Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
The Pale Wraith and the Black Swordsman
by Centurious the Azure and Storm Wolf77415
The False Smith
(Aincrad, Second Floor, Urbus, December 13th, 2022 AD)
Weiss, Ronan, and Asuna stood in front of the innocuous-looking booth. Swords, daggers, and other weapons hanging off it. The sound of a hammer periodically banging on an anvil rang in the air. "So this is the place, huh?" Ronan asked.
Asuna looked up to the modest wooden sign hanging over the booth that said 'Lisbeth's Smithy'. "Oh, really. What was your first clue?" She rolled her eyes. Deciding not to waste time, she walked up to the counter, lightly wrapping on the wood. "Hello? Is anyone here?" She asked.
"Wait just a minute!" A feminine voice called out, and a young girl their age came out. She had neck length brown hair, freckles dotted her face. She wore a magenta-hued, long-sleeved shirt, a white vest trimmed with pink, and a light pink skirt. This girl Lisbeth hardly seemed the type to be a blacksmith. She removed a pair of heavy gloves. "Sorry, was cleaning out the forge. Is there something I can help you guys with?"
Weiss immediately turned on the charm, flashing a fairly suave grin to her. "Why yes. We had a bad experience with one of your…competitors not long ago. Nearly cost my executive officer here her prized sword. Now I heard you're also working on your blacksmithing skill. We were hoping you would be much more reliable than the other guy."
Liz's friendly demeanor melted off, replaced by a furious scowl. "Are you talking about that total waste of space, Nezha? Ugh, it figures! He's a disgrace to blacksmiths everywhere!"
"Uh, excuse me for asking." Asuna stopped Liz's rant. "But just how many player blacksmiths are there in the game right now, anyway?" Liz immediately went silent. Her face turned bright red, hands shyly going behind her back.
"Including myself? Two." But immediately she put a show of bravado. "But that's going to change once everyone sees my creations! They're not just weapons, they're works of art. I know it will inspire others to pick up the craft. I just need to get established first. This little stand right here is just temporary. I'm working toward owning my own full shop."
Ronan rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah. I'm sure this place will be kicking it with blackjack and hookers once you start turning a profit." This earned him a hateful glare from Asuna, an irritated groan from Weiss, and Liz was about ready to launch herself over the counter at him. If the way she was gripping that heavy steel mace was any indication.
"You want to say that again smart guy?" She growled. "I will jam this mace square up your ass if you insult my stand and my work! This is a place of passion and art. I'm nothing like Nezha at all. That pretentious prick is the EA of blacksmiths, always selling swords like pieces of DLC on some road map. I'm like Square before it bankrupted itself on that stupid Final Fantasy Movie. I sell the full experience and you get your money's worth from it. Would you rather have the Anthem of swords or the FFVII of blades?" Liz folded her arms, throwing a disdainful expression at Ronan. "I know we just met, but I bet you're the kind of prick who would choose the former because he's a gullible loser that things games as a service is a good idea."
Weiss cocked an eyebrow, looking to his friend. "You know…she does make a valid point. You did advocate the EA style road map style at several of our team meetings when the Digital Escape bigwigs came in to see how the project was going. They didn't seem too happy about it as I recall." Asuna just stood there, the gaming talk going over her head. Kouichirou and Ayami would have understood it, however, she was way out of her league on this one.
It was then she caught sight of Kirito and his party coming in through the town gate. "Kirito! Sinonon! Over here!" She called out, waving to them. She saw the dagger user mouth, "Sinonon?" But it was the sight of Philia that made Asuna's eyes light up. Another girl player! In a game when actual female players were such a rare thing, this was a dream come true. The female treasure hunter just smiled and winked at the rapier user.
Minas saw this little exchange, looking to Philia, who now had the same brilliant gleam in her eyes, who just gave her a loving pat on the shoulder. "Wow, three girls in the same room? Lightning does strike twice, or maybe it would be better to say thrice?" he smirked, the four of them walking up to the others.
Weiss came up, fist bumping the ranger. "Minas, good to see you again."
"Same here, sorry we couldn't be present for the boss raid. If we had been a little faster."
"Don't beat yourself up about it too much," Weiss reassured him. "We were just checking out some place that would interest you."
Liz was certainly excited at this turn of events. Potential new customers were always a win! She was taken by Minas, putting on her best saleswoman smile. "Three girls, I think you're count is off there. Cause I believe there's four of us here."
"Girls don't threaten to kick others in the neck and jam maces up their ass," Ronan muttered, only to earn him Asuna's foot crashing onto his own.
Liz just smiled, ignoring Ronan expletive-filled rant. "So what can I help you with, sir? Anything sword related you've come to the right place!"
"As a matter of fact, you can. Can you examine this for me?" Minas asked, pulling out Narsil. "I've heard only player merchants can see secret things about quest weapons. I'm hoping you can give me some insight into it." He laid it down on the counter.
