The skies were as clear as ever.

Yet, a scattering of snow continued to fall, painting the landscape in a beautiful shade of white. The winter season had finally set in, and its effects could be felt all around Aincrad. Some floors remained unaffected, while others were completely changed. Even on the 22nd floor, the effects were noticeable.

The snow fell softly, dusting the surroundings with a thin white layer. Where the snowflakes hit the water, they quickly melted. It was a peaceful kind of weather, that soothed the area in its quiet beauty. It wasn't cold at all, despite the nature of the season. The 22nd floor had always emulated the perfect weather conditions of springtime, and the ensuing winter season did little to change that. The temperature was cool, and even refreshing.

Kirito reached out with an open palm, smiling as he felt the light snow melt on contact with his hands. Though he was sitting on the deck of his house, the snow continued to fall regardless. He noted that they dissipated on contact with any part of the cottage — though the gardens remained affected.

He had always found watching the snowfall relaxing in a way. He remembered the days where he would spend the afternoon in his backyard, just watching as the snow eventually covered the whole garden. His mother and sister would eventually drag him back inside, scolding him for sitting out in the cold. Inevitably, he would give in to their concern, and retreat to the warm kotatsu in the living room — where he could still watch the snowfall.

It was beautiful in its tranquility.

He sat at the very edge of the deck, his legs dangling beneath him. He had forgone his usual coat, in favour of a simple red scarf that he wrapped around his neck. It wasn't needed in this weather, but it had been a gift. He leaned back, and sighed before scanning the area with his eyes. The blue lake below him remained the same, and the surrounding trees, tinged with white, remained as tall as ever.

"Kirito-kun?"

He lazily turned his head around, and located the speaker. She was bunched up in several layers of clothing that made him grin. The girl shivered slightly as she left the warmth of the cottage. Stepping up to his position at the end of the deck, she placed her arms in a scolding manner on her waist. Her pink hair was hidden beneath a white beanie, and her hands were enveloped by a pair of mittens.

"Yo, Liz," He greeted.

She frowned slightly before adjusting her beanie, "Aren't you cold?"

He smiled widely at her question, causing her to sigh.

"Not at all."

He patted the area next to him, and scooted over so the girl could sit beside him. She joined him shortly, shivering slightly as a cool breeze rolled past the two. Lisbeth was not a fan of the cold.

"W-what are you doing out here anyway, Kirito-kun?" She asked with a rattling voice.

Reaching towards his neck, he slowly unravelled the scarf around his neck. "Just thinking a bit..." He answered, taking the moment to wrap the scarf around Lisbeth's neck.

She blushed slightly as he leaned in to loop the cloth around twice, but thanked him as the warmth it provided was simply amazing. If she didn't know any better, she would say that the scarf had a special ability.

For a moment, the two were content in each others' company, simply enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. Lisbeth eventually leaned her head onto his shoulders, which he did not comment on. By now, he was used to the constant physical affections the girls seemed to reserve for him.

"...What are you thinking about?" It was Lisbeth who broke the silence. Her unique dark-pink eyes stared into his own in curiosity.

He hesitated before answering, "My family."

The reply caused her to widen her eyes. "Oh..."

That particular subject had always been considered taboo amongst the players, and as the game continued, the more unspoken it had become. She opened her mouth to issue an apology before he stopped her.

"It's alright," he said, giving her a wry smile. "I don't mind talking about them."

She wasn't that surprised by his answer, considering the little bits of information he had given them over the year. Off-hand remarks and wistful comments allowed the girls to paint a fairly clear picture of his family. She knew both his parents worked a lot, and that he had spent most of his days with his sister. They had all shared little tidbits of their life before the incident, but they knew the most about Kirito.

Lisbeth considered her words. "Do you miss them?" She asked softly.

"Yea..." He knew that she was inferring a deeper meaning. "I miss them more than anything."

She looked pensive at his words. "You know I..." She hesitated. "I have a little brother...he's in elementary school."

He blinked in surprise. Though he knew snippets of her time before SAO, it was mostly restricted to school life.

"It's funny isn't it? You go from constantly complaining about someone one day, and as soon as they're gone... you..." She trailed off.

"You start to miss them more than ever," he finished for her.

She nodded, "I mean, he really is the most annoying brat I know, but... He was really cute sometimes — you know?" Her tone turned wistful. "He always tried to bother me at home and at school — sometimes I wanted to strangle the little bugger."

She recalled how he constantly bugged her at home; hiding the remote, stealing her magazines, and generally refusing to leave her alone. But the moment she lost her temper or scolded him, he would give her the most innocent expression he could muster. She knew that he just wanted to spend time with her, since their house was empty most of the time.

"Liz?"

His voice brought her back down to reality. "...Ah, sorry," she mumbled.

"He sounds cute." He said, causing her to scoff.

She closed her eyes in remembrance. "He would probably like you, Kirito-kun... Mr. Hero."

He chuckled slightly at the jibe. "Then make sure to introduce us."

She had to smile at that. If there was anything constant about Kirito, it was his infallible will to clear the game. Reminiscing over all of the moments she had with her brother... she felt a sudden sadness fall over her. "I wonder if he misses me..."

"I'm sure he misses you dearly," he assured her. "Call it a brother's intuition," he added.

She raised a delicate eyebrow. "What about your sister, Kirito-kun?"

He paused, considering her question. "Suguha?"

"Ooh, so that's her name... sounds kinda familiar actually."

His sister... the continued thought of her brought a pain to his chest. "... She would miss me more than I could imagine."

The two of them were close. Closer than what any two siblings should have been. Ever since he could remember, it had always been just him and Suguha. His father was frequently overseas, attending business, while his mother was a workaholic by nature. It had always been the two of them in that big house. He had done his best to be a caring and kind older brother, and before he knew it, Suguha had grown up. Though she was no longer the cute little sister that trailed after him, she had never let go of her trust in him.

"That bad huh?" Lisbeth was tempted to add a 'bro-con' comment, but refrained after seeing his contemplative expression.

"Hopefully she is doing well..." He murmured.

The two fell back into silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Lisbeth snuggled closer to his side, despite being rather warm already. Kirito wrapped an arm around her in a familiar gesture. A contemplative mood had settled over them, matching well with the tranquil weather.

"...Kirito-kun?" She said after a while.

"Mmm?"

"Do you think... that we might meet each other..." She paused. "You know..."

"In reality?" He turned his surprised eyes towards her. "Why would you ask that?"

"Well, I mean—"

"Liz," he cut her off with a chiding tone. "Of course we will see each other. After all... we're family, aren't we?"

Her heart soared at his answer. "Ah... okay."

"...Are you alright?"

She didn't answer, and turned her head so that she could bury most of her face into the crook of his neck. The boy had to adjust his hold into a full embrace as she leaned into his chest. He looked down with a bewildered expression, taking care to support her so that the two wouldn't tumble down into the frigid waters.

"Lisbeth?"

She mumbled into his chest, "Shush."

There was something odd about the boy embracing her, she decided. How else could she explain the way he always served to cheer her up. Without a second thought, and seemingly without effort, he could read her like an open book. It annoyed and frustrated her to no end. The boy was simply not fair.

She was falling and she knew it. But she did not care, simply content to live in the moment. In the gentle arms of warmth, and under the skies of blue, she found her peace.

The creature chattered loudly in anger before rushing towards her. The giant ant mob reared upwards with its large pincers, which cracked loudly as it closed and shut rapidly. It was an unnerving sight to see, especially when you considered just how many of its brethren were behind it. To the party of six, who had been clearing this dungeon for the past few hours however, it was nothing to worry about.

She stared unflinchingly into the mess of creatures approaching her, choosing to ready her shield in front of her. Just in time, as the giant ant threw itself onto her shield. The force of the impact sent her reeling slightly, but she recovered and sent a vicious slash downwards. Her sword glowed blue with power as she activated the sword skill: «Vertical Cleave».

