The Hollow Instructor

by NoNameBecauseWhy

Based on the game Re:Hollow Fragment. After reaching the 76th floor of Aincrad, the Assault Team is in disarray. There are too many issues to handle: Heathcliff's secret identity, a huge system error and new, inexperienced players arriving at the frontlines, even from outside the game! Help arrives in form of a player who's experienced in training other players.

53. Kirito and Goblins' Ops IV

Okay, next chapter... I actually wanted to publish this on 5th December because it was the one year anniversary of this fic. Well, once that hadn't worked, I kind of lost my drive to write for a bit, which is one reason why this update took so long.

The other reason was that I had a lot of ideas for this finale of the "Kirito and Goblins' Ops" part of the story, but making the transitions between these things somewhat smooth took more time and effort than I had anticipated. It also means that this chapter has become more than twice as long as I thought at first.

Speaking of becoming longer than initially thought, when I started writing The Hollow Instructor, I honestly thought I would be done with the first story in the series by now, regarding both time and the number of chapters. This story has exceeded 500 pages in the document I've written it in, and the regular automatic save has begun taking so long that I've started a new file for the rest of the story. It's already almost 400,000 words pure story, and I'm sure it'll be more than 500,000 when I'm done. Also, there'll be definitely more than seventy chapters, maybe around eighty, but we'll see.

So, with this little announcement out of the way, let's get started with actual chapter.

Last time, Kirito and his party had a "funny" little adventure with lots of spiders and shenanigans, and they reunited with Argo at the end. Now, it's time for them to finish their quest, so let's see how that works out.

---

Infiltrating the lizardman fortress through the back door may have been unexpectedly gruelling, especially for some members of Kirito's merry bunch, but on the bright side, they landed almost exactly where they had to go. After leaving the secret area, they only had to go to the end of the hallway, which was pleasantly devoid of any obstacles, and Kirito, Silica, Lisbeth, Leafa, Philia and Argo, who had joined them mere moments ago, arrived at the storeroom they had been looking for.

Lisbeth: Okay, finally! Let's find that mountaineering equipment or whatever and get out of here!

Philia [giggles gleefully]: Just what I wanted to hear! So, where do I start?

Philia looked around the room. This was a fairly large storeroom, where countless crates were stacked on each side of the entrance door. Rummaging through all of them would probably take a while, but Philia was apparently thrilled about that. She was about to pitch into the pile of storage boxes…

...when Leafa grabbed her by the collar to stop her.

Leafa [exasperatedly]: Um, could it be that we're looking for the extremely conspicuous assortment of items over there?

Leafa pointed towards the wall on the opposite side of the room. There, various items such as warm clothing, pickaxes and other tools, climbing equipment and whatnot were lined up neatly. The sight of all the crates had immediately drawn everyone's attention when they had entered the room, so nobody else had noticed yet how their quest items were handed to them on a silver plater.

Silica: R-really? The things we came for are just… there? Isn't that a bit… weird?

Philia: It's boring, that's what it is! Where's the fun in hunting treasure if you don't even have to look for it?!

Leafa: Philia, we're not here for fun!

Lisbeth: Yeah… I've seen what this game apparently considers "fun", and I don't want any of it!

Argo: Ya're such a spoilsport, Lizzie! Let poor Philia have her fill! [teasingly] Ya know, nothin' stops ya from checkin' those crates anyway.

Philia: Ohhhh…

Leafa: Don't give her funny ideas, Argo-san!

Meanwhile, Kirito stood back without any idea as to what to do about the newest bizarre argument between his party members. Well, he had just narrowly avoided a potential death sentence, so he stayed out of this conversation just to make sure not to get into more trouble with any of the girls. He considered just taking the items they needed, though. It was probably the easiest and safest way to deal with this issue.

As he hesitantly took the first step forward, he was startled by a system message that suddenly popped up. Kirito had no idea what this might be about, but what was even weirder was the fact that everyone in his party received a system message at the same time. It was a bit strange, but it also made all of them curious, so they went silent and read what was written on the system windows in front of them… and they gasped in shock as they realised what was going on.

The message was simple: The goblin fortress where they had taken their current quest was under attack.

---

Even though they were rushing back as fast as possible, it took Kirito and his party some time to get to the goblin fortress. They used their Teleport Crystals to get back to Celes (partially because it would've been difficult for some of them to leave the lizardman fortress without being spotted and attacked by its guards), but it was still a rather long way from Celes to the goblin base they were headed to.

Well, the actual question was what the situation there would be like when they arrived. If a major base of either race got attacked, all allied players were given an emergency quest to defend that base, but that happened only after the first line of defense had already been breached. That mechanic had its advantages, though, since it also meant that players could infiltrate an enemy base without alarming all possible defenders – just as Kirito and company had done earlier. Anyway, there was a chance that the goblins at that fortress would already be done for by the time Kirito and his party arrived, and that would've been very bad.

Defending the fortress against the Assault Team was obviously not an option, but they at least had to make sure to finish their current quest and to continue it to get the clues they needed. Once the fortress had fallen, the quest-giver NPC would disappear along with all the other goblins at that place. Therefore, they definitely needed to arrive there before the Assault Team reached and destroyed the central crystal of this particular base.

As the party had expected, the first floor of the stronghold was already empty. As the party had feared, there was no one to bee seen on the second floor either. The raiders had already reached the settlement on the top floor, and when the newcomers caught up to them, they were worried that it might've already been too late.

The town around them was actually a battlefield, even though it didn't look like one at all. Well, there was no gore in SAO – no blood, no corpses… Furthermore, just because the town was under attack didn't mean that it would look like what they imagined a war zone to be. The buildings weren't on fire or falling apart after severe bombardment or anything like that – well, they were immortal objects to begin with. The only sign of something out of the ordinary – the only difference from the town Kirito, Silica, Lisbeth, Leafa and Philia had seen hours before – was that the inhabitants of the surrounding buildings weren't around anymore.

Then, distant sounds could be heard. There were clanging noises of weapons, battle cries and scared, distorted screams. All these noises were faint, so they probably came from quite a distance, and from behind one or two rows of buildings.

Kirito: I think that's the Assault Team fighting the townspeople. What do you think?

Argo: I'd bet on that, too. If they're still 'round, we ain't too late. The NPC ya need is in a pretty remote corner, so if we're lucky, he's still there.

Argo made a good point. Kirito put his hope in that scenario… simply because it was all he could do. He tried to remember the way – much more nervously and frantically than he had this morning, although that came as no surprise.

Meanwhile, many of his fellow party members had something else on their mind.

Silica [hesitantly, slightly nervously]: Fighting… Isn't it actually hunting?

Lisbeth: More like slaughtering, if you ask me…

Leafa [slightly angrily]: Honestly, what are all these people thinking?! Those are harmless villagers! Shouldn't we go and help them?!

Kirito: We don't have time for that, Leafa! Who knows when the other players reach the crystal. Once they destroy it, we can forget about our quest!

Leafa [upset]: You can't mean to just stroll through this town, looking for our quest NPC, while we completely ignore this… THIS MASSACRE!

Leafa angrily stepped forward, and if Philia hadn't grabbed her arm to hold her back, she might've lunged at Kirito.

Philia: Leafa, he's right! What do you even want to do?! You can't attack the other Assault Team members!

Leafa: Then we have to talk them out of it!

Silica: I'm not sure if that will work…

Kirito: Leafa, I understand how you feel, but…

Leafa: I doubt it!

After Leafa had snapped at Kirito's second attempt to mollify her, too, Argo stepped between the two siblings and looked at Leafa with a calm, but very serious expression.

Argo: Hey, I get it: Ya don't like what's goin' on, but he's not yer enemy, is he? Now listen, if ya wanna help the goblins, ya gotta do what ya're here for: Find a way how the Assault Team can clear the floor without wipin' them out.

Kirito: She's right, Leafa. That's our best chance to help!

While she didn't seem to be happy with this solution, Leafa calmed down and nodded meekly, accepting their reasoning.

Philia: Alright, let's get going and finish that quest, so we can put a stop to this war, okay, Leafa?

The group did exactly that. They ran through the empty streets, and the faint noises steadily became louder and clearer. It didn't take them long to come across the first goblin, who appeared from behind a street corner. It was an old man that wore a cloak… and was chased by a player. That player swiftly struck the NPC down to prevent it from escaping, and after throwing a quick glance at the approaching party, he used a quite strong Sword Skill to kill the goblin as if to make sure that nobody could beat him to it and steal the precious EXP.

