Dungeon Oratoria Online

by asdf1asdf1

DOO is the first game to be created in a long awaited category, a VRMMORPG. Follow Kirito and co as they seek to clear out the depths of the dungeon located beneath the city Orario. However, this game is no mere entertainment, it's a real world, where death in the dungeon means death for your body. The only way they can escape the game is to clear the bottom floor of the dungeon.

19. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – Matters of the Heart

Third floor of the dungeon:

Kirito watched a person silently from the edge of the corridor. He'd be seen if the person turned around, but Kirito doubted he would. The target of his gaze stood in place, one hand on the long sheath at his waist and another on the blade's hilt.

The long blade was very similar to the one his sister preferred to fight with. It was possible they were made by the same blacksmith. That would have a certain charm to it. Two people he'd failed wielding twin weapons.

"Kruu!"

The cry came from the dungeon's weakest inhabitant, a goblin. The monster looked lethargic to Kirito's level two eyes. No doubt the swordsman felt the same way as he maintained his stance. Red hair pulled back by a bandana his eyes stared straight forward. Holding the powerful stance, he was moments from bursting into action.

"Gra!" Trying to swipe at the swordsman, the goblin raised its arm then brought it back down again. There was nothing left for it to hit.

Five feet behind it, the swordsman elegantly swept the blood off his sword and sheathed it.

Klein.

He didn't look at the goblin as it broke apart into ash. Stone split and no drop item. A perfect disposal. Kirito couldn't help but feel some admiration at how far the man had come since that first day. From rushing into the dungeon unprepared to practicing advanced techniques alone at night.

"That was quite the move." Stepping forward into the corridor, Kirito spoke as to not spook the older man.

"Ah!"

Letting out a surprised cry, Klein stumbled as he turned around. The long sheath of his blade getting caught in his legs and bringing him down to the floor. All the grace from earlier fleeing.

"Kirito! Wait… You were watching?"

Nodding sheepishly, the black-haired boy scratched his head instead of replying.

"How did you find me?" Klein demanded. "Not even my familia knows that I do this."

Kirito chuckled a little at the man's disgruntled expression. His stubble and baggy eyes giving the appearance of a rogue ronin rather than a proper samurai. Thinking about it though, Kirito had to admit his actions looked suspect. Tracking him down in the dungeon when he's by himself. More than that, during a time no one knows where he is.

"I bought information on when you'd be alone."

"Why?" Klein asks suspiciously, a desire to trust Kirito in his eyes. "You could have sent a message to meet privately."

"I didn't want anyone else to find about this." Pulling a bag from underneath his cloak, Kirito lobs the heavy sack towards Klein. Landing roughly on the rock, a distinctive clinking noise gives away its contents.

"Money?" Taking a look into the bag, Klein begins to stutter. "T-these are 10,000 Vali coins. There must be…"

"A million valis in there." Kirito finishes, a ghost of a smile pulling at his lips. "The price of the golden egg."

"Golden…? Oh, that." Voice falling flat, Klein is clearly remembering bad memories. "But I can't take this from you. You didn't steal that from us."

"No, I didn't." Kirito agrees. "However, the thief that did wants to apologize. Enjoy." Waving one hand, Kirito turns to leave.

"Wait!" Klein shouts at the disappearing back that doesn't slow. "Don't tell anyone about my practice!"

The yell echoes down the empty corridors of the third floor. Besides the cries of monsters, no one replies.

---

Leafa:

"Wow, you've really gotten stronger!" Hestia congratulates me as she updates my status. "Only a couple weeks in and you've reached D."

"Thank you." Murmuring in embarrassment, my eyes flick to the door of the washroom where Kirito is getting ready for the day. Shirt tossed aside, I lay half-naked on the bed as Hestia updates Silica and I's statuses. Even though Silica went before me, and it's been quite some time as a sleepy Hestia carefully transcribes the numbers, Kirito won't come out. Not until he's told to.

Part of me wonders what I'd do if he came out. It's not like he'd see anything. Some of the Amazonian adventurers I see around wear what I am right now. And yet… I don't think I could do it.

"Is something…" Trailing off, Hestia no doubt follows my gaze to the bathroom and puts my thought together.

"Ow!" I complain. A sharp pain coming the canter of my back.

"No immoral thoughts!" Hestia berates me. "You're a good thousand years too young!"

"Why are there virgin goddesses?" Silica suddenly asks.

Thoughts of Kirito driven away, I flip my head the other way to stare at the young girl in disbelief. If anyone is too young to say that so casually, it's Silica. The catgirl, with her hair tied up in its distinctive pigtails looks incredibly innocent. Her eyes though, no longer fit the picture. Ever since helping Lili, she seems to alternate between serious and sad. That youthful sparkle from the beginning showing up less and less.

"I don't understand the question…" Hestia responds faintly.

"Well, the way I see it, is that you should be convincing people to make more children, right? Being a virgin prevents that."

"S-Silica?" I stutter. When did she become the more mature one?

"Why do you think we want more children?" Hestia replies calmly. Sometimes she does this. Rather than blush and act like a child, she'll show the face of a goddess.

"More people to fight in the dungeon," Silica responds instantly.

"More adventurers won't solve anything," Hestia murmurs her voice sad. "Nowadays it's quality over quantity. Rakia could march their entire army into the dungeon, and they'd die before reaching the deep floors."

After Hestia's voice fades, Silica falls silent as well. Maybe pondering the revelations in Hestia's words. I find myself with a question. "Why did you swear off love?"

"I didn't."

"Huh?" gasping in disbelief, I turn around to look at her as she gets off my back. Walking calmly to the closet, she dons her white gloves that she wears almost everyday.

"My friend Artemis swore off love," Hestia explains, "I, however, simply never met the right person."

Following Hestia's eyes to the bathroom, I can conjecture the two words that she left out. Until now. Biting my lip, I almost feel bad for her. To wait thousands of years to find someone she likes, only for that person's attention to be hotly contested. Perhaps more importantly, is that person is trying to escape your world, never to return.

Maybe that's why Hestia's eyes have had a sad look in them recently. Does she feel like it's impossible for her? That's how I feel.

Breaths mingling as our foreheads touch.

Gritting my teeth, I push it away. Besides that one day, Kirito and I have spent next to no time together.

"Are you going to put your shirt back on so we can let Kirito out?" Hestia asks. "Or do you not care?"

Blushing, I throw my shirt on and head for the packed closet as Hestia finishes with it. In the kitchen, Silica is finishing donning her armour as Kirito exits the bathroom. His face looks composed, its impossible for me to tell how much of our conversation he heard.

"Will you update my status quickly Goddess."

"Of course," Hestia smiles at him, sliding the gloves back off again.

As Kirito doffs his shirt, I can't help but stare. I can tell I'm not the only either. To be honest, it's hard to blame them. His loose clothing covers well the evidence of his hard work. He'd never been overweight, or even chubby, his metabolism kept him thin. However, he never really had any muscle to accompany him. Now, each muscle group is clearly defined, like a work of art. Abdominal muscles crest and fall into six defined sections. As he lifts his arms above his head, his back muscles flex. Thin and lithe, they aren't the hard, bulky muscles that people back home desire. This is a warrior's body, built for both speed and power.

"Hehe, I always enjoy this part." Hestia smirks, hands twitching towards Kirito's back.

Taking a step forward to stop her, I hold myself back with a grimace. Hestia's hands spend an unnecessarily long time tracing the outlines of the status she engraved on his back. Growling to myself, I force myself away and don the rest of my armour quickly.

When choosing a style, I noticed that all of us have taken after Kirito. Not a piece of heavy armour between the three of us. Pulling a leather studded jerkin over my head, even that feels heavier than I'd like. Despite its extra weight, the armour has already proven invaluable in blocking attacks. Pulling on a pair of new greaves and gauntlets, the steel shimmers in the poorly lit room. Silica is wearing even less than I.

She only wears a chest protector and greaves for metal. Claims that gauntlets slow down her strikes. At least she wears full leather. The formfitting outfit was custom ordered the day Lili left. This would only be her second day in it, and by the smile on her face, I can tell how well Goibniu familia did with it. When she is dressed like this, a bit of that innocent girl look fades away, in it's place an agile cat thief. Or maybe assassin? I'm still unsure about her place within our party. Even Silica herself seems uncertain. We haven't had another day with Kirito in the dungeon, so he's been unavailable to offer suggestions. At the moment though, every day I wait for her announcement of switching to a full-time supporter. I'm surprised she hasn't done it already.

"Thank you for waiting," Kirito says, interrupting my internal contemplation.

Looking back at him, I feel a flash of disappointment as I realize he's already dressed again.

Silica shrugs, "we go to the dungeon together. That's what a familia does."

"True," Kirito agrees. The smile on his face not reaching his eyes. I can almost feel the pull of the force in the closet. Almost all the money minus the amount for our armour and the million that Lili wanted returned is there. As we continue to bring back money from the dungeon, the pile only grows. It's become a source of worry for all of us. A fantastic pool of wealth that makes it hard to stop Hestia from splurging on unnecessary things.

"Actually," Kirito speaks slowly, clearly uncomfortable with what he wants to say. I smile lightly at him, seeing through all of his individual quirks. The scratching of the head, the darting eyes. "I won't be accompanying you to the dungeon in the morning… after today, of course."

Shocked, I'm unable to reply.

"Why not?" Silica gasps, questioning him in my place.

"Bye, have fun in the dungeon!" Running up and out of the house, Hestia leaves for work at the potato stand. Drawing a brief ceasefire, we bid her goodbye.

"Maybe we should walk and talk?" I suggest. If this is really to be our last time walking this way together, I don't want to ruin it by being upset. I have little say in the matter however as Kirito nods his agreement. We're going to be late to meet up with our respective party members. Taking one last forlorn glance at my status sheet, I'll have to look at it later. For now, I have a far bigger problem in the form of a stubborn big brother.

---

Silica:

Don't want to inconvenience you.

My dagger in the head of a killer ant kills it instantly.

I'll still see you at the meeting point.

Pulling it out, I throw it at the purple moth approaching. Splitting the magic stone, it dies before it can poison us.

Things I need to do most mornings.

Ripping the shortsword out of its sheath I tear into the pack of enhanced goblins. The creatures green skin casting a sickly glow over the rocky hallway. Without mercy, I kill them. The three creatures ended in as many slashes of my blade.

With a slight silver shine, it sparkles in my hand. It's stronger than my knives, yet I don't feel as comfortable with it. In fact, staring at the 50,000 vali blade sends roaring flames of anger coursing through me. Although I just finished fighting, I want more monsters to kill. An excuse to lash out and attack.

Kirito's excuses continue to circle around in my head. It's clear that he's hiding something. The real question is what. The only good thing about the conversation was to tell us that we could accompany him into the dungeon tomorrow if we wanted. He was taking his blacksmith there and thought we may be able to keep up.

May be able.

Now, however, the blatant disregard for my abilities is clear. Teeth grinding together, I don't bother extracting stones. A couple swipes of my blade turn the monsters to ash.

"W-what was that?" Nautilus' unsteady, no, weak voice only incenses my anger. I can't believe I once thought of him and Yuna as a sort of fill-in parents. It seems so stupid now, so naïve.

At least I was happy then.

Kirito's words this morning had simply been the final straw in a slowly building pile that Lili showed me was there. I still don't know what I want. That more than anything, is what's bothering me.

Stupid, childish.

Even as I curse at myself, it doesn't help. Kirito said he'd take me with him to the middle floors if I wanted to be a full-time supporter. Yet, here I am, hesitating. Torn.

I can't help but think about Lili. The girl who fell to thievery as a way to get back at the adventurers who had made her life a living hell. She fought so hard for her freedom and seized the opportunity with both hands.

What have I done?

I'd always been free. Joining Hestia familia had simply made me happy. Now, with infinite paths ahead of me, I can't choose. I know I'm worrying the others. Kirito has gently prodded me multiple times in the past few days. But how am I going to decide?

"Hey Silica. You doing alright?"

Leafa's voice mirrors my own thoughts. A deep chord of confusion resonates through it. Nonetheless, she still came over here to try and console me. Feeling a little bit of the day's frustration flow away, I nod. "Just confused I guess."

"You aren't the only one," she sighs in answer. "I can still barely believe this world. I've been here not quite three weeks, and yet at the same time, it feels like forever."

"What do you mean?" I figured that she'd complain about Kirito's words from this morning. Walking beside each other, we took turns extracting stones and throwing them in our bag. Down the hallway, Yuna and Nautilus were doing the same thing to a group of monsters they'd fought.

"I… I guess what I'm trying to say is that I came into this world with such fixed expectations, sure of what I'd find. Confident that I could rescue my brother from it. Now…"

"You don't know what you want?" I finish for her.

"No."

"What?" Confused, I look at her sideways.

"I know exactly what I want. I just don't think I deserve it. Or that I'm brave enough to try. Is it worth the attempt…?"

Sitting there gawking at her, I finally understand the rift between us. Why Leafa is able to continue moving forward, improving at a steady rate. Why I fell behind and can't catch up. Where I waver, she's confident. That gives her the edge over me. Regardless, she's still hesitant. Like me.

"I think…" I speak softly, my words only for Leafa as the other two approach, "that you should pursue your goal full steam ahead. How many other chances do you get to live in another world?"

"I…" Leafa gives me a strange look as our conversation becomes public. "I'm surprised you'd say that. I thought… never mind, thank you Silica."

"What's happening?" Nautilus asks as he walks up.

"Nothing!" Leafa replies, her frantic high-pitched voice highlighting the lie.

"…Alright?"

"Oh, leave them alone Eiji," Yuna says, "I'm sure it was just girl talk."

"G-girl talk!?"

"Leafa…" I sigh for the girl. How did our conversation make her so uncomfortable? Looking at her I can't help but feel like we were talking about different things by the end of it.

"Well, shall we keep going?" Yuna asks brightly. She's started to regain some of the energy that she used to have. Before… Even now I can tell something's changed between Nautilus and her. A fear? Maybe it's just appreciation.

As always, as my mind starts to wander, it comes back to myself. "Yes, let's keep going." I need more monsters to kill. It will take my mind off my decision for a little while longer.

---

Kirito:

Knees bent; I stare into the inky blackness. The hole leads to the sixteenth floor. The primary trap in the middle floors. Flicking a rock with my finger, it bounces over the edge, dropping into the invisible abyss. It's unlikely to be very deep, yet the tunnel between floors lacks illumination.

