It's time for another chapter... and for Akinym's "plan" to get started.
Okay, I know the title isn't exactly very creative, but if I was better at giving names/titles, I would have a different username. These chapters are called "A Conversation with Character X" because they basically center around a conversation with a specific character that varies from chapter from chapter. Well, that is, they usually will be. This one is actually an exception, and there will be a lot more than just a single conversation. Also, the conversations are merely the core parts of these chapters.
There will be a small reference to the challenges on the 94th floor in HF, and since that floor isn't so... memorable, I should mention that there are two barriers blocking the entrance of the labyrinth, and the player has to do certain stuff (which isn't relevant to this chapter) to remove them.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online Re:Hollow Fragment or Sword Art Online in general.
In the late afternoon on a day in mid-June, Kirito was on the way to the castle in Arc Sophia.
Kirito and Asuna had worked on clearing the 94th floor till noon, but after that, Asuna had returned to Arc Sophia because there had been a few things she had to do as a council member. However, Asuna had asked Kirito to meet her at the castle once he'd finish a certain quest they had worked on.
Kirito went to Asuna's office at the castle. On his way there, he remembered how Asuna had told him that she was glad to get this office. The KoB headquarters was still situated on the 55th floor, so the KoB didn't have a "formal" presence on the upper floors. With her office as a council member, Asuna had a place to do "paperwork", and to be fair, Arc Sophia's castle was about as first-class as an unofficial HQ could get.
When Kirito arrived at the office, he knocked on the door.
Kirito: Asuna?
He waited for a moment, but there was no response. Kirito knocked again, being slightly worried this time. There was still no response, so he tried the door handle. Yep, the door was locked.
Kirito sighed. Asuna had told him to come, but now she wasn't even at her office? Where was he supposed to look for her?
Just as he had asked himself that question, Kirito was approached by a familiar figure.
Shivata [slightly curiously]: Kirito-kun? What brings you here?
Kirito [slightly surprised, turns to Shivata]: Huh? Oh, Shivata…
Shivata: I suppose you have business with Asuna-san?
Kirito [slightly awkwardly]: Um, yeah. I guess you could say that she wanted me to pick her up, but now she's not here. Say, have you seen her by any chance?
Shivata hardly changed his stoic posture as he pointed at the ceiling.
Shivata: We finished a discussion with Akinym-san mere minutes ago. If I heard it correctly, Asuna-san needed his help with something, and they went to the rooftop terrace.
Kirito: The rooftop… Well, thanks for telling me!
Kirito was about to leave and to walk towards the nearest staircase, but Shivata stopped him.
Shivata: You are welcome, but if I may also ask something, [slightly suspiciously] how exactly is clearing the ninety-forth floor going? Asuna-san keeps the Council informed, of course, but I'd like to hear it from someone who isn't… burdened with a leadership role.
Kirito: Well… I guess it's going fine. We still have to figure out how to remove the second seal on the pathway to the labyrinth, but I guess we overall get the easiest floors these days.
Kirito regretted his last joking remark a bit when he saw the small frown on Shivata's face. That was already quite the reaction coming from the player some people called the "Poker Master". Given all the trouble the DDA had had on "their" floors so far, especially on the 93rd floor, Kirito figured that they were starting to get… grumpy, to say the least.
Shivata: Well, thank you for your insight. I won't keep you any longer. In the end, I have places to go, too.
With that, Shivata took his leave at a slightly more hurried pace than usual.
Meanwhile, Kirito wondered if he had said something that he shouldn't have. He had never really known how to act around the DDA, and it had become gradually worse, especially since the foundation of the Assault Team Council.
In the end, he shrugged it off. He figured that he should go to Asuna for now, so he headed for the rooftop.
The way wasn't hard to find, but it still took Kirito a little to get there, especially since he wasn't in a hurry. On his way there, he wondered what Asuna needed Akinym's help for, and why it had to be on the rooftop terrace. Well, it was basically the highest area in Arc Sophia, and according to what he had heard, it provided a wonderful view beyond the town's boundary. For a moment, Kirito wondered if Asuna just wanted to enjoy the view, but he quickly brushed that thought aside. Why would it be that of all things?! Kirito had no idea what to expect, though…
Of all the things he hadn't seen coming, however, Kirito really hadn't expected some sort of fight. Yet he heard the sound of clashing weapons and brief battle cries coming from the roof when he reached the staircase that led to the rooftop terrace. It was a bit worrying, so he ran up the stairs, and he was greeted by the sight of Akinym and Asuna fighting a duel at insanely high speed.
