Chapter 8
February 17th, 2023
Silica hummed happily to herself as she walked through the streets of the 25th Floor. It was a little chilly out so she was wearing a light blue scarf over her regular equipment. It wasn't as nice a scarf as the one Kirito had given Leafa for Christmas, but it was still cute, she thought. Of course, it was still a little chilly, but that just meant she had an excuse to stop by the little food stall near the northern exit of the town. They sold bags of steaming peanuts, and they tasted amazing! Asuna always told her that she shouldn't eat them or she would ruin her appetite for dinner, which was ridiculous, in Silica's opinion. She could always eat more since the food was virtual! And besides, Silica was all by herself today, so it wasn't like Asuna could stop her!
Full of her rebellious spirit, Silica wandered over and purchased a nice bag of peanuts to go, munching on the hot treat as she headed back to the Teleport Gate. Kirito had gone out with Leafa and Asuna to challenge a dungeon on the Front Lines, while Lisbeth and Argo went out to collect materials, bringing the four kids with them. So, naturally, that meant Silica was going out on her own to get some experience. She didn't want to risk going out to the Front Lines on her own - the monsters were really, really tough! - so she headed down to Floor 22. That one was a lot easier, perfect for grinding her One-Handed Straight Sword Skill level.
When she appeared on the Floor, Silica stretched and yawned. It was still a little chilly, so she didn't bother removing her scarf as she walked out of the town and angled for the nearby forest. While she walked, she kept munching at her tasty peanut treat, even after entering the forest proper. That's how little danger the enemies really posed to Silica... or even any regular player going through the Floor. Honestly, she thought as she grabbed another handful of peanuts, she wouldn't be surprised if she didn't run into any -
Rustle rustle
Silica froze, hand holding peanuts outstretched. Really? she sighed. Maybe there was something to that Murphy thing Kirito and Argo kept talking about. Dropping the peanuts in her hands, heedless of how they spilled across the ground, she whirled and drew her sword and shield with a swift motion. It was a good thing she reacted like she did, since one of the rare hostile mobs on the Floor jumped from the bushes with a snarl.
"Hah!" she shouted, pushing back with the Shield Bash Skill before she even consciously registered what her attacker looked like. Her large shield impacted solidly against its body and flung the mob back, and Silica focused on it. It was a Maroon Wolf, the dark red mob snarling at her on all fours. Silica raised her sword carefully, preparing to strike, before pushing forward and slashing with a fierce war cry.
It was a little awkward to fight without using Sword Skills, but Kirito had insisted that everyone learn how to fight without them, so it wasn't awful. It just took longer to kill the mob that was threatening her. Which, in its own way, was helpful, Silica realized as she sheathed her weapons. It gave her more time to level up her Skills! And practice fighting the mobs solo, which was always good. She wanted Kirito to be able to rely on her, too! Silica giggled as she scrolled through her menu to sort the Maroon Wolf's drops, happily imagining the scenarios where she'd -
Bing!
"Eh?" Silica asked, staring at the pop-up that had just appeared. "...'Would you like to name the tamed Feathered Little Dragon?'" she read, tilting her head. ...What was a Feathered Little Dragon? And for that matter, she added to herself, what was a tamed Feathered Little Dragon?
A little leery of just accepting the prompt when she didn't know what was going on, Silica looked around. Nothing seemed to be any different around her, until she looked down. Immediately she stopped and stared at the sight in front of her. Where she'd spilled her bag of peanuts, a small light blue creature was sitting, patiently looking up at her. Its red eyes didn't seem to be filled with any malice at all, and its small triangular head was cocked inquisitively as it looked at her. As Silica took in the wide blue wings, tipped with white feathers that looked so incredibly soft and snuggly, her overwhelmed mind could only note that she knew what a Feathered Little Dragon was, now.
Since it wasn't immediately hostile, Silica tentatively tapped at the prompt. When a keyboard appeared, asking for her to enter a name, she studied the little four-legged creature studying her in turn. "...What should I name you?" she asked it, not really expecting a response.
"Kyui!" it chirped.
"Oh, you're adorable," Silica exclaimed, crouching down to smile at the little monster. "Hm... Oh, I know!" She straightened up and brought the keyboard over. "I'll name you Pina!"
Her cat, back in the real world. She loved the beautiful cat, and just the thought of having her best friend back, even if in name only, made her feel warm inside. ...Though not as warm as she might have expected... Oh! She realized why almost immediately after asking herself the question. It was because she had friends already!
"Let's be friends, Pina!" Silica smiled.
Pina spread her wings and flapped them a few times, taking flight. She circled Silica a few times, chirping happily, before landing on her head and settling in, flaring her wings to keep her balance as Silica adjusted for her weight in surprise. "Kyui!" Pina keened, gently gripping the twin-tailed girl's head with her paws.
Silica giggled. "Hey, that tickles, Pina," she said. Pina just chirped again, her tail flicking lightly against her neck, and Silica laughed. "Be careful not to fall off," she chided the small dragon before setting off into the forest, searching for more mobs to fight. Hopefully she wouldn't encounter another Pina, that would be really awkward!
...
"Silica," Lisbeth began slowly, staring at her, "mind if I ask a question?"
"Eheheh..." Silica dug her toe in the carpet and fidgeted sheepishly.
"So..." Lisbeth raised a finger and opened her mouth, and then closed it, tapping her chin thoughtfully. Then she opened her mouth again, only to close it. The cycle repeated itself a few more times. Meanwhile, Silica leaned away subtly when Argo inched closer, eyes wide and sparkling. For once, the info broker wasn't teasing the young girl; instead, she was staring as if entranced... by Pina. "Okay," Lisbeth finally said with a sharp exhalation. "So, um, Silica, why are you wearing a dragon as a hat?"
Lisbeth, it seemed, was starting to get surprisingly used to the shenanigans that the Royal Blades found themselves in, Silica noted while trying to slap Argo's questing hands away from poking at Pina. She hadn't even questioned the fact that Silica had left without Pina and come back with her, just that Pina was riding on her head. "I accidentally dropped peanuts in the forest on the 22nd Floor when I fought a Maroon Wolf. Pina just... appeared after that? I'm not sure, I didn't see. But a screen popped up, saying I tamed her."
"An' ya said Pina here's a Feathered Little Dragon?" Argo was undeterred by Silica's increasingly accurate smacks and kept trying to stroke Pina's wings and back. "Never heard of that kinda mob before. Guess ya got a rare one, Silica. Pre~tty good luck, with the firs' mob ta be tamed bein' a rare spawn. Cute, too."
Silica smiled. "Pina's great!" she said. "And taming her meant I got a few extra Skills for free."
"Oh, do tell," Argo purred.
"Only if you promise to stop bothering Pina," Silica scolded the Rat.
"Yeah, yeah, I won't bother 'er, now spill," Argo said. It seemed that her lust for new information overrode her curiosity about the familiar.
"I got - Eeep!"
Silica started to explain what she'd earned from taming Pina when a pair of arms wrapped around her stomach. "Oh hey, Asuna's home," Lisbeth said flatly. The high-pitched keening noises Silica was hearing, she realized, were coming from Asuna.
