Hello, Everyone. It's nice to see you all, after a few days. I'm here to update you all on my Alfheim Online: The Shinigami. It's hard on making this, like all my chapters before this. I hope you like it, even review it pleasee... Favorite it, or follow me on my Fanfic.
I heard there's a new SAO season 2, called Sword Art Online II. And if I can read from your minds, that if I would continue the story on the SAO II, too. Then I will! Folks, we have to finish what we started, after all right?
So, don't worry. This author will finish it, eventually. So, anyway presenting the new chapter of Alfheim Online: The Shinigami, Chapter 5. I hope you enjoy...
Ja'ne! ArtLotus out!
Chapter 5: The Lugru Corridor
Alfheim, Neutral Territory, The Lugru Corridor, January 21, 2025
"Oss, náða, nótt, lysa, auga." Izayoi chanted as a wave of gray light spreads around the dark walls of the Lugru Corridor.
"Be careful around here, okay?" Izayoi stated as he, Leafa and Kirito stop to look around.
"Ah..." Leafa said as her eyes glowed green.
"It got brighter!" Leafa exclaimed with awe, as she could see the area around her, much better than spending time looking at the dark earlier. Kirito who was behind Izayoi, look around, being able to see clearer with Izayoi's spell.
"Night vision magic? I guess Spriggans are good for something." Leafa stated as Izayoi wore a bemused smile.
"Something?" Izayoi asked with a raised eyerbow, as Leafa waved her hand in dismissal.
"It's nothing. You don't have to worry about it." Leafa said sheepishly, looking at the both of them.
"Put that way, it kind of hurts." Kirito said with a sigh, as Leafa laugh, followed by Izayoi.
"But you should memorize any magic you can use. Luckily Izayoi had learned the magic before we got here." Leafa said as Izayoi nodded.
"Yeah. It's okay to pronounce the incantations wrong. You have to practice." Izayoi said as Kirito nodded, keeping Leafa and Izayoi's words of advise.
"Of course, the only magic you're good at is illusion magic." Leafa stated.
"Illusion?" Kirito asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You can use it to trick people. It's not that useful in combat, though." Leafa stated as she held up her finger together under her chin.
"Well, even the lame Spriggan magic might saves our lives someday." Leafa teased at the two Spriggans.
"But I did save your life." Izayoi teased back as Leafa look at him, with a blush adorning her cheeks, recalling the night that he saved her from the group of Salamanders.
"W-Well, that's another story." Leafa said as she turns away from Izayoi, who was laughing.
"Another story, eh?" Izayoi asked as he walk ahead of them.
"Hey, wait up!" Leafa said catching up to Izayoi, leaving Kirito.
"That hurt even more..." Kirito said with a bored look at Leafa's tease.
"Don't try to memorize them as sounds. Learn the words of power's meanings." Leafa said to the listening Kirito, who stood behind her.
"Then memorize the spells, based on their effects." Izayoi stated with a smile, as Kirito turns to him.
"I never thought I'd have to do something like memorize English in a game." Kirito exclaimed with a defeated look, as he slugged on his walking. He was currently memorizing a spell, as a menu of the said spell was in front of him.
"Just so you know, the higher ranked spells have around twenty words." Leafa informed him, as Kirito deflated, feeling discouraged.
"I'm just gonna stick to fighting..." Kirito said as he couldn't memorize twenty words, much less five words.
"No complaints!" Leafa scolded, turning to Kirito.
"It isn't that hard, when you have learned English." Izayoi said looking at Kirito.
"Really? You're always the top student of your school. And you always get A's in your English." Kirito stated annoyingly as he knew that Izayoi could memorize the spells easily, as he was an ace English student in his school.
"I'm just learning. Would you want to disappoint your own mother? Because of your weak grades at school?" Izayoi asked as Kirito turns his head away from him.
"No." Kirito simply said with a sigh.
"But it isn't bad to memorize a few spells. It might be useful someday." Izayoi said as Kirito nodded in understanding.
Then a message flash in front of Leafa, "I have a message. Hold on a second." Leafa said to Kirito, as she turns to the message.
"Recon again? I'm sure it's nothing, but..." Leafa said as she tap on the message, revealing a somewhat cryptic message from Recon.
"I was right. Be careful. S." Leafa repeated the cryptic message, as Izayoi eyes narrows upon seeing the message.
"What's this? S? Sa... Shi... Su?" Leafa said as she narrows her eyes on the S, at the end of the message.
"What's wrong?" Kirito asked as Leafa turns her head back at him.
"Oh, well..." Leafa said but before she was able to make sense of the message, they were interrupted by Yui, climbing out of Izayoi's pocket.
"Papa, something's getting closer." Yui informed Izayoi, as he look behind him.
"Monsters?" Izayoi said as Yui shakes her head, indicating that it wasn't.
"No, players. Lots of them. Twelve." Yui said as Leafa turns behind her, surprised.
"Twelve?!" Leafa said as she held out her hand under her chin.
"I've got a bad feeling. Let's hide and wait for them to pass." Leafa suggested to Izayoi and Kirito.
"But where?" Kirito asked looking around to hide, but he couldn't find any.
A smirk formed on Leafa's lips, "Just leave that to me." Leafa said as Izayoi nodded in understanding, as he immediately pushed Kirito inside a gap in the wall.
Leafa nodded to Izayoi, grateful that he knows what she was going to do.
Leafa then chanted, "Þik, sér, óvíss, grœnn, lopt." with her left hand raised, as the ring of words encircled her.
