A/N:

This chapter's a bit of a change of pace compared to what you've seen so far. For literally 10+ chapters at this point, we've focused on the events leading up to the formation of the Resolute Renegades and their struggles on the frontline, but what's happening in the real world during this time?

If you were hoping for a continuation of the adventures in Aincrad, fear not! Next week, we'll be jumping back into Aincrad.

On another note, I may end up uploading on Thursday evenings from now on. My personal schedule is changing somewhat and staying up late to allow for a midnight upload might not necessarily fly any more. Sleep deprivation sucks. It'll still be uploaded by the time Friday rolls around, so that should hopefully be alright.

With that said, I present to you Chapter 29!

"Mom, when's the last time you talked with Mr. Seijirou?"

Scrolling through an online SAO forum, Suguha Kirigaya looked up from her laptop screen in the hopes that her mother would answer her. For the past several weeks, Suguha had been actively monitoring the various forums online concerning the death game. With her brother still trapped - though thankfully still alive - in SAO, Suguha had taken every opportunity to learn as much as she could about the game. Its mechanics. Its terminology. Its current population.

More importantly, Suguha was interested in the people on the front line.

Despite Kikuoka Seijirou's strange silence on the matter, she'd found at least some of the information she was looking for. If nothing else, she could say that her research skills had improved immensely from her interest in the matter, which was ironic. She hated researching when it came to her schoolwork, but didn't mind it one bit when it came to her brother and his online friends.

Suguha's face twisted into a pout as she craned her neck, looking over the rim of the couch to see what in the world her mother was up to that would warrant ignoring her question.

"Mom?" Suguha asked, irritation beginning to creep into her voice.

"Yeah, honey?" Midori asked, obviously distracted with something in the kitchen.

"I asked if you talked with Mr. Seijirou lately." Suguha stated, eyeing her mother's head bobbing up and down as she walked to and fro in the kitchen.

"Can't say I have, no." Midori admitted. "I thought you were already talking with him?"

"I haven't been able to get ahold of him for weeks, not after I left that first voicemail." Suguha said rather dejectedly. She turned her attention back to her laptop. "You don't think he's ignoring my calls, do you?"

"He's probably a very busy man." Midori said casually as she opened the refrigerator. She must have pulled out something liquid, because Suguha heard something slosh. "He is in charge of the rescue efforts for over 7,000 people. I imagine that doesn't leave a lot of spare time."

"I guess that makes sense." Suguha admitted, mostly to herself. Being responsible for nearly 8,000 comatose people would be a heavy burden for anyone to carry, especially when a small portion of those people are constantly in the limelight.

"Why did you want to talk to him again?" Midori asked.

"I want to try to track down the friends and families of the players Kazuto's fighting alongside." Suguha said as she scrolled through another forum page. This one seemed to be less of an analytical perspective on the frontline players and more of wanton fandom. This particular page focused on Kazuto himself, or rather Kirito as he was called in-game. She couldn't say she blamed them, really. He'd already made a name for himself as one of the leaders of the frontline, using his impressive skills in combat and his knack for strategy to turn the tide of battle.

Nevermind what he said before, he'd have made one hell of a Kendo practitioner.

His guild was much the same way, having become one of the premier fighting forces in the month since their debut on the 4th floor. Now they were on the 5th floor, easily on equal footing with powerhouse guilds like the Aincrad Liberation Squad and the Dragon Knights Brigade. That, Suguha learned, was in large part due to the very unique members that made up The Resolute Renegades.

Kirito, or Kazuto as she knew him. The Beater. Leader of the Renegades. Arguably one of the most proficient swordsmen on the frontline, possibly the entire game.

Asuna. Vice-leader of the Renegades. Easily the quickest player in the game, so much so that the game engine itself couldn't render her attacks fast enough.

Sinon. The Archer. At the moment, the only archer on the frontline, though many wondered how long it would be until more joined her.

Leonn. Strangely enough, no titles to speak of but the only maul user on the frontline. Definitely one of the strangest tanks Suguha had ever seen or heard of, and a powerhouse in his own right.

Liz. The blacksmith, though she was quickly beginning to earn a new title: "Battlesmith". It was fitting, given her role as a front line tank and as the only blacksmith to conduct repairs mid-battle.

Geeou. No title, but many on the forums started calling him Kirito's apprentice due to their similar fighting styles.

