December 25th, 2024

Bells rang out, reminding Kirito entirely too much of the bell that, over two years before, had heralded the beginning of Kayaba's game of death. These bells, though, were high, celebratory, not at all like the deep gong of that nightmarish day. The sound of success, not of impending doom.

They were the bells of Castle Kreutzen, and every Swordmaster in its huge ballroom was there entirely by choice. There were probably two hundred of them there, and rather than scared gamers forced into an assembly for reasons they didn't understand, they were all hardened fighters who were invited guests.

"Welcome, everyone!" Asuna called out, from the balcony overlooking the dance floor. In full, red-trimmed white uniform as Commander of the Knights of the Blood, she smiled down at the crowd—a far cry, Kirito mused, from how she'd been only a year before. Rain, wearing her own long coat version of the uniform, stood a pace behind to her right, while Lind and Shivata stood to her left. "Welcome to Castle Kreutzen, and to our Christmas party! I know," she added, smile turning to a rueful grin, "taking a break from clearing like this isn't like me, but I think you'd all agree we've earned a day off."

A general murmur of agreement ran through the crowd, and Kirito couldn't help a weary nod of his own. They'd been busy, the last month or so. Ever since the Hollow Area had been cleared, it seemed like clearing had kicked into a whole extra gear, and if the results spoke for themselves, so did the fatigue. If Asuna and Lind hadn't declared a break, he thought, there would've been people dropping from sheer exhaustion anyway.

"We've made truly amazing progress, this past month," Asuna continued, gaze sweeping across the mix of KoB, DDA, Army, and smaller guilds and solos filling the room. "I know, after the losses against the Skull Reaper and the discovery that Heathcliff was actually Kayaba, there were doubts about whether we could carry on. Well, I think we've proven those doubts wrong. The last five floors, we've had some of the best work of the entire clearing effort. With the conquest of the Eightieth Floor coming just days before Christmas, I believe now is the perfect time to rest, and celebrate just how far we've come."

It was amazing. Five floors in only a month? They hadn't managed progress that good since the early days. One of the good things that had come out of stopping PoH's scheme in the Hollow Area, Kirito thought, was that the clearing group was united like never before. Organized criminal activity had effectively ceased since the clearing guilds had begun tossing offenders into the inescapable prison the Hollow Area had become, and competition between the guilds had… well, not completely vanished, but largely turned to friendly rivalries.

"I completely concur with Commander Asuna," Lind called, stepping to the balcony's rail. Raising a hand, he brought it to his chest in salute of the assembled clearers. "We've all had our differences over the years. Once, I will admit, my own guild's rivalry with the ALF nearly stalled us, more times than I'd like to admit. I couldn't be more proud that we've put that behind us."

"I suppose he does have reason for his pride," Kizmel murmured, casually leaning against Kirito's right shoulder. Like him, she wore most of her usual battle gear, but without her armored breastplate. She was, she'd told him earlier, saving finery for later in the evening.

He wasn't quite sure what that meant, but her mysterious smile had left his heart pounding. Whatever she had in mind, he was looking forward to it.

She was right, anyway. Kirito would've been the first to admit it. The KoB and DDA had come together with the Army, working together to bring the highest-level members of that huge guild to the frontlines. Contributing gear, helping them level up, the delay the initial effort had caused in clearing had more than paid for itself in what the new additions contributed. Members of the Army would never catch up enough to participate in boss raids, not in useful numbers, but the manpower they added to mapping had already proven invaluable.

"We defeated the third quarter-boss," Asuna said, retaking the center stage. Placing her hands on the railing, she gave a melancholy smile. "It cost us, but we won. Two of our own exposed Kayaba, and came back alive. Mostly." A chuckle ran through the crowd at that, a few heads turning to look at Kirito and Kizmel; Kirito wished he could hide under his wife's cloak, and even she smiled sheepishly. "The losses there, and the discovery of the treachery, might've destroyed us. But we didn't let it. We recovered, and regrouped, and pushed forward again.

"We stopped the last scheme of Laughing Coffin to kill us all. We came together, and we're pushing forward. Five floors in a month," she said, rapping her knuckles on the railing with each word. "It's getting tougher, but so are we. We've achieved something amazing. It's been over two years since Kayaba trapped us here. This is our third Christmas in this world… and we're still alive."

"Most of us, anyway," Philia said quietly. Standing to Kirito's left, a little closer than she might've in times past, the treasure hunter had a faraway look in her eyes. He wasn't sure what—or who—she might've been thinking of; almost a year into their partnership, and he still didn't know much about her own experiences in the first year of the death game. He was sure, though, that she'd lost friends along the way.

He didn't think there was anyone in Aincrad, after all this time, who hadn't lost at least one friend.

"We're still alive," Asuna repeated. "And we've conquered eighty percent of the Steel Castle. My friends, everyone…." She straightened, drew her rapier, and pointed it toward the ceiling—toward the glass dome that let them all see the underside of the floor above, toward the Ruby Palace still two kilometers over their heads. "My friends, I welcome you to Castle Kreutzen, and to our Christmas party. Because by next Christmas, I promise you, we will be celebrating in the real world!"

Kirito was glad cheering couldn't actually hurt his avatar's ears. As it was, Kizmel winced, her own long ears twitching, and pressed the side of her head firmly against his shoulder.

This may be the largest gathering of Swordmasters I've ever seen, Kizmel mused, as she walked around the ballroom with Kirito and Philia. Did Asuna invite the entire clearing group? …Considering the occasion, perhaps she did, at that. We've reached quite the milestone, and Christmas is plainly as important to them as the Yule Festival is to my people.

She felt barely a twinge at the thought of "her people", now. Ever since the Sanctuary, since learning her own existence was not false, it had been easier to accept the parts that were artificial. Perhaps the world around her, and most of the people, had been constructed. One thing she would never say about Kayaba Akihiko was that he had failed to put his heart and soul into giving that construct life.

Kizmel might never be completely at peace with it all. She was close enough to find some amusement in contrasting the gathering with the Yule Festival she and Kirito had attended one year before. At the time, she'd noticed the people of Yofel Castle had not been quite as lively as the Swordmasters she'd come to know, even if then she'd not yet known why. This day, there was certainly no shortage of liveliness. Castle Kreutzen's ballroom was alive with the chatter of Swordmasters, gathered around tables of food, clustered in discreet corners, and even, if she wasn't mistaken, using the dance floor as an impromptu dueling arena.

That last had attracted a small crowd itself, watching the self-styled ranger Strida face off against Agil's old companion Lowbacca. Saber against two-handed axe, hm? That's certainly an interesting match. I wonder what brought Strida out of the shadows? Usually he dislikes attention nearly as much as Kirito.

Making the entire thing even odder—and, if Kizmel was honest, more amusing—was the obvious betting going on among the bystanders. Agil himself was obviously leading the betting on Lowbacca's side, while a bouncing and cutely determined-looking Silica appeared to be at the center of Strida's supporters. Kizmel couldn't suppress a low laugh at the sight of Pina perching between the ears of Strida's wolf, Jaeger. The poor beast clearly wasn't at all sure what to make of the feathered dragon, but had evidently decided to put up with the situation.

"Okay," Kirito murmured, dragging out the word. "When did Silica get to know Strida? She hasn't been coming up to the frontlines, has she?"

"Nah," Philia said, shaking her head with a smile. "She's just the most famous beast tamer around. Rain told me the other day that Strida went to her for advice when Jaeger came down with something a few weeks back. Turned out to be something to do with a level up—tamed beasts don't have visible experience, but they do gain levels. Jaeger needed some special meat or something."

"Interesting." The match began with an explosion of movement, Strida launching a Fell Crescent in an attempt to close the gap before Lowbacca could use his heavier but slower axe, but Kizmel's attention remained on the onlookers. The way Silica raised a fist and yelled a cheer made her grin. "I'm glad to see she's found her niche. When we met her, she seemed to have little to live for outside her reputation as the Dragon Tamer."

The young knife fighter would never be a clearer. By the time she'd gained enough confidence to even try, it was far too late for her to catch up in terms of levels. Nonetheless, it seemed she'd found her own way to aid those who did fight on the frontlines, and it warmed Kizmel's heart to know she and Kirito had had a part in it, however small.

I do wonder, though, she mused, as she and her companions turned away from the duel, just what provoked this battle? Strida looks… intense. Even more so than usual. Something tells me this is not a mere friendly bout.

Though it hardly seemed in the spirit of Christmas. Kizmel supposed it wasn't really her place to criticize, and it certainly wasn't as if others were lacking in more traditional enthusiasm. She couldn't help a double-take, seeing Argo conducting business in a small alcove… wearing reindeer antlers. While having an apparently completely serious conversation with Lind.

…I may never quite understand humans.

She was distracted from that odd sight by Philia tapping her shoulder. "Uh, guys? Is it me, or is that a sign of the Apocalypse?" The treasure hunter pointed toward a table at the eastern end of the ballroom. Around it sat several people Kizmel recognized, but would never have expected to see together. At least, not in such a context.

"Clearly, things have changed a great deal lately," the elf girl mused. Thinker, Yulier, and Kibaou were having a perfectly civil conversation, accompanied by Godfree of the KoB, and—of all people—Orochi from the DDA. Orochi, certainly, had obvious tension in his shoulders, yet she would've expected more than that. Indeed, that Kibaou had apparently settled matters both with the other leaders of his guild and with other guilds to such a degree was a great surprise.

"I guess what happened last month really did shake things up," Kirito said quietly, shaking his head. "Next thing you know, Lind and Kibaou will be sitting down for drinks. …I'll need a drink, if that happens."

Kizmel nodded, chuckling. Though she'd had little contact with most of the clearing group prior to the Twenty-Fifth Floor, at which point Kibaou had withdrawn to the lower floors, she'd seen enough to know the cactus-haired man's rivalry with Lind had far surpassed the more recent conflict between the leaders of the Aincrad Liberation Front. Nearly getting Guildmaster Thinker killed was an accident. Kibaou and Lind very nearly came to blows entirely on purpose, around when I met Kirito.

Of course, that had been provoked in large part by PoH, as had many conflicts since. Perhaps, she mused, it wasn't so surprising that tempers had settled so much in the wake of the murderer's death. Who knew how much tension among the Swordmasters had been the direct or indirect results of the Prince of Hell's scheming?

Turning away from the unlikely grouping, Kizmel looked again across the ballroom. After watching for a year and a half as the guilds jockeyed for position, seeing so many gathered in one place with no regard for affiliation was heartwarming. At least something came of unmasking Kayaba. That day, I was afraid it would fracture the clearing group beyond repair. Instead, it seems to have come out stronger than ever. We have more of a chance than ever before to escape this world.

All of us do. Tightening her grip on her husband's arm, she looked up at the skylight and smiled to herself. I do believe that knowledge makes this Christmas even better than the last.

Kizmel brought her gaze back down just in time to see one particular reveler heading their way. Clad in full formal kimono, yet still wearing his rakish bandanna, Klein flashed a bright grin. "Well, well, I see you guys decided to attend a public party for once. Wonders never cease!"

"Even I show up for events sometimes, Klein," Kirito retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, yeah? Like when? 'Cause a little Rat once told me you skipped out on both New Year's parties the clearers had, not to mention spending two Christmases at Yofel Castle." Klein folded his arms, hands tucked into his sleeves. "Name a party you've been to in Aincrad that wasn't with just the girls and some NPCs."

Kirito raised a finger as if to count—and paused, frowning. "Well, there was… there was that time at Sasha's place, after the Hollow Area…."

Philia burst out laughing. "If that's what you call a 'party', Kirito, then Klein's got you there." It was her turn to roll her eyes, turning her attention to the samurai. "Between you, me, and these two, Kirito probably wouldn't be at this party if Asuna hadn't sent the invite herself. You know Kizmel wouldn't have dragged him here, even."

Kizmel couldn't deny that. Had the party not been arranged by her sister in all but blood, she likely would've preferred a more private event with her husband and a couple of close friends. "Perhaps not," she allowed. "But I'm not ashamed to admit this event has been worth attending… loud as it may be." The sound of Sword Skills clashing in the middle of the room, and the cheering that followed, made her ears twitch. "Seeing what the clearing group has become, in such a short time, is quite a welcome sight."

