Level Seventeen: Marriage
Country of Fallen Leaves: Grand Arc of the Blooming Field
"Kirito, above you!" Akemi called out, the large carnivorous plant creature they were fighting felt no ill effects by being cut down with a sword. It had reformed into many smaller plants and was currently swarming Kirito and Akemi as they attempted to escape the area. But Kirito's sword was all but useless against this opponent.
"There are too many!" Kirito stated, dodging the little things one after another. "Damn it, how do we stop them?!" he did his best not to use his sword as an attacking mechanism, but it was hard not to. Akemi did her best to gain higher ground, finding a hill to stand on. Kirito managed to get to her as well, the plants now trying to climb the steep cliff face.
"I dunno if this will work…" she muttered. "But do you remember the skill quest I went on when we were in the Grand Arc of the Wooden Temple?" she questioned, removing her bandage wraps that covered her summoning tattoos that had been acquired recently, embedded into her left hand.
"I-I remember." He replied, looking at the tattoos. "But you haven't trained much with the skills, right? Are you going to be okay?"
"Sweet of you to worry." She chuckled. "But I can handle it, Kirito." She let the bandages drop to the ground, taking a breath to calm down before opening her eyes. "Here goes nothing…" A bright red-orange shimmer crossed over the marks on her hand. The plants began encroaching, almost reaching them when Akemi spoke her summoning enchantment. "Great Flames of Hallowed Earth, I beseech you." The ground beneath her began to smolder, turning black as though it was being burnt. "Grant me your presence and power in this time of need…" a small circle of flame emerged around Akemi's feet. "Sealed Summon: Red Flame Twin Tail!" a shape jumped from the fire and lashed out at the plant-like things, destroying them all in one go. After it was done, it solidified into a beige cat-like thing with flaming red eyes and two tails, the flames on its heels orange and red like a sunset. It looked up at the two players who stood before it, tilting its head.
"Kyuu?"
"It's kind of cute…" Kirito said, kneeling to get a closer look. The little creature jumped onto his head and made itself comfortable before dozing off. "Ah, hey…"
"Seems like it's quite fond of you~" Akemi said, smiling at her boyfriend. "I believe that it's a girl." She added. "So I'll name her… Kazumi." She picked the little one off of his head and let it return to its suspended state of her tattoo.
"Why Kazumi?" he asked her.
"Well… Kazuto + Akemi = Kazumi, right?" she smiled. He blushed, making a face that showed his embarrassment, but he did nothing to reject the name. "I win~" she hugged onto Kirito and lead him onward. They soon reached the town just beyond the Grand Arc, stopping for a rest.
"This place is really… flowery." Kirito said, looking around. Every shop had flowers for sale, even if they weren't a flower shop. Colors lined the stalls, there were gardens all over the place; every flower was in bloom. "I know its spring time, but a whole town devoted to flowers? Seems like a little too much…" he added as he and Akemi walked around.
"I think it's nice to see so many flowers in one place." Akemi stated, smiling. "It reminds me of when you proposed to me in Ryuuko in the middle of Grandure Park." She said cheerfully, taking his hand. Kirito's face went red when she mentioned it. "Are you going to propose to me here, too?" she asked, giggling a little. "Or do I have to do the heavy lifting this time around?"
"I-I um…" Truth be told, he had wanted to propose for months. But not just in game. He wanted to ask her IRL, but circumstances made that difficult. Not to mention that Kirito was still too young, not like he cared though. He was 16, but he was willing to wait for another few years, so long as Akemi would wait for him too. "I-I was kind of hoping to be able to surprise you, but I guess that's impossible…" he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. Akemi leaned over and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, smiling more now than earlier.
"Even if it isn't a surprise, I'd still prefer you to ask." She stated. "After all… just a few more years, and we can make it a reality." She wrapped her arms around him, causing a few vendors to whistle at them and cheer them on. "Seems like we're causing a scene~" she added, letting go in favor of taking his hand and escorting him to a nearby hotel. They got themselves a room and went to lie down. "I've gotta log out, so I'll see you tomorrow." She stated.
"Okay." He gave her a kiss before letting her log out, sighing a little as he watched her avatar enter sleep mode. He stared for a minute before logging off himself, wondering if he really had the courage to invite her on a trip for Golden Week.
Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture: April 9, 2025 – 5am
Akemi opened her eyes early the next morning, staring at the clock for the 8th time since she'd turned off the lights the night before. She was restless, bothered even by the fact that she had yet to procure a proper plan for Golden Week. Makoto was spending it with her aunt and uncle and the others, but Akemi had said she had plans with Kazuto, even though he had yet to ask her. She sighed, staring at the clock until she couldn't stand it anymore and sat up, going to the kitchen to retrieve something to drink. All the talk about marriage and engagement from the game with Kazuto had been taking its toll on her as well. She loved Kazuto, she did. But she was 4 years his senior, and she was worried about her father trying to set a business-related marriage up for her. Thankfully he had yet to do any such thing.
"Onee-sama?" Makoto came into the kitchen, looking sleepy. "What are you doing up?"
"Nothing, Makoto." She said as she put her cup away. "Sorry if I woke you…" she tousled his hair. "Do you want some water?"
"Are you still worrying?" he asked her, staring right at her. "He's going to at least ask you on a date for Golden Week. Stop over thinking everything."
"But Makoto…" she sighed. "… Never mind… you're always right." She pet his hair before shooing him back to his room. "Go on, back to bed." She wandered back down the hall, waiting till he had closed the door before she got back to her own room. "Always…" she mumbled, staring at the clock again. "… Mama… is it wrong to want Kazuto so badly? He's still so young…" she sighed, staring at the picture next to her clock of her family. "I want to be with him, but I'm worried what will be said about us…" she mumbled, feeling her eyelids slowly closing as she stared at the image. "… We'll be okay… won't we?"
Country of Fallen Leaves: Flowering Oasis
Akemi arrived back in Rise of the Autumn Moon, looking around the room to see Kirito watching her. "Hey." He waved casually and went to sit next to her. "Um… how was your day?"
"It was alright… didn't sleep so great last night though." She wrapped her arms around him and smiled. "But so long as I can have a hug and a kiss, I should be fine to do some work." She nuzzled him, making his face go bright red. "So um… what are your plans for Golden Week, Kazuto?" she asked, the question had been eating at her all day, so she decided to ask.
"I was um… actually just going to ask you that…" he said, letting her nuzzle him. "I was kind of hoping you'd be available for a, um…" he swallowed nervously. "A trip with me…" At the statement, Akemi's eyes went wide in surprise.
"Really?" she asked, staring at him. He nodded, making her smile and hug him really tight. "Kazuto I'd love to~!" he sighed in relief, hugging onto her and smiling a little. He'd been so nervous about asking, but now he felt better.
"Y-yeah, I managed to win one of those lottery things on the street." He said, slightly embarrassed.
"How many tissues did you get before then?" she asked, grinning. He blushed more, mumbling the rather high number before turning his gaze away. "Wow, 30 of them? That's quite a haul." She loosened her grip a little.
"A-anyway." He muttered, trying to change the subject. "I-it's just going to be us… if that's alright…" he said, leaning against her. "I-it's a hot spring trip, and I wanted to make sure we had time together, so…"
"Eeeeh… hot springs sound nice~" Akemi pet his head. "I think it'll be great~" The two got up and went to go around town to do some work, occasionally talking about plans, but keeping the information mostly to themselves. Upon arriving at a tavern, Akemi noticed someone watching them from the corner; the same man who'd been there on opening day, with that strange creature. Akemi stepped in the man's view of Kirito, noticing him glare a little. 'I was right.' She thought to herself. 'He is looking for a chance to get him alone…' Then, something clicked for her. 'I wonder if that guy is the creepy guy who was looking for him before…' she sat down with Kirito at the bar, being sure to block him from view of this person who was staring so intently. 'This is going to be a long day…'
"I'm going to log out." Akemi said to Kirito as she sat down on the bed. "I have some things to finish for school. I'll see you later, ne?"
"Huh? O-oh, yeah. I'll talk to you soon." They shared a kiss before Akemi logged out for the night. Kirito then sat down and stared at the floor, muttering to himself that he was being a coward and that he should just ask her. But maybe proposing in person was better? As he pondered things, his distraction allowed multiple people to enter the room. One grabbed him by the arm. Though he attempted to fight back, because he was outnumbered and caught off guard, he stood no chance. He fell "unconscious" due to a hunter's ability and was carried away without a word from any of his captors.
