowdy bunch?!
Ascending Moon took position to take on the incoming monsters. Sinon wasn't sure if she should admire them or call them crazy.
Meanwhile, the two players who had caused all this commotion just ran past them without even saying anything to them. Sinon couldn't help but get irritated. Just what was wrong with them? Now that she had seen this display of cowardice, she couldn't even bring herself to retreat, so she nocked an arrow, preparing to help Ascending Moon in this dire situation.
She was about to shoot an arrow, basically giving the starting signal, when a noise from the side distracted her for a moment. When she turned to its source, she saw a few pebbles rolling down the steep slope next to her.
For a moment, the sight reminded Sinon of the rockfall from earlier. That was exactly when some of the larger pebbles hit a small, non-hostile bug that was crawling on the cliff face. The impact knocked the creature down.
Seeing that, Sinon had an idea. She looked up the cliff again, checking the loose rock formations. There were two formations above the path the wolves would have to cross in order to get to their position.
She had to act fast for her plan to work, though, so she didn't tell her party members about it yet. Instead, she took the starting stance of Milion Howling and aimed at the rock formation that was farther away. Sinon estimated that it was about twenty metres away. She honestly had nailed more difficult shots.
Tsukuyomi noticed her actions first. When Sinon fired the arrow, he followed it with his eyes and saw it crashing into the cliff face, causing another rockfall. The rocks hit the wolves in the back. At that point, Tsukuyomi caught on to what Sinon was doing.
Tsukuyomi: Guys, we'll use the rockfalls against the monsters! Sinon-san will hit the rock formations, so hold them in place! Got that, ODE?! Susanoo, you help him!
By the time Tsukuyomi had finished his command, the wolves had reached ODE, and he could hardly hold them back. He glanced upward to see what rock formation Tsukuyomi talked about and back away to lure the wolves into the right position.
Susanoo jumped in, repelling some of the wolves with quick, decisive thrusts. There were too many, though. The wolves didn't even get in each other's way as some of the wolves behind the "front line" jumped onto the backs of their comrades and attacked.
Susanoo and ODE had ten wolves biting and clawing at them, but they managed to hold the line for now.
Sinon used the time to aim at the second rock formation. Milion Howling was on cooldown, and she couldn't target the rocks with her other Sword Skills, so she had to use a normal shot. She hit the formation perfectly, but nothing happened.
The impact had to be somewhat strong for it to cause a rockfall. Doing this with normal shots proved to be harder than Sinon had thought. She clenched her teeth, wondering if there was nothing else she could do.
Tsukuyomi: Alright, the next shot should deal with this! We have to pull our weight, though, so get ready! Juni, we'll use AOE Sword Skills on the wolves that might remain. Kaito, focus on taking out those who have much HP left! Susanoo, ODE, we might need cover!
There was something strangely reassuring about Tsukuyomi's determined tone. It wasn't just his comrades, Sinon was also encouraged by it. They still trusted her to do this, so she figured that she should (literally) give it another shot.
Sinon fired another arrow at the rock formation, putting all her strength into the shot. It took a few seconds, but a few rocks broke loose, and it resulted in a severe rockfall within another few seconds.
When the rocks crashed into the pack of wolves, a few of them were taken out by the impact alone. There were also at least five wolves that got pushed over the edge and fell down the cliff.
Susanoo and ODE stepped to the side, creating a gap between them for Tsukuyomi and Junimenta to go through. Just as planned, they attacked the remaining wolves with their strongest AOE Sword Skills. They took out about a dozen wolves, and a few more ended up falling down the cliff.
Kaito followed them to make sure that the few remaining wolves wouldn't attack his comrades while they were vulnerable. Susanoo wanted to join in, shouting something about "not falling behind". ODE basically had to drag him back by his collar so he'd at least drink a potion before jumping into danger.
Meanwhile, Sinon shot arrows at the monsters when she got a free field of fire.
