"Another good day of leveling, team!"

Five tankards raised to the sky and toasted, the various beverages - non-alcoholic, of course - sloshing from the jostling. To say that Keita was pleased with his guild's progress over the past couple of months would be putting it mildly. During that time, they'd trained semi-regularly with Kirito and the Renegades, refining their ability in combat and learning to work more effortlessly as a team.

Well, except Ducker. You could only rein in that rascally blonde so much, but at least he was mostly manageable now.

"Yeah! We're gonna be at the top before you know it!" The thief declared as he proceeded to spill half of his drink on himself.

Mostly manageable.

Keita smiled. At this rate, the Moonlit Black Cats would be able to join the front line in about a month, by his estimate. The Clearers recently reached the 20th floor, and the Cats were starting the 15th floor. Since they didn't need to worry about preparing for a boss fight - thank you, Clearing guilds - they could afford to jump floors as was necessary and efficient for experience gain.

"Hey, they're going to scout the 20th floor boss tomorrow, right?" Tetsuo asked after taking a massive gulp from his tankard.

Keita nodded. "That's what I heard."

"Why don't we sit in and watch the scouting meeting?" Tetsuo suggested. "We've been so busy with training and leveling we've never actually watched the scouting party. We only ever sit and watch the real raid."

"It would help prepare us for the real deal, boss-man…" Ducker not-so-subtly suggested, grinning in a way that suggested his priority was not actually related to preparation. "Plus I think we deserve a little break, right?"

"They've got a point, Keita." Sasamaru joined in, much to Keita's dismay.

"Alright, alright!" Keita exclaimed, putting his hands up defensively while Sachi giggled off to his side. "I never said I was against the idea! No need to gang up on me like that!"

Everyone seemed to get a good laugh at his expense, but Keita didn't mind. Okay, maybe he minded a little, but at least everyone was enjoying themselves tonight. Moments like this, sitting around a table and enjoying a meal and each other's company without the looming threat of monsters or death, was a pleasant reminder of simpler times. A time when their little motley crew of computer geeks would sit around in Mrs. Saito's classroom for the computer club. Back then, video games were a shared interest and a hobby they could bond over, despite their different backgrounds.

He wondered if it would ever be that way again.

"So have you guys heard about these Unique Skills that are popping up?" Ducker asked in a hushed voice.

"Unique Skills?" Sachi asked, and Keita found himself just as curious. "What are those?"

"Rumor has it some people woke up earlier this week with brand new skills. Overpowered skills." Ducker elaborated. "No one knows what they did to get them, but they're supposed to be super OP."

"How so?" Keita asked.

"I heard Heathcliff - you know, the guy leading the Knights of the Blood Oath? - has a skill that makes him invincible." The thief continued.

"That's ridiculous!" Tetsuo exclaimed, looking somewhere between horrified and outraged. "Why would there be a skill that makes someone invincible? Come on, Duck! That's a load of crap and you know it!"

"Hey, I'm just saying what I heard, alright?!" Ducker rebuked. "All I know is that people are saying the guy's practically a wall now. He's supposed to be bringing the KoB into the floor boss fights for the first time starting with the 20th, so I guess we'll see then, huh?"

"Who else?" Sasamaru asked, pausing before finishing off his tankard. "Damn, that's good stuff. Who else, man? He can't be the only one with one of these Unique Skills."

"I think someone said they saw Klein from Fuurinkazan doing some sort of fancy katana shit." Ducker said with a shrug just as Sachi flicked his forehead, scolding him for his language. He visibly flinched at the assault before continuing. "Could be a Unique Skill, could also just be him showboating with that katana of his. I don't know."

"It sounds like they're being quiet about it…" Sachi mused. "Why, though? New, powerful skills should be good news, right?"

Keita sighed. "I have a feeling jerkwads like Kibaou and the ALS are the reason for that. Those guys are famous for discriminating against anyone with what they call an unfair advantage. Asuna told me about them once, and boy did she have some opinions about them."

"She's definitely defensive when it comes to Kirito, huh?" Sachi asked with a giggle.

"Seriously!" Sasamaru exclaimed. "Say anything bad about any of the Renegades and I wouldn't be surprised if she filled you with holes before you could say "oops.""

