TheKaiSenpai doesn't own SAO or anything else used here, and this is just something he does when he's bored.

XXXXX

Chapter 4: Love is Blind

[Floor Twenty-Six] [Caluso, Town Hall] [February 18th, 2023] [11:24 AM] [TheKaiSenpai]

Bored, that's what I was. I was sitting in a massive room with high windows and tropically painted walls. The floor was a white tile, and the table in front of me was a dark oak. The seats were comfortable at least, being plush and soft. Surrounding the table were the [GM's] who would be partaking of the [Floor Boss Raid]. As the [GM] of the first [Guild] to ever partake in a [Raid], I was seated at the head of the table. In seats above us, surrounding the room on balconies, the remaining [Clearers] not associated with a [Guild] sat, intently waiting for our meeting to start. We were, however, waiting for our final guest, the representative of the [Howling Samurai]. I was sure that it would be FieldReaper43 again, the [Guild's] Vice-Commander. She was fairly agreeable, and was lax in her approach to the game. Overall a nice girl, if a bit young.

Around the table were the other [GM's] from almost every major [Guild] in the game. Starting from my left and working clockwise, there was MechManiC, from the [Roaring Dragons]. It was a fairly small [Guild] with only ten members, but they hit harder than most their size. Next to him was Noire, from the [Shadow Clan]. She actually had the smallest [Guild] in the room, only composed of herself and five of her friends. They were fairly good, but more for [Support] than [DPS] or [Tanking]. Beside her was an empty chair reserved for the [Howling Samurai]. Next to the chair was where Kibaou from the [Aincrad Liberation Force] once sat, but after their crushing defeat with the [Floor Twenty-Five] [Boss], he'd pulled back to the [First Floor]. Instead, he'd been replaced by the [GM] of the [Knights of the Blood Oath], Heathcliff, a [Guild] that had existed since the start of the game, but was only recently feeling confident enough to join the [Clearers]. Beside Heathcliff and myself sat Kirito, who was a guest of the 'Council' due to his large contributions to [Boss Raids]. He was an annoying prick, though.

"As incredibly exciting as it is sitting around doing nothing," Kirito groaned from his seat. "Can we just start already? I can feel myself decaying into nothing in the real world."

"Patience, Kirito," Heathcliff tried to keep the boy placated. I'm sure Reaper has a good reason for being late."

"For over a half hour!?" the resident 'Black Swordsman' protested. "Seriously, it took less time for the old man here to take a shit than it's been taking this idiot to get here!" Kirito was thumbing towards Heathcliff, much to the older man's ire.

"Chill, dude," MechManiC chuckled. "It's not like the rest of us have anywhere to be. The meeting's scheduled for the full day, we'll be fine!"

"Uuuuugh!" Kirito slammed his face into the table. Kirito's groaning, however, was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

"Finally, now we can-" Noire started, only to freeze after she had turned to look at who'd entered. My own eyes were wide with surprise. It was the man I hadn't seen in over two months!

"Sorry I'm late," DaTa spoke smoothly. Damn, his voice was like butter, all creamy and delicious! "I was… held up. But rest assured, it will not happen again." In my head I was translating what he said into English. He had a British accent. Fancy as fuck. He was dressed up in expensive looking armor, the kind you'd find off of a [Dungeon Boss], and his normally messy black hair was pulled back into a short tail.

"Ah, I must assume you are the true Commander of the [Howling Samurai]?" Heathcliff asked DaTa, garnering a nod from the boy as he sat directly across from me. He was leaned forward, and had his hands clasped together as they rested on the table. His eyes shone with a firmness to them that was missing the last time I'd seen him. But I knew he had it in him.

"I am," DaTa replied. "My name is DaTa, and I thank you all for inviting my [Guild] to join the [Clearers]. I apologize for being unable to partake in recent meetings, as I've been rather busy." I noticed that Noire was giving the boy a complex look.

"Enough with the chit-chat, let's do this already!" Kirito shouted. They all turned to me.

"As [Raid Commander], I now declare that this [Guild Master] and [Boss Raid] meeting has begun," I started, looking over each of the leaders. "I will now take roll call, please respond with 'here' to announce your presence. MechManiC."

"Here."

"Noire."

"Here."

"DaTa."

"Here."

"Heathcliff."

"Here."

"Kirito."

"I'm here, retard," Kirito growled. I sighed, straightening the many papers settled in front of me. This would be a long meeting…

"Due to the nature of this meeting, I would like for the following guests to acknowledge their presence," I continued. "Thinker, of the [Aincrad Liberation Force]."

"Here," a masculine voice called from the balcony. He was a tall man, dressed in modest green clothing and with messy salt and pepper hair. Thinker had a rather nerdy look to him. He was lanky, probably not the best man for fighting. I knew him well, though, as he was quite the excellent tactician.

"Klein, from [Fuurinkazan]," I announced.

"Here!" the fiery redhead replied, a wide smile on his face. I liked him, he was a cool guy.

"As all members are present, I declare this meeting to order," I announced. I laid down the papers in my hands. "Our first issue is that of the rising cases of death, despite the game having been going on for several months now. While some are explained away by sheer bad luck and people being idiots, we can't afford to keep losing our population like this. Does anyone know its causes?"

"What you said is exactly it," DaTa spoke up. "They're idiots. They're overestimating themselves and throwing themselves into danger. Since this jackass," DaTa pointed to Kirito, "was doing so well as a solo player, everyone thinks they can be the second 'Black Swordsman'."

