Chapter 6: Cackling Coffin
Aincrad 56th floor: Pani
A girl with beautiful flowing chest nut colored hair and dressed in a red and white uniform stood in a field of grass. A gentle wind blew through the area, the calm before the storm.
However she was not alone.
Ten feet across from her was a boy with black unkempt hair who was adorned with his trademark black coat and gloves. He was known as The Black Swordsman who used a one handed sword style with no shield.
Asuna, famously titled as The Flash got into her battle stance. Her hand hovered above her rapier, ready to unsheathe it at any split second. The boy across from her also was prepared to take out his sword as well. She wondered why he had such an unorthodox style; many players either used a sword and shield or had a style unfit to use a shield.
The two fighters stared at each other. Asuna had on her fiery expression, the expression that meant she was completely serious. Kirito however had on a calm complexion. As if he was completely solemn.
This guy… he just seems to make me angry.
There was a group of people watching the duel at a viewing distance. It was of course a highly anticipated event because it was going to be a clash between two notable fighters. Among these individuals were those who were genuinely worried about Asuna.
One of the individuals was Mikoto, who also wore the classic Knights of Blood red and white uniform. Next to her was Touma, who wore the red samurai outfit which was a representation of Fuurinkazan.
"I never thought this would actually happen." Touma sighed while shaking his head amused.
"Lately Kirito has been getting on her nerves. Her ideas and his just seem to clash a lot." Mikoto noted while keeping her eyes glued to the two people who were about to duel. The outcome would most likely have long term impacts.
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Not too long ago…
Just earlier there was a meeting called for the front liners. Everybody met up in the area of Pani where there were stoned huts. There was one particular stone hut that was able to provide enough space for the front liners to be in.
The players were having a difficult time dealing with the particular field boss.
There was tension and uneasiness inside the stone room. Everybody was quiet and staring at each other uncomfortably. A variety of front liners came to meeting, such as those from the well-known Divine Dragon Alliance, Fuurinkazan, and even the usual solo players.
Asuna, who was one of the leaders of this meeting decided to break this tension by slamming her hand against the stone table in front of her.
"We'll lure the field boss into the village."
She uttered, without a shred of hesitation behind her voice. Her plan would entail leading the boss into the village which would make the boss attack the villagers and allow the players to kill it. However her plan required the sacrifice of innocent villagers, but she felt that action was justified since those villagers are just NPC's.
The Flash assumed that everybody would be fine with the idea since it would allow the players an easy opportunity to attack the dreaded boss. However her suggestion lead to a few surprised gasps and stares from the players. One player in particular walked forward from his original standing position and voiced his opinion.
Kirito, known as the beater, objected to the idea. Asuna could not stomach the reasoning that NPC's were alive. Even though she and the other players were only fragments of polygons and data right now, but they were truly alive since they had free will and havebeen trying to get out of this death game. However the NPC's were programs that have limited set actions and can freely respawn when necessary. Why was Kirito defending them at all?
Shortly after the meeting adjourned with Asuna's frustration reaching a high level. This was not the first time that Kirito and she had their disagreements. Asuna knew that he was actually a good person because of how he purposefully diverted the animosity players felt towards the rest of the beta testers. He made himself become a disliked figure, which is how he became known as a cheating beta tester, aka a beater.
Several of the players within the stone hut had just left and Kirito was about to leave as well. However Asuna called after him.
"Kirito-san I need to talk to you." Asuna said with authority.
Kirito stopped in his tracks just as he heard her speak and immediately turned his attention back to her. A few of the other solo players who were on Kirito's side earlier stopped as well.
"What is it, Flash?" He said her nickname with a biting tone. It was obvious he was bitter about their spat earlier.
Asuna took a deep sigh before she continued.
"Things haven't been smooth between the two of us. Clearly we have differing views when it comes to facing against bosses and the types of tactics to use. Therefore I'd like to propose a duel."
The mention of a duel made the remaining people inside the room mutter amongst each other excitedly.
Kirito looked at her with surprised eyes.
"A duel?"
"Yes, we shall duel to see whose idea should be agreed upon at tomorrow's meeting. If I win, then we shall lure the field boss to attack the villagers. However if you win…"
The Flash hesitated when saying the last part.
"Then no NPC sacrifices will happen."
It seemed like such a waste of a plan if the NPC villagers could not be utilized as bait.
"I'll accept your duel, so when are we going to do this?"
During this meeting it was obvious that the KoB and several solo players rallied by Kirito had opposition with one another. So in order to settle their differences, the two sides agreed to send a representative and duel each other. The winning side would get the most influence for the upcoming strategy meeting.
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Ten minutes later since that conversation, Kirito and Asuna met up at the empty field of Pani.
Most of the onlookers consisted of Asuna's loyal followers in the KoB or people who agreed with Kirito and did not want to have NPC's become sacrificial lambs.
"Who do you think is going to win?"
"I have no idea, I'm betting on our sub leader since she is definitely not weak."
"Nah I think the beater has a better chance. I heard that he took down a horde of Rowdy Gorillas back on floor 52."
There were all kinds of chattering going on, speculating who would be the winner.
"You've fought alongside Asuna all this time, you think she can win this?" Touma looked at Mikoto.
