|Sword Art Online, Floor 55, House of Winter Stronghold|
|Jan. 31st 15:25|
A gentle, almost mournful whistle in the wind blew through the ruins that made up the fortress of House Winter. It's windchime towers frozen or collapsed, worn banners shredded by time. And carried by the breeze were the lingering shards that once were a part of Hotaru, fading from view in the gloom of the mountain valley.
Hotaru, with all her might, couldn't sway Evet from the path he's on, a man who rejected reality for a new one, who'd go to any lengths to maintain it. She gave her life in the hopes he'd had to face reality for her sake, and left that hope to Nagi's shoulders. How could he refuse? She was a part of his guild, and a Guildmaster protects his own.
Whether it was the biting cold that lingered on his body, or the shock of all that's transpired, the rising heat in Nagi's heart finally drew his feet under him, his head low as he processed everything at once, took stock from every angle and carefully deconstructed all he knew of Evet. It's what Argo was doing right now, even behind that downtrodden look of hers, that brilliant mind Nagi admired would work her to death if needed.
"Nagi?" Mito called to, wondering what he was about to do, having already known the answer herself.
"Artorias, Mito, Daora; go and support Isshi and Klein if they're still fighting. Argo, Silica... look after Shirayuki for me," He gave them all a pained smile, nodding once. "I'll be back soon," Turning away, gone was his smile, only an acrid scowl pulled at his lips. "I'm going to have a talk with Evet..."
The interior sheltered Nagi from the cold and snowfall, but it wasn't any prettier. Furniture caked in dust or left rotten and broken in piles. Vases and ornate tapestries ruined or surprisingly still intact. Weapons spilled across points where those that remained held the line by doorways, some sections inaccessible naturally due to large chunks of dark blue ice that had yet to melt, even with Velkhana freed from her corruption.
Sniffing, the place reeked of death, stale and dusty. Arrows jutted from walls with gashes from weapons alike lacerating a once beautiful number of rooms and hallways. When Nagi reached the staircase leading to the next floor, his footsteps echoed as the whole tower groaned. He jogged past sectioned off rooms and private chambers, balconies laid open with piles of snow and rime forming across the floorboards.
The third floor was a dojo of sorts, the mats mouldy and grey, armour and weapons strewn across the floor from racks and stands. He eyed the doorway his left, it led upward away from the training room, already, a chill in the air had him tense, clasping NightSky tightly. Nagi couldn't imagine how many died here, but now wasn't the time for him to study the past, he had a future to concern himself with.
Each step was met with a loud creak, removing any expectation of stealth. The room was narrow at the top, almost befitting a storage room or attic. Turning right, the sliding doors were wide open as light trickled in with the occasional snowflake. Turning into view, Nagi had arrived at the peak of the fortress.
The room's floor had been weathered, the mats pulled up at the corners as all three walls were left exposed to the elements, four pillars supported the triangular ceiling above. Old candles and lanterns long since gone out. And standing on the opposite side of the floor was the dark-clad Evet, clutching... a Crest?
It was the same make and design as the Flame, Dusk, and Winter crests used to access the Incubator. The dark chamber that housed the Abyss's corruption separate from its original prison, one that granted Arawn the power to become one of the Abyss's chosen during the Floor Boss battle. But there was no longer a use for those crests, and this one appeared different.
Turning to greet Nagi, he kept a firm hold on the crest, his mouth concealed by the muffler, yet his eyes appeared almost hazy, if only for a split second as a cold exterior filtered through. "Fitting it would be you to face me... I heard the battle below... Hotaru remained... why?" Shaking his head slightly, Nagi felt his anger swell at the question. "I had told her to flee, that we would meet again. I would return unscathed with what we required... everything was going according to plan, regardless of your interference. So why did she stay? What was the reason?"
"Are you that stupid?" Nagi's tense tone drew his eyes to see the anger and pain flash in Nagi's. "She did it for you! She died because she had no other way to save you from this path! How... how can taking innocent lives from the frontlines, people who are fighting to return home, how can their deaths be justified at all? How is your sorrow an excuse to kill!?"
