Sudden, I know. I won't really offer any explanation for the long hiatus other than life has decided to kick me in the head. That being said, especially now that there's a lot more SAO info around to use as material, I had a hit of inspiration. One good thing about all the time passed since the last update is I think I've improved again and have fresh perspective. Hopefully I can continue to post because the sentiment of wanting to finish this story hasn't gone away.
That being said, I hope readers new and old enjoy.
Kazuto's first conscious thought was brought by pain. His stomach hurt. The rest of him was sore without a doubt, but no other part of him hurt quite like his stomach. Did he forget to eat dinner last night? Suguha was sure to give him the better part of a talking to for skipping meals. She was always trying to get him to take better care of himself. In fact, Kazuto could almost feel her leaning over him getting ready to start her tirade. Groggily, he decided to face up to her, open his eyes, and get on with their morning.
"Oh, good, you're awake. I was getting worried." The voice was not his cousin's. Even before his eyes focused in the bright daylight he could tell that this person had cyan hair. As his vision cleared he could more clearly see a Cait Sith girl sitting in a chair to his right, a book in her hand that she was in the process of dog-earring and setting down. Her aqua eyes inspected Kazuto bluntly as she stood and turned to face him.
"Silica should be back soon to check on you, so until then don't move too much. If you tear your stitches I don't have the magic to save you." The girl's words made him flinch. Kazuto couldn't help but take a glance down and see that he was covered in bandages from his shoulders to hips. His lips parted to ask her a question but what came out was a wheeze. The Cait Sith sighed softly and helped him carefully sit up for a drink of water that helped Kazuto get the words out.
"Where am I?"
"Healer's Ward. You've been out for about a week." As she spoke, the Cait Sith sat back in her chair. Kazuto, meanwhile, blanched at the thought. An entire week he had been unconscious. That must mean the last thing he remembered hadn't been a dream.
"I killed that man," Kazuto breathed out as he came to the realization.
"Yes, you did. He asked for your last words and you stabbed him in the heart." Her words, delivered so matter-of-factly, made Kazuto flinch yet again. The memories that had burned through him right before his body simply… acted in that moment must have drowned out Eugene's own last words.
"How am I even alive? He nearly cut me in half." Kazuto's question wasn't unfounded. Right before the swift reversal, Kazuto's body had been totally unresponsive. To any onlooker, even to Kazuto himself, it was as if he had suddenly been possessed by something when he had counterattacked Eugene.
"There are two answers to that question, young man," came the measured response before the Cait Sith girl could respond. The curtain that separated Kazuto's bed from the rest of the Ward was pulled back to reveal two figures standing behind it. The first was the one who had spoken, Emperor Heathcliff. The second was a short, brown haired Cait Sith girl who kept her crimson gaze firmly planted at the floor.
"The first is the quick work provided by Silica here. If you have any hope of surviving further tests then you had best thank her. The second is what your slaying of Eugene confirmed for me. You possess the power of Incarnation." The Emperor left his last remark hanging as if they were all supposed to marvel at the epiphany. Before Kazuto could voice his confusion the Emperor apparently saw fit to continue.
"What do you know of the Three Rites, young man?" Confusion for all turned into recognition for most as the Emperor waited for an answer.
"What most people know… I think," Kazuto replied, trying to recall information he hadn't recited since early childhood. "Stacia, Skills, and Magic. Everyone can see and use Stacia. Skills can be learned from doing or taught to you. People can only be taught Magic by someone else." The phrasing wasn't exactly the most elegant but it was the sum of what Kazuto understood the Three Rites to be. The Emperor seemed to accept this answer, nodding as the black-haired boy spoke.
"You are mostly correct. Humans must be taught Magic. The Fae will know it from birth." Both Cait Sith girls, although more noticeably the brown-haired one, appeared uncomfortable with the Emperor's clarification. Kazuto briefly flashed back to his conversation with Argo before the arena fight, remembering they had said they were a part of the Fae. If the rumors of Aincrad's conquering of Alfheim a year prior were true then their discomfort was warranted in Kazuto's opinion.