As soon as the incantation is complete, red flames emerges from beneath Leafa's feet, as a fake wall appeared before them, and covered the gap in the wall, perfectly blending in with the environment of the walls in the caves around them.
"Make sure you whisper as quietly as you can. If you're too loud, it'll break the spell." Leafa informed the two.
"Okay." Izayoi said with a nod, while Kirito who was standing beside him, was poking the fake wall with his finger.
"Roger." Kirito said after poking the fake wall.
"We'll be able to see them soon." Yui informed them, inside Izayoi's pocket.
Kirito look at Yui, as he was curious about her ever since he saw her come out of Izayoi's pocket, back at the Tower of Wind.
"Kirito, you want to ask anything about Yui?" Izayoi asked as he noticed that Kirito was looking at Yui curiously.
"Well, who is she? You never introduced me to her." Kirito said as Izayoi finally realized that he didn't propertly introduced Kirito to Yui, and he didn't even met her in SAO.
Izayoi then took out the surprised Yui from his pocket, and put her in his palm.
"This is Yui. My daughter." Izayoi simply stated as Kirito sweatdrop.
"Is that it?" Kirito asked as Izayoi nodded, to which Kirito sighs and scratches his head in awkwardness.
"Uh..." Kirito was thinking to find the words to speak, but all he got was nothing but a silence awkward situation between Izayoi and him.
"Kirito-san." Yui said catching Kirito's attention.
"Hm?" Kirito turns to her in confusion.
"I'm sorry, if we didn't properly introduce ourselves. But it's nice to meet you." Yui said as she bows her head to Kirito.
"It's nice to meet you, too, Yui. Is Izayoi really your Papa?" Kirito questioned as Yui smile at him and nods.
"Yup. Papa's a cool guy, and he's super nice." Yui replied as Kirito look at Izayoi.
"It's true. With all the adventures we've been through. I agreed that he's a cool guy, and a nice person." Kirito commented as Izayoi wore a bemused smile, at his compliment.
"Thanks for the compliment, Kirito." Izayoi stated as Kirito nodded in appreciation.
Yui then flew up and got inside Izayoi's pocket, "Papa's the best papa ever!" Yui whisper as Izayoi smiled, to which Kirito and Leafa smiled at the daughter-father relationship.
After that, the four of them waited a few minutes for the twelve Salamander to past them, but not a single Salamander past them.
Kirito look to the direction of the said twelve Salamander, that was supposed to come but he didn't see anyone, "What is that?" Kirito asked as Izayoi look at the direction Kirito was looking.
"We can't see them yet." Leafa said.
"It isn't a player. It's a bat. It's red and small." Izayoi informed them, standing next to Leafa, while looking at the direction of the bat.
Leafa narrows her eyes, looking closely at the direction of the said bat. Suddenly, two red eyes glowed in the dark, as Leafa's eyes widen. She was about to stepped out of her cover, but Izayoi stopped her by grabbing her hand.
Leafa turns to him, wearing a confused look on her face.
"Shussh... I know. It's a high-level tracing searcher. Don't worry, I'll handle it." Izayoi whispered as he instantly vanished, surprising Leafa.
Leafa then look at the direction of the bat again, as she could see that Izayoi appeared before the surprised bat, before instantly slashing it in half.
"Kirito, Leafa, run!" Izayoi shouted as Leafa and Kirito stepped out of the hiding place.
"But Izayoi-kun, what about you?" Leafa asked worried for his safety.
"Don't worry, I'll catch up. You go on ahead." Izayoi assured her, as he smile towards her.
Leafa then begin to decide, whether to join Izayoi or run away from the twelve players.
With a sad glance at Izayoi, Leafa turns around and runs.
"Can't we just hide again?" Kirito asked looking at Izayoi and then at the running Leafa.
"Go with her. Keep her safe." Izayoi stated as Kirito look worriedly, but he comply with a nod, as he joins Leafa on the run.
Izayoi heard the twelve players footsteps, running towards them. Wanting to catch up with Leafa, he instantly vanished from his spot.
"The enemy knows we sliced up their tracer. We won't be able to fool them. And that was a fire-element familiar. Which means that the approaching party..." Leafa said to Kirito, while running.
"Salamanders?" Kirito answered as the two continued to run away from the cave, knowing that Salamanders were pursuing them.
"But what is a group of Salamanders doing here?" Leafa asked as the two arrived at a lake surrounding Legrou.
"It's a lake..." Kirito said staring at the lake below them.
Leafa and Kirito continued to run past the bridge over the lake, but Leafa look behind her, seeing if the Salamanders were there, but they weren't.
"Looks like we're going to make it." Kirito said.
"Don't lower your guard and fall in." Leafa stated to him.
But just before they could enter the city, a beam was fired overhead and had erected an stone wall front of them, blocking their advance.
"Crap." Leafa exclaimed as Kirito clutch his sword and jumped towards the wall, intending to slash into half. But the stone wall deflects Kirito's attacks, as he was bounced back by the wall, and landed against the ground below him.
"That won't work." Leafa exclaimed to Kirito, who sweatdrop.
"You should've said something sooner." Kirito stated, looking at Leafa.
"You're in too big of a hurry." Leafa said with her hands on her hips.
"This is an earth magic barrier. Physical attacks won't break it." Leafa informed him.
"Can we jump in the lake?" Kirito asked.
"Nope. Supposedly, there are extremely high-level monsters in the water. Fighting without an Undine backing you up would be suicide." Leafa explained to him, as Kirito turns to face her.
"Then we have to fight?" Kirito asked bringing his sword in front of him.
