Author's notes: You might recall the third episode of SAO as the "Christmas episode" chronicling Kirito's time with the Moonlit Black Cats. You might also remember the ludicrous amount of time that gets skipped over in said episode. Therefore, this chapter will instead reflect more on the events of the fourth episode. The next major dungeon even has an animal theme, yay! The Christmas chapter reflecting episode 3 will happen later, however. For now, enjoy this one. As I mentioned in the chapter 2 ANs, the scenes from the original are slightly rearranged to add a bit of much-needed suspense to the story. Aside from that, I've expanded on parts of the chapter that I felt were a bit rushed, and paced the dialog a bit better. I hope you like it!

Chapter Three
The Azure Knight

8th of February, 2022

Port of the Winds, City Hall Sewers Dungeon

You know how you often tend to find things in the last place you'd think to look?

Hidden underneath an unassuming manhole, no different in its shape or design than the numerous, identical coverings that dotted the streets of the Port of the Winds... there was no reason to pay it any mind. Right under the noses of most players who stepped over it hundreds of times without a second thought as they went about their routines. Indeed, how could anyone have known that the next major dungeon they'd been looking for was... none other than the Port's own City Hall Sewers. Deep below the city's surface, far away from the safety and comfort of the Port of the Winds, this wretched network of tunnels and pipes hid many sinister secrets and surprises. The mad Doctor Farrell had set up his laboratory here, now free to indulge in his depraved experiments on whatever poor creature he could get his surgical gloves on.

At least, that's what the rumors say.

In tonight's tale, we'll follow in the footsteps of the first brave soul to discover the underground dungeon, and descend into its depths without looking back.

One couldn't help but commend the courage of such a young girl, going in without a second thought like that. No older than thirteen, the red crossbow holstered on her hip gave her away as a Marksman class, her matching leather armor set taking on a baggy appearance around her thin, petite frame. Long, straight chestnut brown hair was tied into a ponytail with a large red bow, her bangs framing a youthful face with emerald green eyes. It had taken every ounce of her willpower to stifle her fears and enter the foreboding sewers... alone.

Well, that is to say, save for the very reason she was there in the first place. By her side, a young pink pig trotted along, curiously sniffing the ground for hidden treasures. The girl loved animals more than anything in the real world, so it's no surprise that she was drawn to the animal handler NPC in Port of the Winds, who gave out a quest to new arrivals. She'd reward the player with a selection of adorable pet familiars. Much like other traditional MMOs, these pets could be taken care of, and would benefit the player in a myriad of ways. Fighting alongside them, providing stat buffs, and in the case of this pig, unearthing hidden treasure much as pigs did with truffles and the like in the real world.

However, much like the real world, these animals needed food to stay alive. Buying it outright proved too expensive for the young girl's wallet, but the animal handler did offer a repeatable follow-up quest that rewarded a potentially infinite supply of free pet food. The only catch was, the ingredients for this special kibble was hidden away somewhere deep underground. Even if she could find it, she'd have to locate the machinery needed to process it into edible form. Word on the street was that Dr. Farrell himself had invented the machines, and still kept them around as a means to keep his experiments alive. The timer on the girls pet interface showed that her pig's days were numbered. With nothing else to go off of, the girl and her porcine pal had no choice but to begin the search below the city...

Shy and timid as she was, the Marksman class suited the girl to a T. Preferring to avoid direct combat, she had managed to get by with simply sniping her enemies from afar, with her new pig providing an additional source of damage if worse came to worse. She'd even invested some of her early skill points into stealth abilities, allowing her to silence her movement and attacks temporarily and gain bonus damage on unsuspecting foes. Her welcoming party was a twisted safari of sick experiments, a sinister zoo of all that had gone wrong in the mad doctor's lab. Great apes still attached to the tubes they'd been kept alive with, sickly locusts with their exoskeletons peeling and cracking away, rabid tigers missing a limb or two... shot down again and again, perhaps put out of their virtual misery more than anything.

The descent was straightforward at first, she'd leap over perilous pits filled to the brim with an unknown green liquid, preferring not to know what would happen if she fell in. Trekking down the stone stairways and squeezing through loose sluice gates, she'd even remembered to keep some herbs she'd gathered to occasionally hold to her face to mitigate the mildewy odors that permeated the sewers. The further the young woman ventured down the forsaken dungeon, the darker it became, making it that much harder to discern exactly where she was. With only a meager handful of light prism stones to mark where she'd been, the poor girl was lost before she knew it.

Holding onto the hope that she was surely getting closer to the heart of the dungeon, she'd press on with the tenacity of a soldier. Every sound nearly made the girl jump, clutching her crossbow tightly and aiming it in every which direction. Distorted growls and staggered footsteps echoed all through the derelict sewers, with no way to know how near or far her next foe was. Before she knew it, she'd found herself swallowed up in the unforgiving pitch darkness. The growls she'd heard grew closer and more numerous. The inevitable ambush came in the form of three great albino wolves. The gaunt canines moved with blinding speed, closing the distance with little effort before she could get a single shot off! They were larger and even more fearsome than the boss wolves back in Windia. Struggling to adjust her eyes to the darkness, closer inspection revealed that the wolves were horribly mutated, with asymmetric faces, limbs of unnatural length, and white eyes, glazed over and lacking even a pupil. The horrific results of Farrell's rumored experiments appeared terribly starved.

Faster than she could think, the girl found herself cornered, trembling with absolute fear as she clutched her crossbow close, her hands shaking too much to line up a shot.

W-what.. do I do now... Which one do I shoot... Even if I shoot one, they're too close... no... this can't be happening...

Before she took her shot, one of the white wolves pounced, meeting the girl's fearful, wide eyes with its crazed maw! Drool dripped from its barely hinged jaw, its hunger appearing insatiable! Moments before it struck, the young girl's pig leapt in front of her in a last ditch effort to tackle the beast head on!