"Asuna is of course strong, she knows how to break through her opponent's defenses which is why she is a better fighter than I am. However Kirito is nobody to be trifled with since he is a very high leveled."
In order for any solo player to survive on the front lines, they had to be extremely hardworking and skilled. It was usually considered suicide to enter into a high leveled dungeon by yourself, which was why Kirito's solo style made him renowned throughout Aincrad.
"The first time I met him, he was definitely an extraordinary individual, though I couldn't help the feeling that he preferred solitude." Mikoto sighed as she recalled the time back on the first floor.
"Makes me wonder why he's never joined a guild. Klein would be more than happy to accept Kirito."
"I doubt he would join the KoB because of how he and Asuna tend to disagree with each other or the DDA because they have arrogant leaders."
Their attention turned back to Asuna and Kirito as their duel would begin very soon.
Asuna knew her speed would be her main advantage while Kirito's swordsmanship focused on power.
Kirito took out his sword that was resting on his back and Asuna took out her shining rapier. Right after that, Asuna sent Kirito the duel request and the black swordsman accepted. The duel was set to first strike mode. Whoever could make a clean direct hit would be declared the winner.
There was a timer that appeared above them, it was counting down from 10 seconds
10…9…8…
I'm making the right decision. Even though that boy sometimes appears in my thoughts he just annoys me so much!
7...6…5…
I must purge myself of those kinds of thoughts. Personal feelings will only get in the way of clearing efforts.
4…3…2…
There is a weakness in my heart right now, I cannot be distracted by anything else
1…START!
Both players kicked off the ground and sped towards each other. First strike mode duels could either end in a quick fashion or take a while. However since this was a fight between two skilled players, it would probably take some time before either one of them got a clean hit.
Kirito made the first move by aiming a Slant slash right at Asuna that went from the bottom up. Fortunately Asuna's eyes were able to catch that incoming technique and she barely jumped back to avoid it. She decided to retaliate with a forward thrust with her rapier straight at Kirito's mid-section.
However her attack was not able to impact upon the black swordsman. Kirito was able to bring his sword in a defensive position and block the rapier's tip from hitting him. Asuna was actually impressed at how fast Kirito was able to switch from being offensive to defensive.
The two of them continued their back and forth exchange of attacks. Most of these attacks were met with extraordinary blocks. There were also moments when their reflexes allowed them barely escape from an incoming blade by inches.
Asuna's rapier lit a green color and she unleashed out a barrage of linear strikes. Linear was a basic rapier technique which the rapier would send forth multiple thrusts. At Asuna's advanced level of swordsmanship, her Linear strikes were barely visible to the eye and each strike left a green after image.
"That's why she's called the Flash." Mikoto smirked. The short haired girl knew how much hard work and training it took for Asuna to achieve such a high speed with linear.
The audience was rather excited seeing such display of speed from the Knights of Blood sub leader. However there was something else remarkable at the same time. Kirito was able to use his one handed sword to keep up with the incoming linear strikes. None of the strikes were able to get a direct hit on him, but one or two were able to scratch him.
Asuna was used to sparing against Mikoto who primarily used the shield to block Asuna's incoming attacks. It definitely was impressive how Kirito could keep up with her strikes, especially since he was without a shield and his sword was not that large sized.
Kirito was able to break away from the barrage by taking a small leap backwards. His sword then turned a bright color; the boy was preparing to unleash a sword skill.
"Haahhh!"
He gave out a small war cry as he charged towards Asuna. From the look in his eyes, he was definitely becoming more serious. Asuna was pleased to see that he was not taking their duel lightly, because she knew both of their reputations were on the line.
Kirito activated the one handed sword skill Limitless Fury, which was a 3 hit maneuver that had separate strikes develop power one strike after the other. Asuna did her best to dodge and parry off the initial strikes but the third strike was able to connect its full power and sent Asuna's feet sliding back. She was able to block it in a way that resulted in her to taking some damage, but not enough to lose the duel. Even though her rapier was not considered the perfect weapon to take on large attacks, she learned how to manipulate it in a way to reduce incoming damage.
She nearly fell down after the attack but managed to regain her composure. Right now her health bar and Kirito's were matching. Both had managed to nick off each other's health but the duel would reach a dangerous point once they reached deeper into the yellow zone.
One mistake could cost them this fight.
The Flash and the Black Swordsman were continuing their sword dance. One could consider it a dance because of the flurry of attacks each sent at each other and the advanced footwork and physical maneuvering required to keep up with the fast pace.
"I can't help but think, if those two partnered up, they would be an unstoppable combination." Mikoto's thoughts escaped out into words.
Touma nodded his head in agreement.
"Hm, I see what you mean."
"It's like their attacks complement each other kinda well. Asuna has her speed while Kirito has his reliable power and strength to back her up."
"If only those two actually got along, then maybe progress at the front lines could move a little bit faster." Mikoto said jokingly. "Though Kirito might be the only boy to ever match up with Asuna's pace."
WHOOSH!
Kirito's horizontal strike nearly hit Asuna but she ducked down just in time. Her body was now in a crouching position close to the ground. She planted her free hand onto the ground and executed a leg sweep technique. Right now she was utilizing her marital arts skill which was her secondary form of fighting.
The leg sweep maneuver was something surprising that onlookers were definitely not expecting. It was also a technique that even threw off Kirito. Of course the attack wasn't going to end the duel because only a sword attack could do that, but Asuna was trying to get an opening on Kirito.
