Party Status

LOL: lv.6, equipped with [Anneal Blade]

Lisbeth: lv.6, equipped with [Anneal Blade]

Argo: lv.7, equipped with [Wolf Fang Claws]


Calm before the storm

The many corridors of the Floor 1 Labyrinth were long, dim and slightly damp. If you listened closely, you could hear the echoing of footsteps.

Or in this case, the rapid stamping of feet as we darted around our opponent.

Screeching madly, the grey entity swung its large labrys with reckless abandon. It was probably no coincidence that the bigger kobolds were at the top of their hierarchy, and the [Kobold General] was the size of an adult elephant.

My heart stood still as the double-headed axe passed precariously near my face, cleaving through the space I stood seconds ago. Seeing the creature rear back for a second strike, I gritted my teeth and dropped into a stance.

Here goes nothing!

A silver flash, a blue blur –

The ear-grating sound of metal scraping against metal filled up the hallway. My legs buckled but with every ounce of my strength I parried the heavy blow.

"Switch!" Liz's sword carved a fine red line on the beast's greyish belly. Aiming at the laceration she just made, Liz then jammed her weapon into the kobold's gut. Hand in glove, marker pen in cap, shining blade into gaping wound. The Kobold General cried out in pain as it backpedalled.

"Get 'em Argo!" she yelled.

It's all yours.

The behemoth was not unprepared: it waited for the whiskered girl to get close before unleashing a mighty slash. Argo dropped to the ground, avoiding the attack with room to spare. Using the momentum from its sideward swing, the Kobold General spun around to deliver a devastating downwards blow. Argo leapt to the side, not even flinching as the axe crashed down near her.

Surely, she must've had the wickedest smile as the claw-shaped weapons on her hands glowed orange.

First with the left, next with the right, six gaping wounds all deep and wide;

Arms drawn back then she thrust both forth, with a pained cry the kobold died.

In spite of its great size and strength, the Kobold General was slain by a trio of lowly humans. Its last moments must've been a pitiful combination of agony and humiliation.

Wow! I've never seen a three-hit Sword Skill.

"Whew! That was a rough fight." Panting, Liz rested against the hallway's stone wall. A satisfied smile graced her face. "L, how's your sword holding up? It took some pretty heavy hits."

Although a damaged weapon could be repaired by a blacksmith, a destroyed one would be lost forever. My Anneal Blade wasn't a common weapon sold in NPC stores so I had to be mindful of its durability.

"Not great. Fortunately I have a backup." I wiped my forehead with my forearm and sent the battered blade back to my inventory. The rapier I obtained recently materialised in its place.

"You guys actually got good! I'm so proud," Argo praised us. "Kids sure grow up fast these days … "

"You say that, but there's still a huge gap between us. In fact, that gap's gotten even wider now," I replied, eyeing my mentor's claw-like weapons. Although Argo was already a terrific knife-wielder to begin with, the crafty fighter was on a whole new level now that she was armed with her favourite tools.

"Nah. I bet you two will catch up a lot quicker than ya think."

"Doesn't seem fair to bet on myself," Liz said. Her breathing had returned to normal. "I'm ready to continue if you guys are."

"Cool, let's keep going."

"Hold it. I'm lovin' all this enthusiasm, but aren't ya'll pushin' yerselves too much? Take it easy," Argo told us in a reprimanding tone. "Last thing I want is anybody passin' out from exhaustion. Let's call it a day."

"Yeah, you're right." "Sure, we've done plenty."

Our timing couldn't have been better: on the way back to town Argo received a message from her friend requesting to meet up as soon as possible.

"Apparently Claws got somethin' urgent to share with us. Do ya remember him, L? We spoke with him for a bit on the first day."

"He's the dude with a voice deeper than the Mariana Trench right? Wasn't he in the Town of Beginnings? How'd he get here so quickly?"

"Ya forgot 'bout the Teleport Gates, didn't ya."

"Oh right."

A handful of settlements on each floor housed teleportation portals which enabled players to travel between those towns or cities instantaneously. Once a player activated the teleportation gate of a specific town, the entire playerbase would automatically gain access to that area. This made life a lot easier for everyone.

"Let's grab a bite later. I'm starving! Might treat myself to a little extra ~ " Liz had been in a good mood all day; the same could be said for myself. We were elated to be with Argo once more.

"Sure, sure. That's good and all, but – "

"Hiiieeee!" Liz squeaked as Argo suddenly pinched her waist.

"Better watch yer weight, flabby!"

