Chapter 4: Despair
A tarnished red glow enveloped Klein's blade as he yelled and brought it down upon a «Blue Boar», reducing its HP to zero and banishing it from the world. Having already learned the basics from Kirito the day before, he progressed extremely quickly and had reached level 2 already.
"Gahh! Haah! RAHHH!"
Takumi swung his sword over and over again, missing every single swing. The boar in front of him, surprisingly nimble despite its bulk, made small movements in its charge that allowed it to evade all of his strikes. With another tackle, around 5% of Takumi's HP was butted off, leaving him at around 75%.
"Argh!"
"Take it easy!" shouted Kirito. "Assume the starting position and let the system take over your movements!"
Gritting his teeth, Takumi attempted to calm himself down. He took several deep breaths.
"Raise your arm like you're about to deal a vertical downwards cut. Feel the attack, and imagine it..."
Takumi complied, raising his blade to around head height, then he ran at the boar. This time, it seemed he had caught the hang of it, as his blade shined bright orange and sliced through the air faster than all of his earlier attempts.
With a crisp 'slish', the blade struck the boar on the head, dealing an impressive amount of damage. It snarled in pain, and countered with a headbutt, which Takumi instinctively dodged.
"Nice one, Taku!", Daichi, the one with the large pirate cap and mustache, called. His moment of distraction gave the «Blue Boar» he was engaging an opening, causing his HP to take a slight fall. "Gah!"
He immediately countered, sword glowing yellow as his «Horizontal» cleaved into the side of the boar, reducing its hp to about half.
Kirito glanced around with a careful eye, trying to assess each of Klein's friends' progress, as well as making sure none of their HP bars fell below 50%.
Mane was sitting next to him, vaguely looking out into the general northeastern direction. She blinked several times, then seemed to sink into a stupor.
Both he and Mane refrained from taking part in the combat, due to several reasons. One, because they were already level 4. Slaying a level 1 monster would give them substantially reduced rewards than, say, another «Little Nepent». Secondly, because doing so would split the total experience among all the battle participants. Thus, they would impair the experience growth of everyone else, with no benefit to them, which was usually known as 'Leaching' in MMO games. These «Blue Boar» kills would be worth more if given to everyone else, especially the level 1 players in their group.
As a result, Kirito simply watched over everyone from the top of a hill, making sure that they were all safe. Mane, left to her own devices, had just sat next to Kirito and nodded off, sometimes half-awake, and sometimes half-asleep.
Sirius had learned extremely quickly. Already, he was smashing through the boars with reckless abandon, and Kirito decided not to interrupt his rampage, though he did keep a close eye on him. Sirius' face was hard, eyes burning bright with apparent fury as he slew the boars over and over again, avenging his fallen friends with every boar he brought down.
However, his attacks were completely on the offensive; as he reveled in his revenge, he left himself open to many counterattacks from the «Blue Boars», and his HP was dropping steadily as a result. Which was why Kirito kept a close eye on him.
Klein stepped forward, sword ablaze, smashing another boar into oblivion with a strong «Vertical» attack. Kunimittz was right beside him, and the pair managed to clear through several mobs at a respectable rate.
Riku was still trying to get the hang of sword skills, swinging his sword back and forth. His short black hair would have been glistening with sweat if he had been in the real world, but in the NerveGear induced environment, one never needed a shower.
Kirito quickly ran over to him. He took Riku's sword arm and positioned it. "This. If you ever replicate a movement similar to this one, and try to begin a downwards slash, the system will recognize it. Just imagine the slash, and do it."
Riku smiled wryly at Kirito, before turning away and settling into a stance. As he watched, Kirito noted his stiff movements. Again, Riku tried to replicate the sword skill «Vertical», but still couldn't activate it.
The man was too tense. Perhaps, like many newer players of Sword Art Online, he believed focus and energy were the keys to sword fighting.
On the floating castle of Aincrad, it wasn't like that. The best path in battle was to relax and adapt to the situation. If a player never trusted nor relied on «System Assist», it would be near impossible for them to execute sword skills, where the player handed over command of his body to the system.
Kirito studied his form for a few seconds, then motioned for Riku to stop. "Riku... you aren't entrusting yourself to the system. Unless you learn to somewhat relax... the system can't guide your movements."
The man tensed for a moment, considering Kirito's words, then sighed. Shifting, he tried to ease his tension, rolling his neck and relaxing his entire body. Then, he assumed his stance again and continued to practice.
Kirito returned his attention to everyone else. Quickly noting that some of the HP bars had dropped below 65%, he quickly called to them to consume some healing potions.
Sirius in particular had dropped into the yellow zone, already at 45%. Heedless of this, he continued to charge forward, bashing though several «Blue Boars» in front of him.
After several minutes of this, Kirito felt that Sirius was going too far out.
"Sirius," Kirito shouted in alarm. "Don't be too reckless!"
Sirius violently crushed the last «Blue Boar's» skull with an overhand «Vertical», then whirled around, eyes burning with anger. Kirito narrowed his eyes, and the two of them silently wrestled, Sirius telling Kirito to buzz off, and Kirito telling Sirius to stop.
Then the rage in Sirius' eyes dropped out, and he sighed. The «Anneal Blade» he had received from Mane was sheathed back into the plain leather scabbard on his back, and he walked wearily over to Kirito. Plopping himself down on the grass, he popped a potion from his belt and gently drafted it.
After fixing Sirius with a long look, Kirito released a deep breath with a sigh, then turned to look over everyone else. Riku had finally gotten the gist of the «Sword Skills» and was delighting in his blade drawing purple arcs in the air.
Klein and Kunimittz were panting, high-fiving each other with wild grins on their faces. Takumi was happily finishing off his last boar, elated that he could finally use the skills. Daichi was scowling as he checked his HP bar, he then proceeded to drain three restorative potions in exactly three gulps.
Mane stretched and yawned, as if without a care in the world. She looked quite drowsy, as if the sunlight beating down on her had a soporific effect. Indeed, the combination of the scenery and the climate did make Kirito slightly drowsy, but he stayed alert.
"Klein, did you level up yet?" Kirito asked. Klein pulled out his menu and raised an eyebrow at his character page.
"Apparently yes. I'm level 2 now."
Kunimittz glanced at him. "Hey congrats, Klein. But you didn't even realise that?"
"Heh, it never told me. Shouldn't you be level 2 too?" Klein pointed. "C'mon. Pull out your stats and take a look."
As it turned out, after some menu pulling and checking, all of them had been elevated to level 2. Kirito quickly explained that the system refrained from giving the level up congratulatory notice during combat, as the shiny gold screen would distract and possibly lead to the death of the player, if he or she were in a tight situation. Thus, it would only pop up the next time the player opened his or her menu.
Sirius, having slain the most «Blue Boars» in his fury, was almost level 3. He had already filled up over 3/4ths of his exp bar, surprisingly. Riku however, had only just managed to clear level 2, having acquired the ability to use the skills later than everyone else.
Kirito initially, had only expected all of them be at the cusp of hitting level 2. For everyone to have leveled up so quickly, it was a good sign.
The small group of eight had been out training in the Northeastern fields for well over an hour. Some of Klein's friends had shivered and tensed as they had left the safety of the «Area Protection Code» after hearing what the native monsters had done to Sirius' friends. They quickly learned however, that if you had the knowledge to use «Sword Skills», the danger was marginalized.
Kirito had made sure that all of them had one of their Skill points in a proper combat skill set. Sirius, Klein, and Kunimittz had taken up «1-H Sword», while Riku, Daichi, and Takumi had decided on «2-H Sword». The basic sword, while obsolete compared to most other blades in Aincrad, was a «1-and-a-half Sword», able to be used for both 1-handed and 2-handed combat, though with slightly diminished effectiveness in both categories.
