Disclaimer

"Sword Art Online" and all related characters, settings, and concepts belong to Reki Kawahara, ASCII Media Works, A-1 Pictures, and Aniplex. This fan-made story is created out of respect and appreciation for the original work and is not intended for commercial use. Characters Klein, Fuurinkazan guild members, and Lisbeth are the property of their respective rights holders. This narrative is crafted by a fan to pay homage to the expansive world of SAO and seeks to explore untold stories within its universe, without infringing on the original creators' rights.

Written by Suradeku

Cover Illustration by Adele

Released March 2024

Sword Art Online: Fire and Forge

October 2024

48th floor of Aincrad

In the bustling virtual world of Sword Art Online, Lisbeth was engrossed in her work, surrounded by the metallic symphony of her forge and the familiar warmth of the flame, the renowned blacksmith with a demeanor as fiery as the forge itself, found her task interrupted when the door to her shop abruptly burst open.

Breaking the monotony of clinking metals, in strode a man, followed by five others. Dressed in a distinct red samurai-like outfit, a red headband accentuating his short, spiked brown hair, a small goatee framing his determined expression, and a katana fixed at his waist. His brown eyes scanned the shop, settling on the blacksmith.

"Hey, you're Lisbeth right? We heard you requested some personal bodyguards," he announced, his voice echoing with a blend of excitement and nervous anticipation.

The other members shuffled nervously, their attempts at appearing formidable only managed to elicit an awkward appearance.

A man with a considerable girth, sporting abundant curly hair, restrained by a white hachimaki on his forehead, inched his way forward, "Woah, she's cute, don't ya think?" he tried to whisper, clearly speaking louder than intended.

The red headband toting warrior shoved his elbow into his comrade's gut. "Come on, Dale. We promised Kiri-dude that we'd behave if he got us this job." He cleared his throat and continued.

"The name's Klein, and these are my guild mates. Kirito sent us your way."

Lisbeth, hammer in hand, turned to face the new arrivals. Her attire was a striking blend of a vibrant red, seamlessly paired with a white apron of exquisite design. Her short pink hair framed a face marked with a few delicate freckles, and her dark pink eyes sparkled with amusement. Her gaze drifted across the six men who had just barged into her smithy, each one clad in armor reminiscent of ancient warriors.

She had been expecting this group, and now realized why their mutual friend, Kirito, felt the need to message her about them upfront.

His message, sent only minutes ago, had read, "Hey Lisbeth, I'm sending the Fuurinkazan guild your way to help with that errand. They may look a bit rough, but they're really nice guys!" - Kirito

A bit rough was an understatement. A couple of the members actually looked more like bandits than samurai, but if they were being vouched for by him, she may as well give them a chance.

Lisbeth, hammer still in hand, turned, her smile revealing a flash of intrigue. "Bodyguards in samurai outfits? I must say, I wasn't expecting such a flashy group, but I appreciate the style," she said, her tone playful yet welcoming.

"Flashy?" Dale, with a mischievous smile, turned to the slender, mustachioed member of the group. "I blame you, and your scruffy mustache on this one, Dynamm. It's gotta be why all the chicks think we're a group of clowns."

The accused member just smirked, "Hey now Dale, you know the ladies love a rugged man with facial hair."

The two guild members continued to take jabs at each other's appearances with increased banter.

Klein, undeterred by the commotion, cleared his throat and continued, "We heard you need protection for a mining expedition. Dangerous place, right?"

The rest of the guild members quickly settled down, resuming their attempts to try to look professional.

"Yes, there's a quest I need to finish," Lisbeth replied, setting down her hammer and crossing her arms. "It's deep in a forest, leading to a system of caves and tunnels. Full of bat type monsters and who knows what else."

The quest she had undertaken was called Heart of the Forge. It was a larger scale quest just for blacksmiths. The next, and final part, of the quest would be taking her to floor 71. Lisbeth was level 74, and as confident as she was in her skills, she wasn't reckless enough to tackle a higher-level floor like that on her own.

