DE88: Alright here is my newest chapter. Hope you enjoy this as we start closing up on an arc of this story. Yeah its a short arc, but the next one will be longer. Promise.

Chapter 5: Reasons to fight.

Day 67: Floor 39`

Arashi smiled as he watched the sunrise from the second floor balcony. Behind him still asleep was who he value as the most important person in his life now, as weird as he thought that was. Risa slept peacefully, curled up in multiple blankets. Arashi smiled and sighed as he walked past her quietly and entered the study sitting at the desk and opening the menu. He accessed his messaging system and found what Risa had told him was there. He gulped as he typed in an IP address and pressed the call icon. He sat there waiting as the program rang, and on the third ring, the other side picked up.

"Ryomatsa...is that you? It is!" A woman said this as her image appeared on a screen in front of Arashi. Arashi smiled as the woman called for a young girl who was smiling.

"Hey mom...Hey Serenay. How are you guys holding up?" Arashi said this as he dry swallowed. He could see tears in his mother's eyes as he said this, but he knew they were happy tears. Serenay was beaming at him.

"We are fine Ryomatsa...but how are you? Are you doing fine in there?" His mother asked this and Arashi sighed, smiling.

"I'm fine. We already cleared floor 75, so us players should be out soon." Arashi said this as he heard the door behind him open slightly. He turned to see Risa standing there smiling. His mother smiled slightly as she saw Risa. "Oh Risa-chan, did I wake you?" Arashi asked this nervously, knowing his mother could see her. Risa shook her head and walked over looking at his mother.

"Nah I woke up because the sun got in my eyes. So you are Matsa-kun's mom and sister right?" Risa said this with a smile as she wrapped her arms around Arashi's neck, resting her head on top of his.

"Ah yes we are. And I am guessing you are making sure my boy doesn't do anything to stupid in there right Risa." His mother said this with a joking tone causing Arashi's face to start burning as Risa giggled.

"I would if I could, but he really just does his own thing." Risa said this before releasing Arashi and hugging him. "I'm going to take a shower." She said this and Arashi nodded kissing the top of her head and watched her leave the room. Serenay had left the room because she was about to head to school, so his mother was the only one on the other side.

"So is she the reason you have made it this far?" Arashi smiled as his mother asked this in concern. He knew his mother could read him like a book. He nodded as he looked back to her to see a kind smile on his mother's face. "Well then you better end this soon Matsa. I can tell that you really care for her." His mother said this in a matter of fact tone and Arashi grinned.

"Don't worry I got this mom...but hey...once im out...I might skip school for a day...Its-" Arashi started saying this but his mothers knowing look cut him off.

"I know that is the same Risa you are always talking about it. If you promised her to be there then I can't stop you. Now go, I need to get to work." Arashi smiled at his mom as she said this and cut the call. Arashi sighed and stood up and felt a pair of arms wrap around him.

"We will beat this game." Risa said this and Arashi turned and looked at her.

"Yeah...I think it is about time we returned to the front lines."

Day 70: Floor 78

Kirito sighed as he looked in his messages to see if he had gotten anything as the Assault Team assembled in front of the boss room. Asuna was briefing everyone while Leafa and Klein made sure everyone could hear what she was saying and repeating it for people. The plan for the boss was for the defense team to hold it back while the attack division looked for weak points. Kirito searched the crowd hoping to see who he was hoping for to be here.

"They will be here Kirito. You know as well as I do that he wouldn't stay gone too long." Azure said this as he checked his gear, and Kirito turned to him.

"Yeah but I will feel much better about this boss if he is here!" Kirito snapped this and heard a chuckle behind him. He turned to see Arashi and Risa, both ready for combat.

"Hope you talking about a certain demon. Cus he just got here." Arashi said this with a smirk and Kirito sighed in relief. "Now then, let's hear the situation."

Arashi panted as he and Kirito leapt back from the boss, surprisingly it was known as the Reaper Scythe. It weilded two Scythes and had eight bars of health. So far the assault team had in total shaved off four of those bars away, but it had taken three hours. Arashi gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his weapons, remembering how easily it had shaved through there ranks already. Even with the numbers they had, everyone was hurting. Kirito turned to Arashi and both nodded, knowing the plan. An all out attack. They yelled as the ran straight back into the fray.

Arashi sighed as he sat with his back to Risa, who was resting as well as him. He was drinking a potion. Kirito and Asuna were doing the same, plus doing reports for the guild.

"Well looking at it we lost fifteen people during the fight..." Azure said this as he scrolled through his menu. Arashi cursed silently and looked at the crowd. 'Damn everyone is in the red...then again they don't have a battle healing skill like me and Kirito...wait a sec.' Arashi thought this as he saw something that was surprising. There was a lone man of the defense team that was in the yellow. Kirito looked at Arashi and turned to look at the person he was looking at. Kirito looked at Arashi briefly before nodding.

"Hey what- Arashi!" Risa said this as Arashi grabbed his blade and sped towards the lone man and aimed his blade at the man's throat, and found exactly what he was hoping for. A purple hexagon barrier stopped Arashi's blade and above the man's head was the words 'Immortal Object'.

"I found you, Takehiko Kamigawa." Arashi said this as he looked at the man with any emotion. The man smiled slightly.

"Yes you have."

DE88: Okay the final fight will be next chapter, so I thought this would be a good stopping place.