Hello everyone. I know this chapter is even later than the last. I honestly don't know how often I can post chapters anymore, but hopefully, I will not have to abandon this fic. But part of the chapter's heavy delay is also because this is more of a filler chapter. It's pretty mediocre in my standard, if not bad. But this is where the small minor details are dropped and sprinkled out to make up of something else later, so it contributes a lot to the writer's block of me. I seriously don't know what exactly to write for this one, so I figure to have something more exciting for everybody to read instead of the usual stuff.

If this story gets through to the end, I may consider rewriting this from another perspective. To make it more in-depth due to the limitations of using first-person to write.

Thank you to those who showed support for this story. It really motivated me to sit down and continue writing this story. I hope you enjoy and if you have some free time, please leave a review to make the story better. I read them all really.

Chapter 6: The Duel of Amity

"Ok, first things first. You probably know the assisting controller right?" I said to Satsuki, who returned me a firm nod. "Ok, I guess she should go first with that before we move onto the non-assistant flight."

"Sure, that works for me." Yuuki shrugged her shoulder.

"You got that thing out?" I need not finish it as she already did. "Ok, before you do anything. And I mean ANYTHING, you should do this step first. Go to your Settings, go into Controller and scroll for the Flight section."

"Ok…" She complied as she opened her menus. "Controller…Flig..ht…Ah, here it is."

"Lower your sensitivity down to fifty. So you won't be jerking off so easily."

"I flew at eighty though." Yuuki came into the conversation.

"You serious? How do you manage to do that?" I turned to her, my eyes were as big as a ball. Yuuki then looked at me in a way like I just stated that the Sun rises from the West or something ridiculous like that.

"What I really wonder is how you manage not to accomplish such a thing. You are an artist, aren't you? I thought small details are your expertise."

"Those are two different things you know." I countered

"Same physicality." She then re-countered

"Those are back muscles, not hand muscles. Again. Two different things." I re-recountered.

This went on a moment. It was a stark reminder that he should never try to get into an argument with someone like Yuuki. It is when all logic and reasoning were thrown completely into the dust bin. I just don't know her mentality anymore. She is a complete mystery.

"G-Guys." The one who broke us back into it was Florence. "I'm still here you know."

"Oh sorry sorry!" Yuuki turned back to her, waving her hands apologizingly. You'd think she would be a little mad after that, or at least not paying care to it much. But to my surprise, Satsuki simply gave both of us a smile. A smile so elegant and kind it confused me.

"How close are you two anyway?" Satsuki covered her lips, giggling inaudibly as she remarked.

I jerked a little on the inside. Never would I expect such implications to come out of someone like her. Perhaps I was a little stereotypical here and there. Satsuki wasn't entirely shy. She is an introverted person. An average person normally use those words interchangably, so the difference were a little obscure to notice. She was, after all, able to maintain a good conversation once someone got her going.

"W-We're friends," Yuuki replied, stuttered a little bit. She may be on the same boat as me. "But anyway, we should get back on track. I think it depends on each individual players. You ought to choose a random number first, then adjust it to your liking."

"I guess I'll go with Hirano-kun's setting," Florence said as she seemed to be scrolling over the menu. "Alright, what next?"

"Uhh." I was trying to remember the day I was in Florence's shoes. I spent a few days messing with the controller to fly, but after that, I learned how to fly without it with a particular Sylph who was some sort of beta tester or something, but she definitely knew how to fly better than most at the time, who was still trying to comprehend the game system.

"Do you see the scroll on top of the controller?" Yuuki asked her, as I was scratching my head over the matter.

"Yeah," Florence replied shortly

"Scroll it up as quickly as possible." Yuuki continued, the tone was somewhat weird. "It's gonna launch you up as much as you scroll."

Wait wait wait…

My memory is probably trolling me right now, but I clearly did not remember having to scroll up three hundred knots just to fly in the-

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

air…

You're kidding me…

By the time I looked over to Yuuki, my dear friend Satsuki had probably reached the moon by now. Judging simply by that annoying grin on her face, she actually is kidding me. The playfulness simply had no end.

"Alright, you're fired. I'm not making you my co-trainer anymore." I said before flying up, with the small glimpse of somehow finding Florence somewhere in the dark abyss of the night sky. Even now I still haven't added her as an in-game friend. How fucking stupid…

Once I got Yuuki out of the picture, leaving her to sulk in the corner, the lesson went relatively well. The girl learned the basics pretty fast, although she was still a little hesitant with her movements; I think she is a lot faster than me when I was doing it.