Kirito and his party paid that no mind, they simply couldn't afford to, but it wasn't as easy as it seemed. Unsurprisingly, Leafa clenched her teeth and had to force herself to keep running. However, the rest of the party wasn't doing much better. Kirito, for instance, reacted almost the same way. He faintly remembered that goblin NPC, a merchant he had seen this morning. Earlier, this old man had been nothing but a calm, rather joyful townsman.

Silica couldn't even bear the sight, so she looked away. Hours before, she had been nervous around the goblins, but now she knew that she could feel much more uncomfortable around the players who got rid of exactly those goblins. Pina also didn't seem to be happy. Neither was Lisbeth, who muttered something under hear breath, wondering if this day could get any worse. Philia was too busy keeping an eye on Leafa to think much about this issue. And Argo… Argo was pretty hard to read in this situation, but she seemed to observe Kirito in a way similar to how Philia was watching Leafa's reaction.

They ran into a few more goblins and the hunters who came after them, and these encounters always played out roughly the same way as the first one, only that the party's frustration gradually grew as the helpless Goblin Villagers got slaughtered one after another. The worst part was that these weren't even regular monsters: Their facial expressions and screams showed a level of pure fear that would match a real person's when they got cornered by a gang of murderers. Yet none of the raiders seem to pay that much mind.

The closer Kirito and his party came to the building they were headed to, the more the street network branched out. The party soon reached the point where Kirito had to stop and think about where they had to go. Even Argo wasn't doing better, and the rest of the girls was hopelessly at a loss, too. Silica and Lisbeth tried to remember the way they had taken this morning, while Leafa and Philia were completely helpless in this regard.

The latter two decided to just follow Kirito as he checked an alleyway that led to another street. Kirito looked down the road on the other side, wondering if it was the right way. He quickly came to the conclusion that it wasn't, but not before spotting the next group of fleeing goblins coming their way. Three players were chasing them.

Without much hesitation, Kirito forced himself to shut out that scene, and he turned around to continue looking for the right way. However, Leafa couldn't turn away like that, not after noticing something special about these goblins: They were kids, all of them. What's more, she recognised them. Those were the children she had played with a few hours ago.

As Leafa watched on in shock, one of the players caught up to the group of goblin children. The guy wielded a long spear, and he thrust his weapon at one of the kids. He missed by a hair's breadth, but followed up with slamming the spear into his target's side. The kid staggered and tripped, and before it could get up again, the spearman thrust his weapon through the NPC's chest, not just to deal damage, but also to prevent it from getting away. Now, the young goblin wriggled around almost like a fish, and it screamed vigorously, albeit incoherently.

The other two players overtook their companion, but stopped for a moment as if they wanted to help him finish off his prey. However, their spear-wielding comrade shooed them away with one hand.

Assault Team Member 1: I got this! You two, follow the rest! We need as many as we can!

Assault Team Member 2 [mutters]: Ah, right… [says aloud] Roger that!

The other two players continued the chase. The remaining kids got a slight lead thanks to that short break, but who knew how long that would last. The group of NPCs passed by Leafa, who hadn't taken her eyes off this scene for even a moment.

Leafa [mutters, shakily]: U-unbelievable… H-how can they… How can they… Those are just kids… just kids!

Her trembling hand reached for the hilt of her katana. Leafa's muttering had caught Philia's attention, even after Philia had actually already turned around to follow Kirito. Now, Philia turned back towards Leafa, and she panicked a little when she saw her friend unsheathing her weapon.

Philia: Leafa, don't tell me you…

Leafa: Unforgivable! That is unforgivable!

Philia tried to grab Leafa's arm to hold her back, but it was too late, Leafa dashed out of the alleyway right as the two players passed by. She attacked the one that was closest to her. He was a somewhat tubby, young man with a broadsword. Suddenly hearing a noise behind himself, he looked over his shoulder. He had just enough time to twist his body around and block a strike with his sword, but he tripped in the process and toppled over.

His comrade noticed the unexpected attack, of course, and the man engaged the assailant in battle simply on reflex, thinking that it might be a monster. He was already taking a wide swing with his sword when he noticed his mistake.

Assault Team Member 2: Huh, a player?!

He stopped his attack abruptly, but he couldn't switch to a defensive stance right away. Leafa used that for her next attack. The player raised the round shield on his other arm to defend himself as good as he could. Leafa's katana hit the shield at full force, but that outcome wasn't as good for the defending player as he had hoped. Leafa had hit the shield on purpose, just to keep her opponent occupied while she followed up with a body slam. Since the man's stance was extremely unsteady in that moment, she easily pushed him over.

After that, Leafa jumped over the body of her first opponent and took position between the two players and the fleeing goblin kids. When she turned to face the players, she took her usual waiting stance, expressing her raw determination with a look that left no room for doubt that she wouldn't let anyone get past her.

Assault Team Member 2: Geez! What the hell are you doing? Stopping other players from farming EXP here isn't allowed, don't you know that?!

Leafa: Who cares?! Don't give me that "EXP farming" nonsense! What do you think you're doing, hunting down innocent children?!

Philia: Leafa, wait a moment and calm down!

Assault Team Member 3: Sounds like a good… [surprised] Wait… Leafa?! Wait a second, [looks back and forth between Leafa and Philia] aren't you two…?

Leafa was a bit upset that one of these guys apparently tried to change the subject, but once she took a closer look at him, she couldn't help but think that he looked awfully familiar. To some degree, that was to be expected since she had met her fair share of Assault Team members, but something was different about this guy… and the other one, too. Philia had the same feeling.

Meanwhile, Kirito had noticed the commotion, and he came running to the two girls to see what was going on.

Kirito: Hey, Leafa, what are you…

He stopped in his tracks when he saw the two male players. He had the same feeling of familiarity as Leafa and Philia. No… Actually, it was significantly stronger in his case.

Assault Team Members 2 and 3: Kirito?!

There was no doubt anymore: He knew these people. He knew exactly who they were. Well, and even if there had been any doubt left, it would've been erased by the arrival of their third team member, who also recognised Kirito and the girls (and vice versa). The spearman's armour clearly showed the logo of his guild, which was designed to resemble the family crest of the Takeda clan.

Kirito: Kunimittz?! And Dale and Dynamm? W-what are you doing here?

Kunimittz: Pretty obvious if you ask me…

Dynamm: Yeah, we're participating in the raid! I'd say what's more interesting is that you guys are here!

Dale [grumpily]: And that you're attacking us…

Well, yeah… Of course they'd question that. However, Kirito was the one who needed an explanation the most since he didn't know what exactly was going on. He threw an inquiring look at Leafa and Philia, but he didn't even have to ask them for their opinion on the matter.

Leafa: More like defending those kids!

Philia: Leafa, let's talk this out!

While Philia was doing her best to calm Leafa down, Kirito wondered what he should do about this. Thanks to Leafa's remark, he had got a rough idea as to what had happened. The players who had been chasing these goblin children were apparently Dale, Dynamm and Kunimittz from Fuurinkazan, and Leafa had snapped when she saw the NPC children being attacked, so she had stopped the three players who had been going after them in order to help the NPCs get away unscathed.

This understanding didn't help him to come up with a solution for the new problem, though. Kirito had fought back any urges to do something about the ongoing massacre exactly because he wanted to avoid a situation like this. The players who were running around killing those goblins wouldn't share Leafa's sentiment. That is, not normally. If it was Fuurinkazan, they might at least reach an understanding. The person he really had to talk to in order to do so, however, was…

Klein [casually]: Hey, guys, how was it going on your… [surprised] Oi, what's going on here?!

Everyone turned to face the next person to arrive on the scene: Klein. He and the rest of Fuurinkazan had hunted down another group of Goblin Villagers nearby, and now they were reuniting with the three members that had gone after the children.

Leafa: What's going on here?! What's going on is that you're murdering a bunch of innocent people!

Klein: Woah, what?! Murdering innocent… [slightly confusedly, to Dale, Dynamm and Kunimittz] Oi, what did you guys do?

Dynamm: She's talking about the goblins!

Klein: Th-the goblins?

Leafa: What does it matter?!

Kem'Pal [sternly, slightly menacingly]: Interesting question…

Yet another group arrived. This time, it was Kem'Pal and its soldiers. As usual, the general of the lizardmen accompanied Klein. Kem'Pal and the other lizardman soldiers had fought alongside Klein, Issin and Harry One, but since they were slower, it had taken them more time to catch up with the rest of Fuurinkazan. Now, Kem'Pal stepped forth and eyed Leafa threateningly.

