Second Verse


After getting home, I tossed Klein's bandana on my desk. I'd probably see him tomorrow afternoon or something in ALO, so I could tell him about it then. In the meantime, I woke my computer up from sleep and sank into my chair as the MMO Stream loaded on my second monitor. I didn't really care all that much about what they had to say, but it was habit to watch them at this point. Plus, it was background noise I could listen to while reading or checking updates on forums.

My stomach chose to remind me that I'd just spent ten minutes fighting, and that it'd super appreciate being rewarded for its efforts. Grumbling under my breath, I got out of the comfortable chair and headed downstairs to heat something up from the fridge. I couldn't be too loud, I didn't want to wake up my parent, but at the same time my hunger could not be denied. It didn't help that my muscles were finally starting to stiffen up from the rigorous exercise I'd been putting them through yesterday and today.

As I headed back upstairs, I heard two familiar voices chatting happily. "Ugh, I'm missing it," I complained under my breath, carrying the plate of food with me. And, sure enough, the instant I sat down at my desk, MMO Stream went on break for a few minutes. My timing is perfect, as it always is. I didn't actually want to watch it anyway, that's okay.

I scarfed down my food - just a quick sandwich and a cookie for dessert, but it did the trick. Setting the plate aside, I started idly surfing through my notifications, checking out the posts Din had flagged as interesting. It was too late to get on ALO, and I didn't want to disturb my parent by talking at night, so I made a mental note to thank him tomorrow.

The chime of MMO Stream returning from break caught my attention and I glanced over just in time to see the two hostesses of the stream come back. ...I should probably figure out what those two are called, huh? The blonde catgirl and the blue-haired catgirl, both of them dressed like pop idols. Eh, Blonde and Blue works for now. I listened to them absently as I clicked on my main screen, opening up a few new tabs.

"Here's the latest on Ordinal Scale!" Blonde said cheerfully. "The AR game everyone's talking about! Players are telling us some of the bosses from SAO's old Aincrad have been showing up in OS's event battles."

"The word on the forums is," Blue said, "a player can rack up a boatload of points at those rates. And not only that, there's a good chance you'll catch Yuna singing at one of them!"

Her voice sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it. Idly, I wrote out a reply to some idiot on the forum, before thinking better of the reaction and erasing it. It's better not to reply to them, even if insulting stupidity would feel really good.

"Kyaha!" Blue giggled. "Leveling up and hearing Yuna sing would be the awesomest!"

"Easy now," Blonde said. "As we all know, Sword Art Online was shut down for good. But I bet you didn't know that there's been a ton of new interest in it! Thanks to a book that came out last month called, 'The Complete SAO Incident Report'."

I glanced at the other screen. Oh hey, Kana and I helped give statements for that. Neat. "Huh," Blue said. "Hm. Talk about jumping on the bandwagon late."

"I wonder if the book's popularity, along with the recent spike in Augma users, are the reasons for the huge drop in log-ins to the two big VR games, ALO and GGO."

"Do you think people are getting bored with VR?" Blue asked.

"I have no idea," Blonde replied. "So let's ask some familiar faces who might be able to shed some light on what's going on in the VR world. Take it away!"

I realized with a small start that I'd just been watching the stream. Whoops. Well, these segments, where they have a camera inside the different VR games, are always interesting. I'll watch until the next break and then go to sleep - I don't want to be late for my date with Kana tomorrow.

The first player interviewed was one I recognized. "In the next ALO tourney I wanna fight someone who'll have me shaking in my boots," Eugene said, folding his arms. "Less players means less challenge for me. Well, they might as well give me the trophy now."

"Nya well..." The camera panned over, revealing the off-screen speaker. Alicia Rue, the Cait Sith Leader, flanked by three of her Cait Sith bodyguards. "You didn't win last time, did ya?" Eugene bristled at the small girl's teasing grin. She reminds me way too much of Argo...

"This world holds a special place in our hearts, and there's no way we're going to abandon it." Oh hey, Siune! The Sleeping Knights guild member was sitting at an inn table with Jun, the young Salamander nodding seriously.

The next interviewee was Sakuya, Leafa's clan leader. "Yes, it's true," the elegant Sylph said, lacing her fingers in front of her. "There are less players in Sylph territory now. We can't hold major events like we used to, which is a shame. But if you want to know the truth, I'm not worried. I'm sure everyone will be back someday."

Then the screen cut to - "It's all a cycle," Argo said, Din sitting lightly on her shoulder. Catling, what are you doing. "I'm hoping logins pick back up, since it's more fun when there's a lot of players. But people'll still buy information from me, so it's not like I care all that much." I did get a good chuckle out of her title 'Info Broker, Argo the Rat', though.

The game shifted abruptly away from ALO and into GGO. "Why'd you desert me, Fukaziroh?" the cowboy-like man wailed, grabbing the camera with both hands as he shoved his face close. "I got a new grenade launcher for you and everything! You know how hard it is to get one of these?!"

"Where are you, Leafa?!" Recon cried as he shoved the cowboy slightly out of the way. I swear, that Sylph kid still has a crush on Sugu? Yikes. Well, not like she can answer him, she's out at the kendo training camp for a week. And, I'm pretty sure they don't have computers there.

The two of them shouted, shoving each other around on screen -

- before it cut to a blank white screen, text apologizing 'for the unseemly images.'

"Sorry about that," Blonde said as it cut back to the main booth. "And now, please welcome our surprise guest! Enjoy!"

"How's everyone doing tonight?" Yuna chirped as she stood up into the camera's view. One of her songs played in the background as she waved to the people watching her.

I closed the MMO Stream tab. I... don't particularly care. Plus, she's probably just going to be shilling for her concert next week, getting people excited to see it. However, the music had already gotten into my mind, and I caught myself humming it as I prepared for bed.

...Gods damn it, now I have to listen to a few of her songs before I shut down my computer.

...

The next day, I woke up and didn't immediately regret it, which was something of a surprise. Sure, my body ached, especially from the boss fight against The Storm Gryphon yesterday, but a warm shower and a few stretches worked the worst of the pain away. I almost felt normal, for once. It was a surprisingly novel feeling - one that I swiftly ruined by pushing my body in a morning exercise routine. I wasn't technically certain that we'd be fighting another boss tonight, but... hey, the pattern seemed to line up. Besides, I was having fun at the fights.

After a shower and a quick fashion-consulting session with Kana, I was dressed up and ready to go on a date with my girlfriend. "Do you think we've been going out too much?" I asked her idly, shrugging the grey shirt over my head. Short-sleeved, naturally; I'd wear a light hoodie over it, in case it was colder than expected.

Kana snickered. "Can that exist? Are you tired of seeing my beautiful face?"

I just sighed good-naturedly. "Yeah, okay, stupid question, stupid answer."

