I thank whitworth5274 for helping me.

June 24, 2024 Floor 48, Lisbeth

In a blacksmith's workshop in the town of Lindarth, a young woman with pink hair and wearing an apron knelt in front of a large grinding wheel. She pumped the wheel into rotation while holding a gleaming rapier against it; her head held back to avoid the flying sparks between the stone and the weapon. Her warm, brown eyes were focused on the point of contact between the stone and the rapier, a testament to her seriousness in her craft as she once was as a student years ago.

At a certain point, she removed the rapier from the wheel and held it up. Able to see her smiling reflection and satisfied with her work, she turned to the weapon's owner, a girl with long chestnut-colored hair and a white and red uniform. "There you go. All done!"

The customer hopped off the crate she was seated on and traded her sheathed sword for payment "You're the best, Liz. Thanks."

"Sure. Anytime… Hey, aren't you supposed to be out hunting with the guild today?" The frontier is currently the sixty-third floor, so the Assault Team should be out leveling before taking on the floor boss.

Asuna smiled shyly, "Mmm. Yeah, I had to take the day off 'cause I sort of have this little meeting with someone."

"Oh. Huh?" Lisbeth pondered on who could be the person Asuna is meeting with, and then the blacksmith's eye caught something peculiar: an earring with a purple jewel. Smiling smugly, she responded, "I betcha have a little meeting."

"No, it's not like that!" Lisbeth giggled at Asuna's embarrassment, and then the town bell started ringing. Realizing the time, Asuna began to dart off. "Uh, I have to get going!"

As Lisbeth watched Asuna head to the door, she raised her hand to her chest and murmured, "I bet he must be pretty special, whoever he is."

"Huh? Did you say something?"

Realizing Asuna heard her speak, Lisbeth shook her head. "Get going. It's rude to keep your date waiting."

"It's not like that! I…whatever! See you!"

Feeling lonely, Lisbeth turned to a board nailed to the wall. Along with the various notes hung up, there is a picture of herself and the people who taught her how to blacksmith. It's been a long while since she's seen them, but if not for their tutelage on the early levels of Aincrad, she wouldn't be here right now. "...I wonder if I'll ever find someone special."

The door opened again. Looking up, Lisbeth noticed a multi-tailed fox happily enter the workshop, followed by a girl with fiery red hair and bright blue eyes. That girl held up a cloth wrapped around a box or two. "Haruza and Comet, you're back."

"Hey, Lisbeth! I brought you some dinner."

"Nice. I'll meet you back in the house."

Moments later, Lisbeth joined Haruza for dinner. They chatted about many things, including a certain someone Haruza's been troubled about. Haruza thought Taicho was been quiet around her lately since they solved the safe zone murder some time ago. Lisbeth didn't know what advice to give since she never met the boy or had any experience, but encouraged her to wait for the right time to talk about it.

"By the way, thanks for making that copy of my sword a while back. I'm sure it was hard for you and you can't really copy the abilities of it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day came for the busy blacksmith. Lisbeth sighed as she picked up a blade she hammered (with significant assistance from the system that ran Sword Art Online) from an ingot and glared at it with dissatisfaction. "Good enough, I guess." Her mood was relieved when the bell on the door outside the shop rang, signaling a person had entered. "I better get ready for the customers." She removed her gloves, checked her appearance in the mirror, and headed for the main building.

When she entered from the back door, Lisbeth spotted two males. One was dressed in all black from head to toe, including his hair and eyes. The other was dressed in blue and gray, with dark brown hair and blue eyes, darker than Haruza's. Both were single sword users, which probably meant they were in the market to buy a new sword she made, maintenance on their current weapon, or a custom order: "Welcome to Lisbeth's Blacksmith Shop."

The one in black responded, "Oh, hi. Uh, I was wondering if you do custom orders."

Lisbeth grumbled while looking at the boy, thinking he couldn't have much money. "I can. The thing is, metal prices are kinda high these days."

"Oh, well, I'm not worried about the cost. I just want the best sword you can make as soon as possible."

"Well, I make a lot of different swords, but if you have any idea of the quality of swords you want, I can make it."

"Uh, sure. One sec." He grabbed the scabbard on his back and handed it to Lisbeth. "So, I'm either looking for something of the same quality or better than this."

