Of Mouse and Man

Phase 10

..

Original Title: The World Only God Knows / 神のみぞ知るセカイ & Sword Art Online(ソードアート・オンライン)

Original Concept by: Tamiki Wakiki & Kawahara Reki

written by: wrathie

Author's Notes: A Crossover where Keima was not approached by the Weiss Capturing Squad and the Events of the Goddess Arc is non-existent.

Author's Notes: Hardly the most welcome update, I guess, but an update nonetheless!

Thank you, bowpurity for the beta!

Aincrad Level 26

'Thank you for chairing the meeting, Heathcliff-san.'

Keima gave a curt nod to Heathcliff, the mysterious tank type player, whom smiled while shaking his head.

'No, the pleasure was all mine, Keima-san. When I was approached to chair the meeting, the first person I thought of for assistance was you, the leader of Nezumi.'

Keima didn't even bat an eyelid when Argo snorted at the comment, the Rat was speaking with one of the other guild leaders while Keima was with Heathcliff.

'Me and Argo are joint leaders... we specialise in different things. Just like how you are without a doubt the best 'tank' player in Aincrad right now... and the most charismatic guild leader amongst the clearer group. I am not ashamed to say that with you as the chairperson, we have the highest attendance of all the clearer members.'

'You flatter me, Keima-san, we are nothing compared to Nezumi or your allies. If there exists a clearer group, there exists the support core and the leader of that is you, Keima The Persuader.'

'It is hardly an appropriate title for me, I do not persuade.'

Keima knew it was a lousy excuse that wouldn't work, but he tried anyway.

'Regardless of whether that is a fitting title, I thank you for your contribution to the meeting. Your observations and comments on our strategy would definitely be used. I'm confident that we would not break the ongoing record of no deaths, Keima-san.'

Keima simply nodded as Heathcliff excused himself, regrouping with his guild as he watched on.

'… Who and what is he?'

Keima asked himself as he recalled the difficulty in coming with any information about this mysterious player that just popped onto the radar out of nowhere.

The player known as Heathcliff joined the clearer group at the strategy meeting for the 23th Floor and he bravely volunteered to be part of the 'Aggro' group who would be taking on the Floor boss head on as one of the tanks.

Many of the other clearer guilds and their members were hesitant in letting a previously unknown player take on such an important task. The 'Aggro' group that Heathcliff had volunteered to be in consisted of only the most highly skilled and best tank clearers of the group. The scouts had discovered that the floor boss had a devastating ranged attack that could take out a player easily if it was given the opportunity to charge up it's attack. The 'Aggro' group was given the important task on focusing the main bulk of the monster's attack on them while the other clearer groups chip away at it's much bigger body that it had.

In the end Heathcliff had been drafted as part of the 'aggro' group due to his high levels and top notch equipment.

Keima had dismissed Heathcliff at first, he was much more concerned on giving advice on how to balance the players of the other groups which would be dealing the bulk of the damage to the boss.

..

It was a horrible hindsight as Keima should have questioned Heathcliff on how he had gotten the equipment that he had, or the levels that he was able to obtain without even coming to contact with any member of Nezumi.

Keima acknowledged that there were still players out there who had not came to contact with or utilized the services of Nezumi. Those players were the real hardcore players of SAO, instead of taking the easy way out they decided to clear the game with only their own power. This particular group of players were a very rare bunch and if given the opportunity, Keima would salute them for both their stubbornness and their determination in taking on this suicidal path. Keima was not mincing his words, it was suicidal, but he could understand why they did this, they were proud individuals who choose this path of their own will. He respected them and called them fools in the same breath, but he would never look down on them.

Heathcliff could be one of those players, but players who played with that style would never reach the same high levels as the clearer group no matter how hard they pushed themselves.

The clearers had more resources, better knowledge of the system implemented in Aincrad and everyone knew that working in a team gave them the opportunity to take on much stronger monsters to level up faster.

Players who played in isolation would never be able to catch up to the clearers, much less be able to purchase or obtain the gear that Heathcliff was using.

There was the possibility that Heathcliff had been able to buy them off another player, but there were just so many things that were adding up when one considered the player known as Heathcliff.

His built was perfect for a tank, the right combination of skill slots with the right levels and he was well trained in combat as well, almost as good as the most experienced of clearers. That was a big giveaway by itself – there was just no way that a player that was this skilled could have stayed hidden for so long without anyone noticing at all.

Guilds would be rushing head over heels to actually recruit him into their guild, or to join him just like how the two girls had joined Kirito.

