A/N: May be the week skip in-between arcs, but I've gotta fill in the rest of the floors still. Review Time!

To Isshion: Unfortunately, Daora's Extra Skill was titled off of the Barbarous Beast, Magnamalo, with a similar effect seen for Spartan Rage from God of War, but a good guess.

[Artorias]: Okay, seriously, what is that? My bloody hair's on end again

[Nagi]: I think it's just Isshion, don't worry too much about it

[Artorias]: We're being stalked, it's more 'annoying' than 'worrying'

To Brazilianotaku: I had considered who'd be the first to obtain an extra/unique skill, and I felt Daora deserved a boost given his armour is basically the weakest out of them all, so why not make him a glass cannon? Happy you like it!

[Daora]: Hehehehahaha, a fitting skill for the strongest in this party, who needs some armour when you have indomitable strength!?

[Artorias]: Yeah, sure, forget the part about me being what kept you ALIVE!

[Mito]: Just make sure you don't overuse it, we won't always be there to heal you

[Daora]: Grr... fine...!

Enjoy.

|Floor 31|

The land was a collection of lakes, rivers, and waterfalls along blackened sands, the sky a constant sickly yellow until night fell. The waters an equally unsightly green colour, smelling only of sulphur and burned when a player stepped into them. At the center of the floor was a massive lagoon where both the Field Boss, and Labyrinth in a center island, can be found. If you didn't come with some form of face mask, you would take constant tick damage, though it wasn't life-threatening in the only three Safe Havens.

"Here it comes~!" Artorias sang before coughing again. "Gods, this air sucks!"

"My lungs are burning," Daora stated bluntly, even as the massive creature splashed the sands with acidic water, roaring loudly, its turquoise scales gleaming in the gloomy sunlight as it stunk of rotten fish, yellowish, bony spikes jutting from its back and curving into two large ram-like horns to defend its mouth.

"Daora, switch out!" Mito ordered, kicking him aside to swing Moonslice high, cleaving the mini-boss across the underjaw, throwing it back towards its lake to spew a hot stream of acidic water towards Nagi and Artorias who dived at the last moment to evade. Mito tucked her white scarf over her mouth tighter. "This will take a while, come on, we gotta move," She nudged Daora prying his face from the sand with a growl.

|Floor 32|

Entering the tavern to meet with their friends, the co-leaders and siblings of the Sleeping Knights sighed, Ran stretching her arms after a long day out in their casual wear. "Man, that was so much fun! Seeing crystal trees light up when you play music is so cool, Yuna's amazing!" Yuuki grinned ear to ear.

"She is, I can see why she's very popular around the towns," Ran giggled a bit, happily following her sister when suddenly, a loud racket was made.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY YUUKI, RAN!" All of the Sleeping Knights, as well as Nagi's own party cheered for the two unsuspecting siblings, both taken back by the sudden alarm for a moment.

"Y-you didn't..." Ran blushed slightly, embarrassed she was put on the spot

"You really did! You jerks!" Yuuki was the complete opposite, but was a little red in the face too.

"I had Yuna give you guys a nice show, glad you liked it," Nagi grinned with his eyes closed, Argo fist-bumping with him.

"Had me keep track of yer movements to time everythin' just righT," Argo chuckled to herself.

"I thought I felt someone watching us... I never guessed it was you!" Ran exclaimed, shaking her head with a silly, bashful smile. "T-thank you, everyone,"

"'Least we can do for our two leaders!" Jun held up his mug with the rest. "Enjoy it!"

"'Cause most of us are flat broke now!" Artorias laughed slightly, having secretly paid for all of it with his lovely potion business with Agil.

The two siblings were over the moon by the surprise, and the fact that Daora even had a cake made, although, it took a lot of convincing from them to make sure he didn't eat it nor blurt out that fact too early, Mito helped with that part. For the first year in a long time, the two Konno siblings had probably the greatest birthday surprise of all time with the people they loved.

|Floor 33|

Within a valley made of an impossibly large monster from days past, the ground covered in most dirt and piles of bones, Artorias lined up his fingers like taking a picture. "Little more to the left..." He pursed his lips.

"Tell me when," Mito asked, keeping a dagger drawn back in her right hand, holding her gaze steady.