Killing all these monsters went almost too good. Sinon wondered if she should tell Argo about this. Information about using a trap like this could be valuable. Although… How would other players cause these rockfalls without the Sniping skill? Well, it was still something to remember.
Tsukuyomi finished off the last wolf. When it shattered into polygons, he took a deep breath of relief.
Tsukuyomi: We did it guys… [slightly determinedly] Good job!
Junimenta [slightly tiredly]: Yeah, that was close! [excitedly] But we did it!
Junimenta basically jumped at Sinon. The girl was so… lively right now that Sinon didn't know how to react.
Junimenta: That was amazing, Sinon-san! The way you've used that rockfall... You're a genius!
The other members of Ascending Moon joined in, and Sinon was a bit taken aback by all the compliments. It was a bit too much for her… but she guessed that it was okay to feel a bit proud of what she had done today.
The party returned to Nidorath. By the time they arrived, it was already evening, and the sun had started to set.
Junimenta [happily]: Ah, back at civilisation! I'm so glad that we made it back by dusk. [slightly terrified] I wouldn't want to be in that gloomy forest in the dark!
ODE [slightly cheerfully]: Hahaha! Knowing you, Juni-chan, the monsters probably wouldn't want to be with you in there in the dark! You gave them a harder time than the rest of us.
Junimenta [slightly annoyed]: Geez, ODE! You need to work on your praises for girls! That's not what they want to hear. You make me sound like a berserk.
Susanoo [dryly]: Sounds about right…
Junimenta: You know what also sounds about right? You going to bed without dinner today!
Susanoo [shocked, slightly defensively]: Hey, that's not fair!
Tsukuyomi: Well, keeping all that and Susanoo's fasting aside, it's good that we made it back while we could still see our surroundings.
Sinon considered this her cue. She had been completely silent on the way back, and except for the time she had spent helping with taking out the occasionally appearing monsters, she had been deep in thought the whole time.
Now she turned around, facing… nobody, apparently.
Sinon [sternly]: While we're talking about stuff we can and can't see, how about you show yourself now?! It's about time, I'd say.
For a moment, the members of Ascending Moon were just confused. However, that moment ended when the aforementioned "nobody" replied.
Akinym: Alright, alright!
Immediately thereafter, Akinym appeared on the middle of the street with a closing menu next to him. His sudden appearance surprised some of the members of Ascending Moon to the extent that they instinctively jumped backwards a little.
Tsukuyomi: A-akinym-san?! Where did you come from?
Sinon [dryly, slightly annoyed]: From nowhere, actually. He was there the entire time.
Tsukuyomi: Wait, "there"? What do you…
Sinon: I mean he followed us. He used the Hiding skill and followed us. I'm not sure when he started, but I'm pretty sure he left Nidorath with us.
Akinym: Well, that's pretty much the exact moment. I left, used Hiding and returned. Sure, I had to wait a little while you were consulting Argo-san, but aside from that, I was with you the entire time.
Tsukuyomi: Wait a moment… So the whole story about having work because of the Council was just a pretense? [slightly contemplatively] No, wait… There's something even stranger about this. How did you know he was there, Sinon-san?!
Sinon: Well, there were a few events that were suspicious once I thought about them. Occasionally, I had the feeling I'd hear noises behind us when we were in the forest, especially when that one monster caught me by surprise. [dryly] Seriously, giving yourself away like that… You were better at stalking before.
Tsukuyomi [very taken aback]: Wait, are you saying he does that a lot?!
Akinym [slightly sternly]: I had my reasons to stay out of this, but at the same time, I wanted to make sure that everything was okay. Using Hiding was quite suitable.
Well, he had a point. Akinym had been able to follow them closely without anyone noticing. His Hiding skill was too high for Sinon to discover him with her Searching skill yet, and by extension, none of the members of Ascending Moon was able to spot him. Furthermore, people normally wouldn't expect someone to use Hiding on a floor that provided natural camouflage. Not to mention that most of the monsters used sound to spot targets, which hadn't been a problem for Akinym since it had been necessary to be quiet anyway.