Frankly, it was a quite frantic duel, and they were moving around all over the place. Not to mention that both of them used their Acrobatics skills to the fullest, performing flips, somersaults, cartwheels and whatnot.
Well, at least Kirito knew now why Akinym and Asuna had gone to the rooftop terrace. It was spacious enough. At the same time, despite being a public area, it was usually deserted, at least on Thursday evenings when the castle was occupied by the small clearing guilds for their assemblies.
Kirito had a hard time following the duel. One reason was, of course, the incredible speed. However, it was mainly because he had no idea what was going on.
Judging from what he could see, Akinym and Asuna were about evenly matched, at least at first glance. To be fair, Asuna had clearly seized the initiative in this duel. Most of her attacks were so fast that Kirito wasn't sure if he could fend them off.
To give a short example of what kind of manoeuvres they used during the battle: At one point, Akinym and Asuna were about three metres away from each other, and Asuna charged at him. Akinym used Acrobatics for a somersault to close the gap quickly while also moving close to the ground, so Asuna couldn't hit him with a simple thrust of her rapier.
The plan was to catch her off-guard, but it didn't really work. As soon as Asuna noticed what Akinym was about to do, she used her own Acrobatics skill for a frontflip at maximum speed. When Akinym tried to thrust his spear at Asuna's legs, his attack came to nothing.
He tried to make the best of it by using the Sword Skill Backward Nail as soon as he was back on his feet. The Sword Skill consisted of an 180 degree turn while the spear was pointed forward, followed by a single quick thrust.
Asuna just landed on the ground herself, so she could only react, but her reaction was quick and precise. She intercepted Akinym's spear with her rapier while he was turning around. She essentially blocked the movement and pushed the spear slightly to the side. This was enough to disrupt and cancel the Sword Skill.
When Akinym's spear and Asuna's rapier clashed, the impact was strong enough to throw both of them off balance. However, the two of them also knew how to break their fall and how to regain their balance.
Asuna was a bit faster, mainly because Akinym had been caught by surprise by Asuna's active defense against his Sword Skill. As soon as Asuna had steadied her stance, she thrust her rapier at Akinym's head. Akinym quickly leant to the side, so the rapier merely scratched his cheek.
After that, Akinym wasn't in position for a counterattack, so he leapt backwards to create some distance. That way, he had time to regain his composure completely. Asuna instinctively did the same, so they were basically back to square one.
Things like that happened over and over again until Akinym's HP bar was near the yellow zone. At that point, Asuna used a different tactic. When Akinym thrust his spear at her chest, she blocked the blow with her arm. The unconventional defense caught Akinym by surprise, and he didn't react to Asuna's counterattack in time to dodge. She hit his shoulder, and when Akinym's HP bar turned yellow, a system announcement proclaimed Asuna as the winner of their duel.
Now that the duel was over, Asuna took a step back and sheathed her rapier. Her hair was a bit messy after the duel, so she pushed a few streaks back over her shoulders. To be honest, she looked a bit tired. By comparison, Akinym seemed to be less worn out, even if it was only on the surface.
Asuna [slightly happily]: Thank you for your assistance, Akinym-san!
Akinym: Don't mention it!
Asuna: I think sparring with you might be good training. Would you mind doing this again from time to time?
Akinym [slightly contemplatively]: I don't particularly mind, but…
Kirito: Um…
Hearing a third voice, Akinym and Asuna turned towards the source, and they were surprised to see Kirito standing a few metres away, looking like a student who wasn't sure if it was okay to tell his math teacher that one of the equations on the blackboard was incorrect.
Asuna: Kirito-kun? What are you… [shocked, slightly apologetically] Oh, I told you to meet me, didn't I? I'm sorry, I totally forgot!
Kirito: Well, that's okay, Asuna, don't worry about it! But… What were you two doing here?!
Akinym: Well, just a sparring match for training.
