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Chapter Text

Prologue

August 21st, 2022 - Naha, Japan

For all intents and purposes, Michael Edmondson was a normal British teenage boy.

It was everything around him that wasn't.

His mother and father had divorced only a few years back, in 2019, and his mother, for reasons he'd never figured out, had gotten the idea to move to Japan in her head. Luckily for him, her grandiose ideas were rarely ever followed through on, but this time... he'd tempted fate one too many times. The company she worked for were looking for someone to sell their newest products in Asia, and so, they'd chosen Japan as the launch region, and his mother had gotten the job in their Japan office. Given he was still in school, undertaking his GCSEs at this time, he'd figured he'd stay with his father until he'd got his GCSEs and A-Levels, then move to Japan in a few years time, hopefully with the grades to go to University there.

As with everything in his life, that wasn't how it was actually going to go.

Fast forward to July 2021, and he'd received his GCSEs, and as he'd passed with flying colours, he'd been accepted on some sort of exchange program, at a school in Okinawa. It was here that his geography knowledge had failed him - Okinawa is not the Japanese mainland, nor is it particularly close by. As a result, his mother had chosen to send him to live on the island on his own. Sometimes, he felt vaguely offended that they'd all agreed that was the best option... did they want rid of him that much?

The exchange program itself had been fine. That was all he could describe it as. Not amazing, but he couldn't say he hated it too much either. He'd met some interesting people, and that was always good. The American kid, Cody, a guy with far more confidence than he'd ever had or would have, had become one of his closest friends here. It took balls to ask the British kid if they were still annoyed at 1776, after all...

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One lunchtime, September 2021

''You heard about that Sword Art Online game?''

''Just a bit, yes.'' That was an understatement. Sam had been messaging him constantly for nearly two days fanboying over the idea, and never mind the actual NerveGear itself. He'd lost count of how many times it'd come up in conversation, but it was easily into the low hundreds...

''You gonna get it, or?''

''Maybe. I'll apply for the beta test, never know what it'll bring.'' Michael shrugged, poking at his food. He'd always been one to bring his own food, but that had usually been made by his mom... his attempt at a sausage and egg sandwich was something to behold, for the wrong reasons.

''Oh yeah, we've got a new girl in class today, she's-'' That was where Michael tuned out. Cody was an actually decent person, but by god, did he go on a bit about the fairer sex. He had to admit that some of the jokes he used as icebreakers were pretty good though. He quite enjoyed the one about a man named Mari Nade. So called, because he left his wife overnight.

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Despite all of this, he was able to get his hands on a NerveGear only a couple of days after launch, and apply for the beta test for the first proper game for it - Sword Art Online. Admittedly, it wasn't his sort of thing, too few airplanes for his liking, and the year of Baritsu training... or at least what Gabby had described as Baritsu anyway. He'd have described it as having the snot kicked out of him with a brolly repeatedly, instead. Either way, it hadn't really helped develop any sword fighting skills, other than with an umbrella, but he definitely wasn't missing a chance to lord this one over Sam. He still owed him for nearly dropping a model shop on his head, a few years back after all...

Looking around his room, he checked to make sure nothing that could do any serious damage was left out. All clear, and he put on his newly acquired NerveGear. ''Ready or not... here I come! Link... START!'' He yelled, causing a small thump on the wall from a mildly annoyed neighbour.

The world around him soon disappeared, replaced by streams of lights, cacophonies of sounds and the sensations of his nervous system being toyed with, before he felt the weight of his body again. Or at least, 50% of it, anyway. Realising how much lighter he actually felt, he quickly checked all of his extremities, and thankfully, all were there. ''Okay... this is the best diet ever!'' He exclaimed, before realising his surroundings... he was in a void of almost nothingness.

After fawning over his new, much lighter, and as it turned out, slightly shorter frame, Michael looked around his new surroundings - a medieval town square, bustling with life, ranging from hunchbacks wielding scythes, to a variety of wooden stalls offering up their wears for sale.

''Holy crap...'' He muttered, as he looked around. Even just wafting his hand around, he felt the breeze generated by the movement. Clapping generated the same slight stinging sensation it did IRL, and turning around on the spot a little too fast gave the same feeling of light-headedness it should've. Other than his new lighter frame, it was realistic enough to pass as real, in his mind anyway.

With little hesitation after his few experiments, Mi -Jet, even- chose to go and explore the town first, before heading out into the Plains...

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Several hours later, and so far, Jet had learned a few things about Sword Art Online. The first was just how real everything felt, especially the grass beneath him. He'd tested that one out enough times to know exactly how the grass felt in both his hands, and rubbing against his clothes. He really did hate the stagger effect that the Frenzy Boars could inflict, but he'd gotten the hang of dealing with them after a while. If you could dodge whilst they charged... a single solid strike would take one out.

It turned out that reading the manual helped... a lot. Would it have killed Argus to put a tutorial in this game?

Which lead to the second thing - Sword Skills. Only two were available to him currently, Horizontal and Vertical, both of which were exactly as they sounded. Vertical was his less favoured option against the Frenzy Boars, as it meant he practically had to be stood in front of them whilst charging, whilst Horizontal allowed him to hit them in an arc as they swept past him. The biggest problem with this mechanic was simple - it had a cooldown time. Whilst using the two beginner skills, this was only around a second, but he had no doubts this would increase dramatically as the skills got increasingly complex.

The third, and currently most relevant thing... was that the lack of a map was a serious problem, or he thought that as he wandered through the Horunka Woods. Michael was already what could be considered as 'geographically challenged', and sticking him into a new world, one he was completely unfamiliar with, and without a map at that, had led to him wandering straight across the Plains, and into the Woods with little thought.

That had been nearly an hour ago, and he was starting to get just a bit fed up of walking in circles now, especially as he felt he'd passed the same tree fifteen times now. Either that, or SAO's flora generation wasn't very creative.

After a few more minutes, he'd found the type of monsters for the Horunka Woods, a type known as Little Nepenthes. Unlike the Boars he'd faced, this monster seemed to be an evolutionary dead end. With a narrow base for, well, legs, he guessed, and no obvious eyes, he wondered how this thing actually hunted... and then, he saw the tendrils it flailed around. Quick thinking allowed him to dodge the tendrils, and quick use of Horizontal bisected the plant monster before it got a second chance to attack.

Checking his inventory after the battle, his attention was soon turned elsewhere...

''ROOOOOARR'' Screamed something distinctly inhuman, sending shivers up his spine.

''AHHHHHHHHH!'' Screamed someone distinctly female, sending ill advised ideas to his head.

And with that, he cursed himself for tempting fate. Deciding to get himself out of the sheer boredom, he decided to follow the sound through the Woods. Before too long, he'd found the source of the screaming. A girl with shoulder length black hair, stood there, barely able to swing her mace, let alone mount an effective defence against the Little Nepenthes she'd attracted. How she'd attracted fifteen of the things, he did not know... although the smell was terrible!

''I've got you!'' Jet charged in, readying a Horizontal attack on one of the Nepenthes, but not before another had other plans with him. The Horizontal struck home, but not before his legs were tangled up, and the much larger 'Little' Nepenthes threw him skywards, and dropping him into it's jaw.

''This is gonna suck...'' was the last thought Jet had before the world went dark. Again.

YOU ARE DEAD.

RESPAWN IN 10... 9... 8

Over the day, the Blackiron Palace had become very familiar to Jet, having reappeared here numerous times earlier in the day, and so, being killed hadn't particularly concerned him. In fact, strange as it sounded, the dying made him feel more alive...

The same however, could not be said for the girl who'd been fighting alongside him, and was shaking as if she'd stood on a fault line. Momentarily, and without thinking, Jet walked over to her, and began to speak to her... ''Hey.''

''I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have dragged you into-''

''Yikes, it's just a game! You don't have to act like you got me killed, you know?'' The girl stared blankly at him.

''Huh?'' She voiced her confusion.

''I've died enough today that it's nothing new now. Besides, I screwed up too.''

''Sorry? I don't really understand you?'' It was that moment that Jet realised something... he wasn't speaking Japanese, he was speaking in English, and worse still, in his native accent. No wonder the poor girl seemed confused, he would've been too if some random guy came up to him, and started talking to him in a language he may not have fully understood, with an accent that was hard for native speakers to understand, too...

Realising the mistake, and making an effort to speak in Japanese, or RP English at worst, from now on, he reiterated his earlier point ''My apologies for that, I'm still learning Japanese, so I may slip into my native tongue at times. But it's just a game, you don't have to panic that I'm angry you got me killed.''

''Oh! I should apologise though, you tried your best to help me, and... well, I got us both killed.''

''Eh, I saw a pretty girl, and I raced into save her. Not your fault I'm an idiot.'' Jet winked, his flirting being considered so bad that the UN were considering adding it to a list of war crimes.

Koharu felt the blood rush into her face, as she looked away awkwardly. ''I-uhh, thanks... I didn't get your name?'' She asked, changing the subject before her face caught fire from the blush she now had on her cheeks.

''Oh, I'm Jet.'' That felt odd to say, he thought. He really wasn't used to introducing himself with a name that wasn't really his own.

''I'm Koharu.'' The black haired girl bowed down in front of Jet, unintentionally reminding Jet not to forget to do that again... ''Can I ask a question?''

''Go for it.''

''I kind of need someone to party up with. Pretty much everyone else just thinks I'm useless, and-''

''Koharu, just a question. Why did you pick a mace?'' - He asked, curious about her performance in the last battle.

''I thought that I'd be able to defeat monsters with it much easier. I guess I was wrong...'' Jet listened, and began to form a hypothesis in his head. This girl wasn't unskilled, but rather fighting against her own stats, and losing that battle badly...

''Hmm, where did you put your skill points, if you don't mind my asking?'' Jet asked, as Koharu opened her menu and showed him the stats page.

''My agility. I figured I'd be able to run away quicker if it got too bad...'' As she explained, it clicked as to why Koharu was struggling so much with her mace. Her stats and build were nowhere near correct for a mace user!

''I've got an idea then, follow me!'' Jet exclaimed, slightly startling Koharu.

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After some time, the pair were looking over weapons at the Weapons Cart, Jet was deep in analysis mode, as Beth had once called it. So focused on whatever he was doing, that a gunfight could break out behind him, and he'd still be focused on whatever it was. ''Okay Koharu, I want you to try this. It's an Iron Rapier, should make you a hell of a lot more agile, and a fair bit quicker with your hits.'' He spoke... I hope anyway, else I'm going to look a bit stupid went unsaid though.

''How can you be sure?'' She asked, more than a little hesitant.

''What was the biggest issue you had with that mace?''

''I could barely lift it?'' Koharu put her hand up as she answered, feeling as if she were back at school, and raising an eyebrow from her new teacher.

''Well, yeah, that too. It required a stupid amount of force to actually produce any meaningful damage, at least with your stats. This, on the other hand, is far lighter. Just give it a swing.'' Koharu began to swing her new rapier as if it were a magic wand, but finding it a considerable improvement over her mace.

''It's a lot better!'' Koharu swung, her new rapier slapping Jet in the face, and knocking him back slightly, onto the stall. Koharu dropped her blade and ran over to him, speaking at a thousand words per minute, her words coming out at a pace that made bullets look slow... ''Ohmygodi'msosorry!''

Jet, now back on his feet, started laughing slightly as he spoke, ''Just glad it wasn't your mace!'' He joked, as Koharu looked at him, slightly tense as she expected some kind of retaliation. ''We're in a safe zone, and there's no sense of pain here, so it didn't hurt.''

''I should've been more careful...'' She deflated slightly, her shoulders slumping and her voice becoming more mousy than before.

''Nah, it's a game, right? Games are for doing the stupid stuff you can't do IRL...'' Jet grinned, before looking over towards the shopkeeper NPC, who was now stood with a hand held out, expecting payment... ''Though, uhh, you may wanna pay for the rapier. I don't think the shopkeeper looks too happy...'' He advised, as Koharu looked around, and felt as if all eyes were now on her. Not for the first time, she wished to curl up into the foetal position at the attention she was getting...

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The day carried on, and the duo made their way through Floor 1, beginning to level up, having finally made some progress, having reached the town of Tolbana by around 7pm, before finding an inn.

''So, you gonna get the actual game, or...?'' Jet asked, having had a decent day so far. Admittedly, neither of them could be described as very good by this point... but it was a game, it didn't matter about being the best, rather, it was a way to blow off steam, and see a new world...

''You're joking, right? This is actually really fun!''

''Heh, you're not wrong. Oh, the fun I'm gonna have when a friend finds out I got into the beta...'' Jet just gave a knowing grin. ''They're a proper gamer, full super spec PC with all the bells and whistles. They're royally pissed off that it's only available in Japan, so this is gonna be quite funny.''

''Doesn't that seem a bit unfair.'' Koharu looked disapprovingly at her partner, who shrugged back at her.

''I still owe him for nearly dropping an entire shop on my head a while back.'' Jet accepted his reasoning was petty, but at the end of the day, it still made for a good story, and really, that was all that mattered.

''How did... you know what, never mind. So, you want to work together when we get the game?'' Koharu thought twice about asking about that story, but had decided that Jet was a fairly dependable choice as a partner, and unlike a number of the other beta testers, he hadn't looked down on her for her poor showings in combat.

''Yeah, you've got potential, I can tell that for naught. Meet at the big teleport monument thing in the town?'' He asked, pointing towards the fountain instead.

''I look forward to it, good night Jet.'' Koharu said, as she disappeared back into the real world.

''Night, Koharu...'' Jet mock saluted to the thin air around him, logging himself off too. He still had to prepare tea, after all, and no one wants that job at 9pm...

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November 6th, 2022 - also somewhere in Naha, Okinawa

''LINK START!'' As per last time, the world exploded. Unlike last time, Jet was offered a chance to port his beta data over, which he did. After the data had ported over, Jet spawned into the Town of Beginnings, only to be surrounded by a fair number of people. On dead reckoning alone, there were at least a thousand people here, and probably considerably more outside the gates, in the plains. The upside to this, he only had a short walk to the teleport gate, to meet the girl he'd encountered in the beta.

''Jet?''

''Koharu?''

''Glad you made it, I still have no idea what I'm doing though.'' Koharu admitted,

''Eh, join the club. Do what we did in the beta, level up and... uhh, that's not good.'' The pair looked to the sky, and it didn't take a meteorologist to know something wasn't right. The sky had been covered by a load of hexagons, before a bloody red substance ran from the sky, forming a cloaked avatar, hovering above the plaza. A booming voice soon echoed from the sky, reflecting off the walls around the town to produce the most twisted amphitheatre seen.

''Welcome players, to this world. I am Akihiko Kayaba, the creator of Sword Art Online, and now the sole person with control over this world.''

''Uh oh, this can't be good.'' Jet understated, as he watched Koharu begin to tremble. Jet had to admit, that whatever Kayaba was playing at... the man was not exactly what would've been considered of sound mind...

Kayaba continued his speech, and all around, the new populace of Aincrad stood, barely able to process what was being said. Akihiko Kayaba, a man lauded as a genius, the man who'd bought true VR to fruition, was now almost certainly the most wanted man in Japan, alongside an internationally wanted terrorist, no doubt. Ten thousand people had joined this game of their own free will, and now, at least according to the bastard god of this world, only 9787 were left. 213 had died already, killed by this hell that masqueraded as a game. Things continued to go from bad to worse, and then take a running jump into horrific when Kayaba revealed his final stunt of the afternoon... ''A mirror?'' Jet muttered to himself, looking very confused as he did so. Why would Kayaba given them mirrors? Was it just to rub it in, to gloat in his own victory, or did he have-

''Oww...'' Jet rubbed his eyes, and looked in his mirror... only to find nothing had particularly changed. He still looked like he had when he started the game, mainly as he'd pretty much modelled his virtual avatar off himself, only a little bit shorter. Jet figured the same was true for Koharu, as she'd barely changed either, other than shrinking slightly, a fact Jet had put down to his height changing, and not hers.

The same however, could not be said for the vast majority of players... many of whom looked absolutely nothing like their avatars. That was one hell of a trick, using the data that the NerveGear gathered on setup, to override whatever system the game used for avatar generation. One way to make it feel more realistic he supposed, albeit not one he approved of. As Koharu glanced at the slightly taller Jet, then at all the players around her, she felt as if the world was starting to rotate... faster, faster... until eventually, the spinning stopped, and so did she, her balance gone, and she toppled onto Jet, who helped her to a nearby set of steps to sit down.

Eventually, the remaining dizziness had worn off, and Koharu was able to talk without feeling sick again. Not that Jet would blame her. She had every right to feel sick right now, especially as, chances were, her entire world had just collapsed out from underneath her. Jet took a seat next to her, deciding that towering over her probably wasn't the best course of action right now.

''You alright? I mean, as well as can be, considering...'' Almost immediately after those words exited his mouth, he realised exactly how stupid they were. Of course she wasn't okay, none of them were! They'd only signed up to play a damn game, not wage a concerted campaign for their freedom, and that ignored the other thousands of elephants in the room...

''We're... we're gonna die here.'' Whatever light had been in Koharu's eyes earlier, was rapidly fading, and Jet knew that was a bad place to be in. It was bad enough to be trapped in this damn game, but trapped inside your own fear and neuroses... that was a far worse threat, and if Jet put any thought into it, he didn't reckon that there were any therapists amongst the remaining 9787 people...

''I... No. No, we are not.'' That thought had passed into his head too. He'd never get to see his baby sister grow up, or hell, even get his first date... but that hadn't shook him as much as the thought that replaced it - that him being in this situation was due to his own pettiness. If he hadn't tried to get bragging rights, he'd be cooking tea as per usual right now, not... well, this. Jet steeled himself, realising that right now... every single player in this game, beta tester or not, was likely in the same state.

With the whole world pulled out from underneath their feet, and downright terrified.

''Koharu, I don't know if we'll make it. I can't see the future or anything, but right now, I do know one thing. We have to push on. If not for ourselves, then for 9785 other people in this game, for those who can't be on the front of the spear for whatever reason. For those who we care for, for everyone outside who we want to get back to.'' Jet spoke, channelling the speeches he'd been so fond of when he was younger. Maybe, if nothing else, he could bring hope to the hopeless... which, as he thought about it, may have been the single most self centred thing he'd ever thought.

''You sound like a commander...'' Koharu looked at Jet, with a look that said she hadn't fully bought into his ideas, but was willing to follow him anyway. To Jet, that comparison hurt slightly. It reminded him a little too much of his father, and whilst he certainly respected the man for his service... the less said about his parenting- or lack of- the better. Besides, he was no commander either, just an idiot trying to survive a new world...

''Eh, was one in another game. Well, Squadron Leader, anyway.'' Jet remembered, a twang of guilt as he did. He'd told them he'd be online with them tomorrow... that wasn't happening anymore.

''So, what now?'' Koharu asked, looking out over the sea of desperate people. A decent number outright refused to believe that this was anything but a practical joke. It had to be, right? This sort of thing just didn't happen in real life... it was the stuff of fiction, for god's sake!

It had been the stuff of fiction.

Not anymore. Now, it was reality to them.

''We push on.'' Jet raised an uncomfortable smirk, as he began to stand up, a vain attempt at hiding just how scared he really was...

Chapter Text

Floor 1 - Chapter 1  - Brave New World

November 6th, 2022 (Day 1), Floor 1 - Aincrad, The Town of Beginnings

Despite his earlier speech to Koharu, Jet was struggling with the situation. 9787 people were now in the game, possibly fewer by now. He honestly hoped that SAO had disabled suicides, otherwise... well, that didn't bear thinking about. The screams from behind him though, seemed to suggest otherwise though. Regardless, if Sword Art Online was going to be his grave, then he'd be damned if he sat around and let everyone die. First problem first, Jet had absolutely no idea what he was doing, and realised that walking straight out into an area full of monsters wasn't a particularly clever idea, especially not with the armour they currently had. Before they even considered looking for the first boss, they'd have to start grinding like their lives depended on it... which they now did. Hopefully, the few monsters they'd taken down in the beta, and the Col they'd collected from them would allow them to get some upgrades right off the bat. Wouldn't be much, but to quote a supermarket, every little helps.

''Jet?'' - Koharu tapped him on the shoulder, before he snapped back to focus on the world around him.

''Oh, off in my own world, sorry. Just, thinking things through. I think we should head into the town itself. If nothing else, I can work out how much Col we're actually gonna need to get something with stats slightly better than paper.''

''You look... I don't really know how to explain it''

''It's fine, I'll be fine. Let's focus on levelling up, that's the only way we're gonna do anything'' - Jet shut down that particular avenue of conversation quickly.

''Agreed, but... I'm terrified. I know most people don't want to die, but now, just one slip up and we're dead. You saw how I played when we met...''

''I did, and d'ya know what I saw? I saw someone who wants to get better, and right now, that's what we need. Someone who knows their limits, but works to move those limits even further up. Which is what we honestly need right now, if we ever plan to clear this nightmare.''

''Random question, but did you write speeches?'' - Jet started chuckling at the comment.

''Nah, just good at them, years of watching Doctor Who compulsively, I suppose. But right now, we know where we stand. We've got an objective, we just need to find a way to achieve it.''

The duo walked into the merchant district, and began looking around the stalls for any indicator as to how much money they'd actually need for even just basic equipment. Roughly 500 Col, the duo worked out, to stand a fighting chance out on the Plains. Not ideal, but given they were currently on 290 Col, from the beta test, not completely unachievable either. The duo continued walking around, working out a plan of action - ''So, we need 210 Col, or more, to get everything we each need. Looking at your fighting style though, I'd suggest getting some form of stabbing weapon, a dagger or rapier, maybe.''

''You actually know your stuff, I'm impressed'' - An unfamiliar voice commented from somewhere behind Koharu, though despite Jet's best efforts in looking around, he couldn't see them, until they stepped into view.

''Thanks, who are you?''

''You can call me Argo. I'm whatcha might call an information broker. I gather info, and sell it on, and you two, well, ya look like yer on a mission out here. Tell ya what, you help me out, I can make up that extra 210 Col, and more... deal?''

''Hm, I don't-''

''Deal''

''Deal it is then. Tell us what we've just sold our souls for...''

''I'm not the devil, thank you very much. I just need your to go out to the Plains, and gather some materials that drop from the Frenzy Boars. Nothin' too bad.''

''Wait, would these materials have dropped during the beta too?''

''Uh, yeah, why?''

''Then we already have them.'' - Jet and Koharu both opened their menus and summoned the items from their inventories. - ''Ta da! Enough dead pigs that an abattoir would have to do a double take.'' - Jet would've been more theatrical, but it's hard to be overtly extra, when holding a load of deceased pig carcasses in your hands.

November 13th, 2022 (Day 7) - Floor 1, Aincrad - The Plains

''HELP! PLEASE!'' - Two players were surrounded by a number of wolves. A rather large number of bloodthirsty wolves, the first already being mauled, whilst the second was just being ragged around. Jet told himself that no matter what he did, it probably wouldn't matter now. That didn't stop him and Koharu charging in. ''COMING! MOVE!'' - Jet charged up his sword skill, as he'd taught himself during the beta, and gutted one of the virtual wolves, which got the attention of the rest of the pack. A bright blue light were the surviving player had once stood was all it took to steel any resolve Jet might have had. ''No more.'' - Jet whispered, before starting to yell - ''NOT ON MY WATCH!'' - With the grace of someone who once took a martial arts class, Jet kept the wolves off Koharu, and kept them from tearing him limb from virtual limb, until he or Koharu got round to them. The last light shone brighter than the others, or so Jet had thought... what felt like the longest 5 minutes of his life, had finally ended. Whilst he stood back up, and checked everything, he noticed his partner kneeling down, muttering about 'no blood', evidently in shock, after the trauma of watching someone die in front of them, as they fought to save them. ''Koharu?''

''I can't do it. I'm not strong.''

''Hey, look at me... I'm not strong, never have been. Hell, I'm the biggest coward IRL, I've spent years running away. You've done a lot more to be strong than I have! From a handicap, to trying to save a life. Don't knock yourself. Come on, we should get back to the town now. I'll get us some food with the spare cash, help take our minds off it, eh?'' - Jet knew that feeling all too well, that awful sense of hopelessness, blame and despair, all ganging up to destroy any sense of adequacy you had, and he wasn't going to let his partner suffer like he had. One broken teenager was far more than enough, and sadly, one broken teenager in this game, was by far and above, the absolute best case scenario...

Still, despite Jet's insistence in his head that there really had been no real chance to save that poor bastard, his mind kept replaying the moment, in vivid detail. Almost like it was taunting him with how, perhaps, in just the right conditions, he could've saved him. Eventually, he spoke up, breaking the silence between the duo - ''I used to pride myself on never losing a wingman. I intended to keep it that way...'' - Jet spoke quietly.

''What do you mean 'never lost a wingman'?''

''The last game I played was a war game. Whenever I flew, I always made sure my wingmen got back safely. Even at my own expense more than once...'' - An incident played back in Jet's head. A new member of the squadron had chronically underestimated the turning ability of another player, and within the second loop, would be dead. On cue, Jet raced past, raking the attacker with gunfire, but not destroying them. He didn't have to, but he wished he'd noticed the attacker's wingman above him... 10 seconds, and it had all been over. As it was earlier, his mind told him. He winced, and realised that, yes, 10 seconds really could get him killed now.

''Please, don't do that for me...'' - Jet didn't even have to look at her to tell she was practically pleading with him.

''I know, I know, I'm going to be far less reckless in here. Have to be, right? One wrong move, and poof, lasagne...'' - Jet mimed an explosion with his free hand.

''I don't get it, lasagne?''

''Oh right, analogy a friend used. Not important.'' - Jet used the rest of the time to think of how his siblings would be taking the news that their brother was now practically a vegetable with a bomb strapped to their head that could potentially go off at any moment.

''Jet? You kind of... well, spaced out? Are you okay?''

''Just... thinking of my family. Doubt my sisters would be too happy that I put what was basically a bomb on my head willingly. Pretty sure my brother would just say - Well that's definitely in character for you.''

''That seems harsh...''

''Eh, I am the type of person to blunder into danger, armed with nothing more than a gob and a bit of confidence, so he's not wrong.'' - Jet shrugged his shoulders, before the duo walked back to town. Despite Jet's reassurance, Koharu could tell that a lot of the bravado he put on normally were exactly that - an act. Whether that was to help her become more confident, or he did it to hide some part of himself, she really couldn't tell.

November 17th, 2022 (Day 11), Floor 1, Aincrad - Town of Beginnings

Levelling up had been going reasonably well for the duo, and both had now reached at least Level 10, Koharu hitting Level 12 earlier that day, whilst Jet was fast catching up with her. This effort had put them firmly in the higher bracket for players so far, and as a result, the duo had taken a day to practice the basics of actual sword fighting, something that Jet figured would come in handy at a later date.

To that end, Jet set up a duel. To make sure that the duel was as safe as possible, Jet had found a substitute for their usual blades... two umbrellas. Admittedly, the umbrellas were far smaller than his usual two handed sword, but it'd have to do for him.

''Okay Koharu, you understand the rules? Whoever loses the least HP is the winner, and try not to aim for my crotch please... it's really unsporting, and painful. Probably.'' - Jet wasn't entirely sure that was how pain actually worked in Sword Art Online, but he really didn't want to be the first person to find out...

''I understand all of that, but why umbrellas?'' - Koharu looked quizzically at her umbrella, before readying it as she would her rapier.

''They didn't have any training swords, and umbrellas are a surprisingly decent training weapon. Used 'em a lot when I was younger, never a good idea to let a 9 year old loose with a rapier.'' - Some part of that story sounded exactly like the type of thing that Jet wasn't exaggerating about.

Both combatants got into their ready stances, as a small crowd began watching the spectacle. Knowing his opponent, Jet theorised that Koharu would try to start with a thrusting attack, which could be easily countered, allowing a small blow to her shin, before retreating back.

[BEGIN!]

Koharu took the initiative, and made use of Jet's first tactical error - preparing for the wrong attack, a mistake he rapidly realised, when an Oberhausen smacked him upside the head. He quickly felt happy that he had chosen umbrellas... with a sword, that would've done some serious damage. His thoughts were interrupted as a follow up strike hit him under the chin, before a thrusting strike, meant to break his defence, was countered, allowing Jet to finally land a blow on his adversary.

[END!]

Between the two of them, it didn't take a pundit to see who had won. Jet had lost approximately 10% of his health, whilst Koharu had lost less than 3%. Most people would think that Jet had been going easy on his partner, but to anyone who knew how they fought, it was obvious that Jet actually struggled to form a valid counter to Koharu's agility. Between the two of them, they complimented each other's fighting styles: Jet was fast, and capable of taking the blows, but far less capable of dishing them back out, relying instead on the large two handed sword he used to guard against attacks, and wait for an opening, whilst Koharu, using a far lighter rapier, could easily dodge incoming attacks, and was fast enough to dish our her own strikes at a blistering pace, thus making her own opening.

''Well, I think that was conclusive.'' - Jet rubbed his head out of reflex, completely ignoring that very few sword strikes would actually cause the victim pain.

''I actually won!'' - The look on her face was initially one of surprise, but that rapidly became one of glee.

''Good show there. Actually threw me for a loop at first. But see? You were saying you weren't strong, you analysed what I'd done, and thought up a plan in... what? A few seconds, at most. That's not nothing, Koharu. Don't sell yourself short.'' - Jet shot her a look of pride at what she'd achieved, as some members of the crowd began to applaud the duo. ''Is it bad that I didn't actually notice we had a crowd?'' - Both of them weren't entirely sure how to act. The usually confident Jet rubbed his neck, as he looked around the crowd, embarrassed at the applause, whilst Koharu had turned bright red, and looked as if she were ready to shrink away from the crowd.

As the pair walked away, to go and get food, they neglected to notice the girl in a maid pose, stood against the wall of a local inn, watching them intently and trying to listen in to their conversation - something about the food being worse than a 'dodgy takeaway in Knowle West'. Whatever that meant. Still, she wanted to see them in action. If both of them were that confident to hold a duel in town, they'd be absolutely fantastic in an actual battle...

Chapter Text

Floor 1 - Chapter 2 - When The Going Gets Tough...

~ November 6th, 2022 - 01:32am (GMT) - Brislington, Bristol, England ~

'Breaking news coming out of Japan now, as the Japanese government have confirmed that the sales of the game, Sword Art Online, have been indefinitely suspended, after the developer, Kayaba Akihiko, published a manifesto on his future of virtual reality gaming. The Japanese government have confirmed that around 200 people have already perished, and although these deaths are considered suspicious, they have not confirmed nor denied the involvement of the NerveGear system. The planned expansion of the system to other territories is now looking extremely unlikely, although no retailer has confirmed any cancellation of their orders yet. We'll hope to have more on this story, as it develops. In other news, the Prime Minister has caused outrage amongst...' - Unsurprisingly, the BBC had been the first to make any real announcement of the ongoing situation... Sam looked back at his phone, currently lighting up his darkened room. - ''I did say that would happen! Well, Mike owes me a trip to Japan now.'' - Sam looked awfully pleased at himself for a few seconds, before realising how awful of a person he currently sounded. God knows what those families were going through, and here he was, happy that he'd won a bet made when the other person wasn't really paying attention. ''Though, I should probably message him, check he's okay. Eh, I'll do it in the-YAWN- morning.'' - He dropped back to sleep, forgetting that morning for him was, in fact, early evening for his best friend...

~ Later that day... ~

Sam thought back to the old saying 'When it rains, it pours'. In this case, it felt less like rain, and more like a hurricane. The NerveGear incident, as some commentators had started referring to it, was far more wide ranging than he (and the BBC) initially believed - at least 10,000 copies of the game had been distributed, and around 10,000 players had logged in upon launch. It was now known that around 310 players had died, and that the game itself was the trigger for the deaths, rather than a defect in the console, as he'd previously believed, alongside the fact that his idiot of a best friend was amongst them. ''Michael, you'd better survive this. Because if you don't... I suspect your sisters are going to kill you.'' - was all he could muster, in response to that news.

~ November 8th, 2022 - Narita International Airport, Tokyo. ~

Gabriella had seen a lot of things for a 25 year old. She'd seen the carnage wrought by a pointless war, the aftermath of the air disaster that claimed her parents, and left her and her younger brother orphaned, but even for a reporter, the idea that Tron might actually have become reality was... well, just a bit unlikely. Her boss had sent her to Tokyo to report on what was being labelled as a stunt, albeit one in rather poor tastes, by the vast majority of the internet, and quite a few politicians, though a PR stunt was still a more likely option than some commentators had made it seem - the one about it being proof of a US plot to steal artificial intelligence technology had raised a slight laugh out of her, before realising that some people probably actually did believe that.

Unlike her younger brother, she did try to see the best in humanity... it was just unfortunate that she often reported on the worst of it. Still, she hadn't seen him since he'd moved over to Naha, so maybe she could take a day out to go and see him, and her adoptive siblings... assuming the girls hadn't roped him into yet another misadventure. Having to report on the last one, where her dopey brother had fell out of a window whilst wearing an Oculus Rift was just embarrassing.

"Y'ello? Gabriella Edmondson speaking."

"Sis, it's Ell, Michael's in hospital. He..."

"He fell out a window again, didn't he?" - This was odd, Ell was usually the stoic one, and yet, she sounded almost in tears.

"He's... he's in that Sword Art Online game."

"Oh." - Those words hit like a ton of bricks. Her only blood relative was now... well...

"Is that it! Your brother is trapped in a death game, and all you can muster is 'oh', like someone told you that your bag's open!?" - Her sister shouted, with enough volume to generate static.

"No, it's just that... well, I'm supposed to report on it. I... well, I can't really be impartial now, can I!"

"Since when were the media impartial anyway..." - Ell mumbled under her breath.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that, Ell. Where is he?"

"A hospital in Tokyo, I'll message you with the address."

"I'll pop by later..."

~ Meanwhile, a few days later, in Aincrad ~

"Jet?" - A hand waved ahead of his face, snapping him out of his daze.

"Oh, right. What's up?"

"You've been like that for 20 minutes now, what's up?"

"Just wondering about my family. Still, if nothing else, Gabby'll be thrilled to get a big scoop for once. Think she's still pissy about being sent to Kabul last year..." - Michael thought back to the phone call from the terminal in Heathrow. The swearing that came down the phone on that one would've made a sailor in Portsmouth blush...

"Who's Gabby?" - Koharu looked at her partner quizzically.

"My eldest sister, she's a reporter. Hope this has given her something to work with." - How that was one of Jet's biggest concerns, she would never understand...

~ Tokyo, November 16th, 2022. ~

Yeah, this was going at the top of her 'Things I never wanted to see' list. Possibly just about edging out the footage of a live execution, which she still had nightmares about, and the CGI reconstruction of her parents fateful trip. Her brother looked oddly well, for someone in another world, but she knew from what that lunatic Kayaba had mentioned, that even the slightest damage to the internal workings of the NerveGear could cause... unusual glitches. Some were relatively minor, almost like lag, others far more serious, including loss of eyesight, and possibly just killing the user outright. Hopefully, Michael was sensible enough to keep safe, and wasn't doing anything too daft... what was she saying? This was her brother... yeah, he won't be too far from the frontlines. "Why do younger siblings never listen" - she thought aloud to no one in particular. Still, hopefully, he'd survive this, and Sword Art Online would be over soon, right?

~ Meanwhile, a few days later, in Aincrad ~

"Who'd have thought a piece of bread would be the meal to make our days..."

"It's a bit... umm, solid." - Koharu looked at the item with hesitation, whilst Jet bit into the bread... and almost immediately regretted it, as his teeth failed to do any real damage to the item.

"We didn't pick up rocks by mistake, did we?"

"I don't think so, at least..." - A quiet giggle from just across from them, as Jet just looked around for anything that might resemble food at this point, interrupted the pair.

"Sorry, I was just listening to you. It's nice to hear people talking about normal things. Empty stomachs, terrible food, you name it." - The girl giggling was young, probably younger than them by a little bit, with black hair and blue eyes, and clad in the starter gear.

''Normal things, huh. No monsters, no quests... just normal, everyday stuff.'' - Koharu spoke wistfully at the idea.

''Chance'd be a fine thing.'' - Jet mumbled, still in pain from the breaded brick he'd just bitten into.

''Exactly! Just talking about nothing. It's almost relaxing to hear that here. I'm all for it!''

''So, umm, you're always round here, right? Are you alone?''

''Oh, no, I'm here with my IRL friends from school. We're all just split up at the moment. Do you mind if I talk to you for a bit, you're kind of the talk of the group lately.'' - Both Jet and Koharu looked a bit surprised, enough to speak in unison - ''We are?''

''There's talk about how you're out on the front lines, even though you're only about our age. I saw you from a distance during that duel, we were all pretty impressed.''

''I'm nothing to admire, I just follow Jet around... kind of embarrassing really...'' - Jet gave Koharu a sincere smile, trying to tell her not to sell herself short. If she did understand the intent, she didn't show it. - ''Oh, right! Almost forgot! I'm Koharu, and that there, is Jet.'' - Jet gave a small salute as he considered the pros and cons of attempting to eat something with the stats of a rock.

''Right, well... I'm Sachi, nice to meet you both! You two haven't eaten yet, right?'' - Jet almost frantically shook his head - ''Here, have some of this.'' - A sandwich was handed to the pair, and divvied up by Koharu. Much like a human vacuum cleaner, Jet hoovered up the sandwich. Koharu, in contrast to her partner, was more methodical... but in either case, the sandwich barely lasted a minute. - ''Hehe, you two really are something, huh?''

''Yup, that was literally the best meal I've had here.'' - Jet summarised, wiping his mouth.

''Agreed, that was really good!'' - Koharu presented the more civilised image of the partnership. - ''Hey, Sachi? Can I ask something?''

''Uh, sure, go ahead.''

''Why didn't you go with your friends?''

''Uhh... well...'' - Jet saw the girl fidget awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable at the question.

''Oh sorry, you don't have to answer if you don't want to, didn't mean to push you.''

''No... no, it's fine. It's weird, right? I'm just... afraid of fighting. Just the sight of a monster, and I freeze up. I'm holding everyone else up too.'' - Jet sighed, realising that what Sachi described wasn't anything to be ashamed of, just basic human nature. Most people weren't going to be all that capable of throwing themselves onto a battlefield, and coming out unscathed, be that physically or mentally. Much less children and teenagers... - ''So my friends said I should use a long spear to fight from a distance, until I'm used to it. That's where they've gone... to earn money to buy one, so that I can fight alongside them.'' - Koharu looked at the younger girl in sympathy, understanding her own hesitance in battle. Maybe if she hadn't had someone like Jet, willing to take the lead in a fight, she'd be in the same situation. - ''If I wasn't such a chicken, I wouldn't have caused them so much trouble...''

''They're your friends, right? I'd put money on them not seeing it that way. I certainly don't. You're scared, and right now, that is perfectly normal. You're afraid, but did anyone ever tell you, fear is a superpower. Fear can make you faster, cleverer and stronger... and uhh, I've kind of forget the rest of that speech actually, but that whole 'Don't be afraid' thing. Nah, be afraid, but use it wisely. Everyone's scared, Sachi. Both of us are, even if we don't look it currently, and I'd take a wild guess that everyone in this town is afraid right now. Maybe it's this game... maybe it's for their loved ones back home. Maybe it's neither of those things, but just remember that, being scared doesn't make you a chicken. Feathers and a beak make you a chicken.'' - Sometimes, Jet could curse his sense of humour, but the fact that someone nearby had started applauding his little speech sort of suggested that maybe improvising did help even pretty mediocre speeches sometimes.

''Is there anything we can do to help? Where are your friends now?'' - Koharu asked, as Jet looked around at the people now staring in his general direction.

''They're out in the Plains, they're doing a quest. There's 4 of them, so they should be okay, but they have trouble with monsters they've never seen before.''

''Okay then, Jet, how about we go gather info on the monsters, and you could give that to them? Even new monsters shouldn't be too bad if you know what to expect, right?''

''Really?! You'd do that for us?'' - Sachi's tone become upbeat at the kindness being shown.

''Yup, call it thanks for the lunch.'' - Jet answered, turning away from the amassing crowd behind him.

''Alright, if you really don't mind... be careful out there though, please.''

''You just wait here for us!'' - For once, Koharu took the lead, and Jet followed in tow...

~ About an hour later ~

The pair had just finished gathering data on the last lot of enemies in the Plains, and were preparing to head back. ''Hey, Koharu?'' - Jet asked, as he sheathed his sword.

''Hm, yes?''

''You know earlier you said you just followed me around?''

''Yeah...'' - Koharu looked down unhappily, almost expecting some form of telling off.

''You don't, you know that, right?''

''You always give off this... I don't know, vibe. The hero, and the speeches don't do anything to dissuade that image either. It's hard to feel like I'm anything more than a hanger on when you do all of this. I know I sound pathetic, but...'' - Jet placed his hands on his partner's shoulders.

''You took the lead then. All of that fighting just, that was you, not me, leading. Earlier, with Sachi, you took the lead then. I made a speech, sure, but that was it. The rest of it was you. I suppose, what I'm saying is... please don't think that way, you're my partner, and my friend, after all. We're equals, not a commander and his subordinate.''

''You really think I was leading?''

''Doing a better job of it than I do most of the time too.'' - Koharu shrunk down slightly, and grew increasingly more red under the praise - ''Still, think we should get back to Sachi now, don't you?'' - And with that, the duo headed back to the plaza, in the Town of Beginnings...

''Thanks, by the way.'' - Koharu uttered quietly, around 10 minutes after they'd set off.

''You're welcome... umm, what for though?''

''For believing in me. I'd probably still be in the town, if it weren't for you...''

''Same to you too. I know I act all confident an' all that, but... well, it's nice to have someone to talk to, have a laugh and joke with, just... I dunno, be a teenager with.''

''I can't imagine you being any other way though...''

~ Town of Beginnings, Aincrad - Floor 1 ~

The duo took up their seats next to Sachi, where they gave her all the information on the enemy attack and defence patterns that they could get. - ''Wow, that's a lot of information! I'm sure the others will be grateful, thank you so much for this!''

''Eh, no big deal. Just doing our bit to help out, every little helps, right?''

''I'll be sure to tell them when they get back. They wanted to meet you, but they've just gone on a quest. Talk about bad timing, huh.''

''We'll run into them soon enough, I bet''

''I'll be sure to introduce you next time!'' - As the three of them continued to just chat amongst themselves, a tall... well, by Japanese standards at least, man walked up to them. Usually, that wouldn't really be that uncommon, but this particular one had blue hair, meaning he stood out amongst the players in the Town of Beginnings. - ''I'm impressed. You two went out of your way, not only to help this young lady, but made sure not to ask for any payment for the task, sharing the information freely, and fairly. Considering that, in this world, knowledge can save lives, you may have saved a number today. I hope you continue to act in this way.''

''Umm, thanks... friend of yours, Sachi?''

''Uhh, no, I've never seen him before...''

''Oh, where are my manners? I am Diavel. Salutations.''

''Hello.'' - Sachi said quietly, but politely.

''Right...'' - Koharu commented, apprehensively.

''Awl rite.'' - Jet commented in a neutral, and almost disinterested tone, his natural accent breaking through, much to the surprise of Sachi and Diavel, both of whom had now seen a Bristolian speaking fluent Japanese. Needless to say, the result sounded weird.

''I am gathering forces to take on the floor boss in battle with me. If any of you are willing to join, head over to Tolbana. I will be awaiting you there. Bring yourselves, your friends, and share this message with anyone who will fight for our cause! With that, I'm off!'' - Diavel departed, as the three teenagers just looked at each other blankly. ''The floor boss is the toughest monster around, right? That's way out of our league. We're not ready for anything like that yet...''

''It's not like me and Jet are that strong either, but it sounds more like he wants to gather people. Strength in numbers, right?''

''Pretty much, it's your call Koharu. You want to head over to Tolbana, or...''

''I think we should, at least hear him out.''

''You two are going?''

''Can't hurt to hear what he has to say.''

''If you do go to face the boss, promise me you'll make it out alive, won't you?''

''Sachi, we...''

''On my life, we will.'' - Jet held his hand over his virtual heart.

''Okay then, that's a promise, don't go breaking it now!'' - Jet gave a small salute to Sachi, as they walked towards the gate for the Plains. Tolbana was at least a 3 hour journey on foot, and that was without any monsters. The pair walked out of the gates onto the Plains, as Jet commented - ''Well, once more unto the breach, Koharu...''

Chapter Text

Floor 1 - Chapter 3 - Mission of Mercy

~Around 00:30am, December 1st, 2022 (Day 25), Central Tolbana~

It'd been a long day for the duo, as they'd walked the distance from the Town of Beginnings, to Tolbana, around 5 miles away. Not really that far, he thought - 'About the same distance from mine to Winterbourne... oh. That is actually further than I thought'. That distance had been made even longer by having to stop multiple times to dispatch enemies, or to have a bite to eat, as well as the monster filled Horunka Woods being slap bang in their path. At normal pace, they'd have made the journey in just shy of three or four hours, but at their pace... it was surprising they'd made it before the sun began to set. The duo had managed to find rooms in an inn in the town itself, and whilst they were fairly utilitarian, they'd do for a home base. They'd made sure they were well fed, and Jet had made sure Koharu had settled in well, before returning to his room for the night.

In the real world, Michael had some form of insomnia. Unfortunately for him, this also meant Jet suffered from it seemingly, as it was now after midnight, and he was wandering around the town, some two hours after he'd laid down in an attempt to get some sleep. Unsurprisingly, the Town of Tolbana was deserted, with only a few people around, and no one he knew, certainly.

All of which made it all the more confusing to see a young girl sat at the nearby fountain crying silently. For what it was worth, Jet wasn't great with kids, although even he knew that a child crying silently was usually a bad sign. Crying meant that they wanted attention for some reason, but crying silently meant that they just couldn't stop, and not being good with kids aside, it was still more than enough to make him feel guilty about ignoring them. He approached the young girl, trying to look as non threatening as possible. If they weren't an NPC, they were stuck here too, and if that possibility terrified an adult, he'd rather not consider what effect it'd have on a young child...

''Hey, you alright... okay, stupid question. Course you aren't, what's up?'' - Jet tried to sound as kind as he could, unintentionally sounding a bit Scottish, an achievement for someone from Bristol. A quest marker popped up above the child's head. - ''My sister, she's... she's really ill, mister. We need herbs for medicine, could you help us by gathering them from the Quest Plains, please?'' - Ah, they were an NPC. Well, that existential crisis averted, Jet wondered why the game's system had only spawned them now, rather than when far more players were about, but he hadn't reached any real conclusion before he accepted the quest. He felt that, even with Koharu asleep, it was a fairly simple quest to defeat only 5 wasps. Piece of cake, he thought...

~Around 03.10am, December 1st, 2022 (Day 25), Quest Plains~

Sometimes, he could turn around and slap himself. This was one of those times - ''Piece of cake'' - he'd said, completely forgetting his own allergies to wasps. Luckily, SAO hadn't modelled that particular aspect of reality. Oh, the irony wasn't lost on him that a game of death had made what should've been a fatal situation, into a minor inconvenience. While that was helpful, he was still surrounded by wasps, and with his health being whittled down at an ever increasing rate, he really could have done with a chance to break out of the encirclement...

"Rrrargh!" - A fourth wasp disappeared into polygons, as a seventh and eighth took it's place. Jet's breathing was becoming more erratic as he fought on, relying on adrenaline and conviction alone to continue.

''INCOMING!'' - a female voice shouted, as Jet saw the distinctive light of a sword skill charging up. It took a split second to process that little piece of information, before he leapt out of the path of the incoming blade. The fifth wasp disappeared into polygons, and the others decided that the newcomer was a far greater threat. Jet quickly used that tactical error to his advantage, tearing three of them out of existence, whilst the newcomer took out another three.

Within minutes, all eight had been dealt with, and Jet focused on getting some of his breath back, and thanking the person who'd leapt in to save him. A girl, probably around his age, say mid to late teens, with bright red hair. Jet remembered that there were items that basically functioned as hair dye, so a perfect red wasn't as out there as it may have been on day one. The irony that the boy with what was now orange hair was the one thinking of this, wasn't lost on him either. Seemingly, the game hadn't scanned in ginger very well, leaving it a funny shade of bronze in some lights, and orange in others. He did have to admit though, the red hair suited the girl beautifully, and that right now, the mix of hormones, adrenaline and exhaustion were making sure his thought process was absolutely frazzled.

''Much obliged back there, thought I was gonna need something a bit stronger than my epi-pen then...'' - Jet quipped, trying to hide the shaking he was now suffering from, and his own inexperience around the fairer sex.

''Pozhaluysta, I'm Rain.'' - the red haired girl spoke with a faint Russian accent, only obvious by the use of a Russian introduction, as she bowed towards him, before returning to a stance similar to that of a maid.

"Privet, ya Dzhet. Rad vstreche." - Jet bowed, and answered in... considerably less than perfect Russian. Turns out a Bristolian, used to speaking in Japanese, then swapping to Russian, sounds just a little strange.

"Ty govorish' po-russki?" - Rain answered in surprise.

"Gm, net. YA prosto znayu, kak skazat' to i eto po-russki." - Jet looked awkwardly at the sky, regretting not actually learning more Russian than "Hello, I'm [insert name]. Nice to meet you".

"Izvinite." - Rain apologised in embarrassment at the situation.

"Nah, probably shouldn't try to be as clever as I act sometimes. Thanks for the save with those wasps, by the way. I got a bit too overconfident there." - He said, in what might have been the understatement of the century.

"What exactly leads someone into the fields at 3 in the morning on their own?"

"I could ask the same of you, but... a quest to help an ill child. Needed to gather materials, and my partner had already gone to sleep, so..."

''So you went on a quest, on your own, at night, with no assistance, all because you didn't want to wake your partner up?'' - She wasn't entirely sure whether that was really sweet... or really stupid. She settled on somewhere in between the two extremes. Quite sweet, but also really stupid.

''Well, when you put it like that, it does sound a little daft. Anyway - YAWN - uhh, I should probably get back to Tolbana, as it is... bloody hell, it's 4am! I have to be up at 8, so I guess this is goodbye for now. Dosvedanya!" - Jet took off at full sprint, realising that Koharu might be more than a little worried if she woke up, with him nowhere to be found.

"Dosvedanya." - Rain shouted after him. Even if she hadn't been able to ask him to join up with her, she had a name for her mysterious warrior - Jet, and where he was staying. All of that meant he'd likely be attending the boss meeting tomorrow. Maybe she'd get chance then...

~About 4 hours later~

8am rolled around, and unsurprisingly, Jet was knackered. The fight last night had left him exhausted, and his own concern for timekeeping had meant he hadn't actually checked if Rain had gotten back to safety. Or more generally, even added her to his friends list. Still, that quest had been cleared, and whilst the young girl was an NPC, Jet felt a little bit happier knowing that the girl's sister was on the mend, at least to him. For the first time in a while, the cocky smile he hid behind was replaced with a more genuine one. Even if it was only one person, he'd actually made a difference.

"Jet? Are you alright, you kind of seemed... not here for a moment?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine, just a little tired, that's all."

"Didn't sleep well." - She'd made sure that wasn't phrased as a question, a knowing look on her face.

"Yeah, shame we've not got coffee here, I'd be fine" - Jet joked, as his partner just shook her head, and laughed along. - "You want to go and get a bite to eat?"

"You're paying, after going out questing last night." - For once, it was Koharu smirking, rather than Jet. To Jet, it was honestly unsettling.

"Fair eno- wait! You were asleep, how'd you know I was out last night?" - Exactly what she'd said took a few moments to register with the exhausted teen.

"Quest log. I'd have remembered doing a quest involving children.'' - Jet held his hands to his face. - ''Please don't do something stupid like that again. You told me we're a team, so if you do a quest, I'll be there to back you up." - Despite the words, the tone was less like a telling off, taking the tone of a concerned friend.

"Yeah, I know." - Jet looked down, almost like a guilty child. He'd told Koharu they were a team, after all, so maybe he should be taking his advice. - ''Didn't want to wake you though... wouldn't want you losing out on your beauty sleep, after all.'' - Jet gave the most smug, pleased with himself grin possible, before bursting out laughing himself.

"Ever the gentleman..." - Koharu joked, as the pair walked towards the closest restaurant. Jet looked back, as he swore he saw a moving shadow. One that wasn't his. Despite spending a few seconds looking around, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Maybe the lack of sleep was getting to him, after all.

Still, later today, the pair would be at the strategy meeting, which would signify the real start of the game...

Chapter Text

Floor 1 - Chapter 4 - Divided, We Stand.

~December 2nd, 2022 (Day 26), Floor 1, Aincrad - Tolbana ~

Arriving at the coliseum, the duo took up their seats somewhere around the middle of the stadium. Around them were some people they'd seen about, some they didn't recognise and some who clearly wanted to keep to themselves.

''Ah, brilliant! More of you have decided to heed my call! I must say, I'm relieved to have more help to take on the floor boss!''

''We... umm, we haven't decided yet. We just came to hear you out.'' - Jet looked around like someone walking into a talk at an open day, ten minutes after the talk had started, feeling all eyes on the pair.

''Well, I must say, it's refreshing.'' - That response caught both of them off guard - ''You wanted to fully hear me out before you made a decision. That shows you're serious about this. After all, this is a boss we're facing, it's nothing like the small fry we've all faced. It's a danger like no other. But... that is exactly why we should all be working together now! To defeat it! We need to show everyone in the Town of Beginnings that this game can be beat! We need to give them hope! If we can do that, then others will follow in our footsteps. This battle isn't about us, it's about hope! That is what I am fighting for. I only hope you feel the same. How about it, you two?'' - Jet thought back to the first few moments after the announcement, and the speech he'd given to his partner. He remembered the screaming, and the terror in the air... then their failure to save those two players on the Plains... then the looks of hope he'd seen after their duel.

''I'm in, I can't speak for Koharu though.''

''I am. I think Diavel's right, we need to fight for hope.''

''Excellent!''

Settling in, as a few more people filtered in, the combined anxiety in the room was palpable. None more so than Koharu's, who was looking around, and then back down at the ground. ''Koharu?''

''Sorry, I'm just wondering if I belong here... I mean, everyone else here was on the front lines, they've got experience. It's just daunting, I suppose.''

''So have you, though.'' - Jet would've gone into a speech, but Diavel began his instead.

''Now then! I suppose it's time we got started! Thank you all for attending. My name is Diavel, and I play as a Knight... at least in spirit!'' - As complete newbies to any form of RPG, both Jet and Koharu had yet to grasp that SAO didn't actually have a job system... until someone shouted it out from below. ''Even in VR, there's no escaping hecklers...'' - Jet thought, whilst rolling his eyes at the interruption.

''Diavel really is like a storybook knight, isn't he? I think it suits him though.''

''Hopefully he's more Galahad, less Mordred...'' - Jet muttered, barely loud enough to be heard by his partner, over the raucous crowd.

''Settle down please, settle down... Today, our party discovered the boss room at the top of the labyrinth. Tomorrow, we will make our move on the boss, and WE! WILL! CLEAR! THIS! FLOOR! We will show everyone back in the Town of Beginnings that this game can be cleared, and we will give them hope! That is the duty of all of us gathered here today! Are you with me!'' - Jet immediately made a note to ask Diavel to give him lessons on public speaking, whilst a cacophony of whoops and war cries came from the gathered crowd. ''Right then! Let's get to discussing our strate-''

''NOW HOLD UP JUST A MINUTE!'' - A particularly loud, and nasally voice yelled out. The type of voice you'd expect from a particularly insufferable teacher, or more accurately... metal grinding against a chalkboard. - ''I'm Kibaou, got that?!'' - Jet had got that... but almost immediately discarded it, deciding that the man in front of everyone was, in fact, a complete nutter. The hairdo certainly agreed with Jet's hypothesis, and his current ramblings on beta testers were backing it up nicely. Currently ranting on about dragging them all down to the front, and stripping them... Jet had tuned out after that, but hopefully he meant of their money, and wasn't just a gigantic pervert. Despite Jet dismissing him, he noticed his partner looking quite worried, expecting to be dragged down there, and subject to mob justice, just for being a beta tester, and decided to try and take her mind off it, even just temporarily - ''Think we should call the nearest village?''

''Why?''

''They might want to know that their idiot's missing.'' - Koharu elbowed Jet to get him to shut up, but not before Jet noticed a small, but uneasy smile on her face at the joke. He'd count that as a success.

''HEY! Wanna say that to my face?!'' - Great, the hairdon't had heard him. Oh well, he had things to say, and he was going to say them. Just helped that he was about to face the village numpty personally. Koharu looked at him, shaking her head, to advise him he was about to make a colossal mistake, and that he probably wasn't worth it.

''Okay then.'' - Jet got up and walked down to the front of the auditorium. - ''They might want to know their idiot's missing.'' - Admittedly, Jet was mostly bravado, but Kibaou wasn't exactly too physically intimidating either. Being 6 foot tall in Japan had many downsides... but had the main upside that you were at least significantly taller than the average, and as a result, towered over people. Not ideal when you want them to like you, but right now? Very ideal. ''You're one of them beta testers, aren't ya! Look at you, lording it over the rest of us!''

''Whoopee dee doo, well done! No really, you act like any of us were hiding it...'' - Had Jet actually looked around, he'd have noticed at least five people shifting around uncomfortably.

''You want to make up for all the crap ya pulled? Then give us the money to make it up!'' - Kibaou pointed up to Jet's face. Jet just rolled his eyes at the implied threat.

''You really should lead a church... you'd make a televangelist blush with how damn blatant you are. 'Give us money' or what? You'll drag me to the front and take it? Newsflash... I'm already stood in front of you, so go on then. Prove you aren't just bravado... Also, didn't your parents ever tell, it's rude to point.'' - Jet picked up on the most minor issue, and completely ignored the elephant in the room.

''You bastards don't care about anyone who died. You're just a self serving stain!'' - Jet looked down, in shame. That wasn't wrong, he could've probably charged in to save some poor bastard that had gotten a bit too big for their boots, and had paid the ultimate price for it, but at the risk of dying himself, and getting Koharu killed. Hell, he'd made the exact same mistake last night, getting arrogant and needing to have his arse hauled out of the fire by someone else. Expecting the probably now very dwindling number of beta testers to be able to save every single person though? Never mind unfeasible, that was impossible. The whole thing put a sour taste in Jet's mouth, and a scowl formed on his face.

''Two thousand, one hundred and thirteen. Excluding the 213 people that died before we could do anything about it, that makes 1900 people exactly. Two of which were in front of my eyes, as I tried to save them.''

''What?''

''How many people have died. I counted. If I'm self serving, then so be it, but don't tar everyone with the same brush. That guide that you oh so clearly haven't read? I'd take a guess that it was a beta tester who produced it, and I'd put money on that being one of the only reasons that number isn't higher. Oh, one more thing, whilst I'm at it? How many of those 1900 people were beta testers? The ones who, wrongly, but honestly believed they stood a chance at actually helping people by charging on ahead? Just to leave you something to think about...'' - Jet looked over at the blue knight - ''Sorry about that, Diavel, but I think it needed to be said. Back over to you.'' - Jet walked back up to Koharu, and sat down silently. ''Jet...'' - Koharu looked at her partner, who was looking down at his feet, and continued to do so for the rest of the meeting, listening, but never once looking up. The meeting carried on for another 40 minutes, before everyone had said their piece, and the majority of people had left the auditorium. Jet continued sitting there, even whilst he thought everyone else had gone

''Worst part of that, he wasn't entirely wrong. Maybe we should be doing more for everyone else... but then we hit a catch 22. We do more, people become far more dependent on us, we get worn down even more, and eventually, we slip up. We're human, after all. Plus, I put one person's safety above helping far more people.'' - Koharu had no idea what to do now. In the month and a bit she'd known Jet, he always had a response, and always kept his head up. Now though, being confronted with his own morality, and the expectations of others, he looked forlorn.

''If you want someone else's opinion? No, you did what you thought was right.'' - Jet looked up and around, to see a black haired teenager, probably a bit younger than him, and a girl wearing a thick brown cloak, sitting behind the duo. ''Yeah. Just wish I could shake that feeling though. I know it's not my fault, I mean, there's nearly seven thousand people left, and I can't account for every beta tester, but at the same time...''

''You feel some form of responsibility, as someone with experience, and that weighs on you.'' - the cloaked girl stated.

''We, uhh, didn't get your names?''

''Kirito.'' - The boy answered. The girl simply shrugged.

''Jet. That's Koharu.''

Realising that moping was probably going to get him nowhere, Jet went to leave the auditorium, about 15 minutes after everyone else, even Koharu, who he'd advised that he'd follow behind in a few minutes. Except Diavel, who'd seemingly been waiting at the front for that time...

''I must say, that was a rather impassioned outburst earlier.'' - Well, now it was time to get torn to shreds for it, anyway. Not the first time he'd made a speech, and gotten into trouble for it anyway... he still remembered that speech at school, and getting two weeks detention for it. - ''Still, Kibaou was out of line with his rhetoric... even if he wasn't wrong. At least, not fully. The beta testers... well, some of them, did do exactly that. But those were the ones who believed they could take on the world, and... I don't think I need to tell you two where those testers are now.'' - Koharu looked horrified, whilst Jet just gritted his teeth. - ''I realise that you two are former beta testers yourselves, and so, his rhetoric would impact you personally... but I don't believe you did what you did selfishly. I think you didn't want people to be scapegoated, and so, you stuck your own neck out for them. People who likely wouldn't be grateful, or even aware of what you did.'' - Jet gave a look that suggested Diavel had actually thought about that more than he had, but said nothing. - ''You know what Diavel means?''

''It's Devil in... Italian, I think?'' - Jet said, although it came out mostly as a question, rather than an answer.

''Huh. Never expected anyone to get that.''

''Had friends who used to swear in Italian, simply so the teachers never caught them. I kinda picked some stuff up.''

''I'd planned this account to be a way of blowing off steam, certainly a lot meaner than I am now'' - Jet tried to picture that, and failed spectacularly. - ''But when, well... you know, started? I took off and levelled up as fast as I could. I knew all of the grinding spots, and all of the short cuts to get where I am. I'm not proud of it, I was selfish, and definitely not befitting a knight.''

''Dunno, you ever read some of the Arthurian legends? Pretty realistic behaviour for some of the knights, and definitely in the case of real ones. It's just the storybook ones that it's not.'' - Jet thought back to actually reading some of the stories in the school library... the more realistic ones, and they really were something...

''Well, in any case, I realised that we needed a symbol of hope. A group, almost like the Round Table, the strongest players in the game, all uniting to clear the game, and give everyone hope, all under a strong leader.'' - To Jet, that wasn't so much the Round Table, as it were The Avengers, but the point stood.

''Yeah, I can't say I'd have ever tried to organise anything like this...'' - Jet was good at speeches at an individual level, but scaling that up, and combining it with social anxiety... a good leader, that does not make.

''Jet! There you are! Thought you said you'd only be a few minutes behind...'' - Koharu looked genuinely annoyed at her partner, as he offered a slightly dim looking smile back at her. - ''Ehh, got side-tracked talking, sorry about that. Cheers for the talk, Diavel.''

''I'm glad it helped you, I shall see you both tomorrow, I assume?''

''You can count on it.''

Chapter Text

Floor 1 - Boss - Ilfang the Kobold Lord

December 2nd, 2022 (Day 26) - Floor 1, Tolbana Inn, Aincrad

Daylight was taking hold of the town of Tolbana when Jet had awoken from the land of the sleep deprived. Admittedly, last night had been his first decent night's sleep in nearly 2 weeks... and of course, it would also be the night when he was most stressed out. Everything yesterday hadn't helped, and the impending boss battle was continuing to weigh on his mind. Without checking the HUD, Jet reasoned it was around 8am, given the still rising sun, and the fact it was December.

Hauling himself out of the bed, Jet repeated a mantra he'd used to make it easier to get out of bed at home - ''Sun is shining in the sky, there ain't a cloud in sight. It's stopped raining, everybody's in the play... and don't you know, it's a beautiful new day, hey.'' - It didn't exactly make it any easier to get up, but if nothing else, for once, it was at least accurate. Jet thought back to the days he'd repeated it during a blizzard, and wasn't entirely sure which was more depressing: not being able to get up, or singing about it being a beautiful day, whilst there were inches of snow on the ground.

Still, today would be perhaps the most pivotal day of his life so far, and whether he liked it or not, any actions he took during the day would affect everyone going onwards... no pressure then.

After a few minutes of psyching himself up, and getting ready for this, Jet walked out into the square, to find his partner waiting, and looking equally as anxious he felt. - ''Morning, Koharu.''

''Oh, you're here... sorry, just thinking...''

''About this, or home?''

''Both really. Do you think we can do this?''

''This boss, or?''

''Everything.''

''I'd be lying if I said I was optimistic right now, but I know I'll fight to my last breath, if it comes down to it. That's all I can do, protect those who need it, and fight those who stand in our way to freedom.''

''You know how you're late... you weren't practicing speeches, were you?''

''Not unless you count the pep talks I was giving myself.'' - Jet's usual brand of sarcastic retort was nowhere to be found, replaced by a more self loathing tone.

Thankfully, the knight and his group arrived in the square, and summoned everyone over, before Koharu could ask any questions. ''Morning!'' - How someone could be that upbeat at half 8, in a world without coffee, Jet would likely never know.

One labyrinth later...

The clearing force approached the boss room. The intimidating concrete structure was only the first horrifying thing to look at... the murals to the side depicted a grisly fate to anyone who grew brave... or stupid enough, to take on the Kobold Lord. The last group appeared to have been... was that them being flayed, or them being beheaded, the image wasn't particularly clear. In his mind, Jet gave a small number of points to Kayaba, simply for details like that... stuff that no one really paid attention to. Had Jet been paying any more attention... he'd have noticed the blade being used in the murals. It wasn't a scimitar...

''Is everyone ready?'' - A ragtag collection of shouts came from the party. Jet looked over to Koharu, and smiled, before uttering one sentence as the massive door inched open - ''Well, here goes nothing...''

Ilfang the Kobold Lord was not what Jet had expected. An old friend of his was German, and had mentioned about Kobolds being this form of house spirits, and often ambivalent ones, at that, in the stories his family had told him... Ilfang the Kobold Lord was bloody gigantic! To Jet, he looked less like a house spirit, and more like he'd eaten a house, and taken on it's dimensions. The beast towered over them, approaching 4.5 metres tall, around the average height of a double decker bus, and looking like a weird deformed kangaroo...

As the beast readied itself for a fight (or more likely, from it's perspective... meal), it summoned a number of minions - Ruin Kobold Sentinels. Three of them, to be precise. Groups E, F & G would focus on targeting the Sentinels, whilst Jet's group, D, or Delta as he'd labelled them, were assigned to hit the boss as hard, and as fast as they could. To him, theirs was the easiest task - A & B had to focus on withstanding the barrage of attacks from both the Kobold Lord, and his minions, whilst the support groups had to avoid the Kobold Lord's attacks, and focus on the Sentinels. They only really had to focus on giving the Kobold Lord a bad time, if things were going to plan...

Somehow, things were going to plan, as unlikely as that seemed. They'd whittled the beast down to it's last health bar, and were consistently doing damage to it, as it changed weapon, to a weapon described as a scimitar...

Jet momentarily froze, as he watched the demonic creature swap weapon. That sword looked an awful lot longer, and a very different shape to the one described as a scimitar in the guide... ''DIAVEL! Get back!'' - It didn't make any difference, as the beast's blade sent Diavel flying into the air, before the stunned knight impacted the floor. ''NO!'' - Jet yelled, going from a standing start to a full sprint, whilst readying his blade. Both he and the Kobold Lord charged up their sword skills, the Kobold Lord ready for it's killing blow, and released... the expected clattering of blades never happened though, as Jet's strike impacted Ilfang's wrist, and cleanly removed it's hand, and it's sword, from the equation. The now disembodied hand and blade stuck into the floor momentarily, before disappearing into pixels. The beast let out a scream of agony, before attempting to retrieve it's axe, an act it stood no chance of succeeding at, due to it's absent hand. ''I'm... alive?!'' - Diavel was still stunned, and could barely stand, but Jet passed him a health regenerating potion, just to get the knight out of the firing line... where Jet was now standing, thanks to maiming Ilfang.

The beast let out another scream, as it summoned more of it's minions to attack Jet, yet more of the Sentinels they'd just downed nine of. The first mace impacted the side of Jet's sword, and rebounded, as Jet thrust the blade through the adversary, disintegrating it almost instantly. Three more deceased Sentinels later, Jet and Koharu were dealing with the now increasingly agitated Ilfang, who'd taken to just charging the duo. - ''RRRAGRRRHH!'' - The beast charged once again, as Koharu dodged to the left. The beast carried straight on, smashing headfirst into a pillar behind her, dazing the beast, as it struggled to do anything, let alone mount an attack...

''Oi! You two, whatever you're planning, now's ya chance!'' - Jet shouted at the swordsman and his cloaked partner, as his blade connected with Ilfang's leg, forcing it almost to it's knees. Of the beast's three health bars, only one remained, and even that was now red, and about 20% shaded.

Jet glanced over at the pair, as streams of light lit up the room, and replaced them. Ilfang dropped to the floor, it's health bars drained, as perhaps the greatest sound, and sight that Jet had ever witnessed occurred. The monstrous beast, the Lord of Kobolds, exploded into a burst of light, and polygons, and the silence that had mostly been endured during the battle ended. ''It's over... right?'' - Koharu asked. Jet, still on an adrenaline rush, couldn't muster an answer, simply choosing to laugh, and try not to cry tears of joy. - ''It's over... it's bloody over!'' Kirito and the no longer cloaked girl both stood in the now fading light of the deceased beast, as a number of people congratulated them on the win. One person had other ideas...

''You bastards knew that would happen! Didn't you!'' - Maybe it wasn't all over, after all. The porcupine still had a stick inserted somewhere, and good grief, he made it known. ''Yes, Kibaou, we absolutely planned that Diavel would rush forward for some unknown reason, get stunned, force one of us to rush in, slightly screw up his aim with a sword skill, maim the boss, and cause it to change strategy... to try and ram us.'' - Jet muttered as sarcastically as possible to his partner, who rolled her eyes at him.'

''You knew about that weapon change! If you'd told us that before, then Diavel would never have been in-

''I apologise... I... went for the last attack bonus.''

''The who what where now?''

''How can you take that tone of voice... Kirito was fighting out there to save Diavel! As was Jet!'' - Jet slowly inched away from his partner, feeling an air of anger around her, something he'd never really seen from her before, and hopefully wouldn't see again.

''SHUT IT! I'm not talkin' -''

''NO, YOU SHUT IT, you oversized porcupine!'' - Jet did something completely out of character. He pulled his fist back as he approached Kibaou, in a not so implicit threat. ''She did absolutely nothing wrong, so if you think you're gonna get away with starting on her scot-free, well, you won't like what happens next... no matter how therapeutic it may be for me. Do. I. Make. Myself. VERY. Clear?'' - Evidently, he did, as Kibaou started to retreat, whilst everyone looked over towards him. ''I... uhh, yeah. That was out of line. Sorry.''

''I'm not talkin' results, I'm talkin' methods! We were all in danger because he didn't tell us about that sword.''

''The guidebook did though!''

''It never mentioned the sword skill though! And did he not step in to take the glory?'' - Murmurings came from the crowd, mostly about the morality of using Diavel as bait, and the possibility that Kirito was using knowledge from the beta test to gain an unfair advantage. Both the no longer cloaked girl, and Diavel tried fruitlessly to quell the now raging crowd, but not before Kirito had snapped...

''All you do is cry 'beta this' and 'beta that', but you know what? I don't wanna be lumped with those noobs!'' - The sudden outburst surprised everyone. - ''Most of the thousand players who were picked for the beta test were idiots who didn't even know how to level! They were even worse than you lot!'' - Even Jet could tell this tirade was far from over, and the slightly evil chuckle that Kirito was now indulging in practically cemented that opinion - ''But not me, I wasn't like them! During the beta, I got further than anyone else. That katana skill? I knew it because I've seen katana wielding mobs on the higher floors. I never thought I'd see it on this level... but no thanks to our happy-go-lucky knight of a leader here, I was lucky to get by without so much as a scratch!'' - Koharu shuffled anxiously, and had started messing with her hair, something Jet noticed as a sign she was extremely anxious. Jet wasn't much better here, trying his best to hide a mix of rage, at both Kibaou and Kirito, the first for being an ignorant jackass, the latter for acting like a god amongst men. - ''I know things our good knight here could only dream of! All sorts of stuff, stuff that would even surprise info-brokers!''

''Wh...whatcha tryin' to say!? Wh-what kinda tester are you...'' - If Jet had terrified Kibaou into backing down, Kirito had just forced him to submit. - ''You must be some form'a cheater!'' - Somehow, the crowd had started yelling 'beater' in the general direction of the now pariah. Jet quietly thought about how stupid that name was, and precisely how many negative connotations it had, before realising that it had probably been the intent of the crowd for that to apply.

''Beater, huh. Yeah, I'll take it.'' - Even Jet, whose smile in bad situations was often a sign of a sadistic side kicking in, was unnerved by the smirk of the, ahem, beater. - ''I'm a beater now. Stop lumping me in with those noobs.'' - He spun around on the spot, as a long black trench coat appeared on him. Jet could think of precisely two words to describe him right now... 'Show off.'. Kirito took his leave, presumably to carry on through the game, leaving behind the remainder of the clearing party, and his partner.

Koharu looked around at the now silent crowd. ''Why did he say all of that? Now everyone will think he's the real bad guy...''

''The people needed a scapegoat... they got one.''

''If he didn't stand out as a ''dirty beater'', then the rest of the beta testers would keep getting singled out by everyone... and since we're all stuck in this deadly game, that kind of hatred could be...'' - the large axe wielder who lead group B commented, Agil, if Jet recalled correctly.

''It could get you killed. So, he decided to take that burden on himself.'' - The no longer cloaked girl commented, as she walked over to them. ''When I passed out in a dungeon, he came in and rescued me.''

''What happened to you...'' - Koharu looked horrified at finding that out.

''I was in that dungeon on my own, for three days straight, with no sleep. I know, it was stupid of me. But it was something I needed.''

''Let me guess, you lost all hope, went slightly off the deep end, and decided that if you couldn't escape in a conventional manner, then death as you were was a better option, than dying as a hopeless husk, devoid of interaction for however long?'' - Jet commented, almost offhandedly.

''Jet!'' - Koharu looked mortified at her partner.

''Not too far off, yes.'' - Even Jet was slightly shocked by that. He'd been attempting to be facetious, not offer an actual psychological analysis on her... ''I felt I'd rather go out as the me I know. Losing to some monster was one thing... but losing to the world itself? I just couldn't bear that thought. And... well, you know... I was there, fighting till my last breath, hoping to at least go out with a bang. But he was different. He was ready to spend years to beat this game.''

''And now, we have you four to thank for getting us through this.'' - All three of them slightly bristled under the praise.

''I'm gonna head on after him. I never did have the chance to properly thank him before.''

''You can tell him this then - I look forward to battling our next boss together.''