"Let's see what we have to work with here." Lisbeth's voice trailed off, her eyes widened as her jaw went slack. Her head snapped up, locking eyes with Ezra. "Where did you find this? Where?"
"A recent quest we just cleared," Minas stated, not liking the mad gleam forming in her eyes. "It is a rare weapon?"
"Rare? Try legendary tier!" Liz was looking at the ranger with disbelief, clearly not understanding just what he had. "If what I'm seeing is correct. This could very well stay with you the entire length of the game! The sword levels up with the player! I never thought such a thing would exist."
Liz leaned forward, about ready to grab him by the wrists. "I'll make you a counteroffer. You sell me the sword, that I can melt this down into ingots. It will make my blacksmith level skyrocket! I would truly owe you my life. You come to me with any weapons, I will not charge you at all!"
Minas bit his lip. "Uh, I'm really not too keen on doing that, now that you've said this about the sword." He held up a hand to forestall her protests. "But I think I have something that can work just as well." He turned to Philia. "We still have that one greatsword we found in that weird zone that looked like it came out of Yoko Taro game, right?"
The treasure hunter nodded, her face turning green.. Minas scanned his inventory and found the item in question. He brought it out. It was a titan of a weapon, forged of a dark metal, with a pair of lion heads on it on the widened, circular tip of the blade. He laid it down on the counter with a heavy metallic thunk. "You can have this, I really don't want to follow that weapon path anyway."
"Wha? How did you guys get the Beastlord?" Ronan cried out, drawing the attention of nearly everyone on the street. He grabbed the blade and held it up to eye level, his eyes bugging out. "It wasn't meant to be in the game! We didn't get any permission from Square to have it added!"
"How would you know about something like that?" Minas asked. Ronan said nothing, his eyes still fixated on the blade. A thin line of drool forming at the corner of his mouth. Liz was pouting, tugging at his sleeve to rouse him. Clearly, he was not going to let the blade go.
Weiss looked panicked, his mind racing at a billion miles a second. Why oh why couldn't Ronan just keep his giant mouth shut for more than a few minutes at a time? If word got out that a couple of the developers were in the came. It wouldn't be long before they were flat out lynched. He could just imagine Ronan being hung by his toes from the tallest building in the village.
Ronan's comments had definitely gotten many confused, but a few were starting to put the dots together. Minas's eyes narrowed as he put a hand on Beastlord, an expression of genuine fury forming. A look that made Weiss's stomach shrivel up. It was like he could really kill someone. "Ronan…are you by chance a dev?" This brought Ronan out of his stupor. He was unable to form words in his mouth, to try and bullshit his way out of the situation. Weiss looked ready to strangle him.
Thankfully, it was Philia who finally diffused the situation by putting a hand on her partner's shoulder. "Come on Minas. Think about it for a few seconds. This is Ronan we're talking about here. The same buffoonish asshat who makes himself look like a moron every day. I don't think he could form an actual malicious plan even if his life depended on it."
Ronan sputtered. "Who the hell do you think you are talking about?" Only for Weiss to slide in next to him and give him a quick elbow shot to the gut. "What gives man?" He whined, only to be silenced by the sharp glare coming from.
"For once in your life, take the hint!" He hissed. Ronan blinked twice before it finally dawned on him. He slumped his shoulders, taking on a submissive posture. It was amazing how quickly he resembled a gentle lamb. Ronan bowed his head not making eye contact, wanting to avoid the raw fury still in Minas's eyes.
"Y-yeah, Minas. It's me, Ronan. Your old friend. Remember that time I helped you get some gainful employment with our party, and gave you access to the best loot in return for your and Philia's help? I even let her have first pick of any treasure chests we found."
Philia just folded her arms, giving Ronan a piteous frown. "That's the only reason why I'm not letting Minas kick you around. It just gets old when everyone beats you up all the time." Behind the treasure hunter, Ronan saw Weiss and Asuna sigh visibly in relief. He then turned to Minas, giving him the Beastlord back.
"Sorry about freaking out earlier, Brah. It's pretty cool you got something that badass," he said, trying to act nonchalant. Minas just harrumphed, taking the blade back, but the steely glint in his eye told him that this discussion wasn't over by a long shot. He handed Liz the giant sword, who promptly let out an excited squee, but then her stare turned hard at Weiss and Ronan. Kirito and Sinon also fixed them with accusatory glares as well.
Weiss just sighed. They couldn't dodge the issue forever. One way or another it would come out. It was probably just best to man up and admit the truth. "Yes, Ronan and I were developers for the game alongside Kayaba Akihiko, however, before you break out the torches and pitchforks. Let me say my piece. I had no idea he was intending to pull this little stunt. None of us did. I've been acting fully in the interest of the players. You want to condemn me for my association in making the game? Go ahead. Tell whomever you want. I can endure the exile." He gave them his own glare back. "But let me remind everyone that our whole little movement only happened because Ronan and I put foot to ass and convinced everyone to work together. Keep that in mind as well."