Ironically, this was also something that had come to Sinon's mind, and it had made her even more suspicious. For Akinym, who liked to use psychological tactics, this came in too handy.
Sinon [exasperatedly]: You should've just come with us in the first place! Seriously, what were you thinking?! This whole stealth operation was just weird. You've seen the problems we've had, and we could've used your help with them. And I don't mean kicking some pebbles down a cliff, hoping that I would catch on to the hint and use the rockfall against the monsters.
Frankly, some of the members of Ascending Moon were just confused, having no idea what Sinon was getting at. Akinym, on the other hand, wasn't even surprised that Sinon had figured out that he had been the one to use these pebbles to hint her at the rockfall traps.
Akinym [slightly annoyed]: That would've defeated the purpose! [slightly sternly] Besides, I was ready to jump in at any moment if necessary. Why do you think I almost gave myself away when you were attacked? In the end, I've still prioritised your safety!
Junimenta [slightly excitedly]: Oh, maybe it is Akinym-kun after all… [slightly contemplatively] He might be a little obsessive here, but also kinda protective.
Sinon [annoyed]: Watch your phrasing! You're giving her the wrong idea again! I don't wanna deal with that.
Akinym [exasperatedly]: Oh, please! That girl is obviously crazy and would jump to weird conclusions no matter what I do, so why would I even care?!
Akinym and Sinon's bickering didn't even give Junimenta a chance to complain. In the end, it was ODE – ODE's laughter, to be more precise – that made them stop.
ODE: You two are quite interesting, Akinym-kun, Sinon-san! I don't know when was the last time I met youngsters like you! [slightly reassuringly] But okay, if that's how you roll, we won't complain. If anything, we should be grateful for your help. [slightly contemplatively] Well, it seems that you have some stuff to talk about, though. You probably have to speak about what all this was about, but I guess this is none of our business, so we better get going. [cheerfully] Right, guys?!
Without hesitation, ODE basically grabbed the rest of the guild and shoved them away. Tsukuyomi overall agreed. Susanoo wanted to complain, but ODE didn't let him.
Junimenta called out to Sinon, thanking her again and expressing her hope to work again with her. And with Akinym, if possible. To be honest, Sinon wouldn't mind meeting some of them again.
For now, however, there were more important concerns.
Sinon [calmly]: You know, I think ODE-san has a point. [slightly sternly] You said joining us openly would have defeated the purpose. Well, what is the purpose?
Akinym took a deep breath and thought about how to bring the point across for a moment.
Akinym: It's not easy to describe, but basically, it was all about making you act more like a partner.
Sinon [upset]: What's that supposed to mean?! Was I supposed to to learn teamwork from them or something?! [slightly annoyed and insecurely] I know that I wasn't particularly good at this before, but…
Akinym [interrupting, upset]: No, that's not what I mean! Dammit, Sinon-san, will you ever stop acting so meekly?!
Sinon [slightly confused]: Huh? W-what do you…?
Akinym [sternly]: Whenever I'm trying to talk with you about our missions, you only think about what you could do better, and you always ask me for advice, nothing else! You… [slightly dejectedly] You act more like a student than a partner.
Sinon didn't know what to say. What should she even think? Wondering about this, Sinon realised that Akinym had a point.
She had never really thought much about it, but she still didn't really know how to act around Akinym. Yet it was important to work well with him. If nothing else, she still wanted him to help her with her… special problem.
Sinon knew only one way how to deal with Akinym. That is, as her instructor. Without even realising it, she still depended on him, probably more than advisable.
Akinym [slightly sternly]: I mean, you know how to talk back to someone. Why is it so hard for you to do that with me when it counts?! I get the feeling you're not trusting yourself to act as my equal, and… [slightly dejectedly] if that's the case, it's probably because I did discourage you more than anything else as your teacher. I can't really change that, [slightly determinedly] but as your partner, I also have a responsibility to make sure that you have the necessary confidence in your own skills.
