A/N:

Well, last chapter went about as well as I thought it would! Before we dive back into the action, time to address a few reviews:

- Sacredbeats: Agreed! I hate cliffhangers as a reader, but it's a good hate. Makes me invested in what comes next. Hopefully it was the same for you all here!

- dragonfighter11: At least I don't have to worry about torches, so I'll count my blessings.

- JustCalMeHabs: Ooh, bad timing! Well, your excruciating wait is at an end, my friend.

- felipe potter medrado: FNC is actually a canon thing. Nautilus suffered from FNC; its impact on his fighting ability is what led to his departure from the KoB in canon. Nezha's FNC is also canon and why he used a chakram. I've only watched about half of the first season of Log Horizon but I'm enjoying it so far.

- Ducelet: I can't guarantee anything, but at least I know y'all care about this ragtag group of misfits!

- Jiraphie: Damn, naming the cyclops some variation of Daedalus would have been fitting. I knew about his involvement in Icarus and his wings, but I didn't know about his role in creating the labyrinth that housed the minotaur (that is, until I looked it up). That would have been a better name, so good on you for thinking deeper than I did!

- Otaku of Anime: I don't always leave cliffhangers, but when I do…

- Hinate: Yeah, I figured Naut would need one hell of a motivator to break through his FNC. Watching the girl you care for about to be crushed by a giant monster will do that.

- Morte Cacciatore: Guess you'll have to wait and see! … in like, a couple of minutes.

- tl34lt12: I guess it's spoilery territory, but I have no intention of killing Yuna off. I agree, that would just be in bad taste given what happened with her VA.

- Forthwith16: Something definitely broke. Whether that'll have repercussions down the line, I guess we'll have to wait and see…

- Lord Destroyer: We'll see just how that played out during this chapter, as we'll also see the aftermath of the battle and how the frontline changes as a whole.

- Drake Vallion: Yeah, everyone's gonna be reeling from this. There might be some good moments here and there, but it's going to haunt them.

- lilLJBeacon: Bold claim there! I will say this much; if and/or when the Renegades grow in size, the focus of the story is going to be on the main cast. The "lesser" characters, for lack of a better term, will be present but the PoV will focus on the major ones. You shouldn't have to worry about the PoV changing too much.

Alright, I've made you all wait long enough. Now, for the continuation!

Liz didn't expect to go out like this.

She had hoped to die peacefully in her sleep, or at least that was the hope before she was trapped in SAO. Once she'd been trapped, she expected to die fairly quickly after her first foray into the fields. Now that she'd spent so much time as a member of the Resolute Renegades, she hoped that her death would be memorable or would occur long after breaking free of this accursed game. A morbid part of herself chuckled at the irony that dying here would count as dying in her sleep.

She did not expect to die by way of a massive wooden sandal falling down on her head.

Honed battle instincts had screamed at her to move out of the damn way, but the stun effect gripping her body like a straightjacket had dictated otherwise. Thus, the only thing she could do was flinch, close her eyes, and hope that the afterlife was a better place than the hellhole they called Aincrad.

Admittedly a bit of a low bar, there.

She heard the collision and felt the shockwave as that cyclops' foot crashed down. So this was what death was like. The afterlife was surprisingly dark, she realized. Noisy, too. A lot of screaming and shouting. Had she gone to hell? Oh, gods, and here she thought she had lived a decent enough life to at least avoid this place. If she wanted eternal damnation, she would have stayed in Aincrad.

"How are you doing that?!" A familiar voice shouted out in alarm.

It was then she realized that the voice belonged to Lind, and unless he had also died in the seconds since she saw him last, she was probably not dead yet. When she opened her eyes and looked up, her heart clenched and she suddenly understood why she was still among the living. Standing over her, arms glowing like a sword skill and outstretched over his head, was Leonn…

…Pushing and holding up the giant wooden sandal that threatened to end her life just now.

Did he just catch the boss's foot?

"It's called ((Clash))!" Yuna shouted out as the songstress ran up to join the raid group. "It's a sub-skill of ((Defiant Soul)). It lets Leonn block and catch a boss's attack and hold them in place for 10 seconds!"

So that was what he and Yuna had been sneaking off to practice for the past week. The unlikely duo had kept tight-lipped about the whole thing, but obviously her fellow tank wanted to practice the skill before revealing it.

