Phew, actually took me more than a day to write this XD Well, it's here now. Enjoy.

Chapter 36

The Black Swordsman's Vow

I slowly awoke the next morning. She was still sleeping next to me, her breathing soft and shallow. I didn't know why she was so thin…so ill… I placed my hand on her forehead. She seemed to have a normal temperature. She was still dead to the world, and despite her looking like she was on the verge of death, her sleeping face was so peaceful. I sighed, carefully getting up. As soon as she was awake, I would make sure she got something decent to eat. To be honest, this scenario was kind of weird. Was this what it was like for Holly, watching me starving myself after seeing Crystal again? Kimiko was the splitting image of Holly after all…it was hard not to think like that…and hate myself for putting her through this.

Before I headed outside so I didn't disturb her, my eyes drifted over the golden sword that sat on a side table. I hadn't used it since that day on the top of the Central Cathedral. I…didn't feel like I deserved to use the blade. It was such a beautiful sword, but with what happened when I got it, I didn't really want to use it. Besides, Dual Wielding in this world was really difficult because of the weight of both swords. Individually, the swords were light enough for me to wield, but together, they felt like they were going to tear my arms off. So now the sword sits there, as a reminder of my failure. Alice didn't want it back after all, claiming she wasn't a swordsman anymore. The Night Shadow Blade was my sword from my world anyway, and while the other Light might've been consumed by the memory trapped inside, I've been tortured by it for a year at this point. I could control the bloodlust.

Looking outside, it was still dark. Somehow I had woken up a few hours earlier than I usually did. I rubbed my eyes and headed over to the outskirts of the camp, carefully drawing the Night Shadow Blade.

I looked at it in my hand. It looked so innocent there, just like any other sword. But I knew the memory contained within; the darkest I've ever had. The one that tormented me for months. It shouldn't surprise me. This was her sword after all. I sighed, twirling it in my fingers. My face reflected in the crystalline blade, and for a moment, I thought I saw Crystal looking back. I couldn't really tell, because my focus was drawn to my eyes, which were now glowing purple.

"Oh shoot-" The sound of a few weapons falling over came from the supply tent next to me. I sheathed my sword and ran over as quietly as possible, not wanted to wake up anyone who wasn't already awakened by that disturbance. I ducked inside to see Kirito clumsily sorting through some weapons that he had obviously knocked over. "Oh…hey." He looked a little embarrassed he had been caught.

I smiled, walking over and muttering lowly. "Need a hand?"

"Thanks. Eldrie is going to kill me." He began sorting the small pile he had already picked up.

Because he needs another reason to hate you. I chuckled inwardly."I know this is pot calling the kettle black, but why are you up so late, and why in here?" I bent down and begun helping him pick up the fallen weapons.

"I was looking for a sword for Eugeo…" Kirito said, lining some spears back on the rack.

I felt my heart drop. Eugeo had sacrificed the Blue Rose Sword to allow us to defeat the Administrator. In fact, he was probably the one to lose the most in that fight. Yet I always found him smiling. He seemed genuinely happy that he had Alice back. I mean, I couldn't blame him. That girl just radiated an aura that made everyone happy. I guess Eugeo was just more positive than me, looking at what was gained rather than what was lost. Whenever I thought of that fight, all I could think of was Alice Synthesis Thirty, that spider, Cardinal…

"You okay?" Kirito asked. I realised I had been standing next to the sword barrel, staring into space. I shook myself out of it and went back to sorting through the weapons. "I know you have a million questions. But I don't think I have all the answers…" He looked genuinely sorry.

"It's okay…" I put some claymores on another rack. How much did he knock over?

"I was going to look for you at Rath. Holly found out you had been transferred there."

I froze when I heard her name. A million thoughts ran through my head at once. I selected one and took a deep breath. "How was she?"

"I couldn't understand everything…she just sounded worried."

I forced a smile. "As long as she's alright…that's all that matters."

Kirito began examining a sword, opening the Stacia Window. "Too brittle…"

I thought back to the golden sword in my tent. "Hey, I might have a solution."

He looked at me, curious. "What is it?"

"Tell Eugeo to drop by my tent when he wakes up." I said simply, a small smile on my face.

Kirito gave up his search for a sword at that point, instead focusing on cleaning up the few fallen weapons left. I just sat down, sighing a little.

A few moments of awkward silence began to build up. I looked at Kirito. He was such an anomaly to me. I felt the power he held behind his sword, the experience he wielded it with. Someone like that would've been insanely famous amongst VR players, even if he was from Japan. Some English players did cross over to Japanese servers, either to play against higher level players or to learn different strategies, so someone with this amount of experience should be at mentioned in the English VR space. And yet, I had never heard of his name. Not once.

"So…how did you get caught up in this mess?" I broke the silence.