The guild members exchanged wary looks, whispering among themselves about the rumored dangers of the area.

Klein stepped forward, a confident grin spreading across his face. He dramatically shoved his thumb towards his chest. "Leave it to us! We've faced plenty of tough battles. When would you like to head out?"

Lisbeth opened her calendar. Most of her regulars had recently had their equipment upgraded, and she wouldn't be seeing them again anytime soon. Her schedule was more open than usual.

Lisbeth replied, "Would tomorrow morning work?"

Klein answered quickly, "Absolutely!"

Dynamm chimed in, "Hold up there, leader." With a serious expression he looked towards Lisbeth, "What's the payment look like?"

Lisbeth hesitated before placing her offer, aware that hiring the six-member crew could impact her finances. "If we find the item I need, I'll upgrade all of your equipment for free…," she raised her finger for emphasis, "But only once! After that, I'll upgrade your equipment as much as you want, but at the cost of materials."

Klein gulped; he hadn't expected such a generous offer. He looked at his sword briefly. His trusted ally, Karakurenai, with its gleaming edge and sturdily crafted hilt, stood out as a masterpiece among weapons. It bore the marks of countless battles, yet retained a luster that spoke of its superior craftsmanship and Klein's unwavering dedication to maintaining it. It was not merely a tool of combat; it was a testament of Klein's survival in SAO. He had already refined it several times, but it would take a highly skilled blacksmith to take it any further if he didn't want to waste his limited refinement chances. He glanced towards his fellow party members, prompting a slight nod from each of them for confirmation. His eyes drifted back up and met with the blacksmith's.

Klein, with a confident nod, replied, "You've got it. We'll be geared up and ready at the crack of dawn. Don't worry, we'll bring enough coffee to wake up a dragon! And maybe some extra rope and torches, just in case."

Lisbeth, with a determined smile, replied, "Then it's a deal! And Klein… maybe skip the dragon-waking coffee? I need my bodyguards alert, not bouncing off the walls of the cave."

The guild members chuckled as they gave Klein some mandatory grief for the awkward gesture while they all shuffled back outside. Lisbeth found herself smiling as she wondered what she had got herself into.

71st floor of Aincrad

The entrance to the cavernous depths loomed before them, a gaping maw in the earth. The entrance was a steep slope, and required the members to pull the ropes out of their inventory to rappel down into the mouth of the dungeon. As they ventured into its depths, the playful banter of the forest gave way to a tense silence. The air grew cooler, the only sounds were their footsteps, and the clanking of their metal armor and weapons.

The dimly lit cave, filled with a calm yellow glow, felt like another world. Further in, water could be heard dripping from the stalactites down to the stalagmites, echoing throughout every corridor. The air had grown even heavier than it was in the forest. Lisbeth tightened her grip on her mace, her senses heightened.

Suddenly, a high-pitched screeching filled the air. Ten Onyx Vespers, creatures that appeared as a mix of wyverns and bats with black plates of armored hide, and dark leathery wings, had fixed their glowing red eyes upon them and descended in a disorienting flurry. The guild members formed a circle around Lisbeth, their weapons flashing in the dim light as they fought back.

Lisbeth, initially shaken by the sudden onslaught, found herself fighting back-to-back with Klein. "Stay calm, Liz. We've got this." he reassured her.

Klein's katana took on a red hue, and began to whine. It was one of the basic katana skills, Zekku.

The sword skill shot forth, Klein gliding over the ground along with it. The blade passed through one of the bats with no resistance, converting the creature into a display of disintegrating pixels.

Lisbeth stood in a moment of awe. She hadn't seen an assault team member in action since she last adventured with Kirito.

"Harry!" Klein shouted looking over his shoulder towards the heavily armored tank of the group.

"On it!" Harry sprinted some distance from Lisbeth and Klein, and pounded his shield with his mace. "Over here, flap rats!"

Several of the Onyx Vespers were drawn to Harry by the taunt skill. The other members joined him and made quick work of the creatures with their harmonized weapon skills, their movements as a well-rehearsed dance of many battles fought before.