Most of them decided to allocate their second skill point later, after some contemplation. Nobody minded, since the combat skills were much more important at the moment.
Kirito had then explained the basics of the «Sword Skills» system that Sword Art Online used. Kunimittz and Sirius understood and caught on instantly, while the other three had needed some practice to get the hang of it.
By this time, all of Klein's friends had learned how to properly use and execute «Sword Skills».
"So, guys... you've all leveled up? You'll need to distribute your new stat points now."
Klein perked up. "Oh, yeah! I love this part!" And he swiftly pressed his thumb and index finger together, drawing them down, and pulled out his menu.
One of the favorite moments of an MMORPG player were the times when they could allocate their stats and skill points. It came with a feeling of personalization, a feeling of your avatar growing, and the pride that comes with you becoming stronger.
It didn't take long for them to decide how to allot their newly acquired points. Klein focused on a balance between the skills, ending up with four points in both «Strength» and «Agility», saving the other two for «Vitality». Kunimittz and Daichi followed his example, opting for a more balanced build.
Riku chose to go for offense, having 7 STR and 3 AGI, while on the other hand, Takumi focused on defense, having 6 VIT and 3 STR. Sirius decided on an offensive build as well, like what Riku, Mane, and Kirito had done. Next to no points in «Vitality», emphasizing power and speed.
After watching everyone finish distributing their new points, Kirito drew out his own menu and gazed at his stat values. Being at level four, he already had twenty stat points in total. Ten in STR, seven in AGI, and three in VIT. A mostly offensive build, some extra HP and defense on the safe side.
Mane, again copying Kirito, had placed ten in AGI and seven in STR. The remaining three points went into VIT. At that time, Kirito had given her another tired look, to which she had replied with a completely innocent face.
Again.
Since they had started training, none of them had seen other players around at all. Perhaps the other players simply weren't in the area, but remembering the state of most people in the city, Kirito was almost completely sure that the players in their group were the only ones out in the wild.
The notion worried him. If nobody tried to clear the game... they could quite possibly be stuck on the first floor forever.
We need to fight. Clear the game... get everyone home.
Kirito suddenly remembered Heathcliff, the player he had met the day before.
I feel my sole goal in life is to clear Aincrad.
While being the main focus of his life might be an overstatement, Kirito mostly felt the same way. The red paladin's drive to clear the game... Kirito wished everyone had it.
Sighing, he glanced back towards the tall wall surrounding Starting City. The tall battlements gleamed white in the harsh noon light. While the sun had already been hidden by the bottom of the second floor, the ceiling appeared to give off natural light, shaded blue like a clear azure sky on a sunny day. One could swear there wasn't even a roof above them.
Behind the walls of Starting City, around nine thousand players sat. Doing nothing, moping around... hopeless...
"Kirito, should we go eat lunch now? We're all pretty hungry." Klein's voice brought him back down to earth as Mane tugged at his shoulder.
Looking back at the group, Kirito suddenly realized just how hungry he was. He hadn't eaten anything, virtual or in real life, since before he logged on the day before and been trapped in this death game. No dinner yesterday, no breakfast today. As if in sudden realization, his stomach rumbled, just loud enough for Mane to hear. His cheeks turned a little pink.
Eh, I'm hungry...
Mane glanced at him, with an expression that said, 'I just realized I'm starving too...'
"Kirito-kun? Can we go eat? I'm hungry..."
Again, he could hear Mane without anyone else hearing. Kirito was still slightly bewildered by it, though as the moments of silent communication became more frequent, he was beginning to get used to them.
Kirito looked over the group, and saw, for the first time, that they were all pretty tired. Klein and his friends, though looking happy and were high-fiving each other, were slumping over and their smiles had a tired side to them. Sirius was lying on his back, staring into the sky, mouth half open and eyes blank. Mane looked a lot livelier than he did, though still quite hungry.
"Ah... yeah, let's all go get something to eat. We made good progress today."
With a few tired cheers, the group picked themselves up and started walking back towards the city. Kirito waited for most of them to begin walking away, then walked over to where Sirius lay, half unconscious.
"You okay, Sirius?"
Sirius turned his head, raising an eyebrow at his question. "Duh."
Well, that could have meant multiple things, but Kirito decided to remain silent. They maintained eye contact for a few moments, then Kirito stretched out his hand.
Sirius accepted it, and with a grunt, pulled himself upright. Wobbling a little, he blinked several times as his body reoriented itself.
"Thanks..."
Sirius instinctively dusted himself off, before remembering that in SAO, there wasn't any dust, so the gesture was meaningless. He awkwardly froze, fearing for his dignity, then sighed again before turning to walk back to the safety of Starting City.
Mane wandered over, seeing as they were the only ones left. "Let's go now?"
Kirito watched Sirius' back for a few moments before nodding, taking one last glance around the clearing to make sure everyone had left.
With light crunching sounds as they stepped on the grass underfoot, the last of the players left the clearing.
The area they had chosen was a small patch of plains where there weren't as many «Blue Boars» as there were in the surrounding area. None of them wanted to be overwhelmed by hordes of monsters; Thus, Kirito had suggested this place, with lesser amounts of monsters, yet still teeming with enough of them to provide a steady flow of exp.
The path back was, thankfully, programmed to be free of monsters. However, that road winded back and forth for a pretty long time, so most players that chose to save time walked through the tall grass, dealing with the boars as they were encountered. Monsters could still run onto the path as well, if a player led them there.
Thankfully, their training path was quite close to the Starting City, so it was at most a ten minute walk back to safety. Kirito relaxed as he stepped onto the dirt path, certain that they wouldn't encounter any «Blue Boars» all the way back.
Klein and his friends were chatting up ahead, completely at ease, since they knew this path was monster-free. Sirius, Mane, and Kirito hung back slightly, not very comfortable with being social.
A cool breeze coming from the west brushed past Kirito's face, calming him. He released a pent up breath that he hadn't known he was holding, and rolled his shoulders, easing the tension.
Abruptly, his and Mane's stomachs rumbled in tandem. They looked at each other for a moment, then Kirito half-smiled and Mane giggled. Sirius watched them for a moment, looking as if he'd also smile, then his face dropped and he sighed again.
Kirito frowned, then pointed out Sirius' strange behavior. "Why do you keep on getting depressed?"
Sirius gave him a brief glance before turning away. Kirito laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Sirius. The game will definitely be cleared. Don't worry."
"It's not that I'm worried about." Sirius stared at him with a hard expression. "Sure, the game will be cleared. My friends won't ever get to see that."
"...Oh..."
"They're gone. They're dead. I killed those who killed them. Over thirty of them. I thought it would help. Revenge. And yet... I don't feel like its done anything. It doesn't feel any different." He glanced down at the palm of his open hand. "The pain..."
"Sirius, the past is the past. It has become history... it can't be changed."
"I know that. Yet... it hurts so much." Sirius closed his eyes, his hand were clenched tight. "Makoto, Susumu, Jun, Katsumi, Hayato... and Soichi. They're all gone. Gone forever."
Kirito remained silent, as well as Mane, who was listening quietly.
Sirius murmured. "Makoto was a nice person... he was a big guy, but gentle. Susumu, always optimistic, mischievous, happy, funny. Good man... Soich, she was..." He trailed off, unable to continue. "...it's too painful."
Kirito watched his friend stare at the ground passing beneath his feet for a while, unsure of what to say.
Sirius' friends were gone. That was a stated fact, the truth, the past. Nothing could change that.
