The Captive Swordsman

Chapter 14— A Game

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Original Title: Sword Art Online(ソードアート・オンライン)

Original Concept by: Kawahara Reki

written by: wrathie

Author's Notes: Thank you, bowpurity for the beta!

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'I must admit that I thought it would be harder in the game.'

The Salamander player, Klein checked his equipment and stats even as he frowned at the equipment that he had on hand. Beside him, the members of the Fuurinkazen shared his own disappointment. His fingers shaking in front of the delete button uneasily, the moment he did this, all of his hard earned equipment would be gone. At least it was only his armour and weapons, if he had to lose all of his accessories he would really cry in despair.

Still, he had time to come to grasp with the situation after Asuna sent the memo to all of them last night, Klein hadn't even thought of that possibility and he had logged in to ALO with his character after reading about it.

True to Asuna's words, all of his stats, skills as well as well as inventory had been transferred over. It seemed that maybe this entire mission wasn't that impossible after all, especially since he had persuaded the entire Furinkazen to join him in this endeavour. It hadn't been too hard actually, the hard part was meeting up in a common place after entering the game.

Having an entire party of Salamanders was not ideal, even if it might help the Salamander race for they were very powerful warriors in their own right. The sad part was how they couldn't really cast spells like other Salamanders and had to perform the forward roles. Not that Klein minded, but there were a individuals within his guild that wanted to take on different roles like the gnomes and even the Spriggans.

'Well, time to head off to the meeting point at any rate.'

After taking one more breath and disposing of the now unidentified items, Klein grumbled before calling the few guys that were with him that it was time to move out to meet the others.

He'd know that Asuna would be happy to have more than one ally in the game itself. Now to actually get used to the game and snope around the place for a bit.

'Just wait for us, Kirito, we'll bust your ass out of this place soon.'

Klein headed straight for a weapon shop to purchase a better weapon than this piece of junk short sword that he was given. He just hoped that Asuna would actually give them enough warning for him to actually be able to help her.

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'Hmm... This looks good too.'

Lisbeth wandered around the materials market with an eager smile on her face. Like Klein, she had logged in the moment she heard of the news and even though it was quite intimidating, she had chosen to meet up with Agil in one of the neutral cities between the two races. It was also thankful that the Gnomes had a decent relationship with the Leprechaun, the race that she had chosen to pick after finding out that they were the weapon crafters of the game along with the Gnomes of course.

Due to their nature, with Gnomes focusing more on armours and Leprechauns on weapons, it had made sense for the two of them to try and work together to see if they could make some better weapons for their and their friend's use in the upcoming conflict.

It certainly didn't help that the two of them might had to destroy all of their hard work before they could even start gathering the materials to actually start filling their inventories again.

Thankfully their crafting tools were still usable, making it not a complete loss so far. But how to mass produce weapons, that was the challenge.

'What about this recipe here?'

Agil asked patiently as the two of them scrutinized the list that one of their allies had actually prepared for them in the game, the problem was amassing enough materials to equip all the new players into the game with decent armor and weapons without bankrupting the two of them.

'Well we can ask for compensation from them if we need fresh funds, right, Agil-san?'

'Transactions have to be done face to face, and seeing how all of us are split all over the place...It's not going to be that easy.'

Agil commented even as he scratched the back of his head at the difficulty of his task. What made the matter worse was that he wasn't sure how and what he should be planning for. Should he plan for a prolonged presence here? Would this be a simple grab and run, meaning that it was only a short-term investment? Or would they be continuing their stay in ALO after this whole incident was over?

As a merchant as well as an experienced MMORPG player, he was aware of the market forces involved in any game, and that meant that even with his purchasing power right now, a wrong buy could cripple their efforts in the future.

That meant Agil had to be more cautious and conscious with his purchases as well as investment in the game, it wouldn't do for him to blow all his money on items that would only last for a short time and leave him broke if they decided to continue playing in ALO.

