"What did you just say?"

The two girls were basically drilling poor Kirito with their gaze.

"Uh, unlimited milk?"

"No! After that!"

"A large bed and a great view?"

"After that!"

"A…bath?"

Asuna and Lyn nodded energetically at the mention, Kirito swore their eyes were shining. Asuna let go of Kirito.

"And, uh, you want to use it?"

"YES," the girls yelled in unison.

"I didn't know that there were baths in SAO, but I don't think it's gonna be like a real one. You two are making a big deal—" Axel commented on the side, but was met with the girls' angry stares.

He sighed. "Fine, whatever, I'll come round after I get a quest done…"

"I'll send you the location later," Kirito spoke and turned to Asuna and Lyn. "Well, follow me."

December 3rd, 2022

19:00

At last, Asuna had the opportunity to take a bath, for the very first time in VR too. Kirito's earlier warning was true, the NerveGear couldn't recreate a proper liquid environment. It's a known fact that the helmet sends impulses to the brain to stimulate the five senses. Every sensation in this world is merely a copy of its original from the real world, so like the food's taste, the feeling of lying in a bath in SAO is simply a reproduction created by the nerves in the brain as a response to electrical stimulation.

Asuna sighed. She didn't really give a damn about how all of this worked. Still, the way the body floated in the water, the light from lamps reflecting on the water's surface and the overall feeling of lying in the bath wasn't quite correct, but she was more than willing to ignore these inaccuracies, or, rather, she wasn't bothered by them in the slightest. The water was good enough to make her feel pure bliss. And luckily, the bath could fit in two people, otherwise she was ready to fight to the death to get in first.

Fights aside, exactly two weeks ago she finally left the Town of Beginnings, and from that moment till now she was more than sure that all players trapped in the game would definitely die, sooner or later. The strategy meeting held earlier today didn't change Asuna's opinion, and she didn't feel anything at all while she was there, she was indifferent to it. But at the bottom of her heart, she had a strange desire to enjoy the little time she had left in her life.

Asuna tried to relax and submerged lower into the water. Now I'm ready for anything. Whatever happens, I regret nothing.

"Asuna…san?" the voice from the other side of the bathtub brought Asuna back from her thoughts to 'reality'. The girl with the hazelnut hair raised her head to see the face of her companion sticking halfway out of the water.

"You know, everything feels so surreal in this game. It must be quite cold in the real world, but the weather feels much warmer here," Lyn spoke, apparently trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah, you have a point," Asuna agreed, but frowned. "And now it's got to be around the time I would've taken my entrance exams. But it's not that important now, I guess. At least it's nice to know there's another girl on the raid team. I'm not a gamer and SAO is my first game of the kind, so I don't know a thing about the specifics, but it was obvious that we were the only ones there."

"R-right. But is this your first game? The same goes for me, actually," Lyn chuckled lightly. "We chose the wrong one, that's for sure. I-if there wasn't this death game around, I could have just went to school as normal with K…, and In…Eeek—" she didn't finish as her face turned red. The raven-haired girl swiftly submerged underwater, only to reemerge in a second. "Kiri…to-san told me we're not supposed to talk about real life in here, sorry…" she mumbled embarrassedly.

This taboo definitely stroke Asuna as weird. She wasn't the type of person who would take games seriously, she was a 'mere mortal', so to say. Everything was difficult for her to comprehend, and very likely her companion was in the same situation. It had to be some unique gamer-only thing she, a person who only played games on her phone just to kill time, couldn't understand.

On the positive side, Asuna was sure of one thing: for the first time in her life, another girl roughly around her age (though obviously younger by a year or two) could talk to her without viewing her as a rival or a threat to popularity. That's what really counts, she has made an actual friend for the first time in her life!

"You know, let's be friends. Just call me Asuna," the hazelnut-haired girl outstretched her hand.

Lyn smiled and shook the hand. "I'm Miy-… ah, no, Lyn, then. Nice to meet you."

No. Don't. Don't let your eyes wander off towards the bathroom door.

