I. Am. Back!
I know a lot of you reading this will be shocked since it's the first proper update in half a year. I do apologise to everyone for the broken promises and also for taking so long in coming up with a new chapter. A lot has been going on right now and most of it has left my inspiration to write and motivation to do anything in general nearly non-existent. Even my streaming has stopped of late and I'm taking a step back from everything so I can keep working on myself.
Despite all this, I thank everyone for their continued support and for the words of encouragement I've been given during this time. It means so much to me that you guys are still waiting so patiently for my work and I'm sorry it's taken longer than I hoped. I just hope that this chapter fills your thirst for more of this story and also a start of working on the other ones again.
Again, not sure how it will work in terms of when I get the chapters down but I know that pressuring myself to a time-frame is the worst thing I can do so just keep an eye out for when the next chapter comes out. A side note; did a little editing of the previous chapters in regards to quest notifications and the like; setting them to one style and just tidying the aesthetics a little better.
There IS a Lemon in this chapter and honestly was wholly unplanned but considering how the chapter came out, it seemed a natural response and I included it for you all. It's not graphic but I do hope you all enjoy the tenderness of it, cause I know I found it so sweet to write and had a huge smile on my face when I did!
So without further ado, here you are: Chapter Six of Sword Art Online: Advent Children!
~Chapter Six~
~Asuna's Resolve: The Edge of Life and Death!~
"Sugoi..."
That one word was the main collective thought of the group as soon as the doors parted for them fully and revealed the treasure hidden behind them; a brand new scenery, with the sight of a small yet humble village that sat withing the middle of the copious amount of grasslands and fields that surrounded it. The village itself look a lot smaller than that of the Town of Beginnings but almost most of them soon came to the realization that not everyone would dedicate themselves to combat or to clearing the floors as a fighter. Most of the buildings were similar in design and style for the soft-red tiled roofs and the magnolia-painted wooden and brick walls on the outside. The cobblestone floor giving such a rustic and quaint feeling to the village and a soothing effect on them all as they began to settle down there.
It had been a week of settling down, celebrations and a week of relaxation for those who were involved in the boss fight; a new tradition that was slowly being spread around and almost everyone was on board with the idea. Kibaou, being one of the first ones to object to the idea, used the time to immediately grind his levels further, having his anger fueled by his humiliation and embarrassment at the hands of Diabel after the fight had ended. So since everyone were busy celebrating and enjoying the week-long break, a good number of people soon found themselves admitting that not doing anything for a week would soon grate on their nerves and soon began looking into other means of entertainment; a fair few people had started to do some research into the new crafting feature of the game as a side-hobby.
Of course, there ain't no rest for the wicked.
"Why am I doing this for!?"
"Because," the voice quipped back, a hint of annoyance being present during that one word, "We all know that if it wasn't for us bombarding you with tasks and chores to do, you would be the first one out of the city alongside Kibaou and hogging all the best grinding spots. And don't," they interrupted, sensing the other ready to rebuke the response, "Give me the excuse that you wouldn't. I might not have met you for long but I'm starting to know exactly who you are and you've already proven our point."
"... fuck." the original speaker spoke eloquently, knowing he had no way to disagree. Unfortunately, the curse had attracted the attention of several players that were walking past. They turned to the noise to find Kirito standing outside wearing a sign that was trying to advertise themselves but the players soon snickered at him as they remembered the events of what has now been dubbed "The Great Chase" and, in turn, cause Kirito to curse more expletives under his breath.
"Exactly. So that is why we've got you to stand out here and pass out fliers for us both so we can start working on our crafters and try and get some Col coming in four ourselves and Argo-chan to set up a better established information network." she responded, turning her gaze from her acquaintance (read: slave) and continued to work on the food she was preparing for tonight. Since it would be the last night, everyone had pitched in some way or another to make a small celebration for themselves and boost morale ready for what tomorrow brings.
At the beginning of the week, while everyone was busy relaxing, our favorite group had taken to renting out one of the larger inns to themselves; deciding to use the inn as a temporary base of operations until everyone would agree to pitch in together and buy a building for them all to use. First, the female NPC was stunned by the request but soon caved in when the figure of Col kept rising and comfortably covered two months for the entire group. She had taken the time to show then all the facilities and even the large basement area that they had used for storage, offering the use of it to the group as a small token of appreciation.
With a base of operations and also a place for everyone to sleep, the group of six (since Agil soon went off to do his own thing and Klein had gotten back to his group of friends) had sat down with everyone to discuss what they would be doing individually, now they had a week of free time to use. Lisbeth decided that she would be focusing on taking commissions for low-grade weapons once the week was over, dedicating herself to gathering materials in bulk so that she wouldn't need to worry about ores for a while.
Argo had mentioned about using the money she still had from Naruto's donation back on the first floor to start setting up a more concrete information network and make an income for that; using a percentage of the Col the others in the group offered to donate to the network and a bulk of said income from her leatherworker and light-armours. She had asked Naruto, Kazuko and (surprisingly) Asuna to accompany her for the first two days to establish contacts she already has and also using their presence as a recruiting factor, since news had traveled incredibly quickly that their group were the main driving force behind the clearing and defeat of Ilfang.
Asuna agreed to go with her and, as a small help, she also offered to work out a deal with Argo on materials that she would get from enemies; since she would also need the meats and other ingredients as a means to progress in her culinarian crafting class and work on making more varied meals. Kazuko had proposed the idea of maybe setting up a small eatery as a side-project once she was a bit more settled and offer classes for Col, with the potential of expanding and upgrading. Intrigued by the idea, she had asked Naruto's aid since his Luck stat would prove a huge boon in terms of rate drops and also rarity drops also; something he had no ualms agreeing to once the week was up.
Kirito was the biggest surprise since he immediately offered, after Naruto had agreed, to go out and stock up on meats for Asuna. Lisbeth soon shot him down and denied him, rather harshly, saying that he was staying put for the entire week and not getting any more of a head-start on levels since he was still the highest-leveled character of the group. In response to that argument, he had said that he was offended by, and quote;
"This injustice and unfair punishment you're placing on me, when I'm offering my services and do something nice for a change!"
... and everyone soon agreed that they were being a bit too harsh on him and decided to let Kirito do his part to help out.
Well. Until he gained four levels and came back with no loot drops since he had sold them all for more Col and inventory space.
Kirito learned his lesson painfully when Naruto hogtied the black-haired swordsman outside the inn, with several pieces of raw boar meat tightly set between some of the bindings and was sent away with starved dogs chasing after him, all while wearing nothing but a pair of pink thongs Argo had "donated" from somewhere and didn't want back. On a plus side? The video recording and the bets they made for how long Kirito would last had netted the group a good five-hundred thousand Col and decided to keep the money for themselves as punishment for his actions, much to his disappointment.
Klein had come over on the Wednesday for a few drinks with everyone and left with several welts on his head when he kept making passes at several of the girls in the group. Agil did what he did best and made a small set-up for reselling unwanted loot from other players and sending the bad cases to Lisbeth for either restoration or desynthing for more materials.
As for Kazuko and Naruto? The first night had just been the two of them sneaking away from the celebrations and heading back to her room, giving the two of them more time to talk about their hidden feelings for one another and deepened the growing relationship they had. Naruto had always thought his first kiss with her to be incredible but the second had raised his bar even higher since Kazuko and made to straddle him as she kissed him. While not going too far too soon, the two were more than happy with the kissing and the cuddling and had began sleeping together in the same bed, similar to how they used to, but now knowing there was much more to the simple act and neither of them could complain.
Other than that, Kazuko had also spent time with Argo during the first two days to help with recruiting and setting up a few more contacts with the information network, then spent most of the time through both Wednesday and Thursday to try and advertise their group of crafters for commissions and acted as the face of the team by going out to clients and delivering the orders. She had surprised everyone by coming with a huge positive response and already gave the group a good list of orders to work on before they went back to the grind on Saturday.
