Chapter IV: Learning's Always Nice


4th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Dungeon, Outside of the Boss Room

Kazuto Kirigaya had lived his whole life without much regard for his importance. All that he knew was the fact that he was, probably, just as normal as everyone else. He'd lived a relatively normal life like everyone else, so he hadn't been too expectant on things.

Every day, things were the same. Go to school like always, have the ordinary meals, see the usual things, live a normal live. Nothing felt different or unique, and he had thought things would stay that way for the rest of his life.

But now, having met the mysterious man called Igor in the Velvet Room two months ago, having witnessed for himself the strange possibilities that go beyond logic, and called out for being special… It made him question everything he thought he knew.

What was his place in this game? Why was it that he, of the millions of people within this world, was sought out by Igor? What about him made him special?

Perhaps now, the answer was clear. And Igor's faith in him hadn't been done on a whim.

Persona… Such was the name for the very being that came forth to lend him its—his strength, that which allowed him to defeat Illfang and save his friends and everyone else here from an untimely death.

Had Igor foreseen such a power within him? And had he reached out to him in order to help him develop this newfound power?

"That was a well-fought battle," hummed the demon as he glanced down at the ravenette, who tilted his head upwards to look at him. "Truly, you are just as impressive as the Trickster before you. I look forward to working with you in the days to come."

Arsene's voice gradually softens before he fades away into the pits of his new inheritor's soul, his sword materializing before it too disappears in a burst of blue flames, along with his clothes. Once more in his blue tunic, pants and chestplate, Kirito's strength is sapped almost immediately as he collapses forwards.

*Tk…*

"Kirito..!"

"V-Vabel..?"

This headache… Great, just after what must have been such an epic moment, he has to (almost) pass out like every protagonist in a lot of shounen anime. Not like he's dissing them or anything, really, but it would've been nice if he didn't fall to his knees like this.

At least Vabel caught him. Sure, there's a pain absorber in this game, but he appreciated her catching him before his face had to greet the ground.

He was worried about how she attempted to solo Illfang and got hurt in the process, though he couldn't even begin to voice out his concerns before the rest of his friends got to his side, all with low health yet entirely concerned about him.

It was kind of embarrassing when he thought about it. Having three girls worrying about his wellbeing. But of course, he was nothing if not laidback, so he kind of used that to his advantage when he spoke up. "If any of you are planning to kill me, at least know that I don't even know what that was."

What a comeback.

Asuna, most notably, looked the least satisfied by that, though she did crack a smile at his witty remark. "Jeez… You scared us all to death, you know. Are you alright, though?"

"I… Yeah, I'm fine now," nodding, he slowly got back onto his two feet, helped by Vabel. Scratch that, he feels a little woozy. "I take back what I said. I think I've got a small headache… Urgh. But it seems I'm okay in terms of my health now."

When he says that, the girl takes a quick look at their friend's health bar, and notices that it was full once more. So summoning that… demon, from earlier actually replenished his health? Nifty.

"Well, at least the boss is defeated," he looks to where Illfang had just been slaughtered, a little grin on his face. "How crazy is that?"

"Uurgh… Only you would be quick to celebrate something like this even though you were just hurt mere moments ago…" Face-palmed the auburn-haired girl, though her smile does come back quick to her—a genuine one, he realized with silent surprise. But it's a nice one. "Well, at least you're alright."

"Yeah, I guess I am. And the three of you, heal up. That was some pretty bad damage that you took back there for me. Sorry for that…"

"E-Eh? N-No, it's alright! It's not like you were doing it on purpose!"

"Yeah, Kii-bou, it's fiiine~! Plus, it's not like some dumb hunk of a monster was going to kill lil' Argo!"

"Your health is the lowest out of everyone, Argo. Take Kirito's advice and—"

"Oy, Beta Tester!"

The conversation between the four friends are rudely interrupted by a loud scream, gaze moving towards the source of the outburst. And of course, it just had to be Kibaou, who really had that glare look going for him.

Actually, now that they're looking, it seems like everyone else had gone quiet and were staring at them—or, to be more accurate, him. Most of them were curious, even Agil himself having that raised brow going for him. Others, on the other hand, were suspicious.

