#8: December 24, 2023
I didn't feel like fighting among the clearers for Christmas this year, so I decided to wander around floor 49's city: Mugien. But since I was still in my signature KoB uniform and sporting my highly dependable two handed sword, Eliminator, it was pretty tough staying inconspicuous in the crowd. All over the place, I was being greeted by hoards of fans wanting to get their chance to meet one of the most popular clearers, and I don't blame them; in fact, there's a reason I don't travel lower than floor 20 anymore, as I would probably be mobbed 24/7.
Anyways, after keeping a steady pace, I got away from the crowds and collapsed on a nearby bench. It may have been a year since the first floor was cleared, but it certainly feels like an eternity has passed. I've grown in power from level one back then to level 63 now, but even that feels uneventful now; hell, I was part of arguably the most powerful guild in the game, but even that title feels dull after a few months.
I began to shiver while stuck in thought, so I pulled up my control console and swapped out my KoB coat for a practical getup: a nice, snug winter coat. It certainly beat looking like a saint right now. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a black and blue figure out of the corner of my eye, so I turned my head and found it was Kirito; today, he looked just the same as he did in August: a sad, lonely sack. I haven't figured out why, but I'm sure it must've been serious. At another glance, I saw him conversing with Argo, which I don't blame since she is a good source for info; after a moment, Kirito just stood up and walked away down one of the numerous pathways. Curious, I rose once more and walked in Argo's direction, anxious for any info she had.
"Still treating your customers well, I assume?" I asked. Argo turned around in a flash, as if she was surprised by my presence.
"You could say that, Mr. Popular," she snapped back. Yep, she was still as playful as ever. "What do you want?" she followed.
I paused with a two foot gap between us. "What were you talking to Kirito about?" I asked.
She frowned. "Nothing terribly important," she replied. "Only about that event boss back on floor 35."
"You mean that Nicholas guy?" I asked.
"Nicholas the Renegade, yes," she replied. "And for your information, there's no info worth selling on that one, what with him not being part of the beta."
"That's true," I replied. "Well then, there is something I've been meaning to ask."
"Hmm?"
"What's been up with Kirito lately? He's been down in the dumps for months now, and it's even starting to bum me out." She pulled out her hand, performing a motion for payment, as usual. I, as the desperate sack I was, paid in an instant for anything I could (FWI, I have the Col to burn right now).
"You see," she started, "he's been having a guilty conscious ever since the guild he was in lost all its members."
"He was in a guild?" I asked.
"Hard to believe, isn't it?" she replied in confirmation. "Anyways, he met up with this guild, the Moonlit Black Cats, back in April. He stayed with them for a few months up until an unfortunate event in the floor 27 labyrinth, where they were trapped in an anti-crystal zone and they were all killed except for Kirito." I was attentively listening, as this was both a tragic and intriguing story.
Argo continued. "When he got back into town, Kirito met with the guild leader and revealed his status as a beater. After hearing this, the guild leader cursed Kirito's name before throwing himself over the edge of Aincrad. So, to this day, Kirito harbors extreme guilt over their deaths." Argo finally finished, and I was stunned by this revelation. How could Kirito just keep something like this hidden from others, let alone people like me and Asuna? It just made no sense.
"Okay, thanks," I replied. "I'm gonna go ahead and get going."
"Just don't let that head of yours get too big," she joked.
I smirked. "And you keep up that friendly attitude, too," I replied as I took off in the same direction as Kirito. It isn't because I felt bad for him, but because I was sure of his next move.
SAO
Floor 35. The Forest of Wandering. Such a peaceful, yet lonely place that was perfect for the event boss; it also didn't hurt that the place was blanketed by the meaningless snow found in Aincrad. I was sure Kirito hadn't arrived yet, and I was equally sure that this is where Nicholas will spawn, so hiding among the trees was my best bet at catching Kirito. After a few moments, I sat in the cold snow and made simple figures like miniature snowballs and doodling with a stick.
And just as quickly as I had begun, I heard crunching snow, and turned my head to see the lonely swordsman himself standing near my position, focused on the console shimmering before him; being put on the spot, I did my best not to make any noises or sudden movements, but the freezing ground made it hard to sit still for very long. That being said, I was relieved when Kirito dashed forward before disappearing in a shimmering veil of sorts.