Klein glanced around the room, and his grin softened into a more serious smile. "I won't disagree with you there. Really brings home how close we are to clearing the whole castle. Just a few more months, if we can keep this up. Hell of a change from how things were two years ago, I can tell you that."

She nodded silently. Without question, the last two years had been the most momentous in her life. Even secure in the knowledge that the decades she remembered had indeed occurred, it was a fact that there had been, in hindsight, a gloomy sameness to those years. The Swordmasters arriving, and her meeting the young man she had finally married, had made the past two years far more eventful than the preceding half-century.

"Speaking of two years ago," Klein continued, turning back to face them, "I've got some things to say to this guy here. Kizmel, Philia, you mind if I borrow Kirito for a bit?"

Over the two years the Swordmasters had been climbing the Steel Castle, most floors had been quickly mapped, cleared, and then mostly abandoned. With one hundred all told, one floor tended to blend into another, with what Kirito had always suspected was a lot of procedurally-generated content filling much of the space. Even for Kayaba Akihiko, and the resources of Argus, that was a lot of territory to cover, with a startlingly short development time.

Every now and again, though, one place or another stood out, and a floor ended up occupied long after all necessary progression had been completed. The Fourth Floor's canal town Rovia remained a popular "tourist" destination. The Fiftieth Floor, with the city of Algade, had become Aincrad's de facto center of business, with crafters and merchants of all kinds. Selling goods and services covering everything from items on the lower floors suitable for tourists to materials needed by Swordmasters on the frontlines, it was probably the most populous city above the City of Beginnings itself.

The Fifty-First Floor had ended up as the vacation destination, for clearers who just couldn't take the frontlines another minute. The Fifty-Sixth, a place Kirito remembered with very mixed feelings, had caught the attention of the DDA, who had made its dusty canyons home ever since.

Ark Sophia, on the Seventy-Sixth Floor, had seemingly become the home base for clearing in general. Partly because higher floors were growing increasingly inhospitable—Kirito remembered with very ill feeling the Seventy-Eighth and its lava flows—and partly because it was simply that grand. The Jewel of the Frontiers, as one of Argo's guides had put it. A fantastical place straight out of high fantasy, with rolling hills surrounding it and a cave system ideal for the odd Swordmasters who still wanted real adventure.

The crown of the city, though, was Castle Kreutzen itself. Even Kirito, who preferred to stay away from more populated areas as much as he could, couldn't help but marvel at the place, and the view from its battlements. Snapping it up as their new headquarters, he thought, had been a big help in stabilizing the KoB after Kayaba's exposure.

Looking out over Ark Sophia, though, he suspected that wasn't why Klein had dragged him up there. Pulling his coat tighter against the cold, he glanced sidelong at Fuurinkazan's guildmaster. "Okay, Klein," he said warily. "Here we are, out in the cold, where nobody else can hear us. What's up?"

"Heh. You haven't changed a bit, have ya?" Brushing some snow off stone, the red samurai leaned against the low wall and looked out over the city himself. "Honestly… a few things. Some things we probably should've talked about before, but I guess we were always too busy, with one thing or another. Christmas seems as good a time as any, right?"

"Right," Kirito agreed, having no idea what he was agreeing with. "Does this have anything to do with the guild? Sachi? Maybe Lux? Or… Griselda?"

All shots in the dark, but they were about all he could come up with. He couldn't help remembering the last Christmas, when Klein had approached him and Kizmel for help with the seasonal boss—an event that had ended in disappointment, yet in the long run had probably saved Kirito's own soul.

If we hadn't gotten the Stone that night, Kizmel would've… no. I'm not going to think about that tonight. We're supposed to be celebrating.

"Nah, nah, the guild's fine," Klein assured him, waving a hand. "Sachi and Lux have both been doing great, especially since the Hollow Area. You'd hardly know Lux used to be a mid-level." He chuckled. "Knew she had it in her after Gleam Eyes… still glad she wasn't with us for the Skull Reaper, though."

"No kidding." A month on, and Kirito still shuddered at the memory. Skill and levels had been nearly irrelevant against that monstrosity. Luck and Kayaba realizing in the middle that he'd overdone it were all that had saved any lives in that battle. "I still have nightmares about it."

"Kirito, if anybody who came out of that fight didn't have nightmares, they wouldn't be human." Klein's eyes were shadowed for a moment, but the man quickly shook himself. "C'mon, let's not even talk about that one right now. We're alive, my guys are alive, that's good enough. Everybody we had in that mess is fine."

Kirito nodded. No clearer ever wanted to think about the bad fights any more than they had to. He didn't miss Klein's exact phrasing, though. "So… how's Griselda doing?"

Bingo. Klein scratched the back of his head, looking—for once—like he wasn't quite sure what to say. "That's… kind of a tough question," he admitted. "She's been doing better since we got out of the Hollow Area… usually. Having a body and all helps, I think. So does having the other old Golden Apple guys dropping by sometimes—even if I still think of zombies every time I see Schmitt."

He broke off after that, and he and Kirito turned at the sound of running footsteps pounding along the battlements' stone walkway. Kirito was surprised to see a couple of the kids from Sasha's orphanage, laughing and clearly having a ball. It hadn't occurred to him that they ever came up so high. Of course, if anywhere on the higher floors is safe for a field trip, this would be it. I wonder if Sasha knows they're out here? …Well, they're smart enough to stay inside the safe zone.

If the kids hadn't told Sasha where they were, though, he didn't want to be around when she found out. She might've still been in college, but Sasha could manage the whole Stern Teacher Look a little too well already.

Klein watched them go with a soft smile on his face, reminding Kirito that the man was still guildmaster for a reason, however goofy he could get. When they'd gone, though, his smile faded. "She has bad nights, though," he said quietly, turning back to Kirito. "I haven't pushed. We're… hell, I don't know what we are. But after what happened with her husband, I figure I should just stay back. If she wants… well, anything, she'll come to me, right?"

For a long moment, Kirito only stared at him, wondering if he'd been hit with a Confusion debuff or something. For one thing, that was way more mature than Klein usually was with women. For another…. "You're asking me?" he said pointedly. "What do you think I know about this stuff?"

That got a laugh, and Klein's usual grin reappeared. "Right, forgot who I was talking to. You only got a girl 'cause you found one who didn't care about human society any more than you do… sorry, sorry!" He shuffled away a quick couple of steps, just out of reach of Kirito's elbow. "I'll be good. Don't wanna scare you off, especially when I've got a question that is right up your alley."

Kirito eyed him carefully, before withdrawing his elbow, folding his arms, and leaning against the stone wall. "Something about skills? Not sure if there's anything more I can tell you about your new one. Between Dual Blades, Holy Sword, and Darkness Blade, the Unique Skills really don't seem to have much in common."

Kayaba's hint, the day he'd been exposed, had been true: the Unique Skills did have in common a requirement of the Awakening mod for the Meditation skill, which Kirito supposed explained why no one else had stumbled on any of the skills. Apart from that, though, both the prerequisites and the details of the Unique Skills varied wildly. Five floors since that day, only a couple of clearers had even tried, given how much of a pain it was to even get the Awakening mod, and only Klein had gotten a Unique Skill for his troubles.

Officially, at least. Kirito had suspicions about some of what Rain had been doing in recent weeks, but if she wasn't ready to talk about it, he wasn't going to pry.

Exactly how Klein had gotten Battoujutsu, none of them were certain. Still, given that he was the only other living Swordmaster with one of them, it wouldn't have surprised Kirito too much to be asked for input.

Klein shook his head, though. "Nah, I've got that pretty much handled. It's taking a little getting used, but it's not that different from basic Katana. Mostly a lot more variations on Zekkuu and Iai… I'm getting off track." He turned to face Kirito fully, hands tucked into his sleeves, and took a deep breath. "…It's about Griselda. Kirito. Do you… know what she is?"

Oh. Oh, ouch. Suddenly, Kirito felt more of a kinship with Klein than he ever had. That's why he's keeping his distance. It's not just because of Grimlock. Klein was right, this question was right up his alley, and in more ways than one. Kirito had been in nearly exactly the same position, not so long ago.

Understanding all too well the full weight of his friend's question, Kirito gave it all the thought it deserved. Turning to look back at the city sprawled below, he sank into the song and music coming from Castle Kreutzen's courtyard. Took some time to admire the skill of the girl with the lute and feathered hat providing it, and the reminder it brought that there was a lot more to Aincrad than just death.

Not everything ends in death, even here. There's loopholes. Maybe… just maybe….

Kirito sighed, wishing he could say that aloud. Klein, though, deserved more than "maybe". Turning back to the uncharacteristically patient samurai, he chose his words carefully. "I wish I did know," he said slowly. "And I'm sorry for not looking into it more carefully when I was in the admin console in the Sanctuary—"

Klein raised a hand, quickly shaking his head. "Don't you dare apologize for that, Kirito. Of course Kizmel was your priority right then, and we were all in a hurry to get that locked down before anyone else did anything stupid. Just… anything you did notice, I'd like to hear."

That was fair. Fairer than Kirito thought he deserved, really, but he knew better than to say so. "Okay, then," he said, dropping the issue. "Here's what I do know: she's not a ghost. Whatever she is, she's not supernatural."

Klein looked perfectly calm. Kirito knew him well enough to see the quivering tension in his shoulders, and the way he gripped his forearms in his sleeves. "You're sure about that? I mean, I know, it would be completely crazy, but how could you confirm that…?"

"Because the system recognizes her, Klein." There were a lot of things in life Kirito didn't understand, between girls and ghosts and most things social. This subject, he knew in his bones. "She merged with a Hollow avatar. Before that, mobs and bosses recognized her presence, even if they didn't know what to do about her. And while I mostly skimmed player profiles, I copied Kayaba's notes. I'm still going through them, and a lot of the neuroscience is way over my head, but I can tell you one thing for sure: Kayaba has not figured out how to connect NerveGear with spectral entities."

Fuurinkazan's guildmaster frowned. "But I thought Kizmel—" He broke off abruptly, glanced around quickly to see if anyone else was in earshot, and lowered his voice. "I thought Kayaba figured out how to copy, well, souls? Isn't that like connecting with ghosts?"

It was Kirito's turn to shake his head. "He still needed a physical medium for it. One I know he only had two copies of, one of which is inactive. Okay, technically, she could be a Hollow," he admitted, raising a hand to forestall the interruption Klein was just opening his mouth to make. "That's really unlikely, though. None of them had any kind of spectral state, her personality and memory are way more complete than any Hollow we ran into, and her entry on the Monument of Life is glitching. Whatever she is, I don't think she's one of them."

Klein stood still for a long moment; Kirito thought he was probably running over his own encounters with Hollows. Finally, he nodded, some of the tension easing from his shoulders. "Okay, fair. So she's probably not a Hollow, she's not a ghost, and she's not like Kizmel. …What does that leave?"

Now it was Kirito's turn to be silent again, running over his observations, hypotheses, and wild guesses. Things he hadn't even told Kizmel. Wondering how much he dared say to Klein. Because he did have a crazy theory, one which fit the facts, one which might even give a little hope.

One which he had no way of confirming, one way or the other. And if he was wrong, he didn't want to be the one who gave his first friend false hope.

"I don't know," Kirito finally settled on, looking away. "This is one thing I don't want to speculate on without hard data, Klein. But…." Say it, coward. Just say it. Never lie to a friend. If you're wrong, you can own up to it. "She might be a miracle. A one in ten thousand miracle." Still unable to face Klein, he shrugged uneasily. "I wouldn't even say it, except I can't find any other idea that fits the facts."

For a long moment, he was afraid Klein was going to insist on details. Which the man deserved, no question, but would make Kirito feel like he'd made a definite statement, which he hadn't and couldn't. It would feel like he'd lied, even when all he'd said was the truth, as best as he could see it.

A hand landed on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Klein smiling at him. "Kirito," he said seriously, "I won't hold it against you if you're wrong. But if you, of all people, think there's some kinda hope… I'll take your word for it. Thanks, man."

Kirito shifted uncomfortably, and muttered, "I don't deserve that—"

"Yes, you do." Klein held his gaze, something in his eyes keeping him from looking away. "And that's the other thing I needed to talk to you about tonight."

The red samurai suddenly stepped back, squaring his shoulders. Confused, Kirito could only blink at him.

"Kirito. I should've said this a long time ago, but there was never really a good time. Christmas—our last Christmas in this world—is as good a time as any. I know you've been beating yourself up about this for two years, so I'm gonna set the record straight right now." Abruptly, Klein bowed, deep and formal. "Thank you, Kirito. For teaching me so much, that first day… and for leaving me behind."

Kirito stared. "…What?"

"I'm serious. All that stuff you taught me, before Kayaba sprang the trap? That kept me and my guys alive through the bad early days. When five hundred people were dying a week, we survived, 'cause you made sure I knew the basics, and I was able to pass that on to Fuurinkazan." The red samurai straightened, and pointed down into the courtyard. Only then did Kirito notice most of Fuurinkazan had gathered there, listening to the girl singing. "We were alive to take in Sachi, and Lux, and Griselda, only because you helped me out that day. I mean, c'mon. You remember how I was at the start. You think I would've lasted a day in the death game without your tutorial?"

That… did make a bit of sense, at least. Kirito did remember, vividly, how awkward Klein had been at first. Not even really knowing what Sword Skills were, fumbling with the most basic enemy to the extent of thinking it was a full-on boss…. The very thought of the man facing real death in that condition gave him the chills.

Kirito didn't have the highest opinion of himself. That didn't mean he always thought the worst. "Okay," he said, slow and uncomfortable. "I can see that. Kinda silly to thank me for that now, after everything you've done. Especially taking in Sachi…. But I did leave you behind, Klein." He didn't like saying it, but with the subject already raised, he knew he had to. "If I hadn't, you might've been on the frontlines a lot sooner, and—"

"'And', nothing," Klein interrupted him sharply. "I bought everything I could from the Rat, over the last couple years. Sure, you could've played living walkthrough for one guild. And then you wouldn't have met Asuna-san, and given everybody the Flash. You wouldn't have stopped PoH's maniacs a dozen times. Saved a whole bunch of lives, by being there or making sure other people could be." He reached out and gripped Kirito's shoulders. "You wouldn't have met Kizmel, you realize that?"

The thought made Kirito stiffen. It was selfish, but the very idea, now, of never having gotten to know the girl who'd become his wife… it made him sick.

"And if you hadn't met her," Klein said quietly, "the two of you would never have exposed Kayaba. Do you know how many lives you've saved already, just by getting the guy to realize he made the last bosses too hardcore?" Shaking his head, he stepped back, and turned back toward the Castle's interior. "Maybe you haven't saved everybody, Kirito. But you've saved a lot of people, who'd be dead if you'd stuck around with me that day. Think about that. And… thanks, man. For everything."

Kizmel did not begrudge Klein depriving her of Kirito for a time. She had an inkling of the topic at hand between them, and was honestly grateful. She had done her best, since before they'd ever come to love each other, to support Kirito through his own troubles, yet she was aware she could hardly solve everything for him. Though she'd made great strides in convincing him of his own worth, some things were beyond her.

That first day, no one was there but the two of them. I am not the one to convince Kirito of the truth of his own actions then, any more than I can resolve the rift in his family. …Not that I have any intention of merely letting that be, of course. When the time comes.

In that moment, about that moment, Klein was the only one who could clear the air. So Kizmel let the samurai take care of her husband, and took the opportunity to wander Kreutzen's ballroom. To look in on people she'd hardly had the time to see recently, and… just to watch. This was, after all, the people she would be living among when Aincrad was finally cleared, even if her friends had made it clear to her that the Swordmasters had been forced to create a society very unlike that of the one awaiting them in their world. People, she was convinced, were people, even when forced into unfamiliar roles.

So she chatted for a time with Lisbeth, when the smith wandered in. Liz was clearly torn between awe of Castle Kreutzen's grandeur and a little tension, remembering the last time she'd been in such a fortress. Memories of the Hollow Area, though, were driven away when Lisbeth caught sight of the duel on the dance floor, and she took a sudden professional interest in things.

Strida and Lowbacca's match having concluded, Agil had apparently been drawn into a more lighthearted battle against Gunther. Lisbeth was quick to bet on Gunther, noting tartly that she'd personally forged the tank's armor and two-handed axe. Also, she'd come off the worse in a recent business deal with Agil. It was, she declared, both her wallet and her pride on the line.

Two minutes later, a beaming Lisbeth wandered off to join Gunther and an equally-happy Ral, to discuss further improvements to their equipment. Kizmel was left to shake her head in amusement, give a chagrined Agil a commiserating smile, and drift back toward the edge of the ballroom. With no particular destination in mind, she wondered idly where Philia had slipped off to, and pondered trying to find Asuna. Even on a day of rest, she was afraid her friend might be trying to work too hard. Again.

She hadn't gotten far, though, when a quiet, almost hesitant voice gave her pause. "Lady Kizmel? Do you have a moment?"

Turning, Kizmel found Lind walking up to her. Carrying a wine glass in either hand, he looked casual, yet she could see a certain tension in his shoulders. Why, she couldn't guess, but then it was unusual for him to seek her out at all. At least, outside of planning meetings. It was certainly at odds with his usual self-assurance.

Curious, she inclined her head. "Certainly, Guildmaster."

Kizmel wasn't entirely surprised when Lind led her over to a table at the far end of the ballroom, close to the NPC musicians providing the evening's background. There, the music would make it difficult for even those with the Eavesdropping skill to hear. Which means this is either very official, or very personal. Though with Lind, it could well be both.

When they'd settled, Lind passed one of the glasses over to her. Waiting for her to take a sip—ficklewine, she noticed, choosing this time to present itself as a very nice chardonnay—he took what he clearly thought was a discreet breath, and squared his shoulders. "Lady Kizmel. I owe you an apology. Several, actually."

It took all of her knightly dignity not to spit out her drink. Lind of the Divine Dragons Alliance had mellowed considerably in the past year, but blunt apologies were still very much not in his character. Swallowing carefully, she made sure to set down her glass before she spoke. "I beg your pardon?"

His lips quirked in a brief smile. "I suppose I deserved that," he said wryly. "Which," he added, smile fading, "only makes this more important. First, and I would have said this sooner had we not been so busy the past few weeks, I apologize for being so late to join the battle in the Hollow Area. Because of my indecisiveness, we nearly had a number of casualties."

Kizmel shook her head. "You hardly have reason for guilt over that, Guildmaster. As crucial as it was to stop PoH, you were also correct that clearing needed to continue with as little interruption as possible. It was a difficult situation all around."

"Maybe so, but it was shortsighted of me not to recognize immediately that preventing PoH from killing us all in one strike was worth a short delay in pushing the Seventy-Sixth Floor." Lind grimaced, toying with his wine glass. "As Kirito could tell you, I do have a bit of a problem questioning myself. Especially with Kibaou also involved. And…." He paused, taking a quick sip as if to buy himself a moment to think. When he lowered the glass, his gaze went with it. "Because of my inaction, you were forced into a situation only salvaged by Lady Vanel's sacrifice."

She blinked, and took a long swallow of her own wine to gather her thoughts in turn. It was true, Strea had nearly been the end of them, standing in their path on the bridge. Less than two full parties had not been nearly enough to break through her opposition. At the same time…. "Guildmaster, while I appreciate the sentiment, there was nothing you could've done to change that. Strea was both effectively invincible, and maintaining a bottleneck. There wouldn't have been room for more." It was her turn to pause, wondering if she should go further. Finally, she decided it would be disrespectful not to. "And, if you'll forgive me… it seems strange for you to be so concerned over the loss of an NPC."

He flinched, but nodded. "I know. But believe me, Lady Kizmel, I've had a lot of time to think over the past year. Which leads me to my other apologies. For one, over my actions last Christmas Eve." Lind inclined his head, half-bowing over the table. "My guild and I were completely out of line that night, and I'm all the more ashamed now knowing that had we been the ones to receive the Divine Stone, we would've lost one of our best clearers last month."

Kizmel gave him a long, considering look, remembering the night in question. Indeed, Lind and the Divine Dragons had been quite arrogant and presumptuous, even if they had in the end agreed to an honorable duel to settle matters. "While I was certainly quite angry that night," she said at length, "I believe a human would say, 'water under the bridge'. You've proven yourself a better man since then, Guildmaster. I hold no grudge. Especially since, if I'm not mistaken, that was when you began to consider me a person in my own right."

"I'm afraid I really have misjudged you, Lady Kizmel. I'm sorry about that—for your sake. It would've been kinder if I'd been right."

"It was," Lind acknowledged. "And that leads me to the biggest apology I owe you." This time he didn't even try to hide the deep breath he took, before forcing himself to raise his head and look her in the eye. "At the time, I said I wouldn't apologize, and you said you wouldn't have accepted it anyway. But now, after the past year, I have to say it.

"Lady Kizmel. The day I told you the truth of this world… I was wrong. I can't and won't ask you to accept my apology, but I'll give it anyway. I'm sorry. I was entirely out of line."

Kizmel's eyes widened. The Divine Dragons' guildmaster had never even spoken of the event since it occurred, at least not in her hearing. She, in turn, had largely tried to put it behind her. But she remembered it, all too well. The moment her entire view of the world around her had shattered. The moment she learned just what those closest to her had been hiding from her. Though all had turned out well enough in the end, her bond with Kirito had been sorely tested, and her friendship with Asuna stretched near to the breaking point.

Lind had instigated it, and indeed had refused to apologize afterward. They had come to something of a rapprochement, as they still needed to work together to conquer Aincrad, and it was true that Kizmel appreciated knowing the truth. But they had never truly come to terms over the event, and she had long since come to the conclusion they never would.

Yet there Lind was, offering the very apology he had refused nearly a year before. He was resolute, yet his face was tight in a way that spoke of genuine pain. It spoke, she thought, of a man who had taken a long look at himself, and found what he saw not as easy to live with as he'd expected.

Kizmel… wasn't sure how to react. As Lind said, she had preemptively rejected any apology at the time, still coming to terms with the whirlwind of revelations at the time. Still in pain, however much her new relationship with Kirito had brightened her life. After that, she had done everything she could to put it all aside, and when dealing with Lind had focused on the practicalities of the moment.

But that was then, she thought, watching the blue-haired guildmaster carefully. He was waiting, tense but patient, and she was grateful for that patience. That was then. Now… how do I feel now, after many months of dealing with the world as it is, not as I thought it was?

Finally, Kizmel took a breath, and nodded to herself. "Guildmaster Lind," she said quietly, setting down her wineglass. "I will not pretend that day wasn't painful. It was, probably, the worst day of my life short of my sister's death." She paused, watching him wince but not object. Then, "It also led to perhaps the best day of my life. It led me to a truth I desperately needed. While I may not thank you, harsh as your methods were… I believe I can forgive you, Lind."

He started, nearly spilling his wine. "You can?" he blurted, his carefully-cultivated affections of a knight slipping in his surprise. "But—but what I did to you was—"

"Painful. Yes. As I said, I won't thank you for your methods. But I needed to know, one way or the other. And I understand, Lind, that your goal was simply to save as many 'real' lives as possible." She smiled faintly. "I may not always agree with your means. I would never gainsay your heart. Kirito might," she allowed, with a brief chuckle, "and perhaps he might've been right once upon a time. Tonight, I see before me a flawed man doing his best. Lind, you forget that I know Kirito very well. I know that few of the Swordmasters were warriors before coming here, and fewer still knew what it was to lead men and women into battle for their lives. On the whole, Guildmaster Lind? Whatever mistakes you may have made, your people are fortunate to have you."

Lind blinked rapidly, and took an undignified gulp of his ficklewine. "Lady Kizmel," he managed, coughing as he tried to speak a moment too soon, "I honestly think you may have a higher opinion of me than I deserve. But… thank you." He set his glass down, and slumped into his chair, losing all his affected knightly dignity. "You have no idea how long that's been weighing on me. Liten's been pushing me to just say it for weeks now, but with the breakneck pace of clearing there just wasn't time for it, and—"

Kizmel laughed, cutting off his babble. "As I said, I know Kirito very well. Believe me, Guildmaster, I can easily imagine your state, however long this has been troubling you. That in mind… you may consider us even. So let us put this behind us, and focus our efforts on clearing this Steel Castle once and for all." She lifted her glass again, halfway across the table.

Managing a weak chuckle, Lind touched his glass to hers. "I'll drink to that. And may I say, in all sincerity, that I hope you and Kirito have found a way for you to leave this world with us. No," he said quickly, when she opened her mouth, "I won't ask. Whatever is going on, I suspect the fewer who know, the better. In the meantime…." He smiled, a boyish smile that made her wonder suddenly just how old he was. "I can imagine your answer, of course, but if you and Kirito ever do want the security of a guild…."

This time, Kizmel's laughter rang out across the ballroom.

Klein… doesn't blame me for leaving him behind. He thanked me for it. …I'm confused.

Aimlessly wandering Castle Kreutzen's halls, Kirito did feel as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Not completely, he still felt like he didn't quite deserve it, but it did feel lighter. His biggest regret in Aincrad, hanging over him for over two years, and the friend he'd always thought he'd betrayed had just told him it was all right. That it was a good thing he'd done that day.

He wanted to believe it. After all the work Kizmel had put in to convince him he did generally do the right thing, he kind of did. It was still weird, and left him feeling distinctly restless.

So Kirito took the time to explore Castle Kreutzen properly, something he'd never quite gotten around to doing since the KoB had taken over the place. It was bigger, he thought, than their old HQ in Granzam. Almost as big as Yofel Castle. He'd already gotten lost once. Lucky I don't have anywhere to be right now.

He'd passed through the ballroom at one point, on the balcony from which Asuna had given her opening speech, and paused to look down below. He spotted Agil down below, with Lowbacca and Naijan, seemingly haggling with a short girl he didn't recognize. Kirito couldn't help a chuckle at the sight. Of course Agil would be doing business even during a Christmas party. He found himself wondering at the fact that he had no idea who the girl was, though. She was distinctive, and with his history it seemed odder that he hadn't run into her before.

No. Bad thought. Argo must be rubbing off on me. Speaking of, I wonder where she is? And do I want to know?

He did catch a glimpse of Kizmel, and he smiled at the sight of her sitting in a secluded alcove. She was having a quiet chat with Strida, the self-styled ranger's wolf Jaeger curled up by the table. As awkward as they both were among most Swordmasters, it was nice to see her bonding with someone outside their usual circle. It gave him hope that she'd be able to handle things, when he finally got her out into the real world.

Leaving that behind, Kirito meandered, ambling down a red-carpeted hall toward the east wing of Kreutzen. He passed Shivata and Liten along the way, the two DDA tanks arm in arm and obviously having a romantic evening of their own. Exchanging nods and smiles with the couple, he continued on his way—and came to an abrupt halt when a gaunt man in the KoB's white and red stepped out of a side room right in front of him.

For a second, he and Kuradeel only stared at each other, Kirito wondering if the surly man was going to start something. Then Kuradeel snorted, shook his head, and walked past without a word.

Well, that could've been worse. Maybe he did learn something from his own boss stomping him flat.

A few minutes after, still marveling at Kreutzen's size, Kirito opened one more door and found himself in a library. The biggest library, he thought, that he'd seen in Aincrad outside of the Library of the Ancients on the Sixty-Fourth Floor or maybe the one in Moongleam Castle. I wonder how many copyright violations there are in here? Oh, no, Kizmel wanted me to finish that Classic Lit assignment this week, didn't she? I'd better do that tomorrow—

He was abruptly distracted from thoughts of homework by a pair of arms slinking around him from behind, and something soft pressing against his back. "Hey, Kirito. Guess who?"

Firmly ordering his heart to slow down, Kirito forced a calm sigh. "You know I can hear you, right, Philia? Besides, it'd pretty much have to be either you or Argo, and you're bigger—um, taller than she is."

"Aw, I guess that was too easy." Philia rested her head on his shoulder for a second, before letting him go. When he turned to face her, she was grinning. "Still, I got ya. Not often I can sneak up on you, Kirito. Got something on your mind, or just here to brush up for that Geography quiz?"

He groaned. He'd forgotten about that one, too. "Never thought I'd be studying for schoolwork in the middle of all this," he grumbled, walking over to a reading nook and slumping into a chair. "Kizmel's a slave driver sometimes, isn't she?"

Laughing, the treasure hunter slipped into the chair on the other side of the nook's table. "And you love her for it. Besides, this is as much for her as for us, remember? The more she learns in here, the easier it'll be for her when you get her a real body." Leaning back, she folded her hands behind her head and quirked one eyebrow at him. "So… if it's not studying, it's thinking. What's up? Something to do with Klein dragging you out?"

With most people, Kirito might've dodged the question. Philia, though, had earned honest answers. "…He told me I had nothing to apologize for," he said slowly. Resting his elbows on the table, he propped his chin on folded hands. "For leaving him behind on the first day, I mean. He even thanked me for it. He said… I saved a lot more lives by going off on my own, than by sticking around helping Fuurinkazan."

"Well, he's right," Philia said, matter-of-fact. She grinned again, seeing his expression. "Kirito. Anybody could be in a guild. Not just anybody could run around almost alone, heading off plots and getting LAs right when everybody else was out of position and about to be stomped. Actually…." Her grin faded, and it was her turn to lean forward. "I should thank you again myself, Kirito. For coming for me."

He didn't have to ask what she meant. The Hollow Area was still fresh in both their minds. He'd already mostly gotten over the nightmares, but he was still reading the files he'd gotten there, and not a day went by that he didn't remember the discovery about Kizmel there. And Philia may act like she's over it, most days, but I can't imagine she doesn't still have nightmares.

"After everything we've been through, I knew I could trust you," she continued, before he could find words to reply. "I mean, I wouldn't let just anybody walk in on me in a sauna like that." She grinned at the way he squirmed, looking for a second like Argo. "But that day, in the Hollow Area… that was when I knew you'd always come for me, if I needed you. Like the brother I never had." She reached a hand across the table. "So thanks, Kirito. You don't know how much easier I sleep, knowing you've got my back."

Kirito awkwardly took the extended hand, his free hand scratching the back of his head. Getting thanked like that twice in one night… it was getting a little hard for him to take. He reached for something, anything, to deflect from it, and grasped the first thought that came to mind.

"Brothers don't usually share a bath with their sisters at our age, y'know."

…Tell me I did not just say that.

Philia grinned, not letting his hand escape. "Oh, I dunno, Kirito. Step-siblings can be a little more flexible, right? That's how it is in the stories, anyway."

Kirito stared at her for a long moment. As a mental image of someone else tried to invade his thoughts, he slowly covered his face with the hand she wasn't holding hostage. "…Philia? I think you play way too many dating sims…."

The longer the night wore on, the more impressed Kizmel was with Asuna's—and, for that matter, Lind's—ability to throw a party. Wandering Castle Kreutzen, she was reasonably sure she'd seen every Swordmaster she'd ever encountered that was still alive. Between the two guilds, and she suspected Argo's information network, invitations to the party had seemingly reached every corner of Aincrad.

It had warmed her heart to see Sasha corralling her young charges in a dining room, patiently—if sternly, at times—instructing them in proper etiquette. Keita had even been there, hovering at the fringes; he hadn't been able to meet her eyes when he noticed her, but at the same time he hadn't run away, either. She took that as progress, and hoped for the future.

Not too long after, Kizmel had heard voices from a conference room, and peeked in long enough to see a three-way discussion of mapping deployments. Thinker, Yulier, and Kibaou having a mostly civil discussion with Godfree and Schmitt was definitely one of the odder sights of the night, but one she was relieved to see. Even if she'd quickly made herself scarce, disinclined as she was to be noticed by most of them.

Cooperation among the largest guilds, at long last. Would that it hadn't taken the trauma of the Skull Reaper and the Hollow Area to bring it about, but better late than never.

Her wanderings seemed to inevitably lead her back into the ballroom, and the latest pass around the edge brought another heartwarming sight to her eyes. Ensconced in a nook much like the one in which she'd had her discussion with Lind, Shivata and Liten were clearly having a romantic dinner. Seeing the two tanks able to just relax and be a couple was a welcome reminder of just what they were all fighting for.

Kizmel had just turned away to give the two privacy when she heard a wistful sigh. "A couple among the clearers… you know, sometimes I think it's even stranger than the monsters we have to fight in this world. Sometimes, it's like it's the most natural thing in the world."

Turning, and firmly reminding her speeding heart that she would've noticed the approach had the music been quieter, Kizmel found Griselda had joined her at some point. Clad in a modest evening dress of Fuurinkazan crimson, hair neatly tied back, the former guildmaster of Golden Apple was watching the DDA couple with a sad smile. Though she raised a wine glass to her lips, it was obvious she barely noticed the taste.

"I think it natural," Kizmel said, after a moment's thought. "I still know relatively little about your society, but I know it's a peaceful one. Those thrown into deadly danger unprepared… I am not surprised to see them cling to each other so readily."

"Mm. Maybe so." Shaking her head slightly, Griselda turned away, facing the elf girl directly. "That being said," she said slowly, frowning, "I'm not sure it's my place to say this, but… I happened to pass the library a few minutes ago, and saw… well, Kirito and Philia."

In a compromising position, Kizmel finished the unspoken statement, and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Clearly, Griselda still hasn't been around us very much. She did allow herself a light chuckle, and gave Griselda a reassuring smile. "If you're expecting me to be concerned for my husband's fidelity, fear not. Our little circle may be more, hm, physically affectionate than you would be accustomed to, but it goes no further. I have every confidence that Kirito is faithful to me." She raised one eyebrow, just a fraction. "But I think you know that, or you would've been more cautious about bringing it to my attention in the first place. …Or perhaps you might've simply accosted them yourself on the spot. Am I wrong?"

For a long moment, the other woman only looked at her, seeming to search her eyes for something. Then, finally, Griselda smiled ruefully. "I might have, at that. But you're right: Klein has told me enough stories to suspect you must be very understanding, or else your relationship would never have lasted this long. I just… wanted to be sure." She hesitated again. "…Kizmel. Can I talk to you for a few minutes?"

"Of course."

On the balcony overlooking Castle Kreutzen's ballroom, Griselda leaned against the railing, and watched the revelry below. After the impromptu exhibition duels earlier in the evening, it seemed people were finally turning to the dance floor's intended purpose. She had mixed feelings at the sight. Part of her marveled at it, seeing enough couples were around to fill that dance floor at all. Part of her found it heartwarming, seeing that people truly had made lives for themselves even in Kayaba's death game.

Part of her was hurt, wishing she could've been down there herself. Knowing why she wasn't.

She was grateful that Kizmel gave her time to gather her thoughts. The elf girl was remarkably patient, given that Griselda had been the one to impose in the first place. Though given what I've seen of Kirito, she's probably used to waiting for someone to work out exactly what they want to say and how to say it. How is it Klein's put it? Kirito has higher Charisma than he gives himself credit for, but it's balanced by a Shyness debuff?

The thought, whimsical as it was, did at least help her put things in order. Turning to her impromptu companion, Griselda began, "Forgive me if this is too personal a question, Kizmel, but… how did you and Kirito meet?"

If it was that personal, the elf didn't bat an eye. "He saved my life," Kizmel said simply, smiling softly. "He and Asuna. From a fate Kirito later admitted to me that he did not think it possible to defy. In the beta test, he watched me die several times, and assumed the same would happen here." Her lips gained a wry twist. "You may not be surprised to hear that he was quite unprepared to handle things when I did survive."

Yes. Griselda could easily picture that. She'd seldom spoken with the young man personally, but Klein had no end of tales. It was, she thought, a remarkable dichotomy, between the Black Swordsman the public knew and the awkward youth he apparently was out of the spotlight.

"He hid it well enough that I might never have realized if I hadn't had an interesting encounter during another quest, some months later," Kizmel continued, idly playing with her wine glass. "Certainly I would never have guessed from his behavior. As long as I've known him, he's fought with every fiber of his being to protect those closest to him. To protect me. Terrified as he may be of having responsibility for others' lives—because of that terror, perhaps—he is the bravest man I've ever known."

There was pride in that statement. Pride, and love. The look in Kizmel's eyes made Griselda's heart ache. The elf trusted, to the very depths of her soul, in the bond she had with her husband. A bond born in battle, and tested in the worst battles Kayaba Akihiko had ever devised. Tests that Griselda's own marriage, she knew now, would never have survived. Hadn't survived.

"…Please don't take this the wrong way, Kizmel," she said, forcing the words past the sudden tightness in her throat. "But… how is it that you can trust him like this? You're not human, he's a child, and yet you're so sure of things that you don't bat an eye at him cuddling with other women…."

"Kirito is not a child," Kizmel said, shaking her head. "I've been studying your world's history, Griselda. Not so many generations ago, he would've been considered a grown man even among your people, and believe me, he has earned the right to be so recognized. But to answer your question…." She looked up to the skylight, to the underside of the Seventy-Seventh Floor above. Griselda thought she was seeing something else. "Kirito has chosen me, again and again. Without a thought, he saved me, when it was a choice between me and another human. Me and a player. The first time he took a life, it was for my sake, when Laughing Coffin tried to take advantage of a moment of weakness."

Griselda couldn't help a flinch at that. She knew clearers had killed, when they had no other choice. Though he never talked about it, she was sure Klein had done so during the Laughing Coffin Crusade, and sadly suspected Sachi had as well. Then there were the rumors about Argo that day. I knew Kirito must have, as well. And everyone knows PoH didn't escape the Hollow Area. This, though… I never heard this story. And I'm not sure I want to.

"He's sacrificed much for me," Kizmel was continuing softly, barely audible over the music playing in the ballroom below. "He's killed for me. And most importantly…." She lowered her gaze, meeting Griselda's eyes. "Kirito has never lied to me, Griselda. Not once. Not even when it would've made his life so much easier. He could never quite bring himself to tell me the truth of this world, but he never lied. He evaded. He prevaricated. He told me bluntly that he didn't know how to answer my questions, and that he was afraid of what would happen if he did. But he never lied.

"Explaining why I trust him as I do around other women… well, some of that requires knowing more of my people, Griselda. But the core of it is that he never lies to me. Ever."

There was another story there, within the story Kizmel had just told. Griselda could tell. But the essential point had been made. …I don't know whether to feel envy, or relief. She has what I never had, but at least now I know it exists. Maybe I'm just too blind to see it.

"Love found on the battlefield," she mused aloud, gaze turning back to the dancers below, as they stepped and twirled around each other. "…Grimlock and I had nothing so deep. I see that now. We had a whirlwind romance. High school sweethearts, you know? Well, I suppose you might not…."

"I believe I've seen enough of Swordmasters to have an idea," Kizmel said, wry amusement obvious in her voice. "And growing up, I saw a shadow of it in the world Kayaba created around me."

Another story there. The more Griselda saw of Kizmel, the more she realized Golden Apple had missed in Aincrad. She'd always thought the world little more than a stage for the players to write their own story. Apparently there was a lot more to it than that.

Something she hoped to look into another time.

"Looking back," she whispered, "that may have been all we had. Everything went so smoothly, you know? We never even had anything to argue about. Nothing to stress our relationship. Not until… here." She thought back to the early days of the death game, and wondered how she could've been so blind. They'd both been terrified, back then. She had come out of it, when news came that the First Floor had been cleared. When the clearers stormed through the next several, conquering five floors in a month and still not slowing down.

Griselda had seized that hope. Thrown herself into leveling, gathering around them—her—a guild, one she'd dreamt might one day join the clearers. She'd found herself, as guildmaster of Golden Apple. Grimlock… hadn't. She'd always thought he was simply content to quietly support her, using his skills as a blacksmith to bolster hers as a swordswoman.

She'd never dreamed he was still consumed by terror. Never in her worst nightmares would she have imagined he considered her already dead.

"I envy you, Kizmel," she whispered, watching Liten pull Shivata into a waltz. "I'm… not sure I'd ever trust love again. It must be nice, to find it in the greatest stress it would ever face."

Kizmel, it was obvious, would never have to worry about Kirito trying to kill her, much less attempt murder-suicide. I guess she's right: Kirito isn't a child. He's more a man than Yuuya ever was. I see that now.

Yes, that was it. Yuuya had been like a child who never grew up: unable to face the responsibilities of an adult, and stuck in a child's possessiveness. In that moment, Griselda wondered how things would've turned out had they never been trapped in SAO at all. Even without the way she'd changed, faced with fighting for her life, she wasn't at all sure things wouldn't have gone horribly wrong eventually anyway. As twisted as Yuuya had proven to be, who could say what might've set him off instead?

"Don't lose hope."

Startled, Griselda looked up to find Kizmel watching her, an understanding gleam in her eye. "Excuse me?"

"Don't lose hope," the elf girl repeated. "What you've gone through is a terrible thing, I would never deny that. But you've grown, Griselda. You've seen the depths to which people can sink… just as, I'm sure, you've seen the heights to which they may climb. Learn from this. You know, now, what to look out for. You will not be taken so unaware again." Kizmel smiled, with a teasing edge. "And while I don't believe it's my place to interfere… you might find someone close to you already. When you're ready to consider such matters again."

Klein. The guildmaster of Fuurinkazan, who'd gladly accepted her company while she was stuck as a ghost, and welcomed her into the guild officially when she took over her Hollow's body. A goofball, but also by all accounts the single most reliable man in Aincrad.

Also a would-be Casanova, by some of those same accounts. Griselda herself had barely seen any evidence of that, though.

She knew he was deliberately keeping a little distance between them. She appreciated that. Even if Kizmel was right, that she could avoid the trap she fell into with Yuuya, it was going to be some time before she seriously considered dating again. Which wasn't even mentioning the real problem, and the other reason she kept that distance.

"…What good is looking for that now, anyway?" she murmured, looking back down at the dance floor and those waltzing across it. "I'm already dead anyway. I'm just a ghost, living on borrowed time." She didn't like to think about it. Having a proper avatar again made it easy to ignore, most days. But in the back of her mind, Griselda knew all too well her days were numbered, shrinking with every floor they conquered.

She was surprised, then, when Kizmel chuckled. Looking at her again, she saw the Dark Elf lean against the railing with an enigmatic smile. "Speaking as someone who's had plenty of cause to doubt her own existence, Griselda? I would not give up hope yet. If there's one thing I have learned, this past year, it is that Aincrad is full of possibilities…."

Evening wore on, and on the highest floor of Castle Kreutzen's main building, Kirito eventually stumbled on something he should've expected to find within. After all, Asuna herself had chosen the fortress for the rebirth of the Knights of the Blood, and while it was probably coincidence, it was so appropriate that such an amenity would be present. With a great view of the Seventy-Sixth Floor's sprawling plains and tucked behind a door that he only even found because he'd idly brought up his Searching skill, he had a sneaking suspicion it was Asuna's favorite spot in the entire Castle.

It was also just the place to try and get his thoughts together, after things like his discussion with Klein, so Kirito gratefully took the opportunity to soak in Castle Kreutzen's huge bath.

Not quite as good as Yofel Castle's, he judged, or Moongleam's. Still probably the best he'd encountered in a human structure. And after spending so much time with Asuna and Kizmel, I've seen a lot of baths in Aincrad. Warm, made of smooth stone, its waters gently shifting back and forth, he couldn't help a satisfied sigh as he slid in up to his neck.

It had already been a long night. If Kirito were more superstitious, he'd have been worried something big was going to happen soon, with the kind of conversations he'd been pulled into. That, on top of the breakneck pace of clearing the last five floors, had left him with a bone-deep weariness. A bath was just what he needed, especially one well away from the partying going on elsewhere in the Castle.

He wasn't at all surprised, though, when he heard a soft click a few minutes after he settled in. Honestly, after the last couple years, he'd have been more surprised if someone hadn't walked in on him. Hearing the soft swish and chime of equipment being changed, and then bare feet padding along the stone rim, he closed his eyes, allowed himself a crooked smile, and started taking mental bets about who it would turn out to be.

Gotta be somebody I know, or they'd already be freaking out. Philia would probably wait until we were back at the cabana, and I don't think Kizmel could've gotten here since I last saw her in the ballroom. Maybe Sachi? We haven't been in a bath together since the time in the sauna, but maybe…. I could see Rain or Asuna needing a chance to get away from the guild for a bit, too. Otherwise, about the only one I can think of is—

"Oi, Kii-bou. Wondered where ya got to. Shoulda known you'd feel a place like this."

Kirito opened his eyes, and found a familiar mouse-haired girl standing between him and the window overlooking the plains. Backlit by the starlight streaming in between the Eightieth and Eighty-First Floors, wrapped carefully in a towel, she looked unusually otherworldly. Especially with the soft smile on her face, instead of her usual fanged grin.

"Hello, Argo," he said, shaking off the brief feeling of unreality. "I thought you'd still be cutting deals about now. Not often you get practically the entire clearing group plus a couple hundred crafters in one place."

"Hey, even I need some time off. What good's bein' an info broker if I wear m'self out?" Argo the Rat chuckled, propping a hand on her hip. Then she glanced around, taking in the room. "Wow. Aa-chan got a really nice perk here. Can't believe she didn't tell me sooner… she's right, ya can even swim at the far end."

He nodded. That was one thing that did set it apart from other baths he'd seen in Aincrad: it got a lot deeper toward the far end, deep enough to probably dive into. "I'm starting to wonder if somebody on the dev team really likes baths. Sometimes I think half the reason for the Ethics Code is somebody got too into the water physics and they needed to restrict it most of the time to save processing power."

"Ha! Crazy as this place is, I wouldn't be surprised." Padding over to the deep end, Argo looked back toward the door, chewing her lip. "…Just you here, huh, Kii-bou?"

"I don't think most people can even find the door."

"Hm… nice." The Rat nodded to herself. Taking a breath, she unequipped her towel, and launched into a flat dive into the bath. She slipped into the water with barely a ripple, immediately shifting into what even Kirito could recognize as an expert stroke. He couldn't for the life of him name it, but he could certainly tell she was good at it.

Something he hadn't known about her. Watching her smoothly skim through the water, he realized he didn't really know much about Argo at all. For all that it was said she'd sell anything, even her own personal information, for the right price, he'd never tried to buy it. Partly because he knew the price would've been steep, partly because he respected her privacy. And because none of us have ever really wanted to think about the other world much. It hurts too much.

Which reminded Kirito that these days, he did have reason to think about it. They were down to twenty floors. Before too long, he was going to have to face it. He wasn't nearly as scared as he once was, now that he had solid information. He even had a plan. But that plan was missing pieces, and he'd just about hit the limit of what he put together himself.

So he watched Argo swim, and as her lithe form cut through the water, a safer thought occurred to him. "Argo? Why were you looking for me, anyway?"

"Wasn't," she replied, in a brief moment her head was fully above water. Turning on her back, she continued, "When Aa-chan mentioned this place, I couldn't resist. Been lookin' for a place to swim in a safe zone ever since the Fifty-First Floor. Got lots of practice there, so I can handle the weird physics, but knowing something might try to eat my face kinda spoiled the fun, y'know?" She chuckled—and had to pause to cough out water. "Didn't expect to find ya here. Nice bonus, though. …I'm not bothering ya, am I, Kii-bou?"

Argo. Asking if she was intruding. If it hadn't been Christmas, Kirito would've worried it was a sign of the Apocalypse. "It's fine," he said, waving one hand through the water. "I was just resting for a bit. Been a busy few weeks, and kind of a weird night."

"Not gonna argue with ya there." Argo slowed, drifting over to rest against the side of the bath, and raised one eyebrow in his direction. "Awright, Kii-bou. Me bein' me, how 'bout a trade? You tell me what you're really thinkin' about—or trying not to think about—and Argo-nee-chan will give ya some advice. Even trade."

There weren't many people Kirito would've dared talk to about this one, even if he hadn't been trying to put it out of his mind. Argo, though, was one of the four people who'd been with him and Kizmel that day in the Sanctuary, and this was one thing he absolutely trusted she would never sell. One of the secrets she held on the same level as the identities of the original beta testers.

So, swiping two fingers down to open his menu, he set it to visible and flipped it around for her to see one particular tab. "I've been working on this ever since I got into Kayaba's files," he said quietly. "Now that I know what's going on—mostly—I finally had a starting point. But… I think I've hit a wall."

Argo pushed away from the edge, half swimming, half walking to the shallow end of the bath. Taking a closer look, she pursed her lips in thought. "Huh," she said, after looking it over for a minute. "Not bad, Kii-bou. Didn't know ya even studied some of that…. Not perfect, but I know a work in progress when I see one. It's looking good so far. So what's the big problem? Money?"

He shook his head. "Not the money. I mean, that's going to be a pain, but it's really the easy part, especially since there's probably a zillion spin-off applications that would pay for themselves. The real problem is… I know I can't do it all by myself. That means bringing it to official attention, sooner or later. Bringing her to their attention." Kirito swallowed, feeling a kind of ache he hadn't in some months. "Argo. How do I know who I can trust?"

She was silent for a long moment. Her forehead creased in a pensive frown. He forced himself to wait; Argo did know how to take things seriously when it counted, and he wasn't going to rush her.

Finally, she nodded to herself. "Kii-bou. D'you mind scrubbing my back? I got some IRL stuff to talk about. If… that's okay with ya."

Argo being serious, unusual but not unheard of. Argo offering information about herself IRL? For free? Kirito was honestly afraid for a second that she'd suffered some kind of brain injury. Soon enough, though, she was kneeling in front of him in the bath, and he was carefully applying a soaped-up brush to her back. It wasn't the first time he'd succumbed to an emotional appeal like that, after all.

If nothing else, he thought, reluctantly amused, I've had plenty of practice since that first time with Kizmel. Hard to believe it's been over two years now she first walked in on me in the bath.

"Ya ever wonder how I got into the info broker biz, Kii-bou?" Argo asked at length, leaning her shoulders into the brush.

Kirito shrugged, careful not to let the motion disrupt his scrubbing. "I haven't thought about it a long time. But I guess I did wonder at first, yeah. With online guides and videos, I didn't think you'd have much work in a normal game. SAO's not exactly ordinary."

"You'd be surprised. Sometimes ya got people looking for just this one little obscure thing, an' either they just plain can't find the info online, or they'd rather pay somebody else to do the legwork. Still, you're not exactly wrong, either. I prolly wouldn't have thought of it if I didn't already have the mad skills." She glanced over her shoulder at him, an unreadable look in her eyes. "Truth is, Kii-bou, I've been doin' this kinda thing since I was kid… when I needed blackmail material."

His hand paused. It wasn't unusual for the Rat to talk about blackmail. It could be said to be part of her business model, since she made money not just on selling information but on selling who had bought information. He'd done that himself a time or two, especially in the early days. But to hear her say it like… like it was life or death…?

"Ya prolly guessed it already, but I'm not full Japanese." Kirito nodded at that, and resumed scrubbing her right shoulder. How she'd gotten some kind of glitter caked all over her shoulders—under where her tunic should've been—he didn't know and was afraid to find out. "Well, fact is, I'm half-Greek. On my mother's side. You know what that woulda been like, growing up."

"…Yeah." One part of his own culture Kirito wasn't too fond of: prejudice against those who didn't fit in. That Argo was obviously Japanese, yet had obviously not-Japanese hair… he could easily guess what she would've gone through.

"Don't get me wrong, Kii-bou. It wasn't that bad. Not like some of the horror stories. But some classmates gave me trouble, an' teachers were pretty much useless. 'Specially since I wouldn't dye my hair black." Argo snorted, with a touch of bitterness he wasn't used to hearing from her. "Like I was gonna change who I was just 'cause somebody didn't like it…. So I took things into my own hands. Looked around. Listened. Kept my mouth shut." She glanced back at him again, this time showing off a wicked grin. "An' after a while, I showed 'em a mousy little girl could do worse than punch 'em in the nose."

Kirito thought back to his middle school days, and just how vicious some social circles could be. Remembered some of what Argo had done in SAO. Flinched, and for just a second had pity on the bullies.

He also had pity on whoever she'd been dealing with that very day. Judging from the gunk he was finding on her back—some of which he couldn't even identify—Argo had been dumped into some pretty messy stuff since he'd last seen her in the ballroom. He could only hope it had all been in good fun.

"That got me through school pretty well. An' yeah, Kii-bou, that means I'm older than you," she added, grin turning teasing. "How much is gonna cost ya some serious Cor, though."

"Maybe some other time," he said, deadpan, refusing to rise to the bait. He'd learned his lesson on that question a couple of years before.

"Ha! Wimp." Argo chuckled, turned her gaze back to the stars beyond the window, and sobered. "Long story short, I got good at nosing around, and figured it'd be a waste not to keep it up. Started a decent living at it, doing… stuff… and then got stuck in here."

Kirito was not going to ask what "stuff" was. That was even more dangerous, he thought, than asking what kind of cake icing could've so stubbornly stuck to her spine, or how it had gotten there in the first place.

"The tricks o' the trade came in handy when Kayaba sprung his little trap," the Rat continued, stretching to give his brush better access. "But it didn't take long for me to figure out it was gonna be a lot harder to stay anonymous in here. When Kibaou started up his little anti-beta tester stuff, when it looked like there was gonna be a witch hunt… I thought my luck mighta finally run out."

He was done scrubbing, despite the dirt, grime, and gunk's best efforts. She wasn't, though, so Kirito set aside the brush, and carefully rested his hands on her shoulders. She twitched when his fingers started gently kneading her muscles, before letting out a sigh and relaxing into his grip.

"Then you went and pulled that crazy Beater stunt," she said quietly. "Ya saved me, Kii-bou. Then ya did it again, chasing off those Fuumaningun idiots. Ya didn't get mad at me over the whiskers, even, when you got stuck with 'em. An' for two years, you've put up with me, no matter how quirky I get. You've paid my prices for info, and you've never pushed me away. Even when I killed Johnny Black." Her shoulders tensed, just a little, despite his massage. "…You know that wasn't heat of the moment, Kii-bou. You know I'd been planning that for a long time."

"I know." They'd never once talked about it. Argo had only ever said that it was "done". But Kirito had known from the day the Black Cats died that she was planning to kill Johnny Black for it. It had unnerved him at first, even if he'd never tried to talk her out of it. By the time the deed was done…. "How could I ever push you away for that? You know I've done the same."

"I do. An' I know you'd do it again, if somebody ya cared about was in danger." She suddenly slipped from his grip, rising to her feet. When he reflexively followed her up, she turned to face him—and pulled him into a tight hug. Shorter than he was—or Kizmel, for that matter—she pressed her face into his shoulder, and said, "I'm a Rat, Kii-bou. It's who I am. But I'm your Rat. You're my favorite client, ya know that, right?"

Gingerly, Kirito returned the hug, taken aback by the very uncharacteristically direct display of affection. "Um… is an info broker supposed to admit that?"

"Who's gonna tell on me?" Argo snickered, and then sighed, her breath tickling him. "You're my best friend, Kii-bou. I'm with ya to the end of the Steel Castle. An' when we get out to our world, I'm gonna look ya up. I'm gonna put together every contact I got, use every channel, an' put together the team you need for this. Whatever it takes."

He awkwardly chuckled. "Is that a promise, or a threat?" At the same time, he gently ran a hand through her mousy hair, recognizing the depth of her statement. With the life she'd lived, before and within Aincrad, the kind of trust she was implying couldn't have come easily to her. It made him feel warm.

"Hehe. That'll cost ya, Kii-bou. How about… the odd back scrubbing?" She leaned into him, suddenly sounding tired. "Kii-chan's right, y'know, you're really good at that. She never mentioned the magic fingers, though. Don't suppose you'd care ta sell me where ya leveled-up the Massage Skill so high?"

Kirito flushed, but quickly rallied. "That'll be ten million Cor, Argo."

The Rat's laughter echoed through the bath. "Nyaha! You've learned well, Kii-bou—but be careful. Still twenty floors to go. I might just make that much in time!"

Refreshed by the bath, spirits buoyed by Argo's promise, Kirito decided it was about time he changed into his old formal wear and returned to the ballroom. After all, it was Christmas, and there were two people he really hadn't properly met with that evening. Seems like I've talked to everybody I know tonight, he mused, idly glancing at the various Swordmasters he passed as he headed back through Kreutzen's halls, and wow, but I didn't realize I did know so many people here.

But tonight wouldn't be complete without just a couple more.

Finally returning to that huge room, he found that dancing had definitely taken over the night's activities. Nearly midnight now, the dance floor was full to bursting—fuller than he'd really expected possible, not having imagined there were even close to that many Swordmasters who knew a waltz. Well, Asuna did announce the event a month ago. I know there's dance instructor NPCs back on the Fifty-Third Floor, maybe everybody went to them? …Still weird, but I guess it's a good weird.

Kirito immediately recognized Gunther and Ral from Rain's party, "waltzing" in a way that made up in energy what they might've lacked in skill. He couldn't help a chuckle at the way the two tanks had a clear space to themselves, not out of respect but out of self-preservation on the part of the other dancers. It took all he had not to laugh when Argo skillfully spun past them with a very bemused Nezha, apparently just to show she could.

Shivata and Liten twirled by his gaze after that, and then he found the group he was really looking for. Decked out in Sengoku-era formal wear, Fuurinkazan was as distinctive as usual, and he couldn't suppress a smile. Klein was just holding out a nervous hand to Griselda, who took it with only a brief hesitation. They stepped out onto the dance floor together, and Kirito was somehow not surprised to see that Klein had definitely been practicing.

I can't guess where things will go with those two, but I think it's safe to say Klein won't push too hard. He really is the most reliable guy in Aincrad, isn't he? …Now, where is—

A hand snatched his, and before he knew it Kirito was pulled out into the waltz himself. Sheer reflex let him keep his footing at slip into the rhythm without falling over or bumping into anyone, but it took him a couple of seconds to get a handle on what—or who—had just happened. When everything steadied, he found himself looking into familiar, deep green eyes.

"Hi, Kirito," Sachi said, with a teasing smile. "I wondered where you've been all night. Finally decided to join the party?"

"Something like that," he managed, settling one hand on her hip and the other twining with hers. "…You're pretty bold tonight, Sachi." Dragging him into a dance was a lot bolder than he was used to from the shy girl he remembered meeting a year and a half before. Not to mention the dress.

"Slinky" was the word Kirito would've picked to describe the former Black Cat's dress. Like Griselda, she broke from the rest of Fuurinkazan by wearing Western evening wear, but keeping the guild's colors: brilliant red, hugging her body while at the same time slit high enough to let her dance smoothly. He wasn't at all to feel something resembling killing intent from some of the single onlookers, and he suspected one or two who did have dance partners for the evening.

Good thing Kizmel's not the jealous type.

"It's the kind of night to be bold," Sachi told him, smile not faltering any more than her feet. "It's Christmas, after all. My third Christmas in Aincrad. …Something I never expected to see, y'know?"

Kirito's shoulders shifted uncomfortably, though he didn't miss a step. "I'm sorry," he muttered, looking away. "I should've check the info better, before we went in that day—"

"Don't even start, Kirito," she cut him off, and suddenly her steps became more forceful, taking the lead in their waltz. "If anyone should've checked, it was Argo, and it's not even really her fault. If you're not going to put all the blame on the PKers, then remember: it was Keita and Ducker who pushed that day. You and Kizmel tried to tell us to be careful. They—we—didn't listen." She leaned in closer, forcing him to look at her again. "If you two hadn't been there, none of us would've gotten out alive. You know that."

He supposed he did. As bad as the ambush had been, it had taken two clearers to save even Keita and Sachi, even if Sachi had done a fair bit of the saving herself. Kirito shied away from acknowledging any benefit from his own actions, but he could just hear Klein's voice telling him to shut up and accept it for once.

So he kept his mouth shut and danced, stepping and turning with Sachi. He accepted the pain from the losses that day, and let it pass, reminding himself that Christmas was supposed to be about what they had, not what they'd lost. Sachi was singing softly, too softly for him to quite make out, and he let himself sink into her voice and into the dance.

"That's better," Sachi murmured at length. The current song was winding down, and as their steps slowed to a halt, she slipped in closer and hugged him. "Keita and I are alive because you were there, Kirito. You and Kizmel. If not for you, all of us would've died in a dungeon before that day ever happened. So… thank you. For everything."

"I should be thanking you," Kirito whispered back, gingerly returning the hug. "Without you, I'd have lost Kizmel. There's no way I could ever repay you for saving her, Sachi."

That horrible day, when Heathcliff—Kayaba—had struck down Kizmel… he didn't think he'd have survived it himself, if Sachi hadn't thrown him the Divine Stone of Returning Soul. He owed the girl his own soul, for that act.

"You already have. You gave me what I needed most, Kirito. You and Kizmel both." Sachi's arms tightened, and he twitched as her breath brushed his ear. "Hope, Kirito. After everything… I believe it now. That I'll see the end of Aincrad. I believe I'll survive. That means everything to me."

He could've told her there were still twenty floors to clear, and they all knew Kayaba had to have something huge waiting for them in the Ruby Palace. A lot could still happen, through all that. But Kirito couldn't possibly have ruined the mood, not in that moment. And the truth was, hearing the sheer conviction in her voice, in that moment he believed it, too.

He couldn't really find words to answer her, before the next song started. Sachi, though, gave him an understanding smile, and started to pull him back into the dance—only to twirl suddenly, sending him into a spin of his own.

When the world stopped moving, Kirito found himself hand in hand with a smiling Kizmel. "Got you," the elf girl said with a chuckle. "Had an… interesting evening, Kirito-kun?"

Kirito gratefully relaxed into the dance with her, smiling to himself as he remembered the last time they'd partnered up for a waltz. One year ago tonight, he mused, settling his hand on her hip and weaving his fingers through hers. That was quite a night. One of the most important nights of my life… even if it took me over two months to admit.

That night, he'd barely been able to admit to himself that he found her attractive. Tonight, he happily lost himself in violet eyes, seeming to glow in the starlight streaming in through the ballroom's glass ceiling. No more secrets, no more terror that clearing SAO would kill her. Just a dance with the exotic beauty he'd somehow convinced to become his wife.

Those shining eyes weren't all that gripped his attention, as the two of them smoothly stepped together and around the other dancers. True to her promise earlier, Kizmel had found the time to change into something more fitting for the evening: a violet dress the color of her eyes, slit high enough to show off a tantalizing glimpse of dusky thigh, plunging deep enough at the neckline to tease the curves of her chest. Silk opera gloves of the same color hugged her hands and up almost to her bare shoulders, leaving her fingers exposed and showing off her wedding ring.

The sapphire pendant laying on her chest above her breasts nagged at him for a moment, before recognition dawned. At some point, Kizmel had gotten a crafter to duplicate one of the pendants that had been the key items of the Reliquary quest—fittingly, Kirito thought, she'd chosen the Pendant of Wisdom. Smaller sapphires dangled as earrings, drawing even more attention than usual to her long, pointed ears.

She was beautiful, and she was his. As far as Kirito was concerned, he was the luckiest man alive. This, he thought, matching her step for step in the waltz, was what he'd come to Sword Art Online for. For this, as painful as the journey had sometimes been, he had no regrets at all.

"It's been a night, yeah," he answered her at length. "Seems like everybody wants to talk to me. Klein, Philia, Sachi… oh, and Argo wanted a serious talk in the bath." He shook his head, still marveling at the uncharacteristic openness from the Rat. "Seems like Christmas is making everybody chatty."

Kizmel gave a low, throaty chuckle. When he raised one eyebrow, she smirked. "Griselda spotted you with Philia," she explained. "I suppose I can't blame her for being concerned on my behalf… it's probably fortunate, though, that she didn't walk in on your encounter with Argo. I doubt she would've understood me finding that amusing instead of worrying."

Ah. Probably not, no. Over the past couple of months, Kirito had gotten used to the girls in his circle being immodest around him; he doubted most other people would take it quite so casually. I haven't even told Klein about it. Not a good idea, not at all.

He brushed that aside, in favor of reveling in the closeness with his elven wife as they danced. "Sounds like you've been pretty social tonight, yourself," he remarked, leading her into a twirl.

Spinning out to arm's length and back, Kizmel chuckled again. "You could say that," she murmured, when she was close enough again to lean close to his ear. "Griselda needed a woman's perspective on this and that. Lind felt he had some overdue apologies to offer. Ah, and Strida offered some fascinating insights into the Elf War, from a perspective that never saw our journey."

Lind? Offering apologies? Kirito's mind boggled. The idea was weird enough he decided to put it out of his mind entirely for the moment, focusing instead on the last encounter she mentioned. "You know, I've never really heard how anyone else handled that quest," he mused. "Not past Qusack's disaster on the Sixth Floor, anyway. From what I've heard of Strida, he was probably all-in on the role-play, even without you around making it all personal. …He seems like a nice guy."

It was Kizmel's turn to quirk one eyebrow, lips curling in a mischievous smile. "Why, Kirito-kun… are you jealous?"

"No," he said honestly. "Really, I'm glad to see you making more friends. Ones who haven't known us from the old days, I mean."

Kirito had been through too much with Kizmel to doubt her fidelity any more than she doubted his. And, dammit, I'm going to bring her out of Aincrad with me. The more she can deal with other Swordmasters, the better her chances of adapting to the other world. …Even if nobody on the frontlines is that close to normal Japanese society, by now.

He loved Aincrad. If it had been at all possible, if the Steel Castle were a real place, he'd have gladly moved there for good. But it wasn't, and he couldn't. Knowing, finally, that Kizmel was separate from the system, that she could leave it the same as any human, he was finally looking to the future again. To how his life would be with her in the real world.

It was still terrifying, in a way. Introducing Kizmel to his family was going to be more nerve-wracking than most Floor Bosses. But looking at the elf girl in the starlight, dancing with him, the ring he'd given her gleaming on her finger, he knew it would be worth it.

"Friends," Kizmel murmured, a faraway look in her violet eyes. "Yes… of everything I've gained, the past two years, those mean more to me than almost anything. Almost." As the dance brought them particularly close, she darted in to plant a quick, firm kiss on his lips, before leaning away again. "Though speaking of friends…."

The next moment of the waltz had them release each other, briefly ending up back to back. Something flickered in the middle, and when Kirito's hands came back around, he found them tangled not with Kizmel but with a very surprised Asuna.

Kirito hadn't even realized his old partner had joined the waltz at all. Now he found she not only had, but had dispensed with her KoB uniform in favor of something more appropriate to the setting: a black dress, cut much like Kizmel's but reaching up to her neck, and detached satin sleeves going from wrist to just below the shoulder. She wore no jewelry besides her guildmaster's ring, but the butterfly mask framing her eyes was an eye-catching accessory by itself.

She looked nothing at all like the charismatic leader who'd brought the Knights of the Blood back from the near-collapse Kayaba's unmasking had caused. He had to admit, though, that she nonetheless looked stunning.

"…Going incognito tonight, Asuna?" he asked, when he'd recovered from the surprise.

"That was the idea," Asuna admitted after a moment. "Somebody must've recognized me anyway. …How did I get here?"

The two of them looked in unison to one side of the dance floor. In unison, they sighed: just beyond the throng of dancers, a smiling Kizmel had joined a very smug-looking Argo. Because of course it was Argo. Honestly, that Rat. I don't know what she's thinking, most of the time. Not that I'm really going to complain this time….

Asuna apparently had reached the same conclusion, because she smiled faintly and settled her hand on Kirito's shoulder. "Oh, whatever. It's not like I mind dancing with you, Kirito-kun. …We don't get a chance to hang out very often these days, do we?"

"Not nearly enough," he agreed, taking her free hand in his. "Like old times, huh?"

Kirito had married Kizmel, and with no regrets. That didn't mean he didn't miss the old days, sometimes, when Asuna had been his constant companion. Their relationship had never gone beyond platonic, but the simple fact was he still cared about her. A lot.

"I should thank you," he said, as they settled into the swing of the dance. "It's been a really nice party, Asuna."

"I'm glad to hear it. You would not believe what a headache it was to set this all up." Asuna shook her head, looking tired despite her inexhaustible avatar. "SAO makes a lot of things easier than IRL. Sending hundreds of invitations isn't one of them, even with people to delegate to. And catering. Ooh, if I'd known catering would be this hard even with SAO's mechanics…."

He chuckled. "Worth it, though. Right?"

She sighed, but she was smiling, too. "Yeah. Worth it. Clearer morale and unity is getting a big boost from this. Lots of little deals are being made. People are getting the first real rest they've had since the Seventy-Fifth Floor." Asuna let out a long breath, and nearly leaned into him as they slipped past Klein and Griselda. "And… I get to see my friends outside of a strategy meeting."

Kirito felt a pang of guilt at that. He and Kizmel really didn't get a chance to spend time with Asuna very often outside of a crisis. About the last time he could remember was…. Last Christmas, I think? A year ago. We've teamed up a fair bit since, but it was for things like zombies and PKers. Even that barbeque a couple months ago, the next day we ran straight into the fight with the Gleam Eyes.

It's been too long.

For the next few minutes, he focused on matching Asuna step for step, determined to give her the best dance he could. He'd put a lot of work, in the past year, to refining his social graces—being in a relationship with a knight had spurred him on, especially after the last Christmas dance—and he could think of no better use, in that moment, than cheering up his old partner.

Watching Asuna slowly, genuinely relax, smile turning warmer, made it all worth it. His old partner stepped with him, to one side and then the other. Twirled away, and then came back in—stumbling a little as one of Sasha's charges darted across the dance floor. Kirito caught her, resulting in a brief hug. For a second, he was looking into Asuna's startled eyes; a moment that seemed to stretch on, before she smiled faintly, pushed back out, and led him into the next spin.

Somehow, he wasn't really surprised to come out of the spin to find he'd switched dance partners again. Just in time for the song to reach its climax, Kizmel was back, slipping right into step with him with a warm smile. Her eyes flicked up above his head just briefly, and then she was throwing herself into the last few steps with gusto.

"We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when…."

As Sachi's latest contribution to the evening's music faded out, and the dancers all drifted to a halt, Kirito felt intense déjà vu. This time, though, he knew exactly what was happening, and had nothing to hold him back. He finished the waltz by pulling Kizmel into his arms, and without even looking up at the leaves he knew had to be hanging above, he drew the elf girl into a kiss.

I'll never get tired of this, he thought, savoring the taste of Moontear wine on Kizmel's lips. We should do this every year. But next year… I want to do it for real….

"I guess we'll be taking Boxing Day off, too," Asuna mused, looking out over Arc Sophia. "I don't think anyone will really be up for clearing after staying up this late. Oh, well, what's one more day?"

"After the last couple of months, two days straight away from the frontline is probably a good idea for everybody," Kirito agreed. "I don't think clearing's been this intense since the first month." He frowned, going back over what she'd just said. "…What's Boxing Day?"

"A holiday celebrated throughout the former British Empire, the second day of Christmastide," Kizmel told him, casually snuggling into his arm. "What?" she said, when the two humans looked at her in surprise. "I've been studying. When I can finally see your world with my own eyes, I don't want to be completely helpless."

Well. Kirito certainly wasn't going to complain about that. And it still made him feel warm, seeing just how dedicated the girl he'd fallen for was to learning about his world. It's funny, though. I've gotten so attached to this world, while Kizmel keeps looking ahead to the real world. How times change.

To be sure, that was more or less why he'd asked to talk to the two girls after the dance. As the rest of the Swordmasters attending the party had begun heading home, an hour after midnight, the three of them had instead gone to the highest point in Castle Kreutzen. A glass-walled tower, it gave a phenomenal view of both the Seventy-Sixth Floor as a whole and Arc Sophia in particular. More importantly, it was only open to the Castle's Master and her guests.

This was one topic Kirito didn't want reaching the wrong ears.

As he was still thinking of exactly how to approach the subject, Asuna sighed wistfully. "It's hard to believe," she mused, "just how much things have changed over the last couple of years. Not even a month before our first Christmas here, I was… just looking for a place to die, on my own terms. And then… I met you two." She turned a wistful smile on swordsman and elf. "You gave me hope, Kirito-kun. Hope that I could live. That we could win. And Kizmel… I think you showed me how to live, even in the middle of the death game."

Kirito shrugged uneasily, not entirely comfortable hearing that on top of everything else people had said to him that night. "All I did was pull you out of that dungeon," he muttered. "If anything, it was Diavel who showed all of us that we had a chance of clearing the game."

Diavel, the would-be Knight with feet of clay. Kirito still wondered, sometimes, how things might've gone if he'd survived Illfang. I'd never have become the Beater, I guess. Or the "Black Swordsman".

Kizmel gave a gentle snort, and shook her head. "I believe what my socially unskilled husband means to say is 'you're welcome'," she said dryly. Turning a warm smile on Asuna, she continued, "And I must thank the two of you. Like you, Asuna, I was looking for a place to die. Then you both showed me there was still something to live for, even if I had no idea just how much lay ahead."