Kirito was the first to weigh his words. He always had a pretty logical mind. And now the reason why Weiss had asked him to become the new face of the Clearers now made a whole lot more sense. "You really didn't know Kayaba was going to turn this into a death game?" He asked Weiss. "He never mentioned anything like this?"
"If I did, you think we would have gotten this far? I would have pulled the plug myself!" Weiss said. "Barring that, I would have written one hell of a patch for it!" His hands curled into fists. "I'll let you guys in on something really personal. Kayaba is actually my uncle IRL. This whole thing." He gestured outwards with his arm. "Aincrad, was our vision, a dream we shared. So many nights the two of us went over every little detail, the lore, the mechanics. It may sound kind of weird since I'm only 15, but this was my life's work! This is the last thing I would have wanted for Sword Art Online. That bastard's taken our dream and turned it into a nightmare!"
Weiss wasn't the type to show emotion, but it was clear how close to home this really affected him. Asuna showed her support by putting her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. "It's not that bad." She whispered. "I can see how time and care you put into it. Even with the threat hanging over our heads. Aincrad is still beautiful. You should be proud of that."
This served to placate Weiss a little bit. He looked into Asuna's caramel-hued eyes. There was nothing but love and understanding there. She looked to the others. "I should better than anyone what kind of man Weiss is. He is not involved with Kayaba's plans. It all but devastated him when that announcement was made."
"I believe him." Kirito finally said. "If they were involved in it, they wouldn't have broached the idea in the first place. We would still be all struggling down on the first floor and making no progress at all." He looked to Sinon who still had a rather evil gleam in her eye, her hands twitching above her daggers. "And you know it as well as I do, Sinon. Kayaba's the real enemy here."
The dark haired girl looked to her partner, before sighing. "I suppose you're right. That being said, we'll be watching you closely."
Liz's smirked unnerved Weiss more than enough. "You know I won't forget this. I'll keep my mouth shut, provided I'm suitably compensated."
"And what are you looking for as far as compensation?" Weiss asked nervously.
"If your crew is truly going to be clearing the game. You'll need the best gear possible, and I need to level up my smithing skill. I want to be your exclusive blacksmith. I can't imagine a better way to build up my brand. The Clearers all carrying weapons with the Lisbeth logo. It's a very enticing image to me. What do you say?" she held out her hand.
"Done deal," Weiss said, sealing the handshake. He reasoned there were worst things she could have asked for. If Lisbeth continued to develop her skill further, it meant the clearing group was guaranteed to have sole access to who could be the best blacksmith in the entire game.
"You know this does beg the question of that sword and Narsil got into the game." Ronan mused. "I mean we didn't get any licenses for them. I remember Boss Man was quite adamant about keeping all weapons and armor completely original to the game, and yet they're still showing up."
"But how is that possible?" Asuna asked. "I know I'm not the most tech-savvy person. But if what you're saying is true, then it had to come from somewhere."
"There is a possibility," Weiss said, biting his lip. "This could be the doing of Cardinal. During SAO's development, Kayaba came up with the idea of creating a system that would be able to manage all the resources and processes of the game with as little human input as possible. It's one of Sword Art Online's main features. The Cardinal System has near-total authority on everything. Monitoring the wellbeing of the players, checking for bugs and possible exploits in the system to keep it from becoming unbalanced, and even can create its own quests, drawing on information from the Internet."
Ronan grunted, his mind beginning to work. "If that is the case. Someone must have found an exploit with the Blacksmithing job class. Cardinal isn't doing its job likes it supposed to, otherwise, it would have shut that done right at the beginning. I guess we didn't beta test it hard enough then."
"Yeah, my uncle was always a perfectionist of the highest order. I'm finding it hard to believe he would let something like this slip his notice." Weiss idly tapped his fingers on his chin. "Then again I suppose it just proves he's still human. Even the best can let the odd thing slip through the cracks."
"Then we should clap an eyeball on Nezha. He seems to be the heart of it all." Asuna said. "It could be he's working with others." She blushed as Weiss slid an arm around her waist to pull her close to him.
"I knew there was a reason I made you my right hand. Not only are you smoking hot, but you're smart too!" His face then became all business, looking to Minas, Kirito, and Liz. "Can I count on you guys to help us out with this little issue we're facing? We need to track Nezha and see what he does, how he acts, see what just racket he's playing."
"Stake him out for a while?" Minas said.
"Actually, I think we can do even more than that," Kirito smirked. "I'm starting to form a plan, a way to really get to the bottom of this."
(Nezha's Blacksmith Shop, Urbus, December 15th, 2022 AD)
The light of the forge illuminated Nezha's face. It had been a long day, and he was about ready to close up. When an armored figure walked up to him. "Are you closed?" A gruff voice, male spoke. He was clad head to toe in heavy armor. The helmet obscuring his face from view.
