Kizmel leads Kirito, Asuna, Mito, Koharu, and Jaymes, now in a change of clothes, to the fifth floor of Yofel Castle. To the right of the stairs is a large door with two armed guards positioned in front of them, but Kizmel causes them to back away with a glance. Jaymes couldn't see her face, but one of the guards looked frightened.

They enter a large, dark office, crossing the room towards a polished blackwood desk. At the desk sits a silhouette that not even the lone candle could illuminate. What it did illuminate were parchment and an ink bottle. Beyond the light, the only visible thing is a cursor that reads Yofilis: Dark Elven Viscount.

"What the heck is a viscount?" Kirito murmurs.

"A type of rank," Jaymes whispers back. "If I remember correctly, it's above a baron but not as high as an earl or lord."

"Viscount Yofilis," Kizmel addresses with the fist-to-breast salute, "pardon my interruption. I have an urgent matter that requires your attention."

"...Before I hear your report, may I ask why you have five humans with you, Kizmel?"

Jaymes couldn't tell the identity of the viscount with the voice. It sounds like it could belong to a man or woman, old or young. Instead, he steps forward and salutes the viscount as Kizmel did, then places the parchment the commander gave him on the desk. The viscount's hand enters the light and retrieves the scroll. It unravels from its seal at the touch of the finger-like magic.

"...Ahh, I see, you are the ones who helped us recover the first key. I suppose it wouldn't do to feed you to the lake fish, then." The viscount puts the scroll away in a desk drawer, and when the hand returns, it drops five silver rings in my cupped hands. They're marked with the horn and scimitar, the symbol of the Dark Elf. "Wear those, and you will not be harried by the soldiers of Lyusula. Assuming you do not betray our patronage, of course."

"Y-Yessir." Shaken by the warning (or the certain consequence behind the warning), Jaymes backs up quickly and hands the others their rings. Like other RPGs, SAO allows only two rings to be equipped despite the avatar having all ten digits. He places the marked ring on his left hand, the right occupied by a plus one defense ring he got on the first floor as loot from a dungeon.

"So, Kizmel. What is this report you have?"

"My lord, according to these five human warriors, our sword foe, General N'ltzahh of the Fallen Elves, is on this floor."

Either this viscount is slow of hearing or purposely has delayed movements. Their hand taps the desk, creating a rattling sound that echoes off the office's wall. "Ahh. This is indeed important tidings. What is that villain plotting this time?"

While Kizmel explains the Fallen Elves' construction and their goal to gain the Jade Key, Jaymes feels a small hand enter his own. He looks to his right, seeing Koharu stare straight ahead. She doesn't look afraid or anything but possibly unnerved a bit. She isn't the only one; even he's far from calm.

"I see...and do you know the number of ships the Fallen are building?" Yofilis asks Kizmel, who turns to Kirito. Mito, Koharu, and Jaymes never got a good look of the warehouse, so they cannot say. Kirito looks at Asuna, and they do some mental calculations before the swordsman answers.

"I believe they are building at least ten ships capable of transporting ten soldiers each."

That hand raps the desk again. "...Hmm. We have eight ten-man ships at the castle. And they will attack with more than that?"

"My lord, I do not doubt the mettle of the castle's troops...but should we not transport the first and second keys up to a higher floor?"

"...There are two keys here?" Koharu whispers so softly that Jaymes barely hears it, but that's what the viscount said. There are two keys here, one more than they claimed on the previous floor.

"...There is merit to Kizmel's proposal. We cannot afford for the keys to be stolen again. But the duty of the people of Lyusula has always been to ensure that the six keys are spread apart, so they might not be gathered. If we send the first and second keys to the next floor up, they will join the third. This is not a desirable outcome."

"What happens if the six keys are brought together," Mito bluntly asks. She learned the tale they were told on route to the castle, how Aincrad was formed during an event called the Great Separation. Jaymes is curious about the finer details of the story, but not once were they told about the objective of the keys.

