"Who needs a party eh?" Nozo hit him hard on the back of his head, "What about me? Do you not count me as part of your party."

How easily a reputation can be built, the player, no beater who soloed a boss by themselves. A player who stands there until his health drops to red before he attacks, whose skill at dodging made him almost untouchable.

"How many party invites today?" It had been a while since then, but people still wouldn't let up. He stayed out of boss battles for a few and watched as the players cleared level after level. "By the way, I found some information you might be interested in."

Nozo the information broker, a front line fighter and one who distributed information like flyers on the street. Very little people would party with her because of this, her friend list consisted of only one person. Kotoru.

"There was an announcement in the square, a special event only accessible by one class." She made dramatic music, leaning herself just above him and whispered it in his ear. "Reaper."

He sat up, "Any more information? Loot drops, monster levels?"

"Only one more thing, the event only lasts until tomorrow."

You're kidding.

'Clear All Monsters'

He did the math in his head, but even with his damage boost it took him too long to take one out. The room would maintain at least 10 at a certain period of time, it was impossible for him to keep up with the spawners. At this rate he was bound to get hit and die.

Slowly he pushed them back, the ghost knights each used a sword and shield based build. Their heads were gone and they played defensively, dashing through an opening he crashed through the door and landed back out in the open.

He crashed into someone as he tumbled face first into something soft.

"Y-you, pervert!" He was glad of the pain receptors, as he felt massive blunt force knee him hard. He lay there several seconds gasping in pain before he finally came to his senses.

"Asuna...?" Oh, crap. She sat there in the grass, her face was completely red, both hand crossed so that they nearly reached the other shoulder.

They both sat there facing each other, her gear was pretty much the same since the last time he saw her, but he could tell she was stronger than him now. The blue rapier hung loosely. He himself still wore the black cloak, but he found it didn't give any basic stats and was unable to be upgraded. More aesthetic than anything.

Desperate to change the topic, "Asuna, what are you doing here?" She stood up and dusted herself off, the dungeon was located a bit of a ways off from the nearest town. The fields surrounding it were filled with small groups of monsters but they were worth little exp.

She still looked mad, but at least she calmed down, "To scout the dungeon, a scripted event that was part of the beta test with absolutely no information provided. Beta testers said it was unacceptable, I came to see for myself." For some reason she decided to draw her blade and point it at him, "Then how can you access it, did you use some kind of cheat, are you a real beater?"

"Asuna, can you help me clear the dungeon?" The air paused at this, the sun continued to fly in its sky but the clouds became heavy. She stared at him, "I need help to clear the dungeon, can you help m..."

"No." She sheathed her blade and turned around to leave.

"Asuna, please."

"How dare you even suggest that, after you did that to me last time we partied, after you said something like that. You still think I would party with you for another mystery dungeon?" He paused, she was crying again, the same kind of tears she had felt before. Betrayed.

"Asuna, I'm, I'm sorry about that time, I didn't mean to..."

She didn't even look at him, turning around she briskly walked away, but she stopped for just a little too long, "If you really just need a strong person to party with, just stand in the central plaza. Plenty of people would want to participate in the special event, even some people stronger than..."

"Asuna, I want to party with you."

"Idiot." She left and he stood there alone. The doors closed behind him, there was about 27 hours before the dungeon closed.

He hoped he had enough time.

"Stop following me." He continued to follow her, "What the heck do you think you're doing, I already told you no."

"Please, you're the only person around here I know, I would ask Nozo but she wouldn't go. I don't know any of the other front liners well enough and lower level people would get put in danger if they went."

"I already told you, stand in the square and call for people. You could easily get a party." He continued to look at her pleadingly.

"I need someone I can trust, I don't want to drag in someone who'll

"Fine, we'll settle this in a duel then."

"A duel?"

"If I win you will leave me alone for the rest of the day, if you win I'll go with you. Understood."

"On one condition, it's a one strike duel."

'Duel Start' - '59'

"Idiot! I'm a rapier type user, how difficult would it be for me to land one strike?" She watched as he drank a special poison. His HP bar dropped far below safe areas, down all the way to red, nearly empty. "If I hit you, you'll probably die."

'27'

"Let me show you how I beat that lizard."

'Start'

Asuna ran up, she wasn't going to hesitate. She'd pay the cocky bastard back, going for a swift strike to the arm and then as he dodge right she's slash across and hit him.

As expect he sidestepped the blow to the arm, but as she fluently directed the blade to a light slash on his chest. He dodged it again, she thrust forward again, the blade neatly going under his arm as he did a slow wide arc slash at her head. Leaping back they stood a mere five meters apart.

She steadied her blade, he was fast, but...

Kotoru threw his blade to the side. Standing there unarmed he beckoned for her to strike. Damn bastard, she charged screaming as she did so going straight for the head. But he dodged it again, she stabbed recklessly at him, but he didn't even move from the stop. Simply bending left or right to watch the blade swish past.