The two others in my party stay well back. Having fallen into one of these, I can understand their fear. However, I feel the exact opposite. A desire to jump in. To test myself against the monsters that guard the end of this section of floors. Minotaurs.

Sighing, I stand up and stretch. Walking away from the hole, I rejoin Philia and Rain. It's better if I don't give in to my impulses of stupidity. I thought as my status went up, I'd get a better control over them. I have so many people relying on me that I can't afford to get myself killed off doing stupid things. Unfortunately, they seem to be getting stronger.

A desire to prove myself?

Dangerous thoughts. Better to shove those down. Even though I'd already done something similar in ditching my familia members. Wincing, I recall the expressions of betrayal on Silica's and Leafa's faces as I told my plan. I can't even pretend it's for a good cause. It's a selfish desire to get more training done in the dungeon. Training when no one else is likely to be walking the halls. I've spent too long being indecisive.

"What's with that face?" Rain inquires. "You don't seem to be the person to do deep thinking."

"Hey!" I protest weakly to the insult.

"Oh please," Philia snorts, "he's just thinking about what he wants for supper."

"That's not…" Sighing, I join them on the ground. Most days they'd be right. Their good-natured teasing does make me feel better.

"You know… There's a restaurant in the south-west district I've been meaning to check out." Rain starts, her red eyes intently focused on my face. "We can go after we finish exploring if you want."

"The… three of us?"

"Uh… No. Just us. Philia has to put in a shift at the Blue Pharmacy."

Looking to Philia, she appears to not be paying attention. Her hands playing with the straps on her boots, tightening and loosening them.

"…Sure?" I accept her offer. The whole exchange was extremely awkward. Yet, at the same time, I feel my heart beating faster than normal. Am I nervous about Philia not being there? Excited? Is it a…? No, it can't be.

Clearing her throat Philia stands up. "I find myself in the mood to go kill monsters. Are you two ready?"

Feeling extremely chastised for some reason, I stand back up to follow her. It's for the best really. Even on the fifteenth floor, my growth is starting to slow down again. How long has it been since I levelled up? Five, six weeks? Something like that.

"Onwards!" Rain agrees, her voice even happier than usual.

---

Rain:

"S-so… have you heard from that supporter?"

"Not yet. Probably in another week or so…"

Once again conversation dies. A bubble of silence surrounds the two of us as we make our way through the crowded street. All around us, the street is alive. A thrum of life and society. Despite it, an awkwardness keeps us apart.

Kirito had been surprised by my request. Now though, after showering and removing our armour, he is starting to pick up on the meaning of my request. His face keeps shifting between aloofness and embarrassment. Glancing over at me again, our eyes meet for a brief second.

Yet again, he rips his vision away, choosing instead to stare at the shifting masses. As I continue to stare at him, his cheeks get redder and redder. Somehow, seeing this helps to steady my nerves.

Slowly adjusting my steps, the distance between us shrinks. A foot, six inches…

"Ah! Oh, sorry…" Bumping elbows, the jumpy Kirito instantly apologizes. Moving away from me, we're back to the old separation.

No!

Screaming at him silently in my head, I can't believe how dense he is. Or he is? Feeling my stomach drop, I wonder I've been fooling myself this whole time. Does he know I'm interested in him? Is he just trying to turn me down without hurting my feelings?

"Hey, Kirito…" Stretching out a tentative hand, I grab his elbow and bring us to a stop. The people part around us without breaking stride. We've become an island in the middle of a flowing river.

"Uh, yeah, what's up Rain?"

"Are you just… protecting my feelings?" Looking at his face, I scour it for any clues as to his real feelings.

"Protecting…? No, I just… I'm nervous…" Bowing his head, he scratches his head.

An exciting thrill ripping its way through me, I want more. I won't let this elusive boy run away again.

"Don't worry, I'm nervous too." Reaching out, I grab his hand with mine and keep walking. Following along obediently, Kirito seems shocked at the physical contact.

"Is… Is this… Never mind."

"Alright!" Replying happily, Kirito catches up to me. Walking beside me, he leaves his hand linked with mine. The warm contact brings a goofy smile to my face. Flexing my fingers around his, I revel in the contact.

Quickly finding the restaurant, I pull him into it. The exterior is similar to most other buildings in this section. Everything around here is upper class. As such, the buildings here are built from quarried stone blocks. Stuck together with mortar and sanded down. Over that, an acrylic-like layer is added so that the edges are flat and seamless. Rather than being a pragmatic, adventurer's den, this building is illuminated with pale red lanterns. The walls painted with murals of fantastic creatures. Not monsters, spirits.

"What is this?" Kirito mumbles.

"Come find out," I tease him, pulling him inside.

"Oh."

Ignoring Kirito's surprise, I lead him to the front to get seated.

"Placement for two?" A human woman asks us politely. Her long black hair falls perfectly to her waist. The shimmering curtain distinctive of her heritage from the far east. Wearing a red kimono, she is seriously beautiful. Not happy about the competition, I cast a glance at Kirito to see if he's drooling at her. Instead, his eyes track around the restaurant, obviously surprised by the traditional Japanese restaurant. Far eastern, technically.

Pulling slightly on his hand, I get him moving as we follow the waitress to our spot. A secluded corner, one red lantern bathes our table in light. Kneeling down, we sit on our respective mats. Rather than chairs, we exhale in union at the traditional seating.

"I feel like I should be wearing a kimono," Kirito chuckles.

"We can always come back sometime wearing one," I suggest.

"I'd like that," he agrees. "It reminds me of home."

"I'm sure that's why it's here," I tease lightly, "the far east is quite a way away."

Rather than smiling at the joke, Kirito's face goes serious. "Do you ever think about doing that?"

"Doing what?"

"Going away," he asks, leaning forward. A strange passion burning in his black eyes. "Leaving the death in the dungeon to other people, travelling the world."

"No." I answer honestly. "I enjoy my life here. I have a familia, I have… you."

Leaning back, an expression of peace comes over Kirito's face. "That's relieving to hear. I thought maybe I was the crazy one. After all, who would enjoy getting trapped in a different world, forced to fight for your life?"

"Here's your tea. I'll be back later to take your orders." Stepping smoothly into our conversation, the waitress from before pours us a cup of green tea and leaves the pot.

Taking a drink, the familiar warm beverage warms my soul. Under it's settling effects, I feel the residual nervousness begin to fade.

"I don't think you're strange for feeling that way," I assure Kirito. "The familia's do a good job of settling people into the world I think."

"You're right," he chuckles, "as always."

"So… am I right to assume that we'll be doing this more often."

"Of cour… Actually, maybe not."

"Oh." Good feelings evaporating, I don't know what went wrong. Had I read too much into Kirito's previous words? I can't get my face to move. It's stuck into a stunned expression. At least I'm not crying.

"I'm pretty busy," Kirito admits. "My familia needs me to do things back home, plus I need to see my advisor, and my blacksmith. It's just a lot…"

"So… you want to do it again?" I ask. "You're just too busy to do it often?"

"Yes." He replies honestly. As he takes a sip of the tea however, a glimmer of indecision enters his eyes.

"What?"

"Its just… Philia seemed really upset."

Feeling guilty, I stare down at my cup. What can I say to that? She's my friend. I know she'll support me, as I'd support her, and yet… I do feel guilty. Would it be alright if she was here as well?

Shaking my head, I dismiss that line of thinking. It's pointless to follow it to completion. "Would you rather be here with her?"

"I… I think." Swallowing, a change comes over Kirito's bearing. Staring straight at me, a determination enters his bearing. "I'd rather come here with both of you."

Jaw dropping, I sputter at him. Heart beating erratically, I'm sure my cheeks are the same colour as my eyes. "Womanizer." Muttering the word, I lower my head. I can't look at him right now.

"Are you ready to order?"

"Umm… Yes." Kirito decides. Listening to the exchange, I can't raise my head. Every brain cell I possess is spent trying to deconvolute the meaning of the words. He just wants to stay friends with both of us, right? He doesn't want… I mean?

"Rain?"

Would I say no?

"Rain! What do you want?"

What would Philia think?

"Add on an order of fried rice, an unagi roll, and a soft-shell crab tempura. We'll split everything."

"Huh?" Blinking in confusion, I look up as the waitress walks away. "Did you order for me?"

"Ah, yeah, I took the liberty," Kirito answers nervously. "You were distracted, so I figured…"

"Hmm… So, you think you know me well enough to order for me?"

"That's not… I, well…"

As Kirito breaks back into stuttering again, I feel myself relax. This is normal. I can handle this interaction.

All too quickly, the food comes and attention moves to eating. There's far more than we could ever finish. In his haste to make sure I'd have something I like, there's an extra dish or two.

"Why don't you pack it up and bring it to Philia." Kirito suggests. "Tell her it's an apology that she couldn't come today and tell her that we'll make an event of it next time."

"So bold of you to ask two girls on a date at the same time," I sigh. My exasperation leaks out.

Despite clearly hearing my words, Kirito makes no indication that he did. A slight reddening of the cheeks is all the inclination that he gives. I suddenly feel the need to be anywhere that's not here. If I stay in his presence, I'm going to do something very stupid.

"T-Thank you for paying. See you tomorrow, er, I mean… Bye!"

"Bye?"

The confused word follows me as I dash out of the restaurant. Food packed into a nice convenient take home bag. The street has started to empty as night casts its shadow on Orario. We were there for a long time. Practically running along the street, I can feel Kirito's confused gaze pressing into me from the restaurant.

Entering my familia home, I finally slow to a stop, deep heaving pants shaking my frame. After a minute, my breaths calm as I stand back up. "Philia, I have food for you!"

"Philia!" Wandering the house, I can't find her. Yuna and Nautilus give me brief waves from where they sit around playing a card game. "Do you know where Philia is."

Looking at each other, they shrug. Giving up on the two of them for information, I keep searching. The house is larger than one may expect from our familia. Miach had apparently considered downsizing, but eventually decided against it. A left-over remnant from when his familia had once been a powerful force in the city.

It will be again.

Swearing myself to the long-term goal, I allow it to distract me briefly from my quest. Walking along the upstairs hallway, I strain my ears for any hint of the girl. Her room that she shares with me is empty. We certainly don't have to share, but it's fun. It also means there's less to clean.

A soft light from one of the doors notifies me of my destination. Reaching the door, I hesitantly knock. "Philia, I brought food for you."

"Go away." Her voice hiccups in the middle.

"P-Philia…" A deep fear building, I open the door. My hand flutters like a leaf as I push it open. The interior is lit only by a single magic-stone lantern. Set at the lowest setting, it's light flickers faintly through the dark room like a candle.

"Come to, hic, boast?" Philia mumbles. Taking in the interior, I find an empty bottle rolling on the ground. Another one, half full, sits in front of Philia at the desk.

"No!" I reply in horror. "I brought you food since you were working!"

"Leftovers that weren't worthy of being eaten by your highness?" Philia inquires.

Stunned, her seething tone scathes my soul. "I… No… That's not…" Stuttering random words, this isn't what I expected. My delusions about Philia happily greeting me fade away. Why would she? This is exactly what I'd do.

"The perfect Rain takes what she wants after all. Let me know when you're finished with him."

"No… Philia. You don't understand, he wants…"

"I don't understand? Of course, Philia the stupid sidekick doesn't understand anything! Stop taunting me and leave."

Glancing at the empty bottle, I see it's a rice wine. The alcohol percentage isn't low either. "You wouldn't be saying this if you were sober."

"GET OUT!"

"I'll leave the food." Dropping the bags, I hustle out and slam the door. Stumbling to the other side of the hallway, I collide with the wall and slide to the ground. Body hitching, I feel tears come. The interaction has cast a dull tone of sorrow over the entire evening. We weren't even dating. Nothing was official. And now Philia hates me. No, apparently, she always had.

Perfect Rain and her stupid sidekick.

Stumbling back to my feet, the hallways distorts through a veil of tears. Leaving tracks in my cheeks, the tears fall silently to the ground. Avoiding Yuna and Nautilus, I enter our shared room and collapse in the entranceway. The sight of her futon, separated by a mere two feet from mine induces a second breakdown. Trailing a hand over her bed, I begin bawling.

"You're so wrong Philia. I'm a failure. A failure of an idol, a failure of a sister."

Chocking up I collapse to the ground. Seeking the oblivion of sleep and some measure of release from the day.

---

Kirito:

"Good job!" Cheering on Lisbeth, I take the free moment to sort through yesterday. Dinner with Rain had gone well, I think. Despite the flashes of irritation from not knowing what she was trying to get at, she seemed happy. That's all I really wanted from it was to make her happy. Hopefully Philia wasn't too upset from not being able to join us.

It was after dinner, that the problems came. After briefly mentioning I'd eaten with Rain, the interrogation had come. All three girls surrounded me and demanded answers. I know I shouldn't have snapped at them, but why can't I get supper with my friend? That led to Silica and Leafa not coming to the dungeon with me today. Besides, it's not like it was…

"It was a date…" Wishing I could go back and hit my past self, I wonder how they picked up on that so quickly. Wait, but that would mean…

Face blanching, my words from the supper come back to me with a vengeance. Why on earth had Rain agreed? Does she…? Did I misunderstand?

"What's with that face?" Returning back to me, Liz looks at me in confusion. "I thought you were looking out for more monsters."

She has right to be upset with me. The eleventh floor is not a place to zone out. I need to stay focused here. A level one adventurer can die quickly beneath the club of an Orc. Hell, a level two adventurer can as well.

"Kirito?" She presses as I don't reply.

"Sorry, Liz, I found myself lost in my mistakes."

"Ha!" She forces a laugh, "guess you'll need to take me out to supper as an apology."

Wincing, the words hit hard.

"Wow, I didn't know the idea was so distasteful," Liz grumps.

"Sorry, it's not you, it's me." I sigh, the cliched line coming out before I can think about it.

"That sounds like you're breaking up with me," Liz teases. "Practicing for your other girlfriends?"

As I wince yet again, Liz's frown deepens.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks concerned.

"No," I deny her, sighing yet again. Rubbing a hand across my face, I focus again on the misty floor. Getting Liz to level two is my goal. "We should move onto floor twelve. It will get us more battles."

"Are you sure?" Liz inquires.

"Yes," I assure her, ignoring the double meaning of the question. "I'll fight alongside you."

"Oh ho," Liz chuckles. "The famous black knight, joining me in battle, I'm honoured."

"Don't let it go to your head," I shoot back, glad for the lighthearted banter.

"I won't," she answers, "After all, I don't want to end up with that same swell you have."