"Well, they don't call her the "Lightning Flash" for nothing, man." Tetsuo laughed. "She's crazy fast with that rapier. Maybe that's one of those Unique Skills?"

"Nah, she's been stupid fast for a long time, man." Ducker shook his head. "These Unique Skills are newer than that."

"Maybe we can ask Argo or Kirito?" Sachi asked. "If anyone knows anything about these new skills, it would have to be the Rat or the Black Swordsman."

That was something else Keita noticed lately. The more famous and well-known players were starting to get monikers assigned to them. It was strange. That never really happened in the real world; any title someone had was synonymous with their occupation or status in life. Chef. President. Student.

Here, though? Lightning Flash. Black Swordsman. The Rat. Crimson Samurai. Dragon Tamer. Deadeye. Shadow. These weren't jobs or occupations; these were titles. Names meant to invoke awe or fear. Honestly, in any other setting they'd be ridiculous and unnecessary.

Here they were kind of badass, though.

Keita nodded. "They might know. If we see them tomorrow, maybe we can ask. That is, before or after the scout broadcast. I don't want to distract them while they're trying to focus."

"Of course." Sachi agreed, just before she gave a yawn. "I think we should get some rest first, though."

Keita nodded. He was looking forward to watching the scout broadcast alongside the Clearers for once. They'd be able to listen in on how the Clearers strategize; a glimpse into that kind of thought process and line of thinking would only help his own guild think more critically and analytically. That, and it would be nice to catch up with the Renegades again.

Maybe they'd know something about these Unique Skills.

"You've got FIVE Unique Skills between you all?!"

Ducker couldn't believe his ears. Just when he thought the Resolute Renegades couldn't be more badass and unique - pun entirely intended - they had to go and prove him wrong. These guys were gonna go far, he could tell already. They might even be the ones to beat SAO and free everyone.

He was still kinda jealous, though.

"Shh!" Lokuss hushed, frantically looking around to see if anyone overheard. Fortunately, everyone was too busy focusing on the scout broadcast above to really be paying much attention to the thief's outburst. "Not so loud! We're trying to keep this on the down-low, man."

"Right." Ducker said, immediately lowering his volume and calming himself. "Makes sense. Don't want people getting jealous. I get it."

Fortunately, Lokuss wasn't paying much attention to the scout broadcast, so he was available for Ducker's interrogation. If he remembered correctly, Lokuss was the Renegades' loremaster, which meant that while he was a capable fighter, he acted like a kind of information broker in that he hunted down lore and information that would get the Renegades better gear and better questlines. As such, he didn't have much of a vested interest in analyzing scout broadcasts; he wouldn't be fighting in them often.

The rest of the Renegades - and the Cats too, for that matter - on the other hand, were sitting nearby, intently watching the scout group on the floating screens above. This floor's scout party was a mixture of the Legend Braves and some members of the Aincrad Liberation Squad, who were fighting a massive yeti-like creature called ((Huyu the Black Yeti)). Their job was to survive for as long as possible and help scope out boss attack patterns. While they were doing that, the rest of the Clearers would watch from the safety of the Town of Beginnings plaza and analyze what they were seeing. Ducker wasn't much of a strategist - he didn't have the patience for it - but he could see the value in learning more about the enemy before bringing the entire Clearer force in.

As interesting as that was, Ducker had other things on the brain, though.

"So what's everyone have?" He asked in a hushed whisper. "What's the scoop, bro?"

"Shit, dude." Lokuss chuckled. "It's pretty awesome. Kirito, Leonn, Liz, Silica, and Yuna all have Unique Skills. Who do you wanna hear about first?"

For the next five - or was it ten? - minutes, Ducker listened intently as Lokuss explained their Unique Skills. God, they were awesome.

Kirito was able to dual wield, which sounded relatively minor but even Ducker could see the potential there. With a skill like that, Kirito could probably solo a lot of stuff without outside intervention if he was quick enough. If he mastered that, he'd be a force to be reckoned with.

It was also just frickin' awesome.