Asuna: Yes. You see, I have the feeling that I don't get to train against agile foes enough. I mean, I mostly rely on speed, but sometimes I wonder how I'd fare against an opponent who's good at dodging at high speed, yet we can never know when and where we might meet such opponents.
Kirito: Oh, I see. Yeah, that makes sense.
Asuna: I have the feeling I need to get a bit better at that… [slightly awkwardly] I barely managed to hit you, Akinym-san.
Akinym: Well, it's not like I fared that much better.
Wondering what Akinym was talking about, Kirito took a look at Asuna's HP gauge. It was only now that he noticed that she still had about eighty per cent of her HP left.
Akinym: I guess you could say that I didn't go all out since I didn't try any very elaborate tactics, but that would've defeated the purpose. Besides, I think that I've also learnt something from this duel.
Recently, Akinym had started to reconsider his stat point distribution. He had figured that he might need more points in Strength and Dexterity in order to deal damage more efficiently. Otherwise, it might become quite difficult to keep the aggro of even the simplest monsters when he was hunting with Sinon.
During the duel, Asuna had pushed him to his limits, and he had needed to move at maximum speed, but he could hardly control his body at this speed without the help of the system assistant. His usually very controlled evasive manoeuvres had become rather frantic and imprecise, and he had barely managed to deflect some blows that had been aimed at his chest or throat so that these thrusts had merely grazed his arms or shoulders.
In conclusion, he had realised that his maximum movement speed had reached the point that he was hardly able to control it anymore, so it didn't seem to make sense to put any more points into Agility.
Asuna: Anyway, I guess we're done here, so I can leave now. [contemplatively] Or… [slightly frustrated] Oh, I just remembered that I have to take a look at the reports from the tutors of the Assault Team applicants. I actually wanted to take care of that today, and I've promised them to reply by tomorrow…
Akinym watched Asuna in silence for a second while thinking about something. She looked quite disappointed and still a bit tired. He also glanced over at Kirito, who was a bit disappointed, too, and Akinym had the impression that Kirito wanted to help in some way, but he didn't have any idea how.
Akinym: Asuna-san, if you want to clock out, I can take care of that. I didn't have such a busy day, and I have to stay for my meeting with the guilds anyway.
Asuna [slightly insecurely]: Are you sure that this would be okay? I have the feeling that I'd be asking for way too much… I mean, there are many reports, so it would be a lot of work.
Akinym: I can take care of that after meeting the guilds. Seriously, I can at least help you with some of the reports. I'd send you a brief summary later.
Asuna: Well, that's fine and all, but… [slightly happily] Never mind. Thank you for your help, Akinym-san. [slightly contemplatively] Although I should probably still wait for Max-san. [to Akinym] I mean, there's still something we have to do when the leaders of the other guilds arrive.
For a moment, Kirito wondered what Asuna might be talking about. Akinym just nodded, so he seemed to know what she was getting at. Kirito figured that it was something that was related to the Council, which would mean that it was probably none of his business, at least for the time being.
Asuna went downstairs, and Kirito considered following her for a moment. However, Asuna had mentioned that she was about to meet Max, and Kirito had a pretty good idea as to what they'd talk about.
Asuna received reports from all teams of the KoB, and it was a lot to handle. Her workload was particularly heavy on floors where they "were in charge" as she liked to call it in front of her subordinates. After all, she had to coordinate the guild's work in order to ensure that they'd clear the floors efficiently.
Judging from what Asuna had told him, the various sub-leaders tried their best to lighten her workload. Especially Max. These days, he received the reports from the other sub-leaders, and he only gave Asuna a summary of the most important information. He'd also recommend a certain course of action if he saw fit.
Thinking about it, Kirito couldn't help but sigh. There was no place for him in Asuna's discussion with Max, was there? Officially, he may be a member of the KoB, but he still didn't feel like a part of their hierarchy. He figured that he'd be in the way in the worst case or a third wheel in the best case, so it was better to wait for Asuna to finish the guild-related business without him.
Kirito took a glance at Akinym, who was currently putting his weapon back into his inventory. Kirito's gaze wandered over to the horizon, and he walked up to the railing of the terrace. When he was there, he put his hands on the handrail and looked into the distance for a moment.