Nautilus. Again, no title but a formidable swordsman in his own right. Some speculated he'd be able to contend with Kirito one day as top swordsman.

Yuna. The songstress. The bard. No one had seen or heard her play music mid-battle, but the lute strapped to her back was a dead giveaway about what she did in her spare time.

Silica. The dragon tamer. The youngest Clearer but arguably the most unique, owning a small dragon familiar that was capable of healing allies. What she lacked in strength she made up for in speed and utility.

"Suguha?" Midori asked, breaking the teenager out of her trance.

"Sorry, what?" Suguha asked, shaking her head as she came back to reality.

"I asked you why you were trying to track down those people." Midori said, bringing two cups of hot chocolate over to the couch. She carefully handed one over to Suguha before sitting down herself on the other end of the couch.

"Thanks." Suguha paused to take a sip of her drink, only to recoil at just how hot it was. "Ahhh, hot."

"Well I just finished making it, of course it's going to be hot." Midori said with a chuckle. "Well?"

"Over a month ago, I saw two people at my school mourning over their friend's tribute at the front gate. She was an SAO victim." Suguha said, frowning at the unpleasant memory. "No one else was grieving. No one else cared. I want to reach out to those connected to Kazuto's friends. I want to get to know the people helping keep Kazuto alive, even if it's indirectly. Maybe we can even build a kind of support network or something, in case something..."

Suguha's eyes started to get blurry with tears, but her own pride kept them from falling. Midori gave her a sympathetic look and rested a hand on Suguha's knee, gently rubbing it with her thumb.

"I know." Midori said, looking down solemnly. "We have to have faith that Kazuto's going to come out alive. You know just as well as I do that if anyone's going to clear that terrible game, it's him and his friends."

"Yeah…" Suguha said with a slight smile and a sniffle. "He's so strong, he's already got a fan club."

Midori's eyes brightened up at that. "No way, really?"

Suguha let out a laugh. "Yes, really! God, could you imagine the look on Kazuto's face if he heard he had fans? He'd be mortified!"

The Kirigaya women both laughed at the ridiculousness and the irony of the situation. Kazuto, their own resident closet shut-in, having his own fan club and being famous worldwide. It was probably a good thing no one had deduced his real identity because they'd probably get bombarded with fan mail were that the case. All this because of a stupid game.

She needed that. A good laugh.

It was now a week later, and Suguha was talking on the phone with Shinichi. They'd spent an hour on the phone talking about the latest floor boss broadcast, that being the 6th floor boss. Shinichi, in typical fanboy fashion, could not stop gushing about the frontline players and the tactics and strategy they used to defeat the boss, an enormous floating cube of all things. Suguha wasn't quite sure what to make of the geometric floor boss at first, and almost underestimated it before she saw the toll it took on her brother and the other Clearers. Fortunately, no one died, but it had clearly been a hard fought battle nonetheless.

"Alright, I've gotta go, Shinichi." Suguha said, looking to wrap up the call. "Mom and I are going to go visit Kazuto. Talk to you later?"

"Talk to you later." Shinichi responded. "Tell your brother I said hi."

Suguha giggled. "Sure, will do. Not that he's going to know who you are. Or even hear me, for that matter."

There was a laugh on the other end. "Well get going then, don't want you to be late."

"Alright, see you." Suguha said, clicking the off button and hanging up.

While she was at first hesitant about revealing her brother's identity to Shinichi, she no longer had any reservations about it. True to his word, he never once shared Kazuto's identity to anyone at school, and to her knowledge hadn't even told his family. That didn't dispel his fanaticism when it came to her brother's achievements, but she could tolerate that since she was almost just as impressed as he was. It was nice to have someone to talk to about these things that wasn't her mother.

Suguha looked at the clock on her phone and realized she was running late. They said they were going to go visit Kazuto at 4:00 PM, and it was already 3:50. He was at least 15 minutes away, and while the hospital didn't have a visiting schedule, per se, she knew she would hear about her tardiness from her mother. Quickly, she changed into some more suitable clothes and rushed downstairs.

"Sorry Mom!" Suguha said, her voice undulating slightly as she went down each step in a hurry. "I was on the phone with Shinichi talking about the 6th floor… oh."

