Chapter 4
October 9th, 2022
The second Floor was exactly as Kirito remembered it; mostly large, flat plains with tall plateaus. From where he was standing at the exit from the first Floor, he could see most of the northern half of the Floor, and aside from the occasional patch of scraggly green trees, it was the same all the way. To the south, he could see large, jagged mountains lining the horizon, and he knew that beyond those mountains was thick forest - and the Labyrinth.
But, that was for later. Their first priority was getting to the first town before their grace period for beating the boss ended. Kirito turned to look at Asuna and Leafa to let them know they had to leave, and couldn't help but stare. Since they were standing at the top of a plateau, the wind was strong; it kept making his coat flap around his legs. But the wind had such a more pronounced effect on the girls. Asuna's long hair, freed from the red cloak, streamed in the wind like a banner. Leafa, standing next to her, was staring into the distance, the bright sunlight illuminating her face perfectly.
After a second, Kirito realized he was staring and shook his head. "Asuna, Leafa, c'mon," he said. "We have to get to town before mobs start spawning."
Asuna brushed her hair out of her eyes, and Leafa nodded. "Where is the town, anyway?" his little sister asked. Instead of answering out loud, Kirito just pointed downwards, where a slope led down the cliff. "...Oh," she sighed. "Was it too much to hope that it's close?"
Yes. Yes it was, Kirito didn't say out loud.
By the time they made it to the first town, Urbus, even Kirito was starting to get tired. It had been a long day, especially thanks to fighting Illfang and then dealing with that whole beta tester conversation. Kirito wasn't quite sure how to feel about how things had worked out - it exposed Asuna and Leafa to too much danger, in his opinion, though it seemed to work out in the end - but he decided that he could deal with that in the future.
The three of them made their way down the main road of the town. The buildings lining the road were all made of the same brownish-red stone that made up the plateaus all around, and were roughly the same height. Kirito remembered jumping across the rooftops, back in the beta. It had been a good way to move around, at least. For now, though, he stifled the urge to get above everything and stayed on the ground level. Eventually, they walked out into the main square, a pedestal in the center. It was, he knew, the Teleport Gate for Floor 2. As soon as it was activated, everyone else would be notified, and there would be plenty of players streaming in to see.
They stopped right in front of it. "Go ahead, Kazuto," Asuna said. "You beat the boss, so you get to do the honors."
"Sure, sure," he said, reaching out his hand towards the stone. As soon as it touched, the torches on either side of the gate erupted into flame. Kirito stepped away as the writing on the tablet lit up a pale blue. He didn't want to be in the way -
Sure enough, nearly instantly the gate bloomed into light as someone teleported. "Ack! Outta the way, outta the way, outta - Kii-boy!"
"Argo?!" Kirito yelped, startled. The first player out of the gate had emerged at a dead run and nearly plowed into him, before the hooded face of the Rat stared up at him. Immediately Argo darted around his side, hiding behind his back. "What's going on?"
"No time to explain, just hide me!"
Before Kirito could ask the info broker to explain what was going on, the Teleport Gate bloomed into light again. Two more players darted through, bursting onto the second Floor as quickly as Argo had. Kirito's eyes widened as he beheld two... Well, two ninjas. They skidded to a halt, their speed more than enough to compensate for their slower reflexes. Kirito recognized the pair of them, somewhat. There was a ninja guild devoted to roleplaying ninjas in the beta; they typically dressed in all-grey cloth equipment, and focused on their AGI stat above all else. They were annoying to hit, and tended to kite enemies into other players on accident, but nothing Kirito couldn't handle.
The ninjas hesitated, before they caught the sight of Argo peeking out over Kirito's shoulder. That seemed to embolden them, and after exchanging a quick glance the one on the left said, "Forgive me, but we have business with the info broker."
"I told ya, I won't sell it!" Argo snapped immediately.
"We have the col to pay for the information," the ninja on the right replied. "And whatever the reason for your refusal, we shall not blame you. We swear it on the honor of our clan."
Save us from ninja roleplayers, Kirito thought. "No means no," Argo retorted. "An' I'm the one that knows where ta find the Martial Arts quest an' what the penalty is, so 'scuse me fer not believin' ya!"
"Forgive our rudeness, but I'm afraid we must insist on buying the information -"
That was as far as the ninja on the left got, hand outstretched as if to grab at Argo's cloak, when his arm was abruptly halted by Kirito's grip on his wrist. "She said she wasn't going to sell the information," he said. "So stop trying to buy it."
The ninja tried to tug away. Kirito had a higher STR stat, so he could have kept his hold, but he decided to let the ninja step back. "Bastard," the one on the right spat. "Who are you?! Do you work for the shogun, Iga dog? We of the Fuma clan-"
"Ah... No," the one on the left said. "Two swords..."
Abruptly, both ninjas bowed, leaving Kirito feeling a bit out of his depth. Behind him, Argo snickered, while Asuna and Leafa watched the whole thing with confused looks. "We humbly beg your forgiveness," the ninjas chorused. "We didn't realize she was under your protection. We apologize."
Then, without another complaint, they turned around and headed back through the Teleport Gate.
"That was... weird," Leafa said slowly.
Asuna added, "I didn't think the news of the boss would have spread that quickly."
If it were possible, Kirito would have sworn he could feel Argo's smug grin transmitted through her hands to his back as she happily wrapped her small arms around his waist. "Nah, nah," the info broker said. "I haven't put out a new edition of my Daily Argo, and I'm the fastest way rumors spread. Nah, this is somethin' Kii-boy did back in the beta."
"I did?"
"Yeah," Argo said. "Remember back on Floor 4, how those Fuma guys got an entire raid party wiped out 'cause they kited the boss?"
"...Vaguely," Kirito replied. He did remember fighting that massive skeleton in the dusty arena, but not particularly anything that the ninjas had done.
Argo shifted against his back, and Kirito sighed as she still didn't let him move. The way they were all standing, she could turn and look at Asuna and Leafa, but he was stuck with his back to all three. "Well, Kii-boy got fed up with their antics, and guess what he did?"
"What?" Asuna asked, almost eagerly.
"Challenged 'em all to a one-on-one duel."
Leafa gasped. "No way! Kazuto did that?"
"Sure did," Argo grinned. "An' he won, too. The ninjas calmed down after that, but guess the lesson stuck, huh?"
Now Kirito remembered that. "It wasn't all of them, Argo," he said patiently.
"Fine, fine, most of 'em. But ya still won, didn't ya, Kii-boy?" Kirito didn't answer that question. "Thought so. Aaaaanyway," Argo said, drawing the word out playfully, "guess I owe ya another favor for handlin' those two so smoothly. So, I'll answer any one question totally for free, no teasin'. Or ya can bank it if there's nothin' ya want to know."
"Any question?" Kirito asked.
"Nya hah hah! Wanna know my three sizes?" Argo asked playfully. "Ooh! Or maybe what color underwear I'm wearin'? I'd offer ta tell ya A-chan's, but I promised, sorry. Other than that, Big Sister'll answer a~ny question at all."
