Chapter 3- Built to Last
Immediately after Floor 77 Boss Fight
The Assault Team gazed on with awe. Even Lisbeth herself could hardly come to believe that she had landed the killing blow against a boss. Fame was not in her thought process at this time, as Lisbeth's only worry was for the life of the unconscious Asuna.
The girl ran over to her best friend's side, disregarding the 'last hit bonus' which was now stored securely in her inventory.
"Asuna!" She yelled as she arrived at the gravely injured girl.
Thanking God from above, she saw that Asuna had but a sliver of health left. The blow hadn't killed her, just knocked her unconscious.
"What are all of you gawking at? Help me!" Lisbeth screamed angrily at the immobile Assault Team.
Most of the crowd was startled beyond belief at the furious Lisbeth's command. One man, though, stepped forward to heed that order.
"Lisbeth of the 'Misty Fog', allow me to help. I've always respected Asuna as a leader, and would like nothing more than to pay her back for the strength she has instilled in me." The man was the one who took up for Asuna at the bar. Though Asuna did not know his name, she was still very thankful for what he did.
Lisbeth nodded in reply, and the large man swung Asuna over his shoulder before taking charge and ordering, "Move out!" to the Assault Team.
Later that Day
Faster. Faster. She thought as the woods seemed to be closing in on her.
"You let them die…" The enveloping darkness spoke. "You let them die, Asuna, and now you will learn the pain that you have inflicted."
"Leave me be!" Asuna screamed as she desperately sought the light the grew ever so near, yet seemed to always be so far away.
The darkness changed its voice to that of familiarity. "Asuna…" Kirito cried out. "Why..."
Then, there she was again. Asuna looked around to find that she was in the seventy-seventh floor boss room. The 'Crystal Claw' prepared an attack, and swung hard. Asuna tried to warn the eight players standing directly in harm's way, but failed to do it quick enough. The claw killed all of them in one swing, and Asuna could only watch them die. Under her command, eight people had been murdered.
"I'm… sorry…"
The young Asuna awoke to find herself covered in a pair of tears. She was still sobbing relentlessly.
Lisbeth heard the loud cries of Asuna, and ran up the stairs to see what was the matter.
"Asuna, what's wrong?" Lisbeth asked.
"Lisbeth… am I… a bad person?" Asuna's question was partially muffled by the tears caught in her throat.
Upon hearing those words, Lisbeth understood everything. Asuna felt guilty for living. No matter how true she was to herself those few days ago, she would always feel guilty for living while others died.
Lisbeth was here to comfort Asuna no matter what, so she said, "Are you crazy? Of course you aren't!"
This did not seem to reassure Asuna though, and she asked yet another question.
"Liz, those people died because of me. thought that I had everything figured out, but then this happens. Do you understand what it's like to have the blood of innocents on your hands?" She asked with anger swelling up in her voice. "Those people could have been like us, Lisbeth. They had families praying for their safe return. But now they're…" Asuna couldn't even finish before bursting into tears once more.
"Asuna, two days ago, you told me that I had taught you something. Are you just going to let that lesson go to waste because of something that you can't control?" Lisbeth asked, getting more emotional as she went along.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, words actually got through to Asuna. Perhaps, even the Commander needed a friend.
"I'm sorry, Lisbeth. You're right." She said.
"Huh?" Lisbeth gasped at the unexpected apology.
"You did teach me something very important, and I must not forget that lesson. But, I just can't face the Assault Team right now. Please, just… give me some time. I will return to my usual self eventually, but for now, please take care of the Assault Team."
Right now, Asuna would have to face her personal demons before she would be fit to lead again. Lisbeth, on the other hand, had other problems.
Four Hours Later
Brent had been requested by Lisbeth to meet her in this location. Now, he was here, yet there was no sign of Lisbeth.
He had found it particularly odd that she wanted to take the time to meet him in person, when messaging would be much easier.
"Boo!"
The girl had startled Brent from behind. Upon turning, he confirmed that this 'girl' was Lisbeth.
"Why do you always greet someone by sneaking up from behind?"
"Part of my charm, thank you very much! Anyway, let's get down to business. Asuna's going to be taking a break from the Assault Team, so she left me in charge."
"I can already see where you're going with this Lis-"
"Let me finish. What I want you to do is point the Assault Team in the right direction for just a couple of days at most."