Shit. That was cute.

The surprised yelp turned a few heads. Argo snickered as the embarrassed girl elbowed her. Liz turned her gaze downwards, trying her best to ignore the stares from her fellow players.

"At least there's hope for me. Better to be a little chubby than to be trapped in the body of a nine-year-old forever," Liz muttered.

It's so much fun to watch people squabble.

"Oh really!? Ya know what? Yer so dumb, yo mama hung a bell around yer neck and called ya a dumbbell!" Argo retorted with a pout.

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"Because yer dumb!"

"Alright children, kiss and make up. Liz, you'll have to bend down for Argo to reach." I grinned as the girls each gave me a finger: one thumb and one middle finger. No points for correct guesses.


"Hey Claws! Oh, yer here too."

Clausewitz adjusted his glasses as he got up from his chair. The younger, slightly shorter blue-haired teenager next to him perked up upon seeing Liz and me.

"Hello! Do you remember me? We met in Splitura Village," Diavel said cheerfully.

"Of course! You're literally the only person I know who has blue hair. How're you doing?" Liz asked amicably. It was a pleasant surprise to see him so soon.

"I'm great! Actually, I've got some good news to share with you guys – but I'll let him do it." Diavel gestured to the bespectacled young man.

"Good evening LOL. I've been looking forward to our reunion." Another meeting, another handshake with the stoic male, though this time he wore a faint smile. "You look different."

"Thanks for being the very first person to comment on my appearance without making fun of me. I'm glad to see you again, K-Kulazwits? Kulasswisch? Um – "

"Just 'Claws' is fine. I'm painfully aware that my username is hard to pronounce in Japanese," he said with a sigh. Argo mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "I told you so". Claws then extended his hand towards Liz. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lisbeth. Your reputation precedes you."

"Nice to meet – wait, I have a reputation?"

"A stellar one. Argo sings your praises often. I've not heard her gush over anyone so much before. Of course, this applies to you as well LOL."

"Yup! She also told me a lot about you guys," Diavel added. "She was like a really proud parent. I wish my parents acted like that sometimes."

"Aww, is that so? Arrrrggoooooo, I didn't know you cared sooooo much!" Liz purred teasingly. For a split second our dear mentor looked a little bashful.

"Shaddup. Claws, get to the point already."

"If you insist. Earlier today, Diavel's party found the Floor Boss room." The adolescent paused to allow the news to sink in. "The boss raid will take place very soon. Prepare yourselves well."

Finally. Here's our chance to make significant progress.

According to Claws and Argo, the first Floor Boss was [Illfang the Kobold Lord], a bulky behemoth wielding an axe and a shield. Its movements were relatively slow and predictable but the creature was immensely powerful, as expected from a being built of muscle, rage and possibly steroids. Illfang had a total of three health bars. Upon losing two thirds of its health, the creature would discard its axe and shield for a large talwar, a sabre with South Asian origins. During this second phase its attack speed would increase and its patterns would change drastically.

"Three health bars!" Liz exclaimed in dismay. "That's more than the number of fucks I have to give on any given day."

You're speaking for both of us.

Apparently, fighting the ginormous death machine with an axe as large as a truck wasn't bad enough because Illfang would be accompanied by multiple [Ruin Kobold Sentinels]. Equipped with a mace and heavy armour, a new group of these human-sized monsters would spawn whenever one of Illfang's health bars was depleted. Naturally, these kobold minions required sufficient manpower and attention.

"It bears repeating that this information is based on our experience during the beta test so it may be outdated. Stay vigilant, and be prepared for unexpected scenarios," Claws warned us. He deliberately made eye contact with Argo and Diavel as he spoke.

"By the way, that bit about Illfang having three health bars is accurate. I confirmed it with my own eyes," Diavel added. "I'll hold a meeting in Tolbana Town tomorrow to recruit people for the boss raid. If it all goes well, we can go kick Illfang's ass the day after. In the meantime I've got a whole bunch of stuff to take care of. Sorry Argo but I'll need your help. Again."

"Sure, no problem. L, Liz, can ya do me a favour?"


Liz and I sat on the stone base of a fountain. Argo asked us to deliver something to a friend of hers and we were waiting for said person to arrive.

"Nervous about the boss fight? I know I am," I said while tracing circles in the refreshingly cool fountain water.

"Right now I'm fine but the anxiety will kick in later. It'll hit me like a truck and I'm not looking forward to that." Liz clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"I'm sure the boss fight will go well as long as we aim for Illfang's teeth."