''One from me too, tell him - If he truly meant all of that, history isn't kind to people like that. If he didn't, then... we'll help where we can.''

''Thank you, I'll make sure he knows. Oh, and you two, I never actually introduced myself. I'm Asuna.''

''Nice to meet you Asuna, best get on after him...'' - Jet raised a smirk towards the girl, figuring her partner would've tried to put as much distance between himself and them as possible.

''Well, now then...'' - the axe wielder looked over at the gathered crowd, who'd now amassed around Diavel and Kibaou - ''Doesn't look like we exactly have a grand finale waiting for us...''

''Not like we need one... this is only the beginning, I think.'' - The success that had been the battle had changed Jet's outlook since this morning. It had cemented something in his mind - that, as long as they kept moving on, perhaps this game could be cleared, after all.

Jet couldn't hear all of the details, but he could overhear the knight admitting that he had charged in with selfish intentions... and somehow, Kirito was still getting blamed for that. He'd also basically just announced that Kibaou, and some guy called Lind, would become Diavel's successors in the leadership role. Koharu took point, and walked up to Diavel - ''So, what are you going to do now, Diavel?''

''I have an unpayable debt, to both Jet and Kirito. But I'll return once I feel I can pay you back, I promise. Or, to put it another way... One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.'' - Most people there gave completely blank looks towards the knight, even if they understood the intended meaning...

Jet, on the other hand, just quipped - ''Guess that answers a question I had about the speeches...'' - Diavel nodded towards Jet, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat at the speech, as he walked away.

''Do you think he'll be okay?''

''Shaken, certainly. But I hope so. Besides, last thing we need is Kibaou in charge for the long haul...'' - Jet shuddered at the thought, as well as precisely how bad diplomatic relations would be under him. Jet's threatening earlier probably hadn't done much to help on that front, either.

''All we can do is let him be and wait. He said he'd be back, after all. I should be heading back to my party now though... just don't let it get to you, either of you. Kirito and Diavel made their own choices.'' - The axe wielder had gone back to his group, whilst Koharu and Jet headed towards the now opened doors, in almost complete silence.

Koharu was the first to break that silence, offering an apology. - ''I'm sorry.''

''Huh? What for?''

''You ran in to save Diavel, but I couldn't. All I could do was watch, it felt like my feet were locked in place.''

''Don't worry about it, Koharu, it was our first boss battle.''

''No... but what happens if it happens again? I'm worried I might lose you because of my own helplessness... I need to be braver. Brave enough to stand with you, Kirito and Asuna, Jet.''

''Can I just say something, using them as a yardstick is all well and good, but...''

''But what?''

''Maybe instead of measuring ourselves against them, we use ourselves. How we used to be, how much we've grown. It's only been a month, and yet, here you are - at the vanguard, inspiring people...''

''I don't know about that last one, Jet...''

''You don't give yourself enough credit, you know. You are inspiring people... Sachi, just to use an example. Think back to how she looked at you, and tell me she didn't look up to you... and on that note, which of us is gonna be the one to message her, and tell her we aren't dead?''

Coming Soon...

Footsteps can be heard in the distance, in the Town of Beginnings, before cutting to the inside of a bar.

A lavender haired woman walks into the room, as most of the male population stare at her. - ''So then. I'm looking for someone... someone tall, ginger and very dead. Ring any bells?'' - She reaches for her sword, a large twin handed blade...

(Drum beat.)

''The Knight of the Wind.'' - Jet, still wearing his starter gear, readies his twin handed sword, and prepares a slant attack on the attacking cow monster.

(Beat.)

''A hurricane, blasting through Aincrad.'' - Both Jet and Koharu stand in the light of the deceased boss, and sheathe their weapons.

(Beat.)

''Tell me, good knight, do you ever look back for the storm that follows you?'' - Jet looks over the nearby plains on Floor 1 with a solemn look.

(Beat.)

''See those you inspire.'' - A red haired girl unleashes a sword skill on a nearby Dire Wolf, reducing it to nothing but polygons.

(Beat.)

''Those who will fight by your side, till death do you part.'' - As Jet dispatches a slime, Koharu releases a volley of strikes on a Golem.

(Beat.)

''Those who fight for ideals, no matter the consequences.'' - Kirito and Asuna scream towards the first boss, Ilfang the Kobold Lord, releasing a barrage of attacks on the beast.

(Beat.)

''Those who will lose themselves for you.'' - A heavy looking door closes on a figure, as Jet fights to pull a sobbing Koharu back.

(Beat.)

''And those... that will come for you.'' - The same purple haired woman unleashes a barrage of strikes at Jet and Koharu, as the duo circle her.

(Beat.)

''Does it terrify you yet?''

(Drum beat gets significantly faster.)

Asuna is berating Kirito for something, whilst he just blushes, as Jet and Koharu look over at the definitely not a couple, and both smirk at their antics.

From above, a purple blur descends onto Jet, knocking him to the floor with a very unbecoming scream, as Koharu looks on in surprise.

Jet and Koharu sit next to a lake, Jet eating what looks suspiciously like traditional fish and chips, and offering his partner some, as she looks mildly amused.

(Drum beat ceases.)

''Oh yeah... but do you have to make it sound like I'm some Machiavellian schemer...'' - Jet readies his sword and shield, and smirks at his hooded opponent.

Chapter Text

~December 2nd, 2022 - Floor 2, Teleport Gate~

''Blimey...'' - Jet summed up what both he and his partner were thinking. The second floor was a strange mix of savannah and mountainous terrain, and if Argo's stories to the pair were true, populated by a load of cow monsters. It had been at that point the girls had lost Jet, as his mind wandered to craving a beef burger... maybe he should've paid more attention after all.

''You ever get the feeling that you've seen somewhere before? I'm half expecting to find elephants and giraffes, like on some TV documentary narrated by a posh British guy...''

''Sir David Attenborough is a national treasure, I'll have you know...'' - Jet putting on the most over the top tone of outrage he could manage, eliciting a slight giggle from Koharu.

''Still, we'll probably be running into monsters more than animals... you think they graze out here too?''

''Probably, but I suspect we don't want to see it if they do. Either way... time for a safari, don't ya think?''

~ November 23rd, 2022 - Brislington, Bristol, England~

How Michael put up with some of his sisters, Sam would never know. Whilst Ell and Beth had generally been quite cheerful towards him, and shown signs that, despite their fear, they believed in their brother to actually pull through someday, Gabby had been... less than positive, and the sheer velocity of the insults she'd hurled towards her brother seemed unfair, considering it wasn't exactly his fault.

Speak of the devil herself - ''Ay up.''

''You're awake?'' - He seemed almost annoyed at that one... it was the middle of the afternoon. Yes, he was a bit idle at times, but still being asleep at 3:30? Even he wasn't that bad...

''It's 3:30 in the afternoon... yup, I'm awake.''

''It's... oh right, time difference.''

''Yes, why are you calling me at this ungodly hour?'' - Sam uttered sarcastically.

''I, being the amazing clever woman that I am, have come up with a plan to save my idiot of a brother, and get him back for Christmas.'' - If Sam had been drinking, a spit take would've occurred. As he wasn't however, he settled for choking on air.

''huf, huf... So humble too. Go on, enlighten me with your master plan, and why exactly I'm hearing it first, not your actual family...'' - Any time Gabby had a plan, he instantly thought of Baldrick from Blackadder. Not the only reason that was the image of Gabby in his mind, but still. The words 'I have a plan' were those rare words that sent opposing armies screaming, made babies cry, and terrified the reasonable, in her lexicon.

''Well, I don't think they'd be too happy about it for one...'' - Uh oh.

''You're not planning to go in yourself...'' - Sam meant that as a statement of fact, but Gabby had a nasty tendency to read the truth as a mere question.

''Well, I wasn't. I was gonna send you in, instead. But now you've said it...''

''Firstly, no chance. Secondly, how? It's not like you have a spare NerveGear lying around, and you can't exactly pop round the shops for one...''

''Contacts, dear boy, contacts.'' - He was beginning to regret asking already...

~December 5th, 2022 - Floor 2 Boss Room~

''Which of you eejits waved a red flag in front of this guy?!'' - Jet yelled, as he leapt away from Baran the Taurus General's lightning attack. Thankfully, he'd taken the initiative to fall back from the action for a few days to adapt to his new fighting style. Gone was the clunky twin handed sword, in it's place was a single handed sword, that he'd taken to naming Caliburn, and a larger shield than the one he'd started with, this new one being more akin to the type used by the Romans. Far less agile, admittedly, but it meant Jet could now take a far bigger hit than before... a fact he was grateful of, as Baran's hammer smashed into his shield, and sent him skidding back towards the rear of the arena.

''We've got him on the ropes!'' - Kibaou called out to his men, as the Taurus General disappeared into the ether... only to be replaced by Asterios the Taurus King. - ''Or not.'' - Considering that the new Taurus was now generating an ominous black mist around it, Jet was cursing the hairdon't's ability to seriously misjudge a situation.

''Urgh, Koharu, you doing okay?''

''Yeah, you?''

''Been better, must admit. The new shield's tanking most the blows though. Health's still at 80%. You?''

''75.''

''Holler if you need help!'' - Jet raced back into action, shield held in front to try to tank the King's blows, his partner following closely behind...

One more defeated Taurus later...

''If I have to see so more as one minotaur king...'' - Jet grumbled under his breath, before stretching. In terms of sentences no one had ever said before today, that was probably up there, Jet thought.

''Asterios the Taurus King... really was a King named after the stars, wasn't it?''

''We handled it, in the end.'' - Jet looked at the gigantic dent in his shield, and mumbled something.

''So, what exactly happened to sticking with the support group, ay? Whoever said you could jump in for the last attack bonus!?''

''I think you are kind of forgetting one tiny detail here...''

''And what's that?''

''We aren't beholden to you. In other words... 'frankly, I don't give a damn.'.'' - Jet could hear murmurs from the gathered clearing teams, mostly about them allying with the 'Beater', and how they knew how the battle would play out. Jet rolled his eyes at the sheer idiocy of some of the members of the group, before the crowd got fed up of yelling at him, and decided to start questioning him instead...

''What have you been scheming with that Beater over there!?''

''Scheming... really?'' - Jet looked mildly amused at the accusation. Koharu, on the other hand, looked absolutely livid, and Jet kept an eye on her, to ensure she didn't pull her rapier on the idiots... not that he'd blame her, if she did. - ''We haven't done anything wrong, and neither has Kirito!''

''Like we believe you! You wanna prove your innocence? Hand over the bonus...'' - the crowd looked as if they were about to advance on the duo.

''Yeah, if you want to prove your allegiance...''

''Allegiance?! Firstly, we aren't associated with you. Secondly, our 'allegiance' is definitely not to you and your goons. Thirdly, and possibly most importantly... I shall refer you to the correspondence between Arkell and Private Eye in 1994.'' - Turning on his feet, Jet walked away, and threw the most sarcastic wave he could at the crowd. As he walked off, he held a smirk at finally getting to use that insult.

''What actually did you call them then?'' - Koharu could read the smirk on his face like it was a book.

''I'm offended you think I'd call them anything like that...'' - Jet feigned offence - ''Nah, I just told them to eff off.''

''I do wonder what goes on in your head sometimes to come up with these...''

''Well, you ever heard of the Hamlet theory?''

''Umm, no?''

''Stick an infinite number of monkeys in a room with an infinite number of typewriters, and eventually you'll get Hamlet. Which is exactly what goes on up here sometimes.''

''That does sound like you, you know...'' - A familiar, and to Jet, unwelcome, voice became audible behind them. One of a chestnut haired rapier user.

''This day keeps getting better...'' - ''I'm choosing not to be offended by that.'' - Jet started to walk ahead towards the ''beater'' , as the two girls chatted.

''How you put up with her, I will never understand...'' - Either Kirito had the patience of a saint, or was as dense as a brick wall. Which of those two it was, he really wasn't sure.

''It's only you that has a problem with her, I don't think she has one with you, anyway.'' - Jet looked back to his partner, and the she-devil nearby. To give Kirito his credit, he was probably right, as Asuna seemed perfectly affable towards him, possibly more so than towards her actual partner at times... didn't mean he had to like her though, just tolerate her presence.

''I... (sighs) call it bad memories. Probably being unreasonable, but yeah, I don't trust her on a social level.'' - After that, an uncomfortable silence fell between the two boys, until a few seconds later - ''Why does secret talk between girls always make me uncomfortable...''

''Summat tells me you may be a touch paranoid... but yes. Six sisters has taught me that much too.'' - If Kirito had been a more confrontational person, he'd have made a comment about pots, kettles and staining...

''Six!? That's- not important right now. From here on out is where SAO gets real. There's humanoid enemies from here on in, and they can use Sword Skills too.''

''Yay.'' - Jet said in possibly the most sarcastic tone imaginable.

''Kayaba said as much in a magazine interview - 'Sword Art is born from the flashes and sounds woven between sword skills into a concerto of life and death...'.''

Jet looked thoroughly unimpressed - ''That is quite possibly the most pretentious bull crap I've heard in a while.''

''It is a little bit, yes, but from here is where we really start Sword Art Online...'' - It didn't escape Jet's attention that even Kirito looked uneasy at that prospect. Still, it was onwards and upwards... only 98 floors to go.

~ December 5th, 2022 - somewhere in Tokyo. ~

''Gabby, this is possibly the single most absurd, and downright stupid idea that anyone has had... and I include your brother's attempts at blacksmithing in that list too.'' - The fact that the ''sword'' he'd made had three blades, two handles, and was somehow unusable by anything resembling a humanoid, did push the definition of sword to it's extreme...

''Sam... did I ask for your opinion?''

''No. You just asked me to hack a death console, trigger a microwave pulse, disable the actual death part of said death console, find a way to make it at least somewhat safer, and to come up with a method of two way communication... oh, and to do it as soon as possible.''

''Has anyone ever told you that you are, in fact, a complete smart arse?''

''Your brother, and regularly. But in this case, I think I actually am the voice of reason here.''

''Look, you know as well as I do, that the longer we leave Michael unsupervised, the more likely to go off his rocker he is, and the more likely to decide he needs to be the hero. Besides, I thought that keeping him alive was the reason you accepted my proposal...''

''No, the reason I accepted that was, and I'm paraphrasing here, because I quite like not having my knackers force fed to me in a nice sauce... which was the alternative option you gave me.''

''Just... do it!'' - Gabby gave a huff at the techy nerd on the other end of the call, before placing the helmet on her head...

''Know that I vehemently protest this, and that your sisters, your brothers and your parents will, in fact, kill you when they find out how this happened.''

''Protest duly noted, and thoroughly ignored. LINK... START!'' - The world around her exploded into streams of light, and sound...

~December 5th, 2022 - Town of Beginnings, Aincrad~

Having recovered from the disorientation that arose from suddenly being plucked from the real world, and inserted into a virtual world, Gabby checked herself over. She still had hands, that was a good start... ''How pale am I?!'' - In fairness, she was fairly pale IRL, but this really was taking her brother. She wasn't pale, she looked like she'd been made out of porcelain! Continuing her checks, she pulled her hair forward... her blonde hair replaced with lavender. Eh, maybe that was an improvement though, she had been thinking of dyeing it for ages now anyway. She looked down at her now plentiful... assets, before looking down at her feet. - ''Sam, did you have to make me into the video game equivalent of Dolly Parton!?'' - She muttered to herself, hoping he could hear her. Unfortunately for her, the two way communication wasn't a thing, and she was now on her own in this new world. ''Maybe this was a bad idea'' - she uttered to no one in particular, desperately fighting off the panic attack she knew was imminent. ''Calm down, Gabby, you're alive. You'll survive. You both will.'' - The lavender haired girl returned to a somewhat calm state, as she continued looking at herself.

Much to her annoyance, she'd shrunk down to 5 ft 6, making her a fair bit shorter than IRL...though the heeled boots did something to regain that height. Having felt herself over, she opened a menu to check her own statistics - her new name was now Strea, weapon of choice was a twin handed great sword, skills included stealth, agility... and sewing. ''Eh, can't all be winners'', she thought to herself, as she checked her character level... Level 25 already! Maybe some of the beta tester's data had ported over? Or maybe it was a glitch... regardless, she wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth, and with that... 'Strea' left the Town of Beginnings, searching for her wayward brother...

Chapter Text

Floor 3 - Chapter 1 - In the Fog of War...

December 6th, 2022 - Floor 3 Teleport Gate, Aincrad

The third floor was, in Kirito's words, a forest full of mist. To anyone else, this would've been annoying... to Jet, this just reminded him of childhood holidays in Snowdonia, and hiding out in the woods to avoid his sisters. A trick that rarely ever worked, mind you.

''As you can see, Floor 3 is forest themed. Just... watch out for the trees.'' - The instant they'd walked out of the staircase, the misty atmosphere had descended on them, and rendered everything that wasn't a centimetre in front of their faces nigh on invisible. Luckily for Koharu and Jet, no one had noticed that the pair were now holding hands, to avoid getting separated in the fog.

''Why, they're trees, it isn't like they'll just come to life and-WATCH IT!'' - Whatever it was, Asuna had just screamed, so it was either very important... or completely inconsequential. - ''You two! Hands where I can see them!'' - Inconsequential, and not to mention, nonsensical considering the fog, it was then.

''Wasn't me!'' - Kirito answered more than a little bit too quickly...

''Ain't me, mine are on my sword, and Koharu's hand.''

''JET!'' - If it weren't for the pea soup they were calling fog, Jet would've seen his partner furiously blushing.

''Then whose... Oh. Oh no.'' - Asuna gulped at the realisation that the hand she felt, didn't feel much like a hand at all...

''What were you about to say about the trees, Kirito...'' - The exact same realisation came across the remaining three members of the group like a wave, making landfall...

''They're, well...''

''Alive?'' - Koharu questioned.

''Currently grabbing hold of the princess over there.'' - Jet stated.

''Both.'' - Kirito sighed - ''Asuna, stay still!'' - The trio raced into action, blades at the ready.

''I don't think that'll be a problem...'' - It hadn't escaped any of their attention's that the usual yelling had been replaced by almost calm terror.

A short fight... well, pruning later, and the no longer screaming princess had been freed from the disturbingly grabby trees. Whilst Asuna carried on, pretending as if nothing had happened, the others made sure to keep their eyes on their surroundings. No one particularly wanted a tree branch wrapped around their unmentionables, if they could at all help it...

''Kirito, there's something over there...'' - And with that, Asuna disappeared into the fog again...

''Jet, Koharu, we'll meet up later if we get split off in the fog...'' - And with that, Kirito disappeared into the fog too...

''Roger tha- they've gone, haven't they?'' - Jet looked into the mist, and saw absolutely nothing. This was the type of fog that you could've knit, or it would've been if his old nan was around, she always thought like that... Jet, on the other hand, just wanted out of the mist before-

''Argo, we know you're there...'' - Jet quickly did a double take, as the familiar cloak of a headache waiting to happen approached...

''Awww, I always enjoyed sneaking up on ya... ya both had the best reactions!'' - The headache continued.

''So, whaddya want, Argo...''

''I've got a quest for ya both...''

''Let me guess, someone got lost?''

''It's a story quest, one that carries on for the next few floors. You and Kii-boy'll probably give it a go, wouldn't out it past ya to run into each other! But... long as you keep me up to date on all th' happenings, this one's on the house!'' - A life lesson that had been instilled in Jet years ago, was to never trust freebies... and one instilled in him over the past month was to never trust Argo when it came to money... the two of them together? If Jet could've turned and ran, he would've.

''What kind of quest is it?''

''First, ya gotta head north to the West Mists Entrance, just here, and ya should come across two elves fighting. What ya gotta do, is help one of 'em out!''

''Elves?'' - That definitely didn't sound like anything they'd seen before...

Jet knew what a look of disappointment was, he'd seen it often enough... but Argo's was something else entirely... - ''C'mon, ya know what elves are! The elves here are ya generic sort, pointy ears, tall, beautiful.''

''Beautiful?'' - Jet raised an eyebrow. That was a strange choice of words to describe them. Probably accurate, mind, but strange nonetheless.

''Oh come on! Don't make things weird with NPCs!'' - Koharu chastised, taking a leap onto the wrong train of thought.

''I didn't mean like that! Besides, I can find things beautiful without being attracted to them! You, for example.'' - Momentarily, Jet looked blankly whilst every brain cell collectively slapped their hands to their metaphorical faces. Why couldn't he have picked something like a sunset... or a car, instead of that particular example?! That one wasn't even true! The girls reactions were varied - Argo tried to conceal her laughter... but failed miserably, whilst Koharu went redder than her tunic, and stuttered incoherently. A now reset Jet went into damage control mode - ''I di-I never meant to say that. Please ignore me.'' - Jet commented with a look that suggested he knew of his imminent fate, when Koharu recovered. Argo, on the other hand, decided that teasing the endangered Jet was definitely the best course of action... if only because it was probably the last time she'd get to do it.

''So... you think Koharu here's beautiful, do ya? Well, that's priceless info, now we know your type! Imagine how many gals would pay fer that info!'' - Jet did. None, was the answer he came to. Still, wouldn't do for that info to be disseminated.

''Argo... under threat of sending you straight to hell, do not sell that info.''

''You'd kill me, would ya?'' - Argo's trademark grin stayed even through the threat.

''Oh, no. I'd send you to Battersea Dogs Home though.'' - Jet gave an almost cheerful grin.

''You wouldn't...'' - Argo, on the other hand, looked mortified by the prospect.

''No, but I do now know you don't like dogs. Now that, is priceless information...'' - This time, it was Argo's turn to facepalm. Jet's cheerful grin took on a more sadistic edge.

''You little...''

''Blackmail is such an ugly word. I prefer to call it... anti-Argo insurance. Keep sht'um and that info doesn't trickle down the grapevine. Comprenday?'' - Argo nodded furiously. Jet's grin became more cheerful again, struggling to hide his laughter, all whilst Argo shuddered. Koharu had finally regained her senses, and glanced at a slightly terrified Argo, and a smiling Jet, and noted to herself to ask about what had happened later.

''Just a thought, it seems odd that two NPCs would be fighting with each other, right? - Jet shrugged, they hadn't actually seen anything even remotely similar to that in the game so far, but it did make sense, in the context of a death game. If Kayaba hadn't wanted players to turn into murderers, then why not make it so the AI controlling the NPCs were basically disposable, right? No moral concerns, really. Jet's expression turned solemn momentarily, before returning to neutral.

''Well, if ya wanna talk semantics, they're more like monsters. Kii-boy didn't tell ya, did he? From here on in, there's human enemies.''

''So they're monsters... but they're NPCs? Gah, this is just confusing!'' - Jet shared a look of sympathy for his partner, especially as Argo hadn't really explained it all that well.

''Think of it this way - they're enemy NPCs. Rather than give us quests or help us, they're there to get in our way.''

''Okay, I think that's better...''

''Stories easier ta follow at least. Two warrin' races of elves, both fightin' over this particular item. We pick a side to support, and help see the battle through ta the end. It's the Elf War Campaign Quest.''

''So... there are good elves, and bad elves fighting each other?''

''Both races have their own legitimacies, so it ain't really good and bad. It's just neither like the other. From our perspective, they're both pretty much the same. Just pick whichever side ya like. That's all I got ta tell ya, though. You'll find the rest as ya go!'' - Argo took that as her cue to leave, and disappeared back into the fog.

''Seeing is believing, so they say...'' - A disembodied voice began yelling from the fog - ''One word of caution though. The elf fights are all event battles, no need to get in over ya heads. Lemme know how ya get on! See ya!'' - The voice would've disappeared into the fog again, had they not just seen Argo stumble over a tree root, and start muttering obscenities...

''An elf war in the fog, sounds almost like a fairy tale, right?'' - Koharu asked, picturing castles and knights on horseback, fighting dark enemies.

''Something out of one, certainly.'' - And with that, the duo took off for the West Mists...

About an hour and a half later... - Floor 3, West Mists.

The walk to the West Mists passed by fairly uneventfully, other than a few more skirmishes with the Treants, which posed very little threat, once their grappling attacks had been dealt with. Although Koharu could've sworn she'd seen a faint sight of something purple and red in the fog, she never told Jet, figuring it was just a background object...

''Jet, you hear that?'' - The sounds of an ongoing battle were faint, but definitely audible.

''Yeah, just about, let's head towards it.''

Well, if any doubts about Argo's info existed, they didn't now. Two elves, a male clad in white and a shade of forest green, and a female in purple and grey, fought against each other in an almost hypnotic clash of blades.

''They're elves? They don't even look like NPCs, they look just like players!''

''Players with quest markers and pointy ears, yeah.''

''We can only side with one though...'' - Koharu hummed, as she thought - ''I want to help the lady elf over there, Jet. Is that okay?''

''Purple's my favourite colour, so yeah, fine by me.'' - It hadn't gone unnoticed by either that the lady elf they planned on helping was in fact, gorgeous. A fact that had definitely not factored into Jet's decision at all.

''She just seems so lifelike, I don't want to see her die...'' - Jet momentarily thought back to the Plains on the first floor, and remembered his partner's reaction to losing two players in front of them, and shuddered at the thought...

''Prepare for your end!'' - The elf in green yelled, as his blade was readied for a killing blow. The thrust he managed was parried with not a moment to spare by Jet, as Koharu raced in to attack, a flurry of thrusts pushing the elf back, and out of position for any attack on the purple elf.

''Children of man! You must be foolish to dare draw blades against the Forest Elves, and conspire with the Dark Elves!''

''Well, one of those is true, but... nah, you ay getting a chance to strike here!''

''The Forest Elves are my sworn enemies! Do not hinder my efforts, menfolk!'' - The Dark Elf replied, readying her blade again - ''Be gone from this forest!''

''We'll do no such thing! You dare hurt a lady, and call yourself a man!? You should be ashamed!'' - The aura of anger around Koharu became obvious to Jet, who snapped into action.

''Come on then! You wanna fight? Your new opponents are right here! Bring it!'' - Jet taunted, using Caliburn to make as close to an obscene gesture as he could.

''Be gone, I say! I will end this one even if it costs me my life!''

''Well, if we were gonna leave, we sure as hell aren't now!''

''Please fall back, we will handle this one.''

''Fools... If you wish to aid the Dark Elves, then you shall fall by my blade!'' - The elf readied his blade, and prepared for the imminent attack.

''You won't take us down!'' - Koharu took the lead, using her blade to parry an incoming strike, and unleash another stream of strikes on the Forest Elf, as Jet positioned himself for his strike - ''Jet, switch!''

''On it!'' - Shield in front, Jet charged the elf, knocking him over, before unleashing his own sword skill on the elf. The elf attempted a defence against the duo, but was unable to keep up with the pace, and power of the strikes. Before disappearing, he uttered only a sole word - ''How...''

''Eh, we're good at what we do.'' - Jet replied to the now thin air that had once been an Elf warrior.

''How did warriors of man overcome a dexterous Forest Elf like that...? Are you two unhurt?'' - Jet glanced at their health bars. Both practically full, so no cause for concern.

''We're fine, nought but scratches... if that.''

''Indeed? - The female elf seemed surprised at how quickly the battle had been over - ''Mayhaps menfolk can raise true warriors yet. I must offer my gratitude though. With your aid, the key remains safe with me. You have done me a great service. Now, warriors of man, I must ask of your names.''

''Koharu, and that's Jet.'' - Jet saluted at the Elf, whilst Koharu bowed towards her.

''Koharu... and Jet, was it? The tongues of menfolk work in strange ways.'' - Jet fought back an urge to make a comment about the Welsh language. - ''You can call me Kizmel.''

''Pleasure to meet you, Kizmel... - KAWWW - ''Hey, Koharu, Kizmel, I'm not hearing things, am I? I did just hear a bir-THE HELL!?'' - Jet dove to the floor as what might have once been a bird dove on them. If that had been a bird, Jet dreaded what the Circle of Life on Aincrad looked like... and what the hell an Apex predator was! That falcon was huge! About the same size as a small car...

''You two okay?'' - Jet shouted from the dirt, as he picked himself up, and raced over to Koharu.

''Yeah, just a bit surprised, that's all. Kizmel!'' - Koharu picked herself up, noticing the struggling Dark Elf, as the pair noticed another elf stood in the trees.

''Oh, you hopeless knights... you really are too proud for your own good.'' - The falcon landed behind him, as the falconer carried on his theatrics, seemingly unaware of the two humans. - ''Still, at any rate... I'll be taking the Jade Key now. No need to worry though...'' - Jet felt the air around them change, as Kizmel stood back up, face to face with her assailant.

''You... you are the falconer.'' - Both Jet and Koharu glanced at one another with looks of confusion. Was this part of the lore, or...

''Hm, have we met before? I don't think I'd forget such beauty... even if it was a Dark Elf'' - Jet noticed the disgust in his voice at the last part, and made a note to give this guy a more special pummelling before ending him. - ''Oh! That was it... you remind me of that herbalist I killed. Such a pity, she was quite beautiful too.'' - ''Belay that last part. This creep doesn't get out of here alive.'' - In Jet's anger at the falconer, he'd failed to actually pay attention to two important things. First, was the massing number of Forest Elves, and second, was the falcon itself, which had just lifted off. The Forest Elves raced forward, taking pot shots at both Jet and Kizmel, who were able to defend against them, but Koharu looked as if she was struggling, able to out pace them and evade them, but unable to defend against them.

''En route! Hang in there!'' - Jet charged over, as a knight attempted to block his path. ''Out of my way!'' - Jet thrust Caliburn into the knight's throat, before yanking it out on a slash. Had the knight been more than data, the attack would likely have been considered a partial decapitation, and a particularly brutal one, at that. Little consolation for the knight however, who disappeared into pixels after the attack.

Kizmel wasn't having much better luck in the brawl, being unable to get near to the falconer, who issued an ominous threat to all three - ''Well, as much fun as this has been... I think it's time I take the weakest one away.'' - As the falcon dove on Koharu, as did another knight...

Jet fought valiantly through the mass of knights, but it was a truly hopeless endeavour. He'd have a few seconds at most to get in there, and deal with both the falcon and knight... an impossible task if ever there were one...

From the trees, a bright slash of light tore the wing off of the falcon, the giant bird screeching in agony, and retreating, as a purple haired woman walked out of the trees, and turned her blade on the terrified knight, cleaving him in half without a second thought. The falcon screeched yet again, and received a decapitation for it's trouble. Okay, whilst not even close to the most important thing right now... Jet had to wonder, what was it with supermodels in this game? This girl was... something else entirely.

''Seriously, I leave you alone for five minutes, and you and your friends end up being mauled by the birds exhibit at Bristol Zoo... really brother?'' - She spoke. Jet's mind decided to take it's leave right now, as it worked out who she was... Only one word came to mind...

WHAT.

Chapter Text

Floor 3 - Chapter 2 - When it Rains...

December 6th, 2022 - Floor 3, West Mists, Aincrad.

''Muh-my-YOU BITCH!'' - Well, the new girl's attack definitely got the attention of the falconer, who was now charging her... but not before... - ''ARGGGHHH-GURGH'' - the wolf that was lurking in the trees sunk it's teeth into him, and threw his body around like a ragdoll. The creep may have deserved a nasty ending, but even Jet felt this may have been just a bit on the overkill side. After a few moments, that felt like an eternity, the falconer's corpse was tossed aside as it disappeared into pixels, as the wolf's master found his way to the now finished battle.

The death of their leader seemed to have a fairly profound effect on the remaining knights... as the last of them fell to the ground, cleaved by the new girl's sword. Both Jet and Koharu stopped for a few seconds to get a look at the new players in the fight - a red haired man, probably in his early twenties, wearing a red set of the starter armour, and a bandana, and the girl in purple.

''Jet... who are they?''

''I... I think I know who the girl is. The bloke though, I've got no idea.'' - The girl took the fall of the last knight as her cue to charge Jet, and tackle him into a hug, which was... an experience for Jet, considering her appearance. - ''You bloody idiot! You had to play the hero, didn't you! Imagine how we all felt outside!'' - Jet rolled his eyes at his possible sister, and fought desperately to break away from her grasp... when did she gain the strength of a hydraulic press?! And why did she have to press him to there of all places!?

''I'm lost now... what's going on?'' - The guy commented to no one in particular.

''I really don't know...'' - Koharu answered, trying to piece it together in her head.

''I believe they may be siblings.'' - Surprisingly, it was Kizmel who came out with an answer.

''Yeah, sorry about that, but well...''

''Well what!'' - Strea was in absolutely no mood for her brother's usual method of arguing... she'd just spent a day hunting him down through a death game, with the most over the top Casanova wannabe in tow...

''Well, if I worried everyone... imagine what everyone's gonna do when they realise you did the same.''

''They'll... oh. Oh shit.'' - The realisation of precisely how dead she was going to be when she got out of this hit her like a freight train.

''Right, well, nought we can do about that now. We're kind of in the middle of something. Thanks for the save though.'' - Jet looked back to see... no one but Dark Elves and humans... and a big wolf. A particularly cute looking giant wolf at that. He would now be known as Fluffy, because... well, he was. Even the blindsided by cuteness Jet thought slightly better about trying to pet the wolf though. That sounded like an excellent way to lose a limb, as the Falconer could've attested to... were he not very dead.

''Human warriors, you have helped us hold the Jade Key... and take vengeance on my sister's murderer. I do not know if the words to thank you truly exist, but let our actions show you our gratitude instead. We shall bring you to our camp, and allow you rest and recuperation.''

''Much obliged... Kizmel, wasn't it?'' - Jet did a far more serious salute, whilst Koharu bowed towards the two elves. Strea looked on in bewilderment at the scene, whilst the guy in red simply wondered what they'd modelled the elves in this game off of... that one was a complete babe!

The journey from the West Mists to the Elven Camp was certainly an interesting one... Jet could hear his sister moaning about the trees, and how it would screw up... well, actually he'd tuned out by that point. Even he had a finite limit as to how much inane crap he could eavesdrop on, before he got bored.

''Kizmel, this, uhh, Jade Key, was it? What is it?''

''Yes, I suppose I should tell you. The key is a sacred relic from an era long passed, spoken of by our people, the people of Lyusula.''

''Lyusula?''

''Ah, people tend to call us Dark Elves, but that is merely a description of our race. Our people were born into life from the sacred Lyusula Tree. We take pride in this, and therefore, we call ourselves the people of Lyusula. Indeed, this matters not to menfolk. You may call us as you wish.'' - Both Jet and Koharu swore they heard the bandana guy shout something about ''calling her beautiful'', and tried to hide the awkwardness that statement filled the air with.

''Lyusula... it has a nice ring to it. Sounds like some form of nocturne.''

''Nocturne? Is that a kingdom of man?'' - For once, Jet was equally stumped. The only Nocturne he knew of was an action figure he'd had as a kid, and he was entirely certain that wasn't what Koharu was referring to.

''Oh, it's a type of music you might play on a piano - a type of instrument. I learnt them as a kid. Back at home, I played them often.''

''So, you are not merely a warrior, but a master of music too! It is a great honour indeed to be compared with the songs of a master.'' - Koharu went bright red, and bristled under the praise, before her expression turned solemn.

''Hey, Kizmel, are you really a- were you born here on Aincrad?'' - Koharu thought better of the first question, and rephrased it to better fit the conversation.

''I was, although I was born long after the Great Separation. We are born on this separated land, and we are destined to die here. No one doubts this. Yet the Forest Elves think otherwise... why is that?''

''Sometimes, hope is more important to people than facing reality... or at least, that's how I look at it. I don't think they're entirely wrong either.''

''That is an interesting thought, Jet. I can't say I'd ever thought of it that way myself.''

''Message from Argo. She says-'' - For no discernable reason, Koharu decided to try and attempt Argo's... mannerisms. - ''WHAT?! That never happened before?! You two have gone and broke the game, ain't ya?! Epic!'' - Jet cringed, not entirely at his partner's impression, which was actually pretty spot on, but at the word 'epic'...''Really Argo, epic? Really?'' - ''You think we have though? I mean, we've done something no one else did?''

''Not given it much thought really... tell her, 'We'll tell her everything... for the right price.'.'' - Jet withered under his partner's glare. - ''I was joking! I'm not actually gonna be that mercenary about it... I'm not her.''

''This key, right? It's a key... so what does it open?''

''It is the key to the sanctuary, but I'm afraid I cannot say more than that. The only people who can are our royal family, but I do know one thing. That sanctuary must never be opened.''

''Never be opened, huh? So... it's like Pandora's Box?'' - That comparison elicited various reactions: Jet shuddered, Koharu wore a look of horror, Klein a somewhat apprehensive look, and Strea, a look of confusion.

''What? The necklaces? I mean, I opened enough of them...'' - Jet smacked his hand into his face as hard as he could, reducing his own health by a slither. Koharu just looked at him with a look to say 'This is your sister? Really?'.

''The box of all evils, Strea. Not a box of charms.'' - Jet felt like slapping his sister's face into a book sometimes... street smart, she may have been, but book smart, she was not. - ''Let me guess, the Forest Elves want these keys to do exactly that? Open the sanctuary, I mean.''

''Precisely, and we must prevent that at all costs.''

December 6th, 2022 - Floor 3, Lyusula Camp

''Blimey. Pontins, eat your heart out...'' - Strea mumbled, upon seeing the encampment. About 10 tents, surrounded by a large, and hopefully very sturdy, wall, with a single large central tent, which Jet reckoned was either the eating quarters, or the commanders accommodation.

''Human warriors, I shall introduce you to our commander. Follow me.'' - An exchange of glances between Jet and Koharu later, and the group followed Kizmel into the commander's tent...

A short explanation of the situation later...

''We have retained the Jade Key, and dealt a significant blow to the Forest Elves scouting force, Sir. Much of our gratitude should go to these human warriors, who selflessly threw themselves into battle to help me.''

''Is that so, Kizmel of the Pagoda Knights? Well then, far be it for us to show disrespect to allies... we will be setting up quarters for you warriors to rest easily in, but they will not be ready until tomorrow at the earliest. I trust you show no discomfort in staying with Kizmel here until then?''

''Not at all.''

''Nope.''

''It'll be our pleasure.''

''I'll be fine.''

Returning outside, the group were shown to the tent they'd be stopping in - except Strea and Klein, who for some reason, had chosen to return to the Town of Beginnings, ostensibly for training Strea up, to use the skills she had. Probably not the reason, Jet figured, but he was a bit preoccupied currently. ''Down boy!'' - the giant wolf had taken to Jet like a puppy might... a 9 foot long puppy. Jet was now in the dirt, being licked by Fluffy... Koharu and Kizmel both found this absolutely hilarious, enough that Koharu had used a record crystal to nab a picture of her partner being playfully mauled by the wolf. ''Say cheese!''

''Agh! Gerroofff!''

After the... less than dignified spectacle that had been, Jet, who was now covered in dirt and mud, asked the question that would inevitably seal his fate for the night... ''Uhh, Kizmel? Is there a shower or something nearby?''

''Oh, we have communal baths.'' - She pointed to the large central tent, and it hadn't escaped Jet's attention that his partner had completely tuned out the world after the word 'bath'... he reminded himself never to mention a city in Somerset, or he might never get her attention back...

Some people have the greatest luck in life. Others are known to make their own luck. It takes a special kind of luck to be the person to be left guarding an Elven bathing tent, whilst his partner, and the clearly derived from a supermodel Dark Elf Knight washed themselves in it. Jet was sat outside the tent, as Fluffy took up position next to him, and kept him company... why, he really wasn't sure... his master was still alive! Ehh, he was still pretty cute, anyway, and all the fawning over Fluffy kept Jet's mind on the straight and narrow, and not thinking about his partner and Kizmel washing each other off... and, god, he hated being a teenager sometimes. The occasional squeaks and yelps from his partner didn't help his imagination either... just what he needed when the two of them would have to share a tent. To be picturing his partner and Kizmel, doing... that. Now there was an image that you wouldn't be able to broadcast on- GRRRRRR

''What's up?'' - Unsurprisingly, the wolf didn't answer. It did however pull Jet away from his mild fever dream, and back to reality, as Jet spotted a pair of yellow eyes in the trees...

''Who's there! Show yoursellllVVVVEEESSSS!'' - Had Jet been watching Fluffy, he'd have noticed that the clasp of his shield had gotten connected to the wolf's collar whilst he was petting him... unfortunately, he hadn't, and the wolf was quite excitable, enough that he took off towards the bathing tent at pace. Not much fun for Jet, who was now being dragged along through the mud... again, and into... the... bathing tent. ''Oh no.'' - ''Fluffy! Stop! Now! Now! Oh fuu-'' - Fluffy cleared the bath with ease... Jet did not. SPLASH! He landed face first in the bath, submerged up to his abdomen, whilst his legs flailed aimlessly above the water.

''Are you joining us in bathing?'' - Kizmel asked innocently.

''(indecipherable gurgling noises.)'' - Jet responded, his head still submerged, until he pulled it out of the bath - ''Cough, cough, Huff huff, hu hu. Urgh...'' - Jet thanked a god he didn't believe in for oxygen, rather than water. - ''I'll be outside if you need me.'' - Jet rasped, as he covered his eyes as best he could, before feeling his way out the tent.

The remaining time that the girls were in the bath were an exercise in restraint. Covered in mud, and now soaked through thanks to Fluffy, Jet dreaded his partner's reaction to his little mishap... in between bouts of shivering, and cursing. Thank god his sister hadn't been there to see that...

''Jet?'' - A surprisingly calm voice broke his staring off into space.

''Huh? Oh, you're done... I'm gonna go wash all of this off now...'' - He really was painting a thousand words currently. Muddy, soaked, covered in suds, and somehow covered in wolf fur...

''You want me to keep watch?''

''Yeah, if you don't mind. I think I saw some eyes in the trees, yellow ones... well, right before Fluffy demonstrated his pulling power, anyway.'' - Jet unequipped his armour, leaving just a shirt and shorts, as he went into the tents.

Later that evening...

Jet and Koharu had retired to the tent for the night, and settled in. The blankets offered to them by the Dark Elves were far more comfortable than the usual camping equipment, and even the insomniac Jet found the beds comfortable, even if he wasn't particularly likely to actually be getting any sleep...

''Jet, you awake?'' - But then again, neither was his partner.

''Yeah, still can't sleep. What's keeping you up though?''

''That girl earlier - Strea. She's your sister, right?''

''Yeah, my eldest sister. Why?''

''You didn't seem particularly happy to see her. I mean, you go on about your family, and yet she appears, and almost like that, you change tune so fast, the needle skipped.''

''It's not... I'm annoyed at her. She acted like I was being selfish for being stuck here, and yet, she goes and does the exact same thing, only with the knowledge of this being a death game, and almost certainly with everyone convincing her it's a bad idea. Just... she's not changed since she was a teenager. I actually used to look up to her, someone who overcame her problems regardless of everything... only for that to fuel her ego at home.'' - Jet looked away to hide his welling anger at his sister, whilst Koharu just reached out to him. - ''I know, that's not all that relevant now. But... I don't think she's changed enough for me to trust her. Not like I-''

INTRUDER! We have an intruder! - What Jet assumed was the guard yelled out, as the trio leapt out of their bedding, and readied their armour and weaponry... ''There's no way the Forest Elves found this place, right?''

''I wouldn't put it past them.''

''Be ready for anything then, got it.'' - The trio raced towards the source of the commotion. ''Proshu proshcheniya! I'm putting down my sword! I'm unarmed!'' - Six Dark Elf Guards surrounded a familiar face to Jet, blades pointed at the now disarmed intruder... - ''Rain?!''

''Uhh, sorry.''

''Uhh, Kizmel, how do I tell them she's on our side?''

''The human female is with our warrior friends here.'' - Luckily, the guards took note of Kizmel, and retracted their blades, allowing Rain to walk over to the trio.

''Thank you! Thank you so much!'' - Rain raced up to Jet, and stopped shortly before knocking him over again, in an awkward quasi-hug, neither of them sure what was going on...

''Jet, who is she?'' - Koharu looked on in confusion at the pair.

''Oh, uhh... she may have saved my life a few days ago.'' - Jet neglected to tell the full story of how he'd nearly died fighting off wasps, and then wore himself to the bone sprinting back.

''Wait... when you went out that night?! You are, and I think these are your own words... a bloody idiot!'' - The air around Koharu became very angry, and even Jet could see he was in the doghouse. Not a great place to be when the dog is 9ft long, and sheds fur if you so much as look at it.

''Yeah, no arguments there.'' - Jet resigned himself to his fate. For the third time this afternoon.

Whilst Kizmel's tent was quite large, and easily large enough to handle 2 or 3 people, 4 was probably pushing it a little bit, and meant that the ever restless Jet was even worse, as he tried to avoid any contact with the sleeping Rain, and Koharu, who had just gotten to sleep. Deciding that staying inside meant constantly moving to avoid getting slapped unintentionally... or worse, Jet went to get up.

''Jet...'' - Well, his partner was awake... maybe, or she was dreaming of him? Nah, that was a bit far fetched, even by his standards. - ''I didn't mean to snap at you. Just... I don't want you to get hurt because I'm not strong enough to help...'' - She muttered, still slightly groggy, but aware enough to reach out to Jet, and pull on his arm.

''No, you had every right to. I didn't trust you enough to ask for help, and then had to be rescued by a total stranger. I'm a pretty shitty partner by that standard.'' - She pulled a little harder, enough to pull him towards her. - ''Umm, Koharu, we're a little close, don't ya-''

''Shush, it's comfy.'' - And with that, his partner dropped back to sleep. Unlike Jet, who was now in a both enviable, and unenviable position, with a beautiful girl literally hanging to his arm... but having to be very careful not to wake said girl. Jet put his head back down, and closed his eyes, thinking back through the events of the past month, as he dropped to sleep...

Chapter Text

Floor 3 - Chapter 3 - ...It Pours

December 10th, 2022 - Floor 3, Lyusulan Camp

A few days had passed since the first night in the camp, and Jet, Koharu and Rain had started to get the hang of working in a three person formation, rather than the usual duo. In addition, they hadn't seen Klein and Strea since the first day, apparently due to Strea not knowing her own strength, and seriously overdoing her training... like brother, like sister, Koharu supposed. ''Morning, brother of mine, Koharu, Kizmel, and... new girl?'' Strea glanced back and forth to check she wasn't hallucinating. Nope, there was definitely a red haired girl stood with them now. Almost instantly, Strea started smirking... a sure-fire sign that Jet might want to consider the pros and cons of being alive, over whatever his sister was planning...  ''Well, well, well... when did my little brother become such a heartbreaker? I'm sure Mom and Dad will love to hear about this, you know...'' - Yeah, living had more cons now. Jet, Koharu and Rain all went bright red, and started babbling incoherently, trying to present their sides of events, and clear up any misunderstandings... at the same time. The resulting noise made radio static sound like smooth jazz...

''I'm... I'm not- It's not like that!'' Jet yelled, as his sister burst into hysterics.

''Yeah, yeah, I know. You and Koharu are good friends, and you and the new girl are forming a gingers league... by the way, Redheads United. Remember to credit me for that one, yeah?.''

''It's not that at- wait, what? No, you know what, we're all just friends! I don't have feelings for either of them!'' Jet lied. He did, but giving Strea that ammunition was akin to handing a child a chainsaw... a really bad idea.  ''I never said anything about feelings, little brother... I mean, I wouldn't judge you if you did...'' Strea winked towards him, as Jet tried to process what she'd just suggested... wait... did she suggest that all three of us... nope!  ''IT DEFINITELY ISN'T THAT, STREA!'' Thankfully for Jet, Strea tended to speak to him in English anyway, which he wasn't entirely sure if either Koharu or Rain knew well enough to understand the implications of his sister's teasing.

''Heh, you are too easy to wind up... so, who is the new girl, anyway?''

''Rain, this is Strea. Strea, Rain.''

''Privyet.'' Rain bowed politely towards the older girl.

''She's Russian then...'' Rain hadn't missed the obvious disdain in Strea's voice at that. Jet just glared at his sister in annoyance at her.

''Don't mind her, that's how she says hello. She's not what I'd call a normal human being, see, Rain... she is in fact... a moron.'' Strea gave a look that suggested Jet wasn't long for this world. Jet just smiled dumbly back towards his sister... who mumbled something about 'giving him a moron'... not like he needed another one. She was there, after all. ''Okay, onwards with today's mission. We're going to hunt down the Spider Queen... oh, what now?!'' Jet sighed, as Klein held his hand up like a schoolchild.

Strea was fighting not to laugh. She was also failing miserably. ''You do realise you don't have to raise your hand to speak, right?''

''You forgot me! Again!''

''Huh? Oh, Klein, Rain. Rain, Klein. Done now, we good?''

''Much better.''

Some time later, inside the Spider Queen's Cave...

The group had entered the caves, and at the suggestion of Koharu, had been leaving small indicators to mark their exit, should a hasty retreat be necessary. Upon reaching one junction, Kizmel had noticed something in the webbing - a small pendant type object, covered in webbing. Both of the duo noticed Kizmel's unhappy look at the discovery, before she spoke up, ''This was the crest of the commander's family. One of his relatives must've been amongst the scouting party.'' Everyone present at least tried to look down in respect for the deceased. The group carried on further into the cave until they reached a ledge, overlooking a room, and more importantly...

''That is a big spider.'' Koharu may have managed the understatement of the century with that one.

''Meep.'' Strea was not good with spiders... and those were generally smaller than her hand. The one currently in front of her was larger than her car, a car that her brother had once described as being pointlessly large for living in a city...

''I believe we have an expression for this in Russia... Svyataya Bogoroditsa!''

''In English please, Comrade-chan...'' Jet elbowed his sister to get her to shut up, and stop being pointlessly bitchy. It hadn't worked once in the past 17 years, but Jet figured he was at least due a win once... - ''Not now, Strea... but in any language other than Russian, please?''

''Umm, well... Holy Mother of God!''

''Looking at that thing... I think it ate the Holy Mother of God! It's freaking huge!''

''I believe our best strategy is now a simple one...''

''Hit it till it dies?'' - Strea felt confident in her abilities to be able to flatten the creepy crawly...

''Run like hell?'' - Jet took a more strategic approach to fighting it... which was not to fight it at all

''I think a tactical retreat may not be the worst suggestion currently...'' - And with that suggestion passing unanimously, the group exited the caves as fast as their legs would carry them...

...Right into Kirito and Asuna, who looked more amused than anything at the usually indomitable duo running for their lives... and at the massive group they were in. ''So, what happened to the 'I work alone' attitude, Jet?'' Kirito looked amused at the exhausted duo.

''It never existed. I never said that, and 'ark who's talkin! Anyway, it's a little on the complicated side...'' Jet understated.

''How complicated?''

''I take it these are friends of yours?'' Kirito looked as if he'd just choked on the air around him, whilst Asuna looked... was that relieved?

''Yeah, they are. Noble warriors... even if one of them currently looks like a fish out of water.''

'Then you would be wise not to enter the cave. The spider in there is certain to be a formidable foe, and one we may need a larger force for...''

''Uhh, you might be about to get your wish there.''

''It's been... uh oh.'' Jet realised how long they'd been there, and how much progress the remaining groups would've made.

''What's 'uh oh' mean...'' Koharu asked, not comfortable with the sense impending doom that Jet's expression gave off.

''It means that the rest of the clearing group are on their way, and that our friends here were aiming to beat them, I assume?'' Kirito simply nodded.

''Surely that's a good thing, right Jet?''

''Uhh, no, not really... let's just say the clearing group is currently more of a liability than an ally, especially after the last boss...''

''What did you do...'' It was Strea's turn to look disappointed in her brother...

''Why'd you assume I did anything?'' Jet feigned offence, knowing that he was kind of responsible for the current bad blood.

''I know you, that's why.''

''Fine, they got pissy about us being beta testers, and him being a beater-''

''Hold up! He's a beater?! Lemme-'' Strea pulled out her weapon, and began to get into a fighting stance, before Jet stepped in...

''Strea, aside.'' Jet grabbed his sister by the shoulder, and pulled her out of earshot for the group.

''What. If he's abusive, I'm ending him...'' The edge to those words could've been used as a blade in it's own right.

''That's... not what beater means in this context. Portmanteau of Beta and Cheater.''

''Ohh...'' The siblings re-joined the group.

''I... uhh, I owe you an apology. I misunderstood what that nickname meant.'' Jet wished he'd got a Record Crystal on him... Strea apologising? That was rarer than hens teeth!

''Apology accepted... who is she?'' Kirito asked, looking in confusion at how the two had acted around each other.

''Can we do introductions later? We might have enough people to take on that spider with very little risk now, and if we can do that before the Barmy Army arrives...''

''Wait... now you want to fight that thing? I mean, I'm in, but...''

''These two are practically aces when it comes to this. Combine that with Koharu and I, you and Klein, and Rain and Kizmel, there's 8 of us, all of us strong fighters. One spider shouldn't pose too much of a threat, right?''

''I think I can hear people...''

Jet raised his blade as a signal, before walking into the cave... ''Right then, we're going in fast and hard.'' Strea smirked at the euphemism, but decided to give her brother a break... for now.

The group headed back into the dungeon, following the coloured pebbles they'd left earlier, and within a few minutes, they'd reached the Spider Queen... still as massive and monstrous as it had been 20 minutes ago... ''Okay, so this wasn't that large in the beta test...'' Kirito looked more than a little surprised at the giant spider, whilst Asuna simply readied her rapier...

''Any idea on it's attack patterns?''

''Avoid the webbing it shoots. It'll slow you down with a debuff, and you won't be able to get it off quick enough.''

''Got it... where's the webbing usually come from, anyway?''

''Erm... it usually shoots from its rear.'' Jet gave a look of disgust, before accepting it.

''Oh, brilliant. So avoid the shitty web, got it. Anyone gets hit, holler, and someone'll cover ya!'' Strea shuddered at the thought of being hit by it, and the rest of the group didn't seem too thrilled at the prospect of being hit either.

The Spider Queen let out a cry, and raced towards the forward group - the ones whose job was to keep the beast's attention focused on them, whilst the rear group took out the beast. One of the spider's front legs made impact with Jet's shield, and threw him back a good 10 feet, but not before Jet's blade took a chunk off of it's leg, the spider crying in agony at the impromptu amputation...

The spider reared up again, and from behind, Jet could faintly hear someone's annoyance at being hit by the webbing, but not before he saw the lights that spelt death for the spider... two separate sword skills, hitting the bug simultaneously. The creature made one last pathetic cry, before falling onto its stomach, and disintegrating into pixels.

''So, who got hit?'' Jet answered his own question almost immediately, as he noticed a pissed off looking Asuna webbed to the wall. ''I always said she spent too much time on the web...'' Jet internally punched the air in pride, getting to do a one liner. Everyone around him though, just looked at him with the most unamused looks possible...

''Not funny, Jet...'' Koharu looked towards him in disappointment, shaking her head at him, as he simply shrugged unapologetically...

''Oh come on, she's fine...''

''No, I mean it just wasn't funny. A solid 2 out of 10, if I'm being generous.'' The look of disappointment was in how poor the joke was, rather than how poorly timed it was.

''Which is also what she'd give you in general...'' Jet fought back the urge to make any digs at his sister, and settled for flipping the bird at her instead, as they walked over to free the trapped Asuna.

''You look pissed.'' As ever, Kirito was master of stating the blindingly obvious. Asuna was wearing a look that would turn armies around if she so much as glanced at them...

''Just. Get. Me. Down.'' Jet had to wonder on that. How she'd ended up at a 135 degree angle, when she'd been stood upright at the point the web hit, Jet suspected only she would know... and his sense of self preservation made sure he didn't ask her that one.

A few minutes later...

''I hear something.'' The faint noise of voices in the distance was only barely audible to the human members of the party, whereas Kizmel, probably by virtue of being an NPC, could hear them more clearly.

''I hear talking.'' Koharu could faintly see them too, if she squinted particularly hard.

''I hear the noise of metal grating.'' Jet mumbled.

''I do not hear the latter?'' Kizmel looked at Jet inquisitively.

''He doesn't like one of them.'' Koharu translated from 'Jet-ese' to any other language.

''Then we should take cover. Jet, Koharu, with me.'' Kizmel held her cape over the trio, as Jet ducked down to ensure his head didn't cause any urban legends to form. Koharu get the worst deal, as Kizmel's chest plate began pushing against her head...

''You're sure this is the right cave? I mean, it looks like people were here recently...'' To give him slightly more credit than Jet did, Kibaou wasn't stupid... just very... let's go with 'determined'. So determined, that he often completely overlooked the obvious.

''Dammit, the DKB must've beat us here!'' A player in a white cloak, wielding a single handed axe, exclaimed, as he turned towards the cloaked trio. Jet looked at the weapon, and thought about the fact he'd never actually seen a one handed axe here.

CLINK - Jet's shield rubbed against a rock that was extruded - ''Shit!'' - ''Did that guy see us?'' - Koharu whispered up to Jet, who shook his head in response. Luckily the cloak hid them with about 95% reliability, so they were mostly safe, as long as they made no sudden moves.

After a few nail biting seconds, the ALS group moved onwards, and the trio could return to slightly more comfortable positions...

''I do not understand this apprehension. Are you not all working towards the same goal?''

''Yes... yeah, but there are... disagreements amongst us. About how certain people are treated.'' Jet left out the bit where he'd not so subtly threatened them, and had told them where to go and shove their opinions.

''Well, now that monster is dealt with, can we please go somewhere to clean off? I'm still covered in web...'' Asuna complained from somewhere out of Jet's line of sight. Koharu looked over towards Kizmel, who looked considerably less than pleased, considering they'd completed their mission...

''Kizmel, are you okay?''

''I just... it's this crest.''

''Is it cursed, or?''

''No, I just realise how many of us have lost family members in battle now.'' - Koharu hadn't noticed Jet glancing over at his sister, and being saddened at... her? Knowing her partner as she did, she wouldn't be surprised if he was blaming himself for her mere presence here.

''I'm... sorry. For yours, and for everyone's losses. I can't imagine what it's like to lose a family member in war.''

''Thank you. I truly believe that my sister is watching us now, helping us in our quest.''

''Your sister?''

''Tilnel, she was our best herbalist. I believe you three would've gotten on well together. In fact, I can't help but be reminded of her, whenever I look at Koharu.''

Some time later, over food...

''So... she's your sister. IRL, and you aren't some form of role players?'' Kirito asked, having finished scoffing the food in front of him.

''Yes, and I take offence to you thinking of the latter.'' Jet feigned offence. Mostly.

''You two look nothing alike. At all.'' Klein pointed out the dancing elephant in the room.

''Well, yes, because I look like I did IRL... and she doesn't.'' Jet had to admit, even he wasn't entirely sure how that had happened, but knowing his family, it probably involved some form of error, somewhere along the line. After all, it wasn't every day that your sibling shrinks in some areas, expands in others, and gains a completely different hair colour.

''On that note, how did you get around that mirror trick that Kayaba pulled?'' Kirito asked.

''What mirror trick?'' Strea looked blankly at the swordsman.

''You know, the first day... the mirror that made everyone look like their real selves?''

''Oh, simple. I wasn't here.'' Everyone bar Jet reacted with shock. - ''Yeah, I've only been here a few days...''

Asuna was the first to ask the question on most people's minds ''Then how did you get to that high level? I mean, all of us are front liners, and none of us are even at level 20 yet?''

''Uhh, that's... a good question. I... uhh... Jet, aside.'' Strea yanked her brother away from the table at speed, eliciting a yelp from him, and out of the group's earshot. ''I... uhh... I may have cheated. When Sam put me in, the beta data carried over, and well, whoever's account this was, I took all their data. If I admit that, I really am a beater...'' Ignoring the fact that the term beater was meant as a derogatory nickname for one person, Jet looked anxious. Having been exposed to the vitriol that had spewed at the beta testers, Strea kind of had gamed the system, albeit unknowingly, and deserved that nickname more than Kirito did...

''I dunno, sis. I don't think they'll hate you, but...''

''Yeah, I know.'' The siblings walked back to the table, and settled back.

''You didn't answer my question, Strea?''

''Hm. Fine, guess it's not gonna drop. When I ended up here, the NerveGear I acquired already had beta data on it. I assumed they hadn't actually gotten that far, and that it was level 2 or 3, something like that. Turns out I got this avatar, and stats higher than anyone else. I swear I wasn't intending to cheat the system!'' The look of anger on Asuna's face was terrifying, and the look of... something, on Kirito's face made Strea slink into her seat, almost like a child being berated by their parents. To Jet, it was a reasonable response. Almost all of them had been subject to some distrust for their prior involvement in the beta, and getting labelled as people to avoid, and then here comes this new girl... who was almost all of the things they were accused of being, and yet she's getting away scot-free. It didn't seem fair...

Koharu was the first to speak up in defence of the purple haired girl ''She can prove her skills, and she clearly means well... even if I don't agree with how she's gone about it. We fought alongside her today, and on the first day of the elf quest, and she had plenty of chances to attack us, but she didn't. Same with any rewards, she never asked for them, and if Jet will vouch for her... I trust her.'' Koharu left him in a precarious place. On one hand, yes, Strea was his sister, but... he didn't trust her. He didn't expect her to stab him in the back, or betray him like that, but she'd been selfish enough to take the path of least resistance when a difficult situation came about, rather than the right path. On the other, he felt that she was his problem. She'd essentially sacrificed herself to help him, and so he didn't doubt her morals in the current moment...

''I don't know. I really don't. How I'm looking at it though, Strea's our ace card. The moment any of the main guilds find out about her, or hell, Argo finds out about her, we are gonna have trouble on our hands. So for now, or at least, until any of us have levelled to that point, we need to keep that detail about her hidden. Hell, if we can keep her hidden, that'd be preferable.''

''Then I think we can help.'' Klein spoke up, breaking the quagmire that group had found themselves in.

''Go ahead...'' - Jet asked whilst clutching his head, trying to think of his own solution.

''I'll have to ask everyone about this, but if we take Strea into Fuurinkazan, then that stops the guilds asking awkward questions for now. She won't blend in, but it means we can train her up a bit more, and keep her off the front lines.'' Jet thought about it momentarily, and looked over towards Strea, who looked equally as shocked as everyone else, and just a bit annoyed, like a kid whose parents didn't trust them with a particular toy.

''Well, it's not my decision, it's hers. Strea?''

''I'll go with that option.'' She begrudgingly admitted. It wasn't as if there were all that many options, anyway... and better the devil you know, after all.

Later that evening, in the Lyusulan Camp...

Jet, Koharu and Rain had settled in for the night, whilst Kizmel was on night watch duty. The two girls had fell asleep easily enough, unsurprisingly after the day they'd had, but Jet was still struggling to sleep, and checked his messages. Three new messages - two from Strea, and the third was from someone not on his friend list. The message was simple:

Meet me outside the Dark Elves Gate

01:00am

Jet checked his clock - 00:35am, and got up. Chances were that this was an ambush, so he decided on not making the same mistakes as last time. He woke the girls up quietly, and explained the situation to them, and suggested that they should keep hidden in the forest, whilst Jet made contact with this mystery contact...

''Urgh, couldn't you have done this in daylight instead. I might be bordering on nocturnal, but I don't think my partners are'' - Jet quipped to the cloaked figure. Koharu and Rain peered through a bush, getting a view of the mystery stranger... they were definitely male, and with spiky hair... ''It's Kibaou?!'' - To say both Jet and Koharu were shocked, would be an understatement.

''Sorry for that, but I couldn't risk either ALS or DKB finding out about this. Not when we've got someone trying to pit the guilds against each other...''

Chapter Text

Floor 3 - Chapter 4 - Cloak and Dagger

''So, let me check I've got this right, Kibaou? You believe that there's a mole in ALS, passing info to DKB, and vice versa.''

''Yes.''

''I have one question. Why?'' - Jet asked, somewhat disbelievingly.

''I... have a hunch. I think they're tryin' ta start a conflict between the guilds. Not sure why though.''

''How can you be sure? I mean, we've experienced enough nutjobs in either guild...''

''Jet!'' - Had Koharu not been out of reach, she would've elbowed her partner. Luckily for him though, she was, and his ribs would thank her for it.

''It's true though.'' - He carried on, unapologetically.

''One member was spotted working with the DKB, albeit with a slightly different appearance. He used a grey cloak rather than a white one.'' - Even Kibaou realised precisely how poor of a disguise that was, and honestly looked ashamed at how blind they'd been.

''He truly is a master of disguise...'' - Jet quipped, voice dripping with sarcasm.

''Yeah, yeah. Mock us all you like -'' - Jet grinned like a Cheshire cat, realising he'd just been given express permission to mock them. Kibaou realised his mistake, beginning to backtrack, before Koharu gave Jet a glare capable of melting the contents of a freezer. He slumped back into his seat, deflated. - ''But, if he managed it...''

''Then are there others?'' - Koharu asked, hoping Kibaou was wrong, and believing in people.

''All sounds a bit paranoid to me though...'' - Jet dismissed it as paranoia, but he could see where Kibaou was coming from.

''It's... certainly a possibility. I can't say I believe it myself though.'' - Rain's train of thought was along the same lines at Jet's, but worded slightly more tactfully.

''You're saying you won't help? Even though people's safety may be on the line...'' - Jet internally cursed his hero complex at that moment.

''Not saying that, just that we want slightly more proof first.''

''One of my guys saw him talking to a guy in a black poncho the other day. Said sommin' about 'how glorious the upcoming battles would be. All the bloodshed!' - All of the trio looked visibly horrified, as Kibaou continued - ''Next day, that guy died on a quest.''

''How, if you don't mind me asking?'' - Koharu asked as sympathetically as she could.

''Apparently, a swarm of monsters attacked him... but not the other guy, who was nearly 5 minutes away at the time.''

''Okay, that's a little suspicious. Has this incendiary element got a name?''

''Huh? Oh, name. Goes by Morte. Wields a single handed axe... with us, at least.'' - Suddenly an alarm bell rang inside Jet's head, and his face visibly dropped. - ''Jet?''

''Uhh, nothing. Just sounds like a name to run from, that's all...'' - Both Rain and Koharu shot him a glance to call that story into question...

''Sure. Look, if ya gonna help, can ya come see me in Zumfut tomorrow? Should be a large meeting hall.'' - And with that, the guild leader departed back through the bushes, towards Zumfut...

After the end of the impromptu meeting, the trio were lying back in the tent, although none of them could sleep. If there really was someone trying to start a conflict between the guilds, that gave a lot more questions than it answered. Notably, that if Kibaou was aware of this, and evidently spooked enough to come to them for help, then surely he'd have gone to the DKB and informed them about it. That was the one thing that Jet did trust Kibaou on - he wasn't trying to get anyone killed. Pig headed, arrogant, a complete jackass, and a really bad judge of fashion, he may have been, but a murderer, even an indirect one, he wasn't. The other big question was to do with the man in the black poncho. Who was he, and why would he want a conflict between the clearing guilds? ''Ugh, these questions are just giving me a headache...'' - Jet chose to lay back down, and try to get some sleep. Who knew, maybe tonight would be the night where he actually managed it?!

''Jet, you've heard that name before... right?'' - Koharu leant over to her partner.

''Never heard it before.'' - Jet answered far too quickly.

''That wasn't the reaction of someone hearing a name for the first time. Much less yours.''

''I think I recognise it from another game. It might just be nothing though, so I don't want any weight attached to anything I say.''

''Was he that bad?''

''He was bad news, to allies and enemies alike. I fought him once, and it was one of the toughest battles I had, pre-SAO anyway. I got lucky, he got arrogant... and a burst of seven-sixty two fire later... ''

''What do you mean, to allies and enemies alike?'' - That part scared them. Was this guy that much of a loose cannon to attack his own team, as well as his enemies?

''He had a nasty tendency to attack his own team for perceived sleights. From what I heard, anyway.''

''Sounds exactly the type of person that Kibaou fears then...''

''And exactly the type of person that would get someone out of their way for ratting them out... but murder? The guy was a dick, sure, but being a dick doesn't automatically mean you'd be willing to take a life!'' - Jet hoped. His optimism in people had been ill placed before, so was it completely unlikely for the guy who spent two hours hunting down players to be a... oh. Jet gulped, and for once, hoped he was very wrong...

December 16th, 2022 - Floor 3, Lyusulan Camp

The trio had said their goodbyes to Kizmel, and the rest of the Dark Elves, and Jet had said his to them too, and especially Fluffy, who Jet had spent nearly half an hour petting, before being physically pulled away by Koharu, whilst Rain and Kizmel both failed to suppress their laughter at the scene of the haggard looking Jet being pulled across the ground by his collar, his face scrunched up, clearly fighting to suppress his own laughter at the situation, by a less than pleased looking Koharu.

''I can't decide who will be the alpha when those two actually do get together...'' - Rain looked down at her feet, hiding her face from Kizmel.

''Yeah, maybe we'll see one day...'' - She answered in a far less cheerful tone, before returning to her earlier cheerful demeanour, as the duo returned to them, Jet still adjusting his collar.

''You know next time you want me to come with you... can you not drag me by my collar? It's an absolute ball ache to fix it now...'' - He moaned, continuing to twiddle with his collar like a child on their first day of school. Koharu quickly adjusted it back to normal, and shot him a look to say 'I am completely done with this. Act your age please...'. Jet just shrugged as the trio walked off into the forest.

A few minutes later, in the forest...

''What was all that about?'' - Koharu was the first to break the tension between the trio.

''All what about?'' - Jet shrugged, and continued to act as nonchalant as he could.

''The acting like a child who doesn't want to do something!'' - Jet fell silent at his partner's words, as he looked around. No one around but them, and the trees. He supposed he could drop the act, it wasn't like either Rain or Koharu were going to hold anything against him - both were far better people than that.

''Delaying the inevitable, I suppose. I'm not sure I want to fight against Morte... not again.''

''Is he that bad?'' - Rain looked at the face of Jet, and it painted a terrifying picture. The knight who'd given her a reason to fight, who'd fought bosses... currently hoping to luck out of a fight. That was terrifying to her. If someone so strong daren't face them, what chance would someone like her stand?

''I came this close to dying last time... and that was just a game. This isn't. Truthfully, I'm terrified, more so than normal.''

''You'll have us though. We'll do it together, right?''

''Koharu, I wasn't alone last time either. Eight of us went after him...'' - The girls eyes widen at that. Was this guy really that much of a threat, that even the headstrong Jet was considering alternative ways around it?

''We'll win. We always do, right?''

''I hope so... I really do.''

December 16th, 2022 - Floor 3, Zumfut Village Hall

The trio found the hall fairly easily... it was absolutely massive, and being three stories up made it quite obvious to anyone looking. Inside the hall stood two familiar figures, alongside the leaders of the DKB and ALS.

''Huh, guess you guys really are spooked about this...'' - Jet put on a stoic front for this one.

''And that means?''

''Just surprised you actually put your egos aside, that's all.''

''Jet!''

''Fine, so we got any more information on this guy, I'm not sure I wanna go in half cocked here?''

''No, but we do have a plan.'' - Suddenly, Jet felt his stomach drop out from underneath him. Those were the words that spelt out imminent doom - I/we have a plan... Despite this, Jet kept listening to the guild leaders. - ''He'll be on guard duty tonight, near the Forest Elf Camp. Kibaou here has suggested that a small squad of non-partisans attack the Forest Elf Camp, to keep up appearances, whilst a small group find him.''

''All well and good... but what do we do when we've got him? I mean, no offence, but your lots were ready to lynch the last guy you had in custody, if Kirito was right.'' - Neither Lind nor Kibaou looked particularly pleased about that being bought up, but it was a salient point - what would make them any better than the orange players, if they went round executing people?

''We're making use of the Blackiron Palace as a prison for now. It's the most solidly built structure so far, by any standards.''

''Wait, non-partisans?'' - Rain asked, trying to understand that part of the plan.

''A group of non guild players. In other words...''

''Us. That's why we're here... we're the cannon fodder.'' - Jet looked less than pleased at that. - ''On that note, before we do anything stupid. I might have something. I don't know how relevant it is, but it's worth a mention at least. I think I've fought Morte before.''

''Wait... wait, what?!''

''How?!''

''In another game, a few months ago. He wasn't easy to take down then. Eight of us went after him, and I was the last man standing... and even then, I only got him because of a fluke of luck. I think he may still have a vendetta against me for it.''

''Really?'' - Jet supposed everyone had a right to look at him strangely. It wasn't like it had been a death game, and the only thing on the line back then, were their reputations... and Jet's squadron were newbies at that too, so only his rep had actually been on the line. Maybe it was a little egotistical to think that Morte even remembered that battle, but it would explain why he was doing. Of course, so would the more simple explanation - the guy was a sociopath, and cared so little for human life, that treating them as chess pieces on a board was justified, in some far grander goal...

''Maybe, I have no proof on that one, but one of the top players losing to a complete noob was probably more than a bit embarrassing.''

''Hmm, if you're right, then maybe you three are the best to tackle him. Certainly the most inviting targets, at any rate.'' - Lind looked oddly pleased with himself, whilst the other six shot each others looks that made them all momentarily wonder whether he was in fact the mole... he wasn't, but still... that wasn't the expression of a man concerned, in Jet's opinion!

''Can I just say something, really quickly?'' - Kibaou nodded, and Jet spoke up - ''I think I preferred being cannon fodder, over bait.'' - Jet quietly thought to himself... ''Me and my big mouth.''

Some time later, Zumfut Village.

Jet whistled, as he looked out at the view - the village itself was a marvel of engineering in his eyes. A series of stone huts, built nearly 50 foot into the air, and suspended on the enormous trees, it really did fit the whole fantasy element of the game. His partner evidently thought the same, as he looked at her. If she looked any more in awe, her pupils would've been replaced by little stars...

''It's amazing... almost makes this whole world bearable...''

''I suppose so, yeah. I mean, it's not like we'll ever see anything like this in reality...'' - Koharu looked slightly saddened by that thought. The idea that a day may come when, despite this world being the creation of a twisted monster, she wouldn't get to see it again. No more sights like this, or chats with Kizmel... ''Health & Safety would have a field day!''

The bad joke was enough to snap Koharu back to reality - ''Jet?''

''Yeah?''

''Be safe later, please?''

''I will. I don't plan on getting maimed tonight, anyway.''

That evening, outside the Forest Elves Camp...

The first group, formed of Jet, Koharu, Rain and Kizmel, began to make their way to the first waypoint. From there, Jet would engage Morte solo, whilst Rain circled around for a sneak attack on him. As the pair dealt with Morte, Koharu and Kizmel would rendezvous with Kirito, Asuna and Argo, and sneak into the camp to recover the orders that they'd been tasked to recover. With everyone at their best, detaining Morte, and waiting for Kibaou and Lind to bring their respective forces to drag the creep back to Blackiron, this shouldn't be all too hard if everything went to plan...

''Okay, we're here. Koharu, Kizmel...'' - Jet saluted, and hugged his partner. - ''Be safe. Don't do anything I would.'' - Both nodded their heads, and carried on towards the camp, leaving just Jet and Rain, who'd reached the point early. If everything was going according to plan, Morte would leave the camp at 19:58pm, and should be there by 20:01pm... it was currently 19:35pm, meaning they were 23 minutes early... as was their mark.