"Tocino! NO, DON'T-"

Before she could recall the young pig, an agonizing squeal echoed all throughout the sewers. The girl didn't dare look on, shielding her face with her arms.

The pig's natural heft proved enough to stun the starved wolf momentarily, bringing it to critical health... but not before the other two rushed to their pack leader's aid, seizing the the chance to sink their gangly claws into the poor little pig. The girl felt a rush of adrenaline as she sprinted to its aid as it was sent crashing into the sewer's brick wall! She scooped the small animal into her arms, cradling it and holding it close... but it was much too late for the pig. She gasped as it shattered into particles of light, fading away and left behind a pink crystal. Holding it in both palms, she peered down at what was left of her pet and sobbed in regretful anguish. Perhaps not taking too kindly to their pack leader getting the stuffing knocked out of it, the other two wolves slowly closed in on her.

The young girl began to feel faint. Not only had she failed miserably in her quest and lost the pet she was entrusted with, but she was about to meet the same fate, and there wasn't a thing she could do about it. A hot stream of tears cascaded down her face and stung her eyes as she she slumped against the gray stone wall. Resigning herself to her fate, she shut her eyes as tight as she could, and awaited death's embrace. However, just before the young woman was slashed to ribbons...

"...ximize magic: METEOR... CRUSH!"

Her tranquil resignation was broken by the distinct voice of another woman that echoed down the dark hall, just barely audible at first... and then, a pair of smoldering black rocks lit up the corridor, slamming into the two wolves! Cracking and splintering of bone signaled their demise; the beasts were thoroughly mangled beyond recognition as they too shattered into light. The flames from the meteors were enough to illuminate their source – an alluringly beautiful woman of Asian descent, full-figured and and sporting cream-colored robes adorned with cat ears, a flaming staff wrought of crimson metal, and deep scarlet hair cascading from her hood down her shoulders

With a wave of her staff, a third meteor flattened the stunned wolf into a bloodstain, quickly fading away as the others did. She rushed toward the girl, queuing up a healing spell with great haste. "Hold on, I've got you!"

The poor girl could hardly process what had just happened. Still trembling, she slowly opened her eyes and sized up her savior. "Wha-? N-no I-I'm not hurt, b-but... my little pig..." she said, trembling as she held out the small pink crystal, the remains of her pet.

"Shit!" the woman cursed, punching the sewer wall with a resounding thunk. "God-fucking-dammit! I'm too late! I can't get anything I want in this damn game... If I'd just got here a second earlier..." she growled with resentment before biting her tongue. No... I have to stay calm... to set an example... "Uhh, I mean... at least you're safe, for now. At least I'm good for something... hey, you got a name?"

"I-I'm uhh... I'm Jin. Uhh, JinN-ning." she introduced herself through shaky breaths. "Why does it matter...?"

The older woman offered her hand, pulling Jin up to her feet and giving her a handshake. "Well met, Jin. My name is Morana." she'd say in kind, giving a curtsy with her robes.

Resting her shaking body against the stone wall, Jin peered down at the tiny pink crystal once more and cried softly to herself. "What's the use... of saving me... I can't even protect my Tocino... he's gone..." she said with resentment, her tears splashed onto her palm.

I just saved her life, and here she is crying over a piece of data... what to do with this one...? "Ahem... please, no tears, little lady." she said in a calm, soothing tone, offering the cloth of her robe to dry Jin's eyes. "Survivors have to be strong, after all. No, you're more than just a survivor." she'd say in an attempt to lift the little girl's spirits. "You're a soldier. We've all been looking for this dungeon for several days now... tell me, how'd you find it?"

The young huntress looked up at the cleric, then hung her head jadedly. "I... I just... I had nothing else to do in this game, okay? I checked everywhere I could think of until I found it... but in that case... h-how'd you find your way in?"

"Heh... you forgot to close the door behind you, silly girl." she'd say with a faint smile. "You've got a sharp eye."

"...I guess. But what am I gonna do without..." Jin pleaded.

I understand." conceded Morana. "He was your pet, right?"

She slowly, silently nodded and looked up at Morana, sniffling with wide, distressed eyes.

"That quest to earn one isn't easy, I hear. You must be quite a strong player to clear it on your own." she said with a reassuring smile.

Jin blushed a little. "You really think so..." but... I've failed... I-"

"No, Jin. You cleared that quest all on your own, and you found something that we've been looking for for... days now. You're already in the top percent of players, the way I see it." she'd insist. "Now... I shouldn't be giving this info out for free... however, a reliable source tells me that deep within the sewers lies a special item. The 'Red Jewel of Farrell'. If we can get to it in..." she'd wonder aloud, looking over the timer that displayed above the little pink crystal, "...two hours, we've still got a fighting chance at reviving your pet." she explained, hoping her purchase from the info broker back in town was worth it.

Immediately, Jin's eyes lit up as she dried the last of her tears. "R-really?! I'll give it everything I've got, then! But we're already so deep into the sewers, and I haven't found anything..."

"Listen, I dropped 20 G for that supposed nugget of wisdom, so it'd better be legit... From what I gather..." said Morana, "It might seem like you've been going in circles, but if we just unlock some of these doors..." she'd continue, retrieving an item from the smoldering crater where the three wolves once stood.

"...thought so. I don't blame you for missing the doors. Without a light source, you're a few steps from fu-, er, lost down here. Don't go venturing down in places like this without one of these. You're keen, a rookie mistake like that could get you killed." said the healer, offering Jin a hand lantern, which she fastened onto her hip. "Looks like some of the monsters here drop the keys we need... so let's get to work." she commanded, looking down at the girl's red crossbow. "You're a Marksman, right?"

She nodded once again with a timid "Mhm."

"Okay, in that case, let me take point." said Morana. "Stay a few paces behind me, and... you'd better watch my back. It's my one big blind spot. Shoot down whatever my magic can't handle. Got that?" she commanded sternly, retaining the softness in her voice.

"O-okay... I'll do my best!" Jin replied, readying her weapon.