"Why the teeth?"

"Because it's ILL-fang."

"Push me and I'll drag you into the fountain as well," I warned with a grin.

"It might be worth it. It just might," came the exasperated response. I dipped my entire hand in the water and flicked a few droplets at her.

"Excuse me. Are you LOL?"

A boyish face, black hair, a sword strapped to his back and a long-sleeved shirt. Yes, this boy fitted Argo's description to a tee (do people still say that? Damn I feel old).

"That's me. You must be Kirito. Hang on, I've got Argo's notes right … here."

"Hmm … so many people on the diversion team? I guess she wants to play it safe. The rotations are quite basic. We could change it up a bit – no, it's better to keep things simple. Who knows if the new players even know how to switch … " Kirito murmured to himself. It didn't take him long to read through the tactics Argo and the others devised for the boss fight.

"Everything's fine. I don't have anything to add to this. If there's nothing else then I'm leaving," Kirito said curtly. His desire to end the conversation was evident from his body language. Some people might've found his brusqueness irritating.

"Actually, there is something else," Liz spoke up. "Do you know someone called Klein? Friendly dude in his twenties, wears a red bandana?"

"H-how do you know him? Is he alright?" Kirito's attitude did a one-eighty from disinterested to, well, interested.

I suppose name-dropping is an eternally useful technique.

"Don't worry, Klein's perfectly fine. We were in his party for a week, that guy's real fun to be around," Liz recalled fondly. Kirito was evidently relieved to hear that his friend was doing well. "He's in Tolbana Town as well. You should go pay him a visit."

The young teen seemed troubled by her suggestion. "I can't."

"Why not?" I asked. Kirito hesitated for a moment.

"I abandoned Klein on the first day. I can't – I don't deserve to see him, not when I left him behind when he needed me the most." Kirito's voice was laden with guilt.

For someone who was supposedly abandoned, Klein certainly didn't seem to mind.

"I don't know what happened between you two but if it bothers you so much then go apologise and talk it out with him. Klein's a reasonable guy, I'm sure he'll listen to whatever you have to say," Liz suggested.

"Why do you even care? I-it's not like this is any of your business."

Somebody sounded slightly uncertain. Not so good at acting cold, are we?

"Because we promised Klein that we'd look out for you. And I hate breaking promises," I interjected. "Look, I assume you want to speak with Klein at some point right? Or do you seriously plan to avoid him throughout the entire death game?"

" … I want to speak to him. But I – "

"I understand how you feel. However, the world won't wait for you to be ready. Accidents are unfortunately common in death games." Whether I'd struck a chord or a nerve, it appeared that my words hit their mark. Kirito considered my words silently. "Ultimately it's your choice. Just remember that some regrets last a lifetime."

"You're right. I'll go see Klein," he relented. I resisted the urge to celebrate.

"Perfect!" Liz chirped. "Klein should be free now. I'll let him know we're coming."

"Wait, we're doing this right now?" Kirito asked, surprised.

"Do you have to be somewhere else?" Liz responded with her own question.

"No – "

"Then let's go. Stalling means procrastinating, and we all know what procrastinating leads to." With that we set off.

"Hey, um, can we not go this way?" Kirito piped up after some brisk walking. The path ahead went through the market area. I quite enjoyed strolling past the stalls and taking in the scent of baked bread and ripe fruit.

"What's wrong? Isn't this the fastest way to get there?" I asked.

" … Never mind. It's fine, let's go." Contrary to his words, Kirito certainly didn't seem 'fine'.

"No, there's no need to force yourself. Let's go around the marketplace, it's not like we're in a rush," Liz spoke up before I could say something similar.

"Thanks."

Guess he isn't good at asserting himself. Still, what was that about?

Klein was waiting for us in front of an inn. Kirito froze up upon seeing him.

"Hey, don't get cold feet now," Liz said as she slapped Kirito on the back. I gave his shoulder a quick squeeze. Despite his trepidation, the boy willed himself towards his impatient friend. No words will do Klein's reaction justice but I do not exaggerate when I say that the good man's face lit up like a light bulb.

"Kirito buddy! It IS you, right!? Dude, it's been ages!" Klein threw an arm around the nervous teen's shoulder and pulled him in for a one-armed hug. Not wanting to ruin the moment, Liz and I hung back and watched.

"Yo Klein, so you're still alive?"

What kind of greeting is that?

"Am I glad to see you again! I was really worried when you left on your own that day but I should've known you'd be alright. I mean, this is you we're talking about!"