Speaking of unstoppable forces, Leonn's skill gave Ducker a headache. It was so damned complex yet so staggeringly powerful. Sure, apparently it was a "gamble" with his HP, but the dude could probably afford a gamble like that. With a doubled VIT stat, Leonn probably had the highest HP stat in the game, so he could stand to take risks, in Ducker's opinion.

Silica's was pretty cool, too. A second familiar? Pina was already a huge bonus with her support and healing abilities, so the idea of having another like her was interesting.

On the subject of healing, Yuna's skill seemed to be tailored to her. Seriously, what were the odds that there would be a music-based Unique Skill? He couldn't think of a better owner of ((Chant)). Hell, with her singing, healing, and buffing during boss fights, maybe her music would act as a nice boss battling soundtrack. Awesome.

Liz's was super useful. Lokuss showed off an enhanced sword Liz made for him with her Unique Skill and hot damn was it impressive. Its stats were easily 1.5 times as good as what they were using previously, and that was saying something. Maybe she could make some weapons for the Cats? That'd be pretty cool.

"And you still don't know why they got those skills, huh?" Ducker asked.

Lokuss shook his head. "No fuckin' idea, dude. It literally happened overnight."

"That kinda sucks." Ducker sighed. "I was kinda hoping there was a secret to it or something. Unique Skills sound super overpowered."

"Yeah, I feel you there…" Lokuss shrugged. "I'm just glad they exist. Bosses are gonna be easier to deal with when you've got strong players, right?"

"True!" Ducker agreed. He glanced up at the screen to see that the scouting group was retreating out of the boss chamber doors. At the same time, the Renegades and the rest of the Cats were meeting up and talking amongst themselves. He gave a guilty look to Lokuss. "Guess we should go participate, huh?"

"Probably." The loremaster chuckled.

The duo made their way over to their guilds. Keita and Kirito were taking the lead in the conversation and seemed to be discussing strategy. Part of Ducker kicked himself for not having watched the scout broadcast, but that info about the Unique Skills was too juicy to pass up. Was this how Argo felt on a regular basis?

"... mobility. We're going to have to be light on our feet." Kirito said aloud, looking deep in thought. He turned to Asuna. "That thing had some sort of ice breath, right?"

"Yes." She confirmed. "When it hit Beowulf, he looked like he was slowed by it, even though he blocked it with his shield."

"It also didn't have any weapons." Keita observed. "It seemed to just thrash around with its fists more than anything else."

"Exactly." Kirito agreed. "We'll have to be careful and make sure our tanks are ready for something like that."

"Man, I wish we could sit in on your strategy meeting tomorrow." Tetsuo groaned. "I had no idea this much planning went into these fights. I figured you guys just ran in and adjusted as you went."

"That's definitely true of the last bar phase changes." Leonn said with a nod. "We have no idea what's going to change going in, but we try to be as ready for the main fight as we can."

"Speaking of ready…" Asuna trailed, looking pointedly at Kirito and Leonn. "Are you two ready?"

Ducker tilted his head in confusion. Those two were some of the best when it came to the front line. What could they need to be ready for?

"We could stand for a little more practice." Leonn admitted sheepishly. "I think I've got it, but I want to be sure."

"Same here, actually." Kirito said with a bit more reluctance. "Though I can always just use one if need be and do things the way I always have."

"Are you kidding me?!" Liz cried out, causing those in her immediate vicinity to flinch at the outburst. She looked at Kirito exasperatedly. "After I made you a new one? No, sir, you are getting practice in!"

Asuna must have noticed the confused looks evident on the Cats' faces and her expression softened. She then went on to inform them of the Unique Skills found in the Renegades' ranks, to which Ducker's guildmates started to drool over, save for Sachi who always managed to remain calm in the face of such awesomeness. Once the explanation was over with, Keita had a look of realization and snapped his fingers.

"Hey, we were planning on doing some dungeon exploration on the 15th floor tonight." Keita said. "You're welcome to join us if you'd like and get some practice in. I know they're lower level monsters than what you're used to…"

"They'll do it." Liz interrupted, drawing surprised looks from Leonn and Kirito. She pointed an accusatory finger into Leonn's chest. "I had to sit there and watch your health fall and rise like a damn rollercoaster, Leonn. Go practice on stuff that doesn't hit as hard. You're practicing your timing, not your ability to tank things with your face."