"Hey!" I protest weakly. Despite knowing it's not true, my hands unconsciously reach for my head, checking to make sure that it isn't swollen.

Making quick work of the rest of the eleventh floor, we reach the twelfth. Much like the eleventh, the floor is obscured by a mist, bit it's even deeper here. Without realizing it, Liz begins to walk closer to me. Striding through the first chamber, we reach the second, and head for a side tunnel. Other parties have established themselves along the walls, waiting for spawns. Passing by, we don't acknowledge each other in typical adventurer fashion. They tense up to see if we'll try and take their spot then relax again as we pass. Merely two groups of people trying to make a living.

"What should I do to level up?" Liz asks.

"What do you mean?"

"I…" Pausing, Liz's face scrunches up in irritation. "From what I've heard, you need to defeat something stronger than yourself to level up. But how am I supposed to that?"

"I can give some examples…" I offer hesitantly. Thinking over the scenarios I know of; I realize Liz is right to fear this. No one I know of has levelled up without coming very close to death.

"You killed an infant dragon," Liz sighs, rubbing her thumb across the head of her mace. "Something like that… well it's beyond me."

"It doesn't have to be a specific enemy or foe," I say, hoping to calm her fears. "Philia and Rain levelled up by simply surviving a floor they shouldn't have been able to."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" Liz barks. "Just survive a deadly experience? Thanks."

"Well, I do have a swollen head," I laugh.

Thankfully, it seems to calm Liz down somewhat. Casting her gaze to the side, she meets my eyes with a hesitant smile. "You know, I suddenly find I'm not worried about it. No matter how much trouble I get myself into, you'll pull me out of it."

The confidence in me tightens my stomach. A sense of uncomfortableness hearing her faith. Despite leading people into the dungeon for months now, hearing people believe in me makes me uncomfortable. Nonetheless, I try to smile warmly back at her.

"Ah… umm… enemies…" Looking away from me, her cheeks heat up for some reason.

Following her gaze, I locate the shadows that she'd seen. "Two silverbacks, five imps." I summarize quickly. "Which do you want?"

"I'll take a Silverback and the imps." Her voice breaks at the end. Glancing at her, Liz appears to be in disbelief that she just said that.

"You can do this," I assure her. "If you're in trouble I'll help. I'll also deal with any enemies that show up while we fight."

"No." Liz swallows nervously. "Only help if I'm in serious danger. I can't get better if I'm never in danger."

I nod reluctantly in agreement. The argument is too good for me to deny. She isn't a child I can babysit. I can make sure she survives, however. Dashing forward, I leave Liz behind as I head for the silverback on the far side of the imp pack. Noticing my approach too late, its errant swing passes well above my head.

Pushing my leg hard against the ground, I stop abruptly beside it. Hand on my hilt, I draw the blade and bring it down on the outstretched arm in the same motion.

As it turns and strikes with an angry roar, I'm already gone. Another slash, another missing limb. The creature howls, rage, confusion, and pain at war in the creature. As it locks eyes with me, a new emotion trumps all three, fear. Stumbling backwards, it falls over. Walking around the creature, I send it one disimpassioned glance before ending it. Shaking the blood off the blade, I turn to where Liz has just begun fighting.

Her movements have gotten a lot cleaner. She no longer relies on her gear to block blows. She uses it only when necessary, utilizing proper footwork to bring her into more advantageous positions. Against five opponents, however, footwork will only do so much.

Watching breathlessly, it's hard not to jump in when she takes one, then a second glancing blow from imp claws. Both of them ring off her armour, leaving only faint scratches. The major effect they have are psychological. Getting hit can make you lash out randomly. Abandoning technique in favour of just doing something.

Thankfully, Liz represses the urge and continues to manoeuvre her way through the battle. If she can keep the Silverback at arm's length, then she'll be able to deal with the imps first. Tapping my fingers repeatedly against my leg, I try to control my nerves. Liz is prepared for this. Her status is solid. Despite my attempts though, I fear for her. No, I'm protective of her. She's my responsibility. I don't want her to have to face true horror in the dungeon. The short blacksmith looks frail in the face of the monsters, even with her armour.

Shield raised, Liz blocks one set of claws, then steps back out of another. Using her weapon, a third is deflected. I can't deny how well she's surviving. But survival won't win this fight.

Locked onto Liz's struggle, I miss the telltale clues. The thudding of the ground that alerts people to their presence. Head whipping to the side as a shape enters my peripherals, an orc is intent on joining in against Liz.

Raising my hand, I begin to cry out, then stop myself. Preparing to dash forward, I obey her instructions and wait. Heart hammering, I can't believe I'm allowing this to happen. The only consolation I can offer myself, is that at least I'm here. If I wasn't, Liz would be in far more trouble.

Liz continues to deal with the imps, her back to the approaching orc. With all of her attention on dodging the creatures in front of her, she doesn't seem to notice the Orc. Feet slowly dragging me forward, I can't let this happen. A direct blow could kill.

Surpassing my expectations, Liz jumps backwards straight towards the approaching orc. Slightly to the side, they pass each other with inches to spare. Mace held to the side, a sickening crunch rings through the mist. Letting out a pained howl, the orc collapses to the ground, one joint shattered. Right on top of the imps.

Letting out a vicious smile at Liz's ingenuity, I watch eagerly as she continues the fight. Despite a great first blow, this is far from over. The silverback is still uninjured, and the orc is alive along with a pair of imps.

"Raa!" Releasing a war cry, Liz reverses directions and throws herself back into the confused imps. Stunned by losing a couple of their members, the two imps are caught off guard as first one, then the second falls under her mace. Huffing in exertion, Liz has evened out the numbers, but left herself in a bad spot. Standing between the silverback and the Orc, there are few options for escape.

"Groah!" Pulling back a fist, the silverback steps towards Liz intent on ending her. Beating my expectations once again, she heads straight towards the downed Orc. Jumping past its upraised arm, she tumbles over its broad shoulders. The uncaring fist of the silverback collides with the Orc's head. As it draws back the appendage, fluids drip from its hand speaking to another downed foe.

With it being a one-on-one, Liz circles away from the corpses, looking for easier terrain to fight on. This creature was always the main obstacle and it's no surprise it's the only one left. Liz's mace struggles to bring them down. Their hide is thick, the fur can grab at the weapon. They also move faster and strike harder than any other level one monster.

Howling at each other with overlapping war cries, they both raise their right arms for a powerful strike. Narrowing my eyes in confusion, I wait for Liz's gambit. She loses a trade of blows every time. It never comes. Raising her left arm, Liz tries to deflect the fist and step inside it's strike range. With a shrill cry, part of the shield gives way as the fist skids off along it. Rather than the traditional swings that maces are known for, Liz thrusts hers forward and up. Colliding with the lower jaw of the silverback, the creature stumbles back in pain, pieces of teeth scattering.

Pressing her advantage, Liz changes tactics; as its arms come back to guard its face, she swings low. Twisting her body into the swing, she takes out one leg, and then the second. The thick hide does nothing to block her well-places blows, landing precisely on its weak parts. Dodging around it's flailing, Liz's mace collides with its head, bringing the fight to a resounding close.

"You were amazing!" I declare jubilantly.

"Thanks," Liz answers, a pained grimace on her face. Taking off her shield she slowly rolls her shoulder. "That part didn't go quite as planned."

Pursing my lips, I examine her. I hesitate to say anything negative after she overcame the odds and won.

"Oh, just say it." Liz berates me. Reaching carefully for her potion pouch, the care in every action bespoke the pain she must be in.

"Strength contests with large category monsters should be avoided at all costs. Even if you have really strong gear, or a level advantage."

Wincing, Liz nods in agreement. "I thought I could deflect it cleaner than that."

Raising an eyebrow at her, she wilts before me. Giving it up, I sigh and take the potion from her fingers. Opening it, I apply it liberally to the injured shoulder. Massaging it gently through the leather, I'm glad that potions soak so well. Forcing someone to strip for every injury would be a pain.

"Ah, uh, thank you…"

"Don't mention it. Is there anywhere else that hurts."

"My hand…"

Nodding, I hold her left hand gently in mine and examine it. The first joints have a deep red line across them from where the leather strap dug in. The wrist as well is starting to swell from the impact. Pouring the rest of the potion on, I'm careful not to let any of it spill. Gently prodding the wrist, I use soft circular motions to spread it throughout the damaged site. Waiting a moment, I repeat the action, switching out potions when the first runs out. After a couple minutes of the same repetition, I move on to the fingers. Here, I don't have to be as gentle, the abrasion is deep, but its not severe. It would have healed on its own fairly quickly. A little more potion, a little rubbing, and a faint red is all that's left.

"K-Kirito…"

"Hmm, is something wrong Liz?" Checking back over the wrist, a little prodding brings no pain. It will probably be tender for awhile, but nothing worth using a hi-potion on.

"Kirito…"

This time, I look up at Liz, her wrist still held lightly between my hands. Her face is a deep red that stretches to the tip of her ears. Her brown eyes are wide with confusion.

Looking back down at the wrist, I panic. Hands flying back, I drop it like a hot coal. "Ah, uh s-sorry Liz. Just uh, trying to help."

Turning away from her, I head straight for the monster corpses that still need their stones removed. My casual walk lasts for a step before it turns into a half run. Anything to escape that gaze which is engrained in my memory.

What is wrong with me?

I just rubbed potion directly into the skin of a girl who could have done it herself. She didn't need my help. Liz probably thinks I'm a pervert now. Taking any excuse, I can get to touch her.

But then again, what's to say she's wrong? Every other girl I know seems to regard me as some sort of womanizer. If Leafa told them how I was in the old world… wait. Why does she treat the same way as everyone else?

Pausing in the extraction, I feel like I've stumbled unto something important. None of the conclusions I can draw from it make any sense, however. I'm a loser in a world filled with heroes and gods. Why would anyone like me?

"Umm, thank you."

"Eep!" Crying out, I'd somehow forgotten about Liz. Jumping to my feet, I whirl around, extracting knife still brandished in front of me.

"Ah!" shocked Liz is forced to retreat a step. Standing barely a meter apart, I lamely allow the knife to fall to my side.

"Uh, sorry again…"

"You're… Not as good at this as I thought you were…"

"…Uh, sorry?" I apologize lamely. "Oh, you're not referring to the potion application, are you?"

Liz merely shakes her head at me, a small smile growing on her lips. The previous molten red fading at the same time. "You know, in a way I'm happy that this is another world, and not a game?"

"Why?" I ask curiously. "At least being inside a VR game makes sense to me."

"Well," Liz answers slowly, bending down to help me extract stones. "Here, I know that everything is real. The people, the consequences… my emotions. I'd be worried that everything is fake otherwise."

"Hmm," I don't know where she's going with the conversation, but I'm glad for any change away from my previous embarrassments. "I think I understand what you mean. I think for me it's the consequences that are easier to grasp here. When you die, you die, you know? Having a health bar would make that harder to grasp I think."

"The pain helps control risks as well," Liz chuckles.

"Is your shoulder still sore? I can apply a little… Ah, I mean…" Trialing off, I'm sure Liz doesn't want me rubbing her down anymore.

"Would you? I can't really reach the back of the shoulder blade. It can wait until we get to a safe zone though."

"A-alright." I stutter in agreement. Casting constant looks over at her, I'm not quite sure what's wrong with me. Things seem to be happening so quickly lately. I'm no fortune-teller, but I can almost feel a storm approaching. Some inevitable decision that awaits in my near future.

Putting the stones away, we stride side-by-side through the thick mists. Despite no wall in sight, I know exactly where we're heading. It's a skill one picks up quickly in the dungeon if they want to survive. Ducking into a nearby crack in the wall, we enter a small safe room. Different from the rest of the floor, the mist doesn't penetrate into here. It's a small room, barely over two metres wide and five long.

"It's empty," Liz breathes in relief. "I guess I'll go, over here?"

Speaking hesitantly, Liz allows the rest of her gear to fall to the floor. Kneeling in one of the corners, she begins fiddling with her armour.

"The potion didn't work, did it?"

"No," Liz sighs. "The bit I drank is helping with the pain, but it needs direct application."

"Yes, that makes…" Direct application. "Oh."

"Don't just stand there leering at me!" Liz growls. "Help me… Uh, you know."

Swallowing, I walk stupidly to where she's kneeling. Each footfall feels awkward and forced. Rain and Philia don't take injuries like this often. When they do, they have each other to administer the potion. Now though…

As Liz's Pauldron crashes to the rock floor, I see the evidence of my mistake. The thick leather underneath is still wet. The potion wasn't able to penetrate.

The thick piece is a vest worn on top of a long sleeve shirt. Thanking the heavens, I approach more comfortable with the scenario. She'll still have her shirt on, it will be fine.

Reaching forward, I unhook the other pauldron, and place it on top of the other one. Moving down her arm, I also remove the elbow guard. It's unlikely the Vest will slide over it. Examining the gauntlets, I determine that they'll be fine. The vest is tied with two sturdy knots that require two hands to undo. Moving to her side, I swiftly untangle the straps.

"Thank you."

The almost inaudible sound echoes strangely in the safe point.

"Don't worry about it. It's all I can do to make up for earlier actions."

"Earlier actions?" Liz questions, as I finish taking the vest off.

"You know… Grabbing your hand?"

Liz's chuckles turn into a gasp of pain as my fingers press into her shoulder. Prodding gently, even the lightest of touches turn Liz's face into a mask of pain. The effects of the potion must be wearing off.

"I…"

"You need to see the wound, don't you?" Liz winces.

"It would be best…" My knowledge about healing isn't the best, but I've learnt a lot from Rain and Philia. Since Miach's whole store revolves around selling healing ingredients and other potions, they've learnt a lot about injuries. The cheapest thing to do here would be to apply a long-term healing salve. As is, there are a couple of options… Mind whirring, my hands begin to act on their own. Taking the extracting knife, I carefully split the back of the shirt down the middle. I wouldn't be able to get it off over her injured arm.

My hands shake briefly as I pass over the piece of cloth wrapped around her chest. Ignoring my heating cheeks, I split the garment entirely. Peeling back the left side, Liz hisses in discomfort.

"Sorry," I murmur.

"Anyway," Liz breathes deeply, "you don't need to apologize for healing my hand."

"You could have done it yourself," I deny her, glad for the conversation. It takes away from the intimacy of our situation.

"Not with that little potion," Liz shoots right back. "I don't know what you're basing your apology on, but I'm not going to get mad at you for rushing over to me to heal my stupid self."