Thanks to the successful leg sweep, the black swordsman was falling backwards. Asuna grinned with satisfaction. She was feeling the pleasure of fighting against a formidable opponent.
The rapier user was quickly trying to get up so that she could retaliate and end this duel, though she forgot that Kirito was an extremely quick thinker.
Kirito managed to catch himself from falling by sticking his free hand out and using that to support himself up. Then quickly afterwards he used that free hand to push himself up from the ground, thus performing a one handed back flip. The black haired boy was quickly able to get himself back on his feet and regained his normal composure.
"I have to admit, you certainly surprised me Flash."
Kirito grinned widely. It was apparent that he was enjoying this fight as well. The thrill of a good battle, the tension of being put on the edge; those were the feelings that made strong fighters better.
Asuna gritted her teeth frustrated. Just before she could even reach to him and take advantage of the situation, Kirito managed to outmaneuver her. Despite her frustration, she was pleased to see how Kirito could adapt quickly when the circumstances were not in his favor.
Throughout this time, neither Asuna nor Kirito bothered to look up at the timer. When a person is brought into an intense situation, their sense of time is distorted. Neither of the fighters was aware of how long their duel had actually been.
Touma's eyes widened when he gazed up at the timer. It had been nearly 10 minutes since the duel began.
"This is just crazy…" He murmured.
"What did you say?" Mikoto looked at him curiously.
"Look at the time." Touma pointed to the timer above the sparring duo.
Mikoto's eyes went wide as well.
She then looked at the health meters of the two fighters. The two of them were still equally matched but their health was about to reach the 60% point. Their battle healing skill was attempting to keep up with the pace but Asuna and Kirito were exchanging quite a few minor hits.
"I feel like we're about to reach the climax of this duel very soon…"
Asuna and Kirito continued their back and forth battle of swords. Sword skills clashed together, feet scrapped against the ground, eyes not giving up their fiery intents.
Suddenly Kirito was about to attack at Asuna again and she reflexively blocked with her sword in a diagonal position in front of her.
However she realized her mistake, but it was already too late. Kirito was able to take advantage of the resulting opening and hit her with a mighty sword technique. The Black Swordsman pulled an overly realistic feint and she fell for it. During their ten minute duel, each of them pulled a few feints at one another, but this feint felt believable.
Asuna's health dropped down to 50% as a result of that hit.
WINNER- KIRITO
The words indicating the winner flashed above the two fighters.
The audience gasped surprise and then cheered out loud.
Kirito walked up to Asuna and offered his right hand to her.
"That was a good duel, let us hope that we can see eye to eye in the near future."
The Flash was devastated at the lost, but put on her 'sub-leader face.'
Asuna shook his hand, as a show of good faith.
"Likewise, I'm thankful that somebody of your top notch skills has been able to do much progress for the front lines."
The two players departed from each other. A small crowd gathered around Kirito, congratulating the boy on his win.
Asuna couldn't help but still think about that last feint Kirito did. The way he executed that feint was so realistic, as if he was going to pull out his trump card. She felt that he was truly holding back, hiding some other special skill. Though the rapier user shook off that suspicion and couldn't help but put one hand over her heart. It was beating rapidly and she realized that she could not purge herself from those feelings.
Kirito's sword was able to leave an impression on Asuna's heart.
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Asuna was walking alongside with Mikoto while in the town area of the 56th floor. Nearly every person they passed by stared at Asuna and then quickly whispered to the people they were with. It was obvious why Asuna would be receiving a lot more attention than usual. The duel between the two fighters became such a popular topic of discussion among the front liners. Even though less than 20 people that witnessed their duel, the news spread around like wildfire.
Though the duel probably wouldn't make the headlines of the Aincrad newspaper, which is something Asuna was thankful for.
"Are you feeling alright?" Mikoto asked Asuna. It was clear that Mikoto was concerned how the loss would affect Asuna's spirits right now.
"Yeah I'm fine." Asuna nodded her head. It had been a long time she lost a duel, though that particular duel gave her a new found respect and even further feelings for the Black Swordsman.
"So it looks like we can't go with your plan tomorrow at the boss meeting."
"I made a deal and I must keep it."
Even though Kirito may seem like a detached person, his heart was in the right place. He actually cared about the wellbeing of those NPC's who aren't really considered living. Perhaps there was more to him than meets the eye. Somehow Asuna had the urge to understand what type of person he really is.
"E-excuse me Asuna-san!"
A voice called out.
Asuna and Mikoto turned their heads towards the person.
"Ah Rygar, what's wrong?"
Their attention was towards a fellow KoB member who was just running after them. Rygar was an 18 year old male with brown spikey hair and was always seen with a gentle smile.
"I-is it alright that I talk to Asuna-san privately." Rygar said in a shaky voice as he looked towards Mikoto.
The short haired girl's eyes widened surprised for a brief second and she obliged.
"Uh sure, I'll meet you later Asuna."
Mikoto waved bye and walked away. Asuna was meanwhile confused as to why Rygar would want to speak to her alone.
"P-please come with me…" The brown haired boy avoided Asuna's gaze.