Kirito sat down on a barrel. "I'm…not too sure to be honest. I only remember walking home with Asuna after meeting Sinon in Dicey Café…" His eyes lit up for a brief moment, as if remembering a fond memory. But soon it retreated. "I was working for Rath beforehand inside Underworld, trying to help them create a True Artificial Intelligence. But if I'm here, I'm not supposed to have my real world memories. I can't get answers, as the System Console isn't working."

I sat down opposite him. "You worked for Rath?"

"Yeah. I knew Kikuoka from some previous work I did for him in GGO."

I smiled at the name. It was nice to finally hear a game I knew. "I know GGO. I never really got round to playing it, but I've heard about players like Subtilizer."

"My friend Sinon fought against him in the fourth BoB on the Japan server." Once again, that spark appeared, but diminished again.

I suddenly realised what it was… I bet that spark appeared in my eyes hundreds of times since I got my memories back. I looked down at the ground. "You miss them too, huh?"

Kirito nodded slightly. "I love Eugeo and Alice and Ronye and Tiese…and all the people I've met here…but it's been two years since I've seen Asuna…and Sugu…Sinon…" His voice trailed off after that.

"I miss them too…" I could feel my heart getting squeezed, pain beginning to squeeze it. "I promised Holly I'd come home…and Carlson, Kristina, Sixty… All of them…" It stung hard, because of Leon's last message, which I opened just before Infinity collapsed. I hadn't even visited his grave yet…and I wanted to… Now I had survived the fall through Infinity, I wanted to so badly…

Kirito forced a smile, wiping his eyes. "We'll see them again one day… For now, let's focus on the people who are right in front of us."

I nodded, standing back up. "Yeah…" I could see the Eastern Gate through the flap of the tent. "They'll break the Eastern Gate, but I refuse to let them break the wall we'll create."

"Yeah…" Kirito didn't give an immediate response. "I wish we didn't have to fight at all…"

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Everyone single one of them are a Fluctlight, just like how every human is. They've been driven to raid the Human Empire through desperation. Quite frankly, it's a barren desert over there." He sighed a little. "If we had more time, maybe we could talk it out… If Administrator hadn't ruled over the Human Empire so tightly…"

I felt my heart stop for a second. "When you put it like that…"

Kirito sighed again. "And yet, now the only option is to fight." He looked at me with determination. "I want to try and get to the enemy commander and get them to stop the fighting. To work towards a more peaceful goal."

It seemed like such an impossible goal, but when he said it with that much conviction, I almost believed him. Well, if he thinks it's possible, who am I to stop him? After all…he's doing this to protect as many people as possible. "If the opportunity arises, then I'll do my best to help you."

He looked happy. "Thank you."

That look…it reminded me of Leon…

I slowly walked towards the tent entrance. "I'll bring Eugeo over in the morning."

"Cool. See you there." I exited the tent and headed back to my own. Apparently me and Kirito were the only two awake, which was a surprise considering the racket he caused. But I was happy, because I got back with no interruptions.

I ducked inside as quietly as possible, Kimiko still asleep in my bed. I grabbed a chair and sat down next to her. I carefully placed my hand on her head. She murmured a little before falling silent again. I took my sword off my back and sighed contently. It had been a while since I had met someone with the naïve belief that they could save everyone. It was…nice. In so many ways, Kirito reminded me of Leon.

I'm going to help you see your dream through this time…

That was the last thought I had before drifting off to sleep.

"Light…hey Light…?"

A voice stirred me from my sleep. "Five more minutes Holly…"

"Do I really have to go and get a bucket of water again?"

My eyes opened and I looked up to see Kimiko's bright sapphire eyes in front of me. I moved backwards in surprise, almost making the chair topple over backwards. She laughed, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "Very funny." I slowly got up, stretching my arms and yawning.

Now she was stood up properly, I could finally see what Kimiko looked like after all this time. My earlier observation was correct. She was extremely thin, obviously not getting enough to eat. Her clothes were tattered and ripped, like she hadn't changed in weeks…and to be honest, it smelt like it too… Despite that though, she was glowing with happiness, almost jumping with joy on the spot.

I gripped both of her shoulders, putting her down on the chair. "You have some explaining to do."

Immediately, that happiness seemed to dim, her eyes casting downwards. "I just…" She stumbled over her words for a few moments. "That image…of you being taken away by that Integrity Knight… It just kept replaying over and over in my head…and it's my fault…"

I pulled another chair over, sitting down in front of her. "It's not your fault. I was so desperate to get back my memories that it caused that to happen…" My right eye twitched a little upon recalling the duel. "But even so…" The words kind of got stuck in my throat. I wanted to tell her she was wrong to put herself through this torture, but I couldn't. Instead, I just hugged her. I felt her hands slip around my back. "Don't do that again…"

"I won't…I promise…" She whispered back. I felt tears beginning to drop onto my shoulder. "I thought you were dead…"

I smiled to myself. The Light you knew did die… Even though it was the truth, I couldn't say that to her. "I wouldn't die… I said I'd see you again…even if it isn't in the place we said."