Speaking of Kirito, there wasn't two girls with him now. Fuse had been invited by Heathcliff to join his new guild – The Knights of the Blood and after much deliberation; she had accepted the invitation.

According to Argo, Kirito had been surprised by Fuse leaving but hadn't been too concerned about that, Asuna however was torn between happiness for her friend in being invited to join KoB, feeling guilty that she had not joined together with her or being happy that she could be alone with Kirito (Argo's words).

Correction – The three of them had been offered a place in Heathcliff's new guild along with some of the better smaller parties that hadn't formed a guild with.

Kirito and Asuna had been the only two to refuse Heathcliff's offer, which was disappointing for Heathcliff as he had personally asked for the three of them before the strategy session on the 26th floor boss raid.

..

Right, Keima was going out of topic here. As odd as Heathcliff was, Keima had dismissed the player's skill and ability as having a player of such skill participating in the floor raid was something to be happy about. With such a powerful player, the odds of all of them actually clearing the game without any casualty wasn't such a pipe dream.

But it was the 25th floor that almost broke the duck, the floor boss was terrifying powerful and the scouts that had been sent to test the waters had barely made it out of there alive with teleport crystals.

There was just no scouting that boss without throwing groups of scouts at it and retreating from it almost instantly. It was like playing the most dangerous game of tag, one touch and you're out.

The mood was somber on the strategy session and Keima had to rally almost all of the clearer group to attack in waves to take the floor boss. That strategy would have worked, but something else had happened to make that strategy moot.

Heathcliff had been able to hold off the beast seemingly by himself, matching it blow for blow till someone had decided to throw caution to the wind and joined him in the assault.

The second player had been Kirito, the Beater and he was good enough to push the boss back with his attacks together with Heathcliff. Since Kirito was already in the fray, Fuse and Asuna had jumped in too without hesitation and between the four of them had turned the tide of battle for the other clearer groups to dogpile the boss and to take it down.

A single person influencing the tide of battle was just insane, and impossible. Either Heathcliff was so cocky and confident that he didn't believe he'll lose or that was an exhibition of his skills. If anything, Keima thought that Heathcliff deserved the title of Beater much more than Kirito did. It was just insane.

And Heathcliff with his new guild named Knights of The Blood were recruiting the cream of the crop of players from many of the guilds and it looked as if it was able to take on the role that Dylas had suggested to Keima so many months before.

Perhaps it was marking the start of the consolidation of the clearer groups as one similar to the support core. It could be a good thing, it could also be a disaster in the making. If the power scales tip too much…

'… I can't see the ending here.'

Keima whispered to himself before taking his leave, catching up to Argo who was waiting patiently for him at the exit.

/

For Argo it had been a very stressful few months, though not because she was overworked. She was always overworked but now she had a genuine reason to actually be overworked and she was happy that she was contributing to clear the game like how her sister had said that she would. She never doubted her for a moment, no, it was the other person that she was making her stressed out.

Katsuragi Keima, the Capturing God.

He had been as good as his word when it came to his promise and in many other ways one could argue that he has surpassed what he was expected to do in the first place.

Honestly Argo had not imagined the impact the two of them had in SAO from the first month onwards. It was Keima who had insisted that they would need a guild if they wished to change the world. Argo had no such desire, she prided herself to be the best information dealer.

But that didn't mean that she was so ambitious or had ever imagined that she would be an architect of how SAO had developed over the past few months. It was nearing half a year since the death game had started and things were nothing like they were before.

They had not lost a single person to floor raids, and although there were a few deaths, one could argue that all things considered, in a world where they were surrounded by things who could kill them easily, they were remarkably safe. People died in unexpected ways, by drowning after slipping into a river by accident to being killed after being shoved off a five storey building by accident or just getting killed in the floor by being overconfident.

But Argo was confident in saying that all the deaths so far was accidental, they could not have prevented them unless they could predict the future. One could argue that Argo was blowing her own horn, but it was also the undisputed truth. They had successfully revolutionized SAO from the bottom up and they were the mover and shaker of the world.

Meizun had said that Keima would go far, he would change SAO and he done so.

That pressured Argo due to the secret that she held in her heart. It was a secret that she had not told Keima yet and one that she should tell Keima about very soon.

She had even stopped reminding him about Meizun, Argo had more or less forgiven him about causing her sister's death. It was, not fair of her to blame it on him fully but initially without any target for her ire, she had choose Keima to be the fall guy. Now though, Argo had to deal with the fallout of keeping the most important fact of Meizun's death.

