Oath of Rebellion

by Solid Shark

Tired of spending a life studying to reach an empty future, Asuna enters Sword Art Online, a world of swords and airships, to gain some measure of freedom. When she is trapped, she throws herself into building a new life for herself, as far from what her parents intended as she can. Meeting a dark swordsman sets her on a new course, in Aincrad's skies...

6. Chapter VI: Ninja Would've Been Aware

Chapter VI: "True Ninja Would've Been More Aware"

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December 5th, 2032

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A month on, and Kirito still didn't quite get how Asuna ticked. He wasn't going to deny her ferocity against the Minotaurs was impressive, and he was pretty sure they were going to stop the attack a lot faster than they would have otherwise, but he was definitely confused.

Sexual harassment? If he hadn't been in the middle of dodging a Hammerblow aimed at his head while simultaneously stabbing the mace's wielder in the gut, he would've shaken his head. They're just ordinary mobs. Is it really so weird to see a monster shirtless?

The Streak Asuna promptly delivered just below her current target's belt made him wince despite himself. Yes, to her, apparently it was that weird.

Kirito just wished he knew what was going on in general. Between the Dark Elf port's guards, the two players, and their faithful ally Kizmel, they were already driving back the Minotaurs. Even as he took a grazing hit from a headbutt—which made him wince again, those horns were nasty—the Pagoda Knight was helping one of those guards cut one of the overgrown bulls to pieces. The other guards were handling three more, and Asuna had gotten another in a perfect stun-lock against the cavern wall. These were definitely the most basic of the Second Island's bull-man mobs.

The question is, did they just wander in here, or is this some kind of scripted event? I can't imagine any players got ahead of us to do anything crazy like kite the things, but—there weren't any Dark Elves here in the beta. I have no idea what's going on!

In the melee, it was hard for Kirito to tell exactly how many Minotaurs there were. His estimate was about fifteen, though; even with the assistance of the port's guards, it took ten minutes before they were all dead and scattering into azure polygons. By the end of it, he and Asuna had taken enough hits to be down a good twenty percent of their HP, and Kizmel wasn't much better off.

Drinking a healing potion in the aftermath, he couldn't help but grimace. They hadn't had a chance to restock since the battle with Illfang, and while he didn't know about Asuna, his supplies were running uncomfortably low. We'll have to hit a town soon… though really we'd have to anyway. Can't stay away from other players forever, and we really do need to know how things went after we left.

"Well," Kizmel said, when it was all over, and they'd healed up from the fight. "I can't say that was the welcome I expected here." Tilting her head, she looked to the Dark Elf in the fanciest uniform. "Do Minotaur attacks happen here often, Portmaster?"

"More often lately, Dame Kizmel," he replied, sheathing his saber with a grimace. "Ever since…." The Portmaster frowned, glancing at the two players. "Perhaps we should continue this discussion privately."

Great. What do I say to that? I can't tell yet if this guy is one of the higher-level NPCs, like Kizmel or Captain Emlas—

Asuna didn't seem as concerned. From the look on her face, her fury at the Minotaurs' design hadn't quite subsided, and she thought the Portmaster was a perfectly good target for a little more venting. Before she could do more than glare and open her mouth, though, Kizmel gave a faint shake of her head, raising one hand. "I don't know if you've yet heard from Captain Emlas, Portmaster, but without the aid of these two Swordmasters, I would not be here. Please, they need to know the situation as well."

"Hmph." The Portmaster gave the two of them a measuring look, not unlike Captain Emlas that first night, before shrugging. "Feh. They've seen the port already, I suppose…. Let's continue this indoors, shall we?"

---

Kirito had never been much for tea. A lifelong gamer, he usually preferred to get his caffeine in larger packages, and just generally didn't have the patience to take the time to get it right. Sitting at a conference table in one of the port's stone buildings, he had to admit the herbal tea the Portmaster's adjutant provided was bidding fair to change his opinion.

Asuna tested hers cautiously, before smiling in approval. Kizmel, on the other hand, gave the sigh of someone enjoying an old favorite—though with just the faintest air of caution—and nodded at the adjutant. "Much appreciated. After so long on field rations, this is delightful. …Portmaster. You were saying about the Minotaur attacks?"

"So I was." Seated at the head of the table, the Portmaster steepled his fingers, ignoring his own cup. "They've been stirred up for nearly a month, now, since shortly after the Swordmasters' summoning." At this, he gave the two players a narrow look. "To be blunt, there was suspicion of human involvement, before it became plain the Swordmasters could not yet reach Niian. Since then, we have investigated, very carefully, and while we've yet to determine exactly what they are scheming, it seems plain the Forest Elves are responsible."

Uh-oh. Kirito exchanged a quick look with Asuna at that. They hadn't encountered any Forest Elves since capturing a core crystal from them back on Einsla, barely a day after Kayaba sprang his trap. He'd had some hope they might not again until they reached Sandoria, where his beta knowledge might help.

So much for that.

Well, I still know a little… maybe. He cleared his throat. "Could this have anything to do with Kizmel's mission, Portmaster?"

"Possible," the Portmaster allowed. Leaning back in his chair, he favored Kirito with an even sharper look. "They would've had no reason to expect Dame Kizmel to come here, all things being equal—they appear to have more information about her mission than they ought. With the Skywall strengthened beyond our ability to slip past, however, they may have anticipated her arrival. In which case the attacks here may have been intended to catch her—and they will likely be planning something more elsewhere."

It didn't take someone well-versed in MMO quests to figure there was more to it than that, and that the Portmaster wasn't going to tell them without the right prompts. Normally Kirito would've expected to have to go complete another quest or something to earn his trust. This time, though, we've got a wild card. Maybe…?

"So what does that mean for Kizmel's mission, Portmaster?" Asuna asked, setting aside her teacup to lean forward. "How bad is it?"

…Not quite the wild card I was thinking of. On the bright side, she probably hadn't broken the scripting. On the other hand, Kirito wasn't sure she hadn't just done something worse.

For a long moment, he was afraid she'd done just that. The Portmaster stared at Asuna for a long moment, completely silent—and though it might've been his imagination, Kirito thought the adjutant's hand was edging a little too close to his saber. Which was a fine time to remember they weren't in a Safe Haven.

"I am not at liberty to discuss specifics," the Portmaster said finally. "But Dame Kizmel's mission requires her to continue to Sandoria, and my port lacks a ship fit for the task. Though there may be a solution elsewhere on Niian, the Forest Elves likely know of it as well. Once they become aware that the attacks here have not stopped her…."

He didn't elaborate. Not that he really needed to; it wasn't hard to fill in the blanks. Whatever means Kizmel might have to continue her journey, the Forest Elves knew about it, and would be trying to stop her.

Kizmel looked troubled, but before Kirito or Asuna could question it, the Portmaster abruptly stood. "At any rate, Swordmasters, I believe your part in this is over. You've delivered Dame Kizmel, and now I suggest you attend to your own." He reached under the table, lifted a long, thin case, and set it before the two players. "You've earned this much. Hopefully it will aid you in your own journey."

[Escort Royal Guard to Niian Port Complete].

---

With a happy sigh, Asuna settled her new sword on her hip. The Wind Fleuret, with its keen edge and curved, green hilt still wasn't quite as good as Kirito's Anneal Blade, but it was definitely a step up from the Iron Rapier she'd been using. As soon as they reached a town with a blacksmith, she intended to give it the attention it deserved, too.

Standing with her and Kirito at the Dark Elf port's dock, Kizmel smiled. "A fine blade, Asuna," she said, nodding approvingly at the sword. "Truth be told, I doubt the Portmaster thought he was doing you much of a favor—as poorly as my people react to cold iron, like as not he was relieving himself of useless spoils—yet I believe it will serve you well." She toyed with the envelope in her hand, also given to her by the Portmaster, and her smile faded. "Well enough, I hope…."

Asuna exchanged a quick look with Kirito. Though they hadn't discussed it, she was pretty sure he was on the same page with her where Kizmel was concerned. She was also pretty sure he wasn't dense enough to miss their NPC companion's attitude. This was the guy who'd talked an entire raid out of a witch hunt, after all.

Not that he knows what to do about it, she thought, exasperated by the uneasy silence that followed his subtle shrug. Oh, well. I'll beat social skills into his head sooner or later—fair exchange for him teaching me Sword Skills.

Kizmel still hadn't moved, despite the silence, so Asuna gently cleared her throat. "Kizmel, what's wrong?"

The elf girl started, only proving the fencer's point. "Hm? Oh…." She managed a smile—forced, this one. "Was it so obvious?"

"Yes," Kirito said bluntly, leaning against Moondancer's cradle.

Okay, so sometimes blunt works. "When Kirito-kun sees it, yes," Asuna said wryly, and folded her arms. "Out with it, Kizmel. What's bothering you?"

Kizmel tried to hold the smile, only to quickly lose the fight and sigh. "I suppose I couldn't hide it anyway…. Honestly, I was originally intending to ask the two of you to accompany me through this leg of my journey, as well. After all, this port is the only holding my people have on Niian, and Captain Emlas was certainly right that his ship is no longer up to the task…."

"That's a wonderful idea, Kizmel!" Asuna smiled warmly, and was pleased to see Kirito giving a silent, if hesitant, nod of his own. "Of course we'd be glad to help you again. So what's the problem?"

"The situation is more dire than I thought," Kizmel said softly, glancing toward the tunnel leading out of the port, where not even an hour before they'd fought off a minotaur attack. "According to my briefing, before I set out on my mission, there is somewhere on Niian an ancient Dark Elf outpost, similar to the one where we found Moondancer. Getting there under normal circumstances would be difficult, but hardly an overwhelming challenge for the two of you. If, however, the Forest Elves are aware of it, predict my presence, and make serious efforts to interfere….

"Well. They have a sizable enclave here on Niian, and my people do not." She shook her head, frowning deeply. "How could I ask you to risk such danger? I've already taken too great a liberty with Moondancer's core crystal."

Asuna shivered, remembering that unnerving awareness of both Kizmel and Kirito, which she sometimes wasn't sure had entirely gone away. She still had no idea how that had even worked, and she was pretty sure from Kirito's comments that it wasn't normal.

Even so, she couldn't help but roll her eyes, and point silently at Kirito. Who pushed himself upright, blinking. "What?"

"Kizmel," she said, looking at the elf but still pointing at the oblivious guy, "we're already committed to helping this idiot chase down an Integrity Knight. Which will probably mean fighting other Integrity Knights, regardless of how it turns out." It was her turn to shake her head. "You and Kirito-kun know Forest Elves better than I do, but are you really going to tell me this is going to be more dangerous than his quest?"

There was something oddly satisfying about seeing their self-possessed comrade caught flat-footed for once, eyes wide and blinking. "Ah… that is…."

"Speaking as someone who has met Integrity Knights and fought Forest Elves? She's not wrong." Kirito visibly hesitated, struggling with himself—this time, at least, Asuna was pretty sure she understood why—before reaching out to clasp Kizmel's shoulder. "Besides. If I am going to find Alice—and if the two of you are serious about helping me—Asuna and I need to get stronger. We're not going to do that without taking risks."

"That's right," Asuna agreed, nodding firmly. "Kizmel. I know we're not warriors—but we're going to have to become that, if we're ever going to get out of here."

And I need the self-confidence, she reminded herself, watching Kizmel digest that. It doesn't matter if I get out of Aincrad, if I can't stand up to what my parents will try to do afterward. …That scares me more than fighting monsters. Monsters I can stab until they stop moving.

I died the day Kayaba trapped us. I have to be born again, as something—someone—different.

Finally, after staring at them for a solid minute, Kizmel raised her hands in surrender. "You do know, Asuna, it's supposed to be the two of us overwhelming Kirito? …Clearly, I've lost this argument." She finally smiled again, genuinely, and held up the envelope. "Together it is, then, for another island."

