"Well, well...you were every bit the berserker I expected." That comes from the tiger-man, Otto, as he and his three companions sit at the side of the road. The tiger, the monkey, the raccoon, and the dog person now seen as a fox are tied at the ankles with Needy's rope.
Kirito and Koharu remain armed. Kirito stands in front of them while Koharu fiddles with her dagger behind the tied quartet. "How was that fighting 'berserk'?" Kirito grunts in response. "That was totally clever, ingenious combat."
"Whatever you say," Ralcas the raccoon chirps. "Normally, in a three-on-two fight, you'd at least consider a strategy. You've gotta be crazy to start running even faster into combat."
"Euuugh... This gross taste just won't go away... Eww, what kind of magic was that?"
"We have experience in not running from an insane amount of danger. And here you go, Azuki." Koharu takes a pot of water from her inventory and hands it to the fox, revealed to be a female based off her voice when she introduced herself. She's still gagging from Kirito's Rotten Shot to the face. She glances skeptically at the pot, then at Koharu. "Don't worry, it's water."
"So...is anyone going to tell us why you were trying to kidnap her?"
Masaru looks behind Kirito to Asuna, Yui, Kuro and Aga. The animals have been treated with salve for their burns, thanks to Asuna's Pharmaceutical skill, and potions for their HP. They glare back at the monkey, ready to rip it apart in revenge. "Let's see, where to begin... We reached the second tier in the morning two days ago, half a day after Asuka. But they're in a freezing region of ice and snow, where they have to deal with cold, while we're in a forest zone with ample water, food, and natural resources, so we should have been able to catch up quickly. We sent an advance team of five parties, totaling forty in all, to clear the first six or so miles, and found a clearing with a fresh spring of water, so we decided to use that as a resupply base."
"Hold on. If there are forty in your scouting party, how many people in the AD faction have actually reached the second tier?"
Masaru glances at Otto before answering. "I'll answer your question, but I have no evidence to back it up."
"We'll decide whether it's true or not."
"...About two hundred. Of course, not all of them are diving at the exact same time."
Koharu and Kirito share a stunned glance. Only nineteen ALO players have reached the second level — granted they just got here — but two hundred AD players in two days? Either that's a bluff or the people of Apocalyptic Date are more united than she suspected.
"I do not think he is lying?" Yui informs, which says a lot if she's reading his voice and emotion patterns as her abilities as a Mental Health Counseling Program gives her. Trusting her niece's instinct, Koharu nods to Kirito, and he turns his attention back to Yui.
"I see. In that case, I'll trust you on it."
"Also, although it is not foolproof, there is a way to test the hypothesis."
"Oh? H-how?"
"If we have Masaru open his menu, we can check the number of people registered in his friends list."
"Ah...yes, that makes sense..." Without behind ordered, Masaru opens up his menu and hits the COMMUNICATION option. Over his shoulder, Koharu can see the number 218 in the upper right portion of the list.
"He's telling the truth. You can keep talking"
"Glad to hear it... So in order to build a base in the clearing in the forest, we started cutting down trees. There wasn't enough empty space there, and there were tons of valuable-looking conifers right around the clearing. And since we have tons of really strong therians like Otto over there, we quickly—"
"What's a therian?"
"Oh, it's short for therianthrope. It's what all the animal-people in AD are called."
"Ahhh, I see. Carry on."
"...So we cut down five or six of those conifers, and we were about to start lumbering the wood to use—when all of a sudden, about twenty NPCs pop out of the woods and start firing arrows at us. Man, they hurt bad..."
"No exaggeration, they hit us a hundred percent of the time," Otto adds while his huge body shivers in place. "It's a miracle nobody died—thanks to Casper's quick order to retreat."
"So we ran away at the time, but the NPCs just kept chasing us. We ended up having to retreat, like, four miles. They only stopped pursuing once we left the forest, so we camped there, then set up a team of eight of our best stealth therians to make a recon party. Azuki and I were part of that." Masaru turns to Azuki, free of the aftertaste of Kirito's Rotten Shot.
"It was Masaru and me and a weasel, a mongoose, an ocelot—all people who are good at sneaking. Everyone had the Swiftness ability tree, with skills like Hiding and Acrobat, so we assumed that no enemy was going to spot us, no matter who they were. In fact, we got back to the original clearing without any trouble, and from there we went hardcore ninja-mode and searched real carefully for the enemy base. But..." Azuki lowers her snout, disappointed by whatever she was going to say. Masaru, however, speaks with frustration in his voice.
"...We had moved about three hundred yards farther into the forest. Once again, the same NPCs totally surrounded us, without any of us knowing. They pulled their bows on us and said something, but nobody knew what it was...I was so sure that we were dead, and then Mageshima, the mongoose, used Smoke Breath..."