"Hey, it's not my fault they aren't as good as me!" Kirito defended himself. "Perfection like mine is nearly impossible to achieve!"

"Incredibly misplaced ego aside, it's still causing a lot of death among players," Noire interjected. "We can't just keep letting them throw themselves out there!"

"But we can't really tell them what to do, can we?" MechManiC asked. "I mean, we aren't their parents. They don't hafta listen to us."

"But we can't do nothing!" Klein added from the balcony, leaning over the railing. "If we do nothing, we're just letting people die!"

"We make an announcement then. Fliers," Heathcliff suggested. "We make it obvious that it's unsafe to go alone, and to take at least one other person in a [Party] before leaving a [Safe Zone]."

"That sounds good," Noire nodded in agreement. "At least then they have some sort of information."

"Information and suggestions without knowing the risks are near worthless," DaTa argued. "If they're going to listen to anyone, then they need to know that their lives are in jeopardy being alone. Just telling them isn't enough."

"He makes a good point," I spoke up. "Gamers are incredibly stubborn. DaTa can attest to this; that gamers hate changing the way they play, especially if it works for them. We can tell these people to [Party] up all we want, but unless we give them a reason to believe it benefits them much more than playing solo, they won't."

"Well, your [Drop Rates] and [EXP Gain] increase with the more [Party Members] you have," MechManiC said. "Maybe convince them with that?"

"Are you kidding me?" Kirito scoffed. "The increases are pathetic! I've been solo this entire game and I'm still at a higher [Level] than all of you!" The meeting went on like that, with every issue brought up being debated upon by the Council and its guests. It went on for the entire day until everything was wrapped up in the evening.

"As Head Moderator of this meeting, I declare it adjourned."

XXXXX

[Floor Twenty-Six] [Caluso, Tiki Tropicale] [February 18th, 2023] [7:21 PM] [Asuna]

"And then he just hits me!" Kirito cried, slamming his fist onto the table. Ever since the [Teleport Gate] for this [Floor] had opened, we'd been meeting here in the evenings to eat together every so often. We'd come across each other by accident, but since DaTa had disappeared once more, I decided I needed some company that wasn't part of the [Guild]. Godfree was alright, but… he was kind of eccentric and weird. "I'm like, 'what the hell man!?' And he was like, 'Pay attention when DaTa is talking'. Oh, right so the leader of the [Howling Samurai] is some bag of douches named DaTa. Complete sissy. Bet he couldn't kill a boar."

"W-Wait, DaTa is here!?" I exclaimed, standing up quickly. Kirito nearly fell back out of his chair.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down there, ginger snaps," he grumbled. "He left right after the meeting. Said something about being able to finally be in a 'stable relationship'. Like a guy like him could ever find a girl, am I right?" I was frozen. It took a moment for the words to register in my head. Had DaTa… found someone else? He hadn't told me any of this! No, he wouldn't find another person. He promised! I vaguely remembered him promising to always be with me. A promise he broke. He… had, hadn't he? He was the first guy to ever see my body… The first guy I'd ever exposed myself to… Did he… just want to see me naked, and left when he got what he wanted? I was shaken from my thoughts by Kirito snapping his fingers in front of my face. "Hey, hey. Earth to Asuna, anyone in that giant empty brain of yours?" I glared at him.

"Oh shut it, dumbass," I snapped. I could feel my heart breaking, though. After all we'd been through, was it really just fake. I frowned, looking at Kirito closely. Well, he wasn't really unattractive, if you got past the insufferable attitude he had. Maybe… just one night. To just forget everything.

What was I, stupid!? No, DaTa would never! He would never have spent so much time on me just to leave me! Ugh, I couldn't believe I'd even thought of sleeping with a slimeball like Kirito of all people. I felt sick. I needed to go back to my room. "I'm going home," I mumbled, standing up slowly. I ignored the things around me, just wanting to get home. Several players cleared the way for me as I walked down the streets. How could I have even thought like that? How could I doubt the boy I loved? No, it was behind me. I would never think like that again. I found myself returning to my room at the [Sea Dragon Inn], and shutting the door behind me. I turned on my light, taking a deep breath. I just needed time alone. I'd spent the entire day with the [Guild], and topping it off with Kirito wasn't helping me at all. I missed the days of when it was just DaTa and myself. I never felt too pressured, and I never felt so exhausted at the end of the day that I wanted to scream. I groaned, unequipping everything and flopping back onto my bed, closing my eyes. I didn't even notice myself falling asleep.

XXXXX

[Floor Twenty-Six] [Caluso, Sea Dragon Inn] [February 19th, 2023] [1:43 AM] [Asuna]

I slowly awoke to an odd sensation. My mind was too hazy to figure out what exactly it was, but it felt foreign, but distinctly familiar. It took me a moment to realize that there was another weight on my bed. Another moment to realize that there was a hand caressing my body. A pervert? No, they would have done more. This hand… Was warm…

"You've had a long day, haven't you, sleepy head?" a silky smooth voice murmured above me. I moaned in pleasure, recognizing it instantly. My body instinctively relaxed into his touch.

"You're here…" I whispered, enjoying the sensation of his hands exploring me. Compared to what we'd done a few days ago, this was tame. "Did you miss me so much… that you came back…?" I heard him chuckle.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "I'm back, just like I promised. I'm here to stay." I rolled over, looking up through the darkness at his face. Half of his face was illuminated by the moonlight filtering in through the window, and the rest was covered in shadows. He must have turned the light off earlier. I mewled softly, squirming when his hand caressed my breast.

