AN: I shall cut out the incest, for obvious reasons, and the Murder Mystery.

This takes place one month after Breakdown.

I'm sorry for being late, as one of my brothers have a birthday, and I didn't have much time.

Update- Changed the ending of this chapter.

Christmas 2015 Update

-Added LOADS of new content

-Fixed some stuff

-Changed Chapter name

Chapter 8: Revelation

Floor 56

Fūrin Kazan looked uneasily on the Geocrawler. The Floor 56th Labyrinth field boss. The biggest boss they encountered so far. Clearers tried to defeat it weren't very succesful. The boss was a gigantic snake-thing, with legs and bony armor. So far, the data was that the head is 'freaking indestructible', and that the belly is the only weak spot. Even Heathcliff got knocked away when the earthworm charged. The worm was also protected from it's sides by a valley, so flanking it's impossible, and the only good part was a village was close by, so they could be protected when everything goes bad.

So Klein hatched a plan. They grinded a whole day to get the materials. Everybody but Dynamm and the middle level players were here, with the Clearing guilds behind them.

Let's do this.

Asuna materialized an armful of Grade A meat, and tried to divert the boss. The guilds attacked, and tried to get underneath. Asuna jumped up and down, trying to get attention. Nothing worked. The guilds retreated towards the village gates, and closed them.

The Grand Meaty Meat Plan failed. Klein cursed; he seriously thought that was going to work.

Floor 50

Suguha slashed the [Dark Shade] for what it seemed to be the millionth time.

"Do we have to do this?"

"The guild did it a thousand times! Now keep swinging," Dynamm responded. Silica, now donning a black coat, with a four diamond symbol on the right shoulder, the symbol of Fūrin Kazan. She approached a shade carefully, dagger in hand. The shade had it's back turned, unaware. She swiftly stabbed it in the back, and the shade died quickly. The Hiding Attack bonus.

"Now, throwing knives!" Dynamm called out. Silica held three in her hand, and all of them glowed blue, and Silica swiped her right arm to the right, launching them. Three projectiles, three targets. The ghoulish monsters began to go towards them.

"Recon!" The boy started to charge, and slammed his staff on the creature's side of the face, dealing blunt damage, dodging an attack, and kept slamming the knobbed end of the staff on the body, giving off streaks of light chasing the ends.

"Yes!" Silica cried out in accomplishment.

"What is it?"

"I caught up!" A level up prompt appeared in from of her, declaring that she reached level 70. Kirito was level 75.

"Your Blade Throwing Skill is very mediocre."

Dynamm gestured to a shade. Silica quietly produced a few more knives from inside her coat with a sullen expression.

The clearing guilds huddled around a table with a map, in the dank cave. A man from the Knights of the Blood Oath started to speak.

"We should lure the boss into the village, and the NPCs will distract them," he explained.

"I agree," Asuna nodded. Klein and the clearing guild leaders shrugged nonchalantly.

"Wait," A guy in the default attire started to head to the center.

Kirito. Asuna cursed her lately by not recognizing him without the black coat.

"The NPCs will-"

"That's the point. The boss is distracted. We kill it while it's on a spree."

"Kirito, they respawn," Asuna tried to convince him.

"I just can't deal with this," He answered with a tone of finality.

"Fine. We'll do it without you,"

"If he's not doing it, we won't." Asuna argued. The Sub-Leader looked at the dead serious guild, and analyzed the situation. Fūrin Kazan was integral to defeating the halfway boss. They hold a lot of respect, whether they recognize it or not.

"I didn't want to do this," the man opened his menu, and a duel request appeared in front of Asuna. She started to walk towards the entrance, followed by the knight. Once they were out, the leader spoke.

"If you lose, you will comply with the plan. But if I lose, I will not use the plan."

[Accept First Strike Duel from 'Barry'?] Asuna clicked on the OK button. A timer started from 60, and counting down. They waited, on the arid, rocky land that was Floor 56.

Three.

Two.

One.

Zero.

Asuna sprang towards the red knight with blistering speed, landing dozens of thrust attacks, all blocked by his shield. Barry slashed in retaliation with a golden-hilted sword, but Asuna burst backwards, sucking her gut in an effort to avoid it. While his right arm was stretched to the left, Asuna leaped, and tried to sneak a blow above him, but he was too reflexive, raising his shield up in the nick of time. The knight grew tired, and unleashed a series of rapid strikes, Skill Chaining.

And Asuna dodged them, in close quarters. Her mind was at full speed, instinctively avoiding precise cuts and slashes. The attacker was caught off guard, pausing in a split second. Asuna jabbed him with an elegant [Linear], pushing him backwards, ending the duel.

[Duel Winner] appeared above Asuna. She calmly sheathed her rapier, walking away. Kirito stared at her, surprised at her reflexes.

"I, uh, thanks," he stuttered out.

"Never doubt me," Asuna remarked, smiling at his awkward demeanor.

"Who thought the solution was a lullaby?" Klein muttered, when they walked past a sleeping Geocrawler.

"I guess the KoB got this one," Harry Two deflated.

"Relax, we had other victories!" His brother reassured his twin, but got ignored almost completely. Meanwhile, Asuna tried to catch up to Kirito, near the front of the Assault Team in the Labyrinth.

"Why are you so detached lately?" Asuna asked on arrival, despite Kirito's attempt to stay away. The black-wearing teen thought for a moment.

"I, need some space."

"Why?" Now that was a question he struggled to answer.

"I thought it was obvious."

"Everyone makes mistakes," she declared, trying to console him.

"I still need some time to myself, and you agreed,"

"I said, come back eventually." Kirito stayed silent, and Asuna can still hear monsters disintegrating from the front of the Assault Team.