"Listen, about that day. I'm sorry I bailed on you. I think about it from time to time," Kirito apologised solemnly. Klein's response was to ruffle his black hair, earning a surprised yelp from the boy.

"Dude, there's no need to apologise! I was the one who told you to go ahead, remember? The only thing you should be sorry about is not coming to see me earlier – but that's fine! You can make up for that right now."

" … Thanks man."

"Come on, I'll introduce you to the others!" Klein merrily dragged Kirito into the inn. The wooden door slammed shut behind them loudly.

"Hmm. I have the stinking suspicion that we've been forgotten," Liz commented dryly.

"I think I understand now. This is an anime, Kirito's the protagonist and we're just unworthy side characters."

"You're not even a side character. Heck, you aren't even canon. You're just a badly written fanfic character who'll fade into obscurity."

That felt strangely personal.

"You aren't much better. You're so insignificant, you're only in the opening for a split second. I bet you get like one episode of meaningful screen time. If there's a second season, you wouldn't even be in the opening."

"They sell merchandise with me on it. You can't even make the official character popularity polls."

"Shit. Can't argue with that." At that moment Kirito popped out of the inn. Wearing a sheepish expression he brought us inside the building.

Long story short, we all had a good time.


Message Log

From: Argo

Text: Yo. Soz but can't join u guys tmw morning. Kii-bou caught wind of a suspicious rumour so we gonna investigate. Don't forget Diavel's meeting, I'll see u 2 there


Diavel chose to hold the boss raid conference at a decently sized theatre (or amphitheatre?) on the northern side of Tolbana Town. By the time Liz and I arrived, somewhere between thirty to forty players had gathered in the area. We managed to find Klein's party sitting next to the stairs and joined them.

"Hi guys! Want some popcorn?" Dale asked as he held up a bag of snacks.

Huh. My immersion in this fantasy-medieval world is now ruined.

"It feels a little weird eating popcorn outside of a cinema." In spite of her words Liz grabbed a handful as she sat down.

I soon spotted Kirito on the other side of the theatre. He was speaking with the hooded figure next to him – a friend from his beta tester days, I assumed. Argo was right behind him. Upon spotting us, she tapped Kirito on the shoulder and pointed in our direction. The swordsman waved while lil'-miss-whiskers blew us a kiss. Liz placed her hand behind my head and raised both index and middle fingers to give me 'bunny ears'. I stuck out my upper teeth and made the silliest face I could.

The chatter died down as Diavel confidently walked onto the theatre stage.

"Listen up! I'll be starting the conference now!" Diavel announced, clapping his hands. Perhaps it was the theatre's design but the sound of his clapping seemed to echo throughout the stadium. "Thank you, everyone, for responding to my invitation. My name's Diavel, and my class is … informally, knight!"

Apparently that was a joke because some people laughed. A few others openly mocked the self-proclaimed knight. Diavel gestured for the crowd to quiet down.

"My party found the boss room on the highest level of the labyrinth!" Diavel declared. He allowed his audience a moment to digest the vital information. "It's been two weeks since this fucked up death game began. You've all done well to endure for so long! Now's the time to beat the Floor Boss and move on to the 2nd Floor! As the best players of SAO, we'll show everyone else that this death game can be cleared! It's our responsibility to do so! Don't you agree, everyone!?"

Wow! He changed tones at the drop of a hat. Guy's talented.

The enthusiastic cheers and loud applause would make a politician jealous. Diavel was clearly leadership material, if his ability to inspire people was any indication. It was reassuring to have him lead the way.

"Hold on a second!"

Hmm? Whoever that was sounded quite angry.

The cheering stopped. All eyes fell on a short yet solidly built man who carried a large sword on his back. I don't quite know the specific word to describe the colour of his spiky hair but it was a mixture of brown and orange.

"Look, dude has a cactus growing out of his dome," Dale whispered. Klein and H1 started giggling.

"Nah, that's actually Bowser Jr.'s shell. He killed one of Bowser's sons just to make a hat, man's a savage!" Dynamm said in a hushed tone. Liz laughed into her hand. Klein bit his arm to stop himself from bursting into laughter. H1's giggling got louder.

Finally! They're making fun of someone else's hair for once.

If Diavel was annoyed about the sudden interruption, he hid his emotions brilliantly behind a mask of curiosity.

"My name's Kibaou! I gotta get something off my chest before the boss fight." Everyone watched him questioningly as he inhaled deeply. "Show yourselves you cowardly beta testers! C'mon out and apologise to the two thousand people who died so far!"