Lisbeth knew that she could not lead the Assault Team properly, but the celebrity dual-wielder Brent could. As for Brent's thoughts on the matter, he didn't necessarily want to take charge, but he couldn't just let the Team fall apart.
"Fine. What do I need to do?" Brent caved in to Lisbeth's plea.
"Just tell them that Asuna put you in charge. If all else fails, show 'em a few dual-wielding sword skills." She giggled as she ran off down the alley.
After careful planning, Brent decided to wait until tomorrow to announce his temporary leadership. For now, he needed to get some rest.
That Night
Asuna had purposely slept all day and half the night. She thought that less people would be out in the dead of night, making it a perfect time to make her grand escape.
The girl had decided on a matter that most had forgotten. She felt that just maybe, if she could finish this one and for all, the scars engraved upon her soul would heal. Her plan was simple, hunt down Kayaba and finish this. If she accept a duel under the same terms as Kirito and beat him, then everyone would be free from this prison.
Asuna quietly waddled down the stairs of the inn. Every creak seemingly warned of failure to come, but she didn't care.
When she had finally reached the bottom, the only one around was the NPC innkeeper. You won't tell,, will you? She joked to herself to ease the unbearable tension. Nevertheless, Asuna still went on and left through the front door.
Her prediction had been mostly correct, for very few people dotted the city's streets. Those who did stay on the streets at nights were probably beggars, which means that Asuna would probably be the least of their concerns.
She darted for the teleport gate in the middle of town. Her first thought was to skim every floor, but with each floor so massive in size, she was bound to miss something. Plan B would be to contact her info dealer, Argo.
Argo the Rat was the most trusted information dealer in all of Aincrad. With her abundance of sources, almost anything could be found out. For the right price, of course.
She sent the message asking Argo for her services, but there no response yet.
She's probably asleep like most normal people.
As Asuna waited beside a building for the sun to rise, she was still slightly tormented by the guilt. The guilt for living while everyone around her died. This was the mental sca inflicted upon her.
Soon, she would return to her role as Commander. For now, though, Asuna had to focus her efforts on finding and eliminating Heathcliff.
Asuna waited for the sun to rise. It felt as if an eternity had passed before she was granted the privilege of seeing the golden light extend its warm reach.
Ding!
Asuna looked up with her tired eyes to find that a message had been sent.
Probably from Argo. She thought as she tapped the blinking icon.
Hey Asuna, can you meet me at the forty-fourth floor teleport gate? It's an emergency.
-Argo
Confused and unknowing, Asuna trotted for the seventy-seventh floor teleport gate. Once there, she would use it to reach floor forty-fourth.
As she confirmed her request to be transported to the another location, Asuna was whisked away by a whoosh sound.
When her body finished the materialization process, the town of Buk was all she could see. This floor was mostly covered by a dense forest, making it much harder to navigate. Nevertheless, the peacefulness of the town soothed Asuna.
In the middle of the quaint town lied a large clock tower. It towered above everything else on the floor. Even every building in the town was dwarfed by the collosal clock.
"Asuna!" A skippy voice shouted, knocking her out of her trance.
"Argo, long time no see! How's business going for you?" Asuna said while showing a weak smile.
Immediately, Argo could tell something was off with her client. The light from her eyes had now been mercillessely drained. She knew Kirito's loss had wrecked Asuna, yet loss was not the thing which had stolen that beautiful light; rage was. Indeed, the hatred in her cold stare was evident no matter how hard she tried to hide it.
"Asuna… what happened?" Argo asked, trying to discover the source of the darkness.
"What do you mean? I just wanted to buy some information from you."
"You know damn well what I meant. Please, tell me what the matter is. It's not healthy to build up anger like this"
This conversation had diverged into something unexpected. Originally, Argo was going to meet Asuna about a request. She thought the Commander could provide her temporary residence at the guild HQ while some things blew over after a bad deal. Instead, she had veered the course of the discussion toward Asuna's problems.
After receiving yet another intimidating stare, Argo stopped pushing, but gave Asuna one last warning.
"Don't do this. You don't want to live your life this way." Argo pleaded to no avail.
Asuna had made up her mind. Heathcliff, the creator of this game as well as their torturer, would be shown true power.
"Actually, there is one piece of info I require. Provide it for me, and you'll become extremely wealthy." Asuna offered.
Argo was not intending to sell out so easily, but she was curious as to what Asuna truly wanted.
"And what would that be?" Argo asked.
The next sentence muttered by Asuna would chill Argo to the bone.