Kirito [slightly awkwardly]: Hey, this… This is quite the view, isn't it?
Akinym looked at Kirito, and his expression showed nothing but confusion. At first, Akinym wondered if Kirito was just thinking aloud since this comment seemed awfully… random. However, Kirito turned around and looked at Akinym quizzically, which confirmed that this had indeed been a question that was directed at him.
Akinym: Well, I guess it is?
Kirito: Y-yeah, but… How should I put it? Don't you think it kinda… sets a romantic mood?
At this point, most of the confusion in Akinym's facial expression was replaced by disgust.
Akinym: I think I said this before, but if I really have to say it again: You're not my type, so stop saying that kind of stuff!
Kirito [panicking, defensively]: N-no, that's not what I mean! It's just… [frustrated, slightly grumpily] Ugh, forget it! I was just wondering what Asuna thought of this when you two came here…
Akinym [dryly]: Kirito-san, in case you haven't noticed, we came up here to skewer each other with weapons, not to admire the sunset! [slightly annoyed] Why would Asuna-san even want that? [annoyed] Why would I want that?!
Kirito [slightly defensively]: Okay, okay, I get it!
Akinym [thinks]: I'm not sure you actually do…
Kirito [slightly suspiciously]: I have to say, though, I'm a bit… [flatly] surprised that you're so… willing to help Asuna. [slightly curiously] Why's that?
Akinym's expression became strangely serious. In fact, it went so far that it confused Kirito a little.
Akinym: I… My obsession to force some sort of leaderhship ideal on Asuna-san was unhealthy, but it wasn't just a problem for me. I have caused a lot of trouble for Asuna-san, too. Now that I get to work with her and learn about some of her actual problems, I think I understand that much better.
To be honest, by now, Akinym thought that the way he had idealised Asuna at some point in the past was similar to the way a fan might see a celebrity, and it made him feel foolish, if not utterly ridiculous.
Alas, now that he got to know the "celebrity" in question, he saw things more realistically, and Akinym thought that his picture of Asuna had changed for the better. He had developed a certain respect for her ability to keep playing a leading role in the Assault Team despite her personal issues, limits and wishes… rather than believing that Asuna was some sort of logical, optimised war machine, which – now that he thought about it – would've made her accomplishments and spirit much less meaningful.
Akinym: The least I can do now is trying to lighten her burden a little. [chuckles, mutters] I just had a conversation about atoning for one's sins not too long ago…
Kirito: Hm? A conversation about… What's that about?
Akinym [slightly sternly]: It doesn't matter! [thinks] At least not as far as you're concerned…
Kirito [slightly hesitantly]: Okay… [slightly contemplatively] Well, I guess I should be glad about that. Dealing with the guild is probably hard enough already, so I wouldn't want the Council to cause her more trouble than necessary. [slightly exasperatedly] Actually, I thought you'd give her a particularly hard time, I mean during the council meetings and whatnot.
Akinym: Make no mistake! During the meetings, I'm obligated to defend the interests of the smaller clearing guilds, so it doesn't even matter what I think. Besides, if I had to choose, I'd say Asuna-san is the fiercest arguer out of all of us when the going gets rough. She defends the interests of the KoB and the principles she wants the Assault Team to follow resolutely.
Well, Kirito had heard about that. Reading the articles about the council meetings in the Argo Weekly often kind of reminded him of the days when he had got into arguments with "The Flash" regularly.
Akinym pointed a particular incident out as a perfect example for what he had said. Around the time when they had cleared the 92nd floor, the Council had discussed what to do about the strange spheres that could teleport players back to the main town. They had also debated how they should deal with system errors from now on since they had been becoming more and more likely to occur.
During the debate, Shivata had suggested to send Yui with the scouting parties that explored unknown territory, so she could analyse any anomalies they'd come across. Back then, Asuna had gone ballistic for a moment, and it had been so bad that even Shivata had been a bit scared, and Akinym had had to step in and remind Asuna to stay calm during the meetings.
After calming down a little, Asuna had voiced her concern that they had been about to force Yui, who had no means of defending herself, to enter dangerous areas with an escort party that might not be motivated to defend her if push came to shove.