"Hey, my answer wasn't stupid!"

"I'll see you in a little," I said. "You're with Asuna right now?"

"Yep," Kana said. "Probably only another half hour before the princess is satisfied with how she looks." I heard a complaint in the background and grinned at Asuna's indignance. "Yeah, yeah, I keep telling you, you're going to blow him away no matter what you're wearing," she replied to the unheard complaint.

I chuckled. "Alright. See you then."

After Kana said goodbye, I tucked my phone in my pocket and headed out. It was going to be a wander around type of date, so I didn't bother with the bike this time, deciding to catch the bus. This was only marginally a mistake, since I had to deal with irritating bus passengers instead of slightly less irritating commuters on the road. Still, with the aid of the Augma, I was able to mostly block out their existence with AR replacing what I saw and heard until the bus arrived at my stop.

Conveniently enough, we were meeting at Yoyogi Park. It felt a little strange seeing the place in the daylight, considering the last time I was here I was trying to fight a gryphon doing its best to kill me. Almost surreal, like I was on the outside of Wonderland, looking through the mirror.

Eh, whatever, who cares. I see Kazuto up on the bridge, right where The Storm Gryphon had spawned. He was dressed in regular clothes; a light shirt and pants, with his bag slung across his back. And, judging by the baton he was flailing around in a parody of sword slashes, he's doing something in Ordinal Scale. "Ordinal Scale, activate," I said casually, without pulling out my own baton.

Because I wasn't holding anything, I spawned in Ordinal Scale with just my bare knuckles, protected by the bracers. It wasn't my main weapon, but I could deal some damage with my fists just fine. With a glimmer of light Din appeared from thin air, landing lightly on my shoulder. "Dad, Yui just sent me a ping. Uncle Kirito is practicing in Ordinal Scale right now, and she wanted to know if you could help out. She's worried that if he doesn't get enough exercise, Aunt Asuna might get upset, and their marriage would be in trouble."

"Sure," I said with a grin that definitely wasn't predatory in the slightest. "I wonder how well he'll deal with a rush."

Suiting action to words, I moved in quickly, clenching my fists as I took the steps two at a time to reach Kirito's level. Yui saw me step up next to them and waved, and Kirito started to turn around to see what she was waving at.

I didn't give him the luxury of taking his time. "Hey Kirito!" I shouted as I dashed forward, fists drawing back. "Think fast!" While I did rush him, I did call out to give him the chance to block before I punched out - and, I deliberately pulled my punch a little bit, just so I didn't hurt him if he didn't get his sword up in time.

My knuckles collided with the flat of his sword, sparks flying. He'd just barely managed to block my blow. "Rythin?!" he gasped. I just grinned, taking a step forward with my back leg to test his strength. We struggled for a few seconds before he twisted, freeing himself from the clash with a few awkward steps backward.

Unfortunately, his situational awareness was lacking a bit, and his back crashed against the railing of the bridge. I grinned lightly, moving in close to threaten him. A punch rushed out, aimed for his stomach -

- and I stopped the punch after a second, careful not to hit him. His reflexes had already kicked in, though, and he'd raised his blade to counter. I stepped away with a cheerful laugh. "Well, you're not totally out of it," I grinned. He took a few deep breaths, catching his breath, before sheathing his sword with a flourish.

"You surprised me," he said.

"This is true," I said without a shred of remorse. "Yui asked me to, in my defense."

Kirito grimaced. "Yui..."

"Sorry, Daddy," the little sprite said, twirling around his head and ducking her head apologetically. "But you said you were going to practice, and I thought this would be the best way!"

I clicked my tongue. "C'mon, Kirito, don't be mad at Yui. The bloodthirsty little cherub was trying to help you."

"Uncle!" Yui wailed. "I'm not bloodthirsty!"

I just laughed and patted the pouting fairy girl on the head. "I know you're not, I didn't mean it." She grumbled up at me, but giggled after a second when I poked her cheek playfully.

Shaking his head, Kirito looked at me - and then looked past me, jumping in place. "Woah!"

I blinked in surprise and whirled around, before jerking back, taking a step. There was a hooded girl, standing right behind me. She was wearing all white - a white hoodie covering her features, a white skirt, white leggings. The only splash of color was her skin, a few blue stripes on her hoodie's sleeves and down its center, and the blue strappy shoes she was wearing. I raised my fists instinctively, preparing to strike -

- when the girl toppled backwards, seemingly just as surprised as the two of us. She fell completely silently, without a cry or even a thump when she hit the ground. Was she... a projection, like Yui and Din? Something generated by the Augma. But why was she here, when neither of us had done anything strange?

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kirito said, reaching down to help her up. However, his hand passed straight through hers, and I nodded. An AR projection. He gasped in shock.

The girl slowly got her legs under her, still not saying a word or making sound at all. Even Yui and Din had sound effects when they moved; since she was entirely silent, but I could hear Kirito and the rest of the real world, I found myself on edge. Still on her knees, she mimed picking up something from the ground and collecting it in her left hand.

"Who are you?" Kirito asked.

I glanced at him. A random AR projection shows up, and that's the first thing he asks?

Abruptly the girl surged to her feet and closed quickly. Her hood fluttered and for an instant I could see under it; I didn't get much of a glimpse, but I could see her wine-red eyes, piercing in their intensity. Then the hood fell back, covering her face again. She studied me and Kirito for a second, before she turned. Silently, she pointed up at the sky - I looked at where she was pointing, but it was just into the city.

Her lips moved silently, and then she disappeared.

Kirito blinked, and then raised up his hand to his Augma. I followed suit, tapping to temporarily turn it off and see who was responsible for that. However, the two of us were the only ones on the bridge. Either the culprit had already run off, or... "You see that, Yui?" Kazuto asked as we turned the Augmas back on. "Din?"

"Yes," our kids chorused, hovering in front of us.

"She didn't have an NPC tag," Kazuto said. I glanced around; nothing was out of the ordinary. The bridge was empty aside from the two of us. The only other living creature around was a butterfly, flapping its wings in search of flowers.

"And she wasn't a player?" I asked Din. He shook his head.

Kazuto's eyes narrowed. "Then... is she some kind of AR ghost?"

I tilted my head. "Can that even exist?"

"No, Daddy, Uncle," Yui said. "That's impossible."

Replaying the event in my mind, I hummed in thought. "Hey, kids, what was she saying? Right before she disappeared, her lips moved."

Yui raised a finger. "Judging by the way her mouth moved, she said the words, 'Look for-'. That's all I could tell."

Look for? Look for what? Something in the direction she was pointing? I turned and stared, but couldn't see anything. It was just... the skyline as usual. Nothing new had appeared overnight, or something strange like that. So what did that AR ghost want us to look for? And for that matter, why did I care?