In the distance, the pair could faintly make out the shadow of their mark, meaning that Rain had to get moving, whilst Jet got the mark's attention. With any luck, everything would go according to plan, and the pair would subdue Morte without any real problems. Jet made a mental note to keep quiet, and avoid jinxing himself...

''Oh, I can't say I expected to see another... holy crap! You're Jet! You're the guy who defended beta testers, and told the guilds where to go! Oh, you have no idea how much of an honour it is!'' - Jet was briefly caught off guard. This was the guy who'd caused people's deaths? He was a fan boy... and seemingly an obnoxious one, at that.

''I... uhh, thanks, I think? You must be the mysterious player of both guilds then. Can't decide if you're a lot smarter than you look... or that cloak is a scathing indictment on their recruitment policies...''

''Oh ho ho, so you know me then!''

''I'd hope so... I took you out of that tournament last year. Thanks for standing there like a lemon, by the way! Made it very easy to line you up, and pew.'' - That was probably not the best insult to go for... Morte's affable smile, had become one that took on a far darker tone...

''Ohh, that's why I recognised the name... I still owe you for that one!''

''Well, I take cash and contactless. Cash is preferable though.'' - Jet rubbed his fingers together in a mocking fashion.

''I feel you need a nickname... after all, what good would a hero be without a nickname? Hmm... I think, maybe... The White Knight of the Wind!''

''Nah, too wordy. Now, The Knight of the Wind, perhaps...'' - Jet decided to banter back, and decided on his nickname from now on in...

''Oh, you give as good as you get... I like you! I think... I'm going to enjoy this... quite... thoroughly!'' - A notification appeared on Jet's HUD...

Duel Request

Player Morte has challenged you to a duel

Duel Mode: Half Strength Finish

The duel will be over when either players HP reaches 50%

Do you accept?

Y/N

Without thinking, and with a smirk on his face, Jet pressed the green tick, and a countdown began...

''Good man! Though I must ask, out of curiousity... your girlfriends? Where are they?'' - Most of Morte's face was still covered by a chainmail hood, but his lower face was still visible, including his smirk... a deeply unsettling indicator of this guy's personality. Good at talking his way into places, and using that to sow discontent.

44... 43... 42...

''Well, wouldn't you like to know...'' - Jet tried to come across as blasé, but instead managed catty.

''Oh, I'm sure you can understand... but I really don't want to be ambushed. It's very unsporting...'' - Jet understood that... but given that was actually his plan all along, it did throw a fairly large spanner into the mechanisms.

36...35...34...

''No one here but us chickens...''

''Phew... glad to see my opponent is one of the few people here who still honour a duel! Can you believe the nerve of some people...''

''No, I really can't...'' - He commented, his voice possessing a sarcastic edge to it. One of them in particular was stood in front of him, prattling on... and on... and on.

20...19...18...

Jet rapidly came up with a plan. If he knew people like this as well as he hoped he did, Morte would launch a sword skill on the 1, rather than the start. As long as he could block that attack, Morte would be left in an unfavourable position, and he could use that opportunity to counterattack.

10...9...8...

''It's not too late to back out, you know...''

''Nope.''

3...2...1...

Morte leapt into the air, sword skill active, as Jet raced to cover himself with his shield.

START!

CLANG! - Morte's sword slammed against Jet's shield, as he readied another skill. Jet thrust his blade forward, hitting Morte's arm, and cancelling the skill, as he swung back, whittling away at his HP. - ''Funny thing is, Morte... your little ruse hasn't quite worked!'' - Jet deflected an axe strike against his shield, as he spoke.

''My ruse?!'' - Morte struck back. CLANG! - Literally, as his axe hit the shield hard enough to push it out of place. ''84%'' - Jet made a mental note, and thrust his blade at Morte, this time doing only a percent worth of damage, but winding his opponent.

''Yup. You know, the whole causing the guilds to clash here... you weren't quite as clever as you thought. Props for the plan though, getting the guilds to the same point on a quest, at the same time. Definitely requires some planning...'' - Jet put some space between him and Morte, as he saw a yellow glint in the tree line behind Morte.

''Cough, cough... I'm impressed you worked it out!'' - Morte raced forward again, but Jet was able to sidestep the attack, and a slant attack hit home, bringing his opponent's HP down to about 70%.

CLANG! - Jet smirked as another strike ricocheted off his shield, but scored a glancing blow on his leg - ''Nah, we've got a detective, and a very annoying information source on our side. Should be saying that to them!'' - ''69. Heh.'' - Morte swiftly attacked again, this time receiving a very unsporting injury as a counter, as Jet kneed him in the crotch, before pushing the guy away with both hands, pushing both their HP bars down - Jet to 58%, and Morte to 59%.

Morte swung once more, his sword passing just over the top of Jet's head, as the knight went low, his blade hitting Morte across the thighs, and reducing his health to 48%... and ending the duel.

END!

''Hm, I believe some form of congratulations are in order... as well as commiserations. You won, but at what cost, Knight of the Wind?'' - Morte began to slink off into the trees, and Jet gave chase... but to no avail. Jet had been literally seconds behind, and yet the bastard had still made an escape!

''SHIT!'' - Jet shouted, as he slammed his sword into the mud below him in frustration. It was probably less than a second after he heard a clash of swords, and yelling...

''Out of my way!'' - Morte had seemingly found Rain, and whilst the redhead was putting up an admirable fight, she hadn't anywhere near the same armour as he did, and a single slash that got through knocked her back, and took a chunk out of her health - putting her down to 60%...

''Goodbye, Knight of the Wind!'' - The bastard mocked, as he disappeared into the foliage, whilst Jet ran over to Rain...

''You okay!?''

''Urgh, just a scratch.'' - Jet gave her a health potion, as he rubbed his hand against his forehead in frustration.

''Can only hope everyone else had more luck than we did...'' - At that moment, a tent collapsed, alongside part of the wall that formed the perimeter of the Forest Elf Camp. Both Jet and Rain looked towards the camp in horror - ''Although...''

Chapter Text

Floor 3 - Chapter 5 - Intruder Window

Small interjection before I start this chapter, I now have a Twitter account that I'll be using to provide updates on my stories - so this, and my own original works - as well as sometimes adding in artwork from each story, when I've actually made it. Feel free to follow, or not, and ask questions there!

Twitter - SAO_Jet_knight

I also have a Deviant Art account, that I will occasionally add non-canon or not-yet-canon snippets of story to, alongside artwork. Most of those will be just very short, and silly one shots.

DA - midlandaj2901

Thanks for listening, and onwards with the story!

Just outside the perimeter wall of the Forest Elves Camp, Floor 3 - 19:37pm

Koharu and Kizmel fought their way through the foliage to reach the rendezvous point, reaching it just a few minutes after separating from Jet and Rain.

''You two are early!'' - Argo seemed far too cheerful for the mission they currently had... - ''Holy-! It's... that's a Dark Elven Royal Guard?! An' she's a party member?!'' - The Rat raced around Kizmel, like a child hopped up on sweets, who'd evidently gotten fed up by the girl's jumping around, and whisper shouting, and was now staring down Argo... who, for the first time in Koharu's experience, actually yielded, and frantically tried not to scream - ''Ah, nah, nah, yikes! That elite mob menace is in full effect! Trust me! Spare me!'' - The Rat begged overdramatically. Koharu looked almost disappointed in Argo, before she explained the situation to Kizmel.

''She's an ally. Argo, this Kizmel, Royal Guard of Lyusula. She's here to help us infiltrate the camp.''

''It's an honour to make your acquaintance, Kizmel, Royal Guard of Lyusula. My name is Argo, and the pleasure is all mine!'' - Kizmel held her fist to her chestplate in a salute.

''Your help is much appreciated. On that note, Koharu has told me that you are an... how did she put it? Info agent? What sort of job is that?'' - Argo gave off her usual smug look whenever she was teasing any of the four, which worried both Asuna and Koharu... where was she going with this?

''I'd tell ya... but summat tells me, ya don't have enough col on ya...'' - Argo leant in towards Kizmel, and attempted to wrap her arm around the taller elf... which was a sight Kirito wished he'd had a record crystal for, as her arm was now well above her own head... - ''Whaddya say? Mind payin' me wit' knowledge of the knights formations on the fourth floor and upwards?...'' - Argo winked, leaning on the Dark Elf.

Kizmel sighed in understanding - ''Oh, so it's that sort of business. Very interesting.'' - Kizmel moved, and the smaller girl lost her balance momentarily, as she moved over to Asuna and Koharu, pulling the two girls into a weird impromptu hug...

''Oh! But other than that, I'm a big sister to these three here!'' - She would've pulled Kirito into the hug too... but he'd moved out of her reach when he realised her game. Kizmel let out a soft laugh... - ''What a coincidence... so am I!'' - Argo's expression went through the motions, before settling on a quiet look that any man in the room would've noticed was that of impending doom...

The group formed a line, near the wall - Kirito going first, at the request of Asuna, followed by Argo, Koharu, Asuna and Kizmel, the group landing behind a pile of crates.

Thump. The smallest of them landed first, and Argo took cover behind an extruded part of the wall. Koharu was next, landing as gently as she could, and immediately hiding behind some boxes.

Koharu looked around, they really were behind enemy lines now, and there was no room for error here. She took a leaf out of her partner's book, and counted how many Forest Elves she could see - twelve of them, and Lind, the leader of the DKB, who looked less like a leader, and more like the grunt tasked with the most boring job possible. A soft thud, as Kizmel reached the ground, and the group took cover behind a large number of boxes left there. If they were on time, they'd have just short of fifteen minutes to get those orders, and get out, before the actual fighting started. None of them were particularly happy at either Kibaou or Lind for that, but both had to contend with elements of their guilds that were just spoiling for a fight anyway, and that this collision of paths happened to be a brilliant excuse for them. Despite that, the two leaders had reassured the group that they'd be ensuring their members only fought the actual enemy, and not other players. None of them fully believed that, even for a second, but it was at least a bit reassuring that they had actually thought about that, Koharu thought to herself. Even so, she couldn't contend with the idea that she could be, admittedly indirectly, responsible for any player deaths. She'd never forgive herself for that, as so she spoke to Kizmel - ''Kizmel, there are humans amongst the guards. I know I have no real right to ask this, but we want to avoid battle. Even if they turn their blades on you, please don't harm them.''

''A strange request. If they aid the enemy, then surely they will not show us similar mercy. Surely this logic holds true, even if they are your own kind?'' - Koharu really wished Jet was here... he'd be able to give Kizmel some eloquent speech about how they could show they were better than them, and how not harming them was a sign of a far nobler warrior, or something to that effect. She went to explain how if they died in game, they'd die in real life... before realising that the same was true for Kizmel, and any number of the Forest Elf soldiers they'd fought over the past two weeks. Koharu decided on her words - ''Kizmel, I realise that, but as heroes, we need them to continue onwards. Even just losing one of them could cause us to fail in our goals.'' - Those words had sounded far less ridiculous in her head, admittedly, but Kizmel seemed to understand them, or the look that Koharu failed to hide. That of a younger sibling trying desperately to get their elder sibling to do something... ''Hm, long ago, when we were attacked by wild wolves in the forest, Tilnel begged me to spare the life of their pup.'' - Kizmel's reminiscing ended, as she refocused. - ''I suppose... I will avoid fighting humans, if at all possible.'' - Koharu smiled towards the Dark Elf, as Argo looked astonished at what she was seeing...

''I believe we should split into two groups.'' - Kizmel took over the role of the group's strategist, a role that made sense, given she was an actual knight.

''The orders are in the commander's tent, right?'' - Asuna asked.

''Likely so, yes.''

''Argo, Koharu and Asuna will take the tents. You'll have to help them with the whole 'of the night' thing though, Asuna's hiding level isn't very high.'' - Asuna shot her partner a glare, almost challenging him to speak for her once more.

''Which is why ya bought me then... usually Kii-boy, it'd violate my personal code to help others on their quests...''

''But you're their big sister, aren't you?'' - Argo's apprehension became non-existent. - ''Well, now ya got my hands tied...''

The trio darted off into the night, as the girls took cover behind a tent. In front of them, two Forest Elves, both watching for movements in the camp... both were on the same level as Kizmel, so alerting them would almost certainly be a very bad idea. Argo took the initiative to distract them, throwing a pebble into the nearby bushes. The rustling of the bushes forced the guards to investigate, and the girls entered the first tent...

Inside it, the Forest Elf Commander painted a rather poor picture, if you'd asked any of them. It was only 9pm, and here was their commander, drunk, and fast asleep, with the orders left out on the table... a bit too convenient, possibly. As the tallest of the group, and therefore, as the one with the longest reach, Asuna was nominated to recover the scroll. She hid as well as she could near the table, and began rolling the scroll as gently as she could, hoping the commander was a very heavy sleeper... ''Gently... gently...'' - INTRUDERS! INTRUDERS! - yelled one of the sentries, causing the commander to jolt back to the land of the living, and race past the hidden girls, taking the scroll with him...

The look of annoyance on all three faces quickly dropped with the next words they heard - ''Those aren't Dark Elves...'' - Koharu hoped they hadn't discovered Kizmel and Kirito... until a wave of dread swept over all three of them.

''AINCRAD LIBERATION SQUAD! CHARRGEE!''

To his credit, Lind at least actually looked surprised at that. As Kirito thought that, he realised that might have been because they were in fact 12 minutes early, and the yelling was loud enough to be heard by both Jet and Rain, nearly a mile away.

The girls quickly came up with a plan - the commander was now handing off the scroll to one of the Forest Elf Knights, which meant that knight would be fleeing, probably in the other direction to the fighting. Argo rigged a trip wire where she hoped the knight would race through...

The Knight sprinted towards them at full speed, before tripping over... the trip wire had worked, and the knight, for reason unexplained, decided that fighting his assailants head on would be the best idea.

''For my commander... I will not be bested by humanfolk!'' - The knight charged the girls, fighting as well as he could to defend against their attacks, but to no avail, when all three were working in unison, and eventually, the fight was over, as the knight fell back into a tent pole, causing it to collapse on top of him. The knight disappeared, amongst a tangled mess of canvas and metal. The trio found the scroll fairly quickly, but not before it's rather aggrieved occupants came at them with full force. Unlike the knights, these elves seemed at a far lower level, being around their level, rather than the elite mobs that were the knights. Even so, three of them were still a force to be reckoned with.

The first enemy caught Koharu by surprise, breaking her away from the group, and forcing her to fight on even ground, a situation she'd rather not have found herself in. Still, she remembered Jet and Kirito's lessons about PvP combat, and assumed they'd be roughly similar when fighting these guys. Step one... keep calm, and think it through rationally. Step two... move responsibly, make as few superfluous movements as possible. Step three... wait for a chance to counter, and take it!

With that in mind, the soldier raced forwards, blade extended. Koharu parried the larger blade, forcing it vertically, and breaking the clash. She pulled her blade downwards, impacting the elf, and sending them staggering backwards. A swift thrust from her rapier knocked the assailant down, and the familiar death animation became visible, as Koharu headed back towards Argo and Asuna, both of whom were finished dealing with their respective adversaries.

''Hopefully, that didn't get their attention...'' - Argo hoped. Though even she was aware that it would take a special kind of stupid to not notice the destroyed tent, the four dead elves, and the clanging of swords...

To say the scene they found wasn't pretty would be an understatement. Both leaders were arguing with such ferocity that Koharu doubted they were acting, and possibly forgetting that they were trying to stop an all out war between the guilds... not cause one! Watching the scene, she was beginning to understand Jet's attitude towards them... they really were being children!

''GO ON, GIT LOST!''

''This is our base camp! You 'git lost'!'' - Lind mocked back.

''THAT AIN'T MY PROBLEM! Just abandon yer quest!'' - Neither of them noticed the group, or the looks of complete exasperation from them.

''WHY?! SO YOU LOT CAN MONOPOLISE THE INFO ON THE LABYRINTH AND BOSS ROOM?!''

''I COULD SAY THE SAME O' YOU! Y'all were rushing through this quest to get the info reward, and din't tell us squat about it! Just because ya ain't got any honour in ya bones, don't assume we're the same way moron!''

''WHAT'D YOU SAY ABOUT ME!?'' - Koharu was fairly certain she'd just seen Lind pop a blood vessel at that insult. If it hadn't been obvious they weren't acting before... it was now. Both sides were facing off, blades drawn, and neither showed any intentions of backing down...

''Are tensions always this high?'' - Kizmel asked.

''Not normally, no.'' - The girls re-joined the Dark Elf and the swordsman, trying to keep out of sight of anyone else. ''You got the orders?''

''You doubted us?'' - For the second time today, Asuna looked ready to maim her partner.

''No, but I would like to get out of here before this turns very ugly...'' - The group made for the wall,

''Agreed. Let's hope the other two managed their objectives...''

The forest outside the camp, at the same time (19:54pm)

For the past ten minutes, Jet had barely made a sound, other than breathing, and the occasional grunt in frustration. Rain couldn't say she knew Jet all that well, but even to her it was obvious that he was taking their failure to heart, and almost certainly beating himself up over it internally.

''Jet?''

''Hm, I'm fine.'' - He spoke bluntly, shutting that alley of conversation.

''You think everyone else achieved their aims?'' - She asked again, hoping to at least break the silence.

''Hopefully.'' - Jet made it known he wasn't in a talking mood.

The redhead lowered her head, and spoke quietly, almost as if she didn't want anyone to hear her - ''I'm sorry.''

''Why.'' - That hadn't so much been a question, as it was a statement. None of this had been Rain's fault at the end of the day...

''I should've been able to stop Morte from getting away. I didn't fight well enou-''

Jet silenced her - ''Rain, shut up. You fought as well as you could. Not your fault that Morte is cunning, and it's not your fault that I should've realised he'd try and flee. I'm just dreading what the generals have to say.'' - Jet sneered at the thought.

''Huh? What generals?''

''Lind and Kibaou. I was trying to mock them then.''

''Oh, right. We're nearly here though, so...'' - The pair stopped, and waited for a few seconds, to see the other group returning, evidently more successful than they'd been, with the order scroll in Kirito's hand.

Unsurprisingly, the first thing noted with Jet and Rain was the lack of a Morte with them.

''Guess you couldn't capture him then?''

''Bastard slipped through our grasp, I did beat him in a duel though, and got some more info on him for you, Argo.'' - Jet pulled up his menu, and sent Argo the info he'd gathered on Morte

''Even when ya fail, yer still useful!'' - Argo tried to lighten the mood. She failed.

''Neither of you hurt?'' - Both shook their heads.

''Nah, mine's at 88%, Rain's at full.''

''Good. I believe the commander will be satisfied with what we've achieved... after all, it is a rare occasion for humans and elves to be so brazen in their thieving attempts...''

''Well, there was the guy who tried to steal the Jade Key?'' - Koharu bought up the incident a few days ago, as Jet held his head into his hands.

''Yeah, but he learnt his lesson fast enough...'' - Jet wished they wouldn't remind him of that. Posing as a wounded enemy soldier to infiltrate their camp, then steal a valuable artefact? Well, that just wasn't cricket. Of course he taught said Forest Elf a lesson...

Unknown date, unknown time - Floor 3, Aincrad?

Jet raced outside, he could've sworn he'd heard his partner scream? Wait... the camp morphed into green fields, as far as the eye could see. Why was he back on the Plains, when he was on Floor 3? Had some joker used a crystal on him whilst he was asleep... if so, he'd be having words with them afterwards. Many of them banned from being aired on television...

He looked around the Plains, to see a familiar hooded villain, grinning more so than before, and with a grin more sadistic than before, with a less familiar man stood next to him. Tall, possibly approaching 6 foot, and definitely not Japanese, wearing a black poncho, Jet thought he'd seen him before. Wait... he HAD seen him before! Only a glance in a moment, and then he thought nothing of the man, but now? Both men stood over a defeated Rain, grinning like Cheshire cats... ''The Knight of the Wind... a hurricane blasting through Aincrad. Tell me good knight... do you ever look back? Over your shoulder, at the storm you bring? See those you inspire...'' before the taller one's cleaver struck the girl's throat... SLASH and she disappeared. Jet began to lose control, spacing out, and running towards them, but even in that state, he'd noticed that she hadn't disappeared as normal. There was no disintegration effect, simply... ceasing to be. ''Those who will fight by your side, till death do you part...'' - the bastard lifted the limp Koharu off her knees, and swung. SLASH. Again, no disintegration effect... - ''Those who fight for their ideals, no matter the consequences...'' - The sick bastards executed their next two hostages, Kirito and Asuna, neither of whom made any effort to fight back, and they met the same fate. SLASH. SLASH.

Jet raced towards her, but no matter how fast he ran, he stayed at a constant distance, watching helplessly as his sister, a person he'd spent his life with, who, despite their differences, he'd fight to the end of the Earth for, be dragged upwards, showing no signs of her usual rebellious streak... ''Those who lost themselves, for you...'' - SLASH, and meeting the same fate, before he collapsed onto the ground, sobbing

''Please... just kill me.'' - Jet had no reason left to live. They'd won. Everyone he cared for had ceased to exist, and he couldn't carry on. He wouldn't...

''And those who will come for you.'' - The two men towered over their defeated victim, as the two men grinned sadistically, raising him up and exposing his throat. With any luck, this'd be quick, and he wouldn't be forced to suffer...

''Are you terrified yet?'' - The man in the poncho asked, enjoying the view of his defeated opponent in such a vulnerable position

''Always have been.'' - And those were his final words, as the cleaver tore into his throat, ending his life...

December 17th, 2022, 03:08am - Floor 3, Lyusulan Camp

Koharu looked down on her partner's sleeping form, as he jolted around, occasionally muttering the word 'please' in a tone that sounded like begging. She did the only thing she could think of, and took hold of his hand, and hoped he'd wake up soon. - ''You aren't alone, I hope you know that. I won't ever leave you.'' - She spoke softly to her unconscious partner, as he continued tossing and turning. She'd had restless nights before, and night terrors weren't new to her, but whatever Jet was suffering from - it was absolutely awful to see, and on occasion, his face would scrunch up in horror.

Moments later, Jet shuddered violently back to consciousness, sweat drenching him and the blanket, and nearly head butting Rain, who was standing over him. ''You're alive? YOU'RE ALIVE!'' Jet leant up, and before his mind had told him his next course of action was a terrible idea, he had already kissed Rain on the forehead, who had basically locked into place, trapped inside her own mind momentarily, and was leaning over to his partner, who didn't exactly seem too unhappy at his gesture, though her face gave away precisely how surprised she was.

''I... uhhh, sorry. May have gotten carried away there, umm... I'm glad you're both alive!''

''Why wouldn't we be?'' Both girls looked very confused at that statement. Nothing had changed since earlier, had it?

''Uhh, no reason. Just something that happened in my dream. On that note... why were you sat around me?'' The incredibly sweaty Jet tried his best to hide any details about the nightmare he'd just had, not that it would work, given his partner was still holding his hand tightly. It wasn't working particularly well, as both Koharu and Rain gave each other concerned looks.

''You were shaking about in your sleep. First, I thought you were just being a pain in bed, then Rain noticed you were mumbling, and well, you didn't look particularly comfortable.'' Koharu omitted the part of her reassuring Jet whilst he was asleep.

''I... yeah, I'm fine now.'' - Jet gave an unconvincing smile ''See? Back to myself. Nothing to worry about.''

''Jet, if you are having nightmares, you can tell us what they're about. My mom always used to say that a problem shared, is a problem halved...''

''Just... something that Morte said got into my head, and this'' - Tap Tap Tap - ''noggin' of mine made it into something far worse than it should've been.'' His partner picked herself up, and kissed Jet on the forehead, before wishing him a goodnight. Rain looked a little... actually, he really wasn't sure what she looked like right now. Her eyes were showing a sadness he'd often seen in himself, whenever he'd bothered to look in a mirror, but she was smiling, with what was possibly a genuine smile. Great - he thought - one more thing to add to this clusterfuck of a life...

Later that morning...

The commander of the Dark Elves had apparently been working all night to translate the document for them - code for 'I got a load of my subordinates to do it, so I could sleep', Jet suspected. ''I'm glad you are all here. We understand you human warriors are here to defeat the Guardian of the Labyrinth - Nerius the Evil Treant. A creature said to be so poisonous, that none of the group that sealed the beast survived. We understand from these orders that a group of Forest Elves had been dispatched as a reconnaissance mission, but obviously, we do not know of their findings, or even if they survived their encounter. Sadly, we cannot provide you with troops or weaponry, but we would like you to take these potions, as a token of our gratitude over the past two weeks. Please know this, you will always be welcome amongst us Lyusulans, especially you three - Jet, Koharu, Rain. Godspeed to all of you.'' - The commander held his hand to his chest, in a salute, with everyone present responding in kind.

''Thank you commander, we will keep that in mind.'' Jet spoke, almost with the rehearsed nature of a soldier, rather than his usual informal way of speaking.

''Kizmel, I guess this is where we part ways?'' Koharu looked almost on the verge of tears, at the thought of breaking away from Kizmel. The past two weeks had given her an experience of something she'd never had before, an older sibling. Someone to look up to, and to help her when she was struggling. Jet noticed, and placed a hand on her shoulder, flashing a small smile to her.

''I believe it is, yes. But if I know one thing, it is that we shall meet again... and hopefully in more peaceful circumstances. Jet, Koharu, Rain... may the Gods look kindly on your endeavours.'' Kizmel performed a salute to the trio, as they repeated the gesture.

''To you too Kizmel, we'll see you again. I don't know where, and I don't know when, but I know we'll meet again, some sunny day.'' Koharu glanced at Jet in surprise, having recognised the tune he was repeating. ''Call that our promise to you, after everything you've done for us!'' Rain seemed a lot more upbeat now.

''Thank you, all of you. I only wish we could assist you more in the upcoming battle... but I have faith in you all. I am truly honoured to have met humanity's best warriors, and with representatives like you, I am optimistic for our futures. Good luck, all of you.'' Jet saluted again, before the group walked outside, Koharu finally letting tears out after holding it in...

''Sorry, sniff, I'm not good with goodbyes...'' Jet pulled a handkerchief from his inventory, and handed it to his partner.

''Nor am I, Koharu, but we aren't saying goodbye to her, I'd put money on us seeing her again before too long. Would I be right, Kirito?''

''Uhh, I have no idea. Honestly, you two have managed to go so far off the actual plan for that quest, that I actually have no idea what might happen now!''

''Huh. That's... kind of awesome.'' - Jet seemed surprisingly thrilled at that.

''We've managed to break the quest?''

''Well, no, it still works, but... we didn't have half of the interactions with our Dark Elf than you two did with Kizmel. They died during the first battle, that was how soon you two actually changed the course of the quest.''

''So... we're carrying on this completely blind?''

''Yes you are.'' Jet made note of the expression of excitement on Kirito's face, and rolled his eyes. Asuna had also took notice of the expression, and was currently dragging him by his ear, for an aside... Both Koharu and Jet fought back laughter at the not-quite-a-couple's antics, and Rain was still smiling, before she spoke...

''Jet, Koharu... thank you.''

''You're welcome... what for?''

''For saving me back there, and for letting me join your group. Treating me like a friend, and not some hanger on.''

''It really is nothing, Rain. You saved my life back on the Plains, so I owed you a favour anyway. Don't constantly think you're a burden on someone, especially when you're more of an asset to them.''

''What's bought this up, Rain?''

''I... I'm not ready for the boss fight, not yet anyway. I want to get stronger, and then I'll rejoin you.''

''I understand. Rain, thank you. For that night-'' Jet heard Asuna and Kirito splutter, much like a straight six engine firing on only one cylinder. They really had picked a bad time to rejoin the conversation...

''What were you three doing in that tent?!'' Asuna screamed, feigning horror at the debauchery she'd just heard... or made up in her head to mess with the duo. Who was to say which one it was... she certainly wasn't going to.

''Sleeping. What about you two...'' Oh, if that was the game she wanted to play... he had six sisters. She wouldn't stand a chance...

''Oh don't you dare insinuate that about us! I barely even like him like that, and even if I did... I certainly wouldn't be doing THAT in a tent!'' Jet gave the most smug grin he could manage, especially as she'd just admitted she did have some feelings for the swordsman, a thought that made Kirito's mind wander, and Asuna became a brighter red than her skirt, as she realised what she'd said...

''Rain, thank you. For... everything, for last night especially. Meant a lot to me, even if I was trying to hide it. You ever need us, just shoot us a message, and we'll be there faster than Kirito and a glitch''

''HEY!''

''Snrk.''

''Jet...''

''Yeah, alright. Still, point stands. Rain...'' The trio hugged, and as they broke apart, Jet saluted the redhead.

''Proshchay, Rytsar' Vetra!'' Rain cheerfully said, as she walked off, tears in her eyes...

''Dosvedanya, Rain.'' Jet waved towards the redhead, as she teleported away. He was hoping that last night hadn't caused too much discomfort between them, as admittedly, he had turned round and kissed both of them. Not in a romantic way, but that didn't really matter. It was still very easy to cause someone discomfort that way, hence why he never did it. That nightmare last night though, had properly screwed him up. He just hoped his partner wouldn't dig too deeply into that when they were alone... he couldn't face that prospect. Having watched someone he loved die a brutal death, and being able to do nothing to stop it. Fortunately for him, he was interrupted by said partner... ''What did she just say?''

''Either 'Goodbye, Knight of the Wind' or 'Goodbye, Windy Knight'. Could be either, but...'' Jet showed how poor his Russian was with that translation.

''I'm calling you that from now on, Windy Knight!'' Koharu was fighting off laughter, and failing miserably, as Jet began laughing himself.

''Laugh it up, Koharu... one day, I'm gonna have a nickname for you too...'' - Jet teased...

''I believe I already have one... or more. Beautiful, gorgeous, clever, the better of us two... take your pick!'' - Koharu wore a very self satisfied grin, whilst her partner gave her a knowing look... - ''And you say I have an ego sometimes... look at you blowing your own trumpet!'' - The other two, still listening in, both did a spit take at that one.

''Yeah, the only thing you two did in that tent was sleep...'' - Asuna winked with a comically exaggerated expression towards the two of them, getting her own back for earlier. Koharu had turned crimson, and was sputtering out nonsense in an attempt to convince Asuna that she most definitely had gotten the wrong end of the stick, whilst Jet, who was hanging back slightly with Kirito, cringed at the implication.

''It's always gonna be like this, isn't it?'' Kirito asked, watching the two girls. Anyone would've mistaken them for siblings right now, he thought...

''Nah, it won't, always best to enjoy it whilst you can though. Never knew when something could change.'' Jet commented morosely, remembering his nightmare.

''Who are you, and what did you do with Jet?'' Kirito asked the stranger that looked suspiciously like his friend, with a look of shock on his face...

''Heh, I've got to act my age sometimes, ya know...'' And with that, the four carried on towards Zumfut, to rendezvous with the clearing group for the strategy meeting.

Chapter Text

Floor 3 - Boss - Nerius the Evil Treant

December 17th, 2022, 12:45pm - Floor 3, Zumfut Village Hall

''He escaped?!''

''Whose side are ya on, really!'' - Jet looked down at his boots, like a child being scolded by an angry parent... only far worse. Most parents didn't choose to scold their children in front of audience, as the two leaders of the guilds were currently choosing to do. It felt less like a slap on the wrist for screwing up, and more like making an example of him for it - ''Cause right now, gimme a reason I sh'unt just have ya hauled off ta Blackiron!'' - a series of cries from the crowd rung out in agreement, some genuinely apathetic to the issue, but only one in vocal disagreement...

''Because it wasn't his fault!'' - Koharu shouted as loudly as she could, only barely managing to be heard over the murmurs of the 40 strong crowd.

''And you were there, were ya? No! So shut it!'' - Kibaou yelled back at her, his response causing Jet to see red. Treating him like a criminal for a mistake was already a sign of the tyrant he wanted to be, and not letting him have a chance to make his case that, yes, he had screwed up, but that whole fiasco wasn't his fault, and that Kibaou had completely ignored their own objective for a chance at stroking his own ego, was just cementing that opinion. In other words, it wasn't on. Jet snapped - ''You know what this is, all of you? It's a kangaroo court. You couldn't care less about justice, or fairness... you just want a convenient place to stick the blame, and make you feel better about yourselves, like the snivelling weasels you are! So you know what? You want an easy place to lay the blame... I've got one! The leader who ignored his own plan, perhaps?'' - A number of angry yells, and some gasps came from the gathered crowd - ''Tell me then, Kibaou, what the hell happened to the help you were supposed to send to help us capture Morte, ay? What the hell happened to the timeline that you and Lind planned, and mostly importantly... what happened to the phrase 'we aren't going to attack the camp, you are.'!? Blame me for failing to capture Morte, sure, I accept I screwed up in not planning far enough ahead, and I will bear that on my shoulders... but don't you dare make me your scapegoat, because you wanted all the glory! Because if you do... you will have an enemy in me, and that is a place you do not want to find yourself!'' - Jet wasn't taking any prisoners with that rant, ironically enough, given it's reason for happening, and he could tell that Kibaou was either apoplectic... or terrified. Either way, he was shaking like a car on a bumpy road, before he spoke out, in a less than convincing way...

''You heard him! He even admitted it! He's at fault!''

''He's right though... you changed the plan without telling any of us... and we all suffered for it.'' - Murmurs from the crowd grew louder, before becoming full on shouts of discontent towards the two leaders...

Kirito looked around, at the sea of enraged members of the guilds, and pulled both Koharu and Asuna out of there, to the other side of the room. ''Look, I realise that what I'm about to say sounds both paranoid, and just doesn't sound good at all, but hear me out please. I think I understand Morte's plan... and Jet's just played straight into it. I think he knew that once he was discovered, the two guilds would join forces, and it doesn't take a genius to realise that Kibaou would pull some stunt like that. He made sure that all the seeds of conflict were sown, and waited. All he needed was a thunderstorm... a certain knight back there.'' - Koharu wore a thousand yard stare at the prospect, whilst Asuna, as neither side's biggest fan, was surprisingly outspoken in defence of Jet.

''So you think he should've just sat back and accepted it!? I'm sorry, but that just isn't-'' - A familiar brown hood popped into the trio's view, having appeared from the crowd - ''That isn't what he's saying Aa-chan. He's saying we all got played... and worst thing is, he's right. I think.''

A look of realisation swept over Asuna's face, her anger being replaced by horror - ''Whilst everyone's squabbling, they aren't going to notice anything going on under their noses...'' - She gulped at that being said out loud...

''Why would anyone do that though?''

''Divide and conquer, as The Art of War once said... why though, yer guess is as good as mine, Ko. But right now, we need someone to lead ya into battle if those two are gonna be squabblin' like that. If that Evil Treant is anything as powerful as ya say it is, last thing we need is all ya goin' in half cocked...it'd be a bloodbath.''

From the other sidelines, a single older man in red gear stood watching the developing argument, and watching as the leaders... well, failed to lead. Much like a boat without a rudder, the clearing effort would becoming stagnant, and slow to a crawl, whilst these political machinations ran rampant. He looked forlorn, and for the first time in his life, actually regretted his actions... all that this world had proved so far was that, no matter what setting he placed them in... human nature always reared its ugly head. He had created a whole world from scratch, dammit, and his work would inevitably be undone by... politics. As it done to everything in history, it would tear his creation apart from the inside. He sighed, and continued to watch the shouting match, in complete disappointment, until...

Jet looked around in horror at the scene he'd unintentionally caused. He'd meant to stand up for himself, and for once in his life, not be a damn doormat, not cause a near war between the two guilds! He'd barely had time to process that thought however, when suddenly, a purple blur yanked him aside, whilst Kirito and Asuna made their way to the front stage, currently occupied by the two leaders, who were hurling insults at each other. Politics, Asuna snarled derisively, and quietly, as she took centre stage... ''Everyone! LISTEN!'' - A few yelps and groans could be heard amongst the crowd, especially the ones nearest to the stage. ''Remind me never to piss her off to that state.'' - Jet thought to himself. He quite liked having his hearing. Hearing things was good...

''Good, now we have your attention. Lind, Kibaou, Jet, hear us out please.'' - All three of the mentioned looked very confused, but kept quiet, lest the wrath of Asuna be unleashed on them. - ''We think you've been playing into Morte's hands. Every part of that mission that went wrong, went wrong in exactly the way that would bring the guilds into conflict, and do the most damage to our clearing efforts. I don't particularly know how, although I suspect it was simply through observation, Morte worked out that Kibaou would do something stupid, or glory chasing-'' - Almost everyone gathered now wore looks of 'Yeah, that sounds about right' - ''That Lind would be caught off guard, because he wasn't paying attention.'' - Lind looked vaguely offended by that, but having seen Asuna's shouting earlier, decided that keeping his mouth shut was by far and above the safest option right now - ''and that Jet is a bundle of neuroses, vaguely masquerading as human.'' - Jet wasn't even offended by that description, in fact liking it enough to have made a note of it, for use as a bio at some point. - ''My point is... we should be working together right now. We should more concerned about the player attempting to divide us all, rather than petty squabbles over nothing more than glorified rivalries.'' - For the first time in about ten minutes, the group seemed to actually be interested in what the speaker on stage had to say...

The same older man from earlier took note of the young girl on stage, and how she actually seemed to have the right idea, a rarity in here, seemingly. She was one to watch, he thought...

''Michael... what the bloody hell did you do?!'' - Unfortunately for him, the purple blur was his sister, and she looked... less than impressed. Actually, she looked downright livid. - ''When did you grow a backbone... and why did you choose now of all times to do it!'' - She chastised, as Jet looked away. He bit his tongue, desperately trying not to start one more riot today, but Strea really didn't make it easy for him. Her, of all people, calling him out for being reckless with how he spoke up? If you looked up the word ''hypocrisy'' in a dictionary, it simply had a picture of her next to it...

''And you'd have just stood there and took it, wouldn't you?''

''No, but -''

''Then shut up.'' - Jet made sure his sister's usual brand of whataboutery stayed firmly in the place it belonged, in his opinion - locked up inside her head, where no one had to deal with it. - ''I was getting paraded about in a kangaroo court, what else did you expect me to do?''

''Not play into their hands! Did what happened to dad not teach you anything about this sort of stuff!?'' - Strea immediately regretted that statement, remembering all the wounds she'd likely just opened by mistake. Jet looked down at his boots, forlorn. He had just repeated his dad's mistake, hadn't he? But he couldn't sit by idly and take the abuse that shouldn't have been directed at him, that just wasn't right! To her credit, Strea realised her mistake, and pulled her brother into a hug, realising how she may have been out of line with that one. Their father hadn't deserved that, while she'd been a fair bit older, and at least understood what was going on... trying explaining a rigged jury to a 7 year old. - ''Sorry... I think Dad would be proud of you for standing up. He'd call you an idiot though... we, out of everyone here, should know better than that.''

''No, I screwed up. I got angry, and decided that if I was going down, I was taking someone with me. Never actually stopped to think that maybe I was playing into someone's hands...''

''Well, can't say I blame ya, knight-boy! Most people don't think that a way, 'less they're Kii-boy!'' - Strea went to scream at the sudden appearance of the smaller girl, as Jet put his hands over her mouth to stop the inevitable screaming.

''Honestly Argo, you're getting rusty... barely even raised an eyebrow that time.'' - Jet looked disinterested at the info broker's appearance, whilst Strea continued to look somewhat alarmed - ''Oh right. Argo, Strea. Strea, Argo.'' - Argo gave a small wave towards the taller girl, who looked as if she'd seen a ghost...

''That's getting rusty?! She's took ten years off my life!'' - Strea exclaimed melodramatically. Jet rolled his eyes towards his sister, before carrying on with his conversation - ''You get used to it. So, to what do I owe the honour?''

''Aa-chan's calmed the crowd a bit now...''

''Who?'' - was both siblings responses.

''Asuna.'' - This time, it was Argo's turn to roll her eyes.

''Ohh...''

''They ain't gonna lynch ya now... try not to rile them up again, or well, you really don't want to know what Aa-chan threatened to do to you. Let's just say it involved her rapier, a rather sensitive part o' ya anatomy, and a repeated thrusting motion.'' - Jet went cross-eyed momentarily, before coming back to his senses, whilst even Strea winced, despite not having the required part of the anatomy for that threat...

''Well, that's ten years taken off my life...'' - Jet muttered, shaking his head.

An hour later, Zumfut Restaurant

The rest of the meeting had been relatively straightforward, with a lot less finger pointing, and some actual strategy going on. Of course, none of the group actually expected them to follow the strategy, but baby steps, Jet supposed. Right now, six of them were currently sat the restaurant downstairs in the hotel they'd all gotten rooms in. Klein and Jet had gone to get drinks for the group, and had just returned.

Jet placed all three drinks down, almost like a waiter - ''And that is everyone's...Oh! And this is for Asuna, for saving my skin back there.'' - Jet pulled something out of his inventory, something that looked a lot like...

''It's a chocolate cupcake? Wait, where sells these?'' - Even Kirito looked slightly confused, trying to remember where made chocolate cupcakes, and drawing a complete blank.

''Nowhere. Made it myself.'' - Everyone looked surprised at that, most notably Strea... who remembered her little brother's attempts to cook... and the inevitable 999 call it generated. Most impressive had been the time he'd set fire to a tin of baked beans... by putting the whole thing in a microwave. Asuna seemed the most apprehensive, understandable, given she'd be the one eating it, whilst Jet just looked on in anticipation...

''It's actually *mmph* good!'' - Well, that was damning with faint praise, he thought. Still, if even Asuna liked it, he was probably doing something right. - ''You have to show me how to do this!'' - That sounded a lot less like a request, and more like an order...

''One question... why did you learn to cook? We can't exactly starve in game, and it's not like there's any cost saving... is there?''- Klein asked the question on his and Kirito's minds, as dedicated gamers... especially as using up a valuable skill slot on cooking seemed counterintuitive.

''I figured having decent field rations was a good idea, considering the longer shelf life for some foods in here. Plus, you really want to eat the game food for the next few years?'' - Somehow, the food in here had made Strea long for home... in the 'dear god, even a shitty pub chain is better than this!' way. The, ahem, curry they'd all had was... very, very poor, to put it mildly. She'd made better herself, and that was using packets of curry sauce, from a supermarket.

''That's... actually surprisingly forward thinking.'' - Kirito had to give Jet a point on that one.

''See, Ize gert brill, ay I?'' - Everyone except Strea struggled to decipher exactly what Jet had just said. Strea just cringed at the idea of her brother actually having a Bristolian accent...

''I don't think you can get that in here?'' - Klein answered, in complete confusion at what had just been said.

''Uhh, I have no idea either?'' - Even the usually resourceful Kirito had no idea of what had just been said.

''Be careful with that ego of yours, little brother of mine...'' - Strea jokingly warned, trying to grab him. Jet just pushed his sister away. and towards Klein. Everyone looked at her with confused looks, as she realised they wanted a translation - ''He said ''I'm brilliant, aren't I?''. He isn't.'' - Strea mockingly smiled towards her brother...

''Oi!'' - Everyone laughed slightly at the siblings.

Later that evening, in the rented room...

For the first time in a long while, Jet was thankful for internal plumbing. Bathing in a tent was alright if you were okay with the concept of having no privacy whatsoever, but for someone who got embarrassed with others seeing his legs in shorts... it was the equivalent of hell. A necessary hell, sure, but hell, nonetheless. When he was younger, he would spend hours in the shower, at least, if you combined them over a week, all just thinking about whatever he'd have to do that day. But here in Aincrad? It wasn't exactly the regimented life he tried to live outside, or at least, not in the same way. You could definitely regiment it so as you woke up at a set time, and went to bed similarly, but it got boring after so long...

Momentarily, he thought back to a chance conversation he, Koharu and Argo had had on near enough day one, about the NerveGear using calibration data, and certain sensors to reproduce a person's real body, and what that entailed. He glanced down to his chest, and somewhere he rarely looked, out of shame, and not wanting any reminders of that day. To his relief, his scar was nowhere to be found. The damned thing hadn't followed him into Aincrad...

''Jet, are you nearly done in the shower!?'' - His partner yelled through the door, getting slightly impatient... as he'd been in there for the past 45 minutes.

''Yeah, be out in a few.'' - he snapped out of his thoughts, and turned off the shower, before getting out, and drying... which was thankfully a quicker process than at home, and reequipping his home wear, a blue t-shirt, and black shorts.

Outside, Koharu looked less than pleased at waiting 45 minutes to use the shower, but didn't say anything about it, instead just bolting it into the small bathroom, as Jet went and sat down at the small table, near the window, and opened his menu.

A piece of paper materialised on the table, alongside a pencil, as Jet looked out the window, and started sketching a rough outline of what he could see - the soaring trees, and the village built into them. It was sights like these that made him realise just how fantastic this world was at times, and maybe, just maybe, that he didn't hate the place all that much...

''Hmm, that tree there looks a little closer than I drew it, but I think I got the scale a little off...'' - Jet mumbled to himself, as his partner looked over his shoulder, having finished in the shower. She had to admit, she'd always seen the bold and brash side of her partner, alongside the side of him that disappeared into his own mind, on occasions, but the creative side? That was new, and she admitted to herself, nice to see...

''That's really good...''

''Huh? Oh, nah, it's rubbish. The scale's all off, and I don't think SAO really copes well with this sort of stuff at all.''

''I think it's pretty good anyway. I mean, it doesn't have to be perfect, right?''

''Nah, not really.'' - Jet uttered, sadness present in his tone. He knew Koharu was trying to be nice, but she'd inadvertently trodden in one of the biggest minefields known to humanity... art critiquing, with a perfectionist. It didn't really matter to him if it were good enough, but he'd wanted it to be perfect, or at least, an accurate summary of what he saw, which, in his opinion, it wasn't.

The night was winding down, and both teens took to their sleeping positions - Jet on the sofa, whilst Koharu begrudgingly took the bed, not minding sleeping in the large bed with her partner.

''So, tomorrow, we take on this giant tree... you nervous?''

''Me, pfft, nah...'' - Jet lied in the most unconvincing way possible. A lie so transparent, it could be used to replace glass, if only it weren't so flimsy.

''Be serious, will you. After all we've been through on this floor alone...''

''It's been a long two weeks, hasn't it?'' - With everything going on, anyone would be excused in thinking it had been months... not 14 days. From meeting Kizmel, defeating a small army of Forest Elves, and with it, getting retribution for Kizmel, meeting Strea and Klein, Rain joining the group, and leaving them to get stronger, the whole thing with Morte, and his mysterious backer, and the guild crisis... honestly, it felt a lot longer than it had been, really.

''Yeah, do you reckon Kizmel's doing okay? I mean, she seemed really lifelike, and I'm just wondering...''

''You wonder if she ever gets lonely when we aren't around?''

''Maybe a little, yeah.'' - Jet thought about himself briefly, but taking a more pragmatic look at it - Kizmel, being an NPC that was unique to them, likely wasn't loaded into the world all that time, instead being loaded in when she became necessary for a quest. That raised more questions though, most of them on the ethics and perhaps mental wellbeing of these AI, who could disappear out of the world because they weren't needed... Jet quickly steered himself out of that alleyway, because down that path lay madness...

''I can't really say yay or nay there, Koharu. I'd guess not, given she's an AI, but I'm no expert on these things.''

''I just wonder if we'll actually see her again, I mean, you seemed fairly confident about it?''

''I've got a pet theory at the moment - we didn't so much do something impossible, as we found something that wasn't in the beta. Remember what both Kirito and Argo told us, that it didn't matter who we sided with, they'd both die by the end of that battle, and how surprised they were when Kizmel didn't? Well, I think that, in the beta anyway, the AI necessary for an NPC like Kizmel wasn't fully ready, and so, the levels on the NPC's were upped massively, to ensure no one could access that path by accident. Fast forward to the current game, and the nutter that was Kayaba wanted it to be as real as possible, and so... we got Kizmel. An NPC with an AI that could potentially be summat out of an Isaac Asimov book...''

''That sounds really clinical. What do you think of Kizmel though? I mean, you can't seriously think of her as nothing more than a program, with how long we spent with her!''

''Well, that's the age old question, isn't it... are we more human than she is, per se? We're both formed of just data, we haven't really got a physical body in here, and both are as intelligent as the other... so why am I considered human, but she isn't?''

''I... uhh, yes? She's an elf, not a human? Mind being a bit less... that?'' - Koharu tried to understand Jet's comments, as he facepalmed over forgetting that little detail...

''We live in this world, same as Kizmel. For all intents and purposes, she's as real as you or I are. Same with any of the NPC's, and any of the players, I reckon.''

''I thought you said you weren't an expert in these things?''

''I'm not... I have read books before though. I'm not Strea, I can in fact read a novel without moaning that it doesn't have pictures in it...''

December 18th, 2022, 06:30am - Floor 3, Zumfut Lodgings.

Beep... Beep... Beep... Koharu opened her eyes, to the world around her. In a single rehearsed routine, she checked the time through her HUD. Six thirty, on the dot. She put aside the fact that for Koharu Honda, that would be a lie in, and focused more on herself, the girl who woke up at that time every day, day in, day out, come rain or shine. If you asked her about that particular routine, she'd say it was about keeping herself in a routine, and not doing what her partner did, oversleeping often. That wasn't the actual reason, of course, just a smokescreen to disguise that she wanted some control over her life for once, and to have a semblance of normality in this crazy world...

Snore... Snore... Koharu glanced over at her partner, who had sprawled out over the sofa, and given his size, he'd gone over by a fair bit, and was currently rolling himself off of the sofa. She could let him fall off, and startle him into waking up... preferably so she wouldn't have to spend the next two hours being silent, in order to avoid waking her lightly sleeping partner, or...

For once, and despite the stresses of recent days, Jet had actually had a decent night's sleep... or he would've... if it weren't still dark! He'd forgotten how truly awful waking up at half six was, and - ''Oww...'' - how much he hated sleeping on a sofa. Even in virtual reality, the sensation of waking up from there hadn't gotten any less awkward, and he still felt like his spine had ended up somewhere it shouldn't be...

''Morning.''

''Night time.'' - In Jet's opinion, if it were still dark... sleeping was a perfectly valid option for spending time.

''It's 6:30.''

''Oh good, I can go back to sleep for the next two hours then.'' - Jet shut his eyes again, trying to drop off, as his partner rolled hers, and went into the bathroom for a shower. Having left the room to shower, Koharu let her mind wander, something she tried not to do all that often, given it always went back to that one thought in particular...

Inside the bathroom was a single, smaller mirror, about the size of a person's head, and hung on the wall. Koharu took a long, hard look at herself in the mirror, and started speaking - ''You are pathetic! Everything that happened yesterday, and what did you do? You just stood there. It wasn't you who protected Jet, like you promised, it was Asuna. All you did was stand there, and let everything happen, because. You. Thud. Are. Thud. Weak!'' - She finished ranting and banging the cabinet long enough to notice tears forming in her eyes...

Jet opened his eyes, unable to sleep for one reason or another. Boomph. ''Weak!'' - Huh, why was Koharu banging on a cabinet? He walked over, and listened in as best as he could, overhearing one sentence that almost broke him... ''Maybe you should just leave him, he'd be better off without you!'' - Considering how much that hurt Jet to hear, he daren't imagine how she felt...

He opened the door, and just watched as she fought back tears. ''Koharu...''

''I woke you up, didn't I? I can't do anything right now!''

''You didn't. I wasn't even asleep, I'd just closed my eyes, and you aren't weak... not by a long shot.''

''I couldn't even protect you yesterday, I promised you I would!''

''Koharu, all of what happened yesterday... all of that was my fault. It wasn't your job to protect me, and it shouldn't be. We're partners, right? We help each other get better, and sometimes, hard as it may be, that involves letting someone fuck up monumentally, and letting them learn from that mistake. I don't like it as much as you do, but... don't beat yourself, or the furniture, up over it. Please.''

''I'm still weak though... I couldn't defend you if I tried.'' - Jet shrugged. To him, that was only one part of being strong, the least important part in his eyes.

''Nope. You, Koharu, are one of the strongest people I know, and you want to know why? Because you didn't let the world crush you. You learnt from your mistakes when you started, and now? You can keep up with the best! That makes you far stronger than me, than anyone else, in my books!''

''You're wrong. I'm none of that... I'm just weak old me. Koharu the dead weight.'' - Koharu looked back to the mirror, as if she would get an answer from it. - ''What good am I here, you don't need me...''

''You saved my life.'' - Jet thought back to the beta test, and how just a day spent killing mobs had given him a reason to live.

''When...'' - She looked back at him, almost in disbelief.

''The day I met you. I... literally the whole culture here, I dunno, I felt suffocated, I suppose. I'd locked myself away practically, and I had one friend in the entire country... and she was moving to Tokyo that week too. I hadn't been to school in nearly 6 months, and god only knows how bad of a state I was in physically. I'd lost a shed load of weight, from just not having the energy to do something as simple as eat. It got so bad that yeah, I did think about taking that final option... then I met you. One of the first people to actually want to spend time with me. Sounds a bit vain, I know, but... when you think you're worthless? Just remember that even your presence saved someone's life...'' - Koharu looked actually shocked at Jet's admission. She knew her partner's mental state hadn't been great, but for it to have been that bad, and she hadn't noticed... she actually felt worse now.

''I'm sorry!'' - And with that, she took off, sobbing...

December 18th, 2022, 11:41am - Floor 3, Zumfut Village.

A few hours had passed since Koharu had left the room. Jet had tried to go after her, but her HP bar had disappeared from his HUD, meaning that she'd dissolved the party... a fairly obvious indicator that she didn't want to be followed. The rest of the morning hadn't gone particularly quickly either, meaning he had plenty of time to mull over everything... not good news for someone prone to overthinking things. Thankfully, he was eventually interrupted by Strea and Klein, who'd turned up with the rest of Fuurinkazen, in order to take part in the boss raid - ''Morning... you look like hell.'' - In the brief conversations Jet had had with the red headed swordsman, he'd realised he wouldn't sugar coat things. Probably a good thing at the moment, if he was at all honest, he really couldn't be dealing with dancing around a problem...

''Koharu and I had a... it's complicated.''

''How complicated?''

''I tried to show her that she wasn't as useless as she thought she was, and I... made things worse. Much worse possibly.''

''I don't know what to tell you, buddy. Without knowing any details, it'd just be vague, and probably not all that helpful.''

''It's fine, not your problem anyway.''

''Maybe not, but you're still a friend, and slightly less importantly...''

''Strea would kill you otherwise?'' - Jet hazarded a guess.

''Kill is a strong word, but... let's just say I like our relationship as it is, and leave it there.'' - Jet discovered that, in fact, Kayaba had programmed a gag reflex into this world... as he was currently using it. He did not want to think about his sister doing that!

''Ick. Let's get on with lopping down this giant tree then, preferably before I bark-f.'' - Let it be known that even when in emotional turmoil, Jet still had a sense of humour. Sadly, it wasn't a very good one... as a familiar pair of girls walked towards the two guys.

''Booo...'' - Strea held her thumb down at her brother, who gave a dismissive shrug, before noticing who was with her...

''Sorry about earlier...'' - Koharu looked towards Jet, expecting him to turn away in annoyance...

''It's fine. You want to reform the party?'' - Jet seemed almost nonplussed. She knew that wasn't the case, but she was glad he wasn't holding onto this one.

''Yeah, I wasn't sure I was going to be up for this, but... well, Strea's fairly convincing.''

''Oh, by the way, little bother of mine... we are going to be having serious words about looking after your health after this fight... comprenday?'' - Neither Klein nor Koharu were on the receiving end of that message, and both were suddenly filled with a sense of existential dread...

''Eep.'' - Jet, on the other hand, was now weighing up the pros and cons of dying. Pro - he wouldn't have to deal with an infuriated Strea. Con - He'd be dead. The cons outweighed the pros, and so he stayed alive for now...

About a quarter of an hour later, and what looked like a small army had formed. Purely based on his estimates, there were at least 60 people in the town square, ready for the boss fight, meaning they had a third more of a force than for the first boss, and an adversary that, if Kirito and Argo's information was correct, was far less agile, and relied more on being able to tank hits, and inflict damage through it's poisoned AoE attacks. For once, Jet was actually feeling a little bit more confident, and with a fairly decent plan in place... assuming Kibaou's forces kept to it this time, as well as a fairly serious commander, this would be a lot easier...

About two hours later, in the boss room...

Nerius the Evil Treant was a complete pain in the backside to kill. If ever Jet wished he had an axe, simply so he could start hacking away at the sodding tree, now was definitely the time... They'd been at this for nearly an hour now.

''AoE attack, incoming!'' - Kirito yelled, as the group fell back, poison releasing into the atmosphere. The green mist looked really quite tacky, if Jet was absolutely honest... but the debuffs and status effects it inflicted certainly weren't. A HP loss of around 10% per 20 seconds, and a debuff that slowed you down significantly, by reducing your AGI stat around 15%, if Jet remembered the guide properly, certainly weren't a laughing matter, especially not now.

''Anyone hit!?'' - The commander, Asuna, shouted back towards her forces.

''No, we're all good!'' - Klein shouted towards the front, and toward the temporary commander.

''The DKB are still in the fight!'' - Lind shouted, rallying his forces

''The ALS will get this one!'' - Kibaou did the same, and the two groups surged forward, continuing to whittle away at Nerius's HP, before finally dragging it down to it's last bar...

''Poison attack! Move!'' - The green mist covered a far greater area this time, hitting both the ALS, and the DKB squads with the debuff, and rendering them non effective in combat. Asuna glanced over at Kirito, who was currently tasked to draw aggro from Nerius, alongside Jet, Koharu and Strea, and gestured towards him. ''Kibaou, Lind, how long until you are ready again?''

''Not long, probably a few minutes.''

''Bout the same here.''

''Okay, Fuurinkazan, press the attack! Solo Group, continue drawing aggro until we can get back to full strength!''

''Yes, ma'am!'' - Jet saluted, as a branch slammed against his shield, and attempted to play tug of war with it... ''Oi! Gerroff! That's mine... you can have... this though!'' - Jet slammed his blade through the branch, cutting it off, and causing another screech from Nerius, though thankfully without the poison attack this time.

''Jet! You okay?!''

''Tired, but fine!''

''Fuurinkazan! Nerius is on the ropes, finish him off!'' - With only around a fifth of his last health bar left, Nerius was about to learn what it felt like to be felled, as Strea raced forward to rejoin her guild for their final strikes...

Dealing with the last of the roots, Kirito, Jet and Koharu turned to watch as the guild tore into Nerius with brutal efficiency, before letting Strea take the final attack bonus, with a single vertical slash from her sword bringing down the treant... ''Oh yeah... I'm good, aren't I?'' - Strea channelled her inner Tony Stark, smirking towards her brother, who was rolling his eyes at her current over the top display, but laughing in good humour, as he sat down on the floor...

''Well, I can safely say, that was exhausting!''

''Yeah, it was as bad in the beta too...''

''Oh, little brother... you know that conversation we were going to have?'' - Strea came over, calling for a Jet in a sing song voice... which signalled his impending doom.

''Be with you in a minute... if I die now, you guys go on ahead please.'' - Jet gave the most exaggerated plea possible, earning a snigger from both Kirito and Asuna, whilst Koharu tried to hide her sadness behind a smile

''Don't take too long, will you? You wouldn't want Koharu here wandering the desert alone, would you?'' - Asuna smirked towards Jet, who gave an indignant squawk in response...

Chapter Text

Floor 4 - Chapter 1 - The Lake in the Arid Sands...

December 18th, 2022 - Floor 4, Teleport Gate

''Well, in the beta, this was a desert...'' - Kirito looked around at the giant lake that now stood in front of them, along with a climate more suitable for the northern hemisphere, and disappeared off into his own little world... he wasn't insane, right? This had definitely been a desert in the beta, hadn't it? Yeah, of course it was, he and Argo had had to take shelter in Bedouin tent to escape a particularly vicious sandstorm. That had been awkward... it wasn't a very large tent, even for the two teenagers... and hang on, was everyone staring towards him?

Some of the group were staring at him in confusion, or mild amusement... but only one was currently giving him a look that could pierce right through him - ''Bloody beta data, now I look a right prat!'' - On Kirito's recommendations, Jet was now wearing what he'd taken to calling his desert gear, which was the gear he'd had since about day two, covered over with a sand coloured poncho, a grey scarf covering a large portion of his face, and bandages over any exposed skin he might have otherwise, in case they encountered a sandstorm. Both Koharu and Asuna had fought valiantly not to outright burst into laughter at Jet's complete lack of fashion sense, with Koharu's effort being the more successful of the two... whilst Asuna faltered literally only a second after starting. Jet, on the other hand, had spent the past hour since rendezvousing with them, sulking after that, and before they reached the floor... where he'd been adamant that he'd be proven right. He couldn't have been more wrong if he'd said that an apple was a Czechoslovakian parking warden... - ''It's not really a desert, is it?'' - Speaking of things that were so far from correct, Koharu pointed out the current state of the fourth floor.

''It's a lake. A pretty one, at that.''

''Yeah, this is as close to a desert as the Lake District is.''

''I loved my trip there...'' - Asuna's response took Jet completely by surprise, as a million questions raced through the wide open spaces in his head, and past the entrance marked 'Useless information only'. His only response though... ''Huh.''

Kirito had finally returned to Aincrad, and had noticed the purple elephant in the room... ''Wait, I've just realised... Jet, why do you look like you've come from Tattooine?''

''Because you told me it was a desert!'' - Kirito stifled a laugh at his friend's expense.

''And now, you know it isn't... and you look absolutely ridiculous'' - Leave it to Asuna to summarise a situation without any care for a person's feelings.

''You know you can change outfits without needing to change, right?'' - Koharu questioned, as a faint purple blur disappeared behind a nearby tree - ''Huh, turns out a person can move faster than the speed of light...'' - Kirito thought to himself...

Jet walked out from behind the tree with all the grace of someone who believed themselves to be on a catwalk... but in reality was still in their bedroom. His gear had changed significantly though, there was no denying that. His old purple starter gear was swapped out for a dark grey shirt, and black trousers, whilst the small armour that covered his upper torso was replaced by a more substantial piece, covering the majority of his torso, a faint silver glimmer coming from it in the light. A purple, sleeveless overcoat covered up the torso armour, whilst additional pieces of armour covered his sword arm and shoulders, providing more defence during strikes. About the only thing that remained of his earlier equipment was a scarf around his neck, and the black boots he'd worn since day one...

''So, how'd I look?'' - Jet was pretty pleased with himself, if he was at all honest, and gave a small pose, twirling his Anneal Blade in his hand, whilst smirking...

Asuna looked like she was fighting off laughter again - ''Like a child playing dress up.'' - Jet ignored her, and not for the first time.

''You look ridiculous.'' - Jet shrugged off his male compatriot's comments... who was he to talk about looking ridiculous! The day he wore an outfit that didn't consist mostly of black, was the day that hell itself froze over...

Koharu looked the most impressed out of any of them, looking it over with the trained eye of someone with a fashion sense - ''It's an improvement!'' - Jet smiled, and took his partner's comment as a sincere compliment, rather than the unintentionally backhanded one it had been. Asuna turned to her friend, and shot her a glance that showed her lack of agreement with the raven haired girl, as if to ask her if she was truly serious. Koharu looked aside under her glare, a slight look of shame evident on her face.

Whilst Jet may not have had the same prowess at glaring people into submission as Asuna did, 17 years of dealing with six sisters, one of whom was Strea, had taught him well in that arena, and the glare he shot towards Asuna was a clear indicator that she'd screwed up in his eyes...

''Well, given how much has changed, I think we should do our own reconnaissance. It's our duty as front liners after all...'' - Neither Jet nor Koharu failed to notice the slight hint of a smile on Kirito's face at that sentence...

''Ark at he! Least one o' ya's enjoyin' the mystery...''

''I... uhh, what?'' - Kirito looked towards Jet in complete confusion, whilst the girls tried to process the sentence that had just been spoken... and failed miserably.

''Look at him, at least one of us is enjoying ourselves.'' - Jet translated for anyone else who didn't happen to be him. Kirito gave him an offended look, but one that didn't hide that glint in his eyes... - ''I'm not! But I'd be lying if I said it didn't peak my interest as a gamer...'' - Asuna looked genuinely exasperated, and turned to Koharu, the one sane person in the group...

''Why couldn't we get... you know, sane people... why these two...'' - Both Jet and Kirito looked equally annoyed at that, but Jet was the one to voice his annoyance most vocally - ''Because the universe hates you... so suffaahhh!'' - Jet gave the most smug grin he could, as the princess walked off...

''I'd better... you know. See you back at the boss fight.'' - Kirito raced after his partner, who was currently giving Usain Bolt a run for his money...

The duo carried on towards the western side of the lake, mostly quiet bar the occasional humming from Jet. Eventually, the tension became thick enough to cut, so Jet decided to do just that - ''Hey, you okay?''

''Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine... Strea didn't end you then?''

''Nah, just told me off a bit. Well, more than a bit, and not just for neglecting my health.'' - Jet ignored the screaming, and the slap that could've pierced a modern tank's armour, and focussed on the meaning behind his sister's words... the ones that couldn't be misconstrued as French, that is.

''Oh.''

''Yeah, I owe you one hell of an apology. Probably shouldn't have sprung that one on you, not exactly a way of cheering someone up, I suppose. I just want to say, I do mean everything I said, even if I said it in a stupid way. You are strong, even if it isn't physically, and even then, I don't think that's really relevant anyway. You're something important, that I won't ever be, I think - you're the heart in this partnership... and the looks, probably.'' - Even when trying to be heartfelt, Jet couldn't resist a crack at himself. Koharu gave him a smile, one that showed that Jet couldn't tell precisely how well hidden her true emotions were at the moment.

''Yeah, I suppose so. Though, you don't give yourself enough credit sometimes. You aren't that bad looking...'' - She smiled towards him.

''Nah, I know... but you'll always be the better looking out of the two of us. You could pass for a model...'' - Koharu blushed - ''I could probably be used as an anti personnel weapon... just show them pictures of me in a shower, and I guarantee you any army will turn around screaming.'' - Jet laughed, knowing that he wasn't quite that bad looking yet... no one had taken to calling him the Elephant Man just yet... Koharu, on the hand, turned red at that joke, trying desperately not to picture her partner in the shower... she was failing, and the blushing, alongside a small smirk showed how badly...

''Who knows... maybe someone does find you attractive?'' - He laughed again, this time at the perceived absurdity of that statement...

''And I thought I needed glasses!'' - The hint wasn't so much dropped, as sailed over his head in a parabolic arc, at high velocity...

Back at the Teleport Gate...

How Lisbeth had gotten this far, she honestly couldn't say. A combination of good luck, and knowing her own limits, she supposed. But here she was, on Floor 4, the frontlines, and a... desert? If this was a desert, it was the strangest desert she'd ever seen... mainly as, whilst her geography was limited to what she'd been taught in school, she was fairly certain that a lake wasn't usually a feature of most deserts! This was a disaster, she thought to herself, realising that her planning had all been for naught... she couldn't outflank enemies like this, it was mostly flat land... or water! Even the rocks and trees were barely large enough to conceal a person behind... she'd have to make do and mend though, as she always had.

After an hour or so, she'd taken out a decent number of those fish enemies, and she'd collected the material from them, but even with her determination... she was still human, and humans make mistakes, as multiple fish began to realise precisely how easy of a target they had in front of them...

The tense atmosphere between the two hadn't fully dissipated, but it was starting to, as Jet had finally figured out how the Music Player that Kayaba had helpfully left in the game worked... if what had been claimed pre-release were true, then it meant that Kayaba had quite a taste for Grime... a thought that Jet found hilarious, picturing the mad scientist dressed like Stormzy, and prancing about claiming 'mandem were too big fer their boots.'. The fleeting image of that scene was disturbed by a scream from about 500 yards away - HELP!- ''You heard that, right?''

''Yup, over there. Let's get a shift on!'' - The duo took off, as fast as they could.

The scene wasn't pretty - one young girl with brown hair, and a red dress, fighting off about six of the fish creatures, armed only with a hammer. Despite the odds, she was actually doing a fairly good job, beating one of the Dorsalfin Tadpoles into oblivion, and forcing another to back off. Jet saw his chance to try out a new trick - quickly opening his menu, and swapping weapon - his single handed sword was sheathed, and a new tool appeared. This weapon was unlike any other that Koharu had seen, and she doubted he'd gotten it from a store, given it's uniqueness. A dagger with one end of a rope tied to it, and hastily wrapped around the knight's arm, on the other end. Koharu had to wonder what the heck Jet was actually planning with this, as he threw the dagger at one of the Tadpoles, impaling it, as he pulled on the rope, forcing the creature out of position, and allowing Koharu to swoop in, and take down the not-quite-a-fish with ease. The new weapon wasn't quite as efficient as Jet would've liked, but it did the trick in a pinch, and it could, at least theoretically, keep him away from more troublesome enemies, and possibly function as an impromptu area denial weapon... though, generally, swinging a blade around your head as fast as you can, does have that effect.

After a short skirmish, the trio had managed to defeat the Tadpoles, with Jet swapping back to his normal sword.

''Are you alright? Not hurt or anything?''

''No, thanks to you two, I'm much better. Far less surrounded by fish now, anyways.''

''I mean, you did well without our help... but why were you out here on your own?''

''I'm a blacksmith, so I was out here looking for materials... oh, where are my manners! I'm Lisbeth!''

''Koharu, and that's Jet.'' - Without speaking, Jet gave a small salute towards Lisbeth.

''Oh, he's the silent type then?'' - The blacksmith asked, looking over at the nodding Jet

''No, sadly. I'm not sure why he's not speaking...'' - Koharu trailed off as she looked towards her partner, noticing the earpiece in his ear. With one swift tug, the earpiece was removed, and Jet was back to moaning... - ''You could damage someone's hearing doing that!'' - Jet looked at his partner, scandalised, who rolled her eyes at him, whilst Lisbeth fought back a giggle.

''You're a blacksmith then? That's... actually pretty cool. Tried it once IRL... let's just say I made the most useless sword in history.''

''Broke instantly?'' - Lisbeth asked, curious.

''Completely unusable by humanoids.'' - Jet admitted.

''Ah. Thanks for helping me though really appreciate it... hang on a minute! You two are frontrunners, right?''

''Uhh, were we running for anything?'' - Koharu asked in confusion.

''Frontrunners? Oh! You mean 'are we on the frontlines?', right?''

''Yeah!''

''Yes, yes we are.''

''Could I be so bold as to ask for your assistance with gathering materials?'' - Lisbeth fluttered her eyelashes towards Jet, who was really wishing he'd learnt to say no to a woman... you'd think after living with seven of them, he would've... but no. Combine that with Koharu's insistence on helping absolutely everyone she ever encountered...

''Sure.'' - Jet resigned himself to his fate, as Lisbeth looked pleased with herself...

''I just need the materials that the Scuttle Crabs drop, if that's possible. I'm going off to get the other materials I need, meet back here?''

''Are you sure you'll be okay on your own, Lisbeth?''

''I'll scrape by! Bye!'' - And with that, the blacksmith took off, leaving the duo in the dust...

''Yeah, we'll see you back here then...''

The duo reached the rendezvous point in decent time, having taken down their share of the Scuttle Crabs, only to find themselves the only people there, Lisbeth being nowhere to be seen.

''Looks like we beat her here.'' - Koharu looked slightly anxious at that.

''Maybe we should've gone with her, she said she'd 'scrape by'...''

''She looked a tough lass, she'll be fine, I think.'' - Jet attempted to reassure his partner, knowing that if he encouraged her to keep up that mindset, she'd develop a saviour complex of some sort.

''There's no guarantees in this game though, Jet. That's why I want to do everything in my power to help... I have to, I know I do, but every time we split up with someone, I just can't help but worry that we won't see them again. I want to believe we will, but...'' - Koharu looked over to Jet, and grabbed his hand, much to his surprise - ''Promise me we'll beat Floor 100. I mean, we're already at Floor 4, so we can definitely handle it, right?'' - Jet had spent a couple of nights working out how long he anticipated they'd be in this world - Assuming Floor 1 was a complete fluke, and they could handle most floors in around two weeks, he'd gotten a rough figure that meant they'd be free sometime around December 2025... almost three years from the present. That hadn't reassured him all that much, but he kept that figure to himself, and decided not to tell his partner. Sometimes, it was better for a person to remain in ignorance, rather than be truly aware of their situation... or at least, that was how he made himself feel less awful about hiding that from his partner.

''Yeah.'' - Jet wasn't even convinced by his own answer, and he seriously doubted that the usually perceptive Koharu would be either. - ''Course we will, we're us, ay we? We've always pulled through...'' - He overcompensated, and now definitely didn't believe his own answer. Koharu seemed to buy it though, which only made the knot in his stomach become tighter... he hated lying to his partner, but right now, she needed to see the idealised Jet, the noble Knight who defended those in need... not the version he felt he was, the Mordred of SAO, nothing more than a waste of space with a sword. Fortunately for him, his moping was interrupted by a deep, and familiar voice...

''Hey, it's been a while.'' - Koharu looked as if she was about to start hopping up and down on the spot. Jet ignored the fact that such an action still wouldn't bring her up to Agil's eyeline, as even he was still somewhat shorter than the axe wielding gentleman... and he was 6ft 1''. - ''I hear you two made quite a splash on the last floor. Me and my party are joining this time around, so keep your eyes open.''

''We'll be glad to have you! Oh, uhh, Agil? You didn't happen to see Lisbeth did you?'' - The axe wielder looked blankly at Koharu - ''Oh, girl in a red dress, with a big hammer.''

''Oh, the smith girl? Yeah, she asked my pals to help her gather materials. She's got quite a way with that hammer of hers. Regardless, we've got someone in our group that dabbles in crafting, and the two of them hit it off, went out and got tons... and made me carry it all.''

''I'm glad she didn't go alone, I was getting worried as she said she wasn't a fighter.''

''Crafters don't usually make it to the frontlines much, yeah. I'm sure some do, but none are the top of the top, for sure.''

A voice interrupted the ongoing conversation - the voice of the person they'd previously been talking about... - ''Sorry for the wait! Boy, oh boy did we get a haul!... Oh, hey again Mr Muscle Man, leader of the Muscle Clan...'' - Jet bit down on his knuckle, trying not to burst out laughing, even as Koharu glared at him.

''Oh, is that how you've been choosing recruits, Agil?'' - Jet decided to speak up, lest he bite into his knuckles... which would do absolutely nothing, but still.

''If we did, you wouldn't be getting in...'' - Agil took it in good stride, and poked fun back at Jet, who shrugged his shoulders, and nodded in agreement, jokingly flexing his non-existent muscles. - ''It's just birds of a feather, you know? Thankfully, means we don't get any weirdos...''

''One look at you lot is enough. You've all got great weapons too! If you ever need more, just ask!''

''You've got spirit, I'll give you that. You and all the crafters, you're the key to all of us on the frontlines surviving.'' - Lisbeth looked as if she was about to become the same colour as her dress... evidently, she wasn't very good at accepting praise. The stuttering acceptance coming from her further proved that.

''Ha! Save your thanks for when we hit you up for your wares. Good luck out there!'' - And with that, Agil left, and returned to his own party.