But... perhaps, his memories, their dreams... their bonds?
Kirito finally spoke his mind. "Live on for your friends. They've died... but you've survived. You're still here, alive... live on for them, and never forget them. They'll... live on in you."
Sirius blinked at him, appearing stunned. Mane tilted her head in surprise, a wondrous expression on her face. Kirito himself was a little surprised at his own moment of profoundness.
The silver-haired boy looked back at the path and continued walking, deep in thought. Kirito thought it might be his imagination, but Sirius seemed to walk with a less hesitant gait.
Mane, still walking beside him, also appeared to be thinking hard. Her eyes weren't focused and she was depending on her grip on Kirito's arm to guide her.
Kirito looked ahead, seeing that their pace had slackened and that they were falling behind Klein. He tapped Mane and Sirius on their shoulders, breaking their reverie. He motioned for them to walk faster, and the trio ran to catch up.
The western district of Starting City contained the most NPC restaurants, compared to the rest of the city. Vendors lined the streets, and the smell of food wafted through the air. Black Bread was sold at almost every counter, at the price of 1 col per loaf, easily the least expensive item in the game. However, even if many varied forms of cuisine were available for purchase, they were all priced quite high for the limited budget of those too scared to move out of the influence of the «Area Protection Code», so most people bought the bread to eat, or perhaps the bowls of white rice for the slightly higher price of 5 col.
But the party had been out farming in the wilds for over an hour already, and their in-game wallets had swelled to five times the size they had been before. So they could have afforded nearly anything, except...
Klein ran down the entire avenue twice, looking around wildly, before returning with a dejected air around him.
"No pizza! They call this a food market when it doesn't have pizza!?"
Kirito walked over and swatted Klein on the head.
"Ow! What was that for!?"
Kirito gave him a neutral look. "I will hit you every time you mention pizza from now on. Come on, let's save our col and buy something cheap..." He walked over to a nearby stall. "Here, rice and some vegetables and meat, how's this? Only 8 col."
Klein rubbed his head, then growled in a good natured way, "Gah... be that way!" And followed in a huff.
The rest of Klein's friends snickered, while Mane giggled. Sirius cracked a small smile before walking over to wait behind the two in line.
All of them got their food pretty quickly, Klein's friends buying some ale as well, and barely paused to say 'itadakimasu' before digging in. Mane in particular didn't wait at all, and had already taken a bite even before she had left the stall.
Food consumption in virtual reality was a little bit confusing. Upon eating the food, the system would send pre-recorded sensations, including touch and taste, to your brain via the NerveGear's sensors. Once consumed, the system would then give you the sensation of being full. The feeling was only temporary, however, as the body's actual hunger would come back quickly, which was designed so hardcore gamers would remember they had to actually consume something physical.
Kirito wondered how his body was getting the nutrients it needed to survive, and supposed that he was being fed in a manner similar to long-term coma patients: mush through the mouth.
He shook his head quickly, clearing that thought away.
Sitting around a small table in the middle of one of Starting City's many parks, the group ate in silence. The gentle sound of falling water emitted from a nearby fountain. Other than that, few noises could be heard; the square was mostly deserted, save for a few players eating their respective meals.
Kirito always ate his meals very quickly, as he had hated to spend time away from his precious video games. As he spooned another mouthful of rice into his mouth, his memories of his last meal in the real world swam to the forefront of his mind.
"Kazuto, are you going back to your games again?"
"Come on, Onii-chan, can we watch a movie together?"
"I have to get a head start in SAO... maybe tomorrow!"
Staring at his food, he now wished he could have stayed with his family longer. Perhaps he could have just sat with Suguha longer, talked to his mother more? Instead, he had just consumed his dinner at the speed of light and left for the world of Aincrad.
The spoon he was holding dropped back into the bowl, and Kirito sighed.
The past is the past, eh... I'm sorry...
He felt a touch on his arm. Upon opening his eyes, he saw Mane, sitting next to him with her bowl empty, looking at him with a concerned expression on her face.
"Are you okay, Kirito-kun?"
"Yes... you're done already?"
"Can I have some more?"
With a small smile, he got up, glanced at Klein and the others, and walked back to the stand, Mane following him eagerly.
The NPC looked up and raised his eyebrow. "Another one?"
Kirito nodded. "Yes, please." The NPC held out his hand, and Kirito deposited a 10-col coin into it, withdrawn from the pouch at this waist. After a moment of rummaging behind a counter, the man dumped two 1-col coins into Kirito's hand, then turned to busy himself with the cooker.
Delicious mixed smells of rice, cabbage, and beef rose to Kirito's nose. He enjoyed the scents for a while, though it didn't make him hungry, since he was already full. Mane, on the other hand, sniffed the air multiple times, then licked her lips. Kirito was vaguely reminded of a puppy.
When the NPC had finished cooking, Kirito accepted the dish and handed it to Mane, who immediately dug in again without delay. He gently steered Mane back to their table, settling her down in a chair while she continued to nom her second sharing.
Sirius gently picked at his rice with his spoon rhythmically, taking small bites. Kirito watched, mildly fascinated at the clockwork movement, then checked the chronometer in the lower right hand corner of his vision.
12:36, eh? I suppose she would be there by now.
"Klein, I need to go somewhere for a second." Kirito got up, patted Mane and Sirius on the shoulders. "I'll be back soon."
"Mrrrph?" Klein attempted to speak with his mouth full, then held up a hand and continued chewing. Upon swallowing, he cleared his throat and said, a lot clearer, "Alright then. Come back soon, I wanna hit level three today!"
His friends cheered at his words, and they clinked their cups of ale together. Sirius looked at him with a questioning look on his face, but Kirito shook his head. Mane appeared not to take notice of him, still completely immersed in her food.
Kirito slipped out of the square through a side passage, emerging onto a side street. Taking the steps that he had taken many times before in the beta, he followed the familiar route into a deeper section of the city.
A thin slice of the city in the Northwestern quarter housed the most taverns, as in buildings serving both ale and rooms for the night. The quality ranged to both ends, some rooms as cheap as bread and creaked at night, while others costing a hundred col per night that were as luxurious as a palace. Every single establishment also hosted a bar where players hung out and drinks were served. Apple cider was the preferred drink for the minors, and ale for the adults. And of course, with no actual alcohol interfering with brain activity, it could be said these drinks were non-alcoholic, as there was no chance of getting drunk in-game.
It was towards one of these institutions that Kirito angled towards as he stepped out of the alleyway he had traveled through and walked down the street. A small, medium sized place, looking quite cozy. The sign above read, «Rat's Tail». As he pushed open the door, a small tinkle sounded as the bell mounted on the frame was rung.
The inside of the establishment was dark, due to the fact that there were no windows. Instead, lighting was provided by lanterns and candles mounted on the walls, which gave a comfortable and rustic feeling. The room was quite spacious, tables and chairs neatly aligned, and the bar itself was polished and seemed to gleam under the firelight. The slightly chubby bartender looked up at his entrance. As always, the gigantic mustache wobbled dangerously before settling.
"Hello, welcome to the «Rat's Tail»." he intoned. "Would you like something to drink?"
Kirito responded smoothly, as he had done before, "Yes. I would like a cup of Bière de Garde, perhaps 3 pints of Gueuze, as well as a large bottle of Saison."
The bartender stared at him and raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"
"Nevermind. I'll have some Apple Cider." Kirito walked over to the bar and plopped himself down on the seat.
Of course, the bar didn't actually serve such a wide variety of ale. It only served the usual type of beer, simply referred to as 'ale'. Selections such as Gueuze and Saison were unavailable, though perhaps they could be bought on later floors.