Thank goodness for that.

A moment of shock and awe rippled through the raid group before Asuna's voice pierced the tense atmosphere. "Well, don't just stand there! Regroup! Attack! He can't hold him forever!"

Now free of her stun, Liz scrambled to her feet and was quick to create some distance between herself and the massive cyclops boss. She spared a glance back at her savior, who was visibly trembling as he grasped the sides of the gargantuan sandal overhead and struggled to lift, push, and hold what was probably literal tons of rampaging cyclops in place. Both monster and player pushed against the other, each locked in a contest of strength at the expense of all else. The floor boss wasn't even paying attention to anyone else - even as they started to attack it - as it seemed its only goal in life at this moment was overpowering Leonn and crushing him under his foot.

Her eyes met with Leonn's, and her heart skipped a beat. He saved her. He literally placed himself in the way of the deadliest boss monster Aincrad had ever seen and pushed back. He refused to accept her death as fact. She was probably romanticizing the whole thing, but she didn't much care at the moment.

She'd admit she was falling for him pretty hard right now.

Shaking off her daydreaming, Liz pulled out a health crystal and quickly crushed it, restoring her health to full. She wasn't about to just idly sit by and watch; she was going to fight back. She charged back in, noting that despite the dozens of players attacking it, the cyclops was still completely focused on pushing down on Leonn in an attempt to smash him into a paste.

Not that Leonn was letting him.

And everyone took advantage of the opportunity afforded. The room was alight with dozens of sword skills, all activating and finding purchase on the occupied titan. Liz herself unleashed blow after staggering blow with her warhammer, aiming at the ankle and knee to hopefully throw off its balance and make it easier on Leonn. Kirito and Asuna zoomed in, a blur of black and white as they carved their way across the massive cyclops's calves. Klein roared as he unleashed a flurry of katana strikes. A chakram, thrown by a furious, tear-ridden Nezha kept striking the cyclops's right head before bouncing back to its wielder. Kuroi and Silica leapt up and latched onto the cyclops's back, using their daggers to repeatedly stab the monster's exposed back. Even those not of her guild or friend group were vengeful in their fury, Kibaou and Lind striking blow after blow on the abomination that had killed so many. Alice and the KoB were in the thick of it as well, the swordswoman herself unleashing long carving slashes with her sword on the giant's knee. Those 10 seconds afforded to them seemed to crawl slowly as everyone who could still stand unleashed hell on the titan of the 25th.

With a mighty roar that sent virtual goosebumps across her body, Leonn shoved upward and, to the collective shock of the entire raid group, knocked that cyclops on his ass. Fortunately, Silica and Kuroi had since leapt clear of the falling giant while poor Kirito and Klein had to throw themselves to the side or risk becoming very acquainted with Areog's rear end. Even before the chamber stopped shaking from the impact of the fallen titan, players already started swarming the boss like locusts, intent on overwhelming it through sheer numbers.

Caught in such a compromising position and already at low health from the previous assault, the Floor Boss of the 25th floor was quickly overwhelmed and defeated. When the sound of shattering glass erupted and the congratulatory system message blipped into existence over their heads, however, no one was in any mood to celebrate.

The silence that followed was broken only by heavy breathing and barely restrained sobs.

Liz looked over at Leonn, who was standing, but only with Sinon's help. Her hero looked drained and exhausted. Not that she could blame him, really. He did just win a wrestling match with a cyclops. As she rushed over - practically barrelling over anyone foolish enough to not move out of the way - Sinon stepped back to give the two of them space.

"A-are you okay, Leonn?" Liz asked, equal parts concern and nervous energy.

Leonn gave her a tired but sincere smile. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Using ((Clash)) gives me a nasty debuff afterwards, but I'm alive. It'll go away in time."

"You could have died." She asserted, clutching his arm.

Leonn shook his head and chuckled. "He was going to kill you, Liz. Like hell I'd let that happen."

"What the hell was that?!" A voice called out, breaking the solemn silence. "Why didn't you use that earlier?!"

All eyes glared at one man dressed in green. Much to her own surprise, the man in question was not Kibaou. If memory serves, this particular idiot's name was Morte. Bit of a troublemaker, this one, and even more extreme in his prejudices than Kibaou.

