Myth and Legend
"..."
Fog filled the clearing, where two figures stood face to face.
Kazuto opened his eyes. He stared at himself. But it wasn't him.
"..."
The Black Swordsman stared at his counterpart impassively, his dull golden eyes piercing him.
"Shall thou raise your blade again?" asked the Black Swordsman.
The boy grimaced.
"Is there a need?" asked Kazuto. "Our lives are not in-game here. I'm sure there must be a way to solve this peacefully."
The Black Swordsman closed his eyes.
"Is there? Or is this what you say to put yourself at ease?"
"..."
The silence said all to the Black Swordsman.
"Deep down, you know I am thou. The part that you can never accept as 'you.' You realized this a long time ago. Your burden is the shame of Kirito, titled 'the Black Swordsman.' I will only say this once: if you desire to protect what's dearest to you, brace yourself to raise thy blade."
The fog raised until Kazuto couldn't see that stranger he always knew.
The boy opened his eyes slowly as the sunlight bathed on his head.
"What a weird dream..."
He tried to rise from the bed but was held back by two arms around his chest.
"This again, huh?"
He gently shook the form of his daughter.
"Come on, sweetheart. We can't afford to waste time."
With much hesitance, Yui put her head out of the blanket and stared at her father.
"Five more minutes..."
The boy couldn't help but smile.
"Fine. But only if you release daddy."
The AI whined but complied, allowing Kirito to lift from the bed. After two days in Susukino, the clingy behavior that the AI had toward the bed was a familiar sight.
Letting out a breath of cold air, the swordsman left the room and went to the bar.
"Ah!" said Arthasson, grinning. He had dark circles around his eyes but kept a respectable image. "How is my favorite customer feeling today?"
"If I'm your favorite customer, your standard is pretty damn low."
The Dwarf smirked as Kirito took a seat. The barkeep laughed.
"Haha! Or maybe this city it's not ready for my standards. The jury is still open on that."
It was surprising to see how fast the once grumpy Dwarf opened to Kirito and Yui. The boy couldn't put his finger on the exact reason why. Was it because of how well he was paying him? Or was Arthasson like that?
Lost in thoughts, Kirito absently picked up the mug that the bartender passed to him. Pretty hot.
"Here it is," said Arthasson. "Hot milk."
The boy nodded. Yesterday, his host had tried to serve him coffee -or some mixture that resembled it -but Kirito, unable to taste it, declared he preferred milk in the morning. 'At least I can somewhat feel that.'
Kirito drank the white liquid, feeling the heat helping scare away the cold.
"Thanks," said the Swashbuckler.
"Thank Lina," said Arthasson. "That woman is the reason why this place is still standing. She cooks fine."
"She does," lied Kirito. It would be impolite to say that it all tasted the same for him. "Makes me miss the plates of my girlfriend."
"Oooooh!" said the Dwarf, giving a cheeky grin. "I knew from the moment you entered the door that you were a ladies' man! So, who's the mother of your child? Or father?" As he received a stare from Kirito, Arthasson raised his hands. "What? From all I know, Adventurers can be born from eggs!"
The two men kept an awkward silence that stopped once Yui entered the room.
"Heya, kid!" said the Dwarf jovially. "Did you have a good night of sleep?"
"Cold, mister," said Yui.
The barkeep passed another cup of hot milk to the girl.
"There, there. A good, hot drink always helps. That's what Arthas used to say."
"What happened to him?" asked Kirito.
"Choked on a cold drink," barked Arthasson. "I never looked at a bottle of wine the same way again."
"How do you even-nope. I'm not asking for details."
Arthas clapped his hands.
"Good! Because I'm curious about where you and your daughter will tour today. Maybe I can even give some advice? At a price, of course."
Kirito sneezed.
"Info brokers. No matter the world or shape, they are the same," he commented, throwing some coins to the bartender. "We are going to a place I should have gone long ago."
The smile of the Dwarf disappeared as Yui confirmed his suspicions.
"We are going to the slave market."
The man stared at Kirito. Then, slowly, he picked up a mug and poured some beer. Then, in a single gulp, he drank all of it, then stared back at the Adventurer.
"This is stupid."
The boy tapped his fingers on the wood.
"It's not."
"Indeed, it isn't!" said Yui. "We have many reasons to believe that our friend went through that part of the city."
'That reason is eavesdropping,' thought Kirito.
It was a stroke of luck. The duo had gone high and low to find Silica, but the odds weren't in their favor. At all. While not as big as Akiba, if you count the area of Minami as part of that city, Kirito had many helping in his endeavors. Now, he only had himself and Yui, who, while a big help, wasn't nearly sufficient to round up the city.
And then a cheap talk gave him lots of worries.
Kirito sat on the bench, letting out a sigh. He looked at the sky, where Yui was patrolling for signs of their friend. The moon started to rise in the sky. 'Maybe we should return to the Crimson Boar. This day is already lost.'
His fist tightened. Five days. Tomorrow, four days. That's the time they had until being forced to go for the Fairy Ring. Perhaps less if they wanted to escape Susukino without being seen.
'It's not enough.'
It was as simple as that. There were too many places for Yui and him to check. He needed a clue to reduce the area or more people willing to work with him. Both are unlikely.
"Excuse me, sir," said a People of Earth. "Do you wish for anything?"
Kirito looked around, seeing himself in an outdoor restaurant. In his distraction, he hadn't noticed where he was. The boy was about to dismiss the employee but thought twice. 'Something hot would help my humor.'
"Milk," he said. "Hot milk."
He couldn't help but feel silly at his request, but it was the only thing that didn't taste like water.
The woman bowed, leaving the boy to his devices. 'Yui sure is taking her time. I hope nothing happens to her. Her time was already getting short.'
As the boy drank his milk and waited for Yui to appear, he absently heard the talk of two Adventurers sitting at the table behind.
"...and that's why you should never mess with a giant alone," said one of them.
"Yeah, yeah," said the other. Kirito could imagine him making a carefree hand gesture. "I still think my plan is good. Attract one of those fuckers, hide in a hole, and keep stabbing their feet. Easy peasy."
"Did you hear anything I said in the last five minutes?" asked the first voice. "Ugh, how did you even enter university? If you finished studying Chemistry, you would blow the lab you would work!"
"Hey, what's the worst that can happen? Me dying? I'm going to be back in no time!"
Kirito frowned. 'People shouldn't make such light work of dying,' he thought, drinking his milk.
"Speaking of chemistry, I saw something odd...what, four days ago? I was returning from the field when I passed through the market. All was fine and dandy until this Felinoid girl bumped into me."
"Ok, but what does this have to do with chemistry?" asked the first voice, annoyed. "Did you feel the 'chemistry of love,' or some cheesy crap in this vein?"
"What? No! I am into guys! You know that, man. It's just that her name was Silica."
PFFFFFFTTTTT!
The men looked surprised at the figure behind them. Kirito gave a sheepish smile.
"Sorry, I choked," he said, bumping his chest. "Stupid milk..."
The two shrugged and returned to their conversation.
"Ok, you met a chick named after an element. What, silicon?" said the first man.
"Yeah, that one. I remember this because the girl immediately ran, not even having the gall to apologize," the man huffed. "Then, two or three guys appeared, chasing after her. I don't know what she did, but it left some people pissed."
"Or maybe they wanted a slave," said the second man. "You know how things go in that region. If she had a low level, it's the same as asking to be kidnapped. God, I fucking hate Demikas for having this idea. I can tolerate the NPCs, but not the players. This shit doesn't sit well with me."