Wait, what?

"You assholes abandoned us beginners at the start of this shitty death game! Those two thousand people died because you were too busy hogging all the easy quests and good hunting spots to help them! Get down to your knees and apologise, you selfish bastards! And give us all your money and items while you're at it!" Kibaou must've popped a vein with all that screaming. If he were any more furious, the short man might've been frothing at the mouth.

And this is why we can't have good things.

Perhaps Kibaou once suffered at the hands of a beta tester. Maybe the man witnessed a group of beta testers doing evil. Regardless, he had no right to propagate blind resentment towards the beta testers as a whole. They, too, were struggling to make it through each day. More importantly, what benefit was there to dividing the playerbase right before the boss battle?

Almost immediately the audience members began discussing Kibaou's words. It was difficult to pick out individual opinions among the cacophony of voices but I got the impression that most people were confused about what was going on.

"What a dumbass. Like anyone's going to do that," H1 sneered.

"Is this guy fucking serious?" Klein muttered under his breath. Dynamm quickly grabbed him by the arm before he could go give Kibaou a piece of his mind.

"Don't be reckless. You'll make it worse," Dynamm warned.

Liz stole a glance at Argo and Kirito. Our mentor's whiskered face was hidden under her hood while the swordsman tried his best to act inconspicuous. Acting was not one of his many strengths. Diavel wore a neutral expression as he observed his fellow players. The blue-haired beta tester was probably contemplating how to regain control of the meeting without potentially exposing himself.

All of a sudden, the chatter died down. A third person – a muscular, dark-skinned giant of a man – joined Diavel and Kibaou on the theatre stage. The latter couldn't help but shudder as the colossus stepped towards him.

Good lord, that man is huge!

"My name's Agil," the newcomer declared. His voice, deep and powerful, carried no hints of a foreign accent. "Kibaou. You're basically saying that the beginners died because the beta testers didn't help them, so they ought to apologise and pay reparations. Did I leave anything out?"

"N-no, that's everything. Do you know any beta testers?" Kibaou, who was shorter than the average Japanese male, had to crane his neck just to look the much larger man in the eye. The crowd watched with bated breath as Agil produced a familiar booklet and held it up for everyone to see. I doubt anyone failed to recognise Argo's strategy guide.

"Do you know what this is, Kibaou?"

"Yeah, that's the guidebook everyone's been reading. What about it?"

"Tell me, has this guidebook ever been useful to you? Would you say that it helped you to stay alive?"

"What's your point!?" Kibaou demanded. He was probably stressed out by Agil's piercing glare.

"The people who created these strategy guides were beta testers," Agil announced matter-of-factly. It was satisfying to see the colour drain from Kibaou's face. "Listen, information from the beta test was available to everyone. Yes, many people died, but that was also because of mistakes on their part. Anyways, we're holding this meeting to discuss how to defeat the boss, not to antagonise our fellow players."

Knowing that he'd met his match, Kibaou could do nothing but shut up and sit down. Having made his point, Agil also returned to the stands. I resolved to keep an eye on the large man; surely a sensible, bold individual like him would make a great ally down the road.

What followed was a lengthy discussion of Illfang's abilities and our strategies for defeating it. By the end of the meeting, our raid party of approximately forty people had been split into four groups:

First of all, the vanguard consisted of anyone confident enough to play as a tank. Diavel was at the helm of this group; I thought it was a nice gesture for our de facto leader to put himself at the forefront of the raid party.

Secondly, Agil led the team of damage-dealers. Their role was to seize any openings created by the vanguard to attack Illfang as much as they could. Physical size mattered less in a world where stats reigned supreme but some players did find it reassuring to have one of the biggest, buffest individuals in the game leading the way.

If I remember correctly, Kibaou was in charge of the third group. The members of his team were to act as backup for both the tanks and damage-dealers, taking their places when the situation demanded it. Ideally this support group would be composed of well-balanced players who could manage both offensive and defensive playstyles; in reality, I suspect half the players in Kibaou's team were those who couldn't decide which group they wanted to be in.

Last but not least was the diversion squad. As the name suggested, this group was responsible for dealing with the Ruin Kobold Sentinels that spawned at various points of the boss fight. Nobody was keen to take charge so a middle-aged man called Godfree volunteered to act as the leader. Frankly, his mannerisms were a bit over the top but I applaud his willingness to take the lead.

Dale nudged H1. "Buddy. You good?"

" … I'm going back to the inn. See you guys later." The younger male walked off without another word.