"Uh, no sir! I'm always willing to offer my services." He sputtered, feeling a little intimidated. But did his best to remain professional. He had to in order if he was going to uphold his part of the plan, noting the sheathed sword in his hand. "Are you looking for repairs to your weapon?"
"No, but I will need an upgrade." the knight held out the weapon to Nezha, who took it with trembling hands.
"An upgrade it is then." The blacksmith said, laying the sword down on the table in front of him.
"Is that a problem?" The knight asked.
"N-no, not at all!" Nezha said, giving the sword an extra lookover.
"I want this done quickly. I'll pay for enough materials to ensure that the chance is ninety percent." It took all of Nezha's willpower not to drool at the words. Extra material meant extra money.
"That will be 2,700 Col." Nezha inspected the sword. "An Anneal Blade plus Six, that gives you two more chances to improve on it." He ran through the various adjustments and improvements made. "It's already got plus three to sharpness, and plus three to durability. You've had some serious work done on this sword, challenging, but good. If I upgrade the quickness on top of it, then it will be even better." He held out the blade. "Then let's begin."
He stuck the sword into the forge, before pulling it out, readying his hammer. He hit it once, twice, and unsurprisingly it shattered into little green shards. "I'm sorry!" Nezha cried, bowing down low to the armored figure. "Please forgive me."
"So that's how you did it." the figure said, bringing up the menu. The armor melted off, revealing Kirito's face. Nezha's stomach bottomed out, realizing he had been had. "I have to give you credit where it's due. You managed to string along everyone who came your way."
Nezha's heart was a few seconds away from exploding in his chest as Kirito continued to break it down. His eyes widened in horror as the Anneal Blade materialized in Kirito's hand. "Quick Change, you used that skill mod on the weapons you were given to switch them for spent versions in your inventory. I just used the same maneuver to switch my currently equipped weapon from my item storage." He pointed the blade at Nezha.
"I never would have imagined that anyone, much less a blacksmith would pick that particular perk. You also were rather smart in hiding your inventory window behind your merchandise, and drowning the effect of the mod with the light of your forge. In all rather ingenious." He sheathed his blade. "However, you have a lot to answer for, so let's got for a walk. There are some people who want to have a little chat with you."
Defeated, Nezha stood up, following after Kirito, his shoulders slumped in defeat. They went down the street to the inn. Nezha quailed at the stern glares of Weiss, Ronan, Asuna, Argo, and Lisbeth. Wordlessly, Weiss pointed at the empty chair at the other end of the table. He timidly sat down.
"All right, let's cut to the chase," Weiss said, arms folded in front of him. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. I know you're running a racket with stealing weapons from players. I want to know what you've been doing with them." Nezha began breathing heavily, wringing his wrist. An angry frown formed, causing him to bang his hand on the table. "Hey, focus! What did you with the weapons!"
"Okay! Okay!" Nezha blurted out. "I sold them all. Was living large off the money. However, I've almost ran out." He hung his head. "I'm sorry."
Kirito scowled. "Nezha, I don't need to tell you how the frontlines are risking their lives in order to power up their weapons. And you wasted them all for your own selfish greed? I can't believe you would be so willing to sabotage our efforts to get back home to our families."
"Don't be so quick to dump on him, Kirito. I thought something was off." Asuna said, reaching into her cloak, to produce a small throwing knife. "When I found this in the woods, dropped by some random swordsman. I asked Argo and Liz to assess it for me. This was player made, not sold in any stores. Meaning whoever wielded this blade was also the one who created it. And the only two player blacksmiths in the game are both in this room. And Liz told me she didn't create it. So that leaves you."
The sheer terror on Nezha's face was all the proof they needed as Asuna continued. "It would make sense for you to learn Quick Change. When I first saw you during the field boss battle, your gear pretty expensive, but still less than the monetary damages we estimated you caused."
"I told you I spent it on food and drink!" Nezha's words were choked by the sobs coming out.
"You're a terrible liar. I've been following you for the last few days." Argo sneered, her arms folded. "You've lived relatively simple. Before we met Liz you had the entire player blacksmithing market cornered. Yet you were running this scam. It didn't add up at all. So I figured it out. All the Col you've been raking in…you've been giving it to another, haven't you?"
Nezha was in full out panic mode now. He stood up abruptly, knocking his chair back, laughing nervously in a poor attempt to hide his fear. "W-what are you talking about? Who would I give all that money to? Unless you have some proof for these accusations."
"We have all the proof we need." Asuna said with an all too innocent smile on her face. "It's all in your name, or how it's pronounced anyway. 'Na-Zha'. It took me a while to figure it out since it's usually pronounced 'Nataku' in Japanese. I was a little sloppy. Nazha, Prince Nata, The Boy God from the Chinese Epic Fenshen Yanyi or Houshin Engi, whichever title you prefer."