"Not like we can do anything about it. Just keep your head low: as ants, this is the best way to avoid getting in trouble. Now let's change the subject: I don't need to get more depressed than I already am."
Kirito decided he heard all he needed and ignored the talk, his mind racing at full throttle.
'Silica...at the slave market?'
"Daddy?" asked Yui, sitting in the chair, dejected. "I am out of fuel, so I had to land a bit away. Can we go..." she noticed the thoughtful expression of her parent. "Is everything all right?"
He shook his head.
"I don't know. But I think we have a clue. Come on. I'll tell you more on the way."
"So, you're following a clue that leads to the city's most dangerous region?" asked Arthas.
"It is a long shot," admitted Kirito. "But the name is an inner joke of hers, unlikely to be replicated by another. I have to follow this lead."
The Dwarf took a deep breath.
"Kid, I won't sugarcoat it: I like you and your brat," he pointed at Yui. "You are the kindest Adventurers that this humble establishment has ever seen. I mean, you saw the guys that appeared last night."
He pointed at a broken window and some destroyed benches.
"And I didn't even have the worst of those hooligans! Most of the Brigandia goons hang around the inns in the center. And we can't even banish them because they're goddamn Adventurers! The best we can do is pray for the Kunies to move their asses the fastest they can to deploy the Royal Guards fast enough before they burn something."
"Did you spend the night cleaning the place?" asked Yui.
"I didn't get these," he pointed at his eyes. "With a good night of sleep, let me tell you this!"
Kirito drank a bit more of his milk before answering.
"This is the only clue we have. Even if it's dangerous, Yui and I are running against time. I'm almost asking if you couldn't take care of Yui."
"Daddy!" protested the Traveler. "You can't do that! You need my help!"
Arthas, meanwhile, shook his head.
"And neither Lina nor I are very good with children. Considering how contrary she is to the idea, the runt is smart enough to run circles around us."
The boy tiredly let his shoulders down.
"Worth a shot. At least you'll be there to stop me from doing something stupid, Yui."
The girl nodded. If Kirito felt sick on the first day of Susukino, it was nothing compared to how outraged he was now. They didn't tumble around similar scenes to the first day, but the Swashbuckler couldn't wait to leave that hellhole.
"Good grief," said Arthas. "Young men and their tempers. Things always end with fists, swords, or the like with your kind!"
"...I was thinking about saying things I shouldn't," said Kirito. "The Royal Guard stops fights between Adventurers, remember?"
The barkeep blinked.
"Oh, right. I was thinking about how conflicts were solved when I was young. Fifty years sure go through..."
"Aaaand this is getting awkward," said Kirito. "I'm out of here. Come on, Yui."
The AI nodded, finishing her drink.
"Thank you, mister Arthas!"
The Dwarf smirked.
"Only doing a (well-paid) job, lass. Now, try not to die there. Or maybe I shouldn't worry, considering that you are Adventurers."
"It's the spirit that counts," decided Kirito. "And thanks. I hope we see back at night."
Kirito meant those words: he was sure of that.
Even so, why did he feel that they wouldn't return to the Crimson Boar?
That thought consumed him through most of their walk to the market.
Maybe it was because of that stupid dream.
'The dream...'
Kirito looked at the streets. It was still early in the morning, so there weren't many people -Adventurers or People of Earth -in it. The silence was quite soothing and gave him space to think.
And his head echoed a single phrase:
'Shall thou raise your blade again?'
He closed his eyes. The boy could feel Yui looking at him from the bag, so he tried to look as normal as possible because no one could know about the dream other than himself.
The Black Swordsman.
That was the title by which people referred to Kirito. He had other titles, sure: his other title in SAO was Twin Blade Swordsman. Some people in Alfheim also talk of him as 'the Gilded Hero' - a title he has no idea where it came from -and in Gun Gale, some spoke of him as 'that one Photon Sword guy/chick.'
But The Black Swordsman was the first. The mask that defined him -for better or for worse. One could say that it was his 'game face' -with the game referring to any bad situation.
He hated it.
The Black Swordsman was no hero: he was a survivor. That was the truth. A hero wouldn't have failed his friends when they needed him the most. The Black Cats can attest to that. If he was such a big deal, why couldn't he stop all the deaths in SAO?
The rational part of himself recognized that he was being unreasonable. He couldn't be everywhere all the time. Contrary to what the myth said, Kazuto Kirigaya was only human. Skillful, yes, but flawed. It didn't stop him from trying to abandon that identity, but he always seemed forced to use that mask.
And now, the Black Swordsman was becoming something more.
It started after he woke up from his coma induced by the time spent on the Soul Translator. It was only small stuff: things that the Ocean Turtle predicted, like remembering things of his (repressed) century in that world.
However, things took a weird turn when he returned to that world. He had glimpses of that man before, but he first heard of the Star King from the mouths of his and Eugeo's former valets, now fully-fledged Integrity Knights, Ronye and Tieze.
He didn't say it to anyone, but he felt disturbed.
It reminded him of an old visual novel he once played, where the protagonist faces off with a potential future version of himself. You could see the similarities between the boy in the present and the man he could become, but there were so many fundamental differences that you couldn't help but think of them as different men.
That was what he felt about the Star King. Things that Kazuto could see himself doing combined with a ton of others that seemed incompatible.
He, a god?
It seemed like the start of a lame joke.
Since that day, though, something seemed to have awakened deep in his subconscious. Kazuto didn't know if it was always there or if his trip had created that being. It didn't matter in the end. What mattered was that this being now was a constant in his dreams. Most of the time, he was silent, watching him from afar, but the Swashbuckler always knew when he was present.
Other times, however, they were together, silently staring at each other. The boy would occasionally try to talk with him, but he could count on one hand how many times he received answers.
'Now that I think about it, tonight was the first time we talked for real.'
Could it be because of the circumstances? Kirito constantly felt in danger in a manner not different from his days in Aincrad. Could those facts be correlated?
"Daddy, watch where you are walking!"
The rushed warning of Yui came too late, however.
BUMP!
"Oh, goodie!"
Kirito looked at the owner of the table, a woman of advanced age, garbed in a multicolored shawl. She had a black blindfold around her eyes, and her nails were unnaturally big.
The boy noticed the cards on the ground.
"I'm sorry!" said the teenager, respectfully bowing to the woman. "I was distracted and-!"
The lady, however, chuckled.
"It's all good, young man. I only ask for you to pick up my cards. As you can see, I cannot do such a thing right now, haha!" she barked, making little case of her blindness.
Nodding, the boy kneed to pick the cards. He thought the symbols seemed familiar but decided it wasn't his business.
"Here it is. Sorry for the inconvenience," said the Adventurer, sheepishly smiling.
"And I said it's alright," said the elder. "You are more gentle than most of your kind, boy!"
Kirito blinked. Did he mention he was an Adventurer? He shrugged it off.
"Well, I am now on my way."
"So it is," said the lady. "You and your screaming bag."
The boy tensed up. Blast, Yui did issue an alarm! Why did she have to do that?
"You Adventurers, following these new trends," grumbled the woman. "What's next, bags with feelings?"
Kirito sighed.
"Yes, it's the new vogue amongst Adventurers," he lied. "But not many in this city have it."
The woman hummed.
"So it seems. So it seems. Well, have a nice trip, mister Naruto."
