Chapter VII: What Awaited Them in the Beyond

19th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 1, Town of Beginnings

In a game of strategies, no amount of planning made before the day of battle is ever truly enough, yet they are just as every bit important to predict and form a countermeasure for every possibility, and lead the team to victory.

It's that reason alone why strategists, even those that don't necessarily take to the fields of battle and fight alongside their army, are regarded so highly. Their plans are capable of turning the tides of battle in their favour, paving a path that guarantees absolute victory. Brawns just aren't everything. Brains, too, made a lot of difference.

It was that reason alone…

"So this pathway would essentially be the safest one to cross the Forest of Wavering Mists and quickly arrive at Zumfut. And then, we'll use this path to get to the boss monster's room. Is that correct?"

"Indeed."

That he left all the strategizing to Asuna.

It sounded like an odd decision. Being the self-acclaimed professional player that he is, and one who really takes any game seriously, strategizing was one pre-game aspect that he always handled carefully. In a video game that was seriously planning to kill you if you lost? You'd think he'd be even more invested in it than ever before.

And yeah, he is! But, well, when there are just other people around to do the job, it would make sense to leave them to it, yeah? Besides, it's not like he technically asked Asuna to do it. She'd already started long before he even said a word. Vabel would make for an excellent tactician too, but she's just too airheaded sometimes, and Argo was far too lax to really bother doing the serious stuff.

God bless Asuna. And thank whatever gods decided to put her in this game, for as awful as that may sound.

"These areas are festering with magical beasts. Were we to try to cut through here, we'd only allow ourselves to get outnumbered and overwhelmed," a small shudder. She'd gone through that on her own already and barely survived it. "For that, it would be highly advised for us to break off from the main path to Zumfut if we intend to avoid them."

Avoiding them sounded like the most logical choice of actions. Sure, they would make good enemies to grind for experience points, but with the possibility of getting massacred by their large numbers on the table? No chance.

For as powerful as he was with Arsene, Asuna had advised him against it, and even Kirito felt like it would have been a suicidal endeavour. He may be The Hero, but he wasn't hoping to meet his 'heroic end' in the beginning section of the game!

"We're back!"

"Ah, welcome back."

Argo joined them at the table as she, with an exaggerated huff, fell to a chair before tossing a bag of potions onto the table. Vabel arrived a moment later, a sword and some fragments of armour cradled in her arms. Around them, people watched before returning to their food, their curiosity on the famous (or infamous, depending on who you asked) summoner and his odd group thankfully not too long. The smell of fresh food wafted in the air, and he wasn't sure what to feel.

One might argue that they could have done their discussions back in the room that Kirito was renting, but that was impossible because of two things: one, Argo wanted lunch and would keep making a fuss of it if she couldn't get some food, and two, the landlord or whomever owned the place kicked them out.

Apparently, some NPC's that stayed in the area were intimidated by Arsene and his 'summoner'. Said they couldn't sleep at night because of his cackling.

Okay, that was untrue! Arsene cackles, not him! And he so blamed Kayaba for this.

'Guess we'll move to Zumfut, or just camp,' it would take some time getting accustomed to, after so much time spent sleeping on beds in comfy little rooms with heaters and nice blankets and—ack, getting side-tracked over here. "Everything went alright?"

"Yep. My haggling skills and Vabel's nonplussed combined equals easy gains," Argo puffed her chest outwards, seeming proud of that. "We got boatloads of potions to last us for days, plus some food from the cook here. Liz-chan fixed up Kii-chan's stuff for her, and they're good as brand new!"

"Thank you for that," the purplette accepted her equipment from the other girl. "Let me—"

"Don't!" Two girls screamed, drawing attention to their table. The boy in their group turned away, suddenly finding the sky a lot more interesting.

"Why do you—Ah, yes. Human cultures," she settled for that simple answer, as Vabel so helpfully provided one time. "I suppose I'll have to wait until we find someplace else to change."

"That works too," he sighed. Honestly, he'd thought he was the weird one. "So anyways, just to keep you up-to-date with our current plans, we're going to move for Zumfut while staying away from the main paths. That should at least be enough to ensure that Argo, I'll need you to spread the info to everyone."

"Already on it," she said, typing something in the air. Presumably sending a text to one of her helpers.