Kem'Pal: "What does it matter"? It's obviously the way of war to kill your enemies.

Leafa opened her mouth to retort sharply, but Philia grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth.

Philia [whispers]: Leafa, of all the times to argue about this, this is the one when you really, really should stay quiet!

Kirito agreed with Philia to some extent. Leafa was too aggressive, so she'd probably only pick a fight, which was the one thing they desperately had to avoid. This, however, was also the reason why Kirito thought that they needed to somehow explain the situation to Kem'Pal. Just like any lizardman, Kem'Pal and its escort were treated as monsters as far as Kirito, Leafa and Philia were concerned. Unlike the players, the lizardmen had no obligation not to attack them. Normally, they'd attack right away, but the fact that neither Kem'Pal nor any of the other lizardmen had done so yet indicated that they could somehow avoid a battle.

Thus, he stepped forward to address the lizardman general.

Kirito [calmly]: Your enemies, perhaps, but the goblins Leafa protected were nothing but little children. They couldn't fight back even if they tried, so they're no threat to you. There shouldn't be any need to go after them.

Kem'Pal turned towards Kirito. The lizardman's expression wasn't wavering in the slightest.

Kem'Pal: There is a clear need to eliminate them. This wasteland can't sustain two races, so one of them has to perish!

It was the kind of reply that Kirito had to expect. The basic scenario of the war campaign dictated this course of action. The actual question was how Kirito could direct the AI of an NPC which followed that path into a different direction. Well, he figured he could try to…

Kirito: And if you just drive them out? Nobody says anything about killing them, right? Therefore, you could…

Kem'Pal: A foolish proposal, worthy only of younglings who lack understanding of our conflict! If we let some of the goblins leave, they will harbour a deep grudge against us, and there'd certainly come the day when they'd return, either to retake this land or to exact revenge. In order to guarantee the survival of the lizardmen, the people I've vowed to protect to the bitter end, the goblins have to be eradicated!

So much for that idea. Time for another one...

Kirito: And if that's not actually true? What if there's another way to save your race, one that won't even require you to fight the goblins? Could you bear the weight of all the lives you took if it turns out that all of that could've been avoided? I'm gonna be honest with you, General, in the land we come from, what is currently happening here would be called a war crime!

This time, there was no immediate answer. Kem'Pal stood completely still. It looked as if the lizardman general was thinking deeply about what Kirito had said, but while most of the surrounding players genuinely had that impression, Kirito realised that this wasn't exactly what was going on – it was at least not the best way to put it.

Kirito figured that he had finally said something that had caught Kem'Pal's AI by surprise, so the system was currently adapting. Kirito thought that the NPC in front of him might have (or adopt) some sort of moral code, which might allow him to influence its behaviour.

While he was already wondering what he could do to that end, Kem'Pal began to move again.

Kem'Pal [contemplatively]: War crime, you say? I've seen many of our scaleless allies show concern over this war, but I never knew why. Could this be the problem? Maybe, [slightly sternly] but it's not of any importance! This is a war of extinction and survival! Applying unnecessary rules to it, speaking of "war crimes" - all of that is foolish!

Kirito: But…

Kem'Pal [seriously]: You said something about "another way" to solve our issue, didn't you? What is this other way you're speaking of? If you have something to say, I'll listen…

Kirito: Well, we… [insecurely] We…

There was just one issue: They had nothing. Absolutely nothing. That is, they had a vague lead, but if Kirito had to be honest, it was nothing but pure hope that had led him to believe that his current quest would yield the result he desired. The desperate situation he was in had contributed more to it than solid facts. How was he supposed to convince Kem'Pal with just that? Kirito didn't have an answer.

Leafa [sternly, slightly desperately]: We've been searching a way out of this for days! [desperately] For crying out loud, we're trying to find a way how both of your races – lizardmen and goblins – can keep living here! Even if we're the only ones who will try, we'll keep looking till the bitter end! So, why?

Leafa stretched her arms out to the side as if to point at the entire surrounding area.

Leafa: Why can't you see what's wrong with this way of solving your problems?! Why can't you at least believe in a different way?!

Kem'Pal had stoically listened to Leafa. Now that she had said everything she'd wanted to say, however, he merely scoffed at her.

Kem'Pal: Hmph, is that all? So you have nothing to support your bold claims of such a "different way", don't you?

Leafa's face fell after hearing that dismissal. For a moment, she just stood there in shock. However, that only made Philia worry what she might do next, so she took a step towards Kem'Pal while stretching out one arm in front of Leafa as if to hold her back.

Philia: We're on a quest to find something! We'll have to talk to someone in this town, but we might get a good lead!

Kem'Pal: I don't know what these "quests" you scaleless ones are always talking about are, but to me, that sounds exactly like you don't have anything to present! [very sternly] If you were my soldiers, I'd discipline you for such pointless backtalk! Who are you to obstruct our fight with these empty words?!

Kirito opened his mouth to retort, but no words came out. Ultimately, he didn't even have anything to say in response.

Kem'Pal's expression suddenly became pensive. The NPC eyed Kirito, Leafa and Philia suspiciously.

Kem'Pal: Who are you, anyway? I don't remember you among the scaleless allies that came to this battlefield with us. Actually, I don't remember ever fighting alongside you! I won't let some scaleless younglings who don't even understand our war lecture me about how to solve our conflict with the Scaleless Turnips!

Neither Kirito nor Leafa or Philia knew how to answer this question. After all, all of them knew that introducing themselves as allies of the goblins would be a terrible idea in this situation. In the end, it was Klein who stepped forth to solve this issue.

Klein: Kem, that's Kirito, one of my oldest pals since I started fighting in Aincrad. He's saved my butt several times, and the two girls that are with him are also my comrades. They're all great people and allies, so you don't have to be so hostile around them!

Kem'Pal: Hm, is that so, Klein-dono?

Kem'Pal took another scrutinising look at Kirito. The lizardman general calmly walked towards him, stopping about two metres away from the player. Kem'Pal inhaled deeply through its nostrils. Now, the NPC seemingly began to contemplate something all of a sudden. At first, Kirito wasn't sure what was going on, but when Kem'Pal suddenly glared at him and reached for the hilt of its longsword, he realised the turn of events he was facing.

Kirito quickly leapt backwards while drawing his swords. At the same time, Kem'Pal drew its weapon as well and pointed it straight at Kirito. Upon seeing that, Leafa and Philia instinctively got ready for battle, too, but they didn't interfere yet.

Kem'Pal [yells]: I smell Scaleless Turnips!

Kem'Pal's soldiers rushed to their general's side. Three of them also went off to face Leafa and Philia. For now, neither side was making a move, merely observing each other and waiting for an opening.

That was easier for the lizardmen than it was for the players. Kirito took a look at Kem'Pal's HP gauge. The lizardman general had four HP bars, which was the most obvious sign that the monster in front of him was, in fact, on the level of a major raid boss. Given how adaptable Kem'Pal had proven to be, Kirito doubted that he could defeat the enemy he was facing.

Alas, even if he could somehow win this battle, it would only cause even more problems. Kem'Pal also was a final boss of the war campaign. They didn't know what would happen if this NPC died here, but the most likely scenario was that the war would end with the victory of the goblins. However, the majority vote of the smaller clearing guilds had shown that they wanted the lizardmen to win, so if Kirito and the girls suddenly turned the entire war around, it would cause chaos and disapproval, which would undoubtedly be aimed at those who'd be responsible for this. Not to mention that all the efforts Kirito and the girls had made on the 95th floor would be in vain.

Meanwhile, Fuurinkazan was in a state of mild panic. Most of the members looked back and forth between their targeted comrades and the lizardmen. They had no idea what they should do if a fight broke out. In the end, they all turned to their leader, Klein, to see what he'd decide. Incidentally, he hastily ran up to Kem'Pal, but he didn't get ready for battle.

Klein: Oi, Kem, keep calm! You're overreacting!

Kem'Pal: Don't let them deceive you, Klein-dono! I can smell that these scaleless warriors have been wandering around among the Scaleless Turnips for a long time! Now I know why they were defending them: They collude with the Scaleless Turnips! Klein-dono, let us fight side by side! Together, we shall do away with those traitors among your ranks!