Argo smirked. "Quite the impressive figure. He used mystical weapons called paopei and flew through the air with two wheels." She folded her arms. "I don't know about you Kii-bou, but how would you classify him?"
Kirito was enjoying this all too much. "Well, I'd say he was just like the legendary Orlando, the peer of Charlemagne himself. Or Beowulf, the root of all modern western fantasy. What about you, Weiss? Do you have anything to add?"
"Of course. I was thinking more along the lines of King Arthur, the King of Knights, or Alexander the Great, mighty King of Conquerors. I would even bring up the legendary Gilgamesh, Said to be the King of Heroes everywhere, and I think you would appreciate that Nezha, since after all…"
"You're a Legendary Brave Hero yourself!" Everyone said together. Nezha nearly fainted out of his chair. Weiss and Kirito both smirked in victory.
"So that's the case isn't it?" Kirito asked, now very confident of everything they suspected. "You were raising the gear funds for the rest of your party, were you? That's how you were able to rise in the ranks so fast. Be honest with us, Nezha. Why are you shouldering all the risks of this crazy scam? Are they promising you something in return? Come on and say something!"
"Kii-bou. I don't think that's the issue here." Argo leaned in.
"Yes, it is! At their current pace, The Legend Braves will be the strongest amongst the entire frontline population. They're nothing but a bunch of criminals who'll stop at nothing to get what they want. And if someone has an issue with that. They'll gladly respond with violence and then."
Ronan took a more direct approach, reaching across the table and gripping Nezha by his collar. "Come on and out with it, boy! Quit sitting there with snot dripping out of your nose and mouth. Give us the lowdown or I'll start beating it out of you! I won't kill ya, but by the time I'm done. You'll wish I had!"
"Enough!" Asuna snapped. "I don't think that's what going on here, everyone." She held the knife out. "Go on, take it. It's yours after all." Nezha weakly reached out for it, his fingers twitching to grasp the handle. Asuna sighed. "I knew it. You're blind in one eye, aren't you?"
"No, I can see just fine." His voice cracked as he slumped in his chair. "It's just…Through the Nerve Gear, I've lost my depth perception."
Kirito and Weiss both winced. Ronan gritted his teeth letting out a slight 'Hn'. Asuna was confused.
"So you're a victim of Full Dive Non-Conformity." Argo said, mostly for Asuna's sake. "It happens with consumer Nerve Gear sometimes. An interfacing error between the device and the brain. Worst case scenario it means you can't dive at all. Our friend here has faulty vision, and he can't sense depth. In a place like this, that's practically fatal. You shouldn't have even dived in, to begin with."
"Still, I get it." Kirito sat back in his chair. "No true gamer would ever be able to live with themselves without wanting to get a look at the inside of this place. But, is that what happened? Did they give up on you as a fighter and force you to do all this dirty work?"
"Never!" Nezha cried standing up. His chair falling back on the floor. "My friends would never abandon me like that! They helped me out in trying to level up my throwing knives skill and get ready for the second floor. When all the other players were scrambling to collect resources. We stuck together, and that's why I ruined the chances of our team! We've been together for years, ranked high in other games. Of course when we heard about SAO, the first ever Full-Dive VRMMO, Of course, the Legend Braves were going to get a piece of that action!"
"But after we learned about my FNC classification. The other guys were afraid I would hold them back. But Orlando didn't give up on me. And then one day, this guy in a black poncho showed up. He said, If you're going to be a blacksmith with battle skills, I've got a cool way to make cash on the side."
"A guy in a black poncho?" Weiss asked, racking his brain for any players that would match that description. Nezha stood up, his entire body shaking. "But let's make things clear. I thought this whole idea up for myself alone! Which is why…" He backed up, throwing open the doors to the balcony. The realization dawned in Asuna's mind at just what he was going to do.
"Wait a minute!" She reached out. "You don't have to do it this way!"
"Which is why I'll settle this matter for good!" Before any of the others could move. Nezha threw himself over the side. He found it strange he had no more tears to shed. It was okay in his mind. He was through being a crybaby. At the very least he would die and be reborn as a better person. The honor of the Legend Braves would be preserved. For some reason, he wasn't falling as fast as he should, in fact, he wasn't falling at all.
It was apparent why this wasn't happening because Kirito, Asuna, and Weiss were all clinging onto his foot. "What the hell are you thinking?" the white-haired developer cried, visibly straining to keep his grip.
"Let go of me!" Nezha struggled. "I can't keep on being part of this! Just let me die already." He struggled to get free, to just drop and let it all end. However, the three others weren't about to let him get off that easy.
"Think this over!" Asuna strained, Kirito and Weiss visible strained to keep their hold on him. "I know what it's like to feel like you're letting down those you care about. The people you respect. But is this really how you want it to end? You want them to pity you at the end without any redemption?" This caused him to pause, but Asuna wasn't done. "You can't do that! If you want to die, then die like a hero!"