And right now the collective object of scorn among the Assault Team.

Liz felt her blood boil at the accusation. The only reason she didn't bolt up and kill the man herself was the fact that Leonn needed her right now. He might not have been in any danger right now, but she would stick by his side until his debuff expired. Maybe a little afterwards, actually.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" Klein spat, the normally jovial samurai looking absolutely livid. "We came in here to rescue your sorry asses and that's the thanks we get? We lost people, asshole!"

"Maybe if he used that skill earlier, we would have won faster!" Morte shouted. Liz could see a faint flicker of a smirk on his lips.

She wasn't the only one to notice.

"Are you smiling right now?!" Nezha cried out, shocking many in attendance. The chakram wielder wasn't the most vocal of people when it came to his guild. That was usually Orlando. "How the fuck are you smiling?!"

"I'm not smiling!" Morte lied. "I'm just saying that this Beater here could have - "

"Shut the FUCK UP, Morte!"

Kibaou stood there, looking perturbed and yet uncharacteristically melancholy despite his outburst. No, that wasn't the right word. He wasn't just melancholic. He looked sad, certainly, but another emotion was plain on his face.

Shame.

"But boss, he could have - "

"No, Morte." Kibaou shook his head, a bitter grimace on his face. "We messed up here. Not them. If it weren't for them, that monster would have killed us all. And Nezha's right, how can you be smiling right now?"

Morte spluttered, clearly unable to think of a good response.

"No. This is the last straw, Morte." Kibaou said, pulling up his menu and scrolling through it. "I should have done this a long time ago, back on the 5th Floor. God, how did I not see it before? You trying to incite player killing for that stupid flag should have been enough of a warning for me. Then you manage to convince me to keep us in this fight during the scouting run when we should have retreated. People are dead, and now you're trying to start trouble again? It's like you're trying to get us killed. No more. As of this moment, you are no longer welcome among the Aincrad Liberation Squad. Leave."

Morte's panicked expression swiftly hardened to one of apathy. Without another word, he pulled out a teleport crystal, whispered something to it, and vanished in a flash of light.

"How many?" Heathcliff asked gravely after a moment of silence.

"We… we lost 23." Kibaou frowned, shame crystal clear on his face. He turned his face to the side, unwilling to make eye contact with anyone.

Lind sighed. "Five here, including my vice-leader."

"Shivata's dead?" Liten's voice cracked. Liz's heart immediately went out to the ALS tank. She knew Liten was particularly close with Shivata; there were even suspicions that the two would become an item at some point. It would have been Aincrad's version of a Romeo and Juliet story.

Not anymore.

"Fuurinkazan lost two." Klein held back a sob, his fists clenched tightly. "Issin and Harry One… they didn't make it."

Liz's heart sank.

"We're…" Nezha trailed, staring blankly at the ground while Beowulf stood at his side. "We're the only ones left of the Legend Braves."

Then it sank even more.

When did Issin and Harry One die? Worse yet, when did Orlando die? Cuchulainn? Gilgamesh? The melee was chaotic, but she hadn't even registered that her friends had died in the midst of it. The last she saw of them, they were heroically jumping into the fray to keep the cyclops busy during the rescue efforts. She felt a chill run up her spine, the reality sinking in that she'd survived when they didn't. Hell, the only reason she was still alive was because Leonn had intervened. If he'd used that skill earlier, would the others be alive? Would she be dead in their place? She didn't blame him one iota and she would be forever grateful to him for saving her life, but she knew those questions would plague her for a long time.

Questions she would never find the answer to.

Alice let out a sigh of her own. "We lost three ourselves, Commander."

Heathcliff's normally stoic visage morphed into an intense frown. "Thirty-six. Good god…"

Three dozen people dead. That accounted for all of the major front line guilds, but there was no telling how many from the smaller and less prominent guilds died, let alone any solo players that might have gotten caught in the scuffle. Combined with the initial death toll from their first day on this floor, that brought the total number of front line Clearers who died on the 25th Floor to at least 48 people. Calling that kind of loss huge would be a massive understatement.

"What do we do now?" Silica asked quietly, causing Liz to wince. The thought that a child like Silica had just witnessed death on such a massive scale made Liz sick. Most of them were technically children, but Silica was especially young. Too young.