"The location of Heathcliff. Or, who many others know him by, Kayaba Akihiko.
One Hour Later
Brent had been tasked with handling the Assault Team while Asuna recovered. It would be very nerve wracking to announce his leadership, but he had to do it.
Asuna had sent the Assault Team a message about Lisbeth's temporary leadership. Then Lisbeth announced that a meeting would be held on Tuesday morning.
It was now Tuesday, and Brent had arrived at the podium to speak. Slowly but surely, people gathered in the wooden stands.
Eventually, the stands were full, and it was about nine o' clock.
I can do this. He thought to himself
The dual-wielder walked up on the platform, where he managed to hold his urge to heave as the Assault Team stared intently.
"H-hello." He said. The crowd started to gossip amongst themselves.
"I-I'm Brent. And, well, I'm going to lead the A-Assault Team for a little while." The paralysis numbed his body, but not an in-game paralysis, no. Instead, this was the product of Brent's severe stage fright.
The crowd filled with confused looks. Then Brent realized the problem; he was dressed in his 'Hidden Robe', an item which concealed my name and much of my face. This item was necessary, as the attention garnered from having a 'unique skill' would be too much otherwise. He unsheathed his two swords from their holster, and activated the skill 'Trapper'.
The tips of the swords turned light blue, and the Assault Team gazed on in wonder. Then, the weapons burst forward with his body close behind. He stepped to the left, directing his hits as he moved.
Countless Oohh's and Aahh's erupted from the crowd. Those at the very front of the stands could feel the air being slashed from a mere few feet away.
Panting and exhausted, Brent finished the skill. Immediately, the reactions changed. The Assault Team relinquished all rights to lead. But Brent had another problem. One that he never thought would worry him.
What do I do now?
The crowd looked expectant. Brent had to think of something fast.
"Well, uh, now we shall, uh, level up even more? Because, well, the boss will be much stronger, I think." He announced.
The Assault Team seemed to be quite alright with this plan, for even though they sensed Brent's nervousness, they did indeed agree that this boss raid could not end up like the last.
To Brent's surprise, the crowd did not make too much of a fuss. In fact, they agreed with him. Realizing that speaking wasn't as hard as he thought, he continued in a more fluent voice.
"Thanks for coming everyone. Hope to see you guys again soon!"
Phew! Can't believe it went so well. Brent thought cheerfully to himself. Maybe this won't be that bad.
With his first obstacle in leadership now out of the way, Brent went off to follow his own orders and level up.
The 44th Floor Town
Asuna had failed in her objective to obtain information on Akihiko Kayaba. It was foolish to think Argo would know where he was. She thought about anything else which could lead her to Heathcliff. He had to have had a real ally in this game; someone who logged into SAO with him.
Unfortunately, there was nothing to go on there either. Even Argo would be unable to help her with this one.
Just then, the small frame of what appeared to be a little girl came into her vision.
The girl wore red thin clothes under a metal chestplate. She appeared to be limping. It was almost like a fierce wound had impaired her ability to stand up properly.
An unknown force urged Asuna to help this girl. She didn't fully understand the reason she felt so inclined to aid this child, but something felt so right about it. Unable to fight against this feeling, she ran to the limping girl.
"Excuse me, miss. Are you alright?" Asuna had to kneel down just to see the petite face.
"Huh...?" The small girl asked in a shriveled voice.
"You just looked like you could use some help." Asuna smiled comfortingly to ease the girl.
"Well, I guess, but I don't want to trouble you."
"No, it's alright. I don't have anything else to do."
It was true. Asuna had no trail to go off of, and she silently vowed not to return until she had fulfilled this personal task. She had nothing better to do, so she might as well lend a helping hand.
"Okay. Then can you help me to a nearby inn?" The small girl asked.
"Ah, yes. The inn should be nearby. Say, what's your name?"
"Silica. My name's Silica."
Where have I heard that name before? Asuna wondered to herself. I know I've heard it somewhere.
"Silica, huh? That's a cute name." Asuna said, pushing away today's previous worries for the time being. It would be best to appear friendly to this young child, or else she might frighten her.
Silica focused on Asuna, which revealed her nametag. "Asuna." She muttered.
Wait, is this the… Commander Asuna? She doesn't look as scary as I had heard. Silica realized in her head.
"Miss, are you the real Commander Asun-."