Naruto, on the other hand, had spent his time working on his goldsmithing and had established an agreement with Lisbeth for a small fixed price of Col for her going out and collecting materials for him to use for his own craft. He had soon discovered that he couldn't use certain materials for his own craft and was restricted to precious metals and raw gems and stones for his crafting; so things like steel and iron were out of reach for him but he could still use copper as a base metal for rings, charms and whatever else was available to him. He had also made time with everyone in turn, with Argo's network, Kazuko's and his budding relationship, grinding some materials back on the first floor with Asuna for more meats and skins, Kirito to just annoy him and talk strategies, and Lisbeth for an agreement and also to help with gathering some ores with her.
He wasn't oblivious to the fact that each of the girls were wanting to spend time with him, preferably alone, and chuckled when he noticed the females getting a little more aggressive with one another when Naruto made plans. He had taken the time to talk about this with Kazuko and had confirmed his fears with her; Kazuko understand and not thinking any less of him for coming to her to ask for help and support. She promised him she would sort that problem out and the grin on her face made him laugh since he knew she would set them straight. Naruto shivered and gave a silent prayer for the girls, who also (unknown to them) shivered at the same time.
~SAO:AC~
(Time Skip: Yasashi Inn)
So now it was Friday evening; the last free night for all the fighters before the curfew lifted and everyone could go back to grinding the levels and begin to scout and map the entirety of the floor. Diabel had popped in as well during the week and had spoken to the group about being the Head of Intel in regards to the scouting and mapping on the floors from this point on, earning impressed nods and well wished. He also offered Kirito a position as one of the main strategists and was slightly stunned when Kirito turned down the offer, but soon relieved when Kirito explained he didn't want to be tied down to any responsibilities but would help out by being a proxy for Argo's information network for them and also to work on several battle strategies when he had the time. More than pleased with the arrangements, Diabel wished them luck before heading back to wherever he was staying.
It was a rather quiet celebration, all things considered; the nighttime sky filtered out by the soft-glowing lights that scattered across the room and the small fairy lights they had been given use of by the NPC owner of the inn as a thank you for a small quest she had for them. They had managed to borrow some padded chairs, wooden tables and also a sofa that Kazuko and Naruto managed to buy and bring over. In all, the vibe gave the whole room a cozy and homely atmosphere, adding to the contentment of all the current attendees as they scattered themselves across the furniture and the floor; taking the time to mingle with one another and also to deepen bonds with several members of the group.
As it was; Lisbeth, Argo and Kazuko were sitting around one of the tables while nursing their drinks as they talked between themselves, Asuna was talking with Agil and Klein about weapon comparisons and also some potential sword designs (which Klein kept humouring them both with impossible designs and making them laugh), and Kirito was more than content sitting on his own and watching the surroundings with a rare smile.
"You're not usually this quiet."
"Ehh, I have my moments." Kirito shrugged, adjusting his grip on his drink as the male blond of the group leaned on the door frame next to him. "Just a little unsettled I guess?" he confided softly, knowing that he had the blond's attention. "I mean, we managed to make it past the first floor but I'm just afraid of what kind of effect the next ninety-nine will have on everyone and just how many more we might lose. The fact that all previous knowledge of ours is mostly obsolete now, it... it makes me realize that us beta-testers are in the same boat and we can't do more."
Naruto paused for a moment and closed his eyes as he listened to his friend talk so heartfeltly; this was the side of Kirito that not many got to see or know, not the sarcastic, nihilistic or narcissistic Kirito... but the more humane, compassionate and caring Kirito. Hearing the genuine worry and concern in his voice allowed a smile to appear on the blond as he took a mouthful of his alcoholic drink.
"I can understand, Kazuto." Naruto started, using the black swordsman's true name since it felt right for this conversation. "It's definitely one thing to be worried about but we can only do what we can. I won't be naive to think that we won't lose anymore people, although that would be a miracle... but I think," he paused, letting his eyes sweep across the room to the several players that stood before them and smiled warmly seeing the bonds between them all continue to grow, "Seeing them like this, plus many more besides who aren't here right now? The bonds that are being made, the friendships being built and the trust being formed between people? That is what will be the driving force that will see us all through till the final floor and out into freedom once more. Plus, we're taking it on our shoulders to carry the hopes of those who've given up and the ones who keep fighting for another day."
Kirito smiled as he took another mouthful and hummed in agreement, mellowing out further and enjoying the atmosphere and the company with him right now. Kazuko was watching from the corner of her eye and smiled warmly, raising a hand to wave and a nod of respect to Kirito as she heard the whole thing. Kirito snorted in amusement and gently pried himself from the sofa and made his way to connect with Kazuko and the others, leaving Naruto on his own for a few moments.
"Col for your thoughts, sa~?"
Glancing down to his side, he was taken out of his thoughts courtesy of his fellow blonde; noting the pinkish hue on her face from the alcohol she consumed and the soft glow in her eyes. Letting himself down to sit on the sofa, he felt the weight shift as Argo made to sit close to him and roll the bottle between her palms softly. "I could see you and Kiri-bou talking and it's rare to see such a side to him, sa~" she commented quietly, taking another mouthful.
"It is. I know that he can be an asshole at times," he grinned, earning an amused snort from the girl beside him, "but that is the true Kirito when you get to know him as well as both Kazuko and I do. It's a reason we consider him a good friend after all." he chuckled, leaning back on the sofa and closing his eyes. He didn't even budge when he felt Argo climb into his lap and slowly massage his scalp with her one free hand and brushed her hand through his locks.
"I never doubted you otherwise, Ruto-kun~ I trust you, ya know?" she softly spoke, leaning into his face gently and admiring the peaceful look on his face as he hummed softly in appreciation of her comment and her hand's ministrations. She knew deep down that she was falling for him and hard, at that. Seeing the kind of person he is and how selfless he is on a day-to-day basis, she could see that he was a person who genuinely cared for everyone he met and wasn't afraid to sacrifice something to aid others; her being one example.
But seeing him in all he does and seeing him as she is now? The peaceful, content and relaxed face of his and that small, yet no less true, smile of his? It made her cheeks heat up and her eyes half-lidden as she slowly moved her hand down to his cheek and gently brushed her thumb against his whisker marks, sending pleasant shivers through her as she listened to him purr in response. Naruto's eyes softly opened and the two of them made no move to stop what was happening, being more than content to enjoy this moment and just admire the eyes of their present company.
From the other side of the room, Lisbeth was watching the two blonds on the sofa and she had to bit her lip in jealousy while she clenched her fists. Before her trail of thought could continue, she felt a tap on her shoulder and noticed the concerned amber orbs of Kazuko staring at her. Having an inkling of what would be bothering her, she gestured for the two of them to go outside with their drinks and have a small talk with one another; knowing they would be safe from eavesdroppers as the music continued playing and blanketed their words. The two of them found a small patch of grass and both of them thought to lay down and take the moment to admire the night sky and the stars that twinkled above them.
"I'm gonna jump out on a limb right now and say that hurt to watch, right?" Kazuko softly spoke as she took a small mouthful of her drink, not being a huge drinker but also joining in with everyone since they had only gotten the alcohol courtesy of a contact of Argo's in exchange for a favour. Lisbeth kept quiet and continued to watch the sky with a conflicted expression on her face. "I can guess I'm probably one of the worst people to talk about this but I also think I'm probably one of the best you can talk to right now. I won't think any less of you, Liz." she continued, understanding the silence. The two of them continued to lay there and just enjoy the peace and quiet.
"I..." Lisbeth softly and quietly spoke, trying to form the words in her head, "I keep thinking... if it was me in that position or in your shoes, Kazu." she admitted after a long period of nothing. "I can see such... such a wonderful man in him and his heart is so amazing for how much he cares. How much he wants to see us all succeed and be a part of everything we do and just... I c-can't help but feel like I want him..." she confessed, sitting up and curling her kness into her chest as she takes a heavy swig of her drink to distract and numb the feeling. "And yet, despite how selfish I want to be, I can't bring myself to try and take him away from you. And I know deep down that what I have with him right now... doesn't feel like it's enough anymore..." she softly spoke, looking anywhere apart from her present company and missing the saddened and sympathetic look on Kazuko's face.