Having two girls in his bathroom wasn't among Kirito's expectations for the day, and the attempt to force himself to read Argo's boss guide, which was way more important, and not look at the door at the same time was failing. If he was back in the real world and a female classmate of his was taking a bath in his house when his family wasn't home, he would just silently go outside, hop on his bike and ride somewhere far away.

Kirito tried to calm down. When the two will get out, he'll say something along the lines of "good luck tomorrow" and send them along with Axel back to their homes. But it can be a trap. Those two might as well steal everything he keeps here. That Asuna girl he saved in the morning was a total stranger and she could possibly do anything, while Lyn… Even now Kirito didn't know how to feel about her and Axel being here in this game.

They were his classmates, the people he knew almost nothing about anyway. Daily interactions with them constantly remind him of the life that was left behind, the life of Kirigaya Kazuto. He felt the need to steer clear of them ever since the first day, but there he goes helping them. He was still intent on keeping his distance, and once those two fully get the gist of the game, he'll part ways with them, and they won't meet again, at least for the duration of the game. Oh, and parties aren't his thing, he's a solo player to the very end after all.

Kirito annoyedly tossed the manual on the small table beside him, unable to focus. A knock on the wooden door followed. The knocking pattern was special, so it wasn't the house owner, Axel, or some other person. It was certainly Argo's, they talked that over before, and she knows how to get to the farm too. Kirito slowly walked to the door and was about to pull the handle, but a thought of escaping the house flashed inside his mind. If Argo finds out who is inside the bathroom, he won't hear the end of it.

Kirito hastily returned to the bathroom door to make sure it was closed. Normal sounds can't be heard from behind the doors in SAO except for battle sound effects, knocks and very loud shouts, so the girls back in the bathroom won't be able to hear his conversation with Argo. If Argo leaves without seeing Asuna and Lyn, that would be the most favorable outcome for him.

The swordsman in black had no time to think, and so he opened the door.

"Oh, that's unusual for you to visit me at my home directly," Kirito greeted Argo right from the doorstep.

"Well, duh," Argo entered the room with a slightly bewildered look on her face. "The client had me go and finally get the answer on the deal outta ya."

Argo flopped down on the couch, right on the same spot where Kirito was sitting before, and again, somebody knocked on the door, though already without any patterns. Kirito opened the door to see Axel.

"Yo," Axel greeted the two and, just like Argo, entered the room and sat on the couch. Kirito closed the door silently and went to the trolley in the corner of the room to pour two glasses of milk. He returned to the couch and handed Argo the glass.

"Hoo, yer being very considerate today, Kii-bou," Argo giggled. "Didja add sleep powder in it or somethin'?"

"Sleeping powder doesn't work on players, you know," Kirito replied. "And even if you fall asleep, I can't do anything to you inside a Safe Zone."

"Yeah, right," the Rat nodded and took a careful sip with a distrustful look, but her expression changed to a smile. "The taste isn't half-bad for a free drink. Ever thought of selling it?"

"I heard if you take milk outside, its durability drops after a short time," Axel spoke and sipped. "And it turns into some nasty stuff instead of vanishing from your inventory."

Argo frowned in disgust. "I geddit… Free stuff has its downsides, huh?"

"By the way, about free stuff…" Kirito took Argo's guide from the table. "Your guides really helped me out, but you charged me 500 Cor for each. And at today's meeting this Agil guy said they were free. Axel can confirm this fact."

The Rat snickered. "Heh, I made heaps o' money by selling the first batch to ya and other frontliners. And now I can afford to print enough new volumes and give 'em away for free. Besides, I always sign the first bunch on the last page, so consider it a collector's edition or whatever."

"Okay…" Kirito replied quietly, but with exasperation.

Argo grinned and a lengthy silence enveloped the room afterwards.

"Anyhoooo, let's get to the main point, Kii-bou," the Rat changed the topic. "I think there's no reason to repeat why I came to visit. The client I mentioned is the restless sword buyer again. The offer got raised to 39 800 Cor."