He nodded, expression hardening. "We'll move out tomorrow, first thing in the morning. I've stressed this enough already, but we must be careful, alright everyone? Who knows what's waiting for us in those forests."

For all he knew, entering combat with a dark elf sounded more preferable than some magic-wielding cryptid, but he supposed that you just can't have all good things in the world.

20th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 2, Dungeon, Outside the Boss Room

"I'm telling you, there has to be some form of transportation in this game. I'm willing to bet all my money on that."

"That would be sooo helpful…"

The fact that his friends agreed with him made him want to find a stallion even quicker.

"Then we should focus on getting to the castle soon," Kizmel chimed in immediately after, a soft smile on her features. "Certain knights are trained for horseback, so there will be plenty of horses to use. That is, if they haven't died in the attack…"

"Here's hoping that they're alright," he frowned, genuinely concerned by the sound of things. If it looked bad now, it certainly knew how to get worse.

If these monsters are as terrible as she made them to be, then they couldn't afford to be lax. Fortunately, with the amount of Cor that they've made, they were able to make much preparation. All that was left now was to hope for the best and do what they can.

The labyrinth was eerily silent. No wild mobs, no enemies, nothing. Their footsteps were the only things that sounded along this hallway, his narrowed eyes shooting everywhere in case something jumped out to attack them. When the time is right, he'll draw out his 'Regalia', but for now, he'll just rely on plain and simple.

Rather than have his sword hung from his back, he had them clipped to the left side of his waist, if only for easier access to his blade. And he's got to say, it's way easier; lets him keep his hand over the hilt of his sword more easily.

"How much farther in, Kizmel?" He asked, looking to his right and staring down the vacant corridor. Nothing.

"Just a little more. We'll reach the monster's domain soon," answered the woman.

Soon enough, the group of five arrived at two massive doors. The boy was at the fore, his sword drawn, giving a nod to his teammates before he pushed the two doors inwards, hearing the way it scraped against the floor. They peered inside, noticing how it was already well-lit.

And in the far ends of the room…

"I can't believe it… Nothing. Absolutely goddamn nothing."

"W-Well… At least he was nice to us in that regard."

In that regard, he could agree with Asuna completely. Seems that, for as sadistic as the man was, he still knew how to be 'fair', even if lumping three whole bosses on them on the first floor with no time to plan could hardly be considered as 'fair'.

The battle hadn't been easy. He'd be foolish to think otherwise; powers or no, it was extremely taxing to take on three bosses consecutively in a row. It helped that there were a lot of players, reluctant or otherwise, present to help them fight the monsters. The last one, Asterius, was not easy, but it met its end all the same.

No casualties, thankfully. And the moment the battle was over, the Town of Beginnings regained its status as a safe zone, although he'd be lying if that made him feel safe. If anything, he felt suspicious, and all too tense—something that his teammates shared.

Maybe it was a trick. Maybe, by some small chance, the three bosses would still spawn against if they came here in this room.

And here they are, the room barren and empty.

"The door that allows us to move to the next area is open as well," told Kizmel. "And I hadn't unlocked it, in case you are wondering. It was already unlocked when I arrived here."

"Is that so? That's… good," he was at a loss for words. He seriously didn't know what to say. "Argo, anything changed?"

"Not sure, but so far, there isn't anything else. We've access to the next floor and everything," shrugged the girl. "So, that's it."

"If that is the case, then it should probably be fine for us to progress," Vabel said. "Unless there is anything we need to do?"

Everyone shook their heads, and that was more than enough. "Alright, girls. Let's get moving. Argo, send the message to the other players."

Nothing more that they can do for now.

20th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 3, Forest of Wavering Mist

A long time ago, when Kirito and Argo had been a part of 'Sword Art Online' through its beta test, when it was much simpler times and summoning ethereal beings weren't part of the package, floor 3 had been a wonder to explore.

It was beautiful, period. Completely different from any other region of the castle, this floor was filled to the brim with beautiful plants and blanketed in thick fog, which limited one's vision but only added to its beauty, helped by the multiple flickering lights of the bugs in the air to provide a chilling, yet comfortable ambience. Greens, blues and greys, with bright yellows in the air. It truly was a sight to behold.

This floor would have been the true start to their Aincrad days, for here, they would have encountered a battle between a Dark Elf and a Forest Elf, and they would have had to make their choice—thus drawing them into the great Elf War, what would have been such an incredible war campaign in this gae…

But damn whatever god that pissed on them, because Argo wished she could just enjoy exploring this place and not worry about being ambushed by some mythical monsters out for their blood.