"She is gone..." Evet's reaction had Nagi's breath snag, seeing his brow furrow, staring at the crest in his hand. "I see... even in this world, all I come to grasp is taken from me..." Whatever sympathy reflected on his face burned away, drawing his katana in one hand and taking an unfamiliar stance to Nagi. But he knew what was coming, it was stupid of him to hope for a peaceful solution. Maybe Hotaru expected that also. "For the sake of this world, the world that she belonged to, a world that we crossed paths... I will kill you for taking her from me,"
Nagi reluctantly drew his blade, but didn't allow his words to puncture his spirit. Hotaru's final wish... Nagi would see it through. "You did it to yourself, that's why she died for you,"
For the first time in the moments the pair had met and crossed blades, anger flared in Evet's eyes, a vengeful hatred that could no longer be supressed. This was who Evet truly was.
There was no sword skill to be seen, no crackle of light or energy. Just the tip of his black katana with a glint running down its edge. Nagi thought fast, drawing his sword in two guarded strikes against Evet's one-handed swings, despite using only a single arm, his attacks felt heavy and powerful. He pulled back for a thrust that Nagi swiveled and swiped, cutting the man's cheek before feeling a boot slam into his stomach, tossing the raven-brunette across the mats.
Catching himself, he spotted Evet leap, drawing back the string on his bow, in a flash, Nagi swung high, deflecting an arrow as Evet rolled, delivering two more in rapid succession, each cut down before they'd puncture Nagi's knees. But Evet didn't allow this to deter him, a flash of light, and he threshed his katana wide, parrying Nagi's as the young teen felt the cool edge of the blade carve from his chin to his right ear with a sharp flick, throwing himself back to evade a plunging strike.
Hopping to his feet, Nagi barely had time to raise NightSky, Evet's arm swung down hard, pushing his boots against Nagi's waist to throw himself over and slash at open air where Nagi used to be, the boy kneeling into a spin to slash in a wide arc, metal ringing as both blades spat sparks. Swivelling to eye one another, Evet gasped, seeing the crest roll off to the right side of the room, seeing the glowing spot where Nagi had thrown a kunai.
With a grunt, Evet tore the small blade from his palm, tossing it back for Nagi to deflect, charging Evet. "The way you fight, you've learned swordplay before SAO, right!?" Nagi struck in a flurry of blows, each countered by Evet, both his hands on the blade, now Nagi recognized it. Kendo.
"And why would that matter to you?" Evet asked, their weapons crossed, both leaning in to see the scowls mirrored on each other's faces.
"How can someone as talented as you hate reality so much? Why, why would you believe killing people is any better?" That had Evet snort a laugh, shoving Nagi back with his superior strength, blade cast in dark blue. In a flash, he was upon Nagi's stupefied expression.
Scarlet Fang struck Nagi's chest hard with a vertical streak, the second he managed to step back and swing with a rush of water to counter, two diagonal slants parrying the second vertical and thrust of Evet's blade, blue particles dispersing between them. Through the fading effect, Evet's sword turned dark red, the man descending from above with a deadly, vertical strike, splitting the mats in half underfoot, Nagi rolling away, blade parallel with his cheek.
"You fault me for rejecting a cruel world like ours?" Evet callously questioned, his bow in hand as the dust faded, the tip of three arrows a bright green. "When you reject it yourself,"
When those words reached Nagi's ears, his concentration faltered for a moment, and that allowed all three arrows to sink into his chestplate and stomach, the force almost knocking him backwards as he reeled from the shock.
"You are like me, you care for those that live in this world as people, not code. Yet, you lecture me on refusing to confront reality?" Evet punctuated, drawing arrows in rapid rotation, each countered by Nagi's blade but some slipped by, slicing away at the edges of the teen's frame. Evet could see it, Nagi's focus was unsteady, his reaction had practically disappeared. "Why would I wish to return to that wretched world where I have nothing? Where everyone is against me?"
Closing the gap, Nagi's sword rang against Evet's, a solid kick twisting their blades sideways as Evet's boot sent Nagi flying into the nearest wall with a harsh crash, splintering old sword racks and shattering pottery. "Where any shred of happiness I seek is stripped from my heart? No! No more, not a single day more in that hell... I won't let this second chance disappear, not this time," Through the dust, the raven-brunette's whole body shivered as an arrow streaked through the dust, skewering through his shoulder with a thunderous howl, leaving him gasping with a large, red divot through the top of his left shoulder.