"Yeah, but it might not be too easy. If the Salamanders can use high-level earth magic, they have a powerful mage." Leafa said unsheathing her sword.
"Leafa... It isn't that I don't trust your skills as a swordsman. But could you handle support from here?" Kirito asked as Leafa look at him in surprise. Kirito knowing that Izayoi isn't here, he knows that if he lets Leafa die here, he would get something painful handed to him. So in order not to do that, he would let Leafa be his support instead.
"With Izayoi, you could join in. But he isn't here. So if you die here, Izayoi would beat me up." Kirito said as Leafa send a worried look at the way they run, leaving Izayoi behind.
"I want you to stay in the back and heal me. That way, I can fight harder." Kirito said as Leafa turns to him and nods.
"Izayoi-kun, I hope you're safe..." Leafa thought as she flew back from Kirito, and landed a few distance behind him.
Kirito then began the assault on the Salamanders that were charging at him, with their shield raised up high. He charges at them, and swung his big sword at them, but the three Salamander put their shields in front of them, defending against the strong blow of Kirito's sword.
The three Salamanders were pushed back slightly, but they stayed in their spot, while their HP slightly decreased because of Kirito's attack.
Leafa look on at the fight, seeing the Salamander shield formation which included, 3 tanks in the front lines and 9 mages. 3 mages in the middle row, and 6 mages in the back, completely cornering them.
"They're focusing on taking him out!" Leafa said in mind, watching the dangerous formation of the Salamanders.
A group of mages in the middle row, chanted their spells as they quickly healed the tanks, which causes their HP to fully recover.
Then, a group of mages in the back row, chanted their spells, as they cast fireballs at Kirito.
As the fireballs came closer to Kirito, who raised his sword to defend himself, he couldn't help but look on as the fireballs came closer and closer to him.
A big explosion erupted at Kirito's spot, after the fireballs hit Kirito.
"Kirito!" Leafa shouted.
In the midst of the explosion, Kirito huffed in heavy strides of breath, kneeling on the ground with his sword beside him.
Leafa immediately spotted him, as she chanted her spell.
"Þ ú, fylla, heilagr austr, brott, svalr, bani." Leafa chanted as blue drops of water pour down around the Leafa's hand, and Kirito was engulfed in the water of Leafa's spell, healing him instantly.
Kirito open his mouth, feeling Leafa was healing him. He smile and stood up, as he immediately dashes to the three tanks.
He swung his big sword sideways, as the three tank's HP was cut in half, by Kirito's attack.
But the tanks were then healed again by the mages at the middle row.
The back row mages, then cast again fireballs at Kirito, to which he was blasted away from the range attack.
Leafa again chanted her spell, "Þ ú, fylla heilagr, austr, brott, svalr, bani." She chanted as Kirito was engulfed again by water and was healed again.
"He'll run out of HP at this rate..." Leafa thought after seeing the combination of healing mages, attacking mages and blocking soldiers. Seh knew Kirito was having a hard time breaking through the formation and at this rate he would be killed if he continues to do this.
"Izayoi-kun... Help..." Leafa hoped as she look at Kirito.
"That's enough, Kirito. If we lose, we'll just have to fly a few more hours! Let's give up!" Leafa stated.
"No way." Kirito answered as Leafa stood surprised.
"While I'm alive, I won't let any party members die." Kirito said to Leafa.
"Izayoi would never give up, if he's here. He taught me everything. So, I'm gonna keep going." Kirito said as he turns towards the Salamanders.
On the last attempt to fight the charges, Kirito cried out a battle cry, as he dashes towards the Salamanders.
Arriving at the three tanks, Kirito stopped in front of them, as he grabbed a hold of one of the shield. He tried to move the shield, surprisingly creating an opening, to which he thrust his sword inside the opening.
"What the hell?" One of the tanks said, surprised.
"What's he doing?" The other tank asked, looking up at Kirito in shock.
"Leafa-san!" A voice called out as Leafa look up to see Yui flying down at her.
"Yui? What are you doing here? And if you're here, then that means..." Leafa said as smile was formed on her lips.
Yui nodded, "Yes. Papa's here." She said as Leafa nodded, relieved that he was safe and alive.
"But more importantly, this is your only chance!" Yui stated.
"Chance?" Leafa asked confused.
"Use all the mana you have left on Kirito-san, to block the next magic attack!" Yui exclaimed standing on Leafa's shoulder.
"B-But that won't help." Leafa said to her.
The back row mages were chanting their spells, trying once again to fire the fireballs at Kirito.
Kirito seeing that the mages, were already chanting their spells, he withdraw attacking the three tanks, backflipping out from there.
Leafa stared at Yui, as Yui look at her.
"Don't worry. Papa's said he will come down to help after this." Yui stated as Leafa smiled, as she nodded.
"Þú, sér, lind, ásynja, burt, teimi, og, sverð." Leafa chanted as a swarm of countless blue butterflies appear and rise from Leafa's raised hand, and headed to Kirito.
"Ek, verpa, einn, brandr, muspilli, kalla, bresta, bani," One of the back row mages, named Gtacs chanted.
The blue butterflies then came in contact with Kirito, as they cover him in a butterfly shield barrier.
"steypa, lundr, drótt!" Gtacs shouted as he and the other mages, launches their fireballs at Kirito again.
The fireballs soared through the sky, as they headed for Kirito. As one of the fireballs came in contact with the shied, Leafa was holding her own end of the bargain by sustaining the shield to keep Kirito from being by those fireballs.