Asuna followed him to a part of the town that had a clear field. The ten minutes that it took for them to walk over to this area was more or less awkward. Asuna tried asking him basic small talk questions such as how he was doing, his progress with floor clearing and whether or not he would be participating in the boss battle. Rygar was one of the middle ranked KoB members who did not always participate in boss battles and did not stand out too much.
Once they were underneath a tree, Rygar stopped in his tracks and turned towards Asuna. He had a completely determined look in his eyes.
"We've known each other for over six months and there's one thing that I've been working up to courage to say." Rygar's face looked like it was about to explode.
The boy then went to the ground on both knees.
"I really think you're an amazing girl, so WILL YOU MARRY ME?!"
Asuna's entire being was completely caught off guard. She looked into Rygar's eyes as he desperately stared into hers.
However…
"I'm sorry Rygar, I don't feel that way about you. I cannot accept your proposal."
The rapier user admitted truthfully. It would have been wrong for her to accept his proposal and not have mutual feelings for him.
Rygar slumped down even further and his face was towards the ground. He no longer could bear looking at Asuna.
"I'm sorry you had to hear something really embarrassing. Please forget what I just said." The boy uttered with the last of his strength.
Asuna could not say anything to reply back so she merely turned her back to him and walked away.
Of course she felt really bad for what happened, but she had no choice but to become the cold heart breaker.
Ever since she became the KoB subleader, her popularity sky rocketed. Not only was she a girl, which was already rare enough in the virtual world, but she was beautifully stunning. This was actually not her first time receiving a marriage proposal, this was the fourth incident.
The first time she got a proposal was on the 30th floor, when a random fan of hers gave her flowers and asked for her hand in marriage. She recalled being extremely devastated to have to hurt his feelings. It was an embarrassing moment since she was walking in a busy town area and suddenly was asked the question. She didn't even know who that person was, so she assumed he was just a major fan from the lower floors.
The other times were proposals from other front liners. This recent incident was actually different than the others since it was the first time somebody within her own guild asked her. Things were definitely going to be awkward between her and Rygar during their guild gatherings.
Now she needed to take her mind off what just happened. It would be troublesome if she was not completely focused during the clearing efforts or the strategy meetings. Usually she got her mind off distracting topics by going on quests or slicing up monsters.
There was actually a special quest that interested her. On the 35th floor, there was a special animal called the Fenny Fowl which apparently could be a tasty delicacy. As the name suggests the Fenny Fowl is a type of feathery bird, but this bird is rumored to be very elusive and hard to catch. Asuna, being a cook at the side, wanted to find this bird and use her cooking skills to eat it. Good food was something she sorely missed from the real world.
Asuna sent a message to Mikoto that said:
I am going to be out late, see you tomorrow.
Whether on the battlefield or in town, the two girls were considered the best of friends. Asuna the Flash and Mikoto the Blue Bolt were quite the famous dynamic duo. Lately the Bolt had been occupied with Kamijou Touma during their free time. Asuna always felt that there was some sort of spark between those two individuals, and decided to support them from the background.
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Aincrad 35th floor: Arcus
The combat area of Arcus was in a mountainous type of setting. It involved a lot of endurance to keep going up and down different elevations while being wary of monsters. This was definitely a good place for the Fenny Fowl to hide at. Then again Asuna couldn't help but question why in the world would a fowl live in a mountainous region?
She had been scaling through the mountains for the past hour, and managed to defeat a few monsters that got in her way.
Kirito… that boy sure is a strange one.
Asuna couldn't help but think at Kirito at a time like this. Other than her guild leader Heathcliff, she could attest that Kirito was the strongest swordsman in Aincrad. Even though he had the appearance of a cold hearted solo player, she somehow gained some interest in him. If things were different, how would their relationship be? Would they even have met at all if they never got stuck in SAO?
More time passed and Asuna was feeling slightly weary. Most of the day had been spent coming up with strategies to face against the boss monster. Those kinds of tasks were mentally tiresome, especially since she faced so much pressure being an influential leader. The lives of the front line fighters were her responsibility and so she had to harden her spirit. She tried not to let every single death get to her or else that would ruin her concentration, anything that was deemed as an obstacle towards her tasks had to be swept away. But Kirito was a different issue that could not be hidden away. Today's spar slightly broke her cold mental armor.
She made it into a deeper part of Arcus, however she had no idea she fell into dangerous territory.
"Oya? To think we managed to find such delicious prey out here." An ominous voice spoke.
Asuna immediately turned around. She saw three cloaked figures just within her viewpoint.
"A girl huh, I can't wait to hear her scream."
"Now now, let's not get too excited fellas."
Each of the cloaked figures took out their respective weapons. One of them had a dagger, another wielded a scimitar sword, and the third had a short axe.
From the way they were chuckling, Asuna had a good idea who they were. She could feel her feet legs shaking but she knew this was no time to succumb to fear. Her suspicions were proven true once she saw the red icons above their heads. These cloaked figures were indeed part of the PK guild, Laughing Coffin. All of Aincrad was warned about Laughing Coffin's reputation right after New Year's Day. Ever since that day many players have been wary about venturing through the combat zones or they chose to travel in large parties.
