Chapter 7: Pride and Prejudice
Sinon faced off against a muscular man, the two locked in an undeclared staring contest. Neither gave an inch and although they were both technically on the same side, their mutual enmity was clear.
The leader of the Armored Division was a stern-faced man named Corvatz; he was the sort who obeyed the chain of command to the letter. Which made Sinon's place outside of the ranks unusually inconvenient for him. She was an anomaly, someone who neither gave nor received orders from him. That reason by itself may have been enough for him to set himself against her.
Based on how poorly their conversation was going, Corvatz was either taking out his confusion on her or he had orders from above to make life as difficult as possible for her. Either way, Sinon was becoming less and less fond of the man and his lack of an indoor voice with each passing moment.
"Look little girl, I don't care what you think you need to train that pathetic lot. My men need to focus on their own training and that means that they don't have the luxury of wasting time babysitting you ranged weaklings out in the field."
Sinon glanced over at the "training" Corvatz was putting his men through. They were doing some form of drills, lined up in three neat rows and executing the «Vertical» skill over and over in sync. It was an exercise that made the troops look highly disciplined and organized. It was also completely useless if the goal was to prepare them for the frontlines. No matter how many times they use a «Sword Skill», without actual targets, they would never level their skill up. "Babysitting the Ranged Division," as he put it, would have done more for these men than what the Lieutenant-Colonel was putting them through.
"Look, I've told you several times already that your men will benefit a lot from going into the field with us," Sinon argued, feeling like she was talking to a brick wall. "They'll get combat experience. Real combat experience, as opposed to this half-baked idea of training you're putting them through and they'll learn how to fight alongside the Ranged Division and be better prepared for when we're in a boss fight."
Corvatz bristled at her words, "Are you implying that I don't know what's best for my own men!?"
Sinon wanted nothing more than to say, "That's exactly what I'm saying." But as much as it irked her, she needed those men in order to go about her training exercises more efficiently. Well, if logic wouldn't work—
"I've already said that I have permission," she stated. "Thinker—"
"—doesn't have the final say in what goes on in the Melee Divisions."
A new voice cut into Sinon's argument. She could feel her skin crawling as she turned about to face Kibaou. He was an unwelcome enough sight already, but to compound matters, the spiky-haired man had an unpleasant sneer on his face as he approached.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Sinon asked with undisguised contempt.
"Are you sure that's how you want to address the leader of this guild?" Kibaou responded. He placed a hand on the hilt of his weapon as if he were going to draw it.
What an unlikeable ass.
Sinon retorted, "You're not the leader of this guild."
"Of course I am. You see, girl, there are two types of people in this world. There are those like Thinker who are, for lack of a better term, thinkers. They may have big ideas and grand ideals, but they never get anything useful done. Thinker is busy with what he does best, managing the paperwork, and wisely leaves the actual running of the guild to his betters." Kibaou's smile managed to combine arrogance, condescension, and dismissal as he added, "Corvatz-san and I are doers. We get things done around here. Not that excuse for a guild master. So yes, I am the leader of this guild. You'd better remember that, 'Beater-chan.'"
Sinon wished she could turn off the «Anti-Criminal Code» just for a brief moment. A few seconds would be enough to wring that man's neck. Of course, the only man who would be capable of changing the system code in that way was the madman who had trapped them all here in the first place.
Because staying around Kibaou would serve no purpose other than torturing herself, Sinon forced herself to turn about and walk out the door without a word. Anything was better than standing near that self-important moron. She felt the urge to take a bath; it was as if the man had tainted the very air around him.
But Sinon was still left with the problem of lacking melee players to work with the Ranged Division. She spent some time thinking about what she could do. Ask one of the people on her friends list, perhaps? The more she thought about it, the less she thought that idea would work.
Asuna was probably busy running the «KoB». Even if she had the time, it wasn't likely that she would be able to spare anyone from that hard-core clearing guild to help. Klein wouldn't work for similar reasons; although Sinon had no doubt he'd be happy to help, she also knew he was busy getting the members of «Fuurinkazan» prepared for the front.
Kirito, maybe? Almost as soon as his name entered Sinon's head, she dismissed the idea. The thought was laughable. He was more reclusive than Sinon had been even before joining «The Army». Even if he was willing to help, Sinon wouldn't be able to count on him to leave anything alive for her own men to shoot at.
Argo? Sinon could just picture the grin on the information dealer's face if she learned that Sinon was having trouble with this matter. She'd probably say something along the lines of "just use your feminine charms to convince Kibaou's men to abandon him." Even if they communicated through private messages rather than face to face, «The Rat» would somehow find a way to leave no room for doubt that she was having the time of her life at Sinon's expense. Nope, Argo was definitely out of the question.
That left…Silica. Immediately, Sinon told herself that that was not going to happen. Oh, the girl would probably jump at the opportunity to help her senpai out, she had no doubt about that. And the younger girl might have befriended some tanks, which would be useful. But Sinon also knew that if she mentioned going to the frontlines, it would be impossible to keep Silica from begging to go as well. Plus, Sinon wasn't sure how distracted the Ranged Division might get trying to show off for her adorable little kohai. Best not chance that.
Sinon sighed. Why was it so difficult to get anything done around here? There were over 5000 players in this guild. It should not be this hard to find some bodies to form a defensive line. She could still have the Ranged Division practice skirmisher tactics, but at this point, she felt that they've had enough practice moving around on the battlefield. The only thing they hadn't picked up was how to fight in conjunction with the melee.
It looked like she was down to her final, and least effective, option. Equip the troops with bayonets and have half of them fight at melee distance while the rest fought from the rear. It wouldn't be pretty. None of the Ranged Division, to her knowledge, had any experience using «Sword Skills».
Why am I getting so worked up over this? It's not like I really care what happens one way or another. Once my debt is repaid, I'm out of here. Sinon nodded as she made sense of her feelings. The only reason this problem was bothering her so much was because she didn't want to do a shoddy job. Being careful and efficient was what kept her alive when she was alone; she was merely applying those principles here. It wasn't as if she actually cared about anyone in «The Army».
But she couldn't stop the thoughts from cluttering her mind. They spun about in her brain, jumbling together in a confusing trail that ran in circles. In order to clear her head, she decided to go down to the shooting range; it was lunchtime and the room would be empty. Perfect for her mood.
She set up a total of five targets in the room, placing them such that many of them were partially concealed by the crates, barrels, and tables the division used to elevate what they were shooting at. Satisfied with the relative difficulty of the shots, Sinon walked over to the other end of the room, as far as she could go, and took aim.
The first bottle went up in an explosion of prismatic dust.
Sinon reloaded, taking a deep breath as she did. She imagined Kibaou's sneering face in the place of her next target…
The second bottle followed the first into oblivion.
As she shot, she found that contrary to her assumption, she was getting more and more irked at what was going on within the guild. She had come here to let loose, but her inability to do anything worthwhile bothered her. Wasting time here only confirmed that thought. Sinon absolutely hated feeling helpless while events unfolded around her.
Her hands trembled slightly as she fired her last shot, causing her to miss. Sinon blinked. She hadn't missed a stationary target in a long time.
"So this is where you were."
Yulier was watching Sinon's performance from the door. She had arrived silently a little while ago. Sinon noted that in addition to the whip that hung in a coil at her side, she now had a holster for a gun; the woman had said that it didn't feel right being in charge of the Ranged Division without actually owning a ranged weapon. She walked over to the younger girl now, looking contemplative.
"I don't think I've ever seen you miss before," she noted, glancing at the final bottle.
Sinon made a noise halfway between a grunt and a growl. "It happens from time to time," she replied simply.
She reloaded and fired again. This time, the bottle shattered, leaving her with no targets to distract herself with. No excuse to ignore the woman who was waiting for her attention.
"Well?" Sinon asked. "I'm assuming you have something important to say. Seeing you waste time frivolously is just as unusual as me missing."