"Truthfully? Both he and I knew." Kazuko replied after a long-enough pause, waiting if Liz had anything else to say. "He felt conflicted with himself because he knew about my feelings but also that he knew about yours. And not just yours, Asuna's and Argo's too. And he didn't know what to do that didn't end up with losing any of you or hurting you in the process." she confided, surprising Liz as she turned to find the pained expression on the redhead's face.
As the two were talking with one another outside; inside, Asuna watched on at both Naruto and Argo with a small bittersweet smile and held her hand to her chest and gently clenched her hand over her heart to stem the pain. Kirito noticed this and gently pulled her to one side and sat down with her, close to the music and turned it down gently as the music softened to a small acoustic instrumental.
"Asuna, are you alright?" he asked, letting his mouth fill once more with his beverage and noted the conflicted expression on the rapier-user's face. She paused for a few moments and sighed as she laughed at herself, almost self-deprecatingly.
"As well as I can be, I suppose," she trailed off, lowering her head and going quiet as her thoughts and feelings flooded her mind and heart. "I-I..." she tried to speak but failed on the one word.
"It's Naruto, right?" he asked softly, earning a shy and almost unnoticed nod. "I can't blame you, honestly. It's just a part of who Naruto is. I take it that it hurts to see him like this and that it isn't you, right?" he asked, watching the female shudder and lower her head further, confirming his suspicions. Kirito gently sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in for a side hug. "If... there is anything I learned about Naruto after all this time? He hates to see anyone suffer and hates to see someone hurting. I would bet all my weapons on the fact that he would rather give up his own needs for the sake of everyone here. And especially for you, Argo, Kazuko and Lisbeth." he started, rubbing the girl's shoulder consolingly.
"Naruto never told you about his past, has he?" Kirito softly spoken, knowing that the blond wouldn't mind him talking about it. Earning a small shake of the head in response, Kirito hummed softly and took another mouthful before clearing his throat. "He used to live in the States for most of his life. Used to be a popular guy when it came to the places he trained his martial arts and sword skills, to the point they offered him to teach there. Considering he was living on his own and only fifteen at the time, it wasn't anything to scoff at." he began, Asuna noting the pride that the black-haired male had when he spoke about Naruto.
"W-What do you mean living on his own? Did he not have any family?" Asuna questioned, catching the odd choice of words he had used.
"He lost both his parents when he was five, Asuna. Since then, he had pretty much lived his life alone despite having financial help from an outside family member." he softly spoke, earning the attention of Asuna as her teary eyes focused on Kirito as he told her more on what happened, feeling her heart ache at the idea of living on her own for so long.
"From what he told me, during the time he lived alone... he had tried taking his own life several times because the loneliness was too much to bear." Kazuko softly reminisced, having a similar conversation to Kirito and Asuna inside as they continued to sit there and drink whilst looking at the stars. "I-I broke down when he told me and it made me wish that I was there when he was growing up, because no-one deserves to be lonely." she wavered, feeling the tears threaten to escape as she took deep breaths. Lisbeth said nothing as she stared up at the sky feeling numb and also feeling the emotion of the redhead next to her.
"He pushed everything down and told himself that he needed to push on, that he needed to keep living as the best way to thank his parents for all he had done for him and he excelled in his studies and he just... he became so empathetic to others who experienced that loneliness the same way he had." she explained, feeling her voice crack and the hiccup that left her throat as it became too much. Lisbeth gently moved in front of her and brought the naginata-user into a tight hug and Kazuko wrapped her arms around her as she allowed this moment to cry for the most important person in her life.
"I think, deep down, Naruto had become too used to the loneliness and it showed in how he interacts. That he still limits himself on how happy he can be and how open he can allow himself to become when with people... all because he is afraid of losing people again. That he's afraid that he'll lose us, you too." Kirito continued, softly rubbing the arm of Asuna as she leaned on him for support and allowed her heart to reach out to the resting blond on the sofa. "It's why he would make sure that no-one is put above anyone else or lowered below anyone; he treats everyone as equals and just above himself because he understands how important his friends are and he will go to hell and back to make sure that they are safe, and that they are happy." Kirito continued, taking a pause to get his own emotions under control and taking another swig.
"I know Naruto is smart enough to have already have at least a suspicion that you girls like him and in more than a friendly manner." Kirito grinned slightly, earning a small laugh from Asuna as she wiped her tears away with her hand. "A part of him doesn't want to say no because I'm sure that it would destroy everything he has with you and he doesn't want to lose that. Why he spends time with all four of you and how he does his best to make sure all four of you aren't feeling left out of anything or left behind." he continued, moving his hand to the waist of Asuna as she continued to rest against him as she listened to his words and learned a lot more about the blond that was still sitting on the sofa behind her with Argo in his lap and being intimate.
"That's why," Kazuko spoke after a small while, having taken the time to regain her equilibrium and calm her raging emotions, "I have no doubt in my mind that he would break up with me if it meant that you and the other girls were left unhappy because you all feel like you're discovering these feelings for him. And honestly? I would understand and I'd accept that because I know how much you all mean to him, and how much he means to me..." she confessed, earning a startled pair of carmine orbs to snap to her and show the unbidden shock. "I know... I know that it sounds so cliché that Naruto would be the kind of protagonist to earn himself a harem like half the anime these days but you know him. He doesn't hide much from those he trusts and he's the kind of person who would see us push ourselves to be the very best we can be and make us want to be our best so that we may stand beside him." Kazuko smiled shakily, allowing an arm to cover her eyes as she felt them threaten to let loose her tears.
"I-It hurts, Kirito," Asuna cried softly and dipped her head, hiding her true feelings from him. "I... I could easily see myself with him and imagine a future with him! I've never felt like this with any other man I've met and trust me, I've been introduced to a lot of guys. Being a daughter of a CEO, most guys will look at me like a trophy wife. Not even caring about what I want or how I feel but just using me as a foothold in the company and bragging rights!" she cried loudly, hiding her face with her hands and sobbing. Kirito gently lifted her into his lap and pulled her close, letting Asuna cry into his chest as he rubbed her back and supported her right now. "He is a man who wanted nothing from me but my happiness! When I had nothing... when I hadn't eaten or even slept, he came into my life like a light and he was there! He fed me, he gave me a place to sleep! And in it all, he never asked for anything in return! All..." she cried, wiping her eyes again the best she could as she used a tissue to blow her nose.
"All he would need to do is ask me for something and I would do it with no hesitation. I-I trust him so much and I can easily see myself with him... I can see the ring on my finger, the wedding, the family, the kids... I can see all that and it hurts because I can't have that..." she confessed, stunning Kirito as he continued to rub her back. "I can't help but hate myself for wanting to fall in love with a man who is already taken and already has a girlfriend and I'm asking myself why it hurts so much that I can't have him..." she trailed off, letting her thoughts and emotions take her further into her desires.
"Why?" Lisbeth spoke after a long pause of silence, her emotions jumbled and left floored by the heartfelt confession from her present company. "W-Why would he care so much for us, people who he never even met before now!?" she raised her voice, confused to it all and why he cared so much for everyone, for her. "And how can you be so calm about this when it affects you!? This isn't an anime and a harem is impossible! Society would look down at it and in the end someone will be hurt!" she cried, letting her tears freely flow as her anger welled up in her.
"Do you think I don't know that!?" Kazuko responded in kind, not hiding the frustrated tears and the quivering lips as she tried and failed to keep calm. "Do you think that I don't want to keep him to myself and that I want to be the only one he gives his heart to!?" she continued, feeling the dam break on her emotions and took a huge mouthful of her drink. "I want exactly what you want and to have him to myself but I CAN'T!" she confessed, pausing to cry more in front of her friend. "Do you wanna know why!? Because I know deep down that even if I can't have him to myself, then I will take what I can of him and know that I will be loved!That I will have a piece of his hear that nothing can ever take away from me! And I will swallow my damn pride and be happy with him in my life, rather than not at all!" she screamed in defiance, stunning Lisbeth at the sheer raw emotion and pain in the redhead's voice and let the tears fall from her own carmine orbs.