"Keep close, everyone. We don't want to get separated," she heard their de facto leader mutter, quiet enough that only they could hear it—a good idea. Any louder and he might have alerted any monster. They nodded back. "And Argo, the info about the monsters, you sure you shared that bit with everyone?"

Goddamnit, this again? "Yes, Kii-bou. I shared the info with every living person on this freaking castle. Hell, I even had your samurai buddy and Liz-chan post it everywhere."

"You certain about that?" She wasn't going to repeat herself for the umpteenth time. Her silence said enough. "Alright then."

On one hand, she could hardly blame him for being overly cautious in literally everything. With how drastic a change this game has undergone, no amount of caution can really be thrown to the wind anymore.

On the other hand, jeez louise! Calm down! She's literally triple-checked to make sure that everything proceeded as the plans did!

She's just glad that Klein and his friends were more than happy enough to be good sport to spread the message. With how friendly and charismatic the guy is, his word was truth as far as they were concerned—rivalled even the news itself. And Liz-chan was a cute girl who got a lot of customers, so she could just tell them, and they'd tell others, and the process continues.

And look at what they've achieved! Info gets spread all around, thus equipping them with the knowledge to better prepare themselves when they're about to travel on this floor, which in turn reduces the likeliness of anyone dying. How about that?

Heh, she's so smart, she should be given a gold medal. Maybe she'll have someone make one for her in the future.

"This forest is so beautiful…" Vabel looked around herself, amazed. "Were we allowed to explore it to our hearts' content and not worry, I would have loved to simply enjoy a stroll or two."

"Definitely," agreed Argo. "Plus, the normal monsters aren't even that strong here, so it would've been fine… Bleh. What can we do? Oh, any movements so far, Kii-chan?"

Dark Elves, logically and lore-wise, have evolved to tackle the dark nature of their surroundings. They live in the cover of darkness, so it made sense that their senses had naturally adapted to help them. Night vision and heightened sense of hearing really helped a lot.

Oh, sure, as human players, they had access to the «Searching» ability, but they'd still need time to hone it—time, which they don't really have. With Kii-chan around, might as well make the most out of things. She's got it in the bag with this one.

"None yet," she answered. The elf paused in her movement, everyone following suit. "Hold… There's something in the distance…"

As one, the group of five stared forwards, trying to see past the dense mist that blocked their way. It was one thing to not be able to see, but also another to hear nothing. That honestly worried her more than anything. If there really was something there, then she was sure they'd be able to-

Grey quickly shifted into bright orange as a pair of orbs are lobbed right at them, dispersing the fog.

"Watch out!" Kirito yelled, pushing the elf behind him as he summoned his 'Regalia', tanking the hit. Even so, the timing couldn't have been any more perfect, as the demon materializes behind the black-clad swordsman. "Crap… They found us already?"

Laughing. Eerily childish, but not fully human. And soon enough, whatever had assaulted them showed themselves before the group. Pumpkins. Literal floating jack-o'-lanterns with witch hats and gloved hands, clutching a lantern in one.

"Jack-o'-Lanterns!" Vabel yelled, suddenly more aware than she was earlier. Her weapon drawn, the girl was already beside their leader in a battle-ready stance. "Be careful. They're not particular strong, but are capable of fire magic."

"Yeah, we can tell," she was no fighter herself, but what little could they do but fight their way out of anything in this world? That was more than reason enough to equip her claws. "What's the plan? Take em' out quick and easy?"

"Kizmel, stay in the back and see if there're any more of these… things. Asuna, guard her. Argo and Vabel are with me," he withdrew Annealed Blade with his left hand. "Keep close. Exploit every opening, and take them out fast."

As if that had been their cue, the monsters cast a spell of fire that barrelled straight for them like a pair of bullets. Augmented strength allowed the demon to cleave his way right through the spells, easily dispelling them.

'They surely have a recharge time. That's when we'll have to go in for the kill!' It was such a simple behaviour pattern that it would be foolish not to take advantage of.

Vabel was with her as the two charged forwards, claws and rapier shooting forwards as they struck bullseye. Her teammate's «Linear» easily depleted the creature's health to nil, her own attack easily replicating the same effect. Vigorous training had certainly be worth it, for these monsters crumpled almost immediately from their strength.