''Muscle man there is nicer than he looks. Can't say I've had great experiences with some of the frontliners, there's a few that are pretty mean, and a couple that are just arrogant. Makes a nice change to meet someone who respects us blacksmiths...''

''I mean, he's right. We're gonna need decent blacksmiths as we carry on upwards... people tend not to think all that far in advance though.''

''Lisbeth, you take your smithing seriously, right? I hope one day we'll be asking you for our weapons one day!''

''The words a blacksmith lives for! Now then, I don't suppose I can ask for your help in getting another type of material? I kind of need some of the fins from those Dorsalfin Tadpoles... 15 of them should be enough. I'll meet you back here, bye!'' - Jet looked deflated, and sighed. Yet again, they were a glorified collection service... anyone would think that Kayaba had ran out of ideas for quests, and settled on using the same template for what felt like the millionth time...

Some time later...

As the duo continued their walk back, having defeated the required fifteen Tadpoles, the tense atmosphere present earlier, had mostly dissipated, and the duo were chatting away as normal, when a thought struck Koharu...

''Hey, Jet?''

''Hm?''

''You know the Commander said there's a Lyusulan fort on this floor? Do you think that we're near it?'' - Jet pondered momentarily... before walking straight into something solid... - ''(muffled) Found it...'' - the unfortunate knight clutched at his nose, well aware that pain wasn't really an option, without messing about in the menu, but it didn't stop it being any less sudden, and infuriating...

''It is indeed, Koharu... and nice to see you too, Jet! Though you can't see it, I can assure you it's there... as can Jet, I assume!'' - Another familiar voice made fun of the situation, and Koharu leapt forward, tackling the Elf into a hug, whilst Jet, still clutching his nose waved back.

''(still slightly muffled) Nice to see you again, Kizmel!''

''I didn't quite catch that?''

''He said 'Nice to see you again'... he's just being a bit of a drama queen at the moment.'' - He really wished she'd spend less time with Asuna sometimes...

''You try walking into an invisible elf fort... and with that, words I never thought I'd use in a sentence together.''

Chapter Text

Floor 4 - Chapter 2 - The Fallen

December 18th, 2022 - Floor 4, Border Lake

Back on Floor 3, Jet had told Koharu they'd see Kizmel again... though, even he had to admit that he hadn't expected that to mean ''we'll see her in two days.''...

''I'm glad that both of you are fairing well, I feel that I have thought of nothing but you both since we parted ways on the last floor. How went the battle with the guardian?''

''Umm, the battle went fine... it was the meeting before it that proved problematic.''

''How so?''

''Let's just say that Elves aren't the only ones who can't get along, and some people are prone to blundering into things armed with only their big mouth...'' - Jet muttered, skittishly looking around, avoiding eye contact with anyone or staring at anything for too long. Luckily for his conscience, no one had really been hurt in that fiasco, only a few people's feelings, and possibly trust in their leaders. Only time would tell whether he was correct on the latter though, and what consequences that would actually have...

''I can't say I understand?''

''He's... it's a long story, Kizmel.'' - Koharu admitted. If she knew her partner as well as she thought she did, she reckoned he'd be struggling with the guilty conscience from being used as a chess piece in someone's game, and nearly causing a major disaster amongst them. If she was honest with herself, she'd been unhappy to even have it suggested that Jet was a willing participant, and that some members of the clearing group were either incredibly stupid, incredibly oblivious... or had ulterior motives for their attitude. She wasn't sure which of those worried her most...

''I will accept your word on that one. If we are done with the pleasantries however, we are currently in the middle of a major situation.'' - The sarcastic undertone that Kizmel had taken on threw Jet for a loop... could NPCs be sarcastic? Apparently so... ''The Lapis Key, the key we sealed away on this floor has gone missing.''

''Did you check behind the sofa? Always where I found my keys...'' - Kizmel quietly suppressed a laugh, whilst Koharu rolled her eyes at her partner's joke.

''No, I assure you that we would be in more of a panic, if that were the case. Could I ask you to enter the fortress, as I do not feel comfortable telling you this circumstances with the possibility of onlookers. The entrance to the fortress is down that path, you should see a guard there. I will inform them of your presence now, but I have another duty to tend to at this moment.''

''We'll head there now, see you in a few Kizmel.''

''A few what?''

''Umm, it's just a saying, see you in a few minutes then!'' - Kizmel nodded, and took off back in the way she'd appeared, as Jet and Koharu began following the path...

''Jet, you think she looked tired? I mean, I can understand, being cramped up in that fort can't be comfortable... I hope we can help though.''

''If it's got anything to do with that Lapis Key, I'd put money on this being the next part of the Elven War quest. Random question, did it seem like she was...''

''Taking after you with the tone? A little bit, yeah. You think we've had that much of an effect on her?''

''Maybe... Still, we're nearly here, and... ahh, there's the guard.''

''Human warriors! What business do you have here?''

''I am Jet, this is Koharu. We have assisted the Dark Elves on the lower floors, and retrieving the Jade Key.''

''We're here to see Kizmel. Can you let us through?''

''Answer me this... can you prove you are who you claim to be?''

''Is he asking for ID, because I've only got my school ID, and that's at home?'' - Koharu glanced over to her partner, hoping that he'd carry some form of ID with him...

''Does a provisional driving license count?''- Jet asked, completely forgetting that he didn't actually have it in Aincrad...

''You have a driving license?''

''Provisional, yeah.''

''How old are you?!''

''17.''

''How?!'' - Koharu couldn't imagine needing to be able to drive at 17... it wasn't like trains weren't an option in most places, and the cost was usually less than driving anyway.

''You can get a provisional license at 15 in England... can't get a proper one till 17 though.'' - Jet explained the British system of driving licenses as succinctly as he could. Not that it reassured his partner though, as Koharu looked a little uneasy at the prospect of her partner driving a car, aged 15...

''At ease, Haluzas, I called these two here myself. I'll take charge of them, so just see them through.''

''As you wish, Lady Kizmel. I would ask that you exercise caution however, we cannot be sure that they are not Forest Elves in disguise.''

''Rest at ease, my eyes see true. Jet, Koharu, if you would be so kind to follow me, please.'' - The duo followed Kizmel into the camp, sharing looks at each other every few minutes. For what was ostensibly a staging base, this fort was massive - easily measured in miles, rather than feet, and it showed. It had taken the trio nearly 40 minutes to walk to the chamber...

''To think that you'd be held up like that... I must apologise, both of you.''

''Well, this is a fortress after all, security's got to be tight, right Jet?''

''Huh, oh yeah, probably a good idea to keep guard of the fortress.''

''No, our gatekeepers may be quite a hard-headed sort, but normally, they would not be so troublesome.''

''It's to do with that Lapis Key, right?''

''Indeed, and that it precisely why I have summoned you both here. Both keys, the Jade and Lapis, were to be secured here at the Fortress. However, we lost contact with the soldiers readying the Lapis Key... we found their bloodied armour later, nearby.'' - Kizmel looked down, mourning the loss of her comrades, before continuing - ''What worries me, is that those were some of our finest swordsmen, and yet... they stood no chance against this enemy. What's more, the key has now vanished...''

Showing as much respect for the deceased as she could, Koharu asked the question on both of the duo's minds... ''Was it the Forest Elves?''

''Many believe as much to be so, especially as a Forest Elf Broach was found, fallen atop our soldiers gear...'' - Both Jet and Koharu raised an eyebrow at that piece of information - to Jet, that seemed far too obvious to be anything other than a set up... though that left one obvious question - Who would want to set up the Forest Elves?

''That... seems almost deliberate. Almost as if someone wanted you to find them.'' - Koharu summarised their thoughts as succinctly as she could.

''Indeed! I had thought quite the same...''

''So, you think the key was taken by someone else, Kizmel?''

''I have no evidence of such... but I do believe that such an assault, and leaving of equipment, would be incredibly sloppy and arrogant, even for the Forest Elves. You see, the Lapis Key has long been a symbol of peace between our peoples.'' - That last statement caught both of them off guard - a symbol of peace in a warzone? That really wasn't something you saw every day...

''Huh? Haven't you guys been at war for 'generations'... how is there a symbol of peace?''

''It is true that war between the people of Lyusula and the people of Kales'Oh has raged on since the Great Separation, and perhaps even before then... but much like any war, both sides have grown weary at times. Short truces, and hopeful moments of peace... alas, they were never to last. That is what the Lapis Key represents to both sides. When it is the Sacred Tree Festival, both our sides set aside their differences in a ceasefire.'' - Jet thought back to a story his dad had told him, the football match on Christmas Day 1914, when both British and German troops came together on Christmas Day for a kick around, after months of firing on each other... that peace, and the comradery shared between men on opposing sides would not last, and the next day, it was back to one of the bloodiest wars in modern history. If he framed it in that context, he could see why the Lapis Key was so important... it didn't so much represent peace, as it did the hope of peace. A more permanent peace, anyway. - ''Unfortunately, hundreds of years ago, a great tragedy would unfold during that period. The daughter of a Dark Elf Lord, and the son of a Forest Elf would fall in love. Both sides have claimed that either side used a charm on the other, but I believe the details are insignificant. No matter how their love started, it was true, and knowing that once the ceasefire was over, they would be enemies again... they chose death instead. Struck by the deaths of their children, the Lords chose the boundary of the lands to seal the key, and mark the graves of the lovers.'' - Jet looked down, somewhat disheartened. It seemed that even in a virtual world, war had an uncanny knack of catching the unlucky or weary in it's crossfire...

''Just like Romeo and Juliet... uh, our people have a similar tale. Jet?''

''Sorry, just thinking about something... carry on, Kizmel.''

''Hmm, I suppose so, no matter what world, peoples or time, it is the young who come together in ways their elders cannot comprehend. But regardless of the truth behind the tale, the Forest Elves are well aware of where the grave stands. If they wished to, they could've done so, without waiting for our forces to break the seal.''

''So that points us towards a culprit that didn't know where it was, or how to break the seal...''

''Precisely, and I want to track down whoever it may have been... but alas, I cannot leave the fort. The general in charge of our soldiers here on this floor is planning a raid on the enemy fort, and I must be there to join them. I would like to retrieve the Lapis Key before we move out, however. I accept that we are at war, but I am a firm believer in reducing the bloodshed, as my way of honouring Tilnel.''

''Well, leave it to us then! Just one question though... do you have any leads for us?''

''I have but one lead. The souls of those lost have become light, and returned to the Sacred Tree, but there is one likely survivor. Her name is Tuoli, she is young, but I trained her myself. Her cape was left behind, and marked with blood onto it were the words 'Head to the tower'. I believe this is a message from her.'' - Kizmel lowered her head again, her tone becoming one of thinly veiled contempt - ''I asked the general to send a search party to find her... but the request was denied, and I was told it was most likely a trap. Hence why I've been commanded to stay here.'' - On one hand, Jet could entirely understand where the general was coming from... a random message scrawled in blood, just after a massacre of your troops, and stealing an artefact of impossible value, asking you to come screams 'TRAP!', but on the other - this was one of his own soldiers, and he seemed okay with leaving her to die, if she was still alive. He hadn't even met this general, and already he reckoned he wouldn't like him... Kizmel perked up slightly before carrying on - ''But, you two arrived to me at just this time. This must be the work of the Sacred Tree. Please, can I ask that you travel to the tower, and search for the whereabouts of Tuoli?''

''You didn't even have to ask, Kizmel. Leave it to us!''

''I hope she's okay though... wait, by 'tower', did you mean the Labyrinth?''

''Yes, but should she have fallen, I am certain that she would have left behind information on the true culprit.''

''Right... sorry.'' - Jet looked over to Koharu, and placed a hand on her shoulder, and tried to look as reassuring as possible.

''Your apologies are unnecessary, Koharu. She is a soldier. She was ready to face such a fate when she took up arms. Indeed, she was much like a certain other reckless master of medicine who swore she must join us and attend to our wounds...'' - Jet noticed that Kizmel had a tear in her eye at the mention of her sister, and handed her a handkerchief...

''We'll find them.''

''Thank you, and... do help her if you can. If we can get the key back, hopefully we can prevent any further needless battles and the deaths wrought. I put my faith in you on this...'' - ''No pressure then...'' - Jet thought to himself...

The duo had almost immediately decided to make haste towards the Labyrinth, figuring that, if Tuoli was still alive, time would be of the essence... even if she had already passed, the longer they left it, the more chance that whoever had actually attacked would return to hide any evidence of their misdeeds.

''Jet?''

''T's'up?''

''Do you really think what Kizmel said was right?''

''The Romeo and Juliet bit, or that she knew what she was getting herself in for?''

''I mean, I'm not all that clued up on military stuff, but, she couldn't have been that old... maybe she was a bit cocky, and thought she could handle it.''

''Koharu, can I tell you something?'' - She nodded towards him - ''My dad was a soldier, and that always made me think that maybe one day, I'd open the door to some strange man sitting on the sofa with my mom, and my sisters, and my brother... and telling us that my dad was never coming back. He was one of the lucky ones, really, he did come back, but for every him, I daren't think of those on the other side of the coin, because all I know is that I couldn't handle even thinking about it. But it's made me realise something... very few soldiers, especially younger ones, know what they're getting themselves into. I don't doubt that Kizmel thinks Tuoli could handle it, but...''

''We're saving her, right?''

''We're saving her, and we're preventing yet more carnage!'' - Jet took on a more upbeat and hopeful tone, as the duo continued their race to the labyrinth...

Reaching the labyrinth, the duo began to look around briefly, before an armoured figure staggered towards them - purple hair, pointy ears, and armour that looked distinctly familiar...

''You must be Tuoli, right?'' - The girl stood in front of them looked frail. Jet knew that, at least traditionally, Elves lived far longer lives than humans, so their looks could be deceptive, but she barely looked as old as they were. That little detail hurt as much as anything, for all he knew, they were a kid, much like they were...

''You are the human warriors who aided Lady Kizmel?''

''We are.''

''Oh, thank the tree! My message did make it to Lady Kizmel then... *Cough*'' - Tuoli staggered, Jet reaching out to help keep her from falling to the floor, instead helping her down.

''I've got a healing potion, don't worry... just sit still...''

''I was hit with a poisonous curse... no medicine of man can help me now.'' - Jet felt like cursing out every god that he didn't believe in. They'd gotten this far, and nothing they could do would help! - ''I *cough* haven't much time left now... please take this back to Lady Kizmel...'' - The dying elf handed Koharu the Lapis Key, as she looked on, putting on a brave face, something Jet could tell without any hesitation.

''Save your remaining breath...'' - Jet tried to act as comforting as he could, but considering the rage he was currently feeling towards the universe, that wasn't as reassuring as he might have hoped.

''Warriors... I beg of you, beware the *cough* AGHHH!'' - The Dark Elf screamed in pain as a dagger pierced her armour. Jet glanced around, scanning the corridor - at the end of it stood two elves, but this time, they bore no resemblance to either side. A brown and green colour scheme, and a helmet of an unidentified material, gave the differences away...

''Stubborn until the very end. Always getting in the way...'' - Koharu looked towards their attackers, and felt like taking the fight straight to them. The condescending tone they spoke in was a surefire way to annoy both of them...

''Who the hell are you.'' - Jet took up position with his sword and shield, ready for a fight.

''You do not need to know.''

''They're Fallen Elves... traitors no longer graced by the Sacred Tree... they're the ones who... *cough* just run, please... you aren't a match for them.''

''Sagely advice... still, if you'd been wise enough to hand over the key in the first place, well... things may have been different. But now? You've bought human warriors into this, and all you've done is increased the casualties...'' - The clear venom in their voices made it clear that they'd still have killed her, regardless.

''Enough talk! Let us finish them...'' - Tuoli stood between them, barely able to stand, but evidently still possessing some semblance of her skills, and creating a large enough exit for the duo...

''She's trying to cover for us... we can't just leave her behind...'' - Koharu looked behind her, as Tuoli fought valiantly, only to receive a blade to the shoulder for her troubles...

''Wasn't planning on it...'' - Jet uttered, swinging himself around into a battle position, as the second Fallen Elf came towards them, taking on the same sneering tone as earlier...

''A grave poison runs through her veins...'' - The first Fallen Elf rejoined the fight, as Jet saw the now lifeless Tuoli lying on the floor, a blade impaling her through her chest. Koharu looked back, and fought to keep control of her emotions, whilst Jet fought to hold back his rage...

''She gave her life to protect you two... and here, you want to throw it away!'' - Jet got into his fighting stance... if nothing else, he could teach these two a lesson about minding their p's & q's...

''The other Dark Elves were just the same, sacrificing themselves just to save a weakling... how pathetic.'' - The two of them moved forward menacingly, as both Jet and Koharu readied for a fight... only for a purple blur to descend, screaming towards the Fallen Elves, both of whom were staggered backwards, and pushed out of an effective combat position...

''How dare you talk down to people willing to put their lives on the line for others!'' - The purple blur was apparently a young teenage girl. Normally, Jet would've been trying to work out where she'd came from... but in this case, he was a bit too busy thinking up a strategy on how to handle the two elves... - ''How about it then? You ready to give up on that key or whatever, and just leave?''

''Any eyes that have gazed upon us will be closed for eternity.''

''Looking at you, I can see why. You are pig ugly...'' - Jet taunted, earning a slight chuckle from the new girl, and a little smirk from Koharu.

''Well fine then... bring it on!'' - The now trio prepared for battle... - ''I'm Yuuki, I'll take the girl here... Let's go!'' - Yuuki flew straight into her fight, whilst Jet planned to drag the Fallen Elf into a fight that he'd struggle in...

The warrior lunged at Jet, his blade deflecting off his shield, as the knight thrust his sword at his assailant, forcing a retreat, whilst Koharu rushed him, her rapier whittling away his HP. The elf fell back, being rushed again, this time by Jet, who slammed his shield into his opponent's face, before releasing another volley of thrusts from his blade. The elf staggered again, this time tripping over and impacting the ground, before a final slash from Jet took him out of the fight, the Fallen Elf living up to his name...

On the other side, Yuuki was easily keeping the Fallen Elf at bay, moving fast enough that even Jet was struggling to keep an eye on her strikes, a final volley of slashes bringing the Fallen Elf to her knees...

''I think we're about done here. Ready to give up?''

''Pff... foolish human! You really think that key makes any difference? No one can stop the war now...they'll both fight until they destroy themselves!'' - The Fallen Elf burst into laughter, as she thrust her own blade through her stomach, killing herself, and triggering the death animation...

''She... she took her own life...'' - Koharu seemed more shaken by that than that they'd just killed the other elf... but then again, it's not every day you see someone commit seppuku in front of you. None of them were particularly pleased by that outcome though, and Yuuki even seemed downtrodden...

''Evil is as evil does, I guess. I guess it doesn't matter, but I can't say I'm pleased with that... How's our Dark Elf friend?'' - Jet raced over towards the fallen girl, and checked for any signs of life... miraculously, she was still breathing, but fatally wounded. With how much blood she'd have lost from that wound, it wouldn't have mattered about the poison regardless. Despite this, she still had enough awareness to speak to the human warriors who'd fought by her commander's side, and taken out the Fallen... maybe, just maybe, the Sacred Tree had sent them a blessing, she thought to herself...

''The... key?'' - She spluttered out, as Jet looked for any bandages in his inventory. He had none.

''Safe. We still have it, and we'll make sure Kizmel gets it.'' - Koharu held the dying girl's hand, as Jet reassured her.

''Just... rest easy now...'' - Jet could see the tears in Koharu's eyes, as she fought them back.

''Good... Lady Kizmel, the Sacred Tree calls to me now. I pray we cross swords once more...'' - With that, her head fell limp, eyes closed, before disintegrating into pixels...

''Koharu... take this, please.'' - Jet handed her some tissues, as she wiped her eyes.

''She was brave, that one... and she seemed relieved to pass the torch onto both of you. I'm sure she went with peace of mind...''

''That's all you can really ask for, I suppose. With hope, with friends and in peace...'' - Koharu started smiling... a stark contrast to the sadness in her eyes.

''You said you were Yuuki, right? Thank you for helping us back there.''

''Well, it was more of a natural response really, they just had 'bad guy' written all over them... I was right to jump in, right?''

''Oh yes, of course. If hadn't have been there, I really don't know what would have happened, right, Jet?''

''Yeah, we'd have struggled...''

''Well, I'm glad I made it then. Truth be told, I've only just made it out here, ya see? Still not really sure what's what...''

''Oh, you were on the floor below, then?''

''Oh, uh-yeah! Exactly! I, uh, only just made it to Floor 4! Once I decided to head up here, I just joined up with random parties, or just soloed my way through quests. That's how I levelled up, anyway, but I still don't really get this game world yet...'' - Yuuki looked as skittish as Jet had earlier, but Jet couldn't figure out why.

''Can't say I'd have noticed that! You held off an enemy that it took two of us to stand a chance against!''

''Yeah, that entrance was like something out of a superhero film!'' - Jet nodded towards them, to show he agreed.

''Heh, thanks... I just felt bad for that elf girl back there. Got really mad at those baddies, and well, you were there. I'm usually more careful... maybe? Plus, if I really were special, I'd have taken them both out myself!''

''Don't sell yourself short, you still did well back there!''

''Well, maybe it was destiny that we met here then!''

''Never really believed in destiny. Not like that, anyway.'' -

''You must be Jet and Koharu then? You know, I get the feeling us will get along brilliantly! Oh, just so you don't forget... I'm Yuuki!''

''What's with the elf ears?'' - Jet asked, as Koharu looked horrified at her partner's direct line of questioning...

''Jet!''

''Guess they do stick out, huh? I was able to use this avatar here for some reason... guess I do look a bit like a Dark Elf, don't I? Nah, I'm a player though, see?'' - Yuuki pointed above her head, at the green diamond hovering there - ''Never mind me though! Weren't you talking about some big Elf War quest?''

''Right! We should get the Lapis Key back to Kizmel! Quickly, so we can prevent that attack...'' - Jet quickly checked his notifications, to see the his rewards for taking down the Fallen Elf - a letter, sealed with a wax seal. The Fallen Elf Secret Letter... because that was so subtle, he thought... - ''Ah, that could be a great help. A letter from the Fallen Elves...''

''Doesn't get much more obvious than that! There might be more of them around, so I'll stick with you!''

''Well then, after you... master swordswoman...''

''Ha ha, 'master swordswoman'! Nah, don't tease me... I'm only gonna help you out in a pinch, anyway. You two are pretty good yourselves, so I'll join up with your party, but we'll fight our own battles, 'kay?''

''Are you sure you're okay on your own, Yuuki?''

''Those Fallen Elves were tough, but the baddies out here are no problem!'' - Yuuki took off into a sprint - ''Come on, else I'll leave you behind!''

''Yet more running... at this point, that may as well be the title of my autobiography!''

Yuuki came to a halt, having realised something... - ''Uhh, quick question... where are we going?''

''Dark Elf Fort, on the other side of the Border Lake. It's invisible, but there's a guard there, waiting for us...''

''Well then, let's not keep them waiting!'' - And again, Yuuki took off into a sprint. Koharu shot a smirk at Jet, as she took off too, leaving just the 'Knight of the Wind', as he lagged behind the two girls...

Chapter Text

Floor 4 - Chapter 3 - One Day to War...

About an hour later...

''I see... So Tuoli saw her mission through to the very end. You did well to bring word of this to me.'' - Kizmel looked down in sadness, at the loss of her pupil.

''We got the Lapis Key back too... and this weird note from the Fallen Elves. You reckon we could use that to stop a full scale confrontation?''

''About that... it would appear that someone has tipped off the general of the Forest Elves about our preparations for battle.''

''Ah. Bugger.'' - Jet summarised their situation in only two words.

''In anticipation, they launched an attack on our forward camp, and... wiped it out. We are expecting them to have been emboldened by this victory, and to push towards here next... Our own general has decided to take a strike team, and attack before they do. I'm afraid it would appear that there is no way to avoid all out war now...''

''You're kidding...''

''(sighs) Just brilliant, that is.'' - Jet held back on his original thought, which was just a stream of profanities...

''The Forest Elves claim we faked taking the Lapis Key, in order to justify an assault on them...''

''And now, you've got the key, so they'll come and fight to get it back, huh.''

''It would seem so, yes. Jet, Koharu, who is this you travel with now?''

''Kizmel, Yuuki. Yuuki, Kizmel. She came to our aid during the battle with the Fallen Elves.''

''She's really something else...''

''Any friend of yours is welcome, you two. Alas, we are in no position to offer any form of hospitality to you.'' - Kizmel became crestfallen, as she understood something - ''Young Tuoli gave her life for this... and yet, we cannot do anything. I am quite ashamed...''

''Kizmel, I was there in Tuoli's final moments. She truly had faith in you, right until the end. I think she found peace of mind, believing you'd know how to set all of this straight.''

''Did she now?...''

''I... maybe it isn't completely hopeless. Not yet, anyway.'' - Jet interjected, having just had the eureka moment they needed.

''It isn't?''

''Maybe there's one last hope. We show the generals the note...'' -

''The general is certainly most understanding. I don't believe that he'd willingly take part in any Fallen Elf plot... but who is the other general?''

''The general of the Forest Elves...''

''Okay then, so we'll let you talk to your general, Kizmel, and we'll go talk to the Forest Elves ourselves! They won't wanna fight in spite of the truth, right?'' - Jet fought back an urge to point out how naïve Yuuki was in that regards. There were always people who didn't care about the truth, and used it as a convenient smokescreen for a good old rumble...

''Hm... No. It is far too risky.''

''If we don't take risks, we'll never stop this war!''

''Kizmel, we know what we're getting ourselves into. Trust us on this one.''

''You speak with such determination... I must say, I find myself ever astounded at your actions, all three of you. But... yes, I cannot let the faith Tuoli put in me be unfounded. We shall try your plan, Jet...

Just over an hour later, Kizmel had returned from her attempt to convince the General to avoid a preemptive strike, with... mixed success. They'd have one day to prevent an all out war...

''Okay, so let's go over the plan. Kizmel is still stuck here, so it'll be just us three going to talk to the Forest Elves General.''

''With any luck, we can convince them that this is all just a big plot, and no one gets hurt... hopefully.''

''I understand all of that, I do... but how do you plan to get to the General? If previous doctrine still holds true, they will be deep into the camp, well beyond any warrior's skill to fight through!''

''That, I have left to our resident master swordswoman! Yuuki?'' - Jet pointed towards Yuuki, who completely ignored Jet's nickname for her.

''Ah, right! Jet and Koharu will sneak into the camp, whilst I provide them with a distraction!''

''I'm almost too concerned to ask what distraction that will be...'' - Kizmel finally started to understand Jet's tactics, and begun to wish she didn't.

''Well, if they see a poor little girl running up to them, asking for help with a horde of monsters tailing me... they'll help fight, won't they?''

''Just to check? You can act like a child... and not a reincarnated military officer, right?''

''Yes! I'm a better actress than I look!''

''Yuuki's acting skills aside, I... suppose it could work, yes. They may be our adversaries, but I do not believe they lack honour.''

''I'm now slightly worried that was your first plan, Yuuki...'' - Koharu muttered, making her opinion on the risky strategy known, an opinion that Kizmel shared.

''Okay then, so here's our route - through this exit in the fort, into the Bear Woods, head approximately 2 miles west, and then we'll split off? Got it?'' - Everyone agreed, although with various degrees of faith in the plan.

''Before you go, even if you should fail, I shall work to limit casualties on both sides. Please do not risk your lives for this mission, all of you, it is not worth it...''

''Kizmel's right, Jet, let's not overdo it... especially you, Yuuki. You've got the most difficult job...''

''I wouldn't say yours is all that easy either! Sneak into a heavily armed and guarded camp, find the leader, the most well defended person in there, and then convince him that not only are you to be trusted, but that you aren't just here to assassinate him.''

''I believe you have a tradition for showing you understand an order, correct?''

''Umm, maybe?'' - Kizmel saluted the trio, and Jet saluted back. - ''Best of luck, Kizmel.''

''The same to all of you. I pray for your success...''

The push through the Bear Woods was as tough as the group expected, but all were unfazed. Knowing their mission, they kept fighting, and within a number of hours, had pushed through the woods, to within a few hundred metres of the camp. Close enough to be detected by sound, but also outside of the visual detection range in the foliage.

''That was... far tougher than I thought, they didn't stop coming at one point!''

''Still, we got through though! Something that I've noticed right? This camp is big, but look how few elves there are around! This must be one of their elite battalions! That's like - hu du huh - two full 48 player raid parties! If we draw in every monster in the area, and go for it, we might actually pull this off!'' - Yuuki seemed far more optimistic about this plan than they did...

''Now comes the hard part...''

''Hard, yeah... but not impossible!''

''Yuuki, can I ask you something?''

''As long as it's nothing too personal, sure!''

''We might think of Kizmel as one of our friends, but truth is, she's still an NPC. If it comes down to it, you don't have to help her... I mean, are you even playing through the Elf War Campaign, Yuuki?''

''Nope, just passing through!''

''Yuuki, I'm calling you Doctor from now on, okay?'' - Jet interjected.

''Oh, as in Doctor Who, right!?''

''Yup.''

''Why get involved though?''

''People needed my help, so I help them. There's people here fighting for something, to keep promises, and that's it. That's reason enough.'' - Koharu looked towards Jet, who looked quite... was that pride? - ''Now then, let's go!''

''So then... Allons-y!''

''Yuuki... Thank you.''

''Don't sweat it! I'll go stir up a ruckus, so when things get rowdy, head on inside!''

''On it Doc!'' - Yuuki disappeared into the foliage, and sword skills started to flash around the perimeter of the camp...

''Jet... you said you were calling her Doctor, right?''

''Yep, her reasons are literally that of the Doctor - a kind stranger, passing through, helping those in need, no matter what.''

''I wish I could be more like her...'' - Koharu was interrupted by a familiar... and unwelcome laugh. That of a Fallen Elf, the one who'd stabbed themselves earlier.

''If it isn't the naïve little children, I'll be taking that key back now...''

''(sighs) Let me guess? You didn't die because you used some cunning stunt to only appear as if you had...''

''A clever one, aren't you? Indeed, the Wood Elves are not the only masters of trickery here. Besides, I could never return home after losing the key, and that note... If I must face death, then I SHALL TAKE YOU WITH ME!'' - She charged forward, her sword ricocheting off of Jet's raised shield, before Jet was able to counterattack, a single thrust reducing the elf's health, as Koharu used the moments long distraction to make her move, striking the elf and forcing her back, long enough for Jet to use the opening, and unleash a Sword Skill on her, the elf staggering, before a familiar animation started...

''No, no you won't. Good riddance to bad rubbish...'' - Jet mumbled, as the noise from the camp became far louder... the plan was actually working!

''Yuuki's done it! Let's get going!'' - The duo raced into the camp, amongst the clashing of blades...

Stood amongst the rear echelon of the Forest Elves, stood one elf in particularly detailed armour... it didn't take a genius to work out that he was the Kales'oh General.

''Umm, excuse us? You must be the Kales'oh General, right?''

''I thought I sensed a strange presence approaching... but to waltz into this camp, right through the front door? You must be fools with a death wish...''

''Well, you aren't wrong, per se... but, we came to stop this war.''

''To dare approach an enemy general, spouting such nonsense... I trust you must have quite a reason?''

''We have this, a note from the Fallen Elves, detailing their scheme to pit Kales'oh and Lyusula against one another.'' - Jet handed the note to the Forest Elves General. The general read through the note, and looked at it in horror...

''Well, I'll be... those damned Fallen have made it this far, have they? I must admit... this is hard to believe, but these glyphs, and the magic in this blood seal are theirs, without a doubt. This was written at the hands of those loathsome Fallen! At any rate, it certainly isn't a trick a human could pull... wait here.''

''You think he believes us?''

''I think so, the quest log's updated.''

''You think Yuuki's fine too?''

''Ask her yourself!''

''Right as rain, see?!'' - Despite the fighting, she looked cheerful as ever.

''Yuuki!''

''Humans... and Dark Elf?'' - The Forest Elf General looked a little confused on that one.

''Nah, she's human. Just looks a bit different, that's all.''

''Normally, drawing monsters on our forces would deserve a harsh punishment...'' - All three of them looked hesitant, to say the least... - ''But, we have received word of a ceasefire. They claim that the whole plot was the work of the Fallen, and that you humans uncovered the plot. For that, you are forgiven.'' - Jet resisted the urge to shout, whilst everyone else was finally able to breathe slightly easier...

''Ah ha ha, thanks...'' - Yuuki accepted the pardon nervously.

''However, the Dark Elves remain our sworn enemies. Should sanctuary be opened, and Aincrad be united once more, that will not change.''

''Umm, general? Why do you hate them so much?''

''Yuuki! You can't just ask that!'' - For once, it wasn't Jet committing the social faux pas, even though he had wondered the same thing...

''To think you aid them without knowing such a basic fact... you really are foolish, boorish people.''

''Not really, we know one side of the story, we kinda want to know the other.'' - Jet defended.

''Hm, be that as it may... think of this as rewards for your deeds. The Kales'oh have fought the Dark Elves since time immemorial. We have done so in order to fulfil our mission, to liberate those trapped in this floating prison.''

''Floating prison? You mean Aincrad?''

''Ever since the Great Separation, my people have desired not, but to see the lands reunited, and magic returned to it's people. We will not allow the Dark Elves to interfere with our plans! But if this here is all the work of the Fallen, pulling our strings... then I see no merit in continuing the battle. The keys however, belong to the Kales'oh. I trust that leaving them in your hands will ensure that deliver them that message.''

''R-right...''

''We shall now fall back to our fort. Make no mistake however, the next time we cross paths, it will not be on such pleasant terms...'' - The elves began to disappear, leaving just the three players in the woods...

''All those elves, they've disappeared... I guess that means we've moved forward in the quest, right?''

''I'd say so, yeah. The log just says 'Return to Kizmel, and deliver the news.', so...''

''That... was... terrifying!''

''No arguments there, Yuuki.''

''Wait, you were nervous, both of you?''

''You're kidding right, that general was at least twice my level!'' - ''And close to twice your height.'' - Jet kept that thought to himself. - ''No way could we have beaten him!''

''Really? (shudders) Now I'm getting chills...''

''We really did pull of something amazing there...''

''Agreed, Doc.''

''You're not letting go of that, are you?''

''Nope.'' - Jet gave a Cheshire Cat grin, as a familiar friend turned up... and pulled them into the most forceful hug any of them had ever, and likely would, ever experience...

''Koharu! Jet! Yuuki!''

''Hnnggh...'' - Turns out level doesn't translate into physical strength...

''Ack...'' - Turns out height doesn't translate into physical strength...

''Yikes...'' - Koharu wished she had either of the two advantages her friends did... but considering they were stuck in the same predicament, it likely wouldn't made a difference anyway... though she really did wish her head wasn't being pressed against a metal breastplate now.

''Excellent work! Most excellent indeed!'' - All three of them struggled to regain their breath, Koharu being the first to escape the death hug...

''Seems like you managed it on your end too, Kizmel! We stopped the war before it even started!''

''Indeed, and with your efforts, we have a momentary peace, with which we can mourn those we lost... thank you all. Now then, the commander has a reward for you. Allow me to escort you to the fort, and we shall spare not on safety.''

Back at the fort, the group stood in front of the commander from the last floor, who seemed remarkably nonplussed about humans saving them, again...

''Your numbers appear to have grown again...''

''Yeah, that... seems to happen now. Nice to see you again, sir.''

''The same to you, Jet, Knight of the Wind.'' - Jet grimaced, whilst Koharu and Yuuki sniggered at the use of the nickname that Jet hated.

''Just Jet, please sir.''

''Umm, is it okay for me to be here? I didn't do the elf- I wasn't here by your request...''

''Nevertheless, warrior of man, without your efforts, we would not stand here now. You have more than earned your share!''

Yuuki perked up - ''Great! So, I've already asked Kizmel, but I want to learn Elvish swordfighting!''

''You wish for training, hmm? I do not believe we have ever had such a request before...'' - The commander seemed very confused by the request, and it took a moment for Jet to figure out what had happened - the commander was an NPC, and literally didn't have a programmed response for the request. Kizmel was the first to speak up, on Yuuki's behalf... - ''Yuuki is an astounding warrior. If she will assist us in future endeavours, she would be a powerful ally. Under the circumstances, I would ask that we grant Yuuki the right to train here, in this fort.''

''Very well, Kizmel. I cannot deny you. Yuuki, you will receive some training in the Elven sword forms. You will be granted quarters and permission to remain here whilst your training is underway.'' - Yuuki started bouncing up and down on her feet in glee.

''Wait, really?! Thank you! I await your instruction!'' - Jet looked towards the young girl and smiled, before looking over to his partner, who was currently deep in thought. About what though, he wasn't sure...

''Koharu, Jet, do you wish training too?''

''We greatly appreciate the offer, commander, but we are on a mission to reach the top of the tower.''

''Indeed. The beast guarding this floor is a Hippocampus, a half horse, half fish creature. The creature lives in a flooded chamber spanning miles. The only way that it would be accessible would be by watercraft... however, when it emerges from the water, it is vulnerable to attack. To that end, we have long believed that poisons aid in such battles, so you might do well to prepare as such.''

''So watch out for it popping out the water, got it. Much obliged, sir.''

''You are welcome, however, just let me collect your rewards from the General. We look forward to your continued support. Those who wish to train, may stay.'' - The commander walked off to get their rewards.

''Do you not have to take on the tower too, Yuuki?''

''Yeah... that's not my goal.''

''We wouldn't mind having you though...''

''Gee, talk like that and you're gonna make me wanna skip practice... but no, I need to get stronger. I know you two will get so much stronger, too. So just... keep fighting, don't give up, and whatever you do, just stay alive out there, okay?''

''You can count on it, Doctor...'' - Jet smirked again, as Yuuki rolled her eyes towards him.

''It seems that you are all aware of the paths that you must walk. I will head upwards myself, too. Now that I am aware of the Fallen's presence, I cannot allow the key to remain here. It needs to be moved to safety above.''

''We finally met up again, but we have to say goodbye, huh.''

''If you are ascending the tower, I'm sure we'll meet again. Now then, until such a time. Yuuki, I apologise that I cannot stay to fulfil my promise to train you personally.''

''That's why you asked the commander, right? As long as I get to stay here and everything, I'm fine, thanks Kizmel!''

''Well then, you two. I guess this is where we split off... let me tell you this, it's been a blast!''

''It's been good, yeah. What you said to us... same goes to you, Yuuki.''

''I can't wait to see the new, stronger you up ahead, Yuuki.''

''Same! Bye then!'' - Yuuki took off, leaving just Jet and Koharu, who began to escape the labyrinth that was the Elven Fort...

Quite some time later, and the duo were out on the lake side...

''Well, it's been quite a day...''

''No kidding, we ran into Kizmel, found an evil plot and a new friend, oh, and who can forget we stopped a war... and all of that, before tea time.''

''It certainly sounds... impressive, when you say it like that!''

''I would ask if you fancied a quick break, but I think we could do with getting the info to the labyrinth first, anyway.''

''Yeah... might be a bit much to ask to stop and have a day at the beach, really...''

''Probably. Plus, it's December, so...''

''Still warm though!''

''Hey, Koharu? Do you feel like we're forgetting something?''

''Huh, yeah, I do a little bit, now you mention it?'' - Both stopped to think momentarily, but drew a complete blank.

''Eh, couldn't be that important, if neither of us can remember it, right?''

''I suppose so, yeah.'' - That was going to annoy both of them now... what had they forgotten?...

Somewhere on the other side of the Border Lake...

''Where are they...'' - The brown haired blacksmith asked impatiently. She had a right to be getting impatient, she'd been waiting for the duo for nearly seven hours now, and she needed those materials!

{Author's Comments}

Hello to everyone who reads this!

Honestly, I didn't actually think I'd get this far with An Englishman in Castle Aincrad! I did think I'd do one floor, and then give up on it, let it fade into obscurity, and look back on it in 2/3 years, and cringe... the last part will probably still happen though! To everyone who's read the story, thank you, and especially to those who's favourited and followed it!

I will be doing a two parter special over Christmas, so the Christmas Week will look like this for uploads:

22nd Dec (Wednesday) - Floor 4 Boss

24th Dec (Friday/Christmas Eve) - Christmas Special, Part 1

25th Dec (Saturday/Christmas Day) - Christmas Special, Part 2

I'm considering doing the Intermission chapters in their own story, rather than here, to avoid anyone thinking they're canon (some may be, but the vast majority aren't/won't be) or doing some form of... I guess the phrase would be 'spin off', with it being a much more lighthearted story, with very little in terms of an overarching plot (the current idea is a dating spin off, focusing on Jet's relationship with the girls of SAO. Whether I'll actually get round to writing any more of that than a prologue... I don't know.)

Any thoughts, opinions or actually, just anything to do with ideas would be nice to hear from my readers!

If you've enjoyed the story so far, please follow, favourite, comment or message me, it's always good to hear from people about what they liked, or how I could improve my writing!

Midland 2541, signing out for now...

Chapter Text

December 19th, 2022 - 20:34pm - Floor 4, Labyrinth Entrance

Having cleared the quest, and failed to remember the blacksmith still waiting at the teleport gate, Jet and Koharu arrived at the labyrinth to find... only two people stood there.

''Umm, did you guys already clear the boss or something?'' - Jet asked, wondering if they'd waited behind, just to call them slow...

''I mean, we could've done in the time we waited...'' - Kirito commented sarcastically, before Asuna elbowed him - ''Oww!''

''Ignore him, for he knows not what he speaks. We've been here about 5 minutes. Did you two find out that you needed a boat from somewhere too?''

''Yeah, and poisons too.''

''All of this does leave us with one big question though... where do we get a boat from?''

''There's a workshop over there, right... and we've still got all of the wood from the third floor... so...''

''We build our own!'' - Jet cried, evidently quite pleased with the idea. The girls both looked on apprehensively, as the boys grinned maniacally at the thought...

(A brief interlude - bought to you by Koharu, Asuna and Kirito with hammers, nails and wooden planks... whilst Jet walks past, on with a load of fabric wrapped around some spars, in tow, having been sowed to him...)

In all honesty, the group had achieved something spectacular. They'd built a complex object in just over 8 hours, and... well, it showed. The group stood outside, in the dark and cold, looking at their creation... we use the word creation, because there was no chance that... thing, was actually a boat. If the narrator had been forced to guess what they'd produced, they'd have suggested it was some form of deformed airplane instead...

''Well, if it looks like a duck...'' - Jet said optimistically...

''Then we've made a duck?'' - Koharu sounded confused.

''No... I'm pretty sure we've made a white elephant.'' - Asuna spoke as the voice of realism.

''Uhh, just one important question... does it actually float?'' - Kirito asked, as he checked over the boat... and put his finger through one of the many, many holes...

''Only one way to find out...'' - Jet and Kirito, the latter mouthing to Asuna to save him, took the helm of the newly christened HMS Crow, a ship that notably tempted fate. Well, we say tempted fate... more like held a middle finger up to it, and told it to perform oral sex on an unspecified object. Unsurprisingly, knowing this, the name had been Jet's choice.

The boat was pushed out to the lake, where it performed admirably... for all of five seconds, before capsizing the instant it left the lake shore, leaving a rather soaked Jet and Kirito to crawl back to land...

''It worked as well as I said it would then...'' - Asuna looked quite amused at the wrecked Crow, and the soaked messes that were Jet and Kirito swimming back to shore. It had been a particularly short swim, given they'd gone around 30cm, setting a new record - the worst boat ever made...

''I believe there's a saying in Latin... Ambitiose sed ineptum.'' - Jet muttered, as he shook the water off him, soaking everyone around him.

''What's that mean?''

''Ambitious, but rubbish.''

''Umm, you know we built the boat, right?'' - Koharu had noticed something they'd all ignored... - ''Well, have you noticed there's four stalls there, not the usual three... one of them is a craftsman.'' - The other three looked over, and collectively facepalmed. At least they still had some wood left, anyway...

Yet more time later, and having asked the NPC to build their boat...

Leaving the stand, the four began thinking of their next moves...

''So, we've got the rest of the day free...''

''Good - YAWNNN - I'm going to get some sleep then.'' - Koharu decided on her course of action, and began to walk to the lake's shore, where she'd suggested she wanted to relax...

Jet contorted his face, as if he'd swallowed an entire wasp's nest - ''I'm agreeing with Koharu on this... I need a nap.'' - He muttered, as he walked off too, leaving Kirito and Asuna to their own devices...

''So, where are we going?'' - Jet asked, as he caught up to his partner.

''I found a bit of the beach last night, I kind of wanted to just relax there...''

''Was that before I sowed myself to the boat, or after?''

''After that, but before you caught fire. How did you do that, anyway?''

''Truthfully... I've no idea.''

''Shame that wasn't filmed though, your reaction was amazing... 'Oh dear, I'm on fire now... (glances down at her arm) I'M ON FIRE NOW!'' - Her reaction was spot on, he thought.

''Yeah, yeah, I know...'' - Jet fought for control not to laugh at his partner's impression of him. He had to admit that, occasionally, he did overact for an effect. The joys of being in a drama club... or it was a club that had a load of drama. Either or.

''Ah! Here it is...''

''I'll keep watch, never know when the unexpected might happen...''

''Tends to be why - YAWNNN - it's called the unexpected... Wake me up in a bit, anyway. May as well take turns, right?''

''Sure.'' - Jet let his partner settle down, as he kept a watchful eye on the world around them. Eventually, and by that, we mean 'after 15 minutes', he got bored of that though, and decided to do some drawing... after all, it fit the description of 'watching the world', so he wasn't going to fall asleep himself...

December 20th, 2022 - 14:09pm, Floor 4, Border Lake

''You reckon they've both fell asleep?''

''Almost certainly.'' - Kirito answered, in a cocky tone. He'd been certain enough of that to have made a bet on that with Asuna, for around 50 Col... a bet he'd later come to regret. - ''Oh.''

''Well, it's not how I imagined I'd win... but I win!'' - Jet looked up from his drawings, in confusion at the approaching duo. Asuna looked more unbearable than usual, whilst Kirito looked downtrodden for some reason. He'd ask why... but he dreaded the answer he'd get.

''Aww, the ever diligent knight, aren't you?'' - Kirito decided that teasing Jet was the best option to offset the loss of his money.

''Be serious, will you? On that note, hope you two are well rested now...''

''She will be.''

''What about you though?''

''What time is it?''

''Just after 2, why?''

''Oops.'' - Jet realised how long he'd been sitting there drawing for... and it didn't bode well for his continued safety.

''What have you done...''

''I was supposed to wake her up about... 5 hours ago, and have my rest.''

''So, how long has she been asleep?''

''Just over 8 hours now.''

''You know something, this does make losing that bet a lot more tolerable...'' - Kirito quipped, evidently enjoying the look of dawning dread on his friend's face...

''Eh, I've gone for a lot longer without sleep before, you know? One night isn't gonna kill me...'' - He was right. Pulling one all nighter wouldn't kill him... his partner, on the other hand? Well, that wasn't guaranteed...

''Still not healthy though... just look at Asuna, for example.''

''Hey! Why am I the go-to example?!''

''You did put yourself into a fatigue induced belief that dying was the right option, and pigheadedly fought until you were literally on the verge of death, only to be saved by the dork swordsman here...'' - Asuna looked scandalised, until hearing that last bit, and sniggering to herself, much to Kirito's chagrin.

''He's right... and don't ever call me that again, please.''

''YAWWWNNN - Huh? How long have I been out for?'' - Fortunately for Kirito, Koharu had woken up, and prevented the two of them from ganging up on him further.

''About 8 hours now.'' - Asuna answered innocently, before looking at Jet with the same smile... only with far more malice behind it.

''Eight?! What happened to taking turns?''

''Uhh, I kind of forgot?'' - Jet tried to look as innocent as possible. It didn't work.

''You forgot to go to sleep... seriously, what am I going to do with you?''

''Uhh...''

''Rhetorical! Don't answer that!''

''Well, if you two are finished having your lover's tiff...''

''We aren't lovers! Just friends, Asuna!'' - Jet vehemently denied... although he'd be lying if he said he didn't wish it were true, in any way.

''Yeah... just friends. That's all...'' - Koharu smiled... but even Jet, oblivious as he was, saw something behind it. Almost like she was hiding her actual feelings...

''Sure... '' - Asuna rolled her eyes - ''anyway, the boat's finished. Want to go and see?''

''Oh, hell yes. Lead the way...''

Thankfully for all involved, the new boat was actually... a boat. It wasn't built in 8 hours by three unqualified and inexperienced builders, and their commanding officer bellowing orders, and it definitely floated this time! For that reason, the remaining three of the four had taken the executive decision to bar Jet from having input in the name. To achieve that aim, Asuna had suggested and implemented a policy of tying him to a nearby tree. Probably for the best, really...

''So... what do we call this boat?''

''Uhh, lad and lasses?''

''Jet, you aren't naming it. That's why we tied you to that tree, remember?''

''I still think that's a bit harsh...'' - Koharu looked over towards her partner, and gave a sympathetic smile.

''Or that Asuna has a weird si...'' - Asuna glared towards her partner, smirking as she began to draw her rapier... Kirito, even with his lack of wisdom around the fairer sex, decided that shutting up was by far and above the best idea here... -''Shutting up now.''

''Good idea...'' - Koharu shuddered at the look of pure menace on Asuna's face.

''Yeah, I remember that... but you know the boat there?''

''Yes, ours?'' - Honestly, Jet could be such a dullard sometimes, Asuna thought...

''Umm, did you check the paperwork for it?''

''No, why?'' - Kirito answered, looking over the boat...

''Probably should've... that isn't ours. Ours is that one.'' - Jet pointed towards a boat a few hundred yards away, one that suspiciously looked a lot more like the sketches Jet had done when they were asking the NPC for their boat...

''So... whose boat is this one then?''

''You three! And... why is Jet tied to a tree?'' - Lind looked equally as confused as anyone else in that situation would be... Kibaou just looked annoyed instead. Or tired. Or happy. Honestly, with that face, it was hard to tell, Jet thought.

''I suck at naming!'' - Jet shouted over to the guild leaders...

''Okay then... not gonna ask. One of ya's is clearly not right in th' head...'' - Jet nodded, knowing exactly who it was. - ''That's ours! Your's is down there!''

''Yeah, we've just realised... sorry about that...'' - The trio left, forgetting something tall, orange, purple and whiny...

''They've left you behind, haven't they?''

''Why did they tie you to a tree, anyway?''

''I told you both, my naming skills are shocking...''

''Seems like an overreaction to me...''

''Ya think?'' - The sarcasm was thick enough that even a sword wouldn't cut it.

''Sorry! Forgot to pick up my partner!'' - Koharu raced back, and untied her partner.

''I thought it was supposed to be the knight savin' the princess...'' - Kibaou and Lind looked on at the unfolding... well, untying scene, fighting back laughter.

''Maybe it is... we don't know what Jet does at weekends.'' - The guild leaders were in hysterics, as Jet just looked on, as dignified as he could under the comment of the Statler and Waldorf wannabes, whilst Koharu untied the rope around his waist, and tried not to picture her partner in a tight red dress...

Eventually, the rope was slackened enough that Jet was able to get out without cutting it, and the duo carried on towards the boat...

''You okay? I mean, the naming thing was a bit... bad, but I think Asuna overreacted there.''

''Yup, and it's fine... just, I'll give you a heads up now. The next meal I make for all four of us, I'm making sure I misread the ingredients. I think one dustbin full of chilli powder should do it!'' - Koharu was vaguely concerned that Jet might actually do that. It was certainly his style, anyway...

''Umm, if you do that... can I have some notice, so I don't try and eat it?''

''Of course. I like you, so I'm not going to pull a prank on you...'' - Jet smiled innocently towards her.

''W-wait... you l-like me?!''

''Uhh, yeah, you're a nice person to be around, and a really good friend. Hell, probably my best friend about now. Why wouldn't I like you?'' - The jury was still undecided on whether Jet was an idiot, who occasionally said what he meant, but in a slightly too literal way... or a complete troll. Most would lean towards the idiot hypothesis, though.

''Oh, you don't mean that way...''

''Uhh, I'll get back to you on that one.'' - Jet deliberately tried to evade the question, knowing that he wasn't ready to answer it yet, and started walking a little faster, slightly outpacing his shorter partner...

''Oh, okay...'' - Koharu struggled to understand her partner sometimes... especially how much he tried to hide any form of emotion that wasn't annoyance. She wouldn't lie, he was terrible at it, but that didn't mean he didn't try.

''Thanks for tying me to that tree, by the way, you two...'' - If there was a way to sound more passive aggressive... Jet hadn't heard of it yet. Still though, the boat they'd taken was certainly an improvement over the Crow. Unlike the previous ''boat'', the new one had a twin hull structure, becoming a catamaran in the process...

Needless to say, all four were extremely impressed, Asuna and Koharu agreeing that labelling the new vessel as the Tilnel was by far and above the best name they could think of. Asuna prepared herself for an argument with the boys over the name, but to her surprise, both thought it was a nice gesture, and agreed that it was a far superior name than the Crow... far less likely to annoy fate, certainly.

All four of them heard a familiar pinging noise - a new message. This time, one that told them of the time and place for the meeting... tomorrow, at 10am, right outside the Labyrinth Entrance. Given they now had an entire afternoon and night to kill, Jet momentarily considered enacting his plan for vengeance, before reconsidering, realising that he might be being a little petty, and attempting to feed someone an entire dustbin full of chilli powder might just be considered an overreaction for a minor public humiliation. Koharu decided that, for Asuna and Kirito's safety, and for her own benefit of not having to hear the constant passive aggressive remarks all day, went back to the nearest town, and found an inn room to settle down for the night.

December 21st, 2022 - Floor 4, Labyrinth Entrance

The next morning had arrived, and the duo had made their way back to the Labyrinth Entrance. With all of the boats now complete, the group met up with the clearing party, for a rundown of any intel that had been gathered. Considering that Floor 4 had been the most major change to the beta that they'd encountered, Koharu had suggested that very little of the beta information would be of any use, anyway, and explained the information they'd gathered from the Elf War Quest...

''Great, so the Hippogriff is now a Hippocampus. Looks like the old information may be starting to become less and less useful as we go on...''

''I'd imagine there'll come a point soon where that was the case anyway, right?''

''Well, we only got to Floor 10, so anything after that is a complete unknown anyway.''

''By any case, we should be wary of this boss. If Jet and Koharu are right, and this creature uses water based attacks... then keeping our distance from it won't be the worst idea.''

''I... uhh, have a question.'' - Jet raised his hand hesitantly, fearing looking like the class dunce.

''Go ahead, Jet.''

''How are we gonna hit this thing, if we're on boats...'' - A number of murmurs came from the rank and file, and even Asuna, who hadn't given that part too much thought, suddenly realised that too.

''We have a plan for that, which is to wait for the beast to pass under us, then concentrate all attacks on it from atop.''

''Well, at least there's a slight plan in place.''

The labyrinth itself was by far and above the hardest part of the fight so far... mainly as it took constant switching from the crew of the Tilnel, and almost constant evasive action to avoid monsters, to actually get anywhere bloody near the main... well, it wasn't actually a chamber for once, but a small island in the middle of the canal system that had been called a labyrinth. Having moored the boats as best as the group could, the combined attack party went ashore...

''Huh, did kind of think we'd be fighting on the boats... but I'm definitely not complaining about doing it on dry land!'' - Koharu looked sympathetically towards Jet, who was currently kissing the sand, having discovered, at the worst possible time, that he got seasick. Badly seasick, and in SAO, there was no mechanic to vomit... but there was a gag reflex seemingly. To the unfortunate knight, that seemed even more cruel...

''Agreed.'' - The usually purple, but now green, member of the group commented, picking himself up off his knees.

''I see it! It's...'' CRASH, CRASH, CRASH... ''- destroyed our boats.'' - commented one particularly astute member of the ALS, whilst a member of the DKB simply yelled out in horror.

''Be ready, everyone!''

Wythege the Hippocampus reared up from the water, and onto land. If Jet was being honest... it was a horse with a fish tail. A biologist's dream, sure, but... just wrong. That, however, didn't stop said Hippocampus from unleashing a roar on everyone, and debuffing them...

''Where the hell did that come from?!''

''Guess it's bark may really be worse than it's bite! No point standing around though... time to kill that SOB!'' - Jet readied his blade, as he stood up, desperately pretending he wasn't still slightly seasick.

The Hippocampus charged at the group, leading to anyone in it's path leaping out of the way in order to avoid the charging creature's onslaught. Jet and Koharu had landed just off the creature's 7 o'clock, and began to attack as best they could, despite the disadvantage they were both at. The beast's HP was going down, slowly, but surely...

Every attack that the Hippocampus launched was easily countered by the attack force, even whilst Kibaou and Lind bickered about who should take which flank, whilst Agil's group and the two pairs pressed their attacks... this continued for a long time, and just describing it would get incredibly boring. So, we fast forward about 30 minutes...

Evidently fed up of being stabbed, slashed and smacked about, Wythege changed up its strategy, and began to charge again, this time back out to the canals, aiming to take out at least some of the attack force...

''What's it doing?'' - Someone asked, standing around idly, as if they weren't in mortal peril...

''Shit! It's charging up, Kibaou, move your guys now!'' - Jet shouted, urging the guild leader to beat a hasty retreat... but, attracting the hippocampus's attention in the process...

''Wha- Oh hell!'' - The ALS group managed to get out of the way in time... Jet, on the other hand, didn't, and was smack bang in the firing line.

''Fu-'' - Jet just about raised his shield in time, attempting to block the charging attack. SMASH! The force from the attack almost stopped Wythege dead in it's tracks, and threw Jet into the air, and nearly 10 foot away, completely disorientating the knight. Struggling to get up after the attack, he now posed an inviting target...

''Jet!'' - Koharu jabbed at the beast, before she raced in front of her partner, ready to take on Wythege alone... momentarily, as Asuna, Kirito and Agil moved in to help, forming a defensive perimeter.

''I'm okay, I need a second though...'' - Jet quickly drank a potion to bring his health back up, and stood back up, his shield almost entirely unusable, having taken the brunt of a hippocampus strike. ''Okay, I'm back up, let's get back to it!'' - A few glances towards Kirito, one of which was of acknowledgment and Jet quickly raced towards the bastardised horse. Blade held to the side, Jet charged down the side of the beast, ripping into it, forcing the creature onto it's hind legs, as Koharu unleashed a Sword Skill on it...

The monster yelled out in pain, again debuffing everyone... but it no longer mattered. Wythege was down to less than 5% HP by Jet's reckoning, and one last heavy strike would end the beast... that strike being delivered by Asuna, who's Sword Skill looked like the dictionary definition of 'death by a thousand cuts'. Wythege fell to the ground, before disappearing from the world... whilst Jet decided to drop to the floor again, mumbling about it being comfortable...

''That was... ballsy. How did you know you wouldn't just be killed from that charge?''

''Uhh...''

''You didn't, did you?'' - Kirito looked disappointed at Jet's lack of forward thinking, but realised that he hadn't exactly had a lot of information to draw on, either.

''I had faith in my shield...'' - Jet weakly offered up, as Kibaou walked up to the small splinter group.

''I... uhh, I owe ya one back there. If ya hadn't shouted when ya did, we'd have had a problem... so uhh, thanks.''

''Don't mention it, I just did what anyone else would've in that situation.''

''Congratulations though, you two... you're the MVPs this time.''

''MVPs?'' - The none video gamer that was Koharu asked.

''Most victorious players, or something like that, isn't it?'' - Jet knew of the term, and the general meaning, but not what it actually meant.

''Most Valuable Players. I thought you were a gamer, Jet...'' - Kirito looked genuinely disappointed.

''Eh, I wouldn't have considered myself one. I played one game...''

''You all handled yourselves well out there, but Jet... don't make a habit of pulling stunts like that. For everyone's sake...''

''I don't plan to, Agil One...'' - How Agil had cloned himself, Jet didn't know... alternatively, the adrenaline wearing off was starting to highlight just how much of a force that single strike had administered to him.

''I can't say it was easy for us to babysit those two groups though... even in the midst of battle, and they were bickering like children!''

''Ah well, it was still fun to watch...'' - Even the slightly delusional Jet shot a look of concern towards Kirito...

''Be serious, really. That could've gone far worse...'' - Asuna chewed out her partner for his disregard to everyone's lives.

''I agree with Asuna... never thought I'd say those words.'' - Jet mumbled the last part, as the aforementioned girl looked as scandalised as before -  ''If it hadn't been for us giving the boss next to no breathing space, that battle would've been far harder.''

''Yeah, you've both got points, but we did make it through without a single casualty... minus Jet's dignity in living up to his namesake momentarily.''

''That's not my namesake, for reference.''

''Wait, you're telling me that 'Jet' is not a reference to a jet engine?'' - Everyone looked towards him in surprise. It was not particularly uncommon to hear Jet refer to aeronautical terms when explaining a plan, and as a result, everyone had assumed that was the origin of his name. Or at least Kirito had... it wasn't like he could judge, his gamer tag was literally a portmanteau of some of his first and last names. 

''Pretty much... it's an abbreviated version of my middle name.''

''So... Jet is short for?'' - 

''He isn't...'' - Asuna quipped.

Begrudgingly, Jet revealed his middle name - ''Jethro.'' - All of the gathered burst out laughing at that reveal... ''My parents were... well, let's just say, that was the least worst option.'' - Thankfully, his parents hadn't stuck with their original choice, otherwise his name in game would've been Car or Rot... and he'd have never used his middle name! 

''I'm calling you Jethro from now on in, okay?'' - Agil smirked as Jet shrunk into his shoulders, a look of despair filling his face... Kirito was quickly typing away at something. ''Great...'' -  he thought, realising who the message was to... the resident rat.

''Please don't...'' - Jet looked away, regretting revealing that little nugget of information, turning to his partner in the vain hope of someone on his side... no such luck, as she was still smirking at him. Luckily, the more mature side of the group decided to change the subject...

''So, Asuna? What did you get from the Last Attack Bonus?''

''Huh? Oh right! That was me, wasn't it! Oh, uhh, nothing much, a few EXP boosters, some potions and some Col boosters. Bit disappointing, to be honest...'' - She'd sounded surprised at that, which was justified. Kirito had gotten the drop on Ilfang, Jet had managed the LA bonus on the Tauruses, and Strea had taken out Nerius, so she believed it was about time that she managed to down a boss... even if the drop had been a bit uninspiring.

''Eh, guess they can't all be badass trench coats after all.''

The group carried on chatting for a few minutes, whilst everyone began to make their moves... Kirito and Asuna, unsurprisingly, made haste towards the fifth floor, a town of ruins, according to Kirito... which meant it was in fact, just a town. Agil and his party headed back to the Town of Beginnings, whilst the ALS and DKB marched on, as per usual. All of that left just Koharu and Jet, both of whom were absolutely exhausted...

''Hey, Koharu?'' - Jet had quickly checked his HUD, and noticed something. The date was currently the 21st December... which meant only one thing to him.

''Yeah?''

''You know what time of year it is, right?''

''Yeah, nearly Christmas, why?''

''Well, do you want to head back to the town for a bit, and take the next few days off?''

''Do you think everyone will be okay with that?''

''I honestly don't think they'll notice. Kirito and Asuna will be too busy levelling, and I'm willing to bet you could wave a banner insulting the two guilds in front of their faces... and they'd still find a way to blame each other for it.''

''I suppose so... anyway, I thought you didn't like Christmas!''

''I don't... but I do like holidays. Tell you what though, you want to stop off at that lake shore again... this time without being asleep on it?''

''Sure, sounds quite romantic... until that last bit.''

''I... uhh, didn't mean it that way?'' - Jet stuttered, as he tried to dig himself out of that hole...

''I was joking.'' - She wasn't. It actually did sound romantic to her, the two of them, laying there on the beach, watching the sunset...

''Oh, thank god.'' - Well, that hurt her ego slightly... though, she suspected Jet didn't mean it that way, even if that's what he'd said... ''Well, to the beach?'' - Jet wished he could get the image of his partner in a bikini out of his head, and cursed his hormones...

''To the beach!'' - Koharu mock cheered, as she walked on ahead... eh, maybe Christmas 2022 was the year when things went a bit better. Jet could only hope, anyway...

{Author's Comments}

So, that's Floor 4 finished now, and I'll admit, I tried to add a bit more humour into this one. I probably shouldn't watch Top Gear whilst writing this...

If you like it, favourite, follow, review etc, and if you don't, I'd still like to hear what you didn't enjoy from it! Just as long as it's constructive criticism, anyway.

Next Chapter will be December 24th, so I'll see you all then!

Midland 2541, signing out.

Chapter Text

Christmas Eve Special - The Night Before Christmas...

December 7th, 2022 - Floor 3, Lyusulan Camp

''You know, it's nearly Christmas... you reckon there's an in game Christmas?'' - Jet stopped to think for a second. It wasn't exactly something that would've come up during the beta test... which ran in July. But then again, Jet doubted that Kayaba would've ignored something that important, given he seemingly wanted people to live their lives here... so he answered - ''Perhaps... but isn't it only the 7th today?''

''Yes, it's only 18 days away!''

''Please tell me you aren't one of those people who play Christmas songs in September, Koharu...''

''No! That's far too early... November, maybe.''

''Trust my luck to get a partner who loves Christmas...'' - Jet joked.

''Aww, don't be a grinch about it!''

''I'm not! I just... Christmas at home was always stressful. Six sisters, a brother, me, parents, grandparents... imagine the washing up afterwards!''

''What about when you were little?''

''Eh, I was neutral on the idea. Used to love decorating the house... and tracking Santa on radar.'' - Jet tried to mumble that last bit, but failed.

''I can just picture a tiny you sat there now... it's adorable!'' - She tried to hard to imagine a small Jet... it was difficult for her, given her reference was 6 feet tall, and towered over nearly everyone around them. The toddler version of Jet though... she felt like picking him up and talking to him in baby talk... what that said about her, she really wasn't sure.

''And I'm the only one of us who did embarrassing stuff as a kid, am I?''

''Nope... you're the only one who admits it though! Anyway, is there anything you want for Christmas?''

''Hmm, you?'' - Koharu went bright red, and began spluttering at Jet's teasing. - ''My two front teeth perhaps? Actually, anything'll do, except the Pogues. No Pogues.''

''You know, if you carry on like that, I might actually think you're being serious...'' - She gave her partner a wide smirk, knowing exactly how he'd react...

''Who says I'm not?'' - She was wrong. Jet swore he could feel the heat off his partner's cheeks... an achievement, given she was sat 5 feet away - ''But seriously, as long as I've got you, I'm sure I could take on the world. After all, I do have the best partner in the world!...''

''Buh... buh...''

''And I may have broke her. Go me.''

December 23rd, 2022 - Floor 4, Rovia

After the experience that had been the fourth floor boss fight, Jet having discovered that he wasn't much of a sailor, and nearly becoming a literal home run with Wythege, the pair had decided to take a few days away from the frontlines... it was nearly Christmas after all, and even if Jet hated the holidays... he was quite partial to the holiday bit. Especially the bit where it meant he could escape from the she-devil...

''Asuna's invited us to a party, you want to go?'' - She really was like Beetlejuice, wasn't she? The most obvious answer was no. Not because he knew he'd be in for an incredibly unpleasant experience... well, actually, that was the reason, but it wasn't like he could just tell his partner that.

''Who's party is it?''

''ALS and DKB'' - Any remaining chance, however minute, exited the window as fast as the acronyms came out.

''Solid pass on that. Last thing I need is them lot trying to make me look bad... I'm perfectly capable of doing that myself.'' - He wasn't wrong, and and he suspected that the leaders of the guilds still held a grudge with him for the fiasco on the third floor. For once, he wouldn't have blamed them if they did, if it hadn't been for Kirito and Asuna's quick thinking, and absolutely terrifying presence, respectively, he'd have filled the role of the match needed to blow them all skywards, well metaphorically speaking, anyway. Even if Kibaou had seemingly been a bit kinder towards them, after Jet had pulled their arses away from the fire, it wasn't all that unlikely that Lind still held that grudge anyway...

''I don't think they blame you entirely for that one... they'd be hypocrites if they did.''

''Yeah, I know... I don't really enjoy parties anyway. The ones I ended up at were always either so boring I felt like dropping off to sleep, or too much drink, booze and shagging, with no in between.''

Koharu smirked at her partner, and put on an innocent voice - ''Are you sure you aren't a time traveller?''

''Why?'' - Jet asked cautiously, not liking where this was going...

''You sound like a puritan...'' - Koharu fought herself, in a vain attempt not to laugh at her own joke.

''Har har, no. Plus, if I were a puritan, I'd have issues with the whole concept of fun. It's not like I have any moral issues with it, I just don't enjoy it myself. Big social gatherings are basically my worst nightmare. Oh, hang up, new message - It's Rain. She's asked us to come down to the Orphanage tomorrow, to help out with something.''

''She's okay then? Also, orphanage?''

''Yeah, there's an orphanage in the Town of Beginnings now, think it popped up just after we beat the second floor. Anyway, you want to go and see how she's getting on?''

''Huh... you really don't want to go to the party, do you?'' - If Jet thought he was being subtle by suggesting that, she could read him like a book... and he really wasn't.

Jet put on a mock offended voice - ''I am appalled that you would suggest such a thing... I'm just doing charity work.''

''Which just so happens to line up perfectly with the night of the big guild party, which you don't want to attend...'' - Jet looked away, like a guilty child. - ''Err, that is a bit convenient, I admit...''

''It's almost like you knew about that party in advance, because Kirito told you whilst he was looking for an excuse, and so, you asked Rain to help you find an excuse...'' - Koharu looked bemused, as Jet fought his own mannerisms not to give himself away.

''I plead the fifth.'' - Jet spoke, almost as if a lawyer had informed him not to incriminate himself.

''You know I'm not annoyed right, I just find it funny that you're going to these lengths to get out of a party, when you could just say 'I don't want to go'.''

''I didn't want to offend anyone.'' - Jet sighed resignedly, as Koharu rolled her eyes at her partner. - ''Plus, I kinda did want to check in on Rain, see how she's doing, so it kinda kills two birds with one stone.''

''I really don't understand you sometimes...''

''I don't either...'' - Jet admitted to himself, as Koharu left the room...

December 24th 2022, Floor 1, Town of Beginnings

For the first time in almost two months, the duo had returned to the Town of Beginnings, the town itself being far more lively, as fairy lights hung from most buildings, the lights reflecting off a star atop a Christmas Tree that rose nearly 8 foot tall, with a number of carol singing NPCs in the town. The weather had also changed, the usually mild climate becoming quite cold, with a light dusting of snow now falling on the town. To Jet, it felt like the type of scene you'd see on a Christmas card, rather than in reality...

''Wow... it's beautiful...''

''I don't even care for Christmas, but this is pretty awesome...''

''Don't be a grinch, Jet.''

''I wasn't... oh, never mind. Let's find the orphanage, shall we?''

Koharu pointed towards the large church like building, and the red haired girl stood in front of it, waving - ''Over there. I can see Rain waving at us...''

''And now, you see why I wore- wear glasses IRL.'' - Koharu suppressed a giggle, as the pair walked over to Rain..

''Privet.'' - Not for the first time, Jet completely butchered the pronunciation, and instead of saying 'hello', asked for a large hedge. Or temporarily became the Crazy Frog. Either of them works. Even Koharu, who didn't speak Russian, raised an eyebrow, whilst Rain was softly laughing to herself.

''Privyet, Jet, Koharu. It's good to see you both again!'' - Both of them were pulled into a hug by the redhead, and returned the favour.

''Glad to see you too, doing well, I hope?''

''Yep! The kids do keep us on our toes though...''

''Kids do, wait till you meet one of my sisters, she's... what's the nice way to call someone clingy?''

''There isn't one.'' - The two girls responded in stereo.

''So, what did you want our help with, Rain?''

''Oh, we're organising a party for the kids this evening, you know, give them a proper Christmas... or as close as we can, and well, we needed a Santa. I mean, we have a Sanya, so we're only one letter off, but...'' - Koharu looked towards her partner as a wave of realisation swept over him, and looked back towards a slightly confused Rain, as she herself fought back laughter... ''You-snrrk- got out of one party-snnnrrrkk- by becoming the main attraction at another! This is- bwhahahahahaha-this is amazing!'' - Jet shot a betrayed look at Rain, who was currently smiling innocently towards him... and suddenly it clicked!

''She set you up for this, didn't she?'' - Jet pointed at his partner, who was currently still in hysterics...

''I don't know what you mean...'' - Rain carried on smiling - ''and nope... Asuna did.''

''Damn that girl!'' - Jet seemed quite annoyed at Asuna for that one, but Koharu figured he'd forget by tomorrow morning...

''I'm not catching a break today, am I?'' - Both girls shook their heads at him in sync.

''Nope, I guess I'm not.'' - The now very thin, and surprisingly English for someone living in the North Pole, Santa Claus commented, whilst pulling on his beard. Of all the sensations that the NerveGear could replicate, did it really have to replicate the itchiness of a fake beard, or was Kayaba just that much of a sadist...

The girls looked over their Santa Claus, and came to one conclusion... ''He's not the most convincing of Santas, is he?''

Sarcasm dripping, Jet commented - ''Sorry for being 6 foot tall, and lanky...''

The girls overlooked his genetic indiscretion, and carried on dissecting their Santa as if he weren't in the room... - ''Forgiven. But still, how do we explain that to the kids?''

''Tell them Mrs Claus had him on a diet?'' - Koharu helpfully suggested, ignoring the deadpan look her partner was currently shooting her.

''As good a reason as any.'' - Rain admitted, lacking any better ideas herself.

''So, other than looking like a complete tosser, is there anything else you need me to do? Maybe sneak down some chimneys, or find a red nosed reindeer...'' - Jet had decided that today's emotion of the day was bitchiness.

''Well, if you're offering...'' - The smiles on the girls faces terrified him, far more than anything else he'd ever faced...

''Ho ho ho!'' - Jet died inside. He was never the most social person, and so it felt like a cruel joke that he was in fact, now the public face of the orphanage today, and currently sat outside, as children sat on his chair. Rain had been insistent that it be on his lap, and oddly insistent that she went first to test out his acting skills, but Jet had vehemently refused to let anyone else touch him, so a chair it was.

''Have you been a good girl this year?'' - Jet continued to die inside, but kept a smile up.

''I hope so!''

''So what do you want for Christmas?''

''I just... want to see my mommy and daddy!'' - The young girl burst into tears, and Rain went over to comfort her, but Jet decided to show a more human side.

''Hey, hey'' - 'Santa' materialised a tissue from his inventory, and handed it to the young girl - ''Everyone wants to, this year, and I'll tell you a little secret! Santa wants to, as well, and he's doing his absolute best to help clear this... game. But he needs something from all the little children here, can you help him with that?''

''I *sniff* guess?''

''He needs you all to be brave, to be the best you can be. To show that this world isn't going to break you, and with all of that, he can help everyone get home!'' - 'Santa' channelled his inner Doctor once again, as the little girl stopped crying.

''I can do that, Santa!'' - The no longer crying girl returned over to Rain, who gave her a hug, whilst she gave Santa a smile in gratitude.