I turned to say something to Kazuto when movement caught my eye just to my right. My head snapped to the side and I flinched, just as a hand reached out to tap Kazuto's shoulder. He let out a small gasp and whirled -

- and both of us saw Asuna and Kana, staring at us. Kana was smirking slightly, while Asuna had a slightly confused smile on her face, her hand raised a little bit. "I... didn't mean to scare you," she said.

"Jumpy, much?" Kana snickered.

I sighed and shook my head, doing it as much to hide my pounding heart as much to deny Kana's teasing. "Lost in thought," I said. "That's all."

Kana smirked, shrugging elaborately. I rolled my eyes, but smiled anyway.

Both girls looked lovely this morning. Asuna was wearing something loose, a white long-sleeved shirt that framed her body nicely and a longer red skirt that fell to her knees. She had a red purse slung over her shoulder resting on her right hip, and a large decorative belt around her waist, along with a necklace with a blue pendant - looking closer, the pendant was actually a small Earth. Instead of hanging freely, her hair was bound in a loose braid that fell over her shoulder. Kana, to her left, was wearing something a little less frilly but no less feminine; a white blouse with a brown jacket the color of mouse fur, as well as a pair of fashionable pants with brown boots. She had a purse slung over her shoulder, but no other accessories.

"You two look wonderful," I said loyally. After a second I elbowed Kazuto, and the dumb boy complimented the girls as well.

C'mon now. I'm supposed to be the one that's awful at interpersonal relationships...

...

The four of us wandered around the park, chatting idly. The temperature of the day was almost perfect; just cool enough to keep us from sweating, but not too cold. All in all, a perfect day for a date. Kana and I walked hand in hand, next to Kazuto and Asuna. I'm... not quite sure what to say about the park itself? There was grass. And flowers. And, always an occasion, a tree or two. There were plenty of other young couples taking walks together, as well as a jogger or two getting in shape. Most of them had their Augmas on - they probably didn't even see the real world, but some fantasy concoction.

Honestly, I was in it more for the company. Conversation topics drifted wherever they wanted to go, with no goal in mind. It was a nice way to relax, especially after the intense fight that Asuna and I had participated in last night. I think Kana figured that, since my girlfriend was being particularly affectionate, nuzzling up against me. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was Argo the Cat, with the way she was all but purring when I looked at her.

And, while we walked, Din and Yui flitted around in the air, playing tag or something. It was kinda cute, really.

After a while, we decided to take a break and get a snack, taking a seat at one of the nearby concession stands. While Kana and Asuna chose a table, Kazuto and I stood in line to get food and drink. Kazuto and Asuna only got a can of soda each, while Kana and I decided to share a small basket of fries.

"Sorry I went without you, last night," Asuna said to Kazuto as us guys returned with the food and drinks. A cup of water for me, a coffee for my girlfriend. I don't know what she sees in that stuff, but as long as she wanted it I'd get it for her.

Kazuto smiled as he took a seat. "No, that's okay," he said. "I don't mind."

I glanced around, making a routine check on the kids. Din and Yui were playing hide and seek by this point, staying within a certain range, and I saw Yui flying, peering around. Heh. "So, Asuna," I began, pointing a fry at her, "the first battle, the one against Kagachi, you said you saw other SAO Survivors?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "That one player ranked second."

"Really? That guy, huh..."

I grinned at Kazuto's grumble. "Someone's jealous," I faux-whispered to Kana. She grinned and snagged the fry from my hand, popping it in her mouth and giving me a smug look when I stared at her flatly.

"I think he was in the Knights of the Blood," Asuna continued. "...Maybe."

"Maybe?" Kazuto asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah. It's like, it's him, but he's different than he was in SAO. Back then, he went by Nautilus, and I remember he had potential. I also remember that he couldn't go on boss raids with us because he was afraid of dying."

Kana shifted, and I looked at her. "Something up, catling?"

"No," she murmured, leaning her chin on her hands, "but I feel like I remember something about him..." After a second, she shook her head, the two little hair antennas bouncing. "No, never mind, forget it. I'll keep trying to remember."

"It probably wasn't important anyway," I nodded, and patted her shoulders briefly before taking advantage of her distraction to sneak a fry out from under her nose. She wrinkled her nose at me.

"Well, he's definitely changed his playing style," Kazuto mused.

Snorting, I swallowed the fry. "I'm not sure, he moves like he's in VR," I grumbled. "I don't know how he does it, but it's beyond human."

"What do you mean?" Asuna asked me. Beside her, Kazuto looked my way curiously.

"I don't have any proof," I warned them, "but there's something weird about how he moves. Hard landings off of a bridge without shattering his joints - a hard landing's when you don't roll to bleed momentum," I added for clarification. "It's not quite the right term, but close enough for government work. Anyway, that, and the speed he was moving at while fighting Kagachi. There's something going on, and I'm not sure what."

Asuna blinked. "I thought he was just a gymnast or something," she said.

"That'd explain some of the movement, but a gymnast still can't break basic physics," I shrugged.

Kazuto hummed. "Did you talk to him?" he asked Asuna.

Asuna made a noise of denial. "I didn't know how he'd react to seeing me again. Still," she smiled, "we were in the same guild, so I'm a little concerned about him."

"Uh oh, looks like the second-in-command's back," Kana snickered, resting her chin on the table and smirking.

Asuna frowned at my girlfriend playfully. "Hey, watch it, Kana," she barked abruptly. "And sit up, that's bad table manners," she scolded her.

Kana stuck her tongue out but did as Asuna commanded. "Kazuto's your soldier here, not me," she grumbled. The four of us laughed, Asuna and Kana's giggling ringing out over my and Kazuto's chuckles.

When we got ourselves under control again, Kazuto leaned forward a little bit. "Hey, Asuna, Kana? Have you two heard any stories about this park? Y'know, ghosts?"

"Oh my god! Would you stop?" Asuna complained immediately, her face going a little pale. "You know how freaked out I get, talking about stuff like that!" A lot. It's a lot. She gets freaked out a lot.

Kana shook her head. "Haven't heard anything, but I could always ask Din... if he weren't playing with Yui." I looked around to see if I could spot them, and saw Din flitting around the nearby bushes. Guess Yui found him and it was his turn to search.

"Sorry, sorry," Kazuto said to Asuna, smiling apologetically. The girl stared at him, puffing her cheeks out a little in irritation.

After a second, she smiled. "A-Anyway, Kirito," she said, "let's talk about how we're going to break the news."

"I'm sorry what," I said, almost choking on a sip of water. There are... a bunch of different things that particular phrase could lead into. I didn't see a ring, and their relationship was still incredibly stable... No way.

"Eh?" Asuna asked me, blinking a few times. Kana and I stared at her mutely, before my girlfriend reached over and patted Asuna's stomach lightly. K-Kana... I was going to be subtle... "Oh! I-It's not like that!" she exclaimed immediately, going bright red. Beside her, Kazuto blushed. "It's my mom! She knows something's up with me and Kirito, so she's been grilling me about him."