"Aah!" Asuna finally exclaimed as she tightened the hug. "How? How did Silica get even cuter!?"
"You're crushing her, Asuna," Leafa said, tugging on the girl's shoulder. "Let the poor girl breathe."
"But Sugu," the second-in-command complained. Still, she let Silica go, and Silica hurriedly took a few steps away from Asuna. When she glanced at Argo, the info broker was tucking something away in one of the pockets of her cloak. She wasn't sure what it was, but probably nothing good... "A-anyway," Asuna coughed quietly, "why do you have a little dragon riding on your head?"
"She tamed it on the 22nd Floor," Lisbeth replied.
Leafa blinked. "Huh. Didn't know you could do that."
Asuna approached gingerly and reached out a hand to pet Pina. Before she could touch the familiar, though, Pina let out a quiet cry and took off. Asuna's hand darted out, the speed that made her known as the Lightning Flash on full display, but she wasn't able to reach far enough to touch Pina before the dragon had flown around Silica and landed on her shoulder. "Mrr..." Asuna murmured, hand reaching out again. Pina jumped away and dodged her again. This time, the dragon flew around the room.
Finally, the last member of their guild stepped into the living room. "What's going on?" Kirito asked, blinking as he watched Asuna try desperately to catch the flying dragon. "...Why is there a dragon flying around?"
"Silica tamed him, Kazuto," Leafa informed him.
"Oh, okay." Just like that, he was alright with the situation. He barely even blinked when Pina landed on his head, letting out a quiet 'kyui!' at Asuna as the long-haired girl stopped just before she ran into Kirito.
Lisbeth just rubbed at her forehead. "Everyone in this guild is insane," she muttered.
Argo nudged the pink-haired blacksmith. "Yer one ta talk, Miss Pink Hair. Ya fit right in with us, so what's that say about you?"
"...Urgh..." Lisbeth grumbled. "Fine, so maybe you have a point."
"Can someone get him off of my head?" Kirito asked plaintively. Silica held out her arms and Pina launched herself forward, landing neatly in them. She giggled as she looked up at her and licked her cheek. Aw, she's so cute, she thought.
February 24th, 2023
Kirito did his best to stifle the sigh he knew was trying to break free. He hated politics between guilds. Asuna and Argo knew that, and yet they'd insisted he attend the guild meeting on the 27th Floor regardless. There was a reason he preferred playing solo in most MMOs. Then again, forming the Royal Blades had brought him closer with everyone, so maybe there was something to be said about guilds... But that was beside the point at the moment.
Right now, he was sitting at the round table in the meeting hall on the 27th Floor early in the morning, despite how uncomfortable he felt sitting there. Kirito, along with his two seconds Asuna and Argo, were the Royal Blades' representatives in the meeting of the three major guilds. He'd upgraded his equipment, and it still wasn't quite setting right on him; the black coat he was wearing was made from the leather of a monster from Floor 23, and his new gloves were sewn by Asuna.
Speaking of the long-haired girl, she fidgeted awkwardly from time to time, adjusting her red cloth armor. Her shoulders were left bare, the red sleeves starting just over halfway up her upper arm and continuing to just over her wrists. The main body of the armor was a single red tunic, including a half cape around her legs with dark blue edging. She also wore a midnight blue pleated skirt that ended at the thigh, revealing a nearly-invisible strip of skin before her stockings started. To finish the look, the guild symbols had been stitched into the high collar and the hem of the tunic roughly where her hips were, as well as the outside of her stockings. Naturally, her precious rapier hung on her hip. She'd complained about the equipment at first, but after Leafa and Argo pointed out how much it cost to buy, she reluctantly decided to wear the somewhat-revealing clothes. Kirito couldn't complain about the decision, not in the slightest; he liked it when he glanced over and caught sight of her in the eye-catching outfit.
Coming in their armor had been something Argo suggested. It showed that they were considering this an issue related to combat, not politics; Kirito was just grateful that he didn't have to wear the flashy formal clothes. He didn't hate them, but they did attract attention. Or maybe it was that the girls' natural beauty was highlighted when they wore the tailored outfits, he mused.
Along the table to his left, Lind was sitting in his heavy metal armor, Shivata standing behind him; and to his right, an older man - the one who'd called the meeting in the first place, and the leader of the newest guild, Knights of the Blood - named Heathcliff.
Argo had filled him in on the Knights of the Blood once she heard about the meeting, and that the Royal Blades had been invited, but there wasn't much to it. The Knights of the Blood were incredibly new; they'd only announced themselves at the start of the 26th Floor, after all. Still, the guild had attracted or recruited a good number of high-level players, and they'd distinguished themselves in the fight against The Venomous One, the massive spike-covered snake boss. As for their leader, Heathcliff, Argo could only shrug and weakly offer the fact that he liked ramen.
The problem was, precisely because they were so new, the fight had nearly gone poorly when their usual formations and tactics were thrown off by the addition of the new guild. It was especially dangerous because the venom of the snake was deadly if untreated; when their pot rotation had become snarled thanks to the Knights of the Blood charging in when the Dragon Knights Brigade wasn't prepared, one poor player had nearly died. Thankfully, the 26th Boss was incredibly weak aside from that one wrinkle, so there hadn't been any casualties.
As a result of the near-miss, though, there had been some quiet muttering in the ranks once the fight was over. So, in order to head things off before they became a problem, Heathcliff proposed a meeting between the three major guilds. Kirito wasn't sure what they were going to talk about, but... here they all were.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me," Heathcliff said finally, speaking up for the first time, and Kirito looked at him. His voice was calm and authoritative; coupled with his slightly wrinkled face, he had the aura of someone capable of giving orders and expecting them to be followed. In other words, Kirito thought, the exact image of a real commander... and the opposite of himself. "First and foremost, allow me to apologize for my guild's performance in the last Boss battle. It endangered players, and for that I humbly beg your apology."
"Pfft, yeah right," Argo muttered quietly. Kirito glanced at her, and she rolled her eyes exaggeratedly before folding her arms behind her back and standing silently. He grinned at her in thanks and apology both before turning back to Heathcliff. The older man was simply watching them thoughtfully, and Kirito tilted his head politely.
"In order to ensure that this doesn't happen again," Heathcliff said once he'd received Kirito's nod, "I suggest that we, among ourselves and our guilds, determine a chain of command. Obviously, it wouldn't be set in stone, but it might be able to prevent the events from the previous two Floors."
Kirito grimaced as Heathcliff solemnly reminded everyone in the room of what had happened on the 25th Floor. It was horrible... and also the reason there were only three guild leaders in the room and not four. Kibaou... Kirito sighed, and automatically reached back. Argo took his hand gratefully, squeezing it gently before letting go. It wasn't her fault, it wasn't anywhere near her fault, but he knew she still felt upset about the whole affair.