'Right… I somehow have a powerful skill that just magically showed up out of nowhere, or at least something I decided to pull out at the very last second, and that no one has ever seen before, so of course everyone's sceptical of me,' Kirito mentally sighed at this. Looks like the game's starting quite well for him. "Which one? Me or Argo?"

Again, he can't help it. Being witty is surprisingly fun. He can kind of understand why Argo likes doing that now. Huh.

"Don't give us that crap! What the hell was that?! If you could have done all that shit a long time ago, it would have saved us all the trouble!" Barked the orange-haired man, pointing an accusing finger at the teenager. "Diavel-san almost died because you didn't say anything! How're you going to take responsibility for that, huh?!"

Despite the headache he was having, he was more than prepared to give him an explanation, but Vabel had chosen to answer in his stead. "That is because he was incapable of drawing out such a power prior to today."

"Huh? That doesn't make sense! And why now of all timing?" He asked again, haughty as ever.

"What you just witnessed him make use of is called Persona, the ability to give shape to one's own will, thus summoning powerful demons to be used in battle," explains the girl, eyes narrowing slightly—uh oh, there's the silent vexation. "However, such an ability comes with many a great criteria, and each one of them vary from person to person. Never are they the same for each one, and for Kirito to have been able to unlock the power of the Persona in such a time of need is but a miracle."

Yeah, he can definitely agree with her that it was a miracle. Any later or not at all, and something bad was going to happen.

He shuddered at the thought of someone getting killed back there…

He's got to say though, as amazing as this power that he managed to draw out is, he was equally impressed with how patient she could be with the guy. Seriously, he should take a page out of her book.

"Yeah right! You're just saying that just to cover for him! I bet he got that power because he knew of some quest to do just because he's a fucking Beta! He pulled that crap last minute just so that he could get the last item drop!" That accusation gets the boy to glare back, genuinely insulted by that. Not only him, however, as the other girls were more than itching to lay retribution upon him. "Why don't ya' just tell us how to get that stupid power, and we'll be done with this game by then!"

"That is impossible," her words turned colder right after. "Such a power can only be inherited by those worthy. You are not one of them."

A resounding 'Oooh!' spread throughout the boss room at that direct insult, with even Kirito's mouth forming an 'o' at her while Argo failingly tried to stifle her laughter, Asuna covering her mouth with both hands and looking at her fellow rapier-wielder with disbelief.

That's the second time he's been insulted today. Kibaou just isn't having a good day today, huh?

Obviously, considering the person she just insulted, it made sense that he looked as pissed as he did, a vein bulging on his head. And knowing him, he'd probably threaten her. And that's his cue to step in.

There was no way he'd let himself be protected by girls. As much as he would appreciate the sentiment, that's not how it should go! If anything, it should be the opposite; he should be the one doing the protecting. What sort of man would he be if he had to rely on girls?

What would his mom and dad say, because Lord knows they'll never let him live it down.

"She's not wrong," he spoke up immediately after, quick to draw attention to himself before he started cursing at Vabel. "There's no quest that gave me this skill, alright? Even I didn't know it existed until just earlier. It just… showed up out of the blue. I'm completely clueless."

"And we're fortunate that you awakened your Persona now, and not any later," nodded his friend. "If not, Diavel over there had died. If anything, he owes him."

"Kirito did try to help, you know. He warned Diavel about the change in weaponry," quickly backed him up Argo, whose characteristic smile was gone, now replaced with a rare serious expression. "And yet, he broke out of formation and ran off ahead, and that almost got himself killed. He brought that upon himself. Not his fault he almost died."

Asuna quickly nodded, adding her two cents. "Indeed. Based on the guidebook, the boss should have weld a talwar, which I believe is a curved sword. From what Kirito-kun and Argo-san told me, that's what happened in the Beta Test. And yet, we've seen the change of weapon; a nodachi instead."

"And you know, you're quick to hate him so much, but don't forget the fact that he's the one who helped everyone on the first day," spoke Agil after some time, all attention shifting towards him—even Kirito, surprise adorning his features. The giant of a man was smiling, crossing his arms. "I was there too. He was at the plaza in the Town of Beginnings, helping all the players to understand how the game worked, from «Sword Skills» to other things. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who owe him for that."