"And do you know why I can do this? Why I can say, here and now, that I will be happy if I had to share him because you all love him as much as I do!?" she asked rhetorically as she allowed her presence to be felt; the air shifting behind her and allowing her heart to settle and a shaky, yet no less proud, grin to appear on her face. Lisbeth was in awe as she could easily see the silhouette of a wolf standing behind her, the same amber orbs of the wolf matching those of hers and knowing in that moment that Kazuko was... no. IS that wolf. Meanwhile, Kirito gently lifted Asuna's face and softly rubbed her cheek in a comforting manner as his eyes softened and a small, true smile appeared on his face.
"Because it's Naruto." Kirito and Kazuko both spoke in unison, answering the question that left both Asuna's and Lisbeth's mouths and rendered them both speechless as the weight of their response hit home. Meanwhile, Argo had not stopped stroking the cheek that held Naruto's one half of whiskers and she straddled him a little more and leaned up to look down on him.
"Ruto-kun, f-forgive me..." Argo breathlessly whispered as she looked down at him, not even recognizing what emotions were in her voice right now as Naruto continued to stare at her; showing her everything and letting her stare into his cerulean orbs that held so much life in them; a wonderfully painful story within them and she could not be any more attracted to them right now. Letting her other hand cup the other cheek, she fluttered her eyes closed and gently lowered her lips on his. The first few moments were just their lips pressed to one another but soon felt his arms slide around her waist and allowed her this moment, the alcohol in her system taking over her rational thoughts and soon found themselves panting and moaning softly as their lips continued to press against each other's and their tongues soon began to rub against one another.
It was in that moment that Argo knew that she finally knew what love felt like, and also the worst kind of heartache. To be connected to the one person she could trust with her life and the one person who she could not bear to imagine not living with and away from; she knew that she wanted to be a part of his life for however long left there would be. And yet, she knew that she couldn't have him like that. He is already spoken for by her close-friend and knew she couldn't do that to Kazuko. Argo's breath hitched when she felt his body react to the raw emotion of her kiss and simply made it more comfortable for him, gently moving herself to caress him with her own body, knowing he wouldn't take advantage of her; not that she would stop him if he wanted to. The two pulled back for air and allowed themselves a moment to look at one another and the blushes on each other's faces as they relished in the lingering emotions of the kiss.
"I know now that I love you, Ruto-kun," Argo leaned in and whispered, still gently humming and letting her own tears fall, "and yet I know I can't have you. Someone who I found who finally accepts all of who I am and... you're so close and yet so far away from me." she confided in him, leaning into his hand when it cupped her cheek and rubbed her face into his palm to relish the warmth. "I want you to know you need only say that you want me and I will give my all to you. Even if you can't love me back, I will still keep loving you and I will always be there for you... Naruto-kun." she promised him, reluctantly pulling away but not before one last lingering kiss before she took her bottle once more and headed upstairs, leaving him speechless and closing his eyes as he let his own tears fall.
He wouldn't lie to himself if he said he wasn't attracted to her but he knew he couldn't give her what she truly wanted... and not only Argo. He could make out parts of the conversation between Asuna and Kirito and no doubt that was the exact same conversation happening outside with Kazuko and Lisbeth. All of them were hurting because each of them were attracted to him and he felt guilty. He felt guilty because he knew that it was him that was hurting them and that hurt him.
"I know that face, Naru-kun," Kazuko murmured softly as she took the spot Argo just held and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his and breaking him from his thoughts. He allowed his eyes to flutter open and saw the redness in his sister-turned-girlfriend's eyes and knew she had been crying herself. "I know exactly what you're thinking and I won't stop you." she professed, earning a shocked look from him before she claimed his lips passionately and allowing her hands to grip his hair as she felt his hardness pressing into her thigh. "These girls love you and I know now just how much pain they're in because you're with me. I... I do want to keep you to myself but that's my pride telling me that I don't want anyone to have your love apart from me," she continued as she gently got up from him and took his hand to take him upstairs to his room. She closed the door behind her as she gently pushed him on the bed and straddled his hips, leaning down to kiss him deeply and passionately before pulling back to stare in his gorgeous eyes.
"But to do that to you is to make you stop being Naruto and I won't do that to you. If it means I need to share so everyone has the true Naruto we've all fallen in love with then so be it, yanno? I know you'll love us all equally and I know you will make us all happy so I... can't really complain since I know a part of your heart is reserved for me and... I'm happy knowing that. Just keep being you and let us take your loneliness away, okay?" she trailed off, leaning back down and kissing his lips even more needily.
Naruto was stunned.
Never, in is wildest dreams, would he think that the woman he saw as his sister would one day become a woman he loves and a woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. Now after all that had been said and heard tonight from Argo, Kirito, Asuna and Kazuko herself... it left him completely bewildered and utterly speechless. To add the cherry on top, Kazuko had just told him that she was giving him the go-ahead to pursue the other girls who have fallen for him and he...
He didn't know what to do.
But the fact that it must've taken Kazuko a whole lot of grit to swallow that personal, womanly pride of hers to admit that she wants him to give the others a chance and see where it would lead. It said something about her as well to know that he wasn't someone who was attracted to women for the looks nor was he a person who wanted to be a typical shonen protagonist who gets flocked by women and end up in a harem; that doesn't happen and there is no way that it would just happen. That this woman kissing him now, took it upon herself to accept that it would be the only way that the girls and them both will be happy with their situation, would sacrifice so much for his sake and the sake of the other three by opening up the possibility of a workable harem...
==Lemon Warning!==
Kazuko squeaked in surprise when she felt her world shift and soon found herself staring up at the intense gaze of her brother-slash-boyfriend and noted how the blue seemed to almost glow in the dark, making her shiver in anticipation as she gently bit down her lip. Naruto took his hand and gently rested it on her toned and muscled tummy and gently rubbed it as he leaned in to kiss her once more. Letting their lips be tugged and their tongues lap wantingly at each other's, he pulled back and stared deep into her amber orbs and smiled one of his warmest and most true smiles.
"Kazu-chan, I-I really can't begin to understand how you feel or how big this feels and how big that decision was to make," he whispered into her lips as his hand gently slid under her top and started to trace circles on her tummy, "but I know that it must've been such a hard thing to accept or even suggest. I-I don't know how a harem would work, since I never imagined myself in one or intentionally wanted to be in one, but... you know I would have done nothing without telling you first." he professed, earning a warm smile from the redhead as her hand snaked behind his head and pulled him to her lips once more. Letting his had climb a little higher, he lifted the top to just beneath her bra-clad breasts and pulled back slightly. "I will need you more than ever with this and I know I cannot do this alone. I need you here and I need you by my side, Kazu-chan. I..." he trailed off, feeling her hand slowly move from his neck and swipe down to bring the menu up. In a few taps and a small shimmer of light, Naruto tore his gaze from her face and now took the moment to appreciate and admire the naked body now laying beneath him. Naruto soon followed suit and allowed himself to be stripped naked before her as well, feeling his hardness from Argo's ministrations earlier resting near her core.
"You don't need to worry, Naru-kun. I won't be going anywhere. I will never abandon you, I will forever love you and I will never let you be alone nor will you suffer anymore. This, do I promise to you... Heart of my Heart." she replied, letting her hand slowly run over his toned and muscled abs and up to his chest to rest over his heart. Naruto gently positioned himself between her legs and pressed down into her body, claiming her lips once more and feeling her arms wrap around his neck and her body rise into his. This was the moment in which he had always dreamed of... these emotions, the raw and heartfelt words, the complete acceptance of all that he is...
... and it was because of this wonderful woman. Kazuko Uzumaki.