Kirito and Axel choked on air. "That's a-almost f-forty thousand?! Sorry, but… he must be trying to scam us, you know. I mean, a basic [Anneal Blade] costs 15 000 Cor, right? If you want to get it to +6, you'll have to spend 20 000 on enhancement materials. So it'll cost you 35 000 to upgrade it to the same level as mine," Kirito went on a rant.

"Told that three times already."

"Fine, I'll pay 1500 Cor to know the client's name."

Argo fiddled with her messages. "And I got the permission to tell ya."

Once Kirito materialized his payment, Argo examined the shiny pile of coins and quickly put it into her inventory.

"Yep, everything's correct," Argo confirmed. "Well, Kii-bou, you know his name already, and you actually SAW him at the meeting. He caused quite a scene, I tell ya."

Kirito could think of only one person that suited Argo's description. "Could that be…Kibaou?"

Argo nodded affirmatively.

"But why? What exactly that guy is trying to pull off?" Axel question.

Alright, I know that this Kibaou guy is a sword-user like me. We kinda met in person yesterday, and Argo delivered his offer to me roughly a week ago… Yeah, just what is he trying to do? Kirito wondered. The info he just bought confused him even further, something inside the logical chain he was building didn't seem quite right. But he wasn't going to part with his sword, no way in hell.

"No deal today too?" Argo inquired.

"Nope," Kirito blurted out.

"Figures, I'll be goin' then."

"Yeah…"

"Oi, wait. Can I use the room over here for a sec? Gotta change into my night clothes."

"Sure…"

Kibaou was staring at me like he knew I was a beta-tester. Or maybe he was looking at the sword… Kirito mused without realizing what he was doomed to experience next.

"Kirito, I don't like where this is going," Axel interfered with Kirito's cogitations and nervously pointed at the unaware Argo approaching the bathroom.

What..?! Kirito snapped out. "Wait, no, stop…don't!" he panicked.

But it was too late.

"Oh?!" a surprised voice shouted.

"Kyaaaaaaah!"

The whole house was shaking from the loud squeal. The next moment, somebody other than Argo flew out of the bathroom.

And then everything went dark for Kirito and Axel.

December 4th, 2022

10:00

Three hours left. In three hours, it's going to be exactly a month since they were trapped inside the game. At the start of their imprisonment, Kirito hoped that no one would give in to despair and the game will be beaten in 100 days, given a single floor is cleared each day. And right at this moment, he wanted to laugh at himself from a month ago. If the boss raid attempt fails, everything they did so far would be pointless.

He was now standing among the players who gathered in Tolbana's fountain square and were willing to put their lives on the line in the boss fight. And he still couldn't stop making guesses. News about their failure will definitely reach the Town of Beginnings, and no one would want to assemble a second raid party. Player leveling was nearly impossible now, and everything was resting on Illfang himself. Though if Kayaba decided to leave the Kobold Lord as he was, beating the floor could be pretty much possible with their current stats and equipment.

Kirito shot a glance at Axel and Lyn, who were standing beside him. The boy in green was much better at hiding his nerves, but the girl in blue was flailing, tightly clutching her [Cold Spike] spear to her chest. If Kirito started accusing them of being so uptight, that was going to be a pot calling the kettle black. He wasn't showing it, but he was indeed very nervous too. Asuna, on the other hand, stood still, without showing any emotion.

"What do you want?" she stared coldly at Kirito from under her hood, having noticed him looking at her.

"E-eh, never mind!" Kirito responded. The hooded girl glared at him once more and turned away.

Actually, Asuna wasn't exactly in a good mood recently, and Kirito couldn't remember what happened. To be more exact, he wasn't supposed to, otherwise Asuna said she would make him and Axel drink a barrel of spoiled milk. And why was Lyn blushing like crazy recently? Kirito thought that Asuna's bad mood might influence their group's performance in battle, but had to reject this theory, their job wasn't that important.

"Oi, ya lot," a painfully familiar voice addressed the four rudely from behind.