''Ho ho - oh!?'' - 'Santa' sighed. Unfortunately, the next child was very familiar... and not a child. At least not physically, anyway.

''Aww... don't I get to sit on Santa's lap?'' - Strea smirked as her brother tried his hardest not to just tell her to get lost... no one other than a select few people knew she was his sister, anyway...

''Not this Santa's, she doesn't...''

''You aren't gonna ask me what I want for Christmas then?''

''Strea, I know you well enough to know that this, on camera, is what you want for Christmas. Now, I'll talk to you later, okay, there's a queue forming behind you.''

Strea walked back over to the waiting Klein, who'd been extremely confused when she'd decided to go and harass a Santa... ''Wait, Strea, was that...'' - It was only after she returned that he realised who said Santa was...

''Yup, and I've got it all on camera... free bartender, here we come...'' - Strea laughed maniacally. No one else laughed with her, and Klein instead took a few steps away from the cackling woman-child, and reconsidered his life choices. The things he did for romance...

Later that evening...

After Jet had finished taking the children's Christmas wishes, Rain had made her intentions for a pantomime incredibly clear, and had ignored Jet's suggestion that if she wanted to see a panto, she should go and watch a meeting between Kibaou and Lind... they were practically the same thing to him. Cue the 'Knight of the Wind' being stuffed into a suit of armour... a particularly uncomfortable suit of armour, might he add?

''Once upon a time, in a fantastical kingdom, floating in the air... there was once a brave and handsome knight'' - Rain started narrating, as Koharu appeared out on a very makeshift balcony, whilst Jet clinked his way onto the stage, the knight armour being more akin to a mobile prison for him... Somehow, Jet found this even more embarrassing than the Santa get up, and that was saying something! He decided that he must have pissed Rain off something fierce at some point, because there was no way she wasn't doing this to get even...

'' (muffled) Oh, fair maiden! Thou art the fairest maiden in this land...'' - Inside, every monkey at each typewriter rolled their eyes... they were monkeys, and even they could come up with something less clichéd than this!

''Most noble knight, you have come to save me from the evil dragon!'' - Fortunately for Jet, the metal bucket that they called a helmet worked excellently to conceal his face, and allowed him to roll his eyes. He made a note to remind Rain that pantomimes were musical comedies usually, not...whatever this was. Basically reality, now he thought of it...

''Ay, I have! Come out to face me, evil dragon!'' - An even more unhappy looking Sanya stepped out, and Jet suspected the death stare she was giving him was in fact, not acting, but a very real threat of death... he wouldn't blame her if it was! He'd been told to wear a suit of armour... whilst she got a dragon tail, and very oversized, and flared nostrils... thankfully for him, she couldn't see just how bad his corpsing was...

''I shall kill you, brave knight, and then, I shall have you!'' - ''Umm, Rain, just what exactly do you think passes for innuendo?'' - The knight thought to himself...

''I prefer my ladies without nostrils that you can park a car in, thanks...'' - Open mouth, insert foot. Which is exactly what was currently happening, as Sanya fly kicked the knight to the ground, surprisingly with a crowd of cheering kids... the bunch of little sociopaths.

''ARGH! SAVE MEEEEE! *CLANG* OWW!'' - The knight screamed, as a fist smacked into the bucket helmet, as the scene turned slapstick, with both Rain and Koharu jumping in to pull Sanya off him, whilst the kids screamed in delight at the scene unfolding...

Well, Rain's wish for a pantomime had certainly become a reality... although not in the way she'd actually planned for. In case you're wondering, the musical element, well, to Sanya at least, that was the screams of a certain arrogant knight getting a bucket slammed against his face... repeatedly. With vigour.

''How's your head?'' - The placebo effect was a terrible thing sometimes... despite not having any actual pain, Jet's body told him he had an almighty headache...

''Sore. That bucket hurt, you know!''

''Remind me never to annoy Sanya'' - Koharu shuddered, remembering how much force she'd put behind a kick to a very specific region of Jet's body, and thanking any god that there was a pain limiter in this game...

''Agreed. I'd take a peed off Asuna over that... at least all she does is glare at you, and point a sword at your throat!''

''I'll tell her you said that...'' - Koharu smirked at her still slightly wounded partner.

''And you wonder why I think the universe is trying to kill me when stuff like this happens...''

''You could've gone to that party, and none of this would've happened...''

''Yeah...'' - Jet tried to think of a rebuttal, but hadn't got one - ''-but, you just know that this is gonna be a story we tell our kids one day... that time their father got beaten up in a bucket!'' - All the blood in Koharu's body rushed to her cheeks...

''K-kids?! U-us?!''

''Huh? I mean, we're still gonna be friends then, right?'' - Jet realised exactly what he'd just said... and thought of the quickest way to backpedal that he could. He cursed his ability to say things that he really meant to keep in his head sometimes.

''O-oh! Yeah, of course, duh! Just friends! That's all you meant!'' - She relaxed slightly, but felt a slight tinge of disappointment at Jet's comment. Despite everything they'd been through, and all the hints she'd dropped, maybe he really did only think of them as partners - good friends, but nothing more... no matter how much she'd hope for it...

''Privyet, you two... Jet, can I talk to you for a few minutes?'' - Jet thanked a god he didn't believe in for Rain's ability to suddenly appear at random.

''Sure, see you in a few, Koharu.'' - Jet made a gesture resembling a salute towards her, as she opened a menu, and the messaging tab.

''Thank you, by the way.''

''Hmm? Oh, for today... It's not been too bad. Well, minus the getting beaten up bit. That sucked. How's Sanya, anyway?'' - He partially asked as a joke, knowing that she'd come away from their scuffle far less maimed than he had been.

''She's calmed down now I've shown her the script. I'm so sorry about that!''

''Nah, it's fine. I've had worse. Six sisters and a brother, remember? Play fights got... vicious, occasionally.''

''The kids thought it was hilarious though... don't know what that says about them.''

''Kids love slapstick. Probably didn't realise Sanya was actually going for me...''

''Still, I think they've enjoyed themselves! Most of them are asleep now, anyway... on that note, what about you two? You going to go back to the frontlines, or can we expect to see you here a bit longer?''

''I dunno, probably going to head back up tomorrow. Got to keep on moving up, right?''

''Yes, I suppose so. All being said, I think you've both done a wonderful job here...''

''Nah, just decided to act my age for once... cut loose, and stop acting like a Time Lord. Amazing what a difference it makes.'' - This was the moment she'd been waiting for, the moment in the story where the protagonist confesses to their love interest, they kiss, and well... maybe not the bit after that, actually.

Rain reached up, and kissed Jet on the cheek - ''I-ummm-I should go and help Sanya out!'' - The redhead took off at full speed, losing confidence in herself as she disappeared into the orphanage, leaving Jet to briefly wonder what had just happened. Which he did, until a metaphorical freight train hit a metaphorical him, scattering it the metaphorical obliviousness into not so metaphorical oblivion. - ''Huh. That happened.'' - Suddenly, a lot of Rain's behaviour made sense, now the context was added. ''I think I liked it more when I was completely oblivious.'' - Jet muttered, looking to the floor. Feelings were a complete nightmare of a minefield to navigate through, and he had yet to really face that nightmare.

Jet walked slowly, and deliberated with himself on the walk back to Koharu. He liked Rain, but that was as a friend, not in the way she liked him, and even he couldn't figure out why that was. Maybe there was something there, and he was ignoring it in favour of his feelings for Koharu, yet another problem that he really wished could take a back step for now, but that seemed hellbent on being in the foreground. Maybe it really was as simple as just wanting a friend, not something more. All he was really sure on was that all these maybes were going to take a toll on him if he didn't do something, or talk to someone. Eventually, the knight made his way back to Koharu, who was sat, still typing away. - ''Hey, I'm done now, so...''

Her heart rate leapt up, as did she. She'd thought she'd had a bit longer to do all of this, and that- wait, why did he have that face on? The one that he wore when something was bothering him. She decided she'd ask him later, once they'd gotten back to the Inn, and- ''Koharu? You okay there?''

''Oh! Right! Sorry, in my own world there... you want to head to the Inn?''

''Yeah, may as well. Call it a night, I mean, it's not like it's Christmas tomorrow, is it?'' - He left out the part where he planned to go straight to bed, and hopefully forget everything that had happened this evening. Chance'd be a fine thing, anyway.

''Thought you didn't like Christmas?''

''Eh, if I've got you, I don't mind it all that much...'' - Jet teased, as Koharu flushed red again, before taking off quickly, and wordlessly. ''Shit.'' - Jet thought, hoping he hadn't stepped over any boundaries, unknowingly. ''Damn it. Just what I needed. Well done, Michael, can you take your foot out of your mouth for just one moment!?'' - He huffed, walking aimlessly around the fountain, and ignoring the people giving him strange looks, and especially the purple haired girl, giving him the same look as a cat might have once it's caught a canary...

''Oh little brother...'' - ''Uh oh, it's THAT voice...'' - Strea spoke in a sing-song voice... which terrified Jet more than anything he'd ever faced, or likely would ever face. That was the voice of someone who wanted something... The supposedly ever courageous knight simply whimpered at the grinning girl... ''I saw your little dress up session earlier... I even recorded it, you know, to show everyone how much you love people now! Aren't I thoughtful?'' - ''The correct word is Scheming...''

''What do you want, Gabby...'' -

''I am offended that you'd think I want anything, but what I need is a bartender, and I know your cooking skill is quite high!''

''Do I get a say in this 'request', or is this an order?''

''Now you're getting it! Come on, else you'll miss the party! Oh, you'll need this!'' - Strea opened her menu, and sent a trade request. Jet begrudgingly accepted, and was now in most of a three piece suit, bar the jacket... - ''Perfect! Come on!''

''Just let me message someone, okay?'' - Jet looked slightly despondent. Not so obvious to everyone else, but to anyone who knew him well, the small sigh at the end of the sentence was an obvious tell that something was bothering him.

''Koharu, right?''

''Sort of, yeah. It's that obvious, huh?''

''Yes, you're also my little brother, so I can read you like a book. I approve, by the way.''

''Fantastic...'' - Jet commented, making sure his voice contained as little emotion as he could.

''Hey, you're family, and I'm not gonna let you make the same mistakes I did. Besides, you know as well as I do that mom and dad would rake me over the coals if I didn't act like an adult... they'll already do it for all this anyway, so no need to give them more ammo.''

''Sometimes, I think I'll see you in a new light... and then, you go back to how you've always been.''

''Eh, if it ain't broke...''

''You always were broke.'' - Jet quipped back. Surprisingly, the reporter didn't make all that much money, and it wasn't as if she had to pay rent either. She really was that poorly paid. Why she didn't just look for a job at another channel, he couldn't say.

''True, but at least I had my personality. Would've preferred the money, now I think of it.'' - If Jet didn't know his sister well enough, he'd have thought she was becoming more sour as her life went on.

''Any tips though?''

''Look at you, getting into the role!''

''No, not- You know what I meant!'' - Jet had to admit, that one was pretty well played on her part. He mentally applauded her for that one.

''Yeah, you like Koharu right... then tell her that. No speeches, no dropping any important bombshell on her. Just tell her 'I like you, would you want to go out with me?'. It really is that simple. Besides... I think she likes you, anyway.''

''How would you...''

''Call it a woman's intuition.'' - Actually, the more accurate description was that Koharu was utterly terrible at keeping her feelings secret, and Strea had sussed them out almost immediately. Honestly, the only reason her brother hadn't sussed them out was because he was absolutely clueless in that area.

''It's not the only thing though...'' - Jet admitted, as the siblings walked towards the Inn...

She wouldn't really admit it to anyone, but Koharu loved Christmas. Not the way her family celebrated it, but the idea of it. Peace, love, kindness and spending time with the people you love. All of that, and for once, the death game was outranking reality in that regards, giving her the chance to have the Christmas she really wanted! The snow in the Town of Beginnings, all of the lights, people coming together, no expectations from her father, the actually meaningful presents that people gave out of a sense of kindness... rather than obligation, and a chance to get her first kiss under the mistletoe. Sue her, she was a hopeless romantic, she thought...

Maybe she could even get Jet to enjoy the season... well, it's tradition to hope for a Christmas miracle, after all. Oh, and speaking of her wayward partner, he'd messaged her -

Hey Ko,

Been, uhh, commandeered by Strea, so I won't be back till late, or tomorrow!

Oh, and in case I don't get to say it by the time the clock strikes twelve... Merry Christmas!

Yours, Jet - xxx

She looked towards the window, and accepted that her confession would just have to wait until tomorrow then... it wasn't like she hadn't already waited, so really, what was a few more hours? And that was new, when did Jet include kisses in any message?

Chapter Text

Christmas Special - A Knight's Christmas...

December 25th, 2022 - Floor 1, Town of Beginnings

''YAAAAWWWWWNNNN!... oww-rghhh'' - Last night had been... well, he was still working that out. Rain had kissed him, and that had thrown him into a spin, whilst he was still trying to work out his own feelings for his partner, and her feelings towards him. For all his faults, he had noticed some hints that Rain liked him... he was oblivious, not completely thick, thank you very much. But having that made completely obvious caused more problems than it solved. To summarise the infinite number of thoughts currently twazzing through Jet's mind, like boy racers and housing estates at 2am, Rain was nice, she was really nice, and kind, and he meant that, and he did think she was attractive... just that he wouldn't date her. Could he tell you why? No, but then again, he couldn't really answer that question in his own head either... which made it all the more of a problem that, at some point in the near future, he'd have to tell Rain that, and give her a reason, reassuring her that he still liked her as a friend, but nothing more. ''I feel like an absolute arsehole now...''

Then you had the other elephant in the room; his partner. That was a comparison he regretted making, even mentally... Last night had given him a chance to talk it over with people who'd been in the same situation before, and surprisingly, Strea was a decent person to do that with. Even at her most immature, she had been through all of this before, and so had the others... even if Klein's advice was probably a bit too risqué. He was pretty sure the Harassment Code would've sent him to Blackiron instantly if he did that...

Regardless of all of that, it was a new day, and for the first time in a few years, Christmas Day didn't feel awful. Well, once he drew a line under everything he'd discovered last night anyway. Just a nice, peaceful day, with people he cared for... that was the one feeling he did understand about Koharu. He cared for her, and that would never change, even once they escaped all of this! Getting out of bed, he looked out of the window, and to his surprise, snow was blanketing the Town of Beginnings. It made for an amazing scene, literally something you'd expect to see on a Christmas card, even down to the Robins on the fountain... It was stuff like this that made Jet actually accept that this world wasn't all bad after all...

Changing into something more suited for winter than his usual gear, or the bartender's get up he was still in, Jet went over to his partner's room, as he usually did, before the duo would head over to the restaurant for breakfast, and then over to the Teleport Gate, and up to the front lines on Floor 4. The usual, even if the weather was a bit more arctic than normal. Still, he had no doubt about his partner's mood today - so cheerful and sweet that you'd need a trip to the dentist afterwards, to deal with the inevitable cavities that would ensue. In fact, he'd been so sure of that fact that he'd bet a tenner on it. Unfortunately, he'd also made that bet with himself, so it held precisely no value whatsoever.

He was, in fact, spot on about the cheerful and sweet bit. What he hadn't expected however, was for his partner to open the door dressed in a Santa costume that left exactly the right amount to his imagination... which had now gone into overdrive. Unlike the connection between his brain and his mouth, which seemed to be running about as well as a Wi-Fi box in a blizzard... in Antarctica. What he thought, finally unraveling his feelings, was ''Holy crap, I'm in love with you, and want to spend the rest of my days with you.''... what came out however, was what could only be described as a stream of syllables. Individually, they'd make sense... combined, however - not so much. - ''Kuh... haa...''

''Not often I see you speechless!'' - Koharu grabbed her partner and pulled him into her room, before taking out a Record Crystal - ''Smile!'' - She leaned into him, pulling him into a hug, to fit into the fairly narrow frame of the crystal, whilst the still non-functional Jet stared slack jawed, at the crystal.

A few minutes had passed by, and Jet had at least regained some of his motor functions, including his ability to speak, a blessing or a curse, depending on who you asked...

''This is payback for all the teasing, isn't it?'' - Jet looked at the crystal, and the picture it generated. Koharu was as beautiful as ever, possibly more so given her outfit, the red suiting her perfectly, whilst Jet was... apparently missing the top of his head. Being tall was more trouble than it was worth sometimes, he thought.

''I'd be lying if I said it wasn't brilliant for that too, but no. I got this as a reward, and well... I thought it looked cute on me! What do you think?'' - His partner did a little twirl to show off. Jet, the teenager he was, really couldn't say what he was thinking. Not without triggering the harassment code, anyway. - ''Very cute... hang on, what quest gave you that!?''

''Oh, you know that quest I did yesterday? That delivery quest?'' - She winked towards him, as he remembered exactly what she referred to.

''Ohh, the one to deliver presents to the orphanage, that one?'' - Jet quietly ignored that that wasn't actually a quest, and was in fact a request by Rain, for him to do it, but due to being... ahem, requisitioned, by Strea, was taken on by Koharu instead.

''Yep, this was the reward! I think it changed for the person who uses it, and well, this is what it did for me!'' - Jet made sure to keep his eyes above the horizon, as his partner was now posing for him. He secretly wondered if Koharu had ever thought of modelling... although, he kept that particular thought to himself, in a place full of other thoughts that were likely to get him impaled with a blade if they were ever spoken.

''You know I'd have helped you if I could...'' - Dressing up as a fat bloke in a red suit again honestly sounded more fun than last night had been.

''Thought you were busy with Strea?''

''Define busy.'' - Jet had spent the entire night sat there, listening to everyone else, barely saying a word himself. His sister's nature as a social butterfly had made her very popular back home... whilst he spent the vast majority of his time people watching. Watching as the world went by, so to speak. - ''It was basically all of them trying various drinks, seeing if any of them were alcoholic.''

''All of them? And were they?''

''Agil's guild, and all of Furinkazen, and well, they came back as sober as I am, so...'' - Needless to say, the adults experiment had proven a bit of a failure. They'd not found any alcohol, but they had discovered that Jet had an innate knack at bartending. Maybe a career in catering would await him when he got home... that thought made him shudder. - ''ET! Jet!'' - his partner's voice shook him out of the nightmare that was working in a pub in Bristol. - ''Just out of curiosity, what's with the coat?''

''It's snowing outside, so I figured wrapping up warm was a good idea. You know, levelling in what is practically a hoodie and thin coat didn't sound like a particularly great idea.''

''Levelling? It's Christmas Day! You don't want a day off?!'' - Koharu asked in surprise.

''Well, it's not so much that as- Wait?! We get a day off!?'' - Jet asked in a slightly greater surprise.

''If even Kirito is taking a day off...''

''Lemme guess... does the reason begin with an A, and end with the same letter? Because if it does, I'm fairly certain that wasn't voluntary on his part...''

''Says you!''

''So... what do you want to do first?''

''I have your present here, by the way... sorry it isn't wrapped.'' - Jet handed her a bracelet. A small golden chain, with very little in the way of detailing on it, but still quite pretty in it's own right.

''No, it's fine... it's really pretty. Not my usual style, but...''

''I know. I figured that, one day, you'll overtake me by far, and so, for when that day comes, you'll have this, to look back and remember all the good times we had...''

''No, I won't...''

''Won't what?''

''I won't move on from you, I... I want to stay with you. Even when we clear this world, we'll still be us, right?''

''Yeah, yeah we will.''

''What's this actually made of, anyway?''

''Oh, my old shield.''

''The one that Wythege practically destroyed?''

''Yup, turns out there was enough left to make that.''

''It's beautiful, thank you! I got you something as well...'' - Koharu pulled a jacket from her inventory, and handed it to Jet, who equipped it. A slightly more blue coat, with two armoured shoulder pads, and two small chains for decoration, replaced Jet's thick winter coat, and Jet began grinning. Needless to say, Koharu got the impression he liked it...

Since moving to Japan in late 2021, Jet had only experienced a single Christmas in Japan, and he admitted that it didn't really feel any different to the ones back home. Maybe that was because he was still spending time with the same people as he did at home, maybe that was just him not liking Christmas, and filtering out details that were relevant. In spite of this, one of the first things he started doing in his downtime was levelling up his Cooking skill, mainly to make meals that he recognised, rather than the... umm, whatever it was that SAO itself generated. He'd managed to replicate some things fairly well - beef burgers, steaks and mincemeat from the cow monsters on Floor 2, and somehow, he'd come up with something that looked, and tasted relatively close to spaghetti. Christmas dinner though, was a very different beast - turkey, for one. He'd not really come up with any way to replicate turkey... so beef it was.

Jet thought back to the times as a child when he'd been watching Gabby help their mom and dad with preparing the dinner, on the rare occasion that his dad was actually home for Christmas. It happened about as often as a white Christmas did in his earlier years, but by his teenage years, it had become the norm. That hadn't stopped it from being just as hectic, but it had made Christmas even more awkward for the family, given their parents propensity for reading each other the riot act...

''That looks good! Like, really good, too good!'' - Again, damning with faint praise, but he'd accept it. She meant it in a nice way, after all.

''This cooking skill really is a lottery...''

''I don't know, this is gorgeous...''

''No, I mean it is literally a lottery. You don't necessarily get a good meal, even if you're the highest level of it, you get a far higher chance of doing it well. Really annoying!''

''Well, if it helps, I think you're lucky...''

''Nah, I'm not. Only good luck I've had is finding you, everything else is just, eh.''

''Can I ask you something?''

''Sure, what's up?''

''What were your Christmases like? I mean, I've seen stuff mentioned, but never heard it first hand...''

''Hmm, honestly? A bit boring, we'd wake up early, mom would do us all breakfast, and we'd go to open presents. That usually took till lunch time, so we had sandwiches to tide us over, then mom and Gabby would usually do the turkey for dinner, with us all playing games until then, and we'd all sit and watch whatever specials were on that year. Honestly, nothing too out of the ordinary, really...''

''Sounds nice...''

''Ehh, Monopoly was completely off-limits, after the, umm, Pall Mall debacle.''

''Huh?''

''Let's just say my sisters get very competitive, and getting to A&E on Christmas Day was a challenge when you can't drive...''

''Do I want to know what actually happened?''

''No, no you do not...'' - Jet shuddered, recalling where some of the pieces had nearly ended up... and how much velocity that a small metal car can take on when lobbed by someone.

As it turned out, Sword Art Online did not have any board games in it. Which was annoying, but probably for the best, as Jet wondered precisely how long the Guild War would last if Monopoly was introduced into the mix... ''It's strange. I actually really enjoyed today, and not just because I had a gorgeous girl in a slightly revealing Santa costume hanging off me for half of the day!'' - Jet watched as his partner glared at him, eyes narrowed. - ''Just the two of us, actually getting to act our age... it was fun. Nice to see a side of you I don't get to see too often. I always see Koharu, my partner on the front lines... I don't get to just see Koharu, the teenager most of the time.'' - Jet had quickly scrubbed the image that had just popped into his mind. The image in question being that of a side he did wish to see, but definitely not one he'd admit to her! 'Damn hormones, take a day off already!' - he thought to himself.

''I got to see you speechless, so I'd say it was worth it. But... yeah, it was nice, no expectations for a day.''

Before Jet left, his partner reached out, and grabbed his arm - ''Hey, Jet?''

''Yep?''

''You know you said the only thing you wanted for Christmas was me? Did you mean it, or...?''

''I did, yeah.'' - Koharu was smiling from ear to ear, although she was also blushing.

''I'm glad we got to spend it together, I- I kinda miss home. But it was nice to spend it feeling... I dunno, wanted?''

''Koharu, as long as I'm here, you'll always be wanted!'' - ''More than you realise...'' - ''You have express permission to kick my sorry arse if I ever make you feel unwanted.''

''I'll hold you to that, you know, mister!''

''I don't doubt it.'' - Jet laughed - ''Hey, Ko? Can I ask you something?'' - Well, this was now or never. He steeled himself, trying to ignore his mind racing through every possible option that could occur after he asked her...

''Sure!''

Jet hesitated, trying to think how to phrase the next question and statement - ''Do-Maybe later on? Perhaps, uhhh- maybe you'd like to-uhhh...'' - Apparently the connection between mouth and brain still hadn't quite rebooted.

''Umm? Jet?'' - Koharu had a hunch she knew what he was trying to say, and maybe, just maybe, her partner had finally gotten the hint!

''Oh for the love of- why the hell is this so difficult?! I like you, and after all of this, do you want to go on a date!?'' - Jet spat out as fast he could, lest his brain attempt to stonewall him- again.

''Yes, can I say something too?''

''Please do, lest I tear my hair out again.'' - Jet tried not to laugh like a lunatic, at his partner's answer...

''Thank you for asking first... I might actually have been waiting for you to take the first steps, because... well, I may also have been a little scared that it wasn't mutual, and that I'd ruin anything that we'd have between us. Well, until last night, when I was going to... (mumbling)'' - Koharu went slightly quieter towards the end, and Jet struggled to understand what she'd just said...

''Koharu?'' - Jet looked up at the door frame randomly, and - ''Huh, when was that mistletoe there?''

''Oh hell with it!'' - Now, a little bit of a note. Koharu was only 5ft 2, meaning she was nearly a complete foot shorter than her partner... which made the current scene quite entertaining to see, as she yanked her partner's face down towards her, and their lips connected. Jet's eyes went wide, comprehending what was going on, and decided to lean into it. The one thing he could tell - Koharu had prepared for this. Either that, or her lips tasted of cherries perpetually. Moments passed, and the two eventually separated, as Jet went back to his full height, without his partner holding his collar.

''Huh.'' - Jet's brain still hadn't fully rebooted.

''I-uhh, if that was- oh god, I shouldn't have done that!''

''Koharu...'' - Jet leant down again, and kissed his partner again, hoping it would calm her down. It may have, or it may have just caught her off guard... either way, she fell quiet. ''I've... look, I've had feelings for you for a while now. Since, I really can't pinpoint it. But, you didn't do anything wrong there, because well... we both know how we feel, right?''

''You aren't as oblivious as you look then!''

''I really am. Just, I've been thinking a lot about it all day. I kind of had time to prepare a big speech.''

''Really? I guess we both had the same idea then...''

''Wasn't my first plan... actually, wasn't my plan at all till last night, but yeah. Great minds think alike, hey?''

''So, umm... what do we do now?''

''I haven't the faintest clue.'' - Both of them began quietly laughing at their own inexperience.

''Umm, we could... you know... sleep together.'' - The cogs in Jet's head disintegrated, and his faculties ground to a halt. Surely she meant something else, right? ''I mean, we've done it before, so it's not like we've not stayed in the same room, and well...'' - Luckily, Jet had just caught the wrong end of the stick, and was now blushing himself...

''Not sure why I expected your room to be any different...''

''What were you expecting?''

''I kinda thought you'd have... actually, no. Sorry, ignore me. My head's still all over the place.''

''You know you don't have to stay here if you don't feel comfortable, right?''

''After everything that's happened today... I guess I just want someone with me. I've spent years feeling like a burden on Christmas, and now...''

''You're not a burden, definitely not to me anyways. You're my partner, my best friend, and as of now, my...umm..''

''We have to work out what we actually are, don't we?''

''Yeah... that is a conversation I could do with having when I'm not tired - so, next year, perhaps?''

''Tomorrow. As of now though...'' - If Jet had the faculties left to protest, the sight of his partner in her underwear had rendered them completely absent, as she changed into her nightwear. Jet was really glad that the NerveGear didn't monitor his heart rate, else he'd probably have a heart attack just seeing the numbers currently. Of everything he'd faced... the girl he was fairly certain he loved being in his bed was apparently the thing that scared him the most. That, and that his teenage mind was currently running a million miles a minute with that image...

The pair retired to the single bed, and considering Jet's somewhat larger frame, it was unsurprising that she'd be snuggled against him. Not that his chest was a particularly comfortable place for her, as she mumbled - ''Six packs aren't good pillows...''

''I have a six pack?''

''Do you... Jet, genuine question. Do you actually know what your own body looks like?''

''It's bad if I say no, isn't it?''

''Hehe, never change please, my knight in shining armour...'' - Koharu giggled into Jet's chest.

''Heh, I won't, don't you worry, my... erm... yeah, I've got nothing. Princess, maybe?'' - And for the second time today, the chimpanzees in Jet's head drew a blank. It's not like they could all have been Hamlet...

''Twice I've got you speechless today... you're slipping!''

''Yeah, I slipped alright... I fell for you.''

''Awww-YAAWWWN.'' - Koharu smiled at her... well, they'd figure that out in the morning, but for now, her pillow for the night.

''How are you cute even when yawning?'' - He mumbled, before continuing - ''I... yawwn... night, Ko.'' - Jet dropped off, ending his first Christmas in Aincrad, and hopefully, the first day of the rest of his life. His partner looked up at her sleeping hero - ''Hehe, night Jet. Sleep well.'' - It hadn't been exactly how she'd expected to spend her first night in bed with someone, but... well, she wasn't complaining.

December 26th, 2022 - Floor 1, Town of Beginnings

For the first time in a very long time, Jet woke up without needing to repeat his mantra. Unlike usually, his bed was lovely and warm, but rather than the suffocating humidity it usually gave off, it had changed to a summer breeze. He thought back to the days in reality - the days when he could barely find the energy to get out of bed, and do anything. The entire months he'd gone without shaving, because he didn't have the energy or drive to. Those days and weeks had been hell for him, knowing that he'd be judged, not least by society, where he was already an outcast, thanks to his height, and foreign appearance, but by his own mother too, who'd just assumed he was beyond bone idle. The days when video games had been an escape from all of that, just to feel... wanted, by someone, anyone. Even if it was a pitiful replacement for actually having friends, leading his squadron had been something he was immensely proud of... at least, until he fell out a window, and found himself on the news. Needless to say, his family hadn't been pleased at Gabby for that one. Those days when that mantra had been the only thing that helped him get out of bed, just belting out ELO at the top of his voice.

Perhaps some things had changed - perhaps he'd changed even. He'd gone from possibly the least confrontational person in his friend group, someone his sister had described as a complete doormat at times, to someone whose reputation had become that of a noble... if abrasive member of the frontlines, willing to spend free time helping out an orphanage. How he'd done all of that in only two months, he wasn't entirely sure himself, but if he had to wager anything... he'd say most of it had to do with his partner.

A girl who'd started a complete newbie, and become a hero in her own right, someone who always tried to do the right thing, even if it was the path that hurt her the most... someone who hadn't let the crushing weight of the world drag her down. In a way, someone who was his antithesis, and yet, she'd stayed by his side... he had to wonder if she saw something in him, that he perhaps didn't, or if she'd stayed with him out of a sense of familiarity. Still, even when she'd had her doubts, she'd always kept an upbeat attitude, and constantly surprised him. Even just learning little things about her, like her knowledge of music, or just little snippets about her life made him proud, in a strange way. It felt like watching someone grow into themselves, into the person they're supposed to become. All of that though was made her... well, her. His partner, the beautiful girl who'd never played a video game in her life... and now thrust into this whole new world, and who'd somehow kept herself upbeat... looking at it from that perspective, he could understand why he'd fell for her.

Jet looked down and smiled, as his partner, the girl he'd fell for, lay there, still holding onto him, with a smile on her face... but still asleep for now. As things would stay for another hour yet... until Jet checked his menu, and realised it was nearly lunchtime. Some traditions never change...

{Author's Comments}

This was literally the hardest chapter to write. It's currently 23:50 on Christmas Eve as I write this, and I've now been writing this chapter for over two months now... I've lost count of how many times I've rewritten sections of it, but hopefully, you enjoy it!

So if you did, Follow, favourite, review, PM, etc, and Merry Christmas Everyone!

Midland 2541, signing off!

Chapter Text

Floor 5 - Chapter 1 - Treasure Hunt

December 27th, 2022 - Floor 5 Teleport Gate

The town of Karluin. Once upon a time, the town had been a centre for industry, an industry that tore lives apart, and the jewel of an empire's wartime ambitions, developing machines and creatures imbued with the magic of the natives. Now reduced to nothing more than a mausoleum for those that developed their weapons, and an relic to warn people of the mistakes of the past. The disrepair of the town had led to a unique problem in modern times though - many of the weapons had gained their freedom and escaped to the surface, prowling the outskirts for those unwary travellers, the unexpecting warriors or any unfortunate citizens who left the town...

''Well, this is...hmm...''

''It's a bit... creepy, isn't it? It's really different to all the other floors we've been to anyway, and not just because it's so dimly lit. It's like a ghost town... it's kind of sad.''

''It's kind of interesting though, Aincrad once had actual technology, and wasn't just a quasi-feudal system. Wonder what caused all that to collapse though, maybe that Great Separation thing that Kizmel mentioned?''

''Nyehehehehehe'' - The faintest laugh could be heard in amongst the mists. Jet and Koharu both glanced towards each other, and fought back their laughter. The Rat popped up behind them, with no real reaction from either of them...

''Awww, you two used to have the best reactions! What happened...''

''I'd give you an E. Must try better next time...''

''That's a bit harsh... that was probably worth a D at least, Jet.''

''I miss the days when I could get the drop on ya!''

''We don't...'' - Both said in unison.

''I hear you two are an item now... as in, together together. Wanna confirm or deny that... wink, wink!''

''Did you just say wink, wink?'' - Koharu raised an eyebrow at the Rat.

''No point denying it.'' - Argo squealed, causing Jet to attempt to plug his ears.

''Two down, two ta go...'' - Argo muttered, as both Jet and Koharu looked towards each other apprehensively.

''How much did you bet on us getting together, Argo...'' - Koharu voiced the couple's thoughts.

''I would never bet on my friends!'' - Argo feigned offence, the smaller girl becoming more skittish under the questioning.

''Whatever they're giving you, or you're losing, I'll double it.'' - Jet reminded himself of how he dealt with his sisters, and how easily they caved to cold, hard cash.

''250 Col.''

Koharu looked genuinely annoyed, and Jet, being somewhat smarter now, inched away slowly, before Koharu pulled him back... ''Really? We're worth that little to you?''

''That was the double amount...''

Both Jet and Koharu looked like disappointed parents towards the Rat, who was currently withering under their glares... ''I'm actually disappointed, Argo...''

''Nyehehe, anyway! I've got a little mission for ya both!''

''Naturally.''

''Hey! Not my fault yer the most reliable people here! Plus I need ya to babysit someone...'' - A ginger haired girl clad in blue appeared from behind, and looked rather unhappy.

''I don't need babysitting! You asked me to help you!'' - She spoke, the slightest hint of an accent in there. Jet recognised it vaguely, as somewhere in America. A little strange, given she looked Japanese, by any means. Maybe he was just hearing things...

''What is this, gang up on lil' old Argo day?'' - The Rat laughed, as the new girl glared towards her, whilst Jet just rolled his eyes.

''Why not, you do it to us all the time...'' - Jet muttered, as Koharu glanced towards him, her glare telling him to shut up.

''So, Argo, who's the new girl?''

''I'm Phillia, nice to meet you both. I've heard a bit about you both, but I kinda didn't think you'd be...''

''Quite so good looking?'' - Jet joked, striking the most unflattering pose possible.

''Jet!'' - Koharu elbowed her partner, to get him to knock it off.

''Quite as tall. You're massive!''

''Anyways, strokin' of Knight-boy's ego done...'' - The jab elicited a slight huff from the aforementioned knight - ''All three o' ya's, eat this...''

''Hmm? It's blueberry of some form, it's-mmm - delicious though. Both sweet and sour. If this were real life, my tongue would be blue by now...'' - Jet stuck out his tongue to check. No, his tongue wasn't blue, but he did resemble a rather odd looking dog currently.

''Now take a look around... tell me what ya see...''

''Coins!'' - Phillia's eyes lit up, as the ginger girl sprinted over, and picked up three old coins. The old coins resembled English 2p coins in terms of size, but a fair bit thicker.

''They're Karlul coins, and those are the lowest value. They're 10 Col. Silver and Gold are more, obviously, but they tend to only be in more... difficult areas.''

''That's why you asked us then?''

''Yep, Phillia here's a treasure hunter, but she's not that strong a fighter yet. So I said I'd get one a' my agents to help her!''

''Agents?''

''Yeah, you two. Who'd ya think I meant?''

''Naturally, the info broker has agents now... poor saps who fell for the lie that we get rewarded handsomely for our work. Quite a sad story, really...''

''Hey! I pay ya both handsomely! Stop libelling me!''

''Heh. Payback for earlier...'' - Jet gave the Rat a shit-eating grin, as the conversation carried on...

''Anyways! Not only are there coins around, but there's also jewels lying around...''

''Jewels!'' - Both Phillia and Koharu's eyes lit up. Sometimes, it really did feel like being back home...

''They're said to be remains from a lost time, this floor's famous relics. There's tons of 'em, just lyin' about the place...''

''Umm, so won't most have been picked up by now? It's been, what, 6 days since this place opened up?''

''You'd think, but nah. Most people headed for the quests... and then got very stumped. Even Kii-boy and Aa-chan ended up running round in circles till yesterday, and one of 'em actually knew about this...''

''Huh, so there's no time to waste then!''

''Umm, Argo? How are we seeing these relics? We couldn't see them before, and... oh, right. That tart gave us a buff, didn't it? It makes sense, I suppose. Blueberries are supposed to help improve eyesight.''

''You're starting to get it now, Ko! So, between all three of you, go collect what ya can whilst the buff is in place, an' I'll let ya keep the relics, and won't charge ya for the info either...''

''Okay, who are you, and what did you do with Argo?''

''So ya wary of my kindness, eh? Nyeheheh... Anyway, there were plenty of relics here in the Decayin' Ruins. Luck determined what ya got though - treasure, or junk. Back in the beta, there were players who gave up on levelling, an' chose to set up camp here. Guess few could resist the allure of the easy money...''

''I can sort of understand people who'd keep trying for a jackpot when the value's randomised.''

''Sadly, it's a part of human nature, addiction is...'' - Jet looked down at the ground, seemingly angry at something. Koharu held her partner's hand, not for any apparent reason, or even because she knew it calmed him down, just because it felt like that was the right thing to do in that moment.

''Say somethin', knight-boy?''

''Just ignore me, and carry on.''

''Okay then, remember what I told ya about the coins? The more valuable ones drop in more dangerous areas? Well, the same applies with relics too. Basically, keep your heads on a swivel. All of ya's. You two, I know the monsters up here shouldn't be a bother for ya, but don't get overconfident, will ya?''

''Don't worry, we'll do as we normally do...''

''That's what worries me! I heard about yer little exploit with Wythege, Jet...''

''It was either die, or risk death. I made a calculated decision...'' - Jet lied, pretending he had actually thought about it, and not just froze up momentarily...

''Sure ya did, Knight-boy, sure ya did... anyways, I'll meet ya back here when the buff runs out. See ya's!'' - Argo disappeared into the smog around them, leaving the three of them stood there.

''Guess we've already eaten the cake, so there's no getting around it...''

''May as well, who knows, might find something valuable.''

''Off we go then!''

About an hour had passed by, and the treasure hunting trio had finally run out of luck with the buff, it having expired a few moments ago. With that in mind, they returned back to the teleport gate, where Argo had said her group was waiting. Jet wondered to himself who ''her group'' was, but assumed it was Kirito and Asuna, and left it at that...

''Oh, there they are...''

''Oh no...'' - Jet noticed who was stood there. A redheaded samurai, and a purple haired, stupidly large blade wielder. Koharu began laughing under breath, whilst Phillia just looked confused...

''You know them?'' - Jet nodded, as he prepared to make a dash for safety, knowing his sister wouldn't let him go without interrogating him over his new relationship...

''Jet!''

''Oh no. Time to put Plan B into action...'' - Jet turned on his heels, as Koharu grabbed hold of her boyfriend's arm, and dragged him forward, to meet his fate.

Strea raced forward, and hugged the new couple, as tightly as she physically could. Both Jet and Koharu regretted not making an escape now, as she began her questioning - ''Oh my god, you actually did it! You two actually got together! Argo told me... and little brother, we're gonna have words about keeping secrets from your older sis, aren't we?''

''I'm not keeping it a secret... I asked her out, she said yes, and we haven't been on a date yet. Thus, not strictly together yet.''

''Strea, can you let us go? We're both going red...''

''It's not red I'm worried about... it's when we start to turn blue!''

''Alright Strea, let them go please...'' - Klein spoke, being the voice of reason... for once.

''Heh, sorry, just happy for you both. But that wasn't what I meant about secrets... the whole boss fight. You could've been killed!''

''So could you in any fight we've been in.''

''Glad you two are doing well, by the way. I won't try to hug kill you, if that's okay! I should probably admonish her for that...''

''Oh, yeah, you are actually the leader, aren't you?''

''Yeah, I can understand why people forget... Strea is, a presence sometimes...''

''That is the biggest understatement since 1982, but yeah. She is a bit... intense, sometimes.''

''What happened in 1982?''

''Jumbo jet lost all 4 engines in an ash cloud, pilot comes over the intercom and says 'I hope everyone's okay, we're just having some difficulties. We've lost all 4 engines, and I hope you aren't in too much distress. We'll be landing soon.'' - Jet recounted the tale to Klein and Phillia, whilst Koharu tried to wrestle Strea off of her...

''Yep, that is an understatement.'' - Both Klein and Phillia agreed with that assessment.

''British humour there. Even when facing death, we will laugh in it's face... Strea, will you please get off my girlfriend already?''

''Hah! You admitted it!'' - Strea cheered gleefully. Jet slapped himself for giving his mental sister yet more ammo.

''Yes, alright, can we please get onto a topic that isn't death or our love lives?''

''Finally, last thing I needed is Strea revealing anything about our-ANYWAY!'' - Strea glared towards Klein, with a look that would kill lesser creatures - ''You guys have seen the monsters on this floor, right?''

''Uhh, yes? The undead monsters...'' - Koharu shuddered as she said it.

''The mummies were fine... it was the ghostly ones that were annoying me. It's a little disconcerting when your sword just goes straight them...''

''Aww, is Jet a little scared of ghosts...'' - Strea tried to tease her brother, as Jet rolled his eyes and explained.

''No, it's just annoying. Klein, did any of you give her anything with caffeine in it, because she's being more irritating than usual?''

''Hey!''

''No, but something has just struck me...'' - Klein ignored Strea, who'd muttered something about her hitting him in a minute, and carried on - ''We've spent this time being more focused on clearing this, getting the EXP and Col, right?'' - A smattering of agreement from people - ''We're kind of getting used to this world, and that feels weird, right?''

''It does a bit, yeah. Even knowing that if I run out of HP, I'll die in real life, I sometimes forget it in times like this, and the past few days. It just feels like... I don't know, a brief respite of normality for once. It's just like Kayaba said, we kind of start to think of this world as our reality...''

''I suppose so, yeah. I mean, I just think of it this way - we're gonna die some time, right? Live whilst we can. Go where you want, f-screw who you want, and be the you ya want to be. If we die here, we die. If we die IRL, we die. It's not like we get a restart out there, and we don't get one in here either. Funny thing is, I can actually understand why people enjoy it in here - I mean, this is one hell of an adventure, right? I became a reporter because I wanted to go see the world... and I'm seeing an entirely new one now! It's kind of amazing!''

''Huh.''

''Okay, anyway, back to the topic at hand. Ghosts. Have you three heard about the rumours?''

''Uhh, enlighten us?''

''Apparently, there's a real ghost going around this floor.''

''Bullshit.''

''Wait, seriously? After everything we've seen, and that's what you choose to be skeptical over?''

''Yes, it's probably someone pulling a prank. Normally is, anyway.''

''I think it's ridiculous too, but the guy who saw it? I'd bet my boots that his fear wasn't faked...''

''Maybe he mistook one of those Wraiths for one?''

''He's the leader of, well, a rival guild, I guess, but he wasn't scared of the undead. How he described it, he said he'd seen a gloomy guy look towards him, then disappear... Kinda creeped me out just watching the guy shake...''

''Now that's a juicy bit of info!'' - Argo leapt out from behind another conveniently placed pillar, causing everyone but Jet and Koharu to leap vertically in surprise...

''How does that not get you?!''

''She does it every time. Just repeat the word Battersea to her, and she stops...''

''Okay then, Argo... Battersea!'' - Strea said with some force, as Argo just glanced towards her in complete confusion... - ''Huh?''

Strea turned towards her brother, and gave him the same look as Klein received earlier - ''Jet...''

''Thank you Kayaba for making sure that the ASA aren't a thing in here!'' - Jet looked towards his sister, and prepared to run, knowing what she'd do next...

''Unfortunately for you, neither are Scotland Yard... which will make finding your corpse a lot harder!'' - Strea pulled out her broadsword, whilst grinning maliciously, and Jet, realising precisely how screwed he was... made a run for it, leaving behind a dust cloud.

''Okay, so whilst those two try to murder each other... gimme all ya got on the ghostly dealings...''

''Are you planning on becoming a paranormal investigator too, Argo?'' - Koharu smirked, finally getting the ability to tease Argo, as payback...

''No, but think about it this way - 'member that the Elves had invisibility cloaks?''

''Uhh, did they?''

''Elves?''

''Yeah, we were with them for a while... and I definitely don't remember that bit...''

''Didn't ya... oh wait, nah, that was Kii-boy and Aa-chan who found that out. Ignore me. Yeah, they do. What if that's a key to clearin' this floor? Oh, good to see you alive, knight-boy.''

''I have appeased the she-devil that I call my sister...''

''You told her you'd buy her cake, didn't you?''

''No... but that is useful advice. Cheers Klein.''

''Right then, where were we?''

''Invisible elves.'' - Both Jet and Strea looked a little confused. That wasn't a joke, was it?

''The Dark Elves have an invisibility item. Argo thinks the ghost might be a Dark Elf, and could help us clear the floor.'' - Koharu explained in a slightly more detailed way than Argo, filling in the siblings on the current working theory.

''Ah. So, if it's an NPC with a camo coat, nice and easy, job done. What if Argo's off the mark with something, and it's actually a player? I dread to think what damage a player that can disappear at will could do...''

''That sorta item never appeared in the beta, or at least I never heard of anyone gettin' one anyways.''

''Still, if that sort of item does exist, what kind of man would I be to refuse?''

''The kind who doesn't get put on a register.'' - Jet quipped, too fast for him to actually have thought about it... Strea burst into laughter, and both Argo and Phillia stifled their laughs. Koharu looked vaguely disturbed, though whether that was at her boyfriend, or the thought of Klein with invisibility, no one was sure. Klein just looked thoroughly unamused.

''Can we talk about something that isn't ghosts, please!?''

''Okay then you three, let's see what ya bought back, shall we?'' - Jet, Koharu and Phillia summoned their individual hauls, and passed them over to Argo, who ran off to somewhere...

''She is actually gonna come back, right?''

''I hope so, else I'm getting a load of mouse traps for her.''

A few minutes later, and Argo had returned to the group, sans their haul, leaving a very unhappy looking Phillia, who seemed to readying a dagger at the Rat. Whilst Jet wasn't entirely opposed to Argo having her comeuppance, she was still a friend... though what that said about him, he wasn't sure, and he'd fight on her side, should it come to it. Something told him that Koharu had gone through the same process, as she reached down for her rapier...

''Okay then, I've took yer haul to the appraisal NPC, so ya can stop been on edge! You wanna know what you got?''

''Go for it.''

''27 Bronze coins, 16 Silver and 1 large Gold coin. An E class jewel, and two C class jewels, so that's 2600 Col right there... plus an A class jewel, which means your combined haul is worth - drum roll please - 11,720 Col!'' - All three of them looked completely surprised at that.

''Wait, so that means we each get about 3905 Col each?''

''Err, give me a second to work that out?''

''Wait, how did you work that out that quickly, anyway?''

''Good at maths?''

''Knight-boy's pretty close, 3906 Col each, with 1 Col left over. Not bad for the time ya put in, right?''

''That is pretty decent... Jet, you are not doing this often. We already have one gambling addict in our family, for the love of all things holy, do not make it another...'' - Strea went deathly serious, and Jet, for once, understood his sister's concern. Their mother's knack for literally betting on the wrong horse had nearly screwed them over more times than they could count, and Jet really didn't want to become like her in that regard...

''Agreed, wasn't planning to.''

''Strea, I'll make sure he doesn't anyway. Still though, this jewel is really beautiful.'' - Koharu held up the jewel to the moonlight, and the light refracted through the jewel, creating a stream of colour inside it. - ''It's like a kaleidoscope.''

''It's a shame these jewels are monetary items. Can you imagine a ring or necklace with one of these?'' - Jet glanced over to Phillia, who understood what he was thinking, and nodded to him.

''You wanna cash them in, or?''

''All but that one, yeah.''

''Huh?''

''It's only, what, 1000 Col, right? Keep it, Koharu. Call it a late Christmas present.'' - Jet gave his girlfriend a smile, as the adults in the - well, courtyard, looked on, with looks of understanding...

''You-you really don't have to, you know? What about splitting it fairly?''

''Eh, I'll take the loss on mine, I don't mind. I'll make up a thousand in a few days anyway by this point...'' - Koharu reached up and wrapped her arms around her partner's neck, kissing him quickly, whilst everyone watched on in surprise, or in Strea's case, glee.

''Oh yeah, you two definitely aren't dating.'' - Klein spoke up, instantly ruining the moment.

''Smooth moves though, knight-boy...'' - Koharu went bright red, and began stuttering an excuse, whilst Jet went straight for insulting Argo...

''Shut it, Rattus Rattus.''

''Still, that should be plenty of data to add to the guidebook now. I shall go and add mine to the pile, and I'll be back with your rewards in a few!''

''Well, now that's done... should we start looking into that ghost? I mean, there's five of us here, that should be enough right?''

''Yeah, about that? Can ya hold off for a bit, I wanna do some more digging into it first.''

''That's fine, we'll be off grinding for a bit. Jet, Koharu, Ginge, what are you guys gonna do?''

''Uhh, we're probably gonna do the same then.''

''We'll see you in a bit then... no copping off behind the pillars, you two!'' - Strea teased, causing both Jet and Koharu to go bright red, as she walked off laughing...

About 45 minutes had passed, enough to allow Jet and Koharu to get more used to fighting alongside Phillia, whose smaller weapon made her more suited for hit and run attacks, where mobility was key, and allowed Jet to take up the vanguard, acting as the shield for the group, and drawing the enemy's fire, whilst the girls whittled away at their HP. A few runs of testing the timing against certain enemies, and the trio had gotten it down to only needing a few words to bring down their enemy. A message from Argo had been received, and the two groups reunited back at the Teleport Gate, where the smaller girl began explaining what she'd found...

''Okay, so there's two locations they've been sighted - here, near the labyrinth, and here in the underground cemetery. The first one I know as one of my informants from ALS told me they'd stopped a mysterious guy, and their body just disappeared into thin air. Poof, gone. Shook 'em up a little, I think. The other one is the one Klein told us, but what we do know is that they've been spotted multiple times in both areas. Best plan, we split up for a bit, and check both at the same time.''

''An underground cemetery, huh? Sounds like a place for the undead to show up...'' - Koharu looked around, her eyes darting around, looking for something that wasn't there. Jet noticed, and grabbed her hand, raising a small smile to her when she looked towards him.

''You scared, Ko?''

''I-I'm not! Besides, they should be human! And I've got Jet with me!''

''Well, there ya have it, you three. You're takin' the catacombs, we'll take the labyrinth.''

''Well, it's a shame we can't take the catacombs! Tell us if you find any rare relics, will ya?'' - Jet waved to them, as the trio set off towards the catacombs.

''You three, just a heads up, there's a giant mid-boss in the catacombs too!''

''Yeah, we're researching that too, but the ghost's our priority at the moment.''

''If there is an item that can make us disappear, then that'll help us with the boss. Just need to figure out how to get it though.''

''We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.'' - With that, the trio headed towards the catacombs...

The trio made their way to the catacombs, each with varying degrees of enthusiasm - Phillia being the most optimistic, hoping for treasure and answers, Jet maintaining a stance of realism, and secretly hoping for answers to the ghostly mystery, whilst Koharu seemed the most on edge, and least talkative as they headed towards the dungeon...

The catacombs felt a lot less like the catacombs Jet had seen in media - the skulls poking out of the walls were thankfully absent, and he wasn't being shot at, for once... he really wished he'd done more digging into catacombs than playing through one level on Modern Warfare 3, now he thought of it.

A drop of what everyone hoped was water narrowly missed all of them, and Koharu was the one most alarmed by it - ''It's really damp down here, isn't it? What is that ghost doing down here though?''

''I doubt it's searching for treasure, it seems a bit... barren.''

''Maybe they're grinding down here? Only thing I can think of...''

''Maybe they're trying to get stronger to fight the floor boss... we can't leave them alone if they are, right? I mean, it must get lonely down here, especially if they've been fighting down here for a long time. It'd be great if we could find them though...''

''I think we'll have to look in every nook and cranny though... and this place isn't small.''

''We'd better get started then...''

Elsewhere in the Catacombs...

Liten silently cursed herself for allowing herself to end up in this situation, as her mace turned another Mouldy Mummy into dust, whilst the young girl she was watching over tore another asunder with her dagger. She hoped for a miracle to allow her to break the encirclement, her armour would easily allow her to hold up in a prolonged fight, but the young girl was another matter...

''They just keep popping up! There's no end to them. I'll draw their attention, and you run for it, okay?''

''I can handle myself. What are you planning to do?''

''I've got high vitality, I can get through them.''

''Aren't you scared?'' - The armoured girl was starting to shake, as she stood ready. Unfortunately, shaking in plate armour does tend to be very noticeable...

''I'm shaking... from excitement.'' - Yet another Mummy disintegrated as it was hit by a mace strike. - ''Just go already! If I can stay calm, I'm sure my defence status will be enough to handle this...''

Koharu launched a thrusting strike onto another Wraith, bringing her total up to 13 of them downed by her, and meaning she was leading the group in kill total so far. She'd taken to counting them as a way of trying desperately to ignore the smell of mould and rot emanating from her surroundings, whilst her boyfriend shouted something about the French, not that she understood what he was going on about, whilst Phillia seemed to be growing increasingly bored, as no treasure dropped, just bits of tissue and a few very small stones.

''Ha! That would be my- fifteenth now, what are you on, Ko?''

''Uhh, seventeen I think.'' - Her thinking was interrupted by the sounds of blades clashing in the distance - ''Someone's fighting over there, maybe it's the ghost!''

''Either way... off we go!''

''They don't look like ghosts...'' - Phillia stated the obvious.

''Not yet anyway, but they definitely don't look like they've gotten this. Everyone on the same page here?''

''Agreed.''

''Koharu, your lead or mine?''

''I'll let you and Phillia take the lead in the fight, I'll cover them, got it?''

''FAB Ko.'' - Jet and Phillia launched into the horde, the knight covering the hunter, as their respective blades tore through the mummies, whilst Koharu ran over to the armoured person and the child.

''We'll help you! Can you protect the girl?''

''Thanks, I've got it! You take care of those guys!''

A brief fight later, and all of the horde were taken care of, allowing the trio to regroup...

''Is everyone okay back here?''

''Yeah, thanks to you three, we are. You kind of saved us, so thank you.'' - An uneasy silence came over the group, as all of them fidgeted around. - ''Umm, sorry to ask this of you, after... you know? But, can you take her somewhere safe please? I've got to meet up with my friends. I'm sure they'll worry if I'm really late.''

''You aren't friends?''

''We just met here. I never actually introduced myself, I'm Liten. How about you?''

''I'm Koharu, that's Jet and that's Phillia. We were... just passing through, and we heard clangs.''

''I've heard of you guys, you're pretty prominent players on the frontlines.''

''We're not that great, we're just doing what we can. But seriously, are we that well known?''

''Maybe not that much by common players, but I'm a member of ALS, so I get to hear about top players all of the time.'' - The armoured person turned to the young girl. - ''Umm, might I ask your name?''

''Mater. Nice to meet you too.''

''Mater, it'd be better if you join a party and work together from now on...if you're interested in joining a guild, the ALS and DKB are always recruiting, and both are good. Just, don't be reckless, okay?''

''We'll see her back to safety, don't you worry...''

''Thanks. I leave the rest to you. I'll make sure to thank you properly someday!''

''He was kind of blunt, but seemed like a good person.''

''He?'' - Jet asked, questioning whether his hearing was seriously defective.

''Mater, it's not safe here. Why don't you come back to town with us?''

''I'm okay. As long as I'm not surrounded, I'll be fine. I just messed up earlier.'' - Koharu took on the tone of a concerned parent, as she spoke to Mater.

''It's okay to mess up in a normal game, but SAO is a death game. Mater, you don't know what could have happened if Liten, or us didn't turn up. There may not be a next time.''

''Is that why you're trying to be my guardian? My life has nothing to do with other players. I'm used to being alone. Really. You can go on your own.''

''It doesn't mean we can't show concern, you know...''

''We couldn't let a child face danger alone, especially one we know.''

''I think I understand. You are telling me that you want to protect me, and make sure that I survive? So that you can feel good about yourselves?'' - Jet fought back the urge to tell the girl precisely what he thought about the devil spawn in front of him, but luckily for everyone else, his girlfriend seemed to be a lot more tactful about it than he was.

''I suppose that's true. We might want to feel good about ourselves, other than protecting you Mater. I don't want to feel regret for not helping someone I could have. Do you think you could indulge this selfish inclination of mine?'' - Well, that was certainly far less... aggressive than he'd have gone with. His speech probably had a lot more resisting the urge to strangle the kid in front of them, and coming up with polite ways to tell them to get lost if they were going to be like that...

''I understand how you feel, but I'm afraid I cannot go with you.''

''Why? Don't you trust us?''

''I know that you aren't bad people, but I have other things to do. It's a problem of my priorities. I am, however, grateful for everything you three have done for me, and for being concerned. Please take this.'' - Mater handed Koharu a small ring, a black stone thing that honestly looked awful, if Jet was entirely truthful.

''What's this?''

''A sign of my gratitude for saving me.''

''We can't take this, you're a player as well, right? Isn't this important to you?''

''I've determined that it's more valuable to hand it to you, rather than in my possession. I'm just leaving it where it belongs.''

''You certain on that?''

''Yes. Col and items have no use if you don't use them, and before any of you ask if I plan to use it, the answer is no, else I wouldn't have given it to you. I've already made up my mind. Alright, I will be going. Keep making correct choices, and we'll meet again...'' - The young girl disappeared right in front of the trio, causing no end of confusion whilst they worked out what had just happened...

''Ahh, that's how! There's a hidden passage in this wall.'' - Phillia poked her head into the passage, before pulling out and coughing from the dust, masking the faint sound of footsteps. - ''Far too small for any of us to pass through.''

''I guess she was confident in her skills because of that passage. But still, she was... quite, hmm, peculiar...''

''That's putting it nicely. She reminded me of a less tolerable version of my younger sister, only with even fewer social skills. Which is an achievement in un itself.'' - Jet rolled his eyes at that discovery.

''Is that a bad thing, if she reminded you of your sister?'' - Phillia asked, with no knowledge of the knight's family, other than the killer hug monster that she'd met earlier...

''It's not always a good thing to remind you of a sibling, Phillia.'' - Jet loved his sister, but he had to admit, her nature to take things absolutely literally had caused some major issues on occasions.

''She felt kind of, umm, I don't know how to put it? Different, I guess...''

''Something about her did feel off, I think you're right. Can't put my finger on it though...''

''She didn't seem like a bad person though, so I hope she gets back safely.''

''Agreed, and on that note, we should head back. See if the others had any luck.''

''Still, I reckon that tunnel was how the ghost escaped, it had to have been, right?''

''I think we've ruled out that Mater probably wasn't the ghost though. The ghost was supposedly an adult man, not a female child, after all...''

''One more piece of the puzzle I suppose... wonder if that ring's got anything to do with it, though. Kind of a strange thing to give someone, after all.''

{Author's Comments}

Normal service has resumed, after Christmas, and I am glad for it. It's time for Floor 5, and for the most dingy and dreary floor in SAO, and I mean that in the good way.

Considering that the first part of Floor 5 involves treasure hunting, I kind of felt it was a missed opportunity not to bring in Phillia. So I did. Honestly, it changed very little in the grand scheme of things, surprisingly.

As always, thanks for reading!

Midland 2541, signing out!

Chapter Text

Floor 5 - Chapter 2 - Remember, Remember...

December 27th, 2022 - Floor 5, Karluin Teleport Gate

The trio reached the rendezvous point with the other group, and discovered a fairly important piece of information - their allies were late, and they were currently very bored. As it turned out, Jet had an absurdly short attention span when waiting for things... whilst Koharu and Phillia were chatting about things, Jet was currently playing a rudimentary game of football with a brick, and currently putting Aston Villa to shame.

''Argo sure is late, isn't she? I've sent them a message, but I think they're in a dungeon, so they haven't got it.''

''We should probably stay put, I think. Besides, I'm doing well. 11-nil to me, the defence is non-existent.'' - Jet had decided that now was half time... and not that he was, in fact, completely bored.

''So, you really decided to date him... I'm not sure which of you is the more insane!''

''He's cute... in a weird, dorky way. Either that, or I've developed Stockholm Syndrome and latched onto the first person to show me any kindness in this world of insanity.'' - Koharu seemed remarkably nonplussed about her response, and the fact she'd inadvertently revealed some very personal details to Phillia. Phillia just looked somewhat concerned for Koharu's mental health, and made a note not to pry any further.

''Both of you it is, then. Anyway, maybe we should stay close to the teleporter, avoid drawing any aggro from the monsters.'' - The trio headed back towards the teleport gate, just in time to have to dodge an incoming blade strike...

''Crap! Where the hell did that come from!?'' - Jet leapt back to put some distance between them and the attacker.

''Koharu, you okay!?''

''Yeah, just fine... Jet!''

''Yup, I got it!'' - Jet threw himself into a roll, as the blade skimmed him with only millimetres to spare...

''Rrgh, (snarls), you've got good reflexes... for a human, that is.''

''Urgh, you lot again!''

''Why did you attack us...''

''I am in pursuit of a thief.'' - The blade was pointed towards Koharu - ''Hand back the Evening Star Ring now!''

''Guess we're fighting him then... plan of attack?''

''I've got a plan - attack.'' - Jet lunged towards the Commander, his blade scraping at the elf, but not really doing much damage. Luckily, that wasn't his intention, as Caliburn had one convenient advantage - it held a debuff effect to an enemy's agility. Not for long, and not by much, only really about 5%, but in the heat of battle... five percent was a great deal. The feint set up Koharu to come in with a rapier skill, Rage Spike, and whittle away the Commander's health, as the trio continued to swap into the role of striker, whilst the other two fell back on defence.

Minutes passed by, and the Fallen Elf Commander was finally beaten, beginning to fade in and out of existence after their defeat...

''We have heard of humans who murdered our brethren. You are strong... but you are naïve...'' - The Commander continued to fade, but not disappear, much to the confusion of the trio. ''His gauge is depleted... how is he still standing!?''

''The grudge that this land bears is giving us strength. You too will bleed onto these rocks...'' - The Commander held a ready stance, as the trio prepared for round two...

''Not bloody likely, mate.'' - Jet muttered, sword drawn, as a familiar voice shouted to the trio...

''Jet! Your turn to attack!'' - A purple blur struck the fading Commander, and forced him onto the back foot.

''A Dark Elf!?''

''I am Kizmel. A Sophora Knight of Lyusula. You are in the presence of an Imperial Knight! My sword will free those in danger!'' - If Jet had heard a more badass sounding boast in his life, he'd forgotten it...

''Oh, now you're screwed pal, she's one of the best... face it, your best bet is turning and running!'' - Jet readied his sword, but gave a smug look towards the commander...

''Tch, a change in tides. You've gotten lucky, humans.'' - The commander took Jet's advice, and fled at speed.

''He got away...'' - Jet seemed quite happy at the outcome, all things considered, whilst Koharu practically leapt at Kizmel with glee... ''Kizmel!''

''Are you okay, you two? And on that note, who is the new girl?''

''Oh, Phillia, Kizmel. Kizmel, Phillia. And yeah, we're fine, thanks for the save there.''

''I'm glad I could be of assistance, and thank you for the compliment Jet. I don't think I'd go that far, but you are very kind.''

''Eh, I called it as I saw it. You've kicked more ass than we have!''

''Okay, touching reunion, but who is she?''

''Oh right, Kizmel is a Dark Elf. We've helped her on a few missions, she's a very good ally, and a friend.''

''O-kay then...''

''I trust you've been keeping well, both of you? I admit, I have prayed for your safety on more than one occasion...''

''Oh, we've been fine. Well, other than Jet being beaten up in a bucket, but that was fine...''

''I would love to hear your stories, but I'm afraid now is not the time.''

''Any ideas who that Fallen Elf was, or what the hell they meant by 'Evening Star Ring'?''

''And how we were able to defeat one, before they then got back up like it was nothing?''

''I can't say I understand that. No one should be able to escape death, there has to be a trick to it.'' - Koharu looks down at her feet, as Jet leans over and takes hold of her hand, knowing that she's thinking of something that she doesn't want to say aloud for whatever reason. - ''What I can't understand is why they attacked you... wait, Jet, what did you just say?''

''Hmm? Oh, about the 'Evening Star Ring'?''

''Yes, can you show it to me, please?'' - Koharu summoned the ring from her inventory, and handed it to Kizmel, who studied it intently. - ''Yes, this ring is definitely Elven in origin, it had a spell to hide it's true value from thieves. Let us dispel it...'' - Kizmel muttered some random syllables, and the ring began to shine brightly in her hand, before changing into a more attractive item, the black slate appearance becoming more similar to marble.

''Whoa. The dark stone is shining like a starry night... it's beautiful. I can see why it's called the Evening Star!''

''It is beautifully made, yes, but the Fallen Elves are after it, so handle it with extreme care. It would probably be best if you don't let other people see it too.''

''Yeah, I'll just put it away so no one sees it.'' - The ring disappeared back into the hammerspace that was a player's inventory. - ''Still though, what are the chances that Mater would have that, find it of no use to her, and conveniently give it to us?''

''Knowing our luck, extremely high.''

''I doubt it is a coincidence. Fallen Elves are only really on high alert around Dark and Forest Elves. If they lowered their guard, it isn't implausible that this Mater obtained it, somehow. Where did you find it, anyway?''

''In the catacombs... in... oh. A human cemetery! Of course they wouldn't be on high alert, why would they? When have elves ever gone into the graveyard of another species!''

''That's precisely the point, Jet. The war over the Keys has reached a stalemate currently.''

''That ceasefire is still holding then?''

''For now, yes. I believe that the discovery of the Fallen Elves' plot was critical in establishing the ceasefire too, as discovering a more dangerous common enemy has probably shaken up the command structures on both sides.''

''So there's little chance of their plan succeeding now?''

''Sadly, there still is. The priests who haven't seen the lower floors refuse to take our reports seriously. They've been belittling the Fallen who gathered in the frozen lands for the longest time, and are only wary of the Kales'Oh. However, we knights know different, that the Fallen Elves are not to be taken lightly. For that end, we've set up a warning system. To think that you'd have such trouble handling the remnants here, I'm glad I made it when I did.''

''We were in trouble there, I've got to admit.''

''It was the first time we've had to face an enemy that wouldn't go down...''

''I wonder then, perhaps their trick might not work on Elves? Considering how fast that Fallen retreated when I arrived... we may be able to do something with that! He escaped... but I was able to put a tracer on him. I believe we should follow him to their headquarters...''

''Well then, Kizmel... lead the way!''

''It'd be a great comfort to have the Knight of the Tempest, and the Bladed Wind by my side, but I feel that you should leave this one to me. At least until I discover the source of their immortality.''

''Uhh, Kizmel... what did you just call us?'' - Koharu looked slightly confused, and even Jet was a bit taken aback...

''Oh, they are names that our storytellers have adopted for you. I can't say I understand them personally, but children seem to enjoy the stories, so...''

''Yay, yet more nicknames... though, Tempest on it's own would be pretty cool as a name...''

''Whatever you say wing commander...'' - Phillia mock saluted Jet, who just looked at her blankly.

''Huh?''

''You're going all in with the name, aren't you? A Tempest, as a name for Jet, a bit on the nose...''

''Sure, let's assume that's where the name Jet came from...'' - Jet gave a side glance towards Koharu, who started snickering.

''Aww, is she teasing you, Jethro...'' - Koharu teased her boyfriend, as he shrunk into his shoulders under the combined teasing of the two girls...

''No way is that your real name... Jethro?!'' - Phillia fought back her laughter, but wasn't doing a very good job of it.

''It isn't, and Kizmel, is there anything we can do to help... please?!'' - Jet asked in desperation.

''Let's see... oh, yes. There is a contact for the advance party near the altar in the Tower Ruins. Could you inform her that I am tracking Fallen Elves?''

''Got it.''

''The Fallen don't usually act in areas we watch, but keep your guard up.''

''Please be careful Kizmel, we're worried for you too.''

''I will keep myself as safe as can be, and I shall see you soon.''

''Umm, Jet? This is part of the Elf Quest, right? And we're still in the middle of our ghost hunt... what do we do?''

''I think we should keep up with the Elf Quest, you never know when it might prove handy, right?''

''Yeah, I suppose. The whole ghost thing still makes me feel uneasy though. Going solo in that cemetery is reckless! I can't let them do that alone... oh, hang on, message from Argo.''

''Let me guess, she's gotten side tracked, and is now trying to bust the mob or summat?''

''Uhh, no, but she has said to go and finish some side quests.''

''Well then, let's get going!''

''Following your lead, Jethro!'' - Jet began to scream, as Phillia started laughing.

''I told you, my name isn't sodding Jethro!''

''Heh, yes it is...''

The group headed towards the altar, but Jet could tell that Koharu was clearly struggling with something, as her attention seemed to be all over the place. If something was bothering her, it was his job to try and help, even if it was just in the form of giving her someone to talk to. After all, that was exactly what she'd do for him... - ''Hey, Koharu? Are you okay, you've kind of been spacing in and out for the past few minutes?''

''Huh, oh, yeah, I'm fine!'' - She tried to lie, but various subtle clues gave it away.

''That whole Fallen Elf thing messed you up a little, huh?''

''Yeah, it... honestly, it scared me. It felt like something out a horror movie, and I... never really liked horror stuff.''

''Join the club, Strea made me watch one of the Saw films once, and well... let's just say the aftermath wasn't pretty.''

''I know we're just delivering a message... nothing scary, right?''

''Well, other than the mummies and wraiths floating about, nah.''

''I know I'm being irrational about it, but it's just- something about the dead coming back to life always freaked me out, it's just... wrong.''

''Tell you what, when we get out of here, and we inevitably end up watching a horror film, we can hide behind the sofa together. Scaredy Cats Anonymous, how's that sound?'' - Jet joked, trying to lighten the mood as best he could.

''I'd enjoy that, probably.''

''Are you two done flirting now?''

''We... oh wait, we actually were.'' - Jet realised as he spoke.

''Yeah, well, we're kind of here, so...''

''Yeah... but where is everyone? Kizmel said there should be someone here, right? And we're definitely in the right place?''

''Yup, the Altar in Tower Ruins, we're definitely at the right place... wait, hang on. Remember what Argo said earlier! The invisibility cloak!''

''I... uhh, I missed that conversation.''

''Ah, Jet, Koharu. It is as Kizmel said, you are here. I am impressed that you aware of some of our equipment. This is usually all it takes to deceive human eyes.''

The Dark Elf revealed himself to the group. If Jet had to guess, he'd say he looked a bit older than Kizmel, but not by much, probably the human equivalent of being in his mid-twenties, with the same purple hair, and a similar style of armour, only with small differences to the markings on the chest plate. ''So, showing yourself means...''

''Yes, we have determined that you, friends of Kizmel, are trustworthy. My name is Merja, I am a knight sent to this floor from the fortress on the floor above. If you are here, then I take it that Kizmel isn't? Has there been some form of mishap?''

''Y-yeah, that's why we're here. The Fallen Elves are on this floor, and are looking for something, this Evening Star Ring.''

''Not only that, but they seem to be able to revive themselves, even on the cusp of death... it's kinda unsettling to see.''

''So, the Fallen Elves are here... Kizmel isn't easily defeated, but this is problematic.''

''Can you tell us what the situation is?''

''As you are aware, we are tasked with protecting the keys. On this floor, we have the Black Key sealed safely out of the Forest Elves sight. There is a strong spell protecting it, so nobody can get at it, as long as the ruins stand. But last night, a patrol reported eerie vibrations coming from the ground. I felt the same in a different location.

''It couldn't be an earthquake, could it?''

''Doubt it, we're on a floating lump of rock... but subsidence, maybe?'' - Jet's geology knowledge was entirely limited to Years 7 through 9 Geography, but even he suspected Aincrad didn't have tectonic plates.

''There's tunnels under the ruins, right? Maybe it came from there...''

''That is our theory too currently. We were going to search in two teams, but without Kizmel, that isn't currently viable.''

''We can probably take work as one group, if numbers are the issue?''

''It is comforting to have help from the warriors that fended off the elite forces of Kales'Oh. Still, we don't know what's lurking below, so I shall give you time to prepare, should you need it. I'll be here when you get back...'' - And with that, Merja disappeared into the ether...

''We're pretty well stocked for potions and stuff, right?''

''Yeah, weapons check?''

''Still there.''

''You okay with heading back into the Catacombs? Even knowing there might be enemies like Captain Pain in the Arse back then?''

''I hope that isn't his name...''

''Eh, family name perhaps?''

''Yeah, I'll be fine. But yeah, my worst nightmare is enemies that just won't die. That's just cheating...''

''Eh, push comes to shove, I'll leg it with you!''

''Be serious, will you? But yeah, we're partners. We'll be fine. No scaring me though! Seriously!'' - Jet just looked towards his partner in amusement - ''I'm glad I've got you here, talking about my fears, it's kind of putting them to rest a little. Also, I don't have much experience with games, but from you and Kirito have said before, and what little experience I do have, that Kayaba's spiteful, but even he wouldn't put impossible quests or invincible enemies in SAO. There has to be some kind of method to solve it. So... we can do it, right Jet?''

''There's only three of us, you really sure we can do this?''

''It's basically a recon run, we should be fine, really. But yeah, if things look hairy, we get the hell out of there. No point throwing our lives away like that.''

''Agreed, so we're all ready?''

''As I'll ever be.''

''Yeah, I've got you, so I'll be fine...''

''Aww, you'll make me blush.'' - Jet winked back to his partner, who blushed at the gesture.

''You'll both make me vomit...'' - Phillia began to wish she'd asked for someone else to help her. All she wanted to do was collect treasure, and now here she was, in the middle of an elf war, about to go grave robbing, with two lovebirds! When did her life become quite this complicated, she asked herself...

''Payback for calling me Jethro.''

''Can I call you wing commander then?'' - Phillia smirked, as Jet began to develop a twitch in his left eye...

''And they aren't here. Yay, yet more waiting...'' - Jet sounded thoroughly unimpressed, as he began kicking pebbles about.

''Still, we're progressing, right? I wonder if we're the only ones - I mean, we've not actually seen anything of either DKB or ALS since before Christmas, right? And that... umm, what was their name?''