Immediately, several players looked at one another with wide eyes, muttering amongst themselves as they looked at Kirito. They were quick to realize such, and some even recognized him, and he only hoped it didn't mean any trouble in the future.

Uh-oh. Is that appreciation and respect in their gazes? That always leads to worshipping, which he so dearly hoped would not come. He could deal with hatred, but not praise. Is that weird? Nah, probably not.

"Look, all of you getting yourselves too excited over too many different things. What matters is, just as Asuna and Argo pointed out earlier, the fact that Illfang changed his final weapon. That can only mean one thing then," with all eyes shifting towards him, the black-haired boy nodded as he voiced out everyone's concerns. "It means that Kayaba's changed the game. Nothing will ever be the same as they were before."

Not much of an issue, really… were this not a death game, that is. But now that he's changed everything, he's basically got the element of surprise against them, and that was bad because now, they may as well know nothing. They're at a huge disadvantage, and that puts them at great risk.

Hah, no, that's hilarious. Like they weren't at risk enough already.

"Honestly… We just can't get a break," sighed the boy as he scratched the back of his head before looking at Kibaou. "Look, I get that you hate me. I'm fine with that. But did you really think I'd risk someone's actual life for some dumb last item drop? Like I care about that. Diavel's an idiot for what he did, but that doesn't mean I'd want him dead. But I suppose that wouldn't be enough to convince you otherwise, so…" He pulls out the Coat of Midnight from his inventory, and promptly shoves it into a shellshocked Kibaou's hands. "You wanted your item so badly, right? Well, there it is. Keep it if it makes you sleep at night. Urgh, first the headache and now you…"

He's already regretting this, but there was no way he was going to keep that thing in his inventory and be reminded of today. Get rid of all this dumb stuff now so he'll be spared of the headaches in the long run.

With that, the boy walked away, ignoring all the other quiet players who were just staring at him now. Passing Diavel, he shoots him a sidelong glance—eyes narrowed, almost a glimpse of golden that quickly melts back into the shadows of his irises. "And Diavel, don't ever think of trying to pull this shit again. Be a proper leader that everyone needs. You're a Beta Tester just like me. Use that brain of yours to actually help people."

And with that, he proceeded towards the exit of the boss room, everyone else too dumbfounded to even do or say anything else.

Silence. Nothing but absolute silence, save for the tapping of the boy's boots against the floor. No one dared to give pursuit in fear that they might be on the receiving end of his wrath—headache or no, he might have enough energy to beat the crap out of them. He does have that power of his, too.

Old people were right. It's the silent types that are really scary when they get mad.

Fortunately for him, three people in particular weren't exactly all that affected. The three girls looked at one another before quickly giving chase, ignoring the rest of the players who were standing in their places like mannequins.

Before they do leave, Argo pulled down on her eyelid and stuck out her tongue at both Diavel and Kibaou.

Agil merely chuckled as he watched them leave, amusement in his eyes. 'At least he's not alone in this one. Take care of him.'


If there was one thing that was going on in his head, it was sheer exhaustion.

After summoning that demon, fighting that boss battle and all the stress he's had after having been forced to deal with Kibaou, he's more tired than he's ever been in this game before. One small blessing is Kibaou who wasn't dumb enough to try anything against his friends, although he now has one guy who really hates him.

Still, gauging out the expressions from everyone inside, most of them didn't seem to hate him or anything. Just surprised, mostly, though a few shared Kibaou's disdain towards him.

Well, that didn't matter. It's not like he expected everyone to immediately like him and treat him like some sort of saviour. He just hoped that Kibaou wouldn't be too stupid to attempt to PK him. If he did, though, he was going to have a surprise waiting in store.

And talking about surprise…

"Persona, huh..?" Muttering that single word made him shudder, remembering just how powerful he felt. With Arsene towering over him, or when he held that black sword in his hand, wearing that black coat, he almost felt undefeatable. "To think that I actually have that sort of power inside of me…"

It's impressive that Igor actually knew that he had this power inside of him. Still, a little notice beforehand would've been nice. And it showed up in a videogame of all things—let alone the videogame that he got trapped in and was mentioned in Igor's prophecy. What are the odds?