"You seemed upset though."

"If I was upset, I'd have removed it from your grasp," she mutters.

"I suppose so…" Trailing my fingers over the skin, I'm at a loss as for what to do. The entire thing is a mass of bruises. Giant black and blue spots covering the mottled skin. Raising my head, the front is better. Suddenly, I'm very glad for potions in this world. I'd have no idea what to do otherwise.

Reaching for a potion, I stop my hand and bring out a hi-potion instead. Dripping it on carefully, I repeat my procedure from earlier. A few drops, gentle circular rubbing motion. Minutes pass, as the bruises begin to fade.

"Here, drink the rest of this." Passing the last third of the hi-potion over her shoulder, Liz grabs it and downs it.

Pulling out a normal potion I'm sure it will be enough to do the front of her shoulder. Unthinking, I shift my body until I'm slightly in front of her. Moving my hand to her, I stop.

Liz meets my eyes then follows it where my hand is heading. "J-just be quick about it." Pointedly turning her head away, she shifts her upper body in my direction.

Permission granted; I swallow loudly. The cut shirt hangs down creating a tantalizing view. Moving forward, small drops of potion fly out as the vial shudders in my hand. Going to pour it, a large amount dumps out, my shaking sending it everywhere.

"Ah!" Reaching in, I place my whole hand on shoulder, trying to keep the liquid where it needs to be.

Liz's body shakes slightly under my touch, but other than that, she doesn't react.

"Sometimes you seem so innocent, then you do things like that…"

"W-what do you mean?" I ask, focused on finishing this up as quickly as possible. I'm definitely not tracking that drop of potion as it winds its way down, out of sight.

"You expect me to believe that that wasn't intentional?"

"It wasn't!" I protest weakly. "I was just… nervous."

Speaking the truth, my face heats up like a furnace. Looking at Liz, she's unsurprisingly matched my expression. It's so embarrassing. I can't even treat her as just a patient.

"I feel like you should buy me supper for the liberties you're taking."

"I'm not!" I'm too nervous to even enjoy it. Not that I would enjoy it… "Also… I don't think supper is a good idea."

"I see," Liz sighs. "Is it that Rain girl, you talk about her a lot."

"Huh!?" Shocked by her words, I press too hard on the tender skin. Barely even hearing the moan of pain from Liz, I stare at her open-mouthed. "W-what about her?"

"You two are dating, aren't you?" Liz spits out, still in pain from my failure as a doctor.

Sighing, I look over the skin and decide there's nothing more to be done. The bruising is gone, and the tenderness should fade in an hour or so. "I… I don't know." I tell Liz truthfully.

With a few sweeping sentences, I explain what happened yesterday. By the end of it, Liz is staring straight at me flabbergast. Jaw hanging open, there's a complete and utter disbelief present in her eyes.

Looking at the ground, I can't hold her gaze any longer.

"You're… not an idiot." The words are slow, and sound thought out.

"Thanks?"

"But then… You think you're a loser, don't you?"

"Huh?"

"What I mean, is that, you don't think people are capable of liking you."

Wincing I can't reply. I don't know what Liz has seen in my story, but she's seen through me. Whenever I start getting close to someone, I get scared. I know that if I let them in a little more, they'll see exactly how pathetic I am. I couldn't handle that.

"You know exactly what all of this means, but you are so unconfident that you deny the obvious answers." Liz seems stunned by her own conclusion. As if she can't believe her own words.

"What are you saying." I reply quietly. My fingers fiddle around with a small rock that I hold between my fingers. There's absolutely nothing remarkable about it. It's also my only anchor as I wait for Liz's words. It feels like I'm waiting for my execution. Words that once spoken will change me forever. Hands sweating, I almost drop the small pebble.

"Kirito," Liz says softly, "you can't keep doing this. You get to know each person enough to form a bond and then ignore it. You're going to have to make decisions. You're going to have to let someone in."

"I… I can't. They'll see through me. They like Kirito the swordsman. No one likes Kazuto the gamer."

"Kazuto…" Liz speaks my name slowly, turning it over in her mouth like it's precious. A novel discovery. "Then I'm sure you don't want to hear this, but I like Kazuto."

Tensing up, my whole body goes rigid. I feel her breath before I see her. Her touch is soft on my down-turned head. Turning away from me, she begins to put her gear back on. First the vest, then the pauldrons and elbow guards, finally the chestplate.

Letting the stone drop between non-moving fingers, one hand feels where her lips pressed against my head. My sweaty unkempt hair that she had no right defiling herself on.

But she did it anyway.

I want to say that it's only to repay my services in healing her. Yet the argument feels weak. Couldn't she have healed the front of her shoulder as well? Everything has a hint of surreality about it. A place where one of the long-standing platitudes of my life is challenged.

But then again, I have been transported to a new world. Wondering if that has something to do about, I stand up with a sigh. If Liz is right, then… I'm in trouble. Suddenly words like a far-off dream return to me.

'The trouble each woman brings with her is not additive, it's multiplicative.'

Not only her, but Hermes' words about a harem. Thinking back to that, Hestia and Argo had reacted quite violently. One thing has become abundantly clear to me: No matter whether Liz is right or wrong about me, or if I'm reading to much into this, I only have until tomorrow to make a decision.

Following her out of the cave, I distract myself with blissful, freeing combat.

---

Liliruka Arde:

"Is that… the… last of them?" Panting, I can no longer stand straight. Hands on my knees, I tilt my head to look at the boy who seems barely winded. I now know him well enough to know that's not true. He hides his exhaustion well, but the boy without a status is close to passing out.

"Yes…" The word is tinged with sorrow. We did better today, there was only one casualty. That's poor consolation when each of the fallen is a friend.

"What should we do?" The village elder asks wearily. "These attacks are getting worse. We've lost too many farmers. We'll barely be able to grow enough food to feed the village at this rate, let alone sell it."

"I… I don't know." Bell admits. It seems strange to see the old man, veteran of eighty plus years, asking the young boy for advice. Yet, at the same time, it seems natural. As the person with the most experience fighting in the dungeon, I should have been the one leading the attacks against the beasts. Ignoring that, the white-haired boy had dealt with them with an easy grace. Confident steps combined with powerful slashes. He defeated them far more efficiently than I with my status could have managed.

It was both humbling and awe-inspiring to see first-hand the difference between a true adventurer and a supporter. Watching Bell fight was the last confirmation I needed: I would never be a high-level adventurer capable of slaughtering droves of enemies.

Assuming I ever join a familia again.

Thoughts like that had been getting weaker and weaker during my time living on the farm. It was a nice break, a change of pace… but it was obviously a temporary rest stop.

"Surely there must be some way to stop these deaths?" The elder presses. "Maybe if we train some of the men…"

"No!" Bell denies vehemently. "Sorry," he mumbles after a brief pause. "That won't work for a couple of reasons. You don't have the gear and can't afford it either. What needs to happen is for the attacks to stop. Tomorrow I'll…"

Words breaking off with a cough, Bell turns away from the elder.

"Tomorrow you should send a message to Orario. Plead to the guild for aid. One of the more generous familias should accept the mission."

"That will cost money though, yes?"

"Unfortunately," Bell sighs, bowing his head as if under a great weight. "That's why I never brought it up earlier."

"We will… We will discuss it," the elder murmurs. "Maybe we've seen the last of the beasts."

"Maybe," Bell agrees. The tone is less than hopeful, however.

As the elder leaves, it's just the two of us. Looking at Bell curiously, I have to ask, "what were you going to offer to do?"

"Sortie into the mountains myself," he answers truthfully, eyes locked onto the object of his words.

Stepping up beside him, I stare into their ominous depths as well. In the daylight, they look beautiful. Majestic spires that stretch high into the sky, denying gravity's call. In the late evening light, their other side is revealed. The high sides and sheer cliffs create long shadows. In their shadowy depths, all manner of beast may hide. They also obscure drops and chasms that can kill an unwary traveller.

"Why didn't you offer?" I ask, contrary to my thoughts about the mountains.

"If I truly cared enough to rid the villagers of the kobolds, all I'd have to do is leave."

"What do you mean?" Looking at his side portrait, I know I won't get an answer. He never answers questions like this. How many times now has he dropped some ominous statement and refused to explain himself? At times like this, it was hard not to see him as a hardened warrior whose whole life has been spent in combat, surrounded by death. An odd attribute for a farmer to possess.

"Forget about it," Bell insists quietly, confirming my suspicions. Turning away from the mountains, he begins stalking his way back to his farm. Long strides carrying him quickly through the unkempt grasslands between farms.

There is another side to him.

Inspiration striking, I decide on a different course of attack. While in battle against monsters, Bell's skill appears unmatched. There's a different kind of battle that he has no experience in however. Remembering how red he went when he saw me without a shirt a few days ago…

Hiding my evil smile, I replace it with an innocent grin. Skipping through the grass, I quickly catch up to Bell. Despite his quick pace, I'm still faster with my status.

"Oh no!" Wincing as I fall, my acting is atrocious. Hand reaching out, I snag Bell's as I fall past.

"What are you? …Ah!"

Giving his hand a forceful yank, my status proves to be good for another thing: getting off balance boys to fall on top of me.

Jolted by the landing, I take a second to analyze my situation. Despite Bell probably seeing through my acting, he is still laying diagonally on top of me. If he's really as innocent as he appears to be, it will probably fluster him enough that he'll give up something.

"Sorry Lili, I tried to catch you and ended up making things worse." Shaking his head, Bell peels his face out of the ground. Doing so, he freezes as he looks at my face.

Forcing myself to blush, I demurely turn my face away from his. Enough so I'm not looking at him, but still close enough that he can make out my expressions. "Oh no, this is all my fault…" The breathless voice comes easily. My exhaustion from the day of work followed by fighting makes that easy.

"I… I should get off…"

"Y-yes please Master Bell…"

"I'm so sorry!" As if a switch flips inside of him, Bell enters a full-blown panic. The previous grace and poise of the warrior shattered by the confusion of falling on a girl.

"Ah!" Gasping in surprise, my blush becomes far more genuine as I cross my arms over my chest. The sensation of Bell's hand touching me… "Did… Did you mean to do that?"

"Fall on you, of course not? What do you…? Oh."

Taking in my posture, Bell looks instinctively at what his right hand pushed off of. "I'm so sorry Lili, I just, umm, I…"

Instinctively, a small smile rises to my lips. The cute stuttering makes him easy to forgive. Opening my mouth to do so, I force myself to stop. I still have a job to do here. By now I'm 100% sure that Hermes didn't just happen to know Bell. This boy is special, and I want to figure out why.

"It's hard to forgive someone who would take advantage of me in such a vulnerable state…"

"Please!" The boy begs, tears practically forming in his eyes. "Anything!"

Staring into them, the image of the warrior is now a distant memory. This isn't even a farmer. This is a level of innocence I didn't know could exist on someone this old.

"Hmm," I purse my lips pretending to think for a moment about what he needs to do. "First," I begin, holding up a solitary finger, "you're going to make us a special supper tomorrow by yourself while I relax."

"Of course," Bell agrees easily.

"Secondly," I continue, "I'll give you a bit of a break here since you're being so sincere…"

His eagerly nodding head sends spikes of guilt through me. He's too easy to manipulate. I'll need to watch out for villagers that are taking advantage of him.

"You can explain how you leaving will stop the monsters," I say. Standing up, I brush off my clothes that are now covered by specks of dirt. "That's simply too buy me time while I think up your third penance."

Turning to leave, I stop when I realize Bell isn't following me. Looking back at him, his previously eager eyes have hardened. The two red disks piercing into my soul. It's hard to not shudder staring into them. Slowly, they soften back into the eager ones from moments ago. Walking beside me, our pace is slower than it was before.

"It's just a hunch of mine," Bell explains. "I thought you were a spy form Hermes, but then the question wouldn't make any sense."

"What?" I ask in genuine confusion.

"Well," Bell frowns unsure of where to begin. "Your fall was obviously intentional and you uh, umm…"

"I was…?" I ask him, a deadly grin forming on my face. Daring him to finish the statement.

"A-anyway I didn't mean to grab you."

"Not much of an improvement…"

"B-but, your second demand convinced me!"

"How?" I sigh, deciding to play along with Bell's story.

"Well you see, Hermes' spy would be doing everything possible to get me to go to Orario. To convince me to leave. So, while you're still suspicious, I've decided you can't be working for him."

"Is it really that hard to believe that I'm just interested in you!?" I ask him in exasperation. The words are blunter than I'd usually say, a product of my tired mind.

"I-interested?" Bell yelps. "Oh, about my past, I see."

Containing a groan, I resist the urge to strangle his obtuse neck.

"So?" I press.

"It's what Hermes wants me to do," Bell talks unwillingly. "He wants me to go to Orario and become an adventurer. If I do that, the attacks on the village will stop, I'm sure of it."

"Are you accusing Hermes of directing packs of monsters into the village?" I ask Bell dumbly. The kindly god that I met briefly doesn't seem capable of such actions. Everyone always says how friendly he is. In fact I don't know anyone who dislikes him.

"Of course not," Bell laughs, "I have no evidence. I'm sure Hermes would come up innocent in front of a court."

"That's why you didn't go into the mountains," I realize with a flash of inspiration. "While it's only packs of Kobolds you can deal with them. If you remove those, who knows what would come next."

Turning to stare directly at me, I hadn't even realized I stopped. "Yes." The word is haunted by a shadow of guilt.

"The chains of freedom." It's the phrase Bell said to me what seems so long ago now. Only now do I realize; I know only a fraction of the burden he bears. His whole life is being railroaded towards one destination. Anger towards this god, and whatever other forces seek to control the boy, I walk up to Bell and lay my hands on his weary shoulders.

"No matter where you decide to go, be it the far east, or Orario itself, you can count on me. After all, that's what I do, I support people."

As I watch, a piece of the burden seems to fall off Bell's shoulders. Standing a little straighter, he covers my hands with his. Slowly, like the sun rising over the horizon, a smile splits his face. The first genuine one of his that I've ever seen. It's blinding.

Heart fluttering, a new goal settles into my heart. I want to see that smile again.

---

Fifth floor of the Dungeon:

"Lord of the forest, king of trees,

Conqueror of the ground, and Herald of the skies."

Taking a step backwards, the Wall Shadow's claws passed just shy of Kirito's face. Sweat pouring down his brow, Kirito tried to manipulate not only his body, but the raging storm of magical energy within him.

"Let loose once more your power unto the world.

Let my body be your roots, my blade your sprout."