''Liten.''

''I still wonder why he was in a dungeon on his own. Maybe ALS are silently endorsing their members to get stronger, and it would explain why he was anxious about meeting up with his friends ASAP.''

''You're starting to think like a gamer...''

''I feel like it's becoming second nature to me now... but yeah, if that competition between the guilds escalates any further, things could get bad. I sometimes wonder if they realise that, for all their efforts to clear the 100th floor, they're just causing more problems for each other...''

''Maybe, maybe not. But for now, let's focus on what we can do, not what goes on in someone else's mind.''

''Yeah, you're right. You're always pushing me forwards, so thank you...''

''Are you done talking?''

''Eeek!'' - Koharu practically jumped into Jet's arms, the knight looking on in slight surprise at the girl now clinging to him... - ''When did you get here, Merja?''

''When you were talking about the conflict between humans. I've heard that humans are working together to unify the Heavenly Pillars, but evidently there is conflict as well, I see.''

''It's a bit difficult to explain, it's like how the Dark Elves and Forest Elves aren't in open war. There's a lot to it...''

''So it's complicated.'' - Jet looked over to Koharu, who was slightly lost in thought, as Merja carried on with his explanation. - ''I take you have prepared?''

''Yep, we're as ready as we're gonna get.''

''We're looking for something strange underneath the ruins. I'll take you to the Catacombs, is that alright?''

''Let's go then...''

The group fought their way through the catacombs with relative ease, and in only about 30 minutes, had reached a large central chamber. Over to one corner were two Fallen Elves, stood talking, whilst the other side of the room appeared to be filled with crates, all of which had a fire like symbol on them...

''I'd say that counts as strange...'' - Jet quickly counted how many crates there were, around 45 of them, each containing... ''Oh. Oh no. That's bad. Really bad, like catastrophically bad.''

''Jet?''

''Quick, hide!'' - Jet pulled Koharu with him into a crevice in the wall, and hoped that his purple coat would blend in against the walls...

Three Fallen Elves came into the room. The leader, of the group, followed by a female one, who seemed very unhappy, as she stormed on ahead of her subordinate. - ''It takes such a long time to prepare the gunpowder...''

''We've had some... hindrances, but it's no problem, we're on schedule.'' - The male explained to his leaders.

''Hindrances?''

''A warrior Dark Elf appeared when we were trying to recover the Night Sky Ring from the humans. They got away using the Copy Charm, but now they're being even more cautious.'' - ''Copy Charm? Wait... that's it! They didn't revive themselves, that must've been a copy!'' - Jet carried on making mental notes of important names, items, and what he could see...

''You were trying to draw attention on humans, who can't even use the item! Just how incompetent are you?'' - The leader chastised.

''I am sorry Kysala. If you wish to make an example to the warriors, please punish me.''

''It's fine. The Dark Elves shouldn't be able to destroy our base, even if they found it. I will report it to the emperor. You wait for instructions.''

''Affirmative!'' - The more ornamentally armoured one, Kysala, left the room, leaving two others - the warriors, if Jet had to guess, as one of them looked awfully familiar...

''Ulises, as you've heard, Kysala is going to overlook your mistake, but I'm different. You've relied too much on the spell, and let your guard down. Next time you mess up, don't think that you will keep your head!''

''I know, Cervera. I'm your cute little brother. Please don't be too hard on me!''

''Foolish.''

''That's the one we met at the Teleport Gate, right?'' - Koharu whispered to Jet, who nodded back. - ''Kizmel was supposed to be following him, so I hope she's okay...''

''We'll have our house restored if we fulfil our mission. Don't sully our name any further!''

''We're just obeying Kysala like servants. You can forget about our house if this goes on.''

''That is why we're trying to become known in this operation. Just one job can change our future. You would be wise to remember that. I'll wait for the emperor's orders. You stand guard, and make sure the Dark Elves don't get in our way.''

''Alright, sister.''

''Crap... sorry about this, but...'' - Jet grabbed Koharu, pinning her to the wall, and using his coat to try to blend in with the wall. Koharu found herself embedded into Jet's chest, and narrowly avoided headbutting him by accident. What was in fact about ten seconds felt like a small eternity, before the couple separated from the weird embrace, and were able to move freely again...

''Jet, how much gunpowder is there, do you think?''

''A lot. We could probably level this base ourselves, but...''

''But what?''

''I think I've cottoned on to their plan. Remember what Merja said about the ruins? 'As long as the ruins stand', that spell will be active...''

''Oh my god.''

''There's probably enough gunpowder left over to target the Elf bases too. I don't even want to think what that would look like... we have to do something.''

''Remember what Yuuki told us about staying calm and finding the enemy's weaknesses? There's three of us, and only the Cervera woman here... we can take her, right?''

''I think we're gonna have to...'' - Jet mimed to Phillia, to tell her to follow his lead - ''Oi! November Fifth was two months ago, you're a bit late, Guy Fawkes...'' - Jet yelled, to get the attention of Cervera...

''Humans? The entrance should be charmed, how did you... Oh, you're working for the Dark Elves.''

''We heard you talking. You plan to blow up the Catacombs, and the Dark Elf base from underground.''

''And what, pray tell, do you plan to do about that?''

''We're gonna stop you. Right here, right now!''

''You talk big... still, a fitting place to die, is a cemetery! Now die!''

A short fight later, and Cervera lay slain on the floor as she disappeared, whilst the trio all recovered from the hard fought battle. Jet walked over to the gunpowder, and checked it, confirming his worst fears... ''There's at least enough here to level a small city block...''

''Can you imagine what that explosion would've been like?''

''Hell.''

''She's not coming back to life...''

''Good news for once. Let's check the room before her brother gets back...''

A brief search of the room revealed very little, other than a blank piece of parchment, which Jet picked up anyway.

''I think we should head back to Merja, now we know about the Gunpowder plot...''

''Agreed.''

Having made it back up to the surface without being attacked by any more Fallen Elves, the group headed over to Merja to hand him the parchment, and to explain what they'd found...

''I see, so it was the Fallen Elves.''

''We also found this, it's a piece of parchment.'' - Jet handed Merja the parchment, who began sniffing it, much to his surprise.

''Hmm, it has the faintest smell of magic. It's got to do something...''

''A Fallen Elf item. Do you mind if I take a look?''

''Kizmel! You're safe, that's good!''

''It looks like I've caused you both some trouble whilst I've been away. Sorry about that.''

''It was definitely one of the more eventful things we've done. Also, Kizmel, I think I may have an answer to our little reviving friend...''

''You do?''

''Whilst we were sneaking around, we heard one of them describe something called a Copy Charm. Assuming it does what it says on the tin, could they be controlling copies from afar, thus preventing themselves from getting hurt in the process?''

''It's certainly a possibility, given how that charm works... moving the consciousness of the operator into an elaborate doll, whilst the physical body remains unscathed, far from the battle. Certainly a formidable skill...''

''But only on humans. It would almost certainly be easily defeatable by Elves.''

''Unfortunately, we lost sight of Ulises during the cave in. It was strange, the place didn't show any signs that it would collapse until then... I suspect they were trying to lure me in with a copy, then destroy the ruins with me and the doll.''

''They probably believed that they couldn't win in a straight fight, but to think they'd go to such extremes.''

''However, I doubt it's the extent of their plans after hearing your story... Koharu? Do you still have the Night Sky Ring?''

''Umm, yes. Why?''

''Hold it up to the parchment.'' - A map began to appear on the parchment.

''Okay, that is kind of cool... ''

''It's reacting to the map right?''

''The Night Sky Ring is a tool that can make certain dyes react to it. Long ago, classified documents and rings were sent separately as to prevent secrets from being exposed. If the map was the reason why the Fallen Elves wanted to get the ring, then...''

''This is a map of the Catacombs, right? There are seals everywhere...''

''Wait, look!'' - Phillia pointed to one of the seals on the map - ''That's where the gunpowder was placed!''

''Their plan must've been to aim for the fragile bedrock, and destroy our base above to rob us both of our lives, and the key. Merja, prepare the warriors. We're going to take care of every single underground trap!''

''Yes, ma'am! Are you going to the enemy base?''

''Yes. To the origin on this map. That is where the magician will be. I'll hit him directly, and force the copy master out of hiding.''

''If you're taking the fight to him, we are too.''

''Yeah, if you're going to their base, you'll need more people! We're going too!''

''Heh, I'm glad that I could have you by my side for this fight, you two. He will be expecting us now, especially after the loss of his sister and the map. Are you three ready?''

''Always.''

''We are.''

''Alright then. The veteran troops led by Merja are proceeding to scout out any underground traps. We're going to head straight to the boss, whilst the Fallen Elves are preoccupied with them. Leave the Copy Charm to me. We know his trick, and he won't deceive us! Let's go!''

The group found their way into the base of the Fallen, ready to end this fight.

''The profane tricks of the Fallen will not work on us anymore! You are the commander here, right? Drop your sword and surrender!''

''Tch. You've made it this far, but...''

''I won't let you!'' - Kizmel began to tackle Ulises, but was grabbed back by another one of Ulises' dolls.

''Great, there's two of them...''

''We need to find out which is the doll, and which is the real one.''

''He won't be able to use the doll if you hurt the real one. The one that wouldn't die after being damaged was the doll, right?''

''Don't be foolish. If I stop focussing on small details, I can keep using the doll.''

''It doesn't look like he's giving up...''

''Then neither are we! Keep up the pressure!''

''You humans killed Cervera! She was stuck to the old days... but she was family!'' - Jet felt a momentary twinge of guilt, he had taken the warrior's sister from him, even if they were both NPCs... - ''If we open the cathedral's doors, a new age will come... and I will take my revenge!''

The fight against Ulises and his doll was short, but brutal. Even fighting two on one, they were constantly fighting to keep on top of the rage filled attacks, and evade them, in order to gain an opportunity to counterattack. Phillia was the one to score the killing blow on Ulises, and seemed less than pleased about it, her face giving away how conflicted she was internally.

''We have avoided a catastrophe here. Thank you Jet, Koharu, Phillia. Shall we head back to the surface?''

''Yeah, the air's beginning to get a bit suffocating down here.'' - Jet evaded

''Strange, I don't feel anything? But if you insist...''

As Kizmel took up the front of their group, that left the trio to discuss what had just happened...

''Jet?'' - Jet looked onwards as he thought things through. What had happened just, he had taken lives, even if they were NPCs. What both he and Koharu had said the other day about NPCs being equally real was starting to weigh on the knight's shoulders. Taking a life was never the right solution, he thought. Violence begets violence, and a vicious circle would emerge, until someone broke that circle, or there was no one left for the cycle to affect... ''Oi, wing commander!'' - Phillia shouted in his ear, loud enough to startle him out of his trance state... - ''Huh, sorry, miles away then... what's up?''

''Are you okay? You look... kind of upset. I can't pin it down, but something about that battle shook you...''

''It's just... look, I'm gonna sound as if I'm going mad, but-well, that Ulises elf, he kind of sounded... genuinely upset. Like we actually had killed his family. I mean, we're supposed to be the heroes, and them's the villains, but... well, it's how I'm rationalising that bothers me.''

''How d'ya mean?''

''It wasn't self defence. We could've stepped back, and retreated, but we chose to fight. We took someone's life because we thought it was the right thing to do. Far worse people have used that same excuse, and I'm terrified of what that path might entail for me.''

''I get it, I really do. Landing the killing blow just... I could see it in his eyes. Like a look of terror as he accepted what was about to happen, and I'm never gonna forget that image. I can't, really. It feels like brushing something important away. They might be NPCs, but they still look and act as if they were real...''

''Yeah, what I said earlier... these aren't just NPCs to us now, right? They're people in their own right... remember when Kizmel told us about her sister? I mean, we basically did the same to what's her face... god I feel like an arse right now, I can't even remember the name of the woman I killed!''

''Cervera.''

''Thanks, I know that being a pacifist isn't really an option here, and against monsters, it doesn't massively concern me, but, well...''

''Jet, if it's of any help, you took actions you deemed necessary to save more people. I don't like the idea of trading away lives like some twisted concept of equivalent exchange, but in this case, I cannot help but believe that you are overthinking your actions.''

''What she's trying to say is 'don't beat yourself up over this.'.''

''As Phillia claims, you aren't a bad person for one set of actions, and during wartime, you do become detached from those you fight, because the burden would be far too much to shoulder, even for the strongest amongst us.''

''Yeah, that's one way to look at it, I suppose.'' - Jet settled on that as a diplomatic way of saying 'I think you're wrong, but I don't want to carry on this conversation.'. Koharu saw it for what it was, and tried to comfort her evidently troubled boyfriend, holding onto his hand as they walked, not that it did much to help...

Returning back to the surface, the group regrouped with Merja, and his forces, who had evidently been successful, as there weren't currently any more gaping holes in the ruins than there had been when they left.

''Ah, human swordsmen! Thanks to your hard work, we were able to protect our base and the Key.''

''Merja, what happened with the Fallen hiding below?''

''We attempted to capture them, but they put up a fierce resistance, and all perished. It is a great shame that we failed to get anything out of their leader, Kysala.''

''I thought that would happen. It is not your fault however, but the Key cannot stay on this floor anymore. We need to continue moving up, and set up where the Fallen cannot reach us.''

''You seem pretty reluctant, Kizmel?''

''Oh, did that show? We shouldn't have kept the Key in one place to begin with, especially as nothing has really been settled with the Fallen or the Kales'Oh. Besides that, the Forest Elves have a large contingent of forces on the sixth floor, so we really can't stay there.''

''We cannot retreat, especially if the Fallen wish to open the cathedral... Only destruction lies that way.''

''Yes, I know. We shall not allow Tilnel's sacrifice to be in vain. We will protect it!''

''We'll be heading up to the sixth floor too, so hopefully we can help out up there too. We aren't ever giving up, right Jet?''

''Thank you, it's always encouraging to hear your words. May the Sacred Tree protect you all on your travels!''

''You be safe too Kizmel...''

''Heh, now you do sound like Tilnel, Koharu... Don't worry about me. See you both another time!''

''Well, we should be off, places to be, enemies to find, and a certain Rat to catch up with...''

''You three, can I ask something of you?''

''Umm, sure?''

''Human swordsmen have the mission to unify the Heavenly Pillars, right?''

''I suppose so, yeah. Why?''

''The guardian beast is said to be a living stone sculpture. A Copy Charm allows you to create dolls, but this is different. It is unquestionably a living rock. It will take a person with herculean strength to take on the difficult task to destroy a stone body. Like animals who listen to mountain rumbles to avoid disasters, defend when you don't think that you can take a hit.''

''Y-yeah, thank you for the advice.''

''We have a token of our gratitude for all three of you. A sign of our friendship, if you will...'' - Three swords were handed to each of them. A long, thin blade, halfway between a rapier, and a single handed sword, the blades were named Faith, Hope and Charity, which Jet attributed to Kayaba evidently having some grandiose ideas when it came to blades. Around the base of the blade, was some engraving with the name of each blade, alongside a metallic grey circular cross guard. Jet quickly gave his new blade, Hope a quick swing around, and found it exponentially better than Caliburn... - ''I pray that you will continue to be allies of Lyusula, human warriors - Jet, Koharu and Phillia.'' - Merja gave a Lyusulan salute, before he headed off, leaving the trio to continue on with their adventure...

''So, Phillia, bet you never expected to stop a gunpowder plot when you asked for help treasure hunting...''

''It wasn't what I expected that I'd have spent my day doing, no. But, other than the last bit... it's been pretty fun. I can see why people look at you the way they do, I mean, especially now... you're literally wielding weapons called Faith and Hope! I'm glad I got to have a day of action, anyway...''

''So, you're going back tomorrow then?''

''Yeah, I've had my fair share of this, and I really don't think I'm strong enough to take on a boss. Not yet, anyway. I'll get there one day... Oh, before I go - keep hold of this, will you? I get the feeling you'll need Charity more than I will!''

Jet kept quiet, and ignored the obvious joke there. ''You sure on that? You did earn it, after all...''

''I did, yeah, and I'm a treasure hunter after all, but I think you'll need it later on. Call it my intuition! Well then, I'll see you both again... bye Jethro!''

''See you around Ginge...'' - Jet looked proud of finally giving an embarrassing nickname to their treasure hunting friend.

''I'll let you have that one...'' - And with that, Phillia took off, back to her inn.

''Reckon we should be heading back too?''

''Yeah, Argo's said she'll meet us in the morning, and that she's found our ghost...''

Chapter Text

Floor 5 - Chapter 3 - Who Ya Gonna Call!

December 28th, 2022 - Floor 5, Karluin Town

After a night's sleep, and some pondering on Jet's part as to the identity of the ghost, the couple had woken up, and headed into Karluin, to the spot where they were supposed to meet Argo... who, surprise, surprise, was late. Honestly, Jet felt like changing her contact in his messages to 'GWR', given how reliable she was in terms of timekeeping...

Speaking of the devil... ''Sorry for the wait, all of ya's. Took a bit longer than we thought... mind ya, the way you said it, wasn't quite so easy for ya either...''

''So then, what actually happened?''

''Oh right, we found an ALS member and a small child in a dungeon, helped them to escape, found a weird ring. Got attacked by Fallen Elves for said weird ring, then met up with Kizmel again, went and found a Guy Fawkes wannabe planning to blow up most of the ruins, stopped them, and then got these nifty swords.''

''Ehh, bit too small for my liking.''

''Strea, you use a sword that's length is measured in metres, rather than centimetres. I could pass you the largest sword ever made, and you'd still claim it was too small...''

''Anyways, Ko here said ya found somethin' out about the boss, right?''

''Oh, yeah, it's some form of living stone apparently.''

''Hmm, well in this type of game, that means we're dealing with a golem, or a gargoyle then...''

''Eh, 'long as it isn't a Weeping Angel, we're fine.'' - Jet commented dismissively, earning a glare from almost everyone present.

''The boss of this floor was a giant Golem in the beta. I'm guessin' it still is. Problem is, not only is it large, but it has an insanely high defence stat. Durin' the beta, I heard it took 100 players to take it down in the beta...'' - Argo looked hesitantly, at the looks of dawning horror on everyone's faces. Even Jet, who had been joking around only moments earlier, looked downright terrified of this beast...

''Ugh, I read about that. Several raid parties got absolutely demolished, and the only way they beat it was by going at it in waves... that's an almost nightmarish enemy when you can't die. I agree with the avoid and defend strategy...''

''Wait, it took 100 people to take this thing down?! The assault team is only, what, about 50 people! We'll be hopelessly outmatched...''

''What happened to the optimism from earlier?''

''I'm a realist. There is no way we can win against that thing!''

''We need a strong offense, and a strong defence. A good tank to be our wall will also be key in beatin' it. We don't know whether it's attack pattern has changed, or whether it still throws out waves of enemies at ya too, so we'll just have ta find that out on the battlefield...''

''We're going to need both guilds to work together, if we want to beat this boss, right? We should tell them ASAP...''

''Yeah, about that Ko... ya might want to talk ta our ghost himself, first...''

''Umm, where is he?''

''I must admit, you two have both grown into your roles. I think I made the right call in inviting you both back then...''

''Diavel!''

''I was expecting you to have changed your face after that speech, you know?'' - Jet joked, as the two shook hands.

''Sorry to disappoint you, Knight of the Wind...''

''Argo... did you tell him that nickname?''- Jet's tone had become almost saccharine, as he turned to the Rat...

''I am offended that you'd think that of me... and no, it was Strea.''- She deflected, passing the blame onto the guilty party.

''Of course it was... oh sister of mine... come here, would you?''

''Those two are related?!'' - Diavel looked between the two, and struggled to notice any family resemblance.

''Yep, and none of us can work out who's the more mature of the two...''

''Me.'' - Both siblings answered in stereo, as everyone rolled their eyes at them.

''Anyway, now that's settled, we've got a few questions... mainly, why were you pretending to be a ghost?''

''Right then, I shall explain - after the first boss fight, I stayed on the first floor. I know that you have been defeating one boss after another, and that it wasn't easy.''

''Wait, you've been watching us?! After you left, the clearing group split in two, and both tried to take leadership, but both clashing that frequently has been...''

''Taxing.''

''Thing is, I understand that. I'm a guild leader myself, so I get wanting to be the best, but this isn't a normal game! Both Kirito, and this idiot here-'' - Jet just smiled and waved - '' tried to help where they could... but both sides are just squabbling. It's only a matter of time before something irreparable happens...''

''Exactly, which is why I've returned to the front lines.''

''Then why stay in hidin'? Ya could've mobilised plenty 'a people...''

''It'd be quite disgraceful for someone who's called himself a knight, and a leader to be grinding levels behind everyone's backs...''

''Hmm, I don't buy it. Not one bit.''

''I think knight-boy's onto somethin', and Diavel, you of all people should know not ta underestimate Argo the Rat! Take a look at his gear all of ya's. Visually, it looks like the same stuff he used on Floor 1, but it's been levelled up nicely. Same goes for his weapon too. You continued to level up on the first floor so ya could return at any time, am I right?''

''The levelling part is correct. Sadly, Jet is correct, my motives are not quite so admirable.''

''So, what was with the whole ghost thing? It's kind of childish just to make a ghost story to scare people...'' - Klein chastised the knight, who did look somewhat guilty over that.

''I assure you, I never intended for that to happen. It just sort of happened, a by-product of sneaking around. I actually came to this floor to gather information from an old friend. He's in ALS, but only the leaders are allowed to know that information. It'd be bad if people found out that he told me. Other players had seen me, so I decided to cover my tracks... to think, that I'd become a ghost.''

''Then you were just hiding? No special equipment that makes ya invisible?'' - Argo sounded quite disappointed with that conclusion. If Jet were being honest, so was he. It just felt all so... anticlimactic.

''If I did have such an item, I wouldn't have had to hide from people. Still, because of that rumour, players have been avoiding the Cemetery, making solo levelling all that much easier.''

''Hm.'' - Jet still seemed apprehensive about all of this, but was willing to give Diavel the benefit of the doubt for now.

''I must admit, I didn't expect my choice of successors to lead to such strife and division. That being said, I am in no position to bad mouth either, considering my vanishing act. But, I do wish to take responsibility.''

''Why? Does that have something to do with the information that your friend told you?''

''I'm sorry, but I can't talk about it right now. Still, the reward for whoever takes down the fifth floor boss is huge. Regardless of which guild gets it, be that ALS or DKB, it is sure to ruin the relationship between them both...''

''I think I understand it now. You didn't come back out of the goodness of your heart, you wanted the reward. If it's sure to cause so much trouble between the two guilds, then why not give it to you... a neutral third party, and not one of those 'dirty beaters'. '' - She made sure to include air quotes around the last part.

''I... wish she was incorrect, but she isn't. Not entirely, anyway. The latter part, I don't appreciate, but the former, yes. I worry that the disruption to the balance of power could be so grave that a war may potentially break out...''

''That wouldn't happen... surely?''

''I mean, everyone's human, but over something that petty?'' - Jet really hoped his faith in humanity would survive their time in here...

''Uhh Jet, just to remind you of something. We've been near football grounds on match day before, you really think people wouldn't fight over something that petty?'' - Strea pointed out.

''Fair point.''

''It could. There are probably plenty of people out there, that would hurt others if it benefitted them. It could be a real problem, I mean it's one problem fightin' monsters... but fightin' players too? I mean, Jet should know, that whole thing with Morte, and his little plan... that could've escalated very quickly.''

''It's terrible, but it might just happen...'' - Koharu looked disheartened at that conclusion.

''Well, before all of that does happen, let us hightail it to the boss floor!''

''Wait, so after you unify ALS and DKB, what happens then? You want us all to follow under the same banner? Sorry bud, but Fuurinkazan goes it's own way. Like hell are we gonna be underlings for a bigger guild!''

''I'm not planning to make a new guild. I just want to go with a superior few, for example... everyone here.''

''You can't be serious, right? This thing took 100 people to bring it down in the beta... there's, what, 6 of us now! Never mind a massacre, the word to describe it doesn't exist yet!''

''Got to side with her here, Diavel. If we go in there now, we'll be deader than dodos before the two minute mark. I hate to admit it, but I'd almost think you're leading us like lambs to the slaughter, if we try to go in now...''

''I understand your reservations, but that isn't the plan at all. Soon, a few more will come to help...''

''Diavel, unless your description of 'a few' is 94 players... we are still hopelessly outnumbered. You can't seriously think that skill alone will make up for that steep of a numerical disadvantage, right?'' - Jet really did hope Diavel had some ulterior motive... because otherwise it meant he genuinely was that naïve, and that he was hoping for a miracle as a plan.

''Alright you blue haired weirdo, it's a pretty compelling story, but as Jet and Strea have both pointed out, not only are we outnumbered vastly, we know very little of this thing's attack patterns or anything like that. It's a suicide mission, even with more people involved!''

''I am aware of that, yes. Which is why I want you to see my true power for yourselves. And if you are willing to tag along, then I'll go into more detail about what I said earlier. I promise.''

''How are you thinking of doing this? PvP?''

''I have a more logical way. Just before the labyrinth on the fifth floor, there is a huge maze you have to pass through. But if you complete a certain quest, an NPC will bring you straight to the labyrinth.''

''We were actually looking into that, but that stupid ghost rumour meant we put it off. Guess that's come back to bite our behinds. So you're saying you want our help to finish this quest, yeah? Well, I was gonna put it in the guidebook anyway, so why not...''

''Thank you. It's just better to have more people, and time on our hands. I want Argo, Klein and Strea to clear the gimmicky dungeon, and I'll be tagging along. Jet, Koharu, do think you could assist in clearing the Tower Ruins of it's monsters?''

''Sure, we'll help...'' - Jet agreed apprehensively.

''I knew you'd say that. Seems I was right for counting on you. Thank you. Alright you two, take this coin, and throw it into the fountain in the Tower Ruins, then take down the Mouldy Mummy that appears, and collect the key item that drops. Once you've done that, head to the front of the fifth floor labyrinth.''

''Huh, so you want us to fish out a monster that drops with a coin?''

''According to the quest details, it's the wretched ghost of a gambler who lost his life when he was caught cheating...''

''Cheery stuff then...'' - Jet mumbled sarcastically.

''So, it's more a mummy than a ghost...''

''Let's not waste time on semantics. Let's get movin' if we're done here...'' - As the two groups separated, Jet mouthed something to Strea - ''Watch out for him.'' - She nodded back to her brother, as the groups broke apart, and headed for their objectives.

Koharu fidgeted with her dagger, Faith, as the couple made their way through the Tower Ruins, to the fountain - ''What kind of information would make guilds clash like that?'' - She asked, her voice going quieter than usual.

''That, Koharu, is what worries me...what would make them do that...''

''Something feels... wrong, about all of this. I can't place it though...''

''Same here. I'm kind of hoping that Diavel is actually a traitor, all things considered.'' - Admittedly, it was a macabre prospect, but to Jet, it was better than the alternative option, and he honestly wasn't sure which worried him more.

''Wait, why!?''

''Because it means he isn't stupid. If he genuinely doesn't have any ulterior motives...'' - Jet looked away, his face contorted as he tried to rationalise the knight's thoughts.

For Koharu though, the realisation set in... ''He's willing to throw his own, and others lives away, because he thinks he's right.''

The remainder of the walk to the fountain was uneventful, with only a small number of slimes and mummies getting in their path, and being quickly dispatched with...

''Well, we're here. Here goes nothing...'' - The coin was thrown into the fountain, and a larger Mouldy Mummy, flanked by about 10 smaller ones appeared before them.

''I know he didn't specify it'd be alone, but... that's a small army!'' - The pair readied their new weapons, and steeled themselves for a fight.

''Place your bets... Life... or DEATH!'' - The Mummy bellowed, as Jet rolled his eyes. That pun was worse than his!

''Oh great, this one can talk... well then, if you're such a betting man, the odds are in! It's 1 to 1 on us kicking your sorry arse!'' - The pair raced in, and made short work of the smaller mummies, whilst keeping themselves at the maximum reach for the larger one, until it's entourage had been cleared out. Once that was done, the couple turned their focus on the bigger mummy, and with only a brief struggle, were able to best the creature...

''That should be all of them...''

''That was definitely not what I'd call fun...''

''Those things creep me out, especially the talking ones. I'm just glad they can be killed though...''

''Well, now we just need that key item. Reckon that's it?''

''I'd say so, yeah.'' - Jet picked up the the two dice that lay there. Each die looked as if it had seen far better days, with the enamel worn, and chipped, whilst the black dots had long since faded, meaning some faces had only the pits for the dots left. - ''It's called the Gambler's Heart. Let's head back to Diavel...''

Arriving at the labyrinth, something stood out immediately... Argo was nowhere to be seen. If situations could wave flags, this one currently had double red flags flying...

''Ah, you two made it back safely. Seems you could handle a fetch quest after all...''

''Yeah, we had to deal with the problem gambler's entourage... we're back though. Here's the item.'' - Jet materialised the two die, and handed them to Diavel.

''Excellent, I shall hand them over to the requester!''

''So, where's Argo?''

''Oh, she's answering messages over there. Load of messages from people asking for info.''

''Ah, right then.''

''Jet, aside.'' - The siblings headed off in a different direction to the main group, whilst everyone else continued talking amongst themselves.

''Diavel really is something... Not only are his commands on point, but he can really fight... I'd say he's a bit over-levelled, but just the way he moves, and his timing when using skills is great. It's fun even watching. He's nothing like the rumours... people said he was too afraid to fight after nearly losing his life during a boss fight.''

''Is that really what people are saying?''

''Just some low ranking members that I heard talking about it, that's all.''

''They're right, you know. That's why I've been on the lower floors this whole time. Since then, I've been teaching players on the lower floors the best way to farm, helping them level, you know. Even though they're under-levelled, they're chomping at the bit to join. They're all very passionate people... and they gush about the top players and guilds, without even knowing my face or name... or that I ran away from there.''

''What's wrong with that? I was able to meet Jet over there, but I imagine that without him, I'd still be in the Town of Beginnings. I knew I wanted to help others, but I was so weak... we all were. We only ever considered taking on the boss because of Diavel asking us...''

''It means a lot to hear that. I still firmly believe that the guild should be the hope of all players, but during that time, I was comforted by the fact that I wasn't a symbol of hope. I became a coward, instilled with the belief that, even if I were to disappear, people would still fight for me.''

''You don't have to say it like that - maybe you weren't on the frontlines, but you were still getting stronger. You're still setting out to clear the game. I, the great Klein, can assure you that nobody would do what you did, whilst honestly trying to run away.''

''The great Klein? Really?'' - Strea questioned, honestly wondering what she saw in her guild leader sometimes...

''At this rate anyway, it will be quite a while before we reach Floor 100, but I believe it is imperative that we get the first boss clear bonus. To save lives.''

''And definitely not for any selfish reasons...'' - Strea mumbled.

''Yes, well... I'd like to ask you all again. Will you fight besides me?''

Jet stopped to think, and looked towards Koharu. For once, he was considering the actual consequences of his actions. If he agreed, he put himself, Koharu and Strea straight into the firing line of a boss that had proven itself a ferocious foe, and ran the risk of waltzing headfirst into a potential trap... but if he declined, he'd let a group of people who knew head straight into the same situation that he'd refused to face, and would have to deal with the guilt of their demises...

''Koharu?''

''I... I think we should.'' - She wasn't sure, but she thought about everyone else, and decided it was the best course of action... not that it made it a good idea, by anyone's standards.

''Then, against all of my better judgement Diavel, we're in.'' - Jet didn't seem all that confident in his answer, but he'd made that choice. Whatever happened next, they'd just have to face it, as they always had done...

''Urgh, and to make sure my bleeding heart little brother doesn't get himself killed, so am I.'' - Strea certainly didn't seem too happy with the situation, but she'd be lying if she claimed she didn't feel some form of duty to help avert a war...

''Having seen what you can do, you can count me in. To refuse would be a most cowardly thing to do!''

Argo returned from answering her messages, and seemed to have a newfound understanding of the situation - ''The bonus that the guilds are fighting for... it's the Guild Flag, isn't it?''

''Guild Flag? What, some sort of banner?''

''Hm, interesting. Tell me, where did you get your hands on that information?''

''I can tell you... for a price. Just kidding, it's from one of my big supporters.''

''Supporter? You don't mean... him, do you? If so, then there's nobody better!''

''Guys, guys... care to elaborate here, because I am completely lost here...''

''Oh, excuse me. Well, first, I'll explain the Guild Flag. It's the common name of the Long Spear, dropped by the fifth floor boss. Gorgeous weapon, but terrible attack power. Players that equipped it pierce the ground, and give all guildies within a 15 metre radius various buffs, attack, defence and resistance mainly.''

''Wait, so you can buff others just by having it equipped? That's freakin' awesome!''

''Also, buff duration lasts as long as it's in the ground, and can buff an unlimited number of guildies. It's a super rare, godlike item.''

''And suddenly, all of this cloak and dagger stuff makes sense... that's a fairly massive advantage.''

''Yeah, and ALS have probably learned of it's existence by now, and are probably trying to get ahead of the DKB by getting it first. They'll be trying to get through it by tonight, I reckon...''

''Absolutely, I got the information from a leader in the ALS, and they admitted they can't stop Kibaou on their own. They're worried, as right now, the two guilds are even... this will easily tip the scales in the ALS's favour. They're a group based on sharing, that intel and rewards should be free to be shared amongst the players of SAO. DKB on the other hand, they're a more rigid command structure, and believe that the top players should be symbols of hope for others. Both are-were based on the morals I installed, but to think that they would break apart like that... I've caused this. I can't let them destroy each other.''

''If we get our hands on the Guild Flag, I don't think anyone's stopping you from trying to unite the two guilds... though, as a guild leader myself, I think it'd be better if I had that responsibility...''

''How about... no. You may be my leader, but if this thing is 'godlike', you would actually be the last person I trusted with it. Remember when you lost your spear, only to find it, conveniently enough, in my bedroom...''

''Yeah, we get the picture Strea!'' - Jet interrupted, not wanting to hear any more about that pair's private dealings - he quite liked his breakfast staying in his stomach, if he could at all help it...

''I was pulling your leg!'' - Strea mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like ''That's what you wanted to do then too.''. Jet snickered, as Klein carried on. ''But man, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want it, since an auto-buff is pretty nice. Still, we don't mess with people and their affairs. We aren't the type to tell others how to play the game. So that's why I'll leave this to you, a... what are you again?''

''Knight, and I think my supporters would agree. Since ya told us about the shortcut quest, we should be able ta meet 'em inside the labyrinth.''

''Uhh, this seems kinda shady, you sure we can trust them?''

''Nah, this is far more above board than some of the stuff I had to do. We'll be fine.'' - Strea thought back to one of her jobs investigating a company's business practices. To her, that was shady... this was just keeping quiet.

''Ignoring what Strea said, because I have far too many questions that aren't currently relevant, we should be okay, if they're who I think they are.''

''As Jet just said, there should be no problems if they are what I believe them to be like.'' - The group began to head off, before Diavel cut in, remembering something. - ''Oh, before we head off, I should share the rewards from the boss quest with you.'' - A trade request appeared in each member of the group's peripheral vision, offering them 2500 Col, and some crafting materials.

Eventually, after some maintenance on everyone's equipment, and some very awkward questions... and answers, between Strea, Klein, Jet and Koharu, the group headed off, with Argo filling everyone in on their expected foe...

''Kay then, this is all info from the beta, so I hope it stands up. The boss is a Golem, but fortunately fer us, it doesn't really use AoE attacks, just punches and stompin' on ya. Just 'cause it doesn't have any big attacks like its breath, doesn't mean those attacks don't pack a heck of a punch, so study those attack patterns, and dodge like hell. When ya can't, defend like hell.''

''We're gonna need a tank then. I mean, Jet and Diavel have their shields, but that probably won't cut it.''

''Don't worry 'bout that, I called in a favour, she should be here any minute now...'' - And with that, an out of breath looking Asuna came into view of the group.

''Sorry I'm late, we had to rush through the quest we were doing.''

''So, if Asuna's here... then your supporter was...'' - Followed by a considerably less out of breath Kirito.

''Allow this Beater to join.'' - Jet jokingly pointed to his wrist, miming tapping a watch, as Kirito shrugged his shoulders, both trying their best not to laugh - ''Also, I knew you'd come back, Diavel.''

''Ah, yes, thank you Kirito.''

''Besides, I don't want to see any more infighting with the guilds. So... let's win this, Mr Knight.''

''Let's do this!''

''Heh, if it isn't Kirito... the Beater's pretty infamous!''

''Ah, yeah...''

''Think you're so cool with two aliases, huh? Maybe I should have a cool nickname to go by! I can hear the crowd cheering as the gallant and majestic-''

''Not to mention fictional.'' - Jet muttered, as Koharu elbowed him, eliciting a small yelp from him.

''- spear master enters the battlefield! I can hear them all shout it now! 'xCr1mz0n Br4vRx Klein'!'' - Everyone in attendance cringed at that. Everyone who wasn't in attendance cringed at that. The monkeys in Jet's mind cringed at that...

Whilst Argo sighed into her cloak, Koharu was the first to speak up - ''Ugh, that's just cringey...''

''Klein, are you sure the voices you heard weren't the ones in your head?''

''Oh yeah, because you aren't the epitome of try-hard, Jet...''

''Old nickname, it stuck.''

''Bullshit'' - Strea coughed into her hand, and waved back innocently when Jet turned and glared at her.

''Maybe something simpler - how about 'Bl4z1n S4mur41''?''

''Klein, for all of our sakes... just give up. Before you really do embarrass yourself any further.'' - Strea considered who she was saying that to, and realised that the odds of that happening were next to none. Still, a girl could hope, couldn't she...

Kirito suppressed his laughter at the samurai's antics, long enough to be able to start talking again - ''You haven't changed a bit Klein!''

''That's just how I am, man. Let's catch up after we bust up that Golem! Also, you can tell me some more about that babe you're with...'' - Strea looked genuinely offended, and Jet moved as far away from his sister as possible. An angry Strea was... well, there hadn't been a weapon invented yet that could stop her. Luckily for Klein, some more people turned up, and distracted everyone... except Strea, who maintained a glare of daggers at her ally.

''Diavel, the news of your return will probably spread across the players by tomorrow. I know it's tough, but I'm really counting on you to take control of the situation and bring peace between the guilds.''

''Yes, I hope everything goes well too. Anyway, who's your friend?''

''The name's Liten. Please allow me to fill in for a tank. I also heard from my friend that you are quite the leader.''

''Liten! Shouldn't you be over with the ALS?''

''I care about my friends in ALS, which is why I want to avoid any infighting, as much as I possibly can. I'm really glad you guys are joining the fight for the Guild Flag. By the way, what happened with Mater? I'm sorry I kind of pushed her on you...''

''I don't really know, but I think she made it out of the dungeon safely.'' - Koharu looked quite upset, as she thought about how they'd left a young child in a dungeon, and gone about their business...

''Oh my god! That's so good to hear! I've been worried about her since!'' - A completely different voice came from the armour. Gone was the strange distorted voice they'd had, possibly thanks to their armour, replaced by a distinctly female sounding voice... a voice that sounded far less affected, and far closer to what Jet assumed was their actual voice...

''What the?'' - Koharu glanced towards Jet in confusion, whilst Jet raised his eyebrows slightly as everything came together.

''Ahem. Umm, what I meant to say was, please accept my deepest thanks...'' - And the armoured person went back the affected voice...

''Liten, you can give it a rest now. These are good people, who won't judge you on your looks.''

''Err, is that so?'' - The figure took off their helmet. Underneath, a chestnut haired girl, around Kirito and Asuna's ages, who looked a little skittish, after the momentary relief of being able to take off the helmet, which didn't look all that comfortable really. Koharu processed that information, as Jet just shrugged his shoulders. - ''Nice to meet you properly.''

''We met before though?'' - Liten looked confused at Jet's choice of words.

''We were in a dungeon, fighting for our lives... hardly a time to talk, really.''

''Huh, you're a girl too, sorry I didn't notice it before. Though, as Jet said, we were kind of preoccupied.''

''No need to say sorry! I hid my gender from everyone. Also, though SAO is my first VRMMO, I've played as tanks in other games, so I decided to be a tank in SAO. But people said girls can't be tanks because we're unreliable...'' - Everyone present, bar Diavel, raised an eyebrow at that statement.

''Even though gender has nothing to do with it...'' - Asuna said, the venom in her words ever present.

''My friend helped me gear up, but I still had to hide my gender from everyone in the ALS, until I got to know them better. I did it because I wanted to be judged on my skills and ability, not my gender.''

''I mean, we know plenty of strong girls, right? Asuna, Rain, Strea, Yuuki, and even Kizmel.'' - Jet noticed Koharu looked slightly down as she summarised her list, herself noticeably absent from it...

''Yeah, more girls have been joining the frontline recently. I look forward to meeting them in the future.''

''Seriously dude, how the heck do ya do it? There some kind of babe attracting device on ya or...?'' - Klein began to ask, only to be cut off by the boiling cauldron of anger that was Strea... - ''Are you (BLEEP)ing serious?! Are you absolutely serious, you absolute-'' - Strea gave the samurai wannabe the most powerful kick that had been seen in Aincrad up to that point... administered squarely to a particularly sensitive part of the human anatomy. Whilst the Pain Limiter absorbed 90% of the pain that such a kick would've generated... the placebo effect was very much still in play, and Klein fell to the floor, clutching himself whilst huddled in the foetal position. Every male in attendance could almost feel the pain involved, and winced...

''Well, now that Strea's made sure I'm never becoming an uncle...'' - Jet unintentionally forgot his seven other siblings in that line.

''Also, Klein? Liten's already got somebody, so don't make things weird...''

''Owwwwww, the pain is unbearable...'' - Klein cried, not realising about the Pain Limiter...

''That from the knacker attacker over there, or finding out you don't have a chance with someone considerably younger than you?''

''Huh, it doesn't hurt that much... weird.'' - Klein discovered, as he decided to punch himself there again, to very little effect. Both Jet and Kirito would've sweatdropped at that point, if that were physically possible.

''Yeah, Pain Limiter. Kind of a pre-requisite, otherwise getting stabbed would be very unpleasant.''

''Your sister's evil, dude.'' - Klein pointed out the obvious.

''No arguments there... though, I'd say she's more chaotic evil than outright evil.''

''Word of advice Jet, I wouldn't if I were you... otherwise you'll receive the same, little brother...''

''Hehe, shutting up now.'' - Jet said, in what turned out to be the wisest thing he'd said that week.

''I thought as much.'' - An evil smirk appeared on her face, as both Jet and Klein felt fear similar to a deer caught in headlights.

''Sorry to interrupt yer fun time, but if we don't leave now, the groups ya passed will have caught up wi' us!'' - Some shouting could be heard in the wind. How much of that was monsters, and how much were the guilds, no one was sure.

''They're on their way?!''

''Diavel, your call.''

''Alright. We'll split into parties. Stay loose, but don't drift apart. Each party is to head straight to the boss room. As you all know, the boss is a giant Golem. With our current small, but elite, force, this will be a tough fight. Still, we're all friends here with the same purpose. If we put our strength together, we should... no, we will win! Still though, even if we do win, we still face 95 more floors... but the rewards will be huge.''

''Yeah! We had a late start, but I can give 'em hell! I'm just itchin' to kick some butt!''

''The Guild Flag is meant as a symbol of hope! It should never be the match used to start a war! So we must win, not just for ourselves... but for everyone!''

''Alright, let's do this!''

The combined shout of ''Yeah!'' from everyone present could've been a double edged sword, as Jet could've sworn he'd heard someone else a bit back. Still, the group got moving, and headed for the labyrinth...

{Author's Comments}

We're approaching the point where I'm going to take a two week break (still two chapters to go yet, though.), so I can plot out the next few floors in advance. Unlike last time, there won't be a ''coming soon'' trailer, as I realised that I've changed plans, so some parts won't be used at all, whilst one will likely happen MUCH later that I originally planned it to, meaning that some of the trailer is quite inaccurate...

As for what part, well... you'll just have to read the next chapter, as that's when the Butterfly Effect will really come into play. I'll still be using Integral Factor as a basis for some parts (the Elf War especially), but a fair part will be my own original ideas...

Anyway, enough rambling from me. Thanks to everyone who reads this, and the usual continues to apply.

Midland 2541, signing off!

Chapter Text

Floor 5 - Boss - Fuscus the Vacant Colossus

January 28th, 2022 - Floor 5 Labyrinth - about an hour later.

About an hour had passed since the group had entered the labyrinth, and the group were nearing the boss room. Diavel must've put some serious effort into levelling up, as the knight was clearing mobs on his own, without missing so much as a beat, whilst everyone else were relying on teamwork to help lighten the workload...

''The mobs in this labyrinth don't cause you any trouble at all, huh? Glad you're as sharp as ever, Diavel.''

''Kirito, listen. I'm sorry about before. You had to suffer alone, being labelled a Beater, and now here I am, returning to my previous position, as if nothing had ever happened. You must think I'm selfish.''

''And? Like what, what do you want me to say? You want me to cuss you out, or force you to clear my name? I'm not going to do any of that, it's not like it'd do anything, anyway...'' - Diavel remained silent, as Kirito carried on - ''Besides, it's better if you get your hands on the Guild Flag, and create a massive clearing group. Far more productive that way.''

''Kirito...''

''And, well, if that's not enough then, uh... oh, in return for the Guild Flag, you can instead not complain to Kibaou if I pick up the SSR boss reward. What do you say?''

''You've got a deal.''

''Huh, I was kind of kidding...''

''I won't put anything else on you though. You all gave me another chance, so I'm going to do my best, and continue as a proud knight. Besides, can't let Jet become the better knight, can I? Still though, I have to ask myself, do I have it in me to lead? Truthfully though, I still have my doubts, because I know now that those who wish to play hero aren't cut out to become leaders. I'm sure you all understand.''

''Just being aware of that makes you a good leader, in my eyes anyway. I mean, sure, a leader with no doubts is good sometimes, but people like that never realise when they're wrong.''

''Whenever people gather, egos clash, and infighting begins. A capable leader should know how to calm things down when that happens. Thinking about your goals will come back to bite you. It's okay to worry though, I know you'll discover the right answer though''

''I mean, I've only heard rumours, but Mister Knight over here seems pretty cut out for the job. You chose right to return. You came, because you couldn't turn your back on us. Same goes for you too, Kirito.''

''Yeah. As things stand currently, I really feel like I'm the only one suited to unite the players under the Guild Flag. But still, what if... No. Let's just focus on the flag. I'm counting on you guys.''

''You got it.''

''Hell yeah!''

A short distance behind the leader's debate, Asuna and Koharu were chatting away, discussing the past few days, and what was going on in front of them...

''I wonder if they're done talking now? We can head off already, right?''

''I think Diavel's worried about Kirito for some time.''

''Kirito's too nice for his own good. He has every right to be mad at Diavel, even if he plays it off like it's nothing, and that he had no choice. But... that's exactly why I can't really leave him on his own, either. Anyway! Let's get a move on, everyone else will be arriving soon!''

Approaching the main chamber, the groups began to reform, and one by one, each group arrived.

''Well, that should be everyone. Liten, Jet, Agil and I will act as tanks. We shall split into two groups. One to attack the boss, and one to attack any minions it spawns. Within each group of five, there will be two tanks. Given Liten already has experience fighting alongside you four, she will work with Jet, Koharu, Kirito and Asuna. The rest will work with me to handle the minions. Despite this, we cannot promise that there won't be some stragglers from both groups, so I ask all of you, please be careful, and do not stick your necks out... is everyone ready?''

''As we'll ever be...'' - And with that, the group opened the door...

The group entered into the Boss Room, and looked around in confusion. Normally, the boss would be waiting for them, in all its horrific glory... today though? The room was empty, bar some pillars, and some strange channels running along the ground towards some form of pentagram in the middle of the room...

''Strange. You think it's glitched or something?'' - Everyone scanned the room, but still no sign of their adversary... though the channels had begun to glow a neon green, and provided an ominous light source for the room. Jet, Kirito and Koharu all came to the same conclusion pretty quickly, but Jet was the first to speak up - ''Argo? You said the boss was a Golem, made of 'living stone', right?''

''Why'd ya... oh hell.'' - Argo came to the same realisation too, and looked down, as a green light bathed the area around her...

A wailing noise, a depraved monstrous laugh filled the room, as the lights switched on around every person there, before selecting Jet, who realised exactly what they were... a targeting reticule for the boss. ''Everyone, when the floor lights up around you, yell. You'll be the boss's main target, so we'll need to draw aggro off you, else...'' - The aftermath didn't need to be said aloud. ''Everyone ready?''

''No, but-'' - Strea's remark was cut off as the girl jumped out of the way, a fist smashing through the stone floor, and sending a shockwave into the room, whilst Strea pulled herself together. A second fist punched up, forcing Jet to take evasive action, whilst a stone head pulled itself out of the wall, like a brick being pushed out from the other side of a wall. The oversized jaw, with that big an overbite that the inside of it's mouth was visible at certain angles, and the tiny eyes, hidden behind stone, made the creature look quite ridiculous... but it's attacking potential definitely wasn't such a laughing matter, the creature's roar pulling at least ten Rusty Golems out from the metal making up the floor...

''As we planned!'' - Diavel's group charged in to attack the smaller Golems, whilst Kirito's group took on the big one. Every single attack they attempted would be countered as either a fist, or a Golem got in the path of the attacks, whilst the fist would regularly try to counter attack, with Jet and Liten acting as tanks, defending against it's attacks, which were all aimed towards them, given they were the most obvious priority, and allowing Kirito, Asuna and Koharu to focus their efforts on hitting the boss's head.

''Two bars down! Two more to go!'' - Kirito shouted, as he continued to evade the Colossus's brute force attacks, now becoming the target, whilst a mace bludgeoned another Rusty Golem behind him. The plan was working reasonably well, and would continue... until the light show targeted Strea, who was less than pleased at the sudden attention she was now receiving. A hammer attack slammed down next to her, stunning her momentarily, and forcing Klein to race to her defence, stabbing his spear into the Colossus's fist, forcing it to change targets for it's own safety. The redheaded samurai was able to evade, spotting the tells of an incoming whirlwind attack...

''Whenever it does that, there's about a metre under the attack. I reckon that's a safe area, and should keep us out of it's wake. That wake's powerful though, it might even be enough to... kerching! Idea time... If I get this wrong though... well... I'd better be right then!'' - Jet thought, his Hope ending the existence of another Golem that had changed towards targeting Koharu, as he did. They needed an ace in the hole, especially as those Golems weren't thinning out anywhere near as fast as they had been, and Fuscus was evidently learning...

Jet decided then and there, to put his plan into action, running out towards the crowd of Golems, and corralling them as best he could, before trying to get the boss's attention - ''Oi, chrome dome! Your mother had such a massive crack, a prostitute woulda blushed!'' - Quite why he chose to do it that way would remain a mystery to even him, but it worked, as the light soaked him, and he stood ready, the giant fist descending into position, as he hoped.

''What the hell's he doin?!'' - Argo shouted, ready to leap in to help, but she was interrupted by Diavel...

''You clever... everyone, get down!'' - Diavel yelled, as everyone but Jet dropped to the floor. If he was right, the lights on the floor would become slightly brighter around the radius of the attack, meaning he'd be able to get into the centre, as the fist began to rotate. When it did, it momentarily headed around 45 degrees to the opposite direction, before heading back the 225 degrees to it's target, building up momentum in the spin. As it did, Jet figured he'd have around a second to get down, which would hopefully be enough time that the Colossus couldn't cancel it's attack... or that was the plan at least. Desperate times call for desperate measures, he thought...

The plan was in action, and the fist began the counter movement... before rotating back into the spin... now! - Jet dropped to the floor, the fist slamming into four particularly unlucky Golems, obliterating them instantly, whilst the remaining six were pulled into the wake, and redistributed across the battlefield, the majority not surviving the redistribution, failing as they hit the ground, leaving just two. Two, badly damaged Golems at that. Needless to say, they didn't last long.

Jet chuckled slightly as he picked himself up, and returned to his position as tank. ''Knew I could do it.''

Fuscus, on the other hand, had evidently had quite enough of the group attacking it, and called upon it's true form to turn the tide. An entire body began to form from the room, and by god, was the creature deserving of the name 'Colossus'. Standing 12 feet tall, the footsteps it took generated shockwaves underneath them...

Strea looked at the creature in horror, as she finally understood the name... ''Bloody hell! That thing's huge!'' - She shouted out.

''It's called a Colossus, Strea... what were you expecting... a hamster?'' - A particularly annoying trait her brother suffered from was his tendency to resort to sarcasm in high stress situations. Like now.

''Oh shut it, smart arse. Didn't think it'd be that big though!'' - The group charged the creature, unleashing every attack they could muster on the Colossus, and reducing 50% of it's remaining health, leaving it with only one health bar, which began to flash red.

Now critically damaged, the Vacant Colossus took a new method for dealing with the group - targeting the leader, and hoping the group would fall into disarray...

The jaw of the beast lowered, whilst the light bathed the beast instead... if that was a power source then... ''Uh oh'' - ''Diavel! Get out of there, now!'' - Jet shouted, as a glow began to illuminate the inside of Fuscus's jaw. ''For Aincra-'' - A light covered Diavel, as a screeching noise and blinding light tore through the room, leaving just a charred mark on ground, much to the shock of the group.

''He's not... is he?'' - Right now, their priority was to kill the Colossus. Checking if Diavel made it out safely came second...

''We've got to kill that plant pot, right?'' - Jet asked.

''Definitely. Strea? Make an opening.'' - Asuna took charge of the group,

''With pleasure!'' - Strea slammed her blade down towards the beast, activating a Sword Skill known as Trench, destroying the Colossus's right foot, and forcing it to the floor, as it attempted to rebuild it. They'd have precious moments to do this, so timing would be key here.

''You four? Keep it busy! Jet, Koharu, with us!''

''This is for Diavel, you oversized lawn ornament!'' - Jet, as the fastest, and most resilient, took point, unleashing a Sword Skill called Terminus, a 4 hit combo - an upward swing, into a right to left diagonal, and back into a left to right diagonal, finishing in the centre. All four strikes hit home, and whittled away at the HP, whilst the other four's distraction allowed Koharu to rush in, using her own skill, and timing, to unleash a 4 hit skill, Coiled Strikes, which formed a square of strikes around the target, her strike bringing the Colossus down to less than 10% of it's HP remaining...

The final strikes of the battle went to Kirito and Asuna jointly, who'd used the opportunity to race up the Colossus's arms, and unleash their own skills onto the head of the beast... wiping out it's HP, and ending the battle, as both dropped back to the ground, alongside the destroyed boss.

Polygons exploded from the wreckage of the Colossus, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, every member of the group could breathe a little more easily... all except one, that was. ''Diavel, did he...'' - Koharu looked towards Jet, who checked his friends list, to see Diavel still there, and a message from the absent knight, assuring them that he was safe, and by chance, had teleported back into the Assault Team, who were currently in the labyrinth. Jet could just picture the look of shock on Kibaou and Lind's faces at that moment, and chuckled to himself.

''He's alive, and he's bringing the cavalry with him by the sounds of it...'' - Koharu lunged forward, attack hugging Jet, who was all to happy to return the favour. As he did though, the resident adult of the group, Agil, flanked by Kirito and Klein came up to the couple... ''That stunt you pulled earlier...''

''Yeah, yeah, I know. Reckless, dangerous, could've gotten me killed, I'm going to hear them all from Koharu at some point later...'' - The girl in question broke away from the hug, and just nodded in agreement at the sentiment, as she walked over to the girls who were still recovering.

''It was, but that was one hell of a move...'' - If even Agil had been more impressed by it, than worried for his safety, he'd clearly pulled off something impressive. Kirito decided he'd take the moment to use Jet's own words against him - ''And you said you aren't a gamer! That's a plan that could only have come from the mind of a gamer...''

''I'm not - just a little smarter than I look sometimes.'' - Jet looked slightly flustered under the attention, rubbing behind his ear.

''That was badass, Knight-boy! Felt like summat out of an action movie!'' - Argo decided to join the adoring crowd Jet was building up, much to his chagrin.

''Heh, nothing really. Just a calculated decision.''

''I dunno, that was amazin'! Ya had to have done all those timings in ya head, so don't sell ya self short! Else I'll charge ya extra, capisce?'' - Jet nodded furiously.

As Koharu joined the girls, they'd all recovered enough to start having their own conversations...

''Boys... they really are reckless, aren't they?'' - Asuna rolled her eyes at the opposite gender, and Argo, whilst the remainder of the girls burst into laughter. ''Still, I can't believe we actually did that... not to mention that we didn't lose anyone.''

''Amen to that. Much as I'm loathe to admit it, they did help us all back there. Might as well let them have their moment... it's not like we get to do this often, anyway.''

''I suppose you're right, but still, we can't let them hog all of the limelight, can we?''

''Ask Jet, he'll happily let you take it. I remember when my sister turned a camera on him once... never seen anyone quite so anxious before or since, and I went to Afghanistan...''

''He seems happy enough with it currently...'' - Asuna pointed over towards the other group, where Jet was now being held aloft by them, as he mouthed something. Little did she realise he was mouthing to Koharu, and asking for her help in getting out of this mess...

''Maybe he's changing a bit. Would do him the world of good anyway, and it's not like he's the only one...''

''Hm?''

''Koharu, you seem a lot more confident in battle now... I couldn't say I noticed you hesitate even once!''

''I... heh, yeah, I think I'm getting better now. I'd like to say it's all my own work, but I had a good teacher.''

''A good teacher only gets you so far, Koharu. I could go ask him now, and I bet he'll sing your praises too.'' - They all ignored the sight of Jet being thrown aloft by the guys, and Argo, who could barely reach the now airworthy Jet... ''Oh! That reminds me! I was gonna do something for New Years, and I was thinking, we could make it a group thing. Be nice to have a chance to let our hair down, right?''

''It'd be nice to have a break from all of this...'' - Asuna considered it, and how she'd be able to lure Kirito into attending a party. She'd need some extra thought on that one.

''I'd love to, but we're hosting a party for the ALS and DKB. Something to build bridges between the two guilds, you know?''

''That boyfriend of yours must be one lucky lad. Cute as a button, one hell of a fighter, and a good person...'' - Liten flushed under the praise from Strea. Luckily for her, the older girl's teasing was cut off by the other group rejoining the fray.

''Something I've just thought, right?''

''Yeah?''

''Liten's a member of ALS, right? How do we explain why she's here with us, when the porcupine turns up?''

''That's... oh. Uhh...''

''We already know about Liten joinin' you lot. Though, not that she's a gal.''

''Heh, the cat's out of the bag now...''

Some explanations about Liten later, and the group had been joined by a rather annoyed looking Assault Team, and a rather ecstatic looking Diavel, who'd thankfully explained what had happened. That being said, Jet really wished he'd seen the look on whoever's face when Diavel randomly materialised right next to them. That would've been priceless...

''So, which of you has the Guild Flag?''

''That would be... uhh, either Kirito or Asuna.''

''That-'' - Kirito materialised the spear, and handed it to Diavel, who held it aloft - ''would be yours.''

''Thank you, Kirito. Okay, I believe you may all be wondering some things...'' - Diavel explained everything to the gathered Assault Team, in order to set the record straight, and explain the Guild Flag to them. To say they weren't happy would've been an understatement...

''However, I would like to propose a plan. In order to maintain the balance of power, a third guild will be created - the Heroes of Aincrad. To anyone who helped in the boss battle, you are automatically invited. To everyone else, we will be accepting applications once the guild has been formed.'' - Most of the group thought back to what Diavel had said before the battle - ''I'm not planning to make a new guild'' - He'd said... if he couldn't be trusted not to renege on that, what else wasn't he telling them. That thought passed through each of them, until it was Asuna who made the shared concerns known.

''Won't that just throw off the balance of power even further? I can understand the idea of having a third group to cancel out the imbalance of one or the other, but... this group, the 'Heroes of Aincrad' as you put it? Won't having a group of the strongest players provide you with a greater power than either guild...''

''Of course it will, because I'm betting that's the reason he came back, Asuna. What I said earlier, about the spear, was true, you even agreed. You didn't come back to help diffuse the tensions, did you? You saw an opportunity to grab power back, and you took it.''

''That seems a bit out there, though...''

''It does, yeah. But something he said in the labyrinth makes me think I'm on the right line - ' I really feel like I'm the only one suited to unite the players under the Guild Flag', wasn't it?'' - Both Kibaou and Lind looked towards the knight, the man they'd both followed, and put on a pedestal, and yet now? He was looking down on them as failures. Both looked beyond livid, and everyone could see that...

''Strea, you've made your point.''

''Have I? This man used us all to further himself, and possibly disrupt everything... and you just want to sit back and do nothing?!'' - She snapped back to her brother.

''No, but this isn't the time!'' - Jet continued to try to play peacekeeper, despite being on the losing side...

''Then when is!'' - She retorted. Jet thought to himself, and realised just how wrong he'd been about Diavel. Back on the first floor, he'd hoped that a charismatic leader would help them clear the game, and even on the fifth floor, he'd still seen the positives that Diavel possessed. He'd just not bothered to look deep enough to notice the negatives, and now those negatives were becoming quite obvious. But still, despite all of this... was he really any worse than Kibaou and Lind? It wasn't like either would be handing over their power there and then, and maybe the Heroes of Aincrad would prove to be something far bigger than their leader. He looked towards Koharu, who was looking away as she wrestled with the same issue. Strea carried on, his silence proving her point in her eyes - ''Unbelievable. You're still the same pathetic little boy who was too afraid to rock the boat. Well, newsflash, little brother! If you keep letting shady bastards like him play you...'' - Koharu looked around the room, as various eyes focused on the purple clad girl, whilst Jet began to shake, his breathing becoming erratic as his fist clenched. Jet made his decision, and put the fragments of his hastily formulated plan into action...

''Diavel, say your piece already please.''

''As I was going to say, rather than outright stealing members away from other guilds, I propose a conference between all of the guilds, to hash out the details of the new guild, and the arrangements for the Guild Flag. If each guild sends representatives, we could finally create a united front! For that reason, I'm requesting that some currently independent players act as mediators - so, Asuna, Jet, if everyone agrees, would you agree too?''

''Come again?'' - Well, that hadn't been part of the plan.

''Wait, why us two specifically?''

''Asuna, you are a fearsome presence, and a competent negotiator. Jet, every negotiator needs a secretary.'' - Strea fought back the urge to laugh, whilst Jet looked on slightly indignant at the suggestion.

''Rather us than anyone else, I suppose.''

''Excellent!''

A fuming Strea stood off to one corner, as she ranted on at Klein, who caught barely a tenth of what she was saying - not aided by her constantly swapping between Japanese and English, sometimes mid-sentence. She looked back over to the ongoing selection of representatives, and hoped her brother knew what he was doing... ''wait, what am I saying, it's Michael... we're doomed.'' - she thought, the images of various projects coming flooding back to her, as her brother and Koharu walked over to them...

''I guess I should explain, right? I wasn't being silent out of-''

''You cunning... you knew that whole third guild would go nowhere!'' - Strea had worked out her brother's plan, but his reasons? Those were a mystery to even her. Unlike home, Jet was far more open with his actions, and far more willing to confront a problem, but that didn't mean he wore his motivations on his sleeve all of the time. Right now, he concealed them behind a vastly improved poker face.

''You give me far too much credit there. I just needed to make sure it didn't go anywhere yet, not whilst there was a chance of an all out fight. At least negotiations are hopefully going to be less tense than an actual stand off...''

''Oh, you sweet naïve child...'' - Strea groaned into her hands at her brother's... simple views on the world sometimes.

''Don't patronise me, Strea.''

''Aww, it's fun though... but seriously? Be careful when you're there. I know what these types of things are like. Try not to do anything stupid, okay?'' - Unusually, she showed genuine concern for her brother.

''Yeah, yeah, I know. Same goes to you. Klein, make sure she doesn't get herself, or any of you killed, will you?'' - Jet pointed to Klein, and started smirking. Strea looked mortified, and began spluttering. This wasn't fair! She was the older sibling, dammit! It was her job to tease her brother over his relationship... not the other way round!

''On my honour.'' - Klein bowed to Jet, as he left, living up to his aim as a samurai wannabe. Jet just blinked repeatedly, as the couple left.

''Koharu, if I'm down there, what do you want to do?''

''I'll stay with you guys. No point trying to solo things, not yet anyway. Besides, you'll need someone to protect you from Asuna's wrath, won't you?'' - Koharu winked towards her boyfriend, clearly enjoying the schadenfreude in the situation. - ''Don't worry about what I'll do during the talks, I'll find something to do.''

''Still, the conference doesn't start till tomorrow... which means we've got the rest of the afternoon to ourselves. Koharu, do you want to go on that date I promised you?'' - Jet offered her his hand, with a much less cheesy smile than he'd had since teasing Strea.

''Such a gentleman, how could I not accept?'' - Koharu accepted, and the couple went off for their date...

Chapter Text

Floor 5 - Chapter 4 - Resolutions

December 28th, 2022, 19:19pm - Floor 4, Border Lake Shore

''Are you okay back there?'' - Jet asked, fiddling with some furniture, as his partner was sat on a blanket behind him, blindfolded to avoid spoiling the surprise. He'd felt like a complete pervert when he'd asked her to put it on... despite the noble intentions, he hadn't made himself all that clear what was going on, and well... he quickly had to elaborate on what was going on, and save himself from being on the receiving end of a swift stabbing...

Anyway, that had been 2 hours ago, and Koharu was getting slightly bored now...

''You never said where we were going, and I'm currently blindfolded, so...'' - A voice inside Koharu's mind told her to just roll with it, even after her partner's earlier faux pas. After all, it wasn't like she hadn't had similar thoughts herself...-''NOPE! Be quiet!'' - She quickly shushed the voice in her head, before it said something to ruin her reputation. To alleviate the boredom, she decided to try and extrapolate where she was from the very few clues she'd gotten. Let's see... she could hear a sea breeze, so that meant she had to be somewhere near water, and she was currently sitting on a blanket, so... maybe some form of beach? She placed a hand onto the ground, and pulled up a handful of sand, the feeling of it against her hand being unmistakable.

''It'd ruin the surprise, so...'' - She could hear Jet rustling against something, and yelping in surprise, as she smelt something in the air - an unfamiliar scent, but quite a vinegar-y one at that.

''Are you okay?'' - She asked, unaware of Jet shaking his hand frantically, and mouthing every curse word in all three languages he knew...

''Yeah, just... a bit hot, that's all.'' - For reasons that can only be described as 'teenager', Koharu bit her tongue, and fought against making some form of comment after that. They'd only been dating 3 days after all, and as it turned out, both of them got flustered incredibly easily. Flirting whilst cooking was a recipe for disaster, after all. - ''Okay... you can take your blindfold off now.'' - Koharu fiddled with it momentarily, before realising she had no clue how to remove it. Fortunately for her, Jet had realised the stupidity of his past statement, and came over to remove it for her.

As the world came back into view, she looked out to her surroundings. Much to her surprise, the lake on Floor 4, where she'd suggested would be a romantic setting for a date, was the main sight that she could see. It was actually even more beautiful in the twilight, the setting sun producing a bright orange glow on the lake itself. ''Wow, it's... wow.''

''I've got to admit, it looks even nicer than I thought it would. That wasn't the main surprise though...'' - Jet held a hand out, and helped his partner up, as she saw the table set up in the sand, and looked towards him in surprise...

''Wait, was that why you blindfolded me?''

''Yeah, not because I was a pervert, thank you very much...'' - Koharu looked away slightly ashamed, as Jet started laughing - ''You know I'm joking, right? Easy enough mistake to make. I wasn't very clear, at all. Anyway, 'nuff about that'' - Jet swapped to a posh voice, and tried to put on his best impression as a waiter - ''Would milady like a seat?'' - Jet pulled the seat back, to let her sit down. She continued to watch out over the lake, the setting sun proving a mesmerising sight. Jet took the chance to materialise two bundles of newspaper, and handed one to Koharu, who looked at it slightly wearily...

''Hope you enjoy it, it's not much, but...''

''What is it?''

''Fish and chips. Figured out how to make it with the ingredients we have. Hopefully, it tastes like it does IRL...'' - The trepidation in Jet's voice was fairly obvious, and as such, he took the first bite of his...

Without blowing his own trumpet, he'd say he got it spot on! A momentary flashback to his youth, sat on a beach in Weston-super-Mare with either Sam or his family, and watching the world go by, and he seemed confident enough to invite Koharu to try hers. Koharu looked towards Jet, and took the leap of trying the food. Tasting it, she could understand why she smelt vinegar... there was certainly enough on there. Still, it wasn't like anything she'd had before, even if it wasn't particularly her style, but she could definitely understand why Jet would favour something like this, especially if it reminded him of home. What she hadn't noticed was that, in the time it had taken for Jet to basically finish his meal, Koharu had barely touched hers...

''Anything on your mind?''

''Oh, no, sorry, it's just... I was just thinking.''

''You know, if you aren't hungry, I'll happily eat it! Anything I can help with, or just... stuff?''

''Just thinking about how much my mom would've fussed over this. My first date...'' - Koharu smiled at the thought, but Jet could see the sadness her eyes projected.

''Heh, same here. God, I'm dreading the response I get from my mom when I get home, and tell her I've got a girlfriend.''

''Yeah.''

''Umm, Ko? Did I say something, or?'' - Jet couldn't help but notice his girlfriend used the past tense to describe her mother. Maybe he was overthinking it, but he could've sworn that the way she spoke about that subject sort of suggested she wasn't around anymore.

''Huh? Oh, no. Anyway, the food's nice. Just not my usual sort of thing, that's all!'' - Koharu gave a soft smile towards Jet, who decided not to pry any further.

''I'm glad you it's good, I made us desserts too...'' - Jet couldn't help but stifle a laugh, as his girlfriend popped up, the slightly mournful look in her eyes, replaced by one of intense hope... and all it took was the offer of sweets! Maybe that was a way to ensure the negotiations went faster - just feed everyone a metric ton of cakes, and hope they were too stuffed to actually bother to do anything other than sleep.

December 29th, 2022 - 16:55pm - Floor 1, Blackiron Meeting Room

''Well, it's approaching 5pm, so I think we should call it a day now! The same time again tomorrow, everyone?'' - A collection of groans and yawns filled the room, as everyone began to leave the talks for the night.

If Strea had been worried that having so many large egos in one place would generate clashes, she needn't have been. Asuna, in her role as mediator, had seen to that. For a girl who only barely came in at over 5ft, she certainly had a presence... the type to make wannabe kingmakers fall back into line. Immediately, as one poor sod from a smaller guild could attest. They'd not spoken again all day, probably for fear of the wrath of Asuna. The first day of negotiations had been about as productive as Jet had expected though. They'd managed precisely nothing so far. Well, other than boring the hell out of Jet, and making the perfect cure for insomnia, that is. Jet looked down at his 'notes', to see a particularly detailed drawing of an F-4K Phantom II, but nothing of any real importance. Nothing had been said that fit that category anyway!

''Ah, Jet, Asuna, can I have a word with both of you?'' - Jet just shrugged, as he stood up. Asuna acted slightly more politely, and less like a half dead secretary. ''Of course.''

''Thank you for this. I realise that I may not have appeared trustworthy, and well - I wasn't. I should've been upfront about my intentions with the Heroes of Aincrad.''

''Yeah, just a little. Strea was... less than pleased, shall we say? The odds of her joining the HoA are slightly less than the odds of, say, Kayaba introducing jet fighters into Aincrad...'' - A brief image of a battlefield being ripped up by an F-16 popped into Jet's head, before being incredibly glad that Kayaba wasn't that much of a sadist...

''That low, huh? I suppose I only have myself to blame there, but could you tell her that the offer won't be withdrawn? She's certainly something... different. I can't place it, but it feels like she's seen this type of thing before.''

''Yeah, something like that. Look, Diavel, I'll be level with you. I'm not joining the HoA either. I won't make Koharu's decision for her, but I won't. Not because I don't believe in it, because I get where you're coming from. I really do, but I prefer my own freedom, if that makes sense. I'll help out with you guys if you need it, but I won't help in any way that I wouldn't offer to any other guild, and I'll let that be known to Kibaou and Lind when I get chance.''

''I appreciate your honesty, Jet. I can't say I'm not disappointed, but it is your decision to make after all. Asuna?''

''I could do with some extra time to think about it. However, that isn't a yes, but neither is it a no. We'll see you tomorrow, Diavel.'' - Asuna made sure to make her position clear as crystal, as her and Jet walked out of the room.

''Let me guess, Diavel's stunt did a fair bit to shake your confidence too?''

''I believe a leader should lead by example. Constantly changing your objectives to suit an unclear agenda isn't something that will endear a leader to most people. Arguably, it'll be the exact opposite.''

''Yeah, I'll agree with that. All being shifty achieves is a group of people who see it as a perfectly legitimate way of boosting their own power. Definitely not a good idea here, where we've got no real safeguards against it. Anyway, I'm off, I said I'll go help Rain in the orphanage, need to earn my keep somehow.''

''Don't you have an apartment?''

''Uhh, not any more. Sold it for some extra cash, just after Christmas. Figured I'd use it to get an apartment a bit closer to the frontlines.''

''Smart idea.'' - Jet could just sense the sarcasm in Asuna's tone. In fairness to him, how many people would've predicted the circumstances that would occur after he'd done it... Whilst she was doing that, Jet noticed Asuna looking as if the world had started spinning rapidly - ''Umm, can I ask a favour?'' - She asked, a tone of indignity evident.

''Of me?''

''Do you think they'd be okay to have another lodger... I'm kind of, well...'' - Asuna fidgeted, and Jet clocked exactly what she was trying to say.

''No Col?''

''I spent it on equipment upgrades, before we came down here, and well...''

''I'll ask her, I doubt she'll turn you away anyway.''

December 29th, 2022, 20:49pm - Floor 1, Town of Beginnings Orphanage

''Well, that's all of the little 'uns off to bed now.'' - Jet walked towards the kitchen, and made himself a cup of tea, a stroke of normality in a twisted mess of a world. Still, it wasn't like the last few days had been a failure, and the fifth floor had been cleared with no losses at the end of the day. Diavel had expressed interest in forming a new guild, one where it's members led by example, and fought for those who couldn't fight. All very noble, but the problem had been that both the ALS and DKB had... opinions on that matter. Whilst both Kibaou and Lind had been ecstatic at the thought of Diavel back on the frontlines at first, neither had been particularly happy with the suggestion that this new third guild, provisionally named the HOA, or Heroes of Aincrad, which felt a bit too ego jerking, if Jet had to be honest. If he was being honest with himself, he could entirely understand where both Kibaou and Lind were coming from - having your best members swiped away from you was a sure fire way to sow dissent amongst the ranks. Strea had shown more concern than usual over the political machinations, but as it turns out political machinations were unbelievably boring... so much so, that Jet had taken to messing about with the in-game music player to give himself something to do, whilst deliberations occurred. He found it quite funny to play ''The Room Where It Happens'' at the time... Asuna however, not so much. He supposed she wasn't a fan of Hamilton.