Granted, anything could have happened. It would have been even crazier if it happened IRL, at which point he would have thought that he'd have a better chance at becoming some sort of thief who went around stealing hearts of corrupted adults instead of all this.

Once the headache started to die down a little, he was able to think more clearly. And there was one thing that he noticed right off the bat.

He looked to his health bar. It was full, and that was probably a side-effect. That's a nice thing, really. Although, that pink bar below his green one, which indicated his health, is certainly new. He couldn't help but stare at it a lot more than necessary. Nothing else felt out of place, or maybe there is something new.

'What is that bar for..?'

"Kirito-kun!"

He stops immediately. For a moment, Kirito thought that it might have just been his head playing tricks with him, but he ends up turning around anyways, and a surprised expression is drawn on his face as he spots the triplet jogging towards him.

"Asuna? Argo, Vabel? What are the three of you doing here?" He asked, hand on his hip and letting them catch up. He doesn't hide the curious look he has, finding silent amusement from this entire thing—for what, he wasn't sure. "I doubt it would be a good idea to join me, seeing that I'm now practically hated by all the players. Save for a few, hopefully."

"Ehh, I wouldn't be too sure about that. The only one who hates you is just stupid Kibaou. Plus, how am I supposed to leave when you apparently have such a powerful skill?! I've never seen this one before!" Argo let out her usual laughter, tilting her head with a smirk. "And with that, who else will protect lil' ol' Argo from trouble?"

"You're a pretty good fighter yourself, you know," sweat-dropped Asuna before looking back at the boy, smiling. "And to answer your question, well, I doubt there's anyone I'm more comfortable with than you, so of course I'll join you, Kirito-kun! You saved us, so the least I can do is fight by your side to the very end!"

"I as well. After all, I had decided long ago to join you in your mission, so I shan't leave your side whatsoever," added Vabel with a resolute nod, though with a faint smile on her face.

The boy looked at the three with a raised brow before shaking his head, a small chuckle spilling out. Honestly, these girls…

The group of four continued on their way until they were at the end of the stairs, the two massive doors before them opening up to welcome them to the second floor of Aincrad; a vast field that felt more like a savannah, with several large boulders spread around the area. Bright, hot and wide.

The three girls raised their hands to shield their eyes from the light, Asuna in particular letting out a soft gasp as she took in the sights. Kirito and Argo, having seen all of this back in the Beta Test, still can't help but be impressed with what they're seeing, and Vabel too takes the time to simply appreciate all of this.

A new floor… That meant 99 more floors, and for as much as that was, he supposed that wouldn't have to be too bad.

99 floors alone sounded dreadful. With company, though…

"Well," he began, grinning. "If you girls are sure about this, then who am I to argue? I doubt that, even if I asked you girls to leave me alone, you'd actually listen to me."

"Of course," replied the three girls in perfect sync.

He managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Honestly, he really should have seen this coming.

But… Well, it's nice. Hah, who thought he'd actually like having company? Man, things are changing so much for him. But at least they're good changes.

"Alright, alright. I guess you made your points very clear… Thank you," he says that last part a little quietly, just enough so that it reaches the girls' ears and no one else's (he doubted there was anyone else here anyways), before regaining his usual vigour. "Well, with all of that settled, let's go activate the floor's Teleport Gate and go home. I'm tired, starving and tired."

"You said tired twice," pointed out Asuna with a small titter.

"Heh, I suppose I did," snickered the ravenette in turn.

Together, the four stepped foot onto the new floor.


4th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Farmhouse

Night has settled over the world while the players opted to celebrate their victory together in the city, some dancing merrily and drinking to the tunes in the background—not like they were going to get drunk anyways, but it was the thought that counts.

It made sense for everyone to be so overjoyed. After all, with the success of the raid, it proved that getting out of this game was indeed possible, and that was a great boost to morale, something of which Kirito could appreciate a lot.

By now, he wouldn't be too surprised if news of that 'swordsman who could summon a demon' was going to spread. Faster than a wildfire, he predicted. After all, it's essentially a really powerful skill that none of them knew up to this point, though he hoped they'd get the term right and call it Persona, and not just demon. That would be a low blow.