Even as the mob exploded into rapidly vanishing light, she was on the move. Tackling the creature immediately to her left, she opened up with a swift bash of her shield. The unorthodox attack did little but grab the creature's attention.

"Watch out!"

She ignored the shout, her hands immediately going into the motions for another high-leveled sword skill. The creatures she had ignored would have done considerable damage to her preoccupied self, if not for the rest of her members. In an equally swift fashion, they dashed in and took a creature each. Loud shouts and the glowing of sword skills were all that existed for the next few seconds.

It was over just as it began.

She took a ragged breath, leaning against the side of the cave wall. They had been doing this for the better part of two hours already. Despite the relative ease in which they could dispatch the ants, the sheer speed at which they respawned, had given them considerable trouble. They had been to the back of the cave and back, twice. Each journey, the route had been filled to the brim with the numerous ant creatures.

Despite the difficulty, there was no better place to level up in all of Aincrad.

"Sachi?" A concerned voice called from her left.

She looked up blearily at her guild leader, who was looking at her with worry. He handed her a red potion which she took, sipping on it immediately. This particular potion tasted like apple juice, and she felt refreshed as the cool liquid ran down her throat.

"...We should take a break," he said after a moment of consideration.

She was about to protest, when she saw the multitude of eyes that were on her. Her guild mates... the ones who had remained steadfast at her side this whole time, were running ragged. Two of them collapsed at the base of the wall, catching their breath after the quick succession of battles. Yet, despite their fatigue, they still looked at her with worried eyes.

The other two sets of eyes... they gleamed with concern. They were not a part of her guild, but they were just as important to her. She cherished the friends she had in this world, and were thankful for their continued support. The two girls were not as tired as the rest, but she could tell that they were beginning to get there. As she met their eyes, she had to look away. All of that concern was unsettling.

"Alright," she agreed at last.

Asuna and Silica shared a small smile, before making their way over to her side. They had been helping the Black Cats for a while now, and each of them made it a point to spend as much time as they could by Sachi's side. They were making steady progress with the girl, as she no longer seemed continually sullen, but her ferocious determination was still very worrisome.

Sachi paid little attention to the small talk going on around her. The real part of her continued to fight, refusing to rest.

Wait a little while longer... Ducker.

"Really?!"

"...Yea, why?"

"..."

"Liz...?"

"I knew I've seen you before!"

"Wha—"

"You were on the big screen!"

"...Oh."

"Ahaha, oh I can't believe this, Kirito-kun."

"..."

"Aw, are you blushing?"

"No!"

Argo watched the two of them bicker from a distance, leaning in the doorway with a fond smile on her face. She found the sight to be particularly cute, as Lisbeth continued to poke and tease, while Kirito tried to fend off her touches. She was glad that they now had their own house, as moments like these were simply too precious. Now, to commemorate this memory with a picture...

"Argo-chan!" A happy voice called from the couch.

Hastily putting away the recording crystal, she turned her attention back to the pair, "Y-yo! Liz-chan, Ki-bou."

Making her way over to the two of them, she pointedly ignored Kirito's suspicious expression, and sat down to his left. Draping an errant arm around his neck, she leaned into his side.

"So so, what were you both talking about?" She locked gazes with a suddenly smirking Lisbeth.

"Well~" She began, only to be interrupted by Kirito.

"Hey!"

The two giggled at his indignant expression. "Are you that embarrassed Kirito-kun? Maybe I shouldn't..."

"Hmm, well now I have to know." Argo smiled mischievously.

"We were just talking about how we got into the beta, and Kirito-kun here— Mmfmmr!"

Argo raised a delicate eyebrow as Kirito muffled Lisbeth with a hand pressed against her mouth. He looked at her with a deadpan expression, "Nothing."

Sensing that Lisbeth was on the verge of hitting him, Kirito removed his hand from her mouth. She sputtered as the offending appendage was taken away, and glared dangerously at him. "That was mean!"

"Yea yea..." He knew that she wasn't serious, judging by her sudden pout.

Argo took a moment to think. "Oh, you mean how he won that tournament for «GBA»?"

They both looked at her with amazement. "H-how did you know that?" He asked with a shocked expression.

She smirked in return, "Fufufu~ I remember everything Ki-bou."

The tone sent a shiver down his spine. Sighing, he sunk back into the couch as the girls laughed. The entire event was particularly embarrassing for him. When he had watched the event on TV, a few weeks after, he had been astounded to see how absurd the editors had made him seem. They skipped over the moments where he had stumbled or struggled on, and simply chained together a montage of moments where he dominated. The result was an entire session of him showing off his 'awesomeness', as his sister had put it.

He waited for the two of them to settle down, which took a rather long time. They continued to tease him about the show, which he pointedly tried to ignore. He couldn't help the slight blush on his face however.

After the two had settled down, he asked his question. "So... did you confirm it?" The question was directed at the whiskered girl to his left.

"The rumour, right?" She paused, before continuing. "It's as confirmed as it can get, I would say. NPCs on every floor seem to say the same thing."

The NPCs of Aincrad, while smarter than more traditional AI, were usually restricted to a list of set dialogue. Although the list was quite extensive in some cases, it was a well known fact that they did not change. The fact that a rumour appeared stemming from them indicated an event.

"At any rate, the only question left is the location."

Kirito hummed in agreement, "About that, I think I may have a good idea where it is."

"You mean...?" Seeing his nod, Argo took on a contemplative expression. "Hmm, it is a definite possibility."

Lisbeth looked back and forth between the two in confusion. "What are you two talking about?"

Smiling at her befuddled expression, Kirito elaborated, "The Christmas rumour, about the special event that is supposed to happen on Christmas Eve."

"You mean the one that Sachi..." She trailed off.

The three of them fell into a sudden silence, each of them thinking about the troubled girl. Although she had improved tremendously since the first few days, the girl was decidedly troubled. She did little but train, and despite anything they tried, she would not relent. Finally, they had decided to help her rather than try and hinder her.

"They've been at it since this morning." He noted with a sigh. All of them had been helping the Black Cats train, mostly as a precaution and to keep an eye on Sachi. Two members at a time would help them out, maxing the number of members allowed for a party.

It was fine since it was nearing the holidays once more and no one was in the mood to clear the current floor. A year into the game, with steady and considerable progress, they all felt that they deserved a break.

"I'm worried..." Lisbeth murmured. The last time she had partied with the Black Cats, Sachi had been almost unsettling in her determination. The blue-haired girl had refused to stop until the entire dungeon had been cleared.

They shared a troubled look between the three of them. Each of them had their own thoughts about the girl, but they all knew the same thing.

She was in a dangerous state of mind.

"We'll just have to do our best." He said, receiving two nods in return.

Inwardly, he was deeply troubled with the direction that Sachi had taken. Although she had gotten out of her depressive trance, the way she chose to deal with Ducker's death was simply unhealthy. She slept very little, ate even less, and was seemingly hell-bent on becoming as strong as possible before the Christmas event.

Mostly, he was worried about what would happen when the girl discovered the true reality of the revival item. He had no illusions about that particular aspect of the rumour. Even if it were real, he knew that it would not work in this death game called Sword Art Online. When you died in this game... your body would soon follow.

You could not revive what didn't exist anymore.

He could feel that the scene before him was tense, even from his distance. There appeared to be two major groups opposing each other, both sides looked to be on the verge of erupting into violence. On one side, a player with red hair and a bandanna shouted loudly, gesturing wildly around them. The one opposing him — a helmeted player with heavy armour — gazed on with impassiveness, and stood his ground. The multitude of players that stood behind him indicated a guild.

A guild that everyone recognized.

Stepping up closer, he heard the trail end of the argument. It looked like Klein had been stopping the opposing guild members from barging into the cave. But the head of this particular leveling party appeared resolute on going ahead.

"Look, it's been 10 minutes past the deadline," He gestured to the players behind him. "And, we have been waiting for half an hour already."