Kizmel whips around to them. "Mito, that's not-"

"It is fine, Kizmel," the viscount says with haste for the first time. "I shall explain…but I cannot answer your question, human warrior. Even as the latest viscount of Yofilis, a line extending back before the Great Separation, I only know a small part of the legend surrounding the keys. The only person who knows the entire truth is our queen. No… It might be true that even Her Majesty does not know the real truth."

"But Viscount Yofilis..."

Yofilis raises their hand in apology to Kizmel. "No, forgive me for saying that. Human warriors, this is all I can tell you. The people of Lyusula believe that if the six secret keys are gathered, allowing the door of the Sanctuary to be opened, terrible ruin will come to Aincrad. Meanwhile, our ancient enemies, the Forest Elves of Kales'Oh, have a different interpretation. They believe that opening the Sanctuary will return all the floors of Aincrad to their original locations on the surface and restore the great magic to the elves."

Return Aincrad to the surface.

It's an insane thought. No, what's insane is that they're trapped on Aincrad with two hopes of escaping-a single death or one hundred victories. But in a campaign quest like this...there are two options lore-wise. If the Dark Elves retain the six keys, Aincrad is kept safe; if the Forest Elves do, Aincrad returns to the land below. And there are two assumptions from the real world's perspective. Ignore that SAO is a death game. Does completion of either side affect the world? The answer is yes if this was an interactive single-player RPG, but an MMO creates a different challenge. Sure, there are world-changing quests, but they're based on the fact that only the first person to take them can complete them. So far, they've been minor changes in the world that affect only the NPCs that issued the quests, and they've helped with the previous floor boss.

But the six-floor campaign is receivable by anyone who encounters the fighting elves on the third floor. That means the quests shouldn't have a definite end. That relieves Jaymes, for such an ending on the Forest Elf-siding would counter Akihiko Kayaba's quest. Either end is just for lore. Jaymes squeezes Koharu's hand and looks at the others. "We're fine... Nothing should happen."

"Yeah," Mito agrees, though she looks just as worried as Jaymes.

"Hey, Kirito," Asuna calls, "didn't that Fallen Elf general say something about opening the Sanctuary or whatever?"

"Eh? Actually...now that you mention it... Erm, my lord. General N'ltzahh said this: When the Fallen Elves gain all of the keys and open the Sanctuary, the greatest magic of humankind would disappear."

"...Magic of humankind?" Yofilis' hand flips over as they address Kizmel. "Kizmel. Do you know what this magic of humankind is?"

"Well…though they are far inferior to those of elvenkind, the humans still have a number of ancient charms available to them. The only ones that I am familiar with are the charm of Mystic Scribing, in which their arms and tools are placed within tiny paper scrolls, and the art of Farscribing, to send written messages to distant places in an instant…"

Jaymes wouldn't call opening menu windows and sending messages 'magic'...at least not here.

"Ahh. They do sound useful, but... I cannot imagine that N'ltzahh would go to the trouble of aligning with the Forest Elves just to take such paltry charms from humankind... But in any case, the Lapis Key sealed on this floor probably ought to be retrieved. But the castle guards must prepare for the Forest Elves' siege. Warriors of humankind, will you assist Kizmel in recovering the second key?"

There wasn't a moment of questioning. As soon as the golden exclamation mark appeared over Yofilis, maybe even before, Koharu immediately answers, "Leave it to us." The exclamation mark becomes a question mark, indicating the grand campaign has resumed progress.

Kizmel bows to the hidden viscount then turns to the five players. "It is a critical but dangerous duty, but I am overjoyed to fight alongside you again. Let us work together again, Asuna, Koharu, Kirito, and Jaymes. And you, Mito, I'm happy to join your side."

"You bet!"

"Welcome back!"

"Glad to see what you can do, Kizmel."

"Let's do it, Kizmel!" Jaymes is the only one silent. As Kizmel's name and HP bar appear underneath Mito's, he quietly salutes the viscount and turns on his heels to exit the chamber. The moment the six are out of the chamber and from the view of the guards, they start to chat about the viscount. The viscount, in the elven lifespan, very old. His illness requires him to be kept in darkness, which is why his chamber was unlit. Kizmel became more critical of the priests' behavior in response to the viscount's inability to govern the castle properly, but by that moment, they're back on the fourth floor where their rooms are.

