I JUST REALIZED HOW YOUNG KIRITO WAS WHEN SAO STARTED.
I mean as an adult now myself, I couldn't help but look at SAO in different light now. Like how young 14 is. I know teenagers are capable of handling themselves mostly and this fic is not about me creating an OP character, or two in this case. This is just me trying to make it from the perspective of hopefully a mature adult (aka Ainul). So there may be some shameless fix it as I merge SAOIF with canon anime.
It had been months ever since they were trapped in this game and Ainul had pushed herself beyond her limit, perfecting the way to wield the battle axe she had chosen as her weapon. Every night, after tucking Lif into the bed, she would venture into the plain to slay some monsters and level up. The feverish need to get Lif out of this game driving her forward.
Sure Lif would grumble and sulk about her surpassing him despite him being a beta tester but he would soon cheer up whenever Ainul caved into his demands to accompany him on smaller quests. If he noticed Ainul's inherent need to keep at least five level differences between them, he didn't say anything so far.
That was the only reason why Ainul had given into Lif's demand to do quests. As long as she out level any possible threat that Lif could face during his quests, she could sleep easier at night.
Sure they had ventured beyond the town of beginning but now they neared the end of Floor 1 and Ainul herself having been personally approached by the Assault squad leader to fill in for tank position. Being at level 19 while still being on Floor 1 gives her an edge over other players and Diavel wanted her proficiency as a tank for the boss raid he had planned.
Diavel had immediately cornered her the moment she stepped feet into Central Tolbana town and the man hadn't even waited for her to usher Lif somewhere before he started on his long speech about knights and liberation. She knew he had been eyeing Lif too, his level of 12 being higher than most would expect from a kid his age but Ainul had set her feet down before the blue haired man could even open his mouth and ask.
The only condition of her joining the raid was for Lif to stay out of it. The man was obviously displeased at missing out on another potential strong fighter but Ainul would never let him have Lif, not when she was not sure what would await in the first boss room.
And now here they are now, sitting in the quaint inn room they had rented for the duration of their stay. They had argued over it, an argument that had been long coming ever since Ainul had first wanted for Lif to also stay back in the Town of Beginning when they first started this new life of theirs. If it haven't been for Klein stepping in at that time to settle it for them the first time around, they could have been going at it for hours.
So they had compromised on letting Ainul scout out the terrain ahead first before bringing Lif with her the second time around. Her brother had obviously been unhappy over it but the boy had reluctantly agreed as long as he can do smaller quests.
But there was no Klein to stop them this time and the two of them had been going at it for hours until Ainul finally snapped and lashed out with cutting words.
With the way Lif had shuttered himself off, Ainul might have as well have slapped in the face herself.
Ainul never raised her voice at her brother before. Sure they often screamed insult at each other during gaming session, much to their parents' chagrin, but she would never do it intentionally and Lif had always been a good boy. His obsession for game notwithstanding.
So it stand to reason that the two of them fell into silence after the shock of Ainul raising her voice toward Lif finally wore off.
The rising anger that she haven't noticed before began to recede back and settled into the cold pit of her stomach. Ainul sagged back into her seat, pinching the bridge of her nose out of habit more than the need to alleviate the headache that was not there. It was one of tick for when she would be trying to calm herself down from bouts of anger and Lif definitely noticed it too, if the way he shrunk into his own seat was anything to go by.
They both sat in silence, unsure where to start now that the previously high strung argument between them was interrupted by Ainul's shouting.
The words still rang in the air, echoing in their ears.
"I don't want you to die" Ainul repeated what she had said before, though her voice was much softer than the shout it had been.
She looked at Lif, searching his eyes for any shred of understanding because she needed him to understand why she decided to do this. But there was only hurt in his eyes, and fear, the same fear that haven't left his eyes ever since he woke up.
Ainul felt a stab of guilt for causing him such grief but this was for the best.
She needed to do this.
She have to if she wants to let Lif out from this death game.
She had agreed to join Diavel to fight for their liberation from this hell hole. To fight in the frontline and clearing floor boss.
But Lif had wanted to join her too and Ainul can't have that. She doesn't want to be one of the unfortunate people who have to see the people they cared for shatter right in front of their eyes. She can't live with herself if she lost her brother to this game.
"Please. Stay in this town for now." Ainul sank to her knee in front of Lif's chair and hold onto his trembling hands tightly.
"I promise I will come back for you." Reaching up with one hand, Ainul wiped away his tears, caressing his cheek softly in comfort.
"Stay here until I'm strong enough to protect you on my own."
Lif finally broke down into soft sobs and Ainul gives into the urge to pull him into a tight hug. They held onto each other, Ainul shedding a couple of tears herself because despite having agreed to fight in the raid, there was still the doubt hounding her.