This was bad… Just as Kirito had feared, the lizardman's AI had caught on to the "Side with the Goblins" quest that he and the girls had taken. There might've still been a chance to talk their way out of this… if Kirito had had any suitable ideas. This wasn't one of those times when he could just keep guessing until he found the right answer – Kem'Pal's AI was too complex for that. If he couldn't find the right argument promptly, a hasty escape might be their best option…

Klein: Kem, don't be so rash! We…

Just like Kirito, Klein struggled to find the right words. He suppressed a worried, disgruntled groan before clicking his tongue.

Klein [thinks]: I guess there's no other option… I hope Kem will understand this. [says aloud] Listen, Kem, the Assault Team – that is, I and the rest of Fuurinkazan as well as the other warriors that came with us to this floor – have sent Kirito and the others to the goblins, the Scaleless Turnips! They're no traitors, they're just doing what we told them!

Kem'Pal [very surprised]: What?! Why would you do that?

Well, the story revolved around the idea of saving both the lizardmen and the goblins… which Kem'Pal had firmly rejected, so it seemed unlikely that the general would react favourably to that explanation. Klein was aware of that, too, which made it hard for him to come up with a satisfying answer.

However, what he had said still gave Kirito an idea…

Kirito [seriously]: We're double agents. We've infiltrated the goblins… or Scaleless Turnips, as you call them, in order to see what they're up to.

Kem'Pal [suspiciously]: Double agents, you say? So, you're telling me that you're not actually our enemies?

Kirito: You said it yourself: You've never seen me before. Or Leafa or Philia, for that matter. That means that we've never defended the goblins against an attack, but wouldn't that be our priority if we actually worked for them?

Klein: That's right, Kem! I didn't wanna bring it up since I thought it might sound weird. Honestly, I hoped that it wouldn't become necessary – that we'd just never run into them. That's all there is to it!

Kem'Pal threw a scrutinising glance at Klein before turning back towards Kirito. For a moment, the NPC and the player stared into each other's eyes with unwavering expressions. It was like a game of poker, only with swords instead of cards.

Klein: Let me talk that out with them, Kem! If you think that Kirito and his party have betrayed us, the Assault Team, then that would mean that you can leave them to us! You know that we're on your side, and we won't have anyone go against that decision!

There was no immediate reaction. Kem'Pal seemed to think about it for a moment. Suddenly, the NPC lowered its weapon and took a more relaxed stance.

Kem'Pal: I've never had to doubt your words, Klein-dono. Very well, I shall take your word for it and leave handling this issue to you scaleless ones! Men, stand down!

Following Kem'Pal's command, the lizardmen soldiers dropped their hostile stance, and they all stepped aside. Likewise, Kirito, Klein, Leafa and Philia gathered to have a brief discussion about the situation.

Kirito: Thanks for vouching for us, Klein. This… could've gone very wrong.

Klein: Don't sweat it! [slightly worriedly] I'm just glad it worked. Geez, I didn't think Kem would be that harsh!

Leafa [annoyed]: Well, I guess you'd expect that from someone who eagerly walks around massacring an entire species!

Philia: Leafa, seriously, take a deep breath and calm down! Right now, you're letting this get to you way too much for your own good!

Leafa: I don't care! I'm still mad about this manhunt! [to Klein] Speaking about that, why are you even participating in this atrocity?!

Kirito: That's… actually something I'm curious about, too. I don't really get it, Klein. Before, you usually were against questionable methods such as slaughtering human-like NPCs like these.

Philia: Good point. I thought you were among those who voted for giving us a chance to search for a quest to clear the floor without defeating the goblins, so I believed that you were against this war. So, why are you here?

Klein had to admit that they had a point, but even though the question was legitimate, it was anything but easy to answer… from a certain perspective, that is.

Klein: Listen, guys, this… That's a tough problem. You're right, I don't like this, but I don't have a real choice here. You see…

Kirito [sternly]: But why?! If we don't need to kill the goblins to clear this floor, that should be for the best, even from your perspective! [looks at Kem'Pal] Or is it because of the lizardmen? I know that you're getting along swimmingly with them, and I won't butt into that, but you don't have to go that far, do you?!

Klein [seriously]: Kirito, this isn't about Kem, you hear?

There was a sudden shift in Klein's tone and expression, and it caught everyone's attention. Frankly, it was downright ominous, giving them a sense of foreboding.

Klein: Listen, Kirito, you know I respect you and what you do, maybe more than almost anyone else, but you seriously have no idea what it's like to look after a small guild these days. We – that is, Fuurinkazan – we simply need the EXP. I mean, you've probably heard how easily you can level at these fortresses.

Kirito [slightly insecurely]: I… I did, but… there are other hunting grounds, aren't there? Why don't you just…

Klein: Don't be silly! These days, the system alters the EXP you get for killing monsters like crazy. No idea if that's because of the system's instability, but it's rare for a good hunting ground to last even a week. Everyone is searching frantically for good places to level or to farm materials. It's so bad that most guilds don't even consider selling the info anymore. They just hog the good places.

As much as Kirito would've liked to retort, there was nothing for him to say. He had heard about this issue from Asuna and Argo separately, but he had solely focused on solving the problems that arose for him and Asuna. In the end, they could always go to the Hollow Area, but aside from the two of them (and the rest of their group, who could occasionally go with Kirito), nobody had this luxury. Judging from Asuna's stories, the KoB had somehow solved their gravest issues, and Kirito had just assumed that the rest of the Assault Team would be fine as well, but now he wondered if that had been wise.

Leafa and Philia had similar thoughts. They had been struggling to find good quests and the like, although they were still doing okay. As already mentioned, they got special "Hollow Area treatment", and they also had the advantage that they were a well-working four-person-party instead of the usual six-person-party. Dividing their rewards among fewer people made it easier for each individual to come by.

Klein: It's not even just that issue alone. We've just got our new gear, but earning the necessary money and farming materials took up all of our time recently, and we've seriously fallen behind when it comes to levels.

Leafa: But didn't Liz-san make you a good offer? And you got to use the ore and other materials she's collected in the Hollow Area, too.

Klein: That was a good offer and all, but that doesn't make much of a difference, Leafachi. If you're distributing the stuff from the Hollow Area, you gotta do it evenly, but there's only so much you can get from that place, which means that each individual party can't get that much. We still have to pay appropriately for it, too. Honestly, we're basically broke, and with the recent rise of the level requirement by the Council, me and my guys barely have a high enough level to participate in major boss battles.

Yeah, there was the level requirement, too. Since the challenges the Assault Team faced were becoming more and more difficult, the Council had decided to introduce some feasible requirements to ensure the players' safety. Guilds that couldn't meet them wouldn't be expelled from the Assault Team, but they weren't allowed to join large raid parties, meaning that they couldn't participate in floor or field boss battles.

Klein: And don't get me started about the new guild that we help out every once in a while… Honestly, our only lifeline is our chance to get good stuff and EXP from front-line floors, but you know how it is: We only get every third floor. On the other floors, the KoB and DDA get all the good stuff. If we don't wanna call it quits, Fuurinkazan has to make the most of this floor, so we can't sit this one out. All of us gained a level just from killing goblins on this floor, so I honestly can't decide to stop here.

There was nothing left to argue about. Even Leafa could only hang her head.

Leafa [mutters]: But… But…

Klein: Sorry, but I can't do anything about this. Speaking of which, I gotta go. Kem won't want to wait forever. I hope you guys find what you're looking for. If we find this fortress' crystal, we'll try to keep everyone else from destroying it until you finish your quest. That's all we can do for you, though.

Kirito [slightly dejectedly]: Y-yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks, Klein.

Klein gave Kirito a quick nod before turning around and walking away with the rest of Fuurinkazan and with Kem'Pal's group. Leafa's eyes followed them worriedly. The other players and NPCs were headed into the direction where the goblin children had fled. Were they continuing their hunt? Well, probably.

She snapped out of these thoughts when she felt Philia's hand on her shoulder.

Philia: It is how it is, Leafa. [slightly dejectedly] Sometimes you're just powerless in these situations. [slightly determinedly] The best we can do here is to focus on our quest, so I think we should go back to the others and make sure we return to the quest NPC as quickly as possible!

Right… Kirito shook off the uneasy feeling that had welled up inside him, and he put on a serious, determined expression.

Kirito: Yeah, let's do that for now! As you've said, Philia, that's our best bet. We won't have much time, even if people like Klein try to buy us some more, so we gotta hurry!