Talking about our titular Hero…

"Ahh… That hit the spot," he sighed in relief as he walked out of the bathroom, having made sure to put on some clothes lest he scare off the girls in the room. Although, he firmly believed that Asuna would be the only one scared (more embarrassed than anything, really). Argo would be her usual teasing self and Vabel would be calm as ever.

They had gotten lunch earlier when they arrived at the second floor, which was a bad idea because they accidentally entered a shop that used poor ingredients. God damn, he hoped that restaurant improves itself in terms of food quality or its gonna' get shut down in the long term.

Or maybe it won't, because it's a videogame.

So, after accidentally wasting their money on bad food, they decided to grind for some quick money before returning back to the first floor, then getting some real good food at a restaurant that they frequented before.

And that leads all the way up to now, where the girls had already taken their baths and he's just done with his.

"I am tired," he moves towards the bed, a deep sigh expelled as he sat beside Argo who was sending a message to someone. "I gotta' say, though. We're fortunate enough that no one died in that last battle. Morale would've taken a pretty bad hit if that did happen."

"Indeed. It's thanks to your quick wits that Diavel had not died immediately, though it does anger me that he had almost caused your death," she was hardly one to voice out her own vexation, but everyone could tell how Vabel was feeling. Heck, they agreed with her. "How foolish for him to try and attack Illfang on his own. It was meant to be a team effort."

"You got that right, sista'. I don't know what was going on in his head, but if he really is a Beta Tester, then he most definitely was trying to go for the last-hit bonus," Argo then turned her gaze towards her friend, pouting. "Still, I'm not sure if I'm completely happy with your decision to just give away that coat, Kii-bou. It's really good, you know."

"Hmm? Oh, right. Meh, it's happened. No use regretting it now. If I wore it, or even kept it in my inventory, I'll just feel sick. Rather get rid of it outright," it was the best way to put it, and shrugging his shoulders, it certainly makes for a reasonable answer. Sort of.

His decision is understandable, but they aren't exactly happy by it.

Honestly, items gained from last-hit bonuses on boss monsters tend to outshine many items that could be purchased or found out on the field. Stats like those can last a player for a good few floors, and survival is more important than ever now.

So the fact that he just willingly gave it away like that, to someone like Kibaou of all people, is just… annoying, to say the least.

The silence doesn't last really long, though. "It's a shame. Kibaou would not look good in a coat."

Vabel was nothing if not honest—and effortlessly humorous, even if she was being serious. The other three players snort at that blatant remark, Argo deciding to go all out and laugh at Vabel's statement.

"That… has nothing to do with the conversation!" Forcing that out was difficult because he so dearly wanted to laugh as well. "Ah, God… Thank you, Vabel. How do you even do it?"

His question flies over her head. "Do what?"

"Yeah, never change, Vabel," he lets himself chuckle a little. Just a little bit! Nothing more. "Ahem. But to explain a little, I don't feel comfortable wearing something that's a point of controversy between myself and Diavel. So, yeah."

Someone out there in the world is probably chastising him for being a dumbass, but he could hardly care.

"You know what would have been cool?" Argo suddenly spoke up, as if a stroke of epiphany had just struck her. "You should have pulled it out in front of Diavel and destroy the coat. Guilt him."

"T-That's awful..!" Even with her words, Asuna looked strangely delighted from that.

"Indeed, but a rightful punishment for his misdeed," and of course, Vabel being honest as always.

He looked from one face to another before shaking his head. "Girls, no. I'm not the kind of guy to do that. You do know that it would have been a waste if I did that, right?"

"Meh. I would've done it myself," shrugging, her excitement returns to her eyes as she sat up straighter, facing him now. "But let's move on to the real topic! Kii-bou, we need to talk about that power of yer's."

"Huh? Oh, right. Persona," he silently wanted to tell her just how quickly she changed the subject, but refrained from doing so as even his own interest was piqued. "Huh… I seriously don't know how it happened. I remember seeing all of you girls getting hurt, and then I had this killer headache… Scratch that, I felt like my whole body was on fire, or something. And then a sword formed in front of me. I grabbed it, shattered it, and… well, you know how the story goes."

Obviously, the part about him getting hurt was a minor detail in his opinion, but it does spur the girls to develop worry once more. Sensing this, he quickly calms them down with a few words.