Klein appeared frustrated as he gestured once again to the cave entrance behind him. "And I'm telling you! There is a party in there already!"

The helmeted player shrugged. "It's not our problem if they can't respect the rules."

Klein was about to shout once more when he finally noticed Kirito's presence. "Kirito!"

His name caused every single player to turn their eyes towards him. He sighed as he walked up to the gathered groups. This particular area had always been troublesome for the higher-leveled players, as it was a highly valued leveling area. There was no where else in Aincrad that was as fruitful as this cave.

Situated on the 48th floor of Aincrad, the «Grand Caverns» was a prime dungeon for farming. The spawn rate was simply absurd, as was the quantity of the monsters. Adding towards that, the monsters themselves were particularly easy to take down, with the only concern being their numbers. Beyond that, the dungeon itself seemed to be spaced out in a circular format, with interlocking corridors that all connected to larger chambers. There was no way to get lost in this particular dungeon, as all you had to do was move forward.

The only problem that came with a dungeon like this was the fact that it was highly sought after. In the beginning, there had been several fights over who got the rights to the dungeons, and tension had been high. To resolve the issue, everyone had agreed to share the dungeon, allocating time slots to those that wanted a turn. There were still some lingering issues with the arrangement, but for the most part it was self governed, and the party that lined up next could go.

"Klein," he greeted, before turning his gaze towards the other player. The helmeted player looked notably less confident as he took in the sight of the famed guild leader. His party members appeared to share the same expression, showing none of their previous irritation or anger.

"Hmm, you're Lucien, aren't you?" Seeing the hesitant nod, he continued. "What seems to be the trouble here? I wouldn't have thought that the highly vaunted «Divine Dragon Alliance» would be starting fights like this."

The leader of the opposing party looked slightly abashed at his words. He hesitated before respectfully speaking his mind. "There's a party inside that's not respecting the rules, sir."

Kirito had to raise an eyebrow at his respectful tone. It was rather rare to see a DDA member that was not ruled by his pride. "How so?" He asked promptly.

"They... they've been in there past the 1 hour mark." Murmurs of agreement came from his fellow members. "We have actually made several arrangements with the other parties for today."

Kirito crossed his arms, and frowned. There was some truth in their words, as the general expectation was that nobody was allowed to hog the highly valued dungeon. But he doubted that they were being truthful with the reservations.

Klein spoke up from his left, "That's not true. We have been here for the past few hours and we never saw another party."

The other group bristled in annoyance. "What are you trying to say?" He asked angrily.

Seeing the budding confrontation, Kirito gestured with his hands in a placating manner, "Hold on." Once the two broke off their glares, he continued, "You know that reservations are only valid if you have someone hold your spot for you?" He asked.

Lucien did not reply to that, looking away. It seemed that he had not expected much opposition coming here, as most of the time, the other guilds would move aside for the more respected guild. Kirito himself did not like to use his reputation for such purposes, and insisted on waiting in line just like everyone else.

"And besides, it seems like «Fuurinkazen» are up next, so even if the other party is exceeding their time limit, it's up to them to decided what to do next." At his chastising tone, the DDA members all looked away. "Need I also remind you that entering an occupied dungeon is a violation of the rules?"

In a spacious dungeon that was highly valued for its spawn rate, it would have been acceptable to have multiple parties go in at once. However, the major issue with that was that the dungeon tended to scale itself with the number of players involved. Increased levels of aggression, spawn rate, and general difficulty were direct effects of having more players in the dungeons. The added risk was considered unnecessary, and so the restriction of having one party inside at once was set.

The helmeted player argued with himself internally, before looking up at Kirito. To his surprise, he gave him a nod of respect. "You are right. Sorry about this."

Gesturing for his members to follow, he left the area immediately. Everyone watched them go with a surprised expression, as they had expected much more opposition from the headstrong guild.

Klein whistled lightly. "Not bad at all Kirito, that was pretty impressive."

His friends all nodded in agreement, each of them awed by the ease in which he had diffused the situation.

"Hah..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Comes with practice I guess..." He mumbled.

He had grown used to settling disputes and conflicts within the clearers, as many of them considered him to be an authority figure. He did not mind, as each of the conflicts were resolved timely and without issue most of the time. His main problems usually came from the DDA members, and some of the KoB members, who disliked his involvement.

"It was a good thing I contacted you huh? We didn't know how long we could have held those idiots at bay," Klein remarked, a hand rubbing at his chin in thought.

"Thanks a lot, Klein," He smiled at the redhead. "And you guys too," He added to the rest of the Furinkazen members. They nodded and smiled in reply, each of them holding him in high regard.

Klein's expression turned serious, "But Kirito... they've been in there for about 3 hours already."

Kirito sighed in reply. Sachi had promised to only train for a few hours today, as she had been going nonstop since earlier in the week. When they did not have access to this dungeon, she would go off on her own, just training on various mobs in the surrounding area. She would not stop, being completely restless when they took their breaks.

They were very lucky to have the help of Klein and his guild, who had volunteered to reserve as much time as they could for the Black Cats. After hearing about the situation, each of them had immediately pledged to help. They were very grateful towards the «Fuurinkazen», as they took up watch over the weaker guild.

It was with both his and Kleins' connections that they were able to secure as much time as they did inside the dungeon, with numerous parties giving way to the Black Cats. With the furious pace of the training, he wagered that the Black Cats were almost ready to tackle the front lines by themselves.

The only problem was Sachi and Keita.

Sachi herself was in a downward spiral, heading towards self-destruction. Keita... he seemed to blame himself more than ever, and he did not protest any of Sachi's decisions. Instead, the leader tried his best to help Sachi in whatever direction she chose, putting her well-being above his own. The guilt in his eyes was clear as day, and Kirito did not know how to snap him out of it.

Thankfully the other two members of the guild were less restless, but still dedicated to their remaining friends. They tried their best to keep up, despite having a hard time following the two. Their determination was admirable, but at the same time, it was all very sad.

All of this dedication and resolve for a purpose that Kirito couldn't help but think would, in the end, be worthless. However, the truth of the situation would completely shatter their spirit, therefore he kept his opinion to himself.

He only hoped that they realized the truth on their own soon enough.

"Nothing to do but to wait..." He murmured.

He sat down on a nearby boulder, watching the entrance of the cave, waiting. Though he wasn't worried about the group in particular, knowing that Asuna and Silica could pick up any slack, he couldn't help but feel that Sachi was going to collapse soon. Sasamaru had told him that he had not seen Sachi asleep since they had started training, and her inn room was mostly left empty. It was very disheartening to hear.

Klein sat down next to him, yawning before stretching widely. "What?" He raised an eyebrow at the look Kirito gave him. "I've been here since this morning you know!"

Kirito simply grinned, shaking his head lightly. "I still can't believe how diligent you've been this week."

"Oi!" He protested. "I'm a guild leader too, 'ya know?" He added, causing Kirito to chuckle.

They shared a moment of peaceful silence, each of them content with just staring at the entrance of the cave. To the side, the rest of his guild members lingered, each of them conversing or practicing sword skills to pass the time. He had to give Klein credit where it was due, as the seemingly relaxed guild could be very reliable at times. He knew it first hand, seeing them in action during boss fights.

"Kirito," Klein hesitated for a moment. "That Sachi girl..."

Kirito did not reply, waiting for him to finish.

"...Something's off about her," he muttered.

He hummed in agreement, "Can't really blame her..."

"I know, but still, with the way she is going, I can't help but be worried," he said in a concerned voice. "I... I've seen that kind of look before. And it's not good, Kirito."

"That look?" He asked curiously. Sachi's eyes did seem unfocused, and empty at times, but those moments were very few in between. For the most part, she looked restless and agitated.

Klein nodded solemnly, before continuing, "One of my coworkers. The week before he... killed himself... his eyes were like that."

His eyes widened at the startling revelation. "S-suicide?"