Suddenly Lisbeth heard a screech, and spun to see two stray Vespers coming right for her. She gripped her mace and began to charge a skill of her own. The monsters came within striking distance, their claws winding up an attack animation.

Lisbeth unleashed her attack first, Thrice Blow, a one-handed club 3-part skill, each hit connecting directly with the first beast.

The battered creature faltered backwards; its HP successfully depleted. Lisbeth was now briefly left open due to the post-skill delay. That instant was all the opening that the remaining monster needed to launch its attack, as it threw its set of black claws downwards.

By instinct she tried jumping backwards, but the slippery floor of the cave offered her feet no traction to her sudden movement. She fell at just the right angle to dodge the dagger-length claws as they passed over her face.

Lisbeth groaned, quickly looking back up ready to launch her counterattack when she noticed the bat-like creature had been replaced with a visual effect of blue crystals and the blade of a familiar katana hanging in the air.

Klein approached Lisbeth, "Those guys really just spawned out of nowhere, huh? Leave it to Kayaba to design a game that hardly even gives you time to react to a large mob attack." He crouched down and offered his hand to Lisbeth. "You alright?"

"Yea, I can handle myself well enough, but I do appreciate it," Lisbeth said, her tone softening slightly.

Klein nodded, a small smile on his face.

Lisbeth stared at Klein's hand briefly before deciding to take it. As he helped her back up, she noticed his hand's warmth. Suddenly she was filled with a flashback of the last time she had experienced this… the time she spent with Kirito in the dragon's nest. A blush started to spread across her face. She scolded herself, why did she have to be remembering these things now?

Back on her feet, Lisbeth patted her face a couple times. "Focus on the quest, Liz!" she whispered to herself.

Klein looked at her with an expression alluding to concern, "Uh… a-are you sure you're alright, miss?"

"Yes!" Lisbeth, now placing her hands on her hips, and staring intently at Klein "I-I'm just… gathering my fighting spirit for the next one!"

"…Fighting spirit?" Klein looked suspicious.

"Yes!" Lisbeth strongly insisted.

Klein paused, then suddenly his face lit up. "Heh, alright then! Hope you can keep up with us then!" He turned to the rest of the group as they finished off the last of the mobs. "Hear that, boys? Let's get fired up and show the lady what Fuurinkazan is really made of!"

The guild members all cheered in unison.

Deeper within the cave, the air was thick with mineral dust. Their torches cast long shadows on the walls as they navigated through the labyrinthine passages. The goal of their quest was close at hand.

Lisbeth's eyes gleamed as she spotted veins of rare minerals embedded in the cave walls. The group stopped to collect the minerals, each one filling their pack as they went. "Ah, this is such a great haul!" she exclaimed, her usual fiery spirit returning.

Klein noticed how the glow of the cave appeared to soften as it gently reflected off the glimmer in Lisbeth's eyes. He picked up a gem and held it in the air, acting as if to inspect it. "You know… they say that the rarest gems are found in the most unexpected places." He turned to look towards the blacksmith. "Guess they were right, considering I found you here."

Lisbeth's face turned warm. "Wait… is he hitting on me for real?" Lisbeth began to blush brightly as she came to the realization. Klein certainly seemed like a good guy, friendly and always light-hearted. The only issue was that her heart had already been quietly set upon the black swordsman, Kirito, despite knowing that her best friend, Asuna, was also interested in him. Torn between her sudden whirlwind of feelings, Lisbeth found herself at a crossroads, unsure of how to navigate the emotions she was trying to keep at bay. As she was trying to figure out how to respond, Dale came over.

Oomph!

"Behave yourself, Klein!" Dale playfully chided, as he returned yesterday's elbow to the gut.

The guild burst into laughter, while Klein scratched the back of his head and laughed along with them. "Ah, you got me! Heh heh…"

The guild continued making their way deeper into the cave. Lisbeth found herself beside Klein.

"Klein," her voice tinged with an earnest tone. "I don't mind some playful banter, but I really need us to focus. Completing this quest… it's important to me." She turned to look at him directly, her gaze meeting him with a plea of understanding. "I'm relying on you."