Shivata had blatantly asked her if she had just been too attached to Yui. Asuna hadn't outright denied this accusation, but she had also pointed out that this had been the same issue they had already faced with NPCs in general. Was it okay for them to use them as they pleased? Asuna had reminded them that there were many players who felt sympathy for the NPCs, and there were players who felt sympathy for Yui. Treating her like a mere object would've been bad for the morale.
In the end, Akinym's vote would've decided the matter, but he had explained that he had had to discuss this with the smaller clearing guilds first, so this decision had been adjourned.
When the smaller clearing guilds had discussed this, they had had a hard time coming to a decision, too. In the end, Akinym had pointed out that if they had decided to go with Shivata's proposal, they would've had to deal with Asuna being in a rather bad mood during the upcoming boss battle, and at that point, they had agreed that striking a compromise would've been for the best.
Said compromise happened to be that every party was advised to return to Arc Sophia if they encountered some sort of system anomaly, so they could report it to the Council. After that, it was up to Yui if she wanted to investigate it (which, in all honesty, had never caused any problems), and if she agreed, Asuna would pick an escort party that would accompany her.
To be fair, the DDA had been happy with that compromise. That way, the problem was taken care of, and they didn't even have to do any of the tedious work.
Kirito remembered that incident. He also remembered how Asuna had come home on the day of the first council meeting, when Shivata had made that suggestion. Back then, she had immediately pulled Yui into a hug, and it had taken a few minutes before her mood had been lifted a bit. Kirito hadn't learnt of the cause of this until he had read about it in the newspaper.
After talking about this, Akinym wondered how much time had passed, and he checked the time.
Akinym [slightly shocked]: Oh, it's already… [slightly sternly] I have to go. The leaders of the guilds should be here any minute. See you some other time, Kirito-san!
With that, Akinym hurried downstairs.
Kirito figured that Asuna might've finished her business with Max by now, and even if she didn't, there was no reason to stay on the rooftop, so he quickly went downstairs, too.
Kirito headed straight towards the front gate of the castle. He was a bit surprised to see Akinym walking ahead of him the entire way. After all, he was sure that Akinym would head towards the conference hall.
Akinym walked a bit faster at first, but Kirito spontaneously decided to pick up the pace to avoid losing sight of him. As it turned out, Akinym was indeed headed to the front gate.
When they arrived on the ground floor, Kirito could see Asuna standing halfway to the exit. Max and some KoB members were with her, and they seemed to talk with Lind and Shivata. Meanwhile, several guild leaders entered the castle through the front gate. Kirito recognised some of these people, for instance Agil and Silica.
When Akinym spotted the group in front of him, he began running towards them and called out to Asuna, who turned towards him, and so did the people around her. Kirito wondered what this could be about, so he walked a bit faster, too, and he tried to pick up as much of the conversation as possible.
Akinym [sternly]: Asuna-san, I have to talk with you about the situation report you've given us earlier! I've gone over it, and I think that the KoB's progress on the ninety-fourth floor leaves a lot to be desired!
Asuna [sternly]: Akinym-san, what exactly are you complaining about? Do you have a problem with the way we're clearing the floor?
Akinym: That's a good way to put it! Judging from your report, you still have no idea how to get rid of the second seal on the path to the labyrinth, but you've detailed most of your parties to deal with quests and dungeons that are of little importance!
Lind [slightly insecurely]: Um, Akinym-san, isn't this a strange time to discuss this?
Akinym: Far from it, Lind-san! I have to recommend a course of action to the assembly of the small clearing guilds, so I should clear this up before I'll meet them.
Max [slightly upset]: In that case, let me remind you that we're doing these quests "of little importance" to keep up with the rest of the Assault Team in terms of equipment and levels!
Asuna: Max-san, let me handle this! This is about decisions which – ultimately – I make!
Max: I'm sorry, Vice-commander, but you know that I'm also in charge of coordinating our clearing efforts. [very sternly] And I command the unit that searches for a way to clear the path to the labyrinth, and I don't like it when I'm accused of doing a poor job!
Akinym: If you don't have the manpower you need, I'd call this an issue of bad management! I mean, why are you so eager to strengthen your reserves?! You only have one unit in the raid parties for boss battles, and I could understand it if you're taking your time to make sure that they're ready, but I don't see why training your reserve units would take priority over clearing this floor quickly! Normally, I'd think that you'd have the leadership skills to notice this problem, Asuna-san.