But the words weren't meant for the bartender's ears. Those words, said exactly in that order, were meant for the other person listening in the room.
The bartender pulled out a tankard from under the bar and filled it with a large dose of apple cider, then carrying it over and placing it on the table. The gentle movement caused his moustache to tilt dangerously.
Kirito fished out the two coins he had received as change from buying Mane her second helping and placed them on the countertop. The man nodded, moustache nearly tipping over, and scooped the coins into his pocket, wandering back down the bar to polish some glasses.
The boy sipped the cider appreciatively, feeling the cool liquid run down his throat. The cool feeling and taste rejuvenated him, and he shivered slightly. Idly tapping the bar with his foot, he waited for her to stop wasting his time. Around a minute passed.
Finally, with a scuffling sound, he felt, rather than heard or saw, a form sidle up and sit in the barstool next to him. Without turning around, he nonchalantly took another sip from his tankard.
"Hai, Ki-bou."
Taking his time, he slowly drained the rest of the liquid out of the cup. After the last drop had disappeared down his throat, he set the tankard down on the bar and wiped his mouth. Only then did he turn to face the girl next to him.
"Hello, Argo."
"Not nice of you to keep me waiting."
"Not nice of you to keep me waiting too. Besides, what's with your code? It's not like anyone else is gonna overhear us."
Indeed, cozy as the «Rat's Tail» was, the entire place was deserted save the two and the bartender, who was humming a random tune while wiping the countertop.
Argo pouted, her hair rustling under her hood. Her face was sharp, and her purple eyes glinted mischievously in the shadows cast by the torchlight. Most prominent, however, were the stripes along her face, which had earned her the name, «Rat»: 3 horizontal whiskers mirrored on both sides.
"Come on, give a girl her time and privacy. The code is fine. Descriptive enough, yet inconspicuous."
Kirito blinked. "Far too detailed, in my opinion. By the way, you seem quite chipper compared to everyone else."
"Well, I guess it was because I lived here most of the time anyways." She flipped off her hood, exposing her short brown hair. "Reality wasn't that... pleasent."
"..." Kirito had nothing to say in response to that.
"It's alright. It's nothing major." She twirled her hand. "You know there are some people who actually like this situation? They get to play all day."
"Those are the real nutcases."
"Hmm, maybe so..."
They sank into a quiet, companionable silence.
"Anyways..." Argo perched her elbows on the countertop and rested her head on her hands. "How can I help you today, Ki-bou?"
Argo was also a beta tester, just like Kirito. However, she had quite a different profession; she dealt and traded in information. An information dealer, someone who sold and bought data and intel on players, skills, items, quests, and pretty much everything that existed in the game. Kirito was sure that if he had a question on the game's workings, he could acquire the answer from Argo.
In addition, she was one of the few people he had trusted. For a solo player, that meant a lot.
"I have a question to ask."
Argo smiled. "You always have a question to ask."
"Of course... do you require a price?" The girl's data usually came with a hefty tag, usually with two or more zeros on it.
"Hmm..." She tapped her chin. "That depends. Let us hear your request first. Perhaps this time I'll give it to you for free... if you hurry up. I have to get back to this book I'm writing."
"A book?" Kirito frowned slightly. "I never knew you to be the type to write a book."
Argo waggled her finger. "No, silly Ki-bou. It's a manual." She waved her arms for emphasis. "I'm putting some essential information into a manual so people won't die as much. Combat and some quest guides."
"Really? A guide?" Kirito was surprised. "This isn't like you... you usually give out information through your contacts."
Argo shrugged. Her eyes shined for a moment as they caught the firelight.
"And I suppose you will be selling them?"
"No. I plan to place them in the general store's inventory at the price of zero col."
Kirito was stunned for a few moments. "For free! This isn't like you at all. Normally you're so stingy about money."
Argo's expression suddenly turned serious. Her brow furrowed. "This isn't 'normally', Kirito. People are dying. In real life. This is no longer a game."
Kirito noticed she did not call him 'Ki-bou', which was her usual pet name for him.
She must really be serious...
"Alright... sorry..." Kirito closed his eyes for a moment. "To be honest, I am glad that you're helping them..."
The tension in Argo's face somewhat eased, and she continued good naturedly.
"Only in the way I can. Like you are. You're helping a group of players learn the game, aren't you?"
Kirito sighed. "Figures you'd find out so easily. And quickly, too."
"That's my job. One of my informants just so happened to be near you guys. Now, what was your question?"
"Oh... yea." Kirito took a moment to remember, then asked, "Do you know anything about memory loss?"
Argo blinked. "Huh?"
"Memory loss." Kirito scratched his head. "Do you know anything about it?"
The «Rat» screwed her eyes in concentration, searching her memory.
Kirito continued, "I have a... no, two friends. They don't remember anything from reality... Do you have any idea why?"
Argo shook her head. "Could they have died and survived the NerveGear microwaves?"
"I thought so too, but no... Kayaba said all forms of revival had been removed. It wouldn't be possible for them to return here..."
Argo turned away for a second, hand on her head, thinking hard. Her stare seemed to bore a dent in the hardwood counter beneath her before she admitted, "I don't know. I don't have a solid answer... Sorry, Ki-bou."
"It's alright." Kirito sighed. "It's a tough question... Thanks for trying, though."
"Sorry, Ki-bou." She straightened up and slid off the stool. "I'll keep an eye out for information. If I ever find any, I'll tell you, okay?"
"Alright... thank you, Argo."
Argo smiled and twirled her finger. "Remember, this'll be the special price!"
Kirito groaned inwardly, knowing that her 'special price' was usually higher than her normal fare. But, he kept his face neutral. "You never do miss the chance to swindle me, do you?"
"Well, you're a friend, so I know I can press you for enormous amounts of money and you'd never complain." Argo snickered, then drew out her menu and selected a few options.
A notice appeared in front of Kirito. In the dim light of the tavern, the window glowed with an ethereal aura.
|| Argo would like to be your friend!
|| - Accept
|| - Decline
Kirito's finger hovered over the 'accept' option, then mischievously switched to 'decline'. Argo's eyes suddenly narrowed. Kirito could swear there were black clouds and thundering lightning over their heads.
"Don't you dare, Ki-bou." She growled, eyes flashing, tone menacing and full of promised hurt. Kirito swallowed and chuckled nervously.
"I was just kidding..." He murmured, and pressed accept. A small chime confirmed the registration.
Immediately, Argo's mood did a complete one-eighty; she smiled widely and her aura was radiant with joy. "Well, that's that! I'll notify you via PM, kay, Ki-bou?"
Kirito nodded, then stood up, sliding off the stool. The bell tinkled, and Kirito turned to see a group of players enter the room. The bartender looked up, and began his usual introductory phrase.
One of the group scanned the room, a blue-haired man who looked to be in his twenties. Spotting the two by the bar, he nodded before talking to the bartender.
"Well, I suppose I had better go. It looks like you have another customer." Kirito turned to leave, before Argo wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him back.
"Oh? That eager to leave my side, Ki-bou?" She murmured into his ear. Then a giggle, and she released him. "Just kidding, Ki-bou. Have fun with your training!"
Her presence behind him vanished. Kirito stayed still for a moment, then looked behind him.
Nobody was there.
Well, she picked «Hiding» as usual, I see.
He turned and walked back towards the entrance, stepping aside for the group to pass through first. The blue-haired player caught his eye and nodded. There was a strange flicker in his eyes, almost unnoticeable. Kirito cautiously nodded in return.