"What the hell?" I asked myself. I had no time to relax, as Kirito was sure to disappear if I didn't catch up, so I did just that, passing through the same passageway as Kirito did a moment ago. After traveling a short distance, it turned out I didn't need to be so hasty, as he had been stopped in his place, conversing with another old friend of ours: Klein, the accomplished leader of the guild Fuurinkazan. I quickly caught up, hoping to make up for lost times.
"Why would you want to risk your life for a mythical item on your own?" Klein asked Kirito.
"I have my reasons," Kirito replied.
"Oh, really?" I butted in. "What kind of reasons?"
Klein looked in my direction. "Oh, Haiyamoto," he said, "I didn't see you there."
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" I asked.
"Too long," Klein replied. "And hey, since you're here, maybe you can knock some sense into this suicidal maniac."
I nodded before turning my head to Kirito. "Like I said, what reasons could you possibly have for coming here all by your little lonesome?" Kirito stayed silent.
"C'mon, man," I whined. "You've been moping for months and it's starting to piss me off. Certainly something has you coming out here with stakes like these." Again, Kirito remained as silent as a mouse.
"Okay, so you don't need to talk," Klein butted in. "But at least team up with us. I, like the rest of us, don't want to see you throw your life away like this. Then whoever makes the item drop gets it. End of story." Klein was right, and I was sure surprised by how far he'd come since those first days of sparring with harmless hogs on floor one.
"In that case," Kirito muttered, "there'd be no point." He then unsheathed the sword he had brought along. "I'm facing this boss, and I'm facing him alone."
I began to vocalize a thought, but I was interrupted by the familiar sounds of teleportation gates behind me. Even before I turned around I knew a group had teleported here, but I was shocked by the vast amount of players that had materialized around us; almost like clockwork, everyone who was already here (including myself) levitated around Kirito like a call for protection.
"Looks like you and your friends were being followed," Kirito told Klein.
Klein smirked. "Looks that way, doesn't it?" he announced.
"And not just by any group," I started as I reached for my sheathed sword. "It looks like every damn member of the Holy Dragon Alliance came here for a crack at that item."
"So what do we do?" one of Klein's guild mates asked.
"Well, one of us needs to get to that boss," I replied as I pulled out the Eliminator, "so why don't we hold these bastards off while Kirito takes a crack at it?"
Klein materialized beside me, katana in hand. "Agreed," Klein replied."You go ahead, Kirito. We've got things handled here." Kirito looked stunned by our willingness, and the next second shook his head.
"Not a chance," he replied.
"Are you saying you're giving in?" I asked, disgruntled. "Get going now or there won't be another chance!" Kirito gritted his teeth before taking off towards the tallest pine tree, away from the rest of us.
I turned my head to the battle in front of us with a cocky grin on my face. "Oh, I'm sorry," I started, "were you assholes trying to get by?" I held my trusty sword in a fighting stance. "Looks like you'll have to beat us down first!" As the group closed in on us, I charged my sword for a first assault, and it looked like the others did the same. After that first strike, the battle seemed to pass by like a blur of time.
SAO
Klein, the others and I finally got a chance to rest in the comforting snow as the last Holy Dragon Alliance member finally teleported away. While the others just kneeled in the powder, I dropped my sword like I ran out of energy and landed back first on the ground.
"Everyone okay?" I asked.
"I am," Klein responded, "but damn. That was a pain in the ass."
"You're telling me," I replied. "Those bastards just kept coming."
"At least they finally gave up," one member added.
"Maybe I intimidated them enough to think it wasn't worth the theoretical loss of life," I joked.
"Maybe," Klein responded, "but you are damn good with that two handed sword. It's no wonder the Knights of the Blood wanted you among their ranks."
"You're not too bad yourself," I replied. As I said this, Kirito emerged from the forests, his head tilted to the ground, and item in hand. It looked like a simple blue sphere surrounded by a gold frame at first, but this must've been the item we had heard about. Yet somehow, Kirito looked even more upset than before.
"Kirito!" Klein shouted. "You made it." Klein's expression drained as I'm sure he just came to the same realization I just did.
"I-is something wrong, Kirito?" I asked. A foolish question to ask given his current morale, but I was still reasonably curious. Kirito tilted his head up, a blank expression filling his eyes. Oh shit, I thought, what happened this time? Before I had the time to ponder, he tossed the item in my direction, and I swiftly caught it like it was a baseball.
"That's the revival item," he replied in monotone.
"I can see that," I snapped. "So why are you giving it to me?"
"Read the item description," he replied, also in monotone. I tapped the item, which promptly brought up the item's box, filled with a brief description.