Asuna had temporarily forgotten about the pervasive threat of Laughing Coffin because she was more occupied with clearing floors. Laughing Coffin generally stayed away from the front lines since that was where the strongest players would be. The players from the lower floors sent out pleas to the front liners to stop the threat of Laughing Coffin, but the front liners gave up trying to quell the red guild because it was difficult to locate LC members in the first place. Their HQ was still unknown and their attacks were random. Asuna heard about a few LC attacks every now and then but she never thought she would become a possible victim.
She got into her fighting stance and pointed her rapier towards the three cloaked figures. Right now she had to concentrate on keeping a cool head, fighting against these players would be like fighting against monsters. However when push comes to shove, could she ever deliver a final blow to them? End their life? Essentially do what they have done?
Most likely her level would be higher than theirs, but it was a 3 against 1 fight and these LC members are in it for the kill.
"Why are you doing this? Don't you know that when you kill people in this world, they die for real!" She yelled out at them, in half desperation.
Asuna knew they were people who were long gone from the road of reason, but she wanted to hear their justification for murder.
"Hee hee silly girl, don't you know how fun it is to incite fear into the hearts of many? It is indeed very fun to hear players scream and beg for mercy."
The type of people that were in front of her were psychopaths, people unfit to belong in a normal society.
Her back up plan was to use her teleportation crystal to head back to the 56th floor town area. However it was her pride that wanted her to stay and fight. She wanted to know how deadly these LC members first hand. If only she had her guild members with her, they would have been able to capture these 3 members and force them to reveal their secrets.
Laughing Coffin were very careful to not leave any clues behind, no member has ever been caught.
The LC member with the dagger approached her first, he attempted to swipe her with a dagger skill but she was fast enough to parry it with her rapier. Afterwards her rapier shone a green color and she performed 5 linear strikes straight at him. That particular member was left injured but then at her blind spot, the two other LC members attacked. She was able to duck down to avoid one of the attacks and blocked the other with her rapier. It definitely was not a fair fight but she wanted to do her best.
The one with the axe sent a swing right at Asuna and she barely jumped back in time to avoid it while sending a linear strike forward to ward off the LC sword user. Just as she sent out another linear strike, she was not able to retaliate back in time to one of the attacking members and received a few cuts to her cheek. That lowered her HP by a bit. She had to admit one thing; these members were very fast with their weapons.
"Why are you struggling darling? We'll make your death quick and painless. Well not sure about the quick part haha!"
She was getting very ticked off. These LC members were treating this attempted murder as a fun game. To them, killing others was their sick form of entertainment.
Countless minutes passed as Asuna defended against the onslaught of three attackers. Once she got a spare second, she took a quick glance at her health meter and saw her health was already down to 70%. The health of the attackers was above 75%. At this rate, her health would just deplete lower than theirs. The teamwork and coordinated attacks of the LC members were able to nick off her damage one at a time, they were definitely an organized group.
Looks like I have no choice but to get out of here before I become one of their victims
Asuna felt that she was being cornered by the 3 attackers; they were both in front of her, staring at her menacingly.
"What's wrong dear, all tired out already?"
Asuna stood her ground and gritted her teeth angrily. She usually did not like to run away from a fight but this was her life at stake.
She put her free hand in her pocket and was about to take out the blue teleportation crystal.
A black blur suddenly passed through Asuna's line of vision.
SCHING!
The LC member with the sword was nearly impaled by an incoming blade. That LC member used his scimitar to block at the right second, but he still took some damage.
"Another interesting prey has appeared huh."
Asuna could not see the person who just entered into the scene since this person was wearing all black.
"Time to retreat boys!"
The LC member pushed away the person that he was crossing swords with.
Before Asuna and the other person could interfere, the three cloaked figures took out their teleportation crystals and disappeared. The two of them could not hear the location the LC members teleported to because they said different locations at once.
"Darn it, looks like Laughing Coffin is craftier than I thought." The Black Swordsman sighed frustrated. "In order to prevent us from finding where they went to, they all decided to split up."
He walked up to the Flash.
Asuna was extremely surprised to see Kirito was the one who sort of rescued her.
Kirito then looked at Asuna and gave her a slight look of disapproval.
"What were you doing out here alone? Aren't you concerned for your own safety, especially with Laughing Coffin going around and taking out people from the lower floors."
Those words from the Black Swordsman's mouth baffled the long haired girl.
"E-excuse me?! Are you any position to scold me for being on my own? You're the solo player who ventures through the clearing zones by yourself!"
Asuna was shaking her head angrily in disbelief.
"Well it's because you're a erm…" Kirito then scratched the back of his head nervously.
"I'm a what?"
"Well you are a girl after all, which makes you a more vulnerable target."
Asuna's eyes had a mixture of anger and surprise.
"Even though I am a girl, I am perfectly capable of protecting myself."
She looked away from him and gave a frustrated hmph!
Asuna had no idea why she was fuming so much in front of Kirito. She was normally a very calm person but Kirito just made her feel a bit more annoyed than usual.
Why am I always so agitated whenever I'm around him?
Kirito then sighed defeated.
"Ok look I'm sorry." The boy said with a genuine apologetic tone. "I didn't mean to insult you or anything. I was just worried because there are some really bad people who tried to hurt you."
Asuna's heart skipped a beat when she heard those words. The famed solo player of SAO was actually concerned for her wellbeing.
No-no, I can't let myself become distracted with these thoughts!
"So wait… are you a stalker or something?!"