This time it was Klein's turn to blush. After a moment, a broad grin spread across his cheeks. "No worries! We'll blaze right through this cave and have you back in your shop in no time!"

Further into the cave, the path opened up, leading to a vast chamber, the likes of which they had not yet encountered. The room was expansive, its ceiling lost to the shadows above, giving it an air of endlessness. In the heart of this cavernous expanse sat an anomaly that drew their attention, a large, solitary pink stone. It sat there in silent majesty, as a beacon of vivid color. The stone pulsed with a gentle light, bathing the otherwise empty room in a soft, rosy glow that seemed almost ethereal.

"Woah, is that it?" Dale spoke up.

Klein shrugged, "Matches the description of 'Heart of the Cave' more than anything else we've seen so far." He turned to face the party, "Alright guys, let's get the torches setup in this area." Glancing towards Lisbeth, "There's supposed to be some event triggered here, right?"

"That's what the info brokers say… something big that requires a whole party to complete it."

Once the group was done setting up stationary torches to light the area, Lisbeth approached the center of the room, Klein and Harry escorting her.

Lisbeth looked over to Klein, "Ready?"

Klein slowly drew his katana from its sheath. "We're ready."

Lisbeth tightly gripped her mace in one hand as she laid the other upon the stone. The ground beneath them shuddered. The stone began to shift, sending ripples throughout the cavern, dust and debris began to fall from the ceiling. The stone began to rise out of the ground revealing itself to be a horn attached to a colossal creature. Its name along with 3 health bars rendered into view – The Heartstone Warden.

The monster was a massive, salamander-like creature with glowing pink veins, and a body made of stone. It roared, its sound ricocheting off the cave walls, as it rose to its full, terrifying height.

"What's with all that health? Is this thing a field boss?" Dale exclaimed.

"But why would a field boss be a part of a crafting quest?" Dynamm chimed in.

The guild members were initially stunned, but Klein quickly regained his composure. "Whatever it is, get ready! This is no ordinary monster!" he shouted.

The beast turned its massive head and locked its amethyst eyes directly on Klein.

Klein stills his nerves. The sheer size of the creature, combined with being confined in such an enclosed room makes this situation feel more like they're facing down a floor boss. He glances to his left and sees Lisbeth, her face revealing a brave determination. She looks back at Klein as though awaiting direction.

The Heartstone Warden bellows out another roar, shaking the cave. This time a few stalactites fall. One lands near Dale.

"Yo, I almost got skewered!" Dale exclaimed.

"Maybe it's looking to make some dango," joked Dynamm.

"Hey now…" Dale retorted unamused.

"Alright, Klein, how do you want to—" Lisbeth's words trailed off into silence as her gaze found Klein. The transformation before her was so stark, it was as if the person standing there had shed the persona she had grown accustomed to during their journey. Gone was the light-hearted, ever-joking companion; in his place stood a samurai whose very stance radiated an intensity and resolve she had not seen in him before. His eyes, usually alight with humor, now bore a weight of determination and focus. For a fleeting second, Lisbeth questioned if the person before her was the Klein she knew.

"Dynamm, Issin, Dale, group B! Harry, Kunimittz, you're with us!"

Without hesitation or word, the party was broken into two groups. Each group consisted of a tank, a spear wielding DPS, and a balanced sword fighter.

"Lisbeth, you'll be attacking when Kunimittz does."

Lisbeth recollected herself, "Got it."

The battle with the Heartstone Warden was fierce and unyielding. Its stony hide was nearly impervious to their assaults, and with every forceful leap it took, the earth beneath them quaked. The lizard-shaped golem would lash out with its tail and claws, but Harry and Dynamm parried every attack to a perfection only found within the frontline teams. Only occasionally did Klein or Dave need to intercede, pulling the monster's aggro to give the tanks a moment to recover. The party repeated the process of deflecting the attacks, unleashing sword skills, switching out to land another round of sword skills, and then backing away. The Warden's first two health bars were whittled away with an absolute efficiency.