After the group passed by, he walked over to the bartender and flipped him another 1-col coin as tip, which the man caught deftly and stored in his pocket. The man winked, his handlebar of facial hair swaying with the slight movement. Kirito had always wondered how that moustache kept itself upright, and even now, he still didn't have an answer.
Walking over to the door, he pushed it open. The bright noon sun blinded him momentarily, and Kirito instinctively shielded his eyes and blinked the spots away. Rubbing his eyes, he stepped forward a few steps-
-and collided with something, nearly falling over backwards. He grunted in surprise. "Ah-!?"
"Kirito-kun?" The voice came from in front of him.
"Eh?"
Kirito squinted as his eyes readjusted. "Mane? What are you doing here?"
The dark shape in front of him appeared to shrug. "I saw you leaving, so I followed you."
The light seemed to dim, and now Kirito could see Mane clearly, still gnawing on her spoon. The bowl was held by her other hand, almost empty.
"Where are the others? Sirius and Klein?"
"They're still there." Mane scooped up another bit of rice and meat and shoved it into her mouth. "Dey're weitin fwr ush to git bck.", she muffed out through her food.
"Ah... okay..." Kirito watched a grain of rice fall from her mouth to the ground, unusually fascinated. "Uh... let's go back now."
Mane nodded, swallowing, before finishing off the last of her rice straight from the bowl in one big gulp. Now completely empty, the bowl disintegrated into particles of light, evaporating into the air. The spoon in Mane's mouth lasted a few more seconds, then vanished too. Her teeth clacked shut on open air.
Kirito cracked a smile at Mane's disappointed face. "Ah... let's go."
He took her shoulder and lead her back the way they had came. It felt slightly awkward, seeing as they were both the same height, but Kirito felt Mane relax as he did so, so he assumed it was okay.
As he walked through the alleyways, shadows flitting back and forth on his face, Kirito wondered about the book Argo was writing.
She was helping in her own way. Giving out information, for free, nonetheless. Kirito wondered how many lives that manual would save.
Perhaps it was simple competition, but he wanted to best her. Make a bigger impact than her. Help more than her. That natural drive to be the best. Kirito sighed, clearing those thoughts away.
More importantly though, it seemed there was no plausible explanation for Mane and Heathcliff's memory loss. Not even Argo, the best-informed individual in Aincrad, could explain how they had come by the condition.
He glanced to his right, at the girl who was silently mourning the loss of her spoon. The image of a red-armored paladin swam to the forefront of his mind. Kirito gritted his teeth and resigned himself to the thought that it would have to remain a mystery.
Kirito's ears perked as he neared the plaza, his «Searching» skill enabling him to sense a multitude of noises coming from the open square. Mane looked up, also hearing the disturbance.
"What's going on?" Kirito muttered.
Mane tilted her head. "I don't know."
They were both astounded to find the square containing at least three times as many people than it had when they had left it. Around twenty people milled around, talking, a major difference compared to the small but noisy group of five from before.
"What-?"
Kirito just had enough time to utter that before he spotted Klein rushing up towards him, Sirius following close behind. "Klein! What in the name of-?"
"Hey, Kirito! Where have you been! You sure took your time!" Klein stopped before him and punched him gently in the shoulder. "These guys need help too. Can you?"
"Huh?" Kirito stepped back, bewildered. Things were happening too fast for him.
"Can you teach these guys how to fight as well? They want to clear the game, but they're still newbies like I was. They need your help."
"Ah!? I... erm, I..."
Kirito glanced frantically back and forth, taking in the sight. Fifteen other players!?
He stuttered out, "Where... where did you...? When did they...?"
"They were asking around for help." Sirius cut in, waving his hand towards one of the other entrances to the square. "Lost, wandering around, needing assistance. Klein here said he knew someone who had been a beta tester and that he was helping us, so they asked if they could join."
Kirito's eyes twitched, as he looked over the small crowd again. Teach... teach them all? "All... all of them? This many people?"
"Yup." Klein scratched his head. "So, Kirito, can you teach them as well? It would help a lot."
Kirito wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. Twenty people? That was way out of his comfort zone. Ten people might have pushed it, but twenty?
"That's a lot of people..." Mane's voice echoed in his head. "Nervous... I think Kirito-kun is too."
Kirito glanced at Mane, who was observing the congregation with wide eyes. Again, he could hear her while nobody else could. He was starting to suspect that these were her thoughts.
"But... Kirito-kun is a nice person. I'm sure he can do this... I'm sure... will help..."
And with that her voice faded away. Mane blinked and turned her head, looking into Kirito's eyes. He hastily shook his head and looked back at the people, who were slowly starting to quiet down and take notice of him. Most were looking at him with hopeful expressions on their faces.
Can I do this?
Kirito remembered his fears. Fear that someone might die. As he observed the group of players in front of him, he imagined if one of them perished. If one of them vanished, because of him.
The thought was too much for him.
I can't do this. I just can't... How will I bear it?
"Kirito-kun, you can do it. I trust you."
Kirito jumped, head whipping around to stare at Mane, who looked at him hopefully. Klein raised an eyebrow at the action.
Wha-?
"You will protect everyone. I sure of it. I'm sure you can do it."
Mane nodded to him and smiled. It was an unusually wise smile, something Kirito had never seen before on her face, and her eyes glinted knowingly. Next to her, Sirius, unaware of their silent communication, gave him a reassuring look.
Strangely, the sight comforted him. He felt his heart ease, calm down, the nervous bands around it loosening.
He looked back at Klein, hesitating. Then he steeled himself, swallowed, and nodded.
"Great! It's all settled!" Klein turned back to the hopeful players. "Yeah, he says it's okay! Come on, let's go help clear the game!"
A cheer rose up, startling Kirito with its volume. The players started rushing over to him, shaking his hand, thanking him. The sheer volume of noise overwhelmed him for a moment, but as he blinked away his surprise, the feeling of gratitude being conveyed to him caused him to smile.
He felt better, surprisingly. Happy. Satisfied. Argo was helping people, and now he was too.
Someday... they would clear the game. He was sure of it.
Sirius caught Kirito's eye, and simply nodded at him. Next to him, Mane closed her eyes and sat down against a nearby tree.
Her voice echoed again in Kirito's head.
I trust you. You can do it.
"Entrust yourself to the system! It's essential that you get the feel of the sword you wield and that of the skills you can use, it's the only way you can fight effectively here in SAO."
The youth in front of him grimaced, trying to ease his tension. Kirito felt a vague sense of deja-vu as he recalled how Riku had struggled to accept the system's movements as well.
With more people, Kirito had decided to move to one of the larger fields in the Northwest area. The low grass rustled in the breeze and occasionally crunched as a player or «Blue Boar» stepped on it.
Shrieks filled the air as the players continuously sliced at the easiest mobs in the game. Boar after boar shattered as their HP bars were depleted, and with each kill, the players felt more confident.
Multi-colored lights flashed repeatedly as the players demonstrated their newly learned «Sword Skills» in a deadly way against the «Blue Boars». The feeling of being able to do something, to act, to strike back at those that would kill them in this death game, that feeling gave the players great glee as they hacked and slashed the boars' health away.
Kirito was trying to help the last few players, numbering around five, get the hang of using «Sword Skills». They were slashing their blades back and forth, still unable to activate the glow that heralded the «System Assist».
Klein and his friends were spread out, helping some of the newcomers with their techniques, or perhaps giving them tips for fighting and survival. Sirius had taken an interest in helping Kirito out, and was adjusting a young boy's position and showing him an example of the «Vertical» skill, speaking to him in a quiet tone.