''You look exhausted Jet... and she doesn't look much better.'' - Currently, Asuna was spread out across the sofa, mumbling something to herself, as she tried to sleep. Honestly, he had to thank the girls for going out of their way to let them stop here whilst the talks were ongoing. Rain took up the seat next to him, as he sat down to drink his tea.

''Eh, you know how politics are. Give me a sword and shield any day.''

''About the other night...''

''Rain, can we talk about this elsewhere. I... need to get some stuff of my chest, and I'd rather she not know what happened.'' - Jet held his thumb to the sleeping Asuna, who just mumbled again, but probably not in response to Jet.

''We can use my room, it's fairly out of the way.'' - That sentence automatically made Jet feel uncomfortable. He knew Rain was only being nice, and that she wouldn't try anything, knowing about his and Koharu's recently established relationship. That did precisely nothing for his heart though, which was currently beating at an abnormally high rate per minute, as they walked towards her room. It was only about 50 feet away, but that felt longer than any battle Jet had ever taken part in...

''I'm not interjecting, right?''

''Nope, I only really get to talk to the kids, Sanya and Sasha, so... what's up?''

''What happened on Christmas Eve? I wasn't misreading that, was I?'' - Sometimes, he wondered if he was clueless, or just really prone to overthinking things. Both was the answer he often reached, and combining that with the potentially infinite myriad of other problems...

''I... yeah. I thought that maybe, if I got my feelings off my chest that, well, you've seen enough films to know what follows.''

''Yeah, sorry about that. I... god, I sound like a complete arsehole now, but...''

''I know. You fell for Koharu. It kind of made me sad to realise it, but it made me realise that life isn't a fairytale, and Prince Charming isn't gonna come waltzing through that door, and save us all. But, watching you two, it did make me realise something. Whenever you were around her, there was this, like a glint, in your eyes. I never saw it when we were alone... ''

''Sorry.''

''Huh? What have you got to be sorry for, I was the one who kissed you, I was the one with the unrequited crush, and I'm the one who just... invited... you back to... oh no.'' - The same realisation that Jet had minutes earlier finally struck Rain.

''Forgiven on that one, don't worry. No, I'm sorry I never noticed earlier. If I had, maybe I could've let you down a bit easier, and...''

''You're too sweet for your own good sometimes.''

''First time anyone's ever told me that.'' - The usual description was 'extreme doormat' instead.

''I mean it though. We offered you a place to stay, because you're my friend. You insisted on helping out around the orphanage. You find out that I have a crush on you, after you have a girlfriend, who already knew I liked you, by the way, and then worry about how I might feel about it. Skewed priorities, but sweet, nonetheless.''

''I just realised... I never got you a Christmas present.'' - Jet opened his inventory, and pulled out a short sword. - ''Here, take good care of it. It might be important...''

''Then why would I be the best person for it?''

''The text says that each of the three swords represents a value in Lyusulan culture and folklore. I think this represents you perfectly - it's called Charity.'' - Rain took a few swings of the blade, and to say it was an impressive weapon was an understatement. It easily outperformed her current Anneal Blade, without question.

''Spasibo, Jet. It's amazing... still though, perhaps we should get out of here, lest people get the wrong idea...''

''Yeah, definitely... I'm dreading what would happen if Asuna saw that.'' - And who should be waiting outside the door, with her ear to the lock...

December 31st, 2022 - 07:10am - Floor 1, Jet's room, Orphanage

The knight had never been quite so happy to be alone, even if it was only momentarily. Asuna, when she'd gotten an idea in her head, turned out to be absurdly stubborn, and continued to question him on what had actually gone on with Rain, despite being repeatedly told the truth- BANG, BANG, BANG...

If this was Asuna, Jet looked at the nearby window, considered defenestrating himself to escape her. He opened the door to reveal...

''Miss me?'' - His girlfriend. Well, that mat underneath his window had just been rendered utterly pointless.

''Always. Didn't help that I had to deal with Asuna for two days straight...''

''I don't get why you two constantly fight...''

''Opposites attract, similar people clash?''

''Nope, that's not it. Also, Strea's having a New Year's party, and we're invited.'' - Jet stood stock still, remembering the last NY party that Strea hosted, back home... he tried his best to get some of those images out of his head, and- hang on, why was his eye twitching, again? - ''Oh, she also said that you are coming, like it or not, and, I quote, 'I know you Jet, and that means make a damn effort for once.''

''I guess I can't argue with this one, can I?''

''We don't have to go if you don't want to?''

''Nah, I know her... she'll just hunt me down, if I don't. Still, I don't get what she means by make an effort... it's not like I have any proper formal clothes in here!''

''I suppose so, I mean, I have a dress in there, but that's it really. It's not like either of us had a reason to get formal attire, is it?''

''Nah, and she knew that... anyway, what did you do for the past two days?''

''Oh, Sachi and the Black Cats invited me to help them out with levelling for a bit. They're getting better, but I think a good teacher would serve them better. I said I'd ask if you'd give them some help on getting more proficient.''

''I'm probably the worst person to act as a teacher...''

''You were looking after the children in the orphanage the other night, weren't you?''

''Not the same thing though, really.''

''Give it a try, you never know, you could be a brilliant teacher...'' - Jet let out a mirthless laugh. No one in their right mind should look up to him, in his opinion. A bloody idiot, thrown into circumstances at the deep end, and just barely staying afloat. Not an ideal teacher, really...

Later that day - Town of Beginnings, Strea's Lodgings (formerly known as Klein's Apartment.)

''5! 4! 3! 2! 1! Happy New Year!'' - The year that had just gone, 2022, had been... well, there was no other way of putting it - it had been a mixed bag. On one hand, Michael/Jet had found love, discovered some important things about himself, and actually gotten some friends. On the other, all of that had taken becoming trapped in a video game to find, which, depending on who you asked, probably overshadowed the positives a little bit. Still, 2023... it'd be a year of change. Jet would become an adult, he'd continue to fight his way through the world of Aincrad, and he'd do all of it alongside his girlfriend...

For Koharu, the New Year signalled something to her. The start of the new her, her own person, not bound by her family's expectations of her, someone unafraid to speak up for fear of the consequences, and the her that she'd always wanted to be! Her father's words held no significance in Aincrad, and if he wanted to think of her as a failure? Well, let him. It wasn't like he could anything over her in here, not really.

''So, 2023...'' -

''You know something? I think this is going to be our best year...''

''You ever heard of jinxing something, Klein?''

''Yes, but I think it will be.'' - Klein looked over towards the members of his guild, and back towards the smaller group of new friends. Sometimes, traumatic events pulled people closer together, and that was one thing that definitely described Aincrad...

''Whatever it is, I can say one thing it won't be...''

''Go on?''

''It's not gonna be boring, that much I can tell you all.''

''Trapped in a death game, and things becoming boring is what bothers you?''

''It was this thing called a joke, Asuna... if you want to find one, try looking in a mirror sometimes.'' - The sound of air being drawn in filled the room... only to be broken by laughter - ''I'm kidding, but seriously, we're gonna be stuck in here a while, try not to be tense all the time. It helps.''

''Oh, by the way... I've got shomething to ring in the New Year!'' - A wave of dread came over both Jet and Klein simultaneously - ''Follow me outshide!''

As the group followed the slightly drunk Strea outside, they noticed a number of bottles set up in a formation, with rockets stuck in them, alongside a load of sand to make sure the bottles didn't tip over when their payload is fired off...

''That... doesn't look safe. At all.'' - Asuna, being the smartest person in the room, in her humble opinion, chose to stand as far back as was absolutely possible. Kirito, Koharu and Jet all decided on similar courses of action, given they all enjoyed not being very dead.

''Nott aat aall, it's perfectly shafe, shee?'' - The slurred speech didn't fill any of them with confidence, and Klein elected to be the person to launch the rockets. Probably for the best, and for everyone's continued existence.

''Fire in the hole!'' - Ten streaks launched upwards, and exploded in one of the most lacklustre displays anyone had ever seen.

''Not exactly London, really, is it?'' - If it was, then the words 'someone's back garden, in East London' would've been needed to complete that sentence.

''Nah... hang on!? You know what the London NYE celebrations were like?'' - Jet looked back towards Asuna in surprise. Considering her occasionally haughty attitude, it hadn't been all that much of a surprise that Asuna had travelled around a fair bit, but London on New Year's Eve? That wasn't cheap. At all.

''We went once. My family had business in London, so we spent Christmas and New Years there. It was certainly different...''

''London is. We only went to the fireworks once, and it was after Strea got her first on air gig. Dad wanted to go cheer her on, Mom told him not to be quite so daft, and we settled for just going and watching the fireworks instead.'' - The aforementioned girl was now 5 pints deep, and dancing on the sofa, pulling Klein with her, much to his chagrin. Jet just held back his laughter, as the samurai wannabe mouthed something to the group - 'HELP ME!' - if Jet's lip reading was any good.

''She really can drink, can't she?''

''Yeah... genetic trait, I think. She's banned from every pub on the Gloucester Road, where we're from. I think she holds that as a badge of honour, in all honesty.'' - Jet thought back to having to get on the night bus, just to go and pick his sister up from whichever hellhole she'd been kicked out of that time, and shuddered. The people you saw on the 75 at night, really did lend credence to the theory that people on public transport were either chavs, lunatics, both or about to stab you, and he'd done that frequently, aged 14. Sometimes he wondered how neither he nor- how he'd not been stabbed yet...

''That's both somewhat impressive, and absolutely horrifying.''

''Well, that's Strea for you.''

''Can I ask you something?''

''Depends.''

''You don't like me, do you?''

''Uhh... this is a trick question, isn't it?'' - Unlike anyone else, who Jet could be reasonably sure of their intentions when speaking, Asuna was hard to read. She often kept a neutral expression, which meant that avenue was out, and she always carried herself properly, so that didn't help either.

''No, I'm being serious. I constantly get the feeling that you have a problem with me, but no one can think why.''

''Fine, I don't have a problem with you, per se. It's just the whole attitude you occasionally snap into, it almost feels like you look down on us plebs. I know that I'm being unreasonable, and that I should just grow the hell up about it. But, despite that, it does show sometimes, like when you decided I was seemingly insignificant enough to leave me tied to a tree...''

''Oh. I suppose I can see where you're coming from. I never really looked at it that way, I guess.''

''I'll be honest, that fills me with confidence. It means your brain isn't as frazzled as mine.''

''An actual compliment for once? Wow, Strea was right, you are changing...''

''Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Asuna...''

''I'll try not to look down on you, as that's uncalled for, especially given we're all in the same situation here, and I'm sorry for the whole tree thing. I kind of realise how disproportionate that was now...''

''You know I'm not annoyed about tying me to a tree, right? It was just forgetting I was there that annoyed me...''

''Oh.'' - Asuna stifled a laugh - ''I'm glad, because it was kind of funny...''

''Yeah, it was. Felt like something my mates would've done, so...''

''Friends then?''

''Sure.'' - The odd friends raised a glass of something, and toasted to it - CRASH - as poor Klein got nearly thrown into the roof. Both Jet and Asuna winced at the now Klein shaped dent in the plaster. At that moment, Jet thanked any gods for safe zones...

January 1st, 2023 - 02:09am - Town of Beginnings, Jet's Apartment

Eventually, the party had ended, and everyone had returned to their abodes. It's there where we pick up our tale, as the couple are sat in Jet's bed, having gotten somewhat changed for the night.

''So... 2023, huh? Got to admit, it's not gone quite the way I expected this year to start, this time last year.''

''Can you imagine if someone actually had predicted it?''

Jet put on his best impression of someone else, and decided to properly chew the scenery. He may or may not have had some of the definitely-not-alcohol that Strea had also downed 9 pints of. - ''Imagine if they'd missed it too! 'All my life, I dreamt of this... and I missed it by being someone else!' Ahh, sucks to be them...'' - Koharu, who'd also had some of the booze, but nowhere near the same amount as the siblings (in other words, she was still able to walk in a straight line.) giggled at the very bad impression, and decided that her boyfriend represented the best pillow right now. ''Jet, I know now isn't the time we should do this, but...'' - Unfortunately for Jet, she wasn't suggesting what he maybe, slightly, perhaps was hoping she was suggesting, and the monkeys in his mind went back to their typewriters to produce their next magnum opus. ''I don't want to leave you, not now, not ever. I know it sounds clingy, but...''

''Thank god that was where you were going with that... I've got no idea how to disable the ethics code.'' - In one sentence, Jet had managed to ruin that moment incredibly thoroughly. Still, for the monkeys, that really was a magnum opus... just not of the kind he'd have liked.

Later that morning, Strea would ask why he had a very red face, and a conveniently Koharu's hand shaped mark in the centre of it. He lied, and claimed he'd done it to cure his hangover... which was in fact, a complete non-issue. The slightly pissed off Koharu, on the other hand? Let's just say, Jet was paying for food for the next eternity, and possibly beyond. Was that a small price to pay for his indiscretion? Not really. Did he deserve it? Almost definitely.

Elsewhere, that morning...

Day... however many of being stuck here. The purple haired girl looked back, and saw nothing but sand and water. If she expected to, she was sorely mistaken - she'd just took out all of the monsters there, and they didn't respawn quite that quickly. She thought back to the first few days of her existence here in Aincrad, and looked down in shame. All of the things she'd heard about beta testers, and here she was, embodying them all. She'd decided to save her own skin, and left her best friend behind - and she wasn't even sure she was still alive. She was strong, but... you could be the strongest person ever, and yet still fail in a situation like this. She glanced back, in front of her, and saw three people in black cloaks. The first was holding back, allowing his two subordinates to take the lead.

''So, who are you?'' - She asked, hesitantly.

''Oh, just people who know about you. How would you like to get a bit stronger, Mito, wasn't it?'' - Mito looked up, and saw their cursors. Orange. That was a blatant warning sign that she might be in trouble now. Outnumbered three to one, and these thugs didn't look low level either... she kept her hand in position to reach for her scythe, should she need it.

''Pass. I can tell your 'strength' - it's just what you call attacking the weak.'' - She readied herself for the fight that she'd have to win. Not for her sake, but for everyone else's... it was time she redeemed herself, even if it was only in her own eyes.

''Now that is just libellous. Say, boss, how about teaching this girl a lesson about respecting her elders?'' - She couldn't see their boss's entire face, but the grin he gave would haunt her nightmares for years to come...

January 3rd, 2023 - San Diego, USA

''Hm, yes, I do understand. It's rather a tricky one, you see. It's not like you could just click your fingers and have them disappear, really...'' - Tellerby rolled his eyes. Politicians, always taking the easy way out... unsurprisingly, one of them, a particularly notable one in his home country had knocked up a servant, and well, he was a family man, you see. The voice of an older, better time. Apparently. It'd never do for that to be associated with his image, the evangelical lot would lynch him for it, and given they were his main backers? Only a minor problem... - ''I have an idea actually, Jacob. I'll send my best man over forthwith! It's been good doing business with you.'' - Tellerby put the phone down, and sighed. Why couldn't clients handle their own messes? A pregnant woman was not really a problem that a PMC should be seen dealing with... not if they wanted to do business anywhere. - ''Urgh, what a weasel. Can you believe people actually voted for him? Mind you, if he won, what does that say about his opponents...''

''Not a great deal. You called for me?'' - A tall, blonde man entered the room, clad in a full designer suit. The man was quite clearly native to the area, and spoke with a slight accent, as well as a sneering tone of condescension.

''Indeed, thank you for being on time too. You are aware of the game Sword Art Online, correct?''

''I don't believe there is a person on the planet who isn't...'' - He sneered towards his boss.

''Good, then I can skip the formalities. GDS are in the process of 'assisting' a Japanese company who want to create an entrance into the game to recover people.''

''I won't say I understand the technology, but is that even possible?''

''Almost certainly not in the way they expect, but still. An incorrect pawn is still a pawn nonetheless, and the person in charge of the research & development division has expressed interest in our assistance.''

''And you believe he doesn't have his own motives?''

''Oh dear god, no. From what I understand, our possible friend is-'' - Tellerby looked up, thinking of a diplomatic way of describing their new asset - ''-not a pleasant person.''

''I can't say I understand this plan?''

''I have my reasons. The main one, however? This.'' - A file was handed to the man. A file in Japanese, and marked as TOP SECRET...

''How did you get this? Project Alicization, huh? Building a bottom up AI... ambitious, certainly.'' - Too ambitious. Especially considering the timeframes set out in the document...

''Yes, it is, and just think what an army of these AI's could do for our forces. Imagine a swarm of fighter drones with a human level AI, or a flotilla of ships...'' - And unsurprisingly, Tellerby had delusions of grandeur. They were a reasonably large company, certainly... but that sort of expense or expertise was so far beyond them, it felt more at home in a video game. The blonde asked himself why his father ever thought that the sociopathic Brit would be a better fit for the company than his own son...

''From what I understand, they've barely even got a plan for this. I can't see what benefit this would bring currently...''

''Currently, none. But in a few years...''

''I see.'' - He didn't. But it was generally considered unwise to go behind your boss's back, especially when your boss was generally responsible for the less savoury elements of clearing up many a politician's mess. - ''What do you want me to do?''

''At the moment, set up a meeting with our friends in Japan. Oh, and ask my secretary to send in my 1 o'clock, would you, Gabriel?'' - Gabriel nodded as he walked out of the room, and towards the desk.

''Mr Tellerby asked for his 1 o'clock.'' - He informed the secretary, and walked off down the corridor.

''Miss Arsharvin? Mr Tellerby is ready to see you now...'' - The secretary called, as a young girl fidgeted, nervous of what was to come. Unbeknownst to her, she had every right to be nervous, but not for the reasons she currently had...

(Author's Comments)

Well, that's the first five floors done, which means... 95 to go. For my own sanity, I won't cover every floor after the Elf War Quest is finished, probably sticking to the IF floors, and maybe some others which weren't explored in canon.

Chapter Text

Floor 6 - Chapter 1 - A Material Problem

January 1st, 2023 - Floor 6 Teleport Gate

Stepping off the teleport gate, Jet looked out over the new floor. Mists covered the land, as far as the eye could see, and Jet could almost picture a town around here having some name like 'Llanfinhangel'. Just looking around, the landscape felt suitably Welsh, anyway. Koharu broke the silence in the air, a silence that Jet had unintentionally created last night...

''We're actually here, huh. It actually feels like we're making progress now!''

''Still a looonggg way yet, Ko...''

''Yeah, you're right. I mean, everyone's said as much, right?''

''If there's that far to go, let's get going you two!'' - A familiar voice spoke to them through the mists. - ''There are new ingots on this floor, and I'm going to make the best sword I can!'' - A familiar red clad brunette popped out from the mists, and Koharu seemed happy to have someone else there, considering her current annoyance towards her boyfriend... the process

''Lisbeth!''

''Long time, no see you two! You both seem well. Still getting along?''

''Something like that, yeah.'' - Jet looked on, a guilty look in his eyes. Koharu had basically confessed her love for him... and he'd made a cheap joke to alleviate his own nerves, whilst basically ignoring hers. He kind of wished he'd just shut up at the time, it'd have done less damage. Without explicitly saying it, both of them had just told the blacksmith that something was wrong. Even without, Lisbeth could - well, she would say she could sense it - tell that something was amiss anyway, and decided to answer as best she could.

''Oh. Umm, huh.'' - That may have been the least helpful response ever, but still, it wasn't like Lisbeth knew anything about what was going on anyway, so unless she'd become psychic recently...

''We haven't seen you since the fourth floor! Still looking for forging materials?''

''Nope, not at the moment. I had a customer stop by, and she didn't like my weapons, so she asked for a specially made one.''

''Ahh, the joys of working in retail...'' - Jet fought the urge to insult every customer who he'd ever had to serve, and especially the ones who couldn't read...

''You said it - this customer is a little troublesome...''

''You want someone to go have a quiet word with them?'' - Koharu rolled her eyes, understanding the implication in Jet's words, and elbowing him in the side, eliciting a slight yelp from the knight, who decided to shut up now.

''Oh, no, no. She's really nice, really. Just, the type of person who tests my limits, that's all! She's quite a weapons fan, and she listened to me explain the process and the materials. It should be a fun job...'' - Lisbeth trailed off, as her sentence came to a close.

''But something's worrying you about it?''

''We were just together, but she took off to do some reconnaissance on something, and well... here I am. She hasn't come back yet, and I'm getting a bit worried. I don't really like sitting around, and I kind of thought about going after her.''

''So when you said you were worried about making a great sword...''

''I'd like to think she hasn't gone too far, but... she's a good person, but she's probably rushed on ahead. Gone somewhere mad, you know?''

''That's a little worrying, running headfirst into a new field like this. She might have run into a strong monster, or something out there...''

''Oh, I'm not worried about that. We're in a party together, and if she had, her HP would've gone down, right? Still, though... that information broker hasn't released a guide yet, so I don't know what's out there.''

''We're not really doing anything, so if you want help looking for her?''

''That'd be wonderful, thank you. Oh, and if we can gather any materials along the way, we could kill two birds with one stone. Don't worry, I'll pay you for your help...''

''Nah, it's fine.''

''Besides, we'd just gotten to this floor, so we'd be doing this sort of thing by now anyway. At least this time, we have a goal in sight, right Jet?''

''Huh-oh, yeah, goals and all that.'' - Jet commented, only barely listening.

''Brilliant! Well, here's the list of items I need, so if we can work towards them whilst we look for her, that'd be ace.''

''Umm, just a quick question Lisbeth?''

''Go ahead!''

''Who exactly are we looking for? A description would help a little...''

''Oh, she's a bit shorter than me, wields a one handed sword, red hairband on purple hair, and pointy ears, weirdly enough.''

''Pointy ears, purple hair and a one handed sword? Is her name Yuuki, by any chance?''

''Oh, you know her! That makes things easier. If you see her, could you tell her to meet me by the teleport gate? I'll look for her too, but I won't go far, so I won't miss her.''

''Will do. We'll meet back here in, say - 90 minutes?''

''That sounds fine, good luck!''

''You too.''

''Koharu, last night...''

''Don't mention it.'' - There was a sharp edge to those words, but Jet felt he had to get this off his chest, lest it distract him at the worst possible moment.

''I know, but- I'm a complete dick. I shouldn't have joked about that, it was a little too soon, and well, drunk me is an ass.''

''It wasn't the joke that bothered me. It just felt like you didn't feel the same way, and well, that hurt. I know I'm overthinking it, but...''

''Koharu, you want to know something? Every time I look at you, I can only think one thought. She's far too good for you... and before you try to convince me I'm wrong, I know. It's completely irrational, it's just my insecurities flaring up, but... that doesn't mean it isn't there. So, before my insecurities trip me up again - Koharu, I love you. I'm more than happy to spend the rest of my life with you, and I will fight - whether that's by your side, or from afar - just to make you as happy as you can be.''

''You practiced that little speech, didn't you?'' - She smirked at him, as she broke away from their kiss.

''Not as much as you'd expect. Only the past five minutes or so. I think it felt a bit too marriage vows-y for my comfort, anyway.''

Koharu held her tongue, and avoided telling him that maybe that wasn't such a bad thing, but settled on the next best thing instead - ''You mean all of that, right?''

''Of course I do. On my honour as the Knight of the Wind'' - Jet cringed at saying his unofficial nickname - ''and by god, I hate that nickname.''

''What was my nickname again?''

''I really don't remember... umm, that's bad, isn't it?''

''I'd rather not have one anyway, I like my own name!''

Returning back to the teleport gate, both Jet and Koharu were in considerably higher spirits than when they'd left, something evident by the pair laughing and joking with each other. If Lisbeth was honest, as happy as it made her to see people finding happiness in this world, she felt a little jealous. Those two had found something she hadn't, and likely wouldn't.

''Lisbeth! We have the materials you asked for!''

''Thank you! There's somebody here who's been waiting for them, and you...''

''Koharu! Jet! Long time, no see!'' - A purple blur darted over to them, and immediately noticed the couple's new weapons.

''Eeep! Yuuki, don't scare me like that, please!'' - Koharu had practically leapt into Jet's arms at that point, something that almost everyone but her found quite amusing. Yuuki took her chance, and she looked around both of the new blades, and after a few humming noises, spoke up - ''Oooh, new weapons?''

''Oh, yeah, we got them in the Elf War Quest last floor. Faith, and Hope.''

''Huh? Shouldn't there be a third? Charity?''

''Oh, someone we know is looking after Charity. In case we need it.''

''Awwwh, could've given it to me...'' - Yuuki gave him a look that would pierce the heart of anyone who saw it. Luckily, Yuuki acted a lot like one of his sisters, and Jet had long since become immune to the puppy dog eyes she was currently trying to give him. ''Seven sisters, Yuuki. Not gonna work.'' - Jet smirked back, trying not to laugh.

''Seven!?'' - Jet ignored the look of shock that Lisbeth gave him, and the group continued with the reunion.

''So, where have you been this whole time, Yuuki?''

''Well, after I defeated this monster during my reconnaissance, I got this rare-ish material. So I went and took out a load of them to get enough of it.'' - Yuuki answered, looking quite pleased with herself. Unlike Lisbeth, who was giving her the look of a disappointed parent...

''There is a limit to how much trouble one person can cause, you know!'' - Along with the speech patterns of a disappointed parent, as it turned out.

''No there isn't.'' - Jet and Yuuki both answered in stereo, though with considerably different tones. Yuuki sounded almost excited to test that theory, whilst Jet just sounded absolutely exhausted. - ''Jinx! Hah!'' - Jet rolled his eyes, but shut up regardless. - ''I'm sorry though. I kind of lost track of time... and you all came looking for me. I'm sorry about that!''

''I'm glad everyone's safe, and I got what I needed too. Now, I should be able to make something good...''

''I see. So, all of these were for you, Yuuki? What kind of sword are you making?''

''Something light, but tough and easy to use. The swords that the NPC stores sell just don't fit the bill properly. Lisbeth's swords felt closer to what I was looking for, but...''

''Don't complain about the parameters in front of me! I was fairly confident in the materials I bought on the fifth floor... that's why I retorted. I said if I got materials from the frontlines, you could get a better sword!''

''And that is why we're here! And since you guys helped us out, I'm sure this'll be a great sword!''

''I thought you wanted a one handed sword?'' - Jet had fought back the urge to make that quip... but the urge grew too great, and three sets of eyes narrowed on him as he did, two of which were attached to people genuinely embarrassed by how bad the joke was. The third was Yuuki, who was trying not to laugh at the lame duck of a joke...

''Ignoring Jet, that's a lot of pressure on me here...''

''You sure you can handle it?''

''I can. Equipment can mean life or death for it's user, so I really can't afford to mess up here. Besides, materials can sense fear. When I make a good weapon, I focus on my right hand, and go into a trance state, so I can't get distracted.''

''Does that change the chances of success? It kind of sounds like something Argo would start investigating right away.''

''Well then, best of luck.''

''Stop blabbering, I need to focus.''

''Okay'' - The group stood a distance back, both to avoid distracting the blacksmith, and being set on fire from the crucible she used. After about a minute, a blade started to take shape, and after two minutes, the blade was complete. ''It's done!'' - Lisbeth stood up, and handed Yuuki the blade, as she gleamed with pride. ''This is probably the best one I've made so far. Give it a test!''

Yuuki took the blade, giving it some practice swings, before twirling the blade in her hand, an apprehensive look on her face.

''Something up with it?''

''No! I think it's good, the weight's right, and the parameters are all good, definitely. This should be good for now!'' - Jet could just see what Lisbeth was going through. That feeling of having poured your heart into a piece of work... and it didn't turn out anywhere near as great as you'd hoped it would. It sucked, especially when the crud you then threw at a page randomly turned out better... he could sympathise with the blacksmith on that.

''For now?''

''It'll be good for a few floors, at least.''

''I think it would bother me more if you treated this as a stopgap, after all of our hard work!'' - Koharu looked towards the smithy with concern, and back to Jet, who decided to try to diffuse the tension.

''Lisbeth, I don't think she meant it that way. Besides, none of our weapons are gonna last us the whole game, right? I know for a fact that I probably won't still be using Hope all the way at the top, when we take down Kayaba...''

''Yeah, I understand that, I'm just... (sighs) mad at myself. On my honour though, I will make you a sword that you love! I won't leave you alone until I get you to say that I've made you what you wanted!'' - Yuuki's eyes lit up at that, as Jet noticed the passion that Lisbeth was willing to put into her work. Certainly put his attitude to art back home to shame, anyway...

''Really? Sweet! The balance at the centre of gravity feels a bit off, and I'd kind of prefer it to have an agility parameter...''

''See! You don't like it at all!'' - On the other hand, she might have been a little too passionate about it. Sometimes, it was a good idea to take a step back, and judge your own work with a critical eye. It didn't mean you were crap at it, it just meant you weren't as prone to the whole Dunning-Kruger effect... - ''I'm not gonna give up until it's impossible, but you're my customer. Tell me when you don't like it.''

''Okay... you have the spirit of a blacksmith, Lisbeth!'' - ''And the temper of an insulted artist.'' - Jet thought to himself.

''Of course I do! That's why I don't want to settle for less.''

''I see... thank you! I love you, Lisbeth!'' - Well, that certainly provoked a reaction, as all of the blood in Lisbeth's digital body rushed to her face, whilst she processed exactly what had been said. - ''Huh?! A-are you an idiot!? Don't say that so nonchalantly!''

''I just said the truth! I was so happy that I asked you, Lisbeth to make this.''

''(splutter) M-me too. Thanks. Well, I need to go and find out about what materials are here on this floor from the other blacksmiths... though if experience has taught me anything, it's that it'll be difficult for a one handed sword user, and a non-specialist macer. If you two wouldn't mind, could you stay and help us?''

''Yeah, we'll help. We need to do some reece on this floor anyway.''

''Brilliant! It's true that the best thing to ask for is a reliable friend...''

''Agreed. This whole mess would've been a lot harder if I didn't have Koharu with me...''

''Which mess?'' - It was somewhat telling that neither of them could actually figure out which situation they were referring to.

''All of them.'' - Jet laughed slightly, before a crashing wave of horror came down on him - ''Holy- we really need to stop throwing ourselves at problems.''

''Or maybe put a little forethought into them, anyway.''

''That too.''

''I'll be off, I'll message you when I'm on my way back.'' - With that, Lisbeth took off, leaving the trio standing around, wondering what to do next. Yuuki was first to suggest an idea - continuing where they'd left off, and level grinding...

The mobs on the sixth floor weren't all that difficult to deal with, really. A bit irritating at times, especially when they decided to spam circular attack patterns, but once you noticed the indicators of that... well, they weren't all that much of a threat. Eventually, having taken down what Jet assumed was a small army of them, they'd returned to the teleport gate to wait for Lisbeth, who came back with a massive grin on her face. A grin that Jet had recognised as one he'd be better off fleeing from, if he remembered it right.

''Well, they said they'd heard of a blacksmith making a really high quality item, using the materials on this floor, at least, in the beta anyway so...''

''Really high quality?''

''Yeah. I don't know if you guys know this, but when we make a weapon, the system attaches random parameters to it. So, even if you use the exact same tools to make ten blades...''

''There's a chance they'll all be completely different to use.''

''Bingo! But the higher the forging skill, the more consistent they'll be. Of course, there'll be random times where you make a weapon significantly better, and the game recognises them as High Quality Items. Kinda like every blacksmith's dream, but as I said...''

''You have no real way of knowing when you'll make one?''

''Supposedly, the higher the forging skill, the more likely it is, but that's just a rumour. Apparently, the best anyone's managed is one in every...'' - Lisbeth paused, thinking about it - ''hundred or thousand weapons. Maybe.''

''So, you want to make one, Lisbeth?''

''Can't really try to make one, but I'd love it if I could. Still, I'm more interested in the whole principle here anyway. According to the blacksmith, they focused on grinding on a type of mob that spawned inside a dungeon here, as it dropped a rare material. Eventually, they had a ton of it, and made weapon after weapon from it, until eventually...''

''Super item?''

''Yup! But it's not like the drop system is the same here as in the beta, and there could -well, will be- better materials elsewhere. Still, I think we should try it, if only for the rare drops!''

''Yeah, let's do it! Sounds kind of romantic, anyway!'' - Jet raised an eyebrow. Dungeon crawling was probably the exact opposite of romantic in his eyes, but who was he to deflate Yuuki's bubble?

''Anyway-'' - Ahem - '-where's the dungeon?'' - Jet looked over towards his partner, as he could've sworn he heard someone clearing their throat from her direction...

''I'm not really sure. All I've got is hearsay from other blacksmiths and friends...'' - Ahem! And again! Except this time, it didn't sound like any of them. Too quiet for one... - ''It'd be different if I could actually ask that beta tester... but, well, he died. Died back on the Fifth floor.''

''Sacrifices are unavoidable.'' - A small tuft of ginger hair became visible in Jet's periphery, but evidently not everyone else's...

''Bit harsh, Koharu?''

''I didn't say anything?''

''Anyway, that's the story. Not like we can raise the dead or anything, so our only option is to go looking.''

''Yeah, guess so. Were they alone because they were a beta tester, or?''

''No, apparently he was in a party of five.''

''All of them ex- beta testers, or just that guy?''

''Just him. Ran into a strong enemy he couldn't run from, or fight. Unfortunately, this particularly mob wasn't in the strategy guide... it is now.'' - Jet couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. Maybe if he, Koharu and Argo hadn't been completely pre-occupied with the whole treasure hunt, and then the ghost fiasco, maybe they'd have been able to do some more detailed reconnaissance, and maybe, some lives wouldn't have been lost... Apparently, Jet hadn't been subtle in his twang of guilt, as Koharu was now clutching his hand. ''He was a pretty famous blacksmith. I'd been in a party with him once, a really nice guy. Such a shame.''

''Did he ever reveal that he was a beta tester?''

''Yeah, amongst crafters, the beta testers are pretty popular. Why'd you ask?''

''Let's just say they aren't the most popular amongst the clearers.'' - Jet deliberately understated just how bad that situation actually was, and Koharu noticed that.

''I really do not understand people sometimes. Demonising those who have superior knowledge, it just shows how irrational they are.'' - The small tuft of hair became fully visible, along with the person it was attached to. The little girl they'd helped on the last floor - Mater, if Jet's memory served him correctly - had shown up once again, and Koharu looked quite happy that the little girl had escaped unscathed, if the smile on her face was anything to go by. Lisbeth and Yuuki, on the other hand, both looked completely confused by the girl's sudden appearance.

''O-kay... who's the girl?''

''We know her. Helped her out in a dungeon last week.''

''Mater! Oh, umm, we met her on the Fifth floor.''

''Hello. I'm Mater. Nice to meet you.''

''You can call me Yuuki! Nice to meet you too!''

''And I'm Lisbeth. Nice to meet you too... why are we talking about this again?''

''I'm here to tell you about dungeons. Because I know where you are talking about.''

''And you're telling us this for free? Because if you're after money, I'd like to negotiate...'' - Something told Jet that Lisbeth might've dealt with Argo before...

''I don't need money. I am here to see how this turns out.''

''Turns out? Like the drop rates?''

''There is an item that I am looking for. It should be in the dungeon, at least. As a result, I should check myself. The more I know, the better.'' - Koharu looked increasingly worried, as Mater carried on. It was a little worrying that someone quite so young would be so willing to throw themselves into situations like that, but if Jet was honest, he hadn't been much better as a child, throwing himself into situations that he would now consider far too dangerous for a child.

''When you say that... you mean by yourself, again, don't you?''

''I'll be fine.'' - Those were words that never meant what they said. Both Jet and Koharu glanced at each other with a sense of unease, and then looked back to Mater. ''If I'm careful, I can avoid the risks.''

''And how well did that go last time?'' - Mater looked slightly indignant at Jet's suggestion.

''You weren't listening to us, were you? The former beta tester died on the fifth floor, and he was in a party. Just one mistake can cost you your life, so you should be extremely prepared, and preferably in a party, if you go exploring...'' - If Lisbeth had looked like a disappointed parent towards Yuuki, she was positively fuming now. Luckily, Yuuki interrupted, offering her own ten pence on the subject -

''Just take us. We're going anyway, so we'll go with you if you want to explore the dungeon. We might get some materials, you might find your item... but just working together will at least help our chances, right?''

''That works for me. Plus, there's no guarantee of a rescue if you get surrounded by monsters again. Umm, Mater, what are you looking for?''

''I'm looking for a special ''treasure'' in a dungeon, in the 'wet' zone. At least, that's what an NPC told me. But I don't know what it is. It could be traps, it could be a monster guarding it... I'd just be happy if you guys found somewhere that matched that description.''

''A treasure hunt! I love those!'' - Jet reminded himself to mention about the fifth floor's gimmick to Yuuki, although he expected she already knew anyway.

''Well, we'll help out. I like treasure just as much as the next person. I don't mind giving you it, if we find it.''

''Then it's decided, Mater. We'll go with you.''

Mater didn't exactly pleased by that outcome, but after a few seconds, the young girl relented. An outcome probably helped by the 'angry parent' vibe that Lisbeth gave off earlier, and the 'doting older sister' vibe that Koharu always gave off. ''Okay, I'll join you guys.''

''Well, we should prepare beforehand. Meet back here in thirty?''

''See you in thirty.''

{Author's Comments}

So, the second half of the Elf War Quest is here, and a lot more talking than I'd like in this chapter. Can't be helped, I suppose.

Anyway, I realise just how long this story will actually be if I follow my notes (at one point, I expected to be up to Floor 50 by 100k words.  I'm on Floor 6 by it.  Call it a little bit of an understatement, perhaps...), so I may consider doing the final arc as it's own story. Considering that I expect a large amount of this to comply with at least Integral Factor after Floor 9, it shouldn't be too spoiler-y. If I do, it'll be it's own separate story, and will be updated less frequently than this, at least until Floor 9.

As for the earlier mentioned ''what if'' story... I've done some for it, but I really don't feel it'll stand on it's own merits. Anyone who wants to see what I've got, send me a PM, and you're more than welcome to read it.

Anyway, Midland2541, signing off

Chapter Text

Floor 6 - Chapter 2 - Dirty Dealings

Thirty minutes later...

The small group reformed, and began their final preparations for their dungeon crawl. Mostly just going over the guide, and taking a quick look at the enemies they should be expecting inside the dungeon, and forming a party, to ensure they could all keep an eye on each other, especially during the heat of battle. The more surprising thing was that Mater, the girl who'd been staunchly against help last time, seemed to be quite willing to accept help.

Mostly without thinking about it, Jet spoke - ''You're awfully agreeable today...''

''Our goals and methods coincide. I agreed after thinking about it.''

Lisbeth, evidently more perceptive than Jet, picked up on the girl's subtext - ''So, you do feel lonely then?''

''Yes, that explanation is acceptable.''

''You're well behaved, but you really aren't honest with yourself, are you?''

''Umm, Mater might be a little weird, and well, kind of unique, but she's not a bad person...'' - Jet reckoned that was one of the bigger understatements he'd ever heard, but said nothing.

''Come on! Solo players familiar with MMORPGs tend to be like this!'' - Yuuki evidently knew more about games than Jet did, before answering with his opinions - ''Not great at expressing themselves? Don't mean that in a bad way, by the way.'' - Jet threw a hand up, as if to hope he hadn't offended anyone.

''I'm not mad either, just threw me for a loop. Our party'll be fine, anyway. No issues, and we're done with prep?''

''Yup, onwards to the wetlands...'' - Jet visibly shuddered at the thought, but laughed at it anyway. He'd been to Wales before... ''it's not like it'll be that bad, right?''

The wetlands really had lived up to their name. It was a good job this didn't involve being stealthy, else they'd have all been screwed over! Squelching of boots, and the constant mud and sodden grass, made for an unpleasant surface underfoot, and the rain dripping off the trees above made it even worse. Needless to say, none of them were particularly enjoying themselves, least of all Koharu, who's boots didn't go that far up her legs, meaning mud was being kicked onto them. Jet thought about asking if she wanted a pair of trousers for her birthday, but thought better of it... mainly as he nearly went in the mud himself.

''Eurgh, if we spend any longer in this, I'll start to grow mold...''

Lisbeth seemed to dismiss the concerns of most of the party, and had decided that the materials were more important than their comfort - ''To a blacksmith, this is a mountain of treasure. Your storage will fill up grabbing everything.'' - Lisbeth punctuated that comment by smashing her mace down on some unsuspecting mob, sending it to whatever the equivalent of the afterlife was. Momentarily, Jet actually felt bad for the mob, before deciding that it would've taken them down if it had the chance, so killing it was probably fair.

''You're a lot more combat orientated than I expected, Lisbeth...'' - Jet spoke without thinking, as the brunette glanced at him. She thought about a practical demonstration of her mace, but thought slightly better of it.

''RrraGGHH!'' - Another mob met it's demise at Lisbeth's mace, and Jet quite quickly shut up, valuing his life a little more than before - ''I'll let my mace show you! I'm not a fighter though, so I'll do my best not to hold you all up.''

''I'll pick up the slack... come on, let's get exploring!'' - How Yuuki was still cheerful, despite the conditions, Jet would never know...

Almost two hours of fighting - and squelching - later, and the group still hadn't found the dungeon... just a load more angry mobs, and a rather unhappy looking Koharu, who looked as if she'd decided on an impromptu mud bath. Unsurprisingly, Jet kept his mouth shut on that one, other than promising her a nice long bath, once they'd found... umm, anything, actually. By this time, Yuuki had returned from her third attempt to find the entrance to the treasure room, and for the third time, she'd been unsuccessful.

''I still can't find the treasure room. It's got to be here somewhere, right?''

''I got some rare materials, so I already feel like I found treasure!'' - Jet looked back into his inventory, and found... nothing. Nought. Nil. - ''When!?''

''Today's a good day for drops. It's not unheard of to go weeks without anything good... I admit, it's a bit strange that we've done so well though.''

''I see, that's good then.''

''We should keep going whilst we're doing so well!'' - Jet and Koharu exchanged glances, wondering who the 'we' in that sentence was, because it sure as hell wasn't them. Their little non verbal communication trick was interrupted as Mater noticed something...

''Wait, there's something down there.''

''Huh, I don't see anything?'' - If Jet really focussed, he could just about hear some mumbling, but that really was it. Yuuki on the other hand, could seemingly tell that whoever it was, was currently holding a conversation - ''I think there's someone down there...''

''Maybe it's another party?''

''We should go down there... but be careful. We've got no idea how they'll react to us...'' - Being surprised in a dungeon sounded like a very bad situation to find yourself in, Jet thought.

''I agree. We can work out a bit more after we talk to them, right?''

''Then we'll be subtle. Stay quiet and see what they're doing, right Jet?''

''Agreed... but when did I become this party's leader, again?'' - Jet wondered if he'd missed an election or something...

The group approached as quietly as they could manage - surprisingly quiet, considering their group consisted of a blacksmith, and a knight in a breastplate. Jet, being the tallest, and able to see through the clearing with slightly less effort, noticed something that disturbed him - a Forest Elf Commander, similar to the one on the Fourth Floor, and an unidentified second person, although Jet vaguely recognised the armour that covered their back. Bronze in colour, and very war worn, Jet thought back, hastily trying to think who it could be.

''Hang back...'' - Jet whispered, as he attempted to blend in with a tree, and get a better view of their marks.

''Join forces? You'll probably just murder us in our sleep the moment our use to you expires. There is no elf in the land that doesn't know of the crimes you have committed to make the Sacred Tree your own!'' - The Fallen Elf seemed scandalised, almost certainly an act, if Jet recognised how NPCs in Aincrad acted when lying. ''That was a misunderstanding. My father was only trying to save this world, by solving a mystery regarding the Sacred Tree.''

(''Jet, doesn't that sound awfully familiar?'') - Koharu recognised the voice, but was struggling to place it. Jet suddenly had a chill run down his spine, and not from the undergrowth this time. That was the Fallen Elf Commander, the one that had seemingly died last floor...

''How insolent. Your only reward was losing the grace of the Sacred Tree.''

''Reward, you say? Well, I won't disagree. Even so, we may have lost our grace... but we have not lost our faith. As proof, in our ranks, we have none that desecrate the sacred taboos. No Fallen Ones. We wish to regain the grace of the Sacred Tree, and devote ourselves once again.''

''Silence vermin! The only reason your head is not currently rolling on the floor is most certainly not because I trust you. You are alive because you opened the Cathedral.''

''Hah, are all Kales'Oh officers quite so hot blooded? If you are... I can certainly understand why you are still at war.''

''You dare mock me!?''

''I would simply ask you to entertain a simple proposal. The Jade Key, the Lapis Key, the Black Key and the Agate Key, these are the four keys that are currently in the Dark Elves hands, and they allow them to hog the Cathedral, yet you seem to overlook this through sheer stupidity and pride.''

''Opening the Cathedral, returning to the surface, and regaining the Sacred Tree's grace...'' - A look of deep thought and concern flashed over the Forest Elf Commander's face. - ''I cannot believe that is all you want. However...''

''The Kales'Oh people desire to open the Cathedral, return to the surface, and regain the lost magics of old. It's just a temporary pact until those cursed Dark Elves are bought to a suitable end. It's much better than...''

''Fine! I agree. But... we will hold onto the keys. Try anything, and I promise you, you will not survive.''

''I understand. We shall hand over the item. The rest shall be delivered later. Please make good use of it.'' - The Forest Elf Commander took off, back into the undergrowth, whilst the group continued to hide...

(''I don't think he's friendly...'') - Jet fought the urge to make a quip, and looked for an easy out. A small room that jutted out oddly, probably large enough for the five of them, he hoped... or it was going to be a very unpleasant experience for all of them.

Unfortunately, said room hadn't turned out to be bigger on the inside, and in fact, made Jet's locker at school look massive by comparison, as the five of them squeezed into the tiny space. Something apparently fun for Yuuki, but absolutely painful for the other four... especially the six foot Jet, who know wished he was a short arse instead.

''You can come out now. I know you're there.''

(''Did she just find us?'') - Lisbeth asked, voice as hushed as she could manage.

''Hm, the Forest Elves fell for the trap.''

(''Apparently not.'') - Jet muttered, his spine being reformed by the shape of the cupboard.

(''Regardless, we should stay quiet...'') - Mater whispered, a sentiment everyone agreed with, as they continued eavesdropping.

''They believe they are superior, the fools... however, they are useful as pawns.''

(''Their tone's changed? Is that how they normally sound?'') - Koharu asked.

''Let's move forward, according to the plan.''

''I will not allow delays. Our dream is about to come true. We should hurt them a little before we reap the fruits of our long servitude.'' - Footsteps disappeared back into the forest, and the group left their cramped hiding spot...

''Wow, that was exciting!''

''I think I need to see a chiropractor now.''

''I wonder what that was... those two elves were making a deal, right? Can NPCs do that?''

''That Fallen Elf, the one in the Bronze armour, we saw them on the last floor's Elf Quest. They were supposedly killed, but...''

''I'm guessing that was the trigger for this floor's part. Any of our quest logs updated?''

''Oh! It says 'Get proof of the Forest Elves secret deal, and talk to the right person'. So, it's definitely the Elf Quest.''

''Proof of a secret deal though? And 'talk to the right person'?'' - Whilst the group continued to discuss that statement, they'd failed to notice Lisbeth wandering over to another small room, this time considerably bigger than the cupboard they'd been unlucky enough to have to hide in...

''Hey! Do you think that item the masked elf was on about might be in here?''

''Perhaps, shall we get it then?''

''Yeah, it's worth a shot. If this is part of the Elf Quest, then maybe we'll get some info on the floor boss...''

''Plus, we might be able to save Kizmel! Either way, I'll give it my best!''

''Isn't that dangerous?'' - ''And everything else we've been doing is perfectly safe, Liz?'' - Jet thought, but kept to himself... a mace is a fantastic deterrent to a big mouth as it turns out.

''That Kysala person seemed strong, but the Forest Elf... not so much. I think. Either way, we'll take care of them! You coming, Liz?''

''You're taking this quite lightly, Yuuki. Mater, what are you going to do?''

''I'll go with them. The treasure might be in there... and I'm interested.''

''Well, it's decided then. Let's do this!''

''Huh, you are coming then... I thought you'd just wait here...''

''You know that I am a craftsman, right? I prefer not to go into danger, but I'll do my best to help my clients!''

''Okay then, we'll take the lead, so be careful when you're following us, Lisbeth.''

The group entered the unlit room, and found nothing much of any note initially.

''Nobody's here, so let's use the opportunity to investigate.''

Lisbeth wandered over to a secluded corner of the room, and noticed something a little odd - ''I wonder what this box is? It looks a bit suspicious...'' - It didn't take a genius to know not to do what Lisbeth was currently doing - shaking the box. 'It's a good job that isn't a bomb, else you'd have killed us all...''

''Ah! Maybe don't do that, Liz!'' - BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! ''How obvious does a trap have to be?! Does it literally have to have 'HELLO, I'M A (BLEEP)ING TRAP!' on it!?'' - Jet moaned in his head, rolling his eyes as the alarm continued...

''You know, I think I'd have preferred a bomb, actually...'' - Jet sighed, as he readied his sword and shield.

''Eeep, what did I do?!''

''Alarm trap, heads up - we'll have mobs incoming...'' - A single figure came running - the Forest Elf Officer they'd spotted earlier, and to say he didn't look pleased was an understatement.

''You work for the Dark Elves?! You thieves!'' - Followed by quite a few more figures, now blocking the exit of the room. From the corner of his eye, Jet could see Lisbeth looking quite alarmed at that. Yuuki acted as the voice of calm amongst the group, and prepared her blade for the soon to begin fight...

''Hmm, we'll be fine. We can beat them! Jet, Koharu, can you take half, and I'll take the others?''

''Got it! Lisbeth, Mater, hug the wall if you can!'' - Jet got into his ready stance, and prepared his first attacks, whilst Koharu began her first attack runs. ''Let's go!''

A short fight later, and the Forest Elves had been dealt with, and the three fighters sheathed their weapons - ''Lisbeth, Mater, you guys doing alright?''

''Unscathed thanks to you guys... but that trap box... I'm such an idiot to even fall for that! I'm really sorry...''

''I'm so amazed that I'm speechless. Those with intellect can learn, and not repeat the same mistakes.'' - Unlike Jet, Lisbeth couldn't sense any sarcasm there, but even so, she wasn't about to be insulted by a child! - ''That's quite a way to talk to your elders!'' - And now, Lisbeth looked furious. Not for the first time, Yuuki ended up acting as peacekeeper...

''Come on guys, everyone's safe. Let's get out of here, before the Forest Elves return... but before that, treasure!'' - Yuuki pointed to Lisbeth, who looked blankly at them. ''Uhh, Liz? You might be sat on the treasure...''

''Huh? Oh!'' - Taking a slight note from her earlier mistake, Lisbeth opened the box gingerly... to reveal a small jute bag, rather than a screeching trap. Opening the bag revealed a number of copper coins, about 10 of them, all in all.

''Huh, they're rusted so they must be old. They're kinda like the fifth floor relics, those Karlul coins, only a bit bigger.''

''Hm, there's no treasure. Could the secret deal item be something else?''

''There isn't anything else though, unless the Forest Elves took it with them?''

''I think this is the treasure. The trap box was just a decoy to hide it, so I believe it is valuable.''

''These just might be, they're an item called 'Old Currency' and there's no further description. An unknown item, and conveniently, an item found inside a quest related dungeon, seems more than a little coincidental, right? Either way, I think we should get them checked out... and we should just get out.''

Another slog through the dungeon ensued, and upon reaching daylight again, Jet thanked any gods for the natural light, because whatever light was in that dungeon, it really did remind him too much of wasted mornings, waking up at 4am for the first bus of the day, and the boredom, sleepiness and mild irritation those days bought...

Koharu, on the other hand, was ecstatic to finally be out of the mud and sludge, and on semi-solid ground again. The group eventually reached the Teleport Gate, and began to divvy up the rewards from the dungeon - ''Knowing that the treasure is real is reward enough for me. I'll only take a few copper coins, the rest you can keep for yourselves. Thank you.''

''You don't need to give me some of them... we did this whilst searching for materials, so I don't have a reason to take them. Besides, I still owe you for helping us around here.''

''Does that mean we get a discount then?''

''Don't push your luck.'' - The smirk on both of their faces showed that neither were being particularly serious about their conversation. - ''But still, I feel bad not giving Mater any of the rewards.''

''You shouldn't. I gained additional knowledge today, so I will happily take that instead. Keep the rewards to yourselves.''

''I feel awful about this, it's like stealing candy from a baby...''

''I am neither a baby, nor is this candy, so I fail to see how it could be like that.'' - ''Huh, I wonder if she's thinking like Ell used to... which would mean-''

Koharu interrupted the brewing tensions, and Jet's train of thought, to act as a translator - ''Erm, Lisbeth? Mater has a very... Mater-like way of seeing things. I think she's trying to say it'll be more valuable to us, than it would be to her. Am I right, Mater?''

''Yes. I heard someone say we raise our effectiveness by helping each other. I believe that circle is the best way to maintain balance in this world.''

''You say some pretty complex things, Mater.''

''So, if I understand, you want to give the crafting market a boon, right?''

''Yes, you understand correctly.'' - Lisbeth made a sound of understanding, and a slight chuckle - ''Well, why didn't you say that then? Still, I hope your faith is well placed...''

''It is, I'm certain of it. Regardless, I'm going. Goodbye.'' - The young girl left, as the rest of the group processed what she'd just done.

''She was kind of strange, wasn't she? She's almost like me in a way...'' - Yuuki mumbled the last bit, making all but indecipherable to everyone except Lisbeth.

''I mean, except for the way she looks, the way she acts and the way she speaks, you could be twins!'' - Even Jet had spotted how Yuuki noticeably shifted at that comment, and seemed to go a little quieter afterwards. ''Yeah. It'd be great if we could be better friends next time though.''

''I hope so too, and I hope she'll be okay being that stubborn. She's the kind of person I always want to protect... but still! She gave us all of this as a gift! It's way too much! You two, take some of it... I set off the trap, and you guys had to clean up the mess. Sorry about that, by the way...''

''Thank you Lisbeth, we'll be sure to use it wisely!''

''Oh, and I might have an idea about this coin... I need some time to clean it up though, so could you come back a bit later?''

''Sure, we'll be back in a couple of hours...'' - And with that, the couple left for some downtime...

Koharu didn't exactly seem too happy... why, Jet couldn't imagine - after all, it wasn't like she was caked in mud, and covered in gunk from the dungeon run... oh wait, that's exactly what it was!

''You okay, Koharu?'' - Jet asked, watching Koharu give every mob within any distance a glare that even Medusa would've winced at...

''I'll be fine... just, this stuff is really unpleasant!''

''I know, and I stand by my promise, so we'll head into town, and you can get that bath...'' - Jet smiled, and not for the reason many of you are probably thinking.

Including his girlfriend. ''Anyone would think you just want to see me naked...'' - she teased, as Jet began spluttering and choking on air, earning a chuckle from her. ''Relax, I know it's not that. You're just being nice to your girlfriend, right?''

''Yeah, plus, you know... you are kind of caked in mud.''

''Charming, you look lovely too...''

''I didn't mean it like that!''

''You really are too easy to wind up sometimes...'' - ''Cheeky little minx'' - Jet thought to himself, remembering just how easy she was to tease too... and how he could easily get payback on her for it. ''I mean, what would happen if I tried to hug you right now?'' - Jet thought about just legging it, but decided that washing his coat was easier than repairing a relationship, and so, he allowed her to hug him...

Quite some time later...

He could see exactly why Koharu was unhappy... this stuff was bloody indestructible! He'd been scrubbing for nearly twenty minutes now, and nothing had come out! If you were to ask for his opinions on Kayaba right now, the resulting tirade would not be allowed by any film rating board, for depictions of extremely graphic violence, and incredibly graphic language...

''I'm done in the bath now...'' - Koharu stepped out, still draped in a towel, with skin glistening from the residual water, and slightly smirking as she struck a suggestive pose... a sight which would usually have caused Jet to stop doing... well, anything, whilst he tired to process that. Unfortunately for her, at the moment, that barely elicited a grunt from the irritated knight. Koharu looked towards him, with a sense of disappointment, as she re-equipped her clothes. ''You know there's soap for that... you don't need sandpaper for it.''

''Yeah, I was just polishing it...'' - Jet blatantly lied, the mud still clear as day on his armour, as the incredibly worn out cloth finally gave way.

''Sure... about earlier, when Mater and Lisbeth were talking, you looked like you'd seen someone like her before?''

''Huh?'' - Jet quit trying to 'polish his armour' with the torn rag, and turned to Koharu, who was now in her indoor clothes. - ''Oh, yeah. Reminds me a bit of my baby sis.''

''I'm assuming you don't mean Strea, then?''

''Not unless Strea became 10 years younger, no. My twin sisters, Ell and Beth, well, Ell always had a very mature way of seeing things. Lovely girl, wouldn't hurt a fly, but she got bullied a lot, and she basically became a recluse. A bit like I was, but she shut off from everyone except us. When I look at Mater now, I kind of see her in her, and I hope she doesn't get hurt for it... I know what people are like, and it's worse here than it ever was IRL.''

''She'll be fine, you know?''

''I can but hope.'' - Jet's tone became far more jovial - ''Anyway, what was with the little show, just...'' - Jet winked as he made that quip.

''You saw that!?'' - ''EEEPPP!''

''Yup.'' - Koharu blushed furiously as she realised how much she'd shown off, whilst Jet just laughed at her response. ''I mean, if you're into that sort of thing... I'll happily play along...''

''Umm, I just-well, umm...'' - Koharu struggled to come up with an explanation that didn't seem to make her look worse than she'd meant...

''Relax, I know you aren't like that. You just wanted to see my reaction, right...?'' - Jet chuckled. ''HEY! Don't use my own words against me!'' - Koharu's inner voice yelled, as she began twitching in annoyance.

''You're an ass.'' - She pouted, as Jet bit his lip, avoiding telling her how cute she looked like that.

''You aren't the first person to tell me that, nor will you be the last.'' - Jet realised that he probably shouldn't be bragging about something like that, but oh well.

''Well, for that... you owe me something.'' - Koharu had decided that her boyfriend deserved to pay for his teasing, and settled on physically paying for it...

''Does dinner and dessert sound good?'' - ''The best, yes.'' - Both her inner voice, and Koharu agreed to those terms. - ''Yes, yes it does. Also, message from Lisbeth, she says she's done, and to meet her in the town square.''

Ten minutes later, Floor 6, Stachion Town

Now back into their combat equipment, the couple came back out of their inn, and into the town square. Lisbeth hadn't failed to notice that Koharu was a hell of a lot happier now, and Jet was seemingly in high spirits too, albeit wearing slightly different gear than before... - ''So, Lisbeth, what did you find out?''

''Oh, there you are! Right, the Old Currency. I think we should try and get it appraised at the NPC shop, find out a little bit more about them, and maybe we could find a hint as to who the right person could be.''

''Does this mean you'll be helping us with the Elf Quest now then, Lisbeth?'' - Koharu asked.

''Yep! I'll be helping you out too, until the sword I ordered is ready!'' - Yuuki chirped, seeming quite happy at the outcome, especially knowing her sense of adventure.

''I would've been happy if the treasure was an amazing ingot... but sadly, the world isn't that kind.'' - Lisbeth deflated, before shaking off her annoyance - ''Well then, let's go to a shop!''

The group headed into a NPC blacksmith, and Jet remembered his dislike of forging from his last attempt. It was hot, humid and just generally an unpleasant place to be... and that was just the counter. He dreaded to think what the forge itself was like...

''Excuse me. Could you look at an item for us?''

''Welcome. An Item appraisal?'' - Lisbeth nodded - ''Understood.'' - A few seconds passed by, as the NPC smith looked over the Old Coins. The usual look of concentration was broken by a look of realisation, as the smith returned to them - ''Please wait here, I'm just going to get the owner.''

''Well, this is the first time that's ever happened. What's going on?''

''Maybe it's an event flag?'' - Yuuki looked excited at the thought of continuing the quest - ''Let's hear what the owner says anyway.''

''Thank you for waiting. These are commonly called Bronze Dwarf Coins, and were the currency of the ancient kingdom.''

''You mean the Brawny Ground Fairies? They're normally big, stout and they're good tanks.''

''Really? In normal RPGs, they're usually small and round old guys. Anyway, they're usually skilled arms makers in fantasy, so if they're really on this floor, I can't wait to meet them!'' - Lisbeth turned to the forge's owner, and continued that conversation - ''Sir, are there any dwarves around here?''

''Hmm, it's said that they once interacted with humans, but that's nothing more than a legend now. I don't think it's possible, not until foreign warriors unite the tower into one.'' - Once again, Lisbeth looked deflated at that statement.

''So there's no dwarves on this floor! Maybe there's some above!''

''Umm, pardon me, but... would you mind if I held onto the Bronze Dwarf Coins? I'll pay you nicely in Col. It's boorish, but beautifully made. You might not even get one Col if you took it elsewhere. However, I have some customers that like to collect old articles, such as these.'' - The group all glanced at each other, none willing to speak first - ''Well? I'll give you 100,000 Col for it all.'' - Jet's eyes went slightly wide - 100,000 Col was more than he and Koharu had, combined, and he suspected that Koharu, Lisbeth and Yuuki had all had similar thoughts about the value that the owner had attached. But that gave him a further question... even if these coins were antiques, why would they have that steep of a value attached to them?

Koharu spoke first, and asked for a moment - ''Umm, can you give us a minute? I'd just like to talk to everybody?'' - The group moved away from the counter, and went outside the shop. Koharu checked her quest log, and Jet did the same. - ''It says that the owner wants these coins, and to find out why, which means...''

''The collectors were just a lie! There's another reason, probably some plan involving elves...''

''We should probably ask him again, maybe we'll get something out of him.'' - The group headed back indoors, and Yuuki acted as the spokesperson for them all - ''So, sir. Is there a special reason you want these? We might sell them, depending on the situation...''

The owner looked around shiftily, and spoke oddly quietly - ''I... really can't talk about it. If you do sell them, please think of me.'' - Jet raised an eyebrow, as he tried to think through the circumstances - ''Let's see, shall we? A load of coins in a dungeon that was used for a secret meeting between reluctant allies. A mysterious item that we never saw, but was implied to be some form of weapon, and now, a store owner who seems to be acting as if getting those coins is the only meaning in life for him... could those coins be some form of embezzlement? The way that the Fallen get items, despite being disavowed by both sides?'' - Whilst Jet had been thinking about it, the NPC store owner had shut down, and the group were considering their next move...

''Evidently, he doesn't want anyone finding his partners. It's probably that masked elf, but we've got no choice really. We need to get the shopkeeper to talk...'' - Lisbeth trailed off as she thought of something, her eyes going slightly wider, and a grin taking over her face... - ''I've got it! He's a merchant, right?''

''Ohh... the Argo approach! Why didn't we think of it!?'' - Jet slapped his forehead in realisation, as Koharu gave him a funny look...

''Ermm, maybe? I was going to see we ask him for information, in exchange for providing him with those coins for free.''

''Definitely not the Argo approach.'' - Jet and Koharu commented in unison. ''Let's try it though.'' - Koharu stated, as the group headed back again. ''Excuse me sir? Could we talk to the owner again, please?''

''Understood.'' - The clerk disappeared to get the owner, leaving the group in the shop. After a few seconds, the owner returned to the counter - ''Oh, are you here to sell the coins?''

''We won't take money for them. What we do want, however, is for you to tell us about who you're trading with, in exchange for them.''

''What?''

''The bronze coins? Do elves want them?''

''Hmmm, well, it appears you know more about the situation than I thought. It's true that these coins are worth next to nothing. They're old copper coins, so humans don't want them, for the most part anyway. However, elves always pay handsomely for them.'' - He sighed yet again - ''There. I've told you everything I can without breaking the contract. I had wondered why one bag had gone missing, when it should've been delivered. I cannot defy them though, even when it seems unfair...'' - All of the group began fidgeting slightly, realising exactly what had happened. They'd grabbed the bag before it could be delivered, and so, the numbers failed to add up, and the store owner had received complaints from the elves over the lost coins. Yuuki looked a little deflated herself, realising that the coins really were practically valueless, and that keeping the coins would now be absolutely pointless. Seemingly, everyone came to the same conclusion, and the coins were handed over with no other words said. ''Thank you for your kindness. You may be foreign warriors, but may fortune shine brightly on your travels.''

''Thank you.'' - And with that, the group left the shop again, looking more than a little disappointed.

''Did that progress the quest?''

''Yeah... but it says 'Tell the right person about what the owner told you.'...''

''The right person means the person that needs to hear about this, right?''

''Okay, so to sum it up - those Bronze Dwarf Coins are worthless to humans, but really valuable to elves. Why would the elves want them?'

''They were originally mined by dwarves, so... maybe they want to melt them down to make ingots, to make stronger weapons?''

''Doubt it, Lisbeth. Copper's malleable, so you wouldn't make a weapon out of it, plus, you'd need a load of tin to make bronze, and- what?'' - Everyone else stared at Jet, as he looked blankly towards them.

''How do you know this?'' - Asked Koharu, who was looking at her boyfriend as if he'd grown an extra head...

''GCSE Chemistry? We had a question on the properties of copper, and it's uses within the home. I got a 9 on that paper.'' - Jet looked quite smug at that, not that the others understood why.

''Anyway, even if that wasn't the case, you'd only get a few swords out of it, at maximum.''

''It doesn't make sense. We should find an elf to talk to about this... err, but not that masked one. Not if we can help it, anyway. They gave me the creeps, like some evil commander...''

''We could talk to Kizmel? Maybe she's the right person!'' - Jet and Koharu both went to facepalm at their collective density. They had literally missed the obvious option, and danced around it many times...

''Yeah, but where is she? Usually, she's the first person we see at the start of an Elf Quest...''

''Maybe we should check the fort on the Fourth Floor. Maybe the commander there will know where Kizmel's gone...''

''Hmm, yes, I understand... only one tiny question though? Who's Kizmel? I've not done the Elf Quest, so I don't know this person...''

''We'll tell you on the way to the Border Lake. Come on!'' - With that, Yuuki bolted, like a horse from an open stable, leaving the other three in her dust tracks.

{Author's Comments}

Umm, I've not really got anything here. Yeah, this isn't going to be one of those insights into how I work, really.

Oh, slight note - ''a 9 on that paper'' is the GCSE equivalent to getting an A* in a paper. The grading system is a little strange now (especially to someone who did their GCSEs before that system came in.).

As always, leave a review, bookmarks and kudos, etc, always welcome, 

Signing out, Midland 2541

Chapter Text

Floor 6 - Chapter 3 - Smoke and Mirrors

A brief time later...

The group made their way back to the Fourth Floor, and the Border Lake where the couple had had their first date. Jet and Koharu had begun to explain the whole Elf War Quest to Lisbeth, and were currently on the situation on the Third Floor...

''You got dragged - unintentionally, of course - into a bath, where your partner, and a gorgeous elf were bathing.'' - Lisbeth's tone made it clear that she certainly didn't sound convinced of Jet's innocence in that case...

''Yes! And what's with the eyebrows! I didn't intend to do that, and Koharu will tell you, there was nothing romantic or sexy about that situation!''

''He's right... it was kind of hilarious though. Funny thing was, you looked like a really unhappy poodle when you got out. Would've thought it was Fluffy that looked like that, if I wasn't there.''

''I really wish I'd seen that.''

''I really wish it hadn't happened...''

''Guys, found it again!'' - Yuuki came back, having ran on ahead to look for the fortress, and the guards who defended it. The others broke into a quick sprint to the Dark Elf Guard who was there...

''Hello! We'd like to speak to the Commander, may we go on?''

''You are our allies, and we'd gladly allow you inside, but our commander isn't present currently.''

''Oh, uhh, where did he go?'' - Koharu asked.

''He should have a camp near the Tower on the Sixth Floor. He is on a mission, but I believe he would gladly meet with our allies. Apologies for the wasted journey, though.'' - The Guard bowed towards them, and the group thanked the guard as they headed off, back to the Sixth Floor...

''Well, the closest field to the Labyrinth is the Silent Wetlands, right? I think we should start there...''

''Agreed. We've got legs for a reason, I suppose. Let's make use of them, and head back up...'' - Lisbeth didn't sound too happy, but then switched to a more teasing tone - ''Besides, we can hear more about the two deviant's love story... I believe we'd got to the underwater-''

''THAT'S NOT IT AT ALL!'' - Both Jet and Koharu shouted over whatever Lisbeth was saying, as she and Yuuki fought back laughter...

''Sorry to eavesdrop, but shall we take you to the Sixth Floor? It would be our pleasure, especially after your otherwise wasted journey!''

''That'd be much appreciated, thanks.'' - The group were teleported back to the Teleport Gate on the Sixth Floor, and thanked their impromptu taxi service guard for his service, before heading back into the map itself...

Why did all of this floor have to be damp, dark and disgusting, Jet thought to himself, as they continued to squelch through the mud and slime, approaching the Labyrinth itself. An imposing stone structure, and almost certainly an unthinkable mass of stone and monsters, sure... but no elves.

''He said that the camp was at the Tower, near the Labyrinth.'' - Koharu sounded a little disheartened, whilst everyone else was just mildly annoyed.

''Maybe it's like the Fourth Floor, and the camp is hidden from our eyes? What does the Quest Log say?''

'' 'Search for signs of the Dark Elf Camp in the wetlands on the Sixth Floor.' Guess we've got no choice, but to use our own eyes for once.''

''Huh, signs... doubt they'd be so kind as to leave a giant monument saying such... Anyway, maybe we should look a little closer to the Labyrinth?''

After half an hour of slogging their way through a swamp, it was Jet that noticed the first clue, a small path cut through the branches and weeds, that looked recently made, given the still relatively fresh footprints. ''Bingo, a path...''

''Certainly worth checking out... though it could be a big monster nest, so get ready to run at any moment!'' - Jet rolled his eyes, but agreed with the sentiment. Always better to prepare, rather than wing it... ironic words coming from him, admittedly, but the point stood.

As the group headed down the path, the scenery began to change, and the floor became more solid, and less sludgy, much to everyone's relief...

Jet looked around, and recognised the subtle differences in the fauna around him - ''Well, we aren't in Kansas anymore...'' - Jet quipped quietly, no one catching it.

''Maybe it's a new map?''

''I see quite a few tents, and Dark Elf Warriors. I'd say we've found the camp!'' - Koharu spoke more loudly, and unintentionally caught the ire of one of the Dark Elf Warriors, who came over to see what the commotion was. ''Halt! Why do you humans come here!'' - Jet raised his hands above his head, before introducing them all - ''Easy there, I'm Jet, this is Koharu, that is Yuuki, and that's Lisbeth. We're on your side, we've just come to see Lady Kizmel and the Commander. We have news about the current situation...''

''Oh, my apologies! We're glad to welcome our allies here then! Please follow me...'' - The group followed the Warrior down through the camp, talking amongst themselves about what had just happened.

''That still worries me, every single time...''

''It's always like that? My heart was pounding...''

Yuuki took off ahead, as she searched the camp for the Commander, whilst Jet noticed something... just how much Lisbeth's eyes were wandering around the camp, and in particular at some of the Dark Elves...

''I didn't really get chance to look in the dungeon, but the elves here are stunning! I mean, I've seen the Elven Warriors stood in the fields before, but this is the first time I've seen one up close... It's why I thought Yuuki was an elf when I first met her, but it looks like the real elves have much longer ears. Though, has she ever told you where she got that avatar from? Every time I ask, she constantly evades the question. Same with this other purple haired girl, umm, Strea, I think... she's a weird one. Nice enough, but really weird. Kind of like you actually, Jet.''

''I can't think why...'' - Jet answered sarcastically, providing no real answer to that statement - ''But nah, she's never told us either.''

''Weird, maybe it was some kind of drop. I mean, I've seen people run themselves into the ground grinding for rare drops, and just neglecting everything else around them...''

Jet nudged Koharu, and muttered something - ''Remind you of anybody?''

''Jet... play nice.'' - Koharu knew exactly who he was talking about, and she was fairly certain that Asuna would stop him from grinding himself into the ground.

''Just saying...'' - Jet replied defensively.

''Guys! I've found the commander!'' - And with the return of the purple blur that was Yuuki, the group took off towards the commander.

A short explanation of the encounter in the dungeon, and the circumstances surrounding the Bronze Dwarf Coins, along with the exchange of them, later, and the Commander had been bought up to speed on the current situation. ''I see. So the Kales'Oh have joined forces with the Fallen. At a guess, I'd say the Floor Director probably forced them into it. It seems far too rash of a decision for the King to permit.'' - Jet resisted the urge to make a quip about politicians, and their dirty dealings, simply to avoid demoralising himself, if for no better reason.

''Both of you, uhh, Kales'Oh and Lyusula even, both treasure the Sacred Tree, right?''

''Sacred Trees, yes. When Aincrad was still part of the land below, the two trees were holy structures, that towered above anything else. It was a rule with zero tolerance that neither side were permitted to harm them, even in times of war.''

''But the Fallen Elves were different?''

''Exactly. The Fallen were once an element of both clans that believed they should possess the two trees. When it turned out they couldn't... they harmed the trees, and lost their grace.''

''So, they were once Dark Elves and Forest Elves?''

''Yes, they had joined forces to achieve their evil goal.''

''Huh, so Fallen comes from falling from grace, which explains why they're Fallen. They fell into darkness... It would've been great if they could've worked together to help people''

''Different groups working together for a common goal... it's kind of like the Forest Elves and the Fallen Elves now.''

''Only the elders, who lived during the Great Separation, might know what the Fallen would seek to do with the sacred tree's power...unfortunately, none have been seen in a very long time. It's entirely possible they may have passed away now. The last knight who was granted their attendance has also long since left the court.''

Lisbeth looked visibly confused at the seemingly off topic conversation, and interjected - ''Umm, what does this have to do with the current situation though?''

''You humans and your short lives... always jumping to conclusions far too soon.''

''Yup, but sometimes a shorter life is a blessing, not a curse. Imagine living centuries, and watching the world around you burn down, only to be rebuilt multiple times. Not hard to understand why you'd become disillusioned after so long, really.''

''An interesting view point to have, certainly. But I shall tell you why it is relevant, anyway. The Agate Key that was sealed on this floor is not currently in our possession.''

''Ah.''

''Did somebody steal it, or...''

''I'm afraid I cannot say at the moment. You should talk to Kizmel about it though, as she is in charge of the search party.''

''She is here then!'' - A familiar Dark Elf came into view, as Yuuki began fidgeting in place.

Lisbeth's face dropped at the Dark Elf in front of them. Koharu hadn't been incorrect in describing her as beautiful, at all... - ''I have just returned, Yuuki.''

''Long time no see, Kizmel! You doing well?''

''Of course. I'm elated to see you all, and hope you were safe on your travels.''

''Well, other than dealing with an oversized plant pot, and it's minions, we were.'' - Jet chronically understated just how much of a battle the fifth floor boss had been... a less charitable interpretation would've been that Jet was trying to show off in front of Kizmel, or make a joke. - ''Just one question though... who is the other girl, and why does she appear to be staring at me?'' - Kizmel asked, trying to get a response out of Lisbeth, who had basically locked up at this point.

