Chapter 1

Floating Castle Aincrad, 10th floor

January 29th, 2023, 3:50 PM.

Kirito and Asuna were not in a good place.

That isn't to say that the floating castle known as Aincrad could be considered a good place by any means. Constant fear of death (both in game and IRL) from anything or even anyone, regardless of preparation, skill or even a person's stats, despite attempting to accomplish the daunting task of climbing and clearing all 100 floors being the only way to possibly escape the virtual prison 20,000 people (minus over 4,000 of those who were unfortunate enough to perish already) were currently trapped in could be considered horrible to almost anyone.

Regardless of that though, no one inside the death game could argue the majesty of the virtual environment before them. Various towns and cities of all shapes and sizes dotted the 10 floors currently available. Different floors had surreal biomes ranging from grasslands to forests to rivers and beaches and mountains and plateaus and more. Simply being able to take in the sights when given the opportunity could leave one breathless easily. And repeatedly.

However, for the teens in question, they couldn't care less about any of that right now.

While out clearing random mobs at the edge of a heavily wooded area on the 10th floor (currently considered the front lines at the moment) to stave off the dam of raw emotion that threatened to burst forth if they stood still long enough, a mysterious figure appeared behind Kirito from the woods while he had his back to it. Thinking it was another mob that suddenly spawned he swung his blade so fast the figure narrowly had time to register his motion before it ducked under his blade and yelled "What th' fuck, Ki-boy?! Are ya that pissed at me for sendin' those messages or somethin'?"

Blinking slowly, his bloodshot eyes slowly focused and looked down at the short info broker - his closest friend he had since even before this death game started - he nearly decapitated before he dropped his sword and nearly prostrated in front of her blubbering "A-A-Argo?! I-I'm so s-s-sorry! I t-thought y-you were a Feral Bear Cub we've b-been fighting around here! Pleaseforgiveme!!"

Taken aback by his sudden actions (which were very out of character, even for him) she took a step forward and knelt down, placing her hand on his almost trembling shoulder and asked "Ki-boy? What's happened ta ya in th' las' week? Aa-chan too. Ya both look like hell..." At the mention of Asuna she glanced to her right, seeing the aforementioned fencer sheathing her rapier as the last polygons faded from the Giant Hovering Wasp she killed, walking toward them in a trance-like state before actually focusing on Argo and the kneeling form in front of her, her eyes just as bloodshot as his were.

"Argo? What's going on?" Asuna croaked, as if she hadn't spoken in forever.

"I could ask ya th' same thing, Aa-chan" Argo's voice was dangerously calm. "Haven't heard from either a ya since jus' before th' las' boss raid. Been worried sick when I stopped hearin' from both a ya an' I was jus' able ta track both a ya down 'bout a hour ago. An' when I approach Ki-boy here he nearly sends my head flyin' off! Ya got some 'splainin' ta do, both a ya!" Argo snapped while standing up, arms folded in front of her like a school teacher waiting to hear from misbehaving students.

Kirito stood, grabbing his sword in the process, as both of the exhausted teens looked down and away from Argo, almost completely void of any features or emotion. "Sorry. Not ready to talk about it right now."

When they both turned to leave with almost robotic movements, Argo's hand shot out and grabbed Kirito's wrist before he finished his first step. "Not good enough" she declared, not letting him move any further away. "I don' care what's goin' on, both a ya are almos' dead on yer feet as it is. Yer both comin' back ta town with me an' I'm not takin' no fer an answer" declared the info broker before almost pulling him towards the nearest safe zone and causing him to stumble after her, Asuna following behind, if only to not be left alone with her emotions which were all but bursting forth from her eyes as tears she was using all of her willpower to hold back.

"A-Argo, wait!" the swordsman dressed in black started, half stumbling towards her while still being pulled by his arm.

"Think of it as payment fer almos' beheadin' me back there. An' any more complaints from ya an' I'm chargin' double the col fer any info ya want from now on!" threatened the Rat.

"B-but--" he started again.

"'Kay then. Ya wanna go fer triple col instead?"