The older woman shook her head sadly and sighed. "Professional as always," she said. "You're a teen. You shouldn't be like this; not all time. It's not—right. Don't you ever miss it? Being with friends and sharing a laugh? Or just taking a break to have fun?"
Sinon wouldn't know, considering she had been as much of an outcast at her school in real life as she was here. But that wasn't any of Yulier's business and Sinon wasn't willing to disclose this to her. Instead, she replied, "Fine words coming from the one who tried to guilt me into this job to begin with."
Yulier grimaced. "You've got me there. But you're also right about me needing to find something out from you. Will the Ranged Division be ready for the 24th district boss fight?"
Sinon thought about that for a while. They were ready, mostly. She had no complaints about their progress and they worked well with one another. Few of them repeated the same mistake twice and all of them had learned that when Sinon was giving someone a flat stare, it meant they were doing something wrong, stupid, or just plain dangerous. Usually all three at once.
"I'd be happier if I could get them in the field with some melee," Sinon replied. "But they should be good to go. They've been working on getting their «Skill» levels up so that they unlock a couple of useful passive abilities. The nice thing about ranged weaponry is that so much of the damage we do with guns is based on the weapon itself. I can't imagine how long it'd take if they had to learn the timing for using «Sword Skills» as well. Speaking of which, have you been able to fill that order for better weapons for the group yet?"
To her surprise, the silver-haired woman shook her head. Yulier was usually so good about getting things done that Sinon took for granted that this request would have been fulfilled.
"The guild's getting low on resources for making new equipment," she answered. "And the melee divisions have all the craftsmen tied up in making and repairing their gear." She scowled, showing a displeasure with Kibaou's group that she avoided displaying in public. "Not to mention Thinker's been getting swamped with more requests from them. Maybe you could check with suppliers outside of the guild? Although, I don't think the «ALF» will be able to help you much with paying for the equipment because the budget is rather tight right now."
"That won't be a problem," Sinon replied smugly. "The division actually has the entire week's worth of training drops from our field sessions stashed away. I didn't register any of our earnings with the guild because honestly, I don't trust anyone here."
Yulier stared at Sinon incredulously for a moment, her jaw working as she tried to speak. "Y-you…," she stammered. "It seems like every other time I talk with you, I end up wanting to praise you and slap you at the same time."
Sinon merely nodded in agreement with the woman's comment. At first, Yulier had tried to act solely as Sinon's superior officer within the guild. Of course, that was doomed to failure as Sinon had no rank in the guild. When that didn't work, the older woman tried to fill a spot as a mother-figure. That didn't work too well either. Now, Yulier acted more akin to an elder sister, overbearing when she felt the need to be so, but also kind and with a listening ear. Sinon found the arrangement unusual, but it wasn't as stifling as the other options had been, so she let it be.
Yulier rubbed her temples and sighed, "But I can't fault you for not trusting us, I suppose. We're not exactly making the best impression either, with Kibaou being part of your 'welcoming committee.' So—how much were you talking about when you said you didn't register the earnings?"
Sinon counted off on her fingers as she tried to calculate the value of the items. "I'm not entirely sure what the market is like right now," she replied, "but about 750,000 «Col» sounds about right."
Sinon paused to enjoy Yulier's dumbfounded expression, although she kept her amusement masked by her usual impassive face. 750,000 «Col» was substantial sum. Enough to equip a full party of 6 with the best armaments currently available, reinforce those weapons a few times, and still have some money left over for buying armor. Or enough to fully equip a group of two dozen with passable weapons for a boss encounter.
"H-how did you?" Yulier exclaimed. "That's over two month's worth of savings!"
"Two months if you're only going into the field and sewers once every few days and don't know the best spots," Sinon answered. "Neither of which apply in the case of the Ranged Division."
Having an information broker as a friend (even if it only earned Sinon a small discount) had come in handy.
"Alright," Yulier nodded, recovering her composure quickly. "You can take care of securing supplies for the men since you have the resources stashed away; just pretend not to know if anyone asks about how we got the equipment. I'll take care of bringing the troops into the field today. Also, I hear the «KoB» is sending Asuna over later to finalize the terms we've discussed with them with regards to clearing the districts. You'll have to greet her in my place; I'm sure she'd appreciate a familiar face."
There was an awkward silence as Sinon stared at the older woman.
"What is it?" Yulier asked. "Do I have something on my face?"
"No…it's nothing," Sinon replied. "It's just that I've always thought of you as a stickler for rules. I never thought you'd just let things slide this easily. Rather than letting things slide, this is on the level of being a co-conspirator, isn't it?"
"I know when to make exceptions," the Ranged Division leader answered, clearly taken aback by Sinon's impression of her. "And increasing the chance my subordinates have of surviving falls into that category. Not to mention I'm ticked off enough by Kibaou's posturing that—"
She paused, as if just realizing she had almost publicly decried a fellow division leader. Sinon couldn't help grinning. It was the slightest of movements, barely a twitch at the corner of her mouth, but enough that Yulier noticed.
"I knew it," Sinon exclaimed, feeling oddly happy. "You don't like that windbag either! Not just professionally, but personally!"
"I don't," the older woman admitted. "But that doesn't mean that I won't work with him if it's in the guild's best interests."
"It's in the guild's best interests to harbor a witch-hunt inciting psycho?" Sinon asked incredulously.
To the girl's surprise, Yulier giggled. "He's not quite that bad. Grating, loud, thick-headed, obnoxious, arrogant, doesn't listen to reason, power-hungry…"
She paused for a moment, her silver hair swaying gently as she tilted her head to the side and considered what she had just listed.
Sinon raised an eyebrow in her direction. "Want me to add a few more adjectives to that list?"
The older woman paused, giving Sinon a long, considering look.
"You actually have a pretty smile," she said finally, changing the subject to something she found less awkward. "You should do it more often. It might also swell the ranks of your fan-club."
Sinon patted her cheeks. To her surprise, she found that the corners of her mouth were turned upwards. Not too much, but enough that it was unmistakably a smile. Sinon couldn't remember the last time she had smiled unconsciously since the death game started.
"I smile all the time," Sinon answered, changing back to her usual, neutral expression. "I just don't let people see." She felt at her mouth just to make sure. "Wait…what did you mean by 'fan-club?'"
Yulier smiled in amusement. "Exactly what it sounds like. Why would you be surprised? A cute girl who is also one of the toughest players in the game? One who represents chaos that goes against the order the guild is supposed to stand for…something new, mysterious, and intriguing? You draw attention."
"Just what I need," Sinon muttered. "Painting yet another target on myself."
Yulier patted her head encouragingly, "You're a strong girl, I'm sure you can handle it. Now, that's enough time wasted chatting, I think. We should get to work."
Sinon hadn't realized how much she had missed just wandering through the winding streets of the reclaimed districts over the past week or so. All of her troubles faded, carried away by the streams of faceless players walking down the street around her. She breathed in the air; although the scents were generated by the Nerve Gear, the wind still carried the calming fragrance of Spring.
Despite wanting to take her time, she quickly made her way over to the 20th district where the only shop owner she had regular contact with did business from a dingy stall. Agil could have afforded a large store by now, but he claimed that he was saving up for "the perfect one" to buy.
As was usually the case, business seemed slow at his place. The few customers who weren't scared off by the man's brutish looks found out that just because a man looked physically intimidating didn't mean he lacked the intelligence to outthink them at the bargaining table. His shop was no place for a casual browser. As such, the majority of customers Agil received nowadays were his regulars; people who knew what they wanted and how much they were willing to pay or receive during the transaction.
So she had a pretty smile? Sinon decided to test Yulier's claim on Agil; maybe she'd get a better deal on the weapons she needed.
"I'll be with you in a moment." The dark-skinned giant placed down a crate of new goods and turned to face her. As he did so, the store owner's standard cheerful shopkeeper smile he gave every customer morphed into a look of complete horror. Agil stumbled backwards a step, grabbing the battleaxe he had propped against the back, and brandished it at Sinon.
"What manner of undead abomination are you, how did you get into a safe area, and what did you do to the real Sinon-kun?" he demanded.
