Kirito

Shortly before 8:20 pm, the New Year's gamble of twenty-two players would defeat Fuscus the Vacant Colossus and clear the fifth floor. Okotan would receive the Guild Flag of Valor by random chance, though it took him a lengthy amount of time and sowing seeds of mistrust before he revealed he had possession of the flag.

He had his reasons, though; he took Diavel and Jaymes' final words to each other to heart.

"When this flag…the Flag of Valor, dropped into my inventory, and I realized nobody had noticed and that I could hide it if I wanted—the thought entered my mind. I thought I could use this as a bargaining chip to unite the two guilds into one… But that would never happen. If the guild flag appeared in the hands of an ALS member, then the rest of you would know that I had kept it. How could we have a good-faith negotiation like that? It was a stupid dream. Once again, I apologize to all of you for my foolish actions."

A hard to visualize dream, but even Hafner understands the vision. "Yes, that was a stupid thing you did! So stupid, in fact, that it could have led to open war between our guilds! But…your dream wasn't stupid at all! I had a little dream of my own during that battle. If me, Shivata, you, and Liten could fight together so well, being in a party together for the first time, then maybe there was no use to all our bickering…Maybe we shouldn't split into two squabbling guilds, but form our ideal parties. And I'm not gonna give up on that dream. Maybe it won't lead to our guilds merging…but I'm not going to stop thinking about what-ifs. So…so I forgive you!"

Afterward, it was unanimously agreed upon that Kirito would hold onto the item until a day came when it could be used. The others also left Kirito's party for the sixth floor while they were to speak to Kibaou and ALS...which went as well as one could expect. Since only Kirito, Asuna, Jaymes, Koharu, and Mito were left behind, Kibaou was suspicious as to who helped them, but as promised, they remained tight-lipped. He also asked how they knew, which remained a secret to the five. Last, he asked about the Guild Flag, which Kirito materialized in front of Kibaou and ALS.

On two conditions, Kirito offered to exchange the Guild Flag to Kibaou. "While there are two, I need only one to be satisfied. The first is if a future boss drops the same item. In that case, I will offer this flag freely to the guild that does not receive it so that the ALS has one and the DKB has one." Despite cries from within ALS, Kibaou only nods to that. Kirito takes a deep breath and continues on. "Or if the ALS and DKB join forces to form a new guild. In that case, I will give you this flag instantly and without further requirements."

"...We...we can't do that!"

"Merge with those elitist pricks? You're joking!"

"Go and suggest to them the same thing! They'll tell you you're crazy!" Twenty-four pissed-off men draw closer to the party of five, though their leader is silent. But Kirito couldn't focus solely on Kibaou right now. He was mentally judging whether the staircase leading down or up was closer.

"I…I know the truth! They're not planning to give us the flag from the start! They're demanding the impossible from us so they can keep it and start their own guild!" That voice...that high-pitch, chalk-on-chalkboard voice that Kirito, Asuna, Jaymes, and Koharu know all too well.

The same voice pinned Kirito as a beater in the first boss chamber. The same voice accused Nezha of indirect murder in the second boss chamber. The same voice accused Kirito, Asuna, Jaymes, and Koharu of monopolizing the Elf War campaign on the third floor.

The dagger user man with a leather mask, Joe.

He points the finger at Kirito, shouting, "We don't gotta listen to their nonsense, Kiba! There's only five of 'em! There are plenty of ways we can take that flag back!"

"...You," Mito growls. She hasn't encountered Joe before today, yet she speaks as if she's familiar with him. But as a matter of fact, Kirito somehow recalls the same voice recently...as if he heard it in a dungeon or somewhere of the like...

"Exactly! We got four full parties here, and there's only two of 'em. It would be easy to…"

"You idiot!" Kibaou bellows, grabbing Joe by his shirt, and almost headbutts the mask the more petite man wears. "Yeah, the info on the guild flag you brought us was accurate, but no matter how important it is, if we draw swords on another player, that makes us nothin' but a buncha thugs and criminals! Sit yer ass down and think about why the ALS exists again!" He throws Joe away and faces Kirito and company with a slight grimace.

"Sorry about forcin' you to hear that nonsense. As far as those conditions go...can I assume you'd tell the DKB the same things?"

"Uh...yes, of course."

"Then I'll let you hold the flag for now. Wouldn't hold out hope for that merger, though." That's Kibaou's form of resignation, and for now, Kirito takes it. Turning to his guild, who aren't entirely happy with how things went, Kibaou crosses his arms and puffs his chest out. "We're goin' back now! Nice work, y'all!"