As a result of bad information - Kirito wasn't sure if it had been sold maliciously, or if the unknown info broker had just been horribly misinformed themselves - the ALS had believed that the Boss was incredibly weak, and so charged the boss room all on their own. Kirito didn't know why; maybe Kibaou had wanted the Last Attack Bonus for himself, or maybe he'd just been impatient to beat the boss barring the way, or maybe he'd wanted to be the hero that brought them to the end of the first quarter of the game. Whatever the reason, the raid party had been woefully underprepared for the boss - even if it had been a normal-strength boss like Illfang or Asterius. However, to 'mark' the occasion, the boss had been even stronger than usual.
Kibaou's group was decimated; only four players of the raid of 24 survived their ill-fated attack. Kibaou had been one of the survivors, but the brash man had retreated down to the first Floor. The guild just couldn't stay on the front lines, and the last Kirito had heard they were starting to tentatively recruit in the Town of Beginnings. Argo was keeping a quiet set of eyes and ears out in the search for whoever had sold the info, but nothing had cropped up yet; Kibaou had no idea where the information came from, only that it suddenly spread through his guild until he learned about it.
Kirito was forced out of his thoughts when Lind leaned forward and put his arms on the table, the metal clanking. "So you're saying," the leader of the DKB said, "we declare the official leader of the guilds." Heathcliff nodded. Lind's eyes darted at Kirito and the girls as he said, "Then I agree. Having a clear leader will help the boss fights immensely and prevent any accidental deaths that might happen when newer players follow someone they're not supposed to."
"Hey!" Asuna snapped. "Just what are you implying?!"
Kirito reached out and gently patted her arm, and she stopped bristling. Still, he didn't take his eyes off of Lind. The player that almost got killed in the Boss fight had been one of the DKB. He couldn't blame Lind for being irritated, especially since the Knights of the Blood had tried to attack with the Royal Blades - but at the same time, he wasn't just willing to let Lind snipe at the guild like that without saying anything. He knew the blue-haired man was still nursing the grudge that had been born at the first Floor's Boss fight. "I agree," he said. "This way, there won't be any confusion, which will make training new players easier. Simple mistakes like that can be avoided. But how will we decide? Just picking someone at random doesn't seem any better than having no leader at all."
Lind's eyes narrowed. "It should be obvious, shouldn't it?" he said. "We of the Dragon Knights Brigade have the most players. Naturally, we would be the best choice, since as the largest guild our numbers allow us to coordinate efforts easily."
Heathcliff's steady gaze didn't waver. "I think you'll find that the Knights of the Blood are a match for your guild. Our organizational structure is simple and effective, and applying it to the clearers as a whole will be simple enough."
Argo coughed once. Lind and Heathcliff didn't seem to notice. "We have more people," Lind said stubbornly, raising his voice as if that would make his point more persuasive. "It makes sense for us to be in charge. Besides, we're usually making up most of the raid party anyway, so it's not like things would change all that much."
While he had a point, Kirito admitted to himself, he was starting to get a little irritated by the way the two guild leaders were ignoring him and the girls. "Be that as it may," Heathcliff replied, still patiently calm, "our average levels are higher than yours. Greater numbers or not, isn't that a clear indicator of our relative strength?"
Lind gritted his teeth, and was about to shoot back a reply when Argo cleared her throat again, louder this time. "'Scuse me," she said. "Not that I don't mind lettin' ya teach us gals how ta catfight prop'rly, but aren't ya forgettin' someone?"
"You?" Lind all but sneered. "The Royal Swords? You're smaller than the KOB. And besides, you're not bad, I'll admit, but you only ever show up with one party. How could you be the leaders?" He shook his head and turned back to Heathcliff. "It's the DKB's responsibility as the largest guild to be an example for -"
Asuna slammed her palm down on the tabletop. The loud bang interrupted Lind and made him jump in his seat, his armor rattling. Kirito winced, and snuck a glance at his second-in-command. Then he leaned away from her as subtly as he could. "Uh-oh," he and Argo chorused together, sharing a quick glance.
Because Asuna was smiling sweetly, her angelic face not doing much to hide an unbearable anger. "Excuse me, Lind," she said slowly and precisely. "But was that an insult? Did you just insult my guild leader and my guild to our faces?"
Lind swallowed. "I..."
"Because if it was, and you did," Asuna continued, "I can see a very simple way to settle the matter of strongest guild once and for all. A duel. Between the three guilds. The winner will be, without any arguing from the losers, the leader. Does that sound like an acceptable compromise?"
She made it sound like a question, Kirito noticed, but somehow the aura of danger emanating from Asuna made it seem more like an unquestionable declaration.
"Interesting," Heathcliff noted, folding his hands in front of him and resting his chin on top of his laced fingers. "Very well, the KOB has no reason to decline the duel. Lind, do you agree with this method?"
The blue-haired leader of the largest guild gritted his teeth and stared at the table. "...No," he said eventually.
"Then it's decided. We will use a duel to decide who among us should be the leader."
...
Kirito stretched as he exited the meeting hall, tugging at one arm as he lifted it over his head. "That coulda gone better," Argo said impishly.
"It could also have gone worse," he told her. "At least this way we've all agreed on the method, so hopefully there won't be any arguing once it's all over."
Beside the two of them, Asuna fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. "...I'm sorry," she said eventually.
"You're sorry?" Kirito asked her. He had no idea what she could be apologizing for. It wasn't like she'd done anything wrong, right? "For what?"
"For losing my temper," she sighed. "I just got so mad and said something before thinking about it. Now we're stuck in a duel." She looked up at Kirito and Argo, eyes hard and cold, like a blade in moonlight before it cut. "Not that I regret what I said. But... Let me fight the DKB, okay?"
Kirito studied her, and then nodded. "Of course," he said. When she smiled at him in thanks, he continued, "Hey, you're the one who got us into this mess, after all."
"Ah! Kazuto!"
"Nya hah hah," Argo laughed, patting the girl's shoulder. "Yer kinda hot-headed when it comes to Kii-boy an' the rest of us, huh, A-chan?"
"Argo! Kazuto! Stop teasing me!" Asuna puffed her cheeks out in irritation.
Kirito laughed as Argo, naturally, didn't stop teasing his best friend. As he looked around, his eyes fell on a group of six men, standing around near the exit to the building. They were all chatting to each other quietly, clearly good friends. Each one wore some variant of red in their clothes, marking them as belonging to the same guild. In fact, Kirito knew, the six players were the entire guild. Fuurinkazan, led by the man with his back to Kirito and the girls.
As if thinking about him had somehow alerted the man, he turned around. His messy red hair was held out of his face with a bandana, and the easygoing grin on his face made Kirito relax. Klein, he thought, was a good friend, and always ready to joke around. "Hey, Kirito!" the samurai said with a grin. "How's it going, buddy?"
"It's pretty good," Kirito said with a smile. He'd met the man and his guild on the lower Floors, when the six of them decided to attend several of the lessons he'd hosted in the Town of Beginnings. Back then, Klein hadn't even been able to correctly activate a Sword Skill to kill the weakest enemy, but by this point he and his guild were a powerful force on the front lines. It was a credit to Klein's talents as leader that even on the front lines, where things were most dangerous, Fuurinkazan weren't hesitating to stand up and fight. While they'd mostly been fighting on their own, Kirito had noticed the samurai guild showing up for the last two boss fights, and was glad to have them fighting alongside the Royal Blades.