Country of Fallen Leaves: Grand Arc of the Cloud Palace
Kirito awoke in an unfamiliar place. His first reaction was to check his location and time, but his GPS was disabled and locked by an admin. He wondered what was going on, deciding to log out till he knew what was happening. However, when he went to log out, he found that the panel had been locked. "What in the-?" he looked around, trying to figure out what was happening. The room he sat in was plush and yet still was a cage to prevent escape. Bars on the windows, locked doors, and his weapons had all been locked as well. Why would an admin lock him here?
"Well well, you're awake." He whipped around to see the man from day 1 standing there, staring at him. "My boss is quite interested in you for some unusual reason." He shrugged. "I don't get why, though…" he dodged as Kirito tried to fight him hand to hand, summoning a shield to defend him while bringing no harm to the player. "Look, kid. I don't know what you're trying to pull, but you can't beat me without a weapon." He added. "You're a guest of the king of Cloud Palace. Just accept that and don't be rude." He grumbled a little.
"Who the hell are you?! And who the hell is this king?!"
"Oh, sooo glad you asked~" Another voice came up behind Kirito and when he whipped around to defend himself out of reflex, his hand was caught by what looked like a golem. "I'm King of Cloud Palace. It's a pleasure to meet you." He grinned. "I've longed to meet the Swordsman of the Black Blade." He chuckled in a creepy manner.
"Get off!" Kirito growled, trying to release his arm from the creature's grip. "Let go!"
"Oh goodness, you're so determined~" the king laughed. "But, it will do you no good without a weapon." He added, waving a finger at the boy. "You're my honored guest. Rejoyce~"
"Like hell! Get off of me! Why can't I log out?!" he exclaimed.
"Oh? Because I don't want you going back to that witch friend of yours… she disgusts me, really." He stated. "Acting as though you belong solely to her." He made an arrogant face, turning his nose up at the mention of her. "Black foxes are bad luck, my dear boy." He ran his finger over Kirito's jaw line, making the boy draw back from him. "She's tainted you…"
"Shut up! What do you know?!" he tried to kick at the king, but to no avail. "Let me go, damn it!" but the more he fought, the more tired he got.
"You're going to be here a while… I will supply you with food and with this abode until you decide that you're ready to be purified of that witch's black magic." He stated, turning to leave the room with his associate. Once both had left, the golem let go and disintegrated, the ashes flying out of the window. Kirito paused, taking in those words. He was stuck. He sat down on the bed and put his face in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees.
"… Akemi… I'm sorry…"
Flowering Oasis: Akemi's and Kirito's Lodging Room
Akemi logged back into Rise of the Autumn Moon, wondering where Kirito was. She didn't see him in the room. She opened her GPS tab and went to search for Kirito, but when she brought his window up, his screen was gray and there was an error code. She paused, looking to her team roster. He was still on it, so his account should have been active. But to find no map data was troubling. She decided to go into town and ask around, but no one had seen him since yesterday. Panicked, Akemi began searching all over, but still no Kirito.
Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture: April 11th – 6pm
Akemi logged immediately out of the game, calling Kazuto's cell, hoping he'd just fallen asleep or forgotten about meeting her. But time after time, text after text, he did not respond. Worrying to her limits, Akemi called the number Kazuto had left for her in case something ever happened. "Hello?" the girl who answered on the other end of the line sounded younger, but not by much.
"Suguha-san? My name is Akemi, Makoto's older sister."
"Oh, Akemi-san. What can I do for you…?"
"Is Kazuto at home?"
"Yes, he went to log onto his game… why?"
"Could you please check on him? I was just logged on, and I couldn't find him anywhere." She stated, sounding concerned. Suguha agreed and went to check.
"Hey, are you in there?" she called, opening his door. She paused, seeing him laying there with his amusphere on. "Hey. Someone's calling for you-" she paused, realizing something. "Oi, wake up." But when she shook his shoulder, he didn't respond.
"Suguha-san?"
"He's not responding." She said, now sounding a bit panicked herself.
"Please do not panic." Akemi stated. "… Do you know how to play Rise of the Autumn Moon?" she asked. "If you do, I need you to come meet me."
"Huh? This is no time for-"
"If what's going on has to do with something that's been happening in game, then it's the only time." She responded. "Please, Suguha-san."