"Ah," I said, relaxing in my chair a little. Kana snickered at Asuna and Kazuto's embarrassment. Always the gadfly in our friend group... But, that's part of the reason I love her. "That makes sense. Wait, Kazuto, have you not... met her parents officially yet?"

"Mm-hmm," Asuna nodded, glancing off to the side at me and Kana. Poor, long-suffering girl. "She's not mad or anything," she added, "but we should figure out how to tell her."

I looked at Kana, and our eyes met. I mean... I hadn't brought Kana to meet my father yet, and with luck she'd never have to, and she'd already met the parent a while ago. Meanwhile, I'd eaten Christmas dinner with her family, so... I don't think we ever had that problem.

"Oh, yeah... You're right," Kazuto said.

Just as he was reaching out to rest his hand on hers, Yui and Din plunged from the sky. "Everyone!" Yui exclaimed, resting her tiny hands on one of Kazuto's fingers. "Din and I were working on what Uncle asked, and we found something out about the game!"

I grinned as Din landed on top of Kana's hand. "Good job, kid," I said.

...

The news was urgent; unfortunately, that did mean we had to call an emergency all-hands meeting in Alfheim. Kana gave me a kiss on the cheek as we parted ways to head home, and Kazuto and Asuna exchanged a quick good-bye hug. The bus ride home was only fifteen minutes, but it felt like an hour, the way I kept catching myself glancing at the time. I tried to get myself to calm down, but even if I was outwardly calm I could feel the burning fire of curiosity inside me. Yui and Din hadn't said much, but I knew what I'd asked him to look into - and the urgency of the news meant that they'd figured something out about the location of the bosses in Ordinal Scale.

We gathered in Kirito and Asuna's house in New Aincrad, our usual base of operations when it came to the group as a whole. It was a bit of an emergency meeting, but most of us were able to make it. Agil wasn't able to get away from the bar - unsurprising, since that was kind of a seven days a week kind of thing - and Leafa was away at the kendo camp. The only unexpected absence was Klein, strangely enough. He was the one that was all gung-ho about Ordinal Scale boss fights. Oh well.

It did mean that Argo sat on my right instead of on my lap. She still leaned against me, of course, her tail twitching occasionally against mine. The rest of us took up our usual spots, Asuna standing next to Kirito in his comfy chair and Sinon next to me. Liz and Silica spread out a bit on the other couch, since Leafa wasn't here. Once again, I was glad that the girls had all agreed that it was fair to give Kirito his own chair, because we all knew that they'd fight over sitting next to him otherwise.

At the end of the table, opposite Kirito and Asuna, Yui and Din hovered in midair on either side of a map of our local area. "So far," Yui said, "when a boss monster has appeared at an event, it has always been at nine PM. This is the location where Mommy, Daddy, Uncle, and Aunt Sinon fought Kagachi The Samurai Lord the other day." A blue circle appeared on the map, labeled Akihabara Urban Development X. Like the kiddo said, it was exactly on top of where we'd fought the samurai boss with Klein. "And this is the location where Mommy and Uncle fought last night!" Yui swooped to the side, where another circle labeled Yoyogi Park had appeared.

"Dad asked me to look into where the event bosses spawned," Din said seriously, "because he was tired of not being able to fight with Mom." I deny blushing utterly and totally, it was just hot in the room. Argo nuzzled against me, while Sinon giggled. The two girls on the other couch let out simultaneous coos, and Kirito and Asuna smiled at me. "On the map, you'll see the locations where the other nine bosses appeared. A flattened map of old Aincrad will be super-imposed on top of it."

Din waved his hand as Yui flew to his side. As he'd said, ten more dots appeared on the map, as well as the map he'd mentioned. Ah... Ah! I stared at the map in amazement. How did those two find this? Then again, Yui was the old MHCP from the version of Cardinal running Aincrad, and Din was designed to be an information research and compilation AI. I think I'll just be proud of my kid and my niece - they did a good job figuring this out.

"No way," Liz breathed. "Every place a boss showed up lines up with a dungeon in old Aincrad!"

Yui flew back over, hovering in front of the digital map. "The admins seem to have picked open spaces in the city, with coordinates that most closely match the dungeons."

"Because of that, we can predict where the next boss will appear." The map zoomed in on the bottom-left dot; I hadn't realized it at first, but it was labeled 'Boss 012', and we'd only fought the bosses from Floors 10 and 11 so far. "There are a few options, but the most likely spot of the next boss's appearance will be tonight at nine, at the Yebisu Garden Place in Shibuya.

Kirito raised a hand to his chin, and Asuna crossed her arms. Both of them studied the map thoughtfully. "Oh, this is great!" Silica said happily. "If we know where it's going to be, we can go too!"

"But won't your parents mind you're out that late?" Asuna asked.

Liz grinned. "Mine won't," she said. "As long as I'm hanging with you guys. For some reason, she thinks Nick's reliable."

"It's my charming personality," I said in a deadpan. Everyone around me looked away, even Din, and I sighed. None of them ever believed me, huh...

Argo snickered. "I think it's because you're not a womanizer like Kirito."

Every other girl in the room shifted awkwardly, decidedly not looking at Kirito or Asuna, and Yui planted her hands on her hips. "No cheating, Daddy," she scolded Kirito.

After chuckling, Liz shook her head. "It's so weird," she said. "If this was VR, they'd pitch a fit."

"Yeah, I bet," Asuna smiled. Silica jumped, startled as Pina reared, spreading its wings and letting out a cry of agreement. You tell them, little guy.

"Well, have fun, guys," Sinon said, her tone resigned. "I have to work tonight, so I can't make it."

"Aww," I complained, leaning against her shoulder. She huffed but didn't push me off. "Noooo, Sinon, don't go, you're the only sane one..."

Liz scowled at me. "And what's that supposed to mean, mister?"

I flapped a hand at her. "Don't worry about it."

"Rythin!"

Still putting up with my weight as I traded barbed words with Liz, Sinon turned to look at Kirito. "How about you?" the blue-haired girl asked. "You gonna go to this one?"

Kirito shrugged. "Nah," he said. "I'll pass on tonight."

Liz let out a sigh of disappointment. "Geez," she muttered. "Are you still not used to fighting in AR?"

"Nope," he said easily.

I rolled my eyes. "Can confirm."

The blacksmith shrugged. "Oh well," she said. "Suit yourself."

"Darn it," Silica muttered quietly.

I felt Sinon's head turn as her shoulders stiffened, and I moved my head for better cheek-poking access. "Are you getting jealous, Miss Sniper?" I asked, poking her cheek.

"Shut up," she muttered.