"Actually, they should have activated the sixth-floor gate already, so if you want to return to Karluin, it might be faster that way."

"I see." Kibaou spins on his heel and leads ALS to the ascending staircase. It takes a moment before the last of their forty-eight footsteps makes it up the stairs. But before they entirely disappear, Jaymes races after them, Koharu and Mito hot on his tail. Kirito figures out what Jaymes will tell them, for he hasn't gotten over Diavel's fall since the battle's end.

"Ahhh…Well, out of all the possible outcomes I considered, that was definitely one of the better ones. I still have to tell the DKB about this, but for now—nice work, Asuna. Let's take a little rest and then…" He was going to say, "Go back once the others return," but he doesn't get the chance to finish. He's entranced by two tears going down the formerly regal fencer's face. "A...Asuna?"

"Why...why... Why do you have to be talked to like that…? After how hard you worked…After you risked your life to fight for the sake of the group, for the sake of everyone trapped in here…After you bowed to them and apologized…Why do you deserve this? This is wrong. They make their guilds, pull all their friends in, do whatever they want, bicker with each other…and you ran yourself ragged for their sake, only to get accused like that…It's wrong. It's absolutely wrong."

She's crying...for his sake. Searching for the right words, he steps up to Asuna while her tear-filled face looks to the ceiling. "…That's what I chose to happen. I chose not to join a group. I'm not fighting because I want people to recognize me…or praise me. As long as I can protect myself and those around me, the rest doesn't matter to me. So…I don't have the right to be recognized or praised. You don't need to cry for…"

Asuna suddenly strikes Kirito's shoulder with her fist. "I'm the one who decides who I should cry for!" While shouting, she rubs her eyes with her other hand and attempts to smile. The fist that hit Kirito opens up, grabbing his jacket. "In that case…I'll be the one to praise you, Kirito. I'll do whatever I can for you…whatever you say."

He's not sure what he wants or capable of asking anything crazy. He gives Asuna a smile. "…Just you saying that is enough for me. I don't want you to do anything for me…"

"Then, sit down!" Asuna orders while pushing Kirito down. He gives in quietly and kneels, not prepared for Asuna's arms to circle behind his head and hold him against her chest plate. Her left hand strokes his hair gently like a summer breeze over a meadow. Kirito takes in her soft hand, scent, and warmth, and all at once, Kirito feels fifty-five days of exhaustion well up in his eyes.

And for as long as the swordsman in black cried, his partner's hand did not stop moving

"Kibaou, it was Diavel who led us. He entrusted us with the flag to prevent war between you and Lind, but when the day comes that it has to be used, he hopes it will be used correctly. And in the end..."

"Y'know, I noticed that Diavel's name in my friend list has...turned gray. I can't contact him anymore... But it could just mean he's in an area where I can't message him. I don't think someone like him could be dead. He should...absolutely return. I'm sure of it... Make no mistake; I'm not goin' to stab Diavel in the back...

jaymes makes his way back down the stairs after giving Kibaou the news of Diavel. Like Jaymes, Kibaou had his own way of accepting Diavel's death. For someone who idolized him, it can't be easy to hear. It wasn't easy to watch for the person who saved the knight once.

He climbs down the stairs with heavy footsteps, only stopping as a human-sized impediment blocks his path. She must've followed him, but she didn't get too far up. He only went halfway to the sixth floor himself before catching up to ALS. Without a word, he sits next to his partner, not finding any words to say to her.

"...Asuna's sure been through a lot," she says. "I guess we all have, but she's Kirito's partner. And just when Kirito got a chance to escape being a beater and everything..."

"..."

"I mean, Diavel was... He really put all he had into helping everyone. To think things would turn out this way is..."

"...That's why we got to work hard, Ko." Jaymes lowers his head, clenching his teeth to hold back his desire to draw tears. "We must work our asses off to make it to the hundredth floor. We made it past five, so we can do this. We can pull ALS and DKB together. We can take down Morte, Joe, and the man in the poncho's plans. Diavel's...trusting us to move forward, so we must..."

Koharu nods. "Thanks... Being sad isn't going to solve anything, but still... I mean, you two, Jaymes." She reaches out for Jaymes' hand, holding it tight. "Don't sit and blame yourself. You did everything you could, so... You've given me so much courage; you're like a hero to me! So, please...don't look so down. You can talk to me sometimes. Because I'll always be by you no matter what happens."

He has acted tough around Koharu for the last fifty-five days. Not because of some ill thoughts of being a man but because he decided to be the bearer of confidence for her. As long as he didn't break, she wouldn't. That's what he thought, but he never saw it the other way around. No, he has noticed how much she protects him, even if she never notices or if he gives her credit. But now he needs her to be the stronger of the two temporarily. "Then...can I tell you something, then ask you for a favor?"

