Disclaimer: SPOILERS for SAO Alternate: Gun Gale Online. If you haven't seen it yet, there's a spoiler here.
Sword Art Online III: Asgard!
Seven: Meanwhile...
"We should organize a raid into the new dungeon!" Eugene of the Salamanders growled. Pacing across the leader's throne room.
Mortimer, his brother and leader of the Salamander race, shook his head, "We have no idea, yet, how hard it's going to be. Our new source..."
Argo sneezed, then shook her head as she counted her yrd coins. No one had said she couldn't sell the data from Ymir on the new dungeon to others, after all.
"... has only told us that it's four floors and EXTREMELY tough." Mortimer continued.
"STILL. It could be a one shot event, like that castle," Eugene pointed out.
Both men scowled at that.
They had been dubious about the monster hunting quest that was supposed to reveal Excalibur, but joined in. Later they discovered that Kirito and Co had raided the enemy castle, fought their way to the end, WON and claimed Excalibur themselves. Worse, the giant's castle then was destroyed, leaving them no chance to try it themselves.
"Not to mention Kirito getting Excalibur, too," Eugene grumbled.
"Now, now," Mortimer noted, "you have the demon sword after all. At best Kirito getting that sword makes him your equal."
Eugene had wanted to get the sword for Mortimer, actually. Not that he was going to tell his big brother that.
"Do you think Kirito will clear this Dungeon too?" Mortimer asked thoughtfully.
"From what I've seen of him, he's certainly capable of it," Eugene said firmly.
Both men had worked with Kirito's band, once or twice. After a memorable party, they, Kirito's friends and the small guild Sleeping Knights had, on impulse, challenged a level on the floating castle of Aincrad. Normally, you'd need more than forty players, a lot of potions and a plan... instead they had charged in and won.
"All right," Mortimer said, "put a team together. We'll launch our own attempt at clearing the dungeon. You'll be leading, I assume?"
"Of course," Eugene grinned then strode away.
"Good luck!" Mortimer called.
"I won't need it," Eugene called back cheerfully.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Sakuya, the leader of the Sylphs, was using a magic mirror to communicate with a friend and ally. "So, what do you think we should do?" the black haired, beautiful woman asked.
Alicia Rue, leader of the Cait Sith and ally of the Sylphs, pouted. "I can't believe Argo, a fellow Cait Sith, charged me that much for the info!" she complained.
Argo the Rat sneezed, again.
Sakuya sighed. "Never mind that," she said impatiently, "should we send a group in to tackle the new dungeon?"
"Why?" Alicia asked bluntly.
"Huh?" Sakuya blinked.
"The dungeon's not that big of a deal," Alicia said. "Think about it... there's a whole unexplored LEVEL beyond it!" Alicia said excitedly.
Sakuya nodded thoughtfully as she saw her point. "You think we should be readying our forces to rush in once the new level opens," she mused. She added, "Well, not rush. I expect much stronger monsters there."
"Oh, agreed," Alicia nodded. "But the oportunities are immense." She pouted suddenly, "If only we'd managed to recruit Kirito!"
Sakuya sighed, nodding. Both women had tried to win over Kirito after he saved them from a Salamander ambush... sadly he stayed annoyingly loyal to Leafa. Of course, both women had tried to hit on Kirito not knowing he was married. Awkward!
They had both apologized to Asuna later. That had been an odd moment too.
"Leafa is in the group trying to clear the Asgard dungeon, right? Think she'd contact you for old time's sake?" Alicia asked.
Sakuya made a face. "We weren't REALLY close when she mostly adventured with the Sylphs," she admitted, "I can't promise it."
Alicia nodded, "Fair enough. We can just have scouts at the entrance, ready to tell us if the dungeon gets cleared."
"Agreed," Sakuya nodded, then both women got to work on their preperations.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Across Alfheim, leaders, wealthy guilds and individual players bought Argo's 'Asgard Info Package!' and began making plans. Raid parties were formed, alliances were maid, and many people watched to see what would happen.
"I hate you," Shiroe of Log Horizon noted flatly.