"Shh, shh!" Asuna put her hand over Silica's mouth. There were few people on this floor, making it easier to sneak around. This is why Asuna had chosen this floor as a meetup location. Still, it would be best if no chances were taken. Silica's eyes grew wide, and Asuna realized that she had startled her. She tried to pass her sudden change in mood off as a joke.
"Well, you know, it's our little secret. Wouldn't want everyone down here to know where I am. Consider yourself to be a lucky exception." Asuna said, trying way too hard to sound cheery.
It was not due to her popularity or fame that Silica was surprised. Instead, it was because of Asuna's partner in life.
Kirito… The thought popped back once again in her head. She was reminded of that day three months ago.
It was a cold winter's night on the forty-sixth floor. That day, the Assault Team should have finally finished the boss raid.
Guess I should ask him how it went. Silica had always messaged Kirito after a boss raid. He should have been a pretty powerful member of the Assault Team, so he would probably participate in every battle. I know he's the strongest.
That day, Silica had mainly kept to herself indoors, meaning that she had not yet read the newspaper. She did this purposely, because it gave her an excuse to message Kirito for information.
Silica opened her friend list and scrolled down to 'Kirito'.
It was greyed out.
Wha… Her voice trailed off as panic set in. This has to be a mistake, or-or some kind of glitch.
She ran out the door, down the stairs, and out the door. Silica ran to the local newspaper boy who should still be out at this hour.
Her heel burned as if the plane of hell itself was attached to her ankles as she ran as fast as she could.
When she had finally reached the boy, Silica didn't bother using manners, and snatched the paper from his hands.
Commander Heathcliff- The Enemy?
No matter how bold and shocking the heading was, she cared little for it. Silica skimmed through the page, disregarding all other text until found mention of Kirito.
Very quickly, around a paragraph down from the beginning, she came across a sentence which had stolen all breath from her lungs.
Eyewitness reports say that the player Kirito, who recently gained coverage after he revealed that he possessed a unique skill, was mercilessly cut down by Commander Heathcliff.
"No…" Silica refused to believe this story as tears formed in her eyes.
"It can't be… No why…" Tears choked her words, and soon, the beast-tamer Silica was on the ground. Her relentless sobbing gained some attention from the onlookers. All that remained of the cheerful girl was a sulking mess.
"I have to be strong. I have to be strong. I have to be…" The girl continued to cry as hot streams of liquid poured down her young face.
By this point, many people had now gathered around. Some even offered to help the poor Silica. Every single person knew who the beast-tamer was since she had occupied the forty-fourth floor for awhile now.
"Silica, dear. Please let me help you darling." Sabrine, a local shopkeeper who often sold fresh fruit to Silica, said empathetically.
The only response Sabrine got in return was even more sobbing. All she could do was pat the girl's back and try to ease the pain.
None were confused about the reason Silica was crying. Kirito was all she talked about. Every time she had received a message from him, the whole town knew about it.
"Kirito… you can't be… dead."
Present Day
Ever since that night, Silica had been trying to get stronger. In her mind, the only way for Kirito to love her was to become powerful. Sometimes she would push herself too hard, and would pass it out from exhaustion. It was by mere luck that death had not yet claimed her soul.
Still, despite her rigorous attempts at getting stronger, she still had a long way to go until she reached the Assault Team.
Today was one of her 'leveling' days. This was why she was so injured. Of course, she didn't actually feel any "real" pain, but her left leg refused to move nonetheless.
"Are you, Kirito's Asuna?"
Asuna now remembered where she had heard that name.
Kirito had a friend named Silica. This is her.
"Yes. I-I'm Kirito's Asuna." She stuttered while speaking.
Before Asuna had any clue, Silica wrapped her small arms around her.
"I'm sorry… for your loss" The girl began crying. Knowing no other option, Asuna returned the hug.
"How about we head to a restaurant? My treat." Asuna said while comforting this child. Though they had met not once before, somehow, she felt as if she and this little girl had already connected.
So this is what Kirito meant to everyone. It's strange that, even though he's not here, he still has the power to bring people together. If only he would've taken advantage of his leadership skills instead of wasting his time as a soo player.
Asuna had asked if Silica recommended anything good, to which she had replied, "no." Fortunately, this was the answer she had been hoping for. Asuna sent a message to Lisbeth, who had not yet found out that Asuna had left. Not that she could hide for too long anyway, for her guildmates and Lisbeth could easily see her location from their UI. The message she sent asked Lisbeth if she could borrow her guild's kitchen for the day. Upon receiving permission to do so, Silica and Asuna set their destination for the sixty-eighth floor. While the two girls headed to the guild 'Misty Fog's' base, Brent dealt with his own issues.