With that, the two continued traversing the network of dank tunnels, stone walls, and eroded pipes. Just a few paces away from the wall Jin had found herself cornered against, they located a wide, wooden double door swallowed up by the darkness. Morana cast a light orb spell, floating about the murky dark and revealing a heavy chained lock wrapped many times around it. Luckily for them, the lock was colored white, corresponding to the key they'd found moments earlier. The key turned, clicked, and the chains clanked onto the floor, granting them access to the next sewer chamber.

To their surprise, monsters within the sewer's halls were quite sparse, and it was Morana who took the initiative to break the silence of their trek. The little gal took out most of them by herself... she's good. "So... who are you, anyway? I mean... I know your name, but... maybe it'll help calm you down if you tell me a little about yourself."

"Well, I, uhh..." Jin replied nervously. "I'm only thirteen. I'm from the south, and... eh, I'd help out on my family's farm. We got to keep a few of the pigs and chickens as pets. It's why I've always loved animals so much. I'm just... not very social. My parents got me this game because they thought it'd help me make friends... as you can see, it didn't pan out too well." her voice quietly echoed, harmonizing with the drips of water as they walked.

Morana nodded at her. "...I can see that. You're a hard worker, then? It's funny you should say that, though... I picked up this game for the same reason. My parents were always getting on my case about how I needed to be more social."

Jin tilted her head, confused at the woman's ability to sympathize with her. "You...? But I thought pretty girls always had lots of friends. ...like on the show!" she said, referring to the sitcom of the same name.

"Wouldn't it be nice if that were the truth. Were it all so easy." lamented Morana. "I don't like opening up to strangers, so consider yourself lucky. I'm from California. Some might consider me a... well, a rich girl. By some standards, anyway."

"So you've hit the big time, huh? Tell me, what's it like?" asked the curious young lady.

"It isn't all sunshine and farts. I wasn't exactly everyone's favorite girl in the real world. My schoolmates and I, well... we didn't get along. I was... well, different than everyone else. Had a bit of a violent streak, and they didn't like that very much. They could run their mouths pretty good, but when it was time for action, they hid like cowards. I ended up having to... teach them a nasty lesson. My actions got me put away in a... well, I always called it demoted rehab" she said with a condescending scoff. "A place where I could be alone with my thoughts. Gave me time to cool my head off, you know? Once I got out, my family suggested online gaming as a way to come out of my shell, and... well, here I am now. Trapped with everyone else. Not much has changed, huh? Just another head on the chopping block. I'm nobody special."

Jin shook her head in a rapid side-to-side motion. "Don't put yourself down! You helped take down that big, mean ol' shark, I heard! Isn't that worth something?"

"It's funny you should bring that up." said Morana, smiling faintly. "Right before that battle... I was nearly ready to pack it in and give up. But that day, I met a boy... who instilled something... no, awoke something that had been hidden within me. Even though I was wrong about him... even though he did something cruel that night, he gave me the push I needed to keep going. And now, I'm going to give others like you that same push. Let's clear this dungeon together, Jin."

The young girl grew cheerful. "Yay! Let's keep going, then! But... are you sure we can save Tocino?"

Morana hesitated for a moment, then gave a confident nod. "Most people end up selling the jewel as soon as they see the price... before they see what it actually does. Early on, after everyone became trapped, there were rumors that it could revive players. Needless to say, it didn't take long for the first person to try that to realize how wrong they were..." she said, with an intense thousand-yard stare. "Your pet, however, is classified as a mortal object. If we move fast enough, the jewel should work as intended."

"Morana, you're so awesome!" gushed Jin. "We've gotta hurry, though! I'll shoot down anything that gets in your way, I promise! For my precious pig!"

Picking up the pace, Morana and Jin resumed their trek, hunting down each door and slaying the monsters that guarded it until one of them coughed up the right key. Jin watched in awe as Morana wasted entire groups of mutated ogres, giant spiders, and malformed skeletons. For a class that was usually relegated to healing, her fighting style was berserk and unrelenting. An assault of spells froze, shocked, and incinerated the monsters before they could get close enough to lay a hand on her. Supported by Jin's crossbow, the cleric had little trouble dealing with them.

"Jeez..." sighed Morana, slugging down a magic potion. "Compared to those big bad wolves, these guys are nothing to us! After the amount of MP I burned saving you, I'm almost having fun." she remarked with a faint smile.

Thanks to their combined efforts, they'd managed to find three more keys, allowing them through the remaining colored doors. Behind the last one was a large, swirling magic portal, crackling with lightning and smoke. The room also appeared to have several other chambers leading even deeper into the underground. The two girls sized up their options, with the portal being the main object of their fixation.

"Hmm... I'm not sure how I feel about going through there just yet." thought Morana out loud. "Come to think of it, it looks kinda like the one we went through to fight Hookah. I'll bet all my cash and gear it's a boss room."

Jin was also staring at it with great intent. Fear began to wash over her once more, which Morana took immediate notice of.

Think, Morana, think... we're a little unprepared for a boss, but we've still got some time left... not enough to go all the way back, but we should heal... Easy as the enemies down here were, every little hit that slips through our offense adds up...

Jin tugged on Morana's robe. "Where should we go now?" she asked, before a third voice suddenly silenced their exchange.

"Aww, what's the matter, little lady? You look so lost! Did the dark, spooky tunnels throw ya for a loop?"

The voice of another woman echoed from the depths of the chamber, and both girls felt an uneasy chill, the sign that something was very wrong. Out of the shadows stepped an older woman, slim, slender, and dressed in tight violet armor and with purple hair, cut chin-length and covering one eye. Morana and Jin both scowled, taking on a hostile stance.

"Ooh, my! Aren't I a lucky one? Two for the price of one, eh? I'll have to take my time with you two sweetings." she hissed in a sultry tone.

Morana furrowed her eyebrows and glared at the woman. "...and what the hell do you want with us? If you're not after the quest down here... then you can kindly fuck off."