She wheeled on Kirito. "And you are getting practice in using that new sword I made you, got it?"

Kirito looked helplessly over at Asuna, who answered him only with an amused smirk. He would get no help from his girlfriend here, it seemed. Ducker chuckled under his breath at the mighty Black Swordsman reduced to a helpless mess by two girls.

"Do you mind if I join, too?" Yuna asked. "I might not need to practice necessarily, but it gives me more time to prepare more songs and find out what they do in combat."

"That's fine with us." Keita answered for them. "We'll meet you all at the 15th floor dungeon entrance tonight?"

"We'll see you there!" Yuna replied with a smile, as the two groups parted ways.

Ducker glanced behind himself and saw Kirito and Leonn standing there, lagging behind the others and looking positively dumbfounded. He snickered as he realized that neither of them were able to get a word in edgewise during that exchange, and that they'd been effectively drafted to join up with the Cats tonight. Still, he couldn't wait to see them in action. He'd seen them before many times, when the Renegades gave them those little tutoring lessons, but now he'd get to see them with their brand new Unique Skills!

So awesome.

Yuna couldn't have been happier with her new skill.

Clearly Kayaba played favorites. That was the only possible explanation for why Yuna, who had joined SAO purely for the sake of experimenting with music, was selected… chosen?… whatever, for this Unique Skill. Being able to heal and buff her teammates through song?

((Chant)) was the perfect skill for her.

The best part of it all was that the skill seemed to tailor the effects of the song based on the type of song being played. Upbeat songs provided an AoE healing effect to those within earshot. Songs with heavier beats gave a STR or a VIT boost. Quicker paced songs gave an AGI or DEX boost. She had yet to find a song that gave a LUK boost, but she was sure that when she did she was going to be in high demand whenever Liz forged something.

The skill literally encouraged musical creativity.

Then there was the matter of that greyed out sub-skill. What else did this Unique Skill have in store for her? How could it possibly get any better? Then again, it could reveal a negative effect like Leonn's skill and lower some of her stats. She hoped it wasn't anything like that.

A goblin flying past her and slamming into the wall diverted her attention, distracting her enough to mess up one note. Unfortunately, since her skill "saved" the first draft of the song, it knew exactly when she messed up and so the song's buffs ended prematurely. It was almost like that old "Guitar Hero" game that was popular back in the day. Any "high score," or in this case buffs and healing, would end if she messed up. She inwardly cursed herself for not staying focused. She ended the song early and sighed.

There had to be a downside somewhere, she supposed.

"What's wrong, Yuna?" Tetsuo asked as he finished off the goblin in front of him.

"Nothing! It's just if I mess up a note, the skill ends early." Yuna admitted, trying to hide her displeasure behind a pleasant smile. "That was my fault; I got distracted."

"Way to go, doofus!" Ducker mock-scolded Tetsuo, slapping the tank's back. "You sent that goblin flying and distracted her!"

"No, no! It's fine!" Yuna hurriedly assured them. "I need to learn to focus during battle anyway if I'm going to be doing this instead of fighting. This is good practice!"

As the Cats refocused on the battle, Yuna let out a sigh of relief and took a second to reevaluate her surroundings. That was one of the first things Kirito instilled in his guild, after all. Situational awareness kept you alive. Ignorance got you killed.

The dungeon cavern they were exploring was remarkably cramped. It wasn't uncomfortable, by any means, but the width and height of the tunnels they were in could only accommodate maybe 5 people across and 2 people high. Compared to other dungeons, that was fairly small. The cramped quarters were made even more uncomfortable by just how wet the place was. It was dank, it was dirty, and it was moist. That word always made her uncomfortable for some reason, but it was the only one that came to mind when she tried to describe this place. She didn't enjoy it the first time she explored it several weeks ago, and she certainly didn't enjoy it now.

She did enjoy the acoustics, though. It was remarkably echo-ey in here and it was doing wonders for her music.

Another creature, this time a larger hobgoblin, staggered back from a side room and fell on its rear. It attempted to stand up again, only for a familiar black-clad figure to come pouncing forward, stabbing his two swords through the creature's chest. Almost immediately, the hobgoblin exploded into pixels, and Kirito sheathed his swords with a flourish.