"Evet is right..." Nagi felt his vision blur. How much HP he had left never came to mind, only a feeling of a thousand weights over his body. He eyed the sword laying at his side, barely forming a fist around its grip. "...I... hate that world too..."
Nagi, in reality, wasn't any different from Artorias before, he admired Artorias's ability to confront his past, but Nagi couldn't, each thought made his stomach turn and the guilt accumulate further like a dam set to burst. Outside of SAO, who even was he? A son? A brother? When has he ever acted as anything less than a headache?
In reality, Kaito Konno was a nobody that couldn't make up for a vast multitude of mistakes.
Nagi, was everything he wanted to be.
The battle settled, Evet exhaling slowly as he went to retrieve the crest, not sparing Nagi a second glance, the boy was motionless, his spirit crushed. "I do not blame you for rejecting it either, I do not know the extent of your suffering, but I can understand wishing to abandon it forever, that is why I cannot allow this game to be cleared. I refuse to let that life take any more from me, for Hotaru's sake, I will save this world," Even if he had to become a monster to do it.
"Evet would take on any power he could find, if he did with that crest, then everyone on the frontlines would be in danger..." Nagi wrestled with the thought, his fingers flinching, that sensation travelling from one arm to the next and down his body. "Kirito, Asuna... all of the guilds... all these people I care about... even my own guild would be threatened..."
Lifting the crest, its markings that of a burning sun etched in gold that caught the light. "This means everything to me, I'm sure you understand now,"
"...stand as many times as it takes," Nagi's eyes widened slightly, and for a split second, he swore he saw Hotaru offer her hand. "Nagi,"
One foot stepped forward, then another, fighting against their weight. Nagi moved like a lumbering ghost, closing in long before Evet even realized he had moved from the indent left in the wall. "Not more... than it means..." Hearing his voice, Evet turned to where Nagi stood previously, only to find the shinobi standing only a few feet away, or rather, him charging forward, his eyes alight with anger. "TO ME!"
Throwing his body weight into Evet's, he felt the cold edge of the man's katana sink through his side as both stumbled, gravity overtaking them as the crest clattered the floorboards of the balcony, the duo sent hurdling over the banister's edge with a series of grunts as they were smashed against the tiles, rolling in a mass of limbs until they slid off the lip of the first, curved roof, crashing down onto the second meters apart.
Recovering fast, Evet drew his katana high, seeing Nagi hold his close to his hip, brow knitted tightly, that fire didn't go out, it simply grew larger. "What are you gawking at!? You want to protect this world then that means you have to kill me, so get it over with!" Standing tall, a fire raged in Nagi's chest, smothering his grief, "My sisters are waiting for me!"
"Fine then," Seething it between his teeth, a crimson hue coated Evet's blade as a rush of aquamarine blue waves sloshed over NightSky, the conflicting powers quickly closing the gap.
In a striking blow, their skills blurred, striking with the ferocity of wolves, bleeding reds and whips of water arching through the cold air surrounding them. Their tempo ramped up, the successive strikes from Nagi pushing Evet backward across the rooftop as laceration carved into the snow-coated tiles, tossing clouds of white through the air in a haze.
Backing away from a pair of spinning slashes, Whirlwind Slash dispelled the snow in time for Nagi's eyes to widen as a glimmering, blue arrow struck NightSky's face, the force of the blow sending him careening off the rooftop and along the roof of a long strip of tiles that covered the walkway that ran along the stronghold's interior. He rolled, evading the plunging strike to swing and dig NightSky against Evet's left bicep, the man shrugged it off and swung with Dance of the Water Dragon, mirroring Nagi's own as flashes of sickly green swept up in waves of a dragon's body.
Nagi twisted with each swing, using the continuous momentum to parry Evet's own with a loud crash at the end of their skills, blasting through them both and tearing through the tiles, the debris showering the grounds below. "Little by little I'm beginning to understand how you feel, but how can this be justification for senseless murder? How can you stand there and claim this is for Hotaru's world when all she asked for was for you to live!?"
Running Evet's sword through his own left forearm, Nagi swung wide to wrench it free, exposing Evet to a palm heel strike with his right, then the left elbow with another palm strike to leave the man reeling into two parallel slants, the golden skill fading as Nagi leapt back to evade them, sweeping his blade in time to dispel two arrows, a third charged back, Threaded Needle skewering the roof either side of Nagi, the teen splitting the arrow down the middle with a heavy, Rising Tide.