"Stop it…" I moaned, swatting his hand away. I raised my arms and pulled him down with me. He was just as unclothed as I was. "You're going to sleep with me," I commanded him. I could see the grin on his face. "Pervert…"

"You made me this way," he claimed. I rolled my eyes and weakly shook my head, sighing.

"Just sleep… I'm too tired…" He chuckled again, wrapping his arm around me, and I wrapped my own around him, pulling him closer to me. I smiled, happy to feel alive once more. "I love you…"

"I… love you too," he replied to me. I fell into the bliss of sleep.

XXXXX

[7:25 AM]

I moaned softly and wrapped my arms around tighter the man beside me as I felt myself wake, letting my fingers dance across his warm chest. He was here. He was real. And he wasn't going to leave me behind again. My heart raced briefly. A stable relationship. We could have that now. That was what Kirito had said that DaTa was yearning for. I wasn't going to let this chance slip away from me! Besides…. He had told me last night that he loved me. It was obvious that we were finally going to be an official couple.

I felt DaTa shift in bed, his arm wrapping tighter around me. When I opened my eyes, I saw his looking back down at me. They were filled with kindness and adoration. His face was soft and relaxed, something I'd almost never see on the other players. They were always stressed about something. Always in with the hustle and bustle of the game. Even the normally goofy Kai had been affected, forced to spend more time as the Head Moderator of the [Guild] Council and as a [GM] than spending time with Aya, much to her disliking. The responsibilities put on everyone around me were slowly breaking them down, but DaTa seemed even stronger, even more determined than before.

"So we're an item, now," DaTa spoke with a sigh, his eyes closing once more. He looked so at peace. I wanted to be like that too. "Sounds good to me." A smile began to form on my lips as I let myself relax in his embrace. My relaxation was interrupted, however, when I heard a ringing sound, indicating I'd gotten a [PM]. I sighed, looking up and pulling down my [Menu], going to my [PMs]. It was from Aya.

[Hello, Asuna-chan,] Aya had written. [I'm going out to play at the Coconut Breeze Inn in a few hours. I have the rest of the day to myself, however. Kai has been busy training the new recruits and hasn't had much time with me. He's even been having to spend nights filing paperwork with all the other Guilds.] I glanced at DaTa. I knew that all of the other [GMs] had a lot of work to do. How did DaTa escape the responsibilities?

"Aya wants to meet up with me, later," I told DaTa, deciding to ask about his responsibility dodging another time. "I also have to sharpen my blade. I'll be running by a blacksmith soon, do you need anything?" As I spoke, I had started to get up, equipping my [KoB] uniform. It was a cute piece, complete with a short red skirt and a shoulderless, dressy white top with a longer skirt around the sides and back. I also had a specially crafted rapier from a close friend I had made, and the official blacksmith of the [KoB], a normally cheery girl by the name of Lisbeth. The rapier's name was [Lambent Light], and was currently at [+2]. Even still, it was leagues ahead of most of the other weapons among the [Clearers], even Kai's weapons.

"Nah, I'll be fine," DaTa replied, dressing himself as I did. He looked just as dashing as he had on Valentine's Day. "I might run down to the [Market], I've been meaning to grab some ingredients for meals. We haven't had anything homecooked together before, so I think making something good would be nice." I gave him an incredulous look. "What?"

"As your girlfriend, you leave cooking meals to me!" I crossed my arms, trying to give him a stern look.

"Well, there goes feminism," he commented, chuckling. I had no problem giving him a harsh glare after those words. "Hey, hey, I'm joking." He raised his hands defensively, but the smile hadn't left his face. "I'll let you cook, today. But tomorrow, dinner is on me." He assured me. I thought about it for a moment before relenting.

"Fine," I sighed, resting my hands on my hips. DaTa was extraordinarily strong willed at times. Normally he was very lax in nature, but he had a certain look in his eyes when he was putting his foot down, you just had to know what it looked like. Such as the situation with cooking, I could tell he was fine with me cooking, but he wanted to do the same for me on occasion. He must have been proud of it. "But nothing too exotic, I don't want you messing up and ruining the ingredients!"

"Bah, as if I'd ever," his wide grin was back. The two of us left our room and headed downstairs. When we came to the front door of the inn, we stopped. "I'll see you later, alright?" he spoke now in a calm, polite tone. He was probably trying to keep the visage of a [GM] in front of other people. I replied in kind, offering him a small bow of respect.

"I'm looking forward to it," I replied, a smile on my face as I turned around and walked away, heading first towards Lisbeth's. She'd set up a small shop at the edge of [Caluso], but was planning on moving to another location as the game went on. Something about it being 'too humid to work effectively'. I never really understood the sciences behind being a blacksmith, but I was fairly certain that humidity didn't effect it inside of a video game.

It took me only a half hour to arrive at her small beach-cottage style shop. When I arrived, however, I was surprised to find that I was not the only one who had decided to arrive so early in the day. Lis had told me that most of her customers would arrive sometime in the afternoon rather than in the morning. Even then, Lis never really had many customers to begin with. She wasn't exactly the best blacksmith around, but by no means the worst. She simply didn't look the part. Her stiff and ruddy apron and leather clothing looked out of place on her. Added to that, while she was normally very cute, she didn't really draw any attention to her good looks. Because of that, men who would normally come in simply to speak to a good looking girl wouldn't look twice at her shop, even less the owner hidden inside.