"Seems like things got a little out of hand in there," Klein said.
Kirito laughed a little sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Well... Maybe a little. But that's not really the point. What are you guys doing here?" By this point, they should have been out exploring the new Floor. They hadn't been part of the meeting, and the new Floors were always a bounty of quests and items... "Shouldn't you be out and around?"
"Lookin' fer anyone desperate enough ta date ya?" Argo added in, smirking at him.
Kirito sighed as Klein clutched at his head in agony. "Don't say things like that!" Klein complained. "J-Just because I'm 22 and single, and -"
While Klein went on a rant about how he was definitely going to find a cute girlfriend sooner or later, and how he was so jealous of Kirito because he had so many beauties in his guild - Asuna laughed weakly, blushing as the rough samurai sang her praises - Kirito turned to Argo. "Did you have to say that?" he asked her wearily.
Argo snickered. "Have ta? Nah." Kirito sighed at her unapologetic laughter, shaking his head. He didn't really mind when she made fun of him, but that was because they were part of the same guild and he'd known her for a while. It just seemed harsher when she was aiming that acid tongue at someone outside their circle of friends. "...Fine, I'll be nice," Argo muttered, sulking a little bit when he raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't gotta give me the disappointed big bro look, that'll only work on yer lil' sis."
Well, it was as close to an apology as he was going to get out of her, Kirito figured, so he turned back to Klein. "So, Klein," he said, speaking to the little curled up ball of misery, "why are you here?"
Klein straightened up and coughed a few times before throwing his arm around Kirito's shoulder and pulling him close. "Hey, we had a favor we wanted to ask. See, we've heard a few rumors that you're teaming up with some other guilds and forming an alliance, and I figured I'd ask my buddy Kirito if he minded letting Fuurinkazan join up in that too."
"Eheh..." Kirito laughed. "I don't think there will be any problem with that. But it's not really an alliance, really, and it's just the Moonlit Black Cats..."
Klein, however, didn't seem to care about Kirito's words past the agreement. "Alright!" he cheered, pumping a fist in the air. "You rule, Kirito! Hey guys, we're in!" At his ebullient shout, the rest of the Fuurinkazan members looked up and laughed, grinning and nudging each other.
Kirito laughed. "This isn't just so you can spend more time around the girls, is it?"
"What? No, of course not! Definitely not! But if ya don't mind letting them party with us from time to time..." Klein said, adding the last bit in a conspiratorial whisper. Kirito was pretty sure he didn't really mean it; Fuurinkazan and RB had teamed up enough times in the past that the older man had probably seen exactly how the girls interacted with Kirito. Read, how he usually ended up wrapped around their fingers no matter what. "Though, actually, we want to do our best to help you guys out. You're probably our best hope for making it outta here, right?"
"I don't know about that," Kirito said. "But... thanks. It's always great to have more people helping out."
Klein let go of the younger boy and stood back. "No problem. But... You guys are fighting a duel, huh?" Kirito shrugged, even while Asuna's shoulders slumped and Argo patted her back soothingly. "Well, I guess it's one way to settle things," Klein said, rubbing at his chin scruff, "but aren't you worried?"
"Mah, it's no biggie," Argo said with a shrug. "Kii-boy's gonna win, of course. He's gotta put on a show after A-chan got all upset in his defense, after all~."
"Argo!" Asuna whined.
Klein shook his head. "Must be nice, having a pretty girl like that leap to your defense."
"Exactly like a housewife, eh?" Argo added.
Poor Asuna was shaking and bright red, totally flustered by the good-natured teasing. Kirito coughed once to catch the attention of Klein and Argo before he said, "Sorry we have to run, Klein, but the others are all waiting for me."
"The others…? That's not fair!" Klein complained. He threw himself at Kirito's feet, clutching at his legs. "How? How do you have so many girls waiting for you?! Teach me your ways, Master! Or at least introduce me to a few of them!"
With a long-suffering sigh, the Fuurinkazan member with a greatsword and heavy armor grabbed Klein's leg and started tugging him away. "Klein, did you forget we wanted to check out the new dungeons today?" Dale asked rhetorically.
"No! Let me go!" he cried, even as his grip around Kirito's legs slackened. With a final wail, he lost his grip entirely and was dragged away. "Please, man! Tell me how...!"
"Sorry about our idiot leader," Dynamm, the one with a bandanna over his head and a small moustache, said to Kirito and the girls. "We'll be out of your way, now."
"Kiritooooo!"
As the rest of his guild grabbed the squirming Klein and carried him away like he was a flopping fish, Dale holding his legs and the others holding the arms. Kirito, Asuna, and Argo waved goodbye, a little nonplussed by the older man's antics. Eventually, once his wailing had faded in the distance, Asuna and Argo looked at each other. Argo let out a rueful chuckle while Asuna giggled weakly. "Let's... just go home and get the others," Kirito said.
After a long day of exploration on the 27th Floor, they all sat down for a guild meeting. "So, wait," Lisbeth said, "Klein and his guild are gonna be working with us, just like Sachi and the Black Cats?" Kirito nodded.
Silica tilted her head, stroking the sleeping Pina on her lap. "But how did they know? None of us said anything."
"Somehow, they heard a rumor the Royal Blades were taking other guilds into an alliance," Kirito said. "I wonder how that happened."
He punctuated his sentence with a stern stare at Argo, but she just shrugged with exaggerated innocence as if to say, 'Who, me?' and proclaim her innocence to her guild. Kirito knew it was Argo's fault. Leafa and Asuna knew it was Argo's fault. Lisbeth and Silica knew it was Argo's fault. Argo knew it was Argo's fault. But they couldn't prove it was her fault, and that was good enough for her.
Kirito just sighed when the info broker didn't seem apologetic in the slightest. "However they got the information, they asked to join the alliance, and I said yes. That's okay with everyone, right?"
"Of course, Kazuto," Leafa said immediately. Lisbeth and Silica echoed her agreement a few seconds later. "But I'm more interested in hearing about meeting. How did everything go?"
"Well..."
Kirito explained what had happened, and just like he'd expected Leafa didn't... take it very well. "He said what?! That jerk!" Leafa exclaimed, rising to her feet. "Ooh... I'm going to teach him a lesson!"
"You'll have to get in line behind A-chan," Argo sang easily from her position on the couch. Asuna, sitting across from her, blinked. "I think she's gonna pull rank if ya try anythin', though."
"What! Asuna, you wouldn't, would you?"
"Fufufu..." Asuna laughed elegantly. "I'm sorry, Sugu, but I will be the one to fight against the Dragon Knights Brigade. I'm certain you can go up against the Knights of the Blood."
Kirito stared. If Asuna was speaking like that... she was definitely serious, and she wouldn't be convinced otherwise. It was something rare to see, but the siblings had encountered it before. Leafa clearly remembered the exact same thing and nodded, taking a seat. There wouldn't be any arguing over who got to fight the DKB.