"At any rate, I appreciate the crucial information that you two have brought with you. It is late already, so let us begin our duty in the morning. Get your rest—do not stay up all night." Four of the five players bid Kizmel good night, and her HP bar fades from the side of the display. The group walks to their rooms a couple of meters away, then wish each other good night. Kirito and Asuna disappear into their room, Mito swings open the room for the remaining three's quarters when Jaymes finally reaches out to Koharu's shoulder to halt her.

"Mito... Koharu and I will be out for an hour or so."

"Huh?"

Mito nods. "Night's still young. Don't be out too late." Any signs of teasing are gone. Happy she's being serious, Jaymes nods and watches as the door closes in front of them. Koharu, confused, faces her partner.

"Um, where are we going, Jaymes?"

"Remember that I said I wanted to do something? Let's go do it."

xxxxxxxxx

Half an hour later, Jaymes sets the oar of the gondola down and lets the boat come to a natural stop in the middle of the lake. Koharu sits in the middle of the boat, her eyes bright green with silent excitement as he sits across from Koharu. Her eyes fall to the snow-covered water, her fingers breaking the lake's surface.

"You remembered..."

Jaymes smiles and looks at the dark castle. "I like to keep my promises. Plus, meeting Kizmel was more Kirito's idea than mine, so this is my gift to you. We'll be questing on Christmas Day and preparing for whatever comes the following days, so this may be the only moment we get to relax before the invasion on the twenty-seventh."

Her head and arm lift, the latter joining with its twin on Koharu's lap, the former facing him. She bears a thinking expression, her cheeks slightly pink. As much as Jaymes wants to pry, he holds himself back and continues looking elsewhere. Anywhere but at her, else recent images float in his head.

What is with that? No, he had similar thoughts before, but none so aggravating. Koharu's fairly attractive and indeed has a great personality. But so are the many other girls he's met in the last month and a half, many of them fitting his type. So why does it feel like he's developing a crush on Koharu?

...Nah, that's ridiculous. If anything, it's just teenage hormones running rampant. It's Christmas, so the holiday air is getting to him. Yeah, that's the perfect excuse for it.

"There you go again, making excuses to make yourself feel better. Just as you do to deny your inheritance. Just as you did against seeing Momiji. Don't make that mistake again."

That inner voice of Jaymes gets on his nerves. He has no interest in taking over RoboTelligence, the technology company his grandfather built. He wants to choose his path, not the one groomed for him. Is that so bad? And he has some interest in seeing his childhood friend, but she lives in Kyoto, not Tokyo. She probably doesn't remember him, or things could've changed so much that it may be awkward meeting her again.

"Coward. And you think you have the courage to protect your partner? Kirito and Asuna and Mito? Is Diavel wrong about you?"

Sniff... Hold up. As much as his mind was at war, Jaymes isn't close to crying, nor does he think one can catch a cold in SAO. Looking up, he sees Koharu facing her lap, and a glistening tear drops from her cheek to the top of her hand. Koharu's...weeping? "Koharu? Are you okay?"

"Huh? O-oh yeah, it's just... I was thinking about my family..."

He shouldn't have to ask why. It's obvious. It's almost Christmas. She's stuck with him in their cage, unable to see her family on this day. She's on a gondola in the middle of a lake while her family worries about her. She's spending time with a stranger instead of her loved ones. While he's here cursing his family, she's crying because she can't be with hers.

If he's the Grinch, she's Cindy Lou.

Without thinking, he lifts himself to Koharu's side of the gondola and wraps her in his arms. He places her head in the crook of his neck, letting his hand slide through her dark hair like a harpist playing her song. "Go ahead and cry."

"But...no, it's unfair. You're doing this for me, and I haven't given you a gift. All I've done is think about my troubles, but you could be having yours."