Cracking her knuckles and drawing a slender, white sword, she began circling them like a shark. "Ooh, your words scathe me. I'll cut to the chase. Here's how this is going to go. Just lay down all your gold and items, and I'll allow you to leave. How easy is that? If you resist, well... I'll just take them by force." she'd lay down her threat in a venomous tone.

Morana stifled her fears, doing her best to appear unfazed. "Fat chance, bitch. What kind of person thinks about player-killing in a... death game, anyway?! Who are you?"

Smirking, she flipped her hair away from her eye and announced, "Very well. In your last moments alive, you may refer to me as Belladonna. My guild and I are going to have so much fun picking every last trinket off of your corpses.~"

"What guild?" questioned Morana. "There are only two guilds left fighting on the front lines, and you don't look like either of 'em. You're bullshitting."

Belladonna laughed. "Exactly, we're not the least bit interested in fighting on the front lines. We're just a guild for fun, you see? Holding up unwitting idiots like you and helping ourselves to their goods, simple as that. Red player status was totally worth all the treasures we've found, and to think we've only just begun!"

It was only then that Jin and Morana noticed that the player name above the slender woman was in fact red, indicating a known player-killer. What really made their blood run cold was the realization that you had to attack and kill several players to reach red status.

"Whatever." said Morana dismissively, taking a fighting stance and tapping her staff against the stone floor with a metallic echo. "You don't look all that tough. I'll fry you before you can even get close to us."

"Will you, now?" Belladonna taunted, snapping her fingers. Three cloaked men, all roughly the same level and dressed in the same colors, slid out of the darkness and joined their leader. Fittingly, they were all of the assassin class, wielding dual katars. They eyed the two girls up like starving hyenas, giving a chorus of sinister laughter and licking their weapons at the tip. Two of them were only orange players so far, with one sharing his leader's red status. Morana didn't even want to think about how many lives they must've claimed so far.

"What now, little girlies? Still wanna press your luck?" said the tall woman condescendingly. "As you're about to learn, Night Shade doesn't fuck around, kiddos. Your odds don't look too good." Her voice grew deadly serious.

...Shit. Now what? We're outnumbered two-to-one!

Morana shifted her eyes over to Jin. The poor girl could hardly move, trembling in sheer terror. Though she held onto her crossbow for dear life, it was unlikely she had the composure to put up a fight.

Who am I kidding, it's four-to-one; she's too shaken up to line up a shot!

The women stared each other down like wild animals, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Morana bared her teeth and kept her heels dug in, but the cracks in her resolve were showing more and more. The hands that tightly gripped her staff began to shake.

"Fine, then! If you can't decide, I'll choose for you! Grab her!"

At his leader's command, one of the men dashed forth and restrained Jin before either one of them could react! The young girl let out a shriek of terror, now fearing for her life. The assassin let go of one of his katars to force his hand over her mouth, muffled cries for help still escaping from under the glove! He looked Morana in the eye and sneered, tilting his head to the side.

Belladonna ordered her other to men to hang back and drew closer to Morana, sword at the ready. "Now, then; I won't ask again. Lay down everything you've got, and be on your way. If you make even a single move, the child won't live long enough to see what we do to you." she demanded coldly.

Morana dropped her stance, her arms hanging at her sides. Was this really how she was going to die? Alone and afraid, letting down this poor little girl?

"You deaf or something? I said-!"

Suddenly, her clenched fists began to tense up and shake. Tearing up and and gritting her teeth, she mustered every ounce of dogged courage and shouted in defiance, "You're nothing but a coward! A fucking coward! I won't let you push me around... I won't let things go the way you expect them to! I won't-"

Swoosh. Swoosh. Thunk.

Just then, the man that was restraining Jin groaned as he lost his grip, then his entire body fell limp, collapsing onto the sewer floors. The young girl quickly scurried away to Morana's side, drawing her weapon once more!

Click. Somewhere, someone had just reloaded a weapon. A navy-blue crossbow bolt protruded from the assassin's neck.

Morana gasped, looking around the room in a confused panic, wondering if it was too early to breathe her sigh of relief.. Belladonna was rightfully furious. "What the hell was that?!" she snarled, looking in all directions in vain for the source of the projectile. "Where- you brought more- where are-?!" she was angrily stumbling over her words in an attempt to make heads or tails of the situation. Her and her men held fast with their weapons at the ready.

"Right here, dumbass."

The decidedly unenthused voice came from a figure emerging from the ground, slicing one of the men's necks with a deep blue katar in a fluid, elegant motion!

Morana was as confused as she was relieved. She hardly had a chance to get a good look at the brown-haired man who appeared from seemingly nowhere before the sniper revealed himself – a man with a strikingly feminine build and silken pink hair rushed to her aid, and next to him, a tall, slender knight adorned with layered, heavy armor and brandishing a wide, verdant blade and a matching shield! Morana nearly did a double take at the sight... there was no mistaking those distinct shades of blue and orange – the Mudkipz guild!

Kindon grabbed the last remaining assassin in a headlock, ironically the same position they'd forced Jin into moments before. "He's a slippery one. Kite, where do you think you should shoot him?"

"Normally I'd say his balls, but I don't think this bastard has any." echoed the Marksman in a heavy English accent. He opted for the neck once again, loosing a bolt into the struggling body. Kindon laid the limp figure on the ground and dusted his hands.

"Hot damn, Kite! You haven't changed a bit since our Halo days. Nice shot!" complimented Mantine, preparing a few sword skills on his hotbar and keeping a close eye on the woman accosting Morana and Jin.

Kite flipped his rose locks in a flourish. "You're too kind. It ain't nothin', really. Those chumps make easy targets. Barely even winded me." he'd say with a confident smile. "Now, what's all this commotion about? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to take advantage of her. What'll it be, bitch?" he'd take aim with his crossbow, sights set on the murderous woman's head.

"Seriously, a little girl?" Kindon chimed, kicking over one of the limp bodies and joining the others. "I'm desensitized to a lot of shit, but how much of a scrub do you have to be to resort to that?"