"Do not act as though you knew her!" Evet growled, lunging forward only for Nagi to slam his boot down on the blade, but not the secondary, shorter ninjato that cleaved into his right side.
"A second blade!?" Throwing himself sideways with the sweep, Nagi avoided having his side torn out, Evet standing with a strange stance to handle the blades. "He can't use that technique Artorias discovered, but that doesn't mean it isn't a threat,"
In seconds, Nagi was put on the defence, parrying each of the striking blades that closed in as fast as if Evet only wielded one. "Maybe not as much as you, but she never wanted you to go down this path, she just wanted you to have the strength to face reality head-on, just as you have here! She's waiting for you, she'll always be there for you!" Twisting his grip, Nagi ducked and swivelling back under both cleaving blades, doubling back to swing with Serpent Slash, disarming Evet's ninjato, feeling the purple blade puncture his left side with several thrusts. "Why can't you see that, you idiot!?"
Kicking off Evet's chest, Nagi swung his left leg down against his risen guard, metal grinding before the force of Water Moon's splash threw Evet sideways, his fingers digging into the frozen tiles to right himself. By now, it was evident on his face and in his scent, the man's features were creased with anger, frustration eating away at his focus, and a sorrow that bled deeper than any other.
"You are getting on my last nerve, boy!"
"Good, maybe then you'll wake up!" Nagi didn't restrain his true thoughts, and maybe a bit of Argo's snark was rubbing off on him too.
Closing in with Ichimonji, the overhead slam missed, Evet moving like a cobra to Nagi's back, blade arching around in its sheath, a terrible whistling noise emanating from the scabbard. Blocking in time, Nagi felt his feet leave the rooftop, a roar of sound leaving a wide slash texture across his chest and arms, thrown high by the Dragon's Breath skill, his health plummeting further in his vision, well below 30% now.
Yet, he wasn't falling, noticing a prompt where buffs and debuffs naturally appeared. Focusing quickly, it was a pair of wings within the icon like they were made from the wind. Looking down in awe, his haori fluttered as if an eternal gust of wind blew through his clothes, eyeing the glowing, white circle around Isshi who smirked up at him. Then, a flourish of blue light covered his body, rejuvenating a portion of his health, Silica looking up with teary eyes brimming with determination as Pina healed him.
|Buff - Windwalker|
Provides immunity to fall damage and allows them to glide further through the air.
Keeping his features creased, Isshi and Silica rekindling his hopes, Nagi slammed both feet into the tower he was set to collide with, bending his knees as his body and senses adjusted to this weightlessness. Then, with a ripple in the air, he crossed the courtyard's radius in seconds, Ripple Thrust increasing his velocity as he punctured the rooftop, slicing down the full length of Evet's right arm, turning sharply to leap into a helix spin over the man's own Whirlwind Slash, swiping down his back in a criss-cross before hooking his right leg around Evet's waist for a powerful, roundhouse blow, water cascading over Evet's frame as it plummeted into the courtyard below.
He tumbled, grinding his katana through the concrete to steady himself, Nagi losing the buff as he shot down from the edge of the rooftop like a blur of rapids, Evet's whole body jerking when a cool, clean slash severed his left arm by the elbow, the limb rolling across the ground. Gritting his teeth, his swung wide, Nagi's vision engulfed in bright orange as he narrowly evaded having his head cleaved off from the nose up, only feeling his vision vanished in his left eye, red particles spewed high into the cold air.
Catching himself from falling, Nagi twirled on a heel, slashing forward with Iai, both their weapons grinding with a violent hiss, the sheer momentum behind the skill lifting Nagi off the ground, vaulting over the man who stumbled from the shift of weight, leaving him exposed to Nagi who plunged the full length of NightSky through his heart. "It's over," Nagi rasped, twisting sharply to drag and wrench his katana free through Evet's left peck with a cleave, kneeling on the ground as fatigue struck him like a gavel.
Only the sound of stumbling broke Nagi from his battle haze, turning sharply to find... Evet's health had been completely depleted. Nagi... killed someone, a person. Evet stumbled again, hand towards his heart before collapsing onto his stomach with a heavy thud, one that made Nagi flinch at the awful sound.