"...You're so kind." And there it is. His brain bursts with realization as to what attracts him. She's so kind. Thoughtful. Selfless. In a cruel word, she's a beacon of light—his beacon of light.

"I'm not."

"You are. I haven't even thought of how my family feels right now. And now that I do... I bet my mom is at the hospital right now watching over me. Grandma and Grandpa too. But my dad..." Jaymes stops right there, unsure how to continue. He's probably wrong, there could be a chance his father could be like everyone else, but the cynical part of him doesn't believe it. That is the man who tried hammering into his son his own ideals about how artificial intelligence is the future, and how his son will achieve what he may not. That man has never cared about his son's dreams.

"Liar. You don't have other dreams. You never looked for something else. You just don't have a reason to entertain your father's. You resent your father for having a dream he wants to share with you."

He wonders if his subconscious is against him or trying to encourage him, but all the same... He believes his father is at the company right now, reviewing the latest AI research data. Creating an AI that doesn't act like a computer program with ingrained commands is also known as a "top-down" AI. No, his dad wants to create the inverse, a "bottom-up" AI that thinks based on its own experiences like a human. An AI that can interact with humanity with the mind of humanity, not a programmed robot. The dangers of all sci-fi movies, yet the hope of the Hardin family.

A hope he's already seen in Kizmel, and it frightens him.

"Your dad will be there, Jaymes," Koharu says as she lifts her head, looking at him with calming jade eyes. "I don't know why you believe he wouldn't. I won't ask, but I believe he's there in my heart. No matter how...disconnected you may feel to him, he's your father, and you're his son."

"...Maybe you're the one in the right. As I said, you're kind."

She shakes her head. "I'm not. I can be selfish sometimes. Like when Mito..." It's dark as their hair outside, but Jaymes can see Koharu's face heat up. So Mito's words got to her, huh? She turns her head away, her face pouting. "Like when Liz or Mito was...being overly friendly with you. I didn't like it for some reason, but it felt like you were being taken away from me. So..."

"So?"

"...I don't know. I just...felt possessive. I don't want you to leave me. I don't want them to have you. Or vice versa. While it annoys me that you argue with Asuna, I feel wrong being happy that she's not closer to you than I am. And even in my life, I feel happy being away from it all. A part of me is happy that I'm away from my family. I don't have to play the piano or prepare for a gymnastic meet. I can be a typical teenage middle school girl for once. Yet...all the same... I feel selfish about it: my teammates, who were counting on me to lead them to the championships, my younger brother, who asks me to help him with homework, and my mom and dad, who expect great things from me. I let one moment of selfishness lure me to SAO, and now I'm here, selfishly enjoying Christmas with a guy like a rom-com protagonist. How am I kind?"

She quietly drops the subject and returns to his shoulder, raising her right hand to grasp the flower brooch pinned to her upper left breast. He keeps his thoughts to himself and looks up to the moon, letting show fall freely on his face to cool it. All this time, he never asked Koharu about her life on the other side. It's taboo for gamers in general. Yet...they're not just gamers anymore. Their relationship has progressed beyond that of mere partners. They're not strangers, but not the complete opposite of that. Once more, he's reminded that, while SAO is the game he's trapped in, it is her life right now. He silently swears to take greater care of Koharu's wellbeing, whether allowing her to speak her deepest thoughts to him about the outside world or to vent like she is now.

"If you were selfish, Ko, you wouldn't be crying now. The mere fact you're thinking about it now proves how selfless you are. You're nothing like me, who doesn't give the other side a moment of thought, or even others. Even right now, there are only two people on my mind, yet I bet you're thinking of the thousands removed from their families on this day. That's why...someone like you must live."

Because someone who can still have a heart in this heartless world deserves to live more than anyone.

After a moment of silence between the two, he conjures up a topic to break the ice. "...To answer the question Mito asked about the swimsuits, you looked the best."

"Um...Th-that's a biased answer, don't you think? I mean...erm, I mean, thank you for saying so. I liked yours too." She seems happy about the compliment, then suddenly starts tapping the air in front of her. Moments later, a purple diamond-shaped crystal I've never seen before appears in her hand. She holds it up in front of us and does something with it.