Sinon favored him with a stony stare. Agil stiffened up before relaxing noticeably. He set his weapon off to the side, the heavy metal blade clanking on the stone floor.
"You almost gave me a heart attack," he exclaimed. "I thought the world was ending..."
"Stop being melodramatic," Sinon replied. "I need your help."
"Welcome to my shop," Agil greeted after a moment of silence, trying hard to pretend that nothing had happened. "What can I get for you?"
Sinon sighed. Men and their pride…they'd do anything to salvage it. "Guns…" she answered. "Lots of guns."
That brought a grin to the man's face. Like the rest of the players who were regulars at the boss planning meetings, Agil knew by now that Sinon was training members of «The Army». No doubt he was thinking of the hefty profits he could make as their sole supplier.
"I'll see what I can do," Agil replied. "How many people do you need to equip and how much do you have to work with?"
Sinon casually opened a menu with a wave of her hand and initiated a trade with Agil. The man's eyes widened as Sinon filled the window with the item drops the division had earned over the course of the week. "I'll need enough for two dozen players," Sinon said. "A few of us have personal weapons, but it never hurts to have spares. Let's see…15 guns and a dozen bows would be good."
"Do you need armor for them as well?" Agil asked, as he looked through his stock and added items to the list one by one. Sinon looked over the weapons' stats; they all looked about right for a player level of the mid 20's.
"No, they have decent light armor already. We might need to upgrade after a few more districts, but the best defense of a ranged fighter is to not get hit in the first place," Sinon answered.
She wasn't lying about avoiding taking hits. The Ranged Division was getting very good at strategic retreats; without any tanks to hold back the undead, they spent just as much time getting away from large crowds of «Creepers» as they did shooting. It might seem laughable, especially for a spectator, but the #1 rule Sinon was beating into the heads of everyone she worked with was: Stay alive. All other concerns on the battlefield, whether it was dealing damage or protecting one's allies, was considered secondary. Sinon had gotten a few grumbles when she stated outright that the only excusable reason for putting oneself in excessive danger was to save an ally. Not so much for the statement itself, but because she had implied that even that excuse was a flimsy one.
"Well then, I think this is a fair trade," Agil said as he waited for Sinon to confirm the trade. She looked over the materials and nodded before pressing the accept button. The shopkeeper added, "Is there anything else you're looking for?"
"Nothing really," Sinon replied. Then, her curiosity getting the better of her, she nodded towards the crates Agil had been moving, "What's in those?"
"Oh, those?" Agil asked. "Just a batch of dyes. You know, for customizing your hair-color and the like. Nothing you'd be interested in, I think."
Sinon nodded slowly, not taking her eyes off of the stack of boxes.
-o-
"You're 7 minutes late," Asuna chided as Sinon approached the entrance to the «Black Iron Castle».
Sinon checked the time, craning her head to see the clock on the nearby clock tower rather than opening a menu. Sure enough, Asuna's accusation was unerringly precise. It was 3:37. It seemed that the one whom Sinon was meeting now was not Asuna the friend, but Asuna the «KoB» officer. The two were so different in personality that even Sinon, who was familiar with the concept of public masks, had been taken aback the first time she encountered Asuna's no-nonsense persona.
Arguing that she had been out picking up equipment would not lead anywhere. This Asuna would not accept excuses. Not from others, but also not from herself. She saw only effort and results; nothing else mattered. Rather than waste her breath, Sinon pushed open the massive door and let the girl in white enter first.
Asuna's eyes seemed to take in everything as they walked down the corridors leading to Thinker's office. She would nod favorably at organized parties of players marching in time and purse her lips disapprovingly whenever they encountered someone rushing down the hallway without paying attention to those around them. When Sinon questioned her on this, she merely replied that organization and discipline was to be commended and that rushing was a sign of the inability to plan ahead.
After a few minutes of silence, Sinon decided to ask Asuna about something that had been on her mind for a while now. As one of the leaders of her guild, the older girl should have good advice on how to handle the situation Sinon currently found herself in.
"What would I do if I didn't get along with another of the officers?" Asuna mused. "Talk things through with them, I think. We do get into disagreements now and then, but the other officers and I all have the «KoB»'s best interests in mind."
"I wish I could say the same about things over here," Sinon muttered. "What about if there's no way you can work things out with them at all?"
"Then you just try to avoid them whenever you can and keep any required interaction to a professional level," she replied. "Better that than causing unnecessary drama."
Sinon scoffed. It was hard to imagine Kibaou acting professional about anything. As for the first bit, Sinon had been avoiding him as much as possible; the problem was that she would have to see him frequently when they were setting up for the boss battle. On top of that, the man seemed to be ordering his subordinates to keep an eye on her. More than once, Sinon had to tell off a Striker Division member for tailing her.
"I'll try to keep that in mind," Sinon said. "It's probably not going to happen, but I'll keep it in mind. Well…we're here. I'll wait for you outside. Do you have some time afterwards? There's something else that I've been meaning to talk with you about."
Asuna hesitated for a moment and then replied, "Sure. I don't need to return to the headquarters until later in the evening."
Sinon opened the door for her friend before stepping to the side. Knowing how long these talks could last, Sinon made herself as comfortable as possible. She leaned on the wall and closed her eyes, taking the time to enjoy the breather she had from her usual activities. At this time of the day, the Ranged Division was usually fleeing from a horde of undead or trying to bottleneck them in an alleyway. Well, that was Yulier's problem to handle today.
Sinon amused herself by toying with how hearing worked in the game. By focusing on one noise, it was possible to completely ignore all other sounds in the background. Informally known as «Distinguish», it wasn't a skill that existed within the registry, but rather, was an exploit of the game's limitations. It was invaluable in the field as a means to scout for enemies that were out of sight.
She couldn't hear through the door to Thinker's office, or any other fully closed door since she didn't have the «Listening» skill, but she was able to pick out noises from a fair distance. Most of these were scattered conversations and the sound of boots striking the stone floor. Since she had nothing better to do while waiting for Asuna to conclude her business, Sinon found herself focusing on the conversations in the hallway. Eavesdropping might not be the most polite of activities, but Sinon doubted anyone would be saying anything important out in the hall where anyone could overhear.
She heard a few complaints about patrolling, the occasional rowdy joke which made little sense to her, an argument about whose turn it was for kitchen duty, and a plethora of other mundane conversations. Sinon was just about to quit and spend some time checking over her gun when she caught a few words which immediately grabbed her attention.
"..that woman. What the hell was Thinker thinking? Putting someone like her in charge?"
The source of the voice, drenched in raw indignity and rage, belonged to none other than Kibaou. He sounded far away, but the volume at which he was speaking caused his words to carry through the hallways of the «Black Iron Castle». Either he didn't care who heard him and he wanted what he was saying to spread or he was actually dumb enough to criticize his co-workers in public. As much as Sinon wanted to believe the latter, the former was also possible; one didn't rise to become the second most powerful member of the largest guild without at least some semblance of intelligence. Sinon couldn't hear the response of whoever he was speaking with, but the leader of the Striker Division's reply was enough for her to guess what was going on.
"She's performing well? Don't give me that crap. You know just as well as I do that there's no way a pencil pusher like Yulier can be trusted to lead men into battle. First sign of trouble and she'll go running off, she will. And don't get me started on that damn Beater Thinker seems to think so well of."
Sinon suppressed the urge to hunt the man down and confront him. What was that saying about never hearing anything good about oneself when eavesdropping on others? There was another long pause as whoever Kibaou was speaking to responded.
"Ha! That's a good one…but you might be on to something there. The two of them are abnormally close for a subordinate and superior. Sleeping together…I like that. Alright, there's no harm to be done if I just happen to 'slip' and mention it during training. The rumors will spread like they always do and before that silver-haired witch knows what hit her; she'll be forced out in disgrace. Then someone competent and more…pliable, can take charge over there. That sounds like—"
"…non!"
Someone shook her shoulder gently.