Kirito chose to ignore the teasing, and the slight aura of menace emanating from two sources directly behind him, in order to consider Argo's offer. He was going to get the most value for this deal, after all, which meant he had to ask the most expensive question he could think about. Which, naturally, involved Argo's personal information. The private info broker would still sell information about herself, it just cost an exorbitant amount. And as such, he knew exactly what he wanted to know. "Tell me the secret behind your whiskers."
Priced at half a million col, the source of the whiskers that Argo wore was a mystery above all others, in Kirito's opinion. Nobody knew for certain why, but she'd just... started wearing them, near the end of the beta test. When he asked her exactly what happened, she fidgeted awkwardly - strange, for the normally self-possessed girl - and then flatly declared the price, an astronomical amount. It was pretty clear to him that she never intended for anyone to buy that particular piece of information. As such, using his free question on it was probably the only way he would ever find out.
Argo stiffened, pressing her face into his back. "Wha... Hey, Kii-boy... No fair asking a maiden to do that." After a second passed, she laughed uneasily. "...Nya hah hah, guess a deal's a deal. Just... gimme a sec ta get my heart ready? Then I'll get the paint off for ya."
Kirito stood still, utterly baffled. Huh? She was going to... remove the whiskers and show him her bare face, something she'd never shown anyone in game at all? All for rescuing her from the ninjas, and asking a question? 'There's no way this didn't have a deeper meaning,' his mind shrieked at him. 'Don't let her do this in front of the girls!' Kirito didn't hesitate to take its advice. "N-Never mind!" he yelped, doing his best to ignore how his voice cracked a little bit. "Um, instead, tell me about the Martial Arts Skill those two were asking about!"
"...Coward..."
After that breathless whisper against his back that Kirito wasn't sure was imagined or not, Argo released his waist and spun around to stand in front of him. "Eh... Well, guess I did promise I'd answer any question, but..." She tugged at one of the locks of hair framing her face, twisting it around her finger. "Ya gotta swear, no matter what happens, ya won't hold this against me. "
Hold it against her? "You said the same thing to those ninjas earlier," Leafa said. "What's so bad about this quest that you need to attach that kind of warning?"
Argo just grinned at them wryly. "Sorry, Leafa, that one'll cost ya if you wanna know."
Kirito hid a sigh. "Fine, Argo. I promise. I swear to God - no, I swear to the system that I won't blame you for whatever happens, no matter what."
The promise was easy to make. He wouldn't dream of blaming her in the first place. Even if the quest turned out deadly, he could handle himself; plus, with Asuna and Leafa by his side, they probably wouldn't be in any danger at all.
Once she'd extracted the promise, Argo nodded and turned, gesturing for the party of three to follow.
The trip Argo took them on was a route Leafa doubted even Kirito would have found on his own. The info broker blazed a trail up mountains deep in the south, heading up trails that were basically invisible to the swordswoman. She kept stealing glances at her big brother, but he was simply content to follow Argo. The mountain path to wherever she was leading them included a water slide through a cave, something Leafa wasn't too fond of, but at least it didn't end in a deep pool. She might be able to swim, thanks to Asuna's limitless patience in teaching her over the summer, but she still didn't like the memories it brought up.
After exiting that cave, the four of them walked down a dirt path, trees and some bushes on either side. "Careful around here," Argo said idly, walking backwards to face Leafa and the others. "Some higher-level ox mobs spawn on this path. The Trembling Ox is pretty nasty, too. At our level, pro~ob'ly not a huge deal, but -"
"Um, Argo," Leafa said slowly, "this Trembling Ox... Is it about two, two and a half meters tall?"
"Yeah..." Argo studied Leafa, before her face fell. The whiskers drooped as she sighed. "I'd ask how ya knew, but one spawned, didn't it."
It wasn't a question, but Leafa still nodded. "It's in the bushes right behind you."
Argo nodded, and carefully crept forward until she was standing with the others. "Just stay calm," Kirito said as he unsheathed his twin blades. "Once it charges, it's fast, but takes some time to change direction."
"Got it," Leafa and Asuna chorused, preparing to attack. The Trembling Ox let out a snort and swung its head towards the four of them, probably reacting to their weapons being drawn. As soon as it focused on them, though, its red eyes widened and an enraged mrooooooo! burst from its mouth.
"Scatter!" Argo yelped, and the team split apart.
The Trembling Ox pawed at the ground, lowered its head, and charged straight at Asuna. The beautiful girl sidestepped the charge, her red cloak flapping in the wind from the mob's passing. With a shout, she drove her rapier into its side, leaving a long red scratch down its flank. "Aim for the knees!" Kirito called out, his longswords chopping at the mob's right legs. "Asuna, go for the throat, that's the weakpoint!"
"Over here!" Leafa shouted, brandishing her blade. With another wordless cry, she activated one of her battle Skills, Taunt, making her entire body glow a pale yellow. The Trembling Ox snorted as it glared at her, the Taunt doing its job and forcing it to aggro on her -
Until the Trembling Ox turned its head and charged at Asuna again. "Why me?!" the girl yelped, desperately diving away.
"Dunno!" Argo called out as she darted in, slashed at the mob's legs with her claws, and darted out all before the Ox could reorient itself. She was really, really fast, Leafa realized as the Trembling Ox tumbled to the ground, flailing its legs helplessly. "Maybe it likes ya 'cause you're pretty, A-chan!"
"Whatever the reason, the mob's dead," Kirito said as he lunged forward, his glowing sword extending in a thrust that pierced the throat of the monster. As it exploded into blue polygons, he straightened up and sheathed his swords with a flourish. "Let's keep going."
"Right, right," Argo said airily, the girl's unflappable nature swiftly returning now that the fight was done. "It shouldn't be too much longer."
Along the way they fought two more battles, though neither was against another Trembling Ox. Eventually, the thin trail through the woods expanded into a huge clearing. Leafa looked around; nestled against the steep edge of a mountain, the clearing was filled with huge, smooth stones that were as tall as she was, and wide enough that the four of them together couldn't make a whole circle around the widest part. Argo led them up to a figure sitting cross-legged on top of one of the rocks.
"Hey, that looks like it," Asuna said, staring up at the NPC. He was skin and bones, with a flowing white beard and ratty robes that looked like they might have been white at one point in their life. The NPC was also completely bald, except for thick bushy eyebrows.
"That's a quest point, definitely," Leafa nodded. He didn't look like how she'd expected - she was kinda expecting some huge, muscled karate master - but a golden exclamation mark hovered over his head.
Argo grinned, nodding. "That's right~. This guy gives the Extra Skill, Martial Arts," she said, gesturing up at him. "Though, that's all I can tell ya. Acceptin' the quest's up ta you."
Kirito hummed thoughtfully. "What kind of Skill is Martial Arts, anyway?"
"It'll let ya attack with yer hands, no weapons, pretty sure," Argo said. "So if ya drop your weapon, or if it gets stolen by some scavenger mobs like those swamp kobolds..." She trailed off, giving Kirito a knowing wink. Leafa wasn't quite sure why he scratched his cheek and turned away.
