Author's Note: As promised, here's the second half of the original chapter. Thanks to everyone who's stuck out the months between chapters, y'all are the best. Lots of real-world responsibilities leave recreational writing on the backburner.

Enough excuses, I hope you enjoy!

18 July 2024
11:04 hrs
Lisbeth's Smith Shop

I headed up the stairs and into the sales room, ready to hold down the fort. I put on an apron with the shop's logo as I had dozens of times before, unlocked the door, and turned the "Closed" sign to "Open". Running the shop wasn't very difficult; all I had to do was greet customers, treat them well, and collect the amount listed on the price tag.

Now we wait.

Once eleven o'clock came around, the first customer entered the shop. He looked to be about mid-leveled, not quite ready for the Assault team, and young. Probably around Silica's age. He was a little shorter than me with a somewhat rounded face and had light blonde hair to accompany it.

"Welcome to Lisbeth's Smith Shop! Built for combat, built to last!"

He sheepishly smiled, waved, then walked to the case of daggers to my left of the door. He looked around at the different blades in stock, then moved on to the short swords.

"Excuse me, sir, I have a question," he turned and called out to me.

"I have an answer! How can I help?" I left the register area and walked to where he stood.

"I'm looking to start fighting on higher floors to join the assault team, but I don't think my weapon will be effective past this floor. Do you know where I can start?"

"Well I'll need to ask a few questions of my own to answer yours, is that ok?"

"Yes!"

"Ok, what's your build? Sword-and-shield? Two-handed?"

"Sword-and-shield"

"All right. Next: do you prefer power or speed?"

"Speed."

"So you're the one in charge of DPS?"

"Yeah."

"Got it. Now, I'll need to take a look at your current weapon so we know where to start looking."

"Okay," he opened his menu and materialized what looked like a Roman Gladius.

"Fan of CQB, I see," I gave a half smile as I checked its stat window.

"Yeah, I like to get right up on the mobs," he responded.

"Okay, so it looks like you're looking for a bastard sword of some type. Most importantly, something a little longer than your sixty-centimeter Gladius. The mobs here and beyond can get pretty nasty up close."

"You've been to the front lines?"

"Yup! I'm Kirito of the clearing team, if that name means anything to you."

"The Black Swordsman?!" His eyes widened with surprise, and his jaw quickly dropped. "I'm a big fan! But what are you doing watching a shop?"

"I'm glad to see a fan. Great break from those who hate my guts. Anyway, I'm really close to the owner, so sometimes she asks me to run the front while she's smithing."

"That's cool! I'm Eugene!" He eagerly reached out and shook my hand. "Hey, so what kind of sword will help me survive up here?"

"If you wanna stay with the Roman loadout, you can go with a Spatha. It's a one-handed sword about eighty centimeters long, so it'll give you more reach, and a nasty blow. But if you want greater durability at the cost of a little damage, you can go with a German Ulfberht sword."

"Which is less expensive? I only have 36,000 col for a weapon."

Damn... That's because my Dark Repulsor was worth 100k new.

"Well let's check. Follow me."

We checked the tags on the two weapons in their case at the opposite wall. The Spatha was listed at 50,000 and the Ulfberht was 55,000.

"Oh man... I'm sorry... I can't afford either," he said in a resigned manner.

"Hey, don't give up yet. You can still trade in your Gladius to help with the difference," I reassured him.

"Right! How much can I sell it for?"

"Follow me again, I need to check the guide book on that one. Last time I made a bad estimate, I cost Lisbeth about four-thousand col. If I couldn't pay for that and dinner, we wouldn't be talking right now."

"Haha, that must have sucked," he snickered as we walked to the counter.

Not as bad as you think, haha.

I went behind, grabbed the tome from its shelf, and placed it on the counter.

"Let's see... Gladius... Gladius... Gladius," I said as I flipped through the pages. "Here we are! Let's see.. in its current condition.. It's worth 12,000 col."

He let his head fall with a sigh of defeat.