"… right." She sighed. "I'll be right there."
"Thank you…" they both hung up and went to log into the game.
Flowering Oasis: Central Square
"So you're Akemi, huh?" Suguha's avatar was named Merona, and was very different in appearance than Kazuto had described. "So… what did you mean earlier?"
"… have you noticed anyone unusual around? Or perhaps your brother acting more off kilter than normal?" she questioned, looking concerned. "Or has there been anything like weird hang-ups on the answering machine?"
"Um… well he was a little finicky the past few days, but I thought it was because of you…" she said, a little confused.
"Me…?"
"He keeps talking about taking you on a trip for Golden Week." She muttered, a little jealous. "My folks don't know, so I guessed he was just trying to keep it a secret from them… You're older, right? By a few years?"
"Ahaha, you know about that?" Akemi asked nervously. "Yes, I am a few years older."
"… well, whatever. What's important is that you explain what you meant." She crossed her arms and looked up at the girl. "Why are you asking questions like that? You make it sound like he has a stalker." She paused, noticing the worried look on Akemi's face. "Does he?"
"Well, recently… I'd heard of some odd incidents and whatnot… someone was looking for him around town not too long ago… IRL mind you." She added. "And… on day one…" Akemi paused, recalling the incident and shivering a little. "Let's just say I'm worried that if he DOES have a stalker, they have admin privileges here in the game."
"A stalker with admin privileges?" Merona questioned. "Man, that's weird…" she looked around. "So… what happened to him…?"
"Well… thing is, I think this person, whoever they are, locked his logout. They may be keeping him hostage somewhere."
"Why do you think that?"
"Well…" she sighed. "Let's just say after a decade of video games, you get to know all the clichés, and how people can twist them." She stated. "This admin's playing a twist on a captured princess story… Unfortunately I guess that makes Kirito the princess." She added, cheeks pink. "But… anyway…" she tried to get off the subject, having begun to imagine Kirito in a dress for a second or two. "Point is, we need to save him."
"Do you know where to begin?" Merona questioned.
"Hey! Akemi!" the two lifted their heads to see a small group headed their way. Asuna, Ayaori, and Versais walked over. "What's up? You look… bothered." Asuna looked around. "Is Kirito not here yet…?"
"Actually…"
"Whaaaat?!" Asuna exclaimed. "Captured?!"
"A-asuna, please. Lower your voice." Akemi said, sighing. "That's what I'm assuming…"
"Do you know where to start?" Versais questioned.
"Not really…" Akemi hung her head a little.
"Cloud Palace." Ayaori stated simply. "He would have to be there to be hidden from the GPS."
"Aya?"
"The Grand Arc of the Cloud Palace is impossible to navigate because GPS is disabled for everyone in that zone, and you can't locate people in that zone even if you're on the outside." He stated, looking up at Akemi. "C'mon, you know this too. Get your head leveled."
"… Right." She said, looking even more depressed.
"Don't make that face." He tousled her hair. "At least we have a starting point."
"But where do we begin?" Asuna questioned. "That's the biggest Grand Arc besides Sea Dragon, isn't it?" Ayaori turned to her.
"It may be large, but there's only one place in that arc where you can really conceal a person and keep them against their will… the Desolate Cloud Tower in the center of the Grand Arc… inescapable and almost impossible to break into. Center of the Cloud Palace and dwelling place of the King of the arc; Felix Mont Blanc."
"Whoa, you know all that?" Merona asked, looking stunned.
"Aya knows this game better than anyone." Akemi managed a small smile. "After all, he was an in-house beta." Aya nodded, making everyone's jaw drop.
"No way, you were a beta?!"
"I was just a gameplay guinea pig." He stated. "But it did get me a sneak peak at all the maps and stuff, so I know every arc and how to get through it."
"Wow…" Asuna and Merona stared at him for a minute.
"Well then, lead the way." Versais grinned. "We're gonna save Kirito before sunrise!"
Time: 6:47pm
((H-happy New Year everyone ; u ; I apologize for the long wait. I know its a little choppy, sorry about that. I suppose I lost a little momentum on this one. I promise next chapter will be better ; u ; much better.
Please look forward to the next installment, and the Cloud Palace King's creepiness!
And then look forward to a fight. o u o
-Winter Cheshire))