Koharu

Saturday, December 31st, 2022, 11 am.

"How's the water, Koharu?"

Koharu looks up with a relaxed smile as Asuna steps down to join her. "It's perfect. If only every day could be this relaxing."

"Hehe, don't let Jaymes hear that. Hufhuwhee..."

Koharu and Asuna, along with the rest of their team, are visiting the elven village of Shiyaya on the northern side of the fifth floor. It's a Non-Code village, meaning the Anti-Criminal Code won't protect them, but it is an instance map for the five, so the girls can relax naked in the bathwater. Both girls stretch out their limbs, letting the warm water wade against their bodies, breathing in the scents of fruits and herbs that calm their nerves.

The bath is not as big as Yofel Castle's, but for them, it is large enough to hold ten bodies without being a tight fit. Just like the girls, the dark elves love their baths. The stress of the last two days filters out their body, making room for more to take its place.

After separating from Argo in the catacombs, Jaymes and Koharu followed what sounded like a yell and found Asuna, though it was after Kirito and Asuna did. They found the latter two hunched in a hollow, Mito standing awkwardly nearby. After the two recovered, the five traded their reasons for being the dangers of the catacombs.

Jaymes and Koharu were searching for a mysterious ghost player with Argo but ran into two players who did not fit the description.

Kirito, worried that he hadn't been able to send Argo a message since dinnertime, came down in search of Argo.

Asuna, worried about letting Kirito go alone, followed him into the depths but got lost, fell into a trap, lost her sword, and encountered Morte and his ally during their secret meeting.

Mito, relaxing in her room, saw that Asuna had taken some damage. Confused, she believed Asuna might have gone on a solo hunt in the dungeon and remembered that Jaymes and Koharu were in the catacombs. She found herself unable to message the pair or Kirito, so she ventured to the catacombs in search of Asuna and the others.

Following that, Jaymes led the group to Argo's location, the safe room outside the boss chambers, where she explained her day investigating both the boss chamber's puzzles and the player-ghost's details. But she eventually solved the former puzzle, and yesterday, the zombified boss was beaten by a select group of top players, the party of five included. The fight was successful, allowing Argo to focus on the unsolved puzzle of the player-ghost.

The Dark Elf questline was short and uneventful, unlike the prior two floors. They met Kizmel yesterday, completed a few short quests, faced a Fallen Elf officer, and Kizmel departed for the next floor. As such, they only have one thing to think about; the upcoming raid tonight.

"I wonder if the forest elf village has baths this big," Asuna wonders.

"Not so, apparently. The forest elves have tiny baths, but their food's supposed to be phenomenal."

"Oh, I happen to think dark elf food is quite good on its own."

"They bring out feasts like they came out of a three-star restaurant. But after experiencing this bath, I'd have to say that I personally prefer the dark elf side. Thanks for letting me into your party, A-chan and Ko." Whether procrastinating or waiting on Jaymes to pay her, Argo floats freely on the water's surface. Like the other girls, she's not wearing her any clothes, but those whiskers are ever-present on her cheeks.

"Don't be silly, we wanted to thank you personally, Argo, for camping out in the catacombs for an entire day to nail down the boss' attack pattern."

"And for looking into the ghost at the same time."

"Not at all, not at all. I didn't do much. In fact, I should apologize for lettin' you and Kii-boy worry about me. I didn't think Jay-man would keep his lips tight. And I hear you got yourself into a bit of trouble when you came lookin' for me?"

Asuna's face turns red, and its not because of the bath. Koharu smiles, then faces Argo. The events in the dungeon, with Asuna all by herself, turned her attention to Argo. She was alone in the dangers before coming up to the surface and meeting Klein, Jaymes, and her. She knows Argo can fight with her claw weapons, but... "Hey, Argo?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Asuna and I know it's thanks to you that we could beat the catacombs boss without much trouble, and you got the player-ghost rumor that led us to Mater and Liten. We're grateful for it. But we think it's too dangerous for you to be collecting data on an unfamiliar boss all by yourself."

Koharu thought Argo might take some offense to their concerns. She can't say she had any close friends, but the few girls Koharu could call friends were all athletes like her, so the slightest piece of advice could be considered patronizing. Koharu has been on both sides of the equation, yet Argo doesn't look offended. She nods, allowing Asuna to pick up the conversation.

"I used to spend lots of time in the labyrinth alone, so I can't really act blameless here...but your information is helping not just the top players like us, but also the mid-level players who left the Town of Beginnings later on. It's such a help that if something happened to you, it could completely stop us from proceeding in the game. Therefore-actually, just speaking for myself, I'm worried that you might be putting yourself through too much. Um...as a friend..."

Argo smiles. "Thanks Ko, A-chan. It makes me happy that you're so concerned for my sake. To be honest, I was wonderin' if my stakeout was pushing a lil' bit, too. But...I got a duty to continue risking danger to provide information."

"Because...you're an info dealer?" Asuna inquires.