"Oh, I get it," Leafa said. "That's why they wanted the Skill." Argo tilted her head inquisitively. "Um... Because a lot of times in games, ninjas can use special attacks with their hands, like... chop!" She mimed a swing of her hand, hand flat and palm up. "It'll act as a one-hit kill from behind, right, Kazuto?"
Asuna frowned, cradling her chin with a hand. "Argo, if they needed to buy the location from you, how did they know it existed in the first place?"
"A-chan, asking the interesting questions," Argo said with a quick laugh. "Well, back on the seventh Floor, an NPC talked about how there's a 'Martial Arts master down on the second Floor'. They prob'ly heard about him from there." As Kirito stepped forward, the info broker called out again, "Remember, you can't hold a grudge!"
"Why are you so worried about that?" Leafa asked Argo. Asuna was staring at Kirito and the old man intently as they spoke. "I mean, Kazuto said you've gotten people mad at you before for selling their info."
"Eh, grudges like those die out quick," Argo said airily, before her lithe frame shivered. She hugged her cloak tighter around her body. "This one can last a lifetime, though..."
Asuna looked around as Kirito accepted the quest. "So, what do you have to do, exactly?"
Argo grinned as Kirito turned to join them. "Nothin' much," she said, rapping her knuckles against the nearest rock. "Just gotta break this thing with yer bare hands."
"Wait," Kirito said, staring at the rock. "That thing... It's gotta be just barely below an Indestructible Object." One of the things he'd taught Leafa and the others was that you could roughly tell the durability of objects by the appearance. The rocks... Her brother was right, she realized. They looked incredibly hard. And they had to do this by hand?
Asuna stared thoughtfully at the rock before nodding once and approaching the old man NPC. "Asuna?" Leafa asked carefully.
"If Kazuto is going to do it, then so will I," Asuna declared. Argo just shook her head in resignation and let out a quiet sigh, grinning a little.
After Asuna accepted the quest, the old man hopped down off of the boulder. "Fwo fwo fwo!" he laughed. "Until you can complete my trial," he said, "you may not use your weapons." He blurred forward, almost appearing in front of Leafa. In his hands were Asuna's rapier and Kirito's twin swords. "You must attempt this trial bare-handed. Use your hands, your feet, even your head if you must," he told them, tapping his bald head. It gleamed in the light. "Fwo fwo fwo!"
"H-Hey, wait," Kirito said uneasily. Her big brother took a step away from the rock. "This thing is -"
"Additionally, until you split this boulder, you may not descend the mountain. So, you must bear the sign of your trial." As the master reached into his robe pockets, Leafa had a sudden premonition. Before she could move or say a word, though, the NPC's hand lashed out at frightening speed, so fast that even she couldn't follow the motion.
At that moment, she realized exactly where Argo's whiskers had come from. She had found the quest in the beta, accepted, and then been unable to break the stone - leaving three thick whiskers on each cheek.
She stared at Asuna and Kirito. Next to her, Argo sighed again, empathy, bone-deep depression, and hysterical laughter warring for dominance in her expression. Kirito pawed at his face, but it didn't help in the slightest; the ink had dried immediately.
"I have faith in your potential. Fwo fwo fwo!" the old man cackled, before jumping up and landing on the rock they'd found him on.
Kirito and Asuna stared at each other silently. Finally, Kirito sighed and looked at Argo. "You gave up on this quest," he said. "And so you played to the end of the beta with the whiskers. That's what made people call you The Rat."
Argo clapped. "Good job, Kii-boy," she snickered. "Aren't you lucky! The reason for my whiskers and the details of the Extra Skill all in one!"
Kirito just sighed. "Of course." Then he turned to Asuna. "At least your whiskers look cute," he grumbled. "Are mine..."
Asuna's lips twitched before she gave him a weak grin. "...I liked that cartoon as a kid?"
Kirito's shoulders fell. Leafa didn't have the heart to tell him that she liked Doraemon too, especially since Argo had given up on trying to hold back her laughter and was literally rolling on the ground, cackling.
...
Leafa grumbled under her breath, wandering on the dirt path near the entrance to the training grounds. It'd been two days, and both Asuna and Kirito hadn't thought of giving up. Each morning, it was the same routine; the two of them would wake up, Kirito would try to get right to punching, Asuna would scold him for not warming up and stretching first... And without fail, Argo would drop by after an hour or two and spend the day chatting with everyone.
Not that she didn't like spending time with Asuna or Argo. And she knew all about the focus needed to practice day in and day out like the two of them were doing. She was actually really impressed by how dedicated Kirito was, focusing on the rock. Watching him punch the rock over and over again, never complaining, brought a smile to her face.
But she still wanted Kirito to pay attention to her! "Stupid Kazuto," she mumbled. "Stupid quest, stupid game." With a huff, she kicked a pebble, sending it flying into the bushes.
An angry squeal answered. "...Uh oh," Leafa said slowly, backing away as an incredibly angry Trembling Ox stormed out of the bushes. She quickly judged her options. The mob was, according to Argo, as tough as a miniboss, and had been spawning a lot more frequently the last few days. "Uh... Sorry?" she tried.
The Trembling Ox pawed at the ground and lowered its head. Leafa wasn't surprised. At this point, she only had two options - fight the mob on her own, or run for it and try to get to the others. She was pretty sure she could win the fight, but on the other hand...
"Kazutoooo!" she shouted, turning and running. "Asunaaaa! Argooooo!"
She didn't feel bad about this in the slightest. Plus, she was pretty sure the others would appreciate the break from punching a rock repeatedly.
As she ran through the field of boulders, the Trembling Ox hot on her heels, Argo turned around first. It was almost hilarious to see the composed info broker's eyes bug out with shock. "Leafa?!" the Rat yelped.
Kirito and Asuna turned around after that, shouting in surprise. She ran past them, dodging at the last second. The Trembling Ox skidded past her, unable to stop its charge right away. "Help!" Leafa gasped, standing up next to Asuna.
Suddenly, it occurred to her that Kirito and Asuna couldn't use weapons. She... might not have thought this plan through very well. When the Trembling Ox turned around, pawing at the ground again, she drew her sword and -
The Trembling Ox snorted and let out an infuriated mroooo! before lowering its head and charging straight at Asuna. "Agaaaain!" the girl wailed as she ran, the mob hot on her heels.
"Sorry, A-chan!" Argo called out as the other three regrouped.
"There's gotta be a reason it keeps targeting Asuna," Leafa muttered.
"Maybe it's her feminine pheromones," Argo suggested lightly.
"Are you kidding me?!" Asuna shouted, before diving out of the way as the Trembling Ox mooed and poured on just enough speed to lunge from her. As it passed through her flapping cloak, the expression on her face changed, and she smirked. "Oh?"
Leafa gasped as she stopped and turned, holding her cape out. "Oh! Like a bull!" Argo exclaimed, grinning. "Good thinking, A-chan!"
"She can't be serious. Asuna!" Leafa exclaimed.
The girl held up her cloak, waving it in front of the bull like a red flag. "C'mon," she said, "right at the target."