Mantine's heart pounded at the sight, only just now had it hit him that he knew one of the girls from somewhere. "...Morana? Jeez, of all the people that needed our help, you're the last person I would've thought of. Just what did you get yourself into?"

"It's a long story... hey, wait a sec! I should be the one asking questions here! What happened to you leaving the Mudkipz? You've got some serious explaining to do." she demanded with her hands on her wide hips, vividly replaying the events of the show he put on when they'd first met.

Mantine smiled knowingly. "What? And leave my two best homeboys all by their lonesome? After all we've been through? I wouldn't dare! Puh-lease, these two wouldn't last a day without me!"

"...for fuck's sake, will you quit blabbering about nonsense?!" roared Belladonna, pointing her sword at the Mudkipz. "Who do you think you are interrupting a big score like this?! I'll- I'll-"

"No, go on." taunted Kindon. "Tell the three of us what the one of you is going to do, lady. Just gimme the cliffnotes, we don't have all night."

As he said this, Belladonna's men started to come to, weakly forcing themselves to their feet. She looked dumbfounded.

"Let me guess, your next line is, 'What? I thought you killed them!'" Kite teased, reading the look on the woman's face perfectly.

"I- I thought you killed them!" she said, before catching herself with a gasp.

Mantine shook his head. "Mmm-mmm. Numbing poison. Sorta acts like a tranquilizer. Maybe if you'd spent more time learning basic game mechanics and less time fuckin' around, you might know that the hunter and assassin classes both get access to that skill fairly early on."

He stepped toward the purple-haired lady, his walk retaining that same swagger from when he confronted Saffron. "That's good, though! Now they can be awake for our next lesson. My homeboys here are awfully tired from having to walk allllll the way down here and put you in your place, so I figure I'll let 'em rest and take my turn."

Belladonna grew more furious with each word out of the blue-haired knight's mouth. "Just what are you getting at, boy?!"

"What else could I possibly mean? When your three goons over there recover from the poison, I want to fight them. Hell, I'll even give them the first shot, knight's honor! Hell, you can join in too if you want!" he said, drawing his forest-green sword. Kite and Kindon shot each other elated grins, the former resisting his urge to spout that Cobra meme again.

The bloodthirsty player-killer was beyond enraged at this point, seething at the idea of her guild being challenged by one man alone. "The audacity! No one, and I mean no one disrespects the name of Night Shade and lives to tell about it! We'll eat you alive!"

Now fully recovered, the three assassins rushed Mantine down and began a relentless assault with their katars. Each slash and stab dug into the plating of his armor, leaving behind glowing red cuts that indicated damage.

...but the knight didn't budge, nor did he make the slightest attempt to retaliate. Even as the assault grew more aggressive, as the echoes of metal clinking against metal became more rapid... He stood idle! He'd draw a long breath, letting it out as a sigh. "Have you noticed it yet?"

Kite and Kindon looked on at the display, trying to hide their smiles. Indeed, one of the reasons they had wanted Mantine to choose the knight class was that they were hoping they could show this off one day.

"I'll take that as a 'no'. Guess it's time for your next lesson. I want you to take a gooooood look at my health bar. Not making a whole lot of progress in killing me, huh?"

Indeed, the red meter above Mantine's head appeared not to have budged an inch! No, that wasn't it – each hit would indeed chip off a tiny sliver... but it was refilling itself completely after every few attacks!

"Let me elucidate you. I'm about four levels higher than your friends here. Normally, that wouldn't make a huge difference, but that's the beauty of the knight class. We have the most health and defense out of any class, and we're just full of other surprises. My regenerative abilities, combined with the set effect of my armor, give me back more health than I know what to do with, and the armor itself is so strong that each of your attacks won't do enough to matter, even with your impressive attack speeds. Long story short, you could stand here and strike me all day, and you'd sooner break your own weapons than do anything to me. I'm basically-"

"Mantine!" yelled Kite, interrupting his friend's long-winded boast. "Cut it out, wouldja?"

Kindon agreed wholeheartedly. "Yeah, man... quit playing with your food. At this rate I'm gonna die of boredom before Jessie over here can kill me..."

The three men eventually ceased their futile attacks. They all gave off a mix of frustrated grumbles, trying to think of a way to turn the situation back in their favor. One of them eyed Jin up, but Mantine and the others caught on quick.

"Don't try it..." he warned, just as they all made a desperate sprint toward the girl!

"...ASUNDER!" roared Mantine, swinging his sword in a heavy, wide arc! In a blinding flash, all three assassins' weapons clattered onto the ground; he'd disarmed them in one go! "Give up. You've got no stake in this fight anymore."

Indeed, Kite had his crossbow trained on Belladonna and her men, and Kindon was ready to sink back into the shadows at a moment's notice. Morana too was prepared to fight, her staff set aglow with magical fire.

Still absolutely fuming, Belladonna took a long look at Mantine, noting the color of his hair and armor. "No way... it's inconceivable! You?! The Azure Knight I keep hearing about is... is a mere child?!"

Mantine rolled his eyes, accompanied by a chorus of exasperated sighs from his guildmates. "A few things, lady." he began in an annoyed tone. "One, the 'kid' stuff has gotta stop. I'm turning eighteen this year, dammit!"

"Someone's sensitive." Kindon remarked slyly, snickering to himself.

"...Anyways... For that matter, how old are you? I know it's rude to ask a woman her age, but seriously, you talk like some kinda cartoon villain. I wasn't gonna say anything at first, but holy shit, lady. Drop the act."

The woman in violet crossed her arms. "So, now what? Are you gonna finish us off? Huh, big bad Azure Knight?"

"As tempting as it does sound, lady..." Mantine shook his head. "That's not how I roll. Besides, my character would lose green player status, and I'd like to play this game for real someday, once this whole mess is resolved."

Even the stone cold killer herself couldn't help but recoil a little. "You're insane!"