Kirito nodded, starting to go on his way, before turning back.
"Excuse me, but I never told you my name. Why did you call me Naruto?"
"Oh?" asked the woman. "Is this not the proper way to call your name? A combination of Kazuto and Narusaka?"
When the woman finished speaking, Kirito already had the tip of his blade in her neck.
"Daddy?!" he heard Yui saying in shock, a second time forgoing discretion. Kirito ignored that.
"Who are you?" he asked, tense. "I never told anyone about my real surname."
It wasn't something he actively tried to hide, mind you: but of his close circle, only Yui and Suguha knew about that little factoid.
And now that random People of Earth not only spat it as if it was the most known thing in the world but also knew how he came up with his nickname.
"Pull down your weapon, warrior Kirito," said the woman(?). "I am not your enemy. I wish to catch your attention, so forgive me for using such raw methods."
A moment of silence. Then, slowly, Kirito sheathed his Sword of Revealing Light.
"Well, you got it. Who are you?"
Through her blindfold, the milky eyes of the woman stared into the obsidian of Kirito.
"I am a seer. And I knew that you would pass here."
"A seer?" asked Kirito. It seemed a bad-taste joke considering that the woman was blind. Then he hit himself by not realizing the obvious implication. "As in, an oracle?"
"Hmm...sure, let's go with that if it fancies you," said the oracle. "You are curious, just as my visions said. You will need it for what's to come. Approach, boy."
Her voice didn't raise a single octave, but Kirito could feel the implicit order. He didn't like it but obeyed the request.
"The deck. Shuffle it as you will, boy."
Again, he did as ordered. It wasn't hard: Klein and Agil invited him from time to time to play poker at the Dicey. His only mistake was letting one of the cards from the set slip up.
"Pick it up, boy," said the oracle.
Kirito picked up the card on the ground. This one had the image of a skull and a scythe, together with a roman number on the bottom: XIII.
"Wait a minute. These are-!"
"Hm," said the elder. "So you are familiar with the arcana?"
Kirito nodded, then realized how pointless this movement was.
"Yes. I know a bit..."
He didn't say he knew those from old video games. He knew some of the motifs, but that's it.
"Now, keep going," said the oracle. "This divination won't complete itself."
'A divination, huh?' thought Kirito, silently putting Death back into the tarot.
He kept shuffling until the oracle said:
"Cease. You did enough. Now, put the deck on the table."
"Do you need these cards?" asked Kirito. "If I remember right, most oracles don't need to use much to see the future."
The woman huffed, much to Kirito's surprise.
"Hmph. There are many ways to see beyond the present Naruto," the Swashbuckler flinched at hearing the name. "And you were the one to call me an oracle. I said from the start that I was a seer. I employ many ways to glimpse at what's to come. Cards happen to be what I prefer. You may call me a fortune teller if you wish, but I am not that. I am a seer. Simple as that."
She put her hand over the deck.
"But enough semantics. I need some quiet for this to work. Now, oh, deck of mine. Tell me, who is the one that stands by?"
Kirito took a step back. A strong wind blew as the woman finished her rhyme. Or was it his mind playing tricks?
She picked up the card from the top. Its image was that of an older man carrying a lantern. This time, the number was IX.
"The ninth one. The Hermit. Experient and wise, but recluse and critic, though I can't say if it's from others or if from thyself."
"I wouldn't say I am wise," protested Kirito weakly. "I commit way too many mistakes to be called such."
"But you did recognize where you went wrong, didn't you?" asked the seer. "The first step to becoming wise is to recognize our foolishness. The greatest fools are those that think of themselves as always righteous. And thank you for answering my question. The cards can be a bit vague about their meanings at times."
The seer took a deep breath.
"Now, come together in two. Reveal me what the Hermit went through."
This time, she picked two cards, flipping both simultaneously. One of them was Death. The other was that of an angelic figure playing trumpet, surrounded by men and women. The number on the border was XX.
"A curious combo. Death and Judgement. Am I right that you passed through an experience that introduced you to a new cycle of your life?"
"This is a pretty vague thing," said the Swashbuckler. "But you would be correct. Why is it curious, though?"
The woman scratched her chin.
"Death and Judgement are cards usually associated with the present or the future. To see both appear in the past..." She didn't finish. "Hm, I suppose it's nothing too relevant. Let's continue. For the present, I select three. Dispose, and put their inquiries to see."
Three flew. The images were that of a woman dressed in religious garbs (II), the moon shining in the sky (XVIII), and a man walking goofily in jester clothes (that one was numberless).
"Hm. High Priestess, Moon, and the Fool. A new journey but one filled with uncertainty. You were in dangerous situations in the past. However, you can't make heads or tails of what's happening. Not too different from others of your kind, if I am to say."
Kirito didn't say anything. Once the seer understood that he wouldn't say anything, she continued.
"And, to finish off, one for the future. Bring to this divination closure."
She took the card out of the deck.
The Adventurer took a step back. The breeze strengthened so much that it even raised a curtain of dust. The boy started coughing hard.
"Daddy! Daddy!"
And, just like that, the dust fell.
"Yui, please stay quiet. We cannot have anyone else seeing-!"
"Seeing me? Daddy, we are at a dead end for five minutes!"
He looked at the fairy, blinking three times.
"What the hell?! I could swear we were still on the streets!"
The fairy flew on her dad's face.
"Daddy, are you alright? I warned you about this table that I'm getting weird reads, and..."
"Table?"
He glanced at it. It was the table that the seer/oracle/fortune teller/whatever was using. It had seen better days, though, eroded by the efforts of termites. The corrosion in one of the legs was so bad that it was still a wonder it could support the desk.
"Yes, that one," said Yui. "Then you pulled one of your swords at it, and I had to stay quiet because some people were passing by! Was this thing cursed?"
"You tell me," he said. "Because I have no idea what the hell just-"
His eyes narrowed. Was that envelope on top of the desk before?
"Wha-" gagged his daughter. "That wasn't there a second before!" she said, confirming his suspicions. "I was analyzing this place, and this just popped out of thin air!"
'Thanks for confirming the obvious,' he silently snarked, not giving voice to his thoughts. With some hesitation, he picked up the package. A single word was written in the front: FUTURE.
"Future?" asked Yui. "What does this mean?"
"I...will explain in one moment," said Kirito. "Once I open this."
He did as he said, ripping the paper off. The contents of the envelope were a letter and a card. Kirito first picked the letter.
Its contents were those:
Kazuto Narusaka/Kirigaya
It seems our time was up earlier than I expected. In case you were wondering, that was no dream. It simply happened in your head. The little Traveler that follows you can tell that this is real.
Kirito stopped reading to take a deep breath. Was there anything that this seer didn't know?
In case you wonder, many things I do not know. What I do know are relevant things, however. One such example relates to our divination. We stopped at the point where I would peer into the future. The truth is, however, that reading it is hard for me.
Why, do you ask?
Simple: because the future is a malleable thing. Whoever was the wiseass that said that what is to come is already set in stone is an idiot. How something that still does not exist can already be defined? It's a big paradox and why I insist on being called a seer: an oracle puts things in a determined way, while I, on the other hand, leave it to others to mold what's to be.
As you may have perceived in our brief tirade, I am not human. However, I also am not your enemy -nor an ally. My intentions are beyond your understanding. That said, I can promise that we shall cross paths again. Until then, accept two humble gifts: my title and insight on what's your way.
Signed
The Genius To Be
"The Genius To Be?" asked Kirito, confused. "What is a Genius?