Honestly, they worry too much about every single thing. He's flattered, but still.

"And you know what? After having some time to properly think about all of this, I have a feeling that you play a part in it, as minor as it may be," his words are targeted at Vabel, who perked up from where she was seated at the table. "Am I right, or no?"

"No, you are indeed correct," nodded the girl. "My master, Igor, had sensed such a power within you, laying dormant and awaiting the right moment to awaken. I had no idea it would be today."

The other girls looked at one another, mouthing 'Igor' with a questioning look.

Kirito opts to ignore that. "So you know what it is, good. So, mind explaining some stuff for us? Cause' I've got no clue."

"Of course. It would be my pleasure to do so," so saying, she lifts her hand and wills fire to life—not magic integrated by the Cardinal system, but by her own willpower. From the fire, a card is formed and rotates slowly on a horizontal axis; «The Fool». "Personas. A manifestation of one's personality and inner thoughts. That is what they are, to put it simply."

Yeah, he remembered that part from what Arsene had told him. That Arsene was a manifestation of his desire and willpower…

And to think that he managed to draw forth such a power is more than a little insane. It's almost unthinkable, though he'd better get used to even crazier things happening, because he doubted this would be the end of it.

"Persona's take a variety of form, which differs for each person. I know so because I have studied several Persona users before meeting you, though Kirito is the first actual person of whom I've met and witnessed awakening his Persona," continued the girl, everyone nodding back. "A Persona influences the attributes of its wielder, be it physical or mental. Hence, why Kirito was much faster when he called out such a power."

"Right. I could tell that he was much faster than I was," nodded Asuna in agreement.

"And onto the subject, why does my Persona look like a gentleman? I doubt it fits my personality," he says this with a genuinely confused expression. "In fact, I managed to speak to Arsene a little… He mentioned someone called the Trickster, said how I inherited him from the guy? I don't get that part."

"If he has said as such, then what is said is true," from there, a small smile splits the girl's face. "Arsene is, in truth, the Trickster's true Persona. Why you've inherited him is something even I didn't think possible. Truly interesting."

"Weird… Weird. All of that was weird," the information broker raised her arms in defense. "I'm not the only one who thinks that way, right?"

"I'm the one with the Persona, and I agree with you one hundred percent," groaned the boy. "I've one last question. I just… I know, all of us are tired and we should be going to bed, but I just want to know how to summon my Persona. Please."

"Ah, that is simple," the black-haired girl promptly dispels the card and the fire. "Seeing that Persona's are a manifestation of your soul, it is accurate to say that you are fighting with your soul. So, befitting your use of a Persona, it stands to reason that you will be revealing the truest colours buried deep within your heart. You are baring yourself to the world, hence you undergo a physical change to show off the truth about yourself," what an explanation. She could be a poet or something. "Draw forth such a power from within your soul, Kirito. Feel it… and pull."

Feel and pull. What an odd way to do it.

Then again, there could be weirder ways to do it.

Before he does that, however, he quickly accesses his menu. A number of circles with icons that show up, indicating what sort of options are available. And nothing is so out of the ordinary, of course.

There's the 'Inventory / Equipment' tab, followed by the 'Friends / Guild' option. Below that, the 'Communications' option. The last two are 'Maps / Quest' and the 'Settings / Main Menu'. All of those are the same as always.

'So, nothing there,' humming, he closes his menu and does as Vabel tells him; he closes his eyes, focusing as he outstretched his arm.

Blackness. Nothing to be seen in this everlasting darkness that he believes to be his soul. It's an entire expanse of nothingness that he feels is appropriate for one such as him; he doesn't have much to call his own, and he doesn't dream of much.

But somewhere… Somewhere deep inside, he can feel something. And it's in his grasp…

*Freewww…*

"Whoa!"

"No way."

The familiar blue fire from earlier today wraps around him like a ring once more, and he's clad in the same black outfit that his tunic and chestplate turned into, the fire having faded away into thin air. Unlike earlier, where it felt like his entire body was burning, he only felt a small thrum of warmth in his chest, which felt comfortable. And in his hand, the familiar sword.

"Whoa. This is cool," he whistles, standing up and looking at himself. He even gives a small swing of his arm, causing his coattail to billow in the same motion of his arm. This made him smile. "Okay then. So when I wield my sword… I immediately transform?"