Lisbeth took the sword from the boy, grunting as she struggled to hold the heavy sword. Once she set it on the counter, she removed the sword from the sheath and pressed on it to see its properties. "An Elucidator! This is the gnarliest magic sword a person can get from a monster drop!"

"What do you think?"

Lisbeth turned and faced her display of weapons on the wall. She selected one, a thin one-handed sword that looked more like a rapier than a broadsword, and handed it to the boy. "How about this? It's the best sword I ever forged. I call it my masterpiece."

While giving the sword a few test swings, he said, "I don't know. It's a little light."

"It should be. I used a speed-type metal to forge it."

"I'd like to test it if it's cool."

"Test it how?"

"You know, its durability."

Standing far from the counter, the other boy suddenly turned in alarm. "Wait, you're not going to -" Whatever he was going to say is left to the black boy's gesture of taking Elucidator and holding it under Lisbeth's masterpiece.

Lisbeth leaned over the counter, appalled by what the swordsman was about to do. "What the heck are you doing?! If you break your sword, I'm not responsible!"

"If it breaks, then that's too bad!" The boy lifted the speedy blade, then struck the black sword with a sword skill. Lisbeth felt her mind shatter as the blade of her sword split in two, while the other boy was mortified by what the customer had done.

"Wh-what did you…"

They watched as the broken top third of the sword clattered against the ground and dissolved into pixels. Lisbeth screamed and grabbed back the sword. "You broke my… masterpiece…" The rest of the sword vanished. In dismay, Lisbeth fell on her knees. After a moment of building her rage, she grabbed Kirito by the collar of his shirt. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"

In a panic, the boy answered, "I'm sorry! I didn't think yours was going to break so easy, honest!"

"Are you saying my sword, my masterpiece of a sword, was lamer than you thought?!"

"Yeah… something like that…"

The boy in blue clicked his tongue. "Wrong answer…"

Lisbeth put her fists on her hips. "For your information, if I had the right materials, I could make a buttload of swords that would shatter yours into a million tiny little pieces. You got that?!"

Black Idiot challengingly commented, "Oh yeah, that sounds like the kind of sword I'm looking for. As long as it can shatter mine, though."

Lisbeth felt her face heat up in anger. "Ok, smarty pants, but you have to help me make it every step of the way!"

"Seriously?"

"Absolutely! And we'll start by getting the metal for it."

"I think I can handle that myself. I'd rather not have you slowing me down."

"Don't you dare insult me. Believe it or not, I'm an expert mace user."

The Black Idiot sighed and grabbed his sword. "Suit yourself. So, where do we find the metal?"

"Floor 55 on the western mountain. There's a dragon there that eats crystals. According to the legends, it's supposed to store a rare metal in its body."

"Floor 55, huh? Yeah, I should go alone."

"Annndddd… they say that in order to get the metal, you need to bring a master smith along. Still think going alone's a good idea?"

After a silent moment of thinking, the idiot said, "I…"

The Blue Boy smirked. "Come on, Kirito. Don't be stubborn."

"...Fine. Just keep quiet and stay out of the way."

"Wh… Keep quiet and-"

The boy reached his hand out to Lisbeth. "By the way, my name's Kirito. That's Taicho. He's coming too."

The one called Taicho dropped his smirk. "Huh? No, you broke the sword! I prefer not to go back to the fifty-fifth floor, too! It's tooooo cold for me."

Lisbeth faced him and said, "I'll compensate you."

"Deal," Taicho said without hesitation.

Nodding, Kirito looked back at Lisbeth, his hand still unshaken. "Looks like we're a party until we make that sword."

Lisbeth crossed her arms and turned away: "Yeah, whatever Kirito, Taicho."

"If you're going to be like that, I can roll with it. Lissszzzzzbeth." Lisbeth pouted at her own game being played against her.

Taicho shook his head as he headed for the door. "This is no way to start a partnership."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Floor 55, Western Mountain, Taicho

As Taicho stated earlier, the fifty-fifth floor is a frigid, snow-covered land that no one in their right mind would want to come to freely. Most of Aincrad were blessed with early summer weather, but since Aincrad never indeed mimicked the weather of the natural world. For example, most of the lower floors were relatively temperate for the chilly late fall to winter seasons in the early months. As such, it is always best to be prepared for venturing into abnormal climates.