"For now, we grieve." Heathcliff said softly, but with firm resolve. "I think we ought to hold funeral services for those who fell today. No, for all who fell on this floor as a whole. After that, we need to take some time off and then seriously re-examine how we approach boss battles."

"This wasn't a battle." Klein chuckled bitterly, painfully. "This was a massacre."

"Agreed." Lind said as he rubbed his face tiredly. He looked towards Kibaou. "What will you do?"

Everyone looked towards the disgraced guild leader, who - to his credit - seemed to be holding it together, albeit barely. Kibaou let out a pained sigh as he raised his head to meet the intense stares of those assembled.

"I'm officially pulling the Aincrad Liberation Squad away from the front line." He explained, to the shock of many assembled. "I let my ego get the best of me and we paid the price for it. I'll find a way to have the ALS help from the home front. Maybe we can help middies or lowbie players stay safe while they climb to the top, I don't know."

His frown became thoughtful.

"All I know is that I'm not fit to lead here at least. If anyone in my guild wants to keep fighting on the Assault Team, I encourage them to do so, but it won't be through the ALS." He turned to each of the guild leaders present. "If any of them wish to join your ranks, I hope you won't deny them on my account. They're good people… they just followed the wrong guy."

No one said anything. Nothing needed to be said. Everyone knew he was right. As charismatic a leader Kibaou could be, he had an ego that was easily manipulated. This sort of self-exile would help keep the Assault Team level-headed and unified, honestly. Better yet, if the ALS took on the job of safeguarding the less experienced players, the number of weekly casualties would, in theory, go down. This was the right move.

A shame it took the deaths of three dozen players for it to happen.

"Hey." Leonn nudged Liz, then he gestured towards Liten. "She needs you more than I do right now. She's hurting."

Liz smiled, touched by his compassion, before nodding and making her way over to the grieving tank. When Liten eventually looked up and made teary eye contact, the floodgates opened. Liz rushed to her, quickly enveloping her in a hug. The ALS tank clung tightly, uncomfortably so, as she openly wept in mourning.

Liz didn't offer empty promises that everything would be okay. Nor did she express her condolences for her loss. She knew better than that. Liten didn't need empty sympathetic platitudes. She needed a friend. The best thing Liz could do right now was be there for her.

And so she did. While many of the Assault Team either went on to the next floor to unlock the 26th Floor teleporter or teleported back to a previous floor to rest, Liz and many of her friends stayed there. They did what they should do.

They grieved.

The next week was a depressing one for Kirito, and one that saw a drastic dynamic shift among the Assault Team.

As promised, Kibaou pulled the ALS away from the front lines, choosing to assign his guild the task of safeguarding lower level players as they adventured all throughout Aincrad. Most of the public, having seen his disgrace live via the broadcast, did not take kindly to his actions. His name was still muttered with some disdain, but at least they left him alone to his own shame. Already there were talks of the ALS merging with a guild on the 1st floor to facilitate better protection for lower level players. Those surviving members of the ALS that wanted to continue clearing were absorbed by other frontline guilds like the KoB or DKB.

The KoB seemed to take the ALS's spot as one of the "Big Three" front line guilds, alongside the DKB and the Renegades. Argo's prediction regarding that guild seemed to be true; Heathcliff seemed to become a more inspiring figure among the Assault Team with each and every day, especially in the wake of his prompt rescue effort in the face of what would have been even more of a tragedy. Alice herself was also becoming a more notable figure in the public's eye. Kirito recalled seeing the vice-commander of the KoB lead quite the rallying charge before that AoE stun, before Leonn held down the boss and gave everyone their second wind.

While the KoB took a clear leadership role during the rescue, it was the efforts of select individuals that stood out the most to the public. Nautilus's defense of Yuna as well as his duel against the floor boss earned him the title of "Intrepid Knight" among the public for his bravery and skill, a moniker that Yuna found amusing for some reason. Then there was Leonn, whose feat of strength against a literal giant, combined with his known fighting style, led to many calling him "The Juggernaut," much to the tank's embarrassment.