Kirito patted the boy on the back, who was delightfully slicing the air with his blade, which now glowed green as he traced deadly arcs in the air. Looking over, he noted that most of the newcomers had mastered the «Sword Skills». Only two still required assistance, the rest were slicing with elation at the boars that roamed the area. Sirius was still dealing with one of them, leaving the last one to Kirito.
Kirito walked over to him, noting that again, the boy was unable to relinquish control over his body to the system, his own tension denying the «System Assist». He tapped the boy's shoulder, catching his attention, then explaining, again, how a player needed to trust the system and learn to use the skill starting positions smoothly. Then, he unsheathed the «Anneal Blade» from his back before demonstrating, slowly, how to use the skills without much of a delay and without exposing yourself. Frowning, the boy tried to copy his movements, and Kirito could see that he had nearly gotten it.
Excusing himself, looked around for Mane, and spotted her on the side of the hilly area that Kirito and Sirius were standing on, looking over the players attacking the boars. Every once in awhile, she flicked her hair out of her eyes, but otherwise she remained completely still. Only her eyes moved, scanning over the area.
Kirito paused for a moment, silently considering her form. He felt... different. Her confidence in him made him feel strangely motivated.
He suddenly realized he had been staring at the back of Mane's head for over twenty seconds. He quickly shook his head, clearing the cobwebs out of his brain.
The black-haired swordsman shielded his eyes from the sun for a moment, looking over the groups of players hacking at boars. A small fire kindled in his heart, a sense of pride, at what he had done. The feeling gave him such satisfaction. Satisfaction, by helping others.
He had helped people survive, helped people fight to clear the game. The pride in his chest swelled into a blaze.
Mane, Heathcliff, Klein, Sirius... and everyone below him, working together, clearing the game. The thought made him feel light-headed.
Had his old solo self seen him at that moment, he would have called the current Kirito cocky. Dangerously overconfident. Indeed, there was a small voice in his mind that was urgently speaking to him, but the sound went unnoticed.
His eyes squinted as he looked out over the groups beneath him, and idly watched one group as they surrounded and attacked a boar in unison, «Slant» attacks dicing the mob's health to zero in one flurry. As the boar squealed and disappeared, some of them cheered, the rest giving each other high-fives. Kirito assumed they had leveled up.
Smiling, he scanned the entire plains area, overlooking the players who were happily training up their exp. More of them briefly celebrated as they gained a level. Kirito spotted Klein and his friends waving their hands, and he jogged over to them.
"We're about three fourths of the way to level three!" Klein shouted. "Everyone else here is also almost level two!"
Kirito nodded and shouted back, "Good work!"
Klein grinned, then turned to fist-bump his friends before drawing his sword again.
Kirito traversed the area back to the high ground, where Sirius was waiting for him. Apparently he has succeeded in teaching the last boy the «Sword Skills». He stood next to Sirius and together they watched the players farm more of the «Blue Boars».
Sirius finally said, "Looking at this... I really do have hope we can clear the game."
Kirito didn't respond to this, his silence conveying what he wanted to say. Mane glanced up at the sound of Sirius' voice, before returning her attention to a blade of grass she was examining.
"I'll... go hunt some more." Sirius unsheathed his own «Anneal Blade» and started down the hill. "See if I can hit level four."
Kirito watched his back as Sirius reached the bottom of the hill, targeted, and engaged a lone «Blue Boar» in combat. He artfully chained together his skills and quickly sliced into the boar with a beautifully executed «Horizontal»-«Slant»-«Horizontal» combo, instantly killing it. Again, the pride in his heart grew.
Looking back to the rest of the players, he watched them for a while, then frowned.
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but it seemed like there were less people here than before... He idly counted them off.
One, two, three, four...
Mane casually looked up at him, before standing up and stretching. Her mouth opened wide, like a cat, as she yawned for a good few seconds.
...Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen... that's all.
Kirito stretched as well, deciding to join Sirius in farming.
-wait.
Something prickled at the back of his neck. Kirito looked back at the players.
Sixteen?
There were supposed to be twenty of them.
He hurriedly counted again. Sixteen players including Klein's group, not including Mane, himself, or Sirius.
Four people were missing.
His heart started to beat faster. He rushed down the slope, startling Mane, who was still stretching her arms. "Kirito-kun?"
Kirito looked frantically back and forth, before running over to one of the players. "Some people are missing. Did you see anyone leave?"
The boy thought about it for an agonizing moment, then said, "I think... a while ago, four people? They went that way."
He pointed. Kirito's eyes followed the direction: In the direction of Horunka village, the Northeast.
No way.
"Why did they go!? Did they say anything?"
"They said something about harder enemies." And with that, the boy concentrated on the «Blue Boar» his group was fighting, attacking it from behind.
Kirito, without waiting for anyone, dashed forwards in the direction the boy had pointed out as fast as he could. His eyes were narrowed, and had this been in the real world, a line of cold sweat would have broken out on his brow.
Are they idiots!?
They were, at most, almost level two! To be heading into an area that would be considered a challenge for level three players without any form of preparation or information was akin to suicide.
Although he wasn't physically tired, Kirito's breath came in irregularly short bursts.
They can't have... they couldn't!
The landscape passed by rapidly, and Kirito recognized the area from the day before, when he and Mane had arrived at Horunka Village. Gasping, he halted to a stop. He wildly looked back and forth.
Where did they go!?
Off to the side. A voice echoed in his head.
A small sea of trees hung on the left side of the path, not the one containing the «Little Nepents». Without hesitation, he took heed of the voice and threw himself into the forest.
It was then he heard the first scream. Panic clawed at his heart.
No, he thought. No, no, no, no, NO!
Dodging the vegetation that appeared in his way, he ran full pelt in the direction of the sound. It seemed to take ages to jump around every tree in his path. Finally, he burst out into a clearing, his «Anneal Blade» already drawn and ready in his hand.
Three of the players from before, were surrounded on all sides, their backs to a large tree that was sitting on the opposite edge of the clearing. Even as they held their basic swords in a stance Kirito had taught them, they were all visibly trembling. A horde of the more powerful «Blue Boar» mob filled the clearing, hemming them in on all sides.
A lone basic sword was planted in the ground before them, at a lopsided angle.
NO!
Blood roared in Kirito's screamed wordlessly and jumped straight into the group, blade drawing a dark arc through the air, instantly dispatching several of the boars with lucky critical hits.
Most of the remaining boars turned away from their original targets, their «Aggression» switching onto him. Even with that, around six boars remained locked onto the weaker players, pawing the ground and sniffing as they got ready to charge.
His vision tinged with red, Kirito threw himself into the midst of the mob with his «Anneal Blade» trailing with dark blue light. «Horizontals», «Verticals», and «Slants» were used, and for a moment, Kirito seemed to be caged in a spectacular ethereal cage. A halo of polygons surrounded him as they rose into the air and vanished.
Yet, even as their comrades were banished from the world, even more «Blue Boars» charged at him. Over and over again, as his avatar was momentarily immobilized due to the «Sword Skill» cooldowns, the mobs butted him with surprising strength, dealing heavy damage.
Not even noticing the damage, Kirito charged forward, ignoring the monsters behind him. His attention was entirely on the players desperately trying to fend off the boars currently attacking them.
Their technique was sloppy, Kirito immediately saw. In their panic, none of them were allowing the «System Assist» to guide their strikes, resulting in their slow, forceless attacks. Nor could they properly block or dodge any of the enemy attacks, due to the cramped space they had and their paralyzing fear.
Gritting his teeth, Kirito executed a higher level «Sword Skill», «Spin Attack». Learned when the «1-H Swords» skill reached 25, it was a low-powered skill that pushed enemies back. The grass rustled as the mobs hot on his tail were knocked back into the air, though barely a dent was made in their HP bars.