"I get that alot," Argo shrugged casually.
"Master Shiroe!" Akatsuki scolded him, the small spriggan swordswoman sitting at their table in a inn near the new dungeon.
"Sorry," Shiro quickly apologized, "but this information would have been SO helpful before we went in."
Argo had sold Log Horizon the 'Asgard Info Package!' and they were going over it before preparing for another attempt. Well, that and waiting on more of their members to get online so they could try in a larger party, too.
"I hadn't gotten all of it before you went in, anyway," Argo shrugged. She didn't mention that she had promised to first give it to Kirito too.
The tall warrior Naotsugu was reading the 'enemies' file. "I'm going to need better armor," he noted, shaking his head.
Nyanta the gentlemanly Cait Sith nodded, "I may need to shop for some enchanted leather." He had gone for an agile, two sword player build. Much like Kirito, he really couldn't use heavy armor.
"Senpais!" a tall young woman hurried over.
"Isuzu! Wait up!" two other younger players hurried after.
"Isuzu, Minori, Touya, good to see you," Naotsugu nodded cheerfully. "Glad you could make it. This Raid is going to be interesting."
"SHE'S SO CUTE!" a taller, attractive blonde rushed up and glomped Argio.
"ACK!" Argo yelped.
"Marielle, you shouldn't..." a glasses wearing, scholarly woman started to say then just STARED at Argo.
"Help?" Argo started then 'flash stepped' out of the women's grasp.
"I think you scared her off," Touya noted, the young warrior standing nearby.
"Awww," both Marielle and Henrietta pouted.
Shiroe just decided to totally ignore the messing around. "Thank you for agreeing to supply healing and support for our mission," he bowed slightly to them both.
"Hey, we still owe you for that time," Marielle said breezily.
Henrietta, the Crescent Moon Alliance accountaint, quickly added, "Not that we don't want a share of the loot, too."
"Of course," Shiroe agreed.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"WHY are you so excited about this, Pito?" the small woman dressed all in pink asked.
"Llenn, this is HUGE!" Pitohui replied.
Llenn and Pitohui were players in the online game, Gun Gale Online. They had been friends, fought to the death in the latest Squad Jam event, and were now friends agai. Oh, and Pito wanted to jump Llenn's bones.
Llenn was sitting on a wrecked tank out in the desert, her dusty pink outfit helping her blend with the sands. Pito was in her usual black leather, not interested in blending as all. Typical of the brash, female warrior.
"You're going to have to explain it to me," Llenn shook her head.
Pito shook her head. "You researched Sword Art Online, right?" she asked.
Llenn nodded.
"So, a LOT of stories circulated about how it all ended. Supposedly a solo player challenged Kayaba's avatar, Heathcliff, and defeated him in battle," Pito said.
"Okay, but what does this have to do with what's going on in Alfheim?" Llenn asked.
"Because it was finally confirmed that the player who DID it was Kirito! The SAME Kirito who rampaged through the last Bullet of Bullets with a LASER SWORD," Pito explained.
"Oooh..." Llenn blinked.
"And he's actively playing in Alfheim!" Pito added excitedly.
Llenn instantly realized where she was going with this, "NO, I will not help you chase him in ALOnline."
"BUT LLENN!" Pito pouted.
"No."
"Front row tickets to the next Elsa Kanzaki concert," Pito offered.
"Oh that is just fighting dirty..." Llenn muttered. Reluctantly she continued, "You want Fukaziroh along too?"
"Her and M. I think Fukaziroh has wanted you to play in ALO wither her anyway," Pito noted.
"I don't want to be a giantess in there tho..." Llenn moped.
Pito gave her a sympathetic look as she offered, "I'll pay any in-game fees to get you a cute, small avatar. I promise."
"THANK YOU!" Llenn beamed, tackle glomping her.
'Now if I could only get the real life Karen to do this,' Pito thought wryly.
To be continued...
Notes: Catching up on what everyone else is doing. It's canon in the novels that a book gets published revealing what happened in SAO including Kirito's story. We just don't know exactly when it gets released. Its also possible Pito just picked up very accurate rumors.