"Papa, now!" Yui shouted, to which Leafa look up, seeing something, or someone who was falling down at a fast rate, directly at Kirito.
"Is that-?" Leafa asked.
A smirk was edged across Izayoi's face, seeing the battle in in front of him, as he falls head first from the sky.
Seeing that he was getting closer to the ground, Izayoi switched his falling position, to which his feet would touch the ground.
"Backup is here!" Izayoi shouted as he crashed down on the ground, in front of Kirito, creating a crater in the surface of the bridge.
Izayoi open his eyes, as his black daito appear in his right hand. He raised his daito and deflect every single fireball that the mages casted. But the leftover flames were still around Kirito and Izayoi, but not as close as to touch them.
Leafa glanced up at her MP, which was running out by the second till it slowly runs out, causing the butterfly shied barrier around Kirito to disappear.
"Kirito, now!" Izayoi ordered.
"Now, Kirito-san!" Yui said as Kirito nodded to their order, and begin chanting, while the rings of words encircled him.
"Þeír, hræða, nótt, dýpt, auga, brott, svalr." Kirito chanted, raising his sword up high.
"That's illusion magic. But it only makes you look like a big monster." Leafa thought as she saw that the leftover flames, gathered to form a giant tornado of flame. Kirito who was inside it, then transformed into a creature that he wanted.
After the tornado of flames dissipated, Kirito wasn't anywhere inside the tornado, but instead he was replaced by a giant monster resembling The Gleam Eyes.
"Is that Kirito?" Leafa questioned.
Kirito roared through the sky, as sound waves could be seen, blowing everything away.
The Salamanders look scared upon the Gleam Eyes, as they begin to start panicking.
Kirito then dashes towards the Salamanders as he pierced one of the tanks, killing him instantly, while the other two stared at Kirito in fear.
"Idiot! Don't break formation!" Gtacs shouted at the two.
"It just looks scary and has long reach. If we stick to the plan and stay in formation, the damage won't get through!" Gtacs said to them, while the other mages behind him were looking unsure of themselves.
Kirito roared again, as he then chomped on another tank player, with his sharp teeths. Kirito then continue to attack the other one, by swiping his hand at him, grabbing him. He then pulled the hand up and throw it down on the ground, as the player lay in a crater, and dissolved into polygon. Kirito then threw the remaining tank up in air from his mouth, as he chomped at the tank player again, killing him.
Gtacs stared in fright, at the destruction of Kirito. "E-Explosion magic!" He ordered to the other mages beside him, to which they comply by quickly chanting the spell.
Izayoi sighs as he stared at Kirito, who was beginning to kill like the true Gleam Eyes did, like a monster.
Izayoi crouched down, as he set his target, on saving the other players from horrible deaths experience.
"Izayoi-kun, what are you doing?" Leafa asked.
"Papa?" Yui asked.
"I'm going to bring Kirito back to his senses." Izayoi simply stated, looking back at the two girls with a smile.
He then turns his sight on Kirito, as he instantly dashes through the bridge, leaving a crater from where he dashed.
Just as Kirito's tail was about to reach two mages and kill them, Izayoi appear in front of them, blocking Kirito's tail with his left hand.
"Kirito, that's enough." Izayoi stated, looking at the tall, giant and dangerous Gleam Eyes.
Kirito roared at him, as he tried to free his tail from Izayoi's grip, but Izayoi grip his tail even tighter, not letting him go.
"I think you should have a minute, regaining your senses." Izayoi exclaimed as his black daito glowed black. He then raised his daito, swung it in front of Kirito, unleashing a giant crescent arc in his way.
Kirito didn't have enough time to react, and guard himself, as the crescent arc instantly hit him, blowing him back further away from the Salamanders. While, he was blown back he roared in pain, as he headed straight towards the stone wall, with Leafa and Yui in the way.
Leafa seeing that Kirito was heading their way, she quickly flew upwards, with Yui flying beside her.
"No hard feelings, okay?" Izayoi asked looking at Kirito who had collided against the stone wall, as a crater could be seen imprinted on the stone wall.
Izayoi then turns to the remaining Salamanders, as a devious smirk crossed his face.
"Who wants to go first?" Izayoi asked as he instantly vanished, and appear in front of two Salamanders mages. He raised his daito to the side, and swung his daito sideways at them, killing them in one slash.
Izayoi look to the remaining Salamanders again, as he thought that it would be enough to let them spread news and rumors about their destruction.
Gtacs stare at Izayoi, who had a grin on his face, and a glint of deviousness in his eyes. While he stare at him, he noticed that the dark surroundings around Izayoi, and his dark features as a Spriggan, it'd made him look like an assassin of the dark. And he'd doubt that the giant monster was a lot stronger than him, after witnessing that the giant monster was defeated by the small Spriggan.
With each second spent, Gtacs began to sweat, as he didn't know what to do, or much less do anything. And what he saw when Izayoi killed those mages in one slash, he wouldn't doubt that he would do that to him too.
"R-Retreat! Retreat!" Gtacs said as the remaining turned around to run, but instead they face Izayoi looking at them, with his daito pointed at them.
"Where are you going?" Izayoi asked looking at them with narrows eyes.
"R-Run! R-" Gtacs was cut off as Izayoi stood behind him, with his daito to the side.
"You should learn to shut your mouth. And just stay in your place." Izayoi advised as Gtacs dissolved into polygon, as a red flame stood in his place.
"How about we lessen the numbers, just a little bit?" Izayoi asked as he disappear.
The four remaining mages look around,with their staffs raised high.
"Ahhh!" A mage said dissolving into shards.