Leafa whirled on Kirito, but he was watching Asuna and the Ox intently. After a second, she forced herself to relax and stand down. She was pretty sure that Kirito would be the first to jump in and help if he thought Asuna would get herself hurt. So, since he was standing off to the side instead of throwing himself at the Ox, he thought she could handle it.
With a calculated smirk, Asuna waited for the Trembling Ox to charge straight at her, an instant before she whipped the cloak away. The bull, unable to stop, thundered past her - straight into the rock the hermit was sitting on.
"Ho ho ho!" the hermit laughed as the rock underneath him cracked and splintered from the force of the Ox's ramming attack.
"Use yer head... Thatta-girl, A-chan!" Argo cheered. She had realized that the hermit's introduction to the quest, as well as the increased spawn rate of Trembling Ox mobs, had been a hint to the easy solution.
Asuna smirked victoriously. Then, effortlessly, she lured the Ox into charging at the same rock two more times. It splintered, falling apart into two pieces, and Asuna raised her hands triumphantly as the Trembling Ox staggered away drunkenly. Kirito borrowed the cape from Asuna and easily did the same thing.
While the two of them wiped their faces off, Argo hurried up to the hermit and quickly accepted the quest herself. "Hey, A-chan, lemme borrow that cloak of yers really quick," she said, turning to Asuna.
"Sure, Argo," Asuna said. Of course, just as she handed the red cape over to the info broker, the Trembling Ox collapsed and shattered into blue polygons.
"I'll go find another one," Leafa said, patting Argo's shoulder in sympathy as the older girl's expression morphed into one filled with dismay and utter, complete shock. "Just wait right..."
She trailed off, staring at the hermit's rock. Argo glanced at her. "Eh? Leafa? Whatcha lookin' at?" The info broker tilted her head and stared at the rock herself. Then, abruptly, her entire body went stiff; Leafa had the strangest feeling that if Argo had cat ears, they would be pointing straight up in interest. "Eeeeh?!"
"What?" Asuna asked, hurrying over with Kirito by her side. "What's wrong?"
"Look!" Argo exclaimed, pointing at the hole. "There's a hole here!"
The four of them went down to explore the cave (after Leafa lured another Trembling Ox to the field and Argo finished her quest, unlocking Martial Arts for herself as well, of course) and found a strange painting that none of them really understood. There were two bulky minotaurs - "Tauruses," Kirito and Asuna chorused the correction simultaneously before sharing a laugh, not that Leafa or Asuna really understood the joke - standing on either side of a lanky minotaur with a crown. Below that, a man figure was throwing a circle at the lanky minotaur's crown.
"Weird," was Argo's apt summation. "But info's info. Knew stickin' with ya was a good idea."
October 15th, 2022
Silica took a deep breath, screwed up her courage, and told herself to take that first step into the dungeon. She had to be brave and do this. She'd been practicing really hard this last week, ever since she heard the news that the first boss had been beaten. The player who'd beaten the boss was none other than the nice beta tester who came to supervise her and the other kids from the orphanage on the weekends, Kirito!
That was why Silica was out here, on the second Floor, standing in front of a dungeon. She was getting better with her sword and shield, so she could probably handle this much, she figured. And what better way to help Kirito out? She would prove she could handle herself and then maybe he'd let her join his party! That would be great, Silica sighed happily, briefly entertaining a daydream.
'Mister Kirito!' she'd shout, jumping in the way of a devastating blow and blocking it effortlessly with her cool shield, not even flinching at all. 'Are you alright?'
'I'm fine, Silica,' he'd reply, standing up and raising his swords. 'Since you're here with me. I'm glad you were able to get strong and fight with me.' His wonderful black eyes shined with emotion as he -
"Kyaa!" Silica squealed, shaking her head to fight off the fierce blush. "No! I have to beat this dungeon first, then I can go ask him." She'd sneaked out of the orphanage without Sasha realizing for this exact reason, naturally. She had left a note explaining where she was going, of course; she didn't want the kind university student to worry or anything like that.
Finally, Silica took a step into the dungeon. She had her sword and shield out at the ready, exactly like Kirito had told her. This was the best way for her to pay him back for all the time and effort he spent teaching them all, she thought, and started working on her very first dungeon dive ever. It was scary, and she had to stop herself from turning around and running out of the entrance to the cave, but according to the rumors she'd read in the Daily Argo newspaper, the monsters in this dungeon dropped rare ores that could be used to make a strong weapon.
So, Silica was going to collect a whole bunch of that ore and give it to him as a thank-you gift.
She wandered through the cave, exploring what she could while trying to remember the way back to the entrance. The grinding of rocks nearby caught her attention and she raised her shield, trying hard to stop her weapons from shaking from nerves. So what if it was a monster trying to kill her? She could handle it! Kirito had taught her well, and she wasn't going to let him down!
She peeked around the corner and saw the source of the grinding noise - a moving humanoid-shaped pile of rocks. It was a Taurus Golem, complete with sharp black-colored rocks forming horns. Silica gulped nervously before taking a deep breath and jumping out. The Taurus Golem turned its head, rocks grinding, as she charged the enemy. With a war cry that would probably make kittens across the world proud, Silica swung her sword.
It clanged off of the rock body of the mob, and the Taurus Golem's health ticked down by a sliver. Silica froze, staring at the mob, and realized she was in a lot of trouble.
The Taurus Golem stared at her, red eyes glinting, and Silica starting backing away slowly. She giggled uneasily and glanced behind her, trying to make sure she didn't trip and fall. As she took her next step, a pebble by her foot rolled, clinking against the wall, and the Taurus Golem roared in a groaning, grinding rumble of stone against stone. Silica screamed as it charged her, and she turned tail and ran, heedless of anything other than escaping.
Grinding and scraping behind her told Silica that the Taurus Golem was following her. She panicked and took the next turn down the cave tunnels, not even thinking about whether it was the way out or not. Turn after turn she ran, just trying to get away from the Taurus Golem that was thundering after her.
Eventually she burst into a large cave, and realized that she was completely and hopelessly lost. Silica knew she'd never been here before - especially since there were more Taurus Golems guarding the only exit to this part of the cave. She tried to turn around, but the first Taurus Golem had caught up to her, blocking the entrance with two other Taurus Golems that had joined the chase at some point.
Silica whimpered as the six mobs closed around her, grinding and groaning. She'd screwed up. Kirito had warned everyone not to overestimate their strength, and what had she gone and done? Exactly that. Kirito would be so disappointed in her...
"Heeey! Get away from her!"
The loud shout echoed across the cave walls as a loud crunch filled the air. One of the Taurus Golems was suddenly flung to the side by the head of a glowing mace slamming into its side, knocking it into the mob standing next to it. The owner of the mace rushed forward, short brown hair bouncing with each step. "Hey!" the girl said, leaning over Silica. "You okay?"
"I-I-I'm not hurt," she said, staring up at the girl's brown eyes. She had freckles dusting her cheeks, Silica noted absently. It was a strange thing to focus on, but the mind does strange things in stressful situations.
