Chapter II: To Four Swords


2nd December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Dungeon

Today has got to be a pretty weird day.

Granted, he's already experienced quite the weirdness in real life these few months, but he's sure that things got crazier the moment he stepped foot into this death game.

He reunites with a friend from IRL in this game, whom he assumed to be suicidal and apathetic to the point that she chose to fight simply for the sake of doing so in order to not waste away in the Town of Beginnings (that was partly a blind guess, so he's glad(?) that he got that right), which didn't really make her any better than they were.

And then he had the dumb idea to give a stupid motivational speech in order to kick Asuna's gears into high gear, just to motivate her past her inaction and lack of trust in herself and others.

What mattered now was for her to be more confident in herself and carve a path that she could be proud of. It was to that extent that he invited her to join him and his friends, going so far as to making a party with her and Argo—something he would have never done before, or even thought of doing.

Jeez. People change, but he didn't think he changes this much.

Well, all's well. Asuna's not alone and risking herself out in the wilderness, Argo's where he can see her so that she doesn't end up doing anything crazy, and Vabel's following him everywhere just as always.

"On your right!"

"Got it!"

Watching the girl fighting with her rapier is a spectacle all on its own. How she seems to dance around the enemies, darting in and out to unleash countless blows that end up with the monsters quickly expiring.

That's her playstyle, it seems, and it's not bad. Argo's a pretty vicious fighter herself too, while Vabel seems more reserved. But once she goes in for the kill, she certainly doesn't hold back.

'Yeah, I've got a pretty good team,' feeling pretty great about himself, he unleashed a quick «Horizontal», taking out a group of Nepentheses. "Get ready, the fruit one is gonna' spawn some more of its kinds! Gain some distance, and prepare your strongest «Sword Skills»!"

He's never had to actively work in groups before, but this isn't so bad of a change.

"Understood!"

"Ya' got it, Kii-bou!"

"Awaiting your command."

Yeah, he can probably get used to this.


It took a while, but at the end of their little grinding session, Kirito was pretty sure that he was close to hitting the [Lvl 7] threshold. The other girls weren't doing so bad either, though it made him somewhat curious to know just what was Vabel's own level.

She had, with a little bit of trouble, managed to convince Asuna of her strange situation, though it did take some fire show. And a bit of explanation on her part, though she was certainly being elusive by avoiding certain things.

He really wanted to know just what was going on with her, but oh well.

Right now, they were just chilling in the outskirts of the village, eating some bread that Kirito had managed to purchase prior to today. Good food is a medicine for a lot of things, but really, just eating something made him feel normal enough. Sure, they were disconnected from reality, but having to do something normal was something he could appreciate enough.

Although, it would be nice to get some nicer food in the future.

"So Argo," he called out after having finished swallowing his bread. "About that guy that you mentioned yesterday."

"Huh? Oh, right," nodding, she finished the rest of her bread before speaking again. "Got some info about him from some of my sources. Name's Diavel. A pretty passionate guy, from what my sources said about him. He's the right person for the job, I'm sure of it."

A passionate guy. The sheer opposite of himself, which makes him perfect. "If you say so."

"Pity. We wouldn't be able to witness you delivering the speeches then," for some odd reason, Vabel sounded dejected. "You were quite amazing from earlier, Kirito. You certainly knew how to evoke confidence in oneself, and it was quite motivating."

"Let's… not talk about that," the memory of the incident literally moments ago does its work and makes him embarrassed, turning his gaze away with a click of the tongue as his face reddens somewhat. "Well, as long as he knows how to control a crowd, I suppose."

Seriously, who knows how many people were going to be there tomorrow.


2nd December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Tolbana

After some rest, the group of four continued their session of training and fortunately, no one were in any form of danger. Well, they did take a little bit of damage, but it was barely enough to truly take into consideration. Some potions remedied that immediately.