Sinon's attention snapped back to her surroundings. One problem with using «Distinguish» was that it made it difficult to hear anything except what she was focusing on. It was the auditory equivalent of looking through the Hecate's scope.
"Huh? Asuna?" Sinon asked, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "You're done already?"
"Yes, negotiations are complete," Asuna answered. "Are you alright? You have a scary expression."
"I'm fine," she replied. She added a little lie to cover up her behavior, "Just annoyed with myself for almost falling asleep in the hall waiting. Let's go"
As the two set off towards Sinon's quarters, she stopped by a mirror to check Asuna's claim. Her scowling face peered back at her, eyes narrowed dangerously. What am I getting so worked up over? It's not like it matters to me what others think. And this doesn't even concern me. They were talking about Yulier. Sinon forced her expression back to normal, spending more effort than she would have liked in doing so. By the time they reached the door to Sinon's room, she had all but managed to convince herself that nothing had broken her calm.
"So what did you want to talk about Sinonon?" Asuna asked as she leaned forwards, placing her elbows on her knees and cupping her face with her hands. Here, in the privacy of Sinon's small room, the «KoB» officer could relax and cease to act like an officer.
"A bit of a continuation of our conversation from before," Sinon replied. "I figured that since you're pretty much the one in charge of half of the «KoB»'s activities, you're the best person to talk to about how to motivate people."
"Alright, go ahead," Asuna said, waving a hand nonchalantly. "I'm listening."
Sinon spoke at length about her experience over the past week and a half. She told of the successes and the failures as objectively as she could before going into her concerns for the future. She found herself complaining loudly about how difficult the two melee divisions were making things. And as Sinon talked about the Ranged Division's progress, she noticed a smile forming on Asuna's face.
"What?" Sinon asked, arching an eyebrow.
"It just…good to see that you're enjoying being in a guild," Asuna answered, shifting her weight a little. "Before, you always looked like you would chew the head off of anyone who even tried to speak with you."
Sinon paused and leaned backwards slightly into a more relaxed pose. She hadn't been that bad, had she? She liked to think of her usual attitude as indifferent rather than aggressive. She was sure that she merely ignored the presence of anyone she didn't want to deal with until they gave up and left her alone.
"That's exactly what I'm talking about," Asuna said, prompting Sinon to blink in surprise. She hadn't realized that she was thinking out loud. "You've always had this aura around you that seemed to say that if someone kept pestering you, there would be consequences. Now it seems easier to approach you, somehow."
"That doesn't mean I'm enjoying being in a guild," Sinon answered. "These guys are frustrating as hell sometimes and half the time I get the feeling that someone is going to do something stupid and get himself killed. Then I'd have to explain to Thinker why someone's name got crossed out on the «Monument of Life». Which would be a pain."
"Do you really think that they're that unreliable?" Asuna asked softly.
Sinon hesitated before grudgingly admitting that they weren't. Truth be told, the Ranged Division was pretty much on the level, skill-wise, of the majority of the players at the frontlines. The only thing they haven't had experienced yet with was working in tandem with melee fighters.
Of course, there was also one final test the division would have to pass: Their first boss fight. A good number of players capable of fighting at the frontlines quit after their first boss battle because they couldn't handle the fear and uncertainty. It wasn't something Sinon would be able to prepare them for beyond giving them the skills to survive; the fight for the 24th district would make or break the division.
A small part of Sinon balked at leading them into a district boss fight. She knew they were about as ready as she could get them in the short amount of time they'd been together. But what if they messed up somehow? What if what she had done for them wasn't enough? What if someone got killed? With a start, Sinon realized that she was starting to feel protective of the people of the division. She told herself that it was because she had promised Thinker that she'd see to their safety as best she could.
Of course, Asuna chose that precise moment to interrupt her thoughts by saying, "I think it's great that you're becoming more honest with yourself after joining a guild. I wish I could convince Kirito-kun…"
"What do you mean by more honest?!" Sinon exclaimed, more sharply than she had intended to since Asuna's statement was too close to her own thoughts. Then, after a brief pause, she added, "Wait…you've been arguing with Kirito about joining a guild again, haven't you?"
Asuna's expression hardened, giving away the answer to her question. Sinon sighed. Asuna was a good friend and usually had useful advice, but Sinon also felt that she pressed others too hard when they had a different viewpoint than her. That unyieldingness might be required as a guild officer, but the older girl didn't seem to realize that it caused people outside her guild to avoid her almost as effectively as Sinon's coldness did.
"Look, Asuna," Sinon said. "I know you think that being a loner is wrong and that you have our best interests in mind. But Kirito and I are both 'people who are better off with minimal contact with others.' I can't speak for him, but for me, being a solo means I can push myself to my limits. It's my way of proving to myself that I'm still alive. Just like how running your guild is yours. Don't push your perspective onto people you aren't in charge of, Asuna. Just because you think it's in our best interests to be in a guild doesn't change how you're trying to force your opinion on us."
Even in the face of this criticism, Asuna remained calm and listened, proving her character once again to Sinon. If Asuna had a reason to expect the best effort from others, it was because she drove herself twice as hard to correct her shortcomings as anyone else. Even so, there were some things she refused to change her mind about.
"As a whole, being a part of a guild is beneficial," she argued. "There isn't any logical reason not to join one."
"Maybe for the majority of players," Sinon admitted. "But for someone such as Kirito, guildmates would only slow him down. Not beneficial at all."
"But he'll have people to watch his back. What about yourself?" Asuna asked, giving her a flat stare. "I'm guessing you're trying to be humble by excluding yourself from that last statement, Sinonon?"
Sinon considered her friend's words. Her leveling pace had slowed dramatically after joining «The Army». Her earnings per day were also lower once it had been split amongst the division; that in itself meant it would take longer to buy new equipment and upgrade it. In short, her overall fighting power had been negatively impacted since joining. She told Asuna what she was thinking.
"I don't expect you to understand, Sinonon. Not yet at least," Asuna replied. "But as a group, your performance overall is greater than that of each individual added together. You can't look at just yourself and use that as proof that being in a guild 'isn't right for you.'"
"Why not? There's nothing wrong with only looking out for your own interests," Sinon shot back. "This isn't real life, Asuna! The only thing that matters here is surviving until the game is cleared. And in order to do that, the best way is to make sure that you have the strength to stay ahead of the curve. Just look at the types of people who are calling on others to be more selfless, more charitable. They're the ones who immediately took to discriminating against so-called Beaters to begin with. They want to be carried through, coddled while they huddle in safety as others risk their lives to clear the districts for them. I'm sick of their hypocrisy, Asuna… «Aincrad» isn't a place for altruism. It never was."
Sinon barely managed to keep her voice at the level just below what was considered a «Shout». It would have been awkward if her voice had carried through the closed door and into the hallway.
"That's not true. Even if the minority are like that, most people here are just trying to get by as best they can. They're good people." Asuna protested. "That's what I feel."
Sinon nodded, causing Asuna to look hopeful for a split second. "That is just what you feel. So don't try to get me or Kirito thinking the way you do. Our experience with other players is far different from your own."
Asuna sat in silence for a while, contemplative. Then, softly, in a neutral tone, she probed Sinon. "You claim to be uninterested in others, but you're always talking about Kirito-kun like you're taking his feelings into consideration…"
Sinon looked up at the «KoB» officer in surprise. Was it possible that her friend thought she was…? Ridiculous.
"That's because he's someone 'similar to me.' And I guess there's a small portion of admiration for his strength as well. If it seems like I act differently when he's involved, it's because I still feel like I owe him something—and I pay off my debts."
An answer delivered with no hesitation. Sinon studied her friend carefully. Was that a hint of relief in the girl's eyes? Sinon decided that she couldn't tell.
"What about you?" Sinon asked, narrowing her eyes. "You're awfully insistent about getting him to join a guild. And the way you go out of your way to make sure he's at every boss planning session…suspicious."
She left the rest unsaid. If there was anything Sinon had learned from Argo, it was that hinting at something and letting the listener fill in the blanks was oftentimes more effective at teasing out information from others than asking them outright. A wry voice in her head added that it was usually more entertaining as well.