Smiling with exhilaration, Kirito had gotten further through the spell than any of his previous attempts. With the Wall Shadow taking another swipe, Kirito forced his foot to move; the action propelled through strength of will alone. Groaning, Kirito stumbled, off balanced. Focusing too much on moving the foot, Kirito began to fall.

Moving with the reaction speed of a level two adventurer, Kirito brought his other foot underneath him, transitioning easily back into a standing position. Opening, his mouth to continue the spell, a sigh escaped his lips instead. The magical energy had flowed out of his body as soon as he'd reacted. Without the effort to keep it contained, it was gone.

"What a stupid chant anyway…" Grumbling to himself, Kirito took his frustration out on the wall shadow. With one angry swing, only ash remained in the room with him. Rubbing his head, Kirito could feel a headache building. Brought on by continual use of his magic, his reserves were getting low.

Dragging his feet, Kirito began the journey to the surface to the meeting point. Head hung low; Kirito struggled to keep the foul mood at bay. After talking to Liz yesterday, Kirito had hoped that practicing in the dungeon would help. He knew know that he had underestimated the task of moving and casting a spell at the same time: concurrent casting.

The failure and resultant headache only compounded the sense of hopelessness that Kirito felt. For the time to make a decision had come, and Kirito still had no inkling as to what he should do.

---

Silica:

Today's different.

I can feel it.

After we ganged up on Kirito for going on a date, he came home yesterday looking strangely thoughtful. The eerie feeling of knowing his eyes were tracking me around the house. It wasn't that he was staring at me, it was the fact that he did it silently. Sitting at the table, calmly sipping tea while simply analyzing us.

Then, when we showed up this morning to the meeting spot, Philia and Rain were oddly silently. They hadn't shown up to the dungeon yesterday either. Yuna and Nautilus maintained a cryptic silence about them.

Casting another glance at Leafa, she met my gaze with the same fear I'm sure shone in mine. That a decision was being made that we have no say in. Kirito had been gone before either of us had woken up; true to his word. I didn't get a chance to say anything to him when he met up with us. Philia and Rain had gone to him instantly and the three of them had walked off.

"What are you going to do if…?" Leafa couldn't bring herself to finish the words.

Casting her a sympathetic glace, I lay my hand lightly on her hers in a show of support. It's all I can do for her unfortunately. For a girl whom I should view as my rival, I can't help but like her. I want her to be happy. I only wish we could both be.

"I guess… I'll continue to support him. Someone needs to carry the bags."

"And is that enough for you?"

"It will have to be."

With that, the conversation drops dead. Leafa has the information she wants, and I've made a decision. I feel like I should be happy about that. My worrying of the past week is over. I can now take my place in Kirito's party as his supporter. Maybe Lili will come back at some point and give me some pointers.

Yet, the corridors of the ninth floor seem even dimmer than usual. When I look up, the far end seems to stretch impossibly far into the distance as the walls close in around me. That's what I want, right? One straight, narrow path where everything is decided for me.

Each step I take feels lethargic. I begin to fall behind the other three. It doesn't matter though. They should be the ones to earn the experience from fighting anyway. I won't need it as a supporter.

"I want…"

Leafa's words bring us to a halt. Yuna and Nautilus share a concerned glance before focusing on the girl. Looking at her, it's hard not to feel insufficient. Her long blade looks natural on her. A true warrior. Even behind her armour, it's easy to see the womanly curves that puberty is slowly granting her. She's someone who can stand by Kirito's side and not look out of place. I can only hope that they'll be nice enough to bring me along. Worthy only to stand in the background.

Someone has to do it.

Lili's words echo through my ears. Words she spoke to me alone about what it means to be a supporter. People often think of them as disposable since their job is easier. It is in a way, but when things go wrong, the adventurers can defend themselves, the supporters can't. And Lili is right, someone has to carry the bags. Feeling the weight on shoulders keenly, I wait for Leafa's declaration.

---

Leafa:

"I want…"

Taking a moment to compose myself, everyone stops to look at me. One last deep breath through the nose to settle myself, I speak my mind.

"I want to go down to the tenth floor."

Silence.

I don't know what I expected, but this surely wasn't it. Nautilus used to make a point of challenging my decisions. Now though, he just stands there, looking stunned and more than a little intimidated. Instead of following up trying to convince them, I look to Silica. Seeing as she almost died last time she ventured into the fog floors, it would make sense for her to be worried.

Glancing at her, she seems unsurprised, or at least nonplussed by my words. Worried about her, I decide I'll pursue it later. Right now, I have only one goal, catch up. If I want to show Kirito that I'm worthy of him, I have to first hit level two. The only way to that is to go down to the tenth floor.

"Are you sure?" Yuna asks softly. "I think one of the others should probably guide us our first time there."

"They already did," I counter. "We know what monsters are there."

"There's a big difference between seeing people fight the monsters and doing it yourself," Nautilus adds. Surprisingly pleading caution for once.

Hearing this merely makes me angry. Out of all people, I thought he'd be the one on my side. "So, now you only do as Rain instructs?" I taunt. "Licking her boots will only get you so far."

This finally elicits a response. Yuna and Silica gasp as Nautilus' face turns a mottled red. "How… How dare you!"

Even as he splutters at me, I know I've gone too far. I may have just ruined our party for no reason. Eventually Nautilus' face changes from enraged to a sneer.

"If you want to go to the tenth floor, why don't you go by yourself?"

"Maybe I will!" The words are out of my mouth before I can even think about their meaning. I don't know what it is, but something about this man drives me up the wall. The surreptitious glares he sends my way when he thinks I'm not looking. It's clear he thinks he should be in charge of the party.

"Well, off you go then," Nautilus gestures, "we'll be here when you get scared and come back."

Hesitating, I'm torn. A swirl of anger and building frustration is pushing me to accept the dare. To brave the tenth floor by myself. My rational side is slowly getting overridden. Every second I stare at his smug grin, the urge to prove him wrong rises.

"She won't be alone."

"Silica?"

"Come on Leafa, it looks like we'll be travelling in groups of two for awhile."

Allowing myself to get pulled along, I follow silently. Yuna's poor face filled with terror hurts my heart. Not only will we be in trouble on the tenth floor, they'll struggle to survive on the ninth without us. This is a bad decision. It's the wrong decision, so why don't I resist Silica's pull?

"Can't we talk about this?" Yuna's timid plea makes no difference.

"Let them go." Even Nautilus' greed seems pointless.

Walking in a daze, I barely even notice the steps. Inevitably, the way to the tenth floor appears. The looming ramp into the darkness. Last time I descended here, I was absolutely forbidden from trying to fight. That was barely a week ago. I'm insane. That's the only explanation. I have no backup. I've been an adventurer for only three weeks. These floors are the absolute limit that level one's can manage. Even Kirito wasn't stupid enough to try this.

So why is Silica here?

Once I focus on her, I final realize that she's what's been bothering me this whole time. More than Nautilus, more than my own feelings of inadequacy, why did she come? Finally, unable to contain it any longer, I ask her.

"Silica, why did you come? You practically dragged me here."

"Because If I didn't come, you'd have gone alone."

"That's not…" Biting my words off, I can't believe it. She's right. I needed to come here. I needed to face this. "You…" Stopping my words once again, I shake my head as I find the right ones. "Thank you for coming."

"Kirito would never forgive me if I left his sister in the dungeon."

Smiling faintly, it feels good to hear some playful banter again. Things have been far too tense lately. "Silica…"

"Yes, Leafa?"

"I plan on telling Kirito my feelings today. Regardless of what news he brings back from the dungeon."

I expected the news would shock her. The action is bold and has the possibility of ripping our familia apart. But we're already doing that. The suspicious glances and obscure competitions are unhealthy.

Instead, Silica just sighs and nods her head. A defeated expression on her face. "I wish you luck with that."

"T-that's all?" I yell, shocked. Stuttering my words in surprise.

"I decided," Silica speaks slowly, staring out into the fog bank, "that I will become a supporter and join Kirito's party. He's been hinting recently about his need for one."

"I… Oh." Unsettled, I try and take the news with as much magnanimity as I can manage. I don't know why I'm so surprised. Silica had basically as said as much earlier. She was never a fighter in the first place. A supporter is a much better fit for her. It's an honourable role.

So why does the thought of not adventuring with her hurt so much?

This is what's best.

She's making room for me to be with Kirito. To stand beside him as an equal in combat. So why am I not happy?

My thoughts are disrupted by shouting and a migration of people.

"What's going on?" I ask Silica hoping she was paying better attention than I was.

"I don't know," she frowns. "The other adventurers are all heading that way though."

"Maybe… An irregular, or a trap?" I proffer. "Maybe we should follow them?"

Silica simply looks at me with a confused expression, not commenting.

"What?"

"You're the leader."

"Oh. Right." Blushing, I realize my mistake. I'm the one who's supposed to be fighting. I need to decide what's in the best interest of my party. "Let's follow them. If they're fleeing, we certainly don't want to fight what they're fleeing, and if they're going to help someone, when maybe we can assist."

Nodding, Silica dogs my footsteps. Taking off at a sprint, I join in slightly behind the first group I find. It's bad manners usually, but this appears to be an emergency. Despite the high speed, I don't worry about Silica. She's an extremely capable runner. Kirito seems to attribute it to races having different strengths. Cat people and animal people in general are known for their speed and dexterity, elves have their magic, and humans have… nothing.

"Hey Boss, we got two following us!"

Glancing at Silica, I share my confusion with her. Why do they care?

"Damn it! Take care of them Gaz!"

"Huh!?" Panicking, I skid to a stop in confusion as one of the members breaks off and glares at us.

"W-what's going on?" Silica asks.

"Like we'd let you steal our ultra-rare monster!"

"Ultra-rare monster?" The words are so baffling I don't even react as the man's foot catches me in the gut. Sliding to a stop, the surprise of the attack stuns me more than the blow.

"Stay here if you know what's good for you!"

"How rude!" Silica exclaims in shock.

Wincing, I sit up slowly. The pain fades rather quickly. It seems my armour absorbed most of the blow. My ego took more damage than my body. "I guess there wasn't an emergency…"

"Just a rare monster," Silica agrees.

Sighing again, I slump against the wall. The adventurers are long gone and the hallway has fallen silent. Only the swirling mists to keep us company. "Who do I think I am…?"

"Umm, Leafa?"

"Am I though? I'm feeling a lot like Suguha right now trying to play a video game."

"So…" Pausing, Silica tilted her head as she tried to interpret my words, "You think you're in over your head?"

"Yes," I sigh, "incompetent, useless, confused, take your pick."

"Hmm, why's that?"

"I couldn't even figure out why the adventurers were acting strangely! I should have been able to pick up on why they were running somewhere. I… I'm not ready…"

Sitting down beside me, Silica let's out a matching sigh. "I think this is where I'm supposed to say something to inspire you."

"That would be helpful," I agree with a small smile.

"How about… You learn more in defeat than victory?"

"Too cliché."

"Hmm… Well… My dad would always say that you can't master something without doing it for the first time."

"Isn't that essentially the same thing?" I ask with a sigh. Leaning my head against the rock, I feel like a failure.

"Not quite," Silica tells me, "You see, this doesn't have anything to do with failing, or learning things. All it means is that you have to take the first step."

Tilting my head, I wait for her to continue.

"Even the most experienced surgeon, or leader, or soldier, has to have a first time. Some time when, even if they were trained, they have to do it for real. They have to hold the scapel, or give the orders, or take a life. There's no one else to hold that responsibility. No one to take over when things go wrong."

"You know… I was kidding about the pep talk, but thank you."

"You're welcome I suppose," Silica answers, her voice tired.

"You sound like need some advice now," I smile at her, trying to keep things light.

"I… I shouldn't," Silica mutters back. "I just thought everything would be easier now that I've made a decision. Instead… It just feels like I'm giving up."

"I've felt like that at times," I admit to Silica. "I guess I told you all about it that first night. It feels so long ago now."

"It really does," the girl agrees. "So much has happened since then."

"So, what now?" I ask her, "do we just sit here until we rot away?"

"I think a monster will get us first," Silica chuckles slightly.

Matching her smile, I agree, "true, so we head back up?"

"Aren't you going to finish your step?" She asks confused. "Show Kirito how capable you are?"

"I…" Frowning, I realize that suddenly that part doesn't seem as important to me. Another aspect has become far more crucial. "No. We need to go back and find Yuna and Nautilus."

"And why is that?"

"Because that's what a leader would do." Standing up, I finally feel like I've found the peace I've been searching for. "What would Kirito say if he saw me abandoning my party because they didn't accept my proposal? I want us to tackle these floors together, when we're ready for them. Not just because I'm growing impatient."

"…and that's why you deserve him…"

Silica's words are faint whispers on the wind, clearly not meant for my ears. Pretending to ignore them, I stick a hand out to her. "Ready to head back up?"

"You know it."

Smiling at each other, I feel a strong surge of confidence. A rush of invincibility that would allow me to defeat any monster that gets in the way. Of course, that's when the screams begin.

---

Kirito:

"Are you two…" Trailing off, I don't bother finishing the sentence. All I can do is sigh and rub my head. Never before have I wished so desperately for a day of adventuring to be over. We only just arrived on the fourteenth floor and the tension is thick enough to bang my sword off of.

Every step I take I keep expecting something to happen. For one of them to say something. To get this ordeal out of the way. Yet, as we keep descending floors, reaching more dangerous foes, our situation stays the same. Both of the girls stare straight ahead, giving no indication to the others presence. Are they waiting for me?

I want to scream in frustration. I don't understand girls. I only had the experience of most nerdy guys, observing from a distance. But by now, shouldn't I know better? I lived with Hestia for two months before Silica and Leafa joined. It's been almost another three weeks since then. So why am I still so confused?

I'm scared.

Bowing my head, I take my eyes off the path ahead. It doesn't matter, I have the main route memorized. It will have been picked clean from parties passing through here anyway. It's the truth I don't want to confront, one I've been avoiding for a long time now. I don't want things to change. I don't want to lose more people. Argo, Asuna… Will I have to add more people onto that list after today?

"Maybe we should stay on the fourteenth for today," Rain speaks, her voice a carefully controlled monotone.

"No, we need to do the fifteenth in preparation of the sixteenth." Philia counters.

It's what I wanted, them to talk to each other. But it's cold, distant. Both of them are holding back.

"I think it's better we stay here…" I tell them, siding with Rain. The fifteenth floor could be a challenge if they can't work together anymore. Hell, the fourteenth floor may prove to be too much.