"Let's see," I began, "it says 'Divine Stone of Returning Soul: administer to afflicted player whose HP drains to zero within…'" I paused as I glanced at the time it stated. "... ten seconds?"
Klein turned his head to me. "Are you serious?" he asked. "Are you sure you aren't just reading it wrong?"
"Take a look," I offered as Klein glanced at the item description, mouthing every individual word.
"N-no way," Klein stuttered as he then faced Kirito.
"If someone is dying before your eyes, be sure to use it," Kirito droned before turning towards an aimless section of the forest, walking away like a robot. It was hard to watch, and definitely pathetic behavior, even for Kirito. I began to stagger up when Klein grabbed Kirito's coat.
"Kirito!" Klein shouted. Both just stood motionless, unsure of what to say to the other.
Klein then spoke up. "J-just stay alive. Until the end." I'm not entirely sure, but I think he began to tear up at that point. "D-do that for the rest of us, okay?" After a moment, Klein let go of Kirito, and Kirito promptly continued his trek out of the forest.
"See ya," Kirito told the rest of us. And once again, Kirito had managed to leave me behind without a second thought. Except this time, I knew the reasons behind his isolationism. In front of us, Klein collapsed to his feet once more, and I walked over to his position to comfort him.
"Are you gonna be okay?" I asked as Klein wiped tears from his face.
"I-I'll be fine," he replied, turning his head back to Kirito. "It's him I'm worried about."
I nodded. "I know. I am too." I stood up once again. "And that's why I'm gonna go follow him."
"Just don't let it drive you crazy, okay?" Klein asked.
I nodded. "Of course," I replied. "I'll be seeing you later, buddy."
"Get going, you scamp," he joked. "Kirito won't be in sight forever." I gave him a thumbs up as I took off in Kirito's direction.
SAO
Although I made it back to town, I somehow managed to lose Kirito. It bit, but it wasn't a total loss. I accomplished more than I thought I would that day, but I was also left with too many additional questions. Why did Kirito distance himself further from us? Why was he keeping his travels a secret? Why was he so determined to keep his distance from others despite one random misfortune? Sure, I would be upset for a while, but the way Kirito was handling it just wasn't healthy.
In any case, I retreaded to the KoB headquarters back at floor 39, so that I could report on what I'd experienced. (And yes, I still had the revival item.) I walked through the front door to be greeted by two welcoming faces: Asuna and Heathcliff.
"Welcome back, Haiyamoto," Heathcliff greeted. "Where in the world were you all day?"
"I was trying to relax a little today," I began, "but I feel like I went to hell and back today."
"What happened?" Asuna asked worriedly. I pulled out the item out of my coat pocket, and both guild leaders' eyes widened at the sight.
"This happened," I replied, sure that the item would speak for itself.
"I-is that," Asuna stuttered.
"It is," I replied. "The revival item from the event boss. Kirito beat it, but he gave the item to me for some reason."
"Did you ask him why?" Heathcliff asked.
"Of course I did," I replied, "but he wouldn't give me a damn good reason why."
"Very well," Heathcliff replied. I handed him the item, after which Asuna came to talk to me.
"So how was he?" she asked, referring to Kirito.
"He's still depressed about something, I'm sure," I replied. I decided to hide the fact that I knew exactly why for now so she didn't worry.
"I see," she replied. "Well, I was just curious. I guess you'll be on your way."
"Yep," I replied. "I definitely need to sleep this nightmare off."
"I'll bet," she said. "Be safe."
"Same to you, vice commander," I replied. That last comment was solely to flatter Asuna.
Well, welcome back guys. Sorry once again for a lack of action, but I swear its coming. Otherwise, I really hope you liked this chapter. It seemed like the words flowed from my hands, as 500 words quickly turned to 2,600 words. Not all of it was talking, but there sure was a crap ton, wasn't there?
Anyways, hopefully this chapter added a lot to Haiyo's character development, and I also hope you enjoyed the somewhat festive setting for the chapter. It just clicked that the timing was right for me to write this for Christmas, but I kinda forgot until yesterday, the 27th. Still, if feels good to write some simple fan fiction in between all the new presents I've been toying with and all the chores I neglected for a few days. On a final note, I actually feel this chapter was leagues better than the last one, especially since I felt the ending was kind of anticlimactic and it, too, was devoid of action.
But don't worry, the action is coming, the quality is hopefully staying, and I'm trucking along at a good pace. I'm sure this will be the last SAO chapter I'll write until the New Year, so until then, read on!
-rjm324