That was why it was surprising to find an exceedingly tall young woman standing at Lisbeth's counter, closely examining a rather plain longsword. She only had basic [Leather Armor] that would do a decent job defending her, but they were a dime a dozen in this game. Stropped to her side was also a plain longsword. Again, it would do the killing fairly well, but it was of low quality. Lisbeth's weaponry would be considered top tier in comparison.

"-so you'll get all of it for just 100,000 [Col], all I need are the [Special Ingredients]," I heard Lisbeth behind the counter. The blonde in front of me was just slightly taller than me, but she was a good head taller than Lisbeth.

"I understand…" the woman spoke slowly, in a light ringing voice tone that reminded me of Aya's. "Such fine craftsmanship…" The blonde stiffened as I walked up, turning to look at me. She was stunning. Her face was definitely angled, with a light skin tone that was more common on Europeans than Japanese, suggesting a non-Japanese parent. She also had cloudy blue eyes that seemed focused on nothing, yet everything around her. Her expression was one of light surprise when she looked at me, though she seemed to be withholding some of her emotions. Her hair, a wavy blonde, was pulled back in a semi-messy ponytail, held together by a rather large black bow.

"Asuna!" Lis shouted with excitement, rushing around the counter and hugging me. Her light brown hair bounced a bit as she moved, before I was suddenly hugged by the barely younger girl. "Oh man, it's been forever since I last saw you! Last I heard, you had just joined the [KOB]!" Lis finally let me go and smirked. "Has a certain 'Blademaster' been keeping you busy?" She winked and nudged me a few times. I groaned in annoyance.

"Lis, that's personal!" I protested. "What I do when I'm not training is none of your business!" The blonde cleared her throat.

"Excuse me," she intercepted Lisbeth's inevitable rant. "Your name is… Asuna?" she asked me. I nodded in reply, offering her my hand. She moved methodically, slowly, as if it were a preplanned action, before catching herself and grasping my hand at a normal speed, shaking it.

"I am, it's nice to meet you," I told her. "I'm glad you're here. Lisbeth's been having some trouble with customers lately." The woman laughed, though it sounded more like a restrained giggling.

"Perhaps it's because she has no problem speaking her mind," she teased. "She scares potential customers off." I laughed as Lisbeth's shoulders slumped in false hurt.

"Aww, you guys are mean!" Lis replied jokingly. "It's not like I don't want customers, I just can't seem to bring them in!"

"Maybe a makeover?" I suggested. I wasn't the first time I'd made such a comment, but Lis was determined to grab players' attention her own way. "What do you say…?" I trailed off, waiting for the blonde woman's name.

"Lilly," she replied. "Satou Lilly. It's a pleasure to meet you." She glanced between the two of us. "I apologize, but I should be off. A few friends and I are meeting for lunch." She smiled at Lisbeth and bowed slightly. "Thank you for your help, Lisbeth. I will return at a later date with the materials you require." She then turned to me and offered me a small bow as well. "It has been a pleasure, Asuna." With that, Lilly left the shop. She seemed to have a very slow walk compared to most people, more like a stroll than actual walking.

"She's a peculiar one," I noted as soon as she'd left. "What was it she wanted?"

"A few specialty weapons," Lis replied, moving back behind her counter. "Those friends of hers and herself are in a [Guild], and they're considering joining the front lines." I grimaced. Even more work for Kai, it seemed. My expression didn't go unnoticed. "Oh, don't worry! They're a tiny [Guild]; only three people in it. There shouldn't be much work regarding them." I sighed in relief. "So, what did you need, Asuna?" I drew my [Lambent Light +2] and set it on the counter.

"I was hoping you could add a [Sharpness] [Enchantment] and [Upgrade] it another [Level]," I told her, pulling fifteen [Sea Serpent's Fangs] from my [Inventory] and laying them beside my rapier. Lisbeth smiled.

"My pleasure."

XXXXX

[Floor Twenty-Seven] [Ronbaru, Shining Crystal Lounge] [March 10th, 2023] [1:30 PM] [TheKaiSenpai]

I sat across from the three teenagers at a rather comfortable lounge. It was one of the few places with any plants, being a 'sanctuary' created by the [Dark Elves]. It had a lot of grass and a few flowers here and there, but that was about it. We all sat around a small round table made of smoothed stone, with a polished top. Directly across from me sat a young man with light brown hair, and young-looking face. He had hazel eyes and a shifty look on his face, glancing between myself and the girl called Lilly every so often. It was obvious that she was pretty much the one in charge of the three of them, but she had insisted that this Hisao boy was to be their spokesperson.

"It will be deadly," I told them bluntly, cupping my hands together and resting my elbows on the rock in front of me. "I assure you that your chances of survival will be slim, especially coming in so late. Your [Guild] has no allies, and you yourselves are on the lower spectrum of the [Level] range among the [Clearers]. From what I can tell, all of your skills are not with fighting. You'd be slaughtered out there." I glanced at Lilly. "Especially one with your history."

"Hey, you can't just talk to her so rudely!" Hisao protested, leaning forward over the table. I shot him a glare, silencing him. Lilly's eyes were shut, face set with deep concentration. Not once had she opened her eyes through the entire meeting.