She was hurt badly when her sister died, and all reminders of her made it even more painful. But now, whenever she heard Keima whisper something to himself about Meizun. Keima was pining for her sister, it made her heart ache just a little bit more to know that fact. It was a very complicated situation, even more than Keima could imagine and it all fell on her shoulders to tell him the truth, eventually.

Yes, eventually... but then, when was she going to spill the truth to him? Argo did not know, and just like that made herself even more flustered than before. Who ever knew that there was information that Argo the Rat can't sell by herself.

'I do not trust him.'

Keima spoke softly to Argo as the day winded down, it had been another busy day but a standard one. Standard as in they were working themselves ragged to process all the information that had been passed upwards to the two of them to be vetted and disseminated by Nezumi. Keima was reading the bulk of the information, filtering and filing them away in his mental cabinets for processing while deciding what to do with them.

Argo had prided herself of having a near perfect memory only to find that Keima was similar to her but he was so much more than that, he was the Capturing God. Besides having an almost perfect memory, his IQ and intelligence was off the charts. Being able to analyse, come up with realistic scenarios with raw data was just the tip of the ice-berg for Keima. He was able to link unrelated items together in real life applications and was focused to a fault, if he wanted to do something, he'll get the job down, regardless of what was needed or expected to be done.

And right now the only issue that Keima could be referring to was the player known as Heathcliff. He was definitely a game changer, an individual who had changed the landscape of SAO single handedly like how Keima had done so before him.

That act itself was worthy of respect from Keima – and he would have given it to him if not for the fact that Keima could find nothing about him.

'No one could go off the grid for as long as he did and be as skilled as he is. I've read through all the reports of the players who participated in the raid, it is possible that Heathcliff had figured out the pattern of the attack in the middle of battle. Kirito did the same after all, but being able to hold the boss back by just himself is just pushing the limits of what we know of SAO.'

Keima calmly looked up to stare at Argo, the Rat nodded her head and the third person that Keima invited over agreed.

It was Dylas, the fist-user had been one of the few individuals who had rejected Heathcliff's offer to join him in his new guild that Heathcliff had invited personally.

'The boss's attack value was around what we expected it to be, our tanks could tank it for a bit, but Heathcliff's built was just... it's not possible. He was able to damage it at a rate that was similar to Kirito-kun. We all know his built was one tailored to deal as much damage as possible and was heavily skewed towards the speed and attack. He'll have to be much higher levelled to be able to deal or take as much damage as he was able to in that few seconds where he was kiting the boss by himself.'

Dylas had been the third person to join in the attack after Kirito but he had been one of the players who were supposed to use hit-and-run tactics due to the nature of his weapon.

A fist user had to get in close to deal damage, but it was a dangerous affair to do so with a boss monster. Thankfully fist users also had special skills that allowed them to still be viable in a boss raid. This consisted of special skills that ignored the monster's defence, or a totally devastating single attack that could be done at a quarter of the time needed for a hammer skill.

They were like very fragile glass cannons and would normally only step in when the boss was fully occupied. Dylas was taking a huge risk in stepping in, but had been been crucial to raise the morale of the clearers when he landed a clean hit that took a significant chunk out of the boss's HP bar.

Dylas even managed to get the last hit bonus by sheer luck, but his skill with the fist was undisputed.

'… I concur... Heathcliff he is changing SAO by himself. If it was a normal occurrence I would encourage it as I feel that this is the limit to what Nezumi could do to guide the players of SAO. Aincrad is now safe, too safe... I'm afraid.'

Keima frowned as he leaned backwards on his chair before speaking again. Dylas was unsure as to what Keima meant while Argo kept her silence as she wasn't sure if she was right.

'Isn't being safe good? I mean, that's the whole point of Nezumi providing the news and info about Aincrad? It's to clear the game safely, right?'

'Not quite, Dylas-kun. Well, that's one of the reasons that Keima-kun is doing this, but that's not the only reason.'

Argo milked the silence for a few minutes before she waved her hands in the eye in a fanfare fashion.

'It's to ensure society doesn't collapse! Tadah~ Isn't that a great reason?'

Dylas facefaulted while Keima simply scoffed to himself, he didn't like Argo to milk the situation in that fashion. He wasn't trying to do that, it was just a useful side effect of his actions, that's all!

'Everyone is used to law and order, a world with established rules, human rights and ways of enforcing those rules on everyone. That is the true meaning of peace and stability. Here in Aincrad, there's nothing like that holding us back. We are brought back into a more primal stage of human civilisation.'