"Not again... I don't want to sell my reserve dagger too, otherwise I'll only have the Spatha. And if that breaks..."

"Hey, I'll tell you what: you sell your Gladius to the shop, you buy the Spatha, I'll cover the difference. You can repay me by bringing your guild here any time any of you need anything repaired," I offered.

It only makes sense. We make a sale, profit off of another item, and ensure we have business. Sure, it'll cost me two thousand col, but it's a personal investment for the shop. After all, she did give me a sword worth 100k col essentially for free.

"You'd really do that?!"

"Yeah, but this stays between us, you hear? If Aincrad can get more players on the front lines, we clear floors faster, and the faster we clear floors, the faster we can all go home."

"Y-yes, of course! It's a deal!"

"I'm glad we came to an agreement," I said as I went to get the Spatha from the display case. I made my way back to the register, where he paid with his large sack of coins, Gladius, and my two thousand.

"Thank you so much! I'll be sure to point people this way when they're looking for something!" He called as he went to the door.

"My pleasure. Come back soon, Eugene!" I called while he was walking out.

"Thanks, Kirito!"

The bell rang as the door closed behind him. All in all, he was in and out in five minutes.

I'd say this was a good start to the shop day.

"Kirito?" a familiar female voice called as the door's bell rang again.

"Asuna? What brings you here?"

The strawberry-blonde-haired girl walked in with her extravagant white-and-red KOB uniform and Lambent Light on her left hip.

"I can ask you the same thing, genius. What are you doing in that apron?"

"Oh, Liz asked me to watch the store while she finished a weapon order. When we got up this morning, we thought it'd be done by now, but-"

"What do you mean by 'When we got up'? Did you sleep here?" She asked almost aggressively.

Oh shit, I shouldn't've let that slip.

"W-why does it matter?" I asked in response.

"Because if you tried anything on my best friend-"

About that...

"- and hurt her, then I'll drag you to the Black Iron Palace myself and make sure you never leave!"

Well damn... She looks pretty serious about that. I guess I'd better not tell her we kissed...

"Don't worry, Asuna. She's perfectly fine, and she's in the back right now. She doesn't want anyone bugging her until she finished smelting the metal."

"And how much longer should that take?"

I looked over at the wall clock and found that nearly forty minutes passed since she asked for a half hour.

"Actually, she's already finished with the earlier portion. I guess you can go check up on her if you like."

"Thank you, I'll be going," Asuna said coldly before heading to the door to the forge room.

Why is she being so cold? I'd think that if Liz were to trust me with something as valuable as her shop, Asuna would trust her judgement and not be so hostile. You know what? I'll do my job and watch the store.

"Actually," I went and put my hand on the doorknob as she was reaching for it, "I need to make sure she's ready for visitors."

And the forge room is a part of the building that the store is in.

"You have to be kidding! She's my best friend, I'm sure she'll be fine with me going down there!"

"Sorry, Asuna," I halfheartedly apologized, "It's a special order, and I don't want her losing any money on diminished quality."

"Ugh, fine," she reluctantly wavered and crossed her arms.

If only she stopped obsessing over clearing the game and actually lived for a change, I'm almost certain she'd be less stiff and cold-hearted. But I guess she's just that determined to get back to her family on the other side. I almost feel sorry for her sometimes... I wonder how different things would be if she'd napped under the tree on that perfect day long ago like I suggested. Maybe she wouldn't be so uptight and professional.

"Thank you, I'll be right back." I opened the door and rushed down the steps to find Liz. She was standing at the furnace with a large pair of tongs at the ready and the ingot block still in the fires.

"What is it? Why's the shop unattended?" She called almost coldly. She's in the zone, so I can't blame her demeanor.

"Asuna's here, she wants to see you!" I called back.

"What does she need?"

"She didn't say! Do I send her down?"

She pulled the ingot out of the furnace, set it on her crafting table, then turned back to me.

"Yeah, but be quick!"

"Got it!"