"Stay sharp!" Klein bellowed, a note of caution in his voice as they pressed their advantage.

As the Warden reached its final bar of health, it emitted a roar that thundered throughout the cavern, a sound so potent it inflicted the stun status on the party members, leaving them vulnerable.

A sudden strike from the Warden's tail came flying towards Lisbeth. She had done the most damage, since the monster was weak to her mace's attacks, a design likely due to the quest being catered to blacksmiths who typically wield blunt damage weapons. With the party too incapacitated to cast a taunt, she was now the sole target of its wrath. Nothing could be done as the tail crashed into her side, sweeping her away from the group. Her health bar plummeted into the lower yellow range.

In the midst of regaining her bearings, Lisbeth noticed the collective panic on her guildmates' faces, a panic that turned to horror as the Warden vanished from sight.

A shout came from Harry, "It's outside of my taunt's range!"

"A-above you!" Dale warned.

The immediate area grew dark around her, as she looked up to find herself in the shadow of a golem launching itself from the ceiling towards her. Lisbeth tried to run, but her legs seized up, the stun status hadn't worn off yet. "No, not now!" She closed her eyes, and instinctively raised her mace as an attempt to brace for impact. There was no way to dodge this, and no time to consume a potion.

Just as the blow was about to land, Klein leaped in front of her, his Karakurenai emitting sparks as the Warden's claws descended upon it. The impact was monumental, the sound echoing off the corridors of the cave, Klein was launched backwards, hurtling into the cave wall.

"Klein!" A cry of raw terror erupted from Lisbeth as she turned to the cloud of debris where he landed.

Harry rushed over, with his taunt now in range. "Hey over here, Pebbles!" He shouted, successfully drawing the golem away from Klein and Lisbeth.

She rushed to where Klein was laying. "Don't you dare die!"

"Settle down!" Klein raspily barked between coughs. "Here, take this." Klein held up a potion for Lisbeth to use.

"Y-you dummy! Your health is in the red!"

"Huh?" his eyes shifted to look at his health, widening into shock. "Gah! That lizard can hit hard! How busted is that thing?"

Lisbeth snatched the health potion from Klein and shoved it into his mouth. "Honestly… you're not invincible you know."

Klein finished choking down the potion. "Yeah yeah, I know that… it's just… it's my bushido though." He paused as his cheeks took on a red hue, "I mean… of course I'm going to make you a priority!"

Any words she had to say in the moment escaped her. She simply took out a potion for herself and consumed it, trying not to make too much awkward eye contact with the man who risked himself for her. It was now obvious to her how Klein felt, but she couldn't process any of that right now. They still had a boss to beat.

"We've got this over here! You guys join back when you're done!" Dynamm shouted.

Once recovered, Klein flashed his signature confident grin. "Ready to wrap this up?"

"You know it." Lisbeth affirmed; her spirit reignited.

Together, they plunged back into the fray, unleashing their weapon's skills, and driving the golem back. The remainder of the fight continued as the first phase had, with the addition of now having to keep track of the beast's shadow whenever it would suddenly disappear into the ceiling.

When the Warden's last health bar was hanging by only a few pixels, Klein made the call, "Tanks, pin it down! Lisbeth, it's all you!"

Lisbeth ran full tilt, her mace radiating with a powerful aura. With a fierce cry, she unleashed one of her highest-level skills in her arsenal, Heart Strike. Each blow from the 5-hit attack was directed to the bright pink horn embedded in the stone-made salamander. Every strike elicited a pained groan from the Heartstone Warden that resonated through the cavernous halls, a bright flash filled the room as mace clashed against stone. With one final stroke, the monster's echoes trailed into silence.

The Fuurinkazan members stood still, observing as the fallen golem disintegrated into the digital ether, freeing up a portion of the virtual world's memory of some ones and zeros. As the "Congratulations!" banner materialized before them all, the Fuurinkazan members erupted into cheers, their relief and joy palpable. The victory was mingled with the laughter and embraces of comrades.