Abruptly Liz stood up and grabbed Asuna, dragging her to the couch. The two of them flopped down, Liz throwing her arm over the Undine and youngest Cait Sith's shoulders comfortably. "Alright, ladies," she said with a grin, the two girls somehow surprised that Liz would do this. "Let's gear up and show that Yuna chick how us veteran players like to party!"

The three of them shared a smile, before the four girls - wait, when did Argo join the girl huddle - threw up their fists. "Yeah!" they cheered. Even Pina got in on the cheering. That little dragon is adorable, and the only reason I'm not getting a familiar myself is because it's kinda Silica's thing by now.

I raised an eyebrow. "I take umbrage with 'ladies', Liz."

"Eh, you're one of the girls half the time anyway," she said dismissively. I grunted sourly, not really able to deny the comment. Asuna and Silica tried to hide their short burst of giggles, but Argo didn't even pretend she wasn't snickering at me.

"By the way," Kirito said, "where's Klein?"

"Who knows?" Sinon said easily, taking a glance beside me, where Argo had been sitting. I idly realized that all of us Cait Sith were wearing something around our necks; Silica had a collar with a bell, like Alicia Rue, while Argo and I wore simple chokers and Sinon had a yellow ribbon that matched the ribbons keeping her bangs out of her face. "He's probably somewhere in Ordinal, grinding for points or something."

"You know," Asuna said, laying a slender finger on her cheek, "Rythin and I saw him last night, right before the battle started. But they were waiting on one of the other Fuurinkaazan guys to show, so I don't think he ever actually joined it." Meanwhile, Liz, Argo, and Silica were having a discussion of some sort.

Asuna glanced at me, and I shook my head. "Nope, never," I said. "I kept an eye out on all of our forces. A shame, too, he would have been a fantastic force multiplier. But that does remind me, next time one of you sees him, let him know I've got his bandana."

"Oh yeah?" Kirito said.

"What sucks about AR battles," Sinon said, "is that you have to go to an actual place to participate."

I shrugged. "That's why I'm a ride-giver," I said, "though now that Din and Yui figured out the prediction pattern we should be able to get there ahead of time."

Speaking of Din and Yui, the two of them flitted over to the table, hovering in the center. The little girl piped up, "Oh, speaking of going places, we should figure out when -"

"Yui!" Din said hurriedly, placing both his hands over her mouth. She blinked, confused. "I think that's private!"

Once he removed his hands, Yui tilted her head. "Daddy? Is that right?"

Kirito blanched, probably realizing that whatever the two Nav Pixies were talking about, it was private. Beside me, Sinon stared flatly at him. I glanced at Argo, and she tapped her wrist. Later? Got it. I nodded back. The air in the room got a little awkward - if Kirito wanted it to be a secret from everybody, but Yui knew about it, there were really only a small subset of things it could be, and most of them involved Asuna in some way shape or form - until Liz stood up and clapped her hands twice. "You know what?" she said. "We should hammer out tonight's plan."

"Good idea, Liz," Argo said, grinning like she always did. "So where are we all meeting, and when?"

I sat back against the couch, watching idly as Kirito walked over to the door that led out of the house. I could see him talking to Yui through the windows, but didn't bother trying to lip-read. "Good job, kid," I murmured, reaching out subtly to Din with a fist. He bumped his fists against one of my knuckles. "Whatever Yui was gonna say, I'm pretty sure Kirito wanted it quiet."

He smiled happily.

After he was settled comfortably on my shoulder, I leaned forward and joined the conversation. "I can probably give people rides to the location, if you don't mind waiting a while on-site," I said. I already knew I'd be giving Argo a ride, but I could probably shuttle a few of the others ahead of time. Of course, it did mean they'd have to wait in public a little bit longer.

"Eh, sure, why not," Liz said. "It'll make my mom worry less if you're picking me up." I nodded and told her to be ready about two hours ahead of time - she grumbled about it, but I reminded her that she wasn't paying for gas, so if she didn't want to be ready on time she could take public transportation.

She agreed to be ready two hours ahead of time.

I was still chuckling when I pulled my AmuSphere off my head. Setting it back on the nightstand and safely away from my cat, I sat up. "Sorry, kitten-cat, didn't mean to disturb you," I said to my cat. He'd been sleeping on the pillow next to my head, and was now glaring at me sleepily like my moving was the worst thing that'd ever happened to him his entire life. "Go back to sleep."

Naturally, my cat got up and stretched luxuriously before jumping off the bed, black tail swishing in the air as he padded out of my room. Cats.

Rolling my eyes, I glanced at the time. Just after two, huh? Well, I did skip lunch - all I had was the small basket of fries I shared with Kana - and so it'd be best to make something now. I'd just eat a large late lunch, and then have a snack before going to pick up Rika and Kana. After we finish up the OS boss fight and I take the girls home, I'd have dinner lunch. ...Dunch?

No! Are you kidding me~?

Vrrt vrrt. Vrrt vrrt.

The sudden vibration of my phone on the kitchen caught my attention. I tapped the side of my new headphones - they were surprisingly comfortable, for something I ordered two days ago on a whim - to pause one of Yuna's songs and pulled them down around my neck before answering the video call. "Hey, Nick, it's me," Kana chirped, smiling at me. "Ooh, what are you making?"

"Fish with stir-fried rice and a salad," I answered absently, propping my phone up against the side of the fridge. That way, I could see Kana and she could see me, and I still had both hands free to bustle around the kitchen.

"At least you're eating healthy," Kana said, nodding. "Apparently, the only thing Kazuto makes is pasta with pepperoncini."

I glanced back at her. "Seriously?"

"Heard it straight from Asuna."

Shaking my head, I sighed. "Gods, that boy needs to work on his diet... Anyway, what were you calling for? Not that I'm complaining, mind."

Kana smiled. "Couple things, actually," she said. Meanwhile, the fish was done cooking, so I flipped it over. Give it another few minutes... While that was cooking, I absently shifted the rice around to make sure it didn't burn before letting the pan sit on the fire to make the bowl of salad. "I guess first off is what Yui was about to mention in ALO today."

"Mmm?"

"So turns out, Asuna and Kazuto made plans for next Tuesday," Kana told me. "They're gonna go stargazing and watch the meteor showers."

"Neat," I said. Salad's done, fish is done... I dumped everything onto a plate except the bowl of salad, and carried them both over to the table. "Sounds like a romantic time," I called, raising my voice so that Kana could hear me. "Guess I can understand why Kazuto didn't want Yui to tell everyone. But... how do you know?"

"Info brokers know everything, you know that," Kana said smugly.

I rolled my eyes. "Asuna has it marked on her calendar?"

"Of course."