What if she wasn't as strong as she believed? What if the boss outleveled her? What would happen to Lif if she died?
"But I'm strong too. I want to protect you too." Lif's words jarred her away from her dwindling thoughts and she could only smile weakly into his dark's hair. Oh how precious her little brother can be at time. Sure, he had been trying to act cooler ever since he entered middle school but to Ainul, Lif will always be that cute baby she had held in her arms when she was nine.
"I know you are Lif but please, just for the boss battle, stay in this town. I can have Klein look out for you while I'm away." It was surprising that the spirited man wouldn't be joining the boss raid but it was also understandable. Not many would be brave certain danger when death sentence hung over their head like executioner's blade. Besides, Klein was also responsible for the lives of his friends too as Guild Leader. She understands his need to not drag his weaker teammates into battle with a boss because she too doesn't want Lif anywhere near the boss floor anytime soon.
Tomorrow will be the first meeting for the raid and she could only hope she find some good players to party up with.
Other than Klein, she didn't have the time to befriend anyone else, too busy with worrying over Lif to even bother with anything else. Sure, there had been the occasional acquaintances she had made during her solo venture but she hadn't put the effort to keep contact with them, mind focused solely on levelling up so that she could better protect Lif.
But there had been that boy, Klein's friend who she had met during That Day, Kiri-something.
She had encountered him a couple of time while doing quests and they had exchanged some info that Argo haven't gotten her hands on yet. While not as close to him like she was to Klein, she knew he was someone who she can depend on to have her back.
His advanced level and skill hinted him to also being a beta tester like Lif but Ainul never brought it up with him, noticing the simmering tension that had risen whenever other players started to blame the beta testers for not doing more with the foresight info they had gained during the beta phase of the game.
Ainul had sworn Klein to secrecy, even going as far as to threaten him to not reveal Lif's status as a beta tester. But the redhead didn't need any more convincing to keep his lips sealed, swearing on his life and honour that he would never betray them. It was only thanks to his physical appearance that people didn't suspect him to be a beta too, obviously not linking the short kid her brother was with the image of an experienced beta tester.
Though the suspicion of the people soon fell on her. She had noticed the wary look other players kept on throwing at her whenever they saw her fight, the ease of her taking down monsters on her own.
Thank God the knowledge of how to see other player's level was still not a common thing because Ainul doesn't doubt they would have been clamouring all over her with how fast she had levelled up in the past months.
However Kirito's level had been higher than hers, around 21 the last time she had seen him a couple of weeks ago. But knowing him, he would have levelled up further than that.
The boy looked barely older than Lif and Ainul couldn't help but be worried for him. He looked young, way too young to be on his own and going solo. Being a beta tester doesn't give him a free pass to be reckless and she hoped that he would at least take on someone to partner with.
Ainul had offered to party up with him but the boy had been reluctant, having his own reason as to why he didn't want to accept the offer but he had conceded on accepting her friend request instead.
She couldn't ask for more and had taken to regularly checking on his name in her short list of friend, making sure that it was still bold and bright instead of fading out like the name of those who had died.
Ainul doesn't doubt for one second that Lif would be protesting about her denying his participation in boss raid in the future if Kirito decided to join this one. Their close age and status as beta tester being two of the major point he would use to argue his case with her again.
It was not an argument she would be looking forward to.
"Just this once Lif, please." Ainul nearly begged because she doesn't think she would be able to give the raid her best if she have to worry for her brother constantly during it. They both have no idea what would await them and Ainul really doesn't want to think what could happen if Lif had joined the battle too.
Lif pulled away from her arms and Ainul reluctantly let him go so that their eyes can meet. They both shared their mother's eyes, a soft brown that glowed gold in the light.
"Okay. Fine" Lif finally gives in, shoulders sagging into a defeated posture and the victory was bittersweet. Sure she was happy that he agreed to stay put for this particular battle but she doesn't like the way she have to make him so sad in order to make him agree.
"But promise you will come back safe." He held out his fist at her and Ainul could only let out a watery laugh as she bumped her fist with him and wiggled her fingers at him as their fists parted. It was a watered down version of their secret handshake but Ainul had missed this. She missed the good old days where they have nothing to worry about, where there was no death game of a mad man to complete.
"I will. You know I will." Neither of them voiced the lack of certainty that she will return from the boss fight but neither wanted to ruin this rare light-hearted moment by mentioning it.
Ainul will not stand for what is essentially the entire game community bullying and persecuting a kind for something that was not even his fault. So she will not let Kirito shoulder the blame and title of Beater. Opps spoiler.
But honestly though, I know most of you would be miffed at me for sidelining Kirito and making him appear weak but well, there's common sense and adult supervision watching out for him to make sure he didn't bit off more than he can chew.
Hope you like this new chapter!