I ran back up the stairs and through the door where the no-nonsense Vice Commander was waiting.

"Well?" she asked.

"You can go, but I'm not sure how much time you'll have," I answered.

"I'll worry about that, thanks." She opened the door and left to meet her friend.

Liz:

"Hey, Liz!" Asuna called cheerfully as she walked down the steps from the door.

"Hey, Asuna! So what did you need? Repair? Order? Check-in?" I asked.

It wasn't unusual for Asuna to randomly stop by the shop whenever she needed anything. Sometimes, she'd have me repair her rapier and we'd talk or gossip about what was going on around Aincrad, her guild, or rumors on different materials, but on special days, she'd come in and request a new weapon. The last time she did, she walked out with the masterpiece that is the Lambent Light! But what is it this time?

"Somewhat of a check-in, actually," she responded.

"Oh, okay! So how have things been?"

"Things have been well. Guild recruits are progressing steadily, we're prepping for an attack on the next boss soon, and my rapier seems to be working better than ever." She went and sat on the table I have next to my grindstone and let her legs dangle off the edge.

"Well that's great to hear!" I turned and checked on the white-hot metal to see if it was time to start beating it with my mallet. Just a few more minutes; I left it in the furnace too long, so if I worked it now, the sword's durability might suffer.

"Yeah! But I was mostly coming in to check in on you," she said with a less cheerful voice.

"Well I've been well as of lately. More customers are coming in, metal prices are fluctuating again, which means more money for my more popular blades, and I think I'm getting better with my newer builds!"

"Great job, Liz! I'm glad the shop is doing well. But word on the front lines is that you're doing well in matters that aren't shop-related, though."

"Wait, what do you mean?" I asked.

Is she talking about me and Kirito.?

"Well, a few guild mates saw you and a certain somebody," she pointed back to the door, "having breakfast near the front. It was nothing noteworthy until he started grabbing your hands and had the two of you leave abruptly. They said you even left your plates and shakes virtually, or figuratively, untouched. I just wanted to talk to you about it personally before people started talking. Some people think you and Kirito are a thing, and I wanted to know if it was true."

I couldn't help but look down and blush when Asuna finished the last sentence. Some of my bangs promptly fell to cover my forehead.

"So I take that as a yes?" She asked.

"What?! No! No, Kirito and I are just friends! He was just repaying me for letting him stay- I mean, showing him where some rare materials are..."

"Are you sure? I won't be mad if it turns out you two are.. you know.. It's about time you got to be really happy in the game."

"We're not dating, okay? The easiest way I could describe it is a companionship, where he helps me complete orders and I maintain his gear or give him whatever items I can't use."

"He hasn't made a move on you, has he?"

Suddenly, my mind went back to my spontaneous kiss with Kirito earlier... the firm, yet gentle way he held me.. the butterflies I got in my stomach... and the feeling of completion...

That... was my first kiss...

"-don't you?" Asuna's voice brought me back to our conversation.

"Sorry, I didn't catch your question. What'd you ask?"

"You like him, don't you?" she asked frankly.

"Honestly, there's something about him that I can't explain... Yeah, I do like him..."

"Does he feel the same way?"

Once again, my mind went back to Kirito and I...

Knock it off, Liz! Focus!

"I think he does... but I'm afraid of not having him around if things don't go well," I said nervously.

"Oh, I see," Asuna flashed a smile and came up to hug me.

"I'm sure things will work out the way they're supposed to. If he's half as nice as you make him seem, I'm sure he'll stay around through everything. But don't take that for granted, okay?"

"I know... I just want to be careful..." I returned her hug for a moment and released when she did.

"Listen, I'm sorry if I was coming on too strong. I just wanted to make sure you weren't being taken advantage of, that's all. There are a lot of people who wouldn't hesitate forget about this life if we get out, or would carry on with the game if anything happens. As long as he makes you happy, I can learn to tolerate him. Well, I should be going, I don't want to hurt your profits," she said as she turned for the door.