She giggled. Such a show-off.

Then again, Nautilus would probably be the same way if he could dual wield.

"You're definitely getting better at handling both swords, Kirito." Yuna commented. There were several murmurs of agreement from the Cats nearby, at least those not fending off goblins of their own. "Think you've got the hang of it now?"

Kirito nodded. "I think so. The hardest part is hitting with both swords without having one get in the way of the other. There's more coordination involved than you'd think."

"I believe it." Keita said, twirling around and cracking another goblin's head with his quarterstaff. "Dual wielding seems really complex."

"Hey Yuna, can I bother you for a heal… please?" Sachi asked. There was no hostility in the request, but Yuna could tell that the spearwoman was trying her best not to sound impatient. That girl was too gentle for these boys.

"Coming up!" Yuna replied, starting one of her better healing songs. Immediately, a soft green glow began to radiate outward from the songstress and she could see everyone's health bars slowly rising.

The only person whose health bar was going up slower than the rest was Leonn. Ever since he got his Unique Skill, the Renegade tank had arguably too much health. Seriously, her healing was barely making a dent in his HP. A quick comparison between his and Tetsuo's health pool revealed that Leonn had over triple the amount of health that Tetsuo, a shielder, had. Sure, Leonn was a higher level than Tetsuo, but the difference was so stark it was dizzying.

Another look at Leonn's health pool showed that the drastic increase was justified. His new playstyle meant that he was constantly taking damage, so he needed an enormous health pool in order to survive. Still, she made a mental note to keep an eye on his health and give him a little musical boost when needed.

A loud *THUMP* and the sound of another hobgoblin signalled the end of their current fight, and everyone reconvened for a short breather. Due to Kirito and Leonn focusing more on movement and practice - and not on raw damage - the eight of them had been slowly making their way through the dungeon. Yuna continued her song, but winced when she saw the state Leonn was in.

He was covered in golden scratch marks, which were at this moment stitching themselves together slowly. He had an exhausted, almost pained, look on his face but he still managed a smile as he sat down against the cave wall.

"Well, good news is I can absorb multiple hits at once if I time my attacks right." Leonn chuckled.

"And the bad news?" Ducker asked.

Leonn groaned. "I found out that every attack I receive during my "absorb" phase lengthens my attacks by a small amount."

"Wouldn't that be a good thing, though?" Tetsuo pondered. "Slower attacks should mean a longer safe window for you to absorb damage, right?"

"You try getting stuck mid-swing for five seconds because you've got 10 goblins constantly stabbing you." Leonn quipped. "It's a little scary, if I'm being honest."

"You took on 10 goblins at once?!" Ducker gasped, excitement evident in his voice.

"You took on 10 goblins at once?" Kirito echoed, though his question was markedly less enthused. If anything, it was almost scolding in its tone.

"Not my best idea, I admit." Leonn said, standing up. The last few golden scrapes seemed to evaporate as Leonn's health finished regenerating. It was kind of creepy to watch, but still a comfort to see him healthy. "Shall we keep moving?"

For the next hour or two, their combined party explored the goblin caverns of the 15th floor, sometimes even going places the Renegades hadn't explored during their time on this floor. Yuna was about to suggest that they head back when they came across a moderately sized portcullis, which was decidedly very different compared to anything else they'd encountered thus far. Given its grate-like appearance, the Renegades and Cats could clearly see inside, where a small chest lay in waiting.

"Ooooh, that's gotta be some good loot in there!" Ducker exclaimed, greedily rubbing his hands together.

"I don't know…" Sachi said under her breath, though loud enough where Yuna could hear her. "This feels like a trap."

"It probably is." Kirito said. He pulled out five small blue teleport crystals and handed one to each of the Cats. The appearance of teleport crystals on the 20th floor was significant in that it allowed players to quickly teleport to a major city or town of their choosing on the fly. Lazier players used them for easy transportation.

Wise players used them as a means for escape.

"Here." Kirito said, handing the last crystal to Sachi. "If things go poorly in here, squeeze the crystal and say the name of the town you want to teleport to. I'd recommend the town on this floor, but any town will do."