"Nope. Because I'm a beta tester." Asuna is somewhat shocked by the revelation, but Koharu isn't. For one, it explains why Kirito trusts Argo so much, they must have met initially in the beta. Two, she's been around Jaymes, Kirito, Argo, and Mito long enough to tell who's a beta tester and who isn't...not that she's on par with them in that regard as a tester herself. Three, when Argo first met Jaymes and Koharu, she already knew some of the quests that were easy enough to gain Col fast. Koharu's sure Jaymes knew them too (as he knew what to do once they got started), but his mind was on Koharu, not the game itself. Argo gave them direction and purpose.

But this is the first time Argo's admitted it.

"But...even if that's the case, it doesn't explain why you need to take on that dangerous role by yourself. Kirito's a fellow beta tester, and he takes part in the frontline group's raid parties for all the floor bosses...You could join us as a support scout, Argo..."

"I don't like how long and cloying that 'frontline group' term is. I think 'front-runners' is a much cooler name." Argo chuckles while pointing a banana at Asuna. "Hmm... The reason you're so worried about me is because I play a non-combat build, am I right?"

"W...well, yes..."

Argo smirks again and tosses some herbs Asuna's way. Standing up with a splash, she says, "Proof is what we need, not arguments. Wanna try it, A-chan?"

"T-try...what?"

"A duel, of course. Well, I guess that's a bit dramatic. A little sword fight, let's call it." Argo walks to the washing station, twirling the banana like Koharu would her dagger. Argo wants a mock duel between her banana and Asuna's herb to show that Argo can handle herself. However, Asuna seems hesitant to agree.

"Asuna..."

"Umm...can I wear a swimsuit?"

Argo and Koharu are taken aback by Asuna's request. Considering there are only girls here, they're bathing nude...maybe fighting nude is embarrassing. Koharu hasn't (and will never) tried that out. Argo, for her part, glances at her form, then glares at Asuna and Koharu with puffed-out cheeks. "Listen, I'm here baring what minimal assets I've got, so how can you be so ashamed when you two got so much better?"

"Th-that's not the issue!"

"Plus, you're cute in your own way, Argo!"

"Well, fine...and thanks..."

"And I want you to wear a swimsuit, too, Argo."

"Huh? But I don't have a swimsuit."

"Then I'll make you one right now!"

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To Koharu's left stands Asuna in her white one-piece suit. To her right is Argo in a yellow tankini. In solidarity with the swimsuit movement, Koharu wears her red one-piece suit. They both look ready to get their duel started. "So, um, what are the rules?"

"How about whoever whaps the other first wins? Koharu will act as our referee."

Koharu nods. "Okay."

"G-got it." Asuna takes her stance, the same she uses with her rapier. Argo stands still, not taking a dagger-user's stance with the banana.

"Okay, whenever yer ready." As the other girls stare each other down, Koharu blinks her eyes, going into combat mode. If she uses all Jaymes has taught her about duels, she might be able to predict who has the advantage here.

The bathing chamber is a thirty by twenty-five-foot area. To Asuna's right is the tub where Koharu remains. In front of Koharu, to Asuna's left, is a wall lined with wooden chairs. The dueling grounds is made of polished granite that, as with any other pool surroundings, becomes slippery when wet.

That small area, in a typical duel, would favor Asuna. Koharu knows Argo's light and speedy, but the slick grounds counter the Rat's movements. Asuna's range with herbs is superior to Argo and her banana. Koharu would assume Argo would lose this fight if it were real without knowing either fighter. Yet Argo has one advantage over Asuna: if Koharu was pitted against Asuna, she shares that advantage.

"All right...here I go." Asuna strides forward with her right foot, and Argo's gone in a puff of steam.

Agility. For a swordsman like Jaymes and Kirito, strength is a vital stat, but for Asuna and Koharu's weapons, speed is the priority. For Koharu, who's naturally agile, it made sense to build up on that ability, so someone like her who's just as agile could move so fast on a wet surface.

While Koharu's eyes keep up with Argo's movement, Asuna moves to her right on reflex. It happens after Argo steps into a puddle, so Asuna must've heard it and reacted with a spinning jump. In any case, it's the only reason Argo's only scraps Asuna's side with the banana. It's a hit, but Koharu doesn't call the match yet.

Argo twirls her banana proudly as Asuna retakes her stance. "That was really good, A-chan. I figured I was going to win it in one go, but that was more of a lil' smack than a whap."

"So the fight continues?" Argo gives a toothy grin to Asuna, and the two girls resume their bout. Koharu moves out of the way and watches studiously as Asuna, now to her right, steps over to the bath while keeping her body facing Argo. Eventually, Asuna's foot reaches where the water of the bath meets the floor-there's no defined border-and keeps going a couple of inches until the surface of the water only holds her left foot. That means Asuna's putting all her weight on her right leg on the wet floor.