"That's okay, I understand. I'll see you later! And yes, I'll give you updates every now and then. Maybe you ought to find somebody sometime; there are plenty of good-looking players who would love to get to know you!" I teased.

"You know I don't have time nor interest for things like that!" she responded bashfully. "Well, good luck on the build!"

"Thanks! Good luck on the front lines!" I waved good bye as she climbed up the steps and left the room.

I wonder what she has against him? They probably argue all the time at boss meetings. It's almost strange that two people of their personalities and combat prowess haven't hooked up already. Should I be worried about that? No... he wouldn't have kissed me like that if he had his mind on somebody else... and the way he acted, it seemed like his first kiss also..

I just really hope this all works out well... Time to make a sword out of this!

I grabbed my mallet off of a nearby tool case and began pounding the bluish-purple chunk of metal.

Kirito:

After another cut-and-dry weapon sale, Asuna came out of the work room and quickly headed for the front door. Out of courtesy, I waved and said "Have a nice day!" As she left.

"You too! I'll see you on the front lines!" she called before she closed the front door behind her.

Well that's strange. I was expecting some sort of cold remark - if she would respond at all. I wonder what they talked about back there. Probably girl stuff.

I stood behind the counter for about another twenty minutes, helping two more mid-leveled players obtain new weapons, sans monetary help, before Liz excitedly came up from her forge.

"Hey, you have to see this! I think I made another masterpiece!" She panted slightly and leaned on the door frame.

"Really?" I asked, turning from the counter.

"Yes! Hurry!" she said with elation while waving me over.

"All right! Give me a second!"

"Why?!"

"I need to update the sign so you don't find some weapons missing!"

I ran to the front door and put up a Sorry! We'll be back soon! sign, came back, left the apron on the counter, then followed the giddy blacksmith downstairs. Once down the staircase, she led me to her crafting table where a slick, shiny sword was residing.

The blade was a shining silver color with a jet-black handle. Its cross guard had a slight curve on both sides with the crescent points going away from the hilt. On the hilt, I saw a spiked knuckle guard that would protect the wielder's hand, and a pointed knob at the bottom of it.

Man, she never fails to impress, does she? Dear God.. the hilt itself looks like a formidable weapon, and then there's an seventy-five-centimeter blade attached to it.

I grabbed the sword from the table and gave it a couple of swings; the weight was comfortable and the knuckle guard didn't really get in the way, although I don't see too much of a use for it.

"I know that the sword is for the customer, but how is it?" Liz asked, returning her smithing tools to their places.

"You did a great job forging it! What's it called? It almost looks strong enough to go up against my Elucidator," I marveled, setting the sword down when I finished the last swing.

"It's called Silver's Cry. Why don't we try that out? After all, you did hope that I could make a sword capable of shattering yours." She walked over from the furnace and picked up the blade, took a second look at its details, then handed it back to me.

"W-what? I.. ugh.. Yeah, I did..." I sighed as I retrieved the new blade in my left hand, then unsheathed mine with my right. I set the tapered end of the Elucidator on a nearby table and raised Silver's Cry above my head.

Well, here goes nothing.

The silver blade glowed crimson as it arced in a downward vertical towards the Elucidator. A short, bright flash of light followed by a loud ping filled the room when the two swords made contact. The volume and frequency of the clash left my ears ringing momentarily, almost making me drop the damn things. When the ring subsided, I returned my focus to the swords.

While inspecting my blade for any damage, I found a subtle, yet noticeable scratch on the spot where it was hit. By the looks of it, the durability wasn't badly affected, though not many things could put such a mark in a single blow.

"D-did you see that?" I turned and asked Liz, who looked even more surprised than I was.

"Y-yeah, I did." She walked over and picked up Silver's Cry, then looked at the Elucidator. "I actually expected my sword to break again, seeing as to how my last masterpiece broke instantly."

"Really? Because you also made the Dark Repulsor, and last I remember, the sword met and exceeded expectations."

