There was a heavy silence as we ate breakfast. I had put together as best a meal as I could, considering it could very well be our last. But as we ate, all three of us were absorbed in our own thoughts. Asuna was eating slowly, staring at her plate while Artoria stared out of the window.
The food turned out nice. I think to myself, savoring the bacon which had been cooked to perfection. The only item of the meal that seemed to not be perfect was the egg, which I wished was a bit runnier. The type of tea Artoria had bought was also quite good, and I found myself enjoying the tea, the hot beverage helping to fully wake me up. As I savor a bite of toast, I frown.
That's right. We have a fight today… is that why my mind is wandering around so much? I wonder to myself, looking down at my plate ponderously. As I stare at my plate, for who knows how long, I hear a chair shift and look up at Artoria as she stands up.
"I'm going ahead to meet up with Klein's party." Artoria announces, not looking at me. I nod, as Asuna watches us from under her hood in silence. Artoria heads for the door and I remember the cake I had bought her last night. I get up and rush over as she opens the door. Artoria looks at me.
"I… I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have treated you like that." I bow my head, apologizing as I hand her the cake. She takes the cake wordlessly.
Her silence is painful. Please, say something. Do you truly hate me now?
"Just… take care of yourself." I say, breaking the agonizing silence.
"You too, Rits- Kaze. And… thank you. Let's all make it through this. Together." Artoria responds after a moment. I look at her as she affords a soft smile. I force a smile in return as she turns and heads down the street. Watching her, she soon turns a corner and disappears. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding and step back, letting the door close. I turn to look at Asuna as she stands up.
"Well, not much left to do then I guess… You have everything you need? I ask, looking around the house as Asuna nods.
"Yes, we can leave." She replies, walking over as I run down a checklist in my mind. I intended to sell this house to have more money for the second floor so this would be the last time I would see it. I sigh.
"Hopefully prices on the second floor aren't too bad." I remark, looking around.
"Artoria might go hungry if they are." Asuna comments quietly, and I look at her.
"I meant property rates but… yeah. You're right. That too." I reply, letting out a snort of amusement. Confirming that I had everything, I head for the door, following Asuna out as she steps out onto the street.
I put my house up for sale, hoping that marking it up by 40% wasn't too much. Rates had gone up, but there was the risk of the rates falling with the defeat of the floor boss. Ruminating on the housing economy of SAO, I follow Asuna down the street. I look at the sword at her hip, its hilt sticking out of her cape.
A rapier huh? I haven't seen many rapier users in the game. I wonder if her style is similar to D'eon's. I think to myself as Asuna looks at me, feeling my gaze.
"What? Something wrong with my sword?" Asuna asks curiously as I shake my head.
"No. Just not very familiar rapier users. Did you fence?" I reply. Asuna shakes her head and looks down at her sword.
"No. It was just fast and lightweight." She replies. "What about you? Why did you pick the katana?" She adds inquisitively, looking back at me.
"I have some kendo experience." I answer, deciding to not mention that I had some very basic pointers from the genderbent version of Japan's greatest swordsman. Asuna nods, content with my answer and looks forward as we continue outside of the city walls where the others are waiting. Klein and Harry wave to us and I wave back as I walk over.
"Mornin'!" I call out, getting a chorus of greetings back as I join the others with the quiet Asuna in tow. I look around at the other parties gathered around, talking among themselves. I spot Agil's party and wave to Agil. Agil and Wolfgang both wave back. I then look at Klein.
"We're still waiting on a handful more, then we'll be leaving. Good news is we're up one more player." Klein informs me. I raise an eyebrow in surprise.
"Really? When did that happen?" I ask, scanning around to see if I saw someone I didn't recognize. Klein shakes his head.
"You won't see them. They are apparently already at the dungeon, but the solo player is joining us." Klein explains to me as I look at him, eyes wide.
"No kidding? How the hell did they convince the solo player to join?" I ask, scoffing in surprise and disbelief. Klein shrugs and shakes his head, looking at Diavel.
"No clue. I learned about it just this morning in an announcement by Diavel. They must have reached some sort of arrangement." Klein replies. I nod and shrug.