Sure, it would be possible for him to actually build his resources again in the event of that happening, but it would still be a major setback for him in the future.

'Wait, what am I thinking about?'

Agil cursed suddenly when he realized that he was actually placing his own needs above those of the groups, which perhaps wasn't what was important right now. The Japanese have always been one who placed group over self, but in SAO, that kind of mindset would get one killed if one wasn't careful.

Even if he looked gruff, and he certainly wasn't the cheapest equipment seller, he had to make a living after all! Agil prided himself in actually planning for the long term and being a reasonable merchant in SAO. That was also one of the reasons he had been able to maintain his shop while getting to quite a high level himself in SAO.

The girl besides him, Lisbeth, plied in a similar trade to him, although she a blacksmith rather than a merchant like him. Agil honestly wasn't that good with crafting equipment, his expertise came from knowledge of the trends in the market to take advantage. The modus operation of all merchants always had been: 'Buy Low, Sell High' after all. As a source of much needed liquidity of Col and with a reputable reputation, Agil had been able to build his business.

He was aware of Lisbeth as well, she was one of the more successful blacksmiths operating in SAO, and unlike other female blacksmiths, by itself was a rarity since female players never did adapt to the situation as much as their counterparts. Lisbeth did craft all of her equipment by herself and not with NPCs and she took pride with it!

She was no doubt the highest level female blacksmith in the game due to her participation in smaller raids with Asuna and the Knights of the Blood. That itself impressed him and he found her to be a very agreeable and strong willed woman. She had to actually be like that, to deal with the many unreasonable players who might patron her shop.

Agil also find it ironic that he became acquaintances with Lisbeth probably due to Kirito as well, the Black Swordsman was like a magnet for strong, female players, the famed dressmaker of SAO was also a fan of Kirito as well.

So when Lisbeth contacted him about a proposal to join forces to start anew in SAO, he had grudgingly agreed that it would be a good idea. Even now as the two of them scrutinized the material purchase list, he still thought it was a good idea.

'Argh... this is not working. How many sets should we prepare anyway?'

Lisbeth obviously thought otherwise as she rubbed a hand through her pink hair in agony. Agil hadn't been surprised to know that the first thing Lisbeth had done was to actually search for means to actually recover her appearances in ALO. He had done the same so it wasn't something to be embarrassed about.

What made it hard for Agil to accept was the price for pink hair dye, it had been horribly expensive and he had been forced to listen to Lisbeth complain about market inflation and all that.

'I think ten sets should be a good target now. But we might also need to prepare a wide variety of sets so that we don't neglect a particular play style. Asuna-san is a light armour player with a preference for rapiers yes? And since both of us favor heavier equipment and armour, we might need to prepare different sets of equipment as well.'

Agil offered her a patient smile even as Lisbeth nodded in agreement.

'Well, I guess we should start by seeing if our skills did carry over and whether the same crafting methods work. I found some easier recipes that we can test on.'

When Agil said that he had done some research as well, Lisbeth flashed him a V-sign for victory before following him to purchase the materials that they needed to work on their latest project.

..

'Coming back to the game was not part of the assignment dear.'

Yulier smiled at her lover and fiancee, Thinker even as he continued fiddling with the display console in a bid to familiarize himself with it.

'At least we are sure it has a log-out button.'

Thinker mused absent-mindedly but he winced when Yulier slapped the back of his head in annoyance. Talking about that subject was taboo and even if it they might be called superstitious, it was something that they couldn't quite ignore as an irrational fear.

Being trapped in a game for nearly two years was no joke after all, but at least the two of them were together, that made it much easier for the two of them to deal with the anxiety and fear of ever using a Nervegear ever again.

The two of them had given their word that they would help the couple who had helped them to be together, especially since it might be a conspiracy that might actually be related to human experimentation, the absolutely trampling of human rights!