Not him again… Kirito complained inwardly and turned to the none other than the cactus-haired, foul-mouthed swordsman that was Kibaou.

Kibaou threw yet another menacing stare at Kirito. "Kay, lissenup. Ya hafta stay in the back when we'll go to the Labyrinth. Y'all are a supposed to assist my group, and dontcha dare stick yer nose into our business," he nearly hissed. "Just kill the small fries that appear."

Team E's leader spat on the ground and returned to his clique.

Kirito felt sorry for making Kibaou uncomfortable twice yesterday. He refused to sell him the sword, and he even paid money to Argo to find out his name. If Kirito was him, he would lay low. But the guy was talking like Kirito had to apologize to him instead.

"What was that?" Asuna asked dryly, shooting an even colder stare at the leaving swordsman.

"W-who knows," Kirito replied without thinking.

"Yeesh, how did you even get on that guy's even more annoying side? Did you confront him about the deal?" Axel scratched his head.

"W-what deal?" Lyn tilted her head.

"Whatever. Most likely he came to tell us not to get cocky…maybe," Kirito evaded the question.

If he really meant that, then it could've been a warning for a former beta-tester, as in me, Kirito guessed. But how did he find out? Argo never sells info about beta-testers, and I never said anything about being one. Inaba or Mizuki could have leaked info, since I kinda told them on the first day, but Mizuki is too shy around people, and…to hell with that, a lot of things happened, they might not rememeber, all I have to do is to wait and see.

Kirito took another look at the cactus-haired swordsman and the same unpleasant feeling from yesterday started to haunt him.

"Wait…" he mumbled, as if having realized something.

Yesterday, he tried to buy my [Anneal Blade +6] for 40 000 Cor. After all these enhancements, the sword got really heavy, so he couldn't have potentially mastered it in a night if he bought it. He might've just wanted to boast and be seen as a leader of sorts, I get that. And he should've spent the money on better equipment, but he has the same armor and sword from yesterday equipped. It's not bad, but he had the time. And even Asuna could get a [Wind Fleuret +4] to replace the [Iron Rapier] with my help.

"First of all, I want to thank you all. All of the forty-four players are here now!" Diavel's yell brought Kirito down to earth.

The crowd cheered and clapped. Kirito decided to go with the flow and clapped as well.

"To tell you the truth, I wanted to call off the raid if there was at least one person missing, but it seems I underestimated you. I am so happy, even if it's not a full party!" Diavel continued his emotional declamation.

The crowd raised their weapons and cheered again. Kirito had no intention to criticize Diavel's charisma and leader qualities, but it seemed he was getting the team a tad bit overexcited. They couldn't afford any mistakes now, could they?

Kirito carefully examined the group around him. Among them was Agil, the tall axe-wielder from yesterday, as well as the leader of Team B. He and his teammates weren't cheering at all and had grim expressions painted on their faces.

Can we really rely on these guys? Kirito wondered and looked at Kibaou, who stood with his back turned to Kirito.

The cheering faded and Diavel clapped, asking for silence. "My friends, I have only one thing to say," he exclaimed and drew his sword. "Victory will be ours!"

The players burst into roaring battle cries. Kirito had to admit that they distantly reminded him of the cries of despair he heard at the main square of the Town of Beginnings exactly one month ago.

Meanwhile, the girl in blue clutched her spear even tighter, her knuckles getting white. She couldn't endure all of this any longer.

A/N(but it's sorta important):

That's it, at last. I promised the chap's gonna come soon, but not really, sorry. Anyhoo, next time it's the Illfang fight, hooray! And more interactions between our four heroes (with extra Axel x Lyn stuff, naturally, hehe).

There is something I actually wanted to ask you, the readers, about, hence "sorta important". Would you want to see other fics other than this from me? Not necessarily SAO, but other anime/manga/games I have been ingesting as of lately. No, I'm not giving up on this story, it's just that I have a few ideas I want to try (for one-shots, longfics, crossovers and the sort). I hope this will help me get better at writing and expand my horizons in general.

As always, reviews would mean the world!