(A/N: a little note about my update rate I only work on Friday and the weekends for various reasons but I will try to put out at least 2 chapters over the course of a weekend as you've noticed my chapters will be 1500-2500 words usually but I'll publish the stories as soon as I finish them in fact I'm starting this around 30 minutes after I published my last chapter anyways enjoy :hint sama is Japanese and is used when speaking to someone of greater importance than you or as a sign of respect (o_o) /).

As Kirito and his new friends approached the city game it was opened up by the guards the npc's cheered when Kirito walked through the gate and into the town. Kirito smiled slightly somehow reassured by the fact that this was a programmed event and not really happening.

"You seem pretty pleased with yourself hero-sama" Argo said teasingly poking Kirito's cheek "and I thought you were anti-social.

"Quiet jester I don't need your opinion" Kirito said in a false superior tone causing the rest of the group to snicker.

"Jester?" Argo said slightly indignant

"Hmm" Klein thought out loud "maybe we should make that her official rank once we make a guild it fits her perfectly."

"Asuna, Sinon they're picking on me" Argo complained attempting to gain support

"And I will never allow fellow maiden to be slandered in anyway, so naturally I completely agree it does suit her." Sinon's reply caused Argo to pout cutely causing the rest of the group to start laughing

Then suddenly Argo smirked seeing a way to turn this to her advantage she pressed into Kirito's back and then in a sultry manor said just loudly enough for everyone to hear "okay hero-sama I'll come to your room tonight and entertain you, as is my job, don't worry I have a special show ready" she licked her lips

"Aargghh" Kirito sputtered face turning red "wha—what are you saying Argo!?"

"I'm the jester after all I have to make sure that hero-sama is not bored and although hero-sama is strong he is still 14 so I have no choice for hero-sama's sake" Argo continued in an innocent voice

"Q-quit it A–Argo" Kirito stuttered as she continued to rub herself across his back

Just then Sinon came up and grabbing Argo by the back of her armor pulled her off Kirito she then said with a hint of vehemence "quit acting like a love sick puppy!" despite saying this there was something that grated her seeing Argo pressed against Kirito …is this… jealousy? Me cold tough heartless Sinon is… jealous? Damn his good looks.

"t-thanks" Kirito managed still red face.

"Whatever hero-sama" Sinon replied managing to keep her voice neutral.

Kirito sighed "could you guys quit it with the hero-sama thing? It's getting annoying"

"Got it badass pretty boy swordsman." Klein complied

"That's even worse!" Kirito complained

"Hmm" Asuna pondered "how about badass pretty boy swordsman-Sama?"

Kirito just groaned

"Lord help me" he said dismally before blinking and speaking in a serious tone "when we activate the teleport gate a bunch of player's are going to pour into the plaza of the second floor" Kirito paused for a breath "We have to make a choice do we activate it and quickly run off or remain and walk off like total bad-asses" Kirito continued

"I think we should go for number 2" Sinon said "if were seen scampering off it might make us look like were scared of people and we won't be able to get new recruits."

"Not to mention some idiot like cactus head could take the credit and use it for their own personally gains." Kirito agreed "but should we let it be known that were all beta's?" Kirito asked "it could help improve the rest of the beta's rep but also might make people hate us."

"They figure it out quickly enough that we're beta's pretty quickly ki-bou" Argo said for once serious

"We need to accept that they'll figure it out soon and we can't have people turning on us for withholding that little bit of information." Asuna agreed.

"Okay i have an idea" Kirito smirked "here's what we do.."

As they finished talking they reached the center of the plaza Kirito reached his hand out and activated the portal.

-10 minutes earlier-

"Hello everyone" a blue haired man called out cheerfully "my name is Diabel, I like to think of myself as the knight class" this comment was followed by laughter and jeers from the crowd. Smiling the man continued "while we have not yet found the location of the first boss room we still have the data from the beta's who are cooperating with us." Diable said only to be interjected by an angry voice

"Beta's? Cooperating? They just want to make themselves look good" an angry cactus headed man yelled angrily (A/N an angry man yelling angrily who'd of thought?) "just because they helped with a bit of second rate data doesn't mean we should forgive them!" the man began to rant "they took all the best grinding spots and left all of us newbies in the dust! They left us to die and you're going to forgive them for giving a half assed report!" his statement was followed by a few cries of agreement from the crowd

"Yeah" one man called out "I saw a group of 12 or so beta's training against level 12 monsters and slaying them easy!" he called outraged "and they haven't given us a bit of map data and they didn't even bother to attend this meeting!" he continued "they'll probably let us test the weakness of the boss and die before coming in and taking the good item's from it! They're not even going to help us clear the game the traitors!" just as he said this there was a system announcement

"Second floor man city portal unlocked" a mechanical voice called out over the land.