"I'd like that," Kirito said, taking the envelope as Asuna nodded vigorously. His smile was shy, nervous, but real. Opening the envelope, he added, "I hope you don't mind a few detours, though. We do kinda need to clear this island."

The only surprise, when [Escort Royal Guard Across Niian] popped up in the quest log, was the source. Given how the Portmaster had behaved, Asuna hadn't expected something from him to start the new quest. Well, as real as this feels sometimes—and as weird as Kirito-kun's story is—ordinary gameplay is still a thing. Can't expect everything to fit perfectly.

"That's a given," Kizmel said, answering Kirito. "After all, finding another route to Sandoria would still require the next Skywall to be brought down. In that case, I propose a trade: I will assist the liberation of Niian, and teach the two of you more of my language and people. In exchange, I would ask your aid in my mission here—and that you teach me how to use this."

She swept two fingers down, bringing up the menu Asuna had briefly seen just before the Minotaur attack. From what the fencer could see, it was very close to a player's menu, if a deep purple instead of a Swordmaster's light blue.

"I expect it will be quite useful," Kizmel said, poking gingerly at the ethereal page. "The problem is…." She smiled sheepishly. "Perhaps a sailor on one of our airships might puzzle it out alone. I have no idea what any of this means!"

---

Kirito was glad to see the skies were—at least as far as he could see—clear of hazards, as he guided Moondancer back out of the Dark Elf port and into open air. His attention was only half on the job, with everything that was going on; the last thing he wanted was to run into a doomwhale while he was distracted.

"See, this page? It looks a little different from what we have, but from here you can directly change what you've got equipped. Tap here—yeah, like that. Anything in your inventory that fits that slot will be in this list, and you can just pick one."

"I see…. Hm. This seems less efficient than the means my people were given in this world—at least when one has only one set of equipment. For as much as I gather Swordmasters can carry, this does appear much faster than changing by hand." A chuckle. "Of course, without this 'inventory', it simply wouldn't be possible to carry so much weaponry and armor at one time anyway."

Clear skies beyond the pilothouse's windows, as Kirito gently turned the ship into a spiral up toward the surface of Niian. That gave him enough attention to spare to toss over his shoulder, "We couldn't do half of what we do without being able to stuff items and gear into thin air, Kizmel. Just remember, there's a limit to how much fits even in that, and there's eventually a weight penalty, too."

He could just feel the look Kizmel gave him at that, and the way Asuna rolled her eyes. "He means even stuff in the inventory will start to feel heavy, if you've got too much in there."

"Ah, of course. …Asuna, I've been meaning to ask. Do the two of you speak different dialects? Clearly that unpleasant fellow in the Illfang battle—Kibaou, I believe?—does, but Kirito also speaks… differently, at times."

Kirito was not going to pout. He was entirely too mature for that.

Not even when Asuna made a choked noise he was pretty sure was stifled laughter. "Heh—um. No, not exactly. Think of it like sailors. He knows the technical terms for this stuff, that's all."

"That explains much. I've always suspected half of what sailors say is… deliberately eccentric, let's say?" He could just hear the smirk. "We Knights, of course, prefer to keep things simple…. So, these numbers represent what our bodies are capable of in this world? I'm afraid I don't quite understand some of these abbreviations."

"Yeah, those are a little confusing at first, aren't they? First of all…."

Honestly, Kirito didn't even mind the cheap shots in his direction. It was kinda fun listening to Asuna explain the menu systems to Kizmel—and it certainly beat the alternative. The quiet talk behind him kept him from dwelling too much on… other things.

I'd like to go after Alice, he thought, gently turning the wheel so that Niian's rocky side drifted past Moondancer's bow again. For Diavel, and so that I can find out what in the world is really going on. But Integrity Knights can bypass the Skywall, and I can't. There's no sense brooding about it when I should be worrying about the first step on Niian.

Well, the first step was obviously to just reach the first town. His beta knowledge was a bit rusty, but he remembered enough for a start. Kizmel's questline complicated things some, though. He had no idea where that would take them, before Sandoria.

Not that he regretted taking on the new mission. Both because he was more attached than he really wanted to admit to Kizmel's company, and because of her inexplicable acquisition of the menu system. He had a feeling he knew what the event flag for that had been, and if he was right, they needed to know what else might've come of that—

A high, musical chime disrupted Kirito's thoughts, just as Moondancer swept up over the lip of Niian's upper edge. At the same time, a long shape, shining with almost blinding light in the sun, soared into view from port.

The chime was coming from Asuna's usual post. As she scrambled into her chair, he recognized the new arrival as Liberator, the airship Diavel had unveiled only days before. From the trajectory, the ship had probably only left Einsla that very morning, arriving just as Moondancer was.

Liberator clearly noticed their own little ship, the cruiser adjusting course to parallel theirs a respectful distance out. The chiming repeated itself—insistently, to Kirito's ears—every couple of seconds, until Asuna's scrabbling fingers touched just the right control.

A click, and then there was a voice, despite there being no sign of a speaker on the console. "Ahoy there! This is Captain Coper, of Liberator. I'm going to take a wild guess and figure you're Kirito, right? I'm carrying the raid group to Niian. If you're interested, there's going to be a meeting soon, to discuss the aftermath of yesterday's raid. …If I were you, I'd be there."

---

"We're agreed, then. Whichever of our guilds reaches the Skywall Tower first, will gain the allegiance of Captain Coper and Liberator."

"Hmph! Shouldn't even be a question here, but better that than us fightin' over it. A week or two, an' everybody'll know who Diavel-han's real successor is!"

"My crew and I will be waiting eagerly for that. …In the meantime, I'd suggest both guilds invest in individual airships. Even when my ship's allegiance is settled, well, Liberator can only carry so many people. And, of course, there's supposed to be fleet action battles later in the game…."

I do not believe this. We've opened the way forward, and they waste their time on games like this? Ugh, Diavel's biggest mistake wasn't trying for that bonus, it was not making sure he had a second-in-command. Are these people really this stupid?!

Urbus was the settlement closest to Niian's outer edge, coming from Einsla, and so the first place airships landed. Though the city's aerodrome wasn't as big as Origia's, it was bigger than Tolbana's, with a wide open landing field between its airship cradles. There was probably room for a thousand players; even with Liberator's gleaming hull backing them, the few dozen occupying it at that particular moment were almost lost in it.

Almost. Standing with Kirito and Kizmel at the very edge of the gathering, it was all Asuna could do not to facepalm at the antics of the leaders of the gathering—or rather, the leaders of the two distinct groups that stood with a very noticeable gap between, while those without a bone to pick hung toward the back.

The loud, brash behavior of the green faction leader didn't surprise her a bit, admittedly. Kibaou's scale mail was higher quality than what he'd worn just the previous day, but otherwise he was the same as ever. He was loud, he was angry, and he'd plainly staked out his claim to taking over leadership of the players Diavel had gathered to clear Sword Art Online.

Really, the only surprising thing about the leader of the so-called "Aincrad Liberation Squad" was that he'd so far ignored Moondancer and her crew entirely. After the mess with the Integrity Knight, Asuna had expected him to blow up at them on sight.

The other faction leader, of the gray-armored "Dragon Knights Brigade", was more surprising. Lind, as she now knew him to be, had been in Diavel's own party in the battle with Illfang, which probably explained why he'd dyed his hair blue since the previous day. He was also, she distinctly recalled, one of those who'd directly attacked Kirito for letting Alice take Diavel away.

Lind was calmer than Kibaou. That was about all Asuna was willing to say for him. In the argument that had ensued the moment the raid group had gathered at the aerodrome, he'd countered Kibaou's loud belligerence with cool confidence—and, to Asuna's ear, a certain entitlement.

Condescension, she thought, staring from under her hood as the two faction leaders took turns shaking hands with Coper—who'd largely stayed out of the argument—and then, very grudgingly, each other. Kibaou's got a chip on his shoulder, but Lind think he's in the right and that everyone should know it.

Ugh. I hoped I'd escape that in this world, at least.

Well. The arguing seemed to be over, however stupid it might've been. Though Asuna wasn't at all sure that was a good thing. The ALS were going toward one side of the aerodrome, the DKB to the other, and while she supposed buying airships was at least productive, the "competition" they'd just agreed to was still going to make clearing the way forward that much harder.

"Hey, Beater!"

Asuna jumped, startled by the shout—but Kibaou, now a good ways off, wasn't looking at her at all. His glare was fixed on Kirito, as was his rudely pointing finger. "Ya got yerself a ship already, but don't think we're gonna let ya get too far ahead! We'll be blastin' right past ya if ya don't watch out!"

Plainly as baffled as she was, it took Kirito a second to school his expression into the cool arrogance he'd affected after Diavel's kidnapping. "Go ahead and try!" he called back, mouth twisting in a smug grin. "It wouldn't be any fun if I didn't have competition!"

"Why, you…! Grr, whatever!" Spinning back around, Kibaou stomped back to the front of his group, hands clenched into fists. "C'mon, guys! Forget the beater, we got work ta do!"

Asuna almost snapped back at them—as irritating as she sometimes found Kirito, Kibaou was way worse—only for a hand to gently grip her shoulder. "He's not worth it," Kizmel told her, shaking her head. Though she was grimacing herself, eyes narrow. "I begin to see the truth of your words yesterday, that your world has no true knights. Sir Diavel at least made an effort, whatever ulterior motives he may have had. His would-be successors…." She tsked. "And I thought the rivalry between the Royal Guard's Knight Brigades was bad."

"It's just not right," Asuna muttered, turning away so she didn't have to look at either "guild". "We did as much as they did, yesterday, and if it weren't for Kirito-kun we might've lost the battle. Now they're just treating him—us—like dirt, because of something Diavel did."

Not that she thought there was any chance Kirito would've been a contender for leading the clearing efforts. She did think he'd do a good job, if he put his mind to it. She was also sure he'd run screaming in horror at the very idea. She'd seen perfectly well how terrified he'd been just taking over command during the raid.

She could also tell he wasn't as calm about Kibaou's parting shot as he tried to pretend. Probably, Asuna thought, remembering how he'd been treated in his "dreams" after Alice's kidnapping.

Now, though, Kirito only shrugged his shoulders, as if trying to settle his new coat. "In their defense, they were just gamers before all this happened," he reminded them. "This is really guild politics as usual, for an MMO. It's going to be awhile before anybody really gets a handle on how different SAO is." He started to turn away, but paused, frowning. "I do kinda want to know what the heck a 'beater' is, though. Usually I at least know what someone means, when they insult me."

"That's what you get for acting cool and skipping out on the epilogue, buddy." A dark-skinned hand landed on Kirito's shoulder, startling him and Asuna both. "D'you guys know how crazy things were after you left?"

Sternly, Asuna ordered her heart to slow down. She had no idea how Agil, the big axeman from the Illfang battle, had snuck up on them, but at least he was grinning. That was about as friendly as any player had been with them since the quest to finally clear the First Island had begun. "Did something happen that we need to know about, Agil-san?"

"Eh, Argo will probably want to sell most of it—and who am I to mess with a girl's money?" He lifted his hand from Kirito's shoulder, suddenly defensive, when she started to glare. "Hey, hey, stay cool! I'll tell you this one myself, promise." Agil coughed into his hand, sobering. "So, there was kind of a lot of yelling after your grand exit, about betas and cheaters. Somewhere in there, it got kinda mixed up, and one or another of those lunkheads mashed it up into 'Beater'."

Ugh. The more time she spent in SAO, the more Asuna thought it felt like the frontline players were just like students at one of the girls' schools she'd attended, growing up. "Why do I feel like I'm right back in class…? I thought I'd at least left the gossips behind…!"