This wasn't the same as when he fought against PKers before, those times, Nagi would always ensure to subdue them to the point that if they fought back, they would die. Deep down, Nagi wasn't sure he'd have the strength to take a person's life, even if it were someone as dangerous as PoH or other members of Laughing Coffin. Evet was different, it was in self defence, sure, but Nagi still was the one to draw the last attack, he snuffed out Evet's life...
"Hey," A pair of hands caught him before he could fall over, Artorias and Mito keeping Nagi upright as he trembled. "Easy, take a deep breath, it's alright,"
"You... didn't have a choice," Artorias grimaced, he of all people knew what it meant to take a life. Crushing them was different, but in taking Arawn's life, Artorias understood the burden it leaves, regardless of the person's deeds. "It's over anyway,"
"Th-thank you..." Nagi managed breathlessly, he wanted to throw up, hell, passing out seemed just as good. It was an awful, bitter feeling that Nagi had to live with for the rest of his life...
"What... the fuck...?" Artorias's tone shifted dramatically, a distinct change that brought Nagi's remaining high up to see the horrified tension on both Mito's and Artorias's faces.
Turning to follow their eyes, his own widened as large as possible, likely the others mirrored them too. Red mist bled from Evet's body like blood, dripping down his clothes and across his sword that slowly rose, the tip grinding against the cobblestone as his full height was reached, draped in the stench of death. Evet's HP... was restoring.
His left arm regenerated, his wounds closing up, smothered by the crimson hue. "...I underestimated your strength, your resolve..." His voice was raspy and deep, like he had been starved of water for days. "But you... underestimated me... behold, the power to escape death itself..." Raising his arms, Evet's eyes burned a dark red as he was restored to full.
"The Unique Skill; Second Chance."
"'Unique Skill'?" Nagi had heard that term once before. Heathcliff had one, a skill that only he possessed as this rare category were only provided to a single player that reached that unknown criteria first. This was another of those extremely finite skills, and of all people, Evet had a skill that usurped the very concept of the Death Game. "..."
Raising his blade forward, Evet looked ready to cut them all down. Daora taking the vanguard. "Go ahead then! Resurrect all you want, I'll cut in two every time!"
"No doubt you would, for a simple-minded man like you, killing would be easy," Evet didn't miss the flinch Daora gave, but he also was wary of the masked teen and his deadly ax. "The repercussions of this skill... on this day, you win, Nagi... but the next time we cross paths..." Not a shred of hesitation could be found behind Evet's spiteful glare. "I will kill you,"
"Stop him!" Artorias yelled for Daora to attack, a blast of smoke engulfing the dragon slayer as Nagi spotted Evet flee past Klein and Isshi, racing out of the stronghold with his tail between his legs.
Evet was gone, Nagi failed to fulfil Hotaru's last wish... this time. Falling to his knees, the weight of killing someone lingered, maybe a little less with a strange sense of relief that Evet had survived, but it was a conflicting sensation nonetheless. Maybe next time, Nagi could put him down for good, maybe this fight had given him that resolve. One thing is certain, he would never grow numb to this acrid pain in his chest, if he can, he will try to save Evet... even if that meant he had to kill him when they met again.
By now, the blue sky could be seen again, stretching over the mountains and over the base of the floor above. Winter's chill was far more manageable as the group stood atop a hillside that overlooked a majority of the ruined town of House Winter. It's undead were gone, replaced with the ice-themed monsters that once roamed the land, but up here, not a soul came to bother the group.
Marked in the snow was the remains of Hotaru's rapier, imbedded through the ice and snow and tied with her black bandana, marking her grave. Turning towards Nagi, Shirayuki wore a blank expression, rather, her eyes held so many questions and emotions, even her often minty scent was indescribable to Nagi, but he didn't blame her for this. But putting off the topic would be the worst thing right now. The battle was over, the quest step had been concluded, but Shirayuki was left conflicted, almost aimless, none of them could stomach leaving her like this now.
"I had always been curious of who you all were, the words you use, their meanings, even the reason you've come so far to conquer over half of Aincrad's tower guardians... I suppose I never would've understood," Shirayuki gave a very faint smile, her eyes downcast. "Please, spare no expense, tell me everything that Hotaru revealed. Who are all of you to this world?"