As a journalist and one with a great sense of justice, Thinker couldn't and wouldn't allow himself to stay safe if there was something he could do about it. That was one of the reasons that he actually created the [Aincrad Liberation Force] after all, to help people.

Yulier agreed with him and now the two of them were in the capital city of the Undine Race. The first thing was of course to establish communication lines, something that had to be done by inviting as well as sending invitation requests to keep track of all individuals that had offered their help to Asuna-san and Kirito-kun.

'It might take a while to invite and to get replies from everyone. Are you sure you want to stay with me? You could get a leg start start learning the ropes of the system...'

Thinker asked his fiance patiently even as he methodically went through the system menu, the help menu while sending out invitations to be added into his friend list. As the moderator of the forum and as an ex-leader of the biggest guild in SAO, he was used to establishing communications and sending instructions. Even if that might not be necessary now, it didn't hurt to build up contacts in any game.

What's better was that this was even relevant to his job as the website administrator of MMO Online, a website dedicated to the publication of news and information in the VRMMORPG industry. What's interesting was that it was like what the group had discussed, the system, dynamics, the interface and everything else was almost identical to SAO on the surface.

Thinker had even considered how he could possibly hire a few of those members that had gone through the source code within his small start-up, they would surely be an asset in his team when they needed some technical experience.

They were all fellow members of Aincrad, an experience and way of life that only ten thousand of them shared and that shared experience was something that compelled all of them to help each other along the way. It was something that perhaps wasn't really shared by all of them, Kibaou was a good example, but the group that had been gathered and invited by Asuna-san surely believed in that sentiment.

All of them had been touched by that young man, Kirito, and he would do all that he could to save him who had saved all of them. If not for him he would surely have died in SAO, or perhaps had lost Yulier in that game... which would have broken him.

'It's fine, we can experiment together. But maybe it'll be good to get some information from the NPCs around us as well. I'll be right back.'

Yulier leaned close to give him a peck on his cheek before leaving to speak with the NPCs in the cafe that they had chosen to regroup and to sort the information out.

'… Maybe I am getting a little old for this?'

Thinker commented when there was suddenly an influx of messages, invitation confirmations as well as many instructions and questions to be answered out of the blue. Guess the group that had gathered to help out was bigger than he thought.

No matter, this was something that he could do, he might as well put his all into it.

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'And that player is from the Gnome Race. It's not uncommon to see them around the area, it is a good place to hunt for materials after all.'

Asuna commented as the two of them made their way inside the cave leading into Lugloo. The two of them had spotted a group of players engaging each other inside the cave a little way in, the party consisted of players from the Gnomes and the Spriggan Races, probably here to mine for materials when they clashed with one another.

'Fighting other players is encouraged in ALO after all, but even if Sakuya-san and Sigurd-san says that players should always support their races, I've seen parties where different races actually party together. The Sylph, I'm not defending what my fellow Sylph players or anything but... well, some players aren't as tolerant as others when it comes to other races... but we are all players, we have a right to do what we want, right?'

Leafa explained nervously even as they left the two player groups to continue with their fight with each other. Although the animosity between the Sylph and the Salamanders was famous, it was a sentiment that was shared only among the top players. Leafa had seen lower levelled players from the two races getting along with each other as well, even forming parties together like she had said. Ironically the two races were actually quite suited to party with each other. The Salamanders were great fighters, their magical and physical skills more suited than any class for purely doing damage. The Sylphs on the other hand were a race who focused on the swiftness of movement and their magical spells and strategies correlated with that. Opposites attract and they compensated for each other tremendously.

It was also common for players to actually join the game together, and so it wasn't that uncommon to imagine that there were friends who would choose different races.

Leafa just hoped that Sigurd wasn't in the majority in his obvious race-oriented politics, that would be quite saddening. Leafa understood and agreed with Asuna's beliefs that players were human, and they should be respected and treated as equals.