"Ah!" Another mage shouted as he too, dissolved into shards.
"W-Where is he?" A Salamander mage said, as he frantically look around for Izayoi.
"I-I don't know." A mage answered, as she look around too, for Izayoi.
"I don't want to kill a girl, so I'll kill you instead." Izayoi stated as he appear behind the mage boy, and slashed at him across his back, killing him.
The girl who was the remaining of the Salamander mages, stare at Izayoi in fear as she fell to the ground, and slowly backs away from Izayoi.
"Please... Don't kill me." The girl pleaded, looking up at Izayoi, as she held up her hand in front of her, while her other hand was against the ground.
"Hey... I won't hurt you." Izayoi exclaimed kneeling down before the girl.
"Izayoi-kun!" Leafa said running toward Izayoi.
"That was amazing, wasn't it?" Yui said happily sitting on Leafa's shoulder.
Just as Leafa arrived at the girl, she unsheathed her sword and pointed it at the girl.
"Now, why don't you explain who sent you here?" Leafa threaten as the girl closes her eyes in fear of Leafa.
"Leafa, calm down. We're aren't going to interrogate her like that." Izayoi stated.
"W-Wait, Izayoi-kun!" Leafa said.
"Give me a second." Izayoi said winking at her, as he turns to the girl.
"There are other ways to interrogate our suspect." Izayoi explained wearing a bemused smile, as he look at the girl.
"It's okay. We won't hurt you. We just want to ask a few questions." Izayoi stated as the girl slowly opens her eyes, to look at Izayoi.
"Really? You aren't going to kill me?" She asked, as Izayoi nods.
"Yeah, but you have to answer our questions first, okay?" Izayoi said as he lowered his scarf, and smile at the girl, to which she blushed, seeing his handsome face.
Meanwhile, Leafa just look at them with jealousy in her eyes. But she sighs, and turns away from the two as a frown adorned her face.
"Izayoi-kun..." She mutters sadly as Yui noticed the sadden expression on Leafa's face. Yui then turns to Izayoi who was talking to the now smiling girl, and then she turns to Leafa.
"Leafa-san, why are you sad?" Yui asked innocently, as Leafa look at Yui.
"Huh? No, I'm not sad." Leafa lied as she knows that Yui had caught her.
"But... You look sad when you see Papa talking to that girl." Yui exclaimed as Leafa faked a smile.
"No, It's nothing to worry about, Yui-chan." Leafa said as Yui smile and nods.
"Papa's always like that, but he doesn't want any girls he care about to be jealous. It's just his way." Yui said as Leafa raised an eyebrow.
"Where did you learn that, Yui-chan?" Leafa asked, confused.
"I thought about it, when Papa always comes Mama down, when she saw Papa talking to another girl. She'd be mad, but Papa assured her that he was the one for her." Yui stated to Leafa, who listened in on Yui's story. But she always grew curious about who was Yui's Mama, but decided to question it later.
"Leafa, Yui, come here. She's ready to talk!" Izayoi called out to them, as he motion his hand to come over.
Leafa and Yui look at each other, as they both smiled and walk towards Izayoi, who was interrogating the Salamander mage in his own way.
"It was earlier this evening when G-Takusu-san... The leader of the mage squad, I mean... He messaged me on my cell to meet here. And when I arrived he said twelve of us were going to go hunting for two people." The girl said standing in front of Leafa and Izayoi.
"Me and the others thought it was overkill, but... He said you were the ones who took out Kagemune-san, so it made sense." The girl stated.
"Kagemune? Who's that? Is he the Salamander that escaped?" He wondered, as he recalled the Salamander that didn't want to fight him or Leafa.
"The leader of the lancer squad. He's famous for hunting Sylphs. But yesterday, he got wiped out in battle, and ran back. That was you, right?" The girl asked, as Izayoi and Leafa look at each other, as they then turns to the mage.
"But why did this G-Takusu guy come after us?" Leafa questioned.
"Looks like it was someone higher up... Something about you interfering with the plan." The mage stated.
"Plan?" Izayoi asked himself.
"They wouldn't tell someone at the bottom of the ranks like me. But it looks like they're planning something big... When I logged in today, I saw a huge number heading north." The mage said.
"They must be... going for the World Tree." Leafa stated.
"No. We figured the whole army would need at least ancient weapon-class equipment. So we're saving money for that." The mage exclaimed as Leafa think for a while.
"That's all I know." She said as she turns to Izayoi.
"Um... You weren't lying about what you said earlier, were you?" The girl timidly said, as Izayoi smiled.
"No. I'd never lie about that." He said as the girl smiled.
"Here. Just something for your help. These items and Yuld, it's something I got from the last battle. You can have it." Izayoi said as he transfer the items to the girl.
"B-But, I couldn't take what's yours." The girl stated as Izayoi shook his head.
"i wouldn't take no, for an answer. You deserved it." Izayoi said as the girl look down, while she nervously scratched her left hand, with her right.
"Really? Can I?" She asked as Izayoi nodded.
"Thank you." The girl stated as she bows her head at him and Leafa, and turns around to leave.
"Bye." Izayoi stated waving her goodbye, as the girl glanced behind her, and blush profusely. The girl then raised her hand and waved goodbye to Izayoi, as she leaves.
"Ugh..." Kirito said walking towards Leafa and Izayoi, as he held his sore chest.
Kirito for his part, was trying to get a good fight, from those Salamanders, but he'd think that he went too far on changing into that 'monster'.