He felt his heart beat irregularly as he thought back towards Sachi's behavior. The girl continually distanced herself from the others, often ignoring all attempts at conversing. Whenever she was left alone, she tended to disappear somewhere, leaving them with the task of having to search for her. And when they did find her, she was usually in the process of butchering a mob with cold viciousness.

"...Maybe, but it's still very worrisome, Kirito," Klein elaborated, crossing his arms in thought. "You might want to talk to her."

Kirito looked down sadly, shaking his head slightly, "I've tried. I doubt I can get through to her if Keita and the others couldn't."

Klein shook his head. "I disagree, you're selling yourself short." At Kirito's questioning look, he continued, "You have a way of getting through to people, Kirito. I've seen it in action— heck, you've even used it on me. And I'm sure all of us can back me up on this, but when you speak, everyone tends to listen."

He considered Klein's words silently. They had a measure of truth behind them, and he felt oddly conflicted. He did want to help Sachi as much as he could, but simply talking to her... he felt that it would only push her away.

He was shaken from any further thought as a steady stream of players emerged from the cave entrance. Every single one of them appeared ragged and tired as they trudged outside. Immediately rising to his feet, he made his way over to the two girls that were trailing behind the group.

Sharing a nod with Keita, he watched on as the Black Cats moved to the side, conversing with the «Fuurinkazen» members. The girls caught sight of him and perked up as he came closer to them. He noted that Sachi broke away from the group, leaning against a nearby tree. Even from here, he could tell that she was in an anxious mood.

"Kirito-kun~" They greeted in unison, smiling at him.

He returned their smiles, and they moved up towards him, taking positions beside him almost instinctively.

"How was it?" He asked, after the two had taken a moment to rest, simply leaning against him.

Silica mumbled something too soft to hear. The girl leaned into his side, and he patted her head fondly. Her ever-present dragon settled down on his shoulder, and seemed to be in the process of falling asleep there.

"Tiring..." Asuna mumbled from his right. The lithe rapier user looked to be on the verge of collapse as she rested her head against his shoulders. Her fatigue was understandable, as she was the one that constantly volunteered to help the Black Cats, and had been doing so for the past week in succession.

Kirito looked between the girls fondly, before looking towards where Sachi was resting. The girl's eyes were closed, and she had sat down at the base of the tree. If it wasn't for the steady motions of her clenching and unclenching fist, he would have said that the girl was asleep.

"How was Sachi?" He asked quietly. Asuna stiffened a bit by his side, but answered promptly.

"The same...I-I'm worried Kirito-kun." She raised her head to peer into his own eyes. "She doesn't talk to us except in the middle of battle, and when she does... it's always so hollow."

They both stared at Sachi as she sat, browsing through her menu without purpose. Those eyes again... the ones that Klein spoke of. He could see what he meant now that he was looking for it. The gloomy orbs that spoke of nothingness.

He sighed. "We'll try to talk to her later, all of us. For now... you think you could make some lunch?"

She stood up straight, peering at him with a suddenly narrowed eye, "For everyone?"

"...Yes?" He asked nervously.

Crossing her arms, she huffed, and began tapping her feet in a rather unsettling manner. The sight almost caused him to backtrack in reflex. "Do you honestly expect me to cook for everyone?"

He considered his reply carefully, as having an angry Asuna was definitely not something he wanted to experience a second time. "A-ah, well, you are the best chef in Aincrad," he praised, and to his relief she blushed lightly.

"And, I promise to help," he added, which appeared to satisfy the volatile girl. She uncrossed her arms, and beamed at him.

"Okay!"

Scary...

It was later on in the afternoon that the large group of players finally arrived at his cottage home. After all of the players had gotten their rest and Klein's guild members had a short run at the dungeon, he had invited them over for lunch. All of them were thankful, and exuberant at the chance of tasting Asuna's cooking. Her reputation seemed to have slipped out of the guild somehow.

At the door, they were greeted by the twins, and ushered inside. The majority of the players blinked and stared around in awe at the luxurious surroundings. Though the Black Cats had been here once or twice, Klein and his guildmates hadn't.

Klein whistled loudly as he took in the plush furnishings and the high ceilings of the rooms. "Holy crap, Kirito... this...this is..." He stuttered, gesturing around him. "Not fair!"

Kirito simply grinned. "I know right?"

"Guh!" Klein clutched at his heart dramatically. "Not even denying it..." He muttered.

Everyone looked at him with amusement, before following Kirito's lead, which led them to the wide sitting area, a lofty room with tons of furnishings available.

"How much was this place by the way?" Klein asked curiously. He sat down on one of the comfortable looking armchairs and looked around in wonder.

Kirito held up three fingers, much to Klein's confusion.

"Three... hundred thousand?" He guessed offhandedly.

Kirito raised an expectant eyebrow, and shook his head.

"...Three million?" He guessed again, with a trembling voice. That amount of money was simply insane for him to imagine, considering his entire guild budget was slightly under that.

"Each," Kirito added, shrugging at Klein's look of disbelief.

Klein spluttered in protest, "Each?! How on earth... that's..." He was dazed from just imagining such an incredible amount of money.

"Argo fronted most of the money," he amended, after watching Klein mutter to himself. Without Argo's considerable contribution, he doubted they would have been able to afford such a house. They were a small guild after all, and most of their farming was done for the sake of leveling up rather than items. That wasn't to say they weren't well off, as they had a consistent streak of luck in finding rare items. What they couldn't use, was sold to the other clearers, which brought in a considerable amount of profit.

"Talking about me~?" A familiar voice singsonged. Before he knew it, a familiar pair of arms was wrapped around his neck. The gesture was so familiar to him by now, that he didn't even react. "Oh and what do we have here? Hm, 'Mr. 23 and single'?" She teased, causing Klein to splutter in anger.

Everyone watched on in amusement as Argo began to harass Klein with well-aimed remarks, all the while hiding behind Kirito. Though Klein was shouting, trying to salvage his reputation, there was no real heat behind his words.

There was a warm sense of familiarity in the air.

After everyone had settled down, there was a lull in conversation as Kirito stood up from his position on the couch. Seeing Argo's questioning look, he gestured in the direction of the kitchen.

"Promised Asuna, that I would help out," he explained, and made towards the kitchen when he suddenly paused. Looking back at Argo, he brought up his trade window. "Why don't you see if anyone wants some of the new equipment. We need to sell all of this stuff anyway."

After accepting the multitude of high-leveled items, Argo smirked and saluted Kirito, "Roger that, leader~"

Shaking his head in resigned amusement, he headed out of the room. Knowing that particular look on Argo's face, he knew that the poor Fuurinkazen members were in for a treat. There was no better merchant in SAO than the whiskered girl in that room.

He spotted Asuna in the kitchen, but did not disturb her as she was going back and forth between the cooking accessories. Though cooking was a pretty trivialized feature in SAO, Asuna liked to be meticulous in her ways. He couldn't complain however, as her results spoke for themselves.

She spotted him from the corner of her eyes, and smiled briefly, before pointing to the kitchen counter. "Go arrange those," she commanded.

He smiled wryly. "Yes, ma'am."

There was a myriad of items on the counter, most of them high-level cooking ingredients. He began to arrange them into their own neat piles, knowing what Asuna liked. Although you did not have to materialize the ingredients in order to cook, she liked to visualize the cooking process.

When he was finished, he turned back to observing the lithe girl dancing around the kitchen, setting up several of the appliances at once. He watched on fondly as she hummed happily, and began to gather the ingredients for a stew. She set the ingredients into the pot, and covered it with the lid. 'Tapping' the surface of the stove twice, she immediately set her cooking preferences; a custom option that only a professional like her would use, and stood back as she waited for the counter to count down. The only thing bothersome about the cooking process was probably the time it took to cook the various meals. For the stew it would only be about 5 minutes, but the delicious scent of the meal was causing him to salivate.