"He's not wrong, Hisao," she finally replied. "It's true, I'm unused to this type of life. I would be better off staying in a [Safe Zone] and waiting for everyone else to win this game for us. But…" She opened her eyes, and despite their unfocused look, I could see her determination. "I will not sit idly by like I had before." She spoke calmly, but there was fire behind her words. "I will not let either of you down again." She turned to me. "I will fight. If need be, I will stay behind and distribute [Health Potions] and [Health Crystals] to the others, but I will not stand idly by." Hisao sighed as I laid my attention onto him.

"I'm in too," he said. "The [Tea Club] always sticks together." I was still pretty surprised at their [Guild] name. It was a pretty weird one, to be honest. I turned to the final member, a disfigured young woman named PaperGirl18, though her real name was Hanako. She was also Hisao's girlfriend. She was pretty twitchy, and had been squirming in her seat for the entire meeting. She hadn't met my eyes the entire time. "Hana…"

"I won't blame you if you decide not to take part in it, PaperGirl," I told her. "A game like this isn't for the shy and meek. As much… progress as Hisao claims you've made, you must be willing to openly work with others." I paused to let it sink into the dark haired girl's mind. "If you decide you still want to join them, I'll have your entire [Guild] as [Support] to distribute [Health Items] to those fighting." Right, PaperGirl18 was the [GM]. It was a strange way to distribute leadership. PaperGirl was the [GM], but all decisions pretty much went to Lilly. Lilly, however, looked to Hisao as the leader of their group. Hisao, in turn, looked to PaperGirl18 before making any final say. It was a wheel in which only disaster could come from. I needed to have that fixed before they even came close to the front lines. Unfortunately, that meant that someone had to take charge in their [Guild]. Since I was running one of my own, and didn't have the time to train them personally, I had to find someone I trusted to lead them. I knew just the person.

"I… I-I want t-to be there…" Hanako finally spoke softly. I gave her a soft nod, taking care not to stare at the burns on the right side of her body. While they didn't particularly bother me, I didn't want to seem rude. Hisao seemed to notice this and shot me a comforting look. He probably had the same issue when he first met her.

I looked them all over and handed them a single form. "Your signatures, if you will," I asked of them. Each of them signed the paper, and I placed it back in my inventory. "Excellent. You'll be within the [Support Squad] behind those fighting. I'll arrange a meeting point and time with the [Raid Support Sub-Commander]." I pulled down my [Friends List] and sent a [Request] towards Hisao, feeling that I'd probably get an actual response from him. "You'll be meeting with a girl by the name of Noire. I'll also set up some extra…" I tried to find a non-accusatory word, "assistance for your [Guild]. He runs one of his own, but lets his players run themselves, so he'll have a lot of free time." I inwardly smirked. He'd gotten on my ass about not spending a lot of time with Aya. While I understood his point and agreed with him, it didn't mean I wasn't going to mess with him and Asuna. I also inwardly grimaced. Asuna was going to kill me for this.

"Welcome to the [Clearers]," I told them standing up. They did the same. I shook both Lilly's and Hisao's hands, but PaperGirl18 shied away from me. I shrugged it off. As long as they didn't get in the way, things would be fine.

XXXXX

[Floor Twenty-Seven] [Ronbaru, Crystal Training Ground] [March 13th, 2023] [5:15 PM] [DaTa]

I stood across from the three trainees that would be joining the [Clearers] in the next [Boss Raid], each of them looking a bit nervous. I sighed, glancing at Asuna who was standing beside me. She and the one girl, Lilly, had met before. Despite that, we all still felt like strangers. I needed to get these three ready to go before the next [Raid]. At least strong enough to not die. Lilly seemed dependable, but not much of a fighter. She was too slow, too used to whatever lifestyle that she had before. Hanako was too mousy, unable to fight even in the slightest. All of her [Levels] came from her [Cooking] and [Tailoring] [Skills]. Hisao was the only one who could actually put up a decent fight, but he had self-imposed limitations. His arrhythmia was causing him to doubt himself, limiting how well he could fight in game.

I remembered these three from my first life as well, from a Visual Novel. While it had been a long time since then, I knew the basics of them. Lilly was blind, and took life rather slow and methodically as such. Hisao had heart problems, and couldn't partake in any stressful activities. Hanako was just extremely shy and jittery, a habit that would be rectified with Hisao as her boyfriend, but still a recurring issue. Old habits were hard to break. It was a good thing they wouldn't be fighting.

"From what I've seen," I told them, my arms crossed, "you all are quite out of shape. You especially, Hisao." I knew why, but it didn't mean I could hold back. They needed to be in shape to enter the [Raid]. Sure, they'd be away from outright fighting, but collateral damage could happen. I wanted them away from that.

They, however, were huffing and puffing. Even the normally composed Lilly was exhausted, resting her hands on her knees. It seemed that the game itself transferred data and sensations straight into your head, giving her 'sight'. While she was still blind, in the game she could see. She almost seemed reluctant to clear the game and leave.

"I apologize," she sighed, finally standing up straight. She had a pained expression on her face as she tried to appear presentable. Her eyes were shut, and she had a soft frown on her face, though with hints of a grimace at the edges of her lips. "I will perform better in the future." I nodded, glancing once more at Asuna, who had since sat down on a nearby boulder. She was going through her menu. Doing what, I wasn't really sure.

"Jeez, you're running us ragged," Hisao managed through labored breaths. He was on his hands and knees, though his arms were shaking as they tried to support his body. "Have a bit of mercy."