"Indeed you do," nodded the girl. "That is your soul manifested; your 'Regalia'. Considering how your 'Regalia' materialized as a sword, it's a clear indication that you are a fighter at heart."

"Ehh… I've never fought before, not even IRL," nervously chuckled the boy as he scratched the back of his head. He'd probably get his butt kicked by some lowly thug.

"Hmm. Nonetheless, to summon your Persona, simply focus on shattering your 'Regalia'," she instructs him. "If you find it difficult, just speak their name. Shout, if you'd like. Previous Persona users have done that as well, so you needn't be embarrassed. Stand up as well, while you're at it."

"Uhh… sure," shout the Persona's name? Well, that's a little embarrassing. Her suggestion has a sort of playful tone to it that makes him suspicious, yet he relents all the same, standing in the middle of the room with all eyes on him. Soon enough, he takes the suggestion with a hesitant chuckle, clearing his throat before calling out. "Arsene!"

Blue fire sprout from beneath his feet once more as his 'Regalia' breaks, the gentleman thief materializing behind him. He turned around, gazing at his Persona in all his glory.

"It is a pleasure to meet you again, young Hero," chuckled the demon as he gave a small bow. "And to you as well, ladies."

'Smooth…' Thought the boy with the urge to let out a big, goofy smile. Never mind, he's doing it already. "Arsene. The pleasure is mine as well."

"This is your Persona. Arsene, the pillager of twilight," whispered Vabel with a smile. "That is all. A three-step process; summon your 'Regalia', which automatically changes your clothes. Then, you shatter it. Last, you reap the rewards. Calm yourself and will your 'Regalia' away, and you shall return to your previous self."

"I see… Thank you for that," returning Arsene into his sword, he wills Elucidator away into the recesses of his heart. And with it, the fire burns away everything, turning his clothes back into the way they were. "This is so interesting… And to think that it shows up in this videogame. But it's really an otherworldly power, huh?"

Asuna and Argo were about to point out how absurd that sounded. That is until Vabel answered. "Indeed."

They quickly shut up and realize that, yes, that is true.

None of this made sense, and none of them were planning to understand it.

But that all aside! He thinks himself as a somewhat serious guy, but even he can't deny just how awesome this is. The stylish look, the ability to summon a powerful demon to fight—the prospect of it is cool, but to actually pull it off is even more breath-taking, which ignites the nerdy gamer within him.

"If you'd like, I'll teach you even more things that you'll need to know tomorrow," she tells him. "There is quite a bit to know when it comes to using a Persona, so this will be quite necessary."

He wasn't even the first one to answer her question.

"Kii-bou has to!"

"Definitely! I'd want to see what he can do too!"

The option is literally taken out of his hands, although at least it's the right answer.

"Yeah, I would like that," he answers finally, grinning. "Thank you, Vabel."

Argo chose that moment to throw her arms up in the air, groaning out in exasperation. "Urgh, it's great that Kii-bou got a super cool power, but now I want it too! This is unfair!"

Everyone laughed at her at that, able to agree on that.

Persona's are hella' awesome.

There was some light chatter after all of that, mixing comedic topics with plans for the future. And for sure, it seemed that none of the girls were planning to go their separate ways just yet. Well. That's that, he supposed.

He likes it, okay? He finally admits that he likes having them around, alright? But he'll never tell Argo that. That would just be his downfall, he knows it. She'll find a way to make use of it against him in some way, devious as it could possibly be.

Soon enough, the girls returns to their room (the three of them are sharing a room together, apparently) while he turns off the lights in his room.

Landing on his bed with a small 'Oof..!', he quickly settles onto the mattress and makes himself comfortable, a small sigh escaping his lips as his body quickly relaxes.

Honestly… With everything that's happened, he's inclined to believe that even stranger things are possible.

'What's next? Finding more Persona users? Entering other worlds? Get a girlfriend?' He chuckled to himself, unable to believe the sheer irony of things when all of the aforementioned things would actually happen to him in the near future—the last bit, though… Hmm… Debatable. 'Man, things are nuts… Ah well. All that matters now is learn how to properly use this power, get stronger… and get everyone… out…'

The exhaustion from the day takes effect.