As she came to the foot of the stairs and rounded the corner, she saw her mother on the house phone, a stern look on her face. That expression sent a shiver down Suguha's spine. That couldn't be good. Her mother was usually a fairly upbeat person. With her son comatose due to a video game, she sort of had to be. Suguha was all too aware of the brave front her mother was putting up for her sake, so watching it slip away did not bode well.

"Mom…?" Suguha meekly whispered. She could already feel her eyes watering up.

"Thank you, Mr. Seijirou." Midori said, nodding her head. "We'll be over as soon as we can."

There was a pause as Midori listened further. She was obviously on the phone with Kikuoka, who apparently was not done talking with her. Suguha strained her ears, trying to see if she could hear something, anything coming from the phone itself.

"Oh, well thank you." Midori said, her expression shifting to one of surprise. "We'll be there shortly then, I suppose."

Midori hung up the phone and turned around to see a mortified Suguha standing in the entranceway to the living room, clutching her handbag so tightly the leather was starting to creak.

"Mom… is he…?" Suguha whimpered out, fighting back a deluge of tears.

Midori's expression softened. "He's fine, Suguha, but we need to go. I'll fill you in on the way there."

Suguha let a sigh of relief escape her lips as she wiped away her premature tears. Good. Kazuto was still alive, but that only raised more questions. Why had Kikuoka called? What was it that had made her mother look so serious? If it wasn't life threatening, why did it seem so urgent that they leave to go visit him now?

Midori picked up her purse and led Suguha out the front door. While Midori locked the front door, Suguha looked out onto the street to see a conspicuous black car parked out front. Based on the black-suited man standing near the doors to the back seat and the earpiece attached to the side of his head, she could only assume this was a government vehicle that had come to pick them up.

She knew Kazuto was alive, but this did little to ease her worry.

"Come on, Suguha." Midori said, leading the duo out to the black car. The government man opened the door for the two of them, allowing both to climb into the back seat.

Suguha turned to her mother. "Mom… what's going on? We've never been given a ride to Kazuto before. What changed?"

The car slightly lurched forward as it began driving off. Midori turned to her daughter. "Kazuto's been moved."

During the remainder of the car ride, Midori explained to her daughter the 'why' surrounding Kazuto's move. Apparently a few days ago, there was an attempt on one of the Clearer's lives. After assuring her that neither Kazuto nor his friends were the target, Midori continued, explaining that the suspect had gotten ahold of the real-life identity of the Clearer in question and decided to enact their own vengeance on behalf of one of the thousands of deceased players. Fortunately, the suspect was apprehended before they could do any damage or cause injury, but it caused a fair amount of concern.

After the incident, it was decided that all of the higher-profile players, namely the Clearers, were to be moved to a high-security medical facility for their own safety, with visiting rights limited only to immediate friends and family, with the former of the two categories being subject to rigorous background checks first.

That was where they were en route to now, an unnamed medical facility. It would take longer to reach than Kazuto's previous hospital, but that was a sacrifice the Kirigayas were willing to make if it meant Kazuto remained safe while he was trapped within SAO.

About 45 minutes later, they arrived and were escorted inside. After being given some directions by the front desk receptionist, the Kirigayas found themselves in a large room with multiple tables and chairs set up. It definitely wasn't a room for patients, but clearly one designed to house large volumes of people for large meetings. Probably for doctors and their important medical-type meetings, Suguha mused to herself. There were a number of other people in this room as well, none of them Suguha recognized but they did all look strangely familiar in some way or other. Her attention shifted as Kikuoka himself entered the room and walked to the podium up front.

"Thank you all for coming, especially on such short notice." Kikuoka began, adjusting his tie as he did so. "As you all know, due to an attempted attack on one of the Clearers some time ago, it was decided to move them all to a secure facility for their own safety. I'm sure you would agree that we cannot afford a repeat of that incident."

There was a murmur of agreement in the room. After a few moments, it died down and Kikuoka continued.

"The reason we have brought you all here today is to further apprise you of the situation and to inform you of the various changes we've made for added security." Kikuoka continued. "Before we go further into detail, however, I do want to address at least one major question that's probably on your mind right now. Yes, every other person in this room is a family member of a known SAO Clearer."

There was, yet again, a murmur that spread throughout the room as everyone looked around at… well, everyone else. Suguha looked around frantically to see if she might recognize anyone. If these were Clearer family members, maybe she could figure out parents or relatives based on similar facial features. Something, anything that could help her with making contact with the family members of the Renegade members.