"Of course," Philia mutters rolling her eyes.

"W-what…?" I ask Philia. This is a pretty usual occurrence. They'd both offer suggestions and I'd pick one. Or sometimes I'd say something and the two of them would team up to overrule me.

"You chose Rain, as usual," Philia mutters again, Glaring half at me and half at Rain.

"Only because you never listen!" Rain snarls back at her. "I tried to…"

"Apologize!? For what, being better than me? At least you could show some humility when you rub your greatness in my face!"

"W-what?" I mutter. Eyes widening, I can barely track what is going on. I knew today was going to rough, but this is something I hadn't expected.

"Bog! I can't believe I was actually thinking of…" As Rain trails off, Philia once again jumps into the gap provided.

"Thinking of letting me watch, aww, how nice of you."

"That's not what I…!"

"Enough!" My one word brings the conversation to a halt. Glaring at the two of them, they cower before me. My vision is tinted red as my hands curl into tight fists. I hate this. I want monsters to fight, to cut apart. I want something to punch. But that won't work. The only thing I'm good at is useless here.

Use your voice.

As Hestia's words flow through me, I manage to calm my body. Taking a deep breath, some of the tension leaves. Not all of it, but enough so that I can talk.

"Philia please, tell me why you're so upset."

"You… You're going to make me say it out loud?" She asks in disbelief. Glancing between Rain and me, I can see the anger rising in her eyes. She thinks it's a trap.

Stepping forward, I grab one of her hands. "Please Philia. Talk to me."

Holding my gaze, some of the anger fades, only to be replaced by wariness.

She doesn't trust me anymore.

Ignoring the stab of pain that comes from the knowledge, I keep my gaze locked on hers.

"You… You accepted Rain's offer. You're dating now…"

Closing my eyes, it's hard to absorb the surge of emotions. The confirmation of what Liz was saying, of what I did during that dinner two days ago. "Rain?"

Sighing, the red-haired girl took another step closer. Holding her silence for now, she tentatively reaches her hand out for Philia's. Doing so cautiously, as one may approach a wild animal, she eventually takes it. Lifting Philia's hand to her chest, Rain takes one deep breath to stabilize herself, Rain tells Philia her side.

"Kirito rejected me at that dinner."

"W-what!?"

"He… He won't take just one of us…"

It's hard to hide my wince. Did Rain have to make me sound so greedy?

"WHAT!?" Philia shrieks again. Turning away from Rain, she faces me again, a righteous anger burning in her eyes.

Taking a step back, I wilt before the pure fury in her face.

"HOW DARE YOU!?" Tone unrelenting, she brandishes a finger at me far more terrifying than any horde of monsters I've faced. "This girl is amazing! Any man would be lucky to even get a second of her attention. She's funny, she can sing, hell, she can even fight! Now you… You think, you're too good for her! Oh, hell no, you are going to beg on your knees for her to take you back!"

Jaw on my chest, I'd be laughing if I wasn't so surprised. Philia's outburst is just so… her. A friend loyal to the end. Correcting what she sees as slights against them. As my jaw finally recovers, a smile rises to my face. Along with it, a warm fluttering feeling in my chest.

"P-philia…" Rain's plea cuts through the dim, rocky corridor. The only other noise Philia's left-over panting from her rant.

As Philia straightens out, a blush begins to suffuse her cheeks. "I… I mean, I know you don't need my help, but ah…"

"Philia!" Crying out her name one more time, Rain launches herself at the shorter girl. Stumbling under the weight, Philia's level two strength is enough to keep them upright. Locked into a tight embrace, Rain's head rests on Philia's shoulder as her body shakes with sobs.

"I'm so sorry Rain, I…"

The rest of the words disappear as Philia breaks down as well, tears of happiness being shed from her as well. The two girls, bound together by happenstance, are now inseparable. They rely on each other.

Looking at them, I try to be happy. I want to smile for them. But my heart sinks the whole time. Philia's one line rings true, you think you're too good for her?

No.

I'm not good enough for any of them.

So, what do I do?

But they like you.

Frowning, I wonder if I've been looking at this the wrong way this whole time. Maybe it's less about what I deserve, and more about what they deserve. Don't these girls deserve someone who'll do their best for them? They certainly require no protection.

Wondering if I've stumbled onto something important, I wait patiently as they slowly compose themselves again. Their bond of friendship is even stronger than it was before. This truly is what it means to be a familia, a family.

---

Silica:

"Are you really sure we should be running towards the screams?" I ask Leafa as she takes off. Trailing behind her slightly, I'm unsure exactly what she thinks we'll add in a fight on the tenth floor.

"We have potions," she shoots back over her shoulder. "Besides, what would Kirito do?"

Groaning, I hate it when she uses him as an example. Nonetheless, I speed up a little so that she doesn't leave me behind. The last thing I want is to be left by myself on the tenth floor.

Brakaw!

Stumbling, I slam my hands over my ears. The terrible sound makes my eyes water and my vision waver. Feeling a headache coming on, I look at Leafa in confusion.

Mutely, she shakes her head at me. Neither of us even attempt talking. An innate sense of wrongness hanging in the air tells me the act would be pointless.

We resume running towards the source of the noise, a room just around the corner of this passageway. Slower than before, my steps are muted with a fear of whatever creature could create such a discordant, unearthly howl. It was like a deep bass note that punched through my whole body. At the same time, it also contained an animalistic note to it. I wonder if Leafa is slowed down from the same fear that infects my heart.

"Stay close to me Silica," Leafa instructs me as she rounds the corner.

As I thought, the words sound muffled and distorted. Like the remaining echo that's slowly fading prevents them from forming properly.

Shadowing her footsteps, we round the corner to find an oddly silent horror. The party that dismissed us earlier is cowering in a circle. Weapons raised into the air in all directions, their heads are on a constant swivel.

"A bad bat?" I try to ask Leafa, but the distortion is even worse here. I'm not even sure if she can comprehend my words.

Looking closer at the group, I see two forms unmoving in the middle of the circle. That doesn't make sense. They should pick them up and leave. The five still standing are more than enough to…

Gasping, I finally see it.

This is no bad bat.

Ultra-rare monster.

The words click. Not only have I never seen this monster before, I've never even heard of it. Since I've never heard Kirito mention something like this, I'm assuming he doesn't know about it either.

The thing is a pale white. Its form shifting through the matching mists with ease. Its wingspan is easily over twenty feet. The terrifying part is its face. Looking at it, a shiver runs up my spine. It looks like a bulldog's head was expanded and shoved unto the body. Except instead of jowls, spikes stick out of its lower jaw. With a pair of glowing red eyes to finish the effect, the monster is truly terrifying.

Coming in from one side, one of the men screams to his teammates about the monster. Or tries to. From barely twenty feet away I don't hear anything, only the eerie ringing left over from the beast's roar. Answering in kind, the monster's own cry is different from before. This one has the concussive force of a bad bat's. Despite hovering far above the man's head, well out of striking range, it sends him to the ground. Clutching his head, the adventurer writhes in agony. Even as far away as I am, I can feel the residual energy from the blast wash over me like a wave. I'm surprised how well the other four in the circle take it.

Now swooping in, the monster tries to attack the person it fell. Expecting this, the other four rush in swinging weapons. Screaming at them, it backs off. Within a second it's completely vanished into the mists. Shivering in fear, I watch as the man struggles to right himself to return to their formation. It won't be soon enough. One at a time they'll fall victim to a monster they can't even hit.

"Silica!"

"Huh?" Twitching to the side, Leafa is grabbing my arm and yelling. Even right next to her, it's hard to make out her words.

"When it comes back, I'm going to hit it with magic. Protect me!"

Nodding, my face flushes with embarrassment. This is the difference between us. While I watch on stupidly, expecting death, Leafa is already acting to save them. Drawing my shortsword finally, I can't stop it from shaking. We have no right being here.

"Heed my call, traveller of the world, unchained force.

Your name is freedom, granter of wishes."

Standing at attention, I keep my eyes peeled for the creature. There's not much I can do, but hopefully it targets me instead of Leafa if it comes over here. After a couple of seconds, I finally realize that something is wrong. Whipping around, I turn to face Leafa.

Standing there, face as white as a sheet, Leafa stands completely uninjured. Nothing seems to be wrong with her.

"What is it!?"

"I…" Her words fade off into the surrounding noise. "I can't use magic."

Finally, I pick up on her murmurings. That noise. This feeling in the air. It's not just a distraction, or a howl. It's a counter to magic. As I realize our situation, my face takes on a shade to match Leafa's.

Philia:

"What are you- What are we planning?" Whispering the words, I keep one eye on Kirito to make sure he doesn't eavesdrop. This conversation isn't for him. Yet, anyway.

"I… Well, it's really up to him, isn't it?"

It helps to hear that Rain is uneasy about this as well. How could something like this possibly be suggested without someone being confident that it can work?

"What if it tears us apart?" I whisper frightfully. "I can do it," I tell Rain, trying to speak with confidence. "I can support the two of you as a friend if you want to try dating."

Shaking her lips, Rain sighs. "I realize now, that even if it was possible to take you up on that offer, I don't want to."

"You… don't want to?"

"I won't abandon you," Rain tells me seriously. "Any man who wants me better be willing to put up with you."

"T-that's a little impractical, isn't it?" I ask faintly.

"We are literally fifteen floors beneath the surface of a world that isn't ours. Not only that, we use the blessing of a god to fight monsters. Compared to that, what's a strange romance?"

"I… I just don't want you to resent me in a year or two." I tell her truthfully. "I don't want to hold you back."

At this Rain rolls her eyes. Dragging us to a stop, she sticks her face an inch away from mine. With her red eyes completely containing my vision, I can't help but wonder what Kirito sees when looking at us like this.

"Oh, Philia. Why do you always look down on yourself?"

"I… What…?"

"I'm not perfect. In fact, I'm a repeat failure. I've only been able to get this far because of you. Remember how we levelled up? You say I'm the hero for killing that horde of monsters, but who carried the unconscious body back to the stairs? That wasn't me. You levelled up as well because the gods recognized your feat as worthy of ascension.

"We did that together. We became adventurers on the same day, we levelled up on the same day. You've never been my sidekick or apprentice. You're my friend, my sister. I betrayed you once when I asked Kirito to dinner. Never again. Either we do this together, or not at all."

"Look at that," I murmur, "you've made me cry again."

"See?" Rain chortles, "it's one of my flaws."

"I never realized you thought so highly of me…"

"It isn't just Kirito with a confidence problem."

Smiling slightly, I accept my defeat. "Together?"

"Together," Rain agrees.

"We, uh, have monsters coming." Kirito's raised voice comes from a little further down the hallway. While reluctant to interrupt us, the monsters won't be so kind.

Breaking apart, we share one final glance. There is still one detail we need to iron out between us. In some ways, it's the most important one.

---

Leafa:

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

As my magic fizzles out, that's the only thing I can think of. It's always been my ace in the hole. A way to turn around a situation that seems hopeless. Without it…

I can feel my muscles tensing up. Body freezing, I can't move. Like this I'm worse than useless. The only thing we can do is leave. Run away and leave these adventurers to die. There's no way to defeat this monster. No magic and it attacks from the mists.

"What now?"

"Huh?" Silica's question shocks me back to what we're doing. Looking at her, I expect to see fear in her eyes. Instead, all I see is trust.

Oh god.

See actually expects me to get her out of this.

That, more than the monster, terrifies me. She trusts me as the leader to save these adventurers. She trusts me to be able to protect her. It's too much.

"I-I don't know…"

Taking a step back, I fearfully scan the skies. Through the mists I can't see anything. The group of adventurers are preparing another fitful stand against this beast. If they run, they'll get picked off one-by-one.

They chose this fate.

A small voice speaks in head. They kicked me in the stomach for following them. They found their ultra-rare monster. Let them reap the rewards.

"I'm going to go join them. I'm not great at it, but if I land a good throw, maybe I can drive it off."

"N-no…"

Reaching out a shaking hand, Silica ignores me as she rushes towards it.

When did she get so strong?

No, when did I get so weak?

I thought I was past this. I thought, that once I dedicated myself to rescuing Kirito, that I was beyond this fear. Yet, here I am, freezing up because I can't use magic. I didn't used to have magic! I can fight without it!

So why won't my feet move?

I have my blade in hand. That should be enough for me to face down any opponent. To cut down any monster that stands between me and freedom. How ever many times I repeat that to myself, I can't make myself believe it.

I don't understand this world.

I practice kendo as a sport. I don't kill people, or monsters.

It's too different, I simply can't understand it. I can't fight against it.

Slowly my feet begin moving. Backwards, away from the room.

"Hi yah!"

Sneaking up on the monster, which was focused on the adventurers, Silica let's her knife fly. Flipping end over end, the short blade sinks into the vulnerable flesh of the creature's wing. Letting out a different howl, it instantly begins to retreat back up into the safety of the high mists. Its flight slightly more labored with the knife in it.

What am I doing?

Like waking up from a dream, the room clarifies before me. Silica is doing her best, assuming I'm coming up with some strategy to kill this thing. As my fear fades, only anger remains. I came down to tenth floor looking for a challenge. For a fight to show me that I'm getting closer to my goals. Well I found it. I can't very well run away now.

Crouching, I try and stay low, obscuring my form. Keeping one hand on the hilt of my katana, I wait. I'll get only one chance at this. I need to strike a decisive blow against the monster and bring it down to the ground. Without its ability to fly, it's nothing.

Alone, near the ground, with mists swirling around me, I feel very isolated. Even the group, with Silica joining them seem like a different planet at this point. Where I am, my range of vision is limited. I also can't hear anything except that insistent buzzing that stops magic. Each second I spend crouched here feels like an eternity. My spot is extremely dangerous. If it notices me crouching here, with nothing for protection… Only a promise that the creature is focused entirely on the group keeps me safe.

"Kraw!"

Crying out, the monster attacks again. Abandoning its previous strategy, it divebombs the group at speed.

"Shit!" Cursing to myself, I dash forward to where the monster scatters the adventurers. I can see the pain in their faces, the screams of pain. It's eerie being unable to hear them.

The man who kicked me rushes the creature. Bringing down his sword, it jerks to an unnatural halt. The spikes on its head. With a lunge and a shake of its head the man flies through the air.

Despite his rude actions before, I feel a twinge of pain in my heart. Hopefully I can capitalize on his sacrifice. Keeping my body low to the ground, I sprint at the creature.

20 feet… 10 feet… Now!