"...you're one to talk. Killing you's off the table, but we'd be more than happy to escort you outta here. On the other hand, maybe trash like you belongs in the sewers?" he jested, waving his armored palm about.

"Figures." scoffed Belladonna, looking away. "Can't even finish what you started. What's the matter? Haven't the stones to go through with it?"

"Actually, if I may... I have an idea." interjected Morana, gesturing over to the two. "Since it was originally your intention to steal from us, how about you give her all your gold instead?"

She gestured over to Jin, still kneeling on the ground, observing in silence as her fears slowly subsided.

"He-eyyy! I like the way this girl thinks!" complimented Mantine.

Morana opened a trade window. "Consider it compensation for traumatizing her." her tone was as ice cold as her piercing gaze.

"Don't look so upset, lady. Most of it was probably stolen, right?" added Kindon. "Who am I kidding, these goons probably didn't earn any of it."

"I won't stand to be made a fool of!" Belladonna shouted, insulted at such a demand. "If you won't finish me off... Maximize sword skill: Pierce the heart!" she called forth in one final act of dogged desperation, kicking off and striking with her slender rapier!

"...I wouldn't..." Kindon sighed.

Having had more than his fill of the woman's posturing, Kite easily deflected the attack and countered by bludgeoning her with the stock of his crossbow! Unable to stop before she lost her balance, she took the full brunt of the blow and fell on her back, stunned! Baring his teeth as his rose locks hung over one eye, he planted his boot on the assailant's chest and aimed point-blank at her head. "My friend here might have his reservations about snuffing you out, but I'll have no problem doing the deed if you waste any more of our time. So, I won't ask again... what'll it be, bitch?"

Begrudgingly, each member of Night Shade forfeited their money over to Morana. One by one, they shuffled away in defeat, wordlessly exiting the scene with their teleport crystals. Though the murderous red guild was spared, they'd have a hard time continuing their murder spree now that they'd forfeited everything to their name, weapons included. All together, the spoils were less than they'd expected, but right now, it felt like a million.

...

As the cleric approached Jin to hand her the spoils, the Mudkipz all introduced themselves to her. Now that she'd regained her composure, it was as good a time as any to catch up.

"Jin, huh? You a BlazBlue fan or something? Oh yeah, I'm Mantine." said the Texan knight, giving a light bow.

"...Samurai Champloo, actually... heh." she corrected, finally mustering up a smile.

"Someone's got good taste. Kindon's the name. No need to thank me, I'm just here to have something to do, really." he'd say, putting his katars into their sheaths and relaxing on the floor.

"Well met, Mr. Kindon! How is it that you move under the floor like that? I've never seen such a skill." she'd say with a hint of fascination.

"Cuz..." he'd look over his shoulder quip with a light grin, "...I gotta find da emeruhlds and gems, yo."

Kite chuckled at the man's reference. "Great, now I'll have that song stuck in my head all night. Oh, right, my name is Kite. Comin' at ya all the way from Exeter."

"Nice flow, man." Kindon complimented with a hint of sincerity.

The rose-haired Marksman winked back at him. "Be on the lookout for my latest album. For now, we're no rap group. This is my guild, the Mudkipz. You... might've heard of us. I lead these guys, but we're all friends here."

"It's a good thing we decided to get off our asses and head for the boss down here. Come to think of it, we'd be dog chow if you gals hadn't cleared the way for us." explained Mantine, commending the women for their efforts.

Kite nodded and continued. "We could tell somethin' was dodgy from the jump. We heard all that screaming and..." he'd say, noticing the young girl was still rather shaken up. "Easy there. Hey, I'm just glad you're safe. 'Least now I know I'm good for somethin'."

Wiping away her tears, Jin wrapped her arms around Kite in a warm embrace. "Oh... thank you, thank you for everything, Mr. Kite! I owe you my life!"

"Look at you, a real man of the people." Mantine said with a grin. "Our approval rating has doubled already."

Kite blushed a little, meeting the girl's gesture and wrapping his arms around her for a moment. "It's nothing, really. Someone as strong as you is too valuable to lose, that's all. We founded this guild under the promise to save as many lives as we could. Everything's going to be fine." he reassured, letting go and returning to his friends' sides. "I can barely see a damn thing down here... it's a wonder I could even line up the shot..."

Mantine gave the Englishman a friendly pat on the back. "It's like I always say, this guy's got the eyes of a cat! Even in the virtual world!"

"Betcha he'll meow if you give him enough treats." Kindon joked.

Morana drew their attention to the pink crystal Jin was holding. "Speaking of animals... the whole reason she came down here was to revive her pet. You heard about the Red Jewel of Farrell, right? Those shitheels wasted more time than they were worth, but if we're quick about it, we should be able to take down the boss. Looks like they led us straight to it." she said, pointing to the portal, still crackling with lightning and mist like a stormcloud.

Kite loaded his crossbow, already queuing up several sword skills. "Then what are we standin' around for?! Let's lay waste to the good doctor!"

"I'm down for that... but do you really think the three of us are up to it? I mean, last time we pulled something this big, we had that whole raiding party... Must've been over forty of us. I just don't want to lose anyone else, you know?" Mantine said, replaying the events of the encounter with Hookah in his head. Even after his stunt, he still felt the weight of Popcorn's death.

He felt Kite's hand on his shoulder, and looked over to see a determined smile gazing back at him. "That was ages ago! We're stronger than fifty men now!"

"Yeah, Mantine. Don't sweat it." chimed Kindon. "We've got this! We'll all have each others' backs for real this time."

"Aren't you boys forgetting about me?" they all turned around to see Morana preparing several buff spells. "I've seen the way you guys fight. It gets shit done, but you're reckless. With my healing, you might just be able to get away with such an am-... er, unique playstyle." she said, winking.

"You've already done more than enough... don't you need to stay behind and watch Jin while we're gone?" Mantine and the others were understandably concerned for the young girl who'd just had a brush with death moments ago.