---

Thus, Kirito, Leafa and Philia walked back to the adjacent street to rejoin the rest of their group… only that they didn't. Argo, Silica and Lisbeth had been gone. Kirito figured that they had probably found the right way, and they had simply gone ahead. However, that wasn't the case.

The three other girls had noticed that Leafa had run off to help some of the NPCs. Upon seeing the confrontation with Fuurinkazan and the lizardmen, Silica and Lisbeth had wanted to aid the rest of their team, but Argo had stopped them. She had understood that they were losing far too much time here, so she had thought of a way to buy more, and this had seemed like the perfect opportunity to go with her plan.

The person who carried the quest items and had to turn them in was Kirito. Only he had to look for the NPC all of them were searching for. The rest of the group was free to go somewhere else… for instance to the central crystal of this goblin base, where they could hopefully stop the Assault Team from destroying it before Kirito would get to their quest NPC.

After an extremely brief argument over this, Silica and Lisbeth had agreed that this was the best call, so Argo led them to their next destination: the large floating crystal at the far end of this town. This vital part of the actual dungeon was easy to spot for anyone once they got somewhat close. It was a three metres high, light blue crystal in the shape of a long irregular octahedron, and it was levitating about half a metre above the ground. Not only was it relatively easy to find, it was even easier to attack since it was completely unguarded.

In fact, when Argo and her two companions arrived on the scene, there already was a party attacking said crystal. A quick look at its HP bar made it clear that the crystal could only take a few more hits before it would break.

Lisbeth [yells]: Hey, stop!

The sudden shout startled the other group, a bunch of guys who had probably been in high school before SAO. They looked in Lisbeth's direction, turning their full attention towards the players that had shown up unexpectedly. Even the guy who had taken a big swing with his heavy greatsword stopped in his tracks and interrupted his attack to see what was happening.

However, they were overall just confused as to why this strange party of three had come here. In particular, they had no idea what to make of Lisbeth, who was glaring at them.

Party Member 1: Huh? Some chicks? And a strange guy in a hoodie?

Party Member 2 [whispers]: I don't know… Is that a guy? Looks a bit familiar, though…

Party Member 3: Whatever! [to the girls] What's the matter? We were here first, so get lost! It's not as if these crystals drop anything useful or give good EXP anyway!

Lisbeth: That's not what we're here for!

Party Member 1: Then get off our back! Geez… [slightly contemplatively and annoyed] Oh, wait: You're here because all the goblins will disappear when the crystal is gone, aren't you?

Silica: Exactly! We can't let you do whatever you want with this crystal or with the townspeople!

Party Member 3: Ugh, what difference does it even make what they want?! Listen, girlies, we have to put up with this war to get through this damn floor, but we don't have to let you hunt a bunch people – monsters or not – just because this scumbag who's "representing" us in the Council and the rest of the Assault Team are fine with it!

Lisbeth: Huh, what are you even talking about?! We've never laid a finger on any of the goblins, you jackass!

Party Member 3: Huh?! What did you...

Argo: Hey, easy! No need to get gruff 'n do or say somethin' ya can't take back later, right? Same goes for ya, Lizzie! How 'bout ya keep yer head? [to the other party] Now, I think ya're misunderstandin' somethin'. We ain't here for the raid, but for a quest, 'n we just ran into ya guys from the Assault Team.

Party Member 4: Huh, but what are you…

Party Leader: Guys, keep quiet for a moment and let me handle this!

The leader of the party, who had silently stayed in the background until now, stepped forward and approached Argo.

Party Leader: I thought that it was pretty strange for you to show up here, Rat, but I think I get it now. You girls are from that party that decided to look into ways to avoid this stupid war, aren't you?

Argo: Well, saves me the introduction. I also hafta say: Ya sure don't sound happy 'bout what's goin' on here.

Argo nodded into a direction where screams could be heard. The party leader in front of her frowned.

Party Leader: As if we could be! Why do you think we're here? We went looking for the central crystal right away so that we can put an end to this fucked up manhunt as soon as possible! [mutters] Honestly, how can anyone think that this is right?

The young man thought back to the meeting when some of the guild leaders had brought up this issue. There had been a very brief argument about whether or not they should hunt Goblin Villagers before clearing the fortresses. Akinym had cut the discussion short by stating what he had thought of as the obvious: The goblin NPCs would disappear anyway, so there was no reason not to benefit from them until that would happen. Instead of worrying about "murdering" something that wasn't even alive in the first place, they should simply use the opportunity to level.

Party Leader: Tch… Screw that jerk! Why do we have a representative that doesn't even get the actual problem here? No wonder people start calling him the Grey Eminence.

Lisbeth [slightly at a loss]: No idea what's on your mind, [determinedly] but if you think that way, you should actually support our goal, shouldn't you?

Silica: That's right! We're here for a quest that might help us to end this war and to clear this floor without wiping out the goblins! If you destroy the crystal, we won't be able to finish the quest, and this chance will be lost.

Party Leader [doubtfully]: A chance, you say? That reminds me… I think it was you who told everyone at the guild leaders' meeting that you would go with the Black Swordsman to do something about this problem… [slightly insecurely] um… Siliko, was it?

Silica [slightly grumpily]: It's "Silica"…

Party Leader [flatly]: Hm, I see. [slightly sternly] What I'd like to know, though, Silica, how long has it been since you've made this bold declaration that you can find a way out of our current dilemma if we give the Black Swordsman and your merry bunch of girls the chance to? Was it about one and a half weeks? What's so special about this quest today that it would be different than all the other times when you've failed?

Lisbeth: Hey, what's with that attitude?! We've been working our butts off for this, so you could at least cut out the cynism!

Silica [seriously]: This is not about what's different than before! We can't know when we'll find the right lead, [determinedly] but that's exactly why I, Liz-san, Argo-san, Kirito-san and all the others won't – we absolutely won't – give up! Kirito-san believes that there's a way, and he's been working hard all the time to find it, so I'm trusting that it's still possible!

Silica's appeal to the man in front of her was met with an irritated stare. Coming from a girl that was around thirty centimetres smaller than him, her words sounded more like baseless, childish confidence to the party leader. It almost pained him to admit it, but Silica's short speech was worse than Akinym's usual explanations. The Grey Eminence at least pointed out some reasons why they should act in a certain way rather than just asking the guild leaders to believe in his suggestions.

Party Leader: Listen, Silila…

Silica and Lisbeth: SILICA!

Party Leader: Ugh, fine… Silica, you lost, okay?! There's never been a way around this damn war! It's time for you to wake up and smell the coffee! You haven't found anything so far, why would it be different today?!

Lisbeth: You don't know that it won't, or am I wrong?!

Party Leader: And you don't know that it will be! We're here precisely because we're acting on what we know. We argued against this war, but we've been outvoted. I bet you looked into the most promising leads first, but you got nothing! I don't know what the Black Swordsman thinks what a big shot he is and what he can do, or what you believe, and frankly, I don't even care. I only know that I don't see a chance to get around this war anymore, and in case you haven't noticed, neither does the rest of my guild! The best thing we can do is to get this mess over with quick and easy.

The air between the party leader on one side and Silica and Lisbeth on the other side was extremely tense… so Argo squeezed herself into the gap between them and shoved that air away.

Argo: Alright, ya blew off enough steam, didn't ya? So before we keep arguin' back 'n forth to no avail, how 'bout ya listen to what I hafta say? Ya don't wanna let this massacre happen, right? Ya sure don't wanna let the whole goblin race get annihilated, either, I guess. So why don't ya just take a shot at our idea? I've just sent the rest of our team a message 'bout our lil' dispute here. I'm sure they're handin' in that quest we've talked 'bout now, so we'll know whether there's anythin' after that or not in no time. Ya can wait till then, can't ya? That crystal won't go anywhere, 'n if it turns out that our efforts lead to nothin' as you think they will, ya can still smash it after findin' out if that's the best idea.

The party leader looked at Argo with a disgruntled expression. After a moment, he turned on his heel.

Party Leader: Fine, we'll go with your suggestion, Rat.

Party Member 3: Are you sure?! We don't have to…

Party Leader: Just humour them! It's just as the Rat says: If they don't come up with anything substantial in the next five minutes, we'll finish our job here. If nothing else, it might save us the bickering from the other parties later.

Argo breathed a small sigh of relief. A quick glance at Silica and Lisbeth showed that the two girls wouldn't relax just yet. Well, this wasn't the result they had desired, but Argo actually thought that this had gone better than she had expected.

Argo [thinks]: Well, Kii-bou, we did everythin' we could to see this through. Now it's only a question if ya can find out anythin' that helps.