"Awawawah!"
In terms of the yield this time around, the result could only be considered a jackpot. Asuna immediately turned red and started denying any ulterior motives. She eventually stuttered something about "Kirito-kun giving her a reason to live" before realizing how her words could be interpreted. With a horrified expression on her face, she blurted out that it was well past time to return to headquarters and beat a hasty retreat out of Sinon's room. Sinon had been watching her friend's performance impassively the whole time.
"See you at the boss planning meeting," she called out as the door closed shut behind Asuna.
When she was certain her friend was gone, Sinon mused to herself, "So the stiff-backed «KoB» officer can act like a girl her age sometimes."
"What the hell is this?" Sinon demanded.
Although she couldn't see the eyes of the man before her, owing to the helmet that covered the top half of his head, Sinon looked him in the "eye" with the same glare which would send the men under her command scurrying for cover. Although his facial expression never once changed, Sinon noted with satisfaction that his feet shuffled in agitation.
"Your orders, ma'am."
A statement delivered in the most matter-of-fact voice.
"I can see that," Sinon snapped irritably. "I'm talking about the nonsense written within these orders. 'As the Armored Division and the Striker Division are relegated to more important duties elsewhere today, the Ranged Division is hereby ordered to scout out the boss room and report their findings directly to the head-commander of the Striker Division by no later than 6 p.m.'"
There was absolutely no chance the orders came from Thinker. Judging from the pompous words, these instructions came from Kibaou. Sinon stalked off to find the culprit, fuming beneath her mask of ice. But once she found him inside his office…
"These are Thinker's orders."
He vehemently denied her accusations.
"Bullshit," Sinon replied coldly. "Thinker's been to boss fights before. He knows the limitations of the player 'archetypes.' He'd never assent to sending only a bunch of lightly armored ranged fighters to gauge a boss fight."
"Regardless of your opinion," Kibaou said with a sneer, "those are your orders. The boss planning meeting is tomorrow so you'd best be on your way along with the rest of that useless lot, little girl."
"Screw you," Sinon replied. She turned around to leave, fully intending to ignore the missive she had been handed this morning.
"Oy! I'm not done talking with ya yet!"
Kibaou's grating voice called out from behind her. Sinon ignored him.
"I wasn't lying about these being Thinker's orders! I was given the responsibility of deciding how to go about scouting the boss room from him directly. You ignore these orders and it'll reflect badly on him at the boss planning meeting."
Sinon paused in her tracks, turning around to face Kibaou again.
"Why would he give you the reins in deciding how to scout the boss?" she asked.
"Because I run the melee divisions," he answered arrogantly.
"Well then, you can cancel your so-called 'important activities' for your beloved divisions and have them check out the boss fight, melee division Leader-sama," Sinon replied sarcastically. "Because I'm not letting you get any members of my division killed with your stupidity. I'm sure your little lapdogs can take a day off from their vital duties and do something useful for a change since the last I heard, the most important job of the Striker Division was to procure the cheap hair-gel you use to maintain that ridiculous hairstyle of yours."
"You damned brat!" Kibaou's smirk distorted in rage. "Don't you dare push my patience any further! I can make life a living hell for ya. I will have my way. If you won't cooperate, then I'll just have to take drastic measures. Worried that your worthless friends in the Ranged Division won't be able to survive? I'll kick them all out of the guild and get em all blacklisted! We'll see how long they can survive in this world if no one'll even be willing to stay in the same room as one of them!"
It seemed that the man was unused to not getting his way. He reminded Sinon of a child throwing a tantrum. If it wasn't for his ability to go through with his threat, the situation would have been laughable.
"You'll make my life a living hell?" Sinon retorted. "I, who have fought alone in this hell for half a year while you lazed about plotting your schemes? Don't delude yourself any more than you already have. As for your threat, do you really believe that Thinker will be willing to overlook your behavior? Sending people out on a suicide mission and trying to coerce them when they won't obey?"
Although she put on this show of defiance, Sinon felt a chill. While she knew that he couldn't do anything to her without resorting to a criminal act, the other members of the Ranged Division were not so lucky.
"What Thinker is willing to overlook does not matter!" Kibaou sneered. "Both he and Yulier are away on business and won't be back until too late in the evening. And by that time, the damage will be done and irreparable. So choose! Will you still ignore these orders, knowing that it will cause Thinker to be discredited? Or will you scout out the boss?"
His confident smirk seemed to add that Sinon really had no choice in the matter at all. It didn't stop her from spitting on the floor by his foot before turning to go. Ironically, the unerring sniper missed and hit him right in the toe of his boot.
"Well, I don't see any other way out of this."
Sataki mumbled his displeasure at their choices as he leaned on the wall. He tried to busy himself with checking over his new gun, but his thoughts were obviously elsewhere. Everyone in the division was gathered nearby. They were having a group meeting after Sinon spread the word about what their orders from the top were.
"The way I see it, there are only three possible outcomes," he said. "The first is that we refuse the job and like Kibaou said, much as I hate to admit that he's correct, that path will cause Thinker to lose credibility with the other clearing guilds. The second is that we take the job and complete it perfectly. That'll prove that Kibaou's decision to send us was correct and thus strengthen his position in the guild. Not to mention he'll probably try to take credit for all the actual work. And the third…"
He paused for a long while, contemplating the floor with a dire expression.
"The third option?"
"The third outcome…" Sataki answered slowly, "is we all get killed after accepting this mission. You could say that this result would be the best one from Kibaou's standpoint. Not only does it get us out of the way, but it'll be a blow to Thinker for supporting us. Not to mention he'd be able to milk sympathy points for the clearing groups within the guild that remain, namely his own."
With a roguish grin on his face, Raker replied, "Well, aren't you a bundle of cheer today?"
"This is a serious matter, boy. I suggest you keep the humor for when it's more appropriate."
The speaker was the most elderly man of the Ranged Division, Phileas; while asking one's age would be rude, it was easy to see that he was at least in his early 50's. Philea's hair was heavily infused with gray and he had a worn-out but reliable air about him. When questioned about what someone his age was doing playing a VRMMO, he shrugged and explained that he had wanted to see a new world. Phileas was a rare individual in this day and age, travelling to a place to take in the sights rather than to conduct business. During breaks, he would regale the division with tales about places in the real world he had visited. But he also had a sterner side to him, a no-nonsense attitude when there was work to be done that, coupled with his extensive travels, earned him the nickname of «Captain» in the division.
"Tch, spoilsport," Raker muttered. Nevertheless, he took the man's advice by adopting a more solemn expression. "So," he asked, "those are our only three choices? If that's the case, wouldn't the second option be the best?"
There were murmurs of agreement all around. Certainly their success would end up helping Kibaou, but it was a lot better than ruining Thinker's reputation (and helping Kibaou anyways.) And after Sinon's training, "Stay Alive" had practically become the division motto; the third potential outcome was unthinkable for them.
"Pretty much. I think that as much as we'd all like to just sit here and say 'screw you' to Kibaou, we're not going to do that, so let's figure out how we're going to stay alive without any tanks on the frontlines," Sataki declared. "Besides, I have a wife waiting for me at home. I'd never be able to face her if I just said I hid while others cleared the game for me."
That prompted a sharp intake of breath from Raker. "Man, you've got guts, tripping a death flag like that…"
"I don't intend to die," Sataki remarked dryly, ignoring the younger man's attempts to lighten the mood. "It never hurts to think on what you're fighting for. Of course, without tanks, this isn't going to be fun at all."
"I've got that covered," Sinon replied, walking into the room. She had left after informing the rest of the division of their task to see if anyone in the guild might be able to get in contact with either Thinker or Yulier. "I sent a message to the Asuna of the «KoB» requesting that she lend a few of their shield-bearers to us for the day. We'll meet up with them at the boss door."
"So it's decided that we're going, then?" Raker asked, clearly excited.