"However," said the Emperor, breaking Kazuto's train of thought, "there exists a fourth. A Hidden Rite, so to speak. Incarnation. If Stacia is the power to see the way of the world, Skills are the power to improve ourselves, and Magic is the power to command the laws of the world, then Incarnation is the power to overrule the world." The Emperor held up his hand before Kazuto could ask questions. Kazuto felt frustrated at the gesture but that was replaced by a sinking feeling in his chest as the Emperor's body became rimmed in a dark red glow. The glow grew to cover Emperor Heathcliff's body from the neck down for a brief moment before fading. What replaced it was a full suit of crimson armor trimmed in white; the Emperor even sported a cruciform tower shield on his left arm that held what Kazuto thought was a sword hilt peeking from the shield's top.
"If this were Magic it would be a mere illusion or feeble recreation. Through Incarnation, however, I have willed my armaments to me. The world has no choice but to allow it." The Emperor's body was again enveloped by that ominous red glow, taking the armor and shield with it after fading away. "This power, unlike the Three Rites, is unobtainable by normal means. One can only be born with it. You, young man, were born with it."
"Born… with that?" Kazuto looked down at himself the best he could in his prone position. He didn't feel any different. What he felt was pain, hunger, and thirst. "Me getting in a lucky hit on that General means I have some sort of power?"
"No. Drawing this sword does." The Emperor motioned to Kazuto's left to draw the young man's attention there. Sure enough, that same sheathed black weapon was leaned against the wall. Kazuto's eyes lingered on it before returning to the Emperor.
"That weapon was found in one of the floor dungeons of my floating nation. My scouts discovered a hidden room where the blade was enshrined alongside murals of a black-haired warrior. One who wielded Incarnation if their reports and my research are accurate." Heathcliff strode over to the sword and picked it up by the sheath. Despite how physically imposing the man was it seemed to take him no small amount of effort to do so. "In these murals it was depicted that the warrior used this sword for so long that it bonded to them. Became a part of them… and in doing so, a part of their Incarnation. Its attachment, the power of the Incarnation itself, is so great even I cannot draw it." As he spoke, the Emperor held the sword out to Kazuto hilt-first. On instinct the boy drew the offered sword, noticeably without effort.
"For you, it appears, that is no issue." Emperor Heathcliff's words trailed into bloated silence as Kazuto stared at the flat of the blade. It was heavy but not uncomfortable. The weight actually felt good in his hand. Like it was meant to be there. The moment of calm was interrupted by a sudden burning in his stomach. Kazuto's attention turned from the sword to his bandages, which were beginning to see the bloom of crimson splotches. The Cait Sith that Heathcliff had called Silica rushed forward then, all previous hesitation forgotten.
"Ah, yes. Another time." Heathcliff removed the sword from Kazuto's faltering grasp and replaced it in its sheath. Kazuto watched with fading vision as the Emperor replaced the weapon where it had been resting before walking away without paying much mind to the frantic work of the Cait Sith healer behind him. Kazuto, for his part, decided to close his eyes and let the girl save his life. He would be sure to thank her later.
A thought did prevent him from peacefully drifting off to sleep, however. The Emperor had said Kazuto should extend thanks to Silica if he wanted to survive further tests.
General Yuuki tapped the recording crystal for what had to be the hundredth time that day. The image froze on the black-haired boy driving his newly-unsheathed weapon through former-General Eugene's chest. Carefully she moved the crystal's recording forward ever so slowly until the boy's head was raised enough to see his eyes. For the hundredth time she confirmed what she already knew.
"Ya can only look at somethin' fer so long before ya gotta accept it, Yuu," Argo commented from behind her with no small amount of exasperation.