"Wh-wha?" The black haired boy looked very confused.
"You just happened to coincidentally be in the same place I was, sounds like you are stalking me."
Asuna said with some amusement in her voice. She wanted to mess around with Kirito, especially after her defeat from their duel today.
"N-no I am not stalking you at all, you have to believe me!" The boy put his hands in front of him defensively.
"So why were you here anyways?"
The long haired girl was indeed having fun making Kirito feel flustered. Her mood had taken a complete 360 turn.
"Well I heard Fenny Fowl was on this floor so I decided to get it. I heard several players saying that they wanted the Fowl for their restaurants and they were willing to pay a high price. If it wasn't for me, goodness knows what could have happened to the famous Flash."
"I would have made it out of that situation just fine by myself."
"Anyways, do you want to find the Fowl together?"
"You mean party up? It's been a very long time since we've last done that."
Asuna could feel her heart beating faster.
"If we only find one Fowl tonight, I'll let you keep it. What are you going to do with it by the way?" Kirito asked her curiously.
"I've been working on my cooking skill and I was planning to cook it. I-I'll let you try my cooking if we do manage to get it tonight."
Those last words escaped out of Asuna's mouth. Just as she realized what she just said, she gave a small gasp and looked away embarrassed.
"Sure I'd like to try your cooking, and are you alright?" Kirito looked at her concerned.
"Y-yeah I'm fine."
Asuna did her best to regain her normal composure. For the next few hours, the two of them scoured the area and were fortunate enough to find a few Fenny Fowls. Kirito's detection and search skills were really handy and Asuna was even more impressed by the Black Swordsman's talent.
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55th floor: Grandzam
Kirito and Asuna walked towards the Knights of Blood Headquarters. The land was cheap in this floor which is what motivated the guild to settle their permanent HQ at Grandzam. The HQ was a huge steel tower which had flags hanging above the gates. The flags were red and each had an image of a sword.
A few other KoB members passed by them and they were confused as to why a non-member was going to their guild HQ. A few others gave Asuna a salute as she walked by them. At this point she was used to being treated as a top authority figure, and there was no point in telling them to act casually around her.
"So what business do you have here Kirito-san?" One of the other leaders looked at the Black Swordsman and the Flash.
"We must speak with Heathcliff."
"Alright, looks like he is free."
Asuna and Kirito opened the large gray doors and entered into the room.
Heathcliff looked at the two of them with his gray eyes. These eyes made it hard to see what the man was really thinking.
"Asuna-kun, it's rare that you bring an outsider to our guild. It must be something important."
The subleader nodded.
"Yes it is leader, it's about Laughing Coffin."
"Laughing Coffin?" The KoB leader raised his eyes interested.
"Go on, it's been a month since anyone's ever mentioned them."
Asuna began her story.
"Last night when I was on a lower floor I was attacked by a few Laughing Coffin members. Fortunately Kirito-san was there to help me."
It took Asuna a few minutes to fully explain what happened. Afterwards Heathcliff closed his eyes and sighed. He reopened them a few seconds later and spoke out.
"You have my gratitude Kirito-kun. Asuna-kun is a valuable asset to the front lines and we cannot afford to have her be in any unnecessary danger. This brings me to my next order of business. It sounds like some of the notable members of the KoB need to have protection. That is why I will be assigning Asuna-kun a body guard."
"Hah?" Asuna's mouth dropped. "With all due respect leader, I don't think I need somebody to watch over me at all times."
The Flash was completely taken aback; she took pride in her swordsmanship and independent nature.
"It's better to have extra pre caution in times like this. We never know when people plot to come after you."
"I'll just have Mikoto go with me everywhere; she and I do that anyways."
"I hope you do not take offense to what I am about to say next." Heathcliff's onyx eyes grew more serious. "You and Mikoto are girls and I feel that it is better that a male figure will be a more intimidating figure that would ward off potential attackers."
What's with everybody talking down on girls? We're not that weak or helpless!
"Who do you have in mind for the job? I have a higher level than many of our guild members." Asuna said in an irritated tone.
"That is why I shall ask Kirito-kun if he will take up the task."
This time it was Kirito's turn to drop his jaw in surprise.
"Wait hold on. You have no authority to tell me what to do Heathcliff, I am not one of your guild members. I am a solo player and I work at my own pace." The black haired boy objected bluntly.
"Do not be so hasty with your decision, did you not think you would be compensated?"
"Compensated?" Kirito looked confused.
Heathcliff then opened up his items menu and revealed them to Kirito.
"I probably have a few items you desire, such as the …"
Kirito's eyes went as big as coins once he heard what Heathcliff was willing to offer. Somehow Heathcliff was able to get his hands on very rare weapons and items that any player would covet. Kirito's composure changed from being serious to enthusiastic all of a sudden. The KoB leader's bribe was definitely working.
Asuna sighed.
"Men, they're always so narrow minded. I can never understand how they think."
The Flash muttered to herself while shaking her head.
"Kirito-kun, I assume we have a deal. You shall accompany Asuna-kun."
The Black Swordsman nodded, it was apparent he was hiding his giddy grin. He was acting like a kid that would be receiving a new game if he did his chores.
"You may leave now Kirito-kun, I need to talk some guild business with my sub leader."
Kirito understood and before he left the room, he promised to meet up with Asuna tomorrow at the town center of Pani.