Even then, she'd been amazed at what she'd just seen. Monsters within the game typically die with one effect; bursting into polygons. Such held true for the players themselves, which wouldn't be enough to really differentiate one from the other, or the human-like mobs.

These things disintegrated into black smoke. A clear distinction from the residents and visitors of Aincrad.

"Argo, be careful! More to your right!"

"Hah!"

A burst of dark energy catches her off-guard, having been detonated a little too close, though it seemed it was for the other Jack-o'-Lantern that she hadn't noticed. Too foolish it had been, unable to protect itself as it was engulfed in pure black energy.

She gave a thumbs-up, which Arsene reciprocated.

Cackling from her six o' clock had her whirling around to the sight of countless more floating pumpkins, but Arsene had beaten her to the punch, having shot forwards like a missile and tore right through them with little hesitation. Kirito's health, having been sacrificed to give a little boost to Arsene, was filled back up thanks to a simple potion. She exchanged a nod with him, and moved onwards.

Plan A, to sneak their way through the forest; busted. Plan B? Tear their ways through!

"So these are some of the monsters that attacked you guys?!" Yelled Argo, ripping through some sort of floating pumpkin with her claws. "They're most certainly not from Ain—Whoah!"

Orange engulfed her vision for just a split moment before she threw herself to the ground, Kirito tanking the hit with little difficulty. The shockwave dispelled the mist from around them, though the smoke was next to provide cover.

Vabel shot forwards, her rapier a beautiful gleam of light that sailed right into its head, killing it in an instant. She moved onto the next, plucking one Jack-o'-Lantern and another. Argo dispatched another group on her own, their speed allowing them to make quick work of the enemies in their path.

From their flank, she watched out of the corner of her eye as Asuna slashed down a pumpkin that got a little too close, Kizmel holding her own with far more ease than she expected. The way her sword just seemed to dance about her, she was a professional fighter.

"Keep moving!" Kirito's voice rung through, everyone nodding as they broke into a run. "Kizmel! Which way?!"

"We need to keep heading east!" She screamed through the sounds of explosions, burning and bright lights. "There will be a point when the path forks! Use the right path, it'll take us straight to Zumfut!"

Eee-hee-hee… Even more Jack-o'-Lanterns spawn out of thin air, their misty cover doing little to really hide them.

From behind them, even more.

She heard a grumble from their leader. By then, however, Kirito had already moved, with speed that far surpassed theirs thanks to his gifted power. His swords in both hands slashed right through the horde like butter. Black blurred from left to right to up and down, each swing of his weapons leaving nothing but death in their wake.

He flicked his wrists and stabbed Elucidator into one pumpkin, cleaving another with his second sword. He flipped back into the air, allowing Vabel to take charge and stab the next few monsters with her weapon. One made the mistake of getting too close to him, which prompted him to kick it back towards Asuna, who cleaved it mid-air.

There sure were a lot of them, yet they seemed to be faring quite well. And as she watched the entire action around her, actually pausing to look, one thought came to Argo's mind.

'With the rate that we're going, anyone wouldn't be wrong to assume we're just playing a hack-and-slash game,' sweat-dropped the girl. 'Well, nothing we can do about it, I suppose.'

For now, they need to get to Zumfut. To safety.

20th December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 3, Zumfut

"That. Was. Exhausting!"

"I agree. It wasn't easy."

All eyes turned towards him, and though he had the sudden urge to just look away and pretend that he hadn't heard that, his own idiocy prevented him from committing to such. Instead, he looked back and shrugged.

"Hey, don't look at me. I fought just as much as you did," he shot back.

Asuna giggled silently to herself as the two Beta Testers warred a battle of their own, though it was the girl who backed off first, grumbling about how unfair things was while the other was busy fighting down his shit-eating grin.

Zumfut was as safe as it could be, situated on the third floor which the farthest floor from where the Dark Elves' castle was. That had been the place where all these monsters emerged from, according to Kizmel's intel.

The moment they'd arrived, plenty NPC's who recognized Kizmel were quick to welcome her and her group of friends, all relieved to see that one of the queen's knights had survived. It didn't take much longer than that before they were offered lodging, rations and equipment after Asuna explained what they were planning to do.

To travel to the castle and take on the monsters and save the king and queen.