"Wh-what's Smoke Breath?"
"Kirito, we don't need to know that, and it's obvious what it is, a skill from AD," Koharu scolds. Kirito makes an apologetic smile, and gestures for Masura to continue.
We made a plan ahead of time that if Mageshima breathed smoke, we would all run immediately, so I ran like my life depended on it. Arrows were shooting left and right, so I was zigzagging for all I was worth, finally got free of them, and went back to the fallout spot we agreed on...and only five of the eight made it back."
"...Did the other three die?"
"Nope. Mageshima, Katoko, and Schwein got captured by the enemy."
"..."
"Speaking of capturing, what does any of this have to do with capturing the girl?"
Sensing that Koharu was getting very annoyed with the topic at hand, Masaru continues, "We can't just give up on them. But we can't fight the guys in the forest, even with all two hundred of us. The only thing we can do is barter...But as I'm sure you guys know, if you haven't learned the right language skill, you can't even tell what the NPCs are saying. The only way to earn the skill is by patiently speaking with those NPCs, but these guys attack as soon as they see us. We set up a hostile situation with our first interaction, and now our bartering method's been cut off at the knees."
"Yeah, but we didn't even have a chance to be hostile to them!" Ralcas protests. "They just started shooting arrows for doing nothing more than building our base in peace! I mean, I know most of the NPCs here are hostile, but what they did just ain't fair!"
"If that's what you wanna argue, nothing in UR is fair," Otto emphasizes. Koharu silently agrees, but considering these are their enemies, she's not in the mood for getting immersed in their story.
"...I've got my own ideas about why they attacked us first...but we can discuss that later. but we can discuss that later." Turning to Yui, he says, "It's impossible to rescue them with force. Peaceful negotiation is also impossible...so the only option left is some kind of backdoor cheat, we decided. For the past two days, we've been gathering intel like crazy. As part of that process, some of our members with dormant side accounts converted their characters to a few of the big games...and someone who snuck into the starting area of ALO came back with something really interesting. They said that the famous Black Swordsman and his allies had built a huge base just before the entrance to the second tier and had two different kinds of NPCs living there. It's really hard to make friendly relations with NPCs as it is, but to have two kinds of NPCs moving in with you? That's remarkable. We sent several more people into the Stiss Ruins, and one of them was lucky enough to hitch a ride with a caravan that was going to Kirito's town...Ruis na Ríg."
That confirms Friscoll's rumor about Asuka and AD spies infiltrating the Stiss Ruins, now extending to Ruis na Rig. Who'd thought he would be right?
"When they got to Ruis na Ríg and started asking around there, they found out that Kirito was friends with a couple of intriguing players. All of them were girls that could communicate freely with all NPCs, and maybe they were the ones who convinced the NPCs to come to Ruis na Ríg...If that were even possible, there could only be one reason why. She inherited some kind of language-type skill, didn't she? Something that allows her to speak with all species...If that skill works on the UR NPCs, too, then maybe she can communicate with the people who took our folks."
Yui wasn't their direct target, then. Strea, Lievre, and Rei also have the high language skill. Maybe it is providence that it's Yui who was captured, because if Strea or Rei were taken by the animal-people, there'd be hell on earth whenever Jaymes came back online.
"Now do you understand why we were trying to abduct her?" Masura asks.
"Then why didn't you seek us out to hire us on peaceful terms?" yui inquires, stunning Masaru.
"If we had asked, would you have actually accepted?" Otto responds with raised hands.
"Of course!" That's what Yui says, but Koharu can read Asuna and Kirito's face. She might be fine with it, but they're not on the same page, and Koharu agrees. If it is dangerous for players to approach these NPCs, then there's no way they'll subject Yui to danger first. As for Strea, Rei, or Lievre, who can defend themselves better than Yui can, Koharu wouldn't offer their services. Only Jaymes and Kureha can do that for the Arfa-Sys, and Strea usually follows the suggestions of Jaymes, Rain, and Philia before anyone else.
"Don't go thinking you can actually hire her for the mission, just because she's saying this now," Kirito growls. "As for the other girls, be glad it is Yui who you captured, and it is I who chased you. If you know all that information about Ruis na Rig, then you know that the leader of Crimson Squad and his people are with us." Masaru and his companions' face seem to pale in the moonlight, meaning that team's reputation has truly spread to games Jaymes hasn't touched.
"One more question," Koharu begets as she walks to Kirito's side. "Who are these NPCs?"
"Oh, I didn't mention? They're elves...and their skin is brown, so I guess they'd be dark elves."
"Dark...elves," Kirito murmurs skeptically.
"Like I said earlier, we couldn;t understand a word, but there was one thing we could make out...their title or their nation or something like that. I think it was...Lusula? Bysula? Something like that?"