Yui made an ugly face.
"I don't know..." she started. "But for some reason, the term is familiar to me. I can't explain why, though. What's the card this Genius is referring to?"
Kirito picked up the card and turned it. He made an ugly face.
"Daddy? What is this?" asked the girl.
He seared the image of the upside-down man in his eyes, only finally putting it in the bag after thirty seconds.
"It's nothing," he lied. "Come on. We already took way too much time that we could use investigating."
However, he couldn't help but reflect on both his dreams (and he used the term loosely considering the oddity of his recent experience): one that questioned his willingness to fight other humans and another that brought a presage that he didn't like a bit.
After all, he didn't know much in-depth about the tarot. But he knew that one of the most known associations with the Hanged Man was sacrifice.
The remainder of the trip went without hiccups. No weird oracle Genius telepathically kidnapping him, sellers trying to push their junk to him, or naked people screaming about the end of the world.
(He didn't see anyone doing that, but, considering the weirdness he had saw on that day, Kirito wouldn't discard anything)
Thus, he felt almost relieved when he entered the main street of the slave market.
Almost.
He didn't notice it at first, which was understandable. From Kirito's memories of his past time in Elder Tale, that area of the city was where many Adventurers set shop. It was a smart move: most missions in the Ezzo Empire had links to the Giants, who lived in their Metropolis in the north. Going west would lead to a Fairy Ring that regularly set its destiny to said dungeon. That gate, informally known as the 'Giant's Gate,' would also lead to many other Giant-related regions -a rarity amongst Fairy Rings, known for their randomness.
He wasn't surprised to see the places empty as well, considering the circumstances. There was no sign of blacksmiths, apothecaries, or artificers. 'No players besides those of Brigandia leaving Susukino means no clients. And Brigandia must have players with Production subclasses.'
That said, it didn't mean that the place was empty.
He heard the voices first.
"10000 gold!" "11000!" "15000!"
He saw Yui poking her head out of the Magic Bag, launching a worried glance at her father. Kirito wanted to tranquilize her but recognized it would be pointless. Thus, they advanced to the source of the commotion and the growing distress in Kirito's head.
He could barely believe his eyes at what he saw.
The wood stage at the end of the street was a recent addition. The swordsman knew that the carpenter subclass was more than capable of building houses if the need arose, so it was easy to assume that it was something made by Adventurers. But that wasn't important.
What was important was the product.
"Sold for 25000 gold!" said the Assassin handling the auction. Something in his appearance invoked the similarity with a rat, but not like with his old friend Argo, who was more mischievous than anything. Instead, it felt like he was about to do something with malice and make it pass like a harmless prank.
The Kannagi on the stage cried in despair but couldn't do anything: her arms, bound by a strong rope, were useless, and even her plight for freedom was for naught as her gag muffled her desperate request for help. Her new owner, a People of Earth in fancy clothes, clapped his hands, and his servants carried the poor player away.
'This is somehow worse than I imagined,' thought Kirito, palling at the sight. He glanced at the other victims. Some tried to free themselves from their bindings to no avail, as a member of Brigandia hit their backs with a club at the first notice. Others stared at the sky emptily, their eyes milky, sending chills through his spine. It seemed that the rumors were true.
He forced himself to stare away from the "spectacle." While his wish was to rip that structure apart, his mission was other. Noticing an empty alley, he moved in that direction.
"And now, for your next offer!" said the rat bastard. "A lovely lady from out of this town!"
Kirito forced himself not to look at it. He couldn't. Otherwise, he would do something stupid, blow his cover, or both.
He somehow managed to reach the spot without being noticed. Yui came out of the bag soon after.
"This place..." said the girl. "Even if I can't feel the emotions of others anymore, I can tell it's not a good place."
Kirito silently nodded.
"Let's get this done," he said, trying to mask his feelings. He didn't want to upset Yui. She had enough on her head with the whole Genius talk.
The girl silently nodded.
"I will use most of my time to fly through the district," said the Traveler. "Please, stay here."
"Of course," said Kirito. "Now go on: you are wasting precious seconds."
The girl flew through the wintry sky. Kirito put his back on the walls, trying to relax, but to no success. He couldn't stay close without being reminded of one word, one damned word.
Rape.
Like most normal people, Kirito held no love for rapists. For him, they were even worse than murderers, as they took the dignity of the assaulted. Depending on who you ask, it would be better to die than to let that happen. Even then, his hatred was way beyond the norm. And for a good reason, considering how rotten the would-be rapists he faced were. The only one he could even consider forgiving was Kyouji Shinkawa, and that was because he was both a victim of the machinations of his brother and because Sinon was willing to forgive him.
Sugou Nobuyuki? Raios and his lackey, Humbert?
Nothing more than scum. The first is even more so, considering the latter two did that more to torment Eugeo and him than anything else, influenced by the system set by Quinella -not that it was much of an excuse, considering there were Noble students that were good persons, such as Volo Levateinn, but his point still stands.
Sugou? He had no such excuse. He deliberately made it personal. His attempted rape was only the cherry on top of a mountain of atrocities, but that was still what he took the worst.
He was getting on a tangent. The point is: if there was anyone that Kirito hated more than murderers, it was rapists.
And he felt he could count on his hands how many of them were in the crowd.
'Calm down,' he thought. 'No sense in making a scandal on this. For the sake of Silica.'
"And now for our next subject!"
Kirito looked at who was the next person in the line. His eyes widened.
Demiqas had a liking for crowds since he was a child.
He blamed his sister for that. A fan of the Consadole Sapporo, she always dragged her twerp of a brother together to 'introduce him to the family ways.' Never mind that he liked baseball more.
Anyway, he and the crowds were old friends.
Thus, he felt more comfortable in the mess of the slave market than his partner.
"Why did you drag me here?" complained Londark, the Elf annoyedly taking specks from his eye. As usual, he must have been up until late at night, taking care of Brigandia's finances. "Is this about that goose chase you are in?"
"It's not a goose chase," said the Monk irritatedly. "We can't tolerate such blatant contempt for our authority. That's why we need to find Serara."
"Nobody gives a fuck about a noob Druid, Demikas," argued Londark. "You're doing this for pride. We could use the members you put looking for that girl in other endeavors, like talking with other cities.
"We don't need to talk with anyone, you-" Demiqas started. However, he decided the headache wasn't worth his time, so he dropped the subject.
He and Londark rarely were on the same page: sure, they founded Brigandia together, but it was a way to attract other people to help in the PvP aspect of the game and store and split their gains. The two tried to stay away from the other unless strictly necessary. The taking of Susukino made the two stay together almost constantly, and as a result, they often butted heads.
The only reason Demiqas tolerated the Elf was that he knew he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed: and Londark, while a pompous jackass at times, was also one of the game's premier strategists and a hell of a brawler on top of that.
It doesn't mean he had to like some of his ideas.
'Treat the NPCs as people,' he thought. 'Hmph! What the hell was he drunk on to have such a dumb idea? They are NPCs! They don't have a personality! It's not like slavery in our world.'
Or was it? Demiqas was never the best student in school.
What he did regret was things escalating to the trading of Adventurers. He had zero control over that: it was the idea of one of the higher-ranked members, who was currently directing the sale. One should wonder why he thought that was a good idea, but it was out of his hands now: many others supported the scheme, and Londark was in his ear about that, even more recently with all the talk about the NPCs.