I don't blame him. I'm feeling antsy too.

"He'll be fine, just give him some space. It's not like he's the only one who's afraid," Klein told us. Perhaps it was our concerned expressions which prompted him to speak.

Predictably, most people were reluctant to join the vanguard. As a result the Diavel-led team of tanks was short of a few players while there was a shortage of spots on the other squads. With the situation at an impasse, Klein's four-man band involuntarily volunteered for the unwanted positions.

"Does anyone want to go kill some monsters with me?" Dynamm asked.

Liz raised a brow. "You're going without a full party? Is that alright?"

"Don't worry, I'll stick to the area right outside the safe zone. If I keep myself busy, I won't have to think about the boss fight," he said with a wink.

"I'll stay. Knowing him, he'll want someone to talk to," Klein spoke while looking in the inn's direction.

"Guess I'll keep Dynamm company then. I could really use a distraction myself. Catch you all in a bit."

And so Klein was the only one left from his group. The man sighed as he massaged the bridge of his nose. "Man, this is the first time I'm not excited for a boss fight."

"Good luck tomorrow. It sucks that you guys were forced into the vanguard," Liz remarked.

"Thanks. And it's alright, I'd be a shitty adult if I let some kid take my place. Well, I gotta go. There's a chicken skewer with my name on it. At least stress-eating has no consequences in this world. In case I don't see you two before the boss fight, stay safe out there."

"You too." "Take care Klein."

Is there anything I can do for them? Even if it's something minor, I want to help.

Argo and Kirito were on Godfree's diversion team. It may seem incomprehensible that such capable fighter weren't leading the charge against the Floor Boss, but the diversion team was in fact the raid party's lifeline: this group had the unspoken duty of ensuring that our escape route was clear. Additionally, the two beta testers were secretly instructed to act as they saw fit should things go south, and being on the diversion squad allowed for a convenient perspective to survey the battlefield.

This also meant that Liz and I were part of the diversion squad. It was a nice arrangement since our mentor could keep an eye on us in what would be our most difficult battle thus far. Hence, Argo was understandably surprised when I later asked her if I could switch teams and join Diavel's vanguard.

" … You serious? Why?"

"Klein, Dynamm, Dale and H1 are part of the vanguard. I want to be with them for the boss fight," I answered.

"They're the four dudes ya were travellin' with, right?" I nodded. Argo scratched her neck. "Look, I understand how ya feel. But, in a boss raid like this, it doesn't really matter if yer with them or not. I'm not implyin' that yer weak or anythin', I'm just sayin' that one person very rarely decides the outcome of a boss fight."

"Oh, I'm fully aware that I won't make much of a difference. I just want to help share their burdens a bit. They're good people, but they're also quite nervous and, well, I can't ignore them. Like you said, it shouldn't really matter whether I'm in the diversion team or the vanguard so what's the harm?"

" … Ugh. Fine! I'll work somethin' out," Argo said with an exasperated sigh. "But ya have to promise me somethin'."

"Go ahead … "

"Don't try to be a hero. Beatin' the boss doesn't mean jack shit if you're dead." Argo rarely looked so serious.

"Look at me Argo. Do I even look like a hero to you?"

"Fair point." The whiskered girl sighed again. I got the distinct feeling that I was a detriment to her health. Liz looked uncertain throughout the entire exchange but she chose not to voice any misgivings.

"Hey Argo, wasn't there something else you called us here for?" Liz asked. We were currently standing next to the teleport gate in Tolbana Town.

"I was 'bout to get to that. We're goin' back to the Town of Beginnings, I wanna introduce ya two to somebody."

The Town of Beginnings, huh? It's been a while.

I was mildly surprised to see a trade window pop up before me. With a questioning look I accepted the hooded cloak Argo gifted me.

"Put those on and equip yer weapons. The Town of Beginnings isn't a safe place anymore," Argo warned us.

"How come?" "What happened?"

"People were runnin' out of Cor by the start of week two. Some desperate idiots thought robbin' other players would be safer than leavin' the city to fight monsters. It got pretty ugly for a couple days but I'm told that the situation's mostly calmed down now. It's not like there'll be a thief lurkin' in every corner waitin' to ambush us or somethin', though it's better to be prepared," Argo explained.

My commiserations to those who stayed. They deserve so much better …

"This is a lot to unpack. I'm glad I chose to leave," Liz remarked.

"Yeah, that was a wise decision. And now we're goin' back there. Don't worry, if someone tries anythin' ya can bet I'll beat 'em black 'n blue."