"Wow." Keita said, turning the crystal over in his hand as he examined it. "Thanks, Kirito. How much are these things, anyway?"

"About two thousand Cor each." Kirito answered. "Worth the investment, though. If you can, make sure everyone has one with them at all times."

Yuna and Leonn pulled out a crystal each to show the Cats, who nodded and pocketed theirs. While the Renegades hadn't had much of an opportunity to use these lifelines - thank goodness - Yuna could easily see the merit in having them around. With a simple nod, the group of eight approached the portcullis and gazed inside.

"So…" Ducker trailed. "How do we get in? I'm not seeing a lever."

Tetsuo ran forward and grabbed the rungs of the portcullis. Taking a deep breath and letting out a grunt, he began to lift. He got the portcullis about an inch off the ground before he stopped, unable to budge the massive iron gateway any further. "Someone wanna give me a hand with this?!"

Ducker and Sasamaru ran forward to assist, each grabbing ahold of the gate and lifting. To their credit, it raised another few inches. Yuna smirked. These boys were persistent, if a little slow to realize a better solution. Finally, the boys couldn't take the strain anymore and collapsed to the floor, panting heavily.

"Alright, where's the… where's the lever?" Sasamaru asked, wearily looking around the tunnel.

"I don't think there is one." Keita murmured. "We need more people with a higher strength score, I think."

"Leonn." Kirito said plainly.

"Yeah, yeah…" Leonn grumbled. "I got it."

Yuna watched with some amusement as the exhausted Cats' expression went from unbelieving to awestruck as Leonn walked forward and slowly lifted the portcullis up above his head. The Renegade tank was clearly straining from the effort, but was still holding strong regardless.

The perks of a doubled strength score, apparently.

A single grunt was enough of a motivator for everyone to get moving, as they all hurried past into the chamber ahead. Not a moment later, Leonn himself lurched forward into the chamber, causing the gate to slam down violently. He hunched over and rested his hands on his knees, clearly winded from the effort.

"Good job, Leonn." Yuna said, giving him a pat on the back.

"Thanks." Leonn replied as he stood up to his full height once again.

"This definitely smells like a trap, so everyone get ready." Kirito instructed. The eight of them formed a circle surrounding the treasure chest. After a moment, Kirito looked over his shoulder and gave Keita a nod.

Keita returned it. "When you're ready, Ducker."

"Let's go!" Ducker shouted, flipping the lid open. "Sweet! We got a - "

Ducker was interrupted with at least two dozen hobgoblins dropped down from the ceiling, surrounding the group. A cacophony of snarls and hoots followed, thoroughly creeping Yuna out. A quick glance at Sachi and the way her grip tightened on her weapon told Yuna that the spearwoman felt the same way. Knowing her role in the fight to come, Yuna took a few steps back towards the center of the group and began to play a song with heavy beats, buffing everyone with added STR and VIT. This was going to be a long fight and they needed all of the health and defense they could muster.

Kirito and Leonn immediately split up, covering opposite sides of the room. Kirito leapt into action on his side, quickly going on the offensive. He was definitely finding his groove with this new Unique Skill of his. In a scenario like this, one blade would parry or deflect while the other would hone in on the opening provided by the first. It was very efficient, if Yuna had to put it into words. Very economical; he never resorted to flashy movements, favoring quick strikes that accomplished what he set out to do and nothing more. He was soon joined by Sachi and Ducker, who tried their best to keep up with the Black Swordsman.

Leonn simply barrelled through the crowd of hobgoblins, using some ramming sword skill Yuna had seen him do once or twice. He was almost constantly using sword skills in order to maximize his absorption window, and Yuna worried that if this went on for too long that he'd suffer from fatigue. Fortunately, Keita and Sasamaru were nearby to assist and cover his flanks.

Tetsuo, bless his heart, decided to stay near Yuna while she buffed and healed the party. She was thankful for it, too, since a handful of hobgoblins would slip past every now and then to attempt an attack on her.

"You okay, Yuna?!" Tetsuo asked, whipping his mace into the face of a hobgoblin that strayed too close to the performing songstress.