"Sweetheart, as moving as your words are. It would be better if you pulled him up!" Weiss strained, throwing a glance over his shoulder to Argo. "Anytime you want to jump in!" Between the four of them, they managed to haul Nezha up back onto the balcony.
After a few minutes, Kirito stood in front of the blacksmith. "I have a proposition for you. I heard your throwing weapons skill is fairly high. Even without any depth perception, if you get a throwing weapon with the right system guidance to aid you. Then you could rejoin your friends on the battlefield."
"I know that already! But it doesn't mean anything if your weapon has an ammo limit!" Nezha protested.
"Yeah, a weapon with no limits would be rather useful. However, you won't find anything like that in the game." Kirito just smirked, producing a large metal ring from his inventory, spinning it on his finger. "However, there is a weapon that comes back to you. This was the last attack bonus from the field boss, a chakram." Nezha reached out for it only for Kirito to snatch it away. "However, you need an extra skill to use it."
"Do you have any open skill slots?" Weiss asked. Nezha shook his head. "So then…Legendary Hero. Let me change the question. Are you prepared to give up your blacksmithing skill?" The look in his eye was all the answer Weiss needed. "In that case…tomorrow morning we'll go to meet the person who can help you out. So hopefully you won't think about taking a nose dive off the balcony before then."
"If it means joining my fellow heroes. I can wait a little longer."
(Aincrad, Second Floor, Southern Edge December 16th, 2022 AD)
The silence was palatable as the party trekked along the road, Kirito in the lead. Everyone was wondering just where they were being led by the young man. Nezha's fingers twitched every so often. He flashed a glance over to Sinon, who was giving him the evil eye every so often. She hadn't been present for the whole exchange the night before and was understandably furious at just what he had been up to.
A part of Nezha still felt he wasn't deserving of this second chance, but he ultimately decided it was best to just go with the flow for now. He decided to break the silence and get to know his new companions. "So, if I may ask, Weiss. How long have you and Miss Asuna been a couple?" He asked. This made everyone stop in their tracks.
"W-why do you want to know?" Asuna asked, her face turning red.
He held up his hands defensively. "Hey, you were the one kept me from falling. I'm just trying to make conversation here."
"We've known each other since before the game." Weiss finally said, deciding to throw the poor guy a bone. "We met IRL at a rather droll party Asuna's mother was throwing. It was a total drag." He smirked a little, the memories of the day still crystal clear in his mind. "I flirted with her, we danced a little bit. It was one of the most beautiful sights in the world, watching her spin."
Asuna was so embarrassed she pulled up the hood of her cloak to try and hide her face. Weiss just continued. "And then we spiced things up. I still remember the look on Mommy Dearest's face when Corey starting belting it out. You remember that, right honey?"
"Uh." Asuna stumbled, fidgeting with her hands. Weiss gently pulled back the hood, stroking her face in a loving manner. His skin was smooth to the touch, setting her at ease. Even Sinon couldn't help but find it a little adorable.
"You remember all too well, Asuna. I recall quite well how you smiled at how flustered your mom was when everything got out of control. You may never have said it, but I know you enjoyed it."
"It was nice afterward when we sat out on the terrace." Asuna remembered the aftermath of the whole "Psychosocial Baby" incident. The warmth of the day as they sat at the cafe. Her whole face lit up with a smile. It was all the reminder of how much Weiss, or rather Yukimasa, truly loved her, and the main reason he was trying to get them all home safe and in one piece.
They soon arrived at a large field of rocks. "Here we are," Kirito said, eyes falling on a lone figure standing by one of the rocks. An older man wearing elaborate looking robes. the light of the sun reflecting off his balding head, while a long, thin beard the color of fallen snow fell down to near his chest. "There's the quest NPC. This should help you get the skill you need in order to use the chakram, Nezha. You'll be fighting alongside your brothers before you know it."
"Oh-ho-ho-ho! Greetings to you children, would you like to join my school?" The old man asked, gesturing with his arm. "If you clear all the trials before you. I will bequeath unto you the core of this style, Martial Arts. Fwo Fwo Fwo!" He chortled once again. With a gentle nudge, Sinon pushed Nezha forward so he was now in front of the NPC.
"I-I would like to learn sir! It would be my greatest honor and pleasure!" Nezha bowed at the waist. "Just tell me what needs to be done." The master NPC just chortled again, and the familiar sight of a mission screen materialized in front of him.
"The road of training ahead is long and fraught with peril, are you prepared for it?" Nezha's finger quivered as the question hung in the air. But he didn't hesitate, hitting the accept button. Indicating the quest had started. Letting the breath he held in. Nezha slowly raised his head.
"So, what do I have to do?" He asked Argo. The info broker tapped the boulder.