The DKB, by comparison, more or less stagnated, neither advancing nor diminishing in how it was viewed by the public. Actually, between the KoB's leadership and how much of an influence the Renegades had on the fight, the DKB hadn't had much of an impact, all things considered. Already, rumor had it that many aspiring players were aiming to one day join the ranks of the KoB or the Renegades, and so few were aiming for the DKB. Since the ALS no longer maintained a front line presence, the only good thing to come of all of this was that the DKB inherited the guild flag.

Normally Kirito wouldn't have considered the move in the name of guild balance, but Heathcliff was actually the one to present the idea. Since the KoB had one Unique Skill user to their name and the Renegades - while smaller in size - had multiple, it was agreed upon that the DKB needed a little boost. Lind gratefully accepted the flag, but there were still mutterings about a "pity gift" or "charity" among those more opinionated in the DKB.

As Argo had put it shortly after handing over the flag, "what a bunch of ungrateful, entitled assholes."

The overall consensus among the Assault Team was that everyone was to take a week or two off to recover from the ordeal. Already, the incident - Klein was right in calling it a massacre - was being referred to by many simply as "The 25th." That short phrase was all that was needed to convey what infamous event was being referenced, and no one wanted to give that event more words than were necessary. The public agreed with the idea of a break, having seen the slaughter through the broadcast and the horrors that went along with it. There were a few outspoken critics who demanded that the Assault Team resume their progress sooner rather than later, but they were quickly silenced by peer pressure.

Then there was the matter of his own guild. More specifically, how it changed.

While Kirito hoped that such an occasion wouldn't be marred by tragedy, the Resolute Renegades grew in size. The increase in membership was one born of necessity, however, and all of them wished it had happened under better circumstances.

Nezha and Beowulf, being the only surviving members of the Legend Braves, were among the new recruits. Kuroi had immediately befriended the duo and offered words of comfort; as the only survivor of her last guild, it came as no surprise to anyone that the ninja would empathize with the distraught duo.

Liten, since she wanted to continue serving on the front line in honor of Shivata, left the Aincrad Liberation Squad and joined the Renegades since she was already on good terms with many in their guild. Kirito thought she would have joined the DKB, but Asuna pointed out that joining them might keep unpleasant memories fresh in the mind. It was nice to have another tank join their ranks, but it was clear that Liten would be grieving for quite some time.

In what was perhaps the most surprising move, Klein approached Kirito and asked for a merger between their two guilds. Kirito was quick to try to dissuade him, but the samurai insisted. According to Klein, it was something that was already being discussed by the six of them even before they'd lost Issin and Harry One. Now the ugly truth of the matter was that Fuurinkazan didn't feel safe on their own anymore, not with just four members remaining. They could have merged with what remained of the Legend Braves, but there was safety and security in greater numbers. The 25th made that more than evident.

Kirito was brought out of his musings by a familiar hand lacing with his own. Realizing he'd been staring out the guild hall window, he turned around and was met by a melancholy Asuna, who offered him a solemn smile nonetheless. She, like many in their guild would be doing today, was wearing black.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

"As much as I can be." He answered with a sigh.

With nary another word between them, the couple walked outside. The weather outside was uncharacteristically overcast; unusual given how sunny and idyllic the 22nd Floor typically was but simultaneously fitting for the occasion. Maybe Kayaba was showing them some pity and decided to change the weather for today.

Then again, if Kayaba truly felt bad for them, he'd have let everyone free to begin with.

They finally came to a section of the cliffside that overlooked the valley. Atop rested a lone tree, giving the cliff edge a unique backdrop of the lake below. Not the kind of gargantuan tree that functioned as their teleport pad, but a tree of significant size regardless. The rest of the guild was assembled there, each looking just as somber as the next and all dressed in formal black clothing. The Moonlit Black Cats were also in attendance; while they weren't a part of the battle, they were still here to show their support and to honor the memories of the fallen. While there were no bodies to bury, they all knew they had to honor their memory somehow.

A funeral seemed the best way to do that.

Resting at the base of the tree rested six headstones arranged in a neat row. Each stone was inscribed with the name of a fallen friend.

Enkidu. Cuchulainn. Gilgamesh. Orlando.

The fact that almost the entirety of the Legend Braves now had a permanent place here in the place they'd worked so hard to build was bittersweet. That they could rest in the place they considered a second home was of some comfort. The fact that they were gone in the first place was not.