She looked out through the window of the inn that they were renting, and the town was made from three trees, instead of actual buildings. That alone set the bars high for how diverse the towns could be in this world, and the possibility of coming upon something even more unique piqued her interest.

While Argo started running Kirito's ear off about something, she instead turned his attention towards Vabel.

"Vabel-chan," she called out, getting her attention. "What we faced back there… You seemed to recognize what they are. Jack-o'-lanterns. Are they what attacked Kizmel-chan and her people?"

"Hmm… No, I doubt it. They were the low-levelled Shadows. I doubt even a large number of them would have been enough to besiege a castle," she set the book she had been reading onto her lap. "Rather, it must have been others."

Shadows… What an intriguing name. Not like they just fought floating pumpkins. But it still does make her curious.

"Shadows eh? Some name," there was a small wave of her hand before Argo progressed. "But eh, what do I know? So, what are they, oh resident Persona expert?"

"Shadows… Well, were I to simplify it, a Shadow is a part of someone that they've hidden away from others. A suppressed form of someone's psyche, if you would," the explanation elicits a few curious looks from the players and sole NPC in the room. "And those whose willpower are strong, those who can come to terms with themselves and their own Shadows, are capable of taming them. And they, in turn, become a Persona."

"Just like me, huh?" He quirked a brow, willing Arsene into existence. "Then again, all I got was a splitting headache, and there comes Arsene. What's up with that?"

"Such was the case with my earlier host as well, and you two are quite similar," chuckled the demon. "After all, you were determined to save your friends, just as he wished to protect his. I suppose that answers your curiosity?"

"Hmm… I'm not sure, but I'll let it slide," he quickly added the last part for effect. "For now."

Arsene chuckled a deep and rumbling sound, not so different from a motor. Kizmel watched him, a fascinated look on her face that she once had a long time ago. Then again, even now, she just can't help but feel amazed looking at him.

But what they've learnt today has already brought to surface an even worrying issue. Shadows, a wholly new group of enemies… well, there wasn't much that they could realistically do in this scenario but keep progressing as usual. It's a bummer, for certain, but not reason enough for them to give up.

Thankfully, they still obeyed the rules of this world; they possessed health that can indeed be depleted, and still granted item drops and Exp. like any other monsters do. Had that not been the case, they would have been in great trouble.

Seeing that they're Shadows, a clearly different group of mobs they have to face, they too had their special abilities and innate resistances and the like. Just as summoning Arsene seemed to reduce physical damage inflicted upon himself, they must surely have their own specific resistances, immunities and the like.

But therein lied another issue that made her wonder…

"Kizmel-chan," she tilted her head towards the purplette, who stared back. "You told us before that you were ambushed by Shadows during the peace treaty ceremony. But Vabel-chan believes that they weren't the ones you had to fight. Is that correct?"

"That's… Yes. The ones we fought today were not the ones we fought during the attack," she bit her lip, gaze falling to her lap. "The ones we had to fend off that day were different. I can't exactly be certain what they were, but…"

"Well, we've got a walking Shadows compendium with us," Kirito nodded his head towards Vabel. "Vabel here recognized the Shadows we were up against. Jack-o'-Lanterns. Why don't you try giving us a description of a few you've faced?"

"Understood. One was a yellow-furred beast with a black face and red eyes. There was also a two-headed dog with a green mane, and another was a humanoid red-skinned creature. It weld a polearm weapon," the dark elf recounted.

Vabel hummed, closing her eyes to recall the names of the Shadows. "…Nue, Orthrus and Oni. I see… They are indeed formidable Shadows. Far stronger than the ones we faced."

That did not sound good. Enough to make the air feel heavy. "How strong?" Asuna asked.

"Mmm… Were we to denote their strengths in numbers, the Shadows we faced today would be between two and six. The three she faced…" And the grim expression on her face already unsettled him. "Twenty and twenty-two."

"Twenty-two?!" A chair crashed into the wall as she got up. Argo's face had gone pale, hands shaking. "Wait a minute, y-you're actually expecting us to go fight against things that strong? We'll be slaughtered! And this is still just the early ten floors of Aincrad!"

Her concern was not unfounded. As they are, their levels just wouldn't be enough for them to handle Shadows that strong. To fight against one would be a pain in itself. But to go against a wave of them would be a nightmare. How Kizmel managed to escape from there was nothing short of a miracle.

