Floor 10 - Chapter 4 - ...With the Sword of a Thousand Men.

With their new mission in hand, the group headed back in the direction that they'd just spent a few hours heading away from, and back into the Bamboo Forest. Keeping their guards up, none of the group were particularly talkative, but even to Klein, he could feel a small amount of anger coming off Strea. At exactly what, he wasn't sure, but now probably wasn't the time to discuss it... mainly, as she'd just charged into battle against one of the centipede mobs, and was proving exactly why Klein felt her to be a force of nature at times, as the mob was torn to pieces by a fully charged sword skill.

He'd known she had an advantage over all of them in levels, simply due to how she'd even found herself in the death game in the first place, but was it seriously that much of a difference, he wondered? Somehow, he suspected he already knew the answer...

''Well, they're dealt with.'' Strea stated, placing her sword onto her back. Considering the sheer size of the thing, he had to wonder just how high her strength stat was to not only carry it, but swing it around as if it were any old sword, before he realised she was staring at him... ''Uhh, we gonna go now? They've already gone ahead...'' she asked, a slightly bewildered tone to her voice as she did so.

''Oh, right! Sorry, just, uhh, lost in thought a little...'' Klein admitted, as they started walking after Thinker and Yulier.

A few seconds of silence passed by, before Strea chose to break the building tension... ''Anything interesting, or...''

''Huh? Oh, what I was thinking? Nah, not really. You?'' Klein, probably wisely, chose not to reveal that he was thinking about her. Their friendship was often tenuous enough, without revealing anything like that, and especially with how easily that could be misinterpreted, he wasn't willing to pull the pin on that grenade.

''Just... something Yulier told me earlier, that's all. New Years, I... you're not a bad guy, just... that whole Casanova shtick, I guess I just feel like I'd just be another woman who happened to catch your eye. Nothing special, just one more notch on your bedpost.'' Strea admitted without any prompting, catching Klein completely off guard and causing him to miss a big rock on front of him, and fall almost flat on his face...

''Huh, and here's me thinking you just didn't like me...'' Klein joked as he picked himself up from the dirt, earning a sullen look from Strea as he did.

''Sorry if I gave off that impression...''

''Strea, I was joking. You wouldn't still be in the guild if you didn't like me, I know that much for sure. You'd have told me where to go by now, and carved out some path on your own.''

''Yeah, probably'' The tone she said that with made it obvious that she didn't think that was the case, and that she'd probably still be with them, even if she absolutely despised them... not that she did. The guys in Fuurinkazen were, well, they were close knit, something that Strea, a newcomer, would've struggled to be, but they'd always offered to help her. She'd admit, she often assumed that was just because she was a pretty woman wearing a low cut top, and that if she were a bloke, they'd have just shrugged her off, but she knew that, somewhere, deep down, that was just her being ridiculous... even if it probably did help, admittedly.

''So, what do you think of those two, I mean...''

''They're down bad for each other, just won't admit it.'' Strea stated, without a moment's hesitation. In response, Klein just laughed...

''You can see it too then! I didn't think it was just me, but...''

''Oh, nah, they just won't admit it. It's obvious to everyone but them, really.'' Both of them looked towards each other, and realised the irony in that statement. Both knew that they liked each other, that much was obvious to both of them... as inept with romance as they were.

The problem had come from admitting it. If Strea admitted that she actually had a thing for Klein, then that opened a load of new doors to issues she'd rather not deal with. If Klein had admitted it, he'd not known where he stood with her until now... and Strea's temper was certainly not to be messed with.

''Uhh, you think we should catch up with them?''

''Yeah, quickly...''

/-/

Catching up with Thinker and Yulier, the group began to formulate a plan. The enemy they'd be facing was known as an Orochi Royal Guard, and befitting the title of Royal Guard, this Orochi was considerably taller than the others that surrounded it. It wore a considerably different style of armour, far more befitting of a samurai, a fact that Strea had noticed Klein starting to fanboy over, before returning him to the task at hand.

According to Argo, this was a type of mob that would spawn in the boss chamber, and so they should develop a strategy against them. A sensible idea in all of their opinions... until they realised that Argo had no idea what to expect either, so they'd be going in blind. Even Strea, as headstrong as she was, had decided that it wasn't such a bad idea to ask for assistance for once...

/-/

''I'm actually slightly concerned...''

''Why?'' Koharu asked, looking at her boyfriend with a slightly surprised look.

''I mean, I've known her ask for help like...'' Jet counted on his fingers, holding up three fingers after the muttering, ''three times, in my entire life. Either she's badly spooked, or someone's knocked some sense into her.''

''Which is it that concerns you then?'' Rain asked, as they looked out over the Wisteria Shore. It was beautiful, that much was obvious as the sunlight glinted off the waters aside the small islands that made up the floor beyond that point.

