"Hey, Jaymes. I got a favor to ask... Until now, you've been supporting us with the boss hunt. If...I don't return...I want you to continue on fighting... Kirito, Jaymes, I leave the rest to you..."
Those were the final words Diavel, the leader and symbol of the Assault Team, spoke to me before he sacrificed himself in battle against Fucus the Vacant Colossus. That battle happened just a couple of minutes ago as as ragtag group of twenty-two players raced to the fifth floor's labyrinth on New Year's Eve, all to prevent the Aincrad Liberation Squad from taking possession of the Guild Flag of Valor.
At the end of the day, we won, the fifth floor was cleared, and Kirito maintains possession of the Guild Flag until a time comes for him to use it. I have no clue as to what proceeded after that, or what we're to do now. For one, I'm the only person remaining in Fucus' chamber, the other raiders heading on up the staircase to the sixth floor and my party on the level below the boss chamber.
I just can't bring myself to leave just yet, so I sit cross-legged in the center of the chamber, eyes on the spot where Diavel and a mob of golems fell through a trapdoor. I saved Diavel's life once before, convinced him to join us on this daring attack on the floor boss, and now he's more than likely dead. As someone who prioritizes one girl's life over the thousands of others, myself included, I cannot help but be filled with guilt that someone like DIavel died, indirectly, because of me.
"Not ready to leave yet?" Raising my head and looking over my shoulder, I eye Kirito, Koharu, Asuna, and Mito, all coming back from the lower level. I shake my head as my friends come around and sit with me.
"Any moment now, both ALS and DKB will not only know the fate of the Guild Flag, but of Diavel," Asuna notes.
"It'll probably be easier to talk about what happened to Diavel with us around," Koharu says.
Mito nods. "The others agreed to release the news of Diavel to Lind tonight but publicly tomorrow to not put a damper on tonight's festivities. Either that, or dedicate the party in his honor. We'll see what happens with Kibaou first."
"...Thanks, guys," I softly whisper. "I hope Kibaou doesn't get riled up that we undercut him, but it had to be done. Diavel said it's for the best neither guild holds the flag if it means they work together... I just hope that damn cactus understands."
Diavel sacrificed himself not just for our sake, but for the sake of Kibaou and the ALS, for Lind and the DKB, and for all players still alive in SAO. He brought us together initially to provide hope, lead us against Illfang to show the world that hope, and gave his life to keep that hope burning. His last words weren't a wish for his life, but a wish for me to keep moving forward.
With a sigh a couple of minutes later after hearing about three sets of footsteps ascend the stairs to Fucus' former chamber, I put those words of Diavel in my heart. I have no faith that he's alive, I'm not that foolish...but as I get on my feet to greet the ALS scouts, I know that knight will live on in my heart forever.
It was three in the morning on Christmas Day when the weirdest thing happened.
After defeating Nicholas the Regenade and giving the useless Sacred Stone of Rebirth to Klein, Kirito found himself back in his inn room on the forty-ninth floor. His desire for a ressurection item was real, but it can only be used up to ten seconds after someone falls in battle, making it impossible for him to use it for the girl he wished to revive, Sachi. The last month, he made a fool of himself, ending with him burning the last friendship he had with Klein.
Now he was truly alone.
Sitting at the desk the room provides, moonlight streaming from the glass window, Kirito makes up his mind to go on a deadly boss rush. He'll head to the forty-ninth's floor's boss later in the morning, then challenge each labyrinth's boss one after another. He won't search for the boss quests, he won't wait on the Assault Team, he'll do it himself to put an end to the pitiful life he's recently lived.
Then an alarm rings in the room. Raising his head off the table, Kirito looks around to find its source. Glancing ahead of him, he sees a yellow indicator flashing. Pressing it, a short message reads "Gift Box: From Sachi". "Sachi?" Confused, Kirito clicks on the message, which is replaced by a rhomboid-shaped crystal. An audio crystal.
And out from it comes Sachi's voice.
Merry Christmas, Kirito.
By the time you hear this, I will likely already be dead. If I were alive, I would have taken this crystal out and told you this on Christmas Eve myself.
Well...first, I should probably explain why I decided to record this message. I don't think I'm going to survive for very long. Of course, I don't mean this in the sense that I think you or anyone in the Black Cats isn't strong enough. You're an incredibly good player, and I can tell that everyone else is getting better by the day.
Umm, how should I explain...? Recently, a good friend of mine died, someone from another guild. That friend was just as big a scaredy-cat as me, and never hunted anywhere that wasn't supposed to be absolutely safe, but that didn't matter when a monster attacked her all alone at the worst possible time. This really made me think for a long time, and I realized something. If you want to survive throughout this entire game, it doesn't matter how strong your friends are. If you yourself don't have the will to live, the determination to survive, you won't make it.
I'll be honest-I was scared from the moment I first set foot in the wilderness. I never wanted to leave the Town of Beginnings. I was friends with everyone in the Moonlit Black Cats in real life, and it was fun being around them, but I never wanted to go out and hunt. And with that kind of attitude, I was bound to die someday. It's not anyone else's fault. That's all me.
Ever since that one time, you've told me I'll be all right, every single night. That I'd never die. So if I die, I have a feeling that you'll blame yourself terribly. You'll never want to forgive yourself. That's why I decided to record this message: to tell you that it's not your fault. I wanted to tell you that it's my fault. I set the timer on this message to next Christmas because I wanted to try lasting until that long, at least. I want to walk through town with you while the snow is out.
To tell the truth...I know how strong you are. Once, when I was in your bed, I woke up and saw your window open over your shoulder.
I tried my hardest to think of why you would work with us but hide your real level, and I still don't understand. But I figured you would tell me eventually, so I stayed quiet about it. I...I was really happy to know how strong you are. Once I knew that, I was finally able to sleep at your side without any fear. And the idea that you might actually need to be around me made me really happy. That meant that there was even a meaning to a scaredy-cat like me reaching the upper floors.
Um...um, so what I want to say is that even if I die, I want you to keep going. Stay alive until the end of the game and find the reason why this world was created, the reason why a wimp like me came here, and the reason that we met. That's my only wish.
Umm...there's a whole lot of time left here. These things can really hold a lot of storage. Well, since it's Christmas, I'll sing you a song. I'm actually a pretty good singer. I'll sing you "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Normally I'd pick something a bit cooler, like "Winter Wonderland" or "White Christmas," but this is the only one I remember the lyrics to.
Why do I remember the lyrics to "Rudolph"? The other night, you said that everyone has a role to fill. That there was a reason everyone was here, even me. That made me really happy, and it reminded me of this song. It was almost like I was the reindeer and you were Santa. Okay, to be honest...it was more like you were my dad. My dad left when I was little, so every night, I've wondered if this is what it's like to sleep next to your dad. Okay, here goes.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Had a very shiny nose
And if you ever saw it
You would even say it glows
All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names
They never let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games
Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say
Rudolph with your nose so bright
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?
Then how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
You'll go down in history!
You were like the stars, shining and illuminating the dark path in the middle of the night for me. So long, Kirito. I'm glad I met you and got to be with you.
Thank you. Good-bye.