The girl grinned. "Good. I'll handle these guys and then we can get outta here. Hya!" She swung her mace again, smashing it down on a Taurus Golem's head as it charged them. The heavy blow cracked the rock, dealing a critical hit and killing it in one shot.
She made similarly easy work of the others. "Wow," Silica breathed. "You're really strong..."
"Nah, my mace just does extra damage to them," she replied. "Blunt damage, y'know? So, can you walk?"
...
"Thank you again, Miss Lisbeth," Silica said as she sat at a cafe table, sipping at hot chocolate. Lisbeth had been kind enough to help her out of the dungeon and back to town, and then even bought her something warm to drink. Talking to the girl was like talking to the easygoing older sister she'd never had.
Lisbeth grinned easily. "I keep telling you, just Liz is fine. Don't need to be formal with me!"
Silica smiled. "I'll try, Liz."
"So, how come you were in the dungeon in the first place?" Lisbeth asked her. "I mean, no offense, but your gear's nowhere near good enough. You'd need... Hm, I'd say a complete upgrade to all of your armor, and at least a better sword if you wanted to fight them."
Silica blinked. "Wow, you know a lot about armor. Is that why my sword just bounced off?"
"Yeah," Lisbeth shrugged. "And of course I know. I'm in training to be the game's first player blacksmith, after all," she bragged, raising a fist and flexing her bicep. Silica gasped in awe, applauding. "Seriously, you don't look high enough level to be in there, though."
Silica looked down at her mug of hot chocolate, her twintails drooping. "I wanted to get a gift for Mister Kirito, since he's always coming down to the Town of Beginnings to help us learn how to fight, but... I screwed up."
"Mister Kirito?" Lisbeth echoed. "Hey, isn't he that guy who -"
"Silica!"
Silica whirled around so fast her twintails bounced, nearly hitting her in the face. Wh-wh-wh-what was Kirito doing here? she wondered wildly as the black-clad swordsman hurried towards her. "Mister Kirito?"
"Where have you been?" he asked, stopping in front of her and letting out a sigh of barely-hidden relief. "Sasha sent me a message asking me to look for you. She said you ran off or something."
"I didn't mean to worry anyone," she muttered, looking down. "I just wanted to... I wanted to get some of that rare ore so you can have a nice weapon!" she blurted out.
After a second, a gentle hand rested on her head, and she looked up. Kirito was smiling at her kindly. "Thanks for thinking of me, Silica," he said. "But you shouldn't put yourself in danger like that, okay? The dungeon's really dangerous, and it's dangerous to go in there alone." He glanced over her head at Lisbeth, who had been watching everything. "Guess I have you to thank for looking out for Silica."
Lisbeth laughed. "No problem, no problem," she said. "I was in there looking for ore myself, and helped her out of a tough spot. My name's Lisbeth, but Liz is fine."
"Thanks, Liz," Kirito said warmly. "I'm glad you were there. My name's -"
"Kirito, right?"
"You know who I am?"
Lisbeth laughed, grinning. "Of course I do," she said, waving a hand. "Everyone knows about the beautiful Princesses of the front lines, and their pretty-boy Black Knight. You guys are famous." Suddenly, her grin turned a little sly and knowing. "Hey, any truth to the rumors about you dating them?"
"Wha?!" Kirito squawked. Silica's eyes went so wide she was worried they'd pop out. "Rumors?"
"Yeah, you know," Lisbeth continued, "how you disappeared with them right after beating the boss, only appearing after three days? Eh? Eh?"
"That's not true at all," Kirito said. Silica's heart restarted at the denial. "We were just working on a sidequest with Argo."
Lisbeth made a knowing 'mm-hmm' sound as she smirked. "Suuuuure. Playboy, leading on two pretty girls like that... And what about the info broker girl? Secret midnight trysts, eh?"
"So! Why were you looking for the ore yourself, Liz?" Kirito asked, clearly desperate to change the topic.
Lisbeth shrugged. "I may not look like it," she said, "but I'm working hard to be a blacksmith! I'm getting pretty good, too," she added.
"Really?" Kirito asked. "That's amazing! We'll be glad to hear that. Oh, hey, do you think you could upgrade my party's weapons? The boss fight is coming up soon, so we're preparing."
Lisbeth's smile turned a little brittle. "Sure," she said, laughing a little bit. It sounded strained. "I'll give it my best shot..."
"Great!" Kirito, if he'd noticed, didn't say anything. "I'll send a message to the girls and let them know where I am. Think you can do it right now?"
"Now?" Lisbeth's eyes darted around and she swallowed before nodding. "Yeah, okay... I'll set everything up."
She led them over to an alleyway in the town before sitting down on the ground, unrolling a Vendor's Carpet. On top, she set down a small anvil and forge. After staring at it for a second, she turned on the forge and watched the red glow brighten as it heated. Silica watched the whole process with curiosity. Kirito approached the brown-haired blacksmith after a few minutes. "They'll be here in a few minutes," he said. "In the meantime, do you want to get started on my swords?"
Lisbeth's tongue flicked out, running over her lips, and she nodded, holding her hand out. "Give 'em here," she said briskly. "What do you want?"
"Sharpness and Durability on both," Kirito said. "They should have the upgrades remaining, right? And, I have the materials needed."
"Two each, then?" Lisbeth nodded and examined the swords. After a second, she choked and nearly dropped the swords. "H-Hey! They're already +6!"
Kirito nodded. "They're Anneal Blades, so they'll go to +8. Don't worry," he said when Lisbeth started to protest. "I think you can do it, Liz."
Lisbeth stared at him, then muttered under her breath, "You shouldn't say things like that... I might get the wrong idea..." Kirito and Silica weren't able to hear the whispered words, however. In the end, there was nothing she could do but accept the blades and materials and get to work.
Silica watched the blacksmith started bringing her hammer down on the first of the swords. One, two, three... She counted along in her head, and on the tenth hit the blade glowed brightly. Kirito just watched with a smile on his face as the white light faded away, leaving the blade on the anvil. Silica gasped; it was almost like the shine of the blade had become deeper, somehow. "I did it!" Lisbeth cheered, grinning at the sword.
"See?" Kirito said. The blacksmith girl jumped and looked up almost sheepishly. "I knew you could do it."
"Yeah!" Lisbeth said, grinning at him brightly. "Okay! Just gotta do it a few more times."
Silica was going to watch her enhance the blade again when she saw a group of players turn down the alley and start approaching them. "Hey, Kii-boy," the shortest one called out, waving. Silica realized abruptly that these were Kirito's friends and party members; Asuna, the one wearing the red cloak, and the black-haired Leafa. She wasn't sure who the girl with whiskers was, though. "So this's where ya disappeared to."
Kirito waved as he accepted one of the Anneal Blades back, re-equipping it. It had been upgraded successfully as well. As Lisbeth started pounding on the second sword, he said, "Sorry to run off so quickly. I didn't mean to worry you."
"Is Silica alright?" Asuna asked. Silica blushed, a little embarrassed that she'd caused these high-level players worry.