Asuna's room was... surprisingly pink. It kinda shocked me every time I went in to tutor her, at least. I guess even the Lightning Flash likes her frills? I'd been in there often enough that I could picture it in my mind; walking in, you were immediately greeted by the vanity mirror sitting opposite the door, where Asuna did her hair and makeup in the morning. The left wall was devoted to her walk-in closet, a sensor opening the door when someone walked close; a few shelves lined the other walls, holding precious mementos that Asuna adored. There was a small nightstand along the right wall, and a small table in the center of the room; Asuna's desk was in the right corner, beside her dresser, with a shelf of books above it. Her bed was along the other corner, with pink sheets and a few throw pillows.

A cute room, I guess. I think I liked Kana's a little bit better; Asuna's bedroom was a little... I dunno, it felt a little sparse, though that was starting to change. Or maybe I was just biased because Kana was my lovely girlfriend. Who knows. Either way, Kana must have noticed it when she went over to meet with Asuna and pick out clothes for this morning's date.

"Well, we'll let them have their fun," I said. "I bet they've been planning it for a while."

Kana smiled. "Other than that, remember what Kazuto mentioned at the park? About the whole ghost in the park thing."

"Vaguely," I said. "Why?"

"I asked Din to look into it on the way home," she told me. "And he found a few interesting things. Other players have reported weird ghost sightings too, when they were using the Augma. Thing is, it's not centered in Yoyogi Park, one, and two, they only started posting it on the forums last week. The appearance is consistent, too - a young girl in a hoodie."

I tilted my head before taking a bite of the fish. Eh, good enough. "Huh. Weird."

Kana blinked at me a few times before narrowing her eyes. "I know that tone of voice," she said. "That's the 'I'm pretending to be nonchalant about something even though it's important' voice." I have a voice like that? "I bet you saw her, you and Kazuto both."

"Earlier, just before you and Asuna showed up for the date," I said. "It was weird, but ultimately pointless. She just showed up and disappeared."

Kana tugged at one of the locks of hair framing her face. "Weird... Oh well."


Having Rika on the back of my bike was a bit of a strange feeling. I mean, on one hand, my back felt like Shino was riding instead of Kana, but the hands around my waist were certainly firm enough to belong to my girlfriend. Not altogether unpleasant, but a lot more perfunctory than the other two. She needed to hold on to something to stay safe, so she held my waist. That was it.

Sure, she was one of my sisters, but... honestly, I was the furthest from Rika. Then again, there was that time on the rooftop, when she...

Maybe she just doesn't show it the same way, but I know she cares about me just the same as the others.

I let Rika off the bike at the Yebisu Garden Place, but didn't bother killing the engine. "Thanks, Nick," she said, hands squeezing a little tighter around my waist before letting go. Heh... I knew it. "See ya in a bit." She waved to me before heading inside. I think Keiko said she'd be here ahead of time, to wait with Rika? I knew Asuna would be arriving roughly the same time as me and Kana, so probably.

The sun was starting to set by the time I parked my bike outside Kana's house. It wasn't as ornate as the Kirigaya or Yuuki household, since her family wasn't old or rich respectively, but it was still nice. Kinda like mine, I think. It didn't take long for the door to open after sending Kana a text, my girlfriend waving to someone inside before closing the door behind her. Pulling off my helmet as she approached, I smiled and said hello before Kana pressed a quick kiss to my cheek. "Hey, Nick," she said, letting me hug her.

Unlike the date earlier, she was wearing more practical clothes, a loose white shirt and some looser pants that looked easy to move around in. Instead of her boots, she was wearing sneakers. "Hey, you," I said, grinning at her. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah."

She got settled on the back of my bike, and just as I was about to start the engine, my phone rang. "Uh? Hang on a sec, catling," I said. "Kazuto's calling me."

Kana blinked and tilted her head. "What's he want?"

"Dunno, I didn't ask for anything. Maybe Yui wants to go out with Din or something." The situation was obviously ridiculous, but I'd probably be okay with it. They were cute kids, although since they were only... what, nine? Ten? It'd be just puppy love until a little later. Then again, they were AI...

I'm overthinking it instead of answering the phone. "Hey, Kazuto, what's up?"

"I just got a call from Agil," Kazuto said without preamble. "He found Klein."

"Oh, cool, where is the-"

"Klein's in the hospital." My mouth clicked shut. I didn't have any smart remarks. "I don't know what happened, but Agil said his arm was... badly injured."

I frowned. I felt Kana poke me in the back, and I glanced at her before raising a hand for patience. She took one look at my face and nodded seriously. "How bad? Are we talking anything permanent?"

"I don't think so." I let out a short sigh of relief. I might not be as close to Klein as I was to the others, but he was still a friend. I poke fun at him, but I don't want him hurt. "Agil said that Klein told him he ran into trouble going to an Ordinal Scale battle, before falling asleep. ...Be careful, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be careful," I said. "The others are already there, it's just me and Kana left to arrive."

"Hey... I think..."

Kazuto trailed off, thought unfinished, and I raised an eyebrow. "Still there?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, sorry. Never mind, don't worry about it. Stay safe, Nick. And Agil passes on a message, 'Be careful on the bike, man.'"

"I will. Later." I pulled my phone away from my ear and ended the call, staring at the blank screen for a few seconds before letting out an explosive sigh, leaning my head back to stare at the night sky. "Fuck."

Kana wrapped her arms around my waist. "Everything okay?"

I shook my head. "Klein got injured last night. Probably right after Asuna and I left him at the gates to the park." ...And I bet that ambulance that passed me and Asuna had been taking Klein to the hospital. Crap, now I feel like a jackass. "He'll be fine, though. Up and complaining about not getting points in no time."

Kana nuzzled into my back silently before letting go. "Well, let's get to the boss fight," she said gently. "Get our minds off of it."

I nodded and swung my legs over the bike, starting the engine and driving away from her house. I think it's fine if I take it a little bit slower, huh? It'd mean Kana and I arrived with only five minutes to spare, but safely. If it were just me? Eh, maybe. But with Kana as my passenger, there was a better chance of Thrymheim burning to the ground than me risking her, especially after hearing what happened to Klein.

I'll visit him tomorrow, take the bandana. I'm sure he'll appreciate getting it back.

...

Two minutes to go, and the nervous energy is pushing through me. Argo and I arrived and almost immediately loaded up Ordinal Scale before heading over to join Asuna, Silica, and Liz; they'd been waiting on one of the stairs, sitting down and chatting. Silica and Liz both wore outfits similar to Asuna; Silica's main color was pale blue with white lining on her shirt, belt, and gloves, as well as white leggings and two ribbons that poked out like rabbit ears. Liz, on the other hand, had gotten something a little more customized - a cherry red main color with gold lining, as well as pink leggings with a flower pattern down the side. Both girls had their weapons out and ready, Silica's dagger behind her back just like mine and Liz's mace sitting next to her on the stairs.