"Almost..." He hummed, feeling the ground rumble, piles of bones falling like snow piles on a mountain.

From the far left through a route among the rocky environment and countless bones, Nagi and Daora leapt into view, sliding down the slope just as a mass of black tar and bone slammed its bony chin into the earth, flinging bones coated in black goo everywhere. They ran by the place Artorias lined up, hearing Daora cackle madly.

"This is the greatest floor of all time, hahaha!" He really, really loved this floor.

The great monster suddenly rolled back into a wheel-like shape, armour made of thick, jagged bones as it rolled toward them. Artorias smirked. "Now!"

Mito flung the dagger as it glowed purple, slicing the withering remains of flesh and skin near the 'ceiling' made of the ribs of a monster, severing a precariously swaying segment of rib. It was severed, dropping like a massive pin as it sank clean through the rolling beast, bringing it down as most of its health was drained in seconds from the impact of the crumbling bone, now reeling on the ground.

"Strrrike!" Artorias whooped. "Man, I love my job..."

"Let's finish it off now," Mito grasped her scythe, hopping down with Artorias close behind her.

|Floor 35|

The forests that covered this floor were by far the most serene, one stood out the most; The ground covered in red leaves from the trees that never lost their abundance of crimson leaves and petals from flowers of similar shades. The trunk a dark brown, almost black. Along a safe trail, Argo followed Nagi with her eyes closed, listening to him playing a guitar as they took some time away from the frontlines to have some quality time... with Artorias acting like a guard dog not far away to keep their nosy friends from seeing.

"Yer improvin', is someone tryin' to serenate lil ol' mE?" Argo smirked wickedly, staring up into his eyes as he laughed a bit, keeping his focus on his fingers.

"Do you want me to serenate you?" He questioned back with a light brow raise.

"Nyehehe, keep playin' like that and you'll seE," She winked, enjoying how easily flustered he got from her teasing, keeping her side against his for their walk.

"I'll do m-my best," He strummed a bit, changing to a familiar tune that had Argo's expression perk up, it was the same song he played on their first 'date' only on a guitar this time. She certainly had no complaints, closing her eyes to follow him and his melody.

|Floor 36|

A blast of hot wind blew over the top of a large mesa, its rock formation gradually shifting between many layers of coloured rock and clay. The dust settled, Artorias anchoring Red Death deep into the stone as he held on for dear life. Mito and Nagi were in the same boat next to him, having been blown off the ledge too. Above, Daora, Yuuki, Nori, and Tecchi stood their ground to hold the boss' Hate level.

"Pull me up, pull me up, pull me up, pull me up - yaaaah, I'm slipping!" Artorias was paler than a ghost, his feet magnetized to the side of the mesa as sweat poured off his face.

"Hold on!" Nagi threw himself up again with Mito, herself grabbing his haori while he leaned over to grab Artorias' trembling hand.

"I hate this floor, I hate this quest, I hate everything but my two glorious saviours!" Artorias continued to mutter deliriously.

"So, he has a fear of heights?" That wasn't what Mito expected to see from the annoyingly egotistical Red Warrior, watching him bow his head happily while Nagi smiled reassuringly to the younger member of their party.

"He doesn't like bringing it up," Nagi whispered to her.

"Big heights, big no-no, goodbye~!" And he shot off towards the battle. "I'm gotta kick your ass for this emotional turmoil of an awful day!"

"Clearly so," Mito chuckled a bit, twirling her scythe again. "He does realize the drop is survivable, right?"

"I don't think we should damage him further," Nagi suggested with a small wince as the enemy they faced went down after the downward swing of Phantom Rave from the now royally pissed off Artorias.

|Floor 37|

The next floor up was a mystical sight. Ruins of an old race long-since passed buried and carved into the highlands of lush green mountain flatlands, bridges as old as the ruins connecting the areas and peaks, a mysterious mist constantly hanging over a certain layer below the mountains, forever concealing what lay below, two people having died trying to explore, meaning it was a kill-zone.

Sticking to a large temple made of black stone, Nagi and Argo followed the enthusiastic treasure hunter, Philia, her eyes sparkling with delight as she disarmed and trapped chest, collecting the valuable loot within, humming a happy little tune to herself. "Oooh, some more relics to trade, and... woah!" She stood back as a massive greatsword materialized, slamming into the ground as the pair turned their heads from the entrance to her as she chuckled nervously, playing with a strand of her marigold hair. "Hehehe, whoops...?"