"Damn bugs." He cursed as the insectoid creatures swarmed him.
Brent was grinding monsters in the unknown outskirts of floor seventy-eight, desperately seeking EXP. He had originally brought his whole guild along to help him, but when they noticed how difficult the monsters were getting, everyone headed back to town. Everyone, except for Brent.
Now, he regretted that decision as swarms of bugs called 'Mossquitoes' pinned him against a pit of quicksand
This floor was mostly desert. Filled with sand and monsters alike. It was abnormally small for a floor, and endless cliffs adorned all sides.
A deadly trap Brent had might soon be facing was quicksand. As far as he knew, no casualties had been caused by it, but that would soon change as more people came up to explore unconquered terrain.
Brent tried to cut himself a way through the endless swarm, but to no avail. He could already feel his left foot gravitating toward the middle of the sinking hole. His HP was being slowly chipped away by the weak but plentiful attacks. With no other option, he focused all his might into the skill 'Eclipse'. It would require the every last bit of his strength, but it might decimate all of the attacking 'Mossquitoes'.
His body went into the motion, and the powerful dual-wielding skill activated. Thirteen lethal hits rained down upon the swarm. Every second, five or more were obliterated. Brent turned his body the right in order to carve out a path.
By the fifteenth hit, nearly all of the 'Mossquitoes' had been destroyed, and a large opening had been made. Unfortunately, the bugs took advantage of Brent's brief pause to gasp for air. During his split second of vulnerability, the 'Mossquitoes' nudged him about an inch back. While at first glance it may not seem like a major setback, one inch was all it took for his left foot to slide into the quicksand. Then, his right foot gave out, and now Brent's whole body was being dragged into the abyss.
"Urgh!" He fought with everything, but in the end, Brent could not fight the system as his predecessor had. His 'Steel Longsword', which had previously been grasped in his right hand, made contact with the quicksand and slipped from Brent's grip as he tried to fend off the attacking insects. His left arm had already been pinned to the sand, so he was now defenseless. The quicksand pulled him in, and in seconds, he had been completely submerged.
When Brent opened his eyes, he was falling from the sky. The ground appeared to be-
"The seventy-seventh floor…" He muttered.
Indeed this was the seventy-seventh floor, and he was soon to make contact with it. Hard.
What to do. What to do. What to do. Brent thought as he barreled ever faster to the ground. So far in SAO, fall damage was non-existent, but as far as Brent knew, no one had ever fallen from a height like this, or at least lived to tell the tale.
Brent saw his longsword gleaming in the sunlight. He grabbed the falling weapon carefully, and now had two swords once more
Maybe if I use the swords to break my fall? There's no other option. Then again, fall damage might not be in this game in any way shape or form.
He decided to swing his swords downward to take the fall. It might break them, but even if there was a chance of losing his life, then it had to be done.
Brent quickly closed to the ground
Thirty feet.
Twenty feet.
Ten feet.
He thrust his two swords downward with all of his little might.
"Ahhh!"
The swords hit the ground so hard that they shattered upon impact. Thankfully, Brent's body didn't, but a numb feeling spread up his arms from the collision.
Damn it, now I'm out here unarmed,
He pulled out a teleport crystal, but this zone was labeled as a 'dungeon area', meaning that all the crystal was ineffective. The quicksand was a well-crafted death trap for players.
Guess i'm on my own.
Meanwhile
Silica sat quietly at the table. Asuna felt a little worried that she had scared the child, but in actuality, she was very happy. Her beast, Pina, had been killed during an accident on one of her leveling runs. Ever since then, the girl had found no new reason to live.
When Asuna was the only one to offer help today, she had originally felt very worried. Many people had betrayed Silica's trust, which caused Silica to become less social. But after Asuna showed compassion to her, then revealed that she was Kirito's former wife, Silica just had to trust her. In short, she was very thankful for Asuna's help.
"Oh! It's ready" Asuna popped upon the oven and pulled out the perfectly cooked turkey.
"Is it really that good, Miss Asuna?" Silica asked excitedly.
"You'll see." Asuna replied.
She cut the turkey into tender pieces and put them on two plates. Next, Asuna poured fresh lemonade into cups and put it all on the table. She had prepared a large bowl of onion soup as well, so this was very much a full meal.