So far, Kirito had only listened to this conversation. Right after its start, he had stopped in his tracks as Akinym's "accusation" had taken him by surprise. However, he quickly became agitated, especially after the jab at Asuna.
Kirito [slightly upset]: Hey, no need to get personal! Besides, didn't you just tell me that you wanted to make Asuna's role easier? Where's that attitude now?!
Kirito's outburst caught the whole group by surprise, especially Akinym, who had to think of a response for a moment.
It was good that Kirito had drawn all the attention. That way, nobody noticed that Asuna, Max and the rest of the KoB members didn't know how to react either.
Akinym [slightly sternly]: That has nothing to do with this! I was talking about what concerns common interests of the Assault Team.
Kirito: And so does Asuna! And the KoB! Just because the members of Team B and so on aren't elite fighters doesn't mean that they don't matter! The battles on the highest floors are extremely dangerous, so of course everyone needs to become stronger! It should go without saying that Asuna makes sure that the KoB is ready for those battles.
Again, Akinym needed a moment to think about a suitable response. He glanced over at the spectating guild leaders.
Akinym [determinedly]: And I have to make sure that this doesn't get in the way of the smaller guild's interests! The time we spend on this floor is time we spend longer in this game, and I think we all know that this could easily become a problem! So why should I approve of this decision if it might only cause the smaller guilds trouble?
Kirito: But that's…
Asuna [sternly]: Kirito-kun, I'll handle this! This is my issue!
Kirito was a bit startled. At first, he wasn't sure what to say, but when he saw Asuna's determined expression, he figured that it was indeed better to say nothing at all and stand back.
Asuna: If that's your concern, so be it, Akinym-san, but you should know that I, too, have certain priorities. Just as Kirito-kun said, I'm responsible for the well-being of the Knights of Blood Oath – just as you're responsible for defending the interests of the smaller guilds. If you want to question our strategy for clearing the ninety-fourth floor, you should know the protocol regarding this. I'm more than willing to hear you out during the next meeting, and if you want to recommend the smaller guilds to bring this up, that's completely up to you.
Asuna turned to Max and the other KoB members and gave them a quick nod, which – in situations like this – meant that they were done, so they knew that they were dismissed.
Akinym: If that's how you see it, I guess I'll have to accept this for now. Now, if you excuse me…
With that, Akinym took his leave, and he headed straight towards the conference hall. Kirito looked after him for a moment, and there was still a glint of annoyance in his expression.
Asuna [seriously]: Kirito-kun, are you coming?
Kirito turned around and saw that Asuna had started walking towards the exit. She had stopped for a moment and was looking at him over shoulder with a calm, almost apathetic expression.
Kirito: Um, sure.
Kirito followed Asuna outside.
Meanwhile, the various guild leaders or representatives saw that the "show" was over, and it was time to get back to work, so they followed Akinym to the conference hall.
Lind and Shivata stood frozen in place as they were a bit baffled by the turn of events. The guild leaders just passed by them. Except for Agil, that is. Agil stopped for a second when he was next to the two DDA leaders.
Agil: "Awfully close", eh? I don't see that.
Without waiting for a reply, Agil continued walking to the conference hall.
In the meantime, Kirito and Asuna had left the castle, and Asuna kept walking single-mindedly. She seemed to have a particular destination in mind, and since he didn't even know what to say, Kirito kept following her quietly.
It was a bit strange that this destination seemed to be a deserted side street, though. Well, and it was just as weird that Asuna just stopped there and took a deep breath.
Asuna [tiredly]: That took such an unexpected turn.
Kirito [slightly confused]: U-um… I guess it did. I mean… I didn't think that Akinym would just… do that.
Kirito was a bit surprised when Asuna turned to him. She looked strangely worried… although that wasn't as surprising as what she was about to say.
Asuna: I could say the same thing about you! You barging in hadn't been part of the plan…
Kirito: Eh? Plan?
Asuna: Yes, that whole scene right there had basically been scripted, [slightly annoyed] and then you came out of nowhere and threw over everything.
Kirito: Wait a second, Asuna, I think I don't follow at all… What do you mean by "scripted"?