Exploding into my motion, my katana is a blur as it whips out of its sheath and down at the creature's wing. Almost without resistance it passes through the membrane.

Caught off guard with how well it worked, I stumble forward, my blade hitting the ground. Releasing a pained roar, it turns and faces me.

Face blanching, I forgot to plan for this part. I may have grounded it, but I didn't kill it.

The monster's head becomes a blur, sending me flying back to where I came. I strike the ground hard and my vision goes black.

---

Rain:

"Get. Out. Of. My. Way!"

Punctuating each word with a swing of my sword, the pack of Al-miraj disintegrates before me. All I want is a chance to finish my conversation with Philia. Is that too much too ask?

Apparently, it is as another pack rushes us.

"What are we going to do?" Philia pants, clearly exhausted. Despite that, she still seems confident.

"We'll kill our way out I suppose," Kirito answers, that cocky smile still on his face.

Rolling my eyes at him, I want to punch it off him, or maybe kiss it off him? Either way would be fine honestly.

Or it would be, if I could talk to Philia!

Enraged again, I throw myself back into combat. Swords leaving afterimages of each other, even the level two monsters can't hold their ground.

"Damn," Kirito whistles impressed. "Guess we won't need your magic after all."

Blushing, I pause mid-stroke. Was I really going that berserk? Kirito's reminder of my magic is also embarrassing. I should have used it earlier to clear us a way out of here.

"Something's coming down the left tunnel!" Philia informs us. "I can't… Dodge!"

Instinctively trusting her, I throw myself forward. Rolling through the horde of monsters, I take a couple scrapes as I land in their midst. Behind me, a giant boom rings out as the ceiling collapses.

Pushing the fear from my mind, I deal with the monsters around me. I can't help them until I'm safe. Laying about me, the confused monsters are easy to cut down. It seems like they weren't expecting the ceiling to come down either.

Shaking the blood off my blades, I sheath them and turn around and stare at what used to be an intersection. We were forced back here by a particularly bad monster party. Cutting it down, other monsters kept coming, pinning us there. We were never really in any danger, however. Three level twos are more than enough to deal with the creatures on the fifteenth floor.

"Kirito! Philia!" Yelling at the rock, I try to listen for a response. As I wait for a couple seconds, I hear nothing.

Sighing, I rub my forehead. Trying not to give into despair, I mentally pull up my map of the fifteenth floor. Based on where I am, it's a straight shot back to main route and the stairs back up the fourteenth. For Kirito and Philia, however… It would depend.

The direction the rocks came from loops around back to the main route, but the other two… No, I don't remember the routes in that direction well enough.

"Sooka!" Swearing to myself, there's only one option. Praying for their safety, I retreat to the stairs to the fourteenth.

Striding quickly through the corridors, my eyes keep jumping to the side. Logically, I should be fairly safe here, my status is high enough. But a monster party could kill me without batting an eye. Strangely though, it's worse than it should be. I've never been alone before.

The thought is enough that I almost giggle. I've always had Philia at my side in the dungeon before. The one time I didn't, I had Kirito. Now though… My pace increases to almost a sprint.

I'm just trying to find help for them.

That's all.

I've almost convinced myself of that by the time I skid to a halt around the final corner. As I do so, I end up almost nose to nose with someone I know.

"Asuna?"

---

Silica:

"Leafa!" Screaming her name, all I can do is watch her flight as she soars through the mists and out of my vision. Rather than turning to attack us, the monster limps. One of its wings is completely severed. Folding it's other one, it uses it as a leg to walk on. Like a bat.

As it turns to us though, I appreciate once again exactly how un-bat-like this thing is. Holding my short sword in shaking hands before me, I walk backwards away from it.

"We're such fools," the leader of the party moans.

"What?" Turning towards him, I'm surprised at the sudden audio clarity. The blocking signal has faded enough that I can now hear him.

"We thought… It's a Mage Slayer, that should be fine, right?" His rambling changes pitches. A cold shiver runs up my spine; he's in shock. He can't focus. "Death on Wings, the notes called it. An attack speed near level two. But, soft, fleshy wings. Bring it down and kill it. The spikes make fantastic weapons…"

His words drift off as his eyes unfocus even more. He's entered some sort of flashback. Ripping my gaze from him, I look back towards the monster. Steadily, it begins walking towards us. Despite the lose of a limb, its pace seems natural. The thick hindlegs bearing most of the weight. Already the blood flow from the injury has stopped. That's not natural, even for monsters.

"…The guild calls them Death Bats. For every time one spawns, someone dies…"

Almost as if the man's words were a summons, the monster leaps towards him. Barely able to react, I throw my body to the side. I can feel the wind rush by me. Despite my quick reactions, I feel the truth in the strength of the wind. If it had aimed at me, it would have hit.

As I roll to my feet, a soft thud rings out form the ground near me. Swallowing a scream, I look on in horror as the head of the leader lolls around at my feet. Stumbling backwards I take off at a sprint to where Leafa's body should have fallen. Scrambling through the mists, I find it easily enough. Despite the blood rolling off her, she seems to be alright.

Knocked out by something?

Taking out my potions, I pour as many as I can grab over her. High, normal, it doesn't matter. My thoughts are a mess as I work frantically.

"Please… Please… I need you…"

Whispering frantically, I wait impatiently for the potions to do their work. As soon as the steam stops, I grab her shoulders and shake. I've heard it's a bad idea, but I can't stop myself. I need her. She's the warrior. I'm nothing without her.

"Please Leafa…"

A groan escapes her lips. Despite the ragged sound, it sounds like the chorus of heaven to me.

"Thank you, now get up!"

Unsteadily, her eyes open, unfocused and distracted.

"No…"

She isn't healed. She won't save me.

The harsh truth ripping through me, I turn to my last chance. The other adventurers in the party. Surely the death of their leader will band them together to take the monster down!

True to my expectation, the last two are still standing. Weapons raised; they bravely face down the monster. Managing to supress it with jabs, the combatants are locked into a stalemate.

Holding my breath, I watch anxiously as I silently cheer on the adventurers. This is my job after all. The adventurers fight and supporters watch. This is what I want to do. Trust my fate to other people.

The flow of the fight changes. One of the men make a rush for it, swinging their blade. Suddenly, they trip. An object hidden in grass impeding their movement. The leader's body.

Watching in horror, the adventurer falls in a heap in front of the monster. Jumping on him, squirts of blood and a cut-off scream notify me to his fate.

"No… You're adventurers… You're supposed to kill the monster…"

Unheeded, tears fall from my cheeks in large drops. The last adventurer is panicking. Swinging his weapon wildly, he shouts obscenities at the creature. As he takes another step back, I can already see how it will play out. How he'll falter and the monster with take advantage of it.

This is a supporter's fate.

They live and die with their adventurers.

Then it comes. The inevitable mistake. The errant swing. The break in posture. Followed quickly by a lunge from the monster. Jaws opened wide; they snap shut around the upright arm held in front of his face.

Biting down on it, the shearing of metal and a sharp snap give evidence for the break. Twisting its head, I hear a pop as the man's body fairs no better than a ragdoll tossed about by a dog. Released, his body soars towards me. With a heavy crash, the adventurer smashes into the ground in front of me.

With a groan, he lifts his head and stares at me. Despite the pain clouding them, I can see his fear. His desire to live, but his powerlessness to make that happen. Slowly, his mouth opens to form one word.

Please.

---

Kirito:

"Urgh…" Groaning loudly, each step is an effort as my ears ring. Blinking the tears from my eyes, I follow the coughing in front of me. Reaching it, I allow myself to collapse to my knees.

"Kirito?"

Hearing Philia's voice is a huge relax. "Yeah," I sigh. Running out of energy, I move my arms forward to balance on all fours. As my right arm connects to the ground, a spike of pain shoots through it, sending me to the ground.

Yelling in pain, I withdraw it and cradle it to my chest.

"What's wrong?"

"M-my arm…" I pant. The pain is bad. Some of the worst I've ever felt. Only my previous experiences keep me functioning. I know it won't go down. I know it won't go away. And yet, I force myself to not give into the sweet relief that going into shock will provide.

I grasp the pain and ride each current, each spike as it travels from my injury to my brain. Getting into a sort of rhythm, I lose myself in the process.

"I-I need the dust to settle…" Philia tells me.

Focusing on her voice, I find a better balm in it than my method.

"Please, keep talking…"

"O-of course." Philia squeaks out. Maybe startled by my request. The thought brings a small smile to face. Am I going into shock? "Once the dust settles, I will be able to analyze your injury and heal it hopefully. I have a hi-potion in my pack which I can…"

"Philia?" I prod as her voice fades. As it does, the pain comes back. That unending force that guarantees I'm still alive.

"I-I don't have my bag. That's okay though, because you have potions in your bag. It may not be enough to fully heal your injury but the two of us should be strong enough to fight out of this together."

"It's my right arm Philia…"

"I-I see. W-well that's okay because… because Rain will save us. It will… It will… Oh god!"

For some reason, as Philia begins to break down from the hopelessness of it all, it calms my nerves. Our situation is bad, but we aren't in dire straights yet. We can do this.

"The dust is settled enough for part one of your plan," I inform her gently.

"The dust…? Oh, yes you're correct."

Chuckling silently, I wait patiently for Philia's estimation. As someone who has studied under a pharmacist, she's far more knowledgeable about injuries than me. Finally, the pain level starts to decrease. Instead, I find my mind drifting to Rain. I hope she's alright.

"It's not good," Philia tells me. "It's broken, you won't be able to use it today."

Sighing, I nod in acceptance. It's about what I expected. Waiting for Philia to finish the healing, I drag myself to my feet with just my left arm.

"We should put it in a sling," Philia advises me.

"No, that's alright." I reply, looking down the empty rock hallway. "It's worth the risk that I may aggravate it if I need it."

"As you say," Philia admits begrudgingly. "I'll try and handle any fighting."

"Alright" I relent, "you have the maps, right?"

Nodding, Philia's already bringing them out. Unrolling the map of the fifteenth floor, I easily find our location. Eina's pounded these into me well enough I probably don't need it. However, as I look at it, my heart sinks. This is maybe the worst route to get trapped in. There's no path back to the fourteenth floor on it. However…

"Do you have the sixteenth-floor map?"

"Oh, uh, yeah." Having just found our location of the fifteenth-floor, Philia is confused, but obediently receives the desired map.

Unfurling it, I quickly find the corner of the floor where we would enter. If the rubble didn't block that floor as well… It should work. "I have an idea."

"An idea?"

"Yes, look here," I command Philia pointing to where we're cut off on the fifteenth. "This path we're on, it doesn't have any other routes back to the main path. It does, however, have a drop off to the sixteenth."

"A drop-off?" Philia asks in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Look," I continue, finding that same drop-off location on the sixteenth-floor map. "If we drop down, then it's a clear shot back to the main route. Our other option is to wait here until the dungeon heals itself and removes the cave-in."

"The sixteenth floor though… That's when…?"

"When Minotaurs spawn," I confirm in a grim voice. I still haven't fought one of them. Looking at my left hand, I flex it. Only now do I regret never trying to fight with it. I was able to use a shield with it easily enough. Unfortunately, the ease of a shield if a far-cry from the finesse that a blade requires.

Turning around, I find my sword where it fell from my hand. Just beyond the rubble, I extract it from the rocks. Picking it up, I grunt from the effort. It's heavier than I remember it.

My left arm is weaker.

It's not really a surprise. This is a real world. Muscles develop through use. I'm currently relying completely on my status to wield my sword. Tentatively, I take a step forward and try a vertical swing.

"That… wasn't horrible," I murmur in surprise.

Philia just looks at me and sighs. "I should have figured you'd just pick it up naturally. I've actually tried to fight with my left hand. I found it to be nearly impossible."

"Haha…" Laughing quietly, I sheath my sword awkwardly. With my sheath angled for my right hand, it's hard to get it back in. I can't even switch its alignment on my own.

"May I?" Philia offers, without me asking.

"Yeah, thanks." Murmuring the words quietly, I wait like an infidel for Philia to unhook it and adjust it. Reaching back with my left hand, I find the hilt easily enough. Withdrawing it an inch, I slam it back in. The motion is a mirror of the one I use to normally draw my sword. Thinking in those terms, I find the action strangely natural. "I should be able to fight. Just not well."

"Alright," Philia says, "so, down to the sixteenth?"

"I…" Hesitating, I try and consider the implications of doing this. The monsters are stronger, there are more of them, we aren't doing well either. But what's the other option? Stay here and suffer wave after wave of monsters? "Let's go."

Nodding firmly, Philia's face is determined. The previous fluster has vanished. Letting her lead the way, I don't trust myself in combat right now. Not with a style I've never practiced before.

"So, what were Rain and you talking about?"

"Eep!" From behind I can't see her face, but I can imagine her bright red cheeks. "It was just, uh, girl stuff!"

"So, nothing I need to know?" I ask, slightly teasingly. Despite instinctively trying to make a joke about it, I feel a small pit of fear in my stomach. I'm not in denial enough to reject the fact that their talk was surely about me. Or at least concerning me.

"What do you want Kirito?"

"Huh?" Turning my expectations around on me, Philia's question catches me off guard. What do I want? That's easy. "I want you to be happy."

"Just me?" Philia asks. "What about Rain and Silica and Leafa and Hestia and Argo and Asuna?"

"W-well…" I stutter slightly, "I want you all to be happy."

"Are you serious right now?" Stopping, Philia turns around to face me. As always, her large blue eyes are transfixing.

"O-of course. Why wouldn't I want my friends to be happy."

Pursing her lips, Philia looks upset with my answer. "What will you do if you have to choose between who you can please?"

"I…" Stopping my words, what can I say. I've thought about the possibility before, but I have no answer. I can only selfishly cling to the possibility that I can help them all. Yet, Rain and Philia are as close as sisters. I almost broke the bond between them by choosing to go out with Rain. Maybe Philia does have the right of it. "What would you do?" Turning the question around, I ask Philia for her input.

"I think…" Philia starts slowly, "that I'd have to prioritize those closest to me. I wouldn't be able to sacrifice my family to help others."

It's a solid answer. It's a logical answer. In fact, not too long ago, I'd have said the same thing and scoff at anyone who said otherwise. Now though, I find the limited answer aggravating. Maybe I hadn't been completely honest with Philia. I want more. I want to be able to help everyone.

Stunned, I stumble slightly as I start walking again. Where did that desire come from? It's naïve. More than that, its idiotic. A childish wish. So, why did it feel so good to admit?