Asuna was left stunned. She really did not need the extra protection.
"Leader, I understand your concern for me, but why did you ask an outsider like Kirito-san?"
"It's because I see Kirito as a potential significant asset for the Knights of Blood. You see, his talent could be further extended if he joined us. The other well-known front line guilds have been attempting to recruit strong members for a long time; however our guild can surely be the strongest if we have Kirito-kun by outside."
"So you're only using me to have Kirito-san join us?"
"Don't think of it as me using you. I am genuinely concerned for your well-being and I believe he is the perfect person who can protect you. Also it wouldn't hurt if you two got along on better terms, am I right?"
There was a glint in Heathcliff's eye that made Asuna slightly cringe.
He obviously doesn't know about my conflicting feelings for Kirito-san. Then again he's the kind of person that knows unexpected things.
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The next morning at exactly 10 o'clock, Asuna saw Kirito waiting at the fountain at the town square.
"I honestly don't think I need this protection." Asuna huffed.
"Heathcliff entrusted me with your safety and I intend to keep my word."
"You're just doing this because he promised to give you those rare items."
"Every man has his secret desires. I have no idea why he has such powerful items but I've never seen him use them."
"Geez Kirito-san, sounds like you don't care about my well-being at all."
"Even though you and I sometimes don't see eye to eye, I know you are a valuable part of the front lines. That is why I shall take my job seriously."
Kirito then bowed his head down towards Asuna, as if she were a queen about to knight him. Asuna could feel her cheeks warm up more than usual.
"You don't have to address me so formally, just call me Kirito." The boy uttered.
"Hm… I'll just refer to you as Kirito-kun then."
"I've given up on honorifics ever since I joined this game, so I'll just refer to you as Asuna. I'm sorry that I've offended you in the past, especially when I call you Flash instead of your proper name."
"All is forgiven." Asuna sighed happily. She felt content looking at Kirito's relaxed expression. "Oh yeah I almost forgot."
She opened up her inventory and showed it to Kirito.
"Since you let me have the two Fenny Fowls, how about you join me for dinner?"
"J-just the two of us?" Kirito looked alarmed.
"N-N-no!" Asuna looked very flustered "It'll be at the official Fuurinkazan house, we'll be eating with Mikoto-chan, Klein-san and Touma-kun."
A meal alone with him? Too bad I don't have my own house yet.
For the next few hours, Kirito escorted Asuna throughout the city. At first Asuna found it awkward, but then she felt comforted by his presence. She was able to see past his cold exterior and find out that he was actually a semi socially awkward boy because he had no idea how to be around girls.
When the two arrived together at the boss meeting, it caused a bit of a stir. Yesterday the two of them were arguing and today they were getting along just fine. People began whispering amongst each other. Asuna noticed the surprised expressions towards her direction but chose to ignore them. She was glad that she was able to make peace with Kirito.
On the other hand, Kirito was receiving a few death stares from the males in the room. They were jealous at how Kirito, the famed solo player, was able to be on excellent terms with Asuna. The two of them acted like they were a bit more than just good friends.
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The sun was about to set and the strategy meeting was done. Touma and Mikoto looked towards Kirito and Asuna who were chatting with each other.
"Hey you two, do you wanna go to the teleportation gate with us-gah!"
Touma received an elbow to the stomach from Mikoto.
"Let those two enjoy time together." The short haired girl muttered.
"Oh right… you could have told me that instead of hurting me."
The misfortunate boy was rubbing his hurt stomach.
"Now I won't be able to enjoy a proper meal today." He sighed.
Mikoto shook her head amused.
"Ah geez, as if you let a stomach pain stop you from eating."
The two Academy City students headed towards the town in Pani first. The Black Swordsman and the Flash were still inside the stone hut coming up with strategies together
A few minutes later…
Kirito looked around and saw the two of them were the only ones left.
"Where did the others go…?"
Asuna then gripped onto Kirito's wrist and walked ahead, thus pulling him along.
"Let's go before they think we forgot about them. You wouldn't want to miss dinner right?"
Kirito smiled and then picked up the pace and walked by Asuna's side.
"I haven't tried any actual cooked food in a really long time. Not everybody has time to develop a cooking skill after all."
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"Welcome to my house Kirito, it's not too shabby right?" The red samurai grinned confidently as he put an arm around Kirito. Klein was in his usual silly and cheery mood.
Kirito brushed Klein's arm off and smirked.
"I'm surprised that you could afford such a place, I imagined you'd blow off your money on random things."
"If there was booze in SAO, I'd totally get that! It's not even possible to get drunk here."
"Oy Klein most of us are under aged here."
"Ah sorry Kirito, I didn't mean to speak about such er- adult matters."
Touma saw Klein and Kirito chatting with each other and decided to join them.
"Good to see you again Kirito." Touma held his fist out towards Kirito.
The Black Swordsman fist bumped Touma
"Likewise, it's been a long time since I've heard from Fuurinkazan."
Touma grinned and said back.
"Well it's not like you visit us anyways! You're always off doing your own solo thing."
Touma and Klein saw the coast was clear since the girls occupied elsewhere. The two of them pulled Kirito to a quiet location and looked like they were going to interrogate him. Kirito sweat dropped nervously.
"Ok explain…" Klein opened his mouth.