Izayoi look down at his black daito, as it disappear from his hand, returning to the item storage, of where it belongs. After waving goodbye to the Salamander mage, he turns around towards where Leafa was, but he was tackled into a hug by Leafa, who rest her head on his chest.
"Where did you go? I thought you were dead or something." Leafa said as Izayoi settled in on the hug, and hug back, wrapping his arms around Leafa.
"I'm not going to die that easily, Leafa. And I wouldn't leave you to die. While I'm alive, I won't let any party members die. Even if it costs my life to save them. I'll save them, including you." Izayoi whispered to her, as Leafa slightly chuckle.
"You know, Kirito said the exact same thing. He said he won't let any party members while he's still alive." Leafa said as Izayoi chuckles.
"Maybe he learned that from me, in another game we played." Izayoi said recalling him and Kirito playing inside SAO.
"But still, I shouldn't have leave you back there." Leafa stated.
"No, you did the right thing. You can't fight them all by yourself. Anyway, I left after you left." Izayoi exclaimed as Leafa look up at him.
"I didn't want to die, in a dark place like that. What do you take me for?" Izayoi asked as Leafa stifle a laugh, but then she realized their intimate position, as she immediately broke off the hug, while blushing up a storm.
Izayoi chuckle, as Leafa glared at him, and playfully hit his arm.
"And I'd doubt Kirito would handle twelve Salamanders all by himself, without transforming into that..." Izayoi said referring to The Gleam Eyes, that Kirito transformed. Then, Izayoi and Leafa realized that Kirito wasn't with them.
"Speaking of Kirito, where is he?" Izayoi asked as Leafa nodded in agreement.
"Now've you finally mentioned about me." Kirito exclaimed as he approached Izayoi and Leafa.
"I knew I hit you. But I didn't think I hit that hard." Izayoi commented seeing Kirito beat up form.
"Leafa. You know what to do." Izayoi said as Leafa nodded, and immediately rush to Kirito side.
"Þ ú, fylla, heilagr austr, brott, svalr, bani." Leafa chanted as the ring of words surround her, and Kirito was engulfed by the water.
"Hey, that monster I just saw... That was you, right?" Leafa asked Kirito while he recover from her spell.
"I think so..." Kirito answered.
"You think so?" Leafa asked while Izayoi listened in on their conversation.
"That happens to me sometimes... I just snap in battle, and start forgetting things." Kirito told her, as Leafa stared at him.
"Scary." Leafa commented.
"Though I do mostly remember this recent one. I used the spell Yui and Izayoi suggested." Kirito stated as he recalled when Yui amd Izayoi signalled him to change.
"Kirito, now!" Izayoi ordered.
"Now, Kirito-san!" Yui said.
"And then I got huge... I lost my sword too, so I just started grabbing people." Kirito retold.
"You were chomping on them, too." Leafa said.
"And it wasn't a pretty sight to see." Izayoi stated with a sigh, as Leafa and Yui nodded in agreement.
"Come to think of it, yeah... I got to feel like a monster. It was lots of fun!" Kirito exclaimed.
"Did they taste like anything?" Leafa asked.
"A texture like yakiniku just before it's burnt." Kirito stated as he stood up, followed by Leafa.
"Actually, never mind. Don't say it." Leafa said waving her hands in dismissal. After that, Kirito stopped and jokingly wanted to bit Leafa's hand, but before he does, a black daito was in his way, the edge of the daito, nearly touch his teeth.
"Where's your manner?" Izayoi asked as Kirito sweatdrop, and pulled back his teeth, as he nodded at Izayoi. But Leafa who wasn't satisfied that Kirito planned to bit her hand, she raised her hand and hit him very hard on the cheek.
"Thanks, Izayoi-kun." Leafa stated turning to Izayoi, as he nodded in appreciation.
"Anyway, let's get going." Izayoi said walking ahead of them, followed by Leafa and then a slumped Kirito.
"Here we go!" Yui said happily sitting on Izayoi's head.
"Papa, you're hair is soft." Yui commented touching his hair.
"Thanks for the compliment, Yui." Izayoi said as the four of them continued their way to the city.
The four of them then entered Lugru city, there were lamp post lit lights, all around the city, including the players that walked around the city, giving it a nice and calm atmosphere.
"So this is Lugru?" Leafa wondered as she look all around the lit city.
"Why do you do that?" Kirito said wincing as he touched his slapped cheek, a red hand print could be seen on his left cheek.
"That one was your fault." Yui said to him, still sitting on Izayoi's head.
"Seriously!" Leafa said.
"It was a hilarious joke to lighten up a tense vibe." Kirito reasoned.
"Tense vibe? Next time you do that, I slice you in half." Leafa said looking at Kirito with a pointed look.
"Okay..." Kirito said scratching his head, while Izayoi laughed.
Leafa then turns to her right, as she gasped excitedly, and heads to the weapon store. She then lifted up a sword, checking it.
"Leafa, didn't you get a message before those Salamander attacked us?" Izayoi asked as Leafa turns to him and nodded.
"Yeah... I forgot." Leafa said as she opens her menu, and tap the friend list.
"What's with Recon? Did he fall asleep?" Leafa asked after noticing that Recon was not online.
"Do you want to log out and try to reach him?" Izayoi asked as Leafa thinks for a bit, till she turns to him to give her answer.
"Then, I'll log out for a second and check with him. Izayoi-kun, you wait." Leafa answered as Izayoi nodded.
Leafa turns to Yui who is flying beside Izayoi, "Take care of my body, Yui-chan." She stated.
"Okay." Yui said.
"Make sure your Papa doesn't do anything to it." Leafa ordered while she look at Izayoi, with a smirk.