"To that end, some of you have requested to make contact with the friends and families of the players fighting alongside your own loved ones." Suguha could have sworn that Kikuoka shot her a wink as he said that, but the moment passed and he continued. "That said, we will not force anyone to reveal their identities, nor the identities of those they are related to if they do not wish to do so. We simply wanted to facilitate these connections if you so choose to make them. Before you leave here today, you will be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement that prevents you from disclosing the location of this facility to anyone else, as well as a number of other safeguards to ensure the privacy and security of everyone involved in this operation."

Well, that was convenient. Suguha chuckled to herself at the irony of the situation. For well over a month now, she was stressing about trying to track down these people and about Kikuoka ignoring her, only to have the opportunity handed to her on a silver platter. She wasn't so naive to assume that every person she talked to would be willing to make regular contact, but this was an opportunity she just couldn't pass up.

"Now for other important matters." Kikuoka said, clearing his throat as if preparing for a long-winded explanation. "In the interest of privacy and security, each Clearer has been given their own room and has been assigned their own private nurse, who is responsible for their continued health and well-being. We recommend you exchange contact information with the nurse responsible for your Clearer so that they can provide you with regular updates on their health. There will be round-the-clock security presence patrolling each wing and there will be heightened scrutiny when it comes to visitors. You have all been pre-screened and approved, though anyone else will have to go through rigorous background checks, and must be recommended by you. That means even the media can't get in here."

Suguha smiled. They really pulled out all the stops when it came to the safety of the Clearers. She supposed it was a worthy investment from the government, when she really thought about it. These players were the ones spearheading the efforts that would ultimately lead to the release of thousands of other trapped players, so at the very least this was a good investment on their part. She supposed it was a good thing Kazuto was a Clearer since now it afforded him extra benefits in the real world.

"Now, before we escort you all to your respective Clearer's rooms, we wanted to afford you the opportunity to meet the other families." Kikuoka said, closing a folder in front of him. "If you do not wish to reveal your identities, please meet me outside this room in the main lobby and we will immediately escort you to your loved one's rooms. For anyone staying behind, simply speak with the receptionist up front when you are ready."

There was an immediate flurry of activity as what was easily over a hundred people got up from their seats. Most of the people in the room opted to stay, but a good portion of them immediately left the room, obviously choosing instead to avoid pleasantries and see their loved one as soon as possible. Suguha couldn't exactly blame them; she wanted to see Kazuto more than anything right now but right now was an opportunity she knew she wouldn't get again. He wasn't going anywhere right now, anyway. She turned to her mother.

"Mom, if it's alright with you, I want to see if I can meet the families of Kazuto's guildmates." Suguha said, a look of determination in her eyes. "I can meet you in Kazuto's room in a bit."

"No." Midori shook her head, which sent a wave of disappointment through Suguha's body. "I want to meet them too. I want to get to know the people who are helping keep our Kazuto safe."

Once those who wanted to remain anonymous left the room, several men in suits entered the meeting room and placed small signs on some of the large circular tables. Upon closer inspection, Suguha found that each sign had the name of a major Clearer guild on it. Clearly Kikuoka had taken her idea and ran with it, making it almost stupidly easy for her to connect with the people she wanted to meet.

"I thought you said you couldn't get ahold of him." Midori said, looking over at a smiling Suguha.

Suguha laughed. "I couldn't, but it looks like I didn't need to. Either he was already planning this or decided to take care of everything himself."

She and Midori eventually found the table labeled as "The Resolute Renegades" and took a seat. They were the first to find the table, apparently, since it was another minute before two men and a woman approached their table. The two men looked cordial enough, approaching with warm smiles, whereas the woman looked either distracted or dismissive; it was clear she didn't care to be here. Based on their suits and dress, it was clear that this was a wealthy family, or at the very least very business-oriented.

"Hello." The younger of the two men greeted, extending a hand to both Suguha and Midori. "My name is Kouichirou Yuuki."

The older man stepped forward and also offered his hand. "I am Shouzou Yuuki and this is my wife Kyouko. Kouichirou tells us that my daughter is a member of this… guild, is it?"

Midori shook both of their hands. "Pleasure to meet you. I am Midori Kirigaya and this is my daughter Suguha. My son is also a member of this guild."