So Nagi did, he told Shirayuki about a game that would take players to a whole new reality, Sword Art Online. Immersive like their lives but was twisted into a death game that trapped 10,000 lives, with over 3000 already lost to it and rising. Their only way home was to defeat the 100th floor boss, clearing the game, but the fate of SAO wouldn't be certain after they were free. And if they took too long to escape, would someone pull the plug on them regardless?
"...I see now, this is what left Hotaru as conflicted as she was around me. She feared for my life, the ignorance I had been made to believe," Shirayuki processed this, and Nagi saw it this time, her quest marker flickered. "I... does this mean my quest to cleanse the corruption has no merit? If you were to abandon it, would nothing change? Would I become stagnant? And if our campaign is a success, what then? What would be my purpose? My duty, in accordance with the laws of this world, would be fulfilled, thus, I have no further goals or ambitions,"
It was a cruel reality for her to digest, Nagi understood this, so did Evet. So Nagi knew what to say, the truth.
"...you are more than an A.I, you've always been more," Nagi stepped forward, the wind catching his haori. "Sure, you are bound to this questline, but you shared tales with us outside of that story, you took on battles that had nothing to do with the quest itself. You selflessly put yourself in harm's way for us time and again, you shared drinks and laughs with all of us," After so long, a warm, friendly smile formed on his face, feeling Argo step to his side.
"You are by far the greatest intelligence I've ever seen, far more human than programmiN'," Argo concurred, waving a finger knowingly.
"If that shorty Hotaru can break her coding, someone as scarily powerful as you can, least, that's my take on this," Artorias shrugged.
"Like I told her too! Your code is like flesh and blood for us, it's just what makes up what you are!" Daora even chipped in, beating a fist to his chest.
"I... but I'm not... I..." Shirayuki couldn't find the words, her quest marker glitched and jittered, and her features tensed. "I have a duty to fulfil, I have to... fulfil that role..."
"You're more than that!" Klein exclaimed, stomping forward to grab her right hand. "You're are companion through-and-through, that's always been the case, NPC or not, but you gotta let go of this idea we don't care beyond that,"
"We're right here, just as you've been here with us," Mito stood alongside them with a worried look. "I didn't know what to believe when I met you, I thought at first that all of them were wasting their time, being so invested in your character. But... I was wrong, you do matter, Hotaru and all of the things you care about are real,"
"Your feelings are as real as ours!" Silica grabbed Shirayuki's left as it shook, the woman's features twisted with conflict, trying to fight her own design, her quest continuing to bug out and deconstruct itself. "Just like I love Pina, I love him just as much as any of my friends!"
"Shirayuki," Her snow-white eyes fell to Nagi's calm onyx, the same that had to deal with the burden of taking a life, the same that she had fought beside for months, the same that risked his life for her own and her quest. "What do you want to do? What is it that you want to accomplish yourself?"
"What... I want...?" Her eyes stared at all of them. These children forced into the roles of warriors against their will, who had to fight to live, to return to their families that were heartbroken beyond this game. This whole time, they had an important duty of their own, but they spent time with her, they battled hard for her goals, maybe for a reward in the end, but the more she looked back, just how many hours were spent in each others company? Drinking after a battle, sharing stories or messing around freely? The longer she lingered on those memories, the stronger that heat became in her heart.
"I... I..." Her eyes glistened, these were not players... they weren't just children either... "I want... to fight... with all of you... my... my dearest friends!" Raising her head, her quest marker shattered, yet, the campaign remained in their notifications as tears ran down Shirayuki's cheeks. "I wish to defeat the Abyss at its heart, for myself and my people. And then... I will stand by you all and aid in reaching the top of Aincrad, if you will permit me,"
Expressions of joy rippled through the group. Silica shaking Shirayuki's hand up and down with a giggle. "Shirayuki!"
"We would be honoured to have a Shinobi like you," Nagi smiled brighter than he ever had today, extending a hand to her. "Let's see to the end of your questline together, just as we promised long ago,"
She pulled her hand free from Silica's, grabbing Nagi's tightly before pulling him forward into an embrace, her head bowed into his shoulder as he stared forward in surprise. "The honour in mine,"
"Haha, now we're talking!" Klein threw his arm high, dragging Shirayuki's hand with his as he chuckled. "Ah, sorry,"
"Hehehe, no, you are quite alright," She chuckled herself, pulling back to eye Isshi who stood far off, staring up at the sky the whole time. "What of Miss Isshi?"
