Chapter 14
February 3rd, 2024
Of all the things Leafa expected to see when she walked downstairs that afternoon, Heathcliff sitting in the living room, casually sipping at a cup of steaming tea, wasn't one of them. She had to stop and rub at her eyes just to make sure she wasn't imagining things. After blinking a few times, she was forced to accept that yes, the leader of the Knights of the Blood was sitting on their couch. Kirito and Asuna were sitting on the couch opposite him, while Argo leaned deceptively casually against the doorframe, arms folded across her chest.
"What's going on?" she asked the info broker in a whisper, so as to not disturb the others.
Argo's eyes didn't leave the three players in front of her, but she replied, "Heathcliff jus' showed up. Said 'e's got some info we need ta hear."
"Oh," Leafa said. She took up a position next to Argo and stood patiently. It was almost like being back at the dojo back when she was little, watching her grandfather instruct Kazuto. "What about?"
"Dunno. A-chan jus' served the tea, they haven't talked 'bout anythin' yet."
Heathcliff placed his teacup back down on its saucer with a light clink. "Hello, Leafa," he said. Leafa waved back. "Will the rest of your inner circle be joining us, Kirito?"
"No," Kirito said. "Liz and Silica are busy. I think they're getting materials?"
Asuna nodded when he looked over at her. "They're on the 57th Floor, collecting ores for one of the orders Liz accepted. They should be back in about an hour or two."
"Ah." Heathcliff's expression didn't flicker, even as he sat back and clasped his hands in front of him. "In that case, I will get started immediately. I don't expect this to take too long." Leafa settled in, even as Argo snorted and muttered something under her breath about how that would be a first. Kirito glanced over his shoulder at her and she rolled her eyes subtly. Leafa tried not to smile. "Let me put all of my cards on the table. Earlier this week, a player sent a message to the Knights of the Blood through an information broker. The map data we were given, as well as the message relayed to us, gave us the location of Laughing Coffin's headquarters."
Argo swore under her breath, even as Asuna and Kirito inhaled sharply. Leafa's eyes widened at the news. "No freakin' way," Argo said out loud. "I've had my Mice been lookin' for 'em ever since they made their announcement. A whole month, an' nothin'."
Laughing Coffin... Just the name sent little shivers down Leafa's spine. They were a murder guild, full of red players - a term she'd heard Kirito and Asuna use to refer to any player that had earned a permanent yellow crystal by murdering another player in cold blood. They had announced their existence to the world on New Year's Day, just a month earlier, and made it clear that they were for hire. It was like a twisted version of the services Argo offered, she thought, only instead of information they sold death. Anyone with the col could hire the player killers to do pretty much anything at all, from simple theft to outright murder. They were led by a man who called himself PoH; he always wore a black poncho, so nobody could see his face. They had no idea what he looked like under there...
In a strange way, Laughing Coffin was like the opposite of the Knights of the Blood. They rallied around a charismatic leader that talked about an ideal - but where Heathcliff talked about the strength to support others, PoH kept going on about how strength meant that they could do what they wanted. As someone who'd been brought up to respect her strength and not use it to hurt others... That horrible, selfish way of thinking was totally bizarre to Leafa.
"How did you get hold of this information?" Asuna asked. Her eyes were sharp, boring straight at Heathcliff. "What player sent you the message? Has the map data been verified?"
Heathcliff shook his head. "I'm afraid the player sent the map data through anonymous channels. We don't even know their name, let alone how they managed to confirm that this was the hideout of Laughing Coffin. For obvious reasons, we weren't able to investigate the dungeon itself, but one of our members had explored it back when the Floor in question was considered part of the Front Lines. Nautilus's map data and the map data we've received match."
Kirito sat back against the couch. "I hope you'll understand if we want to confirm the data ourselves," he said. "This sort of thing... It just seems a little off, if you know what I mean."
"I do understand, but I'll have to request that you avoid going to the dungeon itself," Heathcliff replied.
Argo clicked her tongue. "Hey, if yer sayin' ya don't think I can handle it," she started.
"Of course not. Nobody would doubt the talents of the Royal Blades' Spymaster, Argo the Rat." Argo eyed Heathcliff dubiously, but Leafa saw her hackles fall back down. "It's simply that if our plan is to succeed, then we must catch Laughing Coffin by surprise."
"Your plan?" Kirito asked. "Mind filling us in?"
Heathcliff smiled. "Certainly. That was my purpose for visiting, after all. It's fairly simple: the members of Laughing Coffin, according to the data we've received, are all going to be gathering back at their hideout in five days' time. Their numbers are less than a full raid party, and with our levels as Clearers, we should be more than capable of subduing the red players. It was my hope that the Royal Blades would be willing to participate in this crusade."
"Wait, we're attacking them?" Leafa exclaimed. "Shouldn't we try negotiating with them first?"
Heathcliff's expression didn't waver. "We have," he said. "The Knights of the Blood have attempted to send messengers to speak with them. Without fail, they have not returned."
"No..." Leafa whispered, her face pale. That was horrible!
"They will not stop," Heathcliff continued, inexorably. "As such, there is only one option left. The Knights of the Blood have decided by our council that we will be taking part in this mission, as will the DDA. We will only have this one chance before they go to ground forever. If that happens, they will continue assassinating Clearers, torturing the players attempting to complete SAO and -"
"That's enough, Heathcliff," Kirito said. He glanced back at Leafa, and she tried to smile at him. Still, the things Heathcliff was saying... it was enough to make her feel sick to her stomach. Argo leaned over and started rubbing a soothing hand on Leafa's back, and the younger Kirigaya gave the info broker a grateful smile. "You've made your point."
Asuna's eyes narrowed. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to frighten my friends in an attempt to get your way." Her voice was colder than the February weather.
"My apologies."
After a second of staring into space and resting his chin on his hands, Kirito let out a heavy sigh. "Alright," he said. "I'll talk things over with the others when they're back. If it's unanimous, we'll join your crusade against the player killers."
Heathcliff nodded and stood up. "Very well, Kirito," he said. "Please, send me a message once you've decided. I'll be waiting."
Asuna and Kirito escorted Heathcliff to the door, while Leafa took a seat on the couch. Argo sat next to her, gently patting Leafa's hand to keep her mind off of what Heathcliff had been telling them. Eventually, she let out a sad sigh and leaned over, seeking comfort against Argo. The short info broker wasn't her brother, but she was still a good friend. "It's okay," Argo said quietly. "We're gonna stop 'em, you'll see."
"We have to fight." It wasn't a question. "We have to fight each other because they won't stop if we don't."
"Yeah... Looks like the LC goons only care 'bout strength. Pretty sure we're over their level, so we gotta do somethin'."
Kirito and Asuna came back; Asuna immediately sat down on the other side of Leafa, half-cuddling the younger Kirigaya sibling. "Are you doing okay, Sugu?" she asked. Her fingers combed through Leafa's short hair, a soothing feeling.
"I'll be okay," she replied.
"Argo," Kirito said, and the info broker perked up. "Do you mind getting in touch with your contacts? I think we'll need to confirm what we can about the information and get a copy of it ourselves."
"Sure thing, Kii-boy. When're Silica an' Liz due back?"
"Right now! We're home, everyone." Lisbeth's cheerful echoed as she and the little Dragon Tamer walked into the living room. A little snow had collected on Lisbeth's pink hair, and Leafa giggled to herself as it slid backwards and fell down her neck. "Eek! Cold!"
"Welcome home," Asuna said. "You're home earlier than we expected."
"We got really lucky," Silica said. "The first deposit gave us almost everything we needed, so we finished really early."
Lisbeth grinned. "Yeah. I'm gonna have to go back there tomorrow and see if I can get any more, that place was great for getting a lot of ore quick. Maybe I'll make a few weapons and sell them to Agil for some col."
"I'll go get us some hot chocolate," Asuna said.
"That'd be great, Asuna," Lisbeth said. A knowing, slightly smug grin stretched across her face. "What a wonderful housewife. I'm sure Kirito will be thrilled!"
"Liz, don't tease me like that," Asuna protested, going red. The others all giggled.
Kirito nodded seriously. "She'll make a fantastic wife," he said.
Immediately, every girl gaped at him in surprise. Sure, Leafa knew her big brother was dense, but that dense?! He didn't even seem to realize what he'd said! "Wh-wh-wh-why would you say that?" Asuna stammered, her eyes swirling. Her hands tugged at her long hair, gathering it in her hands as she fiddled with the ends. As red as she was, Leafa was reminded of the days back when her friend would be able to just pull her hood up and hide her embarrassment in that. Now, though, Asuna just had to show off how cute she was to everyone. "A-A-Anyway I'm going to the kitchen!"
The long-haired girl disappeared through the curtain separating the kitchen and living room. "She fled," Lisbeth said.
"She ran," Silica nodded.
"Yep, totally booked it," Argo shrugged.
Leafa sighed. "Asuna, really..."
"What's going on?" Kirito asked blankly.
The girls exchanged a glance. 'And then there's this doofus', the glance seemed to say. "Don't worry 'bout it, Kii-boy," Argo said. "Any~way, I'm gonna go start sendin' messages out. Lemme know what you all decide, eh? I'll go along with whatever th' rest 'a ya wanna do."
The info broker got up and disappeared upstairs. Lisbeth took her seat and Silica sat on the other couch, while Kirito kicked back in his usual recliner. "What's going on?" Lisbeth asked. "We passed Heathcliff on the way home, what'd he want?"
"Well," Kirito said with a sigh, "here's the thing..."
The explanation was pretty quick; Lisbeth and Silica hadn't been present for the discussion, but Laughing Coffin had become so infamous that everyone knew the stories. It didn't take long for the two girls to get caught up on the full details and what Heathcliff had proposed.
Lisbeth folded her arms and sighed heavily before leaning forward to pick up the mug of hot chocolate Asuna had delivered. "This sucks," she muttered. "But... we've gotta help them out, right? If this is something we can do, we have to, right?"
"That's what I was thinking," Kirito said. "We have a responsibility to help people, and that means we need to stop Laughing Coffin. They've already killed over a hundred people. We can't let them continue keep doing whatever they want."
"Silica? What do you think?" Asuna asked. Leafa blinked as she realized that Pina was quietly accepting idle pets from the long-haired girl. When did the little dragon accept her? she wondered.
The young twin-tailed girl drew her knees up to her chest. "It sounds really scary," she said. "And I wish we didn't have to do this. But they're awful people. They're hurting and killing other players, so we have to stop them."
Kirito sighed and stood up from his rocking chair. "Well... I guess we're all agreed, then," he said. "I'll let Heathcliff know we'll be joining in his raid party."
...
February 6th, 2024
"Ka-zu-to!" Leafa chirped happily as she wrapped her arms around her beloved big brother. He was sitting in his chair, staring at his menu, but when she hugged him from behind he turned around to grin at her. "Hi."
"Hey, Leafa," he said. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah. I talked to Liz earlier, she said she'll be free to make the armor once I find something like at Ashley's."
Kirito stood up, and Leafa awkwardly shuffled around so that she could keep hugging him. "Uh, Leafa..."
"Hmm-hmm," she giggled, smiling. She got to go out with her bro~ther, she got to go out with her bro~ther, she got to go out with her bro~ther! "Yeah?"
"It'll be kinda hard to walk around like this."
"...Aw, fine," she said. Her Kazutonium batteries had recharged anyway, so she didn't mind letting go. When she did he reached out to ruffle her hair, though for some reason he didn't look directly at her. "I'm glad you agreed to come along with me, Kazuto."
He shrugged. "I don't mind, even if shopping for clothes is a bit, uh... You're sure you don't want Asuna or Argo to go with you instead? They'd know more about fashion and what looks good."
Leafa shook her head. "Nope, it has to be you! Besides, Asuna is busy preparing with the other guilds for the raid, and Argo's still trying to find out more about the Laughing Coffin members."
"Oh, alright," Kirito sighed, and Leafa grinned smugly. Once more she'd won the battle for his attention! She loved the others, but at the same time it was a little weird not being the only one around him most of the time.
It was a nice day for walking around, and Leafa enjoyed the stroll to Ashley's shop. It was cool out, yeah, but she was wearing a nice scarf and some warm mittens, so she wasn't really all that cold. Kirito seemed similarly unaffected by the cold, even though his ears were exposed to the elements.
When they entered the shop, Ashley was already waiting for them, her ornate cigarette holder in her hand. "Ah, right on time," she said. "How are you siblings doing?"
"We're doing fine, Ashley," Kirito said. "Leafa here is ready for upgrading her armor, that's all."
"Of course, of course," Ashley said. "Well then, no sense standing around and doing nothing. Kirito, you can wait out here, I'll need to bring my subject to the back to work. Feel free to look around, perhaps try anything on if that's to your tastes..."
Leafa giggled as her big brother gave Ashley a flat look. Everything the woman made for sale, out on the floor, was elegant women's clothing; things like casual skirts and dresses, frilly blouses, underwear, all sorts of things that Asuna adored both wearing and making the other girls wear. Despite the way her brother looked just a little effeminate, and how he did look good when they managed to get him into a dress and makeup, he didn't wear that sort of thing from day to day.
Once she followed Ashley into the back room, the older woman's motherly demeanor turned strictly personal. "Alright, I created several options, since you weren't quite sure what you wanted," the seamstress said. "Try this one on first."
Leafa accepted the bundle of clothes and quickly equipped them. It was a lot easier than trying things on in the real world, she thought idly as the new cloth settled around her. Plus, this was sized for her. A lot of the stuff she and Asuna had found in malls was tight around the chest...
"Hmm." Ashley hummed as she paced around Leafa, adjusting the way her belt sat. "Well, what do you think?"
Leafa stared at the mirror, placing one hand on her hip and using the other hand to lift the side of the skirt. It was more like a cape to cover her back, since it left her legs exposed to reveal the stockings she wore. "I don't know," she said, reaching up to brush a finger over the sword-shaped hairclips that had replaced her usual ones. "It's nice, but I'm not sure about the blue..." It was a lovely sapphire blue color, and the top definitely flattered her, but she felt like it just wasn't for her.
"Not a problem at all," Ashley assured her. "The other two are in that emerald green you love. Go ahead and try on the second one. It might make it difficult for the boys to keep their eyes off of you."
Well, she really only wanted one boy's attention. Still, when she equipped this set of clothes, she could see why Ashley was teasing her like that. "Ooh," she gasped. The bodice only covered the most important bits, leaving almost all of her upper torso exposed. The detached sleeves and long skirt that went down to her knee reminded her a little bit of the old pictures of samurai. "I kinda like this." She swished the skirt. "Can I show Kazuto?"
"By all means, go right ahead."
She smiled and opened the door, poking her head out. "Kazuto, can you come take a look?"
Kirito looked over from where he was deep in his menu. "Coming," he called back.
He slipped into the changing room, and Leafa was really proud of the way he came to a dead stop. "Well, Kazuto?" she asked. "How do I look?"
Kirito's eyes were wide as he stared at her outfit. "You... That's..."
"Yeah?"
"No way," he said flatly. Leafa slumped a little bit. Denied immediately! "That's way too revealing."
"Wha- but Argo-"
Kirito folded his arms, and Leafa already knew what his response was going to be. "Argo's not my little -"
"Then what if I wasn't your little sister?" Leafa demanded. Kirito paled for a second before he shook his head. "For a second, pretend we're not brother and sister. What would you think of this outfit then, if you looked at me like I was a woman?"
"L-Leafa-"
"Please..." She didn't want to beg, but this was really important to her that she get through to him. She didn't want him to always consider her something to be protected, a valuable commodity. She wanted him to value her the same way he valued Asuna, or Argo or Liz or Silica.
Kirito watched her for a second, before he reached out and placed his hand on her head. "Sorry, Sugu," he murmured. "I'm being really unfair to you right now, huh?"
"A little bit..."
"Alright." He stopped patting her head and took a second look at the clothes she was wearing. Finally, he shook his head. "I still don't think it's a good fit for you, Leafa. The dress might get in the way of your movement, and those sleeves can cost you a second if they get in the way while you're trying to draw your katana."
...He's right, Leafa realized. Even without thinking of her like she was his sister, Kirito had pointed out a few flaws with the design. With a huff, she swiped open her menu and tapped at the equipment to remove it. "Fine," she muttered - before realizing right as the clothes vanished that she hadn't replaced it with anything else. Her bra and panties, therefore, were on full display for her big brother's watchful eye.
He immediately turned around and stared at the door. "D...Did you see?" Leafa demanded, mortified. Her whole body burned with embarrassment, and Ashley smiling nearby wasn't helping things at all!
"I didn't see anything!" Kirito yelped.
"Liar! You definitely saw my-my-my..." Leafa couldn't even say the words. "You have to take responsibility," she muttered.
"Just get dressed, please," Kirito begged her.
Ashley, still laughing to herself at the antics of the siblings, handed Leafa the third set of clothing she'd prepared. "Here you are, Leafa. Do try to avoid flashing your brother again, though, hm?"
Leafa could only let out a wordless mumble. She couldn't find any words to get through how totally red-faced she was.
When she was finally wearing the final outfit, she spun around to look at herself in the mirror. "Ah, this is really pretty," she said. It resembled the clothes she would wear to practice kendo in their dojo, except with a green coat that covered her back. The sleeves were long and silky, and the gold trimming decorated the sleeves and neck. "It's cute!" The flowing skirt was leaf-green, and left a little tiny bit of her upper thigh exposed.
"I had a feeling you'd like that one," Ashley said. "And what do you think, Kirito?"
Kirito turned around cautiously and then studied his little sister, cupping his chin. Leafa fidgeted under the intensity of his stare. Eventually, he nodded. "Yeah, it looks great, Leafa. Once we get Liz to make some armor that fits it, you'll look amazing."
"Really?" Leafa brightened up at his second nod. "Then this is the one I'll take."
Ashley ushered the two of them back into the shop proper so that Leafa could purchase the clothes. Once the transaction was completed, she waved goodbye to them as they left the shop.
"I'm surprised you wanted to get that other set," Kirito said idly. "I thought you liked the cute look. That's what you always told Asuna back when she was trying to get you to buy clothes in the real world."
Leafa huffed and looked away, pouting a little bit. "Yeah, well, Silica's got that on lockdown," she muttered petulantly. "So I'm branching out."
"Well, you'll always be special to me," he said. "...But I'm glad you're my sister. Things wouldn't be the same without you by my side, you know?"
Leafa stared at his back in surprise, and then a happy smile spread across her face. "I'm glad you're my brother, Kazuto!" That happy smile didn't disappear the entire way home. Her wish, that one she'd made on the shooting stars... 'I wish to always be with the big brother that I love.'
It was definitely going to come true.
...
February 8th, 2024
"I still don't like this, Kii-boy," Argo said, fingers tangled in her scarf. She was fidgeting with it constantly, playing with the tassels on the end. Leafa was pretty sure it was just because she had nothing else to do. "I was able ta confirm the levels from th' info the KoB got, but the rest of it's unconfirmed."
Kirito looked at her. "Do you want me to message Heathcliff and tell him we won't go?"
"Nah, not that bad a feelin', it's just..." Argo trailed off, and then sighed. "Ya ever get the feelin' yer bein' played?"
"How long have I known you?"
"Shush, ya flatterer." Argo grinned, the expression flashing across her face before it disappeared again. "Th' info had ta come from someone inside Laughin' Coffin, but no matter how we looked, none of m' Mice could find anythin' out. 'S like..." She trailed off again and clenched her fingers in the air. "Blehh, can't find the words."
Leafa clapped a fist in her palm. "Oh, I get it," she said. "Like how sometimes I know that one of my kendo opponents is about to attack, but I don't know why I know that."
"Yeah, what Leafa said," Argo shrugged. "'S that sixth sense thing 'a yers, Kii-boy."
Kirito nodded. "So... What do you think we do?"
"Go there early."
The rest of the Royal Blades looked at Asuna, where the long-haired girl had cupped her chin in her hand thoughtfully. "Huh?" Lisbeth asked.
"We attack the dungeon early," she said, pointing to the map. They'd spread it out over the living room table. "According to Heathcliff, the raid party will be gathering in an hour and then attacking the dungeon all at once. If we go there ahead of time, we might be able to catch someone by surprise."
Leafa wasn't sure why Asuna wanted to go early, or catch someone by surprise, but Argo swore loudly. "Yer thinkin' this's a trap, A-chan?" she asked.
"Language, Argo. But yes. It would explain why you couldn't find anything to verify the information they've been given," Asuna said. "I don't doubt that it's true, but if whoever sent in the information is trying to lead us into a trap..."
"...Then they have some sort of way to know what's goin' on with the clearers," Argo said in a low hiss. "Someone's leakin' information, or at the very least they've been compromised."
Asuna nodded. "I don't think anyone from the front lines would leak information to Laughing Coffin," she said. "But I agree. There's something that doesn't add up unless you assume that the enemy knows what we're going to do."
"So we're going to attack earlier than the agreed time?" Leafa asked.
Asuna nodded. She wasn't smiling; this was the face of the Lightning Flash, the second-in-command of the Royal Blades. "Exactly."
It had been a while since the Royal Blades were down on the lower Floors; the enemies were just too weak to give more than a single point of EXP anymore. It was nice to go back and sight-see, though. Unfortunately, the Royal Blades were moving with purpose, totally ignoring the beautiful scenery passing them by. They weren't quite moving at full speed, but it wasn't a leisurely stroll either.
"We're almost there," Argo said. "'Bout thirty seconds 'til we're at the dungeon entrance. I'm sendin' the KoB a message now, not gonna be able ta do that in the dungeon itself."
"Alright," Asuna said. "Everyone ready?" Leafa and the others chorused in reply. "Let's go!"
When they arrived at the entrance to the dungeon, Leafa could only marvel at how unassuming it was. It was just a simple entrance to some ruins; admittedly decrepit, with rubble cluttering the doorway, but it was still a rectangular entrance. There wasn't even a sign that this place was home to the most dangerous group of killers in the game! They plunged into the darkness without a second thought, hurrying through the halls.
The low-level dungeon really was no problem for them at this point. They needed to focus on speed, which meant that they ended up running past most of the mobs that filled the halls; when they couldn't avoid fighting, the six players descended on the mobs and slaughtered them without hesitation, determination clear on everyone's faces. The hardest part, and the most dangerous, was the moving platforms of stone that acted as natural gates on their progress. Every time they had to wait for the slabs to ferry them across the bottomless pits, Leafa couldn't stop herself from fidgeting impatiently.
It only took them five minutes to reach the hallway that led to the Safe Zone that Laughing Coffin used as a base. All they had to do was ride a few stone elevators and they'd be right there. However, instead of attacking Laughing Coffin by themselves like Leafa half-expected, Kirito and Argo guided them towards one of the stone platforms to the side that lifted them high in the air. "Where are we going?" Silica asked.
"If someone really is trying to set up a trap, then they're going to want to watch what happens," Kirito said grimly. Leafa wasn't used to this side of her big brother. She wasn't sure she liked it. "And the place with the best vantage point is in this passage right here. See?"
He gestured over the side of the platform. Leafa peeked over the edge; sure enough, a wide platform was almost directly below. From the angle they were watching, someone below would have to look almost directly up to even have a chance at spotting a watcher. "It makes sense," Asuna said. "Whoever would be cruel enough to be part of Laughing Coffin would definitely want to watch us fight their guildmates."
"'Xactly." Argo started pacing back and forth, prowling around the edge of the platform. "An' that's why we're waitin' up here. It's the most likely spot for the traitor ta show up."
Leafa felt her body urge her to move. It was the same kind of itch she had when she hadn't practiced kendo for a while, where she felt like there was too much energy for her body to handle; or when she was in the middle of a battle, and she would charge the enemy fearlessly. Instead of fidgeting or swinging her sword or doing anything reckless, Leafa forced herself to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. She couldn't risk this by being impatient.
She was rewarded for her self-control by Argo stiffening less than a minute later. "Someone's comin'," the info broker hissed. The Royal Blades gathered themselves and stood ready, preparing to attack.
The first thing Leafa saw was a black-cloaked figure, the crystal over their head a clear orange color. She tightened her grip on her katana, preparing for combat as the Laughing Coffin player stepped forward. Then Leafa sucked in a surprised breath at the sight of a cleaver-like weapon hanging from his hip. There was no way to mistake the player they were staring at.
"Aw, fuck," Argo said in a quiet voice.
This was the first time Leafa or any of the others had ever seen PoH up close. She was almost surprised to realize that he had a foreign, handsome look to his face, with thick wavy black hair and what looked like a tattoo on his right cheek. The leader of Laughing Coffin regarded the six players spread out in front of him, not moving. Finally, he said, "Ah... Hey there, Blackie! And the Flash, and Greenie... Ooh, is this everyone in the Royal Blades?"
The cheerful tone in his voice was absolutely disgusting to Leafa. "You're... PoH," Asuna said. Her eyes had widened. "You? You're the one who leaked the location of Laughing Coffin's hidden base?"
"That's right," he said. Leafa shivered. His voice was way too enthusiastic for an unrepentant murderer.
"Why?" Lisbeth asked. Her voice came out strangled. "Why would you do this?"
PoH spread his arms. "Well, why not? It was going to be hilarious!" He pointed at the Royal Blades, sweeping from right to left until his finger landed on Kirito. "I'd finally be able to make all of you murderers! Especially you, Blackie. Man, it was going to be amazing, watching you Progressors fight and struggle against Laughing Coffin... Oh?"
The leader of Laughing Coffin paused, turning his hooded head. A commotion had started below them, where the subjugation force led by Godfree of the Knights of the Blood had finally arrived. The Laughing Coffin ambush had been sprung. Leafa watched the two forces clash, their Sword Skills lighting up in multicolored flashes, before she turned back to PoH. "Yeah, sorry," Argo said. Her grin was sharp. "Guess we kinda screwed up yer plans, huh? Whoops. Our bad."
"Tch." PoH clicked his tongue. "Preparing this little feast took fucking forever, you know that? I had to get the KoB to listen, wait for you to finish sniffing around, then time the warning I sent to LC for the very last moment so they could prepare but not escape. It would've been a great show!"
"You're a monster," Silica whispered.
"Hmm?" PoH looked at her. "Well, not like it matters anymore. You'd better hurry, if you want to help out your friends down there. They're starting to struggle a little bit. Looks like without you guys, they're aaaall talk." He grinned at them before pulling out an Escape Crystal that would lead him directly out of the dungeon. "So long, 'heroes' -"
A glowing pick smashed into his hand, knocking the crystal away and over the side of the platform. As the Escape Crystal tumbled into the pit below, PoH slowly lowered his hand to stare at Argo. "Not happening, PoH," Kirito said. "We're taking you down."
"Tch." PoH clicked his tongue again. "Well then. Fuck taking the easy way out." He drew the cleaver-like dagger hanging from his hip. "So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to kill all of you, then I'm going to go down and kill the rest. Except you, Blackie," he said, pointing the dagger at Kirito. "You, I'm going to paralyze. That way, I can make you watch."
Leafa didn't even have time to register what he'd said before PoH lunged forward, the ragged ends of his black cloak flapping as he closed the distance between him and the Royal Blades. Silica raised her shield to meet him even as his glowing blade sliced out, slamming into the shield. The steel sparked, and PoH reeled backwards before spinning and cutting out again. Silica's shield wouldn't be able to move to block, but Leafa knew the young girl wore heavy armor for exactly that reason -
"Aah!" Silica cried out in surprise more than pain as a large red gash opened up on her arm. "O-ow!"
PoH cackled as he jumped back. With a shout, Asuna flashed forward and thrust, her Quadruple Pain stabbing at PoH's body. He ducked and dodged out of the way, parrying the last of the four thrusts with his dagger. "What did you do to her?!" Asuna demanded, even as she dropped and kicked out with a leg sweep.
"Like it?" PoH called as he jumped over her leg. He landed a few steps away and brandished his weapon. "The Mate Chopper is such a great weapon! It gets stronger the more humans, the more players I kill. Plus, it'll go straight through all that armor the shrimp is wearing. It's a neat effect, don't ya think?" He grinned. Leafa gritted her teeth. "I love the look in players' eyes when they realize all that fancy equipment isn't worth shit."
"Bastard!" Argo hissed, springing at him. Her claws flashed, but PoH was able to lean out of the way. She still managed to slash his cloak, ripping it to shreds as she passed - but she was stuck in the post-Sword Skill delay, so PoH was free to slam his boots into her side in a savage kick. With a cry, the Rat crashed to the ground and tumbled uncontrollably.
Leafa's heart leapt into her throat when the cloaked info broker rolled one too many times and tipped over the edge of the platform. "Argo!" Kirito shouted, somehow managing to sheath one of his swords and race over to catch her in time. He had to dive, but he caught her hand just in time.
"You're wide open!" PoH exclaimed, raising the Mate Chopper over his head and plunging it down at Kirito's unprotected back. The leader of the Royal Swords gritted his teeth; if he let go, Argo would fall.
Before the glowing blade could slam into Kirito's back, it was blocked by the blade of a katana. "Get away from my brother!" Leafa shouted as she clashed with PoH, sparks flying from the clashing weapons. She just had to hold on a little... while... longer...!
PoH's Sword Skill faded away, but Leafa's kept going, and her two-hit Sword Skill continued. Her thrust turned into a slash that cut across his chest, slicing through his thin leather armor. PoH jumped away, but she'd finally managed to land a blow. She stood over Kirito, automatically assuming a protective stance as he worked on pulling Argo up. Lisbeth hurried over and lied down on her stomach as well to help rescue the info broker.
Unconsciously, Leafa took a traditional kendo stance, ready and waiting for PoH to make a move. Instead, he just sneered. "It's people like you that piss me off the most," he said. "You think you're being some sort of hero, when all you're doing is posing and hoping for attention."
"Try me," Leafa said.
PoH dashed forward, weapon sweeping up from the side, and Leafa simply stepped forward. Her katana flashed out, just like she'd drilled until it was automatic, and smashed his Mate Chopper down before slashing across his chest. She shouted and kept up the attack like she was in the kendo matches.
PoH didn't retreat like she'd expected, however; he grunted and ducked down, faster than she was expecting. With a wild, bloodthirsty grin on his face, his cleaver carved a line of red across her arm. Leafa gritted her teeth and swung again, a picture-perfect kendo swing, but PoH was able to lean back further than any human could in real life. The edge of her katana passed over his face, and he swung again to leave another gash along Leafa's side.
She stepped back and brought her sword back to guard, panting. She wasn't out of breath; instead, her heart pounded in her chest like a jackhammer. That was the difference between her and PoH, she realized. She was technically skilled. Better than he was, when it came to fighting. But she'd never fought another player with the intent to kill; even when she'd dueled, in practice against Kirito and Asuna or for real, like that fight against Godfree, she'd known that the other person would only go down to yellow at the worst.
Sweat flew from her forehead and bangs as PoH attacked and she countered, matching all of his slashes perfectly. Any time she tried to attack, though, he would be able to slip past her attack and whittle away another sliver of her health. Red lines crisscrossed her body; she'd been able to keep him from landing any fatal blows, but she couldn't actually hit him at all. "What's wrong, hero?!" PoH taunted. "I'm going to cut you to pieces!"
"No you won't!"
A shooting star flew in from the side, and a tired smile spread on Leafa's lips. "Asuna!" she cried.
The long-haired girl's rapier flashed out, looking like the lightning strikes that had given her one of her names, and PoH's health plummeted as he suffered the quick thrusts. He managed to jump away, but his health dropped into the low yellow.
Everyone froze, standing still. Leafa and Asuna caught their breath; behind them, Argo scrambled back onto the platform, shivering, and sat on the ground. "I've gotta say," PoH said, "I didn't expect this much trouble." He glanced at the red slashes Asuna and Leafa had left behind. "You're even more fun than I expected, Blackie!"
"Why?" Kirito demanded. "Why me? What's so important about me?"
PoH stared at him, grinning like the madman he was. "You're the only one I can trust! It's because you've never failed to disappoint me, no matter how hard I tried. Spreading rumors about a fake logout zone, getting people to hate beta testers, paying info broker to lie about anything I wanted, I tried everything."
"That was you?" Argo growled.
"At first it was just to have fun," PoH admitted callously, "but then you kept stopping my plans. No matter what, you'd always always always pull through without so much as flinching! So I thought, maybe getting you to kill people would do it. Maybe that would finally break you. But now you managed to squeak out of that one too!"
"You're crazy," Lisbeth shouted.
PoH didn't so much as look at her. He just sneered and raised his cleaver. "This show isn't ever going to stop!"
He swept out his cleaver in a heavy downwards swing, but Lisbeth stepped forward and blocked the blow with her buckler. "Liz, be careful!" Asuna shouted.
"As long as I block it, I'm fine!" she called back. "Just get this guy!"
PoH snarled and kicked her, slamming his boot into her stomach. Lisbeth coughed and doubled over, crumpling to the ground. Before he could attack the vulnerable girl, though, Asuna stepped forward with a flourish of her rapier. She drove her right hand forward, stabbing toward PoH's vulnerable head; his eyes widened and he ducked out of the way, leaving behind a severed lock of black hair and a spray of red polygons where the tip of her rapier had sliced his cheek.
Kirito didn't even have to shout out the word 'Switch' for everyone in the Royal Blades to know he was about to attack. Leafa didn't even flinch when he jumped from behind her, slamming his swords down in a double overhead slash. PoH was able to block the strike somehow, bracing his cleaver with both hands, but after a second the clashed weapons let out an explosive shower of sparks and inched closer to PoH.
He spun to the side, letting Kirito crash to the ground, but before he could attack the vulnerable boy Leafa swept in with a heavy slash. It sliced deep into his leg and she pulled, ripping the blade free to widen the gash she left behind.
The Royal Blades backed off a bit as PoH's health finally dipped into the red. His eyes swept across all of them and he grinned. "What's wrong? Not gonna come at me like your life depends on it? You'd better!"
He swung his cleaver in a gleaming arc, and Leafa fell back. When he swung again, Silica blocked it, but didn't retaliate even after he was wide open. They all knew that if they struck too hard, or accidentally got a crit, they'd...
"Just give up, PoH!" Kirito shouted. "This is over, we've won!"
"Not yet," PoH replied. "And take a look down there, too. Your buddies are in some trouble! Gotta say, it's great to hear their screams. Better hurry if you want to save them, Black Swordsman!"
Kirito gritted his teeth so hard Leafa wondered if they would crack. She couldn't blame him. They were so close... So close and he was going to get away because they couldn't just leave those players to die! "Ya bastard," Argo growled, her fingers twitching.
"Kyahaha!" PoH let out a guffaw, actually leaning back. "Oh, that's rich! No way, Black Swordsman, this isn't the end at all! If you don't want me running free, then you'd better kill me right here and right now!"
He raised the demonic Mate Chopper over his head, and Leafa centered herself, preparing to counter any attack that came for her or one of the others -
Ping!
- when a glowing blur flashed by her head and slammed into the center of PoH's weapon. The throwing pick shattered, but it had done its job; the Mate Chopper rocked in his hand and then almost gracefully it popped free and spun through the air, flying over the edge.
"Motherfucker!" PoH cursed. Naturally, his head turned to follow the motion of his weapon.
Looking back on the fight, Leafa wasn't able to figure out exactly when she'd started moving, but by the time his head had turned she was already halfway towards him. Her sword slashed out and cut straight through PoH's waist, leaving a red line bisecting him. She straightened up and flicked her blade to the side, just like she'd seen her kendo teacher do, and then sheathed the blade.
Behind her, PoH crumpled to the ground, paralyzed. His HP was down to the last sliver; the Sword Skill she used couldn't kill, but it had a nearly-guaranteed paralysis effect on low HP. It was circumstantial at best, and she'd never really used it before, but she was definitely glad for the long practice she'd put in with Kirito.
"Asuna, Argo, Lisbeth, come with me," Kirito shouted, already running for the stone elevator that would lead them to the fighting below. "Silica, Leafa, make sure PoH's tied up. Once we're finished down there, bring him down so we can send him to prison with the others."
"Right," Silica said, rope to secure their captive already in her hands.
Leafa started to walk towards Kirito. "I'll come with you -"
"No," Kirito barked. He didn't look at her. "Stay here with Silica, just in case."
"O-Okay," Leafa murmured. That was the first time her big brother had ever said she couldn't go with him... Why? Had she pushed him too far one too many times? Was she -
Argo smacked her on the back as she passed, jolting Leafa from her thoughts. "Good job, Leafa," Argo said. "An' don't worry 'bout what yer big bro said, he jus' doesn't want ya ta be in any danger. Let's go, A-chan."
Leafa stared at the info broker until the four of them disappeared down the elevator. It really was weird how she always knew what everyone was thinking, wasn't it? D-D-Did she know about her feelings for - "Leafa!" Silica wailed. "Help me!"
"Coming!" Leafa put the thought of Argo knowing about her feelings for her brother aside and hurried to help Silica tie up PoH as securely as possible.
Kirito swung his sword, slashing across a man wearing a ragged green cloak. Even as he fell back, Kirito turned to counter another killer's overhead smash and blocked the heavy mace. As soon as he could, he kicked up with Crescent Moon, slamming his foot into the man's chin.
"Kirito!" Asuna cried. Kirito whirled and saw that a member of Laughing Coffin had her at daggerpoint, and was about to thrust forward.
"No!" he shouted. He tried to run and get her out of the way, but he couldn't move. Desperately, he drew his sword back to use Vorpal Strike, if only to cover ground - and then the man was right in front of him, directly in the path. Kirito's Sword Skill killed him instantly, boring a hole through his heart.
"Kirito!" Leafa cried. Kirito turned and slashed with his Burning Heart. The edge sliced into the shoulder of a Laughing Coffin member about to cut his sister in half. It left a long gouge across his chest, and killed the red player.
"Kirito!" Argo cried. Kirito turned and used Snake Bite to break a killer's weapon. It shattered on the first blow and the second hit of the Sword Skill cut through the ribs.
"Kirito!" Silica and Leafa cried. He activated one of his Dual Blades Sword Skills, Depth Impact. The combo sliced red lines across the two Laughing Coffin players threatening his girls; before it was finished, the killers had both died.
Kirito staggered back, shaking his head. This wasn't... This wasn't right.
"Isn't it great, Blackie?!" PoH was standing beside him, grinning widely like he'd just won the lottery. "You turned into a real PKer, didn't you!"
"That's not..."
Despite Kirito's stammered protests, the five players he'd just killed stood in front of him, their wounds still bright red. Kirito tried to get away, but PoH was behind him, stopping him from fleeing. "Take a good look," PoH hissed. "And let me see the expression on your face."
This wasn't what happened at all! He had only fought and killed three of them, because they wouldn't surrender and give up. He didn't want to kill them. PoH walked around him, and Kirito realized the leader of Laughing Coffin had a face identical to his own-
...
Kirito gasped as he bolted up and panted for breath. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was safe in his bed and that there weren't any wraiths surrounding him. PoH was still in jail, and didn't resemble Kirito in the slightest. Once his breathing calmed down, he climbed out of bed and went to the kitchen. Water, he thought. He needed something to drink.
He staggered down the hall, resting his hand on the wall, just in case. It didn't feel like he was going to topple over, but every now and then the memory from that all-too-real dream would flicker through his mind again and his knees would tremble. He glanced at the time in his HUD: just after midnight. Everyone else was asleep. As he walked through the silent house, Kirito peeked into all of the rooms, just to make sure that they were actually there. Asuna and Leafa were fast asleep, curled up facing each other; Lisbeth and Argo likewise, though the pink-haired blacksmith had sprawled out, limbs going in every direction, while the info broker curled up into a tight little ball. Silica... Kirito hid a smile at the sight of the girl using Pina as a pillow. The poor dragon's feathers were getting rumpled and probably a little wet from the drool that was leaking from her mouth.
The sight of his guild members made something in his heart relax a little bit, banishing just a little bit more of the nightmare. Closing the door behind him, Kirito left Silica to her sleep and made his way downstairs to the kitchen to get himself something to drink. There wasn't any tea, hot coffee, or chocolate prepared, so he just poured himself a mug of water from the ice box. It was cool and crisp, and reminded him of the lake that was a five-minute walk down the forest path.
Sipping at the mug until it was empty, he wandered outside and leaned against the patio railing, staring up at the night sky. The stars were beautiful, and he did his best to lose himself in the glimmering points of light...
"Isn't it great, Blackie?!" PoH was standing beside him, grinning widely like he'd just won the lottery. "You turned into a real PKer, didn't you!"
Kirito shivered as a cold gust of wind broke him from the flash of the nightmare. Before he could turn to head inside, though, a blanket settled over his shoulders. "Couldn't sleep?" Asuna asked gently, rubbing his back.
"Yeah. ...Thought I'd come out and look at the stars," he said. Asuna simply nodded and kept rubbing his back. Just her presence alone helped calm him down, relaxing whatever had tightened inside his chest. It felt easier to breathe, and he felt his eyelids start to droop. "...It was a nightmare," he admitted quietly, and Asuna immediately gave him a hug. Her body was soft against his back, and he could almost imagine he smelled the soap she'd used that night.
"About PoH?"
"About... the Laughing Coffin fight," he said. "And what I... did."
Asuna didn't reply for a second. Did that scare her? he wondered.
"I killed them, Asuna," he whispered hoarsely. "I killed them and all I want to do is forget it happened. Do you hate me for that?"
Immediately Asuna buried her face against his neck. "Never," she said immediately, her voice dismissing all possibility of doubt. "Never ever, Kazuto. All I hate is that you had to go that far because those idiots-" Her voice caught in her throat, and she sniffled. "Because those idiots wouldn't stop."
Kirito felt an invisible weight lift off of his shoulders. She didn't hate him for what he'd done to save the raid party. "Thank you, Asuna," he said as he patted her hand. She turned it around, lacing her fingers with his for an instant.
All of a sudden, his exhaustion caught up with him, and his eyelids felt heavier than ever. "Come on," Asuna said. "Let's go back to bed, okay?"
Kirito yawned and nodded, putting the empty mug away and following Asuna upstairs. His eyelids were really heavy, and he nearly tripped going up the stairs. As he walked down the hall, Asuna opened the door to her room. "Good night, Asuna," he said as he passed her.
Two fingers caught the hem of his shirt, and Kirito looked back to see Asuna reaching out. She didn't look at him, her face red in the pale moonlight. "You... should sleep in our bed tonight," she said.
"Wh-why?"
"Because you might have another nightmare," Asuna said. She still refused to look at him. "So sleep in our bed. That's supposed to help, right?"
Kirito scratched at his cheek. Well, it wasn't like he wasn't used to sleeping in the same bed with his sister, he thought. It always felt nice. And sleeping in the same bed with Asuna would be amazing, too... "Okay," he said finally. Asuna smiled faintly before heading into her room, Kirito following close behind her.
It was the first time he'd been in their room. It smelled sweet, Kirito's tired mind noted down, just before Asuna pulled back the covers of the bed she shared with Leafa. "Well?" she asked. "Go ahead and get in."
Kirito blinked. As tired as he was, he just obeyed without question, not realized that doing so meant that he would be sleeping between Leafa and Asuna until she got in behind him. With a happy little sigh, Asuna curled up with her back against Kirito's stomach; he tried to shift away to give her more room, but bumped into Leafa. He... definitely wasn't going anywhere until one or both of the girls woke up in the morning.
...
Kazuto poured the basin of water over his little sister's head, washing away the shampoo suds. Suguha sputtered for a second before she wiped the water out of her face. "All clean, Sugu," he told her.
"Thanks, Kazuto," she said. "My back next?"
"Yeah, don't move."
As he lathered up the sponge and started washing his sister's back in long, practiced strokes, Kazuto fell into a comfortable rhythm of up and down. "That feels good," Suguha sighed happily. "You're the best at this."
"Actually," Kazuto began, "I've been meaning to ask you about something."
"Yeah?" Suguha started to turn to look at him, before Kazuto yelped in panic and turned his head away. He felt his cheeks start to burn a little bit. H-His sister really needed to get more careful about that sort of thing! Especially now that she was starting to, um... grow.
"Don't you think we're starting to get a little old for bathing together? You just turned twelve. Also, could you please not turn like that?" Once Suguha was facing front again, he rinsed off her back. "You're done."
Suguha stood up, and Kazuto took his place on the stool for his turn. His little sister hummed to herself as she poured a generous dollop of shampoo into her hands, and he closed his eyes to avoid getting the soap in them. A minute passed in silence as she washed his hair, her hands lightly scratching at his scalp to make sure the shampoo was doing its job. He had to admit, it felt nice. Eventually, she poured water over his head to wash it out, and asked, "Do you... want to stop taking baths together?"
"It's probably a good idea," he said a little bit reluctantly as she started washing his back. "The bathtub is starting to get a bit cramped when we're both in it, and I think we're getting a little, y'know..."
The sponge on his back stopped moving, before Suguha leaned forward to hug him from behind. "Okay," she muttered. "But I'm going to miss taking baths with you, Kazuto."
Kazuto tried not to think about the softness pressing against his back. It was definitely just the sponge, that's all. "M-Maybe for special occasions," he said finally. Anything to stop his sister from making that sad expression he could feel, even if he couldn't see. "But not every day like we do now, okay?"
"Okay," Suguha chirped. Somehow, he felt like he'd won the battle but lost the war...
...
When Kirito woke up the next morning, he was in a lot of trouble. Not because of anything like an unfortunate fact of life about being a boy and waking up; the Ethics Code prevented that sort of trouble from happening, fortunately. No, the reason he was in trouble was pretty simple. At some point during the night, he'd wrapped Asuna in a hug, draping one arm over her body while she slept with her head resting on the other arm. She'd also latched onto the arm across her body in her sleep, so there was no way for him to get free.
While he was trying to figure out the best way out of the situation that didn't involve Asuna waking up and catching him, or accidentally groping her while trying to get free, the door to the bedroom opened. Kirito's heart nearly stopped, and then started up again when Leafa walked in, dressed in her normal early-morning kendo outfit. Then it stopped again when he realized that his little sister was seeing what was going on. "Oh, you're up!" Leafa said. That... wasn't the reaction he expected. "Morning, Kazuto. I let you sleep in because you looked way too peaceful."
"You should have woken me up," Kirito told her.
"But you look cute like this," Leafa said.
"Asuna looks cute like this," he corrected her.
"Yeah, her too," she said with a sunny smile.
Without a care in the world, his little sister sat on the other side of the bed, humming to herself. Kirito couldn't roll over to look at her, even though he was tempted; he was abruptly glad of that when he heard the familiar sound effects of her menu followed by her clothes disappearing. "Are you getting changed?" he yelped. "I'm in the room!"
"Then don't look." His little sister's logic was infuriatingly simple. "Besides, it's not like we haven't taken baths together before."
Something about that felt familiar... A dream, maybe? Kirito couldn't quite put his finger on the feeling, and the familiarity faded away soon enough. "Just... help get Asuna up," he sighed after a few seconds.
"Oh, fine," Leafa huffed. When she walked over, he risked a peek, and relaxed when he saw that she was fully dressed. "Hey, Asuna, get up... It's time to wake up, Asuna."
The girl in his arms slowly stirred. "Munya... Huh?" She sat up, blinking her eyes blearily. Kirito hid a smile as he took the chance to scramble away and get out of the bed. Asuna really wasn't a morning person... Any time she woke up, she was totally out of it for a few seconds. "Morning, Sugu..."
"How did you sleep?"
"Really..." Asuna paused to yawn. "Really well... My pillow was comfy."
Leafa giggled. "I bet."
Asuna turned around, rubbing her eyes, and saw Kirito. "Morning, Kazuto," she mumbled.
"Morning, Asuna." Kirito took the chance he'd been given and hurried out of the room before Asuna could properly wake up and realize what had happened the night before.
As he opened his door, he heard Leafa yelp, "Ah! Asuna, don't fall back asleep!"
The rest of that morning, Asuna's face was very red, and she refused to look Kirito in the eye. Leafa couldn't stop giggling every time Asuna looked away after stealing a glance at him, and the other girls were all incredibly confused.
In the end, Kirito was almost glad when Godfree from the Knights of the Blood dropped by to say hello that afternoon. "Thank you for yesterday!" the boisterous man boomed with a hearty laugh, sitting on the couch across from Kirito and Asuna. "Thanks to your hard work, we were able to round up all the leaders of Laughing Coffin! Catching PoH was a huge help!"
"No problem," Kirito said. He sipped at his tea awkwardly; he might be alright at talking to others thanks to Asuna dragging him to social events all the time, but Godfree was just... too much everything.
"Though... Maybe we could ask you for one last favor," Godfree said slowly. Argo, who was leaning against the wall next to Lisbeth, crossed her legs and raised an eyebrow. "Well... there are a few members that managed to get away," he admitted. "There's only a few of them, and we already know roughly where they are thanks to your network of informants, Miss Argo." Argo preened at the praise.
"So what do you need our help for?" Asuna asked. "If you know where they are, then why not go after them yourselves?"
"We'll do it," Kirito said. Godfree, who had been about to answer Asuna, hesitated. Asuna looked at Kirito, eyebrows raised. "I don't like the idea of just giving up on something halfway," he said with a small shrug. "Besides, this is partially my fault. I wasn't able to capture all of them."
Lisbeth shook her head. "You dork," she muttered quietly.
"Guess we're helpin'," Argo said with a shrug back to the pink-haired blacksmith.
Kirito exchanged a glance with Asuna, who simply sighed and smiled at him. "You're the guild leader," she said.
"Great!" Godfree exclaimed, giving all of them a huge smile. "We've got the first two under control, so if you could capture... I think his name is Morty?"
"Morte," Kirito and Argo chorused simultaneously. He grimaced, while Argo let out a long, dramatic groan. Morte... Kirito wasn't looking forward to dealing with him. He'd met him once or twice back in the beta, and there was always something slimy about him. Honestly, he wasn't even all that surprised that Morte turned out to be a member of Laughing Coffin, he thought.
The two beta testers exchanged a glance, and Kirito shook his head. "We'll take care of him," he told Godfree.
"Wonderful! I knew I could count on the Royal Blades!" Godfree, still full of energy, bounded to his feet and stuck one bear-like hand out. Kirito shook it, and was almost amazed he was able to pull his hand back with his arm attached to his shoulder. "Miss Argo, I'm sure you've heard of everything already, but I'll send what we have on Morty - Morte, sorry. I'll send it to you as soon as I can."
Argo shrugged. "Thankies." Kirito glanced at her, but even knowing her as well as he did, he couldn't really read her face. Either she already knew all the information, her network of spies having told her what was going on as soon as they knew, or this was entirely new...
There wasn't any time to try to figure it out, either way. Once they had the information in their hands, the Royal Blades all but ran to town and teleported back to the Floor Laughing Coffin had used for their base. Morte was a red player, so his orange cursor would prevent him from easily leaving the Floor; all they had to do was find the player.
They hurried through the forest, moving at a fast clip, and Kirito took a deep breath. The day before... He didn't want to be forced to go that far ever again. And he would never let any of the others be pushed to do that, either. His hands had blood on them; he wouldn't let them suffer the same way.
Argo, leading the way, suddenly hissed out a breath of excitement. "Found 'im!" she exclaimed. Her Tracking Skill was high enough that she could see tracks by any player, and since Morte was the only one nearby... "He's headin' north, but the tracks're fresh, we're close."
"Good," Asuna said. Kirito couldn't help but notice that she really was beautiful when she was focused like that. ...A-And he meant that as her best friend. "I don't want him to escape. Laughing Coffin is like a weed. If we don't get rid of every last bit, they'll spring back up when we aren't looking."
Argo whistled. "Easy, A-chan. Yer cute when yer focused, but don't scare us, 'kay?"
"Sca- I'm sorry," Asuna said. Her eyes softened a little bit, and Kirito studied her. Yep, still beautiful, he thought. "Um, Kazuto, is there a reason you're staring at me?"
"No," he said without thinking. "I just wanted to."
Asuna blushed bright red while Argo and Lisbeth let out twin wolf whistles. Maybe they were spending too much time together, Kirito wondered idly. "D-D-Don't say those things in public!" she whined.
"So it's okay if he says those things when we're at home?"
Silica's innocent question was totally brutal, and Kirito winced when Asuna descended into a stammering mess, Lisbeth and his little sister swooping in to tease her. Why was it that the youngest among them always had the most ruthless comments? At least the sudden teasing seemed to have distracted Asuna and made her relax a little bit, which made both Kirito and Argo smile.
Suddenly Argo raised a hand, and they all silenced. "We're gettin' close," she said, "but someone else's footprints are here too. Looks like they're followin' Morte. We should hurry, it might be one 'a his buddies comin' ta help out."
"I thought the LC guys were all over the place," Lisbeth said. "Isn't that why we're going after Morte?"
"Better hurry, then," Kirito said. "Lisbeth, Leafa, stop teasing Asuna and let's go."
"'Kaaay," Lisbeth and Leafa chorused. Poor, flustered Asuna smacked Kirito's shoulder, cheeks burning, but rested a thankful hand on the shoulder immediately after.
They didn't have time to fool around any more, though, and the Royal Blades increased their pace. Argo practically blurred through the woods with her high AGI stats, and the rest of them weren't far behind. Following the brown hood through the forest, Kirito drove all other thoughts from his mind. The only thing he was thinking about was following Argo's path and whether they'd be in time to catch Morte -
- and then he nearly slammed into Asuna's back as the long-haired girl nearly ran into Argo. "Why did we stop?" panted Silica as she brought up the rear. "What's wro- oh."
Morte was actually on the ground, not moving; the green aura surrounding his body was the answer. He'd been paralyzed by something. A distant part of Kirito's mind noticed the throwing knife embedded in his side, red polygons lazily drifting away from the wound.
And standing over him, arrow nocked to her bow and aimed straight at his forehead, was Sinon.
Oh dear! What is our favorite archer doing?! The answer is actually pretty obvious, I think. I mean, I'd hope it's obvious…
First off, I know this chapter is a little bit more Serious Business than the others, but I mean it's Laughing Coffin, of course it's not going to be all happiness and sunshine. I tried to keep things a little lighthearted where I could – Leafa getting her new armor, a little bit of the banter here and there, anything that happens at the Log Cabin. Leafa getting her final upgrade was something I wanted to show, but was conflicted since I wasn't sure if throwing it in the middle was a good idea like that. I think it worked out well without killing too much of the pacing. (Especially since in this story, new equipment is basically like saying 'Hey take a look at all this character arc progression we're getting'.)
PoH, for pretty obvious reasons (to anyone that hasn't read the light novel fan translations), is one of the villains that doesn't get much screen time but still has a massive ripple effect throughout the entire story, and I wanted to show that somehow. From the beginning, he's been the one behind all of the problems that the Royal Blades encounter. Bad info broker? PoH. Luring the Black Cats into a trap designed to get them killed? PoH. Forming and then subsequently betraying Laughing Coffin, all to get Kirito to PK (a goal which ultimately succeeded)? PoH. Leafa never getting that rare drop she'd been grinding for? Okay, that one was Kayaba. He felt like being a dick. You might notice that Argo had two really precise shots with her throwing picks; these weren't accurate at all, actually. They were supposed to paralyze PoH. Argo missed him and got really lucky, that's all.
We should be out of the Serious Business zone by the end of next chapter, so please just hang on until then.
Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or left a review.