Eyelids falling shut and mind inactive, he descends into slumber…


Velvet Room

"…Uunh…" Groaning softly, the boy known as Kazuto Kirigaya (or Kirito in 'SAO') slowly rouses from his sleep, sitting up straight and rubbing the back of his head. "Hhwaaa… Man, that was quick. I didn't think I'd ever be capable of power naps."

Let it be known that he absolutely adores sleeping. It's a sort of bliss that far outshines every other thing known to mankind. And it's that sort of reason that, once he falls asleep, there is no recovery for him.

So how in the world did he manage a simple nap? That's so impossible, but he supposed since this is a game, it could—

"Huh? Blinking, he noticed how he was no longer in his bedroom in the farmhouse, but rather some sort of attic. "What the…"

It's an attic, but someone clearly lived here, judging by how neat and tidy the place was—or at least as neat and tidy as an attic could be. He looked down on where he had been lying on, and it was definitely a bed. To his right, dusty windows that gave sight to nothing but endless darkness. In front of him at the corner was a desk with a computer and a miscellaneous of other things. There was even a TV, a couch, a shelf filled to the brim with trinkets and a potted plant.

He looks around and finds nothing out of the blue… save for the blue smoke that wafted on the ground.

"Weird. Wait a minute… the Velvet Room?" He muttered, getting off the bed with a soft groan and moving towards the stairs. He gripped the handrail before descending the flight of stairs to see…

"Ah, Hero. You are awake," behind the counter, still with that permanent smile of his that's less creepy now for some reason, sat Igor. "It is good to have you here."

Igor… Proprietor of the Velvet Room, a mysterious being with a power that would be far too much for him to understand, and the person who was the one who had started Kirito down his path.

He hadn't met him again, not even once ever since that one time. He still had the 'Augma', but that's probably still in the real world on his table, waiting for the time when it would be used.

So for Igor to want to meet him now… Well, now's a better time than never, he supposed. But how is he here?

"You are currently asleep in your world. I personally brought you, or should I say, your consciousness, here to congratulate you on your success in awakening to your new power," his words of compliment were genuine, and with that voice of his, it made him feel really appreciated.

"Thank you," he bows his head a little, taking a seat at one of the tables. "Is Vabel not joining us for tonight?"

The door of the café swings open, a soft jingling tune indicating that someone's come. He turns his head to the source and cocks a brow.

"Forgive me for my lateness," she says with a small bow, taking her place opposite of Kirito. "Kirito."

"Vabel. Are you dreaming too, or what?"

"No, I am not. Magic."

He paused to rethink her words, digest them, then sighs.

"Right… Magic," that's her excuse from now on, huh? Just magic? So she's here in her real body, unlike him who's in a dream avatar. What an inception; dreaming withing a virtual world that could also be considered a dream. Accepting it as it is will at least help him preserve his sanity for a little longer. "That aside, Persona. This power is not what I expected it to be."

"Indeed. Just the same as life, which never goes as predicted," chuckled the man, raising his hand. "You must have a lot of questions on your mind, and I would be more than happy to answer some of them that are within my capabilities. But know this; your journey has officially begun, Hero. Now, you must master this power and work towards ending this game you've found yourselves in. But trust in the bonds that you build with your allies, and know that our assistance will ever be ready for you, Hero."

"Never lose hope, and hold steadfast to what you desire," Vabel says after a while, her master letting out a soft chuckle.

Right. The mission was to save everyone in 'Sword Art Online', and with this newfound power, it wasn't going to be as impossible as people thought it is.

There was no room for doubt to begin with, though.

Videogames are meant to be beaten, and this one's no exception.

"Also, in case you're curious, the plural form of Persona is Personae."

"Ah… Is that so? I see…"

"Well, we learn something new every day, huh Vabel?"

Thanks, SaintInfernalNeos.


Author's Notes:

The next chapter will be pretty boring because I'm gonna' use it to explain more things, so here's a 'Watch out, and don't complain' warning. Gotta' say, it's interesting on how to make things work, considering how this power is 'magical' when this world is a videogame, and getting everything to mesh together just right is a little challenging. But I think it'll turn out pretty nicely.

That's all. Ta-ta, have fun.