"I know you are giving up so much for me, so I... I want you to have, and be, my first. That none of this would be possible without you and that you are so precious to me. I know I will treat you all equally but I know without a doubt that you will be above them. I will never forsake you, I will forever love you and I will continue to be your support as you are mine, and that all that I am is unreservedly yours. This... this, do I promise you... Heart of my Heart." he replied, the words causing both of them to tear up and slam their lips back into one another and know that there is nothing that will separate their love now. Her hands couldn't decide where to rest but soon settled on having one gripping his hair and the other clawing at his back; while his hand was keeping him suspended slightly above her and the other hand slowly stroking her side and the curve of her hip and waist, with his erection pressing tightly against her sex and pulsing in time with his heartbeat.
The two pulled apart and panted lightly as a thick string of saliva connected their mouths together and knew there was only one way to go from here, and both of them knew what would happen next. Kazuko slid her hand down between the two of them and in the junction of their legs, gently and slowly taking his length into her hand and began to rub it against herself; jumping initially from the sensation and the excitement but soon finding it more comfortable as she continued. No more words were spoken between them as he leaned down to kiss her and slowly push himself inside of her. The moan that escaped her throat almost threatened him over the edge already, plus feeling her legs wrap around his waist and locking him there didn't make it any easier. The two stayed connected that way as their kiss intensified further, parting their lips and letting their tongues rub and dance with one another as they took breaths, feeling every single emotion passing through and connecting on a spiritual level that went beyond any words or description apart from... finally feeling whole.
Kazuko was the first to move as she gently began rocking her hips, twitching as she felt him reach to her deepest parts and kiss up against her womb. The feeling of knowing that Naruto was her first and that she was finally experiencing this incredible sensation with the man she loved almost proved too much for her as she found herself moaning sweetly when he moved within her. Locking her ankles together, she moved her body like a wave and felt herself gasp from him hitting a bundle of spots within her that made her eyes flutter; losing herself with these unknown and wholly welcomed sensations in her body and soul right now. Meanwhile, Naruto kept his eyes open for every second of this moment as he took in the sheer delight and pleasure that showed on her face as he began to move in time with her motions; reaching deeper inside of her and feeling her holding him deep within her with all of her might and willpower. The two of them continued to kiss deeply and unreservedly as the continued to make love to one another, their bodies pressed tightly against one another and feeling this wholeness and completeness with what they were doing right now.
It continued like this for a while, not rushing to completion and just taking the time to admire and relish in the sensations of being connected in body and soul; a feeling that the two of them will never find any substitute for as they continued to explore this new step in their relationship. Kazuko gently pushed Naruto on his side and raised her body as he fell; letting her legs unlock and allowed to straddle him with his length still buried fully within her. Resting her hands on his chest, she allowed her hips to rock a little faster as she began using him to rub at the sensitive parts deep within her and allowing her moans to fill the room. Closing her eyes and panting harder, she could feel his excitement deep inside of her as she felt a warmth that wasn't there before, chalking it up to it being his precum rubbing deep inside of her; spurning her on further as she began lifting her hips and pushing him out before bringing him back into her folds and gasping as her body threatened to shut down.
Naruto burned this sight to memory as he watched Kazuko slowly take initiative and start to ride him harder and faster, making him growl slightly as he let his hands rest on her hips and began moving back in counter-rhythm with her and making the musical moans all the more frequent and louder; feeling the familiar knot in his stomach and knowing that it wouldn't be much longer before he couldn't hold back anymore. He soon used his core strength to sit up and Kazuko moaned from the shift of position inside of her as he began rubbing against her erogenous zones inside of her and wrapped her arms around his neck and stared into his eyes. The harsh panting, the whimpering and the increasing need for the both of them as they continued to thrust against one another; burning the sights of each other into their minds for the rest of their lives as their eyes spoke the conversation that remained unspoken.
Her legs locked under his own and pinned herself in place as Naruto began thrusting harder and faster into her womanhood, Kazuko finding it too much as she bit her lip and moaned sexily and throatily for him in response. It proved too much for him as he leaned in and kissed her deeply, using his hands to wrap around her waist and pull her body tightly to his as he lost his last bit of resolve and let his climax overtake him and released himself inside of her. She, in response, squealed and moaned repeatedly into the sudden kiss as her body writhed against his and her hips rocking harder and in a wave-like motion as she felt his warmth seeping deep in her core and into her womb; squeezing him tightly so every single drop remained in her and that she can relish the feeling of his essence marking her as his own and orgasmed around his length as the whole thing proved too much for her.
The two stayed there, kissing each other slowly and panting harshly as he continued to pour himself inside her and her taking everything he had into herself and clawed at his back. The two continued to kiss as Naruto leaned back and pulled her twitching body on top of his as he kept himself hilted inside of her and slowly ended the kiss. The two panted before gazing into each other's eyes and smiling brightly, knowing that they were finally one. Letting her head rest on his chest and over his heart, she heard the heartbeat matching her own and it was that noise in which Kazuko let sleep claim her for the night. Naruto wrapped his arm around her waist and back, kissing the top of her head affectionately before allowing sleep to claim him also.
==Lemon End!==
~SAO:AC~
(Time Skip: Yasashi Outskirts)
After a well-rested night and a filling breakfast courtesy of Naruto, Asuna and Argo; we find the group standing in one of the western exits of the village and overlooking the endless fields of grass, watching as several figures in the distance had beaten them to the punch and had began working on their levels again now that the curfew was officially over. Asuna was kind enough to have brought spare food in her inventory for everyone for breaks so that the four of them could work longer than normal. Kirito had declined their invite and opted to head out on his own, since he felt more comfortable as a solo player but had promised to join them for the next day after he remembered where the dungeon is for this floor. Lisbeth wasn't joining them for two reasons but only expressed that she was gonna make a start on her share of the commissions and get the Col coming in for everyone. Kazuko had spoken with her before hand and confirmed that Lisbeth also want time away from Naruto to sort her own feelings out and to see if she would be able to accept the concept of sharing him with other women.
"So Ar-chan, any intel you got for us?" Naruto spoke up, adjusting his padded gloves on his hands while letting his new sword rest in its binding on his back. Kazuko was a bit away from him as she began stretching to warm up and going through some basic katas to limber up. Asuna followed suit with several stretches and Naruto couldn't resist the glance in her direction when she stretched her back, causing her breasts to push against the confines of her armour. Argo was hooded up again but had foregone the brown cloak for a more lighter material; a black-weave cloak she had custom made for herself that sat over her usual attire, though noted by the others that it seemed a little thicker and more reserved than before; the previously bare skin now covered with a white-leather guard under the crossing strips of cloth and a blue skirt to cover the skin on her thighs.
"Nothing of real note right now, just speculation and tidbits here and there, sa~ I'd just suggest we focus on a secluded area and see if we can work on gathering materials as we go." she commented, shaking her head in the negative to his question. Earning a pat on the head and a ruffle, she smiled and blushed slightly at the gesture before getting back under control. Naruto pulled away and turned to Asuna as she finished the last of her stretches.
"How're we looking on food and drinks? Think we can make a full day of grinding with what you've made us?" he asked, earning a confident smile and nod from the rapier-user as she swiped her finger in front of her, bringing her menu up and showing Naruto the sandwiches, steaks and pitchers of homemade lemonade she managed to conjure up for them all. "Oh? Seems like they're all stat-boosting foods as well, which will be handy for us all. Thank you Asuna-chan!" he grinned, earning another nod and a brighter smile as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Do you want to take point with Kazuko for the first part? Me and Argo will take over after we had food and give you guys a break."
"That's fine, Naruto-kun! I've been keeping an eye on what animals drop what items so hopefully I can get some varied meats and try some new things out for us all. I'm sure Kazuko-chan's eyes will prove invaluable to us in spotting chaining possibilities." she commented, turning to the redhead in question and receiving a peace sign in response. "We'll start a little further north of everyone else and see if there's anything unusual over that way. If not, we can work around that area before making our way south in the afternoon and checking again for anything special." she commented, bringing her map up and tapping to the two areas and marking them both with a small red flag. Earning nods from everyone, the four made their way and began the trek up north.