"I fear, Asuna, that you will find such people anywhere—especially among groups searching for a scapegoat." Kizmel gave her a sympathetic smile from under her hood, before turning a raised eyebrow on the axeman. "Agil, I believe it was? Just how bad is it?"

Agil peered closely at her, as if only really noticing her then. Asuna wondered if the elf girl's hood would stand up to the scrutiny—and worried about what would happen if he realized Kizmel was not, in fact, another player—but after a moment he crossed his arms and shrugged. "To be honest? It's hard to say. I mean, look at it from their point of view—hell, look at it from mine. No offense, guys, but nobody really saw any of you before the lead-up to the raid. You all pretty much came out of nowhere to begin with, and then you saved the raid when just about everybody thought it was over." He paused, very deliberately. "And then after the fight, when a freakin' Integrity Knight showed up, Kirito here talked to her like a native, and she talked back. After all that, I don't think most people know what to think. Of any of you."

Asuna was almost afraid to ask for more detail. "Any leading theories?"

"Me, I'm just gonna assume you guys found some beta stuff most people didn't, and not ask questions," he told her, cracking a quick smile. "You saved lives, that's good enough for me." The smile disappeared, though, as the big axeman looked back toward the competing clearing factions. "Hard to say what Kibaou thinks, really. He's a jerk about the beta testers, but he's an honest one. Lind… I don't like what he's been saying. Not one bit."

Kirito slumped. "I was afraid of that," he muttered. "It should've just been me—"

Asuna was pleased that Kizmel matched her, in lightly socking their gloomy companion in the side. "That was our choice," she said firmly, turning a glare on him. "Don't you dare take that away from me. From either of us."

Because seriously. The right to make her own mistakes, and not be treated as a disgrace to her ancestors? That was one of the things Aincrad gave her, which Asuna was not willing to give up. With the freedom she craved came personal responsibility. She wasn't going to let him take that from her, even if he was just trying to protect her.

Especially if he's trying to protect me.

Agil guffawed at the byplay. "Piece of advice, Kirito? Never try that with your girlfriend. Believe me, I met my wife in an MMO, and I learned that lesson quick." He unfolded his arms, reaching up to thoughtfully stroke his chin instead. "Speaking of. Which of you girls is…?"

"We're just party members!" Asuna said quickly, face heating up. "Kizmel and I met him on the first day, and we've been working together because it's practical! That's all!"

Kirito nodded vigorously, clearly at a loss for words. He wasn't even looking at any of them, his attention suddenly focused on Liberator, and the small crew gathered around the ship.

"And the two of them saved my life." Kizmel, to Asuna's frustration, chuckled, more amused than embarrassed. "We've not really had time to discuss anything more, given the circumstances."

"You're not helping!" Barely keeping her voice below a yelp, Asuna's hands clenched. "Anyway," she said, through gritted teeth. "Agil-san, just how bad is it?"

"It could be worse," Agil told her, sober now but still holding onto his grin. "Mind you, it's only been a day, so who knows what'll happen when the story spreads out of the raid group. Kibaou and Lind, they hate your guts right now. Sorry to say, Kirito, I wouldn't expect you to be getting many party invites for while."

Kirito shrugged, doing a decent job of looking like he didn't care. "Eh, I was usually solo back in the beta anyway. I'm not the kind of guy to really make friends."

That… was pretty sad, really. But Asuna could relate, and a quick glance at Kizmel showed an odd understanding on the elf girl's face, as well.

Agil raised on eyebrow, but let the byplay pass. "Well, be careful. On the other hand, there's a few people who don't even seem to care—"

"Hey, guys!" A dark-haired bundle of pure energy suddenly appeared right in the middle of the gathering, grinning and grabbing Kirito's hand. "Great fight yesterday! Too bad we couldn't take on that Integrity Knight, but wow, I can already tell that's going to be an awesome boss when we're strong enough!" Pitohui released Kirito, patted a startled Kizmel on the shoulder, and quickly shook Asuna's hand. "See you around! Try not to die before things get really good!"

Just like that, Pitohui was gone again, racing away from the aerodrome and into Urbus proper. Asuna stared after her, shell-shocked from the girl's sheer enthusiasm. She couldn't remember encountering anyone so enthusiastic about fighting to the death in—well, ever. Not even since getting trapped in SAO.

Before any of them could recover their wits, Tengu walked up to them. Still wearing his Shinsengumi-patterned robe and white mask, he was much calmer than Pitohui. "Good to see the three of you made it here," he said, as unflappable as the last time Asuna had seen him. He looked over all of them—or she thought he did, his mask made it hard to tell—before his gaze seemed to focus on Kirito. "Your charade at the end was well done, indeed."

"Uh… thank you…?" Kirito said uncertainly. He was looking at Tengu as if expecting the man to suddenly turn into a snake mob. After the last couple of days, Asuna didn't really blame him. "Thanks for helping out in the boss fight. We wouldn't have lasted without you."

"Mm. Perhaps." Tengu looked at him for a long, unnerving moment, before giving a shallow nod. "Be prepared to take command next time, should something like that happen again. Keep up your training, and you will go far, Kirito." He started to turn away, then paused. "Be wary. In this world, there is no justice but what we Swordmasters make for ourselves. Someday, some will turn to baser methods to survive. You're not ready to kill. Others will be." He glanced toward the road into Urbus, where Pitohui could still be seen happily running along. "Beware. Be ready."

Then he was off, walking toward the town at a more measured pace than the battle-hungry girl.

A few moments of silence followed, as Asuna and her party exchanged baffled looks with Agil. "Okay… that was a thing," the axeman finally said. "You know either of 'em?"

Kirito shook his head, frowning. "…I don't think so," he said slowly. "Though I might've met Pitohui in the beta. Tengu…." His frown deepened. "No. Never mind. What's next for you, Agil?"

"Looking for a blacksmith to get my axe sharpened," Agil replied, hefting his heavy weapon. "New island, we just had a boss fight… I wanna get started real careful, y'know? No player blacksmiths yet, but there ought to be a decent NPC or two around." He rested the axe on his shoulder, waved, and headed off in the other players' wake. "Take care of yourselves, guys! See you around!"

Then it was just the three of them again, and the distant sounds of the DKB and ALS trying to figure out how to buy airships. The quiet was almost deafening, after the last few minutes. Asuna wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing, but she was already starting to miss just hanging out on their own ship.

Too long by ourselves, she thought. I never knew how hard it could be to deal with people after being away for so long.

"Well," Kizmel said finally, breaking the silence. She nodded toward Urbus. "I believe we have a meeting? It wouldn't be polite to keep Argo waiting."

"Or safe," Kirito muttered, shaking himself. He led the way, his new coat billowing in the gentle breeze that cut through the aerodrome. "It's going to be bad enough as it is, when she finds out we've got an airship to ourselves. If we take our time now, who knows what weird stories she'll make up…."

Remembering her first meeting with the info broker, Asuna shuddered. She was pretty sure the Rat wouldn't spread "weird stories" around—her reputation depended on honesty—but trolling the three of them? That, she was sure Argo would be all too ready to do. And then she might get some real details from us we don't want her to have, and that she would sell.

Shaking herself, she pulled her cloak tight, picking up the pace toward Urbus. "Where is Argo, anyway?" she asked. "Our ship and Liberator were the first to get here, and I didn't see her in the crowd here."

"NPC passenger airships were supposed to start up once the Skywall was cleared," Kirito told her, gesturing back toward the aerodrome. "When she called earlier, Argo said nobody wanted to risk it until the raid group gave the all-clear, but they headed out this morning. In fact…."

While Kizmel was the first to turn back, Asuna picked up the sound of approaching engines almost as fast. Just coming in to land in one of the aerodrome's cradles was another airship, larger than Moondancer yet smaller than Liberator, and quite plainly not meant for combat. Wooden-hulled, her engines were smaller than the ships Asuna had seen so far, instead seeming to rely more on the traditional sails mounted above her deck.

And that would be a passenger ship, I guess. Which means Argo should be—

The ship had barely settled into the cradle when a brown shape suddenly exploded off the deck, slammed hard into the ground, and took off running to the northwest. As Asuna's team watched, collectively nonplussed, two figures in gray leapt down, paused a split second, and raced off in pursuit.

Asuna blinked. "What the…?"

"I believe that was Argo," Kizmel said, peering after them. "Being chased by… I couldn't venture a guess, but I doubt they have her best interests in mind." She glanced at the two players. "Shall we?"

Kirito was already moving, and Asuna was quick to follow. "Half the reason I made that speech yesterday was to stop this," he said grimly. "And where they're heading—it's not safe territory." He glanced back over his shoulder. "Let's hurry!"

No argument from the girls. Though Asuna couldn't help rolling her eyes. First half-dressed Minotaurs, now this. This really isn't my day….

---

Following a trail was a somewhat different experience in the transitory world, so real in many ways yet oddly unreal in others. The tracks left by their running quarry, though faint compared to most humans, were certainly no harder to spot than Kizmel was used to, yet they were also oddly uniform. That fact alone almost threw her off, as she and her comrades ran deeper into the wilderness beyond Urbus.

Almost. Though it appeared that even if she had somehow lost the trail, Kirito would've kept them on the trail himself. "Your skills as a tracker are impressive, Kirito," she commented, as the grass around Urbus gave way to more barren ground.

"Can't claim credit for it," he replied, leading them off the rough road and up one of the ridges that rose up on either side, forming a narrow canyon. "I picked up a modifier to my Search skill last week; it lets me follow people on my Friends list. Only tracks less than a minute old, though."

"Ah." A month into their partnership, with the more specific lessons the two Swordmasters had begun giving her that morning, Kizmel thought she at least grasped the essential points. "Well, at least you can claim credit for foresight?"

"Yeah, sure—but if these tracks are less than a minute old, how fast are these guys?" Asuna's hood, caught by the wind, flew back; with a huff, she yanked it back into place without losing stride. "And who the heck would be chasing Argo like that, anyway?"

That was certainly a good question. Kizmel had hoped Kirito's gambit had headed off any kind of witch hunt; if it had not, and his sacrificing his own good name had been for nothing, she was going to be… unhappy.

Although, she reflected, as they reached the top of the ridge and moved to follow the edge, that sacrifice was likely inevitable anyway. I doubt he could have talked his way out entirely, after his confrontation with Alice.

"I think I may have an idea," Kirito said, crouching down as if to avoid being seen from the canyon floor. To Kizmel's surprise, he sounded more annoyed than anything else. "If they're who I think they are—well, I don't know what they're up to now, but they were feared during the beta test."

"Feared?" Asuna repeated, voice rising. "What are they—player-killers, is that the term?"

"Not exactly, but—wait!" He skidded to an abrupt halt, at the very edge of the ridge.

Kizmel quickly dropped to the ground herself, already recognizing what Kirito had: the trail went straight over the edge, down to the ground some meters below. A farther drop than she would've cared to make, but she could see how a Swordmaster—or three—might've slid down, rather than jumping.

And someone definitely managed, she thought, ears twitching. I do believe I know that voice.

"I told ya already," the high, nasally voice snapped. "I don't care how much you're offerin', I ain't selling! Buzz off!"

"You do not intend to hoard the information, yet you do not intend to sell it? How can we conclude anything but that you are trying to inflate the price?" Kizmel blinked; not even the self-styled Knight Diavel had spoken so formally. "Your business depends on fair exchange; name your price, and we will pay it!"

Peering carefully over the lip of the ridge, the elf girl spotted Argo easily enough. Though her brown cloak did blend in with the terrain surprisingly well—certainly better than the pair confronting her, whose gray jackets, masks, and hoods made them stand out against the barren ground. They looked as if they were dressed for concealment, but for entirely the wrong surroundings.

Kirito groaned. "Them? Seriously? Didn't think they'd pull this kind of stunt now that our lives are on the line…."

"It's got nothin' to do with price!" Argo spat out, glaring at her pursuers. "I don't sell anything that gets me in trouble, and there's nothin' but trouble from this!"

"Who are they?" Asuna whispered, glancing from the scene below to Kirito. "They're not threatening her, but…."

"Wannabe-ninja, back in the beta," he answer, pressing a hand to his forehead. "What did they call themselves… Fu-something? Food…? Fugue?"

She rolled her eyes. "Fuuma?"

"That was it!"

"What possible quarrel would we have with you?" one of the—Fuuma?—said plaintively. "All we ask is the location of the Martial Arts teacher, you see! Sell us that, and we will be on our way!"

"Martial Arts teacher?" Kizmel repeated, as the argument continued below. Frowning, she looked to Kirito. "You were here in the 'beta', Kirito. Do you know what they're talking about?"

He shrugged. "I know there were rumors about an Extra Skill here on Niian. There were never any details, though—not that I ever heard, anyway." The dark youth frowned. "Sounds like Argo found something out—if she didn't know anything, she'd say so. But why won't she sell it?"

Interesting question. Though Kizmel could hardly claim to know the information broker well, she'd certainly already come to know how quick Argo was to make a profit on any information she could get her hands on.

To be this stubborn—and outside the Safe Haven charms, at that…. She frowned, as the argument reached a new pitch. They've not drawn blades, but that may change all too quickly—

Kirito sighed. "No help for it, I guess."

Before Kizmel or Asuna could ask him what he meant by that, he abruptly stood, pushed his coat back, and jumped off the ridge, sliding down to the bottom.

For a moment, the girls could only stare at each other. "…What is he doing?" Asuna said blankly.

Torn between exasperation and a near-irresistible urge to laugh, Kizmel shrugged. "We'll interrogate him later," she said, and leapt down herself.

The three of them half-slid, half-jumped squarely between Argo and the pair of Swordmasters accosting her. The Rat, oddly, didn't seem at all surprised; the ruffians, by contrast, started sharply, jumping back a full meter. By the time Kizmel and her companions had recovered their footing, the two had both reached for the swords slung at their backs, drawing a few centimeters of steel from their scabbards. "Who goes there?!"

"Interlopers from an enemy province?!"

Kizmel blinked, torn before concern over the nearly-drawn weapons—single-edged blades, she noticed, similar in style to Illfang's nodachi—and bemusement. An enemy province? Her hand went to the hilt of her own sword, though she didn't—quite—draw it. Well… in a manner of speaking, perhaps….

For the moment, she chose to follow Kirito's lead. He himself raised not a sword, but the grapnel on his left wrist, aiming it vaguely toward the two "ninja". "Something like that," he said, moving to stand directly between the ninja and Argo. "You're Fuuma, am I right?"

"We are Koutaro and Isuke, of the Fuumaningun!" one of them declared, brandishing his short sword in a pose Kizmel didn't think belonged to any Sword Skill. "Name yourself, interloper! This is not your concern!"

Beside Kizmel, Asuna bristled, and she sensed as much as saw the girl reach for her rapier. Before she could draw, however, Kirito gestured sharply with his free hand. "Of course it's my concern! Do you think that we, agents of the shogun, could overlook the Fuuma harassing an innocent?"

Kizmel's ears twitched. Agents of the shogun…?

Steel rasped on wood, and suddenly both ninja had swords in hand. "Iga dogs! We should have known you would be here soon!"

Her ears straightened with interest. Something was definitely going on that she was missing, but whatever it was, even with swords drawn, neither of her companions seemed to think it was dangerous. Kirito was putting on a show, much as he had with the raid group the day before, And Asuna….

"That's right, we're with Iga," Kirito proclaimed, making a pointed motion with his grapnel. "This is our territory, and this girl is under our protection!"

"He's impossible," Asuna muttered, so low only elven ears could hear. "All of this is impossible…." But her hand had left her rapier's hilt, and she shifted to stand straight, arms folded. Though her face was hidden by her hood, Kizmel knew the fencer was giving the ninja a hard stare.

"Her secrets are ours to learn," Kirito continued boldly. "And if you know what's good for you, you'll leave now. This place is not safe for outsiders to linger!"

Behind them, she heard a stifled snicker from Argo; from Asuna, an aggrieved sigh. For her part, Kizmel was beginning to think the Rat had the right of it. Between the four of them, two rogue Swordmasters were hardly a threat—and she was beginning to realize what Kirito's real gambit was.

Of what tale he was spinning, she was less certain, but she supposed there was no harm in playing along. While it was the wrong time of day for her to be able to vanish from sight entirely, with a quick tightening of her cloak, Kizmel turned translucent.

That, or Kirito's words, brought a scoff from one of the Fuuma, who took a menacing step forward. "You believe you can intimidate us, Iga dog? Your numbers mean nothing before our skill!"

Somehow, I doubt that.

"Before our numbers, perhaps." Kirito smirked, and pointed behind the two ninja. "But we are not what you should be worried about, Fuuma amateurs!"

"Bah! We'll not fall for such trickery!"

"What trick?" Asuna said dryly, wry resignation plain in her voice. She shifted her stance, getting ready to move; Kizmel did likewise, realizing what was about to happen. "True ninja would've been more aware of their surroundings."

That brought both ninja up short. That, and perhaps the large shadow suddenly cast over them. Eyes wide above their masks, they turned—and their stiff, formal speech vanished into undignified shrieks.

"Moo…?"

Kirito abruptly turned, snatched up Argo, and launched the two of them back toward the ridge with his grapnel, the Rat laughing all the way. Kizmel and Asuna had no such option, but still flung themselves as far to one side as they could. Far enough, barely, to not be overrun by the panicking, fleeing, screaming Fuumaningun.

More importantly, not by the enormous Trembling Ox chasing after them. Over two meters tall at the shoulder, with bulk to match, it was a notoriously territorial denizen of the Second Island, and as the two ninja were now discovering, very fast. Kizmel doubted the two of them would lose it without reaching a Safe Haven.

Joining Asuna in a far more sedate climb up to the top of the ridge, Kizmel supposed she ought to have been worried. The two were Swordmasters, after all, and for all their belligerence, they had only attempted to bargain with Argo. They hardly seemed to deserve death.

Still, they seemed light on their feet. I expect they'll survive well enough—and perhaps with a greater appreciation for caution.

"You!" Asuna said, when they'd reached the summit once more. Flinging back her hood, she pointed sharply at Kirito. "You are absolutely impossible! Ninja?!"

Kirito shrank back. "W-well, it distracted them long enough, didn't it…?"

"At least warn us next time, you…!"

Argo broke into the incipient rant with a cackle, flopping back on the barren ground. "Ahh, but Aa-chan, that was priceless! The three o' ya really looked the part, y'know?"

The glare the fencer turned on her subdued her not at all. "And you!" Asuna snapped. "What was all that about?!"

"Now, now, Asuna," Kizmel said, unable to stifle a grin of her own as she laid a placating hand on the other girl's shoulder. "I'm sure there is a perfectly good explanation." She turned an arched eyebrow in Argo's direction. "Right?"

"O' course!" Cackle dying down to a snicker, the Rat flipped back to her feet. "An' it's true, I owe ya guys one. So… how 'bout you show me your shiny new airship, an' Argo-nee-chan will give ya a discount on the latest gossip?"

---

So much for exploring the new town, Asuna thought, climbing up the handholds set into Moondancer's hull in Kirito's wake. Is this going to be a pattern? Not that I really want to hang around other players that much myself, but still…. I could do with one day not being weird!

As soon as she was on deck, before Kirito could disappear into the pilothouse, she cleared her throat. "Ninja?" she said pointedly, when he froze mid-step. "We've talked about you committing me to things without asking me first, Kirito-kun."

She thought, from how his shoulders shifted, that he swallowed nervously. If so, the only sign of it when he turned to look at her was a slight paling of his face—not as much as usual, when she snapped at him. She hoped that didn't mean she was losing her touch.

"I was trying to defuse things," he said, spreading his hands in a helpless shrug. "Putting on an act they'd understand seemed safest—I was hoping to wrap it up before anything bad happened. The Fuumaningun had a pretty fearsome rep during the beta."

"Fearsome?" Kizmel repeated. Swinging her feet up on the deck behind Asuna, she lifted a quizzical eyebrow. "Pardon me, Kirito, but those—ninja?—hardly seemed 'fearsome' to me. They appeared, to be honest, rather… comical."

"Nya ha! Not that kinda fearsome, Kii-chan!" Argo nimbly flipped up and over Moondancer's rail, in a move Asuna was sure was showing off. Throwing back her hood, she grinned, showing fangs. "The way that Trembling Ox turned up? Those jokers had that happen a lot in the beta. Then they'd run like idiots, an' usually lead the big nasty monsters right at other Swordmasters who were just mindin' their own business."

"And those others would have to clean up the mess," Kirito agreed. Clearly taking advantage of the distraction, he ducked through the hatch into the pilothouse. "I didn't think they'd be so stupid as to keep up their act in the death game. Here's hoping this will teach them to be a little more careful."

"As my people say, moments of danger teach lessons decades of safety never will." As the girls followed Kirito inside, Kizmel took her place at the engine panel, then turned her pointed look on the Rat. "So, Argo. Might we have an explanation now?"

"Gimme a minute, Kii-chan. I wanna see this." Argo's tone was almost—but not quite—serious, watching Kirito and Kizmel prepare Moondancer for launch. "Ya guys were holdin' out on me, weren't ya? This is a Dark Elf ship, an' if I know my ships, ya didn't just get her as a quest reward, did ya?"

Sitting opposite Kizmel, Asuna waited for the drive field to lift the ship from her cradle, and pulled in the skids. At the same time, she cast a wary look at the info broker. "…Are you implying something, Argo?"

"Ah, just that I know a thing or two 'bout core crystals." Pausing for obvious effect, Argo leaned against the starboard bulkhead, folded her arms, and let teeth show. "So… how was it, waking up the crystal? Kii-bou, with two girls?"

Kirito twitched, turning the wheel just a moment too soon and almost scraping Moondancer's keel on the cradle. "W-what's that supposed to mean, Argo?!"

Nice going, Kirito-kun. That totally sounded innocent. Not that Asuna could talk, feeling her face heat up. "It-it wasn't like that!" she protested. "It was just—well—I don't even know how to describe it—"

Kizmel cleared her throat. "I believe, Argo, that the experience could only be properly discussed with someone who had felt it themselves." She deftly adjusted the wing-sails, allowing Kirito to guide Moondancer up and over Urbus. Only the faintest hint of a deeper darkness on her dusky cheeks suggested she might not have been as calm as she appeared. "But you know that. Don't you, Argo?" Her eyes narrowed, glancing from her controls to the Rat. "Or you would not have asked at all."

That was a good point, Asuna realized with a start. Even Kirito hadn't known anything about awakening a core crystal, and he'd been a beta tester himself. One who'd gone all the way through the Elf War quest, at that. Of course, he also said he didn't have much to do with airships in general during the beta. I suppose an info broker would probably have looked into that more. It is one of the main selling points of the game, after all.

Though she didn't trust the whimsical expression on Argo's face one bit. The Rat had turned her attention—apparently—to the view outside the windows, as Moondancer eased out over Urbus. Another NPC airship was just coming in, taking a scenic turn over the city itself; Argo seemed to be studying that ship's deck when she spoke. "Maybe I know a thing or two," she allowed, just a hint of fang poking out the near side of her mouth. "An' I'm kinda curious how you'll handle the… long-term effects."

"Long-term effects?" Kirito jumped in, before Asuna could get past the adrenaline surge enough to say something coherent. "What do you know, Argo?" When the whiskered girl shook her head, he gritted his teeth. "How. Much?"

"Sorry. Not selling that one, Kii-bou."

Asuna exchanged an incredulous look with Kizmel. They'd only known Argo a couple of weeks, and only met her infrequently during that time, but still. The only thing Argo had ever even hinted she wouldn't sell was a beta tester's identity. A poorly-chosen comeback from Asuna had even brought out the Rat's willingness to sell very personal information about herself.

Still half-facing the window, Argo flicked a sidelong glance at her surprised audience. "Got sources to protect, guys. This is one of those things where anything I say might put certain people at risk, 'kay?" For a moment, she looked genuinely serious. "I can tell ya this, though: ya shouldn't have anything to worry about from it." Her mouth quirked, sobriety breaking. "Well. Nothin' 'bout your health. Yer social lives—heh. I'll let ya figure that one out yerselves."

"Oh, great." Kirito uttered what Asuna thought was the general sentiment of their little team, shaking his head. "I can't wait…. Will you at least tell us what the mess with those ninja was all about?"

"Naturally! I owe ya one, fer that an'… well, for yesterday." Argo turned to look right at him, and this time her smile startlingly warm. "That coulda been real bad, Kii-bou. I know it hurt ya, but… thanks."

Asuna stifled a snicker at the look on Kirito's face. "Uh… you're welcome, Argo," he said awkwardly. Clearing his throat, he added, "So! Any suggestions for a course, while Argo gets us up to speed?"

"Perhaps a simple pass over the island might be in order," Kizmel suggested. The smile playing at her lips betrayed her amusement at Kirito's shyness, but she seemed willing to let it go without comment. "Though you may be familiar with Niian, Asuna obviously is not, and while I was given some information, I've not had a chance to see much for myself."

"Overview it is," Kirito agreed, turning the wheel to bring Moondancer in a gentle sweep east along Niian's southern edge. "Carefully, though, there's a few places you don't want to fly directly over—or under—around here…."

Asuna wanted to ask about that right away. On the other hand, if there was one thing she'd learned about the Aincrad Archipelago just from the First Island, it was that sometimes it was better to see things for herself first. Kirito's story about how strong Integrity Knights are didn't sink in until Alice crashed in on us, that's for sure. Seeing really is believing.

That still left the question of Argo's story, though. She turned to look at the Rat, opened her mouth to prompt the other girl to talk—and paused.

Argo was still leaning against that starboard bulkhead, and her gaze was still directed outside. Her eyes were half-closed, though, as if her attention was mostly elsewhere; she was tracing one hand over the wood of the bulkhead, and her lips were moving. What, if anything, she was actually saying, Asuna couldn't hear.

What is she doing…?

"An old, old ship." That low murmur, Asuna did catch. "Kii-bou, ya sure know how to pick 'em, don't ya?"

What?

The Rat shook herself, though, before Asuna could ask what she was doing. "Right! I promised ya guys an explanation, didn't I?"

"You did." Kizmel had only half her attention on helping Kirito guide the ship. The other half was directed at Argo, and if Asuna was any judge, the elf girl was also wondering what the info broker had been doing. "Perhaps you could start by explaining who—or what—the 'Fuumaningun' are?"

"Fair 'nough," Argo said equitably. "Ninja, where we come from, are… well, kinda a mix of spy an' assassin, an' a few other things besides. The kind of people ya send in when ya want work done quiet, an' not traced back to yer leaders."

The elven Knight nodded. "I understand that much. Indeed, Pagoda Knights are sent on similar missions—as you obviously know—although outright assassination is no task for a Knight." She paused, glanced out the bow window as Kirito brought Moondancer inward from Niian's edge, and nudged the wing-sails. "Though I must say, those two hardly seemed as if they were blending in. Disguised, certainly, but not what I would call subtle."

"That's 'cause the Fuuma are basically playin' pretend, Kii-chan. Ninja in stories are a bit different from the real deal." Argo shook her head, snickering. "An' the Fuuma? Are idiots. Which is half the reason I wasn't gonna sell 'em what they wanted."

"It's that bad, Argo?" Asuna asked, feeling a chill. Not that she was entirely surprised, "idiot" did seem to describe the two would-be ninja pretty well, and it was obvious there were a lot of ways for even smart players to die in Aincrad. But still.

"Lemme put it this way, Aa-chan: back in the beta, I never finished the quest they were buggin' me about." Argo wasn't snickering anymore. "An' I don't think those two woulda gotten anywhere near startin' it. What really gets me is… I dunno how they even knew to look."

"If it was in the beta, anybody could've found it," Kirito pointed out. Most of his attention was on Moondancer's course—Asuna noticed he was continuing the turn to the north—but he spared a bit to give Argo an arch look. "I hate to break it to you, but you're not the only info broker, Argo. Even I heard rumors. Never anything solid, but obviously somebody else did find the Extra Skill."

"No, they didn't. The start, maybe, but not the end." Argo pushed away from the bulkhead, looking about as serious as Asuna had yet seen from her. "Took me ta the last day o' the beta to reach what I think was the last step before meetin' the skill trainer. Ta get that far, I found a lead I never saw anybody talk about on the SAO forums—an' it killed me a dozen times."

"Which is why you didn't want to sell the information," Asuna thought aloud. "If you thought it was that risky—"

"Hang on," Kirito interrupted. "I think we need to get this one from the top. But first—Asuna, I think you'll want to see this." He motioned for Kizmel to lower the bow, and pointed toward the ground brought into view. "You and Kizmel have been talking about knights, right? Take a look at that."

Curious, Asuna stood and walked to the bow window. They were cruising over the canyon where they'd rescued Argo, she noticed. Or rather, the mouth of it, a good kilometer and a half north of where they'd dealt with the Fuuma. Beyond it was a vast plan—and sitting almost directly on the canyon mouth was an irregular mound of rock, one broken spire reaching for the sky.

No, not rock. Not just rock. That's a castle!

"One of the early dungeons of Niian," Kirito told her, confirming her deduction. "Just a nameless ruin now, but the lore says it used to belong to the Crimson Knights. Back when the Human Empire made an effort to keep the peace, after the Great Separation destroyed the Nine Kingdoms of Man."

Used to. Asuna could see that plainly. The castle was still recognizable, and parts of it still seemed reasonably intact, but it was obvious it hadn't been used in a long, long time. The gates were broken down, the outer walls had gaping holes, and in several places she could see that the roof had caved in.

The tower that dominated the castle's north side looked particularly bad. Even from Moondancer's height—Asuna realized belatedly she was seeing way too clearly for their distance, and made a note to ask Kirito or Kizmel about it later—she could see faded scorch marks around the tower's upper floors. Scorch marks, and deep scores, like from the claws of a great beast….

"In the beta there was pretty good treasure up in the tower, if you could reach it," Kirito commented behind her. "Tricky, though, the footing tended to break really easily…. Most of the quest-related stuff was down in the catacombs. Three levels deep, and stretching way out beyond the castle walls. I never did find out how far they went, personally. I was in a hurry to see everything I could, so one-hundred percent completion wasn't my style."

Fair enough. Two months, Asuna had known from the moment she logged into Sword Art Online, wasn't nearly enough to see even a fraction of the game. Which still left her with questions she suspected he could answer. "What happened to it? Where are the Crimson Knights?"

"Long gone, Asuna," Kizmel said sadly. When Asuna glanced back at her, the elf's long ears were noticeably drooping. "Once, a very long time ago, my people thought the chivalric orders of the nascent Human Empire might be our allies. In the end, however, the Administrator rose to power in the Axiom Church, and she did not tolerate rivals. The Integrity Knights were sent against any who resisted."

Integrity Knights… oh. Looking back at the ruined castle, she understood. Dragons had assaulted that tower, with claws and fire. Having seen firsthand the barest hint of an Integrity Knight's power, she had no trouble imaging just one or two could've cut through any resistance inside the castle.

Shivering, she tried to picture what that castle would've looked like in its prime, and compared the mental image with the reality before her. Even knowing all of what she saw was the product of Kayaba Akihiko and Argus' development staff's imaginations, it made her feel strangely sad.

"Look upon my works, ye mighty," Asuna heard herself murmuring, looking down at the wrecked fortress. "And despair…."

"Ozymandias," Argo remarked, stepping up to join her. The smile on the Rat's face was whimsical, but with an edge that suggested even she wasn't unaffected by the sight. "Yeah, that fits. Ya won't hear 'bout the Human Empire's knights much 'round here, Aa-chan. Not after the Axiom Church got through with 'em."

"The old orders still exist, in name," Kizmel said quietly. "But only as the personal guards of human nobility, and nowhere near this far out in the Archipelago. The Administrator does not permit mere aristocracy to have more than token strength."

No wonder the Swordmasters had been summoned in the lore, then. The common people of Aincrad had no one to protect them except the Integrity Knights, and it was plain even they weren't sent out for anything less than extreme circumstances.

The towns might've been protected by magic to keep out monsters. That did nothing for travel between them, and Asuna couldn't imagine what society was like without being able to go freely from town to town. Even leaving aside the Skywall.

It's not right. It's just… not right. They had to call for us—and here we are, with only a few dozen people even trying, and those squabbling like children. Even if we're really just here to survive, and everything else is flavor—it's wrong.

Feeling suddenly just depressed, Asuna started to turn away from the window—only to pause, as a flicker of movement caught her eye. Something down below, in the ruined castle's courtyard. "…Hey, guys? Isn't that…?"

Up and out of the courtyard, flinging off a cloth not too different from one in Moondancer's own hold, a long, lean shape leapt into the air. Wing-sails spread open, and a broader sail unfurled from a mast.

"An airship?!" Kirito blurted, leaning forward over the wheel. "Where'd that come from—?"

"Forest Elf!" Kizmel said sharply, ears stiffening. "A patrol ship!"

Argo pressed her face close against the bow window, and hissed a word Asuna didn't even recognize. "Those Fuuma idiots are on the deck! Damn, they really are that stupid…!"

"After them, Kirito," Kizmel said, already pushing the throttle forward. "Would that we were armed, but—regardless, we must find out what they're doing here!"

"Don't have to tell me twice." Kirito spun the wheel, turning Moondancer onto a pursuit course. "I just hope they aren't armed, either."

That makes two of us, Asuna thought, awkwardly getting back into her chair as the ship accelerated. Today is not getting any better!

---

Kizmel had been in an airship battle exactly once. It had been brief, vicious, and honestly terrifying. As a swordswoman, not a sailor, she'd had little idea of what was going on until Moonshadow was already going down. That she was herself urging a chase was an irony not lost on her.

At least Moondancer's old enough—and clearly expensive enough—for glasswood windows, she thought, staring ahead at the Forest Elf ship. Doubtless the original owner had intended them for proper sightseeing; for a crew of warriors on an urgent mission, the clear wood's tendency to magnify allowed them to keep their target in sight.

Where they were going, Kizmel couldn't guess. After lifting off from the ruined human fortress, the Forest Elf airship had headed north, veering toward Niian's western edge. If there was anything there at all, she didn't know about it; she'd only ever been to the Second Island at all as a child, and when she'd left on her mission, the assumption had been that she would be skipping the island entirely.

No one expected Quinella to strengthen the Skywall, and leave us reliant on the Swordmasters even for this, she thought, nudging the wing-sails to match Kirito's turn of the wheel as Moondancer arced up and around in pursuit. Just as none of us suspected any Swordmasters might choose to ally with the Forest. What is going on here?

"All right, here's the short version," she heard Argo say, off to one side. The information broker was braced in the aft-starboard corner, though Kizmel could only spare a glance. "Last night, those Fuuma idiots dropped by in Tolbana, where yours truly was takin' care of some last minute requests 'fore everybody got ready to head to Niian."

The Forest Elf ship, to Kizmel's confusion, was heading toward the Skyfalls. The rogue island that was the source of the falls had absolutely nothing of any significance. She knew that well. Unless…?

The other ship's course was taking her under the island. Which meant either they were heading for some kind of hidden hollow—not so different from the Dark Elf port on Niian itself—or that they were hoping to use the Skyfalls themselves to lose Moondancer. Kizmel was afraid that might even work, as inexperienced as they all were with airships.

"I didn't want anything ta do with 'em, mind—I knew their rep as well as Kii-bou—but hey, Cor's Cor, right? I figured they wanted some quest or other to get ninja-style gear or something. Not that they'd have much luck until 'round the Tenth Island, but there's a thing or two on Niian they could maybe substitute fer now." Argo clicked her tongue. "Wasn't anything that easy. First thing they asked was how ta find Master Ganryu."

They were getting closer now—close enough for Moondancer to startle an entire flock of Gullwings, one coming so near to hitting the ship that Kizmel could see its surprised expression in the glasswood. If the Forest Elf ship didn't turn in the next few moments, they really were going to go right through the Skyfalls. And indeed, she could see the Fuuma scrambling belowdecks, along with a pair of Forest Elf Knights.

No sign of guns, at least. If there's to be an air battle here, it will be small arms. Forest Elves care for those no more than we do.

Only then did Argo's words really register, and Kizmel sent a quick, surprised glance her way. "Master Ganryu? Even Lyusula has heard of him. But that old hermit's not been seen in decades—a century, perhaps!"

Ahead, the Forest Elf ship was still stubbornly on course. Which meant they were either suicidal, or knew something she didn't. She turned to look at Kirito, opening her mouth to warn him—and at that moment, their prey suddenly accelerated, driving even faster toward the falls.

They thought they could make it. The patrol ship, larger than Moondancer, might even have been right. Kizmel was not so sure about their own.

"Hold on!" Kirito barked, hunching over the wheel. "Kizmel, give me full throttle, and trim the wing-sails all the way back!"

No time to second-guess. She obeyed, and Moondancer leapt ahead. The Forest Elf ship drove into the Skyfalls, vanishing under the pounding spray of water. Lesser ships would've been driven from the sky by the torrent; the Forest Elves clearly believed they could survive.

"Ganryu's still around, all right," Argo said, startlingly calm as Moondancer hurtled toward the rushing water. "But almost nobody knows that. The clues he left are buried in a dungeon those clowns couldn't last two minutes in. An' gettin' to him when ya do you know where ta look?"

Moondancer's prow hit the Skyfalls, and the windows were suddenly totally obscured by the raging waters. The loud roar would've made Kizmel's ears hurt if the transitory world had pain, and she had a strange, phantom feeling of water beating against her.

Barely two heartbeats, that lasted. Then Moondancer burst through the other side—and almost struck the Forest Elf airship dead on, that ship having made a radical turn to starboard. Kirito yelped, throwing Moondancer into a hard turn to port, while Kizmel yanked the throttle back and flared the wing-sails.

"You're impossible!" Asuna shouted over the chaos. "Through the waterfall?!"

"It worked, didn't it?" Kirito retorted—though the tremble in his voice belied his words. "Come on, we're going after them!"

"Ganryu's way off in the northern Niian mountains," Argo said, as calm as if they hadn't just gone through a waterfall which by rights should've battered their ship to scrap wood. "An' blockin' the way? A full-on dungeon boss. Nobody's getting to Ganryu without a raid."

"Then there are only the two of them?" Kizmel asked, even as she helped Kirito bring Moondancer around and back onto the Forest Elf ship's tail. "You don't think they could recruit others to their cause?"

"I think there are more than two, but not enough fer a raid. An' they're way too big on their ninja act to want ta let any outsiders in on their little secret." Argo huffed. "I thought even those idiots would give up if I told 'em that. But no, this mornin' they came after me again, and wouldn't take no fer an answer. Had to jump the first ship to Niian, and even that didn't stop 'em. …Guess now I know why."

"You think they made a deal with the Forest Elves?" Asuna asked; and if her voice was still a bit high, well, Kizmel wasn't in a position to criticize.

"That's my guess." A pause, and Kizmel was sure Argo was looking right at her. "But I don't think that's gonna end well. Am I right?"

"Probably."

Out and away from the Skyfalls, the Forest Elf ship turned back inland, diving toward the ground. After the trick with the falls, Kizmel was fairly sure now they were simply trying to evade Moondancer, which if anything made it even harder to predict their course. She hoped Kirito had a better idea of Niian's airborne hazards than she did.

Glancing back at Argo, she continued, "The Forest Elves are, if anything, less trusting of humans than many of my people. If they've agreed to aid the Fuumaningun, it is only in exchange for something they believe will benefit them more. Or, possibly, some form of trap for the Fuuma themselves."

"That's not good," Asuna said faintly. "This whole death game is bad enough without worrying about players making deals that could hurt other players…."

"Like Kii-bou and I told ya, Aa-chan: the Fuuma ain't that bright."

The Forest Elf ship flew lower, and lower still, to the point that Kizmel began to wonder if they were trying to lure Moondancer into crashing. Then, abruptly, they pulled up, clawing for the sky faster than she'd thought the ship could manage.

Kirito suddenly cursed, spinning the wheel hard to starboard. "Kizmel, pull in the wings! Asuna, Argo, hold on tight! Skyrift!"

"Skyrift?" Asuna repeated, dutifully bracing herself on the arms of her chair. "What's a sky—"

Had Kirito been a moment slower in turning them away, Kizmel was fairly sure they all would have died. Moondancer had powered through a waterfall well enough, but that had just been a force pummeling them straight down. The winds that caught the airship's aft were a turbulent free-for-all, pushing and tugging in all directions in the short span it had them; so brief a battering was enough to send the ship rolling.

Kizmel didn't blame Asuna a bit for screaming, not quite able to suppress a yelp of her own. Argo went rolling by somewhere in the middle, snarling something she couldn't quite catch but didn't sound complimentary. Throughout, Kirito was roaring wordlessly, honestly surprising Kizmel with just how deep his voice could get.

How Kirito kept his place at the wheel through it all, she couldn't even begin to guess. But after a few moments of tumbling, his firm hand on the wheel and Kizmel's hurried adjustments of the wing-sails straightened them out, leveling Moondancer's keel and pulling her back up before she could hit the—altogether too close now—ground.

Hair completely disheveled, coat tangled, Kirito gave the wheel a vicious spin. "Oh, it's on, now," he growled. "Argo, Asuna—find me that ship!"

The two Swordmaster girls hurried to the windows, now that their footing was stable again. "We are so looking into seat belts," Asuna muttered, face pale. "That was just… just…. Kirito-kun! They're heading back south!"

"Ariadne's Catacombs, a ways east o' Urbus," Argo said sourly, clinging to the bulkhead as Kirito turned Moondancer in a tight arc to the southeast. "That's where the first key ta reaching Ganryu is. Prolly where they were goin' in th' first place, before we spooked 'em."

"Which begs the question of why they were at the ruined Crimson Knights' citadel first," Kizmel mused, pulling the wing-sails back in.

"Yeah. Here's a freebie for ya, guys: I dunno." Argo grimaced. "But I better find out. Forget what those idiots are gonna do with it, my rep'll never take bein' late to the party on that. Soon as ya put down again, I'm gonna go look."

It looked like Kirito was going to protest, but he closed his mouth and focused on the chase instead. Sensibly, Kizmel thought. Risky though it might've been, it was clear that Argo knew what she was doing. Like as not, we face the greater danger here. I doubt any Forest Elves will have lingered at that citadel.

They certainly weren't lingering now. Having almost led Moondancer to her destruction in a skyrift, the Forest Elf patrol ship had gained a considerable lead. Though Moondancer was faster, it seemed as if that wouldn't be enough to make up the difference.

It didn't help that it felt as if Moondancer was straining, just a little. Though she couldn't quantify exactly how—or how she knew—Kizmel could tell the ship hadn't come out of the brush with the skyrift completely unscathed. She shot a quick glance at Asuna, raised one eyebrow, and nodded toward the brunette's console. A moment's inspection, and Asuna grimaced.

"The core crystal's output is down," she announced. "Not much, but if I'm reading this right, getting away from that—skyrift?—drained it pretty bad. It's coming back up, but…."

"We're slower until it has time to recover," Kirito finished. "Got it. …We'll just have to make do."

And that was just from straining the engines, Kizmel thought, frowning at the still too-distant Forest Elf ship. A deck gun would clearly be too much for the ship, as she is now. We'll have to look into that, soon. Perhaps Captain Emlas might know something.

There would be time for that later. Gradually, they gained on the Forest Elf ship, and soon enough their prey was slowing down, flying low over a forest near Niian's southeast edge. Barely visible, sticking up from a tiny clearing, a stone tower rose into view.

The entrance to the catacombs Argo mentioned. We have them now—wait. What are they doing?

The Forest Elf airship slowed, but didn't stop, as it approached the tower. Clearly visible through the glasswood, two figures in gray climbed out on deck, perched themselves on the ship's railing—and jumped down into the trees.

"What the—?!" Asuna blurted. "Did—did those idiot ninja just—?"

"Climbing claws," Argo groused. "They're idiots, but they got the ninja shtick down pat. Drat."

"The Forest Elves are getting away," Kizmel interjected, pointing out and up. The patrol ship, having delivered its passengers, was accelerating again, climbing back for the open sky. "Kirito, Asuna. Do we pursue them, or chase the Fuuma?"

Her own instinct was to find out what her people's enemies were up to. Her mission depended on thwarting them, after all. On the other hand….

After only a moment's thought, Kirito grimaced and shook his head. "I know it's important to you, Kizmel, but I think we'd better let the ship go for now. We don't know how many elves are aboard, and I don't think any of us want to provoke a fight we can't win."

"Kirito-kun's right. And we do know the ninja are in over their heads." It was Asuna's turn to grimace. "They may be idiots, but I don't want to just let them get themselves killed."

"Agreed." Kizmel pulled back on the throttle and trimmed the wing-sails, as Kirito eased the ship off to one side of the stone tower. "As important as my mission is, running blindly into a fight will hardly advance it. And though these 'ninja' may be your people, not mine, I'm indebted to the Swordmasters at large for bringing down the first Skywall." She smiled, when they turned to look at her. "Besides, I am a Knight. What kind of knight allows even the foolish to run to their deaths?"

"Ha! Ya got yerselves a keeper, Kii-bou, Aa-chan. Stick with this girl, an' ya might be better off than the rest of us." Argo pushed away from the bulkhead, and stepped to the hatch. "So. I didn't see any place to land close enough to be safe; the plains outside the forest have got too many big cows. Yer ship gonna be all right anchored here?"

"Safe enough, I think." Kirito stepped back from the wheel, flexing fingers that had been clenched far too tightly for far too long. "Asuna, if you could anchor us to one of the bigger trees? Then Kizmel and I—and you, too, Argo, if you're feeling friendly—can get the Mistmoon cloth out. The ship won't be cloaked from below, but she'll be hard to see through the trees anyway."

---

It had been a long day already. Kirito had a bad feeling that it wasn't going to get any better. He remembered Ariadne's Catacombs from the beta well enough, and hadn't liked the dungeon then. That time, he'd gone in solo, reaching it on foot through the forest, and had gotten himself thoroughly lost on his first visit.

Only after a night of internet research had he realized the gimmick. Blindingly obvious in retrospect; he'd even read the story to Suguha, when she was younger, and kicked himself for forgetting. He'd spent the next week boning up on Classical mythology, just to be safe. He hadn't regretted that research, but it hadn't made the whole thing any more fun.

At least Argo is heading out, he thought, watching the Rat test her own climbing claws by Moondancer's railing. Somehow he wasn't surprised to find she had a set of those, too. I'm a bit worried about her going to a dungeon all by herself, but she can take care of herself. I'm a lot more worried about her sticking around us too long.

"Awright," Argo announced, giving her claws on last flick. "I'll see ya guys later." She hopped up on the railing, just under the concealing Mistmoon cloth, and shot a fangy grin over her shoulder. "Ya better be ready to sell me some juicy info next time!"

Without waiting for a reply, she leapt nimbly into the trees below, and vanished from sight.

"There is something strange about that girl," Kizmel remarked, watching her go. "Though to be sure, every Swordmaster I've yet met has been… unique."

"Unique. Yeah, that's one way of putting it." Asuna shook her head, and turned a hard stare on Kirito. "By the way, we're going to talk about your piloting tonight, Kirito-kun. Through a waterfall? And I'm going to need to know exactly what a 'skyrift' is. That nearly killed us." She huffed in annoyance before he could even try to defend himself. "Tonight. Right now, we're in a hurry to catch up with those idiots, so let's just get this over with."

"This" needed no explanation, as with an obvious blush she followed him over to the railing. Once he'd secured his grapnel, she stepped in close, wrapped her arms around his back, and allowed him to put his free arm around her waist in turn.

Trying to ignore Kizmel's smirk—seriously, one of the reasons he had trouble remembering the elf was an NPC was her wicked sense of humor—Kirito dropped them both over the side. Someday we'll get used to this, and we won't think anything of it at all. Right?

If their partnership lasted long enough, enough. Asuna was learning fast, and who knew how the Elf War quest would turn out once they reached the "normal" beginning on Sandoria. Kirito was trying very, very hard not to think about what would happen then.

Nothing lasts forever. Right now, I'll just be glad things have gone this well. …I won't let things turn out the way they did six years ago, anyway.

In moments, their feet were on the ground, and Asuna was stepping away to survey the area. Even as Kirito reeled himself back up to the deck, she drew her rapier and started a careful search around the tower's entrance. She didn't even snark at him, the way she had the first time they'd used the technique. Admittedly, it probably helped that he wasn't leaving her alone in a dark cavern, this time.

Kizmel, as he'd expected, didn't hesitate to grab onto him the moment he was in reach again. If anything, she was less restrained than the last time, which honestly puzzled him. Not that he'd exactly socialized with Dark Elves, during the beta test—he'd had no idea at the time that any of SAO's NPCs were Turing-class—but he'd definitely gotten the impression they were a reserved people, like most fantasy elves.

Kizmel wasn't reserved. Not with him and Asuna, anyway.

Maybe I just don't get people in general. Not like I understand Asuna much better, after all. "Unique"… yeah, you said it, Kizmel.

Then they were all together on solid ground, and he was able to put thoughts of social situations out of his head again. They were in a tiny clearing now, so small that Kirito didn't think any airship could've landed. There was barely enough room for the three of them, plus the weathered stone tower.

"Well," Kizmel said, kneeling to look at the short path leading to the tower's entrance, "I can see that the Fuuma did indeed go into the dungeon. Not that there was much doubt, I suppose, but the possibility did exist they were trying to throw us off."

"I kinda wish that was what they were up to." Asuna walked over to the yawning gap in the tower's base, which opened into a steep staircase. "Kirito-kun? Does this place have the gimmick I think it does?"

"'Fraid so." At Kizmel's curious, perked-ear glance, Kirito waved a hand. "You'll see in a minute, Kizmel. We'd better get started, if we want to catch those guys—and get out again before dark."

The Knight blinked, eyes flicking up in a way that suggested she was checking the time. "The dungeon is a maze, then?"

"Oh, you don't know the half of it." He sighed, drew his Anneal Blade, and led the way into the tower. "Worse, I don't think the Fuuma do, either. They should, they were in the beta test, but they really weren't that good at anything except looking like ninja…."

---

Ariadne's Catacombs. Asuna's education had been more than thorough enough to cover Classical Mythology, and with the Second Island's population of minotaurs, it wasn't hard to guess what the dungeon's theme had to be. That was pretty much confirmed by what they found at the bottom of the stairs, after a stairway lit only by strange, red torches.

A four-way hall awaited them, and right by the foot of the stairs was a large spool of thread. More ominously, the walls were lined every couple of meters with shelves, occupied by stone boxes of a suspicious shape. Well, these are called Catacombs. …There'd better not be any ghosts here.

"Yep, they don't know what they're getting into," Kirito said, picking up the spool with a sigh. "They're not far ahead of us, not nearly enough for this to have respawned." He clipped the spool onto his grapnel, then tied the loose end around the base of one of the torches.

That was pretty much what Asuna had expected. Kizmel, though, watched their companion's actions with obvious curiosity. "That thread… I take it the idea is to keep track of our progress with it?"

"That's it," he confirmed with a nod, and set off down the hall, spool unwinding in his wake. "See, the trick to this dungeon is that your map doesn't work without using the thread. That'd be enough to get players lost really easy as it is—trust me, I know. If the rumors are true, that's not even the worst."

"I'm afraid to ask," Asuna said. While Kirito led the way, she and Kizmel hung back and checked the side corridors as they went by. No way would a dungeon called "Ariadne's Catacombs" not have monsters, after all. "But I will anyway. What's worse?"

"Well, like I said, it's only a rumor, but… some players claimed the dungeon actually rearranged its own layout if you didn't use the thread." He shrugged. "I don't know how that would even work, this isn't an instanced map, but I'm starting to realize a lot about SAO doesn't really make sense anyway."

"'Instanced map'?" Kizmel asked, before Asuna could.

"Um." For once, Kirito looked lost for words about something that wasn't social or about his weird past. It was only after they reached another intersection, and he turned left after a moment's careful inspection, that he spoke again. "…Think of it this way: an instanced map is a location separate from the world the players as a whole are in. Like a separate little dimension for every player that goes to a particular area. There aren't any of those for the first two islands—as far as I know—but we should be running into them on Sandoria."

Great. Another thing I'm finding out about late. Why can I never find the time to squeeze a glossary out of him?

Scuffling distracted Asuna from thoughts of grilling her companion, and she spun just in time to dodge an axe that otherwise would've caught her in the back of the head. On pure reflex, she drove a Linear right into the offender's kidney, and had the satisfaction of hearing a mooing grunt of pain in response.

Then she, Kirito, and Kizmel were very busy for a couple minutes, as two more Minotaurs followed the first out of the side passage. One of them had another axe, the other a mace, and there was not nearly enough space to maneuver around them.

On the bright side, dodging, stabbing, and occasionally slashing distracted her nicely from the fact that none of this batch had shirts, either.

Three on three was at least a reasonable match-up, especially when the pale red cursors made it plain the Minotaurs were a bit below their party's levels. Asuna took a rough hit to the side that shoved her into the wall, but Kizmel retaliated swiftly with a Reaver that took the Minotaur's bull-head right off its too-manly torso. She returned the favor when the elf's opponent tried to smash her skull with its mace, thrusting another Linear into its throat.

For a brief moment, after Kirito cut down the last with the back-and-forth of a Horizontal Arc across the chest, Asuna thought they could relax. Which, of course, was when another trio charged at them from deeper in the dungeon.

Once they really were all gone, Asuna took a second to pull out and down a potion. Ten percent off her HP wasn't that bad… yet. If she didn't keep on top of it—well. She had no intention of finding out firsthand if Kayaba had indeed been telling the truth about the death penalty.

This had really better be the last thing we do before we hit town, though. I'm running low on potions as it is.

When she—and her companions, she noticed belatedly—had finished drinking, she cast a baleful look down the hall. "Great. Are there always this many mobs at once in here, Kirito-kun?"

"Not usually," Kirito replied, advancing cautiously again. "Which means I think we're probably on the right track. To find the Fuuma, I mean, not necessarily the core of the dungeon. Which is probably just as well, we didn't have a chance to get any quests going before we left town, so we can just focus on figuring out what those two are up to…."

"Indeed." Kizmel cleared her throat, and favored them both with a smile when they turned to look at her. "Since all we're doing for now is searching, and we're clearly more than a match for the monsters in this place—perhaps this would be a good time for me to begin teaching you my language?"

That, if nothing else, sounded like a great way to keep at bay the oppressive atmosphere that the Catacombs' stone walls seemed to ooze. As the three of them wandered deeper into the dungeon, Asuna listened with rapt attention to the elven Knight's words.

Language, fortunately, had always come fairly easily to her. It would take a lot more than one day's trip through a dungeon to begin getting a handle on Sindarin, but she clung to every word, filing as much into her memory as she could. Between, of course, pauses at each intersection to discuss which path to take, and occasionally fighting off more Minotaurs.

Somewhat to Asuna's surprise, Kirito seemed to pick it up as quickly as she did. Though she quickly realized she should've expected it; while his English was definitely rough, he had clearly known some of the elvish language beforehand. And "otaku" most definitely didn't mean "dumb". If SAO is the kind of game Kirito-kun likes to play, he must study a lot just for his gaming. …Huh. Is this what it's like to study for fun, instead of obligation?

Honestly, Asuna found that she didn't really mind when it became clear the Catacombs were far bigger than she'd expected. The impromptu language lesson, and the insight she was getting into her companions, made it surprisingly fun.

An hour into their exploration of the dungeon, she was genuinely just a bit angry, as much as startled, when the screaming started. Somewhere deeper still in the dungeon, but getting closer by the moment.

"Fuuma?" she wondered aloud, when her heartbeat—and the phantom sensations in the other side of her chest—had slowed down.

"Probably," Kirito agreed, shaking his head. "We'd better go save them," he added, breaking into a trot down the hall.

"And then interrogate them," Kizmel concurred grimly, ears twitching in what Asuna was beginning to recognize as annoyance—or maybe outright anger. "I want to know exactly what kind of deal Swordmasters might have made with the Forest."

---

Kirito had heard from Argo just how many beta testers had died since the retail version of Sword Art Online had gone live. All too many of them, as the axeman Agil had pointed out in that first pre-boss meeting, had fallen from assuming their beta knowledge was still valid.

As he led his little team into the very heart of Ariadne's Catacombs, toward the increasingly-loud screaming, he couldn't help but shake his head. If this goes bad, this'll be the first time beta testers died to something that is the same as the beta. I knew the Fuumaningun were idiots, but come on!

Even with the map he'd been able to put together along the way, it was hard to say exactly where they were. He estimated, though, that they really were near the center now. Which meant, if he remembered right, they were just about to run right into—

"Aaaiiieeee!"

Just as the three of them reached a widening in the hall, two figures in gray burst into view, running as fast as their legs could carry them. Which was really, really fast. Kirito barely even had time to blink before the two Fuuma were not just right on top of his group, but past and running away. "What the—?"

"Hey!" Asuna shouted angrily, turning to follow them. "Get back here! What do you think you—?!"

"No time!" Kizmel snapped, even as pounding footsteps approached, growing louder by the second. "It's coming! Defend yourselves!"

Emerging from the darkness ahead, the figure was at least twice the size of the Minotaurs they'd faced before. It still had the distinctive backward knees, hooves, and bull-head, along with the biggest axe Kirito had seen short of Illfang itself. It was also snorting fire, which he hoped was just for effect.

Great, he thought, staring at the [Grand Minotaur]. They aggroed a mini-boss. And kited it right at us.

"That's not good," Asuna said faintly. "Is this the part where we start running, too?"

"No time!" Kizmel repeated, raising her shield. "It's much too fast—"

When she started speaking, the Grand Minotaur was a good ten meters away. By the time she finished, it had launched into a lunging Sword Skill, crossing those meters in an eyeblink. Its axe came down, right at Asuna's head; only Kizmel's lightning-quick sidestep saved the fencer, her shield narrowly catching the first blow. It knocked to her knees, though, and the second, sweeping strike of the Bone Crush sent her sprawling.