Confused, I break off the conversation by not replying. I need to focus on surviving now. As we rapidly approach the drop to the sixteenth, no enemies appear. It's as if the dungeon is taunting us to take this route.

Turning the corner, we're there. One of the walls is suddenly absent. Not because it's a cavern, but because the floor is also gone. It forms a chasm that runs alongside the path and leads down to the sixteenth floor. The problem is that there is no staircase down. One of the reasons people rarely use them.

"How do we do this?" Philia asks turning to me.

Holding back my words, I stop myself from saying 'How should I know'. I'm the one that brought us here. I knew what the drop-off was. Hell, I'd even seen some before. Peering over the edge, the bottom fades into darkness. Despite that, I know it shouldn't be too much more than twenty feet. At level two, that should be an easy enough drop. Should be.

"You're… Not going to like my idea…."

"What is it?"

"Well, as the person with two arms, maybe you can try scaling down the edge of the cliff. Even if you fall, it shouldn't be too bad for you."

"What about you?" Philia asks instantly.

Shrugging, I try to dismiss that part. "If it isn't too deep, I can just jump down to follow you."

Frowning, Philia doesn't look happy with the plan. Nonetheless, she nods, and begins scrambling for the edge. Slowly sliding over, she lowers herself until only her fingertips are left. "Here goes nothing."

"What?" Unable to react, Philia simply let's go. "Philia!" Shouting her name, I dash to edge and look down in fear. Unfortunately, I can no longer see her.

"I'm fine," Her voice rings out. "You were right, it's an easy fall for us."

Nodding, I note how she worded that. It's easy for us. Not that it's easy. Before I give myself a chance to overthink it, I walk off the edge. Falling through the darkness, the air rushes around me. It's like riding a roller coaster in the dark. The thrill of the experience ends abruptly as I hit the rapidly appearing floor. Stumbling from the impact, Spikes of pain drive up my legs. Stabilizing myself, my knees speak their disapproval of my actions.

"I thought you said It was easy," I complain to Philia.

Raising an eyebrow at me, "did you jump off?"

"No… I walked off."

Sighing, she rubs her forehead. "You do know how acceleration works, don't you?"

"I…"

"Your speed increases exponentially for each increment. Even if you fell only five more feet or so than me, the impact is a lot different. Also, I think my body is different from yours."

"What do you mean?" I ask curiously.

"I'm technically a prum, right?" she reminds me. "Even though my height was changed to my real one, I think I'm quite a bit lighter than a human of my size would be."

"And that means?"

"Ugh," Philia criticizes me. I take the break to use a little potion on my sore joints. "That my species isn't as dense as humans are. The lower the density of a falling object, the lower its terminal velocity is."

"Okay," I agree automatically. I don't want to say anything more. It sounds like Philia's quoting classes she sat through. Does she realize that she's older than me?

"So…" She says, her voice taking on a different tone. A carefully controlled one. "…The sixteenth floor."

"The sixteenth floor." I agree.

Looking into the dark corridors, I can sense the difference from the fifteenth. There's less light, the rocks are sharper, the passages are more confusing, even the sense of malevolence is far stronger.

Swallowing once, I take my first step back towards safety.

---

Silica:

"I'm sorry Lili…"

Apologizing to my absent mentor, I straighten up. Moving around the man's body, I stand between him and the slowly approaching monster. Readying my short sword, I stare it down unblinking.

"I don't want to watch as my family fights for their lives. I'm going to fight beside them."

As if waiting for me to finish, the monster lunges as my words die in the air.

Reading this, I roll to the side. To my right, the wing that Leafa risked her life to remove. Rolling smoothly to my feet, I don't make the mistake from my fight against that man; I keep moving. That lesson saves my life as the spikes pass inches from me.

I can't think on that though as I begin running. Taking off, I circle the monster. Always towards its injured side.

Limping, the monster roars its displeasure at me. With me being this close to it, it can't take advantage of its powerful hindlegs to lunge at me again. It's a cowardly way to fight, but it's all I have. I'm not Kirito or Leafa, skilled enough with a blade to cut it down. I don't have Yuna's bow nor the proficiency to use it. I don't even have Nautilus' armour; the power to stop an attack and respond in kind.

All I have is the speed granted to me by a selection menu. Chosen purely to remind me of my cat Pina. Now, it is the only thing enabling me to survive.

Continuing to sprint, my whole body feels hot. The adrenaline flowing through my veins prevents me from feeling anything. I'm probably exhausted, but as long as I'm alive, I have a chance. Each step is a test of survival, any stumble and it will catch up. Any change in speed and it will catch me. But despite all of that, I feel alive.

This is why Kirito gets that misty look in his eyes as he talks about his near-death experiences. This is what keeps bringing more and more people to Orario to become adventurers. They want this. They want to feel alive.

Stamping my foot on the ground, my body bends under the acceleration as I stop in place. Forcing it even further, I push off the other direction. Unprepared for the switch, the monster continues past me, the tips of its spikes brushing my cat ears.

"Hiyah!" Bringing my blade forward, I aim for its last remaining arm. If I bring this down, it will be immobile. Putting my momentum behind the thrust, the sword connects, and then slips to the side. Passing by the monster, a gap develops between us.

Sliding to a halt, I nervously turn around to face my foe that I failed to bring down. It's doing the same thing. Panting, I stand in place evaluating it. It's glowing red eyes seem to pulse with hatred. An intense loathing for all people. Shivering under the onslaught, I try and figure out my next move. It isn't trying to lunge. It probably learned from this last encounter that I'm slightly faster than it if I get close enough. All it has to do is…

My thinking is interrupted as it opens its jaws. Face blanching, I realize my mistake. I forgot about its strongest weapon.

"Ahh!" Yelling in fear, I throw myself to the ground. It's not enough as I feel the concussive burst tear into my back. The powerful vibrations are carried throughout my body. A searing headache envelops me as I crash to ground, rolling across the grassy surface.

Groaning pitifully, I reactively lift my hand in front of my face. I'm shocked to find it still holding the short sword. The monster is as well as it tries to bite me. Teeth closing around the blade, a bit of blood squirts out from its jaws. Roaring, it retreats all the while shaking its head in pain.

Using my other arm, I push myself back to my feet. My back tingles and seems unresponsive. My legs as well. There seems to be a delay between when I tell them to do something and when they respond. I can tell instinctively that a blow to the head will put me out of commission.

Forcing my legs forward, I take one step and then a second. Maybe it's my imagination, but the monster's eyes squint in disbelief. Wondering how I can possibly walk. Hissing at it, I raise my weapon between us, a small trickle of its black blood still dripping from it. The sight of it incites an angry growl from the beast. Its intelligence is obviously higher than the monsters I'm used to facing.

Once again, it breaks our stalemate. Hindlegs tensing up, it lunges. Body responding automatically, I throw myself into a roll at its injured side. Midroll I notice its plan. It didn't lunge for me. It lunged in front of me.

Recovering slowly with my injured body, the creature is already prepared for another attack by the time I right myself. Now, however, there is no way out. No way to save myself.

I can practically see the excitement within those orbs. The confidence that it can, and will, kill me.

"No!" Reacting with instinct rather than reason, I stick out my left hand in front of me and command it to stop. For some inexplicable reason, the beast hesitates. Tilting its head slightly, its hindlegs are completely tensed, ready to kill me at a moment's notice. In a moment of stupidity, I actually wonder if it's considering the possibility that I'm strong enough to kill it. The thought vanishes as soon as I think it. There's no way that's possible.

Getting over its confusion, the monster lunges. As if to make up for lost time, the monster overcompensates in the strength it uses. Not bothering to compete against it, I simply allow myself to fall backwards. It's teeth snap closed less than an inch from my face as it passes over me.

I can't let this chance pass!

Firming up my resolve, I thrust my sword upwards. Feeling the blade connect, it's ripped from my hand as the beast passes cleanly over me. Flipping over, I wait breathlessly to see how I did.

Holding my breath, I watch nervously as the beast takes one unsteady step. Turning its head to look at me, it collapses to the ground.

"I did it…? I… I did it!" Releasing an exclamation of joy, I punch the sky in jubilation. Standing there panting, a warm feeling of happiness overcomes me. I did it. Little weak Silica defeated the ultra rare monster that brought a party of adventurers down. A monster that took down even Leafa!

"Leafa…" Thinking about her, I stumble a step to search for her. The battle took me quite far away from where I started, but it should still be easy enough to find her again.

A sound from behind me stops me. A shiver of terror works its way up my spine. Closing my eyes, I plead for it to have been fake. For my mind to be scaring me right now. A deeper huff defeats all chances of that.

Gathering my far-flung shreds of courage, I turn around to face the creature I thought I'd defeated. Laying my eyes on it once again, I can't stop my body from shaking.

It's standing. It looks more angry than hurt. My weapon hangs out of its chest. I can see now the strike was off-centre. I missed its stone and anything else vital.

That's okay, all I have to do is get it to jump over me and pull the blade out. Then kill it. No harder than it was before.

This time I find no motivation from the thought. It isn't possible. I'm dead. "I'm so sorry Leafa, I can't be your hero…"

Closing my eyes, I can't watch as it lunges at me. Any second now it will tear my head off. Poor Kirito. He'll miss his sister.

"Wind Blade!"

Something hits me, just not just the direction I expected. Getting tossed about, the sharp pain tells me there's a gash in my arm. Pressing on it, I open my eyes. Confusion filling my mind, all I see is the tenth floor, but how?

Raising my head, I see it. The white lump that is the monster. Did it always look this pathetic? With shaky arms, I try and lift myself from the ground. I fail and with a sigh, try my best to watch from here.

"Kirito?" Muttering in disbelief, the figure is about the same height. It's the only answer. That black hair, it must be! But how?

"Leafa…" Murmuring in disbelief, my eyes widen in shock. The senses in my body seem inconsequential compared to this miracle. Her armour a mess, Leafa stands over the whimpering white lump, katana in hand. With no pomp, she raises it, inverts the blade to the floor, and then plunges it down.

A sharp crack resonating through the noticeably empty air, the creature begins to fade into ash. Only two objects fall to the ground. Those impenetrable spikes that grew out of its lower jaw.

"Silica!" Ignoring the drop items, Leafa rushes over to me.

Doing my best to lift my head, I feel a burst of lucidity rush through me. "I'm so sorry Leafa. You had to save me again."

"No, no." She denies me, small tears in the corners of her eyes. "You saved me! You stood up to this monster and practically killed it yourself!"

"NO!" I deny vehemently. "I… I was too weak. But… I want to change that… I want to be an adventurer. I want to be worthy to stand beside you in combat. I…" Taking a deep breath, I force myself to stare into her eyes as I say the words. "I want to be someone worthy of Kirito."

Staring at me with a stunned expression, she doesn't get angry, or laugh in my face. Instead, a smile spreads across her face. "Oh, Silica. You already are. But, if want to be strong, then we'll do it together."

Leaning down, she pulls me into a hug as the last of my adrenaline fades. With it, my consciousness.

---

Asuna:

Grinding my teeth, it's hard not to yell at Rain. To blame her for abandoning him. The rational side of me knows that she did her best. The poor girl is as distraught as I am. It doesn't make it any easier to not use her a vent for my frustration.

"The problem is that there is no way to access that area!" Lind repeats for what must be the fiftieth time.

"Well, what else is over there?" I ask again, rubbing my face in exhaustion.

"The only thing of any note is a drop-down shaft," Lind snorts. "I'm sorry, but until the rubble clears…"

Holding up my hand, he cuts off. Looking at Rain, she jumped to attention at the same time. Her eyes possessing the first glimmer of hope I've seen in them since we met up. "That's it."

"They went down to the sixteenth," Rain confirms.

"That's…" Pulling out a map of the sixteenth, Lind tracks the numbers of the sections, aligning them three-dimensionally. "That would actually put them somewhat close to the main route…" He murmurs with appreciation.

"Then that's where we go," I declare to my party, standing up straight. "We may not get much fighting done today, but instead of the fifteenth, you'll get to practice on the sixteenth."

I try to instill my voice with confidence, but even still my party shrinks with fear. To a man they've levelled up. Despite that, they have no qualms admitting their insecurities. Today was to be our first day on the fifteenth, skipping over it should scare them. More than that, the shadow of a particular monster hangs over them.

"Please everyone. Won't you help me?"

Rain's words have a strange cadence to them. Frowning, I can almost feel a residual magical energy suffusing them. My party responds instantly. The white knights in them jumping at the chance to aid the damsel in distress.

"Let's save this foolish man," Lind snorts in agreement. "Perhaps I can get bring him to reconciliation."

"Uh, sure." I agree sagaciously with him. "Check your equipment. We aren't stopping again until the sixteenth floor!"

"Yeah!" One loud roar of approval and we're off. The noise quickly dies leaving only the ominous aura of the dungeon and unexplored territory.

---

Hestia's Church:

"This doesn't make sense!" Roaring in frustration once more, Hestia pulls at her long pig tails. The silky black ropes of hair staying in pristine condition despite Hestia's lack of attention to it. One of the many advantages to being a goddess.

Gazing down at her familia member's status sheets, her eyes jump between certain entries. Mainly the skill and magic slots. The issue had been steadily gnawing at her for ages now. Every day, the more she heard, the more confused she got. Every deity she talked to subtly confirmed the same thing.

Things appeared in an adventurer's status after they earned them. Not before. There were specific things in her adventurers' statuses that just don't make sense. Leafa's wind blade? What was her connection to magic, and more importantly to wind magic? This was the easiest to ignore. The hardest to ignore was Silica's skill. A dragon tamer? The species referred to as the king of monsters was supposed to the hardest to tame. Why on earth would she have a skill aiding in this herculean feat?

Perhaps even most telling was in Kirito's magic slot. It's development upon him hitting level two had shocked Hestia. It had begun the subtle investigation. She was convinced now though. They weren't normal.

They were developing abilities they shouldn't have, based on things they'd never experienced.

Only one frightening possibility rose to Hestia's mind as she considered how this could be possible. That the transfer between worlds hadn't been flawless. That in doing so, they had ripped the children away from their destinies back in the old world. Whatever experiences they may have had there have started developing here as skills and magic.

"I just hope this doesn't come back to bite us…"

Staring at the pieces of paper, Hestia felt helpless as she looked on at them, unable to do anything else for the children she loved.

Suddenly feeling very isolated without her familia, Hestia bundled the statuses together. Standing up, she departed to visit the one person whom she trusted enough to share this with and whom may understand: Miach.