Well... With that settled, it was only a matter of waiting for the challenge to arrive. It didn't take long, either; the main town of the 24th Floor had an arena that was perfect for the event, and before more than two hours had passed Argo jolted in an unconscious twitch. "It's here," she said, tapping in the air before making her menu visible to the others and sliding it over. Kirito stared at the message, scanning it while the girls clustered around him to read over his shoulder. They were really close, almost distractingly so, but Kirito was able to keep himself focused on the writing.
"So... The challenge is tomorrow, then," Asuna said with a definite air of satisfaction. "I'll prepare my rapier in anticipation. You will let me fight in your place, won't you, Kirito?"
"Of course," Kirito said instantly.
Asuna's eyes glittered with predatory glee for an instant before the elegant girl's normal attitude was back. "Thank you," she said before sweeping out of the room, heading towards the kitchen. "I'll get started on dinner, everyone," she called out.
That seemed to be the cue for everyone else to scatter. In the end, only Kirito and Leafa were left in the living room, Leafa leaning over his shoulder as she stared into the distance, thinking hard. "So, Leafa," Kirito started to say, turning to look at her, only to realize that his face was incredibly close to hers. If he'd leaned forward at all, his lips would have brushed her cheek.
"Eh?" His sister looked at him abruptly, before she straightened up and fidgeted, taking a step away. "Um, Kazuto?" Leafa said. "Your face is kinda close..."
"Ah! S-Sorry!" Kirito jerked away, not looking at her. "I didn't..." Wait, he realized, she'd been the one leaning on him. Oh, whatever, it doesn't matter, he decided. She's a girl, after all, and she might not want her big brother hanging around her all the time. "Anyway, do... you really want to fight Heathcliff? I'm not going to stop you, but... he is the leader of the guild."
Leafa clenched her fists, eyes burning with determination. "Of course I do," she declared. "I'm not letting anyone get away with insulting you, or any of us!"
Kirito laughed and reached out, patting his little sister's head. "Alright, I get it," he told her. "I'll leave things to you tomorrow, then."
"You'd better," she said, pawing at her bangs. "I won't let you down, Kazuto."
"You never have before," he told her. "And I'll never be disappointed by you." Leafa giggled, smiling happily at him, before she spun on her heel and headed into the kitchen. He heard her start to speak with Asuna, their voices too low to be clearly understood, and moved to the couch to lie down and relax for a bit. He was sleepy, and a nap before dinner seemed like just the thing...
Asuna sighed in resignation as she walked into the living room to see Kirito lying down on the couch, eyes closed. Pina was curled up on his chest, the pet dragon's flanks rising and falling rhythmically. "He's so relaxed," Lisbeth muttered as she leaned against the doorway, crossing her arms as she watched the pair fondly. Asuna glanced at the pink-haired blacksmith out of the corner of her eye, studying her. She had her suspicions...
"You know how he is," she said finally, smiling at her Kirito. "Always stealing naps whenever he can."
"Unless dinner is ready," Kirito said, cracking one eye open. Asuna definitely did not jump in surprise, her heart rate speeding up. "I'm still awake, guys, c'mon."
"Coulda fooled me," Lisbeth said, grinning at him. "You looked like you'd already fallen asleep."
"Good thing I didn't, you might have eaten my dinner, Liz."
"Hey! No I wouldn't!"
Asuna smiled. "Whether she would or not," she said, ignoring Lisbeth's squawk of protest, "since you're awake the point is moot. Come eat, Kazuto."
"Coming, coming," he said, sitting up. Pina didn't bother lifting away from the boy, but instead scrambled up and around his shoulders until the dragon was draped across his neck. The pet monster yawned cutely, exposing her pink tongue, before curling up and going back to sleep. Asuna's hands twitched and she crept over, reaching out to -
"Asuna?" Leafa asked, staring at her in confusion. Immediately, Asuna snatched her hand away, pretending she wasn't doing anything ridiculous. One day, she promised herself. One day, she would get to pet Pina, even if the little dragon didn't like anyone but Kirito and Silica. One day...
...
February 25th, 2023
"Any last-minute advice before we start, Argo?" Asuna asked, making sure to take the time to complete her stretches. It didn't matter, but she didn't want to get into any bad habits. Her mother had been sure to imprint the importance of ensuring bad habits were not ever formed, even from a young age.
"Nya hah hah!" Argo laughed. "Nervous, A-chan? I didn' take ya fer the nervous type."
Asuna shook her head. "Not nervous. But I want to be prepared for anything, even rumors."
Argo shrugged, her cloak rippling, and tugged at a lock of hair framing her face. "Eh, sure... Let Big Sis Argo take care of yer worries, then. Lind... He's proud, an' definitely good wit' his curved sword. Haven't heard any rumors about a rare Skill or anythin' like that if that's what ya were worried about. He's th' leader of 'is guild though, I'm sure he's good."
Asuna nodded. "I see," she said. "Thank you, Argo."
"No prob, A-chan. Now go on out there an' win, 'kay?"
The girls and Kirito were standing in the wings of the huge arena on the 24th Floor. Even from inside the dark hallway, they could hear the loud chatter of players. It seemed that every front liner, and a bunch of players from the mid-level areas and even the rear lines, had come to watch the fight. "How much did you bet on us to win, Argo?" Lisbeth asked the info broker. Argo just grinned sunnily, snickering while throwing up double peace signs. "Of course."
Kirito glanced around at everyone, and Asuna nodded at him when his eyes landed on her. He smiled back at her, his easy grin filling her with warm confidence, and then they were entering the arena proper. Asuna forced herself not to wince from the bright sun suddenly beaming down on her, instead focusing intently on the group of players already waiting in the center of the sandy arena. The red and white uniforms of the KOB, and the ornate, high-level armor of the DKB... Asuna was definitely going to crush her opponent today. No matter what, she wasn't going to let Kirito's faith in her be unrewarded.
"You came," Lind said. His face twisted like he wasn't sure whether to be disappointed or relieved that the Royal Blades had chosen to honor the agreement. He wasn't a bad person, Asuna knew, but he considered himself their leader thanks to 'inheriting Diavel's will' or some such nonsense and had the bad habit of forcing his decisions on the others. That was what infuriated her. As well as his blithe disregard for Kirito and the guild, of course. "Might as well get this started, then. You and I will be fighting first, Kirito. The KOB will be fighting the winner."
Kirito nodded, and glanced at Asuna. She smiled at him and stepped forward, hand resting on her rapier. "I'll be fighting you," she declared.
Lind hesitated, and then glared at Kirito. "Making a girl fight your battles for you? Are the Royal Blades really that weak?"
Kirito winced, even as the rest of the guild nearly stopped breathing. Asuna, for her part, only betrayed her fury by tightening the grip on her rapier, her knuckles going white. "Why don't you draw your sword," she told Lind, "and I'll show you why I'm your opponent."