T-This can't be… Shouldn't the game be doing something. Kirito mentioned something about the game having some amazing processing system that handles things that go on in the game. Shouldn't it remove those bugs?

'If they remove those monsters, they might remove Kirito-kun's powers,' her brain supplied, which turned the lead in her stomach into heavier steel. That would be a massive setback in this world that intended to kill them, no matter what.

Asuna watched out of the corner of her eyes as their leader tutted, crossing his arms against the wall as countless thoughts ran in his head. Possibly some strategy or method to quickly overcome this level barrier, which even she felt was impossible.

Having utilized the 'Little Nepenthes grind' tactic before, she knew it wouldn't work again. Sure, they could spawn more by attacking the one with the fruit, but even then, there was bound to be a cap as to how much Exp. you could gain from there. There would be Exp., but they'll soon reach a brick wall with how much they could get before they'd level up.

Boss monsters were out of the equation as well. The floor bosses don't respawn, and the same applies for the field bosses. The ones that spawn only for certain quests might never spawn again, unless the quest can be reactivated—alas, not all quests can be repeated like the Little Nepenthes flower quest.

Is this it? Had they finally hit their limits..?

"But, is it not possible for Kirito to take them out?" Asked Kizmel, all eyes shifting towards her next. "After all, he possesses the power of Persona. That alone grants him incredible strength."

"As flattered as I am to hear that, I'm not certain I alone would be enough," sighed the boy, a cold fact they all had to come to terms with. "My strength as is would be akin to a number thirteen, and with my 'Regalia', I'd put myself at a solid fifteen. That's still five levels away from twenty. I'm not certain I'd be able to take on all of them alone."

And never would she even think of letting him go out to fight those things on his own. He might know his way around the game and has already proven himself a capable fighter, but if he were to die in the fight because they relied on him too much?

She wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

"But what if there were others with your power?" She suggested next.

"Wouldn't that be nice?" Asuna sighed, dejected. "Unfortunately, the only one thus far who could use a Persona is Kirito-kun. There's no one else thus far who've shown such abilities."

"With Kii-bou's luck, maybe one will fall onto our laps."

"I thought I bring bad luck, not good."

"Don't jinx it!"

The argument that the three were in were silenced by a small cough, all heads turning towards Kizmel once more. This time, however, there is a sheepish expression on her face, looking embarrassed for a reason unknown.

Unknown, until it struck Vabel first, eyes wide with realization. "You… can summon a Persona as well?"

"I… cannot. Not to the extent that Kirito can," she admitted, eliciting gasps from the girls and a wide-eyed look from the boy. "Mine is still… weak. I cannot summon it perfectly, and using its power for even a moment aches my mind. But I received his aid while I was on the cusp of death, and it was with his power that I managed to escape from the Shadows at the castle."

Silence ensued when her words ended, everyone staring at her with expressions of surprise. Argo's attempt at talking never came as her mouth seemed to fail her, and Asuna was a little wide-mouthed than usual.

Kirito was the first to recover, and with it, a quip of his own. "So that makes two Persona-users then. Neat."

"Are you kidding me?! We had two Persona-users this entire time, and we never knew!" Argo threw her arms in the air, looking both grateful and displeased at the same time. Probably wanted to break something too. "So, you can't summon your Persona. Why not?"

She shook her head. "I'm… not certain. I hadn't the opportunity to actually try ever since I met you."

Unable to summon a Persona… Headache… Strange. What problem was she facing?

When Kirito first awakened to Arsene, he mentioned something about a splitting headache. That, as well as how Arsene questioned his determination—would he fight to protect his friends? Resolved, Elucidator formed before him. He shattered it, and thus confirmed his ability to utilize the power of Persona.

Kizmel can't summon her Persona. Why not? What was it that Kirito could do but not her..?

"You know, you should seriously stop mumbling like that," her train of thoughts ended as she looked to her friends, noticing Argo's uneasy look. "It's kinda' weird."

"Sorry. I just realized something," he looked to the dark elf. "Kizmel, when you first summoned your Persona, can you describe to me how it went?"