"I know, I know. It doesn't take my…" Yuuki's voice trailed off as she sighed, remembering herself before she tried again. "Doesn't take His Majesty's obsession to see it. I just can't believe there's someone else." The young General leaned back in her chair, not attempting to act professional in front of her friend. Her gaze flitted to the maps that had been hung up to her right. One of the floor they were on and another of the dungeon they would search starting tomorrow. Scattered around the large prints of these maps were different sketches made of paintings they had uncovered on their downward search of the floor dungeons. Yuuki's attention rested firmly on a rendition of a black-haired, golden-eyed man holding two swords.
"Wha'cha gonna do? The Emperor's gonna put 'im through the ringer. He's prolly gonna die." Argo, as usual, was not one to mince her words. Yuuki turned her head to look at the ceiling as she tried to think of a solution for the problem at hand. A boy who was apparently related to her search had suddenly popped up in the 100th floor's arena and here she was, down at the 48th floor, leading a scouting expedition. One that, with this new information, seemed all too well-timed. Emperor Heathcliff certainly wasn't making her life any easier. Through her lamenting, an idea crept into Yuuki's mind.
"He's in the Healer's Ward, right? You're sure he's not going anywhere else?" She sat up again, already beginning to work with what she thought the answer was going to be.
"Far as I know from lil' Sin, he's still banged up real bad. Nearly dropped his guts all o'er the ground in 'at fight." Argo's eyes carefully watched the General work, scribbling furiously on a sheet of parchment. "Why? Ya think of somethin' good?"
"Of course," Yuuki replied as she finished what she was writing. "Head back up to the 100th floor and get that to the thirty-second Captain. Hopefully this'll be good enough till I'm done here." Argo couldn't help but read the letter she had been handed. She was immediately impressed.
"'At it might. I'll get right on 'at."
Kazuto's remaining time in the Healer's Ward amounted to about a month. Thanks to tearing his stitches it would take more time for him to fully recover; his original prognosis before waking was about a week with continued Magic treatments. The extended stay helped him get more familiar with his caretakers. Particularly Sinon, the cyan-haired Cait Sith, who never seemed to leave his side. Silica would always come around once a day to provide treatment and ensure that Kazuto's wounds didn't get infected. Their chats often ranged in topics, but one such led to Silica sharing that they were sisters to the blonde Cait Sith that Kazuto had met before his Arena match, Argo.
"We're not blood family," Silica explained one day while she had been finishing redressing Kazuto's wounds. "Den families are Cait Sith kids who grew up in the same towns. We all sorta get raised together so we might as well be brothers and sisters." Sinon, quiet as always, confirmed with a nod.
"Why're you working for the Empire? I thought that Faefolk came from Alfheim." Kazuto's question, despite coming from a place of innocent curiosity, obviously dredged up some bad feelings. Silica's frown and Sinon's even more pointed silence made that obvious. Before he could try to reassure them that they didn't need to answer, Sinon surprisingly spoke up.
"It was either do this or be slaves," she stated plainly. "Argo made a case for all the kids from our village. By making ourselves useful we escape chains. Barely." It was Silica's turn to nod in confirmation. Kazuto could do little but offer silent sympathy… and wonder whether or not that would be his fate sooner rather than later.
As it was his last week in the Ward, Kazuto would soon find out that Emperor Heathcliff did indeed intend to keep him on a leash. Although a faint mercy came in the form of said Emperor not wanting a repeat of Kazuto's current injuries. Therefore, through what Kazuto was told was the fortunate backing of a sponsor, he would receive both proper training in how to wield a sword and better armor to help prevent more grievous wounds. While Kazuto himself was a little curious as to who would want to sponsor him after his pitiful performance over a month prior he decided not to look the gift horse in the mouth. Especially not now that he was discharged and given his own room in the Gladiator Barracks.