So it was all a pain for him. And he couldn't even de-stress in the fields because of 'bureaucracy.' To say he was in a terrible state of spirit was an understatement.
So, to take his head out of things, he decided to look for a servant amongst the slaves of the day, dragging his grumpy vice to distract him.
If only he knew how much of a shot in his foot this would be!
'Ugh,' he thought. 'There's no way to make him chill out for once?'
The Monk glanced at the stage, where his rat-faced subordinate announced the next beauty.
"Hoho! Not half bad!"
The girl had brown hair tied into a ponytail that, although dirty, still held strong after days captive. She must not have been there for much time, as the signs of abuse were minimal from the distance they were: her dress was dirty from staying in an old basement that served as the "dungeon" of the market and had some minor rips, but nothing intense like other people had suffered. She constantly moved, trying to release herself from her bidding. However, those weren't the defining feature of the lady that was at sale.
"Look at that skin color!" commented Demiqas.
Indeed, rather than the white from the north, the slave had olive skin created from sunburn.
"She must have been a member of a merchant caravan," said Londark. "Poor thing must have been caught off-guard and imprisoned."
"Hah! Good thing that the "poor thing"'s bad luck," said the leader of Brigandia in a mocking tone. "Is my fortune! She's just what I needed! Now, I only need to win the auction."
One of the first rules of the slave market was: if you were of the guild, there were no freebies, not even to Demiqas. You paid it from your funds.
The man looked at his menu and frowned. He had less gold than expected, but it was still a solid fifty thousand. Most of the NPCs' value reached, at best, twenty thousand.
"Screw it," he said. "I'm going all-in."
He hadn't great plans to buy much more, after all. The merchant would serve as a substitute for that slippery Druid and her mysterious protector. A simple yet memorable servant would work for his needs.
'Besides, in due time, she'll be grateful. Some of the guys here are giving some odd looks.'
That included the weird kid in black going out of the alley. He was in a trance, slowly walking towards the stage. 'Bet he was one of those guys that never laid a chick in bed. If he has ever ensnared a girl, I will eat my gloves!'
He laughed. Yes, that was the thing he needed to improve his humor.
"Now, ladies and gents," started the seller. "How much for this lovely lady! Starting offer is 1000 gold!"
Before any else could talk, Demiqas screamed:
"50000!"
The public went silent, eyes widening at the high value. Their eyes widened even more when the boy in black screamed:
"50100!"
At this point, some mouths fell open, including Demiqas's own.
"Sold!"
'Blast!' thought Demiqas, gritting his teeth. 'Fucking horny kid. But I guess you win some and...'
He didn't finish the phrase as he saw something utterly confusing.
The boy cut the ropes that restrained the merchant. He pulled her close to him, mumbling things quickly while passing a bag of money to the leader of the auction, who accepted it silently. Then, beating her back with his hand, she ran from there.
Londark was weirdly silent, staring at the boy on the stage.
"Oi, Londark," asked the Monk calmly. "That guy over there released the slave I was interested in, right?"
The Elf gagged a bit but replied:
"Y-yes. But Demiqas, listen..."
"And most people in this city know who I am," said the man, his voice raising in anger."
"Yes, but listen, you big doofus..."
"SO HE DID THAT TO SPITE ME, HUH?!" roared the Monk, leaving his vice behind and jumping straight in the Swashbuckler's direction.
Kirito should have known that no good deed goes unpunished.
At first, he believed himself to be lucky. After all, how big are the odds of finding the same person you saw the kidnapping in a slave auction two days later?
God, he never thought he would say such a thing.
Anyway, Kirito had lots of gold in his bag: he kept around 100000 gold in there, as he did want to avoid being seen in the Guild Hall as much as possible. So it was a matter of surpassing the highest bid: sure, it was higher than he expected, but he got what he wanted.
Did it get lots of attention? Yes.
Did it go against Asuna's advice of not blaming himself too much? Also yes.
Would he do it again? Absolutely.
After cutting the ropes, he approached the girl, still gagged. He whispered in his ear.
"Listen well. I'm passing fifty coins to you in your hand. Run from here. Don't stop until you reach the Crimson Boar inn. If the owner asks, say Kirito sent you there. Stay hidden until this crisis passes. Now go."
He clapped her back for some emphasis -a bit unneeded, but he wanted to make her hurry up -and she disappeared in the crowd, fast as a rabbit.
For one moment, the boy felt good about himself. He had done a good thing against that regimen. And the best part was that there were no consequences! All according to the law of that city.
Reality hit him in the face with a Wyvern Kick.
Kirito was caught off guard by the attack, managing to barely balance himself and recover from the blowback of the attack. He felt himself landing on the wood of the stage.
"What the- what is wrong with you?!" asked Kirito.
"Don't play the fool, dead meat!" roared his aggressor, a bulky Monk that made Agil look average-sized. His equipment was top-notch, and his face wore a visage of blind rage. He jumped to the other side of the stage. "Do you think you can disrespect me and get away with no issue?!"
The Swashbuckler blinked.
"What?"
"Don't play the 'what?' game, you little shitstain! Everyone in this city knows who I am! If you knew who I was, you went out of your way to buy her from me! No one would buy that People of Earth for such a high price!"
"You tried to do so, though," pointed Kirito. "Also, uh...if you snooze, you lose?"
"Demiqas! Stop this madness!" said a voice in the crowd. Kirito's eyes widened on recognizing Londark. "He won the auction cleanly! It's his decision what to do with her!"
"I wished we didn't have to meet in such dire circumstances, Londark," said the boy.
As it turns out, that was a mistake. A flash of realization passed through Demiqas's eyes.
"How long have you known this kid, Londark?"
The Sorcerer got so confused that he answered.
"Uh, two days..."
The expression of Demiqas became even more wrathful -if that was possible.
"So you put those weird ideas in his head!" snarled the Monk. "We don't appreciate your thoughts on the matter, dipshit!"
"Ideas...?" asked Kirito, but he shook his head. "Look, I had no intention of doing such a thing. If you let me explain myself..."
Kirito dodged another punch.
"And another thing! You will call the attention of Kunie by going on like this! I'm surprised they already didn't appear!"
"It's because of where you are standing!"
Kirito turned to the Sorcerer.
"Carpenters can't create a stage. So, instead, this is a combination of some constructions, with the basis being a wooden arena for duels! And Kunie only appears if a fight takes too long, so that first move barely registered!"
Kirito's eyes widened. And Demiqas capitalized on his momentary shock.
"Boys! Around the arena!"
Some members of Brigandia moved from the crowd to stay around the stage, their weapons out. Even if the Kunie were to arrive, if Kirito fell prey to those people, he wouldn't come out alive.
"Now, you have no chance in hell from escaping!" said Demiqas, cracking his knuckles. "In this area, you only have two options: beat me or die!"
Kirito looked at the alley where he had put his Dazaneg Magic Bag for Yui. The girl was there, holding the package. The boy moved his lips, saying a silent "go" to her.
The AI didn't like the decision but nodded, slowly walking out of the blind alley. The chaos of the duel would cover her escape.
The leader of Brigandia cracked his knuckles, although he had gauntlets equipped.
"So? What's going to be? I can promise you a quick end if you let me separate your head from the rest of the body."
Kirito drew his swords.
"Can I say one thing before we start?" said the Swashbuckler. "You asked for this."
He evaluated his situation. A hostile mob of players surrounded him; Demiqas' cheap shot took out ten percent of his life and said Monk was overwhelmingly more powerful than him.