Issin. Harry One.

The same could be said for the two fallen members of Fuurinkazan. While Issin and Harry One weren't as vocal or known as Klein or Dale were, they were still valued friends and close comrades. Klein had mentioned on multiple occasions that the entire Fuurinkazan crew knew each other in real life and had gamed together for years. Now a third of their group was dead, never to hang out and chill like the group of bros that they were ever again.

Shivata didn't have a tombstone here out of respect for his friends in the DKB. While they were on good terms with the DKB's second-in-command, they weren't close enough to warrant a memorial here in Nelluon Arael. They were, however, going to attend the DKB's memorial in a couple days to show their support. It was the least they could do to support Liten during this difficult time.

Kirito cleared his throat. He should probably say something, seeing as how he was (nearly) everyone's leader now.

"I… umm… I'm not good with speeches." Kirito began, nervously fiddling with the hem of his jacket. He gulped. Maybe this was a bad idea.

"You've got this." Asuna whispered in his ear, giving him a brief boost to his confidence.

"We're all gathered here today in memory of…" Kirito hesitated, then sighed. "... who am I kidding? None of us are about pomp and circumstance, and neither were they. They were our friends, and they deserve better than this."

He paused for effect and to gather his thoughts.

"I'm going to miss them. Every single one of them. I'll admit I wasn't as close to them as some of you are… were, but I'm going to miss them all the same. Just as we were there for them, they were there for us, through thick and thin. Hell, they helped us build our home."

Memories of his and Asuna's first meeting with the Legend Braves on the 2nd Floor flashed in his head. He gave a bitter smile at how that ragtag group of players went from swindling players to fighting for them on the front lines.

"By now, their families are probably preparing services for them just like this one."

He imagined Issin and Harry One's families, as well as the families of the remaining Fuurinkazan ex-members, all gathering to mourn their loved ones. There was no way that their real-life friendships didn't extend to each others' families as well. They were those kinds of people, always there for each other no matter what life threw at them. Even a death game couldn't break them apart, after all. Not really.

"I'm going to honor them the best way I know how. I'm going to make sure their sacrifices weren't in vain. They died rescuing others; there's no better way to go out, in my opinion. I'm going to honor them by doing the same. I'm… no, we're going to beat this game and rescue the thousands of people trapped here."

His face was set in a pensive frown, which was mirrored on the faces of everyone present.

Klein nodded and seemed to be fighting off tears. When he looked at Kirito, there was sadness, certainly, but even Kirito for all his social ineptitude could read the samurai's expression like a book. There was grim determination there, almost like an inner fire had ignited. He drew his katana and pointed it to the sky. Everyone equipped their weapons and did the same in an improvised salute.

"For the fallen."

Asuna couldn't sleep.

How could she? The deaths of the 25th still bothered her deeply. She was thankful that none of the original Renegades had fallen in that tragic battle, but the loss of their friends was still hard to stomach, and today's funeral had a sort of finality to it.

A bitter sort of closure that no one wanted.

*Knock knock.*

She looked towards her door and slowly got out of bed, double checking to make sure that she was decent. She opened the door and, much to her surprise, was met with a very awake Kirito dressed in his sleeping clothes. Nothing indecent, but comfortable sleepwear that hinted at what he'd been trying to do until now. Clearly he hadn't slept either.

"Can… I come in?" He asked timidly.

She nodded and ushered him inside. Once the door was closed, she walked past him and sat on the edge of the bed. He seemed to pause, uncertainty clear on his face. He started to make for one of the chairs sitting on the perimeter of the room before she shook her head and patted the space next to her. He hesitated but ultimately complied, sitting down right next to her.

"Couldn't sleep?" She asked.

"No." He shook his head. "I've… been thinking a lot."

She bit back the obligatory "I thought I smelled something burning" remark, sensing that he was about to drop some heavy ponderings in her lap. This was a serious conversation. The sarcasm could wait until later.

"What about?"

"Life, I guess." He answered vaguely. After he saw her arched eyebrow, he continued. "How fragile it is, I mean."