"Great job, everyone!" Lisbeth declared, her voice carrying a note of triumph. "Now let's get out of here!"

The journey back through the forest was less fraught, but the echoes of their battle lingered in their minds. They emerged from the cave into the daylight, the forest now seeming like a green haven.

Upon returning to Lisbeth's shop, the mood was one of celebration. Lisbeth, her face lit by the glow of the forge, set to work immediately, using the rare minerals they gathered to craft and upgrade equipment. The Fuurinkazan guild members watched in awe, their respect for her skill growing.

As the day turned to evening, the guild members shared stories of their past adventures, their laughter filling the shop. Lisbeth found herself joining in, her initial unsurety with the guild giving way to genuine fondness.

Klein approached Lisbeth, who had propped herself up on the table to use as a chair. "Thanks for trusting us with this. If you ever need anything again, we'd be glad to lend our blades."

Lisbeth nodded, a soft smile on her lips. "I know. And thank you, Klein. For everything."

Klein "Oh, I know! Why don't we add each other as friends? That way if you ever need us, you can just…"

"Yeah yeah…" Lisbeth being coy "I bet you just want to ping me with messages to try and level up that drastically low flirting skill of yours, huh?"

Klein flustered, "O-Oh come on, it's not that bad!"

Lisbeth, barely stifling her laughter, "I'm pretty sure even a rock would have more game than you!"

Klein exasperated, "Oh, as if! You saying you'd pick that dusty lizard over a prime bachelor like me?"

Dynamm commented "Pfft, I would."

The room erupted in laughter.

Lisbeth, catching her breath, paused for a moment, and then looked towards the ground, "Still… you're not wrong. I could need a reliable bodyguard again someday… and I can say that you certainly have more than proven yourself, Klein." She slides her fingers through the air, summoning the system menu, as a light rose coloring adorns her cheeks.

A blue, translucent menu materializes before Klein. "Player Lisbeth is sending you a friend request. Accept?"

Klein clears his throat, "Well, I suppose an ambitious gal like yourself is bound to find her way into some trouble again." He says as he casually selects the yes option.

As the guild members left, promising to return to upgrade their equipment again, Lisbeth watched them go, waving them goodbye. She could have sworn she heard somebody exclaim "Check it out guys, I got it!" from outside the door, but decided to pay it no heed. She had another task before the day was done. She spun around to face her forge. The only thing left to do now was to finish her quest by forging the Heartstone into a weapon. The quest giver she spoke with had said that the stone, when forged, would take on a form true to the blacksmith's heart.

Lisbeth already knew in her heart what she wanted to do more than anything. To support Kirito and keep him safe. From the moment she had forged the Dark Repulser for him, all she wanted was to at least be of use to him, so that he would stay alive and keep coming back to her. She would craft a one-handed sword even beyond the Dark Repulser. One that would carry him all the way to the 100th floor.

After retrieving the stone from the fires of her forge, she placed it upon the anvil.

"Just as I did with that blade… I'll pour all my soul into this one as well!"

Raising her hammer she began to strike the stone.

Clang! Clang!

With each strike she whispered her hopes for this sword to protect the one she loved.

Clang! Clang!

She remembered all those short but precious moments she had spent with Kirito. Of how he took on so much of a burden to protect everybody, always sacrificing his own safety and happiness.

Clang! Clang!

She remembered that cold night stuck in the dragon's nest, how they looked each other in the eye, how she no longer felt lifeless or alone in this virtual world.

Clang! Clang!

She remembered the warmth of holding his hand.

Clang!

A hand belonging to a scruffy warrior with a red headband.

Clang!

Lisbeth held her breath. The ore glowed even brighter as it took on its new form. The Heartstone began modifying its shape into that of a long sword. It bore a crimson hilt, that was embedded with a rose gem, the blade itself shining as silver with a noticeable glow emanating from its edge.

She took a pause. As she observed the object, tears welled up in her eyes. Slowly she reached out for the sword she had created, grasping its hilt, and inspecting the name.

Weapon Name: Devotion
Weapon Type: Katana