For the first part of the day, it was safe to say that nothing truly exciting happened for the four of them; it had just been taking up against some of the new enemies, namely the reshaded wild boars and the introduction of abnormally large hornets that proved a lot trickier than expected. Asuna had taken a nasty sting by one of them and discovered that the stings had a nasty poison effect; something that was haphazardly taken care of when Kazuko took the arm that was stung and sucked the poison out of the arm before spitting it out on the ground. Since then, the group had taken care with them and allowed Naruto to gain their attention before Argo took them down with her daggers; developing a semi-exclusive move called [Throwing Knives], which allowed her to discard her daggers by throwing them at the enemy and dealing high-critical ranged damage.
As the four of them made their way to the checkpoint that would serve them as a resting spot, the four paused when they felt a small rumble beneath them. Kazuko immediately went on alert as Naruto crouched down and rest his hand on the grass beneath them. "I wasn't imagining that, was I?" he asked cautiously, glancing up at Asuna and Argo.
"No, I felt it too. The question is what caused it, sa~" Argo responded, glancing around while flipping one of the daggers in her hands. Asuna sighed as she turned around but immediately shriek and took several steps back, causing everyone to turn attention to her and where she was looking; in front of them, a hulking quadraped was looking right at the four of them and slowly began prowling nearer to them. Naruto gripped the handle of his sword as he activated his [Scan] ability and soon paled slightly at what he discovered. Having sensed the use of a skill on it, the hulking beast growled and lowered itself to the ground; promptly before roaring savagely and bursting in a sudden rush of speed towards the four of them. Naruto cursed loudly as he pushed Asuna down behind him and made a defensive stance for the towering monster before him.
Only to find himself flung back from the underestimated swing of its arm and sending Naruto rolling harshly on the ground and knocking the sword a little bit away from him. With the threat out of the way, the three female fighters found themselves up close with the monster before them and took note of its appearance; bulking muscles on both arms and legs, and pretty much everywhere else as well. A tuft of mane upon its head that rested between the two protruding horns either side of its head, something akin to a mohican, and baleful white eyes staring at them all with a snarl; revealing the rows of sharpened teeth that were made to tear flesh apart with ease. Asuna was visibly shaking as she tried to scurry away from this monster as quickly as she could but it had the unfortunate effect of turning its sights on her.
Snarling, the monster started walking up to her and opened its maw; leaning down to take one clean bite of the rapier-user who had now frozen in shock-
"NO, YOU FUCKING DON'T!"
Was the raw primal cry it heard before it was sent flying away from them and a good few hundred feet away or so, tumbling uncontrollably and leaving a trail of blood to land on the grass as it registered that it could no longer see out of its right eye; the cut to its face was enough to render it half-blind. Meanwhile, Naruto rushed down on the floor and dropped the sword that sent it flying; pulling an unresponsive Asuna into his arms tightly and held her. It took a few moments for her mind to reboot but she soon found herself sobbing uncontrollably in Naruto's arms as the fear began to set in and spent the moment's reprieve to cry. Naruto glared at the monster who was now getting back to its feet and used his [Scan] ability once more to find out what's changed, plus what the cut to the face has done.
NM: Behemoth
Level: 48
HP: 236,491/275,000
MP: 170/200
Status Effects: Enraged (+50% Attack, +25% Movement, -50% Defence, Immune to Paralysis, Sleep, Stun), Half-Blind (-50% to all stats), Bleed (Damage over Time), Intimidating Aura - 30 MP per minute (-25% to enemy stats, small chance to cause Terror: renders enemy immobilized for ten seconds)
"Guys," Naruto called out, earning the attention of everyone there, "This... this is not something we want to face right now." he confessed, still holding the sobbing Asuna in her arms as she took a huge blow to her confidence. Argo remained silent as she stared at the creature, having felt a little bit of the aura of this thing and could easily understand how Asuna was feeling right now. Kazuko paused a moment before she gripped her weapon and flourished it out of its strap and pointing downwards by her side.
"W-We..." Asuna started speaking, cursing herself for how weak her voice was sounding right now as she slowly made to move out of Naruto's hands and shakily get on her feet. Taking a few deep breaths, she readied her rapier; everyone noting the slight tremble in her arm and how badly this behemoth's ability impacted her. "W-We probably can't run now, even if we wanted to. It has the advantage over us and it's faster than us. M-My fears aside, we need to fight." Asuna spoke, slowly gaining her confidence as she spoke and allowed her eyes to harden as she turned to face the behemoth that had made no move since being flung away earlier.
"She's right, Ruto-kun. It's do or die right now, sa." Argo agreed, not liking the situation that they were in but swallowing her fears down and crouching in a battle stance with her daggers drawn. Naruto turned to the three girls and noted the hardened and determined look in their eyes, seeing that they were not going to back down from this fight. Nodding in response to the unspoken words, Naruto drew the sword once more and stabbed it into the ground.
"Kazuko, Argo, Asuna; I want you three to focus on blitzing this thing. Don't stay in one spot, don't stay close for too long; I literally want you all to run hit-and-run tactics to slowly whittle its health down. There is no way we can win by brute strength so we need to play sabotage right now. Take away what small advantages we can from it and see if we can also reach its other eye to blind it fully." Naruto commented, swiping his menu open and sending messages to the missing members of his party; knowing that they will need all of them here-
"Scatter!" Kazuko's voice rang out, alerting everyone to the behemoth that was tired of waiting for them and charged quickly at the four. Vacating the spot they previously were, the behemoth barreled through and quickly made to spin around; its one remaining eye widening slightly when he found a blade coming for his remaining eye, alongside a furious pair of amber orbs that appeared before its vision. Raising the arm to block the oncoming attack from Kazuko, it growled when it felt a sting from the underside of the raised arm courtesy of Argo. Swiping its raised arm and batting Kazuko away from it, it growled as its aura came back into force; though snarling when it showed it had no effect on these four things before it. Spotting a flash of chestnut brown in it's peripheral, the behemoth lept deftly out of the way from the oncoming attack and noted the meal that kept fighting back earlier.
Any attempts to reclaim its meal was denied when it found the same sword that took its eye away, slicing upwards in front and causing it to take a step back. Unfortunately, that's what Naruto was aiming for as he put on a burst of speed and aimed a sudden punch for the snout of the behemoth. It didn't do much in terms of raw strength but Naruto's attack altered cause slightly from the head moving in front of him and smacked the blinded eye and cause the beast to roar in pain and painfully smack Naruto away once more. Argo was already there waiting with a potion to bring his health back up into a comfortable green, since the two attacks had taken a good sixty-odd percent of his health away. Asuna cried out a roar as she flew over Naruto's retreating form and activated one of her own skills;
"[Flurry!]"
Launching a series of precise stabs to the face of the behemoth, she made sure to aim for the eyes since both of them were the prime targets of weakness right now. Kazuko wasn't idle through any of this and had launched herself into the air and stabbed the end of her naginata between the hulking shoulder blades and causing more pain and rendered it immobile for a few seconds; giving Asuna the opportunity for her skill to activate and land. A burst of fluid sprayed out at Asuna; a mixture of blood and goop as she somersaulted back to the ground and gained some distance from it, with Kazuko landing next to her a moment later. Naruto used his ability once more as the behemoth thrashed around in pain, roaring savagely as it was now fully blinded.
"[Vertical!] / [Avalanche!]"
The four of them allowed a small sigh of relief when they heard the piercing cries of the two remaining members join up with them and both landing critical blows to the back and hind legs of the monster the group was facing, quickly moving out of range when it started to wildly thrash about with its arms.
"What the hell is that thing!?" Lisbeth asked, panting slightly as both she and Kirito took a moment to regain their breath from having ran all the way from town to their position. She was in the middle of a craft when she received Naruto's message and immediately dropped everything seeing how serious it sounded. Kirito was in the same boat since he had never heard of this kind of enemy before and was probably a new feature Kayaba implemented between the end of the beta and its official release.