She was beginning to prepare the pork roast, when she caught his stare. Pausing, she looked over herself self-consciously, as the way he was smiling at her caused her to blush. "W-what?"

His smile widened. "Nothing."

She huffed, looking away in embarrassment, before continuing her preparations. The way she was preparing the various spices and herbs was awe-inspiring to see. There was a grace to her movements, and the speed at which she was moving was simply too fast for him to follow. It was after she had finished and put the roast in the oven, that he began to speak.

"How's Sachi?" He asked quietly.

Asuna looked down sadly at the reminder of her friend. "She's with Silica-chan, and Liz-chan. I think they're taking a bath."

He sighed, crossing his arms in thought. Without a second person to look after her, Sachi tended to wander off. The only reason she bothered to listen to them most of the time was because she knew that training with them would be faster than what she could accomplish alone. But that did not mean she was here by her own desire...

There was no other choice in his mind, he had to do something, anything, in order to prevent her from falling even further.

Even if she hated him for it.

The lunch was amazing as always. Asuna lived up to her given reputation, and by the end of it, everyone had wanted seconds. During the meal, everyone conversed happily with one another, and the general atmosphere had been light. Three guilds of varying difference, but all working towards the same goal.

It had been fun, watching as jokes were thrown around, and laughs were had at the usual expense of Klein. It was a rather rare sight to see, as the mood around Aincrad had been stifling as of late. With the coming Christmas, many were reminded of just how long they'd been stuck inside this death game.

13 Months. The thought of being away from their friends and loved ones for just over a year... it was unsettling.

Kirito felt that the mood was much better than what it had been the previous year. Whereas the previous winter was filled with misery and hopelessness, this one was tame in comparison. In fact, many of the players could be seen actually celebrating the holiday this year. Decorations and music changes managed to draw out a great number of the players, and they could be seen mulling around the giant Christmas tree in the center of the Starting City.

Everyone had the right to be celebrating, as the progress being shown by the clearers were astounding in its own right. The front lines were currently set up on the 50th floor, and even now, there were some dedicated players that continued to scout and roam the floor. 50 floors in just slightly over a year... that kind of progress was heartening to see.

With the results that they were showing, many optimistic players had even speculated that they would be out in another year. Kirito felt that they were simply being too optimistic however, as that was not how a game like SAO progressed. Typical MMOs would boast of a linear progression system, and SAO followed that particular format to some extent. Besides the unique abilities that certain bosses had, the general difficulties of the bosses tended to scale linearly. The only oddity came from the 25th floor boss, who had been on another level of difficulty compared to the previous ones. The result of that particular boss had resulted in «The Army» pulling off their clearing parties, as the losses they had suffered were simply too much.

He had come to the same conclusion as many of the other players, judging by the fact that the 26th floor boss was a cakewalk compared to its predecessor. Every boss fight that was a quarter of the way up would be incredibly difficult. Even now, he still had some trepidations about the upcoming fight, wondering if it would be possible to succeed without any casualties.

Though the casualty rate remained at an all time low, there was still the odd fatality that nobody could do anything about. It had been disheartening in many ways, to see just how many of the players had become desensitized to death. Sometimes they wouldn't even notice the death of a player until the very end of the fight.

The 50th floor boss, the 75th floor boss... and finally the 100th floor boss. They would be the only obstacles standing in their way. If those were the only difficulties, then Kirito would have been relieved. Sadly enough, their progress was being impeded. Whether by the occasional disputes or the ongoing pking, it seemed that the idea of everyone working together in harmony was but a dream.

To further impede the optimistic outlook, Kirito knew that there might be an added difficulty curve as they approached the final floors. Kayaba, when asked about the difficulty of the game, had said that 'the greatest challenges awaited those that neared the end', which he took as a sign that things would not be easy on the final stretch. He only hoped that the challenges proved to be surmountable... assuming that the front lines stayed together that long.

A series of soft-sounding footsteps echoed from behind him. He turned his head slightly to find the blue-haired player that stepped out to join him on the balcony. Sachi was as expressionless as ever, choosing to stand a good few feet away from him. He did not call out to her immediately, giving her space. He knew that she wasn't in the mood to talk.

Probably, she had become unsettled by the cheerful atmosphere of the group. She knew better than to try and leave the house on her own, as that would only drag the others out to accompany her. Distancing, and secluding herself... it was as if she was punishing herself.

A daunting silence hung over them.

Though the sun had not yet set, it was covered by the heavy clouds brought on by the season. The surrounding area was bathed in a dull light, and the snow continued to fall as steadily as ever. But the gentle breeze that had been present in the morning was gone, and in its place was a vicious gale.

It was Sachi that broke the silence, startling him immensely. "Kirito-san."

Her voice was a whisper, barely heard over the wind. He turned his body sideways, facing her with slight hesitance. She continued to look over the balcony with a vacant look in her eyes, but her hands were gripping the railing tightly.

"...Yes?" He tried to hide his nervousness under the anticipation. It had been the first time he heard the girl speak since the moment at the inn.

"How do you do it?" Her voice was hollow, but there was a pleading tone underneath.

He blinked, failing to comprehend her question. How do I do what? There wasn't anything specific that came to mind.

"...Fighting. Staying on the front lines all of this time... don't you ever get scared?" Bitterness tinged her expression, but before he could formulate an answer, she continued. "Risking your life, risking their lives...what's the point?"

"Sachi I—"

She cut him off, "It's not worth it," he met her helpless stare head on, before she continued. "There's no point. Why are we even risking our lives for this sick game? We shouldn't be here, Kirito-san... we... we're just kids!"

He stared on mutely as something seemed to have snapped within the quiet girl. She was angry, helpless, and pleading all at the same time.

"It was supposed to be fun..." she whispered, looking away from him. "A game we could all play together. An adventure, he called it." Her eyes were clenched shut as she struggled with her next words. "This was never a game... everyone thought that if we tried hard enough, we could clear this game— fight our way to the top... That was foolish of us... so incredibly idiotic. Even me, I thought— I thought that we could win. I truly believed that all of us together... could help. With enough training, and effort, we could win! We could escape this death game!"

Her fists were clenched by her side, trembling from the pressure she was exerting on them. He had no doubt that if this were the real world, her hands would be bleeding. All of a sudden, her anger vanished.

"We were wrong... you were wrong," she hugged her arms tightly around herself, before raising her head. "It took his death for me to see that..."

"Sachi..." He felt helpless as he watched her.

"I was the one who killed him, you know?" Her revelation caused him to stumble back in shock.

"...What?" He whispered.

She gazed out onto the scenery, watching as the surrounding landscape was pelted by heavy snow. There was no sign of the peaceful tranquility from before.

"We were doing so well, all of us. Clearing a brand new dungeon... it was exciting. Still, we took all the precautions and watched our HP carefully— like you taught us. It was a breeze, almost too easy..." she trailed off, suddenly lost in the memory. "But then... it was just there, Kirito-san. A door, just like many of the others we passed through, but this one phased into existence... right in front of me. Of course, I took a look, and found a treasure chest. I was so excited— so happy, that I didn't think, and... and I went for it."

Kirito immediately pieced together what had happened from her retelling, and couldn't help the feeling of horror rising from rising within him. He knew what she was referring to, as that particular dungeon feature was well-known amongst the beta testers. Any MMO veteran would have thought twice about opening a chest that suddenly appeared out of nowhere... but Sachi was not a veteran.

She was just a girl in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

"...He grabbed me, and before I knew it, I was pushed out... and the door shut." There were tears streaming down her eyes. "H-how was I supposed to know? I... I didn't know..."

"You couldn't have..." he suddenly interjected, his voice full of conviction. "There was no way you could have expected that to happen— Sachi, it's not your fault—"

"It is!" She shouted, eyes suddenly burning. "Ducker knew! H-he ran straight for me— and... and he died... for me." There was desperation in her expression, and her tone was broken.

"...It should have been me."