Out of all of us, Argo was the only one to add something new to her appearance. She'd chosen the plain white tunic with gold lining and black leggings, but the addition she'd made was the forest-green hooded cloak that draped around her like an old friend. I couldn't help but smile. This was the first time I'd seen her in Ordinal Scale, and she looked good.

And I don't know how, but she somehow managed to get those whiskers drawn on her face. When I first saw them when we'd first started up the app, she caught me staring, and when I asked her, she'd just replied, 'That'll cost you, Ry!' and gave me a V for Victory sign.

She'll never change, and thank the gods for that.

My pacing brought me to the edge of the staircase, where I folded my arms on the banister, staring out at the people milling below. By this point, everyone not involved with Ordinal Scale had cleared out, leaving only the players. I squinted and grinned - there was the cat guy with the bazooka, chatting away. Was he going to be at every fight?

"Gosh," Silica sighed behind me, and I turned to look at her. "I hope Yuna shows up to this battle." She and Liz were sitting on the same step, Argo a step above them, and Asuna was leaning against the stairs on the opposite side of the railing. Liz, like me, was fidgeting, moving her feet back and forth to burn energy.

"Silica, what do you think the deal is with Yuna?" Asuna asked slowly. "I mean, do you think she's a program, like what the developer says? Or do you think she might actually be human?"

Argo grinned sharply. "Whatever she is, she's definitely got a thing for Asuna. Not that I can blame her," she added when Asuna blushed. "You're a pretty girl, Asuna. If Kazuto hadn't claimed you, I'm sure the boys would be forming lines! Nya hah hah!" The compliment only made my sister blush harder, and I snorted in amusement. Well, it was true. Liz cracked up, and Silica giggled as well.

After she managed to stop her giggles, Silica replied, "Well... I'm pretty sure she's not a human. But she also doesn't seem like an AI either."

"Hey, if you ask me," Liz said, raising a hand in a dismissive shrug, "I can't think of a single human who can sing with such a crystal-clear, flawless voice."

Silica immediately elbowed the blacksmith in the side, earning a muted cry of pain from Liz. "So you're saying my voice isn't crystal clear?" she muttered as Liz shivered in pain, a small 'healing needed' icon popping up over the older girl's head. "Is that it?" She elbowed Liz again.

Liz giggled weakly. "You sound good," she assured Silica. "...For a human."

Despite Liz's comforting hand on her shoulder, Silica still crossed her arms and turned away with a pout. I grinned at their joking; Asuna did as well, though she was more watching it like it was a head-on collision between two trains. "Liz, I'm never going to karaoke with you again!"

Everyone laughed at that one. "Aw, c'mon," Liz said. "I'm sorry!" She clasped her hands together and bowed her head, not that Silica was swayed from her indignant huff.

I glanced at the time and shifted. On the stairs, Argo reached toward her hip, where her claws were sheathed. "Heads up, ladies," I said. "It's go time."

The minute hand of the large analog clock in the center clicked, pointing to the ornate XII at the very top. Exactly nine... And here we go.

The world rippled, the wave of AR washing over us, and I let out a short breath of amazement. "Beautiful," Argo murmured as the five of us headed down the steps to the center of the area, and I had to agree. The walls on either side of us had turned into the usual gothic-inspired architecture, with swooping arches and jagged spires rising up along the top. The bottom of the walls, though, seemed almost like they were creating stone caves, somehow looking almost natural with their stalactites dangling over the entrances. The ceiling had become a regular sky, dark red clouds covering up the sky. Behind us, a castle rose in the distance, a crystalline blue fairy tale-esque dealie. The statues and fountains in the real world turned into glowing pillars of lights, looking for all the world like light had been frozen in place.

However, that wasn't what Argo was talking about, I think. That honor went to, of all things, the floor we were standing on. It was made of some sort of blue crystal material, with swooping cracks and streaks of color. It looked like a floor made entirely out of a single, massive precious gem. "Ry, this seriously looks awesome," Argo murmured to me, staring at the floor. "Were the others like this?"

"Most of them were more post-apocalyptic grunge," I said drily. "I think you're a good-luck charm."

"Nya hah hah," Argo laughed. "Then take me with you more often."

A red circle appeared in the center of the floor, and suddenly there wasn't any more time to talk. A column of roaring flame erupted from the ground, Argo flinching back - right, she's the only one who hasn't seen it - at the sudden burst of sound. I placed a hand on her back to steady her and she grinned at me, wiggling her fingers to make her claws click together. In response, I booped her nose with a finger. She wrinkled her nose at me.

"Focus, you two," Asuna sighed. Argo and I laughed sheepishly at her scolding before turning back to the center of the floor, where the boss was about to finish spawning.

A dark shadow appeared in the fire and my grip on my dagger tightened. Suddenly the column of flame burst apart, spraying sparks everywhere, and the boss was revealed. The Strict Hermit, boss of Floor 12, reared back and let out a weird bubbling clicking sound, matching perfectly with the hermit crab appearance. A faint grin tugged at my lips; fitting, of course, that the Hermit was one of the bosses with no adds to the fight.

Everyone tensed as the hermit crab let out a guttural hiss, but it didn't move past that. My eyes glanced over the boss, evoking that feeling of nostalgia and calling the memories back... Blunt damage to the leg joints to stop its mobility and jumping attack, and slashing damage to its claws to temporarily disable its multi-hit punching move. Weak spots were its two eyeballs, easiest hit with throwing attacks and piercing strikes like Asuna's rapier, and the part of its body that was protected by the shell.

It's two-fold. The more bosses I fight, the more I remember - and the higher the Floor it guarded, the more I remember. The Skull Reaper will never be erased from my memory.

I looked up, motion catching my eye, to see a drone flying through the sky. It paused over a little ledge of rock that jutted out from the wall; the instant that purple lights started streaming from it, I realized who was about to appear, and the reaction that I should expect immediately after. Sure enough, Yuna landed lightly, grabbing the mic from her belt and waving her hand. "Is everyone ready?" she called out. "It's time to battle... so start the music!" She snapped her fingers and the music began.

"Yuna!" Silica exclaimed, clapping her hands together happily.

Up above the boss, the timer started counting down; the regular ten minutes, this time at 'EGP stg'. The first battle in Akihabara Urban Development X had been 'UDX akb', and Yoyogi Park had been 'YYG stg', so… Yebisu Garden Place stage, maybe? "We so lucked out!" Liz said, before resting her mace over her shoulder, the arm with her round buckler planted on her hip. "You ladies ready to get tons of points tonight?"

"Yeah!" Asuna, Argo, and Silica cheered.

I grumbled, "Still not a lady..."

Liz just grinned. "And you're still close enough. Let's go!"

...