"Right! How could I have forgotten that? Well, let's see how Silver's compares to the Dark Repulsor."

Liz tapped on the sword and opened up the specs window. From there, she waved me over to read the info.

Silver's Cry +0

Staight Sword/ One Hand

Range: Short

Type: Slash

Attack: 660

Weight: 140

Durability: 1200

We both took a long look at the numbers, then back to each other, a surprised expression on my face and a wide grin on hers.

"Okay, now let's look at my other masterpiece! Quick, hand it over!"

"Sure, give me a second," I replied I opened and scrolled through my favorites tab. "Here you go."

After momentarily struggling with the weight, she put the blue blade on the table next to Silver's Cry, then opened its specs window.

Dark Repulsor +3

Straight Sword/ One Hand

Range: Short

Type: Slash

Attack: 690

Weight: 150

Durability: 1350

Lisbeth let out a cry of excitement when she read the window, then turned and wrapped her arms around my neck. Being as happy for her as she was excited, I returned her hug and spun her around briefly.

"Great job, Liz!" I congratulated when I put her down. "The buyer is going to love it! When's he due to pick it up?"

"Sometime today, but he never gave an exact time."

"Oh, okay. Do you mind if I stick around until he picks it up?"

"Of course, as long as you're okay with missing a day on the field."

"I can live with that," I started, "Besides, if he comes by soon, I wouldn't have missed much time. I could just keep watching the storefront with you in the mean time."

"Well you're going to have to hold it down solo some more until I finish today's weapon repairs."

"That's okay. How long do you think that'll take?"

"Maybe another hour or so. Thankfully, there aren't many today."

"All right. You take care of that, and I'll stay in the front. Come up when you're done!"

"You can count on it!"

I headed back up to the register where I serviced a few more customers. Others arrived to pick up orders and repairs, and promptly left as Liz finished them. When there was a lull in the arrival of customers, I'd sit behind the counter and study the weapon catalog for the shop. I'm familiar with the retail price of most weapons in the game, but not bargain prices, as evidenced by the 4,000-col-mistake I mentioned earlier.

Eventually, Lisbeth came up out of her forge room and exchanged her brown work apron for her signature white one.

"Hey Kirito, could I ask a major favor of you?" She asked.

"What would that favor be?" I looked up from a section on daggers towards the shop's owner.

"Could you go to the market square in town and buy me a new smithing hammer? I'd craft it myself, but I don't have the skill to make the quality hammer I need."

"With what money will I be using to buy this hammer? Also, is there any particular vendor I can get it from?"

She materialized a small cloth bag, counted the contents, then tossed it to me.

"In there is about 10,000 col. In the far corner of the market, you'll find Erich, the main metallurgy vendor in the square. If the 10,000 isn't enough, let me know so I could reimburse you the difference."

"And what's the name of the hammer?"

"There's no particular name, since most weapons and tools are unique, but it's made of Orcish steel."

"As opposed to Human steel?"

"I don't know why, but it's supposed to be a few times stronger, and therefore more durable and better for shaping weapons."

"All right then. Let me get it all written down." I got a paper from a drawer in the counter and a fountain pen and scribbled down the information, then got up and headed for the door.

"I'll be right back!" I called from the door.

"Hurry back!" Liz called back.

You bet I will!

When I finally made my way to the marketplace, I started following the directions Lisbeth gave to find the elusive Erich. Food vendors, newspapers, info brokers, and even small-time blacksmiths crowded the four sides and corners of the square, selling whatever they could to passing players and residents. Eventually, I got through the hordes of shoppers and vendors and found the little kiosk in the calmest corner.

The person sitting behind the cluttered counter was a charismatic-looking fellow with light brown hair, tanned skin, and dressed in a dark blue v-neck shirt. As I approached, he stood up and waved.

"Welcome to Erich's Corner Shop! My name is Erich! How may I help you?"

"Hey! My name is Kirito, and I'm here in search of an Orcish smithing hammer. On behalf of Lisbeth."