"The [Floor Bosses] with give you no mercy, so neither can I," I told him. I sighed and walked over to my girlfriend, resting my hand on her shoulder. "Asuna, why don't you help Hisao with his training? He uses a rapier as well, so it will be easier for him to learn from you. I'll see what I can do with Hanako and Lilly."

"Just be careful," she told me, sending me a worried look. "I don't want them dying." I chuckled, rolling my eyes as her expression slipped into a smile.

"You didn't die," I defended myself. "They should be fine. Besides, they aren't learning to fight. They're learning to survive." I glanced back over at the three, who were just now able to get back on their feet without looking too terribly bad. I'd put them through my preliminary test, a full on battle against me to [Half Health]. They lasted five seconds, almost a record for newbies.

"I'll do what I can," Asuna sighed. "You, Hisao!" she shouted, grabbing the boy's attention. I chuckled. I loved it when she used her commanding voice. Not on me, though. It was funny on others. "Come with me, we're going to train!"

"Can't we take a break?" Hisao tried to escape his fate. "It's getting late!"

"You can sleep when you're dead!" Asuna argued, making the boy flinch. She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away. "C'mon, lover boy. Let's get you ready."

"W-Wait!" Hisao protested. "Ah, I guess I'll meet you at the hotel, Hana!" I chuckled once more, watching the two disappear. That left me with the two girls. Oh boy, every man's dream.

"My, my, DaTa seems to have quite the scary look on his face," Lilly teased, still breathing a bit heavily. I rolled my eyes and approached the two of them, resting my hands on their shoulders. Or I tried, anyway. Hanako fidgeted away, and Lilly was simply too tall to do such with.

"That leaves the three of us," I told them both. I looked over towards Hanako. "I can assign you to train with Noire, if you like," I told her. "You seem more receptive to the girl than you are with me."

"T-T-Thank you…" Hanako replied. It was a start.

"Please, don't take it too personally," Lilly pressed, an apologetic expression on her face. "She's simply shy towards new people. After some time, she'll come to enjoy your company as well." I nodded, sending a [PM] to Noire to pick up her new trainee. "Say, DaTa?" I raised my hand, stopping her as I finished my [PM]. After hitting send, I looked up at her.

"Hm?"

"You wouldn't happen to also be the same DaTa who performs on Youtube, would you?" she asked slowly, as if doubting her own words. "You have quite the uncanny resemblance to him, and your voice is quite similar as well."

"Ah, you're a fan?" I asked, a smile forming on my face. She nodded slightly.

"I started listening to your videos when you began your 'Readings' series," Lilly explained. "My favorite was when you read The Lord of the Rings series." She gave me a light smile. "Normally, I cannot join the others when they go to the movies. However, having the story read to me was quite enthralling. I felt like a child again, with an older sibling reading me to sleep." Reaching forward, she took my hand. "It's quite a pleasure to meet you in person." She slowly reached up, stopping right as her hand was hovering close to my face. Immediately, she pulled her hands away. "Ah, oh my…" she chided herself. "Look at me, holding the hand of a man who's already spoken for. I apologize."

"It's no issue," I told her, waving it off. I watched as Noire tried to discreetly draw Hanako away from us. She shot me a nasty glare, however. I shrugged in response. "You're holding it in, aren't you?" Lilly's face broke from a soft smile to a pained expression. It was only for an instant, however, before it returned to her regular, passive look.

"I-I'm sorry?" she pleaded, already knowing that I'd seen through her, but she tried to brush it off anyway. I motioned towards where Hanako had left.

"You're jealous of her, aren't you? You liked Hisao as well." I needed her to stop holding back as much. Doing so would only hurt her in the long run, especially stuck in a game like this. The sorrow that appeared on her face told me everything I needed to know.

"She deserves to be happy," Lilly finally admitted. I took her arm and led her to the boulder Asuna had been sitting on earlier. Together, we sat down on it. "He's good for her. He encourages her to go out and do things for herself. To explore the world around her. She's done so much in the short time Hisao and she have known one another than in the time I've taken care of her."

"So what," I started," are you saying that you don't deserve to be happy as well?" She looked away from me, down towards the ground. "Lilly!"

"I don't know!" she shouted frantically. Immediately, she attempted to reel herself back in. "I don't know. I wish for my friends to be happy. I know that Hisao is good for Hanako, and likewise the other way around."

"Lilly," I sighed, looking for the right words. "You aren't a bad person for wanting something. Much less wanting love." She bit down on her lower lip, and I could see she was thinking over my words. "To put the happiness of your friends over your own… It's brave. It's noble. You should be proud to have such a trait." Her expression gave away her befuddlement at my words. "But it's also self-destructive. You can help others all you want, but don't be afraid to be selfish from time to time." I paused to give her time to reflect over my words. I stood, brushing off my armor. "Once upon a time I was just like you. I wished for everyone around me to be happy, and thought nothing of my own." I offered her my hand. She gingery reached up and took it, and I helped her stand. "I was miserable. I became bitter towards the world and wished to destroy it." I chuckled. "You may not go to such an extreme, but the life of the fully unselfish is a life of great sacrifice and sorrow."

"What would you have me do," Lilly asked slowly. I smiled, resting my hand on her arm.