There was nothing he could say to that... she was right. It should have been her that ended up trapped inside. The only person in their party that could have known about the trap would be Ducker; since he was the one who had that particular skillset.

But in the end, he chose Sachi.

"Maybe," he agreed softly, causing her to look away, "but Sachi... that was his choice. He gave his life for you because... he couldn't live with himself any other way."

It was the sort of conviction that he himself lived with every day. He would not sit idly while a loved one perished in front of him. Everything and anything in his power would be given to prevent it.

Sachi stilled, her head trying to wrap around his words. Somewhere inside, she knew that he was speaking the truth... but she refused to admit it.

Shaking her head, she refuted him, "He should have never had to make that choice in the first place... All of us should never have to make that choice." Her tone was resolute, trying to convey her sudden conviction.

He sighed softly, considering his words carefully. She was talking to him, which was a good sign, but she seemed to have given up on the game entirely. It was understandable from her perspective, as all of their efforts had amounted to nothing but a single unforgivable loss. She was regretting the idea of leaving beyond the first floor.

"You're right," he began, getting her immediate attention, "none of us should have to make that choice. We should be at home... celebrating the holidays, laughing with our friends and family. We should be living our life, free from any danger... but Sachi," he called her, staring into her eyes with unmatched resolve. "This is our reality now, and there is nothing we can do to change that, except to work towards our only chance at escape. Don't you see? If you give up— if we all gave up... he wins."

She was contemplating his words, and he continued.

"Every death in this game... it can all be traced back to one person: Kayaba Akihiko. The one who put us all in this death game, the one who murdered over three thousand players. For what? For nothing," Kirito intoned grimly, he had to pause before continuing, as he found himself trying to keep his anger down. "Every floor we clear, every boss we defeat...it's one more step closer to that man, because I have no doubt in my mind, that he is somewhere in this world, and when I find him..."

She was staring at him with complete, undivided attention. Somewhere along the way, he was no longer speaking for her benefit.

"When we find him, Sachi," he amended, noting the fire in her eyes. "We will make him pay. For the thousands that have died under his actions... and for the ones that will continue to fall. So long as I still stand, Sachi, that is my goal."

He stepped closer to her, glad that she did not move away from him. Taking her hands in his, he clasped them within. Her hands were cold, far colder than what should have been possible.

"...You asked me earlier, how I continue to fight," he began softly, choosing his words carefully. "I fight because there is no other way. To stop fighting would mean that I have given up. To never see my family and friends ever again and that's not something that I can live with." He could see that she was considering his words carefully, judging by her pensive expression. "And Sachi... I'm not fighting for myself anymore. Asuna, Lisbeth, Silica, Argo, Rosy and Lily, everyone who believes in me. That's why I will never stop, because there are people who have put their trust in me... including you."

She tilted her head upwards, meeting his eyes. Her eyes were watery as she considered the truth in his words. Most importantly however, was the hidden conviction in her eyes, just underneath the surface.

"That's why you must live on... not just for yourself, but for everyone who continues to believe in you. Move forward, Sachi, but never forget your purpose."

For the first time in weeks, Sachi felt at peace. All of the weight and pressure was lifted from her shoulders. Though the pain in her heart continued to throb at a steady pace, it was dulled by the newfound resolve she had gathered. Staring into the eyes of the strongest person she knew, she found herself.

Once more. She would give it her best, not for her own sake, but for her friends.

For Ducker.

He eyed the clock indicator with a careful eye, before turning towards the rest of the gathered players. The Black Cats were suited up and ready, all of them going through a last-minute inventory check; making sure they had all of the proper potions ready for the upcoming fight. Although their combined levels should have made any fight on this particular floor — even a boss event — rather trivial, there was no sense in going in unprepared.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked the blue-haired girl by his side.

She turned her head, closing her inventory screen, before giving him a firm nod. There was a fierce determination in her eyes, a look that was shared by each of her guild mates. The Black Cats were resolute in their goal.

"Still... I really think we should go in with you," he opined, frowning as she shook her head. "You know this event was likely structured for a full raid group?"

As with any true boss in SAO, they were made to be tackled by a full group of 48 players. To that effect, the only reason the front lines were doing so well was because of how overleveled the average clearer was in comparison to the floor level. Bosses were generally created to be a challenge, and not something that could be done in a single try — at least, without casualties. When you were over ten levels ahead of the boss however, the risk tended to become drastically lower.

That did not mean there wasn't any danger — far from it. Bosses that had special abilities, or unique gimmicks could wreak havoc from just the surprise alone. There really was no reason to tackle a boss such as this with just a single party.

Eyeing the players that would be taking part in this battle, he couldn't help but be extra worried for the two girls near the back. Asuna and Silica had insisted on their presence in the fight, despite Sachi's protests. Her initial idea had been to tackle the Christmas boss with just her and her remaining guild mates. That idea had been benched the moment Kirito heard of it however, as it was simply too risky.

With Asuna and Silica, he supposed that they would not be in any danger. Asuna herself was a very capable leader, and could direct them efficiently. If anything unexpected happened, he knew that the girl was more than capable of preventing the worst. Silica herself was an amazing asset to have in a party. Her considerable STR stats, coupled with some of the most resilient armour in the game, made her one of the strongest tanks in SAO. That was not all, as the girl had a very unique companion by her side. Pina, the «Feathery Dragon», was a priceless asset to any party, considering that she had a percentage-based heal that was faster than any potion.

They were in good hands.

Still, Kirito could not help but be worried. He would not force anything however, as he knew that Sachi needed to do this more than anything. The Black Cats needed to do this... for closure.

"They'll be fine Kirito-kun," Lisbeth replied, coming up from behind him. "After all, they are using my creations.

Everyone smiled at her proud expression. Lisbeth had been hard at work the past few nights, gathering the right materials in order to create the best weapons she could in such short notice.

"Alright..." He trailed off, giving everyone a once over. "Then, I guess you guys should go. There's only about 5 minutes left."

Sachi blinked, looking at her clock in surprise, jumping slightly once she read the time, she gestured for her party to gather.

"Good luck," he said to her, receiving a slight smile in return. He nodded to each of the Black Cats as they walked past him. All three of them looked notably lighter now that Sachi was in a much better state. Keita gave him a thankful look as he went past towards the final warp point.

"Be safe," he told Asuna and Silica. There was a part of him that wanted to stop the two of them in their tracks, and take their place. But he knew that would only make things worse. They asked him to trust them, and as reluctant as he was, he obeyed. It was only fair.

"We will," Asuna replied, giving him a brief hug and a wave before heading into the warp point.

Silica hesitated for a moment before repeating the action, hugging him around the waist. He smiled, and hugged her back, making sure to give Pina a pat on the head.

"Be careful," He remarked, receiving a muffled confirmation in return. She broke off from the hug, and went inside, joining the others.

"Just us now, huh?" Lisbeth commented, coming up beside him.

"Yea..." He scanned his eyes around sharply, as this particular area was simply too quiet. A forest of dead trees and white snow. No signs of life, or rather, signs of anything.

He sighed, leaning against a nearby tree. They had taken several precautions along the way when traveling to this particular area. Argo had been running interference for days, spreading false rumours here and there that misled all of the players that were searching for the rumoured tree. As such, he didn't really need to worry about any potential ambush.

Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

"Kirito-kun?" Lisbeth asked curiously.

He remained silent, gesturing for her to quiet, before continuing with his previous actions. Activating the «Scan» skill took a small moment of preparation, but soon he had his awareness extended, enveloping the surroundings. He was about to cancel the skill when he felt a single presence.

"Lisbeth—"

He was interrupted as several figures came out of the trees, where the entrance warp point was located. Immediately, he recognized the familiar dull grey and blue armour of the «Divine Dragon Alliance». Standing up straight, his hands moved automatically to the sword that was sheathed on his back. The entire situation was unsettling, especially when he gazed into the eyes of the person that was leading them.