Oh, and if Klein was right, he was one of the best in his class.
Wonderful. All because Kirito wanted to do one good action.
The two stared at each other for a moment, no words traded.
Then, Demiqas flew.
CLANK!
'This won't end well.'
That was the conclusion that Londark arrived at after much consideration.
One would think he would cheer for his guild leader. If someone thought that, then it was clear they never knew how turbulent politics were in Brigandia.
He had more sympathy for the strange Swashbuckler he crossed in the streets than the burly Monk.
And all odds were against his man.
The first showdown showed that. Even blocking Demiqas' devastating Wyvern Kick ate away three percent of his life. And then the man started to spam the move.
Like many RPGs, Elder Tale had classes. And, amongst these classes, there were different ways to use them.
Demiqas was what was called a Kicker. A type of Monk that forgoes the more defensive properties of the class for overwhelming speed and attack power while still being bulky. Hard to fit in a party, but powerful when fighting solo, as the legs were the focus of most of the high-power techs for Monks. More dangerously, he wasn't a pure Kicker, meaning that he was even more unpredictable.
Londark had yet to see the man lose a fight. And, against a weaker opponent, victory for him was the obvious conclusion.
Even so. Even so.
There was something in Kirito's eyes. Something saying this wasn't his first time in a fight. Londark would know. In his profession, knowing which area each employee excels in was vital, and he partly attributed that to his success as a strategist.
And what his instincts said was that Kirito was a fighter.
The battle continued. Demiqas tried to follow his Wyvern Kick with a sweeping kick, but Kirito learned his lesson: he jumped back, avoiding the attack altogether. However, he was close to the border of the stage. The Monk noticed that and decided to fly in with the fast Shadowless Kick, an attack that hit instantly.
In an impressive display of agility, however, Kirito managed to dodge the kick to the head, only having his head scratched by the metal boot -which took two more percent of his life. Then, the boy fought back using Quick Assault, which had high speed and knockback, hitting the Monk straight in the chest.
The attack was strong enough to make the man go to the other side of the stage, but the damage was minimal: even a direct hit only took 5 percent of Demiqas' health.
"You see what I mean, shrimp?" asked Demiqas. "You are so damn weak that if I hit you with a strong attack, you will crumble like paper."
Kirito passed the hand through his forehead, where a small red line began to flow.
"Well, paper can be as strong as steel in the right circumstances. Besides, don't you think you are getting cocky?"
After saying that, he put one of his swords back in the back, much for the confusion of all present.
"Are you stupid?" screamed Londark.
"Maybe," said Kirito. "Or maybe not."
'You are!' screamed the Elf inwardly. Did he think switching to a Fencer style would make any difference against Demiqas? He wasn't even two-handing his remaining blade, which was the point for going for that gameplay style in the first place!
"In disadvantage and mocking me?!" roared Demiqas. "That's your mistake, bub!"
The Monk flew into another Wyvern Kick. But Kirito was more than prepared.
He rolled below the attack, avoiding it. Then, using his momentum and that of his opponent, he grabbed Demiqas' head and threw it face first into the ground.
CRACK!
Londark wasn't sure if he heard a board break or Demiqas' nose, but he hadn't time to analyze as Kirito organized his counterattack.
He jumped into his opponent's back, using his weight to keep him down temporarily. Then, drawing his other sword, he used Thrust Joker on Demiqas' left arm.
SLASH!
The difference in levels was huge. But Thrust Joker was a high-damage skill for the Swashbuckler class with a high cooldown. Even a Guardian at the same level as Demiqas couldn't just take that with impunity.
As a result, Kirito managed to rip Demiqas' arm from his body.
The man roared, lashing in anger as blood flew from where his arm was supposed to be. Kirito backflipped -rather elegantly, Londark could add -away from the rampaging beast.
"You...!" snarled Demiqas, trying to lift from the ground with his remaining arm. His health slowly sapped away from the loss of blood. "Healers!"
Some men and women raised their staves, chanting healing spells. A few seconds later, Demiqas was back on foot. His arm grew back -weirdly enough, it also had the man's gauntlet.
"So much for a fair fight..." grumbled Kirito.
"I never said I fight fair," commented Demiqas. "But you are skilled. I have to admit this. So, by now, you must have realized you are in deep shit. I never lost a one-on-one fight."
"Cut the crap out," said the Swashbuckler. "What do you want?"
Demiqas gave a devilish smirk.
"Join Brigandia. Even if you are crazy, we can use someone of your skill. And before you refuse..." The Monk snapped his fingers. Kirito looked at the crowd and paled. Londark was confused and looked in the same direction as the Swashbuckler.
Two players held a little girl by the arms -if Londark was right, those were Labrys and 0ni Zuka. The man also wore a Magic Bag on his other arm.
"I noticed the twerp leaving the same place you came. So, I used telepathy to order two of my men to get her. And, by your face, I just have hit the jackpot."
Indeed, the defiant expression on Kirito's face switched to one of horror.
"Release her," he demanded. "She's just a child. There is no reason to harm a kid."
"I could care less," said Demiqas. "The girl is an inhabitant of this world. Those NPCs could all go to hell, and I wouldn't bat an eye. Give a demonstration, Zuka."
The burly Monk started to press the shoulder of the girl. For her credit, she didn't cry: but her expression said she was in tremendous pain.
"Stop," said the boy in black, his voice trembling. "This is between you and me. I forfeit my head for her. Just let the girl go."
Londark felt he had to intervene. He climbed to the stage.
"This is enough, Demiqas. There's no reason for unnecessary cruelty. Just accept his offer and call it a day."
CRACK!
The Sorcerer felt the Lightning Straight break his nose and send him away from the stage until he hit a building's wall.
"Shut up, Londark! You say that because you're in cahoots with this rebel. And don't heal him!" roared the Monk. "I want him to feel the pain."
The Sorcerer tried to lift himself, but his arms had no strength. The Sorcerer class barely had a physical defense, and the Monk had the highest attack of the Warrior classes. Thus, he must have got a concussion from the bout. He wouldn't move for a while.
"Now, drop your weapons, Kirito," said Demiqas mockingly. "To think you had the gall of naming yourself after a myth!"
A bit of silence. Then, the Swashbuckler asked:
"A myth?
"Myth, legend, whatever you cut it," said the Monk. "Naming yourself after an invention? Kirito was someone that never existed. He's just an urban legend like the boogeyman. All his adventures are too surreal to be true. Just a figure created by those losers of SAO to make themselves feel better! Hah! They died because they were weak!"
"Don't you dare diss the dead!" roared Kirito, jumping at Demiqas with a Helix Slicer. However, Demiqas was more than ready for an attack.
"Viper Stance!"
Besides their overwhelming agility and attack power, the Monks also had as their differential the Stance system. A Monk could assume a Stance to give them a bonus to their attributes or attacks.
In this case, Viper Stance was designed for PvP. As it was called the 'counterattack form,' by allowing you to counter any one attack and return with a stunning move. Hard to land, but devastating if done right.
Demiqas avoided the attack of Kirito, making it a whiff. Then, he answered with a devastating kick to the ribs.
CREAK!
The sickening sound of bones cracking was enough to make most in attendance flinch. The boy was thrown away to the other side of the stage, gasping for air, swords flying out of his hands. He had no chance of doing so as Demiqas stepped into his wounded chest. His health was yellow.