"Go ahead."

"On the fifth of January, six days from now...it's an important day for me. I'm not asking for anything special, I'd prefer we ignore it altogether, but...just so you'd know, if I'm acting weird...you know why."

"Okay... And the favor?"

"Can I...rest a bit on your shoulder?" He waits for Koharu to answer, but she never does. Instead, he feels her arms take hold of his shoulders, then force him down and around to her chest plate. At first, he's stunned by where his head is, but those feelings are slowly overwhelmed by warmth enveloping his body, a soft, melodic hum purrs over his forehead, and a hand from above caressing his hair. It's been years since anyone held him in this fashion...and three years since he felt the need to let tears fall from his eyes.

And for as long as the swordsman in red cried, his partner's hand and hum never once paused.

The New Year's celebration continues on without a hitch. Fireworks rise in the air, exploding in various colors and designs as the trapped players forget their troubles to ring in 2023.

Kirito and his companions watch the party from the terrace of a ruined castle in eastern Karluin. Koharu, Asuna, Mito, and Kirito vocally enjoy the festivities, speaking to each other about the fireworks and the new year in general, but Jaymes quietly sits along the wall, drinking a glass of champagne in silence. Given he explained the situation to Lind immediately as he entered the town, along with the news of Diavel's fall, he's not having the best time. But even then, the Crimson Warrior bears a smile.

Twelve long months are ahead of them. For so long, Kirito, his companions, and the Assault Team have made quick work of the last three floors; a week for the third floor, six days for the fourth floor, and the fifth was done in four days. All because the frontlines are above the recommended level for each area, so they have a net of safety that allows them to complete quests and defeat monsters without much stress. Also, while limited, the beta knowledge still holds some weight.

But that won't last forever. Once Jaymes step onto Floor 10, his beta knowledge has exceeded use; the same for Kirito and Mito once they touch down on Floor 11, if not the chambers of the tenth boss. The remaining ninety levels will be a complete unknown, and that's not factoring in the substantial change the fourth floor exhibited. The Elf War quest, which unites four of the five party members, will end before then. Will Jaymes and Koharu go their separate ways? Will Asuna move on with Mito or stick with Kirito? Will Kirito stick with her?

Beyond those questions is a game that'll narrow the margin of safety. Each floor will get more difficult from now until the tenth floor, so tough that they need all the time possible to gain experience points. But that's tomorrow's issue. Tonight is a night of celebration, and Kirito will enjoy it to the fullest.

Kirito checks the volume level of the champagne bottle he sought to refill his glass from, seeing that it's dangerously low for their celebration. Turning to the girls munching on cheese, he says, "I'm going down to get a fresh bottle and some food."

"Thanks," Asuna replies. "Be careful."

"I'll come with," Jaymes starts to get up, but Kirito holds his hand out to stop him.

"I'll be fine." He waves and reenters the castle. His destination is the main courtyard of the castle, where the main celebration is held. Agil has a vendor stand present with specialty food from all five floors. He races down the staircase from the fourth level to the third floor of the castle, then enters a secret door to a dusty passage leading. That leads to a corridor of large pillars connecting to the castle's main stairway.

But Kirito never reaches it. Instead, he's stopped by a paralyzing chill down his spine. Sensing danger, he leans to the side, but then something sharp is pressed against his back. This was not a familiar person sneaking up behind and pranking Kirito. No, this person intended to hide until Kirito passed by, and their Hiding Skill was so great it did not trip Kirito's Search skill.

Frozen, Kirito feels the owner of the knife's face lean against his ear and softly whispers, "It's showtime."

"...Who are you?" This voice doesn't belong to Morte or the other guy he heard in the dungeon. Kirito mentally gauges if he can leap away from the knife, but the other man increases the pressure to dissuade him.

"Whoopsie, stay still, now. Wouldn't want you to move and get stabbed by my knife."

"...We're in town. You can't threaten me with that thing here."

"Come on, Blackie, get it right. Only the front courtyard of the castle is in town. The interior is a dungeon, remember?"

"Wha...?" The man might be right. Yes, there aren't any monsters on this level, and there wasn't a boundary notification, but the castle has a dungeon vibe. Karluin is vague on what parts of it are and aren't safe and unsafe. But even then, there's no chance Kirito is in any real danger...for many reasons. "This isn't the real world. That's just one knife. Even an ultra-powerful boss drop wouldn't have enough power to wipe out my HP with one hit. And it would make you an orange player...You don't think I'd just stand there and take it, do you?"