She let out a short laugh. "Well, it was me who said I would see you again, but let's not sweat over the small details."

I separated from her. "Here…" I reached into my pouch and removed her Swordcraft Academy uniform. "I looked for you in Vetal, so I picked this up while I was there…"

"Don't you know it's rude to look through a lady's drawers?" She feinted anger.

"Well maybe you should've put it in your drawers then." I shot back.

She laughed. "Alright…I'll go and get changed."

"And something to eat." I said quickly.

"Yes mother." Kimiko rolled her eyes. She quickly exited the tent before I could hit back.

I couldn't help but smile. It reminded me of the days at the Swordcraft Academy, especially during the first year. I walked over to the mirror and sighed as I looked at myself, the purple cloth of the Integrity Knight armour still on me. I was getting fed up with the look of it… "Maybe I should look in the armoury for some new armour myself… I'll ask Bercouli about it later…"

The flap of my tent opened. "Hey Light, you up?"

I turned to see Kirito's black sleeve peaking under the flap. "Yeah, I'm up." I picked up the golden blade.

I was expecting Kirito and Eugeo, but I wasn't expecting their pages to come along as well. Both had been given a chestplate each and some metal kneepads. "Apologies for the interruption Sir Knight!" The red-haired girl said quickly, bowing. The brown-haired girl mirrored her, her hands occupied with holding a box.

I smiled at both of them. "It's okay. It's only natural you'd be joined at the hip of your mentors. What should I call you?"

"Tiese Shtolienen sir!"

"Ronye Arabel sir!"

"Call me Light then."

They both nodded, but stayed at the entrance to the tent. I turned my attention to Eugeo. He looked at the golden sword in my hand nervously. "Is this why you wanted to see me?"

"Yeah…" I held the sword horizontally with both of my hands. "I doubt I'll need it during the war to come…if I could even pick it up with the Night Shadow Blade. And you need a sword after you own broke…"

Eugeo forced a smile. "It's slowly repairing itself. It should be useable."

"It's best to be sure." I presented the sword to him. "Please, take it."

He hesitated for a moment, looking to Kirito who simply nodded, before accepting the sword. He drew it from the sheath, rolling it in his hand. I took a step back, knowing what was coming next. He gave it a few practise swings before sliding it back in the sheath. "It's heavier than the Blue Rose Sword…but I can use it." The blade was clipped onto his belt and he bowed. "Thank you."

"No problem." I smiled, glad the sword was going to be put to good use.

Kirito patted Eugeo on the shoulder. "See, wasn't so bad."

"I know…but it's just…it was Alice's sword." He looked a little saddened.

I looked down. "I'm sure she would be happy it was being used to defend her home…"

Eugeo thought for a moment, then nodded, determination on his face. "Thank you Light. I'll use it."

Kirito looked over at Ronye who came forward with the box. "And this is for you." I frowned, taking the box with a small bow of thanks. I slowly opened the lid… "I looked for a bit longer in the armoury after you left and found this. It's probably better suited for you than that Integrity Knight armour."

I lifted up the purple jacket. It was beautiful… Holding it out in front of me, the helm reached down to my thighs. The edges were lined with gold. It…almost reminded me of my Dragonscale Armour… Also inside the box was a simple black shirt, belt and gloves.

It was just some clothing, but I couldn't help but smile at it. "Thank you…"

"We'll see you at breakfast." Kirito said before walking out, soon followed by Eugeo, Ronye and Tiese.

I just stood there, admiring the jacket for a few more moments. I put it down in the box and let out a sigh. "Guess I won't need to ask Bercouli after all…"

I'm not going to lie, ever since I started this project, I was extremely nervous about writing Kirito. It's why I took so long to have him in the story. A problem I have with a lot of fanfictions, and especially SAO fanfictions, is that characters are often completely different compared to their original, either because the author doesn't understand the character, doesn't like the character, or they just don't care enough. Kirito is probably the best example of this. It's very rare I see someone really try to get him correct, thinking he's too overpowered, or is a bland character. I did my best, and hope he's authentic to the original.

Anyway, mini-rant about other fanfics over. Kimiko has finally returned. I was very happy to go back to how she was before her memory loss. Well, nearly back. Having that little moment between her and Light was heart warming. Both had been through a lot. Kimiko blaming herself for Light's arrest, nearly starving herself if it wasn't for Lilith. I'll be sure to continue their friendship during the War.

Reviews:

kazukimirato: Thank you, I'll do my best :)

blackbutterfly1313: Hehe...I hope that tension will carry over to every moment where Light and Kirito are in danger during the War 3

ZelotArchon: Thank you so much. I hope I'll keep up the momentum. Hope you enjoyed Lycoris :)

I won't ramble for too long. I hope you enjoyed. If you're interested, you can see Light's WoU design on my Twitter Account, No_LandBeyond. I post artwork there, and some of it is from this story.

Thank you so much for reading, favouriting, reviewing, etc. As always, until next time, Stay Cool.