She pulled back and put all her strength into a single thrust straight to the middle, but at that point he disappeared from her view. She felt something hold her wrist.

"The lizard doesn't get weaker when another player leaves." She felt the grip was his, but it was loose, delicate. She felt the blade fall out of her hand. "I can dodge well enough, even if I would have a lot less chance of surviving when you left I couldn't let you stay."

She felt him hold her up, "If one of those strikes goes past me, one that maybe you expected me to deflect. You could've been killed. I-I didn't want to risk such a thing. I'm sorry, for lying to you." Somehow she knew this was the truth. She closed her eyes and found herself smiling.

"I've changed my mind, I just wanted to spend time with you. Even if you hated me for it, I was, trying to give myself an excuse. I'll go to the square and find someone." He let her go and stood up, "I'm sorry for, everything." Turning to leave she called to him.

"You sure?"

"Yes." He looked back, a melancholic smile. "Thank you for that duel, it was the most fun I've had in a while."

A notification popped up, she wanted to add him to her friend list. "I know someone who I trust, you can go find him." she sent over the details she knew. He felt shivers as he read the name.

Kirito

I no longer have the right to judge him do I?

As he stood there outside the location Asuna gave him, he couldn't help but hesitate. He'd been so willing to kill him before and now he was gonna crawl up and ask for help. A flashback of the previous conversation flashed through his head

He's not a bad person, how can I tell? Hmm, I don't know, intuition?

Knocking on the door, he heard the rustling of blankets inside. As the door opened he came face to face with him.

Asuna was right, they looked a lot alike.

"What do you want, I thought I already paid for the..." He stopped, "Who are you?"

"My name is Kotoru, nice to meet you, Kirito."

As they both fought together they were able to surpass the spawn speed.

Asuna sent you? Fine, I'll tag along

As the last of the ghost knights faded the quest progressed to its second stage. A boss monster. The figure was humanoid, not even enlarged. But in its hand it held a one handed sword, in the other hand was a light round shield.

"Dark Shadow?"

The figure roared, a skeletal type roar, but flesh still hung on its faded body. It was dressed in a midnight black cloak, the same kind of cloak that Kotoru was wearing.

"You... Dare to disturb my slumber. I have worked my entire life to sustain this world and you would come to ruin it!"

Kirito and Kotoru both raised their blades, "A boss that talks, this is a fun event."

"I, shall murder you. You'll never take my place!" it roared again slashing forward. Kotoru tried to block the blow but it was too heavy. He wanted to duck under the blade.

You could've been killed

He gritted his teeth and tried to hold out, the blade continued to push against him and he felt his health bar decreases. As he did Kirito landed several hits in quick succession and boss refocused onto him.

As he watched Kirito block blow after blow, he felt something deep inside him wake up. That feeling he had for Asuna, he wanted to protect her. The first person he could remember meeting, the first person who had trusted him.

But Kirito could do it better.

The way she spoke of him, somewhere deep down inside he knew what that feeling was. It was still budding, but somehow he knew.

"Switch." He snapped out of it and jumped back in, slashing at its legs to make it squeal it slashed forward with its blade. A move they both anticipated. Dodging it he drove his sword straight through its chest, watching the HP bar drop slowly into the zero zone before it burst into bright shards.

'Congratulations'

They both were panting by that time, Kotoru checked his inventory to find the killing blow reward.

No way...

It was a weapon that he knew, the boss was holding it just now. He equipped it and held it in his hand. But he couldn't.

Elucidator?

The blade was heavy, but its stats looked good. "You got any good drops?" he looked up at Kirito, he seemed pleased, there must've been something useful for him too, but...

I really should

"Can you promise me something?" He sent over the blade in a trade, "Take care of Asuna."

When he got back he found Nozo wasn't around. A notice was left on the door.

'Gone out hunting, please wait until tomorrow for information'

He stopped at the door, it was night. She should've been back by now. He walked into the house and looked around. Nothing. Then a thought occurred to him, he opened up his inventory and checked his shared inventory space.

Right there, he found a long list of items. All of her equipment, a bunch of rare goods and one more item.

A message recording device lay at the bottom, his fingered hovered above it. Should he open it?

"Kotoru, I'm sure you've realized this by now, but hunting didn't go as planned. An orange guild caught me out in the open and I've only managed to hide for now. I'm pretty sure they'll find me, so here goes."

"Kotoru, I love you."

The message ended, he sat there in the room. Shocked at what he just heard, he sat down.

"She's over here!" Screams, he could hear words through all the screaming though, only a few, but enough to make him leap to the door.

"You'll die for trespassing in the territory of Night Ravens!"

I know it has only been one day and I had just finished the last chapter, but, here's the next one. Since I'm on holiday for a week I might be able to keep this rate up. So if you're following the story check in tomorrow for the next chapter. I make up the method that Kirito gains Elucidator and if this has serious clashes with the series, I am not aware of it.