"I'll be curious to see how they fight." I say, looking back at the rest of the party. Kunimittz had a stoic expression, steeling himself for the challenge ahead, while Harry and Dynamm were talking quietly to each other. Dale was checking his inventory and Issin was scarfing down a late breakfast.
I check my own inventory, organizing the healing crystals and potions near the top for quick access. As I organize my inventory, Dale walks over.
"Did you sort things out with Artoria and Asuna?" Dale asks me quietly, concernedly. I look up from my inventory menu at him.
"Yeah. I think we all put it behind us. Hopefully." I reply. Dale smiles and nods.
"Good. You shouldn't fight." Dale responds, satisfied with my answer. I look at him, raising an eyebrow.
"You really sound like some sage right now." I remark, humorously. Dale grins and laughs.
"Do I? I guess I do! I'll take that as a compliment." Dale replies. I look around, noticing the crowd has grown more. I look at Diavel as I hear him begin to speak.
"Alright everyone! Our raid group is all here! So we are heading out now!" Diavel calls out as some people respond with cheers. I grip my sword for confidence as everyone begins moving, the texture difference between the tsuka ito and same feeling particularly noticeable to my hand. I look at the others in my group. Artoria and Asuna appeared to be focusing on the backs in front of them to avoid thinking about the upcoming battle. Kunimittz and Issin had grim yet determined expressions as Klein and Harry looked cautiously confident. Dynamm and Dale were reviewing the handbooks as they walked.
As the raid group made its way through the woods, approaching the dungeon, I found my nervousness giving way to a calmness. Perhaps it was because I was beginning to identify this with my time in the singularities and lostbelts. Or perhaps my heart was just tired of being scared. I sigh, relaxing my shoulders, gathering Asuna's attention as she walked alongside me. She looks at me from under her hood.
"You're so calm. Have you played games like this before?" Asuna asks me. I glance at her, staring as I think.
"No. This… is my first time." I reply after a moment. Asuna cocks her head in confusion.
"Then why do you walk with such confidence?" She asks. I look forward, at the others. Some walk confidently, others excitedly, and others with nervousness. I look back at Asuna.
"I guess I'm just used to stress. So this doesn't phase me to easily." I explain carefully as Asuna stares at me. I glance at Artoria who is nearby and clearly listening in silently, her head turned ever so slightly towards us to hear better.
"But this isn't the real world. It's a fantasy world, with monsters. That's a bit different from your normal stress in real life." Asuna replies as I nod and look towards the canopy.
Ouch. Hitting me where it hurts. For me, I can't even identify that kind of stress anymore. I think to myself, letting out a sigh. I shrug.
"I guess I just compartmentalize them together." I answer, chuckling dismissively. I feel Asuna's eyes boring into me when I answer, clearly unsatisfied with my answer. Resolving to change the topic towards her to avoid further prying, I look at her.
"And you? Did you play video games before SAO?" I inquire curiously as she faintly pouts, picking up that I had changed the topic no doubt. Damn the smart for being so sharp. I think to myself as Asuna shakes her head.
"Not really. My mother didn't really permit me the time of day. I was always busy with school." Asuna replies. "I only ended up here because I borrowed my brother's NerveGear." She adds, her voice growing somber. I frown.
"Hey, what happened, happened. You gotta make the best of the hand you are dealt. You would be surprised. You can find happiness, even in a shitty situation." I respond, smiling softly.
"One day, you owe me an explanation for why you speak like you're a lot older than you are, weirdo." Asuna responds, smirking softly. I chuckle and shrug.
"Maybe. Maybe." I reply.
Though, I hope not. Not like you'd believe or understand. I think to myself, looking back forward. I walk over to Artoria, who looks at me as I walk up alongside her.
"Nervous?" I ask her. She nods, then shrugs, then smiles at me.
"Of course I am. I've never considered myself a fighter, much less a sword user. I'm not King Pendragon." She replies, her face turning somber as she slumps her shoulders. I pat her on the back.
"You faced down Woodwose, Morgan, and Cernunnos. You're more than qualified. Just believe in yourself more. I do." I reassure her as she shakes her head, smiling sadly.
"But I never asked for that. And even if all that happened, I still can't shake the fear." She replies. I sigh and thump her on the shoulder.