The same could not be said for the entrapped players. One of them seemed to break down due to fear; he fell to his knees in a huddled mess and started begging the boars for mercy.
Which, of course, the boars didn't understand. Their simple AI drove them to trample that player, and with a sinister tinkling sound, a cloud of blue shards rose from where the player had been kneeling. The remaining two screamed in panic, though they didn't drop their weapons just yet.
Desperation taking over his body, Kirito leaped forward and attacked again, destroying another boar and finally clearing a path to the players.
He jumped in front of them and whirled around to face the remaining enemies, shouting, "Are you two okay!?"
Without waiting for a response, he brought his sword to bear and attacked with a «Slant», killing another boar. While he had managed to reach them, the three of them were still surrounded by over fifteen more angry «Blue Boars».
Protect them.
The two behind him were shivering in fear, he knew it. He had to protect them. Even as the thought crossed his head, one of the boars lifted it's head and squealed, which the rest of the pack took as an attack order. As one, they charged.
Kirito lost track of what happened after that. A mindless dance of death, intricate webs of light and flashing steel, the flurry of strikes that stuck the «Blue Boars». The squeals that came when each hit landed, the shattering of their bodies into countless polygons, the screams and shouts that came from behind him. He didn't dare turn, though, as he was holding off the bulk of the enemy force, and a distraction could mean death.
«Horizontal». «Slant». Screams.
Kirito's respiration became ragged.
«Vertical Arc». A two-hit skill tracing "V" in the air. The enemy dissolved.
Another boar charged at him.
«Slant». «Vertical». Guard! Counterattack!
Kirito's mind went blank.
It wasn't until the fighting had stopped for ten seconds that he realized that it was all over. Lowering his sword, he dropped to his knees in the dirt, staring straight ahead, panting.
In the upper left hand corner of his vision, he could see his HP bar. Red zone. Hovering at around 10%. He let out a shaky breath. Then, dreading what he would find, he slowly turned around.
Only one player was left, standing behind him, frozen in shock. Even while he was protecting them, one had died.
One. Only one left.
Three are dead. Gone.
The survivor moaned, then collapsed onto the ground. He mumbled something unintelligible, then fell silent. The expression on his face showed pure shock and despair. His HP bar was also in the red zone.
Kirito numbly fumbled at his temporary inventory, pulling out a potion. With shaky sips, he drank a little bit, then gagged. Putting down the bottle, he waited for his body to calm down a little more, then drank the rest of the concoction. His HP slowly started to regenerate, as the bottle fragmented in his hands.
Shuddering, he steeled himself, keeping his mind carefully blank, before spending another half-minute fishing a second potion bottle out. Stumbling over to the surviving player, he mumbled, "Here... drink... this."
He held out the potion. To his immense surprise, the player slapped it out of his hand, sending the bottle rolling into the undergrowth.
"Ah! ...what...?"
"You..."
The voice came out shaky as he looked up. The teen, perhaps around 17 years old, older than Kirito. His eyes were slightly unfocused, but there was some emotion in them that Kirito felt wary of.
"I...what...?" Kirito panted out.
"You... it's all... because of you..." Some unidentifiable tension could be heard in his voice.
One of Kirito's eyes narrowed. Propping himself up on his «Anneal Blade», he stayed silent, not completely understanding the situation.
"...they're all dead... all my friends... we..." The player groaned. "...you, it's all because of you! They're all dead..."
The reality of the situation came crashing down on Kirito, and he dropped to his knees, staring at the ground. He had been holding his thoughts back during and after the battle, but the words from the player in front of him tore away the veil he so desperately clutched.
Three of them. They're dead.
Kirito gasped, despair digging its claws into him.
Dead. Gone.
"You... you..." The survivor wasn't done yet. "...you should have told us. That this area was so dangerous! You should have told us! IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU THEY'RE ALL DEAD!"
The last part was screamed out, echoes ringing throughout the clearing. They echoed the most, however, in Kirito's head. Resounding, repeating itself. Over and over.
"IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU THEY'RE ALL DEAD!"
"We trusted you! We thought... you were supposed to help us! Help us get home! You... you...!"
There was a clanking sound. Kirito looked up with dead eyes; and he saw the guy had stood up unsteadily, sword in hand. His eyes were wild, wide and staring, a crazed glint in them.
"You should have warned us! You should have come sooner!"
Panting, he raised his arm. Kirito stared, uncomprehending.
"You... our trust... we pinned our hopes on you, beta tester, you were supposed to help! Look at what you've done! They're all DEAD!"
The man stared right into Kirito's eyes with the eyes of fate. A glare of pure hatred.
"You... you... you filthy BETA TESTER!"
Words trailing off into a scream, he threw himself at Kirito. Now of all times, the sword glowed red, signalling the use of a «Sword Skill». Namely, «Vertical».
Instinctively, Kirito flicked his blade from the dirt and activated «Slant», drawing a backhanded arc in the air. The «Anneal Blade» smashed into the side of the «Basic Sword», instantly knocking it aside and depleting its durability. The weapon shattered, shards of steel spinning everywhere, cutting into both of their skins. Not a lot of HP was lost, however.
The player stumbled past Kirito, his momentum keeping him moving. Numbly, the man stared at the broken hilt in his hands, which lasted a few more seconds before dissipating into light. He dropped to his knees.
Both of them stayed like that, kneeling and facing opposite directions, for a good half-minute. Kirito's mind contained only one thing.
"IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU THEY'RE ALL DEAD!"
It's because of me... me... they're all... dead...
A whisper, barely heard, could be heard from the man. Kirito's ears instinctively strained to hear the words.
"I hate you... you filthy... cheater. Disgusting... Beta tester. You.. you..."
The words stabbed at his heart like knives. Every one of them.
Then, he uttered the name that would plague Kirito for the rest of his life.
"Beater."
Kirito's heart stopped.
All dead... because of me... a... a...
...Beater...
"Kirito-kun!"
Kirito's head snapped up and around at the familiar voice. Mane?
There she was, at the edge of the clearing. Beside her, his silver hair streaming behind him as he ran, Sirius. Behind her, Klein. He could see the cursors of more people behind them too.
Klein's and Sirius' faces were hard, teeth gritted in determination.
Mane looked worried. Her arm was outstretched.
Everyone...
Two thoughts popped into his head.
"You will protect everyone. I sure of it. I'm sure you can do it."
"IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU THEY'RE ALL DEAD!"
The memories galvanized him into action. He took one last glimpse of his friends. Mane, Sirius, Klein. Their faces, he preserved as memory.
And he ran. Kicking off the ground, he ran into the forest, away from everyone.
Back into solitude.
The pride before the fall, remarked the voice in his head.
The NPC hummed "It's a small world after all" as she gently laid the cover back on the pot. Shaking the excess droplets from the large wooden ladle she had used to stir the contents, the large spoon was returned to a rack hanging in the kitchen.
She gently picked up the bowl she had just filled, and carried it out of the room, past the grandfather clock. If Kirito listened, he could hear the sound of a door opening and closing.
But he wasn't listening. He had his head in his arms, which were crossed on the table. A full mug of water sat next to him.
His eyes felt raw when they were open. His throat was parched, yet he made no move to drink the water. His brain felt like mincemeat.
He had failed them. Everyone.
"You will protect everyone. I sure of it. I'm sure you can do it."
Mane had trusted him.
"IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU THEY'RE ALL DEAD!"
He had failed her. Surely she hated him now.
He had caused three people to die. Because of his carelessness, his pride-
His fist clenched, his eyes screwed shut even tighter.