"Ah… Ahh… Ah-choo! It's cold." Lisbeth was learning that lesson the hard way as the trio walked along the treacherous white path in the Western Mountains. Well, based on the monsters they've encountered, treacherous might not be the right word. Forget that Kirito and Taicho were higher leveled than the floor; the most formidable enemies were skeletal Frost Bones that fell quickly to Lisbeth's mace. The dragon was said to appear here, though Taicho couldn't recall if one did so when this floor was the front line back in March. He and Haruza were on this mountain together once before, so he led the group toward the peak.

"Well, you should have brought a coat or something," Kirito said.

"I didn't know Floor 55 was going to be this freakin' cold."

Taicho didn't turn back but heard a coat flutter in the wind, followed by Lisbeth's voice. "Are you going to be ok without this?"

"You don't feel cold if you're disciplined."

"If you're trying to piss me off, it's working."

"What's wrong, Lisbeth? Giving up already?"

"Not on your life! And if you're going to be a jerk about it, you might as well call me Liz."

"Ok, ok. Got it, Liz."

"Yeah, well don't wear it out!"

"Geez," Taicho sighed and instinctively looked to his left to Haruza. "I swear they're…" Right. She's not here. If he remembered correctly, she was with Asuna and Ada, the pair on a "girls-only" farm today. He believed that to be true, but some of him thought it was a way to put the boys together. This is, after all, the first time Kirito and Taicho have been together alone…and despite appearances, it has been kinda awkward. Without Haruza and Asuna around, it's like they're strangers.

Either that, or both guys are comfortable in silence. Yet he missed the red-headed girl he'd… they'd been attached to since Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, it wasn't long before they reached the peak of the mountains, and the weather rewarded them with gentle snow. "It's snowing like it was on that day," he murmured to himself, then got a memory of the most significant event - Haruza's beautiful singing and the sounds that came from her flute. He was familiar with the song as his sister was a big fan of the idol, so it brought thoughts of his family for a moment. But like everyone in the audience, he couldn't turn his attention away from Haruza that morning.

Much like how Lisbeth is amazed by the field of ice crystals around the peak, which in turn surrounds a giant cluster. It was a familiar sight for the so-called Angel of Death (however that nickname got started since he never killed anyone or jinxed others to their doom), but not for the excited blacksmith.

"It's beautiful!" She started to run up to the large cluster, but Kirito stopped her by pulling her hood. She pivoted on her feet and yelled, "What's your problem?!"

"You should get your Teleport Crystal ready."

Lisbeth sighed and searched the coat pocket for the crystal. "I know, I know. I'm doing it."

"And we're handling this part. Once the dragon appears, you're gonna hide under one of those crystals over there. Don't come out, no matter what."

"Oh, come on! I'm not a newb. If I want to help you, I'll darn well-"

"Do what I say!" Lisbeth gasped at Kirito's demand. That left a deafening silence between the Black Swordsman and the blacksmith, one Taicho was uncomfortable standing beside despite the distance. He understood why Kirito was acting this way. It's been a year since the deaths of the Moonlit Black Cats, and he doesn't want to see another unprepared or weak player entangled in a fight they're not ready for. Of course, Taicho could say the same of him and Kirito - from what they learned from Lisbeth en route to the mountain, this quest is only ten days old in knowledge. Everything they know is hearsay.

Stepping forward, Taicho addressed Kirito's unsaid worries. "Don't take offense, Liz. Overconfidence will get you killed. We should know. We've seen it. Sure, you may be able to help us in battle, but it would give us better peace of mind if you're safe. Watch our backs for what we may miss, okay?"

She nodded and retreated back. Rolling his eyes to Kirito, Taicho walked close and whispered, "Just because you're afraid of what could happen doesn't mean you should take it out on her. She's not Sachi. And it wasn't long ago your ego nearly killed you."

Kirito opened his mouth to say something but found no defense against Taicho. Averting his gaze to Lisbeth and reaching out to her head. Gently patting it, he pathetically announced, "Let's get going." Lisbeth didn't move for some reason, so Taicho followed Kirito to the giant crystal cluster. They didn't get more than five steps in before a disembodied roar shook the mountain peak.

Alarmed, Kirito turned back to the girl. "Hurry up and take cover!"

"Ok!"

Meanwhile, Taicho kept his attention on the crystal cluster ahead of them. The reason for its enormous size became apparent as it started to crumble from within. Like a baby bird bursting from an egg, the dragon they're looking for erupted from the crystal cluster. Spikes protruded from its scaly white body. The monstrous beast greeted the boys with another ear-splitting roar, beating its wings to take to the air.

X'rphan the ….

"That's not fair," Taicho murmured as the dragon's ruby eyes stared at the two swordsmen. Its mouth opened partially, energy crackling within. Lisbeth bleated a warning about the breath attack that Taicho barely heard, but he had nothing to be concerned about. He raised his sword in tandem with Kirito, letting the power of the sword skill Vertical empower it, and slashed downward. It's a daring maneuver, but if done with perfect timing, one could divert the path of a breath attack. Because of the force of the wind by their swords, the swordsmen were protected as chilly air struck the ground around them.

They traded a glance, then raced forward and attacked the dragon. With outstanding power, they leaped from the ground to the air, commencing sword combos that, to someone like Lisbeth, would seem impossible for one-handed swordsmen. After all, the best strategy for tackling aerial enemies was using spears, lances, or projectiles. Yet here Taicho and Kirito were, slashing the beast with their swords.

After taking those heavy attacks from the boys, the dragon lost forty percent of its health. In retaliation, X'rphan shot more ice breath at the swordsmen. While Kirito avoided the attack with a dash, Taicho spun his sword as a makeshift shield. The orthodox method didn't prevent all damage from being inflicted on Taicho, but he blocked enough to be in a manageable margin of safety. He'd be fine anyway - he had the healing skill Battle Healing like Kirito did, so it was regenerating his health.

After another round of damaging attacks, X'rphan had less than twenty-five percent of health in the red zone. The dragon reared up on its large hind limbs and flew off the mountain backward. It leveled its body and charged forward. At the same time, Kirito got airborne with the sword skill Sonic Leap, dismembering its left arm. Taicho was in the middle of setting up his next sword skill, Vertical Square, when a voice shouted out, "Come on! Stop playing with it and finish it off, already!"

"Damn it!"

What the hell is Lisbeth doing out of hiding? Distracted, Taicho yelled back, "What are you doing?!"

"Don't come out yet!" Kirito shouted back at the blacksmith.

"What's the big deal? You got it right where you want…" Lisbeth gasped and turned away, which got Taicho to turn back to the dragon. He knew Lisbeth knew the dragon's attack patterns, but he was too late to understand what the dragon was up to. He saw the wings flap hard, sending a mighty gale across the peak. Snow was lifted off the ground before Taicho, and his spinning sword technique wouldn't save him this time.

He ran like his life depended on it. He's sure the attack wouldn't cause severe damage, but Sword Art Online isn't the "find out later" type of game. He caught up to Lisbeth quickly, but the wind was faster. He barely had a moment to wrap his arms around her waist as they were lifted off the ground.

He expected to hit the ground. But where there was once solid ground, where the giant ice crystal cluster once stood, now was a giant, dark hole into the mountain. For the comical moment they hung in the air, Taicho muttered to the girl held tightly against him, "Hold on!"

"Huh… Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"...Are we still alive?"

For better or worse, Lisbeth and Taicho survived the drop. Taicho's Battle Healing was rejuvenating his health while Lisbeth's currently hung in the yellow, less than fifty percent remaining. Before it kicked in, he was dangerously in the red. Must be nice to be cushioned.

Lisbeth lifted off of Taicho to settle on her knees. "Yeah, looks like it."

"Then what were you thinking?" …Wait a minute, who is she talking to? Taicho turned around, surveying the deep cavern, then found a certain someone sitting up. Taicho glared sharply at that person. "And why the hell did you jump in the hole, you idiot?"

"I was trying to save you two, okay?" What a weak ass illogical argument: While Taicho fumed at Kirito's recklessness (and ignoring his own), the Black Swordsman handed Lisbeth a health potion. "Drink one of these just in case."

Lisbeth took the bottle and glanced at Taicho. "Thank you. You know, for… for saving me."

"You're welcome."

"It's a little early to be thanking anyone," Kirito stated. "We have to find a way to get out of here first."

"Huh? Can't we just teleport out?" Lisbeth produced the Teleport Crystal and held it in front of her. "Teleport, Lindarth!" Seconds passed, and Lisbeth remained in her spot. "No way…"

"Just great," Taicho murmured. "We're in an anti-crystal zone."

"Well, if we can't use crystals, that means there should be another way out."

"How can you be so sure there is? I mean, maybe this is some kind of trap for it to kill anyone who falls into it."

"Good point. Maybe it is."

"Would it kill you to at least try to cheer me up?

"I think I have an idea."

"Really?"

"Yeah. We can try to run up the wall."

Lisbeth groaned and her eyebrow twitched. "You're insane."

Kirito backed up and said, "Maybe. That's all I got for ideas right now." After a running start, Kirito jumped up high and started running along the circumference of the cavern wall before going vertically up.

Finally standing up, Taicho kept his eyes on Kirito. "It is possible."

"No way."

"Although it is only 'possible' because…" Taicho let that hang as Kirito slipped and descended with a yell. He crash-landed a couple of feet ahead of them, which Taicho finished with, "...no one's fast enough to run up a vertical wall. Especially one that's covered with ice.."

"If I had more of a running start, I probably could've made it," Kirito grumbled from the Kirito-sized hole in the snow-covered floor.

"Yeah, I don't think so." Lisbeth crouched down.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

With no other option but to remain in the cavern, Taicho, Kirito, and Lisbeth decided to deal with escaping the mountain in the morning. Kirito and Taicho, used to resting in dungeons, organized a small campground, including a lantern, a portable cooking pot, and sleeping bags. Kirito made a quick soup and served it with mugs. Once they were done, they entered the sleeping bags, Kirito in the middle.

While Kirito told tales of his adventures in SAO - more so the adventures of Kirito alongside Taicho and the Assault Team since they participated in two of the three stories -Taicho remained silent as other thoughts crossed his mind. Particularly whether they'd get out of here…or if help will come.

He tried earlier, but the message he attempted to send to Haruza wasn't going through. The surrounding area was being counted as a dungeon, which didn't allow messages to be sent or received. If Haruza and Asuna were looking for them, they're being unintentionally ignored.

Some time passed, and the two people to his right fell silent. Shifting to lie on his back, Taicho could tell Kirito was still awake. "Kirito, is she asleep?"

"Yeah."

"I thought maybe we could have a chat."

"Sure. Shoot."

"What do you think about Haruza?"

"H-Haruza?" Kirito stammered. "Wh-what do you mean by what I think about her… Ah, no, no, I don't think of her like-"

Taicho chuckled and shook his head. "No, I know that. I mean…"

"...Oh. Ohh." Maybe he wasn't as dense as Taicho would have guessed. "Well, I mean, I'm no expert on the subject. But she's a good person, and she seems to like being around you more than me as of late. Like she forces me and Asuna together for some reason like yesterday.." Never mind, he was dense when it came to him.

"I… I'm just worried there will be a day when I must say goodbye to her."

"Why so?"

"One day, if we survive, we'll beat this game. But we don't know each other in the real world. However, you do. I won't even know where to find her. And even if I did…" Taicho's dark blue eyes stared at the dark curtain outside the hole in the mountains, fixated on the tiny lights within the curtain. "I wouldn't know what she's thinking. When she looks at me, I wonder what she sees. Am I just another friend? Am I just someone to be around when we're in pairs? Am I someone sort of special to her, like you are? I don't know. But I know if I would tell her anything, I'd tell her all that's deep inside my soul. I'd tell her the deep dark truth and reap whatever consequences may come. I'd tell her how I feel about her and hope she feels the same. I wouldn't want to part from her even if she didn't. But no matter what… In this world or the other one, I don't want to say hello if it's followed with goodbye."

"Is… Is that so?"

"Yeah… For the last year and more, someone disappeared every time we'd say goodbye to them. But if that word is all left to me, if I have to say those words to her either in death or in separation, then take my heart. Because when I'm with Haruza, suddenly I'm free to love."

Kirito didn't say anything for a while, leading Taicho to believe the boy had fallen asleep mid-speech. How embarrassing would that be to reveal his feelings to no one but himself - "I don't know much about love and all that." Shakened from his thoughts, Taicho turned to Kirito, who stared back at him. "But I know Haruza well enough. We grew up together, and I bet this whole thing has been taxing on her, dealing with me and trying to survive. And… there are things she doesn't know about me, yet she never gave up on being my friend despite how things have gone between us in the real world over the past few years. In that sense, she makes me want to change how things are. So I'm grateful for all she's done for me. I couldn't ask for a better friend. So…as one guy to another, you should tell her how you feel if you ever get the chance. And if we ever get out of here alive, find her. Don't let goodbye here be goodbye forever."

",,,Thanks, Kirito. Though I believed I was conversing with her friend, not her father."

"Tch… Ha ha ha…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I can't believe this… And you're looking for another?"

"Might as well get as many as we can."

The following morning could only be a happy accident for Taicho. He was first to awaken, so in his inability to return to sleep and boredom being awake, he did what any boy would do when presented with snow or sand: he started digging. While he dug out the snow with his hands aimlessly, he came upon a startling discovery, and that coincided with Kirito's awakening. What Taicho found was a crystalized ingot, which Lisbeth was looking for.

When Kirito reminded Taicho about the source of the ingot, Taicho almost tossed it aside.

Sighing, Taicho crossed his arms and looked to his left, where the sole girl in the group had risen and stretched her arms. "Morning, Lisbeth."

Lisbeth glanced their way and walked over. "Whatcha doing?"

"Hmm? Here, look."

Taking the crystal from Kirito, Lisbeth inspected it by opening its properties window. "This is… what I think it is?"

"Uh-huh. It's that special metal we came all this way for. Like you said, the dragon eats crystals and they turn into this in its stomach. Heh heh. No wonder it's hard to find."

"Yeah, but you found it. What's it doing down here, though?"

"This hole isn't a trap like we thought. It's the dragon's nest."

"Re-really?"

"Uh-huh. And that's not just an ingot; that's dragon excrement. You know, poop."

Lisbeth looked at it and the boys repeatedly as Kirito's explanation settled on her mind. "Oh… Ahh!"

Taicho grumbled as he caught the crystal Lisbeth tossed away, "You know, you could use some tact with girls. But yeah… it's crystallized poop.."

"Well, I guess this means we got what we came here for. Still stuck, though."

Lisbeth looked at her hand with disgust. "Wait, this is supposed to be a dragon's nest, right?"

"Yep."

"But the dragon hasn't been here, so there's no problem."

"Well, yeah, cause dragons are nocturnal, so it won't be long before it… comes…" They look up at the hole, just in time to see the dragon that knocked them down in the first place diving down into its domain. "It's here!"

"Up the wall!" Taicho stepped aside and ran for the wall as the white dragon continued its descent. Kirito did the same thing after lifting Lisbeth onto his shoulder. Being ahead and higher up the wall, Taicho drew his sword and dove down to the dragon. His sword sunk into the back of the dragon, followed by Kirito's.

"Hang on tight!"

The dragon roared in pain and shot up out of the cave, As it gained altitude in the morning atmosphere (as much atmosphere there could be had between the mountain peak and the underside of the fifty-sixth floor, that is), X'rphan flung off the swordsmen and blacksmith into the air.

As they adjusted themselves and began to freefall, the three of them grabbed each other's hands. Some words were traded, but with the rushing air and Taicho's concerns for how they'll land, he didn't pay any attention to whatever Lisbeth said to Kirito…or he pretended he didn't hear anything.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

June 25, 2024 Floor 48, Haruza

"Liz!" Following Asuna into Lisbeth's smithery in the back of her shop, Haruza watched as the vice-commander leaped from the stairs to their stunned friend. "I was so worried!"

"Asuna? Haruza?"

Haruza joined in the hug after walking down the stairs. "You just vanished all of a sudden when we came back from hunting."

"Where were you last night? We tried messaging you, but you didn't answer, and we couldn't track you on the map!"

"S-sorry. I kinda got stuck in a dungeon."

"A dungeon? You went all by yourself?"

"Un-uh. I went with them." Them? Lisbeth pointed to them, that being two awfully familiar swordsmen who stood quietly about three feet away and somehow invisible until now.

"Kirito?"

"Taicho?"

"Hey, Asuna, Haruza. Long time no see. It's been what, like, two days?"

"Yo."

"Oh, this is a surprise. I didn't know you wanted to check this place out. I wish you would have told me. I could have come with you."

"...Actually, you two did disappear as well. Huh…that explains that too. Though it isn't unusual for Kirito to vanish, but that's not your thing, Taicho."

"Pretend you were concerned for us, Haruza."

Lisbeth stared blankly at Haruza and her friends. "I'm sort of confused. You know each other?"

Kirito nodded. "Yeah. The four of us are on the Assault Team, so…" Asuna giggled and glanced at Kirito. Haruza noticed a change in Lisbeth's demeanor as the vice-commander continued talking. It didn't take much thinking as to why. At some point in their adventure yesterday, Lisbeth developed feelings for Kirito. However, it is clear as water to Haruza and the other onlookers that Kirito's heart leaned toward Asuna and vice versa, whether they knew it or wished not to admit it.

"Ah- I… gotta go. I'm glad you're safe, Liz. Next time, tell me or Asuna if you want to go into a dungeon again. It will be easier with more people." Haruza ran out the door, quickly. 'I'm sorry, Liz. I don't know how to help you recover from this.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Haruza found a safe patch of grass to sit outside of Lindarth and watch the sunset outside the aperture of Aincrad. Her arms held her legs to her chest, and her chin rested on her knees as her thoughts swarmed with guilt. "I swear, Kirito gets another unrequited lover whenever he teams up with a girl. He almost got me a couple of times, too."

"Haruza?" Footsteps came in her direction with that masculine voice. She paid it no mind as the boy sat beside her and left them in comfortable silence. It seemed to last forever and started to calm Haruza's warring thoughts. Then again, that's Taicho's superpower - his presence has a calming effect. He must have a sister or something to have perfected this technique.

She finally opened her mouth. "Thanks for helping and saving Lisbeth."

"Course. However, I didn't want to go in the first place. I hate that floor. But she convinced me with a reward."

"Is that so? I take my thanks back. What you get?"

"Well…though it isn't her specialty, she directed me to an accessory crafter in town, and then I got this made." Taicho materialized an object from his inventory. It was a thin silver necklace. Hanging off the necklace was a pale blue crystal held in place by two spiraling silver dragon heads.

Her eyes widened at the beauty of the accessory, then her mouth followed with a teasing smirk. "Huh, didn't know you were into jewelry, Taicho. It's so…you. Or is it for someone else? Ah, who's the lucky girl?" Taicho didn't utter a response, but her answer came swiftly as a beep got her attention, and a prompt box appeared before her eyes. A trade request for a "Dragon Crystal Necklace."

Wait, wait, wait… It's for her? Shocked, she turned in his direction. "Wh-what?" Taicho blushed and averted his face away from the stammering girl. "But… this…" She turned back to the prompt window, pressed the blue "Accept" button, and quickly equipped the necklace on her avatar. She held the jewel in her hand, still accepting that the precious, most likely expensive gift was hers. Did he… No, there's no way…but Kirito also got Asuna those earrings…

"Taicho, it's beautiful. I love it. Thank you…but why?" Taicho didn't answer right away, and after seconds of silence, Haruza figured he wouldn't give one. She dropped the subject and the necklace, letting it dangle off her neck. Whatever his reason is, she's going to wear it every day. It did come with an ice resistance bonus, so it had some practicality.

"...It'd look better on you than it would it would on me, that's all."

"Liar," she responded automatically, but her knees muffled her voice. She's optimistic that isn't the main reason, though it might be her heart speaking before her mind. She could be caught up in the moment of Lisbeth's dejected feelings and Asuna hiding hers. If he's hiding the truth from her this hard…then she'll wait. Yet, if she's wrong and he truly gave it to her as a gift, nothing more, well… Wait a moment, forget Taicho's potential feelings for her.

How does she feel about him?