"Alright, now that you've mastered the basic, I figure you can continue onto the non-control flight now," I said as I flew right to her as she was hovering mid-air, holding onto the controller tightly.

"Uhh…I don't know Hirano-kun." She was still shaking a little while she was holding her controller. "Maybe I should take it easy for the day."

"Nah, you're fine. I was in a worse state than you when I was doing it. And here I am, flying like a bird."

"Because you have an entire year to finish your feeble flying skill." Someone replied to me, choking with sarcasm. It wasn't Florence - she was right in front of me. Through simple arithmetic, we have the only offender in the room, or in this case the sky.

"Again what is wrong with me flying at fifty sensitivity?" I growled, turning to face Yuuki, who was just done with the sulking, now proceeded to annoy me.

"For a speedster like you, that's pretty pathetic." She mocked me in turn, bending her back forward, her eyes seemed to laser on my face, carving I suck balls in this game. And it burns. A lot.

That's it, I've had enough.

"Ok, now that's just harassment." I returned her the favor. "You think you're so skilled, don't you?"

"I'm the best at what I do." Yuuki confidently stated, shrugging her two shoulders. "Now I know that look." then continued to peer into me as if she was reading a white board in front of her. "You want to duel, don't you? Well…"

The purple haired girl chuckled playfully before unsheathing her Obsidian Cruiser and shrugged her two hands, with the sword held firmly in her hands. "I always welcome a challenge. Especially after you chicken away the last time."

"Oh, I'll be." I was one step away from popping my vein and die of internal bleeding, as I removed the rope holding my saber on my waist. I held my blade by the half mark, at the scabbard and hovered right at Yuuki's level. She just has to get under my skin for satisfaction, doesn't she?

"Uhh, guys. Guys." Amidst the rivalry, the only voice of objection was Florence. Poor her. Kept being tossed to the sidewalk in midst of our quarrels. But looks like I was a little too heated for her now. I gotta have at that purplish haired for this once.

"If you need a break Florence-san. Go ahead. It's just us fooling around a bit." Yuuki briefly told Florence, giving her a thumbs-up before grinning widely. All too familiar Yuuki.

Conceding to us two goofballs, Florence flew backward, getting out of our way. Or at least try to. The entire sky now is the battle arena. Now it all came down to our own self-awareness not to move to her location and strike her down. With that done, each of us was standing by, ready to swing our blades at each other at any time. That said, I never actually know how powerful Yuuki is. All premisses were from rumors and reputation of those of familiarity. An overstatement could be difficult to miss. Now it is a good opportunity to witness: how she spent her twenty-four-hour session in this game.

Both of us didn't even need the dueling system. The free for all mechanic of this game already supports our childish need to settle our scores like a bunch of Neanderthals. Death in this game is not at all a threat. The only thing that may actually deter both of us from this battle would be the long journey flight from our territory to this place, again. But I couldn't just bail out in that fashion; if I did I would be hanging my head low for an eternity. Better yet I'd jump out of the window for shame.

"Are you ready?" I shot her a quick question. Yuuki, who suddenly changed the grip on her Obsidian Crusader to reverse, seemed all to me like she just vanished into thin air. Next thing I knew, she was inches away from my face, her blade swung with the intensity and tenacity of several strong men, aiming to slice right through my hip.

Shocked and taken off-guard, I was given little chances for the block. But I did it anyway, as the blade was raised to meet hers. The steel rang violently, as echoes screech through the peaceful night sky. As the blade stopped, Yuuki winked to my question.

"I think I should be asking that." She said, tauntingly yet carried no hostilities at all. It was as if she was just enjoying the thrill of the fight instead of actually having it out at me.

"Oh, it'll be my pleasure to answer," I responded with an attempted unarmed punch to her torso. Quickly seeing through my movements, she gripped my wrist, trying to stop its momentum. But I wasn't intending to punch her, at least not successfully so. I kept pushing forward as Yuuki took a few step's distances back from me. It was my chance for a counter attack!

My blade freed, I held it high, to my forehead level, two hands, each holding the scabbard and the hilt respectively, pulled the sword apart. A loud clink shattered the air as the blade separated. Wasting no chances, I charged forward at full speed, trying to close the grounds she made seconds ago. I was going for a head-on stab to her chest, intended for a quick lethal attack. But Yuuki was acting as if it was nothing, as she gracefully ept out of the way of the blade, changed the grip back to normal before edging her own blade into the side of my own, directing my stab further away from her.