Sinon nodded. Nervous energy filled the room, the same sort that often permeated the air right before class began on a day when there was a major test. Well, from a certain perspective, this was a test as well. A test where failure meant certain death. It was a good sign that no one was openly panicking.
Once everyone finished checking over their equipment and made sure they had enough potions, they marched out of the guild headquarters in double file. Unlike the melee divisions, the Ranged Division had no set uniform. No two members of the division wore the same armor. Also unlike the melee divisions, none of them cared about marching in time so their parade was a disorderly looking one. Several of men from the Striker Division, who apparently had time off from their "important duties" paused to jeer at them as they strolled past.
The trip to the boss gate within the 24th district was a short one after they took the portal to the closest district. The Ranged Division was only momentarily delayed when Raker stopped to flirt with a young woman about his age as they were passing through the 23rd district. Rolling his eyes, Sataki dragged the younger man off by the collar; the teenage boy protesting loudly that he still hadn't gotten the girl's name.
-o-
"I thought you were going to lend us a few of your guys," Sinon said, hiding her surprise at seeing what appeared to be the majority of «Aincrad»'s strongest guild waiting for them by the door to the boss's lair.
"I don't believe I ever mentioned the number of people I would authorize sending," Asuna replied. "The number of people who volunteered to come to your aid merely exceeded expectations."
3 dozen members of the «KoB» grinned at their officer's announcement. Sinon recognized all of them from boss fights in earlier districts. But the one who stood apart from the rest of them, clad in red armor trimmed in white rather than the reverse, drew her attention. Why was the leader of the «KoB» here himself? This was only a probing mission, not something he should be involved in at all.
"We take care of our own," Heathcliff said simply. With a nod towards Sinon's group, "Especially those who are newcomers to the front. There aren't enough battle-tested players that we can afford to lose any potentials due to poor decisions. More importantly Sinon-kun, does the design on the boss door not look familiar?"
Sinon examined the stone door. Carved pillars ran up and down the height of the structure, giving off the impression that this was the entrance to an important government building. Shadows danced in an out from behind the pillars, adding an ominous presence to an otherwise ordinary looking door. It was an effect that was only achievable in a virtual world. Although some details were different, the impression the door sent out triggered Sinon's memory.
"The twelfth district…" she said quietly.
Heathcliff nodded. "That was the same feeling I had as well. That battle went especially poorly, as I recall."
11 players killed during a one hour fight, all within the first fifteen minutes before the clearers finally learned how to deal with the threat. While it wasn't the record-holder for the number of casualties during a single boss fight, the 12th district taught them a harsh lesson about entering a boss fight without knowledge of the fight mechanics beforehand. It was after that district that the practice of probing a boss with scouting parties was put into place.
The boss of the 12th district had low defense and low attacking power. It seemed that every one of its stats had been minimized in order to bring its speed to insane levels. But no matter how fast a monster was, if it didn't have powerful attacks, it shouldn't have been considered a threat. What made the 12th district boss an absolute nightmare was its method of killing. But just because the door was similar in design…
"But just because the door is similar doesn't mean that the boss will be," Sinon argued to Heathcliff. "I doubt Kayaba would be unimaginative enough to use the same exact fight for two districts."
Heathcliff seemed amused, or at least that was what Sinon sensed from the man. "That is true. But all the same, might it not be best to let your men know of the 12th district fight as a precaution? Once the boss is engaged, it will be too late to wish you had."
He was right. Survival was mostly about how prepared one was for an encounter.
"Ranged Division, form up," Sinon ordered.
Despite how soft her voice was, the members of «The Army» immediately reacted to her orders. Sinon was amazed that they had heard her at all, considering how absorbed they had been with fanboying over the members of the «KoB» moments earlier. The members of the division formed a rough semi-circle around her, waiting for her to begin speaking.
"Alright, this is it," she began. "If you want to back out now, I suggest you do so now. Once you step past that door, you will be expected to stand with the rest of us no matter what happens. Any takers for my generous offer?"
There were a few chuckles but as expected, none of the players made a move to leave.
"Heathcliff-san believes, and I agree, that this fight may be similar in nature to one that we've already been through. That is, the fight for the 12th district," Sinon said as she looked each of the men in the eyes. "The mechanics are simple. Try not to get grabbed, but if you do, hitting the main body of the boss, the hands and arms don't count, will cause the boss to release you. If you aren't able to or none of the rest of us manage to hit the boss within a few seconds, all I can say is the following: I hope you secretly have an «Extra Skill» that gives you a parachute."
What Sinon was talking about was the reason the 12th district fight had been terrifying. The boss would speed around the room, ducking behind cover to avoid detection and snatch an unwary player. If the boss's grip wasn't broken, it would then climb up to the ceiling and hurl the unfortunate raider to the ground, instantly killing him. No amount of armor could mitigate fall damage. The expressions on the faces of the Ranged Division grew grim as she explained the countermeasures they had adopted too late to save the lives of almost a dozen players.
"With that said," she concluded, "this boss fight might be very different from the 12th district one, so be on your guard. Do not get overconfident."
Heathcliff and Asuna opened the doors leading to the boss's lair and Sinon's group followed the «KoB» members inside, taking their places in the center of the outwards facing circle the melee players formed. Their eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness around them, too slowly to see anything until the hitodama that floated about appeared.
"Nervous?" Sinon asked, feeling a slight tremor next to her.
"Hardly," Raker replied, grinning. "This feeling, like I have a thousand volts coursing through my body…is this what you clearers feel every time you step into a boss fight?"
A few of the «KoB» members chuckled knowingly, but most remained silent. While Raker's reaction was the most common amongst newcomers to the front, not all the members of the Ranged Division were of the same mind as him.
"I wish I could say the same as you," Phileas groaned. "You young'uns are crazy if you're getting an adrenaline high off of this. Me…I'm starting to feel my age. One of you youngsters go fetch me a kotatsu, a nice soft cushion, and some tea, would you?"
A sickly green flame appeared in the air on the far side of the chamber.
"Quiet!" Asuna ordered, "It's coming."
The room suddenly burst into light. Although the intensity was far below what it had been outside, it was still roughly the equivalent of what it would be right before sunset on a typical day. For people whose eyes had just barely adjusted to near complete darkness, it was blinding. Another small cruelty Kayaba Akihiko had piled on top of everything else. The members of the «Knights of Blood» were used to this by now and braced themselves properly, but the members of the «ALF» were momentarily stunned.
The room was a large circular chamber with a forest of pillars at the edge. The center of the room was clear of obstructions, far more spacious and open than Sinon had expected.
A loud screeching filled the air and the boss came into view, scuttling to the center of the room from behind a pillar. Sinon blinked once in surprise; it could have been the twin of the 12th district boss.
Long, lithe limbs jutted out from its torso like the legs of a spider. But no spider had legs that ended in clawed hands and human feet like this monster did. The beast walked on all fours, its stomach facing the ceiling. Unlike the 12th district boss, this one had bony armor plating that covered portions of its body; Sinon took note of that. There was the possibility that hitting an armored spot wouldn't cause the boss to drop a grabbed player. An all too human head twisted about, craning in a way that would have snapped its neck if this were reality, and grinned sinisterly at the players. It let loose another ear-piercing shriek and disappeared behind a pillar.
"Everyone, stay together," Asuna commanded. "We're moving to the center of the room. Keep away from the walls and pillars to avoid surprise attacks."
They followed her orders, moving swiftly towards the middle of the chamber. The Ranged Division looked around nervously, jumping when the flickering flames caused the shadows behind a pillar to move erratically. The more experienced «KoB» kept trained eyes on the ceiling and pillars as they moved.
The boss struck before the tanks could fully reform their line and encircle the more vulnerable ranged players. Darting in from behind, it reached out and grabbed one of the Ranged Division by the leg, dragging him off screaming. Sinon spun around quickly and managed to get a shot off, striking the boss in the face and causing the monster to drop its prey. She was pleased to hear three other gunshots following her own a few moments later. It was a sign that some of her men were able to keep a level head and adjust quickly enough to avoid panicking.