Wordlessly, the Black Swordsman acquiesced to her demands as he was pulled along, Asuna following close behind.

Sitting in the common area of the room in the inn Argo had procured, Kirito was in the chair beside the simple desk that was only occupied by a simple vase holding a single flower that looked like a chrysanthemum, listlessly milling through the items that he had acquired from the last week of nearly endless grinding while Asuna sat in the center of the couch, simply staring blankly ahead. The sound of the door opening made them both jump visibly as Argo stepped in, several holo-screens surrounded her before dismissing them all with a wave of her hand.

"Cheap, good fer nothin' idiots... Don' know why I even bother..." Argo drifted off as she noticed both sets of eyes on her. "Kay... So either one a ya gonna tell me what's been goin' on lately?" Her statement cutting right to the issue without preamble.

Both of them looked down, neither one wanting to speak into existence that what they both were fervently trying to deny was true...

The last battle between the Dark Elves and the Forest Elves in the dungeon that housed the location of the Sanctuary described in the eleven legends that was also the final location of the Elf War questline was going about as well as could be expected. Kirito and Asuna were guarding the door to the inner sanctum that housed the keyholes from any forces that slipped through the natural and armed defenses while the Dark Elf warrior Kizmel proceeded through it to place the keys in their respective slots to open the portal to the unknown. What she was unprepared for though was the sight that beheld her upon entering. Her breath was nearly taken away by the limitless expanse of open sky that occupied the back half of the circular room. Just a couple meters before the abrupt end to the floor was an oblong pedestal with six distinct keyholes at the top that almost seemed to be waiting to be occupied. As she descended the steps towards it, she couldn't help but marvel at the blue sky with its wisps of clouds hanging like ornaments alongside the brilliant orb that was way past its zenith and was just before starting to turn the cerulean blue to shades of pink that would herald the beginnings of the sunset that would change everything.

"Goddesses..." She murmured as her hands caressed the polished granite top that almost seemed to beckon her to hurry. She pulled the satchel from her side and opened it up to reveal the six items she and her companions, who were valiantly guarding the entrance to the sanctum, had fought tooth and nail to collect, secure, and steal back from the fallen elves just to get to this point. She pulled out the Jade Key first, slid it into the first keyhole, and turned it with a satisfied clink before glowing softly once and waited for the others to be placed accordingly. The Lapis Key, Amber Key, Agate Key, and Ruby Key all followed the same ritual before she pulled out the final one, the Obsidian Key, preparing to slide it into the final keyhole when everything went wrong.

The chamber shook with an explosion that nearly brought the Dark Elf to her knees while still barely clutching the Obsidian Key in her hands when two forms tumbled in head over heels before stopping at the foot of the stairs. Kirito and Asuna struggled to stand up as another, more ominous figure, casually strolled through the now destroyed door. His elegantly crafted leather and metal armor that could have been dipped in black ink almost shone against the ample light coming through the back of the room. His blood red cloak billowed behind him and his horned black helmet held two red, glowing orbs that brooked no argument as to who was suddenly in charge of the dire situation while his nearly crimson icon all but confirmed his existence:

N'LTZAHH: FALLEN ELVEN GENERAL.

As he approached the stairs almost casually, his equally dark longsword at his side in his hand, Kirito and Asuna were just barely able to finish standing up, both of their health bars in the deep yellow, when he stopped at the top stair, looking down at the three at the bottom with almost distain in his voice as he proclaimed "it's over. Place that key on the floor and back away and I might even consider letting you all go for the moment... Although it matters little to me if you forfeit your pathetic lives now or later" he sneered. "Make your choice now or I will choose it for you."

Quickly looking around, Asuna locked eyes with Kirito momentarily, then glanced back at Kizmel, who was still clutching the Obsidian Key close to her as she leaned against the pedestal. She turned back to the Fallen Elf General and steeled themselves for the next attack. As she shouted "Kizmel! Hurry!!!" she took a step towards the Fallen Elf alongside Kirito preparing to launch an attack to buy her time.