Kirito broke into [Lvl 7] while Argo and Asuna have entered [Lvl 4]—Asuna is complaining that the other girl had barely helped out, yet she gained experience levels, while Argo coolly deflects each complaint with her usual teasing. Vabel, despite her inability to possess a true level, was incredibly strong (he'd go so far as to say that she might just be the same as his own level), so they wouldn't have to worry about her for the coming floors.

Still, it would be nice for them to level up a little quicker. That was all that mattered, as the higher-levelled that they were, the safer they would be. But there wasn't much grinding opportunity other than the Little Nepenthes method, which was technically the best method there was.

And they got pretty annoying sometimes.

"That went pretty well… You girls doing alright?"

"We're fine, Kirito-kun."

At her conformation, the boy merely nodded back before looking around them.

The city isn't exactly any different than what they've seen before this, but it does look relatively nice. Large castle walls that belonged more in old Europe surrounded the city, with white windmill towers high and tall. There were a number of services here such as inns, bars and restaurants, and it made sense for there to be quite the number of houses here. What he liked most about this city, however, were the fountains situated around Tolbana, and there were benches nearby, so that meant he could just sit back and listen to the sounds of rushing water.

Huh. That sounds lovely.

'Another time,' he decided, looking back to his group. "So Argo, you said that the conference meeting will be here tomorrow, right?"

"Yup. It'll be over there," pointing to a building in the distance, all of them spot an amphitheatre that's almost as big as a soccer stadium. Or at least, kind of. "Tooons of players are gonna' be there."

"Oh, joy," Kirito rolls his eyes at that. He never was a fan of large crowds. "Well, it's fine. Since it's not us who're at centre stage, we won't have to worry about anything. Anyways, I've just got a place where we can stay at. It's a farm some ways from here, but it's pretty nice. That is, if you girls don't mind the long trek back."

The information broker lets out a whistle. "Oh, I know the place. It's that one farm with the bath, right? Yeah, I like that place."

"There are baths in this game?" Vabel quickly asks, sounding interested.

"Yep. This game is pretty impressive in the fact that there are a lot of services that they provide, like baths and hot springs. The latter of which are sometimes hidden, so you'll need to find them on your own," explained Kirito, pointedly ignoring Argo's pout. She probably wanted to explain, but he took that away from her. "Again, it's a little far. Do you girls—"

He hadn't the chance to finish his words before his arm got pulled back, almost causing him to trip and fall. He quickly regains his balance, however, and finds himself staring into Asuna's wide eyes. And were those stars glittering around her eyes?

"You said there's a bath."

"Uhh…"

"I concur with Asuna. Please take us there, Kirito."

"Hehe~! Boys are gonna' be jealous of ya', Kii-bou!"

Someone remind him that they're in a death game again.


True to his words, it took a bit of time before they finally arrived at their situation. Or it should have, but it ended up only being a two minutes' worth of journey because they ran all the way there. At Asuna's and Vabel's insistence, obviously.

He would have preferred taking the scenic route and walking all the way, but with how pressured he was, he had no choice but to be quick on things.

So here they were. And the sights… eh, who was he kidding? He didn't have the chance to take a better look at things before he was basically pushed into the room that he was renting, and both girls had quickly rushed in to get their baths.

'Guess it doesn't feel right to go without a bath for so long,' he thought to himself, sitting in his room with nothing but his thoughts. 'Well, it's fine. Experience all the luxuries that they can for now, just for the sake of it.'

While Asuna had been pretty reluctant to bathe with another person, which again solidifies her upbringing to be that of some rich person, Vabel had consoled her enough so that they could share the bath together, using the reason of 'not wanting to waste another moment dirty' being the thing that sealed the deal.

Argo, though… he made sure to keep her out of the bath, because knowing her, some crazy hijinks might start happening if she allowed her in there.

"Can't I goooo~?"

"No, Argo. I won't let you."

He levels a hardened stare at her, matching her pout and her muttering 'Party pooper'. He was not in the mood for any crazy stuff.

He swore, the tension of this game just couldn't match the insanity of things happening around him right now.

"D'you think the boss battle will be simple?" Asked Argo out of nowhere, possibly an attempt to at least have something to do just to kill the boredom.