Funny she hadn't really minded the strict expectations of a Sylph player until Asuna showed up and told them that it was wrong, habit was a dangerous thing after all.

'Asuna-san?'

Turning back, Leafa was surprised to see Asuna still staring at the two group of players engaging with each other. She wasn't worried that they would attack them after their fight was over, even if the fighting was vicious and hard the two groups obviously didn't start a fight by picking for one, there was no anger or viciousness in their attacks. It was like a mass duel than anything else and she could even see some of them chuckling and giving quarter to their counterparts.

How she wished that was more common, but the fact was that some players like Sigurd, placed power over any other value in the game, so it was helplessly naïve to think that all players would be so... human to others.

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'Leafa-chan?'

Asuna spoke up suddenly when the blonde girl was walking towards her and Leafa raised an eyebrow to see Asuna looking anxiously behind them, still focused on the players even as she tugged at her sleeve to get her attention.

Yui, who was in Asuna's pocket poked her head out of it to look at her Mama too, her expression curious as Asuna spoke again.

'Something has been bothering me for a while. I... I... I just want to know before we meet someone else again...'

Asuna clutched her own arm even as her right hand fiddled with her rapier uncertainly, the look of unease was enough to make Leafa tense slightly even as she waited patiently for her.

'It's... really okay, to... PK, right?'

'PK? What do you mean, Asuna-san?'

'Player-kill. I know that I did one to Sigurd, but... that was during a duel... but is it really okay to... PK here?'

It sounds silly after what Asuna had done to the Salamander Patrol the day before, and Leafa was about to remind her of that when Yui replied instead, her expression sombre as she spoke.

'Mama, you have to remember that this is not SAO. Mama had never killed someone in SAO... Mama wouldn't, because you are too kind. I... I saw what happened to Mama and Papa that time Papa killed someone for Mama.'

That was something that Leafa wasn't aware of as she looked at the two of them. The two of them were whispering now, but Leafa still panicked, looking around her to see if they could be overheard even as she walked towards the two of them.

'I... I didn't... I just couldn't do it. Even if it was right for me to do it, if I didn't... if Kirito-kun didn't, he would have killed the two of us... But then, I couldn't, even if I know... I couldn't... only Kirito-kun could do it...'

Asuna was shaking now, her head lowered so that Leafa couldn't really see what she looked like. What had brought this conversation all of a sudden anyway? Was it something that they did? Or was it something that she saw?

'Why...the sudden question, Asuna-san?'

'… I... don't want to lose my nerve when I... fight someone. It's different in a duel... and when that Salamander Patrol had ambushed us, I just wanted to know whether I was as good as I was before, I didn't.. really, want to kill them. And Sigurd-san just made me so mad that I just... I just...'

Leafa would comment that Asuna was much better than that but I would be interrupting her, and so she kept quiet while letting Asuna speak again.

'But now... seeing all of them fight. It's not... I'm reminded that it's not a matter of life and death any more... it never was here, and I'm treating like it is...'

Asuna shook her head even as Leafa looked confused. She wouldn't understand, how could she understand? She wasn't there, in SAO, she would never know the burden that she and her comrades, friends and the fallen felt.

'Agil-san was right... It's... too easy.'

'Too easy?'

Leafa seemed to take offence at that as she narrowed her eyes at what Asuna was saying.

'It's too easy to win a game where one doesn't die... I... we, all of you won't understand it... It's not fair me to say that it's too easy... but, Leafa-san... I...'

Asuna was about to say something when she suddenly pause, her eyes widening even as she tackled Leafa fully, ramming her body into the other girl to get out of harms way. It was a good thing too as fireballs rained down on where they were standing on earlier, blasting and kicking up dirt into the air.

'Someone else is here.'

Asuna declared even as she raised her rapier into the ready position even as Leafa tried to regain her bearings as well.

'The Salamanders?'

Leafa asked uncertainly even as she tried to get used to the darkness again after being blinded by the fireballs earlier on.