"Oh, the wonderful blacksmith residing outside of Lindas?" He asked cheerfully.

"That's her!"

"Oh bless her heart! I'm glad she is doing so well she can hire errand boys to fetch things for her!"

*sigh* Well, at least he thinks I'm just another random player.

"Yeah, she's definitely something special. So you have the hammer?"

"Yes! It is right here! That will be 10,000 col."

He pulled out the dark olive-green hammer and extended his free hand. I materialized Lisbeth's bag of coins and completed the exchange. He emptied the bag and counted the coins, then looked back up at me.

"Have a good day, Black Swordsman!"

So he did recognize me. I'm glad to know that there are different strangers who think I'm a decent person.

"You too!" I put the hammer away and started walking back to the shop. The Victorian-style city of Lindas was actually a really nice place to just wander aimlessly around. The reddish color pallet used on the city gave it a warm, welcoming feeling. But there was little time to enjoy the scenery; Liz was waiting for the hammer.

Through the city streets, gates, outlying villages, and steppes, I ran until I returned to the Bavarian-style shop. Once I caught my breath, I walked inside the shop.

At the register was Liz, who was just about finished helping out somebody who I'd guess was from the Knights of the Blood Oath guild. By the time I got to the counter, the Knight had finished his transaction and made his way to the exit.

"Hey, you're back!" Lisbeth greeted me as she closed the register drawer. "Erich didn't give you much trouble, did he? While he's a nice vendor, he can really talk your ear off in hopes of selling you something else."

"No, he was really nice. He recognized me without my battle gear on."

"That's good! See? I'm not your only fan in Aincrad!"

I couldn't help but smile and blush as she finished her sentence. To keep her from addressing my red face, I pulled out the hammer and held it out to her.

"I-is this the right one?" I asked.

"Yup! Thanks a lot, Kirito!" She took the hammer and placed it in her inventory.

"Any time, dummy!"

"I'll hold you up to that! Oh! The buyer for Silver's Cry is supposed to be here very soon."

"That's great! I could finally see the clearer whose life we made easier."

Lisbeth stretched and yawned briefly, then nodded her head.

"Tired already, silly? It's only about two o'clock."

"Well yeah... but... it's been an eventful day," she said nervously.

She's definitely right... we never got to talk about our kiss. With a little down time, I guess now's a decent time to bring it up.

"Hey, listen.. about earlier," I started, reaching across the counter for her hand.

"What about earlier?" she asked, confused about my sudden shift.

Damn.. I've already started, so I can't go back on it. How do we talk about it? Is there anything to talk about? I mean, after a moment she pulled me closer, so it's not like she was against my sudden advance. But then we're back to the question of where that leaves us. I'm such an idiot! Why establish that we're companions who happen to really like and care for each other and then go and kiss her? Damn my social ineptitude.

"About... essentially complicating things with a kiss. You know... we establish each other as companions, then the next second we're locked in each other.."

"It's... okay, Kirito," she responded with a smile. "If anything, things would have been more confusing without it."

She tugged my hand and guided me behind the counter. Next, she wrapped her arms around my neck and brought me in closer.

What's she planning...

"If you hadn't pulled me in, I wouldn't have known how you felt about me in here," she moved her right hand and tapped on my chest over my heart.

"But since you did, I know!" She smiled, kissed the corner of my lips, then let me go. "That.. was your first kiss, wasn't it?"

Just like the last time, I had butterflies in my stomach and inability to breath.

Why does she do this to me? Does she like seeing me freeze when we connect like that?

All I could do was give a weak nod. Slowly but surely, my breathing pattern normalized.

"A-and you.?" I stammered.

Lisbeth blushed, averted her gaze, and smiled.

"Mhmm... That was my first... And second."

"Second?" I asked.

"Yes!" She cheerfully nodded her head and pulled me back in for another kiss. Though it was over in a matter of seconds, it was just as electrifying as our last. And just like the last, I wished to never have to let go...

I'm going to protect this girl no matter the enemy... What is she doing to me?

Just when I was about to pull her in closer (after all, what's the point of wasting these moments when they come?), she separated and pulled away.

"B-be careful, Liz... Or else we might start enjoying it too much," I cautioned as she turned away and blushed.

If I'm not doing that already... She's going to drive me crazy.

"Oh all right," Liz whined.

Before I could address her pout, the bell apparatus at the door rang.

"It looks like you have a customer," I tilted my head towards the door.

"Oh, hey! Is that the selfish beater!" A familiar, irritating voice filled the shop. "And look at what we have here! My new sword! With plenty of time before the boss raid, too! I'm sorry, was I interrupting something?"

Oh shit, I remember that voice... Please don't tell me that it's...

"Hey, don't talk to Kirito like that! You know what? Just pay for your sword and leave!" Lisbeth spat.

I turned my head to the player walking in, donning Steel Plate Armor with a Dragon Skin Shield on his back. His black hair was short and slicked back, and contrasted sharply with his fairly pale complexion. Standing a few centimeters higher than me, he walked up to the front desk across from me and Liz and opened the trade window.

Wait, this is the jerk I nearly got killed for?! The one who gave Liz a hard time?!

"I'm sorry," he said mockingly, "100,000 col, as agreed."

"Good." Liz finished the transaction and closed the window. "Now hurry up and leave, Derek! I'm not going to have you starting any problems in my shop."

So that's the bastard's name. It's kind of funny, he happened to pick a name that sounds like one particular insult in English. For his sake, he'd better hurry the hell up and leave already. Derek doesn't want to know what I'd do to him if he decides to start a problem with me. Hell, I don't even know how far I'd beat on him before letting up.

He picked up the sword from the counter, then gave it a few practice swings in the air behind him.

"It's a little pricy, but I'm sure I'll make it back in commissions in the next week or so," he turned to me, "Was your second sword worth it, dual wielder?"

"Wait, what'd you call me?" I leaned over the counter and asked him. The closer I got, the more I felt my muscles tense up.

How the hell would he know about my newest skill? I ensured nobody was around when I was training it!

He opened up his menu, materialized a record crystal, and brought up a photo of Liz and I fighting the Parvos from last night, with both swords clearly visible in my hands.

The teleport sound... That little...

"I must have stuttered. Was your second sword worth it, dual wielder?" He repeated with a smug smile.

All right, he started a problem.

"Y... you little!" I jumped over the counter, grabbed his collar, and slammed him into the floorboards with my left hand. His head whip-lashed and Silver's Cry gave a pang as it hit the floor next to him. Just as I charged a Meteor melee skill, he started talking.

"What are you going to do?" He calmly asked from the floor, "You wouldn't want to ruin whatever standing you have with Liz here, showing a violent side and whatnot, and you certainly don't want to have to deal with an orange cursor!"

For a split second, I managed to hold myself back.

Damn it, he's right about the cursor... We're too far outside of the city gates to be protected.

"What the hell were you doing in that cave?! Why were you recording us?!" I demanded, hoping to scare him a bit.

He shook his head and snickered.

"Well, Liz here didn't have the order ready when I came in for an update, giving me some explanation about not having the materials, and so I thought I'd go get the metals myself. As dumb luck had it, you two were in the cave by the time I got there. Since I went through the trouble of finding the cave, I thought I'd put my Sneak skill to good use and watch the Black Swordsman fight. Then suddenly, you start wielding a second blade! I was certain Aincrad would like to hear about somebody with a unique ability, so I-"

Forget it, I've heard enough. He's going to pay for that!

I released the Meteor and landed the hit just above his left jaw, sending his head back into the floor. His health went down a sliver, and my cursor went from green to orange. I charged a second to strike him as he recovered from the first hit, but I felt my arm and torso get held back, then quickly pulled away.

"Kirito, you need to stop!" Liz cried out as she eventually ripped me off of Derek.