Sansa had a fierce scowl on his face as he stepped out slightly ahead of his gathered members. A quick scan of their numbers caused Kirito's heart to sink. A full raid group... that was simply beyond even his ability.

"Prince," he called out imperiously. "What a surprise to see you here."

Kirito remained passive, hands going back down. There was no need to force a fight here, especially with these odds.

"Sansa," he greeted in the same tone, getting a sneer in return. "I could say the same thing... but then I'd be lying. How did you find us?"

Lisbeth silently moved behind him, her presence was reassuring.

"Hah, we knew what would happen the moment all of those rumours started popping up. Really, did you think no one would realize who they all came from?" He scoffed, crossing his arms. "It was easy to send a couple of our best trackers to spy on you."

He remained silent, considering his words. Though the rumours could obviously never be traced back towards Argo, it didn't take a genius to connect the dots as to who orchestrated such a wide variety of misleading rumours. The trackers... they must have been assigned to one of the others, as his searching skill was maxed. Either that, or the trackers had enough skill to constantly remain at the edge of his scan. That thought was particularly unsettling.

"It's not what you think, Sansa," he tried in a reasoning tone, "this wasn't for us."

"Oh?" He asked humorously. "That really doesn't matter now does it, Kirito?"

The mocking tone in his voice caused many of the surrounding players to shift nervously. Lisbeth in particular almost made to move towards the player, but Kirito rested a hand on her shoulder to stop her. Many of the DDA members looked back and forth between the two players, unsure of how to proceed. Though they were all loyal to their guild, challenging the «Royal Swords» head on was simply unheard of.

The player in front of them was their leader during a boss clear after all.

Sansa looked down at them, his eyes told Kirito all he needed to know. It appeared that this particular player held his grudges. Though he couldn't really blame the fellow, as the humiliation he had suffered under Asuna had been particularly brutal. His standings among the general population had suffered immensely after that event. Not to mention the loss of the incredibly rare [Boss Weapon].

"I'm going to be lenient with you two, not that you deserve it." His mocking tone continued. "Leave immediately and tell whoever is inside to do so as well."

Lisbeth almost snarled in her rage, "Or what?! We were here first!"

"Heh, so what? I don't remember any particular rules pertaining this event," he retorted in a chiding tone. "Remember missy, this isn't the front lines anymore, you guys have no authority here."

"Screw that! How about some common decency?" She asked furiously. If this were the front lines, the dispute would be settled in some form or another, and definitely in a fair fashion. The co-leader before them however, did not believe in fair play.

He sneered, taking the moment to draw his choice of weaponry; a large two-handed axe that gleamed silver. The aggressive action startled the two, and they promptly drew their own weapons in reply. It wasn't a smart move in hindsight, as the rest of the DDA members drew their weapons as well.

Things were spiraling out of control.

"Face it, Prince, you're outnumbered. Either leave or else we will go through by force," Sansa commanded, his posture aggressive.

Kirito eyed the gathered members carefully. Though Sansa was not alone in his aggressive stance, he noted that a good half of the group still looked confused and uncertain. The DDA was a clearing guild made up of MMO veterans, and although they were no strangers to aggressive maneuvers... a direct threat was another thing entirely.

"Kirito-kun," Lisbeth whispered from his side, "what do we do?"

He didn't know. If push came to shove, he knew that the two could probably hold them off for a short while, as neither side was really looking to kill the other. The problem was the sheer number of players they were facing. There was nothing they could do to stop the majority of them from running past them entirely.

Before he could answer, another DDA member stepped up, coming to stop by Sansa's side. Kirito recognized the player... it was Lucien, the one who had tried to skip past Klein's guild the other day. He remembered the player because he had been respectful and had a modicum of tact. Judging by the scene in front of him, he had not been wrong in his assessment.

They were exchanging harsh whispers between the two of them, and Kirito had to raise an eyebrow as Lucien seemed to be on equal footing. Either there was something wrong with the current DDA leadership, or Lucien was a highly respected individual. He guessed that it must be the latter, as the rest of the DDA members looked rightfully confused, unsure of which side to take.

"Liz," he whispered back, taking care not to draw attention to the two of them. "Did you contact Argo?"

"Yes," she confirmed, keeping her gaze straight ahead at the arguing pair. "It was a quick message, but she should have gotten it."

He felt relief wash over him. If Argo had gotten the message then reinforcements would be on their way shortly. He only hoped that they could stall long enough for that to happen.

"Get ready to step inside, Liz." He whispered, knowing that she would understand. If the worst happened, then they would grab everyone and leave with [Teleport Crystals]. Fighting a boss with a single party was one thing, but trying to do so with constant conflict was another.

"Enough!" The armoured co-leader shouted, breaking off from his building argument with his fellow guild member.

He sent the opposing member a stern glare, before motioning for the gathered players around him. They obeyed, coming up next to him, although some of them were reluctant. Seeing that Lucien had grudgingly backed off, he turned around to face the two members of the swords once more.

"I will ask you two one last time, either get out of the way or—"

There was a wave of commotion that rippled through the gathered precession, causing him to stop his tirade. Seeing the stunned looks on Asuna and Lisbeths' faces, he turned around swiftly. His eyes blinked rapidly, his expression turning to shock, as he gazed upon the multitude of new arrivals.

Klein had a cocky grin on his face, and his katana was held loosely against his shoulders. Behind him was his entire guild, each of them prepared with their own weapons out. The sight of the friendly guild caused Lisbeth to sigh in relief.

"Yo!" The red-head greeted cheerfully, his tone decidedly out of place given the heavy atmosphere. "Now what do we have here?"

Sansa, having gotten over his shock, stiffened and readied himself. His posture told the gathered players all they needed to know. He would not be backing down.

"Nothing that concerns the «Fuurinkazen»." He answered with a sneer. There was no sign of nervousness in his posture or expression, but one could easily tell he was on edge judging by the harsh grip he had on his weapon.

"Oh? That's not what I see here, DDA-san," Klein spoke almost mockingly, giving the gathered players a brief scan. "It seems like a scene of bullying to me, why, I would have expected much better from such a guild like yours."

There was a ripple of nervous shifting among the gathered DDA players. Klein's guild was well-known for their kindly members, to the point where they tended to get along with every other guild. Most of them felt that backing off would be a wise decision at this point, as forcing anything and causing a rift between two respected guilds on the front lines was anything but wise.

Sansa seemed to have other ideas however, as he continued to glare steadily at the 'samurai'. "I suggest you leave right now, you samurai wannabe. Just take a look around, you are outnumbered."

"Ouch," Klein said with a toneless voice, his mood suddenly turning serious. Meeting Kirito's eyes, they shared a silent exchange. "Sansa, you're not thinking straight," he pointed out to the angered player, "what you are doing here... how do you think this will end?"

A moment of hesitation, before the helmeted player replied, "In our complete victory of course."

Klein scoffed, eyeing the player with a disbelieving eye. "Right, and how many of you lot have even dueled before?" His question was addressed to the rest of the DDA members, and judging by their suddenly nervous looks, he was spot on.

Taking a step forward, Sansa looked almost eager in his posture. Staring down at Klein, he gestured again at his gathered guild members, each of which reluctantly followed his lead. Though Klein was right in his assessment, their guild had faced numerous amounts of humanoid mobs by this point, fighting the «Fuurinkazen» members with their formations should still work to their advantage. Plus the fact that Sansa was a firm believer in how much numbers had over quality. It was almost 4:1 after all.

Klein, seeing the aggressive gesture, signalled in a similar manor to his guild mates. They responded in surprisingly swift fashion, fanning out in a curved semi-circle that focused on defense.

At the back, Kirito shared a look with Lisbeth, before turning their attention back to the building confrontation. He wasn't sure of what to do, but given the quickly dissolving situation, they would have to fight it out. Klein's guild was skilled in their own way, so he had no doubt that they would be able to hold the players off for a good while. If he and Lisbeth attacked from the open back... then the chaos and confusion should be enough for them to have a fighting chance.