Outside, two of the dormant statues shifted, coming to life as large stone knights with swords that were more like black clubs, green eyes flashing to life as the names 'Stone Watcher - Lv. 66' appeared.

"Bit late for a 'whoops' doncha thinK?" Argo raised a brow at her, the Rat's expression plain and unchanging to the approaching mobs. "HerO?"

"Got us covered, Philia, loot the other chest, I'll draw their aggro!" Nagi relayed, lunging forward at the left Watcher, evading left from its club slam, running up its rigid back, carving Nevermore through its back, then drawing down again with Serpent Slash. Rolling back from its sweeping swing, he hopped again, avoiding the slam of the second Watcher, dirt flying past his face while he spun his blade around, water roaring across his blade once more, protectively wrapped around him.

"I'll make this up to you, sorry!" Philia waved quickly.

|Floor 38|

The floor consisted of a vast landscape like that of the ocean floor, the most notorious feature is the many species of coral, the main town being made from colourful bricks formed from the coral. The place was teeming with steep cliffs that form a highland, and even glimpse in an ominous bottom that cannot be reached, coated by an eerie, murky smog.

It was nightfall here when Daora and Mito stood before a player-owned tent, the roof tarp suspended over two large coral formations. A familiar girl with bubble-gum hair hammering away at the large obsidian scythe while bioluminescent creatures floated in the air just outside the tent above where players and NPCs strolled by the small hamlet tucked under a cluster of 'trees' made of coral.

The object glowing dark violet, and Lizbeth smiled. "Okay, that's the Sharpness raised to Level Five, you've still got a few slots on that so I'd say it's due an upgrade near the fortieth floor," She instructed the Reaper who took back Moonslice.

"Thanks again, Lizbeth," She smiled thankfully for the high-quality repair and upgrades. Then she eyed the absentminded wolfman beside her. "Daora said you were, and I quote, 'the best blacksmith that doesn't rip you off',"

Liz cupped her cheeks bashfully, "Aw, that's so sweet - doesn't get you a discount," She then raised her hammer to the man still staring off into space. "Uh, is he broken again?"

"Daora, hey," Mito tugged at his wrist, only for him to grip her hand back tightly. "Eh?"

"I want to fight that," He raised their joined hands towards one of the tallest peaks in the coral enviroment. Just out of view, cast in shadows by the moonlight was what looked like a large flying monster, maybe a dragon? "This is my chance, a once-in-a-lifetime goal to becoming Kushla Daora, Lord of Dragons!"

Lizbeth made a flat expression. "He's still blabbering about that?"

"Huh!?" He spun around, still holding Mito's hand as she stared at him, then their joined hands with slow blinks. "What, gotta problem with that, candy head!?"

"Yeah; you want to be the 'LoRd Of DrAgOnS' then stop whining to me on why I can't make you better armor without the materials!" She retorted.

"You said you'd make me the best armour fitting for a dragon king!"

"Yeah! With. The. Re-Source-Es!" She jabbed him on the snout with her hammer. "Either stop complaining or I'll hike your next repairs up again!"

"Wait until I tell Liten, hah!"

"Oh, don't you dare think about it, idiot!" Lizbeth grunted, seeing him release Mito's hand and storm off. Sitting back on her stool to place a hand over her face. "Ugh, how do you put up with him?"

"Daora's a handful, as you know, and yet..." Mito stared at him now trying to catch the floating, tiny creatures above him, running after them like a child. It was kinda cute to watch. "...he has a good heart. I made a terrible mistake to my closest friend, and he was there, an annoying nuisance that made me actually show emotion again. Then, when I reunited with him on the 30th Floor, he basically insulted me and told me to stop acting like an idiot, heh, he was right... I made up with her so easily that I almost don't believe it,"

Lizbeth leaned over her anvil, eyeing Mito, then the moron that's been by far her most loyal customer, and source of encouragement for her craft. "...I getcha, he and Liten are the two that really gave my confidence a boost. I care about them both, it's why I'm a hard-ass around him," The pinkette sat back with a rare, small smile. "Keep his head on straight for me, will ya?"