"Live," I told her. "Let nobody decide your future. You are Satou Lilly, and you shoud be proud to be so. Live for your friends and care for them, but also take care of yourself. Your needs. Your wants. They matter, do you understand?" Lilly nodded slowly, closing her eyes in thought. "And never think that anyone else deserves love more than you, because that's untrue. I may have just met you, but I know that you are an incredible young woman who's dealt with more than any person should have. It's time that you realized just how incredible you are, as well."

"That's enough," Lilly spoke sharply, but I could see the hints of a smile on her face. "Thank you, DaTa. It means quite a lot to hear those words." Lilly brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Though you must stop. You might even convince me to lower my own inhibitions and try to steal you for myself." She meant it as a joke, but I could see the conflict written in her expression. She was considering it. Any normal person wouldn't have noticed it, but as a shinobi, one had to see such things.

"I see," I sighed, knowing I'd pushed a bit too far. "Sorry for that." I chuckled and motioned towards the city. "Let's get something to eat. Any preferences?" I led us toward the inner workings of town, blinking when Lilly's hand suddenly grasped mine. "Hm? What's up?" Lilly was looking away, her eyes shut in concentration. Slowly, she brought my hand up to her heart, holding it with both hands.

"Do you… truly believe that I deserve happiness and love, even if it means I must be selfish?" she asked. I nodded, not even thinking twice.

"Everyone deserves to be happy," I told her. "And everyone deserves to be loved." I gripped her hand, making her face me. "You just have to find the right person. Hisao won't the be only one out there." Lilly looked down.

"I have… a confession," she let out a sigh. "My eyes… I'm blind, in the real world."

"I know." Her head snapped towards me. "I've seen blind people before, no offense meant there. I know what they look like, and how they move. For the most part, anyway. While most people would be inclined to believe you're just very relaxed, I know your actions are practiced and are used to not being able to see." I chuckled. "Habits die hard." My expression became a bit more serious as I pulled my hand away from her. "I know what you're going to ask. Who else would accept someone with such a limitation, aside from someone else with a limitation like yours. Right?" Lilly looked away once more, not hiding her frown.

"Yes," she admitted after a moment. "It must sound silly, but you would be astounded at how many boys have… refused me simply because I cannot see." She paused. "And how many others took… less than proper interest in me for the very same reasons."

"There are people like that," I informed her. "But every so often you get a pure hearted guy who just loves to love. Like Hisao, there." I decided to use her crush as an example. "I'm sure that even if he didn't have such troubles, he and Hanako would still be a strong couple. They didn't start off just loving one another, did they?"

"Well, no…" she began to see my logic.

"What did they do?"

"They grew upon one another," she sighed. There was more silence as we started making our way through the streets of town, the streetlights and the glowing crystals above lighting up the place. Suddenly, she spoke, "I prefer tea." It took me a moment to realize what she was referring to, but I finally got it. We arrived at a small player owned restaurant called [The Lit Cavern]. It was a quaint little place, with dark wood floors and walls made of stone. The inside was lit by the same glowing crystals found on the ceiling, giving it a romantic blue hue. We sat at a table closer to the back, and waited for our order to be taken. It was a booth-type table, separated by a rocky wall from the other booths.

We sat in silence for a while, long enough to receive our food and begin eating. It was a small meal, consisting mainly of a sandwich and something to drink. In Lilly's case, tea. In my case, water. Finally, Lilly spoke.

"What if we have no choosing over who we are set with," she asked me out of the blue. I set the remainder of my sandwich down and thought for a moment.

"An arranged marriage?" I asked, earning a nod from her. "What did I tell you earlier? Let nobody decide your future." She nodded once more, closing her eyes. "Do you dislike him?"

"I don't," she answered. "Yet… he is not in love with me. Nor I, with him." She sighed. "It's… a marriage arranged by my father. For the best interests of my family. He means well, but he is a man who dislikes any lack of control." Lilly looked at me once more. "I had looked at this game as an escape from the world. When Hanako had brought it up, I laughed at first. But she strung me in." She paused. "She and Hisao dislike being trapped here. They see it as a cage. I see the real world as a cage. I've become trapped in a political game my father wished to play, bound to a man I have no love for." Lilly laughed bitterly, a pained smile on her face. "I apologize, this is not something you have any desire to know."

"It's fine," I told her. "I'm always here to talk to." I handed the waiter some [Col] as payment for our food, before standing. Lilly did the same, and we left. "I'll see you another time. It's getting late out."

"Indeed, it is," Lilly agreed, now walking beside me instead of trailing behind me. "Asuna is a lucky woman, having gained your attention." The forced smile was back. She was jealous of Asuna as well. I sighed and turned to her.

"You'll find someone," I told her. "Just have a little faith." Lilly giggled, and I could see a light flush visible on her face. God dammit.

"Perhaps," she said. "Though perhaps I should heed your advice. You've given me quite a bit to contemplate, thank you." I nodded, turning and giving her a slight wave as I left her.

"I'll [PM] Hisao on our next training session. See ya," with that I allowed myself to walk away.

XXXXX

[Floor Twenty-Seven] [Labyrinth] [March 25th, 2023] [12:47 PM] [Asuna]

I was standing near the front of the [Raid Party], staring at the massive pair of doors before us. They looked like regular doors, ones you'd find on a normal house. They were arched, but still pretty basic. The tunnel we all stood in looked as if they were carved by hand, and would be pretty beautiful if it weren't for the horrifying possibility of death in the future. I looked up at all of the [Guild Leaders] standing in front of us. Well, all except PaperGirl18, who had chosen to leave Hisao as a type of ambassador. I knew that the shy girl and her friend, Lilly, were standing near the back somewhere.