I suppose three armed, hooded figures didn't make for appealing targets. We reached the stone church in the Town of Beginnings without incident.

"Come on in! It's good to see you again Argo."

"Heya Sasha, I brought ya two babysitters."

Babysitter? I'm not very good with children.

The once empty place of worship now became a shelter for the children trapped in SAO. There was somewhere upwards of thirty children altogether: the youngest seemed no older than eight while the oldest were probably around … Eleven? Twelve? The 'headmistress' of this 'orphanage' was Sasha, a young yet motherly lady who was close friends with Argo. The bespectacled woman wore a modest navy blue dress and her hair was a deeper shade of brown than Liz's. Acting as a surrogate mother for thirty-something children must've been a very trying task; I deeply respected her willingness to shoulder this heavy burden.

"Here you go." Sasha placed a warm cup of tea before me.

"Thank you." Entertaining the children was much more tiring than expected and I soon found myself needing a break. Argo probably brought us here to unwind before tomorrow's boss fight.

"Good luck with the boss raid tomorrow. The children and I will be rooting for you." Sasha's voice was soft and soothing. I could listen to her speak for hours.

"Thanks. What's it like looking after all these kids? It can't be easy doing that on your own."

"It's definitely demanding but we've been able to make do so far. I'm not the only one doing all the work here; the older children have been very helpful, and we wouldn't have lasted this long without Shuichi supporting us."

"Shuichi?"

"Oh, you call him Clausewitz don't you. I can't leave the children unattended so Shu – Clausewitz's the one who makes sure we have enough money to buy food and pay rent."

So that's what he's been doing all this time. Damn Claws, you're a legend.

"Argo mentioned that things were pretty bad in the Town of Beginnings a few days ago. Apparently some players got desperate and attacked other people?"

"Yes. I will never forget those days as long as I live," Sasha said despondently.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm being insensitive. Let's change topics."

"Thank you, but I'm fine. Although it's upsetting, there's value in talking about what happened." Sasha sipped from her cup of tea.

"After the first week many players were on the brink of destitution. Some of them formed hunting groups and began to make a living battling monsters. But some people chose to give up. There is a cliff five minutes away from the Town of Beginnings which was a … popular spot for them."

I don't think it's a coincidence that there's a cliff's nearby. Quite a cruel design choice. Or is it mercy?

"Then there were those who turned on their fellow players. The worst of these people formed marauding bands and went around town harassing – in some cases assaulting – whoever they could find. Some of the marauders even tried to break into this church. Thankfully these doors and windows are indestructible, but they kept banging on the doors well into the night. The children were very frightened."

"Oh no. I'm so sorry you and the kids had to go through all that. I can't imagine how terrifying it must've been."

Without Sasha, where would these children be now?

"In the end, the marauders were a minority. The other players managed to band together and exiled them from the Town of Beginnings. It was an extremely violent afternoon; even behind these thick walls, we could hear the fighting and the chaos," Sasha recounted sombrely. "Since then there's been way fewer cases of players attacking one another but I'd hardly call the Town of Beginnings a safe place. It was also around this time that the beta testers began to be hated. A lot of people were suffering, and when people suffer they look for someone to blame. The beta testers happened to be an easy target."

" … Hey, Sasha. Can I give you a hug?"

She smiled. "Yes, I think I could use a hug."

Claws and Sasha were able to change people's lives for the better. They were living examples of the person I aspired to be.

If I can even do half the things they did, my time here will have been spent meaningfully.

"Um, Sasha? It's time to prepare dinner."

The speaker was a little girl whose hair was tied into twin tails, courtesy of a pair of red ring baubles. She glanced at me questioningly; I smiled and nodded at her.

"Oh! So it is. Let's talk later, I have to cook now." I gestured for Sasha to go ahead with her business. She turned to face the little girl. "Silica, this is my friend LOL. Please keep him company."

Silica was an outgoing child and had no problem speaking with a stranger like me. The curious little girl soon began asking me about a variety of things, ranging from the monsters I fought to the places I visited and the people I met. Nothing encourages a speaker more than an enthusiastic listener, and I found myself regaling her with anecdotes of my friends and my travels. Of course, I kept the darker bits to myself.

" … No, you can't play with my Anneal Blade. However, you can try this if you want."

"Can I really drink this?" Silica stared uncertainly at the health potion in her hands. Surely the red liquid must've looked quite ominous to her.