The rest of her guild took a few steps away before moving to clear the area. Asuna's eyes narrowed as she swiped her menu open and sent the duel request. Lind was going to regret ever saying those things to her, and she was going to enjoy making him regret them. Her opponent accepted the duel, and both players drew their weapons as the countdown appeared above them. Asuna raised her rapier, the point gleaming in the light, and focused on Lind. He'd drawn his curved sword and raised his guard, getting into a practiced stance. She recognized the rarity of the weapon; it was the drop from the Field Boss on the 20th Floor. Poor Leafa had been moping for days when she didn't get the Last Attack Bonus, she remembered.
Too bad that the powerful, rare weapon wouldn't be enough to let him win the duel.
As soon as the timer above them hit zero and rang, Asuna disappeared. A plume of dust kicking up behind where she'd been standing was Lind's only hint that he was in danger, and then he was immediately on the defensive. A blinding fast Linear struck at his shoulder, and he was just barely able to move the blade of his saber to block it. And then another Linear attacked, forcing him to block again. And again, and again, and again. Every Linear came right on the heels of the last, driving him back further and further.
Asuna The Flash. That was the name the players had given her, and for good reason. Her attacks struck like lightning, or maybe a meteor smashing into Lind's guard repeatedly.
A faint smile pulled at Asuna's lips as she thrust over and over again. Yes... This was fun! The thrill of speed and being able to carve out her own destiny with her rapier. And if someone stood in her way, someone like Lind... She would blow them away! "Haaah!" she shouted, twisting her rapier as she thrust. The point slipped under Lind's guard, ducking below where she'd conditioned him to expect the blow, and slammed into his chest. It pierced his armor, cracking the center of the chest piece, and with another savage twist of the rapier sent him flying.
Lind skidded back, his health draining from the force of the blow. Sand sprayed up as he slid. Despite the pain, he still managed to jump back when Asuna lunged for him again, rapier slamming down on the ground. She clicked her tongue as sand sprayed up, forming a blinding cloud between the two of them. She hopped back and waited patiently, not rushing in and trying to strike Lind anyway.
"Raah!" Her suspicions were confirmed when Lind spun out of the cloud of dust, slashing through the air with a powerful Sword Skill. If Asuna had charged, trying to keep up the pressure, she would have been cut across the chest by the strong attack. Instead, his sword cut through the air harmlessly. While he was frozen in the post-Sword Skill paralysis, Asuna strode towards him, her cloth armor fluttering in the slight breeze.
"Forfeit," she told Lind, bringing her rapier back and aiming at his throat. "It would look better for everyone involved."
"Rr..." Lind growled. Asuna had just an instant to react before he slashed up, the edge of his sword slashing her arm. She'd managed to move out of danger at the last second, but her health still drained a lot from the blow. The downside of wearing cloth armor, and her build in general, meant that a more STR-oriented build like Lind's could cut through her health quickly.
"Asuna!" she heard Leafa, Lisbeth, and Silica shout. Still, there were two voices noticeably silent, and Asuna smiled at the confidence Argo and Kirito had in her.
Her health stopped draining, deep in the green; one more hit like that, and she'd lose the duel. However, Asuna wasn't worried. Kirito had taught her well - as long as she had even one hit point left, she wasn't going to fail! She flipped backwards with the momentum from the blow and landed neatly in a crouch, a good distance away. With a warcry she launched herself forward in a jump. Lind looked up, eyes widening, but she was moving too fast for him to get his sword in position. She thrust, activating her Sword Skill Lightning Sting, and before any of the viewers could see what happened Asuna landed in a crouch and rolled, rising to her feet. With a flourish, her rapier slid back into her sheathe.
Only then did she turn to look at Lind; the leader of the DKB had been pierced by her Lightning Sting, collapsing to the ground even as she watched, and the damage had been enough to drain his health down to below half. The duel ended, a fanfare announcing Asuna's complete victory. With a smile, she tossed her head, her hair dancing. "Weak, are we?" she asked archly, not waiting for Lind to answer before striding off to join the rest of her guild.
"Way to go, A-chan," Argo cheered, running up and giving Asuna a huge hug, nuzzling her head into Asuna's chest. "Ya really showed 'em how awesome ya are!"
Asuna patted Argo's back while also giving high-fives to the other girls. "You were so cool, Asuna!" Silica cheered, while Lisbeth grinned.
"Good job, Asuna," Kirito said, and Asuna smiled happily. Her cheeks felt red and she felt warm from the praise.
Leafa stretched, raising both of her hands over her head. Her back arched, and Asuna noticed Silica frowning in irritation a little bit. Well, she was young... "Looks like I'm up, Asuna."
"Good luck, Sugu." Asuna didn't think that she really needed to wish her luck, but it was still polite.
Kirito and Leafa went out to speak with the KOB delegate and explain what was going on. Meanwhile, Asuna took a much-needed rest with the other girls. "Hm..." Argo mused as she watched Kirito speak with Heathcliff. The older man replied with something that seemed to surprise Kirito and irritate Leafa, but Kirito rested his hand on his little sister's shoulder and retorted, shaking his head. Leafa's hackles lowered after a second and she folded her arms before scratching her cheek in what Asuna had termed 'Kirigaya Mannerism #1'.
"Ohoh?" Argo leaned forward and cupped her chin as Kirito and Heathcliff nodded to each other before leaving. After taking a few steps, Kirito turned back and said something to Leafa; the black-haired girl stared at him before clenching both fists and nodding rapidly. The sub-commander of the Knights of the Blood, a large bear of a man named Godfree, came out to stand across from Leafa instead. "Looks like they made some sort of deal. I figured Leafa'd be fightin' Heathcliff, but guess not. Hey, Kii-boy, what's goin' on?"
Kirito shrugged as he rejoined them. "Heathcliff offered to have his sub-commander fight with Leafa. He said he really wanted to fight against me, but that we could make it an exhibition match."
"Erk!" Argo groaned. "Gotta go tell Sachi an' th' boys ta make more bets, then."
Of course, Asuna sighed to herself. She might not have known Argo as long as Kirito had, but it felt like she'd known the incorrigible info broker for years, now, and it would have been more of a shock if Argo hadn't found a way to make money off of these duels.
"She'll never change," Kirito said with a smile as Argo darted away, cloak flapping behind her.
Lisbeth grinned. "Would you want her to?"
"Of course not."
Asuna smiled, before turning her attention back to the duel. As she watched, the timer clicked down into the single digits. "Sugu seems fired up," she noted.
Kirito chuckled and scratched his cheek. "I might have promised her the two of us would go out sometime if she won without taking a hit, since she was upset she didn't get to fight Heathcliff."
"That'd do it," Lisbeth laughed.
Silica pouted. "I want to go out with Kirito," she muttered quietly, so quietly that Asuna wasn't sure she'd heard her. Pina cried and licked at her master's cheek. "Aw, thanks for trying to cheer me up, Pina," Silica giggled.
The fight, if it could even be called that, was over even faster than Asuna's fight against Lind. Leafa just completely dismantled Godfree; he tried to get a few swings in with his heavy two-headed axe, but Leafa's skills at kendo and her Lisbeth-forged katana meant that he was entirely outclassed. With graceful blows coupled with fierce shouts, Leafa struck him down, ending the match with a slash that knocked Godfree's axe from his hands and sent it spinning through the air. The man grinned jovially as he raised his hands in the air. "I forfeit!" he called out.