'Probably... Were we followed?'

Asuna asked tensely even as she looked for their attackers, the cloud of dust not allowing her to see and she urgently asked Yui if she could help.

'There's another group of players, Mama! They are attacking the other groups too!'

Asuna's eyes widened at the news and she looked at Leafa, who was unsheathing her sword as well.

'Looks like another group was taking advantage of the situation... Should we run?'

Asuna asked even as Leafa shook her head, pointing her sword at their attackers with an unhappy expression on her face.

'No, we fight... And Asuna-san.'

Leafa looked and sounded unhappy, this was another subject that she utterly disagreed with Asuna, and one that might actually destroy any chance that they might reconcile, if not for the fact that Asuna had let it drop that her onii-chan had killed someone.

And that it was because she couldn't. She needed answers, and unfortunately, this wasn't the time now. When was it the right time then? When Leafa got rid of this cowardly band of attackers.

'Please take that back. ALO... is not easy.'

Leafa almost snarled as she dashed forward, going at almost full speed towards one of their attackers and letting him eat cold steel with a slash that Asuna could barely follow with her eyes. Leafa attack came out of nowhere, just like how they had been attacked, and even if Asuna knew that, it made her feel a little sick and afraid inside.

If this was SAO, could Leafa had attacked like that? Would she have attacked without hesitation knowing it was a life that she was killing just like that?

This was not SAO, this was ALO and this was a world where no one would die if they were killed. But old habits were hard to break, and Asuna found herself doubting and hesitating when she should not have.

In the lull of battle, that could be fatal and if not for Yui screaming at her Mama to watch out, Asuna might have been killed by the reply from the Salamanders who fired off bolts of fire at them again.

'…'

Raising her rapier into the ready position, Asuna looked at the players who were aiming for her and swallowed nervously. They must have seen how she hesitated, and she herself knew that they won't hesitate to kill her to gain the EXP to grow stronger.

Even if the thought sickened her, Asuna tried to remind herself that this was not SAO, this was a game, this wasn't survival... But that was wrong, wasn't it? If she was not prepared to fight to the death, it would be her who would fall in battle before everyone else.

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'Mama! They are coming!'

Yui's warning made it possible for her to dodge the first thrust that the Salamander guards launched at her, his spear slicing the air where she was earlier. Asuna found herself staring at the eyes of the man who had tried to kill her and found it lacking.

This was a game after all, and to him, she was just an enemy, someone who wasn't real, and even if they were real, wouldn't be hurt if they died. This was a game, a game! The problem was that Asuna doesn't play games, and neither did Kirito-kun.

Each strike, each attack that she had unleashed on their foes was burdened with the reality of their situation. That their very lives hinged on the HP bar that was now still displayed at the top of their vision.

Once it hits zero, it was all over... to them, it was a game, not to Asuna and if this was the standard of the opposition that stood in their way, Asuna shouldn't be regretful of what she would do to them.

'… Linear.'

Asuna answered flatly even as her rapier flashed forward, slashing the Salamander player's side perfectly once, and then twice, and then three times in repeat succession, raining slashes on either side of the player so fast that it was like showers of light on him.

She might have lost her nerve briefly, but that was fine. It was fine, she had to prove a point... just like how Leafa was proving her point now by single handedly dispatching yet another Salamander player and coming to the aid of the group of Spriggan and Gnome players that was being besieged by the Salamanders.

'This is not a game to me. Never a game. Never... a game.'

Asuna replied darkly even as she finished the first foe off before he could even turn to meet her for face to face, his form dissipating to showers of light before turning to meet the other one.

'Perhaps I'm taking this a bit too seriously for all of you... why don't we see whether we are right.'

Asuna tilted her head to the side questioningly with a smile on her face, and for some reason that was enough to cause the player to shiver in fright.

Author's Notes: If there's anything you feel is not close to canon, do feel free to inform me.

Thanks!