"I say what I want," declared the leader of Brigandia. "Because I rule this town and no one else. I retrieve my invitation. I don't need a weakling like you to start praying about compassion and crap," he furthered the pressure on Kirito's chest. "In this world, it's either kill or be killed. If you don't have a stomach strong enough either, then all you serve is to be a slave."
"...it's easy...Compassion..."
"Hm?" asked Demiqas. "What was that?"
"Kill...it's easy..." said Kirito, panting. "Compassion...it's what's...hard..."
Demiqas scratched his chin.
"Hm, you're right. Killing it's easy. Why don't we start with your little toy? Bring her here!"
Londark saw the little girl start debating, trying to escape her captors, but it was futile: both dragged her slowly on their way to the stage.
"Please...stop..." asked Kirito.
Demiqas pressed his chest even further, taking his breath.
"Oh no. I need to leave a message for you. So let me describe what I am about to do. When your girl arrives, I will put my hands between her little head. Then I will put some pressure on it. POP!"
He mockingly made the sound. The crowd started to stare, horrified, at their mad king.
"Then I will send you to the Church the same way. When you wake up, that's the only thing that will come to your head. And you will learn not to defy me ever again!"
And then Londark heard something snap in his head and fell unconscious.
'Will thou falter or ascend?'
Kirito felt his head hurt tremendously. And it wasn't only from the lack of air or how Demiqas described his torture of Yui.
No, he heard the voice of his other self.
He wanted to ask what was happening but couldn't: the Star King continued.
'You fought against the ruler of this land and failed: yet, in the past, you toppled stronger foes. Why is that?'
The ache got stronger.
'Because you had no courage to do what was needed. Even in a world where dying is nothing but a stone in the way, you respected the sacredness of it.'
Kirito wanted to scream but couldn't. The world was nothing but a myriad of colors.
'The one that faces you has no such qualms. Whether for malice or fear, the man has no qualms about executing anyone that stands in his way, friend or foe.'
'What do you do?'
Kirito stared silently at the man above him, mockingly finishing his description of what he wanted to do with Yui.
And he felt rage.
BOOM!
Demiqas tumbled back as if he had taken an electric shock. In the crowd, a few people fainted at the wave of power -most of them low-level players and People of Earth.
"What the?"
Kirito jumped back to his feet, staring at Demiqas with pure rage. Had he had a mirror, he would have noticed his eyes shined in a familiar tone of yellow. His swords flew back to his hands, as if attracted by a magnet.
"Do you want to know the difference between myth and legend, Demiqas?"
The man didn't, as he tried to Wyvern Kick the boy out. However, Kirito countered with a Viper Slash to the feet, cutting the leg's tendons.
"A myth is something fantastic that explains how unknown things worked."
Then, to the surprise of many, he applied another Viper Slash to Demiqas' other leg.
"A legend is a true story disguised with embellishments."
Demiqas fell to the ground, his legs temporarily immobilized.
"Shit!" said the man, trying to put himself on foot, but a black boot put his face against the wood.
"I'm not one to brag," said the man. "But do you think I look like a myth now?"
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Demiqas roared in pain as attack after attack came at high speed. In fact, it was almost as if he was chaining them consecutively.
The Monk gapped as his life gapped at red and, feeling his legs again, tried to leave. But Kirito stabbed his swords through his arms, immobilizing the cruel man. He tried to stare the boy in the eyes.
'If it's to die, It will be laughing at his face!'
However, that wasn't what happened.
"Even now, on the brink of death, you act defiant," said Kirito. "I can respect that."
He glared at the man. His life flashed red, even though Demiqas didn't land a single attack on him ever since his comeback.
"Are you a cheater?!" roared the man, futilely trying to strike back. If only he could land one more good blow!
He stared at his hands.
"I am not sure what's happening with me," he said. "But I like it, even if it hurts."
"I don't want to see your monologue," snarled the man. "Send me to Church and finish this."
The Swashbuckler kneed.
"Funny of you to think that the Church is the worst thing that could happen to you. I should make you suffer for all that you did to this city. But my job isn't to be judge, jury, and executor. Know only this, Demiqas. One day, your choices will come to bite you in the ass. If I can watch your kingdom crumble, then it will be even better."
He lifted, then moved to where the little girl and her captors were unconscious. Opening his handbag, he picked up a rope and a packet of dust.
"You want to die," said Kirito. "But you dying is me being merciful. And we can't have that here."
He let dust on Demiqas' face, and the Monk noticed a signal on his HUD, a black thunderbolt in a yellow background, the sign of paralysis. When Kirito retrieved his blades, he didn't even budge. Then, Kirito started hogging Demiqas' members as if he was a ragdoll. A few seconds later, the proud leader of Brigandia looked more like a calf in a rodeo.
At this point, Kirito's eyes were back to their black/gray tone, but he was also panting. The boy was reaching his limits.
"This is for everyone you ever harmed," said the boy, taking the sweat out of his head. "The item I cast is a debuff easy to remove but with a long uptime. By the time everyone wakes up, everyone will know what happened here. And that you are not invincible."
He glanced at the remaining members of Brigandia. They were so shocked by what happened to their leader that they couldn't move. His eyes pierced them with killing intent.
"You will not move. If I hear that any of you tried to stop any people present here from leaving the plaza, I will find you and guarantee that you are next."
They didn't make a sign to confirm, but Kirito knew that none would move. The shock factor was too big. He imagined that they felt as if they just saw David topple Golias.
And Kirito felt as if he had done such a thing. All his body ached tremendously. He wanted to lie down and rest, but he had to leave: otherwise, all he did would be for naught.
Kirito picked up his little girl and put her in his arms, walking away from the scene.
He wouldn't know this until later, but a member of Brigandia, having noticed the odd silence in the area, went into the market and saw the mess that was the place. The scout would alert his friends, making Kirito the most wanted man in the city in a few hours. However, said scout's efforts were delayed when Londark ordered him to get a Healer to cure Demiqas from his paralysis. Thus, with this small effort, the Elf saved the life of the man who defied his commander.
But Kirito couldn't care less. All he wanted was to flee from that place.
A few hours later, south area of Susukino
The night went down in Susukino. As always, the winter winds were brutal in their coldness, a fact that Kirito felt as they slapped him in the face.
The boy tried to make himself comfy in his improvised hideout, but it was hard. Even after taking a potion to heal back his life points (how did they reach such a critical stage, anyway?), his body felt heavy. Thus, carrying his girl to that area was a slow task. It was a wonder he reached there.
The south of Susukino was where the final battle of the giant's questline happened, resulting in a devastating war that destroyed that part of the city. People didn't rebuild it in lore because of a supposed ill omen -though players knew it was because the developers wanted to keep the quest available for all. There were some houses you could buy, but no one wished to be so far away from the market area to prepare for raids.
Thus, Kirito believed it would be a good hideout. For now, at least.
He covered Yui with the pelts he had in the bag. The AI had yet to wake up from her slumber, but Kirito could say she was alright: her HP barely changed, and she didn't seem to be affected by any status effect from his outburst.
Speaking of that, what was even that? It felt familiar, but Kirito couldn't point out why. He was too tired.
"Stupid Demiqas..." grumbled Kirito.
He, at first, blamed himself for being careless, but he soon left that thought behind. All he had to blame was his luck: for meeting someone he failed to save and wishing to correct a wrong, for Demiqas to be present, for him to stop in the one place where a fight was possible. The list went on. His only fault was not backing away when Londark explained where he stood and for going overboard with Demiqas. Now the man would hunt him and Yui until the end of the world.