"And you need to get out of here! Now! Don't think about coming back!" She turned and yelled at him as he got up off of the ground.

"I'm sure the assault team would love to hear about this. If you thought that life as a beater was hard now, you just wait," he said as he retrieved Silver's Cry and sheathed it on his hip. He dusted himself off, rubbed his jaw, and walked out of the store.

I swear, if he goes and slanders me!

I started following after him to knock more sense into him when Lisbeth grabbed my left arm and pulled me back.

"What do you think you're going to do?" She asked authoritatively.

I turned towards her, ripped my arm away, and matched her tone.

"I'm going to keep that bastard from making my clearing life even harder than it is now. I don't need everyone knowing that I dual wield, or else I'll never hear the end of it from Aincrad!"

"What, you plan on going after him with an orange cursor? And don't be a jerk to me!" She pointed sternly at my face. "Your problem is with him, not me!"

"So let me go and take care of that problem!"

"Not with your cursor. It'll only make his story more believable," she suggested in a less harsh tone.

"You want me to wait six hours before I go and fix it?!"

"Yes!" The harshness that had left was quickly back, and with friends. "I'm sorry! But as fucked up as things are right now, I can't let you go out and make things worse! I care too much about you to let you go do something stupid!"

She took a deep breath, then continued.

"I know the waiting is going to be hard, but it's either six hours of waiting, or six hours of hell for your 'crime.' Just head upstairs and do your best to wait it out."

Calm down, Kirito... calm down...

I'm not calming down...

I felt by blood still boiling and my upper body stay tense. Deep down, I know she's right, but that doesn't make it any easier to wait and let him do his damage. By tomorrow, every self-respecting newspaper is going to have that photo of me with my dual blades, and some exaggerated story about it. Everyone who's been tolerating me will see no more reason to, and everyone who vilifies me will do so even more. I should've gotten in that second strike. Maybe even a third. If I could do that much damage to him with a single punch, how much more could I do with my Elucidator and Dark Repulsor in tandem?

My cursor is already orange, right? Why not make it worth it?

"Well?" Liz crossed her arms and glared at me.

*sigh* I can't do that... but it won't stop me from thinking about it. And I'm not going to stay cooped up letting the idea sit either.

"The day just started; everyone will know in a few hours, and I won't return to green until past sundown. No player is going to buy anything from an orange cashier, so there's little sense in me manning the store anymore. I'm not going to waste all that time; I'm going to go train."

"You can't be seen as an orange player!"

"You know how empty the top dungeons are! Besides, anyone in their right mind will stay away from an area that has an orange or red blip. Especially in the front lines."

Lisbeth sighed in resignation and lowered her head.

"Well I can't force you to stay locked up here... Just... Don't do something stupid, okay? That includes things that would cross out your name on Floor 1..."

"All right... I'll be safe... I guess it doesn't matter that I train out in the open now."

"Right... Well, thanks for trusting me with your secret for so long... I knew it meant a lot, just not this much."

"I didn't know either." I turned and started to the door, then looked back. "I guess I'll see you... later."

"Yeah... later." She reluctantly replied and headed back to the counter.

Though the sun was well above the rim of the next floor, the scenery outside the smith shop a bright, vibrant series of colors. Ironic beauty for darker days looming.

Well fuck... what am I going to do now?

I grabbed a blue teleport crystal from my belt, and looked up.

Perhaps this can be a start.

"Teleport, Selmburg!"

Author's Note: A few people pointed out via PM that Asuna originally sent Kirito to Lisbeth in the anime, and writing that Klein did it deviated from canon. This is where AllyKat82's idea comes into play. By Asuna never having slept next to Kirito in the Murder in the Safe Zone/Illusionary Avenger episodes, she never would've started developing feelings for him and likely stayed as the determined, no-nonsense Vice Commander that she was to that point. (Again, please check out Keeping Me Warm if you haven't, great story.)

As always, reviews and feedback are appreciated. It helps me write a story to be more enjoyable for you. Thanks for reading, and have a great one!