Leafa shook hands with him before running back towards the Royal Blades. "I did it!" she cheered. "Kazuto, I won without taking a hit!"
"Good job, Leafa," he said, reaching out to ruffle her hair. Leafa giggled under the attention. "Guess that means I'm up."
Kirito walked off, just as Argo returned from having the Moonlit Black Cats and Fuurinkazan place the new bets. "Oh, Kii-boy's turn?" she asked.
"Aren't you worried?" Silica asked the info broker. Argo was grinning pretty confidently, unlike Asuna and the other girls.
Argo snickered and shook her head. "Nah. Why would I be?" She paused when the girls didn't answer. "Oh, that's right, ya weren't in th' beta with me an' Kii-boy," she snapped her fingers. "Kii-boy dueled a buncha times in the beta. An' ya know what?"
"What?" Lisbeth asked, clearly just playing along with the Rat's playfulness.
Argo winked at her in thanks before spreading her arms theatrically. "He never ever lost. Not even once."
Kirito approached Heathcliff, one hand operating his menu to equip his dual blades. "Looks like the Royal Blades won," he said, almost as a taunt.
"Very impressive," Heathcliff said, totally unphased by Kirito's words. "As agreed, the Royal Blades will be the official leaders of the front-line clearers." Kirito nodded once, satisfied even as a current of nerves twisted in his stomach. What if he screwed up and got people killed? He didn't... He didn't want anyone to die. If they died, wouldn't that mean it was his fault?
"Then isn't this kinda pointless?" Kirito asked. He knew the answer Heathcliff was going to give, of course -
"Perhaps," Heathcliff replied. He swiped open his menu and sent Kirito a duel request; a standard half-health duel. "But if you are the kind of person I think you are, the challenge itself will be enough."
Kirito couldn't help it, he laughed. "Yeah, you're right," he said as he slammed the Accept button. As the timer above his head ticked down, he unsheathed his dual swords. "But I don't get why you wanted to duel me."
"I've been looking for someone," Heathcliff said. Kirito's eyes narrowed. "The player who can be the hero of the story. Maybe you're the one."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kirito grinned tightly. "I'm just a regular player!"
The timer chimed, and Kirito immediately launched himself forward with the Vorpal Sword Skill. Heathcliff's eyes widened for an instant before his tower shield imposed itself between the two players. Kirito smashed into it with a crash, seeming to hang in the air for a second as his offense met Heathcliff's invulnerable defense, before he landed and slashed with his second sword. Heathcliff managed to get his shield in the way, but Kirito knew that no matter how powerful the shield, there was always some sort of chip damage. As long as he didn't let up and kept hammering away, sooner or later he'd manage to crack through the guard!
Clang clang clang! No matter how hard he swung, Heathcliff's shield never let Kirito's sword through. Still, though, his health was slowly but surely draining. Kirito grinned as one of his thrusts finally shifted the shield a hair to the left. Not missing the chance, he spun on his heel, sand spraying up behind him, and activated a quick Sword Skill with little post-Skill delay. The wicked slash aimed for Heathcliff's ribs, guarded by the ruby armor - and Heathcliff just barely managed to back out of range, eyes widening slightly. Kirito smirked.
The grin didn't last long as Heathcliff brought his shield back and shoved forward, slamming the point into Kirito's stomach with the Shield Bash skill. He grunted, the blow knocking him off of his feet, but recovered in midair and spun, kicking off of the tower shield to land two heavy slashes in a cross across Heathcliff's chest. The KOB leader slid backwards from the impact and Kirito landed in the sand. He glanced at his HP, and then at the bar hovering next to Heathcliff's head. They were about the same...
Heathcliff slashed with his sword, but Kirito parried it with his dual blades, sparks flying. He broke the clash, knocking Heathcliff's blade away. When he tried to counter the attack, however, Heathcliff's shield was right there, blocking the horizontal slashes. The next time Heathcliff tried to slash Kirito with his greatsword, Kirito blocked the blow and swung his swords in the same pattern. Heathcliff's lips thinned as he moved to block - and his shield blocked his view of Kirito for the barest instant. As soon as he realized that, Kirito brought his leg up, his boots glowing blue with a Martial Arts Skill, Crescent Moon. The blow knocked Heathcliff's shield aside, and Kirito forced himself to complete the flip. He landed, and Heathcliff was still recovering. Kirito thrust forward, aiming for Heathcliff's heart - but Heathcliff was almost expecting it, somehow, and tilted his body before smashing Kirito to the side with the pommel of his sword.
Kirito slid to the side, gasping from the numbness in his side. Then he grimaced and tightened his grip on his swords. He wasn't about to lose! With a shout, he lunged at Heathcliff again, thrusting forward. He wasn't going to lose and make his guild look bad! Slash after slash was met by Heathcliff's shield, but Kirito didn't let up. He didn't use Sword Skills; they left him vulnerable, and if he wanted to win he couldn't lose even a second of damage. He wasn't going to let the girls down! The world seemed to disappear as his focus tightened more and more. All that he had to worry about beating Heathcliff!
He was going to make the girls proud!
With a growl, Kirito swung his right sword - and it glowed bright yellow, the sign of an active Sword Skill. His sword slashed to the left, then twisted and slashed upwards, and Heathcliff's shield met the two blows. There wasn't any other option, and Kirito put all of his strength into the final hit of Savage Fulcrum. The downwards blow crashed down squarely on the flat of Heathcliff's shield, and the weight of the clash rippled out around them. Sand sprayed outwards, and Kirito hissed out a breath of disappointment as Heathcliff raised his sword over his head, the blade glowing red. That was his final shot…
Before either of them could move again, though, the timer buzzed. Kirito sprang back, swords at the ready - and when he looked up, the Winner symbol was hovering over his head. His HP had been a fraction higher than Heathcliff's when the time ran out. Kirito, breathing heavily, stared at it for a few seconds before a tired smile spread across his face. Heathcliff nodded to him once before sheathing his blade and turning to walk back to the Knights of the Blood members waiting in the wings.
Without thinking about it, Kirito twirled his swords in a flourish before sliding them into the paired sheaths on his back. As he turned, he had just enough time to react to the girls running towards him before Asuna and Leafa all but tackled him, both girls hugging him at the same time. He had just enough time to give the two of them hugs before Silica and Pina lunged next, nearly knocking him over. Lisbeth was more restrained in her congratulations, 'merely' smacking him on the back so hard he nearly lost HP. Finally, Argo leapt up on his back while Silica was still attached to the front, wrapping her legs around his waist.
"Can... you let me go?" he asked. The girls, all too busy hugging him and celebrating their trio of victories, didn't listen. Lisbeth moved over to stand with Asuna, the two girls celebrating their win together with clasped palms, and Pina flew around the group as a whole, letting out cute cries of victory. In the end, Kirito just gave up and enjoyed the warmth of having the girls around him.