"Can't promise anything, obviously, but it shouldn't be too bad," he says with a shrug. "So far, the game's going just as all of us remember. Nothing's changed just yet. I'm willing to say that we'll wipe the floor with Illfang."

"Heh, pretty confident, eh? I like that," snickering, the girl (from where she was lying on his bed, again) shot him a sly grin. "You're pretty strong, so you'd better protect us girls, yeah?"

He hardly doubted Vabel and Asuna would need his protection, given how incredible they are in a fight. And Argo, for as much as she tends to undermine her own capabilities, could really give other players a run for their money.

Still, he supposed that's one thing he could do. "Sure, I'll do my best."

"We're done."

Their conversation is comes to an end as as Vabel's soft voice cuts through just as the door creaks, indicating that she was finally out.

He doesn't immediately look at them, however, some sort of signal going off in his head. "Are you wearing anything?"

"Hoho, playing smooth and cautious! Not bad~!" Teased his auburn-haired friend, to which he simply rolled his eyes. She was never going to give up on the opportunity to tease someone on just about anything.

"Yes, I have," answered the girl. "And so has Asuna."

Taking that as his cue, he finally glances up from his book, and was still unprepared for the sight before him.

Two gorgeous ladies in his room should have been enough to drive the nail into his head. The fact that they're now in sleep wear, with both of their hair down and showing off some skin—neck, arms, a little bit of legs—dealt a pretty good blow to the one that was a perfectly healthy hormonal teenager.

His calm dies a little and his head snaps towards the ceiling, though with a notable blush and a small hum.

Unfortunately for him, though… "Ahhh~! Looks like someone's embarrassed!"

He just had to let the devil into his house. No offense.

"A-Argo! D-Don't say that!" He was just glad that he wasn't the only one embarrassed right now, as he could just imagine how Asuna looks right now; a mix of angry and embarrassed, her soft cheeks adorned by crimson blushes.

"Indeed. It's not just one, but two people who are flustered," and he supposed it isn't too weird for Vabel to be so… 'I don't really care'. She's read the mood well, but the fact that she's still somehow managed to keep a straight face through all of this is just impressive. What can he do to be as calm as she was?

"Nyahaha! You guys are the best!" Her snickering starts to fade away, but her casual smile on her face still stays in place as she looks over to Vabel. "Well, you're done now. I'm going to take my bath now. But man, wished I could have shared the bath with you and Aa-chan. Would've been nice to have a little bit of girl time, but someone had to ruin it," huffed the girl as she turned her head away. "I don't want to go alone. Who's going to accompany me now?"

"If you had gone in there, I was pretty certain that something ridiculous was going to happen, and I don't think I'd have enough brain cells to deal with it," groaning, he didn't even bother hiding his vexation by simply glaring at the girl, who stared back. "Go take your bath, already. I'm waiting in line here, you know."

"…Gah, fine! But someday, I'll get my girl time with my fellow ladies!" With a well-imitated huff that she probably got from watching other people, she turned on her heels and marched off into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her with a surprisingly nice click, and not with a crash.

"Thank you!" He shouted her way, and a muffled 'You're welcome!' is shouted back. That gets him to chuckle, shaking his head. "She hasn't changed whatsoever."

"You two sure are close," muttered Asuna with a hum.

"You could say that. We've met during the beta phase of the game, and she's pretty fun to be around. Devious, perhaps, but she's a good person. I can promise you that much," saying that, he looked back at the door to the bathroom. "And she's good at what she does, as much as I would prefer not saying. Then again, coming from the weird one, I shouldn't be allowed to say much about her."

That has her tilting her head, looking curious. "Weird one? I think you're pretty okay, Kirito-kun."

"Suuure, I am," if it's not him that's weird, it's the situation that he's found himself in that certainly is. "Anyways, we'll be attending the meeting tomorrow in Tolbana for the discussion of the boss battle. Do you girls need anything? Armour, weapons?"

"I have no need for anything. My weapon is still in fine condition, and I have no need for a change of armour," answered the female ravenette in the room.