"Why are you and Asuna suddenly getting along? It's freaky seeing you two be like boyfriend and girlfriend." Touma whispered as well.
Kirito looked genuinely confused and shocked.
"You seriously think she's my girlfriend?"
Klein face palmed.
"Do you have any idea how many guys want to be in your position? Any guy would kill to be right next to Asuna. Ok I don't mean literally kill but you get what I'm saying."
"You guys have Mikoto, why not go for her?"
"As if Biri biri would let any guy hit on her. She'd immediately pull out her sword and threaten to stab them… at least that's better than receiving electric shocks."
Klein and Kirito were not completely sure what Touma was referring to when he was talking about electric powers.
"The food's ready!"
The two girls announced out loud.
Mikoto and Asuna had been in the kitchen preparing the Fenny Fowl as well as a few other side dishes. Asuna had gotten to the house ten minutes after Mikoto, which made Mikoto slightly disappointed because Mikoto was hoping Asuna would have been out longer. After all, Asuna and Kirito were finally getting along.
It took a few minutes until all of Fuurinkazan and the others gathered into the dining room.
Klein's eyes beamed brightly.
"Alright! I didn't eat last night so I can't wait to have something to savor on."
"You two have certainly improved your cooking skill." Touma nodded with approval.
All of the savory dishes were brought to the large table. The Fenny Fowls were specifically put in the center of the table since it was the main course everybody was looking forward to.
"LET'S DIG IN!"
"YEAH!"
Just as the meal was about to feasted upon, everybody in the room received a message.
Klein grumbled as he was about to open up the message.
"What bad timing. Looks like it's something from Heathcliff."
A message from Heathcliff that everybody got, that must mean urgent news.
The message stated:
Please head to the town square of the 56th floor. There will be an emergency meeting.
"We better get going then."
Mikoto got up from her chair along with Asuna. The two girls were heading off to a private room to switch into their battle gear.
"B-but the food…" Kirito looked distraught.
"I feel your pain bro, but duty comes first." Klein patted the Black Swordsman's shoulder.
They all left the Fuurinkazan house and made their way to the teleportation gate.
Once they stepped out of the gate, they were back to the 56th floor. They were not the first people to arrive, it looked like fifty others were already present. Everybody was chatting amongst each other, wondering why in the world they were summoned right away.
Heathcliff was such an influential person to the battlefield that he is capable of convincing every front liner to come out for a meeting.
The town square of Pani was relatively large, enough to hold several hundred people. Though this floor's town square paled in comparison with the starting floor considering how all 10,000 players at one point gathered in one spot.
A little while later the tall and valiant leader of the KoB stepped up on the edge of the fountain in the middle of the town square. Heathcliff was now standing a little bit above the rest of the players and his voice boomed out loud.
"Thank you for coming here quickly, I have some terrible news."
He took a deep breath and then continued with his eyes unwearied.
"A four man party led by Rygar of the Knights of Blood has been killed."
Those simple and short words had an effect unlike any other.
"Killed?"
"Who is capable of killing off front liners?"
"Why would anyone dare commit murder in the first place?!"
There were some concerned hushed voices throughout the town square. The atmosphere felt more tense and unsettling.
Asuna put both hands over her mouth as she gasped. Rygar was the boy who tried to propose to her yesterday, and now he suddenly gone from this world. Her entire body was shaking uncontrollably. She felt a bit light headed and was about to fall down but she heard a reassuring voice.
"Calm down Asuna, we are the front liners; we cannot afford to feel fear." Kirito spoke strongly yet darkly.
He looked like he was suppressing his frustration at the situation. His fists were clenched shut and his eyes were like an icy soldier's.
Heathcliff continued on with his strong tone of voice. The spirits of the front liners were currently shaken and they needed a steady leader for reassurance.
"It appears that we are dealing with no ordinary criminals. The suspects appear to be using poison or traps in order to subdue their victims. I think most of us can guess who the culprits are."
It couldn't be!
"Laughing Coffin has officially become an even worse threat to all of Aincrad. We must do whatever it takes to stop their mindless slaughter."
Heathcliff's rich voice echoed amongst all of the clearing players. Now was the time to take action, with the front liners now being a target of murder.
A war was about to begin.
Author's Note:
Hello there loyal readers, I apologize for taking so long with this update but at least I didn't give up on this story. For a while I had the story be on hiatus due to University and because I did not receive much feedback on the previous chapter. Please drop a review for this story, it can be anything like criticism (be constructive and how I can improve), comments, concerns, just no flames cause those are just mean haha. I generally take reviews as a sign that my readers are still interested in this story's progress.
So another concern I have to point out now is about teleportation crystals. The info on the teleportation crystals say that they can be used to teleport individuals to town areas. However red/orange players are not allowed to enter town areas so I assume they can use the crystals to go from floor to floor within the combat zones. So basically the Laughing Coffin members used their crystals to go to different non-town zones.
Anyways, the story has diverged from the original canon material at this point. After all, it wouldn't be too fun to read if I just kept to the plot line from the light novels. This was a very Asuna/Kirito centric chapter, which seemed like something many readers wanted to see more. More Touma/Mikoto to come in the future!
Please look forward to the next chapter; it'll be the clash between Laughing Coffin and the front liners!
Next chapter: Bloody Funeral