"Koharu, that's not a healing or life crystal, is it?" In the beta, both items didn't appear until the upper levels of the original ten floors. Life crystals can revive a dead party member, while healing crystals do as the name says but heals more health than a potion. There are teleportation crystals too, which return a player to the last safe zone or out of a dungeon. Neither has appeared as drops or shops so far in the official game, so that is consistent with the beta. Then again, if reviving crystals existed now (if they ever will), it would defeat the purpose of Akihiko Kayaba's death game. He did say all methods of revival are not in the game.

Koharu shakes her head. "No. It's called a Record Crystal. Argo says that they are picture-taking devices. I got this from a monster drop, so I want to use it to have some memories of our adventures. I want to still experience SAO as a game, not just our reality. I... I want the first one to be the most special, so...if you don't mind..."

Pictures, huh? Jaymes doesn't see a reason to take pictures, but that's his logic with baths in the virtual world too. The girls have their desires as well as the boys, so who is he to deny her what she wants? "Sure." Koharu smiles and continues to tap the air around the Record Crystal before setting it in the air in the middle of the gondola and sitting straight up next to him. She scoots close and wraps her left arm around Jaymes' back, her head and left chest against his chin and the right side of his torso, respectively, and holds up a peace sign with her right hand. If she wants to be this close... Jaymes mimics her gesture but brings his chin on top of Koharu's to make himself more comfortable and squeezes her a little tighter. He is overly conscience of her breasts against him but maintains composure until the crystal flashes and drops on the boat.

Koharu picks it up and taps on it again. After a moment, a hologram appears above the crystal, and Koharu gasps happily. "I...I love it."

"Yeah...though..." No, he won't say those words. If anyone else saw the picture, they'd think Jaymes and Koharu are dating. For some reason, it doesn't bother him that much...then it begins to bother him when he thinks about the potential women who could see the picture. Asuna and Mito might annoy him about it, but the real danger is Argo the Rat. God forbid she gets a whiff of that information. Clearing his throat, he stands up and sits back across from his partner. "Hey, don't show anyone else that picture, okay?"

"Why not?"

"Because...well...some people might see it and think we're...dating or something..."

Koharu blinks absently twice, then looks down at the photo. Almost immediately, her face turns red, and she hides her face behind the photo, though Jaymes can still see her. "I-I-I'm sorry! I just wanted to take a cute picture! I wasn't thinking about our positioning!"

"It's okay. I wasn't thinking about it," he lies, then lowers the crystal from her face and presses it against her chest. "Just keep it between us, got it? And don't lose it; it's our first documented memory. So it's important to me as it is to you. But if you do show others... Never, ever, at any time or moment, show it to Argo unless you get a hefty sum of money. I mean, drain her pockets dry."

Koharu's face returns to normal color, and she smiles while holding the crystal like a kid holding a beloved stuffed animal. "Got it...and thank you. This is probably out of place, but let's create more memories together here on Aincrad, Jaymes!"

When they first met, they swore to play the game together. He never understood why he did that because he strayed away from other players during the beta unless necessary and did the same with his classmates in the real world. He has not had a close relationship with anyone since Momiji, and he cannot say he's ever had that relationship with a guy his age until Kirito. Is it fate, or is it the world around him? Are people different in the virtual world from how they act in the real world? Jaymes wonders if that answer is easily answered.

But he does know that since he reunited with the girl in front of him, he has changed a little. He isn't a loner anymore, he has a friend he can count on and others who make his world just a bit more fun despite the circumstances. He believes he's grown kinder, or at least more aware of his tendency to say and do things that can be considered mean and insincere. All of this happened because he made a promise to play a game with a girl he randomly met online.

There's only one thing he's holding onto, one thing he hasn't changed...and maybe, just this once, he'll let go of all preconceived notions and give it a chance. Silently making an oath to himself, he decides to see what his father sees in artificial intelligence, starting with Kizmel.

"Yeah, Koharu. Let's make more memories together and with our friends."