"I'm fine," she said, speaking up.
She didn't expect Asuna to stop and stare at her, before letting out a little squeal. "Ah, you're adorable!" Everyone stared at the long-haired girl. After a second, she cleared her throat. "I... I mean, that's good that you're not hurt. You shouldn't run off like that, though."
She hung her head, and Leafa said, "Don't lecture her, Asuna."
"I'm not lecturing!"
"You always lecture whenever Kazuto or I screw up, you know you do."
"I do not! Sugu, don't say things like that!"
"See, you're doing it now!"
Argo laughed as the two other girls started bickering and ambled over to inspect Lisbeth's work. "Pretty good," the info broker said. "Lisbeth, right?"
"Um... Yeah," the blacksmith said, hesitating before starting work on the last upgrade of Kirito's second weapon. "You're Argo, right?"
"Got it in one~," the info broker said with a sing-song tone. She glanced at Lisbeth, eyes appraising her, and then grinned wider. "Get ready for a long day, Liz. A-chan's got a few upgrades she wants done, and so does Leafa."
As Lisbeth blanched, Silica screwed up her courage and reached out to - No, she was not going to tug on Kirito's coat, she told herself, and pulled her hand back. She saw Argo grin slyly and pretended that the info broker wasn't grinning because she'd seen what Silica was about to do. "Excuse me, Kirito?"
"Hm? Something wrong, Silica?"
She took a deep breath. "Can... Can I joinyourpartyandfightwithyou?!" She got the words out in a hurry and squeezed her eyes shut.
After a few seconds, she heard Kirito say, "Silica, can you look at me?" She opened her eyes cautiously and met Kirito's kind grey eyes; he'd crouched in front of her. "Right now," he said, "we're about to go fight the Floor Boss. It's incredibly dangerous, and we can't put you at risk."
"So... you're saying -"
Kirito shook his head, cutting her off. "How about this. After we beat the boss, why don't you come explore the third Floor with us? It's a little less dangerous at the beginning, so I think that four of us can stay safe."
"Five," Argo called out.
Kirito glanced at her in surprise, before smiling faintly. "Sorry. Five, then. Does that sound like a plan?"
Silica blinked, and then nodded rapidly. "Yeah! I'll be waiting, so you'd better beat that boss soon!"
"What was that look you gave Liz, Argo?" Kirito asked.
Argo grinned. She knew he was going to ask the instant he looked at her; at least he'd waited until they went back to their inn room on the second Floor. "It'll cost ya 100 col, Kii-boy." As soon as the words left her lips the boy flipped her a shining coin. She caught it and made it dance across her fingers before stashing it in her pockets safely. "Thankies! So, Liz back there? She's... got some rumors about her. Such as, well, a couple players went to get their weapons upgraded from the first player blacksmith, some cute gal in the Town of Beginnings. After their first upgrade failed, sounds like they got upset and made her try again and again without tryin' ta up the chances of success."
"So they gambled and lost," Kirito said. "And I'm guessing that they blamed her for it, claiming she's bad luck or something."
"Bin~go," Argo sang. "Nailed it in one. Yep, the suckers started blaming poor Liz and people listened. We were prob'ly the first people to get upgrades from her for a while now. Ya know how rumors get, don'tcha?"
"Which reminds me, there have been rumors about all of us..."
"Nya hah hah! Shouldn't ya be flattered?" Argo grinned.
Kirito sighed. "Just stop the rumors please..."
Argo waved her hand in a pawing motion. "I'll get around to it, don't worry, Kii-boy." Somehow, the look on his face told her that he was skeptical of her motivations. Which was fair. She liked the rumor about herself, at least. It was kinda flattering, in a way. She had fans! Argo giggled to herself quietly. It was weird that they'd managed to watch her go out and meet with Kirito in the middle of the night, but hey, that was the price of being a famous info broker. "Seriously, have I let you down yet?"
"Let me just count all the times in the beta," he said in a deadpan. Argo stuck her tongue out at him.
"Hey, you two," Asuna said, turning back to the squabbling pair. "It's time to head into the Labyrinth. Are you ready?"
"Ready!" they said, both confident. They were in the beta together, after all, Argo knew. There was no way this boss was going to stop them!
...
At the entrance to the boss door, Argo sighed as she listened to the two proto-guilds argue. Lind and Kibaou had, apparently, arrived at roughly the same time, so they were both shouting that they should be the ones to take command of the fight. The argument was just going around in circles, and eventually Kirito - whose party had been the last to arrive and as such out of the running - cleared his throat. "Are we going to argue all day, or are we going to fight the boss?" he asked when Lind and Kibaou turned to glare at him.
Eventually, the spiky-haired man scratched his head and grunted. "Fine, whatever," he spat. "Ya blue-haired bastard."
"Brute," Lind growled. Then, he took a dramatic stance and waved his hand in the air, trying to catch everyone's attention. "Ahem! I am Lind of the Dragon Knights guild! As representative of the first group to reach the boss door, I'll be in command for this fight. Now, teams A through D, we'll be fighting the main boss, General Baran. Team E, you're in charge of taking out the other mob."
"Mob, he says," Argo snorted.
Kirito blanched and exclaimed, "Nato?! He's as tough as a midboss. And we have to take him out?" He sighed after a second. "Well, there are four of us, so I think it'll be fine." Asuna and Leafa looked at each other and nodded firmly, grinning.
Lind kept talking a little bit more, giving the first four parties more instruction. Argo didn't miss how they were all made up of Lind and Kibaou's followers. It made sense he would just leave Nato to them, then, since the four of them were clearly talented. Plus, she alone was the only 'unproven' member of the boss fight, and most people tacitly assumed that Argo was a beta tester thanks to the information she put out in her guide.
"Alright, everyone's been assigned," Lind said, turning back to face the boss door. Argo noted absently that the door wasn't changed in the slightest from the one in the beta; quite the trap, huh. "And so we go forth to -"
"Hold up!" Argo called out, making the blue-haired man stumble a little bit. Stifling a snicker, she pushed her way through the crowd of players. "'Scuse me, comin' through, info broker, outta my way, don't step on my cloak please." After standing at the front of the crowd, she cleared her throat. "Sorry, but figured I should let ya all know a lil' somethin'."
"And what's that?" Lind asked, staring at her dubiously.
"Oh, nothin' special, just that there's prob'ly gonna be another boss in there after we take down Baran and Nato."
That little announcement sent whispers through the crowd, but Argo didn't turn to look. To his credit, Lind mostly kept his composure, except for going a little pale. "Whaddaya talkin' about?" Kibaou growled, stepping forward. "You're that info broker, right? The Rat that puts out all those guidebooks."
"You're flatterin' me, stop it," Argo grinned, then continued brightly, "but yep, that's me! Aaaanyway, a beta tester's party found a clue to the floor Boss. Problem is, it's not the same boss as Baran and Nato. After I looked into things, I'm pretty sure that the real boss is gonna show up after the pair of beef steaks-to-be in there are dealt with." Lind studied her, and then nodded. Kibaou grunted and crossed his arms, but didn't say anything. She was pre~etty sure they knew that Kirito was the beta tester in question, but she was still glad they didn't ask. "Oh," Argo added, "don't worry 'bout my fee. That's been taken care of, lucky you!" Thanks, Kii-boy, she added privately, remembering the single col he paid her that morning.