And all could be for naught if Yui didn't find Silica.
'I should have asked her to hide,' thought the boy. But that was another line of thought he already had: it would be worse if Brigandia found his bag and discovered Yui's powers. All they knew was that Yui was a People of Earth that he took a liking to for some reason. Escaping seemed like the better option at the time. He could always come back. Yui, he honestly didn't know and never wanted to figure it out.
He kept mulling the event over. Maybe he should talk with someone.
"Uaaaaaah..."
He blinked fast. His exhaustion was catching up. But he couldn't afford to fall asleep. Someone needed to keep guard.
He sat beside Yui to give her some of his heat. Then, he drew one of his Swords of Revealing Light and held it with two hands. He didn't trust himself to go with two blades when so tired.
"Come on, Kirito. Don't sleep. Don't sleep. Don't sleep..."
He continued his mantra for the following hours, a chant to keep himself up. It worked for a while. But, eventually, he couldn't resist: his eyelids closed and didn't open for the remainder of the night. However, he never let his blade drop for a second, always ready to protect his adopted child.
Not that it would matter, as another figure popped into the abandoned south area.
"...!"
Kirito didn't remember sleeping in a bed.
As he slowly woke up from his forced slumber, he felt a comfy surface under him. His first thought was that he had a bad dream. However, he couldn't feel Yui close to him, meaning he wasn't at Crimson Boar.
Immediately he discarded the thought that Brigandia got him. Kirito doubted that Demiqas would let him sleep in a bed and would prefer to make him kiss the floor, which meant that he was in the hands of an unknown threat, and this somehow made him even more nervous than the prospect of being caught by Brigandia. At least he knew what to expect from them.
Slowly, he opened his eyes. His room was dark, but he could discern his Magic Bag and Swords of Revealing Light, the latter letting out a soothing light that reminded him of the photon sabers of GGO. At least the owner of the establishment let him stay with his weapons. Maybe he was friendly?
Slowly, he removed his blankets and dropped them from bed. Then, he cautiously moved to be silent and went to pick up his swords.
He had only time to pick one of them before the door opened.
"At ease. I am meow friend."
Kirito blinked.
"What?"
"I am meow -your- friend. I saw mew and meow girl sleeping in the snow and thought mew needed a good place to sleep."
'Wait, why does this pattern of speech sound familiar?' thought Kirito.
"Mew I enter?" asked the man.
"Ahm..." said Kirito awkwardly. "Sure, you are the host."
The door opened, and Kirito realized he did make a mistake about his host.
He was not human.
His host was a gray Felinoid. Compared to other Felinoids that Kirito knew, the specimen he faced was far sleeker than most, as if encompassing his feline traits. It felt like he could backflip in that cramped space and still fall on foot. He wore a green coat that covered his white shirt, a red scarf, and baggy blue pants. He had no boots, likely because of tradition.
The Felinoid raised his hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet mew again, Kirito."
"Again?" wondered Kirito, confused. Then, it clicked. "You are Nyanta of the Debauchery!"
He had a few memories of the Felinoid. Besides his unique way of talking, he remembered that Soujiro and the other members had great deference to him as one of the oldest and most experienced members.
"Indeed," said Nyanta. "And I remember that mew liked to hang out with Soujiro quite frequently back in the day. It admittedly took me some time to remember mew."
"Don't sweat it," said Kirito. "I can only bless that one good thing that happened in my day."
The Felinoid hummed.
"I see. So mew did indeed cause havoc in the market. I haven't heard of Demiqas being so livid in a long time. I don't know what mew did there, but he issued a kill-on-sight order," the Swashbuckler sneezed. "Even if such a tactic is worthless inside Susukino apart from some exceptions, nya, nya!"
Kirito scratched his chin.
"This is a serious matter, Nyanta," said Kirito. "I was here doing something important, and I don't know if I can continue my job with so many people wanting my head separated from my body."
The eyebrows of his fellow Swashbuckler raised.
"Mewr job? Oh, yes! I heard from your little companion. She was worried about mewr condition. Do not worry. I have mews for you."
It took a few seconds for Kirito to process that the man meant news.
"Follow me. Now that mew is awake, we can enjoy a fulfilling breakfast."
The boy followed Nyanta through the house.
"Are we still in the ruins?"
"Indeed," said the cat man. "I bought this place a few mewths before and used a considerable amount of my time to furnish it," he emphasized the fur syllable. "It came in handy, no? Far from the city and pretty well hidden. Though maybe not for long now."
He gave a sad look but shook it out.
"No, no time for sadness. We celebrate today, nya!"
The duo eventually crossed paths with a little Human girl. Or so it seemed. Kirito couldn't rely on appearances too much. She was clearing the floor of the corridor.
"Good mewrning, Serara!" said Nyanta.
The girl, focused on her task, nearly drops her broom.
"Ah! G-g-good morning, Nyanta!" she says in a cheerful voice. "And for you too, mister..."
"Kirito," said the boy.
The eyebrows of the girl raised.
"No way, so you are the one that-" at a glance at Nyanta, she stopped herself. "Oh, that caused that chaos with Brigandia, right? If so, I thank you!"
At a glance, Nyanta replied:
"I found Serara when she was in a pickle with Brigandia when I rescued her. She has no good things to say about them nor Demiqas."
"They wanted me to work as a servant!" she said, her outrage clear with how puffed her cheeks were. "I insisted I was in another guild, and they nearly forced themselves on me! Oh, if mister Nyanta hadn't swooped in..."
She paused in a lovestruck state before shaking her head.
"Uhm, what I meant is that I have no small gratitude for how he rescued me."
Kirito glanced at the cat man to see if he noticed something odd about the girl, but he said nothing. 'Now that I think about it, after Soujiro, he was the second most wanted member of the Debauchery. Should I mention he's thirty-something?'
Before he could decide, the Felinoid said:
"Now, now, it was no big deal. Anyone with a ming of decency would have done the same."
"You are forcing those jokes."
"Mew I?" said Nyanta, giving his best Cheshire grin. "Now, come. I shall prepare some pancakes for you."
'He's being kind,' thought Kirito. Making pancakes couldn't be anything but a gesture of making him feel welcome. 'At least I can sprinkle salt on top to make it taste like salty rice.'
For some reason, Serara gave a small giggle. He wondered why.
"Now, I have something that mew will love. Follow me."
Kirito suspected what was the surprise of the cat man but followed him anyway.
The trio eventually reached a live room, or two live rooms, from how big the place was. On one side, a mini-kitchen filled with bags of fresh ingredients and a small chair with a vision of the oven. On the other, two sofas, a mini table, a hearth, and a colorful carpet. Kirito focused on that side as two girls talked with each other.
One of them was Yui. The heat of the hearth allowed her to take out her coat and stay with her dress. To his relief, she seemed fine. His dreams plagued him with worst-case scenarios.
On the other, there was someone so familiar, yet so different. The Felinoid had a cream color with a white region around the mouth. Her ears had two red earrings that balanced as she talked excitedly with Yui. She wore the robes characteristic of a beginner in a magic class, in a blue color. The staff was different from those of other Magic Attack classes, having the effigy of a bird on top. Said staff was the main topic of talk between her and his daughter.
If there were any doubts about who she was, they were gone after she turned. And, even with all those feline traits, the boy recognized the light brown in the girl's eyes.
Their objective was in front of him.
"Silica."