---

Right about that time, Kirito, Leafa and Philia arrived at the building where their quest NPC was waiting. It remained unclear if the NPC was still alive. Sure enough, there were a few players at the entrance door, killing some Goblin Villagers. Alas, Kirito stormed inside to see if they could still make it – the only real option he had – without a moment's thought. Behind him, Philia shoved Leafa inside as well, which was a pretty good way to keep her from getting into an argument with the next group of players they came across.

After running up a flight of stairs, they arrived at a downright claustrophobically small room where a grumpy-looking, relatively old goblin was sitting at a small table, staring at a map that lay on top of it. Good, he was still there. Kirito went inside and walked up to this NPC.

Kirito: Sir, we got the items you wanted!

This standard phrase for quests of the "get item X" kind caught the goblin's attention, so it looked up with a calm yet stern expression.

Goblin NPC: Oh, you really snatched the equipment from under those lizards' noses? Show me the goods, I'll check if you took the right stuff!

Thus, a special trade request was sent to Kirito, and he made haste to add all the quest items to the list of transferred goods. It was quite a hassle, especially since they were in a hurry, but the nature of the quest obviously wouldn't change just because of that.

After receiving the items, the goblin took out one of them. It was a coat, and the NPC examined it carefully – certainly more carefully than the impatient players wanted him to.

Goblin NPC: Hehe, colour me surprised! You lads did a good job. Keep it up!

A reward window popped up in front of Kirito, but he didn't care about it one bit. The much more important question was…

Kirito: Thanks, but what now? We've got this equipment, so what are we gonna do with it?

Goblin NPC: Huh? The lizardmen won't be able to go into the mountains to hunt their Thyman Flies. Cutting off supplies is a good strategy in war. What else is there to it?

Kirito was half shocked, half confused. Did he ask the wrong question to trigger the next quest? Well, either that or…

Not finishing that thought, Kirito tried something else.

Kirito: It's just that with this mountaineering equipment, we could lead an expedition into the mountains ourselves, couldn't we? Maybe we can investigate what happened to the dried-up river!

Goblin NPC [slightly confusedly]: Huh? What are you talking about, lad?

This… wasn't a matter of phrasing the question correctly, was it? While thinking that, Kirito backed away… just in time to get out of the way of Leafa, who rushed forward and slammed her hands on the table.

Leafa: What we're going to do next, of course! What next? We got the equipment, so how can we use that to stop this war?!

Goblin NPC: Huh? The lizardmen won't be able to go into the mountains to…

Leafa: I'm not talking about that! I don't care what the lizardmen would do with this stuff! What do we do with it?

Goblin NPC: Huh? The lizardmen won't be…

Leafa pushed over the table and grabbed the goblin by the collar. She began to shake the NPC vigorously with a furious look in her eyes. The violent scene made the players from outside, who had entered the building to search for more prey, misunderstand the situation, so they turned around and left, thinking that somebody else had been faster here.

At the same time, Kirito and Philia were so startled that they needed a moment to regain their composure before they could react at all. Unlike them, the goblin NPC itself remained oddly calm.

Leafa: DON'T GIVE ME THAT NONSENSE! The next quest! Where's the next quest!?

Goblin NPC: Huh? What are you talking about, lass?

Leafa: You gotta be kidding me! Can't you hear what's going on outside?! Your entire race is going to be wiped out if we don't do anything about this! Don't you care about that at all?!

Goblin NPC: Huh? What are you talking about, lass?

Leafa: Y-you…!

At this point, Kirito and Philia finally separated Leafa and the NPC by pulling their indignant teammate away from the goblin.

Philia: Leafa, calm down! That doesn't lead anywhere!

Kirito: She's right! This NPC obviously can't react to what you say. The AI simply doesn't understand it!

Leafa [turns to Kirito]: Then what are we supposed to do now?! [shakily] W-what… are we…

It was only now that Kirito noticed the tears that had formed in his sister's eyes, even though he could only see it for a second before Leafa lowered her head.

Kirito: S-sugu?!

Leafa: This was our last idea, wasn't it? Our last chance… If this was just a dead-end quest, what are we supposed to do now? [desperately, slightly upset] What's gonna happen to all the goblins now?! [dejectedly, worriedly] T-tell me… What else could we…

As much as Kirito wanted to provide some words of assurance or at least of comfort, he couldn't utter a single one. There simply were none. From the very start, he had known that this might happen. Now, Kirito wondered if it wouldn't be presumptuous to try and soothe Leafa even though he had been the one to raise the false hopes that it wouldn't come to this.

Philia acted a bit more composed. She put a hand on Leafa's shoulder and led her outside.

Philia: Let's go back to the others, they're waiting at the large crystal. We'll discuss what we're gonna do once we're there, okay?

Kirito followed the girls outside. The three of them made their way towards the rest of their party, but at a considerably slower pace than before – befitting the different mood.

---

At the central crystal, Argo, Silica and Lisbeth as well as the other party were still waiting impatiently for Kirito, Leafa and Philia. Argo turned her head to look down a particular alleyway, just in time to see her comrades coming her way.

Argo: There they are…

Silica and Lisbeth became quite excited, and they hurried up to meet the returnees. Argo, on the other hand, noticed right away that something was off. These three… They weren't so much walking towards them as they were dragging their feet into their general direction. Lisbeth, too, caught on to that after a moment, and she stopped in her tracks upon realising what was going on, whereas Silica kept going until she stood right in front of Kirito.

Silica: Kirito-san, how did it go? What do we have… [slightly shocked] to do next?

Silica's eyes went wide when she saw the gloomy expressions on her comrades' faces. That was actually answer enough.

Philia: Sorry, but… The quest NPC… He didn't have another quest. He didn't even say anything when we tried to talk with him about the mountaineering equipment. It was just… a completely average quest.

Silica: B-but… doesn't that mean that… that…

From her position, Argo still caught what they were saying, and she could only think, "Yeah, it does". Behind her, the leader of the other party observed the scene, and he understood perfectly what was going on. There were neither scorn nor sympathy in his expression.

Party Leader: Figures.

The man turned around and nodded towards the crystal of the fortress, signalling his teammates to destroy it. They gladly got to it, being thankful that they could finally finish this job.

Meanwhile, Kirito's party gathered in the alleyway.

Silica [insecurely]: S-so, what now? What do we do now?

Kirito: I don't know. I don't even know where to look for another lead.

Philia: So… Does that mean that's it?

A moment of heavy silence followed.

Kirito: I… guess so. To be honest, this quest today was already grasping for…

Lisbeth [slightly sternly]: No.

Lisbeth's sudden remark took everyone else aback. They were staring at the girl wide-eyed. Oddly enough, she had a strangely determined expression on her face.

Lisbeth: You heard me! As if I'd let it end this way! I don't want it to end this way, and neither do any of you, do you?! We've been trying everything we could these past few days, despite constant failures and the doubtful attitude we got from everyone else, so why would we give up now?!

Leafa: Y-yeah, but what could we…

Argo: I hate to break it to ya, Lizzie, but as Kii-bou already mentioned, we don't even have an idea where to start over.

Lisbeth: There gotta be a ton of quests we haven't tried yet!

Argo: 'n most of them are from goblin outposts. The Assault Team just finished this one, 'n I reckon that the others that remained ain't doin' better. The HQ gotta be the only place that's left.

Lisbeth: Well, in that case, we obviously look there!

Philia: But haven't we checked the goblin HQ first? Quite thoroughly, as far as I remember.

Lisbeth: So what?! We double-check it! Listen, we may have only this day left to find anything, but we can still use every second of it, and I wanna do just that! It's either looking for a stone that we've left unturned or giving up, and I'm not taking this lying down!

The others let this declaration sink in for a moment. The first one to reply – and quite quickly, at that – was Leafa.

Leafa: I'm in! There's nothing to lose, so as long as there's a chance, I'll do anything to turn the tables and give the goblins a chance to survive!

Silica: I-in that case, I'll go, too! I'll do whatever I can to help!

Philia [slightly taken aback and cheerfully]: Honestly, none of you ever give up, do you? Well, there's no helping it, and I kinda like the spirit. Count me in!

Argo [slightly contemplatively]: Hm, what a hopeless bunch, [cheerfully] but whatever! For a veteran info broker like lil' ol' me, tenacity while lookin' for clues is a given, so I don't mind that attitude one bit!