"I… Well, it was in the heat of the moment, so do forgive me if I cannot recall it perfectly," she closed her eyes, the image of the terrifying stallion and its rider coming to mind. "I remember how we were sieged… How our knights, both that of the dark and forest elves, attempted to defend our king and queen against the monsters. But it was no use—"

"—In a matter of seconds, we were quickly overrun. My queen sent me after you, and somewhere along the way, I was cornered," her fists tightened. "I remember it, so vividly… I was dying. There was nowhere to escape. And then…"

A sharp pang. A burst of flames. A sweeping attack. Shadows dissipating into thin air.

It wasn't an impossible tale to digest, but she failed to bring up a few things. Things that he had been quick to realize and point out afterwards.

" 'Regalia'?" She asked, receiving a nod from the boy. That's it!

"From what Vabel told us, a 'Regalia' is basically the materialization of one's soul. Hmm… I suppose it's just our soul itself given shape. And when we shatter that 'Regalia', our Persona comes from it," Arsene was willed back into Elucidator, which he held up in one hand to show to everyone. "This is my 'Regalia'. I'm apparently a swordsman at heart. What of you?"

She eyed the black sword a moment longer, eyes dropping to her open hand. "I… don't think I possess one."

"Then that is the problem you face," piped in the expert on all supernatural stuff. "Summoning a Persona without a 'Regalia' in this world is difficult, and limits the potential of your Persona. Still, it is an impressive feat for you to summon your Persona despite not having one."

So, all she needed to do was get her 'Regalia' first then, huh?

For him, it was the conviction to protect his friends and beat this game. Arsene answered to his call for power then.

She wondered, then, what would it be for Kizmel?

23rd December 2022—Aincrad. Floor 4, Rovia, City Plaza

"Cheers!"

"CHEERS!"

Mugs clacked against one another as the men of the guild heartily sang a merry tune and whatnot with one another. The game isn't capable of replicating the effects of getting drunk, yet they drank on with nary a care, simply content to play along and enjoy the taste of cold wine and beer.

Hmm… Interesting. Even despite knowing that alcoholism doesn't really exist within this world, they'd go so far as to pretend as if it does, if only to add to the mood in the air. It certainly was a curious one.

"Cheers to finally beating Nerius," Kirito deadpanned, to which everyone responded with their own, less-than-hearty cheers. He took a sip from his drink and beamed considerably. "Huh. This is actually pretty good. What is it?"

"Dunno'. Someone just told me that't was just some sorta' juice from ah, what's it called? Eh, I forget," shrugging to herself, Argo finished up her mug before setting it on the table. "Seriously, though, that last boss was a toughie. A tree that could keep replenishing its health so long we don't cut its roots. Props to Kizmel for figuring it out."

"It was a shame that we had to slay such a magnificent creature, however. It was the protector of the forest, after all, so it leaves me with a heavy feeling to know that we had to do so," sighed the elf, to which she couldn't help but agree. Had there been some way to avoid slaying it, along with the other monsters, that would have been more preferable.

Though, judging by the odd look Kirito was giving her, he probably didn't really agree with that sentiment.

She wondered why was it that she hadn't joined the group of men out in the plaza, rather than be sitting here at a table outside of a café to celebrate Christmas, but she doubted she would be able to enjoy such rambunctious cheering and singing. This peace and quiet was a lot more preferable.

Christmas… Had things been different, Kirito would be celebrating it with his sister and parents. Asuna would be with her family as well, and so too would Argo. Yet here they are, in a different world altogether, fighting to survive another day. A pitiful thought.

She clasped her mug and stared into the red liquid. Not much progress had been made, if they were being honest. Kirito had aimed for at least the fifth floor before the month ends, though there just wasn't much that they could do, seeing that magic-wielding monsters still roamed the areas and would impede any traveller's path. They had to prioritize caution over speed.

'A shame that Kizmel isn't able to reawaken her Persona once more,' she thought, glancing to the Dark Elf who was answering a question about her people's cultures and delicacies. 'It was the same predicament that Miss Haru faced during her time as a Phantom Thief. What can I do..?'

Granted, she had found her own conviction to go up against her father after finally seeing the truth beyond his façade. That her father had allowed himself to fall so low, to the point of using his own daughter for his selfish purposes, that he was willing to crush other companies to make himself even greater, had been the push she needed.

Kizmel wasn't that sort of person. She had devoted her entire life to protecting her queen, her people and her kingdom. Just what was there that they could use to give her that push..?

"…I honestly don't mind," Asuna's voice dragged her out of her thoughts, spotting the frown on her face. "Spending my time here rather than back home… I don't mind."