Asuna explained to Kirito that a few members of the DDA had started spreading a certain rumor among the small clearing guilds. They had pointed out that Akinym and Asuna seemed to be friends, and they had stated that Akinym "sided with Asuna" suspiciously often. In other words, they had insinuated that Akinym was secretly working for the KoB. Incidentally, Lind and Shivata had talked with Asuna about this when Akinym had entered the scene earlier.
To be fair, most people hadn't bought it, but at least a few guild leaders had become suspicious. In order to prevent things from getting worse early on, Akinym and Asuna had come up with a plan to convince everyone that the DDA's accusations were nonsense.
The idea had been to fake an argument pitting Akinym and Asuna against each other based on the interests of their respective factions – in front of said factions, that is. Akinym had made a rough draft for that plan, and Asuna had helped him to fill in the blanks.
For instance, Asuna had given the KoB teams assignments which would intentionally delay clearing the floor. Sure, they couldn't have known what challenges the 94th floor had in store for them when they had made the plan, but that had been just a detail they had adapted the plan to.
Incidentally, Max had been in on this scheme. He was in charge of the party that was looking for a way to advance, so he could do a bad job on purpose until Akinym and Asuna could resolve the issue. It had also been planned that he'd participate in the fake argument since a third person arguing might've weakened suspicions that this whole scene was just a scripted farce.
Originally, the plan had been to continue the argument for a while, bringing up different points to create the right impression. Well, and then Kirito's entrance had happened…
Asuna [slightly dejectedly]: I guess that was my fault for telling you to come here without telling you about what would happen… [slightly worriedly] I just hope that the plan worked with the adjustments we had to make. To be fair, I think your interference might actually make the whole scene more believable.
Kirito sighed. The fact that Asuna had been involved in a scheme like that without him noticing anything irked him a bit.
Kirito [slightly suspiciously]: You and Akinym seem… to work together pretty well, actually. Like, I'm almost tempted to agree with the DDA on this…
Asuna [slightly upset]: Don't be ridiculous, Kirito-kun! [seriously] Akinym-san is still the representative of an opposing faction, so he's still my adversary during the council meetings, and he does this job relentlessly, and that doesn't have anything to do with our personal relationship!
Kirito: Well, funny that you mention that… He actually said that you were doing your job quite "fiercely" as well.
Asuna [slightly upset]: He did what?! [groans discontentedly] That makes me sound like some sort of berserk…
Kirito [flatly]: Well, I've read the protocols, and I think that you really don't hold back during the meetings. [slightly worriedly] It's almost scary…
Asuna glared at Kirito intensely, and in response, Kirito took a step back and raised his hands in defense.
Kirito: In a good way, of course!
Asuna didn't seem particularly satisfied, but at least she seemed to let it slide. Kirito put his hands down again, but the worry in his expression didn't fade away.
Kirito: You know, what kind of "personal relationship" are we actually talking about? I mean, I still get the impression that you two work together quite… closely.
Asuna [slightly contemplatively]: Well, I guess you're not wrong. We have a good working relationship. I'd say it works because both of us view our positions in the Council very professionally. I think Sinonon said something similar. [contemplatively] Also, I think Akinym-san really tries to get to know me better, especially lately.
Asuna remembered various questions Akinym had asked her. Most of them seemed fairly normal for someone who'd try to get to know a co-worker better. The only strange thing was that he seemed to be oddly interested in her relationship with Sinon. He hadn't asked anything that would've invaded her privacy or Sinon's, but it had struck her as odd nonetheless.
Although… Asuna thought that it might be related to Akinym and Sinon's partnership. Asuna knew first-hand what deep, mutual trust people who worked together to beat this death game could develop, especially over time. Furthermore, judging from what Asuna had seen, Akinym and Sinon seemed to get along very well. It would make sense for them to become friends, so it would also make sense for Akinym to be concerned about Sinon's general well-being.
Who knew, maybe Akinym's interest and questions were a sign that Sinon treasured her friendship with Asuna, although Asuna had to admit that a certain amount of wishful thinking was included in that idea. That, however, didn't mean that it wasn't true.
Asuna hoped that under ideal circumstances, they'd all become friends.