Sinon [slightly insecurely and dejectedly]: Well, I guess you're overall right. But what confidence is there to have? Even today, I mostly just relied on you or others, whether it was knowingly or not.
Akinym: So what? Maybe you knew about things like the camouflage effect of the fog or how to fight the monsters in the cave most efficiently because of things I've taught you, and maybe you had the idea to use the rockfall against the wolves because I hinted you at it. That doesn't change the fact that you have to understand something in order to discuss it with others, let alone teach it to others! Not to mention that kicking some pebbles down a slope is not that much of a hint, so you still ought to give yourself some credit for coming up with that plan in the ravine. These players from Ascending Moon are basically veterans. Maybe not front-line veterans, but still players from the very start of the game, and you still kept up with them and even taught them something new! You're no beginner anymore, [sternly] so stop acting like one!
To be honest, Sinon was kind of intrigued by Akinym's declaration, but also a bit taken aback. To be fair, it was encouraging to hear her partner and former teacher say that.
Now that she thought about it, wasn't this kind of like back when she and Ascending Moon had defeated those wolves? Back then, she had been genuinely confident and even a little bit proud. Why change that now? Sinon actually felt a little bit silly because of these doubts now.
There was one thing she still couldn't really wrap her head around, though.
Sinon [slightly confused]: Why didn't you just say that? I mean, why the complicated plan about sending me out with these people?
Akinym: I'm not sure if that would've worked. [slightly insecurely] I wasn't convinced that words would've worked, at least not coming from me. If I knew how to get through to you with words, we probably wouldn't have that issue to begin with. [flatly] On a related note, telling you what to do when the whole point is that you shouldn't rely on me telling you what to do… It wouldn't make sense, right? [slightly determinedly] The important thing was that you would get the confidence to deal with me on equal terms, so I did what I thought would convince you that you're ready for fighting on the frontlines – to experience it yourself, seeing it with your own eyes. That's more my style, and I think it's the better course of action for a partner.
Sinon gave it some thought. Dealing with someone on equal terms… It reminded her of what she had thought about Kirito and Asuna's partnership when she had got the idea about teaming up with Akinym.
Akinym was right. She shouldn't act like a diligent student anymore. Frankly, she had had problems with expressing her thoughts and being open about what she wanted every now and then, but she was also able to state clearly what she thought, at least here in the virtual world, so she should probably do that.
Sinon: Well, now that you say that, there are indeed some things I have to say. Like our mission today. [slightly annoyed] You hardly told me to switch, although you should have! Didn't someone always complain that I shouldn't forget switching during my training? Maybe you two should have a chat about that. Not to mention that you were way too insistent to keep all monsters occupied. You should've trusted me to deal with one myself! Who exactly doesn't trust in my abilities here?
Akinym had gravely underestimated how aggravating Sinon's "input" could be. Frankly, it was downright annoying, and he wasn't really prepared for it…
Well, he had wanted it this way, hadn't he? There were still plenty of problems they had to sort out, both on the battlefield and outside of it. However, that was probably normal. Even Ascending Moon, a guild that had spent more than a year together in this world, messed up sometimes. It would take time, patience and cooperation. Now they had at least two of these things – for better or worse…
Akinym [exasperatedly]: Well, it's good to see you in the mood to talk about it. [seriously] After all, we better be ready for the upcoming battle.
Sinon needed a moment to remember what Akinym was talking about.
Oh, yeah… Right. Their debut as members of the Assault Team was coming up. The battle against the boss of the 89th floor...
...which will be featured in the next chapter.
Ascending Moon is "gone" for now, but they'll be back before long. In fact, if everything goes as planned, they'll appear in chapter 29 again.
I should probably mention that most of the monsters and mechanics of the 85th floor in this chapter were not taken from HF.
The same applies to Ullr's stats. I've just made something up that sounded good.