Lind nodded. "Thank you for letting us know. If that's everything..."
"Sure is!" Argo chirped, before heading back to join the others. Kirito lifted his hand in a fist, and Argo knocked her knuckles against his. Exactly like they'd do in the beta, before heading off to a hard fight.
This was going to be... interesting.
...
Kirito and Leafa, the two 'strongest' fighters, would be engaging from the front, keeping Nato's attention entirely on them through Kirito's high damage and Leafa's Skills. Meanwhile, Asuna and Argo, more mobile builds, would be flanking and striking from the sides and back whenever an opening presented itself. The plan for fighting Nato was simple, but it worked well.
On the other hand... Argo spared a second to glance at the other fight and rubbed at the bridge of her nose. "Idiots," she muttered. Lind and Kibaou were doing more harm to their players than the taurus boss, with how poorly they were working together. Tanks were behind the DPS, nobody was rotating properly... At least there hadn't been any casualties, so it wasn't like this was unsalvageable. "Kii-boy, how much longer for Nato?"
"Probably - hah! - about two minutes. Leafa, switch!" Kirito slashed at Nato's arms and left a long red mark before jumping back, Leafa sliding in smoothly to take his place. Kirito pulled out a potion and started drinking it down while Asuna and Leafa kept Nato busy. "How are they doing?"
Argo made an 'Eh...' noise and wiggled her hand neutrally. "Nobody's died yet, but I'm worried they're not talkin' ta each other. Makes me worried someone's gonna drop the boss before -"
"Red health!" the shout erupted from behind them, neatly cutting Argo off.
"...Before we finish killin' Nato," she finished her sentence belatedly. Then she sighed and slapped at her forehead. "Those idiots."
"No! It's too soon!" Kirito exclaimed, whirling around to stare. General Baran's final health bar was deep in the red; some overeager axe user from Lind's group had activated a Sword Skill with his party members while a faction from the other party hammered away with Sword Skills of their own, blasting off way too much health at once. "Leafa, Asuna!" he shouted. "You two handle Nato! Argo and I have to go help the others!"
"Eh?!" Asuna exclaimed, whipping around to stare at him. "By ourselves?"
"You'll be fine," Kirito said with a grin. "I trust you!"
With that declaration, Kirito and Argo ran towards the rest of the raid members. Their boots clacked against the stone floor -
A rumbling filled the air, and they skidded to a halt. The center of the floor, something everyone had assumed was just a simple, ornate design, started to shift and rise from the floor. It formed a pedestal, like a performing stage; finally, the very center of the room rose up higher than the rest. Unlike the other parts of the floor, it wasn't empty. "What... the heck..." Kirito mumbled, staring up blankly at the massive form looming over them. Beside him, Argo could only snicker helplessly at the sight.
"Mooooooooo!" the tall, almost skeletal form of Asterius The Taurus King sang, pressing one hand to its chest with the other outstretched dramatically. It was black-skinned and lanky, with a short white goatee. Its two horns stuck straight up from its head, shining dully in the light.
"Crap!" Kibaou shouted. "It's the third boss!"
Lind looked around in a clear panic, eyes wide and face pale. The other fighters around him were losing cohesion, starting to run in and swing at the boss randomly instead of in a controlled pattern. From the stories Kirito had told her, Argo figured this was something similar to what happened to the first boss fight - one thing went wrong, and suddenly they all fell apart. Lind, the nominal leader, wasn't doing anything to help, unlike the Diavel he idolized so much.
"Argo, distract the boss!" Kirito, on the other hand, was already barking orders. "I'm going to help defeat Baran and then help out the girls. Think you can handle things?"
"Nya hah hah! Who do ya think yer talkin' too, Kii-boy?" Argo grinned like a cat, twirling a metal ring around one finger. "I got this. Go do yer thing."
With the chakram drop from the Labyrinth midboss and the Martial Arts skill she'd earned from that stupid quest, she could handle herself just fine. She preferred her claws, yeah, but the Throwing Weapon skill was one of her favorites too.
Asterius stepped forward, elegantly moving from its entrance stage, and Argo spun the chakram around her finger before letting it fly. Just as the boss reached the floor, the projectile slammed into the boss's crown. Instantly it was staggered, clutching at its head and mooing in anger. The ring flew through the air in a graceful, gleaming arc, straight back to Argo's hands where she caught it. Hey, she thought, this thing's pretty neat! It was really a shame that using it required two Skills, or she'd probably dabble with a secondary weapon.
"Ah ah ah," she said, clicking her tongue as she noticed the boss starting to recover. "Not happenin'. Yer stayin' right here with me." A flick of her wrist, another clang of metal on metal, and the boss was reeling again. "Heh. This is prob'ly the easiest boss fight I've ever had ta deal with."
It wasn't even hard! She just needed to stand there and throw the chakram as soon as the boss's stagger animation was about to end, so there wasn't any danger at all.
Hey, free col. Argo didn't mind in the slightest.
There was hardly any problems with the fight after Kirito stepped forward and de-facto assumed command. He was able to rally the players fighting Baran, providing the leadership that they latched onto almost instinctively. Once Baran fell, exploding into pixels, Kirito ran by her and crossed to help Asuna and Leafa. The power trio back together, Argo felt something inside her relax. She'd kept an eye out on Asuna and Leafa, and she could see the beautiful long-haired girl's dodges getting closer and closer as time wore on and she couldn't rest, she could see Kirito's pretty sister's sword taking longer to move, getting in position just a hair slower.
Once Kirito rejoined them and the other parties swarmed Asterius, Argo knew the day was won. All she had to do was keep the boss stunlocked until the others were there.
Argo heard a cheer to her right and glanced over to see that Colonel Nato had expanded and burst, shattering into blue polygons. Asuna's rapier was outstretched, the girl frozen in midair for a heartbeat in the position of her killing blow before she dropped to the floor, landing neatly with her cloak fluttering behind her.
Abruptly, a sudden change caught her attention and she was forced to swear under her breath. Despite doing her best, the strategy of 'Stunlock the boss until it dies' - cheap, yeah, but this was life and death so Argo was a little past caring about fairness - was gradually growing less and less effective. This time, it seemed, it wasn't enough; Asterius had managed to recover fast enough that it was attacking before the frontline fighters were able to get close to it.
"Crap!" she swore out loud again once the sight properly registered. "A breath attack! Quick, everyone scatter!"
Asterius leaned back, its jaw opening way wider than it looked like it should be able to, and started sucking in a deep breath. Mist swirled around its open mouth as its cheeks bulged to hold it all in, and Argo winced. The closest thing to magic in these games, she knew the breath attacks had elements to them. This one in particular was the electric-element, which meant that everyone had to be out of the way before the attack came out, or they'd be hit.