"I don't think I need anything right now. The rapier you gave me is already good, so I'll be fine," spoke the other rapier wielder.

He hums at this, knowing that Argo probably wouldn't need anything else—she's already gotten herself a good set of equipment. "That so, huh? Well, alright then. We'll need to stock up on potions tomorrow, though. Someone remind me then."

Receiving a sound of affirmation from Vabel, the boy settles for silence, waiting for his time to take his bath next.


3rd December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Tolbana, Meeting for 1st Floor Boss

With how long it's been since they've entered 'Sword Art Online', it made sense for everyone to have somewhat calmed down. Still, the uneasy air that they felt was understandable as well; with how no one had made any progress in locating the boss room, all players were afraid that they might not be able to get out of here.

Fortunately, however, there seemed to be a tip from the Rat herself (Argo) that the boss room had already been discovered, and that the meeting for the floor boss was going to be held in Tolbana. That certainly caught the attention of a lot of players.

They were antsy. And they want to get their game together.

And when she said it was going to be a lot of players.

She wasn't kidding. There were a lot of players.

When they arrived at the amphitheatre, there was a literal crowd of people outside trying to get inside. They had to push through the numerous people to get inside, and Kirito was just glad that they were quick enough to grab a spot in the highest seating place, all four of them there together.

"Wow… This is way more than what I anticipated," whistled Argo in a casual tone, crossing her arms behind her head as she looked around them. "Well, this is fine. The more, the merrier."

"Don't say that when we're technically going to go put our lives in danger and fight some powerful monster," groaned Kirito as he shook his head.

To be fair, she wasn't exactly too wrong in that statement of hers. The more fighters there were, the higher the chances they had of defeating the enemy, though it does make managing everything a little harder. Still, that should be of little issue as long as whoever was going to lead them knew what they were doing.

Here they were, sitting on the stairs of this amphitheatre with countless other players chatting amongst one another. He gazed across the sea of heads, yet found no one making a move to take the stage, which meant that whomever it was wasn't here yet.

"Alright, everyone!" It didn't take too long as a loud voice cuts through the chatter, silencing everyone immediately. Loud footsteps are a sign of confidence, and it clearly showed in the broad grin on the man's face. "Good morning to you all!"

Bronze chestplate, blue tunic and blue hair. Straight posture, tall, brave-looking. This was the person that Argo told him about; Diavel, who would be leading the charge of the first raid in the history of 'Sword Art Online'.

They would remember that for years to come in a fond manner, if it wasn't for the dreadful situation they were in.

"I'm grateful that all of you are here right now. My name is Diavel, and I am a knight!" He shouts this with all the energy that he has inside of him, striking his balled hand to his chestplate.

This game doesn't really have any form of job like some other games, but this was his attempt in making himself seem like a joke all to make everyone else relaxed. And it worked, as everyone ended up laughing out loud and shouting all the same.

"What the hell? There are no such things as knights in this game!"

"Yeah! There aren't any class systems in this game!"

"Good one, though."

Laughing along, Diavel calms them down enough after making several hand gestures, getting them to become quiet after a while. And just like that, his facial expression morphs into a serious one. "Very well then. Everyone, you have been called here for the reason that you certainly have been expecting prior. Recently, someone has discovered the entrance to the floor boss room."

Everyone gasped in unison, excitement spreading across them as they started talking to each other yet again.

He continues to speak. "And that is why all of you are here! Together, we're going to beat the first obstacle in our path and prove to everyone else that we can indeed get out of this game because, if we can win this one, it'll certainly motivate everyone else to join our ranks and fight. That way, we'll get the freedom we've all wanted since day one!"

Awe-inspiring, confident and honest—if that didn't make him a leader, then he wasn't certain what did.

And this person indirectly raised the amount of respect he had for his information broker friend. Easily getting info, finding the right people for the right job, good at talking. Name him someone who's good at that if it isn't Argo.