Mito blinked at her, then shared her expression. "You have my word," Then she saw Daora plummet off the edge of the safe zone. "Oh for the love of... you Idiot! Sorry, and thanks!" Placing her scythe on her back, Mito rolled her eyes and ran off to where Daora fell, hearing him cackle about. "I swear, if you're not dead, I'll handle that for you!"

The blacksmith chuckled at this, fully aware of what she was seeing, then went back to work happily.

|Floor 39|

Waterfalls everywhere. That's it, that's this floor's big cash-grab, as Argo or Artorias would put it. At one of the tops of these waterfalls, Nagi leaned over to the edge, wearing just swim trunks from his time on Floor Four when they first properly met Shirayuki. "You... sure this is a good idea?"

"Me? Not at all. Them?" Artorias prodded his thumb back at Daora and Mito, as well as Argo and the Sleeping Knights. "Absolutely; so if we die here, at least it was something relatively stupid by our accounts,"

"Hehe..." Nagi gulped.

Looking back, everyone wore something more suited for swimming to avoid heavy armour dragging them all down. Most of the boys wore just shorts and a t-shirt. The girls were the same, down to a pair of shorts that matched their colour scheme with a tank top, Argo going with the bandage wrap around her chest like last time, stretching a little. Daora, the 'mastermind' behind this endeavor, stepped forward with a cackle, still keeping his wolf mask on.

"Now my followers, a test of courage!" He declared, pointing straight at the edge with a convenient rock jutting out facing the waterfall that roared close to them. "Lemme show you how it's done!"

"If he dies, I call dibs on his stuff," Artorias raised his hand, being jabbed by both Mito and Nagi.

"This is extremely reckless and a little exciting," Mito took a while to convince to unwind for a bit, she hasn't stopped since she joined their party, so they wanted her to kick-back, something Asuna asked of them while she was busy working with KoB and couldn't talk with her or hang out.

"See? This is perfect then!" Nori chuckled, slapping Daora's back. "Knock 'em dead!"

"You bet!" With a running start, the madman ran and dove straight off the rock, yelling loudly the whole way. The rest clustered around the edge to see him vanish into the mist below for several seconds. Nagi saw it, he took zero damage, meaning he hadn't died, much to his, Ran's, and Mito's relief. Seconds later, he resurfaced, throwing his fists high. "HAHAHAHA!"

"Even with all this noise, we can still hear him, unlucky," Artorias chuckled, shuffling away from the ledge. "Welp, meet you guys down there, bye~" With a flash, Artorias zipped away to the forest trail to escape before Yuuki or someone grabbed and threw him off the edge.

"I really wished he wasn't so afraid of heights, this is the perfect chance to get over his fear!" Yuuki pouted a bit.

"Maybe so, but something like this needs to be gradual, maybe next time," Ran reassured her sister, sighing. "Okay, guess I'll jump next," She shook off her nerves, taking a running start. "Head's uuup!" And without allowing hesitation to cloud her mind, she dove off with a scream.

With two successful jumps, everyone else soon copied the other, Siune was a bit hesitant so Mito offered to jump with her, the pair holding one hand before taking a small running start, jumping together, Mito looking thrilled when they did, Siune just had her eyes screwed shut from fright. Argo did a bow to her boyfriend, then did a backflip off the rock, diving quite elegantly to the roaring water below.

"Here goes..." Nagi, the last to dive, gave it his all, sprinting full-tilt as he leapt higher than the others, performing a few spins through the air, granting him a magnified view of the other valleys and waterfalls far and wide, his expression blown away as his hair whipped back, crashing through the surface seconds later, his heart pounded with adrenaline.

End

Why'd I skip Floor 34? It's where the next arc begins so didn't wanna waste it. That, and the next arc's gonna be bigger than my usual as I've had to just come to terms with merging two arcs into one. As it's coming up to a significant point in the main SAO story, and there's one key point after that I have to include, then another and it was too much of a headache to split it up so this is my solution, hence why the arc will be called Misfits, as it marks a big point in the characters' stories.

Long rant, I've included the other floors here too that'll be skimmed over, I am really trying with these ideas for different environments, and giving more scenes with Mito becoming a key part of the team. That said, hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; seeya in the next chapter, Players!