As a former gymnast, Koharu knows Asuna's pose is possible if one is trained enough, but it's not a pose one can hold for long before muscles start to fatigue. But in SAO, muscle fatigue works differently. What can be called muscle fatigue is one exceeding the limit of their strength stat. Carrying items over one's weight capacity would encumber the player that it'll slow their movements, or trying to pick up a heavy object and feeling the strain of the action, those stimulate the fatigue parameters of the game. When those parameters reach their peak, it will weaken the player. But because it's hard to determine those parameters, it's up to one's guess of what's considered heavy.

Koharu can't determine how long Asuna will hold that pose, but Koharu figures it can't be as long as the lightweight Argo or the experienced Koharu can. However, Asuna holds it and waits on Argo. Argo bites and charges forward. Asuna attempts to intercept, but Argo avoids the tip of the herbs and slides to Asuna's left side, only to stumble as she inadvertently plunges into the water.

"Mwah!"

That must've been Asuna's trap, to trick Argo into thinking Asuna was balanced on solid ground but tripping her in the water. Argo certainly did not expect it, and Asuna quickly took advantage of the moment. Her herbs make contact with Argo, but instead of a firm whap, they merely brush against Argo's shoulder. Asuna loses her balance and topples into the water whether she meant to or not.

And Argo... Argo is running on the surface of the water. She only makes it four steps along the surface before plunging face-first into the bath. Moments later, the Rat's head pokes out of the water, a hearty laugh coming from her. "Nya ha ha ha!" Koharu and Asuna, stunned by the exchange, glance at each other and laugh along with Argo.

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Argo explains that her water-running trick comes from the use of the Floater Sandals she wore on the fourth floor that gave her the ability to traverse the surface of the rivers. She just happened to put it into practice. With that, Argo was convinced to keep her tankini as payment for the previous info before the topic returned to dueling and Argo's solo adventuring.

"Are you afraid of dueling, A-chan?"

"…Yes, if you can even say that. I only tried it once, here on this floor with Kirito. In fact, I couldn't even officially start the duel. The countdown ended, and we were facing each other with our weapons, and my body just refused to listen to my commands." Asuna brings her arms around herself as if the December chill pierces her despite the warm bath and the temperate weather outside. "It wasn't that I was afraid of Kirito. He was very serious, but not in a threatening way. I was the one who asked him for PvP tips…and the duel was first-strike mode, but I was still terrified. And it made me horrified to think of moving onward…"

Koharu looks down at her hands, and automatically her mouth starts to move. "I understand how you feel, Asuna. One week into SAO, Jaymes challenged me to a duel in a secluded part of the Town of Beginnings. At the time, I had no idea why he'd do that, and for an hour, I was constantly beaten by him in first-strike mode. I was terrified at first of hitting him because I knew what could happen...but not once did he show a sign of restraint. Now I understand why he did it... Fighting in a duel or not, be it a player or a monster, the world of SAO's out to kill us. He was teaching me to start fending for myself, but more importantly, to conquer my fear of the world so that I don't freeze up."

"Aren't you still afraid of this world, Koharu?"

"Of course. But the fear that once was my weakness has become something else. I'm afraid of dying like anyone else. But I'm more afraid of giving up."

"…I'm not sayin' I don't understand that feeling." Argo states, "But a silly sword-fight game and a real duel are different things. Even in a first-strike duel, you're losing HP,"

"To get back to the topic…when you go on solo recon missions, you can do that because of the incredible speed you showed me just now, right? You can handle a dangerous dungeon on your own, having the confidence to evade any attack that comes your way. Is that what you were trying to tell me with this duel?"

"When ya put it that way, I sure sound full of myself," the Rat chuckles, "but I'll admit that a part of me knows if I need to, I can sprint outta there. I've just got to be more careful about where I'm steppin' from now on."

Asuna grimaces at that remark. "But having extreme AGI means low HP, and you can't equip touch armor to protect you, right? Don't you worry about what would happen if you take an unluckly heavy hit from a monster or get immobilized by a trap."

"I do worry about that, of course. I'm scared of losing HP. Ya can't just respawn like in the old Aincrad…If I was thinking about survival and nothing else, I'd join a big guild and put all my points into strength to be a tank. In fact, maybe never leavin' the Town of Beginnings would be the smartest option. But…I happen to place a bit higher priority on what I'm doin' now rather than sheer survival."

"Because...you're a beta tester?"

"True, but not just that. Sorry, but any more than that will cost ya. Still, in thanks for inviting me to this incredible bath, I'll give you one piece of intel on the house."

"Uh...o-okay."

"Earlier, you said that I didn't need to do this dangerous reconnaissance alone, like I could do like Kii-boy and join the frontline gang." Asuna and Koharu nod and Argo waves her index finger back and forth. "But I think the reason Kii-boy doesn't brave the dangers of solo adventuring isn't because this way is more safe."

"Then...why?"

"Ain't it obvious?" Argo gently pokes Asuna's shoulder while glancing at both girls. "Because just as Jay-man has Ko, Kii-boy has you."