The elf girl's tumble took Asuna down with her, and Kirito saw red.

A twitch of his wrist dropped the spool of thread from his grapnel. At the same time, the Anneal Blade swung up over his shoulder, and with a wordless yell he launched himself into a Sonic Leap. Fast as the Grand Minotaur was, at that range the skill carried Kirito at it before it could react; his blade came down a bare instant after he took off, carving a deep, red gash from left shoulder to right hip.

Post-motion gripped him on landing, almost too long. The Grand Minotaur's axe came down again, in the simple but all-too-fast Pursuit. Only the blazing line of a Linear, catching the boss in the arm, saved him from a survivable but punishing hit.

"Switch, Asuna!"

As quickly as she'd lunged in, Asuna jumped back out, leaving Kizmel room to deliver a Reaver across the Grand Minotaur's stomach. It roared in response, and surprised Kirito by ramming its free hand down in a brutal punch. Though she caught it on her shield, it sent her skidding back, boots raising a spray of sparks on the stone floor.

Hand-to-hand? It didn't do that in the beta. In the second the boss was the one caught in post-motion, Kirito risked a glance above its head. Two lifebars, light red cursor—okay, new tricks or not, we can do this. I think.

Then he was charging back in, bringing the Anneal Blade down by his left hip. "Switch, Kizmel!" She hopped to the side in response, allowing him in to drag an Uppercut in a reverse of his earlier Sonic Leap.

The fractional post-motion from that gave him a personal taste of the boss' changed tactics. He couldn't quite stifle a yelp when its empty hand suddenly swung in, grabbed his shirt, and used the grip to slam him into the wall.

As his back smashed into one of the stone caskets lining the wall and cracked it, Kirito saw white, the impact hitting him with a brief Stun. For a couple of seconds he mostly lost track of what was going on. He did hear two yells of outrage, though, and his senses were further abused by a loud crack that echoed against the Catacomb walls.

When the world was in full view—and proper focus—again, he saw Kizmel stepping in to stab the Grand Minotaur in a place that made him wince. Asuna was just then falling back, one barrel of her pistol smoking; a brief pause to holster it, and she was lunging into the opening the elf girl had made to drive the quick double-thrust of a Parallel Sting into the bull-man's chest.

Kirito promptly threw himself back into the fray with another Sonic Leap, going right over Asuna's head to slash the Grand Minotaur right between the horns. That, at least, staggered it long enough for him to both land and recover.

The quarters were closer than he'd have liked—he was pretty sure the mini-boss was supposed to be encountered in a much wider room—but the advantage was overall to the players and the Knight. Over the next few minutes, they whittled it down bit by bit, and if Asuna seemed to be getting angrier by the moment, the three of them nonetheless took fewer and fewer hits as they adjusted to its attack patterns.

At least, until the Grand Minotaur's HP was deep in the red. With just a few percent remaining, it let out an enraged roar, and flung its axe at them. Asuna ducked under it, Kirito and Kizmel jumped—and in that moment of distraction, it seized swordsman and elf in either hand, and slammed them together.

Woozily, dropping hard to the floor, Kirito was glad SAO didn't simulate pain. He was pretty sure cracking his skull together with Kizmel's would've hurt a lot.

"Enough!" he heard Asuna snarl. Caught in a Tumble, he could at least move his head—mostly—and looked up in time to see the fencer thrust one more brutal Linear into the boss' chest. It staggered back, uttering a sound somewhere between a moo and a human's cry of pain, and she yanked her pistol out again. "I said—you're—sexual—harassment!"

Darting in close, she put the pistol to the Grand Minotaur's chin, and in the same motion pulled the trigger.

---

Positively seething, Asuna watched the Grand Minotaur shatter to pieces with grim satisfaction. Shoving her pistol back into her belt—making a note to look for a proper holster and more ammunition as soon as they got back to town, she turned to her companions. "You two okay?"

"Nothing a potion or two cannot cure," Kizmel said, rising to her feet with a wince. "…It truly is surprising how unpleasant battle can be, even without pain."

"I've had worse," Kirito groaned. Rolling over, he sheathed his Anneal Blade and slowly pushed himself up. "But hey, we just killed a mini-boss with no prep. I'd call that a win…. You got the Last Attack, Asuna. Anything good?"

Blinking, only then did Asuna think to look at the pop-up that had accompanied the bull-man's death. "Hm… decent EXP, some Cor—that's good, I need some supplies when we get back to Urbus—and… oh, that looks useful. It dropped some armor as a bonus. 'Mighty Straps of Leather'…."

"Um. Asuna, that's—"

"At least we got something good out of this," she groused, bringing up her inventory. "After that stupid airship chase, those idiots had to sick a minotaur on us?"

"Asuna, you should perhaps check that before you make any rash decisions…."

"That's what I'm doing," she told Kizmel absently, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She wasn't that much of a noob anymore. "And… yes, the stats are better than what I've got." Smiling tightly, she switched to her Equipment tab. "I am so going to rub this in their faces, when we finally catch them!"

A final jab of her finger, like the Linear she so wanted to inflict on the Fuuma, and she replaced her tunic with the armor the Grand Minotaur had had the good grace to drop—as an apology, as far as she was concerned.

"Asuna—urk!"

"What?" Asuna demanded, looking up from her menu. Kirito was staring at her, open-mouthed, eyes wide. After his brief outburst, he couldn't seem to get any other words out, and he was starting to blush. "Okay, Kirito-kun, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"In his defense, Asuna, I think he can hardly be blamed for being tongue-tied." Kizmel was covering her mouth with one hand, yet from the twinkle in her eyes, Asuna thought the elf girl was smiling. "I must say, it does suit you, but I never imagined you might be so bold."

"Bold?" Asuna looked from speechless swordsman to amused Dark Elf, and frowned in utter consternation. "What are you… talking… about…?"

Wait. Was it always this cold down here? Suddenly it feels really drafty….

Eyes widening, Asuna looked down. Instantly, her own face flared red, SAO's systems exaggerating it to the point she could see the glow herself. She couldn't help it, when she realized that apart from her cloak, all that covered her upper body was a pair of leather straps.

They covered the essentials. Barely. She was still showing off her entire stomach and a truly indecent proportion of her breasts. In full view of Kirito, who clearly couldn't look away and whose face looked about ready to burst into flames.

"Eep!"

Hurriedly, Asuna turned away, painfully aware that the motion swished her cloak enough to show her basically bare back in the process. Bringing her menu back up, she stumbled through switching back to her old armor, fumbling it so badly she almost accidentally unequipped the "Mighty Straps" instead of replacing them.

"Um, Asuna," Kirito got out. "I—that wasn't—I didn't mean to—"

"I know you didn't!" she snapped. "But still—here!" She materialized the armor as an object, spun to face him again, and flung the leather straps at him. "You take it!"

Maybe he was too flustered to think straight. Maybe he was just carried away by her own forcefulness. Either way, Kirito caught the "armor", and dutifully fumbled through his own menu. First accepting the equipment into his inventory, then tabbing over to switch.

Only when Kizmel lowered her hand to reveal a full-on grin did Asuna realize she might just have made another mistake. The elf kept her own counsel, though, and then it was too late anyway.

Kirito's shirt disappeared, replaced by those all-too-thin straps. He was still wearing his longcoat, of course, but all of a sudden Asuna didn't even really see that anymore.

Uh…. I thought he said he was just a gamer…? And why was her heart going so funny? Not to mention the phantom "extra" feeling was back….

"Well, well," Kizmel murmured. Out of the corner of her eye, Asuna dimly registered the grin still curling the elf girl's lips, long ears perked. "I see all your practice of late, and real battles, have been good for you, Kirito."

That was one way of putting it. Though Kirito wouldn't be winning any competitions, Asuna couldn't but notice a lot more definition in his abs and pectorals than she'd expected, from what little he'd said about himself. She couldn't help but wonder about his biceps, too, hidden as they were by his coat….

Face just short of igniting, Kirito quickly glanced down at himself. "What are you talking about—huh?" Now he staring, though Asuna barely noticed. "Okay, I was never a twig, but this isn't…. Does the retail version have a system that modifies avatars based on player stats….?"

"It would seem so." Kizmel was unabashedly watching, and not at all tongue-tied as Asuna was. "I can tell you Asuna has visibly strengthened since first we met, just as you have." She chuckled. "A month or so, perhaps, and you might not have any trouble attracting allies, Kirito."

Something about that bothered Asuna, enough to snap her out of her daze. "W-whatever! Kirito-kun, put your shirt back on! And give that to Kizmel! We can trust her to hold onto it safely until we find a merchant to sell it to!"

Hastily, Kirito obeyed, and within moments he was properly decent again. So-called armor returned to a harmless state, he handed it off to the Knight, who—after a moment's fumbling with her still-unfamiliar menu—safely tucked it away.

"And you!" Asuna said, rounding on the elf. "Don't make things worse! What would you even care about a human's muscles, anyway?"

Kizmel quirked one eyebrow, grin turning to an amused smile. "Why should I not? Simply because we're of different races?" She glanced at the still-flustered swordsman. "Kirito. Would you like to see me wearing the armor?"

Kirito's face somehow flared even brighter, and he choked. "I—um—wha—that's—well—I—!"

The elf girl nodded, and looked back at Asuna with a smirk. "There, you see?" At the look on the fencer's face, Kizmel chuckled. "Asuna, has it not occurred to you that to my people, humans are just as… exotic… as Dark Elves are to you?"

Asuna stared, unable to think of any retort.

Kizmel chuckled again, and turned to look down the hall from which the late Grand Minotaur had emerged. "Come, my comrades. The Fuuma are doubtless long gone, but we may as well see what they hoped to find here. I'd not have this adventure be for nothing."

After a long, speechless pause, Asuna shook herself, and broke into a trot to catch up. Behind her, she could hear Kirito doing the same. What just happened? The last couple of minutes felt so unreal, she wasn't quite sure they'd even happened. Except she couldn't quite get the image out of her mind, no matter how hard she tried.

Just… think about the technical part, she told herself, resolutely refusing to look back. The system is changing avatars now? At least the overweight players should like that. I know I saw a couple on launch day. And… wait. Wait a second.

"Kizmel? How do you know what Kirito's muscles were like a month ago?"

Looking back over her shoulder, as Kirito made a choking sound behind them, Kizmel only laughed.

---

Author's Note:

---

So, yeah. Six months since the last update. Really didn't mean for that to happen, but, well, when the Chinese told people to live in interesting times, they were obviously talking about 2020.

Those following my other work know my health issues are still hanging on, not killing me but still making life more miserable than it should be. More significantly, where Rebellion is concerned, I had a titanic case of writer's block. I simply could not think of a way to make this chapter anything more than a purely exposition sequence, tying up a few last loose ends before the short timeskip for the next chapter. And I just was not satisfied with that. I wanted a "hook", something to liven things up.

I finally found it, and in the process got a general handle on how the rest of this arc is going to go. No promises, especially with my ongoing health stuff and juggling Duet and the second half of Under the Osmanthus Tree, but I'm gonna do my best not to take nearly so long again. Having some idea of where I want to take the plot will help. I think.

I did hope to stick a quick Alice scene in here somewhere, but the chapter was getting kinda big as it was, and I couldn't find a place where it didn't mess with pacing. Don't worry, she won't be out of the plot for long.

And really, I think the pacing should smooth out soon. This arc should finish the basic world-building and establish the factions; with that done, maybe I won't have to write doorstoppers just to move the plot a tiny bit.

Hm. I think that might be everything for now. 'Til next time, comrades—and I hope this monstrosity was worth the wait. -Solid