Suguha found it odd that her mother didn't mention the fact that Kazuto wasn't just a member, but the leader, but decided against pressing the issue. Correcting her publicly like this would not have made for a good first impression. Before she could get a word in edgewise, an older gentleman approached the table. He sported a pair of glasses and a neatly trimmed beard. Like the trio that came before him, he was also dressed in a suit. Suguha suddenly found herself feeling very underdressed for the occasion.

"Pleasure to meet you all." The man said with a bow. "My name is Tetsuhiro Shigemura, and my daughter appears to be a member of this guild."

The table quickly filled with about a dozen other people, who similarly introduced themselves but did not explicitly mention the identity of their loved one. Once the table filled and it became clear that no one else would be joining, there was an awkward air of tension hanging over the table. Suguha nervously looked over at the others; it was clear that a variety of individuals and lifestyles were present at this table and no one really knew where to start.

Midori cleared her throat, instantly grabbing the attention of the table. "I suppose we'll start, given our… unique… position, all things considered. My son Kazuto - or as you might know him, Kirito - is the leader of this guild. My daughter has been eager for the opportunity to meet you all."

Suguha quickly (and nervously) stood up, feeling she needed to say something. She gave a deep bow. "Umm… it's truly a pleasure to meet you all!"

Speaking in front of a class of her peers? No problem.

Meeting this group of mostly adults, whose children were trapped in the death game alongside her brother? Terrifying.

Shouzou was the next to stand, just as the Kirigayas took their seats again. "We'll go next, then. My daughter Asuna is apparently the vice-leader of this guild. I will admit, we've had high expectations of our daughter and her potential, but we certainly never imagined something like this!"

That seemed to gain a few laughs and chuckles around the table, helping to diffuse some of the tension. The only one not laughing or at least smiling seemed to be his wife Kyouko, who Suguha noticed was definitely frowning.

"I take it that your daughter also used her real name as her avatar name, then?" Tetsuhiro asked. "My daughter Yuna did the same thing, oddly enough."

There were a few uncomfortable chuckles this time, and the rest of the table went around and introduced who their respective Clearer relatives were. Strangely enough, the only guild members not represented at the table were Leonn and Sinon. Most of the people around the table were very open and friendly, some even praising Kazuto for his quick thinking during some of the recent boss fights. Just as the conversation was coming to a natural close, Kouichirou, Asuna's brother, turned towards Suguha.

"Suguha. Sorry, is it alright if I call you Suguha?" He started before she nodded, signalling her permission and a cue to continue. "Your mother mentioned earlier that you were eager to meet us, but Kikuoka didn't mention this little meet and greet until today."

"Well…" Suguha trailed, mildly uncomfortable at the amount of attention she was receiving at the moment. "I asked Mr. Seijirou some time ago if I could get in touch with you all. I wanted to get to know the people that Kazuto's entrusting with his life on a daily basis. I can't talk to them myself, so I wanted to get to know them through you all."

"I think that's a great idea." Kouichirou stated, smiling warmly and looking around the table. "I see no reason why we can't exchange information and keep in touch. I'd like to learn more about the young man leading our loved ones to freedom, myself. The same goes for everyone else represented here at this table."

There was a flurry of agreement around the table. Soon enough, nearly everyone at the table had exchanged phone numbers and emails. There was even talk of some lunch dates going around, and Suguha even discovered that Geeou's sister Sulinea attended the same school she did and was even in the same grade, so now she had another person to talk about the game with aside from Shinichi. Overall, it was a fairly productive meet-and-greet, in Suguha's opinion.

She'd have to thank Kikuoka later for making it happen.

About an hour later, Suguha found herself sitting in the back seat of yet another black government vehicle. She, as well as her mother, sat in relative silence as both took the time to process everything that had happened today.

Not only had they received all possible assurances that Kazuto would be receiving the best care and protection that the Japanese government had to offer, but Suguha's goal of connecting with other Clearer families had been realized.

The only other notable event that evening was learning where Kazuto himself was staying. Funnily enough, his room was stationed right next to Asuna's, a coincidence Suguha found oddly fitting. Inside they'd met Nurse Aki Natsuki, who was the nurse assigned to personally care for Kazuto. She was a rather tall and lithe woman with stunning straw-colored hair. Suguha thought the nurse could have been a model if nursing didn't work out for her.