Kirito felt a tugging sensation in his throat, and pausing his thoughts, forced it down. Though he wouldn't have minded if he actually threw up.
If he stayed with other people, he would probably get them killed. One way or the other.
It's for the best... for the best.
Back to solo. It was for the best. Back to being alone, Kirito all by himself.
Nobody to burden, nobody to be a burden, nobody to harm.
He raised his head, wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve. He stared doubtfully at the opposite end of the table.
Back to being alone. A solo player.
They're all dead because of you. You want Klein to die next? Sirius? Mane!?
"I... I..." He sighed.
His head thunked back down on the table again.
Sirius...
He doesn't believe in you.
Klein...
He doesn't believe in you either.
Mane...
You've failed her. You'll fail her again.
…very well...
Kirito slowly stood up. If he was going to go solo again, he might as well start immediately. He pushed the chair behind him and turned to leave.
He was hit by a flying tackle and went down in a heap.
"Gck!" He grunted in surprise.
Stunned, he lay there for a few moments, then tilted his head up to see what the projectile was. "Wha-"
A girl, shoulder-length black hair. Features similar to his. Shivering, hugging him.
"-Mane?"
"Why did you run?"
Kirito looked up to see Sirius frowning at him, arms crossed.
"How... how did you find me?"
"Klein showed me this «Find Location» thing on his friends list. It told me you were here. Speaking of which, Klein says Hi. He has to take care of all the players, so he couldn't come, but he thanks you for your help."
"...my help?" Kirito asked hollowly. "I got three people killed."
"Three darn idiots killed, if I may say so myself. It's quite common sense to not wander off, yet they did. Complete imbeciles. Back to my question, why did you run?"
Kirito's mouth became drier than it had been before, if that was even possible. "I... I... I couldn't face you guys..."
Mane shifted, clutching Kirito tighter, and sniffed. He felt his heart clench as her grip on him tightened.
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"I... I failed you guys... you two trusted me. I got three people killed. You guys..."
Sirius stepped closer and knelt. "Four people. The last guy committed suicide. He wandered into a pack of boars unarmed."
"Oh." Kirito felt a cold hand close around his heart. "Great."
"And they're not your fault. Get your head straight, Kirito. It wasn't your fault."
"Not my fault? I was responsible. I was supposed to help them."
"You can't save fools, Kirito." Sirius pointed his finger at him. "It was out of your hands. Their choices were theirs to make. And that is why they died. You did your best, it had nothing to do with you."
"But-"
"Here." Sirius poked him in the face. "Why don't you call Klein right now?"
"Ah?"
"Call him. Private chat. Right now."
Kirito hesitated, then nodded slowly, using one hand to draw out the menu, his other arm still wrapped tightly around Mane.
The waiting message had only appeared for a second before Klein accepted on the other end. His face immediately popped up, bearing a wry smile.
"Kirito, you feeling okay?"
"Klein..."
"Listen, Kirito, it wasn't your fault. They were idiots, all of them."
"I... I..."
"Kirito." Klein became more serious. "It wasn't your fault. For the last time. I hope you understand."
"..." Kirito felt something loosen around his heart. Mane held him tighter.
"You're a good person, Kirito. I can see that. You tried your best to help, that's good enough." Klein smiled wistfully. "If only it didn't turn out like this."
Kirito did not reply at first, his silence speaking the words for him. He opened his mouth, then hesitated.
He sighed. "I only wanted to help... but..."
Klein's smile had a sad tinge to it. "It's alright, Kirito. You've done more than enough. Thank you."
"Klein..." He trailed off, unsure of what to say. "I..."
Klein suddenly stopped, hearing something, then turned to look at someone off-screen. A few seconds of quiet exchange passed before he turned back to the chat. "Hey, this kid here wants to say something to you."
He manipulated the window so it pointed slightly more down, showing a young boy. Kirito recognized him as one of the boys who had need more help with their «Sword Skills». He looked to be around fourteen, and small for his age.
The boy smiled.
"Thank you, sir. Thank you for giving me hope we can go back home."
Kirito numbly nodded. The boy looked up at Klein, who reoriented the screen to face him.
"Hey, wait!"
Klein looked sideways in surprise before being pushed over by several people. They all crowded the screen, shouting some form of thank you.
"Thanks for the help!"
"You're the best, man!"
"Don't be down!"
Kirito blinked, completely overwhelmed. He heard Klein shouting, "Oi! Oi! Let me back! You ruffians!"
It took a while for Klein to regain control of the chat screen. He sighed in relief. "These people are worse than my friends... ah well. So, Kirito." Klein raised an eyebrow. "Don't hate yourself."
Kirito finally unstuck his throat. "Klein..."
"You're a good man, Kirito. Don't ever forget that."
And with that, Klein closed the chat window. The silence felt deafening in his absence.
Kirito felt strange. He couldn't explain it, only that he felt... different.
Sirius spread his arms. "There you have it."
"Kirito-kun."
Mane's voice rose from where she held him. Kirito looked down.
She still had her face buried in his chest, and Kirito could tell by her sniffles, that she was crying. "Mane..."
"Kirito-kun... it wasn't your fault... please don't be like that..." She murmured, then clutched him harder. "You're a good person... I... I li... trust you..."
Kirito could feel his self control slipping. The first of his tears slid from his eyes.
Sirius manipulated his menu, tapping a certain option. The ever so faithful notice appeared.
|| Sirius would like to be your friend!
|| - Accept
|| - Decline
Kirito looked up at Sirius, his unspoken question voiced by his gaze. Sirius simply replied, "Because you're my friend, Kirito. I don't need any other reason."
A fresh wave of emotion overwhelmed him, and Kirito finally broke down, releasing his pent-up emotions. His tears flowed unchecked, and he sobbed uncontrollably into Mane's shoulder. She closed her eyes, and embraced him harder. It was her turn to comfort him.
Sirius averted his eyes somewhat awkwardly, watching the doorway. A silent sentinel in the darkness.
Kirito felt Mane shiver in his arms, and he instinctively clutched her tighter. She felt warm, so soft, that he felt at home in her arms. Enveloped in her arms, he felt... safe, secure, and for the first time in weeks... calm. Their embraces tightened, each seeking the comfort of the other's warmth.
Training, leveling, clearing this game - perhaps, they could all wait.
In this very moment, as he huddled in her embrace... the world could wait.
He closed his eyes.
Author's Note:
Well, now that I look back on it, it was an incredibly dumb idea to use this and the previous one as half chapters. Thank goodness they were split. Imagine that giant wall of text... (e.e)
So, whatcha all think? Poor Kirito. I was crying when I wrote this... character development always hurts.
Oh, yes, and a certain someone made a cameo in this chapter. Did you guys catch him/her? No hints on gender, btw.
New title!
School starts tomorrow. I'll probably have to take a week or so from writing to adjust back to school lifestyle. Hope you all had a wonderful winter break!
Review Answers
As always, constructive criticism is the kind of review I value the most. Helps me grow, see. Please take the time to fill one out, I would very much appreciate it!
I plan for all of the original cast to make appearances at some point in time, not completely sure yet.
Crafting certainly may be fun, I'll think on that for a while. Thanks for the suggestion.
Unique skills, eh... of course, Kirito will be gaining his signature «Dual Blades» sometime. But not now. Still 1st floor, mate!
Speculation, speculation. Guess all you want, but I'm not spoiling anything~
Special thanks to Rainbowlalaland and ToumaFF for beta'ing this chapter.
I, of course, do not own Sword Art Online. All canon characters and Aincrad belong to Kawahara Reki, whereas the OCs and the story itself belong to me.