"I'd say it's best she remain in ignorance, might seem harsh but less panic and stress on the gamE," Argo suggested, while it might seem cruel, if the word got around to all NPCs, they'd likely cause more problems than solutions. "Sure yer gonna handle this from now on, ShirA?"
Shirayuki regarded Argo for a moment, brow furrowed. "I'll admit, there's much I am still processing, much I doubt I could understand, but... I'm not afraid of this unknown. You all have been forced to confront such a fate for so long, it would be dishonourable of me to reject the unknown now," Placing a hand to her heart, she smiled softly. "I will manage, I suppose Hotaru felt this way too upon learning of our two worlds from Evet,"
"Of course, a lunatic like that has a cheat skill," Artorias turned to leave, throwing his hands up. "If anything, he's becoming more like a boss enemy at this rate,"
"We'll need to inform the other guilds of his threat, he's not to be taken lightly, regardless of that skill," Mito conversed with him before a snowflake landed on her nose. "It's snowing again?"
All around them, a gentle flow of snow fell across the hillside. High above, a distinct roar echoed through the valley, drawing all eyes and ears to the refraction of light that cast down the various shades of white and blue scales coating Velkhana's body. She flew lower, a cold wind blowing through them as she swept by, snowfall descending across them and Hotaru's grave.
"What's Velkhana doing?" Silica asked, seeing Pina chirp and flap his wings almost excitedly. "Do you know, Pina?"
"Sckwaaa!" He said, as if to agree with his master.
"This marks the resting place of one of the fine warriors that freed her from the corruption," Isshi approached with a tender smile. "How could she not pay her respects? Velk is a very proud dragon, I can relate, we may live longer than you mortals, but emotions and memories are forever timeless to us, never forget that as we certainly won't,"
And like that, the prompt for the quest of Divine Sakura's Winter's Tide had been completed.
One by one, the party began to filter away from the hillside, finally intending on returning to soak in a hot bath after all this cold, brittle weather with Isshi promising such a reward on their return, giggling at how energetic half of them were about it. Shirayuki walked with Silica and Klein, laughing as she held out her gourd of sake to share later. Yet, Nagi lingered at Hotaru's grave.
"I promise we'll stop Evet, even... if I have to..." He didn't say it, not now. Lifting his head, he smiled sadly. "When all is over, I hope, if by some unreasonably crazy logic, that you two can meet again in whatever world lays beyond Aincrad. I'm glad we had the chance to fight together, you can rest, Hotaru... goodbye,"
"Ya alrighT?" Behind him, Argo stood by waiting, arms crossed lightly over her chest with an uncertain expression.
"Yeah," Nagi ran an arm over his eyes, nodding to his extremely perceptive girlfriend. "I am now, let's go home, we got work to do,"
"Nyahaha, took the words outta my moutH," Smirking, she lightly punched his side, falling into step with her side leaning against his. "This cold's awful..."
"Tell me about it, I've lost the feeling in my feet a day ago," That they both laughed at, leaving the snow-swept wind to draw the black banana around a broken rapier high, as it it were waving at their parting...
[To Be Continued...]
[Author's Notes]
And we finally reach the end of this arc to mark the return to Misfits. I put a lot into this to make it a worthwhile return, Evet and Hotaru were great to write, and those last two chapters were a blast to write, all of them were really. Shirayuki's been made aware of SAO and endures to see this through to the end like the true shinobi she is.
There also appears to be more to Nagi than even those closest to him know, not even Argo. But now the time has come, the grand finale of the Campaign of the Path of Divine Sakura is drawing near! It'll take me time, but I'll hopefully have it ready in due time! I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; see ya in the next arc, Misfits!
Next Arc - Curtain Call
Upon reaching the 60th floor, Nagi reunites with Shirayuki and Isshi to confront the Abyss, and the heart of its Corruption. Danuja threatens to unseal the embodiment of the Abyss, on possibly the most unstable floor to date, one even Argo is uncertain about. The stage is set, but just who will make it through to the end...?