The most important thing was distracting them from the boss warp point. Nodding, and reaffirming his decision, he turned to Lisbeth. "We will rush from behind, go for stuns and crippling blows, and Lisbeth... be careful."

Seeing her firm nod, they were about to rush in when several figures emerged from the tree line once more.

Black... tinged with white, he blinked at the familiar looking designs and colours. Immediately, his mind clicked, and he recognized the newcomers that were swiftly filling in the gaps in the «Fuurinkazen's» position. When the new players had settled down, gazing back at the DDA players with defiance, a final figure emerged.

Her uniform was tinged with a bright royal gold, and Kirito felt a wave of relief rise from within. The familiar auburn-haired girl, with her trademark whiskers, was smirking in their general direction. From their perspective, they could see the entire conflict and he was surprised by how even the numbers appeared.

"Hah, what took you so long Argo?" Klein remarked in a teasing tone, though it was laced with a notable amount of relief.

"Sorry sorry~ Got held up a bit." The girl turned her smirk onto Sansa. "But now that we are here... Hmmm, how to proceed?"

To his credit, the DDA co-leader did not back down immediately, though his previous aggressive posture was gone. Victory was no longer assured, maybe even impossible given the odds. Though the seemingly new recruits of the «Royal Swords» were an unknown entity, he could not underestimate them. After all, the «Royal Swords» were considered the strongest for a reason. If their main party had been the ones opposing him, he would have probably backed off.

The tension in the area could be cut with a knife. Though the DDA members were disciplined, even they could not steady themselves against the calmer opposition. The majority of them had thought that the rumoured recruits of the RS had been just that, a rumour. Seeing them in reality however, quickly put that notion to rest. And if the calm and relaxed expressions on their faces were any indication, then they had been highly trained.

"Ki-bou!" Argo shouted over the gathered precession, causing every head to turn in his direction. "How should we do this?"

Understanding her plan the moment she had called him out, he did his best to play the part. Straightening up, he scanned the DDA members with an appraising eye, doing his best to appear confident. Inwardly, he had to smile at how many of them cowered underneath his stare.

"Mmm," he crossed his arms, appearing as if he was debating with himself. "They were ready to attack us just a while ago."

His accusing tone caused many of them to fall into panic, all signs of fight leaving from their posture.

"Really?" Argo asked humorously. Scanning her comrades in arms, she offered them a smile. "Should we return the favour?"

Klein smirked in understanding, looking around with a similar gaze, "I think we should."

"W-wait!" A voice called from within the DDA groups.

The stocky player from before, who had argued with Sansa, suddenly removed his helmet, revealing his stark grey hair and blue eyes. He ignored Klein and Argo, in favour of looking to his direction, where he tried to plead his case.

"This whole thing was under Sansa's command, our other leaders do not know anything," he revealed with a steady voice.

"Lucien, you—" Sansa's outburst was shushed rather forcibly as several of his members dragged him down, and away from the blue-haired player.

Kirito had to raise an eyebrow at the scene, inwardly pleased with how quickly Sansa had fallen.

"We will formally apologize, Kirito-sama, once Ryuken hears of this...I... I don't think there's a need for either of our guilds to fall into conflict with one another."

Argo sent him a curious glance, to which he returned with a faint smile. It seemed that he wouldn't have to do much posturing after all.

"Alright," he agreed promptly, surprising the DDA members. "You may leave."

Lucien looked shocked, but did not press his curiosity, and instead gave him a short bow. He shouted a series of sharp orders to the gathered players, and they immediately hastened to obey. They had to drag Sansa out of the area kicking and screaming, but after a few short moments, the area was finally clear of any traces of the DDA.

It was finally over.

Everyone in the vicinity let out a sigh of relief, especially the newer members of the «Royal Swords». Each and every single one of them sagged in notable relief, finally letting go of their calm facade. They had reason to be relieved after all, as they were definitely not ready for a fight of this magnitude.

It had been a bluff, and he was glad that it worked, considering what might have happened if it failed. The new recruits were a steady progress, being just strong enough to tackle the floors around 30 or so. Fighting the clearers who were on the edges of level 60 however... was simply an impossibility.

He himself, had only reached level 75 just the other day, and the gap between him and a recruit was almost insurmountable. It was just how a game like SAO worked.

Seeing that everyone had gathered around, he was about to join a laughing trio of Klein, Lisbeth and Argo, before he was suddenly reminded of something.

Jogging off towards the treeline, he made sure to pass by the trio first. "Watch the entrance carefully," he told them, before sprinting towards the tree line.

"W-wait! Where are you going?"

At his speed, the trees were a blur, and he took care in avoiding the numerous branches in his way. Quickly arriving at the warp point, he took it, and arrived just outside of the initial entrance. The large dead fir tree served as the landmark to the dungeon entrance, but he paid the surroundings no mind as he quickly pulled up his scan skill again.

Multiple players reacted to the scan, with the majority of them coming from the large group of DDA members that were heading towards the main city. The other signal however...

He sprinted off, towards the south, and tried his best to keep a mental image of the direction in his head. The area was far denser than inside the dungeon, and he had to adjust his route several times, almost losing his bearing. But he remained steadfast, and eventually reached an area of the forest that had taller trees.

It was here that he saw her figure. She was running away at a steady pace, but not quite as harrowed as he was. A short dash and he was within shouting distance.

"Wait!"

Surprisingly, the figure stopped.

She was wearing the familiar white cloak that he had seen on her the first time. It blended in well with the surroundings, and given the quickening snowfall, he had to strain his eyes to see her with clarity.

He stopped just a few meters away from the player, taking care not to alarm her in any way. She did not give any indication that she was worried, as she slowly turned around. The familiar violet orbs stared into his own.

Silence fell over them.

"I... " He trailed off, suddenly unsure of what to say. There were many questions running through his head. Why had she been watching them over the week? Why was she at the event, hidden? The most important question had to be... why she was so utterly alone.

She chose to speak for him. "... The rumour... it was false all along wasn't it?" She asked in a soft voice, that surprisingly carried over the wind.

Her question confused him. She was there for the rumour? Then... "The revival item?"

The way she was, with her hood covering the majority of her features, Kirito could not make out much of her features. But the sense of familiarity that he had gotten when he had first met her eyes was still there.

She nodded slowly.

"...The way its been rumoured to work, that's simply not possible in this game," he answered steadily, seeing no reason to lie.

Her reply was almost a whisper, "I see..."

She turned around stiffly, before beginning her trek once more.

"Hey!" He called out, getting her to stop. "Who are you?" He asked

Something within him wanted to help the girl before him. But that was incredibly odd, considering he knew nothing about her, or even if she needed his help. His instincts however, continued to scream at him. He wondered where and how he recognized this girl, because she was not someone easily forgettable.

She did not turn around, merely turning her head slightly to the left. It was a few tense moments before she spoke again.

"Nobody important...Prince. Don't follow me."

He watched her leave with a contemplative expression on his face. A wraith of white, within a world of snow. For the first time he could remember... he felt cold.

A/N: Thanks for reading.

A lot of dialogue in this chapter, and hopefully I have improved since my first chapters.

Not much to say about this chapter except that it's to pave the way for the Black Cats to eventually be on the front lines. Similar to how the Fuurinkazen have been; a very steady ally for the RS.

Just a few things to note, the revival item is like it was in canon, so no more Ducker unfortunately. I probably won't use it as a plot point, as I feel that it is too... contrived to use.

Another interesting to note is Sachi's development. How Kirito snapped her out of her funk is pretty interesting I would say. He gave her a renewed purpose, and that purpose just happens to be Kayaba. Going to be fun to see how she reacts to the eventual unveiling.

Thanks to my beta, nomster, for the continued help, and to Victory3114 for looking over the chapter.

Next Chapter: ?

-Will either focus on the 50th floor fight and all of the resulting drama

-Or focus on Sinon

-Or both

See you next time.