''Both, if I'm honest.'' Jet shrugged. ''Anyway, where is Ginge? She's late...'' As he spoke, a familiar ginger haired, and blue clad girl popped into view from over a nearby bridge.

''Sorry I'm late, I went to check out a shrine. Found this too!'' In Phillia's hands was a small, but really quite stunning rock. Pure white, with small veins of grey running around the stone, wrapped in a small piece of paper. Jet looked it over, and gave a small nod of approval...

Koharu and Rain, on the other hand, were less approving of it, Koharu voicing her disapproval most loudly, ''You didn't actually take that from the shrine, did you?''

''Uh, yeah, why?'' Phillia, for once, looked almost as clueless as Jet did. Rain sighed, holding her free hand up to her face, and rubbing at her forehead in mild frustration.

''You stole an offering, from a shrine.'' Rain stated, as if she were telling off one of the children at the orphanage.

''When you put it like that... yeah, it does sound a bit bad, doesn't it?'' Phillia winced at the glares being sent her way by two of the four members of their group, whilst Jet just continued to look at her blankly.

''Anyway... away from Indiana Jones over there, they asked us to meet them around here, didn't they?'' Jet looked around, but failed to see anyone but them there. Briefly, his mind wandered as he looked over the scenery - it wasn't as if he'd lived in Japan all that long before this, and even he was getting nostalgic! For a time that long ago, that not only would his parents not have been a glint in their parents eyes, but his grandparents may not have been either! It was a weird sensation to him, but it was kind of amazing to see that Kayaba, the lunatic he was, still had enough care to- wait... where was that hissing coming from... and that screaming too?

''I told you we should've waited!'' Klein yelled, as he dodged a strike from the Demonblade, which was soon countered by Strea, who, even with her massively increased strength, was struggling to hold the blade of the Royal Guard back.

''Yeah, well... retrospect is-ugh- a wonderful thing!'' Strea strained to hold the clashing blades back, the two blades descending towards her neck, slowly but steadily. This was not one of her finest moments, she thought, as the blades inched closer.

Watching from just behind, Jet felt like grabbing Strea, and shaking some sense into her. That would have to wait until she wasn't about to be bisected, however, and without much thought, raced in and thrust Hope at the Royal Guard in an attempt to break the clash that it and Strea had found themselves in. The attempt worked, as Hope impaled the creature through its groin, the attack earning a wince from both Klein and Thinker, the other two males present...

The Royal Guard let out the cry that was to be expected of a creature that has just a thrusting weapon through its groin and Strea, with one final push, was able to break the clash and disarm the Guard, the Demonblade sailing nearly ten foot through the air, before impaling itself in the mud of the Bamboo Forest. With an opening, the two groups circled it, and whittled away at its health until it collapsed to its knees, a small rumble generated by its drop.

''It's not dying...'' Rain looked wearily at the Royal Guard, before thinking back to the story that Jet had told her about the Fallen Elves, and how some had been able to ''cheat death'' using a puppet, as Kizmel had called it.

''I-cough-cannot die... such is the curse of the Demonblade...'' The Royal Guard rasped, taking the four members of the group who hadn't been present at the start of the battle by surprise. Jet rubbed his hand against his neck sheepishly, really hoping the mob wasn't about to ask for his head over that groin shot.

''Wait... you're the Captain of the Guard?'' Thinker asked, remembering what Hatu had told them, before shuddering as he put two and two together. ''The Demonblade... it cursed you, didn't it?''

''The Demonblade cursed me to its own twisted immortality... my form was chosen by the Sorcerer, befitting of a snake by his own logic.'' Klein, who'd briefly eyed up the Demonblade, soon stopped looking at it with such reverie, and began looking at it as if touching it would prove fatal. Jet's group, who hadn't had any explanation for why they were present, were looking at each other more in confusion than anything.

Between Strea and Klein on the other hand, the looks they passed to each other showed just how much it had sealed their resolve - whatever happened, the Sorcerer of Senja Castle was going to die, and if Strea had it her way, she'd be the one to land the killing blow.

''Is... is there anything we can do?'' Koharu asked, as the Orochi turned towards her. Whilst it wasn't a snake in the conventional sense, looking far more human than reptilian in its shape, its mannerisms were an ever present tell of its reptilian side... a side that creeped Jet out to no end.

The wounded Orochi presented an almost pitiful sight - a warrior bought to its knees and disarmed, but unable to die, no matter what it tried... and Jet didn't doubt it had tried to end its own life before, to no avail. It turned again as it looked back towards its sword, and started coughing as it spoke, ''I just... want to die. Without the blessing of Ouroboros, my suffering will persist...''