"Let's dig in!" Asuna exclaimed.
"Wait, aren't we forgetting something?" Silica asked. So far, she had been very quiet, almost observing Asuna's every movement.
"What? What did we forget."
Silica bowed her head and folded her hands.
"Dear God, thank you for this wonderful food. Thank you for allowing me to meet someone like Miss Asuna, so I could finally have another friend. Please continue to bless me, and take care of Pina in Heaven. We love you, God. Amen."
Asuna could not put her feelings into words. Somehow, this little girl who she had barely known was able to touch her heart.
"Miss Asuna, aren't you going to say amen?" Silica asked.
Asuna smiled genuinely and said, "Amen."
Silica took a little bite of chicken and chewed it. She looked shocked as the flavor revealed itself.
"Miss Asuna… This is sooo good!" Silica ate faster and faster. Soon, there was nothing more on her plate.
"How did you make something so tasty?" Silica asked, desperately wanting to find out how it was possible to cook something like this in Aincrad.
Asuna pointed her finger upwards in a matter-of-fact fashion and said, "Just have to fully max out your cooking skill!"
Two Hours Later
Brent had been resting in a nearby cave for awhile. He reassured himself that he was just tired, but part of him believed that he was giving up.
All of his strength had been drained, and there were many monsters all around. He had plenty of weapons in his inventory, but none were that strong. Brent had no one-handed swords, so he couldn't even use his dual-wielding sword skills. What he did have was a fairly decent katana called 'Exquisite Blaze', but Brent had no skills for it. In fact, his proficiency level in 'katanas' was zero.
Guess it'll have to do. Brent thought as he equipped the 'Exquisite Blaze'. After stepping out of the cave into the blinding sunlight, Brent looked around for the quickest way out of this dungeon.
On the outside, this area looked nothing like a dungeon. It was an open field with great blue skies, nothing like the dark and dusty caverns typically associated with dungeons.
This area had not yet been discovered, for it was specially sealed off from the mainland of floor seventy-seven by a teleporting platform.
Right now, Brent had absolutely no idea of where to go or what to do. Katana in hand, the dual-wielder set off to locate the teleporting platform.
About an hour after setting out, Brent had yet to find any trace of the platform, and he tried to to avoid monsters, so EXP wouldn't even be gained from this trap.
I don't care about the EXP. I just want to get back alive.
Despite his growing pessimism, Brent continued on.
The sun was now fading into the horizon, and Brent still did not know where to go. He had searched high and low throughout this place, yet there was no sign of anything besides green grass and 'Water Lizards'. It was when all hope was lost, something occurred.
"You fell down here too?" A small voice coming from seemingly nowhere echoed out.
Upon searching for the owner of that voice, Brent noticed a young boy around his age behind him.
"Well, I mean, yeah. I fell through quicksand, and now i'm here." Brent's tone may have come off as aggressive, but he felt that he could not be blamed for it. Brent had spent most of the day wandering this endless dungeon in search of a way out.
"Wait a minute, you look familiar." The boy said.
Please don't say. Please don't say it. Please don't say it. Brent internally pleaded.
"Hey! You're that dual-wielder!"
Here we go…
Brent had replaced his camouflage with an iron chestplate for defensive purposes, but maybe that was a bad idea.
"Yeah, that's me." Brent responded with a sigh. All of this recent attention he'd been getting was not something he enjoyed. It was strange too, for when he was little, fame seemed so awesome, but now he understood that it had a price.
"Well I'll be damned. You've come in my hour of need." The boy said. "Please, sir, help me get out of here. I'll give you everything I've got, I just don't want to die."
It was at that moment Brent finally understood his duty as a dual-wielder. It wasn't just about fighting with two swords, it was about using the dual-wielding power for good. That is what Kirito did before him, and now Brent would have to do the same. Even though he knew he would never be as strong as Kirito, he still had to try. That's why the one who possesses the skill would be the one who faces Heathcliff atop Aincrad.
Author's Note: Yay! Chapter three! Now, before I go, just remember that Brent isn't the main character as Asuna is, nor is he supposed to be better than Kirito. He just looks up to Kirito, and will try to follow in his footsteps as the Assault Team progresses.
Also, sorry if this is more of a "development chapter", as not much really happened. Chapter three is supposed to set the stage for the future, so be ready for more floor-clearing in the next chapter! Also, things will get darker as the description promised, and Asuna will be the main lead soon enough.