"...N-no way!" Koharu drops her dagger, taking a step back in shock. Kirito's jaw partially unhinges in surprise, and she even hears a gasp from Asuna. All three trade a single thought as they ee one another, then Kirito asks his next question very slowly.
"Do... Do you mean Lysula?"
Thirty minutes later, they returned to the rest of their team and told the entire story. When Kirito revealed that they had decided to help Apocalyptic Date, it was met with reasonable backfire from the others. Koharu herself was against it as well, but as Kirito explained, the reason they made a pending agreement with AD was to investigate the NPCs - the dark-elf nation of Lysula, a faction the three of them and Jaymes are familiar with from Sword Art Online.
For seven of the first ten floors, the four of them were part of a lengthy, multi-floor quest called the Elf War Campaign. They had a choice between two factions, the Lysulans and the forest elf nation of Kales'Oh, and would side with that faction for the entirety of the quest in a bid to find six keys to either return Aincrad to the ground (the forest elves' plan) or keep it afloat (the dark elves).
To Leafa, Lisbeth, and the others who joined Kirito, Asuna, and Jaymes earlier in the year, the story is similar to the unfinished main quest of Sword Art: Origins, in which Tia and Premiere were to be twin priestesses who would have players collect six stones and usher in a grand change across Ainground. Due to the original Cardinal System's autonomous actions, that resulted in the formation of Aincrad within that game, though it is unknown whether the developers intended for that to happen in the first place.
Only Argo understood what they were truly doing; after all, she's the only person from SAO who personally joined them at times during the campaign. She knew Kirito and the two girls were looking for their connection to the Lysulans. And if that connection, unlikely as it is, can contribute to their advancement to the third level. If anything, it didn't matter whether the elves remained hostile to AD or not; as long as they benefited, it was worth the risk.
Before the meeting ended, Zeliska only added one condition: Whether it is beneficial or not, she and her squadron won't support a move like that unless Jaymes himself supports it and she hears it from him.
After that, they crossed the river on Aga's back one by one to the ruins and set up camp. Another break was suggested, and Koharu took it by sitting next to Asuna and Yui. Feeling a little tired, Koharu decided to shut her eyes for a bit, trying not to fall into a deep sleep in case the system logs her out.
It didn't last long. As soon as she feels herself drifting off, she hears Kirito's voice calling to her."...Asuna, Koharu, we have to go."
"Huh? What's up?"
"Alice called. She says something is happening in the Underworld. Something about 'protecting the cathedral' and 'an attack on the princess'. Jaymes and Kureha are getting prepared as we speak. Oh, and Jaymes says to call him now, Koharu."
Koharu didn't say another word. With a nod, she opened her ring menu and logged out in a hurry. Ripping the Amusphere off her head, she grabs her phone on the nightstand and quickly calls Joshua.
He picks up almost immediately."Koharu! Good, Kirito got to you. Listen, Kikouka told me you received a package from him not too long ago, correct?"
Koharu looks to a corner of her room where two huge cardboard boxes lay. They've been there for two months since Koharu moved into her apartment with her younger brother. Kikuoka told her not to open it "until the time is right." She didn't know what that meant, but she can assume that moment has come. "Yes, he did. Why? Does this have to do with why Kirito, Asuna, and I had to leave Unital Ring in a hurry?"
"Yes it does. But before that, I need to ask a favor from you personally, Not as your partner or as your boyfriend. Not even because it's Alice's home or it's a research project for my family. I want to ask you simply as me. Once we're down in the Underworld and things have calmed, I'll tell you the truth. Maybe then I'll beg for forgiveness."
Koharu straightens up. Joshua has only spoken this direct to her a few times in their SAO days and maybe once or twice since they reunited. It comes only when he's completely serious. There's none of the sarcasm she's familiar with in his voice. She doesn't have to see it, but she knows there's no trace of his usual humor in his eyes. It's like she's a queen, and he's a commoner, bowing at her feet as he makes his plea to her.
"...Joshua. No matter what, I'm always by your side. That has been as such since day one. It will be that way forever, no matter what... Unless you got some reason you are asking me in this manner that will anger me?"
"...Maybe. But in my defense, it happened while I was in the Underworld, and since Momiji knew about it, Asuna knows now, and neither has killed me, I think I'll be fine. Plus, you deserve to know this going forward if we're to be together."
"Okay. What is it?"
"Koharu Honda... I need your help to save not just the Underworld but some people more...personal to me. A descendant of a very close friend in my past, a couple of those descendants of people I knew... There's Eydis, who is afflicted with a poison that we have no cure for yet, and there's...the princess of the Dark Territory... My daughter, Sylvie..."
And that's the end of Rebellion in the Underworld. Thank you all for reading.