"Y-yeah!" She stammered. If this wasn't performing under pressure, she didn't know what was.

Another hobgoblin went soaring past her, throttled by Leonn, and slammed into another hobgoblin nearby. Things were getting out of hand, and some time later that Yuna noticed something important about this fight. Something that, due to her not being actively fighting at the moment, she'd been in the unique position to spot.

Every hobgoblin that died was replaced by another one falling from the ceiling.

"Kirito! Keita!" Yuna shouted, shifting the melody of her current song onto her instrument so she could speak freely. "They just keep respawning!"

"Shit!" Ducker cried out, dodging a hobgoblin's axehead. "Now what?!"

"Form up at the gate!" Kirito roared, blocking a hobgoblin's axe by crossing his swords in an "X" shape. He pushed back, staggering the hobgoblin. "Leonn, get us out of here if you can!"

"Got it!" Leonn responded, holstering his maul and grabbing ahold of the portcullis. Everyone moved to defend him while he worked. Yuna noted with some reluctance that Leonn was covered in golden scrapes; he was still actively healing from the damage he took earlier. With a yell of determination, the Renegade tank started to lift the portcullis.

Then an axe spun through the air and lodged itself in his shoulder.

Leonn cried out in pain and immediately the golden marks that remained on his body turned red. He lost his grip, and the portcullis slammed back down sharply. Yuna looked up and saw his health drop down to 30%, well into the yellow. She immediately shifted to a healing song and hoped it would be enough to keep everyone alive. Meanwhile, Sachi reached over and yanked the offending weapon out of Leonn's shoulder.

"Leonn!" Keita cried out, deflecting an axe off his quarterstaff and countering with a swift smack. "You okay to try again?"

"Maybe, but I don't think we have enough time!" Leonn warned as more hobgoblins dropped down from the ceiling. "Kirito, we need to teleport!"

"Gah!" Kirito grunted, deflecting another axe strike before bashing the offending hobgoblin with a pommel strike. "Everyone get ready to teleport! 1st floor, got it?!"

Yuna found herself hard pressed to disagree. Leonn, as bulky as he was, was in no shape to attempt to lift that portcullis again and there was no way her healing song was going to fix that in time. The Cats were doing their best to hold off the encroaching waves of hobgoblins, but it was plain to see that they weren't going to last much longer. Finishing off her healing song, she pulled out her teleport crystal just as everyone else did.

She raised the crystal up high in the air, gave it a squeeze, and shouted the necessary command. "Teleport, Town of Beginnings!"

Yuna felt her body squeeze for just a moment as her avatar was forcibly ripped away from its current location and plopped down at the target destination. She squinted her eyes as her surroundings changed from a dark, dimly lit cavern to a still-dark-but-considerably-better-lit plaza that she knew all too well. She fell to her knees in the Town of Beginnings central plaza.

She was safe.

A series of pops echoed around her as Kirito, Leonn, and the Cats teleported in behind her. Nobody said a word, the only sounds coming from the group being heavy, exhausted panting.

"So how much did you say those crystals are…?" Sachi wearily asked.

"2,000 Cor, why?" Kirito answered.

"Keita, we're buying ten of those things." Sachi declared. "The guild base can wait."

Someone snorted. Then another person stifled back a giggle. Soon enough, the eight of them were laughing hysterically. Maybe it was nervous energy or the overwhelming relief that they'd escaped death, but Yuna couldn't stop herself from doubling over in laughter. As her laughter trailed off, she looked up into the night sky and sighed. That could have ended so much worse than it did. She didn't even care what Ducker managed to retrieve from the chest, since her thoughts were on more important matters.

They survived.

A/N:

The Cats survive their second near-death experience and the Renegades learn that their Unique Skills don't make them invincible. At the same time, the Cats learn of the value of teleport crystals. Surely they'll use them in the future… right?

Based on what I'm seeing in the comments and reviews, I'm glad to see that the Unique Skills were well received! I know some of you are still bummed that Asuna didn't get anything, but hopefully the others make up for that. I'll make it up to her in other ways, so don't you worry.

As always, thanks so much for your continued support! It always brings a smile to my face whenever I see one of you leaving a review or a comment.

'Til next week!