"Oooh, very brave of you. Sure, it won't do much HP damage…but what if I told you this blade has level-five paralyzing venom and level-five damaging poison applied to it?"

Level-five? Monsters in the field were using poisons of level two at most. Players with the Mixing skill couldn't get higher than level one at the current moment with the available ingredients, But that was beta knowledge, which has proven to be flimsy at best for the official game many times. And at level five, Kirito would be immobilized and watch his health suffer for ten minutes before he dies.

"...What do you want?"

"Heh heh heh. Isn't that obvious, bro? I want to have fun."

"Fun..."

"That's right. I wanna have a good time. They built this incredible stage for us, you know? I want to throw a wrench into the works and really make it dramatic."

"...You're…Morte's boss. The one who taught the Legend Braves about the upgrade scam, and the one trying to making the ALS and DKB fight…The Man in the Black Poncho,"

The Man in the Black Poncho whistles at his given name. "Ooh, I like that nickname…nice John Wayne Gacy vibe to it. So…shall we find somewhere else to go?"

"…Where do you intend to take me?"

"Underground, of course. Killers always go down in the basement, right?" The castle's basement did have monsters, but it was secluded from the rest of the castle. No one would hear Kirito from there, no matter how much noise he made. Kirito was left with no choice. Either he ventures down to the castle's depths with the man, or he's forced to go after being inflicted with the level-five poisons.

But the devil's advocate in Kirito's mind believes there's a lie somewhere. If the poison part is true, the man could have paralyzed Kirito, making it easy for him to transport Kirito. It may be a bluff...and the part about them being outside of town must be a bluff. The Man in the Black Poncho was trying to provoke Kirito into moving from a place of safety to a dangerous place.

"...Got it." Kirito steps forward, creating space between himself and the knife...then leaps back towards the knife.

The impact forces the Anti-Criminal Code to activate, forcing distance between Kirito and the knife with a purple flash of light. "Shit!" swears the man while Kirito gathers himself and his sword from his back. He unleashes the Slant sword skill, hoping to stun the man with its knockback effect and alert those outside with the flashing light and sound.

And Kirito catches sight of the man in the black poncho for the first time. Slender and tall in frame, his face is hidden underneath the hood of the black poncho, but he has black curls at the base of his neck. That body retreated out of the range of Kirito's skill with a great leap. He must have an Acrobatics skill that surpasses Koharu in value.

As the man descends, a green light brightens the hallway. It's not Kirito who performs this sword skill, but a figure in red and black who soars through the air via Sonic Leap. Kirito bends low, drawing his sword back for the charging skill Rage Spike. Whether Jaymes hits the poncho man or Kirito does, he's sure to be stunned.

But right before Jaymes is halfway between Kirito and the poncho man, the latter throws a sphere down on the ground. On impact, a black cloud of smoke fills the hallway. That was a smoke screen, an item Kirito had never seen before in either version of SAO. Kirito unleashes the skill anyway, ripping forward through the smoke after Jaymes.

And neither lands their skills on the man in the poncho.

On their feet, the boys silently scan the hallway, but all they see and hear is each other. The man had somehow given them the slip.

"…Until we meet again, Blackie and Crimson."

Kirito turns to where he believes he heard the message, but no one's there. The only people in the clearing smoke are Jaymes and Kirito. But evidence of the man has left behind; a midsized knife, the one that was pressed against Kirito's back. He reaches down, noticing its weight is heavy for someone of his level (nineteen after the boss fight), and puts it in his inventory. With that taken care of, Kirito turns to Jaymes.

"Thanks for coming. But how-"

"I had a feeling...that the only guy I call my friend was in trouble."

"O-oh...well..."

"I didn't get a good look, but that was him, right? The man in the black poncho Nezha spoke of? Was it just him?"

"Yes, it was him. I didn't see Morte or any others... Asuna."

Jaymes senses Kirito's alarm. "Mito's with them, but Koharu and Asuna don't have much PvP experience, and Mito might be unable to hold them off. I didn't sense anyone when I made my way up, but if you got caught by that guy, then..."

"Let's go." The boys race back up the path from the hallway to a secret door and up the stairs to the fourth floor. Once there, they sprint down a hallway and turn towards the terrace. "Asuna!"

"Koharu!"

"Wh...what's the matter, Kirito?"

"Jaymes? Are you two okay?"

"Where's the champagne?"

The three girls were safe and unharmed, watching the bustling town far below as they left them. Kirito can't find an answer for their actions, simply standing in the doorway for a moment before beginning his approach to Asuna.