"Inside will be the [Floor Boss]," Kai announced officially, standing front and center of the [Raid Commanders]. "[Terazim the Rogue Metalloid]. We all know the plan. [Tank Party One] will move in first, as usual. When needed, they will [Switch] with [Tank Party Two], and alternate. [DPS] will flank from the sides and aim for the legs. Once the legs break, we'll finish it off from the sides." There was a cheer of excitement, but nothing like compared to the first [Boss]. There was a change in the air. It wasn't an immediate change, but the joy that Kai had once brought was gone.

Kai kicked the doors open, and we all poured in. There was silence as we stood near the entrance, the only sounds filling the cavernous [Boss Room] was our breathing, and the scuttling noises along the walls. Wait, scuttling!? I looked up, seeing the huge metallic scorpion scrawling towards us on the ceiling. Its eyes glowed red, and a massive tail sprouted from the end of its body, with a sharp tip at the end. It had as well two giant metal claws, with razor sharp spikes on the inside.

"Above us!" DaTa shouted, drawing everyone's attention to the [Boss]. It let out a deafening metal shriek, like two pieces of metal being scraped against one another. It dropped down, knowing that its advantage of surprise was gone.

"[Tanks]! Form lines!" Kai called. Within seconds of the [Boss] hitting the ground, a large wall of sword and shield users had lined up and locked shields, protecting us from the shockwave that [Terazim] created. Even still, we could feel and hear the wind rushing past us, and a few players were pushed back. [Terazim the Metalloid] let out another painful screech, and seven [Health Bars] appeared by its name.

"[Support], with me!" I heard Noire call out from the back.

"Alright, [Tank Party One], engage!" Kai shouted, locking is shield in the center of the first [Tank Party]. He was always at the forefront of danger, but ever since the [Twentieth Floor], his [HP] had never once reached below halfway. [Terazim] slammed his stinger into Kai's shield, pushing the entire wall back as Kai was pushed back on his feet. "D-DaTa, start flanking, now!" He turned to me. "Get on it, you jerks!" His face was morphed into a snarl, hardness permeated in his eyes. Nothing like the man who had entered this game. I brushed off the stunned state I was in from seeing it, and rushed forward with my fellow rapier users.

"Alright, aim for its eyes!" I commanded the players under me, leaping into the air. Like missiles, we all lunged toward its face.

"Pull back! [Tank Party Two], engage!" I heard the sounds of battle all around me. While [Terazim's] claws were dealing with the [Tanks], his tail was trying its best to strike at the [DPS] players. Including DaTa.

"[Shooting Star]!" I shouted, rushing towards the scorpion's many eyes. I slammed my rapier into one of the left eyes, hearing my [Party] doing the same with the others. I stumbled, feeling [Terazim] shaking us off. While the others fell off, I kept a good firm grip on my rapier, keeping it lodged in the scorpion's only real weak point aside from its joints.

"Dammit!" Noire shouted. "A little help guys!" I turned, watching as [Terazim] had turned its attention from the [Tanks] and had locked onto the [Support Parties]. I pulled [Lambent Light +4] from [Terazim the Metalloid's] eye and leapt back, landing in front of Noire's [Support Party]. They were mainly in charge of low [DPS] through throwing knives.

"Kai!" I shouted, watching the man try and pull back with his entire [Party], using [Howl] in attempts to grab [Terazim's] attention.

"We're trying, dammit!" someone shouted back. "This fucker's dead set on someone from [Support]!" I growled, readying my blade. The first claw came forward, and I swiped my rapier to the side, effectively parrying the attack. I took damage due to the force of it, though. It was a tiny amount, but as I began parrying each swipe it made towards the fleeing [Support Party], I could see myself beginning to dip into the yellow. DaTa and his [DPS Parties] were still trying to impale the [Boss's] legs, but since they were metal, they had a high [Defense Stat] that made it difficult.

"Hah!" I heard a womanly voice cry out. [Terazim] shrieked, turning towards the sound. I noticed that its front left leg was missing, and who it was turning to.

"Lilly!" I shouted, with the [Boss] rearing back its giant claw to strike at the blonde who'd managed to knock it out from its sixth [Health Bar]. The claw came down. I wasn't fast enough.

"Dammit, woman! What part of [Healing Support] don't you understand!?" I heard DaTa shout. The world slowed down as I spotted a flash of white and black rush under [Terazim], slicing at its belly before running in front of Lilly. He held up his katana in a defensive position right as the claw was about to strike the woman behind him. It was too sudden, too fast that I saw him fly back towards the wall and slam into it. I saw as Klein pulled Lilly away to safety, but it wasn't important to me. I [Sprinted] to my boyfriend, who was laying like a rag doll against the wall behind him. He had a light smile on his face, and his eyes were dulling. He looked up at me, reaching up and cupping my face in his hand.

"DaTa…" I whimpered. No, I couldn't lose him like this! I opened my [Inventory] to grab a [Healing Crystal], but I was too late.

XXXXX

A/N:

Hello, good afternoon, and salutations! It's been a while since I've done a legitimate A/N, but here we go. No, I haven't given up on Reincarnation is Troublesome, but I have an issue where I work on one thing for too long, I start getting tired of it. This story is basically a long distant sequel, but will contain minimal spoilers for my other stories. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it. Please leave a review, as I can't improve my writing without any feedback!