"You just have to crack this rock. It's one level below an Immortal Object. But it should be possible." Asuna took a turn tapping the boulder herself.
"If Kirito managed to do it, I suppose it is." Asuna remarked. "Although I'm not doing it. I mean sure, the Martial Arts skill would help expand my skill set in battle. However, I'm too busy refining my rapier skills." No one noticed the slight gleam appear in the NPC's eyes. He surprised everyone by leaping into the air, pulling off an impressive 360 in the process, before landing in front of Asuna.
"Is that a fact young lady? Are you running out on me? Fwo fwo, that's your choice. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised after all. You are but a frail little girl. There's no way you could ever master my mighty form." Asuna's face went red, but unlike earlier, it wasn't from some loving words, but sheer rage.
"Excuse me?" She said through clenched teeth. Weiss, Kirito, and Argo all winced. They had seen Asuna's legendary temper and it had just been ignited!
The NPC just leered, before reaching out to gently poke at her breasts. "Although perhaps I can teach you a more useful type of bodily skill? I'll say you're very nice and supple. You have some promise." Asuna's reaction was near automatic, ducking down and leaping back, Wind Fleuret in hand with a Linear primed. The old master was nonplussed. "Mm, a lively one. I shall guide you in the ways of my school. By the arm and the leg, in the proper order." the menu came up in front of Asuna.
"Fine then!" Asuna all but slammed the accept button before anyone could stop her. "Once I've learned this skill, the first thing I'll do is blast it right back in your perverted old face!" This elicited aggravated groans from Weiss and Kirito. The former facepalming in the process. She looked to Nezha "Come on! You do it too! Let's finish this up quick!" It was then she took notice of the dumbstruck looks her party members were giving her. "What? It's easy right?"
"Fwo Fwo Fwo!" the NPC chortled. "Very impressive young ones. You shall each break one of these boulders. And during that time." Faster than she could blink, he snatched award Asuna's Wind Fleuret. "You shall not have use of any weapons until you complete my trial." Asuna tried to snatch it away but he was too fast and nimble for him. Asuna pouted and stomped her foot, but it did little. "You must attempt this trial barehanded. Use your fists, your feet, or even your head if you must!"
He bowed low, the Wind Fleuret draped over his shoulder. "Until you split the boulder. Neither of you may descend from the mountain. And thus." He reached into his cloak. "You must bear the sign of your trial." Nezha and Asuna cried out as his hand whipped out, faster than anyone could blink.
Nezha blinked a second before letting out a startled cry, pointing at Asuna. "Your face, Miss Asuna! You have whiskers!" Indeed, the NPC had painted six whiskers on her face, the same as Nezha.
"What are these?" Asuna screeched.
The NPC let out his trademark chortle. "That sign will not vanish until you break the boulder. I have the utmost faith in you, my apprentices."
Asuna and Nezha looked to Argo. "Uh…is there any way we can cancel this?" She asked. The sheepish grin the info broker gave them made their stomachs drop out.
"Nope! Believe me, I tried! In fact, it's this very quest that got me the nickname 'The Rat' during the beta." She sniffled a little. "Ah, those were simpler times. Don't you agree Kii-bou? I won't charge you for that particular bit of information."
"Well, someone should have warned me!" Asuna protested.
Argo snickered, looked to Weiss. "Maybe you have some sage advice to our poor young lady?"
"Oh, I've got some advice for her." He marched up to Asuna, getting in her face. "YOU DUMB MORON! What in the HELL were you thinking? Let the old man's lewd remarks get under your skin. You just slammed that button, not thinking about the consequences!" He would have ranted further if Kirito hadn't grabbed his shoulder.
"I didn't know this would have happened!" Asuna protested, trying to defend her actions. "I couldn't help it!"
"You couldn't help it? You Couldn't Help It!" Asuna quailed under Weiss's further growing voice. "It took me almost four days to get the Martial Arts skill! The Boss Raid is in two! Need I remind you that we were all supposed to be part of that?"
Asuna felt truly ashamed of her actions. Tears forming in her eyes. Weiss quickly calmed down, taking hold of her, speaking in a more subdued. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. But it still stands, Asuna. This is not a good time for you to be off the battlefield. A lot of the guys in the group look to you with high regards. And your absence there is going to hurt morale."
Sinon came forward to give Asuna a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Relax, if anyone can beat this, it's you." Asuna brightened a little at the kind words. "We should head back to town and get ready for the raid, you guys. We can't do anything more. It's all in Asuna and Nezha's hands from here on out."
Weiss took a second and gave Asuna a gentle kiss, causing her to start blushing. It was always so easy to get her cheeks all red. He would never admit it, but it was one of the reasons he fell in love with her. "I'll say this much, I'm curious to see if you can set a new record. I'll be thinking about you all the time, baby. I love you."