"It's a Behemoth, from what my [Scan] is telling me and it is not an easy fight. It can knock all of us away with no effort and nearly killed Asuna." Naruto seriously replied, earning two stunned pair of eyes as Lisbeth began doting over her and making sure she was alright. Meanwhile, Kirito stood next to Naruto as both of them took a moment to come up with a plan. "So far, all we've been able to do is blitz tactics to land some shallow cuts wherever we can but the skin is too tough for any substantial damage. It was while it was about to kill Asuna that I manage to land a critical blow on its one eye and take out its left eye. Asuna was the one who took the other one out." Naruto quickly explained, earning a surprised look from the swordsman but a small nod.
"She did a good job." Kirito smirked before donning a serious look once more. "From what you've told me, I can only assume that any form of slashing attacks and even blunted attacks are going to do nothing to it. So it only really leaves us with piercing attacks, much like Asuna's rapier and Kazuko's naginata." he continued, pausing a moment as everyone gathered around and keeping one eye on the now stilled enemy before them. Holding his hand up, Kirito pulled out a pebble from his inventory and threw it just to the left of the figure, paling slightly as the blinded behemoth turned its head to where the pebble flew past and smacked it clean out of the air. Refusing to curse out loud, he motioned to his eyes as he looked at Naruto; earning a nod as he used his [Scan] once again.
HP: 201,946 / 275,000
MP: 80/200
Status Effects: Enraged (+50% Attack, +25% Movement, -50% Defence, Immune to Paralysis, Sleep, Stun), Blind (-80% to all stats), Heightened Senses (+50% to all stats minus Defence) Bleed (Damage over Time), Intimidating Aura - 30 MP per minute (-25% to enemy stats, small chance to cause Terror: renders enemy immobilized for ten seconds), Calm Predator (+30% Attack, +30% Movement).
As everyone peered over his shoulder to see the stats on the pop-up menu in front of him, Naruto cursed as things were about to get even more tricky. Opening his menu up, he quickly opened his messages and began a new draft; typing down in the text box to save the behemoth overhearing them and locking on their position.
The only way we can take this down now is to use its senses against him. Kirito, you and I will act as kiters and draw the attention to ourselves. Lisbeth, do you have any steel on you right now?
Nodding quietly in response, Lisbeth brought up her inventory and showed the ores she still had on her. Then I need you to make something for us, or namely Argo. If you can, can you make a set of caltrops? Hopefully, we can use them to hinder its movements and do more continuous damage and render it immobile. Argo, I need you to stay here until Liz is finished and then make a move with the caltrops and start placing near the behemoth. Nothing will happen to you, I'll make sure of it. Naruto smiled, earning a steady nod from the blonde. Asuna, Kazuko; you two are gonna be the main focus of DPS. Since you two are the best people we have to take this thing down, you two are gonna continue with blitzing it and aim for attacks on its arms and legs. Wait for both me and Kirito to pass over the target before coming in with an attack so it should throw its senses off and become unaware. It won't work for long so we'll need to make it work quickly and take it down soon or it'll pick up on our plan.
Earning a set of nods in response, Naruto turned to Kirito; earning a shake of the head in the negative from being asked for his opinion and if anything needed changing. Quickly summoning his sword once more, both Naruto and Kirito began running towards the stilled Behemoth and stirred it back onto its feet; Naruto roared as a pre-emptive and quickly stabbed his sword in the ground behind him to slow his dash down, luckily missing the arm that swept in front of him. Using the opening, Naruto's sword glowed in a red aura from the blood that remained from the first attack and slashed deeply at the tendons of its left shoulder, reaching all the way down to the bone, before ducking from the other arm coming to swat him away. Using his own opening, Kirito pulled out a spare sword he no-longer needed and stabbed it deeply in the joint of the right elbow; leaping up and kicking off the sword to get away and send the sword deeper in the arm.
Roaring and slumping onto its arms, the behemoth roared loudly once more as it kept its senses trained on the two of them; knowing that its eyes and arms were now of the fight. As it continued to focus on the the two signatures circling around him, it pushed through the pain and kept swiping at the two when they were about to pass but soon found them moving the other way; only to growl menacingly as a piercing sensation burst open in its chest from a new source. Needing a sudden reprieve, the behemoth activated its aura and managed to freeze one of the people surrounding it; using its hind leg to send a powerful kick and connecting with something.
Kazuko was blindsided by the sudden sensation of its aura and she paid for it dearly when she felt the powerful hind leg smash into her abdomen and sent her flying away from it and sprawling on the ground. Everyone saw this and quickly moved back from the enemy as both Kirito and Asuna made their way to her while Naruto joined back up with Liz and Argo. "How's it going?" he asked quietly, making sure to keep an eye on the stilled behemoth and noted that it was taking the time to nurse some of the wounds they had landed on it. Quickly signaling to the others, they quickly picked up Kazuko and her naginata and made their way back; dodging the errant swipe aimed for them and landed next to the others. Naruto checked up on Kazuko and noted that she was gritting her teeth while holding her stomach.
Kazuko Uzumaki
Level: 36
HP: 17,846 / 28,000
Status Effects: Winded (Heavy) (-80% Movement, Unable to Fight) (8m CD)
"It won't be the most amazing since I'm using my [Quick Synthesis] to mass-produce them quickly for you but they should do the job." Lisbeth explained, finishing up the last batch and trading them with Argo. "The only problem now is that its more inclined to remain still so you will need to find a way to get it moving once more." she explained, taking note of the fight whilst she was crafting and being caught up on what was happening.
"I have an idea how we can do it but it won't work until Kazu-chan recovers from being winded, since I'm gonna need her help with it. Plus, the longer we remain idle, the more health it restores to itself. So do we anything else we could use?" Naruto spoke quietly, almost whispering. No-one said anything for a small while whilst listening to the harsh panting and grunts of pain from the redhead they were guarding.
"A-Ano, we've discovered that its senses works from around him but what about from above?" Asuna softly spoke, earning everyone's attention. "If Naruto-kun still has his old sword in his inventory, could we use that to pin deep in the back of this thing and lock all movement? Since we won't know what it will do, it should leave its arms rendered useless and locked up from the pain. Then it's a matter of landing attacks and even possibly a fatal attack to both the throat and pierce its heart. It's the only real idea I can think of but it should be enough of a fatal blow to take it out." she explained, earning a few nods and hums of agreement in response to her proposal.
"That might work, sa~ I can try and quickly test whether it can sense things from above or only from what's around him; using a set of daggers and throwing them upwards and landing down on it. If the result is good enough, do we want to try for Asuna-chan's plan, sa~?" Argo commented, using her analytical skills and checking her inventory for how many daggers she has stocked up on and how many she can afford to use. Earning a collective of nods, she grinned cheekily before dashing forward with a burst of speed; rousing the behemoth once more into a guarded stance and using its aura once more to throw Argo off-course and falter, only to fail as she baited an arm out with a dagger, using it as a foothold and leaping cleanly over the back of the behemoth and launching the daggers straight up into the air as she cleared the hulking frame and landing with an expert free-runner's roll before dashing back and throwing a few more daggers to distract the beast. Much to their shock, all ten daggers landed in the back of the beast as the remaining good arm tried to reach up and swat some of the embedded knives from its back.
Seeing the test run work as a success, Naruto nodded to everyone; just as Kazuko regained her bearings and moved to stand back up on her feet with weapon in hand. Kirito gripped his sword tightly before making the first move and dashing back to the behemoth, with Asuna following up right behind him by grabbing her rapier. Sensing the incoming attack on the pair of them, Kirito fell to his knees while Asuna used his shoulder as a platform; seeing both of them dodge the attack in style. Argo, despite the current circumstances, took a quick photo of that exact moment of awesomeness and saved it to one of her crystals. Meanwhile, Kirito struck out at the sword that was still buried deep within the elbow of the one arm, causing more pain for the beast as it roared loudly; only to roar even louder when Asuna used her rapier to strike precisely at the ten knives on its back and dig them deeper still.