"You're a lot more cheerful," Kirito changed the subject.

"You're a lot more serious," Asuna shot back.

They looked at each other. Unknowingly, the switched personalities.

"Kirito, what happened to you?"

"Nothing,"

"Really?" Asuna leaned forward.

"Yes," he insisted, trying not to aggravate her. She believed him as much as she believes there's a log out button.

"It's about the Black Cats, isn't it?"

"How is it about them?"

"They were laid back, then Sachi died. Then you put two and two together, and thought that being happy will get yourself killed."

"Wait, but when Sachi died, you left us, for four months. Four whole months. Why are you bothered that I take a couple weeks off?" Kirito asks her. Asuna found her throat empty.

The Clearers reached a split in the Labyrinth. 5 alternate pathways were laid out in front of them. A minor discussion took place somewhere at the front, and Asuna only heard mumbling from the front. She went back to the guild.

"Who wants to go scout out?" Klein asked the guild, then noticed Asuna. "You wanna map the Labyrinth?" she looked around. The main guilds retired from the dungeon crawling, along with smaller guilds, due to the day almost ending. A few people stayed, however.

Most notably, Kirito.

"Are you going to map?" Asuna asked Klein.

"No. These guys won't too. It's getting late, anyway." He shrugged.

"I'll stay here. You guys go rest." She responded, going towards the front. Klein smirked.

"Want some time with Kirito, eh?"

"What?! No!" she retaliated, much to the guild's knowing smiles. Klein lead the guild back to the entrance.

"Okay, Asuna. We'll leave you alone." Klein held back a laugh. The whole guild cracked up extremely loudly, darkening Asuna's blush even more.

"Shut up!" she marched away, upsetting Klein a bit.

"Sorry, couldn't resist!" Klein called out. Asuna kept walking towards the split in the path.

Kirito looked around the Labyrinth. Some monsters far away, not detecting him yet. No players at all, just him. He knelt down slowly, scrolling through his equipment.

"Kirito!" he jumped, quickly turning around. Asuna walked toward him, and Kirito frowned in annoyance.

"I… You're still here?"

"Yeah. Why?" Her response generated stuttering noises from him. "Can you leave me alone for ten minutes?!"

"What are you hiding?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Nothing!"

She frowned, and Kirito's answer pretty much confirmed her suspicions.

"Well, fine then. I'll go back." Asuna turned around. "But, please, come back soon." She said softly, before heading out.

The familiar enemy spawn sound effect played. Kirito instantly reached for his shoulder and unsheathed his sword. Rock-like golems started appearing around them. He reached for his sword, but Asuna ran up first, and beat him to it, stabbing the golem away.

"Thanks, but can you go now?" Kirito requested a bit bluntly, but Asuna didn't waver.

"What about a challenge?" she offered.

"No." Kirito automatically reacted.

"Come on! It'll be fun!"

He seriously didn't know how she got this upbeat. She was far from that shy girl before.

"If I accept, will you leave me alone?"

She sighed, but nodded.

"Okay, I'll leave you alone." More enemies spawned around them, evenly between two sides. "Take the left, Kirito. Whoever can kill all of the enemies from their own side quicker, wins." Asuna explained. Kirito quickly counted the rock monsters on the two sides, and, it was even.

They attacked. Kirito attacked, various Sword Skills scything through the opposition. Asuna stabbed with blinding speed, taking each golem out one by one, only using the more powerful Sword Skills sparingly. Kirito kept twisting, golems disintegrating around him, coat flaring. Asuna never paused, her mind calculating distances and hostile attacks.

Kirito soon ran out of Sword Skills to use, all of them in cooldown. He sheathed his sword, and started smashing the golems with his fists, using his Unarmed skills.

It was exciting, and Kirito, first indifferent, now is dodging attacks and countering, aiming to defeat his counterpart.

The last golem was a couple meters away from him. Kirito, surrounded by disintegrating enemies , dashed for the next one, anticipating his victory.

"Done!" Asuna shouted. Kirito looked at her, and sure enough, she was standing there, rapier sheathed, surrounded by nothing.

Kirito grabbed the last golem with a powerful throw, smashing it to the ground.

"You're…fast." He sat down, breathless. Asuna grinned at him, before her smile wavered.

"See you next time, I guess." She turned away, but he had one final question.

"Wait! You haven't finished my question a while back. About, why you were okay with taking four months off, but when I take a couple weeks, you get annoyed. Why, Asuna?" Kirito asked again.

She started looping her hair around her fingers, and poured her heart out.

"Kirito, back then, I was suicidal. During those months, I was a little depressed. I trained Sachi the best I could, and someone I can call a friend, but she died anyway. I thought I wasn't good enough, that I have to be better, that she has to be alive. Otherwise, what am I good for? I couldn't even protect her."

Kirito looked down, and Asuna sat down with him.

"I spent four months obsessively training." She continued, "I felt worthless, but most importantly, lonely. I had no one. Sachi was the closest thing to a best friend I ever had. Then, you guys tracked me down. I realized that our guild, has each other's backs, like me and Sachi. That you guys, are also my friends. I just never realized it. I stopped taking you all for granted. Kirito, you seem to focus on training a lot while on your break. I seriously hope that you aren't experiencing the same things I did a long time ago." She got up, wiping her eyes.

"And that's why I'm annoyed."

Kirito didn't say anything. Asuna silently left. He watched her leave.

A moment passed, before Kirito accessed his menu.

A second sword sheath formed on his back. He wiped tears away, and started to focus on another enemy.

[Dual Wielding- 798/1000]

I'm sorry, but I need just a little more time.

.