The Strict Hermit unleashed one of its most powerful attacks, the multi-hit slam. Over and over again, its claws smashed forward, trying to smash the upstart fighter in front of it into paste. The threat zone was pretty much just a straight line in front of it; it would just drive forward until it found a target to wail on. If it lost the target - through someone pulling them out of the way, or worse... - it would keep going until the move ended. If we were lucky, we could drive it into the wall; if we weren't, well... Someone had to tank the blows.

Such as what was happening right now.

"I hate when I have to be the tank!" Liz wailed, desperately holding up the tiny buckler in front of her face. Behind her, Silica wailed, hiding and pressing against Liz's back to keep her stable and keep herself out of danger.

Right, yeah, those two never fought this thing...

"Argo!" I shouted, and my girlfriend responded, joining me in my charge for the boss's side. With twin shouts, we slashed our weapons at the boss's unprotected side, leaving crossed red marks. It wasn't enough to stop the attack though, and I gestured for Argo to step to the side. She did so and I -

- twisted my body, bending to the side just in time for Asuna's rapier to smash into the center of the cross that Argo and I had made. Her blow struck with the force of a cannon, sending the boss rocketing into the wall at high speeds. I straightened up as Asuna grinned, flourishing her blade. "Our plan worked!" she said happily, ignoring Liz and Silica's dumbfounded expression.

"Worked?!" Liz squawked. "We almost got squashed!"

"Welcome to the frontline, girls," I drawled as Asuna giggled.

"Hot damn," a player said behind us. Oh hey, it's Tiger Guy. "You're kicking all the ass out here!" Liz smiled proudly, while Silica scratched her cheek and giggled.

The boss, which had been embedded into the wall a few seconds ago, finally got its feet under it and started scurrying around. As players gasped, Tiger Guy and his buddy Dog Girl grabbed their weapons. "C'mon, slowpokes," he said. "Try to keep up!"

"Hey!" Liz shouted. "Those are our points, buster!" She and Silica laughed, running off to join the fight. I saw Argo skulking about the edges of the combat, waiting for her moment to strike, and moved to join her.

"Different than you remember?" I asked her idly, a hand catching her arm when she instinctively struck at me. "I remember you stopped attending the fights directly after the... It was definitely after the Floor 5 boss, but I can't remember exactly which one."

Argo blinked and then grinned at me. "Yeah, you can say that. Pretty sure my decision to leave the fighting to you all was the smart move. How did you handle this back in SAO?"

"Very, very carefully," I said. "Excuse me for a sec, gotta go save Silica."

I moved forward, running through the ring of players that were here to participate but not really fight. The kind of people that would form a ring around two fighting kids at school, then scatter when a teacher asked for witnesses. I broke through just in time to watch Silica run up to The Strict Hermit and slash at its leg with her dagger; it was hiding its head, so someone must have struck one of the eyes.

Her dagger bounced off the red carapace harmlessly, letting out a metallic clang. The boss raised its head and glared at her, preparing to strike, and she screamed, flailing her arms -

- just as my blade bit into the hard shell, cracking it and digging in from the stab. "Like this!" I grunted, body shivering from the impact. Then I drew my fist back and punched the cracked spot with a shout, slamming my knuckles into its body. It was amazing; I knew I was just punching the air, but my arm halted exactly like I'd struck flesh.

Silica ran back towards Liz as I shook my hand, taking a few steps back to gain distance. Before The Strict Hermit could focus on the two of us, though, heavy gunfire started plinking away at it, bouncing off of its shell. I let out a short breath and backstepped quickly, covering ground until I was standing next to Liz and Silica. "You okay?" I asked the younger girl. She was hiding behind Liz's back, jumping up and down.

"Yeah, I'm fine" she said. "That was scary! Liz, you gotta get in there and tank for me!"

"Huh?!" Liz exclaimed as Silica pointed at the boss.

I grinned. "You're the one with the shield."

"You suck!" she complained as the two of us dragged her forward.

Laughing, I lightly knocked my knuckles against her shoulder. "Alright, this is pretty simple," I told the two of them and Argo, who'd appeared out of nowhere. Seriously, they don't have a Hiding Skill in AR, how does she do that? "Liz, you and I are the heavy hitters since Asuna's... doing Asuna things." I don't know where she is. "Silica, Argo, that means you two are going to draw its attention. Just get it looking at you and away from us, okay?"

"You got it, Tactician sir," Argo drawled, grinning at my flat look of irritation. "Nya hah hah! Don't worry, Ry, we got this. Ready, Silica?"

"Y-Yeah!"

The two of them split off from us, heading to the right while Liz and I pushed straight forward. The boss had already eliminated a bunch of players, so the crowd had thinned out a bit - we were able to make our way to the front easily. As Liz and I moved forward, directly at the boss, Argo and Silica burst from the crowd to the boss's left. "Over here!" Argo exclaimed as her claws raked across the boss's side. And Silica's dagger... Well, she tried?

Either way, it caught the boss's attention. "Hope you want seafood for dinner, Liz," I said, and she barked out a quick laugh. "I'll go low, you just smash its head in."

"Got it!" Liz grasped the handle of her mace, and I accelerated just a little bit more. I slid to a halt by the boss's side and clenched my fists, punching forward in a quick one-two combo. My fists slammed into the joints of the hermit crab's legs and they crumpled inwards, making the boss pitch. "You're going down!" Liz shouted, just as she swung her mace in a brutal two-handed swing like she was hitting a baseball.

The boss reacted like she'd hit a home run, flying into the wall on the other side of the coliseum and landing on its back, helpless to move. "Good job," I said, grinning at her as she staggered to keep her balance from the force of the swing. "Careful, I gotcha." I caught her shoulders until she got her feet under her and could stand without my assistance.

"Thanks," she murmured, punching my shoulder just lightly enough to not do damage. "And good job to you too, Big Bro."


Fight time fight time fight time!

Nick's actions during the MMO Stream were roughly how I go about watching streams – I start out doing two things at once and then realize thirty minutes later that I've been staring at the video the entire time. It's very frustrating, and even worse when it's the other way around and I've missed fifteen minutes of context because I got absorbed into whatever I'm reading on the other screen.

The next day is a double date, hooray. Din and Yui continue to be cute together, Nick only half-scares Kazuto to death, and then a ghost appears. It's surprisingly difficult to come up with what Kana wears as casual clothing. With most of the girls, it's easy, since I can just look at what they're wearing normally, but Argo sadly doesn't appear in many casual clothes… I ended up just going to Google and picking something that looks okay. So, blame the internet if you don't like what she's wearing, I don't know.

This chapter's got the first part of the Strict Hermit fight in it. Originally I was going to have the entire thing, but then it ended up being an extra five thousand words and, uh… 15k is a little much for a single chapter, sorry. Look forward to the next one, I guess, wherein nothing bad happens and everyone gets a ton of points.

Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed.