Monochrome Duet

by Solid Shark

After the brutal 25th Floor Boss Raid, Asuna has left Kirito's side to join the Knights of Blood. With his partner gone, Kirito resigns himself to returning to the life of a solo player-until a familiar face from the lower floors unexpectedly reenters his life. The strangely-human NPC Kizmel, despite her quest being over, has returned to his side... Kirito/Kizmel.

9. Chapter IX: Forest Finale

October 9th, 2023

---

Still wrapped up in Kizmel's unexpected embrace, Kirito found himself very much at a loss. He'd known going in that any quest involving Dark Elves at this stage—especially one that was suspiciously specific to their situation—was going to be complicated, but the full extent had caught him very much by surprise.

An attack by PKers, a sword that's all too likely to kill them, and now Kizmel's… well…

After a period of time which Kirito couldn't decide was too long or too short, Kizmel slowly released him, stepping back a discreet couple of steps. As she turned her gaze on their surroundings, a look of wonder still on her face, he focused his attention on a point just above her head: on the glowing cursor that had been there the whole time he'd known her.

Most of that time, it had been the yellow of a quest NPC. Now, it was the pure green of a non-criminal player—something that to Kirito's knowledge shouldn't even have been possible.

I need to talk to Argo. There's a lot going on here that's completely outside normal gameplay, and if anyone has any ideas, it'll be her.

Hesitantly, Kirito cleared his throat. "We should probably be heading back to town," he said. "I think we've finished everything to do with the Reliquary, and I'd rather we got our equipment repaired before we risk getting into combat again. That last battle was a close one."

Kizmel blinked, visibly drawing herself out of her trance-like state. She glanced over her own armor, grimacing at the visible dents in her breastplate and rough tears in her Mistmoon Cloak; a quick look to one side where the shattered remnants of Kirito's previous sword had disappeared, and she sighed. "You're right, of course," she said. "Especially since the battle against the Pillar Guardian will doubtless be soon."

She almost said more, but while motioning to banish the menu she'd still left up, Kizmel's gaze flickered across her right hand. Hidden by her armored glove, Kirito couldn't see any change there, but after their experience in the Trial of the Brave, he could guess what was probably missing now.

"Are you all right, Kizmel?" he asked gently. "I know that ring was important. And, well, I know what it being gone means…"

"I made a choice, Kirito," she told him, lowering her hand. "I knew what I was doing, and I don't regret it. It will just… take some getting used to, I suppose." Shrugging, Kizmel smiled again, the happiness of the moment chasing out the sadness. "Shall we go? Doubtless Argo is waiting for the news, however little use it may be to her. I don't think I've ever known someone so eager for gossip."

"That's because she makes money from blackmail material," Kirito muttered, bringing up his own menu now. A few quick gestures, and the shimmering azure of a Teleport Crystal fell into his hand. "Teleport: Mydo!"

---

Having been born with the heightened senses of a Dark Elf, accustomed to them her whole life, Kizmel had seldom experienced anything resembling sensory overload. Even if the Swordmasters made for towns more bustling than she was used to, her exposure to them had been gradual enough that she'd never found herself overwhelmed, even on the occasions she and Kirito had rested in the more populous towns.

The return to Mydo was a different story. With the perception she'd just now obtained, Kizmel found herself briefly wondering how Swordmasters managed, seeing so many markers everywhere they looked. Above every head, a symbol like the one hovering over Kirito, either the green of Swordmasters or a simple yellow she took to denote the native humans of Aincrad.

Kirito was serious when he said this would change the very way I looked at the world, she realized, following in his wake in something of a daze. If this is how they always perceive their surroundings, and those in them, it's little wonder they have difficulty accepting this world as real.

Trying to take it all in, at the same time puzzling over the persistent scripts and symbols in the corners of her vision, Kizmel was just as glad that Kirito seemed to know where they were going. She was certainly having a little trouble keeping track, under the circumstances.

The way some of the more observant Swordmasters were looking at her in turn didn't help. Most were hurrying along Mydo's streets on their own business, paying little heed to anyone else, but the few who really looked at her were notably startled. From that, Kizmel suspected something about her had changed visibly, as well, though she herself could see no difference.

When they reached the inn at Mydo's southern edge, though, and slipped into an upper room, the one waiting for them there looked not at all surprised. Indeed, Argo had a smile that more closely resembled a cat at that moment than a rat.

"Too bad this was too juicy for me to talk about just for a bet," she said whimsically, waiting for the pair to sit opposite her at a small table. "'Cause I totally woulda won it. Congrats, Kii-chan, and welcome. You've just joined a crazy lot, but you've been with Kii-bou for months, you know that already."

"Thank you, Argo… I think." Kizmel leaned gratefully back in her chair, suddenly feeling every bit of the day's exertion. "It's going to take some getting used to, I believe, but I'm glad to be joining you."

"As you should be. We're crazy, but we're awesome, too." The Rat leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, and her smile became a grin. "So c'mon, guys, gimme the dirt. What happened in there?" Kirito started to open his mouth, but she just waved one hand in front of her face. "I got payment for it that you'll like, trust me. Now spill!"

He started to speak again, paused, then slumped with a sigh. "Something tells me that's both true and something I'll regret anyway, but… Well, you really do need to know all this. Things didn't exactly go according to plan, when we reached the Reliquary's treasure room…"

Kirito went over the whole story, from the PKers following them in to the recovery and nature of the Baneblade. Kizmel picked up the end of the tale, explaining as best she could the change she herself had undergone upon invoking the ancient treaty stored with the Baneblade. Lacking a full understanding even then of how her perceptions had been altered, she had some difficulty getting across some of it, but the Rat seemed to grasp it all well enough anyway.

By the end of it, Argo's expression was grimmer than usual, and she'd begun absently tapping her fingers on the table. "Damn," she said finally, shaking her head with a grimace. "To be honest, guys, I thought somethin' wasn't right when I left the Forest, but I didn't see that coming. Prince of Hell, huh…? Guy's upfront about what he is, I'll give 'im that."

"He also seems to live up to his name, as skilled as he was," Kizmel said, troubled. "A pseudonym, obviously; I suppose someone like that wouldn't be brave enough to act under their own name. Though in his case, I'd expect it not to matter to him, given his criminal status keeps him out of normal society anyway…" She trailed off, noticing the odd looks both her companions were suddenly wearing. "…Did I say something strange?"

Argo coughed, looking torn between amusement and chagrin, while Kirito looked away uncomfortably. "Ah, Kii-chan. This PoH guy probably picked his moniker 'cause it sounds scary, but the truth is… Well, we're kinda all usin' fake names. Kii-bou's told ya this was s'posed ta be a game, right? Part of bein' somebody else is using a different name, too." She smiled, a distinctly bittersweet expression. "'Course after this long with nobody around to call us by the real ones, I guess the ones we got here might's well be real, too."

The elf girl blinked, settling back in her chair. Looked at in that light, suddenly another thing that had occasionally confused her about the Swordmasters made a great deal more sense. She'd never been able to find any semblance of pattern in their names, nothing like what would normally be expected in a single culture as the Swordmasters themselves seemed to come from.

If they're all self-chosen… Interesting. I wonder if that means they all chose names personally meaningful to them? Kizmel shot a quick glance at Kirito, wondering what significance there might be to his name—and, for that matter, what he'd been called in his own world. The blush on his face, though, and the memory that the Swordmasters preferred not to speak much of their normal lives kept her silent.

Across the table, though, Argo recovered her usual grin. "Wouldn't advise ya to ask around too much, Kii-chan; some of us got names that play on the real ones, and that's kinda personal. Here's a freebie, though: mine means 'Swift', in the same language that gave us Lethe Forest."

"Ahh," Kizmel said, nodding. "That suits you well, Argo." Although… why does Kirito look sheepish?

"Why, thankee, Kii-chan."

It was Kirito's turn to cough into his hand. "If we could get back on topic?" he said. "Kizmel's right, though, PoH's good. I've never seen somebody fight so well without using Sword Skills." He frowned down at the table. "Though honestly, what worries me more is that they were able to follow us into the Reliquary at all. I know it wasn't an instanced dungeon, but the fact that we needed special keys to open it at all makes it seem like it shouldn't have been that easy."

Argo sobered again. "That bothers me, too," she admitted, lacing her fingers behind her head and swinging her feet up onto the table, heedless of how crowded it suddenly made the surface. "I can kinda guess, though. I mean, it's obvious the whole questline was manipulated, right? Like a certain somebody was taking a personal hand."

"…It did occur to me," he said quietly. "Things went a little too conveniently, especially since Kizmel and I were pretty much the only people who could do it." Kirito clasped his hands together, looking more troubled than Kizmel was used to seeing. "Honestly, I've felt like it a few times before, the last few months."

Kizmel frowned, feeling a chill. She didn't completely understand what they were getting at, some of the terms still unfamiliar to her, but she could grasp the implications well enough. She didn't like them, nor what they further suggested about the person she suspected they were speaking of.

"Are you suggesting," she began warily, "that the sorcerer who imprisoned you here has been meddling in our journey? …Does he really have that kind of power?"

"To nudge us in the direction he wants, putting us into situations that fit whatever plan it is he has?" Kirito nodded unhappily. "Yeah, Kayaba could do it. Actually, he could probably do a lot more, but I think he's trying to be subtle about it."

"If it makes ya feel any better, Kii-chan," Argo continued, turning a sympathetic eye on her, "I don't think Kayaba had anything to do with you and Kii-bou meeting. Prolly not even you teaming up again back in June. I'd bet he thought it was interestin', though, and there's a bunch of things he coulda done to, say, 'nudge' the Fallen Elves. And maybe tweak the Trials you guys just went through."

…Suddenly, Kizmel felt an even stronger urge to meet the sorcerer Kayaba with steel in hand than before. Previously, it had been for the sake of her new friends who had been betrayed, and that remained a strong motive for her; now, though, the idea that he was also meddling in the conflict that nearly destroyed her people, not to mention the very trying tests of virtue they'd so recently endured…

"My guess is that most of the conflict, and what we dealt with in the Trials, was real enough," Kirito said, continuing where Argo had left off before Kizmel could descend too far into doubt. "But things went in just the right way to make an interesting 'story' a couple times too many."

"Exactly," Argo said with a nod. "Anyway," she added with a shrug, "the point here is that I think he was either tryin' to make Kii-bou test out the Baneblade, or just plain screwed up the locks on the Reliquary by accident. Even big-time sorcerers screw up when they're makin' things up on the fly."

Not being familiar with large-scale magic, Kizmel decided to defer to the Rat's judgment, particularly when Kirito nodded his agreement. Of course, as far as she knew they had little experience with magic either, but they did seem well-enough versed with whatever Kayaba had done.

"So!" Argo said now, moving on. "PKers, and darn good ones… Guess that explains Naga." She winced. "Think I maybe oughtta give that one to Lind as a freebie; even I'd feel bad selling that. 'Specially if you guys are right about what happened to the Cats, too. Good thing you got that nifty sword out of it." A roll of her eyes, now; Kizmel couldn't remember ever seeing the girl's mood swing so fast or often. "Even if it's about as obvious as it gets… Genuine bonus damage to evil, eh?"

"A little too much, actually." For all that the Baneblade had saved his life, Kirito didn't look very happy with owning the weapon now. "In a half-finish duel with an orange player, I don't think I'd even have to try very hard for a crit, and…"

"Not like they don't have it coming… but I know what ya mean, Kii-bou. None of us wanna cross that line, even if they deserve it." Argo eyed the battered hilt protruding over his shoulder with an expression Kizmel found difficult to decipher. "I can see why else ya might be worried, too. You've gotten flack for the Beater thing for less, and with the PKer plague we got going, this could be about as bad as the mess with that flag back on the Fifth Floor… Ya still got that, by the way?"

Kirito nodded ruefully. "I thought about giving it to the KoB when they started up, since the ALS left the frontline anyway, but with Lind still the way he is…"

"Uh-huh. Guy still thinks he oughtta be Diavel's heir apparent. Well, dunno what to tell ya there, Kii-bou, 'cept maybe you should get yourself another sword when ya can. And keep that one, just in case you really do need it."

In case PoH returns, with reinforcements, Kizmel thought to herself, feeling a chill at the thought. He and XaXa alone were formidable, and we know there are at least two more of them. By now, who knows how many have taken up their twisted ideology.

From the look on his face, Kirito wanted to disagree, but obviously could not.

Before the lull in conversation could get too oppressive, Argo suddenly clapped her hands together, dropped her feet back to the floor, and grinned. "Enough about that! Scary stuff can wait for the next big guild meeting. The important thing is, Kii-chan's officially a Swordmaster, yeah? That's awesome! If Aa-chan weren't busy, I'd say have a party." She snickered. "On the bright side, I can't wait ta see her face."

Kizmel found herself smiling, the change in topic rescuing her spirits as well. "I'm rather pleased by it myself, Argo. Truthfully, I've been seeking this for some months now… though now that it is done, I suspect it will take some time to fully sink in. I don't even understand most of the information and skills I now have, to be honest."

That was definitely a plotting grin that appeared on the Rat's face now. Kizmel had learned long since what it meant when Argo so closely resembled a cat about to pounce. "Figured as much, Kii-chan. And that is my payment for the wonderful dirt—ah, important information you've given me." Conjuring up her own menu, a few deft motions dropped a small book into her hands, which she proffered to the elf girl with a flourish.

Taking it warily, Kizmel was relieved to see its cover simply read, Don't Worry, It's Argo's Guide to Mystic Scribing! A guidebook, then, akin to those the info broker routinely published detailing new floors of Aincrad. Although…

She glanced up, raising one curious eyebrow. "Swordmasters don't refer to it as Mystic Scribing among themselves, in my experience,. Just how long have you been expecting this, Argo?"

"Since you showed up on the Twenty-Sixth Floor," the Rat said promptly. "Figured something like this was bound to happen eventually, and even without today's story, I do kinda owe you guys a lot. So c'mon, take a look! I've spent months figurin' out how ta translate things for ya. Let me know if there's anything I missed."

"…Why do I suddenly have a very bad feeling about this?" Kirito muttered. He, too, looked better now that the subject had turned to lighter things, yet he also bore a look Kizmel recognized as, in his own words, Impending Argo Doom.

Well, it wasn't like she was entirely relaxed either, with Argo looking so amused still, but she opened the guidebook anyway, taking a chance that the other girl's need for a reputation for honest information would keep her in check.

To Kizmel's relief, that appeared to be the case. The explanations the guide gave were as irreverent as might be expected of the Rat, but they were also informative, carefully breaking down the specifics of "menus" into terms a Dark Elf could recognize well enough. In places it did seem to skirt certain details, much as Swordmasters often did with her, but far less so than usual. Argo, it appeared, had gone out of her way to try and explain, rather than approximate as Kirito was all too often forced to do.

Several minutes of reading later, though, Kizmel did come across an expression that seemed under-explained. Looking up at her partner with a frown, she asked, "Kirito? What exactly is an 'Ethics Code'?"

To her surprise, he shrugged, looking as puzzled as she did. "Never heard of it. Which is weird, because I thought I did know pretty much everything in the main menu…"

"That's 'cause it ain't in the main menu, Kii-bou," Argo said, grin widening so much Kizmel feared for the girl's face. "It's deep in some otherwise pretty pointless sub-menus, prolly to hide it from the easily-scarred youth. I'll tell ya later, for a price, but Kii-chan gets it as part of the package deal. C'mon, girl, come closer."

Curious, a faint tingling of foreboding going down her spine, Kizmel leaned halfway across the small table. Argo crossed the other half, getting close enough to whisper in her ear so quietly even Kirito likely couldn't make it out.

A few moments in, Kizmel's face flushed as brightly as her dusky skin could. "…Argo…!"

---

The meeting wrapped up hurriedly after Argo's whispered explanation. Whatever it was she'd said, Kizmel was obviously rattled enough to want to finish things quickly, and after a very brief overview of a few of the more important menu functions, Kirito found himself standing back out in the hall with his partner.

Even if Argo hadn't still been chuckling when they left, he wouldn't have asked what it was all about. The last time he'd seen someone literally steaming from the ears had been when Sachi was hit by Argo's insinuations about harems, which hadn't even made Kizmel blink. If she was reacting like that, he most definitely didn't want to know what was going on.

Still, it was only after they'd returned to their own inn room that Kirito remembered something else. "Y'know, Kizmel," he said, flopping down on his bed, "now that you've got full player privileges, we don't actually have to share a room anymore. You should be able to rent one yourself, with your share of the Cor we've saved up."

That was one thing they had taken care of before escaping the trolling Rat. If Kizmel was treated by the system as a player now, it was only fair for her to take half of the money and mats they'd accumulated since teaming up.

The elf girl had just tapped at her shoulder when he spoke, and was beginning to frown in confusion that nothing had happened. After a moment, though, realization seemed to dawn in her eyes, and the blush that had started to fade suddenly resurfaced; it took a moment more before she seemed to realize he'd said anything at all.

"Ah, I suppose I could, yes," Kizmel managed after a short pause. "At this point, though, I'm not sure there is any reason to. We've shared for so long, it would honestly feel strange to change it. Although…" She coughed, turning her face toward the wall. "Since other things have changed, you may want to look away for a moment. Not that I have anything to hide, of course, but I know human standards are at least as different in the bedroom as the bath…"

It took Kirito a second to figure out her meaning. When he did, it was his turn to blush, and he whipped his head around to face the opposite wall. "S-sorry! I didn't think of that—"

If she's got player menus, then of course her equipment follows the same rules. Oh, man, I hope Asuna doesn't find out about this… I know Argo must've realized it right away. Crazy troll probably even figured Kizmel wouldn't think of it 'til the most awkward moment…

Instead of the brief chiming noise Kirito usually associated with Kizmel changing clothes—an instant swap from one outfit to another, the method by which a particular outfit was chosen something he'd never quite figured out—he heard several menu-selection sounds, and two distinct shimmering noises of equipment being switched. He tried very, very hard not to picture what the other side of the room looked like in the interval between sounds.

"As I said, Kirito, I have nothing to hide from you," Kizmel told him. "I know it makes you uncomfortable, however, so it's something we should remember to take into account in the future."

Then, and only then, did Kirito risk looking her way again. Despite her words, she looked noticeably more bashful than usual in her typical—admittedly not exactly very opaque—nightgown, and she slipped quickly under the blankets. Even so, she was smiling, so he figured she couldn't be too far out of her comfort zone.

Unlike me. This is really going to take some getting used to.

Hurrying to change the subject, he cleared his throat loudly. "All that aside—how are you taking it all, Kizmel? The changes, I mean. I tried to warn you how different things looked to Swordmasters, but it's really something you can only understand by experiencing it yourself…"

"It will take more than a few hours to really grow accustomed to it, I believe," Kizmel admitted, blush fading as a thoughtful expression settled on her face. Letting her head sink into the pillow, she continued, "For one, I admit to being relieved the—cursors?—are not visible indoors. That was probably the most immediately disorienting change, besides the vitality and time markings in my vision."

Kirito nodded at that. "Yeah, that even gets to us, sometimes. It's kinda distracting when you're just trying to have a conversation with somebody… It can save your life in the field, though. Helps to know how strong a mob is relative to you—or if you should treat another player as a threat on-sight."

"Like the two this afternoon, of course." She grimaced, but pushed past the reminder. "Otherwise… perhaps the most disconcerting thing is that I feel tired of thinking, yet I realize now my body is not fatigued at all. I'm starting to understand better how Swordmasters can keep fighting for so long. If you feel neither pain nor exhaustion…"

"That mental exhaustion can catch you at really bad times," he warned her, remembering a long-ago dungeon and a flash like a shooting star in the dark. "You'll be able to fight for days on end if you have to, but it's better to keep a regular sleep schedule anyway, just in case. And you'll really need to keep an eye on your HP, if you're used to pain telling you when you're injured."

At least, that was how it was for humans. The pain part he was pretty sure applied regardless, but Kirito honestly had no idea how closely the workings of Kizmel's AI mind resembled those of a human. Given that her reasoning was so similar, though, he figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

"I thought as much," she agreed. "I wish now we'd reached the Reliquary sooner; we'll not have as much time as I would like for me to practice before confronting the Pillar Guardian." Idly, she brought up her menu again, poking through it seemingly at random. Still marveling at the novelty, he suspected.

Kirito was somewhat puzzled by the fact that she'd left it in visible mode. Players didn't usually make their menus visible to others at all unless showing them something specific. A player's stats, after all, were some of the most critical secrets they had in this world, not something to be shared lightly.

Guess she means it when she says she's got nothing to hide from me, he mused, finally unequipping enough of his own gear to make sleeping easier without risking his modesty. Not that I've got anything to hide from her, either, on that score… And at least now I've got one question answered.

One thing Kirito had long been somewhat perplexed by was the way Kizmel's fighting style seemed to use skills from more than one weapon type. Tonight, when he'd gotten a look at her stats during the discussion with Argo, he'd noticed her weapon skill was listed as "Elven Blade"; an apparently unique skill that combined Sword Skills from One-Handed Curved Sword, Rapier, and regular One-Handed Sword.

Either that was one thing that hadn't changed when she gained player status—much as she retained the Mistmoon Cloak, however tattered it had gotten in the fighting—or it was another of the rumored skills Argo had mentioned the week before. With how everything had been going lately, he wasn't prepared to bet either way.

"Well," Kizmel said presently, banishing her menu again, "we should have another two days, at least. We should make the most of them." She drew the blankets up to her chin and turned a smile in Kirito's direction. "Good night, my friend."

"'Night, Kizmel." He pulled up his own covers and made ready to go to sleep himself; before closing his own menu, though, he decided to check his own skill status. With the kind of fighting they'd been doing lately, he figured he'd probably upped his One-Handed Sword levels a bit more, and probably his Battle Healing, too…

When he got to the list, though, and started to scroll through it, he suddenly froze. If there was one thing Kirito was very careful about, it was stat point and skill slot allocation; the latter in particular was so limited that he planned their use well in advance. Partly because of that, he also knew exactly when new skill slots became available.

So why do I have nine skills instead of eight…?

---

October 11th, 2023

---

If someone had told Asuna just a year before that there would come a time when she would be sitting at the head of an enormous table in a veritable war room, she would've called them a liar. Well, more likely she'd have thought it silently, unwilling to actually speak so plainly, but the sentiment would definitely have been there.

In the town of Eisha, the settlement closest to the Thirty-Seventh Floor's labyrinth, she now found herself in just that position. The building the clearing group had co-opted for large-scale meetings seemed to have been left behind by some local—apparently now-defunct—order of knights, and in one large room it contained a rectangular table with exactly forty-eight seats, most of which were now occupied by the players who would be participating in the next boss raid.

Forty-eight, Asuna mused, watching with calculated impassivity as more independent stragglers filed in for the meeting. I doubt that's a coincidence. Just the right size for a full raid… and I'm the master of ceremonies. When exactly did this start to feel normal?

A year before, she'd never touched a VR game in her life. Eleven months before, she'd been a solo just learning the ropes; four, and she'd been teamed with the most notorious player in the game, and an outcast by association. When the Paladin Heathcliff had invited her to join the nascent Knights of Blood, it had never occurred to her that he'd intended her to be his second, yet now, here she was.

Judging from the look on the face of the blue-haired, self-styled knight sitting at the center of another coalition of players, there were still some who disapproved of that. Lind, though, wasn't likely to make any kind of fuss at this late date, and not just because Heathcliff himself was standing at the wall behind her.

Second-in-command, and Leader only acts as one if a battle goes badly. I should be scared, not… confident.

Asuna was, though. Partly because the KoB as a whole had become a well-oiled unit, partly because for all Lind's arrogance his Divine Dragons Alliance was still a powerful force in its own right; even, partly, because Asuna now knew of another trump card, one that could make a significant difference in the upcoming battle.

But also because of the real heroes. …And what took them so long, anyway? Argo had slunk in and taken up a position in a particularly shadowy corner early on, but most of the regular raid members had taken seats well before the last pair arrived. Even a lot of the clearers who just help with mapping got here before they did. I know Kirito-kun likes to stay low, but being fashionably late isn't much better than being the first to arrive.

She gave a mental shrug and reminded herself to talk to Argo about it after the meeting. The pair had arrived in time; for now, that was the important thing. That in mind, Asuna lightly rapped her knuckles on the table. "It looks like everyone we're expecting for the raid is here, so let's begin. First of all, we have the final results from the scouting party. Shivata-san, if you'd care to present your report?"

Shivata had, long months before, been part of an impromptu boss raid of twelve, and in the wake of that victory had remained a reliable member of the clearing group. So had his girlfriend Liten, a tank who'd switched from the ALS to the DDA when the former group retreated from the front. Both of them had not only contributed heavily to many boss raids since, but were often part of the initial scouting parties, as well.

This time, though, Shivata hesitated at being called on. "Actually," he said, exchanging a quick glance with Liten, "there's something our guild wanted to address before that, Vice-Commander…"

Lind abruptly stood up, rescuing his subordinate while simultaneously raising Asuna's hackles just from the expression on his face. "Yes, I'm afraid there's something I believe does need to be discussed, Vice-Commander. If you'll all indulge me, I think this concerns the clearing group as a whole."

Kirito and Kizmel looked at each other, briefly but noticeably, at those words. Asuna wondered why; the two of them had been particularly elusive lately, so she couldn't imagine what they might know about the guildmaster's intent. "If you think it's that important, Lind-san, please, go ahead," she said, watching the two out of the corner of her eye.

The DDA's guildmaster cleared his throat, looking grim. "Thank you, Vice-Commander. To begin with, I suspect you're all aware that the Divine Dragons Alliance lost a member soon after the last boss fight?"

There was a stir through the room, among the raid members and the mappers alike. It was Agil, sitting with his small merchant contingent, who gave direct voice to it. "Yeah, the news has been making the rounds. Word is Naga got PK'ed, actually. That right, Lind?"

"…I had hoped to keep the details quiet until we'd had more time to investigate," Lind replied with a grimace. "But yes. This is the first confirmed direct PK since we were trapped here—we have witnesses—which leads me to my main point: Naga was the first, but he won't be the last… and the truth is, we all know he wasn't the real first murder. MPKs and duel PKs have been going on for months—most notably, perhaps, the near-total destruction of a small guild early last month."

Asuna winced, both at the words themselves and at the visible flinch from the two survivors present from that very incident. I hadn't realized the details had spread so far. Not that he's wrong, unfortunately.

"It's something we're all gonna have to be on the lookout for, yeah," Agil said, nodding unhappily. "Honestly, though, I don't think any of us really wanted to believe anybody'd be crazy enough to push things this far."

"I didn't either," Lind told him. "Unfortunately, it has, and Naga wasn't even the only intended victim on this floor. Right, Kirito?"

Surprised, Asuna turned her full attention on her old partner, just in time to see him direct a very wary look at the guildmaster. "…How do you know about that, Lind?"

"'How' doesn't really matter right now, Kirito," Lind said, meeting the look with a hard one of his own. "Obviously it's true though, isn't it? That you were attacked by two PKers—while doing a rather unique quest, at that. One that rewarded you by giving your companion player privileges, am I right?"

Surprise turned to shock, Asuna's gaze falling on the heretofore silent Dark Elf in their midst. "Kizmel-chan? You—"

"There's no need to ask," Lind interrupted, looking impatient. "You can test it for yourself easily enough, right, Vice-Commander? Cursors may be invisible indoors, but I'd think a simple friend request would settle the matter."

She glared at him, but when Kizmel only smiled in her direction, looking resigned, Asuna obediently opened her menu and did as Lind suggested. To her further surprise, the request went through; and when she'd accepted it, Kizmel went on to open a menu window of her own, hesitantly navigating unseen options and carefully typing something.

A moment later, Asuna heard the chime of a friend message arriving. [Not how I was planning to tell you, my friend,] it said. [But yes. I'll tell you the story later—though no doubt you'll buy the details Kirito and I leave out from Argo.]

Kizmel-chan has player status now? But—how? Ooh, I am so getting the full story from Argo later!

She wanted to grab Kirito and wring it out of him right then, actually, but Lind wasn't done. "Truthfully," he said, cutting through the murmuring that had started among the other clearers, "I bring up Lady Kizmel's status more to draw attention to the fact that I suspect the quest involved is non-repeatable."

"So?" Agil asked, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair. "Unless you know another elf who hangs out with us players, I don't see how it matters. I think her and Kirito nearly getting PKed is kinda more important."

"Certainly—which is why the nature of the quest matters, because I believe the sword Kirito also received from the quest is the reason they survived."

Asuna looked over at Kirito again. She hadn't even realized he was carrying a new sword; and at first glance, she wouldn't have thought it mattered. The hilt looked old and decrepit, the sort of thing she'd have expected him to have taken only as an emergency measure until he could get a new one.

From the look on his face, though, Lind was onto something.

"…I was hoping no one would notice that," Kirito said finally. "But if you're going to push it, Lind… Here's what went down at the Reliquary."

The explanation of the "encounter" was brief and to the point; the details of the Baneblade, its power, and Kirito's belief that it was currently incomplete was somewhat less so. A PvP weapon in a game where PvP meant a literal duel to the death, it was both a powerful defense for its owner, and a heavy responsibility.

No wonder Kirito hadn't wanted to even reveal it existed. If there was anything more likely to revive the cries of "Beater", with the possible addition of "murderer", Asuna couldn't imagine it.

When Kirito finished the story, Lind nodded slowly. "Thank you, Kirito. That matches what I'd heard, and proves my point that this is something the entire clearing group needs to know about—and make a decision on."

"Not so fast, Blue Boy," came a dry interjection. Eyes were immediately drawn to Argo, who had actually stepped halfway out of her shadowed alcove. "Somethin' Kii-bou asked, and you still haven't answered: where'd ya hear all that? 'Cause I sure didn't tell ya. Fact is, all I've sold anybody 'bout the Reliquary quest was the dungeon locations. I don't trade in info nobody else can use."

Lind opened his mouth again—probably to claim again that it didn't matter, Asuna thought acidly—but Kirito beat him to it. "From the PKers themselves, obviously," he said evenly. "Or rather, whatever information dealer they use."

The DDA leader frowned at him. "That's an unwarranted conclusion, Kirito—"

"It's the only possibility," he said, cutting Lind off this time. "The only people who were present were Kizmel, me, and the killers. Argo was the only one we told, and you as know as well as I this isn't the kind of information she sells." He fixed Lind with a hard gaze. "I'd say you should take a closer look at your source, Lind, because they're obviously dealing with some bad people."

Lind looked back at the Black Swordsman for a long moment, obviously wanting to disagree, but in the end he only let out a slow breath. "…Perhaps you're right. But if PKers are themselves beginning to make use of info brokers in such a way, that only strengthens my point. This problem is growing, and measures must be taken—and not by individuals."

On the one hand, Asuna couldn't actually disagree with him. She'd seen the very beginning of the player-killing crisis, had seen firsthand the devious manipulations the group led by the man now identified as "PoH" had inflicted on the clearing group. Three times in the first two months alone, they'd nearly thrown back clearing by months without directly striking a blow.

Now they've killed Naga, nearly killed two of my friends, and if Kirito-kun and Kizmel-chan are right, did kill most of a guild. They are getting bolder. Still… I don't like where Lind is going with this.

Aloud, Asuna said, "I take it, Lind-san, you have a suggestion?"

Lind shrugged. "Obviously, this is going to take much discussion, most of which will have to wait until after this next boss. That said, there's a first step that can be taken right now, which I believe would be beneficial for all involved." He turned back to the duo at the heart of the discussion. "Kirito, you've nearly been killed while supported only by an NPC, and have acquired a unique weapon whose use is, really, the concern of the players as a whole. Don't you think it's in your best interests, and ours, if you bring that—and your unique ally, of course—into a guild?"

It took all of Asuna's self-control not to either bury her face in her hands, or challenge Lind to a duel. Seriously?! After all this time, now of all times, you're bringing that up again?!

Oblivious to her reaction, Diavel's self-styled successor continued earnestly, "Surely, Kirito, you have to agree that the Baneblade's disposition is everyone's business, given its deterrence potential against PKers. In turn, you've been a solo ever since your partner joined the Knights of Blood, with only an NPC for backup. The recent attack should be evidence enough of how dangerous your current status is." He spread his hands. "I'm sure any guild would be glad to have you, especially with the ALS no longer on the frontline…"

And the most galling thing of all, Lind, is that I don't think you even realize how condescending you're being. Asuna bowed her head, thoughts racing as she tried to compose a rebuttal. Almost as bad is that I'm more worried about him than you are, so I can't even say you're completely wrong…

She finally opened her mouth to speak, intending to at least say something to stall for a little time, but someone else beat her to the punch. "Why should he, Guildmaster?"

Lind looked to Kizmel in surprise. Up to now, he'd been mostly ignoring her, as was his usual practice; Asuna had noticed long before he had less patience with "playing along" with Kirito's partner than most, and she could see his dismissive attitude even now. Even so, he obviously hadn't expected a direct question. "I beg your pardon, Lady Kizmel?"

Kizmel rose to her feet. "I asked why Kirito and I should consider joining a guild at all, Guildmaster Lind. Guilds certainly have not impressed me with their treatment of him before."

Kirito winced. "Kizmel," he began, "you don't need to—"

"Yes, I do," she said firmly. "If you will not, someone has to." She returned her challenging stare to Lind. "I've heard what happened when the first Pillar Guardian was killed, Guildmaster. How Kirito was forced to make himself look worse than his own fellows to spare them from danger—after you, specifically, accused him of letting Sir Diavel die."

It was Lind's turn to flinch. "I spoke hastily, not understanding the situation," he said after a moment. "Later, you may be aware, I was one of those offering Kirito a place in a guild—"

"On the condition that he separate from his partner, one of the few people treating him well at the time," Kizmel interrupted. "Because together they were 'too strong'. Yes," she added when his eyes widened in surprise, "I was watching then, Guildmaster. Just as I watched Kirito repeatedly play the role of a villain for the sake of keeping peace between your guild and Kibaou's. Kibaou, who at times seemed not to acknowledge Kirito's efforts solely because politics prevented it."

Asuna suddenly found herself hiding a smile at that one. Kibaou had always been the more belligerent of the two guild leaders, but he'd also been the more honest, in her mind. From the way Lind's face twisted, she suspected he didn't like that insinuation one bit.

Any amusement Kizmel felt at the sight quickly vanished, a very somber—sad, really—expression taking its place. "After all that," she said softly, "we spent some time with the Moonlit Black Cats—the very guild you mentioned was destroyed last month. And after everything we did to help them, we were the ones Guildmaster Keita blamed for their deaths. Nor did he attempt to persuade his only surviving guildmate to stay with him, or go with her when she chose to keep fighting.

"So tell me, Guildmaster Lind," Kizmel said, folding her arms. "When your 'guilds' have never treated my partner as anything more than a pariah or a weapon—and your emphasis on the Baneblade and my 'power' suggests today is no different—why, exactly, should we consider joining one now? It's true, I've earned the right to call myself a Swordmaster, and I treasure that right, but the truth is my people—whom you would dismiss as mere phantoms in a dream—have been kinder to Kirito than you ever have."

If she hadn't felt a need to maintain the dignity of her position as Vice-Commander, Asuna would've stood up and cheered at that. After all the high-handed lectures she'd had to endure from Lind back when she was Kirito's partner, all the times his clashes with Kibaou had threatened the integrity of the clearing group, it was deeply satisfying to hear someone finally call the self-styled knight out on his self-righteousness.

The look on Lind's face fully lived up to her hopes, a slack-jawed incredulity mixed with a flush of indignation. She wasn't sure if it came from being called out in the first place, or that it was a "mere NPC" doing it—probably both, she thought—but either way, it was satisfying, and she suspected she wasn't alone in that opinion.

A sudden clang, caused by Liten's heavy gauntlet hitting her boyfriend's armor, suggested the feeling may have actually been shared by some of the DDA themselves. Not many of them, though; even Hafner looks a little irritated. Too bad.

Before Lind could recover his poise enough to respond, Agil rapped his knuckles on the table. "Lady's got a point," he said mildly; unlike many of the other clearers present, he seemed completely unperturbed by Kizmel's very un-NPC-like behavior. "Guilds and Kirito don't exactly have the greatest history. On the other hand, Lind's got a point, too." The big merchant didn't look happy admitting that, but he did so unflinchingly. "Right now, I don't know that that sword means anything. If things keep going the way they have, though, it might be important someday. If there really is a whole group of PKers—call 'em a red guild, I guess—Lind's right that things could get a lot worse."

Asuna wished she could disagree with that. She did still disagree with Lind's solution, but she could see the writing on the wall as well as anyone; she'd seen it coming as long as Kirito had. But deciding how to deal with the Baneblade—assuming they really had any right to try and take it from Kirito in the first place—wasn't as simple a question as Lind wanted to think.

Despite being so called out, Lind did seem to be about to press his case further. Just as he was opening his mouth, though, another calm, quiet voice spoke first. "I agree that there is merit to Guildmaster Lind's position," Heathcliff said from behind Asuna's chair. "However, I believe there's prior precedent for this situation which might be taken into consideration. Correct, Vice-Commander?"

At first, she had no idea what he was talking about. Then, suddenly, Asuna recalled that she had been in this position once before—as had Kirito. And Lind, if he'd just admit it. Even now, he's still playing his power games.

Taking a breath, she mentally apologized to Kirito for what she was about to do, and stood. "The Commander is correct," she said evenly, sweeping her gaze over the assembled clearers. "Many of you weren't in the clearing group at the time, but on the Fifth Floor, the boss dropped an item that would've greatly altered the balance of power between guilds. No one could decide who should have it, so in the end it was decided a neutral party should retain custody of it for the time being."

She could see Kirito hide a wince, but he made no move to interrupt her. She'd known he wouldn't, of course—which didn't make her feel any better about what she was doing. If anything, that just made it worse.

"The Baneblade is not as significant as that item was," Asuna continued. "Not as things stand today. But Lind-san and Agil-san are right: the PKer problem is getting worse, not better. If things do escalate that far, we might need that weapon—and as with the guild flag, it's clear no one will be able to agree which guild ought to have its power.

"Kirito-kun," she said, addressing him directly now, "if you were to join any guild, the Knights of Blood would be glad to have you. I'm sure the Commander would agree with me on that. But Kizmel-chan is right, too, and if you do still want to avoid guilds…" Asuna looked out to the group at large again. "I propose, at least for the time being, the same solution as for the guild flag: leave it in the hands of a neutral party, who we know is neither a PKer nor aligned with any one guild."

After all the times she'd watched Kirito willingly play the villain, she hated herself for being the one to suggest it now. She saw little choice, though, if the integrity of the clearing group was to be maintained; Lind would never stand for the Baneblade being with the KoB, and she was too wary of the direction the DDA was going to want to risk leaving it in their hands, either.

Outside of the DDA, at least, the idea seemed to be acceptable. There were one or two disgruntled faces among her own KoB, but the Legend Braves looked all in favor, as did most of the solos. Kizmel was actually smiling at her, while Kirito looked… resigned, she thought, As if he'd expected the outcome.

It was again Agil who played the role of third-party advocate. "Sounds like a plan, Vice-Commander." Suddenly, he snorted. "Sounds like a lot of fuss for one sword, now that we've all said this heavy stuff. Might as well not have brought it up at all. So… how about we actually get to that boss-planning, huh? That okay with you, Lind?"

From the look on his face, it was not exactly "okay" with Lind, but the man forced out a grudging nod anyway. "I suppose that will do… for now," he said, slowly returning to his seat. "Though we may need to discuss this again in the future."

"We might," Asuna acknowledged. "In the meantime… Shivata-san, I believe we were about to go over your report?"

Looking deeply relieved that it was all over, the DDA scout nodded. "Ah, yes, Vice-Commander. First of all—"

---

At least the boss planning itself had ended up being straightforward, Kirito reflected. Shivata's scouting party had done a thorough job; barring a surprise state change when the last life bar went into the red, it looked like the battle was going to be fairly routine.

Unlike the rest of that meeting, he thought ruefully, as he and Kizmel headed into the Thirty-Seventh Floor's labyrinth with the rest of the raid group. I didn't count on Lind knowing the same info broker PoH's using. Still… it could've been worse.

Agil's levelheadedness had as been as welcome as ever, and Kirito had to admit he felt better after the merchant's comments about it just being one sword. Especially after the way Asuna had put forward her solution to the whole mess.

Not a suggestion she'd have made back when they were partners, he was sure. As a guild leader, though, he knew she had to look at the bigger picture now; and as Agil had said, it really was just a sword. However much Lind talked it up, as things stood it didn't really matter.

One nice thing about traveling in such a large group: even the mobs inhabiting the labyrinth leading to the next floor didn't pose anything resembling a real threat. The raid group made enough noise to attract every monster within earshot, but they were dealt with as easily as swatting flies—something which couldn't quite be said of navigating the labyrinth itself.

"I hate it when floors trick us like this," Agil grumbled as they walked through a corridor that had been turned sideways. "The main map isn't the maze the last one was, so I thought this was gonna be a breather level. Then we get to the dungeons, and we find this."

The big merchant and his friends Lowbacca, Wolfgang, and Naijan had joined the two "outcasts" for the raid. Kirito was grateful for their support, being among the few players left in the clearing group who knew what had really gone on in incidents like the aftermath of Diavel's death.

"I wish I were more surprised," Kizmel remarked, shaking her head. "Unfortunately, Kirito and I faced similarly confusing labyrinths in the quest we were pursuing… Truthfully, I find this place less arduous. There are no squids, and whatever their other faults might be the Dragon Knights' discipline is proving helpful here."

Kirito couldn't argue with that, much as he'd have liked to. Maybe because of the way Lind had been challenged in the meeting, his DDA was going out of its way to quickly and efficiently open the way forward. This particular labyrinth had reset its puzzles between visits, leaving twisted corridors blocking the way and doors positioned in awkward places; the DDA members had apparently memorized Argo's maps, however, and were splitting off to flip switches and then regrouping with impressive speed.

"Never said they weren't good at what they did," Agil said with a shrug. "I could wish Lind would get off his high horse, though." He shot a grin at Kizmel at that. "Nice one, by the way. I don't think I've seen the guy pushed back like that since Heathcliff poached the Flash for the KoB."

"It was nothing but the truth," she said simply. "I might be willing to consider Asuna's offer, but Guildmaster Lind's? No. Not after how Kirito has been treated by him." The elf girl grimaced; probably because of her train of thought, though Kirito thought the rotting hand that suddenly dropped from the ceiling—only to be slashed to pieces by her saber and Agil's axe before it got very far—might also have contributed. "Nor when it's plain Lind does not regard me as 'real'."

"Gotta admit, Kizmel, he's not exactly alone in that," Wolfgang pointed out, pausing to bat a Skeleton Knight aside with his greatsword. The walking bones careened toward the Legend Braves, a guild once ostracized but rehabilitated by the KoB after the Twenty-Fifth Floor debacle; they promptly tore the Skeleton to pieces. "Honestly, I pretty much thought that myself," he continued. "After that little speech of yours? Not so sure."

"Told ya," Agil said. "Beats me what's going on either, but if she's a regular NPC I'll eat my axe."

Once, Kirito would've expected his partner to react with mild bemusement. Now, she simply smiled and remarked, "I'll do my best to see that you have no reason to do that, Agil. As Argo might say, it's probably bad for your digestion."

The merchants let out a collective laugh at that—then conversation lapsed as they reached the next floor of the labyrinth, where it looked like every mob in it was waiting for them.

Including several Ignition Squids, to Kizmel's obvious irritation.

---

When they reached the boss room at last, Asuna stepped to the forefront of the group, alongside a typically-stoic Heathcliff. "Here we are," she said simply. "Follow the plan, and we'll be fine. There shouldn't be any surprises in this battle."

"And if there are, Vice-Commander?"

She fixed Lind with a flat stare, obviously annoyed by his continued pushing. "As mentioned in the briefing, we do have one or two surprises of our own if we need them, Guildmaster. If we do, you'll see."

If it had been her own people involved, Kizmel would've been surprised by the fact that Lind didn't try to pry further. Among the Swordmasters, though, she'd gotten depressingly used to the secrets they habitually kept from one another. That distrust is one of the greatest problems facing the conquest of this castle, she thought sadly. Yet after what I've seen, they really have no choice.

At least I have someone from whom I need not hide.

Truthfully, she was glad when the massive doors to the Pillar Guardian's dark chamber groaned open, allowing the raid group to enter. As evil—and dangerous—as the monsters that infested Aincrad were, they were an honest threat.

When the forty-eight Swordmasters had all entered the chamber, there was a deep silence for several moments. Then, in a sequence that always gave Kizmel a twinge of remembered grief, torches along the walls lit up one by one, eventually revealing what waited for them at the far end.

Four groups of three Black Knights, as heavily-armored as those she and Kirito had originally encountered. And in the center of their formation, a figure in similar armor but with an open-faced helmet, riding a similarly-armored black horse. The mounted knight's left arm carried a shield not unlike Kizmel's; the right, a black sword, lighter than the Black Knights' heavy blades yet heavier than those they used when their armor was destroyed.

For the first time, Kizmel was able to see them all as her partner did. She saw, and understood, the dark red cursors above the Black Knights, and above the mounted knight's bearded head she saw his name: [Amon: The Phantom Tyrant].

"Teams C through F, focus on the Black Knights!" Asuna called out, drawing her shining rapier with a shing of metal-on-metal. "A and B, we're going for Amon!"

A and B were her own team of elite Knights of Blood and Lind's own party of Dragon Knights. Not how Kizmel might've chosen, but then she wasn't really a strategist herself, and she recognized the need to placate the leader of the second most prominent clearing guild. She and Kirito were part of F, which meant—

"We always seem to get mob cleanup," Kirito grumbled, drawing the Baneblade. "Why is it always us?"

"So that you can suddenly switch to the main boss at just the right moment and save the day, of course," Agil told him with a grin, twirling his axe. "Not to mention get the LA. C'mon, let's do this!"

Kizmel thought her partner muttered something else under his breath, but even her ears couldn't quite catch it. Then, with a sigh, he took off after Agil, heading for the nearest trio of Black Knights.

As had been discussed before the battle, they split into pairs when they reached the Knights. Kirito and Kizmel went for one of them from the sides, the human cutting into the right flank with a basic Slant, the elf doing the same on the left with a Horizontal. When the Knight tried to swing its heavy blade after Kirito in return, Agil and Wolfgang slipped into the opening and dropped a Helm-Cleaver and an Avalanche on its head and chest.

A simple enough strategy to overwhelm them, Kizmel thought, spinning to rip into the Knight's back with a Reaver while it was recoiling. Two of us to distract, two to deal heavier wounds, and the remaining pair fending off the other two Knights. …This should be much easier than the previous times we've fought these foes.

She'd meant every word she'd said to Lind about guilds. At the same time, she couldn't deny the advantages of a full party at times like these; trying to battle three Black Knights at once would've difficult, to say the least, were it just herself and Kirito. Either of them alone, she was sure, it would've been suicide.

Right now, Kizmel felt her greatest worry came from the pieces of armor that were already starting to fly off the first Knight; she actually had an attempted Linear thrown off when one of its pauldrons came free and ricocheted off the side of her head. She felt no pain, but it still staggered her, forcing Kirito to dance a step sideways before launching his own next attack.

Glancing up at the "display" hovering in the corners of her vision, she tried to see just how badly she'd been injured. It took her a moment to focus on the right "HP bar", those of her comrades providing a distraction she hadn't counted on before the battle began. Just a scratch—but I really must find a way to train in a full group before the next Pillar Guardian. Such a delay could easily be fatal.

She was still very much in the blue for now, though, and the first Black Knight's outer armor was falling away. Knowing what was coming, she and Kirito split to either side, dodging the thrown sword; Kizmel promptly had to jump back to where she'd started when the Knight Naijan was keeping busy spared a moment from him to try and cut her in two. That suited her just fine, though, since it let her turn the evasion into the beginning of a Treble Scythe that ground most of her own foe's health down while it was trying to skewer Kirito.

Naijan replied to the errant blow by smashing his enormous hammer into his enemy's head. "Your mother was a hamster!" he told it as it staggered.

Catching the first Black Knight's next skill on her shield, Kizmel risked a glance at Kirito. "A hamster?" she said, confused by the odd insult.

"Beats me!" he called back, carving into the Knight's neck with a Snake Bite. "But you know Agil's crowd, they're all a bit strange!"

"You're callin' us strange?" Agil said indignantly, axe spinning in a Whirlwind that finally sent the Black Knight's head sailing away, trailing red light. "Like you've got room to talk… Naijan, Lowbacca, who's next?"

"Oh, I've got this guy under control," Naijan said, casually smashing aside his opponent's sword with his hammer. "I can wait—and you have the manners of a goat!" he added to the Knight.

Still confused, Kizmel turned her attention to Lowbacca's foe, who actually was giving the party's other axeman a rough time. Every time I think I'm beginning to understand the Swordmasters, one of them says something completely beyond my comprehension. …Perhaps Argo will have some idea.

Although after the last "explanation" she'd gotten from the Rat, she wasn't sure that was safe. Her ears still burned at the thought of what Argo had suggested the Ethics Code option was good for…

---

If someone had told Asuna a year before that life-and-death battles involving dozens of other people and as many—sometimes more—monsters would eventually become routine for her, she would've thought they were crazy. Yet "routine" was really the only way to describe what was happening.

Thirty-seven floor bosses, she thought in a detached corner of her mind, trying to keep an eye on the battle as a whole in between striking at Amon herself. Almost as many field bosses. And since the Twenty-Fifth Floor, I've been leading these battles as often as not.

…Did Kirito-kun's Attract Implausible Events skill rub off on me?

Ahead of her, her own guildmaster was holding up his enormous shield to fend off Amon's heavy blade, while the other four members of their party, along with Lind's personal group, hacked away at the Tyrant and his horse. As usual, Heathcliff seemed more comfortable in a defensive role, acting as the most efficient tank Asuna had ever seen to allow the DPS players to do their part.

Routine so far, at least, she mused, stepping back for a moment to take stock of the situation. The horse was already down to the second of its three lifebars, which meant Amon would soon be undergoing a rather abrupt state change; in the meantime, the DPSers hacking at its flanks had to dodge around its stomping hooves, which even Heathcliff's shield could do little to restrain.

Off to the sides, mob control was going exactly as planned. Teams C and E had taken out one Black Knight each, while D had actually started in on their last; with six people attacking just one, it wouldn't last long, either. At the same time, Asuna was completely unsurprised to see that Team F had finished their three already, and had retreated to the edge of the boss room to heal.

First three, Asuna reminded herself. Each time Amon loses a lifebar, more will spawn. Sorry, Kirito-kun, Kizmel-chan… Hang in there. At least until it's time for the Last Attack.

"Vice-Commander, Switch!"

Reflex honed by hundreds of battles had Asuna dashing toward Amon's horse, leading with her rapier, before the words had finished penetrating her strategizing reverie. She passed by Havok, the KoB player who'd called for her, and charged the boss with a wordless yell. Just as she reached the horse's side, it reared up and tried to turn on its rear hooves, obviously trying to trample her; she ducked to the side ahead of it, and drew her blade back for a skill.

Enveloped in bright azure light, Asuna's rapier sped out to pierce the beast's hide, then came back out just as quickly. Then back in, out, and in twice more, the powerful Quadruple Pain finishing off the horse's second lifebar entirely.

In the stun inflicted by Quadruple Pain, Asuna herself caught for a moment in the post-motion of her attack, Lind suddenly rushed in, leading off with the three back-and-forth slashes and spin of the Horizontal Square. The horse neighed in pain, almost toppling itself and its rider to the floor; the impact of Lind's comrades adding several light Sword Skills of their own nearly finished the job.

At the same time, their actions pushed horse and rider alike away from Heathcliff's shield, freeing Amon's sword from its interference.

Grinning beneath his beard, Amon took the chance to draw his blade back to charge a skill of his own—and nudged his horse right beside Asuna herself. She'd recovered from Quadruple Pain's delay, but there was no time to move back; only time to either guard, or emulate one of her old partner's tricks.

Amon leaned down to launch a Sharp Nail, despite the awkward angle. Asuna met it with the opening move of a Triangular, setting off a loud boom as two skills collided, the shock of it driving them both back—at the same time giving Teams A and B plenty of openings to try and finish off the horse.

Asuna didn't join them this time. She'd blunted the skill, but it hadn't been without cost, so she skipped back and to the side, until she was standing behind Heathcliff's reassuringly heavy armor and shield.

"Well done," he commented quietly, as she drew out and opened a potion.

She hid her flush of pride at the compliment behind the bottle, making sure to down the whole thing as quickly as she could. When it was finished—and her expression was back under her control—she started to reply, only to be saved the necessity of by a glimpse of the horse's HP bar. "We're about to hit a state change!" she called out over the din of multiple Sword Skills going off at once. "A and B, watch for any tricks; mob control, watch for respawns!"

A few moments later, with a final Savage Fulcrum from Lind, the horse made one last cry of agony. It reared up, sending Amon flying, froze in place for a split second—and shattered into a million azure fragments.

As predicted, Asuna could hear the sound of fresh mobs spawning at the edges of the room. Those, though, she knew she could leave to the other teams; her eyes were on The Phantom Tyrant, who'd managed to land in a controlled crouch. Coming to his feet, Amon looked at the Swordmasters who'd killed his mount… and smiled.

Still following the pattern the scouts reported, she told herself. This is just regular programming. He's not like Kizmel-chan…

"A and B, with me!" she called out, loud but calm. "He's only down by half, don't let your guard down yet!"

---

The heavy blade hit her left flank hard enough to make her stumble a couple of steps to one side as it passed, but Kizmel only paused to recover her footing before lunging at the Black Knight who'd thrown it. This was the seventh she'd engaged since the battle began; by now, she was beginning to get used to the lack of pain even from heavy impacts.

No pain, no fatigue, she thought, carving an Uppercut through the Knight's chest armor. Off-balance, it clattered back a pace, giving Lowbacca the chance to smash his axe into its spine. So this is how the Swordmasters have accomplished to much, despite having come to this world unprepared…

Kirito blurred past her, ripping the Baneblade down through the Black Knight's left shoulder with a Sonic Leap. His new blade conferred no special strength against mere mobs, but it was nonetheless a quality weapon in its own right; despite its decrepit appearance, its blow took the Knight's "HP" down to the red. "Kizmel, Switch!"

The elf didn't need the call, already in motion again. Darting in on her partner's right, her Eldhi Arc glowed a deep crimson as it mirrored the line of Kirito's cut, then came back around and traced the path that Sonic Leap had taken.

With a guttural cry, the Black Knight shattered, and Kizmel whirled to confront her next foe.

Vitality expressed as numbers. At first it was so confusing, but now… In a world like the tales say our people lived in before the Great Separation, it would've made no sense, yet when one can keep fighting until the last of one's life is extinguished, it has a terrible simplicity.

It was disturbing, thinking of life itself in terms of mere numbers, but in combat Kizmel could see the cold logic. No wonder even those who'd been untrained civilians a year before could direct battles like hardened veterans.

Although, she thought, risking a glance at Team A as she ducked under the next Black Knight's sword, there are some here who I have no doubt simply have natural talent. Here or in any other world, some of them would thrive.

Directing the flow of battle while dancing among the blades herself, to Kizmel's eyes Asuna was not a student thrown unexpectedly into a life and death struggle, but a born leader and swordswoman who had only needed to find the world in which her talents could be expressed.

There were others she saw like that, as she moved among the blades of the remaining Black Knights to disarm and destroy them. Her own partner, as she knew well; also a blonde solo with a strange, ridge-backed short sword she could see with another of the parties, who'd managed to trap a Black Knight's lighter sword in one of those ridges. An older man she didn't recognize took the opening in an instant, hacking the Knight's head clean off with a heavy greatsword.

Sachi, too, Kizmel mused, driving her saber into the throat of her own foe. Her own fear held her back, nothing more—ah! Spinning away as soon as her latest skill had released her, she almost avoided the blow the last of the current trio of Knights had aimed at her leg. "Almost" wasn't quite good enough, though, and the impact stole her balance entirely.

"Kizmel!" Even as she spun to the floor, she caught a glimpse of Kirito driving the Baneblade into the offender's shoulder, leaving the other to be finished by three irate merchants. Driving it back, he continued, "Are you alright?!"

"It's nothing," she called back. "I just—need a moment to find my bearings." Now that she had the privileges of a Swordmaster, she might no longer have felt pain, but Kizmel had just discovered being knocked to the floor was still disorienting. Despite her best efforts, it took a few moments before she could gain purchase to push herself back to her feet.

When she did, it was just in time to notice that Amon's final HP bar was nearing critical—and see a wild grin appear on his face. An icy chill ran down Kizmel's spine at the sight, and without thinking she yelled out, "Asuna! Something's about to happen!"

"Everyone, guard!" Asuna snapped at once, leaping back a step to shelter behind Heathcliff. "I think there's about to be a state—"

Amon flung his shield to one side, letting out a deep, booming laugh at the same time. Gripping his sword in both hands, he brought it to his shoulder, where it began to glow with the telltale light of a Sword Skill; then, despite no players being within the weapon's reach, he swung it in a wide arc—sending out a broad wave of brilliant spheres along the blade's arc.

Tanks like Liten, Hafner, and Heathcliff withstood the unexpected attack well enough, as did those who'd managed to get behind them. Kizmel, with a lighter shield, stumbled back a couple of steps, but held her footing; next to her, Kirito started the Baneblade whirling in his hand, defending himself with the Spinning Shield skill.

Some of the lighter Swordmasters, such as Lind, were thrown completely off their feet. Which, Kizmel knew, would've been hazardous enough with the surprising change in Amon's tactics. Making it worse in this case was that, as soon as the attack was past, the edges of the chamber flared with the arrival of a dozen fresh Black Knights, many of them close to the fallen Swordmasters.

At the same time, Amon himself leapt back to the far end of the room, where he watched the scene and laughed.

Kizmel could see in Kirito's eyes what he was thinking. Only the tanks and a few lucky ones like themselves were still on their feet at all; over half the raid group was prone, as disoriented as she'd been earlier and worse-injured, and at least ten of them were under imminent threat from the newly-arrived Black Knights.

Two of them, at most, the pair of them could reach in time. The rest…

"Everyone still on their feet, help the fallen!" Asuna shouted over the din. "Then pull back and heal! Leader—"

As unflappable as ever, the red-garbed knight Heathcliff simply nodded. "Of course, Vice-Commander." Leaving his shield planted firmly between him and Amon, he held out his blade in a position Kizmel didn't recognize, but which did start the weapon gleaming with a golden light.

Then, just as the blonde girl Kizmel had noticed earlier was about to take a Black Knight's sword to the neck, Heathcliff swung his directly over his head with a shout, pointing it to the ceiling. The brilliant flash that filled the room suddenly gave Kizmel a clue about the "unique skill" Argo had hinted at a week and many battles ago.

The light was brilliant to her eyes, at least. To the Black Knights, it was apparently blinding; as one, the new arrivals stumbled back, shielding their eyes. "Now!" Asuna ordered. "Pull everyone back!"

Some of the downed players managed to haul themselves up in the opening Heathcliff's strange skill had given them, and they helped the tanks drag those who were still stunned away from the frontline. Kizmel almost moved to help herself, but Kirito gave a minute shake of his head, a frown on his face.

When he burst into sudden motion a moment later, she followed. He skidded to a halt beside Heathcliff, already starting another Spinning Shield; taking the cue, she set herself and raised her shield to widen the defense.

As Kirito had obviously realized, Amon took that moment—when the retreating fighters' backs were turned—to unleash another wave of energy spheres. Between the two with physical shields and Kirito's Weapon Defense skill, though, the attacks that might've finished off some of the wounded were deflected before they ever reached their targets.

"Ranged attacks at critical health," Asuna muttered behind them, voice taut with the iron control of someone determined not to panic. "A full twelve new adds. We need to go on the attack if we're going to give the others time to heal, but I don't know if we can defend against Amon's attacks on the move…"

"I've got an idea," Kirito told her, staring hard at Amon. "Let me lead with Kizmel, and bring a few other DPSers behind us."

When Kizmel glanced back, she saw Asuna frowning. "You can't keep up Spinning Shield while running, Kirito-kun."

"I know. But I think I know what's up with this boss." He finally turned back to look at her. "Trust me?"

That seemed to snap the KoB vice-commander's hesitation. "Right." Raising her voice, she called out, "Leader, please guard those on POT rotation. The rest of Team A, with me! Everyone else, keep the adds off us!"

Lind's head whipped around. "Vice-Commander," he began indignantly, "we should still—"

"You're half-dead," Asuna cut him off. "Heal, then—Kirito-kun, incoming!"

Amon had taken advantage of the brief conference to launch another attack—this one aimed very specifically at the three who'd thwarted him before. Kizmel and Heathcliff both readied their shields, but Kirito took a single step forward, shouted, and swung the Baneblade across the path of the attack.