"I'm not scared! Not even a little bit! Let me come with you... I know the five of us can do it!" Jin protested, standing up and readying her crossbow.

The others all shot her worried looks. "Are you sure? We can wait til you-" asked Morana before the girl protested further.

"Plenty sure! Never been more sure of anything in my life! Just keep him off of me and I'll peg his ugly head!" she proclaimed, giving a thumbs-up. "I'll need target practice if I'm gonna be a good shot like Mr. Kite! Besides, I'm fighting for my Tocino, so I can't lose! Let me in, unless you think you can hold me back!"

The girl's face bore a look of unwavering faith and dogged determination beneath her innocence. They all knew there was no way in hell she could be dissuaded from joining the fight. As far as they concerned, the five of them marched with the strength of an army.

After the final preparations were made, the five brave warriors all entered the portal, their collective resolves now stronger than ever. Emerging on the other side, they'd find themselves right in the heart of Doctor Farrell's derelict laboratory. Thoroughly wrecked and ransacked, with every cliché set piece known to man; cracked test tubes leaking an unknown fluid, tesla coils and nodes emitting sparks in erratic patterns, syringes scattered about, and animals suspended in stasis, floating lifelessly in their bubbling tanks. The Mudkipz couldn't help but liken the scene to the Shiver Star factory level from Kirby 64.

As the wooden doors creaked open, the party got their first glimpse of the mad doctor. Hunched over the messy workbench was a frazzled, middle-aged man in a tattered, blood stained labcoat and pink surgical gloves, with thick goggles that were far too tight around his head. His black hair was balding and unkempt, matching perfectly with his scraggly mustache and overgrown beard. His every movement jerky and erratic, he turned around, going into a panic upon noticing the players' approach!

He frantically rummaged through the desk until he found the syringe he needed, fumbling with it a bit before he was able to tie off his arm with a belt and inject it right in! The transformation took mere seconds; his clothes began to rip as his body swelled into a mass of rippling muscle, surpassing even Captain Hookah! Complete with his skin taking on a sickly green hue, Doctor Farrell had hulked out before their eyes! Channeling his newfound strength into a great leap, he ripped a tank of green liquid from the wall and attached it to his back,charging at the heroes with murderous intent!

The battle that ensued put all their skill and patience to the test! The crazed doctor thrashed erratically about his lab, his growth in size doing little to impede his incredible speed as he grabbed whatever he could find to throw at his unwanted visitors! Mantine and Kindon spent most of the fight drawing his attention and delivering fierce melee combos – and Kindon found out the hard way that this boss was immune to the numbing poison! Farrell hit like a truck with his flailing fists, relegating Morana to full healing duties, keeping Mantine and Kindon alive through the onslaught!

Jin watched Kite closely, following his movements as the two pelted away with their crossbows until his back was riddled with bolts of every kind! This would expose the doctor's true weakness; they'd have to destroy the fluid tank on his back to stun him! This was where patience became key; he'd leap forward and rip another tank from the wall, rendering him invulnerable until it was fully attached! The group watched his every movement with their undivided attention, reading his attack patterns like an open book! Mantine and Kindon refused to let up, and Kite and Jin stood defiantly against the deranged doctor even when he got close! Morana even managed to pepper him with her spells in between healing the others! He'd sooner destroy his own laboratory than claim victory over these mighty heroes!

The battle raged on, neither side letting up for a moment! Right when they'd whittled him down to his final health bar, he'd make another superhuman leap up into the darkness, hanging from the pipes and raining a hellfire of chemical vials with every status debuff under the sun! This triggered the stasis tubes in the background to burst forth in a shrill shattering of glass, releasing the unwilling experiments into the fray! They'd have to coordinate dodging the death from above while they cut down the deformed adds, and only when the last one fell did Farrell rejoin the fight! Everyone had given their all to save the pig, pushing themselves until victory was within their grasp; through one final effort, the mad doctor was felled at last! Just as they had hoped, his grotesque, fading form left behind a large crimson gem as he shattered into a mass of gleaming fragments once and for all.

Ecstatic, Jin sprinted toward the reward, and after a bit of fiddling through her menus, found it to be compatible with the remains of her pig! Right before their eyes, the tiny crystal, that last vestige of the hope Jin held onto, reformed into her porcine pal! The little hog was alive and well! Joyful tears streamed down her face as she held the plump pink creature close to her chest. "Oh, Tocino! How I missed you! Come to mama, everything's gonna be okay now. Let's get strong together so I don't have to worry about you again!"

The other four couldn't help but tear up, sharing the young woman's unbridled joy. Tonight, they'd witnessed two opposite ends on the spectrum of humanity. The young girl's purity, innocence, and heroism couldn't be more removed from the underhanded, cowardly lot that accosted her for her possessions. Perhaps love didn't always win the day, but during those fleeting moments where it prevailed, it was all the more worth savoring.

Even amid the celebration, Morana didn't forget to ask, "Now, about that explanation you owe me... what's really going on with the Mudkipz? Spill the tea, Mantine. I can't wait to hear this one."

"Okay, okay!" he said defensively, sighing as he recounted the tale to the red-haired cleric. "Well, you see... I sent them a voice message right after we beat Hookah, told 'em everything. I went to go claim my new gear, and..."

…

Kite caught up to Mantine, paying the Port's blacksmith a visit to claim his brand new weapon, the Blade of the Eternal Forest. "...clever thinking, waiting til it was just about to break. Nearly had me saying my last goodbyes!"

Mantine looked the emerald green sword over before sheathing it on his back. He met Kite's words with a sly grin. "...all calculated, of course... I mean, I kinda winged it there at the end, but..."

"Why'd you go for me instead of Kindon?" asked the Marksman, scrolling through his guild interface.

"...cuz I knew you could take it! In all seriousness, you had a bit more HP left." said the Knight plainly, doing the same.

Kindon relaxed on the ground with his arms folded behind his head, gazing up at the night sky. "You really had us fooled for a second there, man. How'd you make it so convincing?"