I wasn't surprised though. That move could be used with good effectiveness against unsuspecting and lower-skilled players, but higher skilled ones like Yuuki could, and would, easily shrug it off like eating a pie. Despite not having done any damage, I could continue with the speed I have. Be fast and don't get hit. Two important pillars that a speed-oriented person like me required.

To which Yuuki did not let me have it.

To my surprise, after shrugging her off and flew out of her distance, preparing my maneuvers, she quickly shortcutted to close in on me.

"You think I'll let you have your ways? You're so naive Hirano-san." She stated before swinging her blade overhead, aiming for my hips again, to which I was forced to block with my sword. The two blades crashed into one another, the tremor was as real and powerful as a force of nature. Is this the power of the Obsidian Crusader? Of the 700 sword skill requirement?

After the sword hit, I reattempted to move away from her. But like she said, I was too naive to think that she would let me. She followed me closely, never a step away from me, while not forgetting to unleash a barrage of sword stabs at me, each faster and more powerful than the previous.

I was completely in defensive mode for the first minute of the battle, with my strategy, pretty much my only ones, being countered spectacularly. I didn't know how I managed to hold out against Yuuki's machine-gun sword attacks for that long, but that was simply the limit. For one, no not even one second, I left myself open and was grazed two times in the shoulder and arm.

So this is her real power huh? She really is as good as she told herself to be. I could very well be defeated here and now, at any moment. But I wouldn't contend to go down like this. Not yet. How can I retaliate?

I wasn't content enough to end it here, but she seemed so.

"Haaaahhh!"

But there is a way out!

Yuuki gave a loud cry before slamming her sword downward. I managed to block her sword, but the tremendous force sent me plummeting to the surface. And it was exactly in my intent.

"Thanks for letting me breathe for a while!"

I shouted as loud as I could, as I rotated my body, leveling myself again before accelerating forward, turning a potentially deadly fall to a graceful flight path.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going!" I could hear her voice in a distance. She probably didn't expect that coming.

Ok so now that I'm out of her grasp, I had to retaliate somehow. I couldn't win in a head-on battle now. Yuuki is too experienced to fall into my movements. I had to think of something else.

To an outsider's viewpoint, it really seemed like I was just running away. I technically am running away from her as well. Glancing back a few times, I could see Yuuki giving chase. Great. I don't have much time. But I don't have many options.

"It's just a duel after all…"

I had one idea, and I'm pretty sure it is going to fail. But as nothing is at stake, I'd give it a try.

It's better to try rather than die not trying it…

I did a C turn downward, directing my flight path straight at her. My right hand was held tightly onto my hilt, while the other was resting on the pommel. I was on collision course with Yuuki. And I am ready for it.

"You're mine!"

CLANK!

I really expected to die in that clash. But to my surprise, I did not. And greater my surprise was when I turned around to see Yuuki clutching her shoulder, with a red mark glowing where her hand laid.

It had a spectacular and unexpected success. I was trying to hit two birds with one stone there, attempting to parry her attack while slashing her, utilizing both our speed coming at each other to outpace her reaction time.

The girl seemed as surprised as I do. We both slowed down together.

"I'm impressed." She complimented. "I never expect to be directly hit like that." And gave me a smile. "But I should be though, considering that I'm taking you seriously."

Really? Then did she ever take anyone seriously in a duel? I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't. But does that mean she recognized me as a skilled player?

"I'm honored," I replied, returning the smile. "You really are as strong as you said you are."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you." She said. "You are free to bail out as soon as you want to."

"Give me a reason why. I'm not going to be hesitant about having to cross the continent to get here again." I replied determiningly.

"That's the spirit! Now that you're done…" She spun her sword skillfully with her one hand before settling in for a reverse grip. "Give me the best what you've got."

"Fine. If you're gonna be like that." I said to her, before raising my blade to my chest level, placing my other hand on the side of the blade. If she really wanted to, yes, I will. I've spent one whole, not literally, year in this game. I should still be able to impress her with something. Something that distinguishes me from any normal players.

Mentally counting down, once the clock ticked, I charged forward, raising my sword for a quick stab. Yuuki only grinned in confidence, as she elegantly spun around, avoiding the stab by a margin, with her back now facing the edge of my sword. With her sword in reverse grip, she swung her arm inside out, attempting to counter-stab me in the ribcage. Forced, I switched arm, releasing my right arm to grip on Yuuki's arm, preventing it from moving any further.