"Roger!" Yui said saluting at her.
"Oh?" Izayoi said with a bemused smile, and a raised eyebrow.
"How can you be sure? You never know, I might 'do' something." Izayoi said with a sly smirk, as Leafa blushed and lightly glare at him.
"I'm gonna be sick..." Kirito said as he pretended to get sick, by covering his mouth with his hand, as he turns away from them.
"I know you'll never do that." Leafa replied as Izayoi leans closer to her face, their faces inches away from kissing.
"Right... But as I said, you'll never know. I might touch something like your..." Izayoi mutters to her, as he look down at Leafa's chest, to which Leafa furiously blushed.
"P-Pervert!" Leafa said to Izayoi, as she cutely glared at him.
Izayoi wore an bemused smile, satisfied to see Leafa's reaction, as he pulled away from Leafa.
"But I'm not 'that' kind of pervert. So you can relax." Izayoi reassured her, as Leafa look down embarrassed. She then glanced back up at Izayoi and then down at the ground. She coughed to regain her composure on the situation, as she then walk ahead from Izayoi and sat on a bench nearby, to which she opens her menu.
Are you sure you want to log out?
Leafa tap the confirmation button, as she look up at Izayoi's smiling face, and Yui, who was standing on his shoulder. They boh waved at her goodbye, as Leafa log out from the game.
Real World
Suguha look at the ceiling, as she sat up from her bed and rub her eye with her hand. Suguha noticed that her room was dark, knowing that it was already night.
Suguha look to her desk, as she stood up from her bed, and switch on her lamp post, lighting up the room for her to see.
She grabbed her cell phone, and sat on her spinning chair, while she look at the messages that Recon would send.
"Eh?" Suguha raised an eyebrow, as she noticed that Nagata had been calling her for awhile now, as she scrolled down the many missed calls from him, and suddenly, her phone rang again.
Suguha held up her phone to her ear, "Hello? Nagata-kun?" Suguha stated.
"What's going on?!" Suguha asked on the phone.
"You finally picked up! You're late, Suguha-chan!" Nagata said over the phone.
"I was having some-in-game problems." Suguha said.
"B-Big trouble! Sigurd is coming after us. A-And not just that... They sold out Sakuya-san, the Sylph leader!" Nagata informed her.
"Sold her out? What do you mean? Go back to the beginning and explain." Suguha said hugging her knees together, on her chair.
"There's no time... You remember when the Salamanders attacked us in the Ancient Forest? Didn't that strike you as odd?" Nagata asked.
"Odd? Did something happen?" Suguha asked.
"Sigurd said he'd be a decoy, and he drew off three of them, right?" Nagata asked.
"Oh, right..." Suguha said.
"It wasn't like him. Normally, wouldn't he make someone else do it?" Nagata questioned.
"That's true. But what does that mean?" Suguha asked as she look behind her, noticing that outside, was raining. She stood up from her chair, and goes to her sliding doors of the balcony.
"What I'm getting at is... He's been working with the Salamanders. Probably for a while now!" Nagata informed her.
"Huh?! Do you have any proof?" Suguha asked, surprised by the news.
"I thought something was weird, so I spent the whole day invisible, and I followed Sigurd. And I saw them... They were putting on invisibility cloaks in a back alley, too. I thought something was strange. Down deep in the sewers, there were two weird guys waiting for them... And they were Salamanders! I know something was up, so I went to listen in. And they said they put a tracer on you." Nagata retold his story.
"Then what happened to you?" Suguha asked.
"I'm still in the sewers, paralyzed from the poison arrow. And the Salamanders have me." Nagata said to her.
"That's why you called me IRL..." Suguha exclaimed.
"It's more than that! Sakuya-san is supposed to form an alliance with the Cait Sith today. So she's secretly heading to neutral territory." Nagata said as Suguha gasped, as her reflection on the sliding door, mirrors her reaction.
"Sigurd's going to attack the signing ceremony with a huge group of Salamanders!" Nagata said as thunder strikes, and Suguha turns around, deciding that without a choice, she'd have to get back to Alfheim Online immediately.
Izayoi and Kirito were sitting on a bench, where Leafa sat. Izayoi yawns, sitting next to Leafa, while Kirito sat beside him, eating a barbecue stick, which was full with meat on top of meat, sticking on it.
Just as Kirito was about to eat it, Leafa stood up, "We have to hurry!" She said surprising Kirito, while Izayoi look at her, as he stood up from the bench, and stretched himself.
"Welcome back, Leafa. What's wrong?" Izayoi asked as Leafa turns to him.
"Welcome back." Yui greeted.
"Izayoi-kun, I'm sorry." Leafa stated as Izayoi raised an eyebrow at her.
"I have to take care of something now. It seems I don't have time to explain." Leafa said looking down, as she then turns to Izayoi.
"And I may not be able to return here..." Leafa stated as Izayoi smile.
"Then you can just explain on the way. I sensed that you have some interesting things to tell me." Izayoi said surprising Leafa.
"Yeah, we have to walk out of here anyway, right?" Kirito said agreeing to join them.
"Then, let's go." Izayoi ordered as he walked ahead, followed by Kirito, leaving Leafa.
"Got it." Leafa said as she then joins them.
The three of them runs towards Arun, as they exit the city, and was now running through the bridge to the way.
"So, in forty minutes, past the Valley of the Butterflies, a discussion will begin between the Sylphs and the Cait Sith." Leafa explained.
"I see. This is getting interesting." Izayoi said with a smirk.