''Well then, that's our next job, head back, find Hatu, and ask Ouroboros to forgive you. Nice and easy!'' Klein seemed to have forgotten the old sayings about tempting fate, as Strea pinched the bridge of her nose in mild annoyance.

/-/

Leaving the forest for the third time in two days, Strea was almost entirely certain she was about to meet herself coming back. Everyone else, on the other hand, was too busy focusing on introductions and explaining the situation to those who'd recently joined them.

''Ah, so the snake god is Ouroboros then?'' Koharu asked, noticing a squeezing sensation around her hand. Looking over towards the source of the squeezing, she noticed that Jet tensed up slightly as he was holding her hand.

''Yeah, we're trying to restore it to its true form, so it can help us against the floor boss... hopefully. If not, we know a little bit more about it either way.'' Klein explained, whilst noticing how Jet seemed to be even more tense than usual, and almost clinging onto Koharu. He gave a sympathetic look towards the knight, remembering what Strea had told him earlier about his fear of snakes. ''Oh right, forgot to introduce you all. Thinker, Yulier, this is Jet, Koharu, Rain and Phillia, they're...''

''It's an honour to meet you all! We've heard some of the stories about you, or at least the ones that the bard has been going around telling...'' The four all looked towards each other, with the exact same thought on their minds ''Lueur...''.

''We're just doing our best, and I'm sure Lueur is embellishing those stories anyway...'' Jet withered under what looked to be expressions of admiration.

''Even if they are, they're serving a vital purpose, you know?'' Thinker stated, catching Jet slightly off guard.

''They are?'' Phillia asked, equally confused at the statement.

''Those stories, even if they are sensationalised, do boost morale amongst the players on the lower levels. I doubt many of them believe every part of it, but they see you all as goals to work towards.'' Thinker explained to the group.

''Well then, we'd best not disappoint them...'' Jet gave a grin that looked confident to anyone that didn't know him. To those that did, it showed just how close to the surface his anxiety was getting...

/-/

About half an hour later, and the groups had found Hatu, who had almost tackled Klein and Strea into a hug, before realising they weren't the only ones present and looked skittishly at the four new members of their group. From what Klein had told them, they could wholeheartedly understand her anxiety around new people, especially given the whole ''dying snake god in her sleeve'' thing.

''You... you found the Demonblade?''

''Yup, and the Captain of the Guard. Turns out he definitely wasn't dead.'' Strea looked less than happy at that revelation.

''He... wasn't?''

''Turns out the sorcerer was more of a twisted bastard than we thought. The Orochi that had the blade was the Captain of the Guard...'' She explained, frowning at the thought of what had happened.

''Did you recover the Demonblade?''

''Uhh, sort of. The Captain of the Guard asked us, to ask you, to ask Ouroboros for forgiveness.'' Klein explained, as the group tried to follow his clear as mud explanation, only barely managing to keep up with it. Hatu began to whisper in a strange tongue, as her sleeve rustled and Ouroboros came out to see why it had been called...

Jet, turned away to avoid looking at the snake, lest he freeze up again. He admitted it was an irrational fear, especially for someone who lived in Britain, where really dangerous snakes are generally kept as pets by the daft or the unwary, or in zoos behind a heavy screen of glass, and the worst you'd encounter are small grass snakes. That didn't prevent him from being scared of them though, there was something... unsettling about them, the way they slithered, perhaps. Or he'd watched way too many horror movies with his sisters. The more he thought about it, probably the latter if he was really honest.

To everyone else, it looked strange to see the usual over the top attitude of the knight disappear, replaced by what appeared to be that of a scared child. Koharu took hold of his hand, and gave him a soft and reassuring smile to help calm him down slightly. Though the lower portion of his face was hidden against his collar, she was sure she heard him mutter ''Thank you.''.

Hatu, now finished having her conference with Ouroboros, turned to the group and asked a question that none of them were expecting. ''Do you have the Kawa Jewel?''

''The what now?'' Strea summarised what everyone was thinking fairly succinctly.

''The jewel that is maintained at the shrine on the Wisteria Shore, it acts as a conduit for the forgiveness ritual.'' Hatu explained, as the adults all had pained looks on their faces. ''Yet more walking...'' seemed to be the statement that was not being made by them, whilst the teenage members all looked towards each other with an expression that screamed ''No way...''

''Umm, Hatu, wasn't it?'' Phillia asked, a grin developing on her face as she opened her menu and retrieved the jewel she'd borrowed from the temple, ''This jewel, wouldn't happen to look like this, would it?'' She showed the jewel, earning some very surprised looks from Hatu and the adults.

''Wait... how exactly did you know that would be important!?'' Klein asked, a shocked expression on his face as he did. Phillia went to speak, but was interrupted as she did...