Almost instantly the players charged towards the teleporting grounds and teleported to the new city. When they arrived they came face to face with a group of player's standing in the center of the group was a swordsman in black. Hair flickering in the wind with his coat fluttering behind him he looked like a real warrior his presence was so great the players barely even noticed the other members of his group. The player gave them a look before turning around and walking towards the exit of the plaza with slow calculated steps. The remaining players in the party followed in a similar manor with slow steady steps like they had all the time in the world and nothing could touch them.

The newer player's look on in awe while the front liners (or so they had thought) were stunned into silence.

"What's going on!?" Diabel said surprised "why is the second floor open"?

"What do you think? We cleared the boss of course weren't you listening to Kayaba's damn announcement?" the black swordsman replied evenly. Cactus head was about yell an insult when he noticed the massive man standing next the boy he was easily 7 feet tall and built like a bear. Faced with the fierce visage of Agil even Kibaou was intimidated. As a result he remained silent.

Diabel recovering his sensing asked the question on everyone's mind "When did you find the boss door? And why didn't you send for help?"

The youth garbed in black spoke then.

"We found it earlier today" he said calmly before continuing "and as for why we didn't call for help well it was unnecessary." he finished " Now if you are done wasting my time we have to go." Kirito continued bluntly

At this point some members in the crowd began whispering and pointing at the handsome youth, his coat billowing in the wind and his neutral golden eyes gave him the look of a professionally badass and unfortunately for Kirito a certain group of girls he'd met earlier recognized him instantly. They immediately assessed the other members of his party and found the results worrying in the member's behind him there was a collection of 5 girls each cute in their own way. And so the cult of Kirito began to plan how they would rescue the poor deceived golden eyed youth from the evil naysayers that were corrupting him(or that's how they described it anyway). But this is a different story for a different time, one that happens to involve someone's basement and duct tape.

It was at this point that Kibaou recovered his voice he spoke slowly but steadily "How the hell did you guys beat the boss already!?" he picked up momentum "You guys must have monopolized all the good items and grinding spots!" he said angrily "You're nothing more than greedy bastards who only care about yourselves"

To this the youth just laughed and replied "And so the kettle calls the pot black" smirking Kirito continues "You don't give a shit about other players your just using it to turn yourself into a symbol and gain power." Kirito finished

"No I don't" Kibaou shouted back

"Really so you won't pursue a position of power? Good because you'd make a horrible leader." Kirito said calmly at this Kibaou's face turned red

Kibaou then shouted "shut up you damn beater! what do you know?"

"Enough to know that someone nearly dies of high blood pressure when a kid insults him has no control over his anger" Kirito deadpanned. And true to Kirito's word Kibaou's face was indeed turning a rather brutal shade of reddish-purple, at this comment several people snorted watching the boy mind rape the angry cactus head. Kirito snorted then turned back walking towards the exit of the plaza

"Where do you think you're going you brat come back here!" Kibaou called out angrily

"Sorry I've wasted enough brain cells today talking to you than I care to mention already ta-ta." Kirito said arrogantly as he and his group exit the plaza leaving Kibaou's enraged yells behind them.

As soon as they we're out of earshot everyone except Kirito burst out laughing Klein barely managed to speak choking out "damn it Kirito ahha you weren't joking ahah" his speech then became inaudible

"It's true" Argo laughed "Ki-bou's acting skills are on another level"

"It was nice seeing that ass Kibaou get owned completely" Agil said appreciatively "That guy is such a lowlife"

Kirito just smirked at the complements a warm feeling in his chest. Oh to be amongst a group of friends he though wistfully.

"The ta-ta at the end was a really nice touch though" Sinon said as soon as she stopped laughing smirking at Kirito.

"I aim to please, or maybe to escape a mad man's death game, not really sure which though." Kirito said thoughtfully causing another round of laughter.

"We should get some sleep and start grinding in the morning it's almost night and until we get used to this floor it's better to be safe and only grind in the day."

"One thing first" Sinon said calmly "I've been the leader of this group for around 2 weeks" she said looking intently at Kirito "and I think my little stint as leader is over" she continued to look at Kirito as confusion clouded his eyes. "I think you would make a better leader than I would Kirito." Sinon stated calmly "therefore I ask you to take it from here."

Kirito looked stunned he then spoke "but, I've only been here for like 4 hours hardly enough time to get to know me!?"

"Yet it already feels like you've been here forever" the youngest of the group silica said

"She's got a point man" Klein agreed his friends nodding behind him.

"Go ki-bou!" Argo said cheerfully "The first step to gaining your own harem is to have undisputed control over a group of girls so that's one check off the list" at this Kirito nearly tripped

"Gah Argo! Quit it with that would you?" he replied grumpily

Sinon and the other girls started blushing while Klein and his friends saw this and got slightly angry at the young and clueless lady killer.

Kirito looked around and cleared his throat "if that's what you guy's think then I'll do my best" Kirito said accepting the new position. "But first things first I'm beat lets go to sleep everyone!" Kirito commanded as they arrived at a small inn. The rest of his group groggily agreed they'd only just now noticed how tired they were. And so they trudged into the inn to sleep the night away.