"You think I'm not scared? It's how we handle it that matters. Besides, we got a bunch of friends to help us out. You're not alone." I state, smiling. Artoria smiles back weakly.
The conversation dies down as we walk on in silence, the wind in the trees causing a gentle rustling, the only noise beyond the subtle murmur of conversation from other parties talking among themselves.
"Final check before we head in!" Diavel calls out, standing before the door to the boss's room. The mysterious solo player, in their white and blue cloak stood beside Diavel. Many people watched them with suspicion, no doubt their reputation preceding them. I look toward my own party and Klein's party.
"Well, this is it. You ready?" Klein asks, looking at me and grinning. I nod firmly.
"If I wasn't, I'd be hightailing it out of here." I reply, chuckling. I look at Asuna and Artoria. They nod, but remain silent.
"We got this! It would be too lame for us to fail now!" Harry remarks confidently, breaking some of the tension. Around us, other parties were talking, discussing plans, and trying to cut tension.
"So, your team is handling the extras, correct?" I ask, looking at Klein who nods in confirmation.
"Aye, I felt we would be better served against the boss, but Diavel insisted we go up against the sentinels. Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on Artoria." Klein replies. Kunimittz nods in confirmation.
"The five of us should be more than sufficient, she should come to no danger." Kunimittz reassures me. I nod and smile.
"I trust you all" I reply and then look at Asuna.
"Hm?" Asuna looks at me, noticing my gaze.
"I want you to follow directly behind me. Dynamm and Harry will provide the muscle, so we are the damage dealers. They should keep the boss's attacks from landing, so when I go in, you're to follow up with rapid fire attacks, exploit the openings I create." I explain carefully. Asuna nods.
"I can do that." Asuna replies. I turn and look at Harry and Dynamm.
"The two of you are to stand strong, ensure that we are able to secure openings and covering us from counterattacks, understood?" I explain. Dynamm nods.
"I can handle that." Dynamm responds as Harry jokingly salutes.
That should cover all bases. Did I miss anything? I think to myself as I look at the door. In this past month, I had developed a newfound respect for Goredolf, Da Vinci, and Holmes. So this is what it's like to be responsible for the lives of others.
What I wouldn't give to see all of you again. This is hard. I think, sighing tiredly. I wasn't cut for any of this. I should still be in high school. Seriously. What the fuck am I doing with any of this? I scratch my head, letting out another sigh as I reflect on how I could have ended up on such a peculiar life path.
"You alright?" A voice rouses me from my brooding and I look over at Asuna. I raise an eyebrow.
"What makes you think I'm not?" I ask her, again cursing her perceptiveness.
Or maybe it's her curiosity? Artoria just stays silent. I think to myself.
"You were sighing a lot and scowling." She replies. I chuckle.
"Touche. I was just wondering how I ended up here. Managing the lives of others. I should be in high school. I'm not in a position to handle other people's lives." I remark plainly, looking around at the party. Asuna looks at me curiously, but says nothing, thankfully. I didn't need false words of comfort or fake understanding. These were my issues and only Artoria had even a vague idea of what those issues were like.
Artoria looks at me as I scan the party and gives me a warm smile. I smile back, feeling a bit better. Something about her pure hearted personality and expressions set me at ease. I look back at Asuna.
"Don't worry about me. I got things covered. I'll be fine." I explain, nodding my head assuringly. Asuna nods in response as Diavel's voice rings out.
"Alright! If there are no protests, then let's go!" Diavel calls out, earning a round of cheers as he turns and opens the doors into a dark room. He heads inside, followed by his party, then Agil's party. Gradually, we all file into the dark room. I draw my sword. Everyone is silent.
After a moment, braziers alight along the sides of the room, illuminating what resembles a massive throne room. At the far end sits a rather corpulent kobold with an ax and a shield, sitting on a throne. Its eyes open, revealing glowing red eyes as multiple health bars appear along with the name Illfang the Kobold Lord. It stands up, picking up its weapons and jumps down from its throne onto the main floor with a thundering thud. He lets out a roar as his guards, the sentinels, appear as well.
"You all know your tasks! Now attack!" Diavel cries out, charging as everyone follows his lead, shouting in a battle fervor.