Kirito took a look around, grasping the change in the mood. Honestly, he wasn't sure what to think of this unexpected wave of optimism. There was a variety of emotions involved…

However, one of these emotions was a pretty bad premonition.

---

And that premonition turned out to be spot on. They went to the goblin HQ, and just as they had said, they turned the whole place upside down, looking for any quests or hints they might've overseen or for anything that might've been unlocked since the last time they had been there. However, there was nothing. They even did some quests out of pure desperation, but their efforts didn't unveil any new discoveries about this floor as they had hoped.

In the end, they couldn't avoid the truth any longer: It was over. When the sun set, the curtain fell not only on this day, it also fell on their hopes of saving the goblins of the 95th floor.

---

In the dead of night, Kirito lay awake on his bed, looking out the window. He sat up and looked to the other side. Asuna and Yui were lying in the other bed inside the bedroom of their log cabin. Well, Yui usually took turns sleeping with her parent figures, and today, it was Asuna's turn.

This was pretty convenient for Kirito. He didn't want to wake her – or rather, he couldn't allow himself to wake her or Asuna – but he had to leave. Thus, he got up and slowly tiptoed to the door. He took one more glance at the two girls, making sure that they were sound asleep, before he left the room and closed the door.

Kirito [mutters]: I'm sorry, Asuna. I know you would probably stop me if you knew what I'm about to do. I'm almost completely sure that you would. [slightly awkwardly] Well, and I guess you're gonna be pretty mad when you wake up and notice that I'm gone. I don't think I'll make it back in time to avoid suffering that fate. [seriously] I'll take whatever lecture you're gonna give me, but there's something I have to do. So, sorry for doing this to you and Yui, but I have to go.

After finishing the apology, which he had uttered more to himself than to anyone else, Kirito put on his combat gear and left the house. It was a relatively short way to the teleporter at the edge of the forest, and given that Kirito was walking there at a brisk pace, he got there within minutes. Thanks to the teleporter network, it was even faster to travel to the floor's main town and to Celes afterwards. Thus, he arrived on the 95th floor in no time.

Here, he had to stop for a moment in order to think. Kirito knew that there was a teleporter near the mountains, and that's where he wanted to go. Now, what was the location called again? Fortunately, all the Assault Team players had gone home hours ago, so the teleport gate plaza was completely deserted, giving him plenty of time to…

Argo: Yo, Kii-bou! Finally showin' yerself, ain't ya? Ya don't let a girl wait, ya know?

Well, or maybe the place wasn't deserted after all. Kirito turned to the source of the voice he had just heard. Celes' teleport gate plaza was nothing but a tiny artificial isle in the middle of an oasis, and sitting on the edge of that isle, Argo was there, looking straight at him.

Kirito [very surprised]: A-argo?! W-what are you doing here?!

Argo: Didn't ya listen? I was waitin' for ya, Kii-bou! Guess ya can't help but to try 'n play the hero after all, can ya?

The place was pretty dark, so Kirito couldn't make out Argo's face beneath her hood, but he knew that she was throwing a cheeky grin at him. She was Argo, after all. He heaved a heavy sigh.

Well, despite Argo showing up here, certainly knowing exactly what Kirito had in mind, Kirito doubted that she would actually do anything to stop him, but that raised one question...

Kirito: So, what now? What are you gonna do?

Argo [slightly contemplatively]: Hm, good question… [cheerfully, slightly teasingly] How 'bout offerin' ya a lil' chat?

Argo patted the spot next to her. So that's what she wanted. Figures. Kirito slowly walked over to her and took a seat next to her.

Argo: So, Kii-bou… Anythin' on yer mind? No, strike that… What exactly is on yer mind? I take it that ya have one more idea what to do 'bout the war?

Kirito: I… actually don't. There is nothing specific I have in mind, but there's one more place to look for something.

Argo [raises her eyebrows]: Hm? What place? Gotta be related to that river, but…

Kirito: It's the mountains. If something in particular caused the river to dry up, it has to be in the mountains where the river rose. Maybe there's an event-triggered quest or a special boss…

Argo: A special boss, ya say… Why didn't ya bring it up sooner, if that's what ya think? The girls sure would've gone with ya.

Kirito: That's the problem. I don't want them to. There isn't even a good path into the mountains, so the hike alone will be dangerous. On top of that, I haven't got any good information about the environment or what to expect. Normally, I wouldn't even go there myself, so exposing the others to this danger just because I want to go… That's not something I can do.

Argo: In that case, why are ya goin'?

There was no immediate answer. Instead, Kirito just stared into the water below. It was so dark that the lake around them looked almost pitch-black. The artificial night sky that was reflected on the surface was almost starless on this floor, which just added to the effect.

Kirito: It is… really calm here, isn't it, Argo?

Argo wasn't sure what to make of this response. Well, she had been sitting here for more than an hour, and judging from that experience, she figured that she had to agree. As already mentioned, the town was basically empty at this hour (safe for some NPCs), especially since nobody wanted to live here. Some might've called Celes bleak, but Argo thought that the atmosphere here was quite tranquil.

She leant back and closed her eyes, taking in her surroundings with her remaining senses once more. It was a bit chilly, but with her cold-resistant hoodie, it wasn't too bad. There was a soft breeze, which also carried a sweet scent from the plants that grew at this oasis across the lake. The only sound that could be heard was the gentle rippling of the water around them.

Argo: Sure is.

Kirito: This is… the kind of place I'd like the virtual world to be: A place that can evoke such feelings, but beyond that, I want it to be a place that allows people to see and do things they normally never could. For us players, SAO is a place where we meet and clear real obstacles, shed real tears and feel real happiness. But I can't help but wonder… What will people think of the virtual world? Will they view it as a place of joy or a place of suffering?

Kirito looked up at the sky… or the ceiling of the 95th floor, to be precise. He stretched out one hand towards it, as if he was reaching for the top of Aincrad.

Kirito: I don't know when was the first time I wondered what exactly would await us at the end of this game. However, at this point, I'm more curious what's beyond the hundred floors of the floating castle. The FullDive technology won't just disappear, but what will its future be?

Kirito thought about the VRMMO Leafa had told him about: ALO. Despite the SAO incident, people were giving the FullDive technology a second chance. The company RECT Inc. had constructed a new virtual world that might be exactly what Kirito was looking for. He had been glad – even excited – to hear that, and many of the others who had heard these news had shared this sentiment. Well, Asuna had been strangely shocked by this, but since she had been hesitant to talk about it, Kirito hadn't pressed the issue.

Anyway, the "World of Fairies" sounded like the kind of place Kirito had once hoped Aincrad would be. There had even been times when Kirito had been overjoyed that he had been trapped in this virtual world, but the longer their journey had become, the more he had realised it wasn't the place he had wished it would be. VRMMOs were still games, and games were meant to be enjoyed. However, that enjoyment would always be tainted in a game of life and death.

Kirito thought about the time he had spent with Silica, Lisbeth, Leafa and Philia on the 95th floor. It had been a wild ride, but it had been fun. Alas, the gravity of the situation hadn't allowed them to enjoy their time as it actually should've been the case. Maybe they could find this kind of experience in another game… ALO, for instance.

Would it be possible, though? Leafa had told him about what ALO was like, especially what it was like in her eyes. It had sounded great, but there was another side to the story. She had also mentioned that almost everyone who had found out that she had been playing a VRMMO had expressed nothing but concern. Some people had wondered why she'd "try to escape into a fantasy world if she had a perfectly fine real life", or they had asked similar questions out of incomprehension. There had even been people who, in spite of the new, safer FullDive hardware, had asked Leafa if she hadn't been afraid to dive into the virtual world in reference to the SAO incident.

Kirito: I think that we SAO players might be the ones who determine that future by what we do in this world. That's why the events on this floor concern me so much. Leafa has told me that there are people who think poorly of the VRMMO she played because it's centred around a war between races. What will those people think when they hear that the SAO players have fought in a war and wiped out an entire race?

Argo: Huh, 'kay… I think I kinda get it now. Ya think it's gonna be bad for the VR's image if people in the real world find out what we had to do to get out. Well, I guess ya have a point. [sighs, feignedly dejectedly] 'n here I thought lil' Kii-bou has awakened to his macho side 'n tried to play the hero for the army of girls 'round him…

Argo's joke turned out to be an almost shockingly ineffective way to lift the mood. Kirito didn't even flinch. He just retracted his hand and sat there for a brief moment.