Meanwhile, Kirito frowned slightly and averted his eyes.
Kirito [nervously]: S-so he does, huh? Well, I guess it makes sense. [thinks] He didn't tell me about that part, though, at least not really. [says aloud] I guess it's the same with Max? I mean, you work together a lot to lead the guild.
Asuna: Well, I suppose we…
Asuna stopped mid-sentence and took a scrutinising look at Kirito. After a moment, her quizzical expression made way for a smirk.
Asuna [feignedly dreamily]: You're certainly right about that! It's the same with Akinym-san and the Council. I'm so glad to have their help! I wouldn't know what to do without the two of them!
Kirito turned back to Asuna with a somewhat dumbfounded expression.
Kirito: Wait a second, don't you think that's…
Kirito stopped mid-sentence when he noticed that Asuna began to giggle, and he became even more flabbergasted.
Asuna: Kirito-kun, you… You should see… that look on your face! I wish I had a Photo Crystal. [teasingly] Could it be that jealousy gets to you after all?
Kirito [exasperatedly, slightly dejectedly]: Do you really have to make fun of me on top of that? [thinks] Liz is rubbing off on her.
Asuna [cheerfully, slightly apologetically]: I'm sorry. It's just not every day that I get to see you so… flustered. At least not like this.
Asuna took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure completely. She needed a second to gather herself.
Asuna: Okay, that should be better. [quizzically] But honestly, Kirito-kun, I'm a bit surprised to see you so… worried.
Kirito: I'm… [slightly contemplatively] I wouldn't call it "worry", at least I'm not sure if that's right. It's more that when I hear how much Akinym and Max help you with the Council or the guild, [slightly regretfully] it makes me realise… how little I can help. I don't really know anything about actively managing a guild, and I don't know that much about all this politics stuff either. There's this entire part of your life that I… don't have any place in, [grumpily, slightly worriedly] and it makes me wonder if… if you would've chosen someone else if we had met… under other circumstances.
A moment of silence followed. Kirito couldn't really look Asuna straight in the eye right now, so he didn't notice her serious and thoughtful, but also somewhat concerned expression.
Asuna [calmly]: Hey, Kirito-kun, how about we head to the inn for now? We don't want to let Yui-chan wait too long, do we?
Asuna grabbed Kirito's hand, and he turned his head to face her. At that moment, she was looking at him with a small, but genuinely joyful smile.
She pulled Kirito further into the side street. Frankly, Kirito was a bit surprised that Asuna would take the route she was apparently going to take. It was a longer way, but it was also relatively secluded, so they wouldn't meet many other players for most of the way.
Kirito sped up a bit to walk by Asuna's side, and when he was right next to her, she spoke up again.
Asuna: About what you've said: It is true that I greatly appreciate Max-san and Akinym-san's help. I think that we'll need both the Council and the KoB to beat this game and return to the real world. Therefore, I'll continue to support them with everything I have, and I'm glad that there are others who work towards the same end. However, [slightly softly] these people are comrades, but nothing more. Akinym-san and Max-san are essentially my co-workers, and Max-san even is my subordinate. As long as we're trapped inside this game, that cannot change. And even after that, neither of them has what I'm looking for in my partner. [softly, slightly happily] I think that someone who keeps reminding me that there is more to life than just success is more suited for that.
Kirito: I… I see…
Asuna [cheerfully]: Now I'm really glad about what I've planned for this evening! If this didn't convince you, I'm sure today's dinner will! It will be a trip down the memory lane. I'm sure Yui-chan will love it, too!
That's all for now.
Asuna's last lines in this chapter are a reference to yet another event in HF, and this time, whoever got the references gets an imaginary loaf of bread instead of a cookie. ;)
Some of you might've wondered why Silica of all people was with the leaders of the smaller clearing guilds in this chapter. Well, that's a part of another story (or sub-story, depending on the point of view), and it will be explained in chapter 40.
Kirito's doubts and worries that were portrayed in this chapter won't just vanish. They will be brought up again in due time.
I won't continue with the "conversation" chapters right away. The next two chapters will essentially tell a little side story, which will also set the stage for what will come after that.
Little Preview: Argo has a special... offer for Akinym and Sinon. Apparently, there's a dungeon that has yet to be cleared.