My blade is now in my left hand, as I send it on its way. But Yuuki was smarter than I expected. She proceeded to use the grip on her arm as a base to swing around like a pendulum. The force of the swing was great enough so that I have to let go. However, just like she did not let me have a room a while ago, I also did not let her go so easily. It was just the beginning.

I flew up higher than Yuuki, slashing her down below, to which she blocked easily. But then I immediately maneuvered downward, with much incredible speed so now I was under her, attacking her from below. Before she had a chance to counter attack, I spiraled up to her left, now attacking her left. And when she finally got back to where I was a second ago, I had already gone above her head and attacking from above.

It was slow, but I was gaining the upper hand, outmaneuvering her bit by bit. The first hit came light yet it counts, as her health was being slowly drained to seventy-five percent. That's it. That's it! If I could keep this up long enough. I could actually win!

"You are…quite powerful, Hirano-san!" I could hear Yuuki complimenting, behind the panting as she was trying to keep up with my speed. It gave me some hope. Hope that I could actually beat her if it comes to this.

"But letting you win would be an insult to both of us, so I'm sorry in advance."

What?

My initial response from what she just uttered was when I was attacking her from below. Had she already formulated a counter-plan against my attacks? To my surprise, unlike many times before, in which she did not let me strike, this time, she lowered her guard purposefully, and at the last possible second. My strike was a direct hit to her leg, lowering her health to forty percent.

To my momentum, I flew upward and tried to hit her side. But now, Yuuki is completely prepared for my attack, not to just mitigate it, but to counter attack too. I was going for a simple downward slash, but Yuuki, with an accurately targetted counter-swing, she slammed her Obsidian Crusader into the side of my moving blade. The two forces, one downward by me and the other sideway by Yuuki, exerted onto my sword, and hand respectively, were too powerful to grip. My sword detached, flew away from, my hand and fell down to the ground below.

Just a second ago, I was on the offensive, threatening to kill her at any moment, and now I am at her mercy, as she now raised her blade to my chin. And the victorious smile came into her face. She had won…

But in contrast to her usual hyperactive and cheerful celebration, the lustrous purple-haired girl in front of me simply smiled radiantly as she lowered her sword.

"Ok, maybe I lied about your patheticness. Let's call it a draw shall we?"

"That doesn't sound like you. Not at all." I replied, confusingly.

"Why do you say that?" She smiled curiously at me.

"Well, because you are never the one to give up an obvious win like that. That's what you are to me, at least." I said.

"Ahaha. You aren't the only one who said that." Yuuki said, tilting her head a little bit. "I may have appeared a little competitive here and there, but I'm not the one to hog away all the wins to myself." Her bright ruby eyes still locked into mine. "You gotta give credits where its due. And have some fun too. The game can get a little boring from time to time."

"Wait." I tilted my head too, my eyelid half-closed. "So you're just taunting me for a duel? For fun?"

"Yup! You're too fun to tease Hirano-san." She bluntly yet cheerfully declared. "Don't tell me you take that seriously?" Then turned suspicious.

"Oh no no! I did not." I defended myself, raising my two free hands.

Ok, maybe I did take it a little seriously…

"Really?…" She tapered her eyes as it kept locked into mine. "But anyway. It really is a fun match. You honestly gave me a bit of a challenge."

"You're not joking, are you?"

"I don't. Well, you're still below me by a huge margin, but at least you came up to a point where you can entertain me. How about we have it again sometimes?" She said.

I didn't hesitate one bit.

"I'd beat you next time." I declared confidently.

"Ooohh, I'll be ready for what you have by then." And she returned me with the same demeanor.

Until next time.

"Anyway, now that it has been settled, can I be reinstated as your co-trainer now?" Yuuki suddenly held her two hands together as she pleaded. Yes, like a puppy. It appeared that she knew that was my weakness now.

"...Ok fine." I said, conceding to her. Honestly, I would need to fix this as soon as possible, otherwise, I'd become her slave for sure.

"Keep her company for now. I'll grab my sword."

As Florence was not yet ready for the non-assistant flight section, we decided to take it easy and enjoy ourselves for now and explore whatever was present at the Undine's capital city. It was surprisingly easily accessible, with one of our companions being one of their own. Because Satsuki, in-game name Florence, didn't always get online at the same time as I do, we decided to share our in-game information and added friends with one another, so that whenever I am not in the game, Yuuki would be the one teaching her instead, up until she knew how to handle the basics of the game's mechanic.

"By the way, you're friends with Hirano-san right, Florence-san?" Yuuki cheerfully asked.