The man who had been dragged off scrambled back behind the line of armored players as quickly as he could. His breathing was ragged and he looked shaken.
"Stay in the middle until you calm down," Sinon told him. "You won't be able to shoot accurately enough to be any help until you do."
He nodded, looking grateful, and did as she said. Sinon reloaded her gun quickly and took aim again. Strangely enough, the boss hadn't disappeared from sight again yet.
"Odd," she said to Asuna. "There's nothing that different about this fight compared to the one in the 12th district."
As if answering her concern, the boss gave an ear-piercing cry. Even the highly disciplined members of the «KoB» flinched at the sound and several of Sinon's men outright dropped their weapons to cover their ears. She would have to scold them about that later. Right now they had other concerns.
Like the army of undead that had just popped out of the ground. The raiders were surrounded on all sides.
"Spoke too soon," Sinon muttered. She pulled the trigger, obliterating a monster along with a second one that had been standing directly behind it.
"You know, I'm really glad these burly guys are between me and them right now," Raker said, making sure to place someone between himself and the new mobs. He patted the man on the back. "Keep up the good work, buddy old pal."
The tank, a tall muscular man with curly red hair named Godfree, grinned back at the young gunner. "Just be sure to repay the favor if I get grabbed by the boss."
The wave of new monsters crashed into the wall formed by the «KoB» members and broke upon them like water on rocks. So far as strength was concerned, the adds were no stronger than regular «Creepers» and were only dangerous due to their numbers. Had the Ranged Division been alone, their appearance would have spelled disaster. As things were now, the enemy numbers were almost meaningless before the unyielding might of «Aincrad»'s strongest guild.
The lesser monsters were unable to penetrate the defensive perimeter set up by the heavy armor players. Whenever the boss tried to grab a player, whether it was one of the «KoB» members stationed at the edge of the group or one of the lightly armored ranged fighters momentarily exposed when a tank switched out, Sinon's gunners would stop it almost as soon as it pounced. Within the cold emptiness that she wielded to enhance her ability on the battlefield, Sinon felt…almost proud of them.
"Sinon, if it's alright with you, I believe we should just finish this district fight today," Asuna called out. "We have the perfect raid setup for this battle and it'd be too much trouble to press back towards the entrance of the room through all these enemies."
Sinon nodded in agreement and informed the division of what they were going to do.
"Kibaou's gonna be pissed once he finds out we did this without him," Sataki remarked, grinning from ear to ear. "Not that that bastard doesn't deserve it."
The fight took twice as long as the 12th district fight to complete. The main reason was because the army of constantly respawning weak mobs shielded the boss from most of the raider's attacks. Moreover, the stronger fighters of the «KoB» were occupied with keeping the undead at bay, leaving the Ranged Division to deal the bulk of the damage to the boss during the fight. But the final result was more than satisfactory. The Ranged Division finally learned to fight alongside melee fighters and more importantly, no one had died despite many close calls where a player had almost been dragged out of sight.
While all boss fights were draining and players were generally exhausted by the end, the Ranged Division was so energized by their success that they exited the room into the reclaimed 24th district with almost as much liveliness as they had entered with. Their cheer was contagious and even many of the battle-hardened members of the «KoB» joined in. Despite being in different guilds, the closeness with which they worked over the past two hours and the inherent danger of the fight forged new friendships between the Ranged Division and the men who had acted as their shields.
"Hey Sinon!" Sataki exclaimed, "We're going out for drinks with the «KoB» guys once they go off duty, join us!"
Sinon gave him an exasperated look and replied, "Putting aside how you just asked a minor to join you guys at the tavern, I have to submit a report to the guild."
"Aw, don't be a spoilsport," Raker said, joining in the conversation and throwing an arm over Sinon's shoulder in a friendly manner. "It's not like the drinks are actually alcoholic."
Sinon removed his arm and turned to face him. "Aren't you below the drinking age?"
"I'm pretty sure Japanese laws don't apply to «Aincrad», ma'am."
Sinon rolled her eyes and turned around in response to a tap on her shoulder. Despite her refusal to join them, it wouldn't be good for morale if she barred them from going. They deserved a break after today.
"Are you certain you want to keep the district being cleared from the rest of your guild?" Asuna asked once she had Sinon's attention.
Earlier, Sinon had shocked almost everyone by requesting that they keep this a secret. Heathcliff had an unreadable expression and Asuna had a contemplative look about her, but everyone else stared at her as if she had sprouted horns. In the end, it had been settled by the «KoB» guild leader passing responsibility downwards to Asuna with a quiet "I'll let you handle it."
"Yes I am, why?"
Asuna pressed her lips together as she looked into Sinon's eyes. "I think I know what you're trying to do, but it's not worth it. Your standing within the guild is—"
"Not an issue here," Sinon interjected. "The main issue is that idiot in charge of the Striker Division, the one pulling the strings behind our Armored Division as well, needs to be removed from power. You know what he did today Asuna…Either he was trying to get us killed or he's incompetent enough to believe a bunch of lightly armored ranged players can scout out the tactics for a boss fight."
Asuna frowned, "Still, if he has the pull with the guild you seem to think he has, nothing good can come of this."
"Look, I'm asking you as a friend," Sinon said. "Don't spread the word that the district has been cleared. At least, not to «The Army». And I'd appreciate it if you let the other clearing guilds know as well; they're bound to notice that the district has been reclaimed. They won't listen to me, but a request from the «KoB» holds weight."
"Don't pull that 'I'm your friend' card so casually," Asuna snapped. "As your friend, I can't stand back and let you hurt yourself even if you think it won't."
Sinon sighed. Asuna was missing the point. "Look," she answered. "We're talking about a guy who will get people killed with his overinflated sense of self-worth if he stays in a position of power. If you guys weren't here today, think about what would have happened. No one in the Ranged Division has been to a boss fight before today, Asuna. They would have panicked when that army of adds appeared if not earlier, without the support you guys offered. If wounding Kibaou's pride will save their lives in the future, I count it a small price to pay."
"Are you sure that's the real reason behind your request and not because you want to get back at him for today's orders?" Asuna stared at her, an unblinking gaze that seemed to pierce into the depths of Sinon's soul. After a minute, she nodded, satisfied and continued, "Fine, we'll go along with your request. I'll send word around to the other guilds as well."
"Thanks, Asuna."
Sinon turned around to leave, catching Asuna's parting words before she rounded a corner and the raid group faded out of sight.
"I hope you know what you're doing."
Sinon shook her head. "Me too," she muttered.
-o-
"You're safe!"
Sinon's vision immediately became obscured as someone pulled her in for a hug. She tried to protest, but it was difficult to get words out when her face was pressed into Yulier's chest. Thankfully, the older woman released her before she suffocated (or so Sinon thought to herself, breathing wasn't actually a necessity in «SLD» although the game still simulated breathing based on signals captured by the Nerve Gear.)
"Where are the others?" Yulier asked as she pulled back, looking beyond Sinon as if she expected to see them appear any second now.
"Out partying," Sinon answered simply. "I gave them the rest of the day off."
"Did anyone—"
Sinon shook her head, "No casualties, although there were a few very close calls. Kibaou's going to be livid. Not only did we complete his suicide mission, we didn't even have the decency to get ourselves killed doing it."
Yulier looked relieved but replied a little angrily, "Don't say that! It's not funny. I was so worried about you all. Thinker and I were out investigating some oddities with the supplies and budget…we didn't even find out where the division had been sent until we got back. Of course, Kibaou was ready with some excuse, but I've never seen Thinker that angry before. He was saying something about barring him from going to the boss planning meeting tomorrow."
"No!"
The Ranged Division commander was taken aback by the force of Sinon's objection.
Sheepishly, the girl coughed into a fist and elaborated. "Er, that is—he should be allowed to go."
Yulier's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Alright, out with it," she demanded. "What do you know that I don't right now? I know you're not that forgiving of a person."