Before they could even blink, N'ltzahh seemed to teleport away, unseen wind blowing around them before they heard a squelch and a bloodcurdling scream from behind them. They felt time slow to a crawl as they turned to look and, pure horror showing on their faces, saw the Fallen Elf's longsword running clean through the Dark Elf's midsection just below her heart, she herself looking down at the pixelated wound caused by the sword embedded within, her health rapidly dwindling into the yellow already. She looked up at first Kirito's stricken face, already trying to move towards her before looking at Asuna's mirrored looks and reaction before closing her eyes. In a moment, a thousand thoughts flitted through her mind before her eyes snapped open, looking again at the pair starting to run towards her with an almost apologetic look before she wrapped her arms into almost what looked like an embrace around the surprised Fallen Elf General and, while still clutching the Obsidian Key in her hand, jumped sideways.

Their screams went unheard to anyone as they rushed to the edge of the floor, uselessly reaching to grab the Dark Elf that had already fallen well beyond their reach. The last thing they saw was two specks disintegrating into polygons before they too disappeared completely, almost as if they never existed to begin with, the two teens kneeling at the edge struck dumb to anything else around them.

"...fuck..." was all that Argo could say, the chestnut haired girl's silently wracked sobs shaking her whole body. Lying down on the couch, using the Rat's lap as a pillow with the latter slowly rubbing the former's back while looking at the grief-stricken boy, he finished the tale, silent tears streaming down his cheeks.

"After that, we went back into the main room the fighting was in and told the highest ranking Dark Elf there that the mission was a failure because the last key fell off the edge. After that we basically were in a trance doing everything else until you found us this afternoon." Kirito said, voice hoarse from the recounting of the tragic tale while tears still fell, turning to stare out of the window into the blackness of the night that had fallen already.

"And th' quest?" Argo asked.

"Greyed out. Quest failed." Asuna spoke for the first time in a while, never moving from the info broker's lap.

After more silence, Asuna's sobs becoming small hiccups and the constant stream of tears from Kirito finally starting to dry up, Argo slowly brought Asuna back to a sitting position and simply looked at her and stated: "Bath. I'll follow in a bit." Asuna slowly nodded her head and, with some effort and a bit of a steady hand from Argo, slowly stood up and made her way to the bathroom between the two bedrooms at the other end of the room. As the door shut, Argo turned to look at the Black Swordsman's ragged features, and even before asking, heard a deep rumbling sound that came from his stomach. "How long since either a ya had any food or sleep?" She inquired.

Kirito started to open his mouth when he stopped, opened his menu instead, glanced at the current date, closed it again, and without looking at the whiskered face across from him, simply stated "almost four days."

If he had looked up, he would have seen the slap coming. As it was, he was shocked to suddenly be looking up from the floor while holding his left cheek, Argo glaring down at him and all but yelled "Idiot! Downstairs now! After ya finish, bring somethin' up for Asuna too! An' as soon as she's done in there, you're next!" in a tone that was all too familiar from earlier that day, doubly so at the lack of the pet name she gave the fencer.

Slowly nodding, he got up and walked towards the door leading to the hallway and downstairs as Argo made her way to the bathroom while opening her own menu and muttered "I swear... If they don' kill themselves firs', I might once we're outta here..." as she entered the bathroom while unequipping her gear.

As he closed his own door, he couldn't help it as small smile formed on his lips, eternally grateful that he had such a wonderful friend in his life that truly cared about him as much as he did for the ones he cared for himself.

Two hours later, an exhausted Asuna was asleep on top of the covers on her bed. Still wearing the casual clothes she normally wore when not venturing outside of whatever inn they were staying at, Argo had all but carried her to the bed she currently occupied. An equally exhausted Kirito didn't even make it that far, sprawled out and snoring softly on the couch recently vacated by the two girls after their meal. As Argo draped a blanket over him she muttered "hope ya learned yer lesson, idiot. Sleep well, Ki-boy" as she leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She soon retired to the other bedroom herself and closed the door quietly as to not disturb him.

Had she waited another ten seconds, she probably would have been dumbfounded to hear him shift and mumble in his sleep "love you too, Argo."