"A-Ah, yeah. We're from the same college." She replied.

"It must be really nice to have friends from the same school play the same game," Yuuki remarked. "Are you two the same age?"

"Yeah…no, actually no." She answered, before unexpectedly refuting it. "I am actually twenty years old."

"Really?" I uttered in surprise. "How exactly…"

"I was born in mid-December of the year before. My family is a little eccentric, somehow. They think it'll be neat to have my birthday be on the first of January the following year, so they had my birth certificate altered." She explained. "So I am technically twenty, but…I guess it doesn't matter right?"

"Yeah. It's interesting to know though." Yuuki said.

"How old are you, Yuuki-san?" She asked politely.

"I'm full fifteen!" The purple-haired girl answered with a smile.

"Wow, you're so young," Florence said in surprise. "But talented."

"Hehe." She merrily made the V sign with her two fingers. "So are you an artist like Hirano-san?"

"No, I intend to be a nurse. It took a while to do so." She replied. "So how about you Yuuki-san? What…no, you're still 15 right? But do you have any plans for the future?"

I jerked my head a little at her inquirement. No, it wasn't anything strange. It was a perfectly natural and ok question, to an outsider at least. To me, however, it probably was not for both of us. I never knew what was up with her, but I felt like I knew her already.

"Ahaha…" There we go. I saw those eyes before. That was during our first hangout together. "This is a little embarassing but…" She was scratching her head while still trying, if not forcing, to retain a smile on her face. "…I don't have any plans."

"Not at all?" Florence asked her curiosity, and also her attitude that I came to know and dislike.

"Not in the long term at least," Yuuki said.

I felt like a knife was cutting me internally. Behind that long purplish-haired girl was the transparency of a certain dirt brown haired gentleman. The person who now had no long term life goals anymore. The person who had pretty much given up his dreams that he was so passionate about ever since he was old enough to talk. All of that now gone. Vanished.

"But do you have a dream, Yuuki-san? Or a wish?" Florence asked.

"Yes, I do." Yuuki quickly replied.

"What is it?"

"I…" She was a little hesitant with her own answer, but upon looking at me, she seemed to be gaining confidence somehow. "I want to live every day of my life to my fullest."

Her voice was as joyful and happy as it was sad. I was stunned to hear. The transparent vision was gone just as she said so.

'That wasn't you.'

Yeah. That totally wasn't me right now. The me right now would never have spoken words like that.

But why and how do I relate so much to Yuuki so much? I barely knew her for more than a week. Her face…was the myriad of sorrow and joy that could only come out through adversities. She is not the embodiment of the current me. She is the better me. She is someone that I should be looking up to, to become. She contained the lost soul that I threw away.

"I see. That's great."

Who am I kidding? I don't even know a small quarter of her life and now I'm pretentiously talking like I knew her for my whole life.

That wasn't entirely what Florence was asking for, but she seemed to be satisfied somehow. I don't really get it.

I looked at my friend, the braided Undine. She seemed to understand immediately what was on my mind. And she warmly smiled, as if she was telling me something...

"By the way Florence-san, the game is gonna have a huge update the day after the day after tomorrow. Would you like to come with us?" Yuuki excitedly asked her new friend.

"The day after the day after tomorrow? That's…" Florence was trying to figure out what she meant. The wording is a little confusing.

"That's Thursday. We'll be visiting the new Aincrad that they will be putting back in." I clarified, knowing the exact date.

"They're putting back Aincrad? Wow, I didn't think they would bring back a place where thousands had died."

See? We both think alike. It is not rocket science to understand that bringing something like that back is not a good idea.

"But Thursday…ahh…sorry, I'm busy for the entire day. I have both day's classes and an interview, so I'm afraid I'm gonna have to pass." She replied.

"Aw, that's a shame. But that's alright, we'll go there next time. Promise?" Yuuki pouted but soon returned to her usual attitude.

"Promise." With a pretty smile, Florence replied.

"Anyway, it is getting a little late now. It's quarter past ten already." I said, looking at the digital clock on my menu.

"It's ten already?! Oh no I have a shift early in the morning." Florence uttered in surprise. "Anyway, it's a pleasure meeting you Yuuki-san."

"Nice to meet you too Florence-san! Good luck with your work!" She waved her goodbyes before looking over at me. "I'll see you on Thursday, Hirano-san."

"I'll see you then." We both said our goodbyes as we simultaneously logged out of the game.

I never thought I would be looking forward to that day so much…