Crap! Her mind whirled as she tried to figure out how they were all getting out of this without getting paralyzed, but there wasn't anything she could do. All the information couldn't save them if they were caught off guard.
As Asterius leaned forward to unleash its breath attack, Argo could only hope that a miracle would happen.
And one arrived in the form of a shooting star. Asuna raced across the floor, boots barely touching the ground. Her hood fell back, her long hair spilling out and streaming through the air, and she leapt forward. She pressed on the back of Asterius and used the boss as a spring pad, launching herself in the air. She twisted, angling downwards, and then brought back her rapier and thrust, smashing down into the boss's skull. Its mouth snapped shut and the breath attack backfired, stunning the boss instead of just distracting it this time. "A-chan?!" Argo gasped.
With a flourish, Asuna flipped over and activated Crescent Moon, one of the Martial Arts skills. Her leg shot up in an arc, slamming into the boss's chin and knocking it reeling even further. She landed on the ground in a classic three-point stance before straightening up. Argo heard a few people whispering about the Princess and grinned. She knew that Asuna was embarrassed about that. Plus, the whispers only got louder and more interested when Leafa stood next to Asuna, katana at the ready.
Hmm... Argo wondered idly if she should try to shift the rumors around a bit. Leafa didn't seem to appreciate the princess comments very much. Maybe another knight, like Kirito? Ooh, maybe the Emerald Knight? To go with the Black Knight? Eh, she'd workshop it when she's not in a life-or-death situation.
With both swords in hand, Kirito ran up next to Argo, watching as she switched back to her favorite claws. "Crown's not working anymore, Kii-boy," she reported.
He sighed. "Too much to hope it'd last the entire battle, I guess..."
"We still got plenty 'a use out of it," she mentioned. "Kept the big boy locked down until you guys managed to take out the hamburgers."
"That's true," he said with a smile. "Let's go, Argo! We have a boss to beat!"
"Right with ya, Kii-boy!"
In the end, they managed to win without a single casualty, though Kirito thought things were close right before he was able to join the main party fighting Baran. He'd even managed to snag the Last Attack Bonus while fighting the larger of the two tauruses. Leafa had claimed Nato's Last Attack Bonus, and Argo had been the one, fittingly enough, to take down Asterius with a really cool claw attack after she'd jumped, landed in his cupped hands, and he'd thrown her higher in the air.
Kirito and Leafa high-fived, and then the girls shared a round of hugs among the three of them. "That was really impressive, Asuna," he said, and the girl smiled at him. Argo cleared her throat, raising an eyebrow expectantly, and he obliged her. "Good job with the boss, Argo."
"Thankies~." Kirito couldn't help but wonder why she seemed so satisfied with the praise. Wasn't the Last Attack Bonus enough for? Then again, he realized, this was Argo. She'd wring as much as she could out of any situation.
He glanced over to the side, where Lind and Kibaou were standing with their party members. The fight had nearly gone south because they panicked, but it was okay in the end, right? He'd managed to get the other players into a unit, somehow, and there hadn't been any losses. Still, it was a little worrying how they didn't have a clear leader. If only Diavel hadn't died, Kirito thought, we wouldn't be in this situation.
Leafa leaned over and poked his shoulder. "Hey, Kazuto," she said, "stop worrying about it. We won, didn't we?"
He stared at her, and then laughed a little. "Yeah, we did," he said. "And you're right, Leafa. I should be celebrating too, huh." He ruffled his little sister's hair playfully, and she complained before ducking away to paw at her bangs and try to fix the damage he'd done. "But we have to open the next Floor before we can relax, so we'd better get going." They were going to go back to town and restock their supplies before heading up to the third Floor, so once again the three of them were going to be in charge of activating the Teleport Gate.
Argo grinned. "So whatcha waitin' for, Kii-boy? Let's go already."
Asuna stared at the slender girl. "Argo, you're coming with us?"
"Nya hah hah. 'Course I am," she replied. "Since I joined up with you, I got Martial Arts and got ta beat a boss. It's like Kii-boy's my good luck charm! I'm gonna get lots 'a new info from hangin' around with you, so why would I leave?"
That was Argo, through and through, Kirito sighed. On the other hand, he definitely enjoyed her company, and it would be nice to have her around, so... Kirito smiled at Argo. The hooded info broker fidgeted a little bit. "Well, I'm glad to have you along," he told her.
The Rat grinned and threw her arms around Kirito's neck, rubbing her cheek up against his. "Lookin' forward to workin' with ya, Kii-boy," she said, almost purring.
Floor 2 done! Somehow, Kirito has saved the idiots from themselves again. I tried switching up the shoulders we were riding, so that it wasn't always Kirito or Asuna. Now that we have six characters, it'll probably be easier, but I really need more practice with Leafa, Silica, and Liz. I just haven't written much from their point of view...
This time, we saw Argo flirt with Kirito some more after he saved her from ninjas. (The ninjas aren't the important part there... :3) We also have the Rat finally getting her Martial Arts skill, so good for her. It meant she got to take the starring role against Asterius.
We also have Silica getting herself in trouble, as well as the introduction to everyone's favorite blacksmith. The main cast is about to fully assemble, so prepare yourselves.
Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed.
So, since a couple people brought it up, let me go over Kirito's build in a little more detail. Yes, right now, he has two swords equipped. This is a deliberate change I made, mainly because Unique Skills are things that are neat in concept but actually really stupid when game design is brought into the fold. In that light, I made a few changes to how Dual Blades will work:
1. Anyone can equip two longswords, or two daggers, or whatever. There's a non-negligible penalty to doing this: the damage from each weapon is lowered to 75% of its max (as such, someone attacking with both swords as fast as someone attacking with one sword will do roughly 150% damage, but with timing and all that the math works out pretty well).
2. Sword Skills can be activated with either weapon, but only one at a time. Skill Chaining doesn't exist either, so it really is a straight 'Use a One-Handed Sword Skill'. Combined with the damage penalty, someone using this style really doesn't do as much damage unless they're fighting carefully and using Sword Skills as supplements instead of the main source.
3. Dual Blades still exists, just as a very rare Extra Skill branching off of One-Handed Sword Skills (like Katana, branching off of Curve Sword). I'll explain how it's unlocked when it becomes relevant, but it's mostly just time-consuming nonsense that makes it hard to unlock. People will think it's a Unique Skill, since he's the only one that uses it, but technically it's unlockable by anyone that fulfills the requirements.
Essentially, people don't like two sword style because they're bad at SAO and spam Sword Skills, which Dual Blades discourages. Especially now that it's a death game, where having a shield to block an attack might be the difference between life and death. Kirito's the only one using this style because he doesn't like using a shield anyway, so why have an empty hand? It also helps that as a beta tester he's used to fighting without Sword Skills as his only recourse, so the damage penalty isn't too punishing. He's also got party members to help pick up the slack, so it's all good.
(I also imagine Asuna's an enabler, all 'Oh Kazuto you look so cool with two swords!' while Leafa's off to the side going 'Ack, kendo doesn't apply here, don't scold my idiot brother for leaving openings everywhere! ...He does look cool though...')