"Easy, I watch way too much wrestling." he said with a smile, briefly striking the vulgar pose known as the DX Crotch Chop.

Everything clicked perfectly for Kite the moment he heard these words. Indeed, the pair spent many a night watching WWE together during their voice chats before all this. "Should've known you'd know how to sell your moves like that! You're no CM Punk, but you had the audience no less captive."

Sending the join guild request as fast as his fingers could fly, Mantine grinned sheepishly. "Thanks, now lemme back in before I lose my vice-master status! These colors ain't my style."

"Of course, man. Welcome back in. I can't say I'm exactly in love with your methods, but at least our names won't get dragged through the mud... hah, get it?" Kite chuckled, satisfied at his playful pun.

…

Two days after the defeat of Hookah, the re-formed Mudkipz found themselves back in the cool, inviting comfort of the Port of the Winds. It was a place of serene beauty around this time of year, its smooth cobblestone floor now sparkled in lovely silver and white, caressed in a soft blanket of powder snow that drifted from the argent clouds that hung overhead.

"...Oh yeah, Toshi was right on the money about that dungeon entrance. Somebody must've left it open! He came back from his scouting run while we were out... says it's a whole network of tunnels underneath the city. The ol' Doctor's set up base in the sewers. Lucky thing somebody left it open. Thought those manholes were just a bit of scenery." Kite reported the findings of their Ninja guildmate.

"Doctor who, now?" Mantine asked, confused.

"No, not that doctor... I'm talkin' about Doctor Farrell! You know, the one who's been kidnapping all the animals? The quest NPCs back in Windia couldn't shut up about him... weren't you paying attention?"

"Farrell, huh? Any relation to Will?" Mantine quipped, snickering to himself.

Playing off of his friend's reference, Kindon cut in, "...I smoked pot with Johnny Hopkins."

"Would you two be serious for just a sec? We've got a bit of a reputation to uphold now, isn't that right... Mr. 'Azure Knight'?" Kite teased with a tone of mild annoyance. Indeed, Mantine's recent accomplishments in the clearing effort had earned him a new title among players who spoke of him.

"Man, I don't need that kind of attention right now... they could've at least chosen a more original nickname. They're just lucky I'm already a Soul Calibur fanboy as it is." he'd say, unsure how to feel about his newfound fame.

"Either way, there's no doubt Farrell's the boss we'll be up against. If the lore's playin' him up to be some kind of psycho badass, then we've gotta bring our best. You know how those mad scientist characters can be. Let's get going while we can. Stay sharp, you two. There may be other surprises down there..." Kite commanded, sitting up and giving his body a light stretch.

With that, the three Mudkipz readied their hotbars accordingly and made their descent into the foreboding sewer's darkest depths...

…

"So there ya have it. I'm not so evil after all... I just figured as long as I was trapped here, I'd have a little fun... play up the heel angle a bit, you know?" Mantine said, wrapping up his little recap.

Morana covered her smile with the cuff of her robe. "I dunno... I'm not entirely convinced."

"Come ooooonnn, we've known the guy for years now." Kite said, happy to recount their times together. "He's as soft as a marshmallow in the real world. Those redneck buddies of his couldn't even get him to go hunting last summer!"

Kindon gave an upward nod, backing the Englishman's words up. "...he still tears up every time he watches the 8th episode of Gurren Lagann."

Mantine blushed beet-red, activating an emote. "Guys... seriously?!"

"What? You cleared our good name, so we're just returning the favor." Kindon said, smiling at his friend's embarrassed protest.

"Jin, was it? Couldn't help but overhear what you said about wanting to get stronger. What do you say about joining with the Mudkipz?" Kite asked, extending the invitation to Jin through his interface.

"Really? Okay, then! I accept! We'll find our way out of this mess together, won't we?" she beamed, gleefully accepting the offer. She smiled looking down at her armor as its colors were overtaken by the familiar blue with orange accents. "Here, you're part of the guild now too, Tocino! Mama's gonna level you up until you're super strong!" she knelt down at her newly revived pet, tying a blue bell around its rotund form. "Thank you, thank you all!"

Mantine motioned his head over to Morana. "How about you? The Mudkipz could really be somethin' great with your kinda skill-"

"N-no, no thank you." Morana politely declined, waving her hand at him. "I'm still not sure how I'd feel being a part of your guild... don't take this the wrong way, I just don't want to be the next unwilling actor." she'd say, still a bit apprehensive after what she'd witnessed.

Mantine blushed and put his hand on the back of his head. "Aww... come on, didn't you hear what they said? I'd never really hurt anyone! Then again, I was the one who gave you that advice in the first place... tch..."

"It's okay, Mantine. I'm not upset with you, I just..." she said, doing her best to reassure him, "...to be honest, I feel like I've still got things to accomplish as a solo player. There are some things I have to figure out for myself." she told him, tapping open her interface. "I mean, we can still keep in touch. Here, I'll add ya." she'd type out his name, sending a friend request. "If something comes up, don't hesitate to let me know. We've still got a shot at clearing this game."

"...Count on it." said Mantine after replaying Morana's words in his head a few times, accepting the friend invite. "Til our paths cross again, live on to the end."

With those words, Morana and the Mudkipz parted ways for the time being. With the rest of the spoils from the boss in tow, the players returned topside, turned in their quests, and immediately set off to find their next objective, wherever that might be.

Riding the highs of another triumphant victory, the Mudkipz guild was instilled with the feeling that they could accomplish anything. What the Guardian Force had in numbers, they lacked in coordination and fostering meaningful relationships, and as more people began to understand that, they became easier to recruit. Even better, Mantine himself had finally caught up to his friends in level, and was readier than ever to liberate Dragon Saga Online with his guildmates. For now, it seemed that nothing could stop them, but what were the chances that any of them were fully prepared for what the future held...?

Until next time, keep fighting for our liberation, brave Mudkipz guild!~

Next time:

Azure Ambition