"A lot of things have changed since those days." Asuna rubbed at the ring she wore on her right hand, one she'd taken up a month before. The one that marked her as Guildmaster of the Knights of the Blood, and effective commander of the clearing effort itself. "I wonder, some nights… how things might've been, if the three of us had stayed a team. I know it wasn't really possible for Kizmel back then, but still…." She hesitated. Took a deep breath. Turned to face Kirito directly. "Kirito-kun. I've never asked. What were you thinking, the day Heathcliff came to me? Why… didn't you try to convince me to stay with you?"

Oof. Kirito flinched at the question, not helped by the curious look Kizmel was giving him. Honestly, that was a question he'd been dreading since well before their parting on the Twenty-Fifth Floor, and one he'd been secretly relieved she'd never asked him. Back then, he wasn't sure he'd have been able to answer it at all.

There was no running from it anymore, though. So after a deep breath of his own, he reluctantly said, "Because I thought it was what needed to happen. Because… I always thought you were destined to lead the clearers, Asuna. That it was just my job to help you become strong enough. When the KoB was formed to take up clearing after the ALF went down, and Heathcliff personally scouted you to be his second-in-command, I thought the time had come. My role… was over."

He didn't say how hard it had really been for him. How much it had hurt, letting her go, and resigning himself to going back to being a solo. How horribly alone he'd felt, until the moment Kizmel walked back into his life out of nowhere. He had a feeling, though, that he didn't hide it very well. As often as he'd fooled other Swordmasters, the two girls standing with him had always seen right through him.

Asuna's expression was somewhere between a glare and… something he couldn't quite identify. For a long moment, she only stared at him silently. Then, "You. Idiot."

"Yes," Kizmel agreed at once, nodding. "That was indeed a very foolish sentiment, Kirito."

Kirito's shoulders fell. Et tu, Kizmel? …Not that I can say they're wrong. I know that now.

Asuna stared at him a few moments longer, stern and odd, before finally sighing and turning back to the view of the city. "Well, done is done, and I suppose you weren't completely wrong," she muttered. "Someone had to take over the KoB after what happened last month, and if I hadn't already been vice-commander, who knows what might've happened."

The three of them looked at each other, and Kirito could tell they were all considering the same scenario: Godfree as KoB Commander. Having fought alongside the bearded heavy axeman, he was sure of one thing: the guild would not have bounced back very well with him as heir apparent. Or even him becoming vice-commander. …Which reminds me, where's Rain been all night? I barely saw her. I should see if I can find her tomorrow, at least.

"I'm sorry, Asuna," he said length, looking down at the fairy tale city himself. "I'm sorry I haven't been around more. You've been holding up the guild here, and I've just been…."

"Solving problems in the shadows with Kizmel," Asuna said, shaking her head. She reached out to rest a hand on the shoulder Kizmel wasn't leaning on, and gently squeezed. "I wish I could see you more often, Kirito-kun. But I know you haven't been slacking off. The Black Swordsman does things the guilds can't. We need you where you are, as much as the KoB may need me."

The Black Swordsman. A name Kirito had always felt uneasy about, somehow. As good as he was with a sword in this world, he'd never really felt the title fit. Except, maybe, in the darkest days. Against Titan's Hand, Laughing Coffin, the worst of the bosses… then, maybe. I always feel like a different person, during times like that.

"I am here, Asuna," he said quietly, reaching up to touch the hand on his shoulder. "Any time you need me… you just need to ask. I'll come running."

He couldn't quite decipher the smile on Asuna's face at that, and the wet shine in her eyes made him twitch, wondering if he'd said something he shouldn't have. "I know you will, Kirito-kun. I've always known. But hearing you say it… that might be the best Christmas present I could've asked for."

Tension drained out of Kirito's shoulders, and he managed a shy smile. Another awkward moment navigated, even if he wasn't quite sure how.

The moment was broken by Kizmel gently clearing her throat. "Speaking of Christmas presents," she began, releasing Kirito's arm and stepping back a pace, "I have something for you, Kirito."

Kirito blinked, and then again at the smirk on Asuna's face. Whatever it was, apparently his old partner was in on it. Which is… probably safer than Argo. I think.

"I've been looking into this for nearly a year now," the elf girl continuing, sweeping two fingers down to open her menu, "but I could never find a tailor who could handle exactly what I had in mind. Then Asuna happened to mention it to Ashley, who in turn pointed me toward a more… local source." She shook her head ruefully, scrolling down the inventory she shared with Kirito. "Would you believe the answer was Yofel Castle all along? Apparently this combination of materials triggered a 'special event' with Viscount Yofilis' personal tailor…. Ah, here we are. Try it on, Kirito."

Bemused, he brought up his own menu, and quickly found the indicated item. So far down in their inventory he'd never even noticed it—or rather, he thought, it had only just recently replaced the mats previously occupying the slot. The materials we got from Vanel, back when we cleared the Fifty-Seventh Floor, he realized with a start. I'd forgotten all about that….

Pushing away grim thoughts of the last time he'd seen the MHCP, he switched out his formal tailcoat, replacing it with the item labeled [Blackwyrm Coat].

A brief shimmer of blue light, and a new, heavy coat settled over his shoulders. Made of dragonhide, black as night, he quickly found that it had a mythril lining, which if he was any judge at least doubled its Defense. Looking at his own reflection in the window, he admired the heavy mantle covering his shoulders and going a little way down his arms; turning in place to see how well it swished, he saw a pattern embroidered on its back.

Many points of light, he realized, joined by gossamer-thin threads to trace great wings, taloned limbs, barbed tail, and horned head. "A constellation?" he murmured, peering at it as well as he could via reflection.

"The Blackwyrm," Kizmel told him, tugging at his lapels to settle the fit. "The great dragon that spreads its wings over the night sky. I saw it in a book in the Royal Capital, many years ago." She smiled, a faraway look in her eyes. "When I saw the dragonhide, I knew the coat needed that emblem. After all, what is the Black Swordsman but the one who guards the people of this world in the night?"

Kirito tried to speak. He really did. But he couldn't find words, as his vision began to shimmer, and he couldn't have gotten them past the lump in his throat if he had. He could only pull Kizmel into a tight hug, burying his face in her hair; he didn't at all begrudge it when Asuna did the same from the other side.

I'm not a hero. I never have been. Never will be. But if I have people who think that what I am is good enough… then it's enough. I can live with it. I can live with what I've done, even if people back in Japan will never understand. They do, and that's all that matters.

He never knew how long the hug held, and never cared. In the end, after that endless moment, he only pulled back because he knew he had to respond to his wife's gift. To Asuna's trust. He pulled back, cleared his throat against the lump, and opened his menu again. "I… don't have something I can give you right now for Christmas, Kizmel," he said thickly. "Just a promise. This… is what I've been working on lately. To make when we get to the real world."

Diagrams. Sketches, showing a skeleton, a nervous system, muscles. One after another, building up to a full human body—or almost human. Each sketch was accompanied by a text detailing how the body differed from "human", from little details of the skeletal structure and organs to the more obvious long, pointed ears. The most detailed notes were for the body's brain.

Or rather, where the brain would normally have been.

Kizmel might not have known much about biology, but she clearly understood what the last diagram implied. She inhaled sharply, and looked at Kirito with wide, shocked eyes. "Kirito… is this…?"

"I'm not a biologist," he said quietly. "I'm a computer geek who knows a little about neuroscience from researching Full-Dive. But I've been doing a lot of reading lately, and I know this is possible. It'll take specialists to really put it all together, and a lot of money, but it's possible, Kizmel." He took her hand in his, running his thumb over dusky skin. "I'm not content to just plug you into another game. I'd put together a robot body if I had to, but that's not good enough, either. You're alive, Kizmel, and you deserve to have a body that is, too."

It was her turn to be speechless, tracing a trembling finger over the diagrams and sketches he'd put together, of a flesh-and-blood body designed in the image of an elf, made to hold a lightcube. A body that would be hers, in the real world. The way he'd found, at long last, to bring her home with him.

"Um," Asuna interjected, nibbling at her lip like she wasn't sure she should say anything. "This is amazing, Kirito-kun, but… even NerveGear doesn't perfectly emulate the senses. Even with the Ethics Code turned off, it's not quite right. Could a body work like that…?"

"That's a limitation of efficiency, not technology," Kirito told her, shaking his head. "What NerveGear can do is a compromise for mass-production. A single, purpose-built interface between nervous system and lightcube should be capable of nearly one-to-one emulation. Honestly, it might even be better than—"

He was cut off by Kizmel seizing him by the shoulders and kissing him. Enthusiastically. Thoughts of software, hardware, and genetics were driven completely out of his head for the next couple of minutes.

When Kizmel finally parted for air, her eyes were shining, and she was smiling the same smile Kirito remembered from the moment he'd proposed to her. "This is the best gift I could imagine, Kirito," she whispered. "And you are a far better man than you give yourself credit for."

"And maybe this is my cue to leave you two alone," Asuna said with a cough, blushing bright red. "I'll… go find Rain and confirm the guild is taking tomorrow off, too—"

"Wait," Kirito called quickly, before she could do more than turn toward the door. "There's one more thing, Asuna. Something Kizmel needs for this that specialists and money can't get. Something… I can only ask you."

He quickly laid out his request, and this time Asuna was the one left speechless. At first, he was afraid he'd overstepped, especially seeing the tears begin to pool in her eyes. Was that too much? I'm still no good with people, and I don't know how she really thinks about me, so maybe I shouldn't have—

"Yes!" Asuna burst out, with the most brilliant smile he'd ever seen from her. "Yes, I'd love to! There's nothing I'd like more, Kirito-kun, Kizmel!" Laughing, she launched herself at them, capturing human and Dark Elf in a bone-crushing hug only a top-level clearer could inflict. "Of course I'll do it!"

Outside the Safe Haven, Kirito was pretty sure that hug would've broken bones. He didn't complain at all, though, only choking back tears of his own as he hugged his wife and his oldest friend.

Best. Christmas. Ever, he thought, even as the three of them lost their balance and crashed to the floor. No. Best "yet". Next Christmas is going to be even better, because we're going to do this for real. All of us, in the real world.

Author's Note:

Ill health. Stress. Breather chapter. Unholy trifecta that eventually collided into massive writer's block. Standard excuses may apply.

Yeah… this chapter sounded like a much better idea in the planning stages. In practice? An entire chapter of people telling Kirito how awesome he is didn't work out quite so well. On the one hand, adding in some scenes of Kizmel doing her own thing helped a little; on the other, those same scenes exacerbated the chapter's overall problems. Usually my chapters end up bloated because of too many plot points, this one suffered from too few.

Which also explains the overall excessive length, in a way. When I realized the chapter was simply not going to work right, I threw up my hands and let it have all the space it needed. I am well aware that it's not going to be a fan favorite, but I hope there's at least some enjoyment to be had from it.

Especially since there are, in fact, some significant plot points buried among the bloat and the You Are Better Than You Think You Are speeches. Gonna say right now that the big deal about the Blackwyrm Coat is there for a reason. And I doubt I need to explain the significance of the ending there.

Conspicuous lack of Rain, I know. She was planned to have her own scene, but this got overly huge as it is, and I ultimately deemed hers the least important overall. In exchange, I'm using its absence to fuel plots and characterization down the line.

No promises whatsoever on the next chapter; I have learned the Demon Murphy punishes me when I try. That being said, next up is the arrival on the One Hundredth Floor and the preparation for the Grand Finale, which is a much less aimless thing than this ended up. I still have hopes of finishing the Aincrad arc by the end of this year—that the chapter after next is a pure battle chapter should work in its favor. Much as I find those awkward, when I get going they tend to flow very quickly.

Something I may as well mention now, since Kirito brings it up at the very end: Kizmel getting a body is likely going to occur a tad faster than is strictly realistic (though there is at least real bio-science behind the quick pace). In my opinion, being completely realistic in terms of timing is less important to the story than the storytelling potential opened up by having it sooner.

Ah, minor note: as various little issues have been pointed out to me regarding computer science, expect an update to Chapter 37 when Chapter 40 goes up. Nothing major, just correcting a few things. My thanks to those who corrected my ignorance.

Think that's about it for now? Again, I apologize for how aimless and huge this ended up. I hope you guys at least find something worthwhile in it. Decent, bleh, burn it to a crisp? Let me know, and I'll see you in the next chapter. The Steel Castle has almost met its end…. -Solid