With a sound not unlike that of two Sword Skills colliding, the blast of energy struck the blade, rebounded, and sailed back across the room to crash into the wall just a few paces to Amon's right.

Kirito's only response to the looks Kizmel and Asuna favored him with was a sheepish grin. "Gotta thank Argo for jogging my memory later… C'mon, let's go!"

They didn't need further encouragement. While most of the rest of the raid continued to recover their health or charged to head off the Black Knights, Kizmel, Asuna, and four other Knights of Blood followed Kirito in a dead run toward the far end of the room, where Amon still stood laughing. The Phantom Tyrant wasn't idle either, though, swinging his dark sword again and again to hurl balls of energy in their path.

Each time, Kirito swung the Baneblade, knocking them back again and again—one of them even catching Amon himself in the chin, staggering him for a few crucial seconds.

Kizmel quickly realized it wasn't quite the stunning display of precise reflexes it appeared—each time the Baneblade approached one of Amon's attacks, the blade took on a glow that reached somewhat beyond its own width—but it was still impressive. More importantly, it kept them from having to stop and guard along the way.

Kirito did miss one of them, when they were almost to the Phantom Tyrant; but while the solid impact to her chest made Kizmel stumble, she kept her footing and continued on. Just a little more, she thought, gaze focused on the gleaming red bar above Amon's head. Defeat him, and the Black Knights no longer matter!

Asuna was the first of them to reach Amon. Kirito had slowed to swat an energy burst heading for the healing players behind them, and in that opening she slipped past to drive a blinding-quick Linear into Amon's chest. Kizmel followed in her wake, putting all the energy of her charge into a Shooting Star thrust directly beneath Asuna's blow.

The other members of Asuna's team came in just behind them, tearing into the Phantom Tyrant with a flurry of Sword Skills too fast and varied for Kizmel to keep track. Amon staggered under the onslaught, his health dwindling rapidly; then, in the moment his attackers were recovering from their own skills, he let out a bark of laughter, drew back his sword, and unleashed a solid wave of golden light.

Unprepared for the wide attack, Kizmel was flung back in a tumble with the others, landing in a tangled heap with Asuna. Dazed by the impact, she heard a faint chiming noise in her head; before she could figure out what it was, though, it was drowned out by Kirito's loud battle cry.

Her partner had evidently cut himself a gap in Amon's last attack with the Baneblade, and now he came to a halt right in front of it with a stomp. At the same time the Baneblade lit up with a bright blue gleam, cleaving straight up Amon's chest armor, to the left across his collarbone, down the other side, and finally ripping to the right out through his stomach.

Amon staggered once more, and tried to retaliate with another energy attack. The blast came out just a little too slow, though; Kirito cut through most of it, only flinching slightly at the fragment that bit into his shoulder. He followed up with a Vertical Arc, the V-shaped slash crossing the red lines his Vertical Square had left behind.

Then Kizmel was back on her feet, and together with Asuna drove a matched set of Linears into Amon's gut. The Phantom Tyrant finally howled in pain with that blow, drawing the elf's attention back to his health bar—now almost empty, with a small amount of flickering red at the very end.

She exchanged a glance with Asuna, who rolled her eyes, grinned ruefully, and joined her in leaping back. "All yours, Kirito-kun!"

"It's not like I always do this on purpose, y'know!" Kirito called back. Despite the protest, though, he didn't hesitate to draw the Baneblade back to begin one last skill. Snapping it forward then, cutting through a final blast of energy from the Phantom Tyrant, he etched the inverted triangle of a Sharp Nail in deep red lines through Amon's neck and chest.

The dark knight let out a final, weak laugh. His sword dropped from his hand, and his head dropped to rest his chin on his chest.

The [Congratulations!] that appeared in the center of the chamber with Amon's shattering, along with the strange fanfare that Kizmel heard in her ears, almost didn't register. She was too busy realizing Kirito had been entirely correct at how tiring a battle could still be, even without physical exhaustion. If someone had offered her a bed then and there, she'd have taken it in a heartbeat.

"Well," Kirito managed at length, flourishing the Baneblade much more slowly than usual, "that was kind of interesting. I thought there wasn't supposed to be that kind of magic left in Aincrad?"

"Clearly the evil that has infested the castle knows things we do not," Kizmel said wearily, sheathing Eldhi Arc. She managed a smile then. "Fortunately, we had exactly what was needed to counter it, yes?"

"I am so buying the details from Argo later," Asuna said, fixing them both with a mock-glare. "I know you two have been holding out on me, if Kizmel-chan is really a Swordmaster now, too. I was hoping, but—" She broke off, eyes widening. "Kizmel-chan, your HP!"

"Eh?" Kizmel blinked. Glancing up to her left, she finally got a good look at her own health again, and her eyes widened at the sight: her own HP was in the red, the bar flashing in time with the chiming in her ear.

Hurriedly, she drew a potion from her belt and downed it. "Why didn't you pull back and heal earlier?" Kirito demanded, his face having turned distinctly pale. "If you'd taken that much damage—"

"Ah…" She blushed, embarrassment chasing back the chill of her unknowing brush with death. "Apparently, I need more practice? Truthfully I found it difficult to remember to check my 'HP bar' in the fighting, and without pain to remind me…" She coughed. "At any rate. You did strike the final blow, Kirito. Did you receive anything of note?" She still found it odd, the way killing enemies caused materials to appear directly in Swordmasters' "inventories"—and it was a much safer topic just then regardless.

From Asuna's flat stare, she suspected she wasn't off the hook yet, but it did seem to distract Kirito, whom promptly brought up his menu. "Oh, yeah. Let's see… Well, that could be handy."

With a few strokes in the air, he made a sword materialize in his hand. A weapon of the same class he always used, and more ornate than the Baneblade currently was, if probably less than what the ancient weapon would be when fully restored.

Kirito lifted it for the raid as a whole to see. "The LA Bonus this time is just an ordinary sword," he called out. "About as good as the Baneblade's regular stats, but nothing special. So unless somebody has a good objection, I'm keeping this; I could use something a little less conspicuous."

From the look of things, Lind for one would have liked to object, though Kizmel wasn't sure if that was because of the quality of the weapon or just the general situation. Either way, the DDA guildmaster stayed his tongue. It was left to Heathcliff to actually comment. "You struck the final blow, and you were one who received the drop," he said with a shrug. "Among the KoB, our policy is that those who receive drops keep them."

"Anyway, it's just a sword," Agil put in, resting his hands on the head of his axe. "What's there to fuss about, huh?"

"Glad everybody's in agreement." With a few more deft motions, the Baneblade disappeared from Kirito's back, leaving room for the new sword. Tension immediately flowed out of his shoulders, and he turned back to his companions. "Anything else we need to do here, or can we head up and activate the teleporter on the next floor?"

Then he yelped, as Asuna grabbed him by the arm. Kizmel let out a startled sound of her own just after, finding herself dragged with her partner toward the door behind the place where Amon had made his final stand. "We can talk on the way," the chestnut-haired girl said, in her best Vice-Commander voice. "But you're going to tell me everything you two have been up to on this floor—and then I'm going to buy everything you leave out from Argo!"

Kizmel's gaze met Kirito's, for once matching his look of alarm. "Ah, that's not really necessary, Asuna," she began. "There really isn't much that didn't come up at the meeting earlier—"

"I'll be the judge of that!"

---

Author's Note:

---

Some people are afraid of Friday the Thirteenth. For me, it's February. Enough said.

I'd actually hoped to trim down some of this once I'd completed the first draft—having already had to rewrite most of that huge middle scene once as it was—but in the end I couldn't seem to find anything that wasn't actually important to the points being made. Final analysis: I had too many plot threads in the arc as a whole that still needed to be resolved. Solution: don't have as many plot points in one bloody arc again!

So yeah. Minuet of Forest arc is officially finished, and I'm going to be very, very careful not to over-stuff the next one with plot threads.

Small note about this chapter: the skill "Elven Blade" is my solution to my discovery that I'd gotten the classification of Kizmel's weapon wrong all this time. I'd been assuming sabers fell under One-Handed Curved Sword, and had been using Rapier skills to fill in for the dearth of canon Curved Sword skills; an offhand reference in Progressive 4, however, revealed to me that sabers are actually classed as One-Handed Swords, like Kirito's. So, rather than rewrite bits of every single battle Kizmel's been in, I'm taking the easy way out via her unique status.

Next up will be the Christmas Blues arc, which has only one plot thread of its own—some ongoing threads will of course be involved as well, but carefully—and will bring back everyone's favorite Red Samurai and give him a more prominent role than when last seen. Not to mention the resident Woobie of the story. 'Bout time Klein and Sachi got more screen-time, yes?

In the meantime, lemme know if wrapping up dangling plot threads was a good enough reason for this chapter to exist at all, or if it was just pointless filler. 'Til then, comrades. -Solid