"Yeah, it can be." She admitted with a casual shrug. "But that's what makes it beautiful, don't you think?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" She began, thinking of a movie she'd once seen growing up. "A thing isn't beautiful because it lasts, right? The fact that it's temporary makes it more beautiful, in a way. That saying about stopping to smell the flowers is important not just because it reminds us to slow down and appreciate the simple things, but also because the flowers won't always be there."

Kirito looked deep in thought, an expression she secretly found adorable. The way his forehead creased was cute, not that she'd ever tell him that. He'd probably be mortified to know that his brooding wasn't as edgy as he thought it looked.

"Cor for your thoughts?" She prodded.

"I guess everything that happened put things into perspective for me. I could die tomorrow and I would have regrets."

"Don't say that, Kirito."

"But it's true." He pressed. "Any one of us could die tomorrow."

She did not like where this was going. Time to steer this conversation in a less depressing direction.

"That just means we need to make the most of what we have while we still can." She said in an attempt to flip the script. "Treasure what we have."

"That's what I mean. I told you about my sister before, right?"

"In passing, sure." Asuna answered. "You always seem sad when you bring her up."

"That's because I have regrets about her and my family." He explained. "When I was ten, I hacked a government database and found out I was adopted. My real mother and father died in a car accident when I was a baby."

"I'm so sorry, Kirito… wait, you hacked a government database?"

"Not important."

"How is that not - " She stopped and took a deep breath. He had a point to this, surely. She could chew him out about his shady virtual endeavors later, let alone his apparent prodigious hacker status. "... Go on."

"When I learned I was adopted, I started to distance myself from my family. My mom and dad were actually my aunt and uncle, and my sister is actually my cousin." He continued. "That's kind of why I started getting into online gaming. I felt different. Separate. Like I didn't belong."

"Understandable. That's a big shock for anyone, let alone a ten year old."

"Now, though?" He frowned. "Now I regret doing that. Even if they weren't my "real" family, they were real enough to me. Should have been, anyway. Hell, my sister took a bullet for me when our grandfather insisted I keep practicing Kendo when I didn't want to. And what did I do in return for her taking more lessons so I didn't have to? I distanced myself... kept her away."

Asuna frowned. For the moment, she ignored the fact that he stopped practicing Kendo, when now he could probably wipe the floor with most kendoka. He'd been holding this in for a while now, and it was clearly eating at him. She remained silent, choosing to hold his hand instead of giving verbal support.

"I could die in here without making things better by them, Asuna. I don't want that, but that's the reality of the situation. There are things I want to say to them."

That… put things into perspective for her, too. Her own relationship with her mother was strained at best, but the thought that she could die without at least attempting to mend those bridges was a frightening one. She started to see where he was going with this.

"I don't want to die not saying what I want to say to the people I care about." He said, this time looking her in her eyes. Those onyx orbs always seemed to peer into her soul. "I want to say something, Asuna, and I understand if you don't feel the same way but I need to say it while I still can."

Oh god, was he…?

"I love you, Asuna."

Yes he was, actually. That was a full-on confession. The weirdest bit about the whole thing?

"I love you too, Kirito."

She loved him too. Wholeheartedly. Somehow or other, that broody, self-sacrificing idiot had wormed his way into her heart. Sure, they'd been dating for months now, but somewhere along the way "like" became "love." She couldn't place when it happened, but now she couldn't imagine a life without him in it. It was more than his endearingly awkward personality, his carefully hidden intellect, or his inner strength that sold her on him, really. Those were pluses, for sure, but there was one thing she loved about him the most.

She could be herself around him. He'd seen her highs and lows basically from the beginning and didn't judge her once on it. He'd fallen in love with headstrong, independent Asuna, not the meek, submissive facade she put on for everyone else in real life.

And for that she loved him in kind.

"I'm glad." He smiled that adorkable smile. "And I know this is sudden, but…"

"You want to get married."

"We should get - wait, what? How did you…?" He stuttered.

"Because you can be impulsive like that sometimes." She giggled as she fought back her own tears of joy. Of course she wanted to marry him, but marriage was a serious decision. A discussion needed to be had first to make sure both of them were sure this was what they wanted. "And we're already on the topic of making the most out of the time we have."

"Does that mean you don't want to…?"

"No, of course I want to get married. I would love to get married, but do you want to get married, Kirito?"