Kirito: Hero, you say? I know that – for whatever reason – some people call me that, but I don't think that this word fits me at all. I don't even know what really bothers the players these days, let alone deal with those problems. This whole idea about saving the goblins was just me fighting for my own interests, and I didn't even manage to pull that off. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that I've only raised false hopes.

One after another, Kirito recalled various events that had occurred throughout the day.

First, there were the battles and other life-threatening moments. While Kirito had been prepared to help out the girls, he didn't think that he had been of much help after all. In fact, he believed that Silica, Lisbeth, Leafa and Philia had done a better job at looking out for each other than he had.

It hadn't been just on this particular day. It was a regular occurrence. Kirito was genuinely amazed how quickly these girls had become a well-adjusted team of legitimate front-line players. He still remembered how worried he had been when they had begun their training with Akinym. To a certain degree, he considered it his fault that they had been trapped on the upper floors, and to make matters worse, he had no way of ensuring their safety if they wanted to fight – or to stop them from fighting. Objectively speaking, it had been for the best to continue clearing the remaining floors with Asuna, but that didn't change the fact that he had left the well-being of others who were close to him in the hands of someone he hadn't even known. He had done so even despite his concerns what Akinym's philosophy and methods might do to them mentally.

Honestly, he may have occasionally helped out the group of girls around him when he noticed that they needed a helping hand with something specific – usually when they had asked him – but Kirito was sure that they had assisted him more than the other way around. For starters, it was only thanks to Silica's support in the assembly of the guild leaders that he had got a chance to search for another way to clear the war campaign. She and her party had gone out of their way to give him that chance… only for them to fail. In the end, the only result was that the girls had missed their valuable chance to call dibs on valuable resources on this floor.

Yeah, that was another issue. Kirito hadn't realised before just how much trouble the floor rotation system caused some guilds. Sure, he understood the basic issues, but he had never looked into it more deeply. Rather than that, he had focused on his own missions with Asuna to optimise their chances of survival. When Klein had mentioned his guild's current issue earlier, Kirito had been taken by surprise completely. He had had no idea that Fuurinkazan had that kind of problem, and it made him wonder what he was even doing. Here he was, spending all his time chasing after the possibility to avoid killing NPCs, believing that it would be for the best, while the players were actually facing completely different problems.

While Kirito was having these thoughts, Argo wondered what she should say. She knew better than to believe that some small words of comfort would have any considerable effect on the guy next to her. When he was like that, there was hardly anything anyone could do.

Argo: Kii-bou, ya ain't the one to raise those hopes. Silica-chan 'n the others came with ya because they wanted to. The same goes for all the small guilds that supported the idea of not destroyin' the goblin race. There're plenty of folks believin' in the same things ya mentioned, so there ain't anythin' wrong with relyin' on them!

Kirito: But what if I only end up disappointing them? You've seen how the others reacted to our failure!

Kirito still recalled the teary-eyed picture of Leafa after they had discovered that their quest at the lizardman fortress had been nothing but a bummer… and how utterly powerless he had felt in that moment.

And it wasn't just that. Later, when they had ultimately given up on finding another lead, the one whom it had hit the hardest had been Lisbeth. Even though the girl had had the hardest time of them all the entire day, she had also been the one to always encourage the others in the end. As she had revealed in utter frustration, Lisbeth had done so in order to psych the rest of her party up rather than dragging them down. In their dire situation, she had been the one to do her best to maintain the team's spirit…

In light of all of this (and more), Kirito couldn't stop thinking that his declaration to search for the solution they had wanted had raised hopes only to fail them utterly.

Argo: Doesn't mean that it's yer fault, Kii-bou. If what ya were lookin' for has never been there in the first place, that's not somethin' ya're responsible for, 'n it's not as if ya ever lied 'bout the possibility.

Kirito: That may be true, but I wonder if there's really never been a chance. So far, there has always been another way. We faced many, many situations when there seemed to be only one option, only to find a completely different one, one that led away from a path of despair or negativity. Why would it be different this time? Wouldn't it make more sense to think that there was a way this time, too, and that I simply overlooked something important?

Argo: Hm… So, is that why ya're graspin' for straws now? Because ya think that there has to be a way, 'n ya're just lookin' at the one spot ya could think of?

Kirito just nodded in response. His thought process had more or less come down to this.

Argo [mutters]: Gotcha…

For a moment, Argo turned away and thought about something.

Argo: Ya wanna know what I think, Kii-bou? I think there's never been a chance to get 'round this whole war.

Kirito: Huh? What makes you think that? I mean, why did you even come with us if you thought that way?

Argo: Well, for starters, the thought occurred to me only today. Not that that's the point. Anyway, ya think that it's strange for the game to force such a bad endin' on us, don't ya? But what if that's the whole point?

Kirito: What do you mean?

Argo: Kii-bou, ya know as well as anyone else that things haven't worked out for a ton of folks in this game. In life, there ain't always a chance for a happy end for everyone, so why would it be like that in SAO? In fact, don't ya think that it would be much more frustratin' if the game would give ya a perfect solution for everythin'? If I lost someone important to this game while everythin' else seems to work out smoothly, I wouldn't be able to stop askin' why there wasn't a way to save that special person, too. So I think that this whole scenario shall remind us that not all stories have a happy end, 'n that that's just part of this world, too.

Kirito: You think so?

A moment of silence followed. The two of them were just staring at the pitch-black surface of the lake, contemplating these words.

Argo: So, Kii-bou, in all honesty, let it go! Ya did plenty to make a better outcome possible, even if it didn't work, 'n I don't think ya failed anybody. In fact, I think ya're only goin' to cause others trouble if ya go 'n risk ya life in a cloak-'n-dagger operation. [slightly teasingly] Honestly, A-chan's probably gonna be worried sick if she notices that ya ran off on yer own again.

That certainly hit a nerve. Kirito flinched, and he looked down after regaining his composure again.

Kirito: You don't have to tell me that… I'm… not doing this to worry Asuna, you know? If nothing else, I was hoping that this would be for Asuna's best, too.

As much as Silica, Lisbeth, Leafa and Philia had worked towards a different outcome of the war campaign, they weren't the only ones who supported this course. Aside from others like Agil, Asuna was the strongest advocate of an NPC-friendly policy. Aside from keeping the KoB going, she did her best to prevent the Assault Team from losing hope in the face of adversity. This included trying everything in her power to avoid questionable ways of progressing in the game. Kirito knew for a fact that Asuna was quite troubled by the war on the 95th floor, too.

Argo: Hm, I get where ya're comin' from, Kii-bou, but it'd be much worse for A-chan if anythin' happened to ya. [teasingly] Besides, what do ya think why I'm here? Basically, A-chan asked me to!

Kirito [confusedly]: She did?! If she thought I would come here, why didn't she…

Argo: Don't get me wrong, Kii-bou! I figured out myself that ya'd come back in the middle of the night to go searchin' for clues again, but the one who convinced me to come along in the first place was A-chan. Normally, I would've focused on my job as an info broker, but she knew how important this whole issue is to ya, 'n she was worried what would happen if ya got into trouble. Well, of course she wanted ya to go, but this time, she couldn't come with ya. Sure, ya had the girls with ya, but A-chan wanted someone who was with ya for a long time in SAO to come along, too, so ya get the picture.

Kirito [mutters]: S-so she did… Figures. Of course she would.

Argo: So, with that out of the way, how 'bout ya think 'bout the situation like this: If ya wanna end this story on a halfway happy note, stop fussin' so much 'bout it 'n do what ya can.

Kirito: Which would be?

Argo: Get a good night's rest 'n do yer best tomorrow. Ya're still the star of the Assault Team, so ya gotta shine on the big day. Ya wouldn't want A-chan gettin' hurt because ya were too tired to show yer A-game, would ya?

Yeah, that would be a problem.

Argo stood up and looked down on Kirito, grinning broadly. She held out her hand, offering him to help him up. Kirito needed a second to come to terms with this decision, but he gave up his initial plan in the end, so he took her hand, and after standing up, they walked towards the teleport gate.

Argo [teasingly]: Oh, by the way, I'll totally tell A-chan 'bout yer nightly escapades! Can't wait to see the face she'll make… [snickers]

Kirito [defensively]: What "nightly escapades"?! [groans] Your phrasing is gonna be my death one day...

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So, that's all for today and for "Kirito and Goblins' Ops". Now we'll get to the raid on the goblin HQ. If you're a fan of siege battles, you'll probably like the upcoming chapter... or not, depending on how good of a job I do.

Anyway, see you next time!