"I'm not sure if I can really agree with you on that," sighed their leader. "A simple night with food on the table, watch some shows together on the couch and just being together… I'm going to miss that."

"No kidding. Kinda' makes me miss my mom too," groaned Argo with a genuine frustration. "What about you, Aa-chan? You seem to dislike it."

"I don't dislike Christmas, per se. It's just… well, I come from a prestigious family. A wealthy one, if you would, and it's hard to really enjoy a festivity as mundanely as you do. And don't get me wrong, it doesn't sound bad, it sounds much more fun than what I have to deal with. Boring parties with suitors and people you don't recognize…" She lets out a sigh, one that's been worn down throughout the years with chagrin and exhaustion. "I'm just so tired of it. At least here, I don't have to pretend to be 'Asuna, the rich and noble girl', but just Asuna."

"That, and because you decided to use your real name as your freaking identity, when you could just use another," scoffed the boy, which made the girl blush.

It was a slip-up, though, as Kizmel was quick to catch onto that. "Your name is not Kirito?"

"Ah—W-Well… no, no it isn't," he shook his head, forced to play his way out now. "The thing is, upon entering this world, we were required to use an alternate identity. One that would ensure our real identity stays a secret when we return to our old world. For safety."

"Aah, I see. That's interesting to know—"

"Kazuto. Kazuto Kirigaya."

Vabel hadn't been the one to gasp when he so blatantly revealed his name like that. "W-What the hell?! Kii-bou, why'd you just—"

"I trust all of you enough," he said simply. "Not like I've much to lose in the long run, from telling my name to you. You don't need to say your names, of course, but I'm fine with putting mine on the table."

"Mmgr…" Argo seemed to hesitate somewhat, frustration at him so obviously breaking the 'vows of a gamer', as one might say. She eventually spoke in a muted, yet exasperated tone. "Tomo. Tomo Hosaka."

"That's… Um, oh! Asuna Yuki," she smiled afterwards. "So that's our real names."

"I see… It is a pleasure to meet you," chuckled the elf. "Although, I am to assume that you are to continue using your second names?"

"Right. There's no knowing what anyone might plan to do with the knowledge of our real names. For that, we need to keep using our second names," nodded the ravenette. "Oh, and just so you know, Vabel's name has always been that. Persona Vabel."

"That is me," the girl in question said.

"Well, enough of all this whatever! If anything, all of you should be paying me Cor for me to expose ma' real name!" She grabbed her empty mug with a furious swing of her arm and raised it into the air. "What matters now, more than ever, is try'na find a way for Kii-chan to get over her weird problems, beat the many more monsters in our path, and keep moving forwards until we can find Kayaba, kick him in the balls, and get out of this world! Who's with me?!"

It was the crude language she relied upon that drew several eyes upon them, though they quickly turned away when she'd all but leered at them. Vabel had to stifle a chuckle at how odd things have just turned out, knowing how ashamed Argo must have felt—for what reason, it could have been anyone's guess.

But as she raised her mug, and her teammates doing the same before they yelled 'Cheers!', she knew defeat was not an option. Things will be fine.

Author's Notes:

Sword Art Online Season 3 Part 3 just came out today, yes! And it was great!

Granted, not as exaggerated as the novel had been, but it was still fun to watch!

Oh, and Persona 5 Royal! It was a blast to play, and I'm glad that I'd averted my eyes from every spoiler and the like. How do people end up accidentally reading any? It was nice to reexperience everything and the new additions—seriously, those Showtime attacks are just beautiful! I'd prefer Yusuke's and Ryuji's the most, to be honest (XD).

Anyways, onto a different note. As I've said in my other story, The Administrator's Descent, I've only just entered college. The place is nice, the people are nice, and the schedule isn't as tight as one would think. In fact, I have a feeling that I'd be able to write up some chapters in the few moments of freedom that I can get (or during class, lol. Bad idea, though).

Now then, I'm planning to write on a faster pace for this story. I thought it would be alright to do it in Progressive style, but given the fact that I intend to make use of all worlds and arcs into this story, making things a little faster would be much better. So if it's good or bad, you tell me, yeah?

Sorry that I hadn't updated in a long time, yeah? But I'm still going to finish this story, one way or another! Kizmel is gonna' get her Persona, other people are going to unlock theirs too, and we're gonna' get to the ending together! Let's get it!