"So I ask all of you, here and now! I, Diavel, seek to fight the floor boss so that we can proceed to the next floor and reach the hundredth floor quicker. Who else will fight with me?" How easily he manages to evoke confidence within the others, as everyone are now tense and excited. "Who else wishes to get out of this game with me? Who?!"

And like a dam breaking, all voices spilled forwards freely.

"Me!"

"I'll fight with you!"

"Hell yea! No more being trapped!"

Asuna made a small sound of excitement, even thrusting her fist a little up in the air. Argo snickered, Vabel made no sound, and Kirito simply crossed his arms, looking at everyone.

Certainly, for all it's worth, Diavel's done a pretty good job so far. Guess there's nothing that he has to worry about—

"Wait a second!"

"Hmm?"

…Except for that, he supposed.

Obnoxiously cutting off the excitement, some guy with orange hair that's shaped like bloody bowling pins leaps down to the stage, his shorter stature when compared to Diavel making him look like a pathetic guy. Still, that scowl he had on his face was just killing the mood, and he didn't appreciate it.

Still, it seemed like he had something to say, so might as well see where this goes.

"The name's Kibaou, and I've got a bone to pick with some people!" Planting both hands firmly on his hips, he stared forwards at the crowd, nothing but anger on his expression. "More specifically, Beta Testers!"

"Beta Testers?" Diavel asked, a hand on his chin. "Why is that?"

"Well, they're the reason why so many of us have died! One thousand people, dead! All because they didn't help us!" He barked like a mad dog, unknowingly pissing off several people in the crowd. "They were the ones to have the advantage of playing this game before it came out to everyone, so they knew more than we do! And yet, what do they do? They keep all their knowledge secret from us! They exploit all the places most suitable for grinding! They do everything to benefit themselves! And we have to suffer for their selfishness!"

People across the amphitheatre begin to mutter amongst one another as they turn his words over in their heads, though some looked quite annoyed at his accusation.

Kirito, especially, feels this one hit hard, and not simply because he himself was a Beta Tester.

It's more like… he feels angry for all the other Beta Testers because his words aren't entirely true. There are, after all, several Beta Testers who have helped tremendously these past few weeks, and for him to simply throw shit on them is a douche move.

"So I demand that they show themselves now!" He shouts one final time, stomping his foot to add to the effect. "Get on their knees, apologize, and give us everything that they have on their person! That's the only right way to make up for all of this crap!"

The ravenette narrows his eyes at this, feeling his hand tighten into a ball. What a blind fool he is, to quickly pull the trigger and blame others for the failure of another.

It's not like the Beta Testers have done nothing. Again, so many Beta Testers have done a lot to help, and for him to just ignore that…

*Thrrk…*

"Huh? Who's…"

"Wait a minute, what are you—"

"Aha! At least someone's got balls!"

Ignoring the wide smirk on the man's face and the look of surprise that everyone else had, the figure descends the stairs until he reached the ground, now standing a foot away from the Beta Tester hater.

He cocks his head a little higher before scoffing. "So, what are you waiting for? An invitation, or—"

"Like hell," he spits back, the venom in his tone catching him and the others off-guard. "I'm not here to apologize, or get on my knees or give anything. I'm here for my fellow Beta Testers, and to get you to apologize for the shit you said about them."

For Kirito to be standing here right now, actually standing face-to-face with another guy and trying to defend others… If this was him a year ago, he would have thought himself insane or something. But that didn't matter right now, however.

Because right now, all that mattered was doing what was right, and he would be damned if he simply did nothing.

Argo, who has collaborated with other Beta Testers in the production of the guidebook, which is distributed for free by all stall vendors in the Town of Beginnings. She, a Beta Tester who has done what was right not for the sake of being recognized, but simply because she wanted to help people.

And he wasn't going to let some dumbass spit down on her work!

"My friend worked so hard to help the other players, and a lot more Beta Testers have done good work that you haven't, spikehead. The guidebook that everyone can get for free are made by Beta Testers, no less. So why don't you do me a favour and go fuck yourself?" He so dearly wanted to punch his face, but that might just get him an orange cursor, which was something he would prefer not getting.