"I just said…" Kirito stammered, clearly caught off guard by the line of questioning. "Of course I want to get married. Why would I bring it up if I didn't?"

"I want to make this clear, though." Asuna said forcefully but not unkindly. She gave him a warm smile. "Marriage is a big commitment, and even you have to admit we're moving fast. If we get married here, I expect you to follow through when we get out of here. Maybe not immediately, but eventually."

"O-of course!" Kirito spluttered. "Even if we didn't get married right away, I'd still consider you my girlfriend in real life. I love you, Asuna. That's not going to change when we get out."

"Good." She said, letting her joyful tears loose finally. God, that took considerably more effort than she expected. SAO's emotion system could be too revealing, sometimes. She sighed contently before giving him a kiss. "Then yes, I will marry you Kirito."

A small part of her was worried how this might play out once they were free of SAO. She wasn't officially engaged to that slimeball Sugou Noboyuki, but it was a sort of unspoken agreement between her parents and that perv. Sugou was amiable in public, but she knew all too well how he really was. He'd made advances on her before, as well as on the maids and just about anyone attractive with a uterus, and she was absolutely sure that he was not the kind of man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Well, at least if she was of legal age when she returned to the real world, she might be able to fight back.

A problem for later. For now, she had someone else to focus on.

"Thanks, Asuna." He smiled back, giving her hand a squeeze before he made to get up and leave the room. She promptly pulled him back down, and he shot her a confused look. "Asuna?"

"Stay." She said, feeling a little flush. "I… don't want to be alone tonight."

There was some clear hesitation there. At least he was a gentleman about it. Most other guys probably would have jumped at the chance, but she knew Kirito respected her far too much to take liberties.

"...Please."

Thankfully, he complied and crawled right next to her under the covers. On some level, she knew he needed this just as much as she did. Tonight wasn't the time for any frisky business, not that she was that kind of girl to begin with. She shimmied over and rested her head on his chest, listening to the sound of his breathing and his virtual heartbeat. It was racing, understandably - a clear symptom of how nervous he was in this position - but eventually it calmed. She felt his arm snake around her back to draw her closer.

Tonight, she wouldn't be alone in facing the nightmares that would come. The terrifying sounds of glass shattering. The horrified expressions of those she'd seen before they died. The manic grins on that cyclops as it gleefully slaughtered so many. Kirito wouldn't be alone tonight either. No, tonight he would be safe in her arms, just as she would be safe in his.

Safe in the arms of her fiance.

Safe with the man she loved.

A/N:

Did you really think I was gonna kill Liz off? Nah, I was just setting up yet another heroic rescue before this harrowing boss fight was over. As if I'd ever kill Liz off. Liz is underappreciated and underloved in canon, so you bet your ass I'm gonna do right by her in this fic.

I'm hoping that Leonn's intervention and the introduction of his ((Clash)) skill doesn't seem too convenient, but that's a skill I've had in mind for him for a while now and there was no better floor to unveil it on than this one. On its own, it's absolutely useless but it's a fantastic skill when you have people who can take advantage of the 10 second period "stun." Like the rest of his Unique Skill, it's also dangerous if you're not careful. We'll see exactly what that debuff entails later, but suffice it to say he's vulnerable after completing a Clash. Also, this skill is admittedly directly ripped off from an actual game. Kudos to you if you recognize the skill!

The Renegades have come out on the other side mostly intact, but at a great cost. With the new additions, that brings our grand total number of Renegades up to 22. Fuurinkazan and the Legend Braves have been welcomed into the fold officially, and the ALS has pulled back from the front line. If it looks like I just killed off the Braves and Fuurinkazan just to bolster the Renegade numbers, there's some truth to that, but that's not the entire story. Merging the guilds was always in the cards, but in order to do that they needed to see that sticking it out on their own wouldn't be sufficient or safe anymore, and the 25th did just that. There's another reason I'm merging those guilds, but that won't be evident until much later. Spoilers…

On a lighter note, Kirisuna are engaged! In canon, it took almost dying by Kuradeel's betrayal to spur the two into marriage. Surviving a massacre like this one seemed a good parallel, given where these two are romantically now compared to their canon counterparts. How will their upcoming marriage change things?

Guess you'll have to wait and see…

'Til next time!