Argo and Liz both followed a few seconds after Kirito and Asuna, with the latter holding onto Naruto's old sword and carrying it on her back ready for her part in the plan. While being distracted by the pain in its back, the behemoth didn't sense the incoming attack, nor the two daggers that landed in its blinded eyes; causing it to thrash about and take a few steps back, Argo sensing the movement and quickly using the caltrops to stop it from taking any more steps back; working perfectly as the behemoth slumped from the strength leaving its hind legs. Lisbeth dangerously launched herself onto its back and took the sword off her back and hilted it deeply in the spot between the shoulder blades once more, seeing the previous wound from Kazuko's naginata as a reference point. Leaping quickly off, she cleared way for both Naruto and Kazuko as they made their own move.
Kazuko twirled her naginata around and allowed Naruto to jump into the air with added force, leaving her the chance to finish this fight once and for all. Whilst Naruto was in the air, she allowed herself to step into the guard of the downed beast and land a clean, deep cut across the neck; flinching at the blood that sprayed out and landed on her but grit her teeth in grim determination as she used her foot to snap the head up parallel with the ground with her own version of [Mug], just in time for Naruto to spin in midair and land a cleaving swipe that took the head of the beast cleanly off and killing the beast as the body slumped to the ground lifelessly.
Quest Complete: A Behemoth Undertaking! (Part I)
EXP: +500,000
Col: +50,000
Items: Behemoth Head, Behemoth Skin x100, Behemoth Meat x25, Behemoth Horn x2, Behemoth Fang x10, Behemoth Pelt x10
Quest Complete: Is It Ever Truly Final? (Part I)
EXP: +200,000
Col: +25,000
~Congratulations! Combined Last Attack Bonus!~
Behemoth Pelt Bracelet +2 (x6)
~Congratulations! [Mug] Skill Successful!~
Predator's Claws +5
~Congratulations! You have Leveled Up!~
Naruto: 41 - 44
Kirito: 46 - 48
Asuna: 39 - 43
Lisbeth: 39 - 42
Argo: 43 - 46
Kazuko: 36 - 40
All six of them soon fell to the ground exhausted the moment the menus began popping up in front of them, exhausted by the unexpected fight that took a lot more out of them than they had expected. Naruto was content to flop on the ground but allowed himself a moment to fight off his exhaustion to walk up to Asuna and kneel before her. She looked up at her love interest and she shyly tucked her hair behind her ear, smiling softly and enjoying the smile on his face.
"How're you holding up now, Asuna-chan?" he asked, pulling her into a hug and wrapping his arms around her. She stiffened for a moment before relaxing and allowing her arms to wrap around his neck and her head to nuzzle his chest and warmth.
"M'okay, thank you." Asuna replied into his chest, touched by his concern for her. "It just showed me how far I still need to go and how much stronger I need to become, you know?" she murmured into his chest, gently grabbing a handful of his hair and stroked it as she enjoyed this moment. "I guess... the weight of just easily our lives are in the balance are and it opened my eyes." she trailed off, feeling another pair of arms wrap around her from behind and a pair of breasts pressed into her back.
"You did so well, Nacchan. Sure you learned a lot but you've also done so much today. It's because of you that we killed this thing since you were the one to come up with the plan." Kazuko smiled and squeezed her in appreciation, earning nods and hums of agreement in return. "Don't sell yourself short, okay? There is plenty of time and I know you're gonna bloom into someone beautiful, strong, confident and fearless. I can already see it, yanno?" Kazuko gently kissed her neck as an unconscious effort and Asuna could say anything in response to being stunned into silence from how heartfelt her words were.
"Hear hear! I think Asuna-chan could be the dark horse of the group, sa~ a lot of untapped potential in that head of hers!" Argo grinned, ruffling the brunette's hair and earning an undignified squeak in response and a small grin on her face from the interaction with the blonde. "I think I might need to keep a closer on eye on you, sa~" she winked playfully.
"We can keep praising Asuna and everyone else as well as we head back. No need to do anymore for today or tomorrow after all that, so we'll start up again on Monday. But we did awesome today everyone, thank you!" Naruto grinned, moving over to hug Lisbeth and the others. Kirito smacked his hands away and started a commotion between the two of them that ended up with Kirito trapped in a headlock and begging for mercy. Asuna and Argo both laughed as they watched Kirito get the stuffing beaten out of him while Kazuko moved over to Lisbeth as she watched on with a soft smile.
"Whatcha thinking about?" Kazuko spoke softly, earning the attention of the group's blacksmith.
"It's... it's so nice to see everyone having a part to play in this group. I'm glad I could help you all." she smiled, closing her eyes and clutching her chest slightly as she tried to recall the feeling of Naruto hugging her and whispering his own thank you in her ear. "I know I didn't do an awful lot-"
"Cut that out." Kazuko interrupted with a grin, knowing where Liz was going. "You had just as much a part in this as everyone else did. It might not have been big as some of the others but it was your caltrops that stopped that thing from moving anymore or retreating. It was you who landed the sword in its back and set us for the killing blow. You did so awesome out there and I know Naru-kun thinks so as well." she reassured, bringing the brunette into a hug and squeezing her for reassurance. "Now c'mon, let's head back. I'm starving and I can happily sleep tonight after all that shit." she laughed loudly, earning a guffaw from the woman beside her as they both caught up to the others and headed back.
~SAO:AC~
(Time Skip: Labyrinth of the Groves)
Namizu paused for a moment as one of his kin retold the fight between the group of adventurers that had earned his blessing and the sudden emergence of a beast that even he did not know about. He had taken a look at the crystal one of his kin had used to record the fight and was surprised to see just how hard of a fight it was for the six but was extremely impressed with the teamwork and the rapier-user's plan at the end that secured them the victory. While pleased to see the group progress even further, an unsettling feeling rested with him as he still remembered that there was nothing about this type of enemy known to him and that such an unknown variable was in this game granted him no succor or comfort.
"I would want you to get in touch with Her Highness. I would request an audience with my mother in regards to this... anomaly." he ordered the smaller mimics gathered around him. Earning a skitter of movement and noises, the small mimics scurried into the woods and onto their destination; leaving the prince mimic to his own thoughts. 'I wonder if this is tied to that male? It almost the game is revolving around him and how he is able to proceed. The question is... why?' he pondered, before leaving the grove and retiring to his resting place; resolving to leave this matter until he speaks with his mother and Queen.
~Chapter End!~
And done! Wasn't really sure what to call this chapter but honestly; Asuna was the real star of this one and I enjoyed writing a little more about her character and the building blocks for the growth she will go through and become the amazing woman we all know and love. As for the Naruto and Kazuko moment, it... honestly just felt right adding the lemon in there since it was such a tender and heartfelt moment for the two of them!
Also, under several PM's and messages... I'm gonna hold off on taking Lisbeth out of the harem. Reasons being; I've seen a load of harem stories and how everyone just seems to accept that it's happened and that no-one has any issues. Well, I find it stupid and also unlikely to happen. I'm going to keep the harem going but it isn't going to be immediate and that each of the girls are gonna have to sort thorough their own feelings and take their own time to come to terms with it all. Kazuko speaks about her feelings on the matter this chapter and she is possibly the most crucial of all the girls since she is the one who is allowing it, despite her own protests. She still has the sibling bond with him as well but it's on a much deeper level now and she says that she would still like him to himself but she knows that it would mean others will be hurt and that will tear at Naruto.
That is why she has come to terms with the idea of sharing him and she will be needing him and vice-versa so both of them can take this route one step at a time and together. So it's opening up more character development for both of them and a deeper bond.
Anyways, that's all I have for right now; I'm finishing this up just before I have to get ready for work so I hope you all enjoy the new chapter! As always, follow and favourite if you enjoy my stuff and just be patient for the next chapter of both this AND ETK! There is some progress already but not much!
For now, Kitsune logging out~ :3