Kibaou had actually stepped back in shock, his lips quivering and unable to articulate a proper response to this stranger's sudden outburst. His face, however, does turn a curious shade of purple and red, finally able to muster up the courage to be very pissed.

"Feh! You talk a lot for some kid. Who d'ya think you are?"

"I'm a Beta Tester, and a damned good one too. Who are you?"

Several 'Ooh..!' broke out in whispers, some players particularly impressed by that show of confidence and that not-so-humble brag and roast.

That certainly shocked him enough that he almost faltered, but he was quick to get back his grit. "Pah! Lies!"

"Oh, sure. You say that, but I'd prefer seeing than hearing," and with that, he takes a few step back, away from Kibaou while he was tapping a few screens, which causes something to pop up in front of him. "Show me what you can do, and maybe I'll start believing that you're actually as good as you bark."

Cheap provocation that is so unlike him, but he does remember how most antagonists in the old anime's that he's watched before do it. And he just can't help but somehow enjoy doing it.

Wow. He's never been cocky. Afraid? Sometimes. Distant? Definitely. Not talkative? Before, without a doubt.

But now, he just feels different. And he's certainly liking the change.

"Well? You scared?"

"Why you..! I'm going to make you eat your words, brat!"

With an angry growl, he slams his hand into the blue button to accept, thus starting a duel between the two players. First to have their health bar drop down to half loses.

The sudden change from a meeting to a duel is more than enough to shock the other players who spectated this turn of events, but there was no denying the clear anticipation in everyone as they awaited the battle.

Kirito takes his place and calms himself, wielding a store-bought sword he had on him; just because he didn't like Kibaou, he wasn't even going to give it his all whatsoever. He won't use his Annealed Blade.

Kibaou, on the other hand, pulls out his mace, already settling himself into a battle stance. Still, that scowl on his face makes him look even less impressive.

The timer ticks down. To three, to two, to one…

To zero.

Before anyone could even move, long before Kibaou had even managed to initiate a «Sword Skill» with his mace, Kirito had already stepped forwards, blade glowing a light blue as it slashed through the air like a rocket, cutting right into Kibaou's body in a fast stroke and knocking him back.

But he hadn't stopped at that, however, as his sword is now shifted onto his right shoulder, glowing a different shade of blue.

"«Vertical»," muttered Vabel, her eyes wide in surprise. "How did he..?"

She hadn't been able to think about it any further, as everyone watches as the sword comes down in a diagonal slash from the top right, cutting into Kibaou's body in a second swift strike.

"Gak..!" The blow behind the attack knocks him back onto his bottom, groaning from the damage that he received. "Damn it! Just you wait, I'll—"

*Ping!*

There was no other opportunity to continue the fight because, by then, a ringing noise reverberated throughout the amphitheatre. A large screen popped up in the air above the two fighters, with their names on display and their health bars shown as well.

Kirito. Health bar full, green.

Kibaou… Health bar, 40%, yellow.

The man in question stared up in unfeigned shock, mouth wide open and a strangled gasp coming out as his mind feebly attempted to understand the situation—that he had just lost to some kid without even getting to do anything. Kirito, however, chooses to sheathe his sword on his back, giving him his back as everyone around them started cheering.

"And that's the end of it," he says, walking back up and joining his friends, all three of them looking quite shocked by that display, while he was waving back at all the players that were basically cheering his name at this point. "Whoo. That was nice."

"W-Wow. Kirito-kun, you're good," muttered Asuna with wide eyes, to which he simply smiled back.

"Not that good, but I guess it's enough," he says in response with a snicker. "And Kibaou was kind of lame anyways."

"Yeesh. Remind me not to get on your bad side," shuddered Argo, before a little smile flitted on her face. "Still, that was pretty nice of ya', Kii-bou. What're ya' try'na do? Be a hero?"

"Nah, nothing so selfless as that. I just don't like him making fun of us Beta Testers, you and others, who've worked hard enough. Not counting me, obviously, because I hardly do anything, so you know," shrugging, he looks back to Diavel, raising his arm. "Alright! Let's continue the meeting, Diavel!"