"Yup! It's actually delicious. It kind of tastes like … watermelon juice, yeah. Go ahead, take a biiiiiig gulp. I bet you'll like it."

"I love watermelon juice!" Silica told me cheerily. She happily uncorked the vial and poured the disgustingly bitter fluid into her mouth.

Sweet, sweet victory.


Omake: Two men walked into a bar

Despite working tirelessly for countless hours, the elderly barkeep continued to prepare beverages at the beck and call of his customers, his face showing no signs of exhaustion. Though the other NPCs had already 'retired' for the day, the bearded old man would still be active for the next hour or so.

"Here's you mead laddie." Klein nodded appreciatively at the barkeep. There was no need to thank the NPC for his services but he was too preoccupied to care.

His alcohol tolerance was not the best (Dynamm called it "pitiful") and he could ill afford to take on a Floor Boss while hungover, but Klein knew that he would not get any sleep without some alcohol in his system.

If I die tomorrow, will I have lived a worthwhile life?

… Shit. I can't let it end like this. I won't let my parents see my corpse.

He took a good swig from his mug and set it on the table with more force than intended. One way or another, the four of them were walking out of that Floor Boss room.

No, it was the five of them now. LOL would be fighting alongside them as part of the vanguard.

"It'd be super lame if I told people that I fought in the Floor Boss fight without actually fighting the damn thing," the teenager said while twirling a loose strand of hair. Klein noticed that he had acquired this habit ever since the grey dye was applied to his hair and eyes.

"Dude, you've got ninety-nine more Floor Bosses to get up close and personal with. What's the rush?" Dale pointed out.

"Yeah, but you always remember your first. Besides, at this point it's a done decision. Hope you guys don't mind me tagging along for the ride."

Klein had not lived twenty-four years without learning to read between the lines. He was aware that LOL likely chose to transfer teams for their sakes. Regardless of how his dumb pride felt about being worried over by someone younger, he most certainly appreciated the teen's sentiments.

"Yo. You're in the raid party aren't you." Klein looked over his shoulder to see a familiar dark-skinned man.

"Yeah. My name's Klein, I'm part of the vanguard."

"I'm Agil. I'm with the DPS team."

"We all know who you are man. By the way," Klein quickly glanced around to make sure nobody was listening, "thanks for standing up for the beta testers during the boss meeting. A good friend of mine is a beta tester, so …"

"Think nothing of it, that was the least I could do," Agil replied with a dismissive wave. "Mind if I join you?"

"Take a seat! I'll buy you a drink. What d'you want? I recommend the Tolbana Mead if you haven't tried it yet."

"Well, I am in the mood for something light. Guess I'll have to give it a try!" In no time a second mug, filled to the brim, appeared on the wooden table.

"You're one of the squad leaders for tomorrow, got anything inspirational to say?" Klein asked with a smirk.

"Putting me on the spot? I see how it is. Alright, real talk: everything will be fine once the fighting starts. Have faith in your abilities, you wouldn't be here if you aren't good enough. For now just put up with your nerves. Scary things are scary, not much you can do about that."

"And how do you put up with your nerves? Asking for a friend."

"Well, it's not much but I think about other people who're going through the same stuff as me. Right now it's two in the morning. At this moment, I'm sure somebody's worrying about the same things we're nervous about. Call it schadenfreude if you want, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one dealing with all this BS. You get what I mean?"

"Yeah. Hey, that was a really neat answer! I'll drink to that." The two men clashed tankards.

"This is pretty good." Agil polished off his mead in a few gulps.

"Glad you like it."

"Hit me up tomorrow. We'll celebrate after we kick Illfang's ass. First round's on me."

"Shit, I ain't gonna say no to that! Don't you fucking dare die tomorrow."

"Ha, I'll do what I can." The two men chatted briefly before Agil decided to turn in for the night.

Now I've got one more reason to stay alive. Not that I'm complaining.

Klein downed his drink and returned to his room. He was blessed with a restful sleep.


A/N: Apparently popcorn is one of the world's oldest snacks.

Argo switches between 'you'/'ya' or 'your'/'yer' depending on how fast she's speaking. For the most part she's a very fast talker.

In this story Klein is 24 and Agil is 29. I made them older than their canon counterparts (22 and 27 respectively) since the age gap between those two and other characters factor into their interactions.

I want to focus on Kirito's social awkwardness and loner tendencies, and how the people around him react to his traits. Regardless of what you think of canon Kirito, I hope that my portrayal of him throughout this story will do the character justice.

Stay safe and have a wonderful day! Or whatever's left of it.