February 27th, 2023
Leafa hummed to herself as she walked out to begin her morning practice. Normally she'd be training with her big brother, but right now Kirito was off with Silica and Argo. They'd been out all night and hadn't returned, so it must have been an overnight stay in a Safe Zone. She was just glad they were always prepared and had several sleeping bags in the guild storage. She'd only noticed two missing when she checked that morning, though, so she assumed the girls shared one. ...She was pretty sure the girls shared one. She wouldn't put it past Argo to try sneaking into her brother's sleeping bag, but figured that Silica would definitely be against that.
She imagined Pina curled up on Kirito's pillow and giggled to herself.
"Morning, Leafa. Phwaah... I'm up so early..." Leafa looked over to see Lisbeth yawning and rubbing at her eyes in the early-morning light, standing on the front porch of their house and looking out at the sunrise.
Leafa blinked. "You are... Couldn't sleep?"
"Felt lonely in the bed, for some reason." Lisbeth giggled. "Guess I'm used to sharing with Argo already, huh?"
"Well, since you're up already, do you want to train with me?" Leafa offered.
Lisbeth yawned again, before shrugging. "Might as well. I'm already awake."
Leafa smiled. She'd really wanted to try training with Lisbeth one of these days. The pink-haired girl seemed like she'd be a fun fighter, and Leafa really wanted to get to know her better. "Let's go, then." She led the way, Lisbeth falling in behind her. In the early-morning air, it was a little chilly, but as Leafa ran through her morning workout, guiding Lisbeth through a few stretches, she warmed up right away. Drawing her training sword, a wooden katana exactly like the one she used back in the real world - it cost her a bit to get Agil to find someone willing to craft it, but it was worth it - Leafa stood in the training ring across from Lisbeth. "Ready?"
"Let's go!" Lisbeth held up her wooden buckler and braced herself. Leafa grinned; it would be a great time to practice against kendo against someone using a different fighting style. Sparring with her brother was great, but just not quite the same.
With a shout, Leafa raised her sword over her head and stepped forward, crossing the distance towards Lisbeth quickly. Not as fast as if she'd used a Sword Skill, but still fast enough that Lisbeth's eyes widened in surprise. The pink-haired girl ducked back and shoved her buckler into place as Leafa slashed horizontally. The wooden katana clacked against the shield and she immediately pulled back, sliding her blade around to the left. The tip whipped through the air and Lisbeth yelped with surprise as it just barely missed her ribs. "Ah! I'm sorry!" Leafa exclaimed, immediately stepping back to give her friend space. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Lisbeth said. "You just surprised me, that's all. I'm still ready to go if you are."
"If you say so," Leafa replied, raising her practice blade again.
This time she knew Lisbeth would be expecting the fast approach, so she took one step and waited. Lisbeth twitched but didn't fall back, and Leafa stepped forward again. She struck-
-She feinted with her blade, an abortive gesture to the left that Lisbeth fell for. Instead, Leafa twisted the blade and struck from the right instead, smacking solidly against her opponent's shoulder. Lisbeth winced as the thwack echoed in the morning air, but before Leafa could pull back the blacksmith shoved the blade away with her shield. Leafa had to step to the side to keep her grip, translating the movement into a series of blows that Lisbeth met with her shield.
The final clash, Leafa stepped forward to lock against Lisbeth, pitting her strength against the blacksmith's. The two girls stared into each other's eyes, a fierce grin mirrored on both faces. Leafa enjoyed this part the most, where she got to get up close and personal. She always felt like she was connecting with her opponent, in that brief second when it was just them and their weapon.
But the instant passed and Leafa shoved, sliding underneath Lisbeth's buckler, before pulling up. The sudden tug shook Lisbeth and she stumbled on the dirt, nearly falling over. Before she could get her guard back up, Leafa took advantage of the opening and struck for the head, stopping the blade just before it struck.
Lisbeth froze, staring at the blunt edge of the sword, before she sighed and raised her hands in surrender. "You're really good at this," she said in admiration as Leafa offered her hand to help her stand. "How long have you been practicing, again?"
"For... seven, eight years now," Leafa said after a second of thought. "Kazuto's been helping me, but it's nice to spar against someone else from time to time."
"Do you compete?"
"Uh huh!" Leafa grinned. "I was even going to go to the nationals next year! Or, um... this year. Kazuto was going to come, too!"
Lisbeth laughed. "Well, when we get out of here and you go win nationals, let me know and I'll be there to cheer you on!"
Leafa and Lisbeth looked at each other and giggled happily. Yeah, Leafa knew, it was 'when'. They were going to get out, no matter what. Her big brother had promised, and he'd never broken a promise to her yet. "Sure thing," Leafa said.
"Girls!" Asuna called out to them, standing halfway down the path. "Breakfast's ready!"
As the two packed their gear away and walked towards Asuna, Lisbeth called back, "Is it something good?"
"Of course," Asuna said with a knowing smile. "Don't tell Kazuto or the others, but I went all out today."
"Awesome!" Lisbeth cheered. Leafa let out a similar cheer and ran up to walk next to Asuna, smiling widely. She loved it when Asuna made something special!
Hey! Check it out! Pina! Our favorite mascot is here, with our favorite dragon~. Silica is shaping up nicely into her final form, though really it's just a matter of getting better armor for the poor girl. I like to imagine she has a really nice helmet that is also specially forged by Liz to have the twin-tails exposed, with the little red baubles Kirito got her on full display. Can't hide that cuteness, now can we?
From there, more guild politics… I really need to stop writing them, since I hate it, but it's also a good thing that leads into the main focus of the chapter – Asuna, Leafa, and Kirito kicking ass and taking names. Asuna beats Lind, Leafa beats Godfree, and Kirito timer-scams Heathcliff. …Good enough. Asuna is now in her final fancy outfit, by the way. Imagine her KoB equipment except the colors are mainly red (the color of her cloak red) with midnight blue trim. (Yes, I know block of detail text isn't good writing style, but rules are made to be broken and this is a style choice for a reason~. See if you can figure it out? (Hint: Kirito's the point of view character for that part))
Finally, Liz vs. Leafa in a sparring match. It wasn't originally planned, and then Sugu decided she really wanted to fight, so I said sure, whatever, I'm not going to say no to her. Especially when it furthers my ultimate goals.
And before anyone says it, because I know you will, yes something similar to the duels happened in Prince of Swords. Consider it an homage if you want; I very deliberately did not read that story while coming up with the plot points I wanted to hit so as to avoid stealing too many plot points, even by accident. As this story is more or less the same concept as that story (and yes, I know it's come back to life, no I'm not redoing all of my planning, no I don't care if you think I'm copying it) I don't think we need to harp on it too much mmkay?
Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed.
She tucked her legs against her chest and curled into a ball, staring intently at the picture in front of her. A black-haired boy fought against an older man, two swords in his hand. The right sword clashed against the man's shield, sparks frozen in the instant of the picture.
He wasn't perfect, she realized, a new sense of drive filling her. That duel ended prematurely, but it still showed her that.
And that meant he could be beaten.