After a brief conversation, the Kirigayas also learned that Aki had spent time in the military as a nurse, so no doubt she was trained at least in some part in combat and self-defense. It was simultaneously frightening and flattering to see the government go to such lengths to keep the Clearers safe and secure.

"Well, I think that went well." Midori said, breaking the silence of the car ride. "They were all very pleasant people, and you're right. We got to know the players fighting alongside Kazuto through them, and I feel better already."

"Yeah." Suguha said, a smile plastered on her face as she stared out the window. A sudden frown crossed her face as a thought occurred to her. "Though Mrs. Yuuki didn't seem particularly thrilled to be there."

Midori sighed. "It certainly seemed that way. I wouldn't pay too much mind to it, though."

"What do you mean?" Suguha asked, turning away from the window and back to her mother.

"Not everyone handles grief and stress the same way." Midori said, giving a slight shrug of the shoulders, almost as if to pantomime the uncertainty she was talking about. "She seems a very calm, controlled, and reserved woman under normal circumstances. The Yuukis seem very well-off, so she probably isn't the most expressive woman due to her social status. She's probably having difficulty processing everything."

"I guess that makes sense." Suguha admitted, bringing her attention back to the scenery speeding away outside.

"At least you found someone else your own age there, right?" Midori asked, changing the subject. "That Sulinea girl seemed nice."

"Oh, Geeou's sister?" Suguha asked rhetorically. The two girls had hit it off almost immediately. Suguha was looking forward to chatting with her in the coming weeks, both at school and out of it. "Yeah, it was really nice to meet her."

"Definitely a unique name, Sulinea." Midori murmured. "Sounds foreign."

"Well yeah, Mom. Never mind the name, her blond hair was a bit of a giveaway." Suguha said with a laugh. "She did tell me that her and Geeou's grandparents were originally from Europe, though, so that explains it."

"Well, in any case, I'm glad things worked out the way they did." Midori said with a nod, just as their car pulled up alongside the Kirigaya household. "You did a good thing, Suguha. You should be proud."

"I didn't do a thing, Mom." Suguha said with a chuckle. "Mr. Seijirou made this meeting happen."

"Mr. Seijirou may have pulled the strings to make it happen, but bringing everyone together was your idea, Suguha." Midori clarified. "The families of the individual guilds may have kept to themselves for the most part, but you've helped build support groups and communities for these people. This whole SAO mess is tough on every one of us, but you've made dealing with it just a little bit easier."

Suguha felt a sense of pride well up from deep inside. She had helped, at least in some small part. With her brother fighting on the inside, Suguha finally felt that she was doing her part on the outside. Granted, she wasn't fighting titanic boss battles and struggling to survive every day, but she took solace in the fact that she was helping the survivors' families and helping to mitigate the damage Kayaba selfishly caused.

As the Kirigaya women got out of the car, Suguha heard and felt her phone go off, alerting her that she'd received a text message. Actually, it was probably text messages - plural - given how much her phone was shaking and screaming from within her pocket. Frantically, more out of annoyance than impatience, Suguha pulled her phone out of her pocket and read the messages she'd received.

(7:57 PM) Shinichi - They're taking on the 7th floor boss already! Are you free to watch?

(7:57 PM) Unknown Number - Hey, it's Sulinea! I know this is sudden, but our brothers are fighting the 7th floor boss! Did you want to watch it together?

Suguha felt completely validated. This was it. The fruits of her labor. Up until now, people like Sulinea only had their immediate families to go to, unless they were fortunate enough like Suguha to have other close friends. More cynical minds might say 'misery loves company', but to Suguha this was strength through unity. She tapped several times on her phone screen before bringing the device up to her ear.

"Hey Sulinea! Yeah, I'd love to watch it with you. I've got a friend who I usually watch these with; do you mind if he joins us?"

A/N:

Yep. I may have snuck a time skip in this chapter. As much as I might like to go floor-by-floor for the entirety of Aincrad, we'll be here for years if I decide to do that and the last thing I want is for this story to drag on longer than it needs to.

I mean, we're almost 30 chapters deep at this point and we haven't even passed floor 10. I hope this "real-life" POV shift was a smooth(er) way to allow for a time skip. There will definitely be more time skips in the future, but they'll be interspersed between actual narrative chunks so it doesn't feel like we're jumping all over the place like the anime did.

In any case, lemme know what you guys think. See you next week, where we'll pick things back up with floor 8!