"I love you, too." Asuna said, the faint hints of a smile forming on her face. "Don't worry. I'll make it in time." A silent moment passed between them as if neither wanted to break the hold they had on the other, but finally and with much reluctance, their hands separated. She watched the man of her heart and those that had become her dear friends headed down the mountain path back to the city. And now it was just Asuna, Nezha, and their new master.
(Four Hours Later)
It was late into the night. Torches had been lit to illuminate the training ground. Nezha was repeatedly punching the stone in front of him. He stopped for a second to check his progress. A few scratches on the boulder's otherwise near flawless surface, and not much else. He was about to resume punching when he heard Asuna speak. "How long has it been since I slept outdoors?"
She had set up her bedroll on top of the adjacent boulder and was looking up at the night sky, her caramel-hued locks spilling out around her. "It would be nice if we could actually see the stars." She opened her window, seeing a long list of messages from Argo.
"I'm sorry about this. It's because of me that you ended up here in the first place." Nezha said, resuming his punching, ignoring the shooting pain in his knuckles.
"Don't be. Weiss was right." She sighed. "I lost my temper and accepted the quest without thinking about the consequences. I only have myself to blame. My only complaint, at this moment, is that I'm out here in the middle of nowhere without a proper bath." Nezha rolled his eyes slightly at that, resuming his punching. "I guess there's no going back now."
"Yeah, there's a lot of Trembling Oxen in the area, and it would be far too dangerous to go back to town without a really good hiding skill," Nezha said, punching the boulder one more time.
"Are you going to get any sleep?" Asuna yawed.
"I want to crack this rock as soon as possible," Nezha grunted as he punched it yet again. "Am I making too much noise? I can slow down if you need to get to sleep."
"No, it's fine. But if it's possible." She closed her eyes. "I want you to make that nice, hard sound where you hit the core of the stone dead on. You're missing three times out of five. But I'll give you credit, two out of five times isn't bad for someone with no depth perception. Keep it up, and good night." The faint sound of deep, even breathing told Nezha she had gone to sleep. So he resumed punching, eventually, he collapsed and fell asleep.
(Training Ground, December 17th, 2022)
The following morning Nezha was in a panic as he woke up. "Damn it, I fell asleep!" He groaned, staggering to his feet. "I have to get ready for the boss fight!" His panic was cut short at the sight of Asuna launching a devastating sidekick at her boulder. What caught his attention was how she moved with fluid grace, moving on the balls of her feet as she kicked.
"Ah! Good morning!" She chimed, a wide smile on her face. "Look! I made a big crack in it!" She pointed and Nezha saw a fist-sized indentation, with a series of star-shaped cracks slowly branched out of it. Nezha went over to touch it, impressed with her handiwork.
"Not bad. I was up all night and barely did anything to it." Nezha said.
"It's all down to balance and concentration. I've taken dance classes since I was three, and I was one of the best students in my entire school. Once I took a few seconds to work out how to best approach it. I got it real quick." She looked more than a little proud as she said that. "Let's get some breakfast, we'll need to keep our strength up."
Nezha realized he hadn't eaten anything since the night before and thought that was the best suggestion anyone made all day. After a simple meal of bread and creme. The two initiates stretched out, making sure their bodies were nice and loose before they resumed punching and kicking the boulders.
It was just before noon when Asuna's message window pinged. She went to examine it, stopping her training. "Nezha, I just got a message from Weiss." The slightly panicked look on her face told him everything he needed to know "The boss raid's tomorrow morning."
Nezha took a few minutes to look over the rock he had been working on. Cracks were starting to grow across it, but it wasn't fast enough. "Asuna," he said.
"I know, we still have a few days to accomplish this and the direct approach is not working. We need to figure something else out, and fast." Nezha said nothing, just clenching his fist tightly. He looked to the rock he had been pummeling.
(Urbus, Town Square, December 18th, 2022)
Kouichirou idly tapped the butt of his spear on the ground, looking to Ayami, wearing her usual scowl. "Are they coming, Weiss?" He asked. He had been furious to learn that Asuna had been dragged into the quest for the Martial Arts skill, but there was little he could do about it.
Weiss checked his message log, responding with a subtle shake of the head. "I'm not getting anything, Kou. As much as I hate to say it, we have to go on without them. I don't need to tell you what will happen if we're not there to keep Diabel and Lind in line."
"Asuna's a big girl, there will be other raids," Ayami said curtly. She hadn't been tickled by recent events but knew her sister in law would pull through. With nothing left to say, They departed the town and made for where the rest of their fellow Clearers were gathering.
Weiss stood at the head of the forty-five strong crowed. "All right team. We're heading for the boss tower. There, we'll face Asterius the Taurus King. With this, we take our next step to going home!" He raised his sword in the air as he said this, a gesture his comrades mirrored.
"Assault Team, move out!" Kouichirou barked. A cheer went out and the entire group made for the Labyrinth.