"Can I ask some questions?" Kirito asked Leafa.
"Go ahead." Leafa answered.
"How do the Salamanders benefit from attacking the Sylphs and the Cait Sith?" Kirito asked.
"First, they can stop the alliance. If an information leak on the Sylph side kills their leader, wouldn't the Cait Sith be very upset?" Leafa answered as Kirito nodded in understanding.
"Yeah." Kirito exclaimed.
"It's also possible there could be war between the Cait Sith and the Sylphs. And if you take out a territory leader, you get thirty percent of the territory's money, and you can invade its town for ten days and levy whatever tax you want." Leafa explained to the two.
"You can do that?" Kirito asked.
"So, Izayoi-kun, Kirito, this is a Sylph problem. There's no reason you need to help. If we go to the meeting, we probably won't get out alive. We'll have to start at Sylvein again. No, it's even possible..." Leafa said as she stop running, as Izayoi and Kirito stopped as well, as they look back at her.
"That if you want to reach the top of the World Tree, you'd be better off working with the Salamanders." Leafa said as Izayoi narrows his eyes at her, while Kirito felt uncomfortable about joining the Salamanders.
"If they pull this off, they'll be perfectly positioned to make an attempt up the World Tree. Since you two, are Spriggans, they might hire you as mercenaries. So even if you kill me here, I won't complain." Leafa said closing her eyes, as she thought after she heard all about the information from Recon. And to suggest that Izayoi would be better off working with the Salamander, broke her inside, but she hold it in. She felt horrible on asking them to be mercenaries to Salamander, even worse when she ask Izayoi. She felt ashamed and disappointed on herself, for doing her own action to help the Sylphs, to which she could lose her friends in the process. And if Izayoi leave her, would she be happy without him? She would never answer to a question like that, as she loves Izayoi, fully knowing that Izayoi and the Izayoi in the game was the same, even if she didn't have the proof yet, but she just knows it, deep inside her heart.
"I'm sorry, Izayoi-kun..." Leafa thought as she awaited their answers, while hoping that they would choose to help her.
"In the end, it's just a game, so do what you want." Izayoi said suddenly as Kirito look at him.
"If you want to kill someone, kill them. If you want to steal, you steal. I've met more people who think that way than I'd want. In a way, it's true. You can't deny it, no matter what you think. But it's not true..." Izayoi said walking towards Leafa, who held in her breath, with her eyes closed.
"There are things you have to protect especially because it's a virtual world. I learned that from someone very important. I f you give in to your impulses in this world, the price is that it changes your personality in the real world. The player and the character are one and the same." Izayoi stated as he look at Leafa, with a smile.
"I like you, Leafa. I want to be your friend. I'd never attack someone like that just for my own benefit. Also, if I did that, I would be a bad friend for doing it, cause I have a precious friend right here." Izayoi exclaimed, pointing his finger at Leafa.
Leafa then opens her eyes, as tears started to form in her eyes, "Izayoi-kun..." She said as she held her hands together in front of her chest.
"Thank you." Leafa stated as Izayoi waved his hand in dismissal.
"Sorry, if it's sounded arrogant." Izayoi said as Leafa shake her head.
"No, I was happy." Leafa said tearfully, with a smile.
"Hey, don't you think we're wasting time?" Kirito asked with a smile, looking at the both of them. Izayoi turns to him, as he nodded, knowing that they were wasting time already by standing here.
"Yui, we're going to run. Lead the way." Izayoi ordered, as he turns to Kirito.
"Kirito, try to catch up, okay?" Izayoi asked as Kirito nodded.
"Leafa, can I borrow your body?" Izayoi asked with a sly smile, as he gently grabbed Leafa's legs and lifted her up into his arms, in a bridal fashion.
"U-Uh..." Leafa said as she blush, from their intimate position.
"Hold on tight." Izayoi said as Leafa wrapped her arms around Izayoi's neck. Izayoi then slightly crouched, as he dashes away with his speed, leaving another crater from where he dashes. Kirito who dashes as well, followed behind him.
Leafa then saw monsters up ahead of their path, "U-Uh, m-monsters!" Leafa exclaimed as she tightly hold Izayoi's neck. Izayoi grins as he run faster towards the Orcs, as he then jumped over all the Orcs, and perfectly landed on his feet, as he then dashes off to exit of the Corridor. Meanwhile, Kirito just run past the Orcs that spawn throughout the Corridor.
"The exit." Izayoi said as Leafa look in front of her, to see a white light at the end of the cave.
"Let's save an alliance to be, shall we?" Izayoi said with a smirk, as he heads towards the white light.
To Be Continued...
Hello, everybody. I see that you have finished reading this chapter, and I tell you now, that it was hard to wrote it, you know? I have to search for information regarding the spells. It was hard, but I think it was worth it. Now tell me what you think in the review bow below, or you can just favorite my story, or follow my Fanfic. Whichever makes you want to see the story faster. I would like that if you would review, it lets me know how you think about your thought on the story, as you would know, but I just telling you the heads up on the part.
So, I hope you have a good day, and try not to be stranger to my story, okay? Make yourself known, like do a review about the story, or favorite me or as I said, follow my Fanfic. A long time ago, I was just a reader, and then I wanted to myself known to Fanfiction, after I had the 'Imagination Anime Attack' or AKA the I.A.A, for short. I made it up myself, neat isn't it? So, then I researched about the fanfics I'm going to do, and Ta~Da! I got reviews, favorites and follows, and the feeling was like never before, I tell you. And with that said, I bid you farewell, Ja'ne! ArtLotus out!