"It feels so good to move around again," Kazuto muttered as he stretched out his tight muscles in the privacy of his room. His time in the Ward, despite his inactivity, had done a lot of good for his body. No longer was he dehydrated, malnourished, and sleep-deprived. Any injuries he had sustained during his stay in the dungeons had been healed. The only thing left was to get himself used to the strain of hard labor again and Kazuto would be back to his old self. Breaking the comfortable silence in which Kazuto found himself was a loud series of knocks on his door frame. The curtain that served as a door was pulled aside to reveal Agil standing there in full uniform.
"Hey kid, time for your first day. Looks like you managed to get all the gear on fine." Agil inclined his head toward Kazuto, who had gotten on the breastplate and sturdy training clothes he had been provided with along with the room. Whoever had sponsored him the gear had thankfully not offered some bulky suit of plate mail that Kazuto never would have been able to use. The chest armor, gloves that connected to metal forearm bracers, and metal shin guards would go a long way.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say you look like a bright-eyed newbie," chuckled Agil as he motioned for Kazuto to follow. The latter joined in on the laughter as he exited his room to do just that. When they emerged from the Barracks, Kazuto's focus drifted to their surroundings. As the name would suggest, the Gladiator's Barracks were situated amongst the section of the capital that housed the soldiers. Most never made it here, Agil had informed him the day prior when the large soldier had brought Kazuto to the room. To be given a place in the Barracks was to be recognized as either a favorite of the Emperor or a noble with enough influence to sponsor a warrior.
Kazuto idly watched recruits, all of them dressed similarly to himself, be put through basic training by senior officers. None paid the traveling pair particular attention, though Kazuto did catch a few wandering gazes that were in turn met with scoldings from their instructors. Soon these sights were left behind as Agil led Kazuto to a more secluded section of the large military sector of Aincrad's capital. Replacing them were academic facilities that Kazuto vaguely identified as an officer academy by the uniforms apparent students were wearing. These individuals did offer their attention to Agil and Kazuto, as the former was leading them straight toward what the latter began to understand as a training hall.
"I'll be standing outside to take you back to the Barracks once you're done training for the day," said Agil as they reached the hall. "You're gonna be taught by one of the platoon Captains, Klein. He's a friend and shouldn't put you through too much hell. Good luck and work hard." Kazuto received a hearty clap on the back from the dark-skinned man as he approached the door. With no small amount of trepidation the young man opened the door and stepped inside. What greeted him were Witchlight lanterns that had a pleasant white glow. Surprisingly, Kazuto immediately recognized the style of the room. It looked like his father's old dojo, although there was some more Aincradian style present in comparison to the traditionalist dojo Kazuto remembered from his early childhood.
"Hey there kid. Good to finally see the person I'm supposed to be teaching." Kazuto's reminiscing was cut short by a friendly voice from his left. Struggling to move the black blade was a red-haired man in armor that, again, reminded Kazuto of his father. The thought was put to the side as the man, apparently Klein, heaved to drag the sheathed sword. Kazuto felt the display had served its purpose and he strode over, offering to take the weapon from the Captain.
"You sure, kid? This thing feels like a sack of bricks." Klein, to prove the point, heaved again. When Kazuto nodded despite the warning the sword was relinquished to him. Unlike his senior, Kazuto had no problem lifting the sword in one hand as if it was a feather. Now fully recovered the young man could fully appreciate the way the sword felt in his hand. The weight was a comfort that calmed the swirl of nervous energy that had been building in him ever since his discharge from the Healer's Ward.
"Alright, before we get started, let's introduce ourselves." Klein extended a hand with a sideways grin. "I'm Klein, Captain of the Thirty-Second Platoon of the Aincradian Army." Kazuto swapped the sword into his left hand and took the hand Klein had extended in greeting. It wasn't as if he wanted to lie. Just like with Silica and Sinon, he was being careful. Despite having been treated rather well after the Arena, Kazuto was still well-aware all the people he met were loyal to Aincrad and its Emperor for their own reasons. Willingly or not, if they shared his real name with Heathcliff then the man might find Suguha to see if she also had Incarnation… and that could not happen.
"I'm Kirito. Nice to meet you."