The bluenette was certainly surprised by the turn of events, but he was quick to regain his vigour, nodding back and taking charge of the discussions immediately after.

Kirito lowers his arm and leans back with a sigh. Today didn't turn out so bad as he thought it would, even if someone was being a dick.

Kibaou got his ass handed to him. And that felt greater than anything else.


When the meeting was done and everyone were already assigned to their respective squads and whatnot, Kirito and his group were seen entering a restaurant in the town, deciding to get some food in their stomachs after all the talking.

The boy, especially, felt like he needed this getaway from all the attention he drew towards himself after that dumb stunt he pulled, which unintentionally kind of made him popular.

Which is something that he didn't need!

"I see… How interesting," hummed Vabel as she sipped from her cup of warm tea. "To somehow integrate your body into immediate action within this game, by positioning your body in the appropriate posture for another «Sword Skill» despite having used one prior…"

"Well, those two were just really simple «Sword Skills», after all, so the post-motion delay wouldn't have been all that long to begin with," shrugged back the boy, eyes closed and smile forming. "I can still remember how I discovered this nifty trick. It was back during the Beta Test, I believe, during the fourth boss battle. Fourth or fifth, I can't exactly remembered…"

With how Vabel described it, it certainly sounds miraculous and impossible to a certain extent; after all, when you've initiated a «Sword Skill», your body immediately undergoes a post-motion delay, whereby the body becomes rigid and difficult to move. Higher-levelled «Sword Skills» will definitely grant longer delays, so that's one thing to be worried about.

But this loophole that he discovered in the system could definitely help a lot, something of which he understood will benefit him in the long run.

All that he was required to do was to simply position himself in preparation for another «Sword Skill», thus allowing him to bypass the delay and act immediately. Such a trick would indeed prove to be incredibly beneficial as they had to stay on the tip of their toes no matter what in a fight.

"Coin the term, Kirito," says Vabel again after a while, getting his eyes to open. "Considering how you're the only one who've discovered such an interesting method, it would be right to call you the maker of such a skill."

"Oh, come now. It's not so impressive that it warrants much praise," despite what he says at that, Argo was quick to deny his words.

"I dunno' about that, Kii-bou. Think about it! If you could use stronger «Sword Skills» with that trick of yer's, imagine the sort of damage that you could cause!" He would have thought that she was kidding, but the genuine excitement in her eyes was enough to tell him that she was being honest. "Like, err… Actually, I don't know that many one-handed sword «Sword Skills». But still!"

"Alright, alright, I get you. But give me some time. I'll need to think on a good name for this one," so saying, he brings his glass of cold juice to his lips, letting the cool liquid flow down his throat. He stops after a while, letting out a sigh after gulping. "I've got to say, though. With all the preparation, I'm feeling pretty confident. Let's do our best tomorrow, yeah?"

Tomorrow, 10 a.m., they would enter the labyrinths and attempt to take on the first floor boss. Kirito was pretty confident in his level and gear, though it would be a good idea to get Asuna and Argo some better weapons before tomorrow.

It would then be a moment to prove to every other players in this game that they can change fate. That the story isn't written in stone, and that freedom is definitely possible.

His gaze moved to Argo, his first friend in this game, her calm and chirpy demeanour something that evoked ease within their hearts.

He then turned to look at Asuna, a friend from back home, now fighting by his side. She was determined, and that spirit of hers reached him as well, something of which he respected.

And finally… Vabel.

He still didn't understand who she or Igor was, nor was his meaning in the grand machination of things. She was quiet, mysterious, and seemed more than what she let on; those eyes of hers aren't emotionless, just suppressed, and he just wants to know what hides underneath that calm façade.

But she, just like the other two girls here, is every bit of a comrade as she is a friend to him. And hopefully, he'd learn just what is it that brought her to him. What was it that made it necessary that their paths crossed?