"If I told you, you'd be obligated to tell Thinker," Sinon answered, pushing past the silver-haired woman. "And that would ruin the fun."
"What did you mean by—Hey! Wait!"
"Just be sure to be at the boss planning meeting. It'll clear up then," Sinon promised. She mumbled an apology to Yulier as she left the older woman behind.
The headquarters, as usual, was a busy place. It was nearing dinnertime and guild members could be seen rushing to and fro in a last-ditch attempt to complete their tasks before the end of the day. Out of the corner of her eye, Sinon noted a group of Striker Division members lazing about. She quashed her annoyance before it got out of hand. It would be hard enough to face Kibaou without either gloating at the Ranged Division's success or letting something that might clue him in to what he was going to encounter tomorrow at the meeting.
Sinon went over the details she had written down one last time. Everything about the boss attack patterns and how it used the cover of its army of minions to slink about the battlefield almost unnoticed. When she was satisfied that nothing in the report would betray that the district had been cleared rather than scouted out, Sinon knocked on the door to Kibaou's office.
In the end, she managed to deliver her report without raising his suspicion, although part of the reason may have been because he was so overwhelmed reading over the boss fight mechanics that he didn't notice anything else. No doubt he was trying to determine the best way to use that information to further expand his support within the guild. Still, it was surprising that he didn't notice how much more courteous Sinon was now compared to this morning.
As she exited Kibaou's office, Sinon's mask slipped momentarily. No one was around to see the predatory grin on her face as she strolled down the hall. Vengeance was a dish best served cold. And nobody was as familiar with the cold as her. She was ice.
"And that concludes what we've found in our scouting forays," Kibaou finished, looking about the room smugly. "Any questions? I'm certain I explained things perfectly as to what we're going to do during the fight to minimize losses, but if someone didn't follow, speak up."
His mocking tone left no doubt as to what he thought of anyone who didn't follow his explanation and directives. Yulier sighed and palmed her face, shaking her head. Since she was standing behind Thinker, the Striker Division leader didn't notice her.
Like most of the boss planning sessions so far, this one took place in a dimly lit room around a large, circular, wooden table. The leaders from all the guilds who actively participated were at the center while their subordinates gathered behind them. Players not affiliated with a clearing guild who still wished to participate stood at the outer edge. Incidentally, this was the first time Sinon was this close to the center table at one of these meetings. She stood in between Yulier and Covarts, behind Thinker and Kibaou.
Although the innermost circle was reserved for guild leaders only, Kibaou had forced his way to the fore at the start of the meeting, stating that he was the one who would be giving the details of the fight. Without waiting for acknowledgement or consent from the other leaders present, he took his place by Thinker's side and began to talk whether everyone was ready or not.
"Very detailed information indeed," Heathcliff noted with his usual impassive expression. "I assume that it took substantial effort to obtain it? It could not have been an easy task."
Kibaou swelled with pride. "It wasn't that hard. After all, the Striker and Armored Divisions are manned only by the best. If I might be so bold to say, they may even be a match for the Knights at this point."
Despite her control over her emotions, it was very difficult for Sinon to burst out laughing. As it was, she wasn't completely able to keep her mirth in check and her shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. Yulier must have misinterpreted it as anger because she placed a hand on Sinon's shoulder and whispered in a placating tone.
"Calm down, Sinon," she implored. "We'll talk with the other guilds in private later."
Still restraining her laughter, Sinon shook her head.
"So, this information comes courtesy of the efforts of the Armored and Striker Divisions of the «ALF»?" Heathcliff asked, raising an eyebrow. "What of the Ranged Division's involvement?"
"Psh, they contributed little of use. If everyone's ready, I'd like to get this boss fight underway," Kibaou answered, "Of course, my division will lead the way."
A soft voice cut into the silence that followed Kibaous's statement. Taking a step forwards so that she was standing next to her guild leader, Asuna spoke the words that Sinon had been waiting for.
"You seem to be under some misconception." Kibaou looked confused as Asuna continued with what she had to say. "The district has already been cleared. Your information, complete as it is, is of no use to anyone at this point."
"That is—"
Kibaou's protests were cut off as Asuna glared at him accusingly. "This meeting is simply to determine the truth behind why the Ranged Division of the «ALF» was saddled with the task of scouting the boss without any melee backup. My cohorts are of differing opinions as to the meaning behind your actions. I've heard every possibility from a clerical mistake due to the size of the guild to complete incompetence— all the way up to attempted mass murder. I hope for your sake that it was merely an oversight."
Kibaou worked his mouth wordlessly before turning towards Sinon with a murderous expression.
"You bitch! Y-you set me up on purpose!" He vented his rage without heeding the presence of the clearers from other guilds.
Sinon met his eyes impassively. Next to her, eyes wide open, Yulier was looking back and forth between Sinon and Kibaou in surprise. Thinker said nothing, but there was a distinct air of satisfaction that had surrounded him when Asuna had made her announcement.
"Don't try to shift the blame like a spoiled child," Asuna interrupted mercilessly.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop 10 degrees as the «KoB» officer continued. She was no longer looking at Kibaou with accusation in her eyes. In the first place, to accuse someone normally requires viewing them as a near equal. The expression she now wore was that of someone looking down at the most vile of trash, wondering what it was doing in the same room as herself.
"Keep a leash on your underlings," Kibaou replied scathingly to Heathcliff.
His impertinent tone did less to faze the «KoB» leader than any of attacks from the enemy during yesterday's fight. The only reaction Kibaou received was a slightly raised eyebrow and a calm retort of "I trust my subordinates to do what needs to be done."
"Speaking of trust," Asuna added, jumping on the word her superior used, "your actions do little to convince me that we should trust our pre-raid preparations to the «ALF». Even if the reason why you sent the Ranged Division out alone was an oversight—that carelessness shows that we cannot trust our lives and our battle plans to you."
Her words brought nods from many of the front-liners in the room. Kibaou noticed that he wasn't receiving the support from the masses he typically enjoyed and thankfully, decided to keep quiet for the rest of the gathering. The rest of the meeting went by quickly and adjourned soon after. It was decided that the «ALF» would still be in charge of presenting the preliminary analysis of the next district's boss fight, with the events of the previous district being accounted for as "an honest mistake."
Sinon's attempt to mask her delight slipped at the end of the meeting when Asuna gave Kibaou one pointed glare and cheerfully told Thinker that he should "keep a leash on his underlings." The frontliners, unused to seeing the calm, collected sniper expose any emotion at all, were completely shocked. Several of the ones closest to Sinon in proximity even started backing away nervously which only served to amuse her even more.
"Well," Sinon asked Yulier as they exited the room, "now you know why I was insistent on letting him come to the meeting, right?"
"You…" Yulier managed to squeeze out. She looked down for a moment and sighed. Then, she began to chuckle which eventually grew to melodious laughter. "Alright, I'll admit seeing his expression made my day—and my week—possibly even my month. But as the leader of the Ranged Division, I'm obligated to say that purposely setting up your guild-mate to fail is—"
Sinon eyed the older woman and remarked, "Your lecture would be so much more convincing if you weren't grinning from ear to ear right now."
Had either of the young women turned around, they might have been worried about the murderous expression that darkened the Striker Division leader's face at that moment. It did not go unnoticed by a few stragglers leaving the meeting-place, but they all ignored it, thinking to themselves that it was an internal matter of the «ALF» and none of their concern. At this point, none of them could have known just how wrong that train of thought was.
*Notes: Decided to change the rating to "M" since the language is starting to get a little coarser in places due to the drama within the guild. It's still not at the level I've personally seen in some guild chats, but then again… better safe than sorry.
This chapter took a lot longer to write than expected. Mostly because I've been and still am rather busy right now, but other reasons apply as well. Like being lazy over the weekends and catching up on some anime.
I glossed over the boss fight this time around. Not because I was trying to cut corners, but because after establishing that the Ranged Division would have been wiped out without the «KoB» helping, the details of the fight would not have been important with regards to the plot of this arc. I promise that the 25th district boss fight will be detailed enough to make up for it.