Keima added on softly while Argo just commented that he was being extra melodramatic for the sake of it.

'Regardless of whether I am emphasizing the problem here, Argo, the truth is that up till now I am still abhorrent to the idea that there should be one single clearer group... even amongst the support core the power of influence is spread between Nezumi, the Merchant's Guild and Atelier.'

Dylas nodded in understanding, he had been one of the few who had suggested to Keima multiple times to take charge and chair the strategy meeting for each floor as Keima had almost always had something to comment or pick on the clearer's plans.

He wasn't an MMORPG player but was still able to provide pinpoint scrutiny to all the more experienced player's plans. It was his ability that made Dylas believe that if Keima took charge of the entire operation, from support to clearing – SAO would be cleared with no causalities.

But Keima refused time and time again without any explanation given. However this time, when there was a competitor to that 'position', Keima was finding himself uneasy? That was a good opportunity to push Keima onto the hot seat!

'And what changed the status quo, Keima?'

Argo's mouth opened in a 'o' shape as she remarked that Dylas had hit the hammer on the head.

'Bingo! The status quo! That's the word I was searching for!'

Keima did not roll his eyes but Dylas did as he rubbed a hand through his hair too at the theatrics that Argo had to go through with this entire meeting.

'That support group's status quo is maintained by Nezumi, The Merchant's Guild and Atelier. As long as the three major powers do not make a move on each other or another group doesn't challenge the current system, it would be the established and 'right' way to share and trade information and materials.'

Argo waved a finger cheekily to emphasize.

'The clearer group too has their own status quo. It was maintained, sorta, by the bigger guilds and entry to the strategy meeting was invitation only. Meaning that only the guilds with the reputation and power recognized by either the clearers or the support group could call and chair a meeting. In many ways, that's what Keima had wanted. A situation where the clearer guilds had to have the support of the support guild anyway to proceed with any big moves.

There was the case where there were multiple strategy meetings held at the lower levels, but as the whole group progressed, a pattern emerge where the biggest guild – 'The Divine Dragon Alliance' would call and advertise for a Strategy Meeting after the scouts of Nezumi released information on the floor boss.

They were the biggest and although sometimes threw their weight around, followed the rules and were decent in their treatment of the support guild and other players.

Without trying, the support group's under Keima's command was directing the way players led their lives. It was what Keima wanted as he was a guide, not a dictator.

Surely Keima had considered it, that his actions were dictating the actions of the others as well even if he might not mean for it to happen. He was the Capturing God, he would have, so why did he not try to take a formal position as the leader of all of the players within SAO?

'If you're worried about the Heathcliff trying to consolidate power within the clearer group, why don't you mount a challenge for a position within the clearers, Keima?'

'Because he'll be overworked.'

Argo cut in the conversation and smiled triumphantly when Keima did not rebut her statement. Dylas blinked before he groaned, scratching his head and conceding that point.

'Point, really point there. So... now what?'

'Whoever Heathcliff is. I do not trust him. His... is the second coming of Aincrad. The first happened with the formation of Nezumi... and now, the coming of Heathcliff... It could be a good thing, the status quo creates complacent and encourages people to go against the floor if the world is too stagnant. Even within SAO... human nature could not be easily judged, compared or predicted. That's why the real is such an annoyance and should

never be mapped.'

Keima muttered the last statement to himself, Argo heard it and choked in an attempt to hide her own amusement at his words.

'In any rate, it's best to observe what Heathcliff wished to establish with his new guild. We are the counter balances to the clearer group, for better or for worse, let's work together.'

Keima ended the meeting abruptly as he received a message, one that made him smile a little bitterly. It was from someone that he had not expected to ask for a meeting all of a sudden, much less a private one. So it had started already.

'Looks like it's beginning... Shall we go, Argo?'

Keima asked softly while forwarding the mail to Argo. The Rat did not disappoint as she did not even read the message before jumping up and following his lead. Keima smiled at the response, the two of them might have not gone off the right foot, or agreed with the same things. But now that the two of them had worked for so long together, Keima appreciated Argo's skill and ability the same way the mousey girl did to him.

He might not have earned forgiveness, but he had earned respect, loyalty and acceptance.

Keima never imagined it might end up this way, but now that he did. He had never been good with human interaction, but with Argo being his partner, he had no choice but to do so.

So there he was, the Capturing God, dealing with the problems of the real that he could not fix before.

'Such misfortune.'

With a catch phrase that was not his, the magician of words was flanked by his partner, the Rat, escorting Dylas out of their guild headquarters and heading for their rendezvous.