"H-hey, what are you..."

"Oh, ho! Smooth, Kirito."

Mito may tease him, but for a considerable amount of seconds, Kirito was worried for Asuna's safety. Only by feeling the warmth of her avatar, the same warmth that he felt hours ago, is he thoroughly relieved. He holds Asuna for as long as she allows him before her hands start patting his back.

"Will you let go now? I'm going to hit you with a sword skill," she gently whispers.

"Ah…uhmm…this area might be outside of town…?"

"Of—course—it's—in—town!" Her left fist glows purple, slamming hard into Kirito's gut. He gasps and kneels over. He knows he probably deserves it for suddenly hugging her, and it doesn't hurt, but...for a moment, it did.

Jaymes walks in afterward, reaching out for Koharu's head and petting it. "We're just happy to see you three safe, that's all." He has a stern, distant look on his face as he lowers his hand and looks back and forth between Asuna and Koharu. "We delayed it long enough. Tomorrow, you two must learn to defend yourself against other players."

"What happened," Mito inquires, matching Jaymes' countenance.

Jaymes walks out to the perimeter, his back to the others as he stands tall against the town's backdrop. His hands close up and tighten into fists as he states. "We met him. The Man in the Black Poncho. We got the attention of the boss of the Pkers." As he says those words, Asuna, Koharu, and Mito all drop their jaws in shock. Kirito gets back on his feet.

"Him. Morte...and you two believe Joe is part of the group? That he was the voice in the catacombs with Morte?"

Mito nods. "I recognized it earlier, for sure. It was him. It explains all he has done."

"...Who knows how many more are out there?"

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Did you get 'em, boss?"

The man in the poncho slithers out of the darkness of Karluin, joined by one more figure in a dark hood and a leather mask over his face. Forming a wry smile, he shakes his head. "No, Johnny, but I did make an introduction to Blackie and his Crimson pal. It's just the beginning, after all. Everything is set, and time is on our side."

"It sucks they figured out the plan," comes a new voice, followed by the clinking of chainmail. That belongs to Morte, who also comes from the dark shadows of the ruins. "But in the end, I heard that the Diavel guy died. Is that right, Johnny?"

"That's what Jaymes told Kiba as we went up to the sixth floor. He looked despondent afterward. I bet once the news spreads that their glorious leader is dead, that'll put a damper on the Assault Team. And it's Joe to you!"

"Yeah, yeah. And with no one they truly respect to lead them, Kibaou and Lind are destined to butt heads! Ha ha ha! Seems our plan still worked in an unforeseeable way. But we should do something about Kirito's gang, boss."

"Not now," the poncho man states. "I don't seek their immediate deaths but the potential despair. Let their hopes marinate for a while, and then we'll bring them despair. Let the despair marinate afterward, and they'll wish for their own deaths. If Blackie, Crimson, and their friends are the light of freedom, we'll be the harbingers of death, laughing as we welcome them to their coffins." And that, my friends, is how this story will play out... What do you guys say to that?"

Morte and Joe nod their heads and chuckle in favor of their leader's plan. And they're not alone. From the shadows come four more figures in dark hoods. One has an estoc as his weapon of choice. Underneath his hood flickers a pair of blood-red irises. The second possesses a longsword and a sallet covering over his head, so the only skin visible underneath the hood is his mouth. The third wears a half mask, a dagger glinting off his waist, and wrapped around his arm is a female-like figure with a similar mask and a three-pronged spear. They join in the laughter, inaudible to the rest of Aincrad underneath the celebration of the New Year.

Kirito, Asuna, Jaymes, and Koharu did not know it now, but they would be haunted by the Man in the Black Poncho and his cohorts from this moment onward in Sword Art Online. It would cost Koharu her virtual life and nearly her real life; it would come close to claiming Asuna, Jaymes, and Kirito's. It would stain Kirito and Jaymes' hands as they're forced to take lives in SAO. It would threaten their friends long after SAO in a world of fairies, a world of guns, a world of willpower, and beyond.

The fight against PoH and Laughing Coffin has begun.

Floor 5 is complete, and an ominous ending it has. The final moment with PoH and Laughing Coffin is inspired by a character quest in SAOIF that I played through before finishing this chapter, as it added how XaXa became in league with PoH, Morte, and the others. And just for kicks, we're going with the idea Joe is Johnny Black since their characteristics and real-world likenesses in Aincrad and Alicization are similar.

Floor 6 will end Progressive Factor II. I don't know when that part will start. It could be soon. It could be a little later. Chapter 28 will come out before the New Year, for sure. With no other words to say, thanks for reading so far, see you all later.