"Heh, of course! We'll be kicking monster ass tomorrow!" Snickered the information broker with her characteristic, laidback nature.

"Mmhm! With you here, Kirito-kun, and all of us working together, we'll definitely win!" The chestnut-haired girl's words were filled with optimism, and it wasn't hard to smile along with her.

"We shall win, no matter what," the other ravenette's words were firm, true, and he found himself believing her more than he thought he would.

Kirito nodded back, grinning. "Definitely. We'll all win this thing and get out alive, together," and he prayed for a little bit of strength so that they would make it out alive at the end of this entire thing.


4th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1

The world of 'Sword Art Online' begins to rise from its own slumber as the light of day bathes the land, greeting the castle's inhabitants with a fresh start.

Ironic. That in a world such as this, trapped and unable to escape, it's still kind enough to not outright want to kill them. The wind is gentle, the day is warm, and they're not in immediate danger… What a joke. The ease of things makes it hard to remember that he was in some death game with his and countless other players' lives on the line. Die in game, die in the real world.

With such stakes on the line, it made sense for anyone to be nervous, yet he was glad all the same that no one were panicking anymore. Sure, some were having bad moods and some were still a little sceptical, but he supposed that isn't too odd for most people.

He got up from his sleep with a small yawn, noticing how early he was. The girls were still asleep, he assumed, and he took this opportunity to take his bath first. It was sometime later before the girls, too, woke up, and they had decided to take their baths after him.

What he does notice, however, is that it was only Argo and Asuna. And when asked about the fourth member of their little party…

"I heard she wanted to get some fresh air first," Asuna said to him. "She's probably outside right now."

As he watches her get dragged away into the bathroom by her fellow girl, he decided to search for their friend outside of the farm.

He does ignore the squealing from the bathroom. He just knew something was going to go wrong. He called it!

He had been prepared to call out for Vabel, but seeing her as she did in that moment certainly buried the words deep in his throat.

There, standing outside of the farm, with her hands clasped in front of her chest and supposedly muttering something under her breath, he opts to lean against the door and watch her curiously, not wishing to bother her because of how… serene she looked.

Vabel, looking so peaceful and quiet as she did, isn't so odd than how she is normally. But in that moment, he noticed how there was a look of happiness and longing in her gaze, and he could only wonder just what was going on in her head.

Again, he has to admit that he hardly knew her very well. All he does know is that she's an otherworldly being, serves a long-nosed dude who predicted the future, supposedly uses magic, and is mysterious to the point of giving him headaches on a constant basis—obviously, she's not doing this on purpose, but he certainly does overreact.

Is he repeating these facts to himself? Well, damn it. He thought only old people do that, but even he's inevitably subjected to such a fate.

Vabel took a little more time before she was finally done. With slow movements, her head turns around to face him and her lips form a lithe smile. "Kirito. Good morning to you. Had your sleep last night been kind to you?"

"Good morning to you too. It was a good sleep, yeah," he nodded back. "What were you doing just now, Vabel?"

"I was… wishing a good friend of mine a happy birthday," she tells him, getting a raise of a brow from him. "It's her birthday today. The fourth of December… I hope she's celebrating it with the rest of our friends."

"I… see," for some reason, hearing this sort of talk from her makes him feel more relaxed around her. "That's nice. For you to still remember her birthday to wish her… Do you miss her?"

"I do," says the girl, a look of longing shining in her eyes before it is dispelled with a shake of the head. "But I must first walk this path with you, and help you to the end of it. That is my role in all of this, and I shall do my best to help you through it all, Kirito."

If she wasn't a human girl before, then he felt that this certainly solidified it.

So perhaps she had a normal life before becoming an attendant of the Velvet Room? Hardly the most logical option, but it is still a feasible one.

And Vabel didn't necessarily sound so professional back there, but knowing that she was fully serious about what she said only strengthened his trust in her.

He finds himself nodding back. "Right. I'll be relying on you, then, Vabel."

And seeing her look so happy back there, hopeful and strong… he most definitely will protect her and all his friends. That, he promised to himself.