''She didn't, she saw something shiny and took it.'' Jet explained, earning a fierce glare off the girl in question. ''She's like a magpie, really.'' He carried on offhandedly, forgetting about the snake in front of him momentarily, and turning to give Phillia a smug grin of his own.

''If you two are done though...'' In a rare turn, Strea acted as the voice of reason. ''Hatu, is that everything you need?''

''It is, yes. Ouroboros will forgive him for his hubris, and he can pass to the afterlife, unburdened by the Demonblade.'' And with the ritual complete, the small white snake slithered back up her sleeve to rest, a sight that still bought a shiver up Jet's spine.

''Then let's go and recover that Demonblade!'' Despite knowing of the sword's cursed nature, it was obvious to all present that Klein seemed almost ecstatic at getting the chance to hold a katana... even if that particular one would in fact turn him into an undead monster, with his soul bound to it.

/-/

Jet and Strea often didn't agree on much. That was just one part of their admittedly odd familial dynamic, but it made it all the more strange to encounter something they did agree on... the fact in question was just how much walking was involved in this quest, and even with the beautiful scenery, it got boring, fast. Faster than they were going, anyway, Jet thought to himself, mildly frustrated at the constant back and forth nature of this quest line. ''Yo, Jethro. Head in the clouds again?''

Well it wasn't anymore. ''No, why?'' He asked the other ginger member of the group.

''Just seemed a bit distracted, that's all.'' Phillia answered, shrugging her shoulders, almost as if she wasn't trying to ask a question she knew he'd flat out refuse to answer.

''Bored, nothing more to it.''

''So, you and snakes?'' And there it was. If it weren't for the fact that everyone could see and communicate with her, he'd have assumed Phillia was just a construct of his mind designed to get to the root cause of his psychological scarring.

''Just don't like them, there's no traumatic story attached to that, they just weird me out a bit.'' He shrugged.

''Weird you out enough for you to almost cling to your girlfriend? I think Koharu's worried about you, you know?'' Phillia noticed him about speak, and cut him off before he spoke, ''And before you say that's how she is, more than normal. I'm not saying get over your fear, because I know that isn't how it works, but seriously... just tell her what you've told me. She won't stop worrying over you, but she'll at least understand it a bit more.'' Jet gave her a look of ''Who are you, and what did you do with Phillia?''

''Sure... also, wipe that grin off, will you though? You've been like that since you handed that Hatu girl the jewel...'' The grin of smugness was replaced by a look of mild annoyance.

/-/

Finally back at the downed Captain of the Guard, the Orochi seemed happy to be rid of the curse of the mortal plane, as its body began to disintegrate, revealing a human form underneath. A little taller than Jet, with fairly rugged looks and graying hair, Strea held a hand to her head in salute. ''You're relieved now, Captain.'' She uttered morosely, as the dust of the Orochi scattered into the blowing winds before disappearing entirely, with not a single trace of its existence remaining. Only the Demonblade, still stood in the dirt, remained to hint at its existence.

Off to one side, Klein went to retrieve the Demonblade from the dirt, whilst everyone else talked about what had just happened and what was next for them. The blade itself was a relatively standard looking katana, if a fair bit longer than standard, but the darkness it exuded was a clear tell that it was no ordinary blade. It felt both light and heavy to hold, light as it barely weighed half of what he'd have expected for a blade only slightly smaller than Strea's, and heavy as he felt an almost emotional weight to it, almost as if the blade itself was tempting him to wield it...

Deciding that becoming an undying monster probably wasn't worth it, all for a sword, he placed it into his inventory, and returned to the group. ''One Demonblade, safely stored away.'' He stated, as the group got ready to leave again.

Strea looked over to Klein, and with the tone of a mother checking on a child, asked the question she dreaded the answer too... ''You didn't try to wield that sword, did you?''

Klein looked almost visibly offended, but laughed it off. ''No, it's in my inventory now. Still though, it's weird, it's almost as if the blade wanted me to use it...''

''That's... unsettling.'' Yulier admitted, looking over to Klein and Strea.

''I agree, a weapon with an agenda of its own... that could be a catastrophe in the making in the wrong hands.'' Thinker looked concerned at the idea of such a weapon being out there, whilst almost everyone else had realised the severity of the situation if that was the case...

Klein laughed awkwardly, trying to defuse the tension of the group, ''Well, it's a good job I've got the only one then, isn't it?'' He really hoped he was right on that one, else there'd be serious trouble...

{Author's Comments}

Another chapter that really didn't want to come together, but I think it came together in the end. Next chapter is the floor boss, so a little less conversation, a little more action...

Also, if anyone gets the reference with the last two titles, I tip my hat to you.

Anyway, if you're enjoying the story, follow it and favourite it AND if you want to leave any feedback, leave me a review

Signing off,

Midland 2541