''They're... the real deal.'' - Lisbeth mumbled to herself, much to the confusion of her compatriots.

''That's Lisbeth. She's a blacksmith, and umm, she'll explain why she's here when she's not gawping.''

''Huh, did you- oh! I'm the blacksmith Lisbeth, and I'm here with them, to forge a sword for Yuuki!''

''Whilst I won't vouch for her personality-'' - Jet ignored the indignant huffing - ''she's very good at being a blacksmith.''

''I'll almost let you off for that last insult. Almost...'' - Jet gulped, dreading exactly what she meant by that.

''Regardless... please call me Kizmel. A pleasure to meet you.''

''Nice to meet you too! Uhh, sorry for staring earlier... according to these three, you're an amazing warrior!''

''Very nice of you all to say, but the only reason I have improved at all is thanks to you all. I do admit though, it is an unexpected pleasure to see you again, what with all that is going on...''

''I assume you mean the Agate Key, right? The commander mentioned it, but that's really the sum of what we know, as it stands.''

''Yes. Once upon a time, Lyusala had a fortress on this floor. It's master, the Count, was the most trusted knight of her highness. When the Forest Elves stole the Jade Key, he sent a garrison to the Third Floor to help fight the potential invaders. However, that was were fate played it's part. The Forest Elves were attacked at night, when they were at their weakest... Unfortunately, the Count died in vain, during that battle, but before he left, he hid the Agate Key somewhere in this swamp. The surviving messenger made it back to the castle, but could not tell of the exact location. The only person who knew of the exact location was the count's son, who was sent to the castle... but never made it. We later discovered that the Forest Elves had ambushed him at the Spirit Tree Gate, and he lost his life in the ambush.''

''The Spirit Tree Gate? That's the one that the Elves use, right? He might've made it to the castle, if only he'd reached it... How tragic...''

''I saw him once during an audience. He was a young and very sharp boy. I've seen this happen too much since the fighting for the keys began. It's terrible... but yes, that is what has transpired. We have yet to find the Agate Key, and after the loss of the fortress, searching has become much harder, given the increased presence of the Forest Elves. Luckily for us though, the Count put a Concealment Charm on it, so that not even the Forest Elves can discover it's location... although I do suspect Jet will be walking into it again.'' - Jet winced at the joke, and slumped down into his shoulders, whilst Koharu burst out laughing at just how unexpected it was. Lisbeth and Yuuki just looked very confused, and wrote it off as an event they hadn't been told yet - ''However...''

''Kales'Oh and the Fallen have joined forces to steal the keys. It is safe to say that they have discovered a method of finding the keys that the Fallen have lost.''

''Even if we use our Detection spells, our magic is not strong enough to even get a reaction. So how...''

''Bronze Dwarf Coins! In the past, dwarves used Soul Copper in their metals.''

''Err, Soul Copper?''

''Ah, Soul Copper is a mineral brimming with earth magic. It can be found in veins deep under the surface, but it's a very fragile material. Even skilled elven blacksmiths struggled to refine it... But...''

''If we use metals imbued with earth magic, we could boost the magic found in elven blood?''

''The problem is that the Detection spell only works in a limited area. If you went in blindly, using Soul Copper, you'd soon run out.'' - Whilst the others were discussing, Koharu was thinking to herself - ''Mater mentioned something about a treasure in that dungeon we were all in... I wonder if the coins weren't the treasure, and maybe that's were the Agate Key could be?'' - It was worth a shot, she reckoned, and so, she spoke up...

''Erm, I've been thinking. Mater said she'd heard there was 'treasure' in that dungeon earlier, right? We found the Bronze Dwarf Coins in there, but those coins had only been there a few minutes, maybe even less, so that couldn't have been it... maybe that's where we need to be looking?''

''You mean the dungeon is the Agate Key's hiding place?'' - Suddenly, Lisbeth felt her blood run cold - ''Then... couldn't it already have been taken by that wicked Fallen Elf?''

''No, or at least, I doubt it had, anyway. I had just scouted the Forest Elf base before you arrived, and saw nothing out of the expected.''

''It takes time to smelt Soul Copper, and even more if you are getting it from old bronze coins. This is a gamble, but perhaps the Count's spell will react to Lyusula blood, even without Soul Copper. Kizmel, could you head into the Dark Wetlands, and search for the Agate Key? We'll head near the Kales'Oh base, and try to draw their attention from you.''

''As you wish, however I would like to ask those I trust most to accompany me. Jet, Koharu, would you come with me?''

''Was waiting for you to ask...''

''Yes, we'll help you Kizmel.''

''Me too! No leaving me behind!'' - Yuuki seemed just as happy to getting back to battle, as Jet was expecting by now...

''A hearting request Yuuki, but I'd like to ask you to stay with the Lord Commander.''

Yuuki visibly deflated, and wore a look that resembled a kicked puppy... ''Wha- Why?''

''I trust you, Yuuki. I want you to act as our messenger when the Forest Elves send their troops our way.''

''Yuuki, you're nimble and agile. You can deal with a little danger, and I'll follow your lead.''

''Then how can I say no? I'll come save you if you're in a bind!''

''Then it's settled. The search for the Agate Key in the Dark Wetlands is up to you, Kizmel.'' - The commander saluted the group, before he headed off.

''I feel we should get going. Jet, Koharu, shall we?''

''Off we go... oh, by the way, you two... be safe, will you?'' - Jet saluted towards them, as Yuuki saluted him back. Lisbeth just rolled her eyes, but was appreciative of the concern.

''Same to you.''

As the group wandered through the Wetlands - again - Jet could see that Koharu didn't look too happy, and probably not for the mud this time. ''Something on your mind?''

''No, just... do you think we're actually making a difference?''

''Err, I guess so, yeah. We're, what, six floors up now. I admit, that's not the fastest progress, but we're getting faster at it, I think. What's bought that up to you, anyway?''

''I didn't mean in terms of progress, not really anyway. I more meant in this quest. It doesn't feel like it, every battle just leads to a stalemate, and...''

''I can see why you'd think that. We're not even really supposed to be here, and yet... we've practically become legends in our rights to both sides, for better or worse. I think we've just got to roll with it - not every battle can be won by the same side, right?''

''I guess?''

''Just the way I see it, right - this quest, we aren't supposed to win every battle. We're not the protagonist in some Ace Combat game, and we can't turn the tide of battle, simply by being there. If I had to take a guess, Kayaba wanted to make a simulation of war - a realistic one, sadly, and in reality, two people don't change the tide of war, not right there anyway. It's disheartening, I know Ko, but we'll pull through it, eventually.''

''You sure you aren't a writer IRL?''

''Heh, nope. Just a teenager with a hero complex...'' - Jet smiled sadly.

''I don't think you are- the hero complex bit, I mean. You're my hero, anyway.'' - Had it not been for Kizmel being there - and that they were both supposed to be watching out for enemies - they'd almost certainly have started kissing there and then.

''One of these days, I'm gonna have a massive ego from all the compliments you give me...''

''Or you'll live up to it. I think it'll be the latter.''

''Sorry to interrupt the moment, you two, but have you noticed something about this place?''

''Other than the dank, depressing conditions, and the awful state under foot?''

''It's quiet, Jet. Far quieter than it was earlier... I mean, it'd be nice if it stayed that way until we found the Agate Key, but...'' - And with the tempting of fate complete, fate had decided it wanted to teach the group a lesson...

''Wait, there's someone there.'' - Jet, being the tallest member of the group by a head, poked his around the tree they'd taken shelter behind. Their mystery person wasn't an attacker, a player or a Forest Elf... but a townsperson, holding a small sack, and now running their way... the group held their breath, and the NPC passed them by, still watching his surroundings, albeit not very well, evidently.

Once they'd passed, and the group had regained their breath, Koharu was the first to notice something - ''That's the store owner, right? The one who was collecting the coins?''

''He was holding the money from the sale. So I'd reckon his business partner is further inside.''

''The only question is whether they're a Forest Elf or a Fallen Elf...''

''Either way, I doubt we will be able to avoid battle. Not that we should welcome it though. Let's brace ourselves, and continue.''

After quite a while, the trio had pushed even further into the dungeon than before, and reached a point that Jet reckoned was the deepest it went. The temperature around them had dropped off, and a foul smell was now permeating the air.

''There's more signs of enemy presence. Keep your weapons at the ready.''

''We should probably aim to get the drop on them.''

''Certainly a promising idea. But even better would be getting the Agate Key without running into any trouble...''

''I agree with Kizmel. We want to avoid battle. The Forest Elves are only being used by the Fallen Elves, after all.''

''Yes, but we should prioritise protecting the Sanctuary. We can't misjudge the situation. Although, it would be a great joy to reach a conclusion where those that died said deaths were repaid in some form...''

''Kizmel...'' - Koharu placed her hand on Kizmel's shoulder.

''In any case, completing our mission is work for the living. Let us try the Detection Spell here.'' - A bright light flashed in front of all of them, temporarily blinding Jet and Koharu. When their eyesight had returned moments later, they could see a small light illuminating the path ahead of them. It even seemed like Kizmel was somewhat surprised by the reaction, as she had gone wide eyed too.

''It seems the Agate Key is nearby, likely just ahead, but...'' - Kizmel looked ahead, and noticed a small figure in the distance - ''There are traces of another. Brace yourselves, both of you.''

The trio walked out from the trees to see a Forest Elf Officer stood in front of them, the same one they'd encountered earlier. ''Just when I've at last found the Agate Key... along comes some uninvited guests.''

''Nah, we're the bouncers. Here to kick you out.'' - Jet gave the most fake grin possible.

''Based off that attitude, I assume you were the ones who killed our soldiers. You have some nerve to continue this mindless resistance. The life force of the Kales'Oh Tree sleeps beyond the Sanctuary door. You are not free to abuse it!''

''The Sacred Tree's life force? What do you mean? I thought the Sanctuary seals off a great misfortune...''

''You don't know? Hm, you know nothing, I see. All the more reason I cannot forgive you. I've borrowed some power from some... unsavoury individuals to dispatch you. Your lives end here! FOR KALES'OH!''

The Officer lunged at them, sabre readied. Jet took the first hit, the sabre slamming against his shield *CLANG*, before he pushed the shield and sabre downwards, his Hope slashing the Officer in the chest armour, before he kicked the elf back. Kizmel and Koharu had readied themselves for the counterattack - the pair rushed in, Koharu taking chance of the stagger caused by Jet's defence, releasing a four hit combo on the Officer, which forced him back yet again. Kizmel took the chance, and thrust her sabre into the stomach of her adversary, ending the fight there and then.

''Your majesty... I'm sorry that I failed you.'' - The Forest Elf spluttered, as he fell face first to the floor, and disintegrated into pixels.

''We've recovered the Agate Key. We must tell the Commander at once.'' - Jet picked up the Agate Key, and the trio began to head back to the fields - ''One thing I don't understand though... the Sacred Tree's life force? What was that officer on about?''

''Maybe it was something the Fallen Elves told them?''

''Ah, yes. I hear the Fallen Elves are very good at deception. I'll be careful. Let us leave before any more soldiers arrive...'' - Jet glanced around the trees, and looked down at the floor, and leant over a shining object... - ''What is it, Jet? Oh, it looks like a left over piece of Soul Copper that was used for tracking the Agate Key. I suppose we should take it back with us, else it could be used for evil again.''

The trio headed back into the Wetlands, and thankfully, out of the stench of the dungeon...

''I've sent a messenger to inform the Commander of our success, however that could take a while. You two, can you stand by here. I expect the Commander will have a formal reward for you, but here, I prepared this. I'm giving it to you.''

''Thank you very much. Umm, Kizmel, are you alright?''

''Hm? Thanks to your aid, I wasn't so much as scratched. As I'd expect.''

''Er, that wasn't what I meant. Are you worried about something?''

''I wouldn't go that far. I'm just... (sighs) I'm sorry. I haven't yet put my thoughts in order. You must be tired too, and I know it's not the best place, but I think you should rest too.''

''Eh, it's fine, it's not that-'' - Jet glanced at his clock, which now read 02:19am -''oh.'' - As if to punctuate just how late it was, Koharu started yawning. Kizmel began to walk off, and Jet could hear her mumbling about something, but he couldn't tell what...

Half an hour later...

Koharu awoke from her nap, just as Jet had finished his drink of whatever he'd managed to make that passed for coffee - or an energy drink. ''Morning...'' - she joked. ''Never again will I complain about just having a bed...''

''Yeah, I forgot how much I took that for granted.''

Jet stood up, and looked around them. It was still dark, and it wasn't like the couple were in a safe zone, so being vigilant was a necessity for them. Luckily, the incoming figure was Kizmel, who'd returned from wherever she'd gone.

''I think Yuuki and the others are fine, but since the messenger hasn't returned, we cannot be sure of the situation. I will go and check on them...'' - Jet did another scan of his surroundings quickly, after hearing a small rustling sound.

''We've got compan-ah.'' - Jet felt a metal blade on the back of his neck, and almost immediately decided that standing stock still was the best course of action.

''There's no need to rush... the heroic Forest Elves have them confined, after all.''

''I'd recognise that voice anywhere, Kysala.''

''I don't believe we've been introduced...''

''I'm your conscience, it's been a while, hasn't it?'' - Jet retorted, still feeling the point on his skin... any move could soon be fatal, and yet, he was still feeling confident enough to crack insults at the Fallen Elf.

''Bold talk for someone with a sabre at their spine... how confident would you feel if you were shorter, hmm? Let's say, by perhaps... a head?''

''You'd have to reach it first...'' - Jet dove to the floor, rolling himself over, and retrieving Hope, before getting into a battle stance - ''That was a dirty trick. Next time, at least face your adversary head on...''

''Honour!? Coming from thieves like you! Still, as insufferable as you may be, your interference has proven more useful than I expected. As they say, knowing your enemy is half of the battle...''

''I would be honoured that you're looking for us... but honestly, I'd rather the Daily Mail than you. Might be less lying involved.''

''My whole plan worked. I used a human merchant to drag you out, and put on that little show with the Forest Elves... then I followed you, and waited till you were at your most vulnerable, so as to regain the key.''

''You really do like the sound of your own voice, don't you?''

''So, what will you do?''

''I really cannot have such a weak and foolish race trouble someone so important. I should nip this trouble in the bud now.''

''Worse people than you have tried...''

''I won't let you!'' - Kizmel lunged at Kysala, their blades clashing, before Kysala prevailed, Kizmel being swiftly thrown to the floor. - ''Quite a swordswoman, for a Dark Elf. It's a shame you weren't born as a Fallen Elf instead... or maybe, you'll surrender to us now? I'm sure we could then restore the great power sealed in the Sanctuary, and the magic of the Sacred Lyusala Tree...''

''Enough of your nonsense!''

''Yes, what a shame.'' - The tone that Kysala had was pretty obvious that wasn't the case - ''I can only kill you as an enemy.'' - A thrust from her sabre hit Kizmel, and forced her to the floor, a prime position for a killing blow...

''Koharu. Get Kizmel out of here, and leave this one to me.'' - Jet stepped forward, malice and anger becoming evident in his eyes. ''You. I don't like being played like a fiddle, and I certainly can't stand people who do that, much less those that then hurt my friends... so, let the Knight of the Wind show you what he's made of...''

''Only a fool would stand against me alone.'' - They taunted, as a sabre strike flew towards him.

''First correct thing you've said all day.'' - Jet opened his menu as he dodged a slash, and retrieved his impromptu dagger on a rope, a weapon he'd taken to naming as a chain scythe, and began spinning it around, the blade becoming wildly unstable and unpredictable in it's flight...

For every strike that Kysala successfully blocked, they failed to block another five, and the constant thousand cuts approach began to wear them down, whilst Jet kept himself in positions that they simply couldn't hit - ''Now who's the coward!'' - They screamed in anger, as yet another strike hit them in the shoulder.

''Still you, bitch.'' - Another slash hit Kysala, this time in the eyes, and rendering them blind. ''AAARRRGGHHH! My spell! It should've... YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!'' - They screamed, as they frantically tried to attack, only for a single thrust from Jet's Hope to impale the Fallen Elf through the throat, and take out their HP entirely. ''Knight to Checkmate.'' - Jet pulled Hope back, and the Fallen lived up to their name, as they hit the ground and disappeared with a purple glow...

In the heat of battle, Jet hadn't bothered to check his HP, relying purely on guesswork and adrenaline to keep him going, but right now... he checked, and a nasty surprise awaited him. His HP bar had gone red, and the adrenaline was beginning to wear off, the knight's legs feeling weak, as he fell to his knees panting. ''Is she...''

''Kizmel's fine, so am I.'' - Koharu gave Jet a health potion, and his health went back up into the yellow. Not ideal, but certainly better than where it had been. ''You idiot! You could've died, Jet!'' - Despite her anger, or possibly because of it, Koharu was holding him as tightly as she physically could. Jet daren't say anything else, knowing that a pissed off Koharu was a very dangerous Koharu. Even in a sleep deprived, adrenaline and rage fuelled state, he wasn't that stupid. - ''I know, I'm sorry.''

''That was certainly something. I can't say I've ever seen a weapon like that before...''

''Yeah, nor will you ever again. I think I understand why no one ever made one before... does as much damage to it's user as the person it hits.''

''Please leave the weapon crafting to people who know what they're doing...'' - And as if on cue, Lisbeth and Yuuki arrived, wondering what the hell had just happened - and more importantly, why Jet was covered in red gashes, and completely exhausted.

''Jet... are you okay?''

''Exhausted... could do with a sit down.'' - He coughed, as he fell face first onto the floor in exhaustion.

''Jet, Koharu. I'm sorry for all of this. You were both in danger, because I couldn't hold my own in a fight. I evidently still have a ways to go...''

''Kizmel, losing a fight doesn't make you weak... and if she was using a spell on us, then that put us at a handicap right from the start. I still don't understand how he actually won if that was the case though...''

''Sheer tenacity?'' - Yuuki chirped, almost in adoration...

''Lack of self preservation?'' - Lisbeth chastised, in annoyance at the knight's recklessness.

''Yes, well... I shall go on ahead to the campsite, and report to the commander. Can I ask, which of you has the Agate Key?''

''Jet does.'' - The knight opened his menu, albeit with massive effort, and for the second time today, froze in shock...

''It's... not there.''

{Author's Comments}

The dagger on a stick and chain makes it's second... and final appearance here, as Jet realises just how bad of a weapon it is. Regardless, writing fight scenes is still my weakest part, I think.

Again, very little to be said (now I've gotten the hang of scheduling myself with this, anyway), so as usual - Any reviews, follows, favourites etc are always appreciated

Anyway, signing off

Midland 2541

Chapter Text

Floor 6 - Boss - Pierce the Rogue Manticore

January 3rd, 2023 - 06:08am - Floor 6 Lyusulan Camp

To say that none of the group were happy was an understatement. Not only had Jet nearly killed himself, trying to fight Kysala on his own, but somehow, the damned Fallen Elf had stolen the key, and potentially survived... again. Luckily for them, the Commander had been far more forgiving than Jet had expected... which is to say that his head was still attached to his body, and not rolling through the mud. Unsurprisingly, he hadn't been particularly happy about it, but he had recognised that Jet had been in no position to even notice the loss of the Agate Key, let alone do anything about it, especially during the heat of battle. This hadn't stopped Jet's annoyance at himself though, and his claims that he should've recognised that getting up close to Kysala, who was known for using trickery in combat, had been a stupid idea. It had taken Kizmel literally slapping some sense into him, to discourage him from that line of thinking...

''Now we know that they have the Agate Key, that means we can be fairly certain where they will try next - the key that is sealed on the Seventh Floor. However, human swordsmen and women, don't be so discouraged. As far as outcomes go, this is far from the worst. The Fallen Elf Kysala is either dead, or sent away with their tail between their legs, whilst all of you survived. We also still maintain possession of thee other keys too.'' - Jet nodded, admitting that the ranting and raving earlier had been more than a little childish, but not accepting that would've looked pathetic. He didn't accept the commander's statement that they'd done better than could've been expected, given the circumstances.

As if to break his train of thought, Lisbeth spoke up with a suggestion - ''Umm, I know we've been fighting, but couldn't we work with the Forest Elves? We do have a mutual enemy...''

''Erm... that's-it's kind of complicated...'' - Koharu attempted to explain, but was interrupted by Kizmel. ''The problem is that the Forest Elves desire to unseal the Sanctuary, whilst we would rather it be sealed. Both the Fallen and Forest Elves desire it unsealed, so it is easier for them to work together, I suppose.''

''That's why the enemy is insidious.''

''The Fallen Elves are still trying to pit us against each other, but I feel that it cannot just be a grudge about being banished to the frigid, closed off north in ancient times.''

''Yes, we impede their monopoly on the Sanctuary. They must want us to exhaust ourselves, battling one another into mutual destruction. In that case, no matter who tries for them - the keys will be theirs...''

''We cannot delay this any further, Commander. I will report to Her Majesty to solidify the Sanctuary's defence.''

''The Queen... on the Ninth Floor castle.''

''Three floors up... we can't go with her, can we?''

''Kizmel. The defence of the Sanctuary is the duty of royalty. We are not to interfere.''

''But!-''

''A sage resides in the forest on the Seventh Floor. You should seek his advice. It may clear up your doubts.''

''You've... noticed?''

''You are not so weak as to be mislead by the Fallen. But they have made you more aware of your existing suspicions. Am I right?''

''Correct. About what is sealed in the Sanctuary... is true loyalty protecting without knowing?'' - Jet kept quiet. His opinions were that 'true loyalty' wasn't a thing to aspire to - to him, the only person someone should be truly loyal to, was themselves. True loyalty meant standing by someone, and to someone else, that would mean regardless of actions, no matter how heinous they were, and no matter how much damage it caused to anyone... he suspected that opinion might get his head lopped off if he expressed it.

''I cannot answer that. But I believe that the sage can guide you through your doubt. You ought to go.''

''A sage? The elder they said has lived since the Great Separation...'' - Questioned Koharu.

''Nay. He was once an Imperial Guard, but he resigned. I believe you should all visit, as I can see you haven't all grasped the truth, and are wracked with doubts.'' - Jet hadn't failed to notice the look that the Commander gave him in particular.

''Well then, this is where we part ways for a brief time. I wish for the Sacred Tree's protection on your way. All of you, be safe please.''

''We'll do our best!''

''Until we meet again!'' - Kizmel departed, as the group looked towards the ground, leaving a sorrowful atmosphere as she left.

''Now then, I suppose I must reward you.''

''Even though the key was taken?''

''Recovering and protecting the keys are the duties of us knights. You helped the young knight, despite being human. Keeping conflict with the Kales'Oh is also commendable. A fitting reward... you should take this. It is too good for us.''

''Is that the Elf Quest done here? That was rough...'' - Lisbeth shared Jet's attitude for this one, though admittedly, she hadn't been put through quite the same ringer he had. He looked as if he was barely keeping himself awake at this point, with the bags under his eyes, and the almost silent treatment he was giving everyone.

''Was it? I had a blast!'' - Yuuki, on the other hand...

''You would. So, what was the reward?''

''Umm, Col, items, and oooh, an ingot of Soul Copper!''

''The thing refined from the coins with all the backstory? Well, it's not your average copper anyway... wonder if you could use it to make something fantastic? Maybe turn it back into bronze, could make a decent blade from that...''

''I think that you should have it, Lisbeth.''

''Huh? Why me?''

''You're the only blacksmith out of all of us, and you did help us, after all. You could make Yuuki a sword out of this, right?''

''Would you mind?'' - Yuuki was now bouncing up and down on her heels fast enough that Jet could swear he saw an afterimage at times...

''Not at all! We came here promising we'd get you all the materials to make a sword, Yuuki!''

''And you did save our skins once or twice.''

''If you're all okay with it... then yes! Leave it to me! I'll put my whole heart into it!'' - Lisbeth began setting up her forge, whilst Jet and Koharu took a seat, and Yuuki stood on, watching over the blacksmith. Whilst Jet would be the first to admit, he was still processing the night's events, he had to admit that the spectacle of watching a sword being produced was a welcome distraction...albeit, he was feeling his eyes start to go heavy.

Lisbeth put the ingot down onto the forge, and began psyching herself up - ''Forget all my idle thoughts... Here goes!'' - The first impact struck true - ''My spirit, my hammer!'' - More strikes rang down on the metal, and it began to shape into something resembling a sword

''It's such a great sound! I feel like singing!''

''You look great, Lisbeth! Serious, but happy...'' - Another few strikes, and a sword emerged from under the smith's hammer. Lisbeth handed the sword over to Yuuki, who was currently grinning as if she'd won the lottery...

''How about it, Yuuki? Try it out!''

''Heh, Jet...'' - At that precise moment, Jet felt a sense of self preservation develop in a previous unfilled part of his mind. Evidently, they'd found another monkey to fill that particular typewriter... ''I'll go easy on you! Ready your weapon!''

''Let's see what you've got...'' - Yuuki swung, and the blade collided with Hope, in a motion that Jet could just imagine Lisbeth wincing at, but that Yuuki found quite impressive. The sparks between the blades hadn't done much to dissuade her on that one, either...

''This is... erm...'' - For the briefest moment, Jet could swear he saw Lisbeth's soul leave her body... - ''AMAZING! It's such a good blade! Light, strong, and feels right at home in my hand... I think I'm in love!''

''Could've sworn I saw that one on Channel 5 once...'' - Jet quipped, as Yuuki raced forward, and tackled Lisbeth into a hug... whilst still holding her new sword.

''Nyagh! Yeesh... HEY! Don't hug me whilst you're holding that thing!'' - Both Jet and Koharu fought back laughing fits at the scene, whilst Yuuki realised her mistake - ''Heh, sorry! I got too excited!'' - Yuuki sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck as she apologised.

''Geez... I should say thanks too. You gave me the confidence to keep being a blacksmith. But it might be a little hard to live, doing what you love, in a world like this one... so if I can help out, and make people happy, I can be proud of myself... and I owe you two too. You guys keep the rest of the reward! Go take down the floor boss!''

''Oh yeah, you guys are going to the Labyrinth, right?''

''Yeah, you're more than welcome to join, Yuuki?''

''Mm, I'm not that ready yet. I'm only halfway there.''

''That does remind me though... the Commander never mentioned what we're up against, so we have to figure it out on our own...'' - Jet groaned at the prospect. ''You two. It feels weird to say it again, but... win. You two are my best potential clients, so you need to move up. Really... I can't have you dying.''

''I'll go exploring when the Seventh Floor unlocks! With this sword by my side! So we'll definitely meet again!''

''Yeah! For sure!''

As the couple found their way to the labyrinth, two absences were extremely obvious. The guild leaders were both completely absent. That in itself was bizarre, but the fact that none of the guild members, of either the ALS or DKB, were arguing... for once. A small group had formed, and at the centre, perhaps unsurprisingly, were Kirito and Asuna...

''I'm guessing your lot haven't heard from Kibaou then...''

''Nope, and it's weird for Lind to go off like this, everyone's shook up a little.''

Both Jet and Koharu glanced at each other, with a sense of unease. That wasn't good news, if both Kibaou and Lind were AWOL...

''Ah! Just the people we could do with!'' - Uh oh.

''Errr... mind explaining what's going on first?''

''Lately, you all keep snatching the boss kills from us. Well, you and that purple chick, anyway.'' - Strea. No more explanation needed. - ''There was an argument between both of 'em, and it just because a slinging match of insults.''

'Both of 'em went AWOL at the same point, and we think they decided to settle it like men-'' - Or idiots. More likely to be the latter. - ''-and so, they decided to beat the boss before the Beater- sorry, Kirito- and took a small group of the best of each guild to beat the boss.'' - Jet rolled his eyes.

''They even hid the strategy meeting from us... despite the fact that we don't care who beats the boss.'' - Kirito seemed to bristle at that last statement, and Jet- for once - decided to be quiet on that matter... - ''But it didn't go well, apparently.''

''What a surprise.'' - Again, eyes were rolling. ''And here I thought they were the SAS of Aincrad...'' - Koharu shot Jet a glare to tell him to knock it off.

''The raid left for the boss floor hours ago. It seems everyone's alive at least, but we can't get in touch with them. We were just talking about making a search party to go and help them.''

''You guys don't stand a chance against the boss. You'll only end up wiped out yourselves... so leave it to us.''

''Us too!''

''Of course, that's why we called you over.'' - They had just wandered over, so that wasn't strictly true, but Jet understood the point she was trying to make. - ''Our enemy is a boss that the best of all three guilds are struggling with, so we need all the reliable allies we can get.''

''Yep, we're counting on you.''

''No pressure then...''

''Hi, umm, I know I'm asking a little bit too much here, but... everyone, please help Kibaou. Please.''

''You don't have to ask. We'll help them when we defeat the boss. That's all. Well then, we should be off...''

Asuna sighed at her partner, before turning to the present couple - ''And yet again, he's talking like that! Is it really that embarrassing to just be honest and say 'yes, I'll help you'?''

''Some people don't want to look weak. Masculinity and all that...''

''You two...'' - Koharu interjected, and pointed at Kirito, who was now easily 150 metres ahead of them, and gaining distance rapidly...

''We'd better catch up, else he'll go in on his own too... I'll chase after him! Be safe, you two!''

''Guess we should get going too...''

''Can't let them hog the glory, right?''

''Don't start with that...'' - Jet gave a soft laugh, as they both started sprinting after the pair...

25 minutes later, around 08:38am - Floor 6 Labyrinth

Koharu was keeping her eyes on Jet, even more closely than usual. Last night had clearly been rough on the knight, especially with how vicious his attacks had been on Kysala. Koharu almost felt some sympathy for them, until she remembered all the evil things the Fallen had done, and that they in particular had planned, at which point that sympathy disappeared entirely. Even so, she'd had moments of rest in the past day or so... Jet hadn't. He'd been awake since New Year's Day, when they arrived on the Sixth Floor... almost 48 hours ago now. Even if, as Asuna had told her, sleep deprivation couldn't kill you in itself... the consequences of your decisions in that state easily could. If it were for how much was on the line now, she'd have told Asuna and Kirito outright that they were in no real state for a major fight...

''You okay, Ko?''

''Huh? Oh, yeah, just thinking.''

''Anything I can help with?''

''Nope. It'll go away once we're done here, just a bit of a nagging doubt, that's all.''

''Alright, we're all here now.''

''Let's get in there and rescue the raid group...''

''Umm, Asuna? What exactly are we facing?'' - Jet could see Asuna trying not to slap her own face in annoyance, as she realised that her partner had completely forgot to brief the couple on the upcoming fight.

''I didn't say? Oh, no. Must've been in more of a rush than I thought... During the beta, it was this huge tiger like monster.''

''That could easily have changed though.''

''The info we got from the boss quest described it as 'a red fleshed, man eating monster, with claws to end all life'... Well, the info we got from Argo said that, anyway. But all we know for sure is-'' - It's called the Stig, Jet fought desperately not to say - ''-it's got the nature of a fierce animal. Maybe if we'd had chance to progress further on the other quests, we could've gotten some more useful info.''

''But we don't have time to find out, do we?''

''Nope, the boss should be behind this door, since that's where the raid group is pinned down. No time for rehearsals... you ready?''

''As I'll ever be.'' - Koharu mumbled, unsheathing her Faith.

''Doesn't matter either way... Thunderbirds are GO!'' - Jet shouted, in what might possibly have been the strangest war cry ever recorded, as the group opened the door, and raced into the boss room...

''Huh. They are still alive...'' - Jet muttered aloud, earning him a slight scowl from Koharu.

''Goth boy an' friends! We're doin' great, unfortunately for ya's!''

''Errmm, weren't you literally just screaming that 'we're doomed!'?'' - Questioned an unseen member of the ALS.

''Absolutely not! I was saying that ya's are doomed if ya'll retreat now...'' - ''If you say so'', went very much unsaid...

''Yeah, he seems normal.'' - Asuna had a way with words sometimes. Usually a way of completely destroying a man's ego in one sentence... as she'd just done to Kibaou. - ''What's the situation?''

''The boss is as you see...'' - And naturally, Lind's pomp still hadn't disappeared during a fight.

''A tiger... with red fur, and... is that a human face?!'' - Koharu looked halfway between shocked, and disgusted at the genetic monstrosity stood in front of them. Jet joined in with her on that one, his face scrunching up just looking at the creature... ''Eww, someone really hit that thing with the ugly stick, didn't they!?''

''It says it's Pierce the Rogue Manticore. A man eating monster with the body of a tiger, tail of a scorpion and the face of a human. The big tiger in the beta used claws and fangs. Its leaping attacks blew away players like they were dead leaves, but...''

''I dunno if that damn face makes it smarter or what, but it's a vicious beast! Damn thing jumps all over the place, and uses the small fry for shields... we can't get it ta take much damage!''

''I hate to say it, but even with those guys hitting it... we're pretty much at a stalemate. If we could get an opening...''

''Asuna, Kirito, Jet, could the four of us handle the mobs? If they're forming a shield for it, then...''

''Umm, yeah... oh. Koharu, I could kiss you right now!'' - Asuna could see her friend grinning like a Cheshire cat at the thought... honestly, she wasn't sure which unnerved her more - the... thing they were fighting, or Koharu...

''Maybe save the PDAs till we get outta here!'' - For once, Kibaou spoke up as the voice of reason. It was one of those days.

''Kibaou, Lind, get everyone to strike it, whilst we hold off the mobs. You won't have all that long though, so hurry up!''

''Gotcha, we'll ground it and surround it!'' - The two guilds charged in, whilst the small group prepared to face the music themselves...

The mobs that the Rogue Manticore spawned were no laughing matter... but they certainly weren't to the same level as the boss. If they kept alert, and watched their surroundings, the fight against them wasn't as fierce a challenge as any of them had expected. Still, it wasn't like this was exactly the situation that any of them wanted - a little more chance to plan would've helped no end, really. All things considered though, the ALS/DKB force was doing it's job pretty damn well, making sure the boss didn't meddle with them, whilst they kept the mobs off the others.

''Kirito!'' - CLANG! A pincer slammed off Jet's shield, as Jet took a lesson from the Roman Legions, and slammed Hope into the nearest soft spot of the mob that he could find, whilst his unplanned partner readied up a Sword Skill.

''On it!''

The furball between the group and the mobs was beginning to remind Jet of his days in the Honey Badgers - especially the damn furballs, and ending up with someone else's wingman halfway through an evasive manoeuvre to keep alive. For a brief moment, he began to smile, before a mob attempted to rush him, and received a lesson in why he was one of the highest levelled players in this world, turning the Sickle into nothing more than pixels...

''We're finally gettin' somewhere!'' - The Manticore was down to it's last health bar, and the mobs were finally starting to reduce in numbers, with Jet and Kirito working to corral them into a position for Asuna and Koharu to take them out of the fight. That hadn't exactly been the plan, but well...

''Jet!''

''Oh fu-'' - BOOOMPPH - Jet raised his shield just in time, as the Manticore slammed into the ground, firing Jet into the air. In that moment, Koharu froze up as time slowed down to a crawl... luckily for everyone, he landed a few feet away, before skidding to the other side of the room, his HP down into the yellow, but he was still alive, and mildly pissed off.

''Last one!'' - The final blows hit the Manticore, and the beast toppled over. For the first time since the start, everyone could breathe easily...

''Well, I'm glad that one's over. That face will continue to haunt my nightmares...'' - Jet staggered back over to the group, and retrieved his shield from it's resting place on the floor.

''It certainly wasn't pleasant to look at, I'll give you that.''

''You two are getting stronger, especially Koharu.''

''Yeah, and the Raid Group are all still safe, which is a relief.''

''Thank god... it worked out. We pulled through, because we worked with the ALS!''

''What's this outta nowhere? Don't give praise like that, it's creepy!''

''I was just thinking, about what Diavel said... I mean, I don't want to unify the guilds now, but next time, I think we should do a joint raid. All three of us - DKB, ALS, HOA...''

''Hmph, I'd be up for it...''

Jet turned his head away from the two leaders, and turned towards Koharu, who was smiling at the scene she could see - ''If ALS and DKB can meet halfway, then it was all worth it, right?''

''Yeah, I think it could be.''

''Kibaou, what the hell are you saying!'' - ''Though not whilst idiots like him are still in the guilds.'' - Jet thought sadly.

''(sighs) Him again... Wasn't he the one who kept speaking up to try and make us, Kirito, umm everyone else actually, look bad?''

''Yup, only one voice that sounds like it's completely disconnected from a brain, here in Aincrad...''

''We wouldn't have had such a hard time in the battle if that Beater hadn't gotten involved, and that bastard Diavel had just given us the Guild Flag! Rather than took it for his own selfish needs!'' - It didn't take a genius to notice that Kibaou was about to explode at the idiot, and if Jet had to guess, Lind wasn't too far off either - both of them either being Diavel's friends, or his apprentices... Jet had never quite worked out which one it was. Surprisingly though, it was Asuna who exploded first - ''Excuse me?!''

''You two, you can quit acting like this isn't your issue! You're as guilty as they are!''

''Huh?'' - Both Jet and Koharu gave blank looks at the yelling idiot.

''You're friends with that goth beater! You didn't tell us the boss changed, even though you knew!''

''We didn't know about the boss either!''

''Bullshit! You did the Elf War Quest too!''

''Which told us absolutely nothing about the boss.''

''Yet you beat the boss with some special quest reward weapons, didn't you! Hogging it all up, getting all cocky...''

''Firstly, I don't think we even landed a single blow on the boss. It landed more on me, than I did it, and that was once. Secondly, the reward for clearing the quest was an ingot for smithing, not a weapon... and thirdly, because I can tell which direction the fat hamster in your little mind is going, no, you can't have it, because we gave it to someone else, to make them a sword.''

''Then give us the weapon!'' - Jet facepalmed at the level of stupidity on display here.

''You need to shut up, and stop acting so damn selfish! Cut it out! You're just accusing us, because you don't like us, or Kirito! Why can you not get it through your thick skulls that all of us were fighting to help...''

''Asuna, stop. You don't need to make enemies with them...''

''No, carry on Asuna, because I've had my reservations till now. Go on then, tell us exactly what your game is here.''

''My game!? What about you! All that swagger, and yet I've never seen you win a fight...'' - Jet's ego took a small beating there, but... wait, hang on... never seen me win a fight? I've only done PvP to teach Koharu the basics, and against... Morte. Jet's blood ran cold momentarily, and almost everyone could see the look of anger in Jet's eyes, before it flashed back to a look of annoyance.

''Maybe if you removed you head from your arse every once in a while, you would've... But sure, rant, rave and name call all you like, hell it might just make you feel listened to... 'cause I'll tell you one thing. No one is listening to you, not the ALS, not the DKB, hell, not even whichever god you may choose to believe in, and d'ya want to know why? Because you are pathetic. Not in the weak way, but you are a truly pathetic being, because all you've ever done is try to sow division... I'd almost be willing to accuse you of working with Morte, if I thought you were even halfway competent!'' - Even Kirito seemed slightly caught off guard by just how much of a verbal beat down Jet was giving this guy. - ''Because literally all you've ever done in this game is try to make everyone out as your enemy. It's honestly kind of sad, just how desperate to be heard you actually are...'' - Jet watched this guy's body language carefully, as the name Morte seemed to cause him to tense up, which was certainly interesting...

''You wanna think you're all that! Fight me!'' - Jet rolled his eyes, and just sniggered. ''What's funny!? Huh!?'' - To most people, having a sword pointed towards them was the epitome of the phrase 'no laughing matter'. To Jet though, it was quite amusing...

''I've seen 9 year olds that have been more mature than you. Someone hurts your feelings, so you try to fight them...''

''Jet, leave it be now.'' - Koharu didn't wish to see her boyfriend lying on the floor after a fatal stabbing, so tried to talk him out of this path...

''Oh no, this isn't getting left, I demand vengeance!'' - Kibaou seemed to be the most surprised, but not at the overreaction to the taunting.

''No, he doesn't.'' - For the first time, Jet actually respected Kibaou for getting involved - ''The hell are ya playin' at?''

''They're making us all look bad!''

''They aren't the ones makin' us look bad...'' - Surprisingly, the pathetic weasel shut up, and a relatively peaceful conversation returned...

''I was doing the Elf War Quest too, I'll give you the reward I got. It really is just a normal ingot. Probably the best kind of material you can get on the Sixth Floor though. Look into it until you're satisfied, then you can both talk it out and decide what to do with it...''

''Huh?! Kirito, you don't have to do that!''

''I'm a Beater, and it's just a quest reward... I won't miss it. I can get better stuff on higher floors anyway. I'm pretty confident I get lots, faster than anyone else.'' - Jet looked over towards Asuna, and watched her sigh, evidently not liking where this conversation was going. - ''Also... I'm not going to join the next boss battle.''

''Yer kiddin', right?!''

''I'll help, if the guilds want me to, and I'm even willing to join raids. But you can manage with your own strength, right? I'm sure you'll be fine if you just do your prep work. It's just... aside from me, those guys are 'filthy beaters'. They're players who worked their way up to this point under the same conditions as you. Even if I'm not there... if they need help, I want you to give it to them.''

''If that's your will, then ALS has no objections.''

''The Dragon Knights Brigade agrees. So long as the players other than Kirito don't work against us, we'll be hospitable.''

''That is all I ask.''

''Jet, can I borrow you for a second?''

''Sure... but anything you can say to me, you can say to her.''

''Yer both pals with the emo Beater, yeah? Tell 'im that I say thanks, wouldtcha?''

''Tell him? You can't do it yourself?''

''I gotta worry 'bout my position, ya know that. I can't overcome this situation right now. I'm tryin' wit' all I got to lead ALS. I can't let 'em see me bowin' to Dracula Boy. None of 'em would follow me. Honestly... I can't help but feel I ain't cut out for this.''

''As long as you've got people like that numpty earlier, yeah... you can do your best, but...'' - It seemed that Kibaou understood exactly what was being said, as he gave the couple an almost resigned look... ''I talked yer ear off, din't I? Hurry on up ta the next boss fight. See ya.''

20 minutes later...

''Kirito, the raid party's gone back to the town to resupply. Can I ask, are you really not going to join in the boss battles?''

''Yeah, it's for the best. It'd be no joke if there were casualties because they were too desperate to get the jump on me.''

''Nope, just a bit pathetic instead...''

''I suppose this is the price I pay for being a top player? Haha... So yeah. Asuna, you don't have to come with me.''

''What? Don't try to act cool and decide for me! Kirito, you idiot...''

''Asuna, we'll go on ahead, and find somewhere to get some rest. I'm with you, by the way, so you should give it to him real good!'' - Jet began contorting his face, to avoid forming a massive smirk. ''That wasn't what I meant!''

''Heehee, yeah, we'll see you later...''

The couple began to walk off, and talk amongst themselves. - ''Asuna, she was crying... She tough, so I'm sure she's fine, but... We already know that beta knowledge won't help with the floor bosses anymore, but things always end up this way. It's rough...''

''We're just gonna have to work harder to fill that gap, right?''

''Yeah... it was really scary earlier, when that guy accused us of withholding information. I still don't understand how you can act so calm like that...''

Jet shrugged. If he really had to put it down to any one factor, it'd be anger at the irritating member of the ALS, and the possibility of their connection to Morte.

''Kirito always felt like that, and yet he still kept fighting. To beat all one hundred floors. That's what everyone wants, right?'' - Jet nodded, and noticed Koharu moving closer to him - ''Then why does it feel like we're still being pitched against each other, like the guilds were in the Elf War Quest? I've even started to wonder if maybe someone's trying to do it deliberately... you don't think Morte might have been behind all of this, do you?''

''No, I don't think so, at least...'' - Jet left his concerns at someone using Morte as a piece on a board of an ineffable game, inside his head. That man in the poncho though... it couldn't have been a coincidence, could it?

''It couldn't be that though, could it? There can't be anyone that doesn't want to leave this place!''

''We need sleep, badly...'' - Jet mumbled, as he felt his eyelids getting heavy, an unsurprising feeling, given he'd been awake for nearly two days now...

''Agreed, back to town?''

''Back to town.''

Some time later, Floor 6 - Stachion Inn

For once, Jet was eternally grateful for his bed. He almost felt as if he could stay there forever, although he knew that would never happen... not only would Koharu ensure that wasn't the case, but he was certain his short attention span would have something to say about being sat in bed for eternity. He really wished his mind would at least have the common courtesy to be on his side...

Still though, everything that had happened this far in the day had been cause for concern to him - how exactly had Kysala pulled a success from rapidly approaching death, and had Koharu spotted something he hadn't, with the mouthy SOB in the ALS? Urgh, just two more questions with no obvious answers... he thought, as he closed his eyes, and drifted off...

Despite how tired she was, Koharu wasn't finding it easy to sleep. Maybe she'd been used to actually having a sleep schedule, or maybe there was something on her mind, but regardless, she couldn't just close her eyes and rest. She thought about earlier, and an image came to her mind - her partner, her boyfriend even, being stabbed by the same obnoxious member of the ALS, whilst everyone else stared on in horror. That wouldn't happen, would it? - she asked out loud, as she felt an arm wrapping around her waist, and heard Jet mumbling something - ''Please... please don't... don't leave...'' - He was asleep, that much she knew, so this must've been another nightmare. From her occasional experiences with them, she wanted to try to help as best she could, and pulled him into as tight of a hug as she could - ''I won't leave you, don't worry. I'll stay by your side...''

About ten minutes later, Jet awoke from his nightmare, sweat dripping onto his pillow, but with a sense of relief. Koharu was still there, although he did have to ask, why was she hugging him like a child hugs a teddy bear? She wasn't this clingy normally...

''Are you okay?''

''I've been better, but...''

''You know I'll listen, if you want to tell me.''

''I... it was just a nightmare. That's all, Ko.''

''If you say so... can I ask something?''

''Uh, sure.''

''Can we stay like this for a bit? I've just gotten comfy...'' - Jet laughed quietly, but continued holding her.

''Sure.''

{Author's Comments}

Channel 5 is a British TV channel, known for it's more... unusual documentaries, and low brow content. From memory, some of them not far off from what Jet implies. Although, imagining ''The Girl Who Loved Her Sword'', and I'm having to take a break after every time I even think it. I am a gigantic child, I'm aware...

Obscure references aside, quick notice - Tomorrow (23rd Feb), there'll be another update. I was in two minds whether to release it tomorrow (as relevant), or wait until after certain events in the story happen to make sense of things. I've decided that, if nothing else, it sort of acts as a look into how I'll be continuing the story, once the Elf War arc is over (at this rate, maybe mid-Spring.).

So, with that out of the way, and the Sixth Floor done, as usual, any comments are welcome, and thanks for reading,

Signing off, Midland 2541

Chapter Text

Intermission - The Best Laid Plans.

February 20th, 2023 - Floor 1 - Town of Beginnings

The unlikely group sat at a table in the Town of Beginnings consisted of a wannabe knight and his older sister, a pariah, a fencer, a wannabe samurai, a responsible adult, a treasure hunter and a swordswoman. Probably the strangest council in history... certainly in Aincrad's history, anyway. Jet began the meeting, with words he rarely used - ''So... We need your help.''

''Our help? Who've you annoyed now, and who are they sending after you?'' - Klein joked, whilst Strea recovered after a spit take. Her brother... asking for help? Had she died, and woke up in a... alright.

''Har bloody har, Klein. No, it's Koharu's birthday in three days, and well...'' - Jet looked awkwardly to the roof.

''You want our help to do something big, right?'' - Agil hit the nail on the head.

''Bingo. It's her eighteenth too, so...''

''Whaddya need, Knight-boy?'' - A familiar hood, and tuft of blonde hair popped up out of nowhere... 25 minutes late, leading to Jet feeling as if he'd just jumped a mile in the vertical direction. Really, it was a shame there wasn't a Surprise skill in this game, as Argo would've mastered it by now...

''Argo, one of these days, you are going to give me a heart attack... but, what we need, is a distraction, and some help setting everything up.''

''Setting what up?''

''I'm planning something for Koharu's birthday, so -'' - If it were possible to see the inner machinations of someone's mind, Jet would've sworn he saw Argo's mind just whirr into life... - ''Consider it done. Me an' Kii-boy'll handle the distraction, you six handle the set up.''

''You will?'' - Jet asked, questioning the change in plan.

''We will!?'' - Kirito asked in surprise, having not been privy to Argo's plan.

''We will.'' - Argo stated, confirming the knight's query, and ignoring the swordsman's interjection.

''Okay then... how much do I owe you for this...'' - Jet - and more importantly, Jet's wallet - asked, fearful of the reply.

''On the house.'' - Jet rubbed his ears, in disbelief at the reply. Had he heard that correctly? Argo doing something out of the kindness of her heart? Had he gone to an alternate dimension... or had Argo been replaced by someone less money grabbing?! He really hoped it was the latter...

''So... uhh, what is the plan?'' - Klein, for once being the voice of reason, and dreading the next sentence, asked...

''So glad you asked...'' - Putting on a very posh British accent, and laying on the RP pronunciation, Jet wore the same smirk he often did, usually when describing a plan that could only be answered with the phrase ''That's insane!''...

February 22nd, 2023 - Floor 7, Volupta

A curious fact about Floor 7. On that floor lay a casino... one where the owners particularly struggled for cash. Of course, given this was an NPC owned establishment, it wasn't like it would ever have to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but it did mean that the owners had taken to renting the place out... for a reasonable price, according to the resident rat. All they'd have to do is ask for the owner, and hopefully that would activate the quest that allowed them to rent the place for Koharu's party...

As Strea, Rain and Agil had chosen to prepare the non perishable elements of the party, and the actual decorations, whilst Phillia took Koharu on a quest on the Tenth Floor, to find some 'treasure', the actual quest duty fell to Jet, Klein and Asuna. As the unlikely trio of a knight wannabe, a fencer and a samurai wannabe approached the building, it was Jet who spoke up first...

''Please tell me I'm not the only one getting Ocean's Eleven vibes from this place...'' - The casino itself was surprisingly large, although nowhere near the scale of the Bellagio that the film was partially set in. Usually, Jet would've claimed it reminded him of something, but he was, in fact 17, and hadn't actually been to a real casino before, so his entire knowledge of them was based on movies, and his sister's often exaggerated stories.

''Well, given we aren't planning on robbing it, Jet... so, no is the answer, I believe.'' - Asuna answered, in the most deadpan way that only she could manage.

Once inside, the trio approached the clerk at the front, a young-ish, probably early twenties at most, boy, looking incredibly anxious. The Ocean's Eleven walk the trio had just done probably hadn't helped on that one either.

''Hi, we're looking to rent this place out, so I don't suppose...'' - Asuna asked the clerk, who, despite being an NPC and therefore, not human, seemed incredibly distracted by the girl in front of him...

''Oh! You're here about the - ahem - problem, aren't you?''

''Problem? Oh yes, right, we're here about that problem, aren't we?'' - Asuna stated, still clueless about the actual problem...

''Indeed we are!'' - Jet nodded along, fearing pissing off the fencer if he didn't.

''Excellent, the boss will be very pleased... I must say though, you are remarkably well dressed for where you'll be heading, aren't you?'' - Any residual animosity between Jet and Asuna quickly changed direction... towards Argo.

''Uhh, where are we heading?''

''The sewers, obviously. Those slimes clogging the pipes aren't going to die if you stand here chatting all day.'' - Suddenly, all of the trio decided that Argo was buying every drink from now till eternity for this one. Jet hadn't missed that Asuna had just sent the conveniently forgetful info broker a message, and upon reading it, decided that her English was very good indeed... so good in fact, that many people would've mistaken it for French instead. Well, they'd have told her to mind her French, anyway...

Both Jet and Klein glanced at each other, before taking a breath of the last clean air they'd have for hours... oh, the things Jet did for his girlfriend...

February 22nd, 2023 - 16:18pm. Floor 1, Town of Beginnings

''Hey, you three!'' - Argo was remarkably chipper for a rat that was about to be put in a mouse trap... Asuna having the most subdued, but terrifying response to her, whilst both Klein and Jet wore thousand yard stares at the sights seen in that sewer.

''If it isn't the Rat...'' - Asuna's smile told a very different story to her eyes. Her smile said hello, whilst her eyes were closer to goodbye... the kind of goodbye when you've thrown someone off a cliff.

''No more rats... please...'' - Klein shuddered, whilst Jet put his hands onto his sword, almost in reflex at the sound of the word 'rat'.

''Heh, sorry 'bout that. Umm, Aa-chan, why're ya glarin' at me like that...''

''Be very glad we are doing this for our friend... because if we weren't...'' - The implicit threat had not gone unnoticed, and the retreat that Argo had just made hadn't either...

''Heh heh, anyway... we got what we needed, and the other three should be doing well by now...'' - Jet decided to go check on Rain, as he noticed Argo mouth something towards him... 'Please take me with you!', if his lip reading skills were anywhere near accurate... he just shook his head and grinned back at her. Payback truly was an Asuna.

February 22nd, 2023 - 17:18pm - Floor 2, Hijoni Okinayama

If there was one thing that Jet did know about Rain, it was that she seemed to prefer solitude. Not in the turn down having company way, but more in the... often went off grid way. Whilst she wasn't as bad as he was IRL, he got the feeling she was far more of an introvert who put on the act of an extrovert around others, much as he did when acting as Jet, rather than Michael. So it was no surprise that she'd gone out to the mountain on Floor 2 to get some peace, and to practice her show.

I was biding my time, I was tryin' to hide!

I'll forget what I've done, I'll be redefined...

It's shaking the sky, and I'm following lightning!

I'll recover if you keep me alive!

Don't leave me behind, can't you see me? I'm shining!

And it's you that I've been waiting to find!

''following lightning!'' - Jet sung in his own head, as he quietly tried his hardest not to sing along, and throw her off the beat. Didn't stop him dancing along, however.

''Ahh! Jet! How long have you... sorry if it wasn't good, I'm not...'' - What was it with everyone he knew doubting their own abilities, seriously? After the eighth, ninth and thirteenth floor boss battles, Jet thought she'd have at least gotten some confidence in herself, but...

''Nah, I'd say that was excellent.''

''You know you can be negative about someone's abilities sometimes, right?''

''I do... when they deserve it. You've got a beautiful voice, and that song is one of my favourites too.'' - Rain flushed under the compliments. Whilst she had tried to get over her crush on him, and in her opinion, she'd done a pretty good job of it, she still found it hard to accept compliments off him, and quickly tried to change the subject - ''Can I- uhh, can we run through the list of songs please?''

''Sure, let's take a look, shall we?'' - Jet and Rain sat on the rocks, chatting music for quite a while, at least a few hours, before either of them realised the time - ''I mean, yeah, I know glam rock was all about the look, but a middle aged man in- oh crap! It's nearly 10pm!'' - Jet realised, having glanced at his menu to check his messages.

''Huh, time does fly when you're having fun... I should've been practicing though, I don't want to disappoint everyone tomorrow.'' - Jet knew that look all too well... it was the one he had when he placed stupidly high expectations on himself, even when no one else held the same level towards him. The idea that everything had to be perfect, and even a slight screw up would mean absolute failure.

''Rain, you know that everyone will just be happy to have live music, right? At this point, a karaoke machine being operated by Klein after 9 pints would probably considered entertainment... or a violation of the Geneva Convention. It's one of the two.''

''I know... but you said it yourself, it's Koharu's big day. You wanted everything to go well...''

''Yeah, but by that, I meant more along the lines of 'no monsters attacking it' not 'the singer holding herself to superhuman standards'. Besides, if you just sing like you were when I got here, you'll do brilliantly. Plus, it's Koharu, she wouldn't ever say you're terrible at something. She's literally the nicest person I've ever met. ''

Rain looked to the rocks below her - ''I had no one around then... no one to be ashamed of me.''

''Huh? Why would we be... Ohh. Sensitive subject, I assume. I won't pry if you don't want me to.''

''Thank you, I will tell you one day, but today isn't that day.''

''It's fine. We all have our demons that we battle.''

''You?'' - Why she looked surprised that the guy with the chronic hero syndrome, who went by the name Jet, had some form of inner demons, he wasn't sure.

''More than you could imagine, Rain. I just... I'd like to think I'm learning to cope with them.'' - Jet admitted, being as bluntly honest as he could, without revealing too much.

''One more thing to look up to you for, good knight...'' - Jet winced at that. He knew she meant well with that, but he absolutely hated being idolised like that. People like Rain didn't need idiots like him to look up to, and he certainly wasn't deserving of being idolised. Still, it was late, and they'd all have a long day ahead of them tomorrow, so heading back probably wasn't a bad idea. ''Probably should get back, lest we get told off... or worse.'' Both of them shuddered at that thought.

February 23rd, 2023, 07:21am - Floor 10, Jamoniwa Town Inn

Beep. Beep. Beep. Oh, how Jet hated alarms... but today's was a necessary one. Jet looked over to see the sleeping form of his girlfriend, smiling at something or another, but looking relatively happy, probably at the extra sleep she was going to get. Somehow, the whole group had managed to keep their knowledge of her birthday secret, despite one or two close calls during Strea's idea of a 'sister-in-law bonding day'. Even Asuna had shown Jet some pity at just the mere idea, let alone see the fiasco that had unfolded... Koharu had been bright red, and almost traumatised went she got back yesterday, according to Phillia, so he perhaps didn't want to know what his sister had actually told her about him...

Still though, this was about the time everyone would've gotten up normally anyway, with the same routine - breakfast, washing, equipment checks, field. It was things like that that had Jet asking himself how a literal life or death situation had become mundane?

Performing some slight gymnastics to escape the grasp of the slightly restless Koharu, and substituting a teddy bear in his place - he really had to thank god no one had asked him exactly why he was skulking around the Town of Beginnings, looking for a tailor, with a load of fluff in hand - the knight got up, and changed into his normal housebound gear, a purple tee shirt and black jeans, before heading downstairs. As for the rest of his little team, and by god did he need an actual name for them, Koharu was still asleep, whilst Rain had headed off to practice for later. How that girl could wake up at half 5, and not be perpetually grumpy, Jet reasoned he'd never understand. All that left was their resident treasure hunter, who'd taken to the sofa, despite having an actual room for herself. Needless to say, as he walked past her, her position did not look comfortable, her legs over the back of the sofa, and her head resting on the floor. For a brief second, the joker side of Jet's mind suggested startling her, just to see exactly how she fell over... but that particular monkey was quickly taken to HR, and given a P45 for his troubles.

Having snuck downstairs with the same grace and stealth of their minor rat infestation, Jet quickly rubbed his hands together and smirked, as he checked his inventory, and selected a recipe to make for breakfast. Koharu had made mention to Jet that she'd never actually tried a full English breakfast before, and Jet had reacted predictably - with shock. He resolved to make her one, one day... and today would be that day, he thought, as he selected the rashers of bacon that had been produced by a player on the first floor.

A few minutes later...

For a brief moment, the fizzling of the eggs frying took him back home, and Jet smiled, remembering his parents doing breakfast on a Sunday morning. Sure, it was hectic in that house, and sharing a room with your sisters was very much not in any teenager's interest, but he did miss it. Hell, if he was at all honest, he missed the hectic nature of it, especially. Something about it just kept him on his toes, even if he'd have liked a moment's peace and quiet sometimes. Maybe that explained why he'd jumped at the chance to have Rain and Phillia onboard, back on the seventh and eighth floors respectively, he was just trying to recreate home... Booompphh. Phillia was almost certainly now awake too, if the mumbling told him anything. Taking the eggs off the hob, Jet could see Phillia out the corner of his eye, and decided to annoy her slightly - ''Morning, Indiana.''

Phillia looked over at the four plates laid out, and the sight of the knight... in an apron, and put two and two together. - ''Ohh, that's what the smell was. Smells good. I want some.''

Jet smirked, knowing how inattentive the treasure hunter was after waking up, and without coffee, and decided to see how long he could keep this joke going for - ''Nope, Koharu's birthday. Koharu's breakfast.'' - Had Phillia had her morning coffee, she'd have pointed out the four plates, and made a quip about why he was fattening his girlfriend up. As she hadn't though, she was remarkable easy to wind up - ''So you aren't doing any for the rest of us... worst leader ever.''

A - he wasn't their leader. B - it truly was remarkable how oblivious she was currently, and C - Jet was smirking, and trying not to laugh desperately - ''You forgot crap liar too!'' - Jet erupted into laughter, unable to contain it any longer. ''Of course I'm doing it for everyone, four plates, see?'' - Phillia looked over, and held her head in her hands. ''You think I could give all of that to Koharu, and she'd eat it?''

''She does have a surprising appetite...'' - Phillia mused, forgetting that she wasn't alone.

''You feel brave enough to tell her that?'' - Jet looked quite amused by that.

''Err...'' - Phillia erred on the side of caution, and not wanting to get on Koharu's bad side. Those two really did tell each other everything, and Phillia's armour offered little in the way of 'angry Koharu protection'...

''Right answer, me thinks. Still though, everyone else has done their part, so what are we gonna do for the distraction today?'' - A familiar redhead popped her head round the door, not that Jet or Phillia had noticed.

''There's a quest on the tenth floor, a treasure hunt, and the reward is this really pretty ballgown apparently. Changes style based on the person, from what the Rat was telling Asuna.''

''I would usually say stop eavesdropping on people, Rain, but given it's Argo... well, a taste of her own medicine isn't exactly unwarranted.'' - Jet shrugged, looking back towards Rain, whilst Phillia leant precariously against a doorpost.

''Eggs.'' - The only attentive member of the trio commented.

''Hm?'' sniff. sniff. Eggs! ''That could've gone worse...'' - Luckily, the eggs hadn't burned, and Jet plated them up. ''Thought you'd gone to practice for later?''

''Oh, I did. I took what you said last night onboard, and I think that I've got it now. Can I have some?''

''There's four plates...''

''Aww, so only enough for Koharu and Phillia then...'' - Rain's sad look was betrayed by the look of mirth in her eyes. Unlike Phillia, who was now open mouthed, and glaring daggers at the redhead...

Jet stifled his laughter, and handed Rain a plate of breakfast, whilst Phillia picked one up herself, and began eating it before Jet had even finished plating up the next one...

''Hungry?'' - Jet looked at the treasure hunter, who just shrugged.

''Yeah... where's the coffee?''

''Top shelf. Make it yourself.''

''Idle... but yeah, Rain, that sounds like an idea. I'll take her on that quest, give you guys some breathing room. Sound like a plan?''

''Sure!''

''Fine by me!'' - Jet put his plate into the oven to keep it warm, whilst he headed upstairs with Koharu's on a tray.

Koharu, for her many worries, was pretty good at waking up. She had to be, really, else she'd never have had time to do everything she had to do. Admittedly, she'd started to slip a little in Aincrad, and now often woke up at 7, rather than 6 as she had done IRL. Still, she could usually be up and ready in less than thirty minutes, so it hadn't bothered her as much as it would've her father. Waking up, Koharu looked at her HUD - 2022/02/23. She wasn't a child anymore, Koharu Honda was an adult now... so why didn't it feel like anything had changed in that regards? She still felt like a little girl, playing the hero that she wasn't, and just skating along on her better comrades tails. If she was honest, she hated that feeling, and she knew that if any of them knew how she felt, they'd have told her exactly what they thought about it - 'you aren't a liability' - 'you're one of the best, don't act like that voice has any power over you!' - 'Just remember how far you've come...'

Still, she looked over to her... boyfriend? Who was now a giant teddy bear? Okay, if she was dreaming, this was a very weird dream, even by her standards... all she needed now was Jet to waltz in, dressed like some form of waiter, with her breakfast, and she'd have been convinced she was still asleep and dreaming...

Which was exactly what happened. Koharu let out a soft laugh, as Jet looked mildly confused. - ''Morning? What's so... I've still got this on, that's why.''

If this was a dream, then... a thought raced through Koharu's mind, and she spoke, unusually forcefully for her - ''No, keep it on. It's my dream after all...'' - The lecherous smile she now had gave Jet a cause for concern. What exactly had he walked into...

''Okay then...'' Jet looked more than a little unnerved at the very uncharacteristic behaviour of his girlfriend, but carried on ''I kind of thought you'd want a lie in, after... yesterday, and well, you deserved a little something, so...''

''Wait... I'm not dreaming?'' - Koharu suddenly snapped to her senses, and flushed red.

''I don't think so, unless we're all hallucinating too?'' - Jet partly stated, and partly asked, in complete confusion at the question.

'Heh, I'm an idiot... I thought I was dreaming, and you were about to...'' - Koharu was laughing, but it was evident she was laughing at herself more than anything else. It was Jet's turn to go bright red, as he realised the implication of Koharu's last comment.

''Umm... we can, but I will warn you, Rain and Phillia are downstairs, and these walls aren't soundproofed.''

''Please don't let them know about this...'' - Koharu looked mortified at the realisation of what she'd just said and done.

''Don't worry. Everyone says and does stuff they regret when tired. Mom's the word.'' - Jet put the tray down, and mimed a zip over his mouth.

''Thank you... but why today though?'' - She knew it was her birthday, but he didn't!

''I thought you needed a break. Which is why Phillia's taking you on a girl's day out later... well, it's a quest, but...'' - Jet halfheartedly held his hands up in a 'what can you do' gesture, whilst Koharu giggled slightly, taking a bite of her breakfast

''This -mmpphh - is really good! Thank you!'' - Jet looked genuinely happy at being told that. ''Though, one question? What's with the teddy?''

''Told you, it's a little something...'' - Jet smiled towards Koharu, who looked a little confused.

''Little?'' - That bear was almost the same height she was!

''Well, I kind of figured that... you know how you hug me for dear life, and...'' - Jet trailed off, clearly struggling with his own train of thought. ''Well, I figured it'd be something to have when I'm not there. I guess. Maybe.''

''You don't sound so sure... but it's adorable, so, I'll let you off on that one.''

February 23rd, 2023, 18:54pm - Floor 7, Volupta Grand Casino

The day itself passed by relatively quickly once they'd all gotten out of the Inn. Nothing much of any real relevance happened, other than Strea nearly dropping a table onto someone, and Klein, ever the DIY type, had nearly fried himself trying to jury rig a sound system. Maybe they should've asked Kirito to stay, after all...

The piece de resistance though, was the outfits that had been chosen. Initially, most of them had seemed pretty antsy about it, but after some allaying of fears, everyone agreed to it...

Exactly how, Jet wasn't sure he'd ever know, but Argo and Kirito had really pulled off a coup de grace in obtaining formal wear for everyone. Jet looked nervously in the mirror, dreading his own reflection, remembering his suit back home. IRL, he absolutely hated wearing anything overly formal, and as a result, only had a single suit - a blue pinstripe suit, with a red tie, that he'd actually bought for a costume party, but had somehow become his only formal attire. This one though... well, it represented a true change in Jet's attitude towards formal attire. Without inflating his ego, he felt something he hadn't in a while... pride in his own appearance. A proper black tuxedo, with a crisp white shirt, fitted perfectly, which was an achievement, given Jet's... somewhat larger height. Combined with a dark grey waistcoat, and a dark blue tie to complete the look, Jet gave a smile, glad his sisters weren't here, as they'd be clambering all over him, trying to make their own... adjustments. Regardless, he felt that he looked the part... hopefully, not the part that was currently being squeezed by his trousers, though.

Still, looking the part was only one bit of the plan. The rest was now completely out of his hands, and relied solely on both Argo and Asuna's acting skills... why he felt a cold shiver run down his spine at that thought, he wasn't sure. Though after yesterday, he wasn't entirely sure it wasn't just leftover slime...

As he signalled everyone to take their positions, Jet felt two things - his heartbeat suddenly increase dramatically, and his cheeks start flushing. Now all they were waiting on was the signal from Argo...

From: Argo (Rattus Rattus)
To: Jet

We're here, Knight-boy. Code word is 'Up'

Showtime, he thought, closing the menu. From their elevated position, they could see the three girls walk in, and if Jet thought he looked good, his partner was on another level. Jet admitted that she was by far and above the looks of their partnership... and the brains, and the heart, and... wait, was he anything? Oh yeah, brawn. Anyway, she looked absolutely amazing - the green dress that the girls had picked for her made her look like some form of princess, and suited her to a tee. Asuna looked... well, she was Asuna, she always looked good. Often to a level that Jet believed it was actually some form of skill in game. Much to his surprise, even Argo had ended up in some form of formal attire... despite her reservations. Most of which began with the letter F, S or C, ended with the letters K or T, and were definitely not allowed on telly before 9pm. Or possibly at all, in one of the cases.

''Why's it so dark in here?'' - Koharu asked, pawing at the wall, just to make sure she wasn't about to fall over.

''Oh, you know how it is, just waiting on them to set it up now'' - The code word had been used, it really was showtime now! Jet gave a gesture to Klein, who was waiting by the lights, and quickly, but quietly, snuck around the girls to grab two flutes of the drink that Agil had reassured them was practically champagne... not that Jet actually knew what champagne tasted like anyway. The lights came up to reveal the birthday girl's friends, bar Jet, all stood there for all of a split second, before yelling... ''SURPRISE!''

Walking up from behind them, with a surprisingly dignified air, Jet went to hand Koharu a drink, as she began to tear up. Without any warning, and wordlessly, Koharu launched herself into a hug with Jet, who did his best not to spill anything. ''Thank you...'' - she held her face into Jet's chest, mumbling as she fought back tears at the surprise. Jet hugged her back, trying his best to hide his fluster. - ''You deserved it, anyway. Big day, and all that, the big one-eight. Very big day.''

''Doesn't feel it.'' - Had it not been for this, her eighteenth would've been just another day in Aincrad.

''Maybe it doesn't have to.'' - Jet handed Koharu her drink - ''Here. According to our resident bartender, this is pretty much champagne. Thought it appropriate for a big day.'' - Jet held his flute up, and Koharu hers, before the traditional clink of glasses - ''To the birthday girl!'' - Everyone shouted, as both took a swig of their drinks... and almost immediately regretted it, if their expressions afterwards were anything to go by. Note, I'll stick to cider in future...

Jet really had to be incredibly thankful to his friends now, as most of them had volunteered at least some skills towards this party - the chief amongst them being Argo and Asuna, and the fact that both were absurdly good at planning things... or he was just absurdly bad at it. The truth was probably somewhere in the middle there, but the other one to be thankful for was Rain, who'd agreed to sing for everyone. That took some guts, even if everyone there were friendly, just being up on stage was stressful as it were.

The girl had just finished her set to thunderous applause, and was now bowing gracefully out to her adoring audience. It hadn't escaped anyone's attention that quite a few people were calling for an encore either. ''Rain really is a good singer, isn't she?''

''Yeah, yes she is...'' - Jet looked on in pride towards her, as she bowed out off the stage and made a note to talk to her later, and thank her for everything - ''Anyway, now for the best bit of a party in my opinion...'' - Jet grinned towards his girlfriend...

''Hmm?''

Jet walked backstage, and came out with a cake shaped into an 18, with as many candles - ''Cake!''

''Where did you get that from?'' - It was certainly unlike any other cake she'd seen in the game, though she'd not actually seen all that many birthday cakes in this world, all things considered.

''Made it myself. I kind of levelled up my cooking as best I could again. Believe me, the 18 is also how many tries it took...'' - Koharu decided to wait until her partner had set the cake down before hugging him again, to save them both from wearing the cake instead of eating it. - ''I take it you like it then?''

Koharu gave him a peck on the cheek, just after he'd set the cake down. ''It's amazing, thank you!'' - This system has stopped working. Would you like to send an error report? - ''You're welcome'' - Jet returned to the land of the living, and re-joined the party...

Hours into the party, and everyone was still happily enjoying themselves, the party having split into three distinct groups - Kirito, Asuna, Lisbeth and Yuuki were all sat over one side of the ballroom, chatting away, Klein and Strea dancing around like the world wasn't watching them, whilst Koharu and Phillia were over with the Black Cats, who were listening to Sachi sing. That just left Agil, Rain, Jet and Argo, the first two having taken to serving everyone, whilst Jet was currently sat on the other side of the room, enjoying the music, and drawing out the scene for prosperity... which left Argo, who'd taken to watching over Jet's shoulder...

''Argo, can you not, please...'' - Jet didn't even spare a glance at the surprise appearance of the girl.

''Aww, why?'' - She teased, hoping to illicit some form of response...

''I don't mind you sitting with me, but I don't like people watching over my shoulder whilst I draw.''

''Ahh, right. Fair enough, I s'pose. Never had ya down as the arty type though...''

''It's not like we have TV here, so I have to find something to do... plus, I've always been like this. Nice way to take in what you're seeing, just sitting somewhere with a pad and pen, and drawing what you see.''

''What're ya drawin', anyway?'' - Jet scribbled away at the page, with some haste...

''Just what I see.'' - Jet held a hastily drawn picture of a dog of some form, with a giant grin on his face, and a small chuckle, whilst Argo momentarily jumped, before her face dropped, the cunning stunt (appropriately, if you reverse the c and st, what she was currently thinking of the knight as...) earning the knight a scowl from the girl...

''Little uncalled for there, don't 'cha think?''

''Sorry, couldn't let that opportunity pass me by. You want to see what I was actually drawing?''

''It ain't a dog again, is it?'' - Argo asked, apprehensively...

''Nah. Well, unless you're calling Asuna a dog... which is both true and untrue simultaneously.'' - Jet muttered the last part, as he flipped the page to reveal an incomplete sketch of the casino's dance floor, complete with everyone on it...

''Yer actually good at this, ain't ya?''

''Eh, I'm not an artist. Just someone with a pen and too much time on their hands.''

''Yer never know tho', maybe someone will ask ya to draw stuff for 'em... someone who wants to be a writer, maybe...''

''Ha, fat chance. I'm not very good anyway, I can only really do scenes and landscapes. This-'' - Jet opened his pad to a number of drawings of his girlfriend's face, which looked surprisingly accurate, considering how poor Jet claimed he was. - ''-was the last person I drew, and I thought it came out awfully.''

''I wouldn't say that, looks like Ko, anyway, which is more than some artists can say!''

''You want something, don't you?''

''Why'd ya think that, Knight-boy?!''

''You're being nice to me... which usually means you have a request.''

''Nah, not this time... but she might.'' - Argo pointed to Koharu, who was now coming over to them... quickly. Very quickly, in fact. So quickly, that Argo leaped out of the way before the green missile took her out... - ''Jet! You're dancing!''

''Yeah, alright, I'm- wait, what... YEEARGH!?'' - The knight yelped, as he was dragged along by the birthday girl.

Argo decided that the next bit would make for the best blackmail material she could find, and so... she pulled out a Record Crystal, and filmed as Jet danced along to Waiting for a Star to Fall. Yeah, this was definitely going in the blackmail bank, she thought... even if he wasn't as clumsy on the dance floor as he looked... ''Turns out Knight-boy has some moves!''

As the night grew older, and everyone else grew increasingly weary, both the birthday girl and the knight found themselves in a quieter corner of the casino...

''You know you never had to do all of this, right? I wasn't even expecting anything at all, if I'm honest...'' - Jet smiled at her earnesty, but if there was one thing he was good at... it was remembering birthdays. 8 siblings, parents, grandparents and 6 cousins had drilled that skill into him.

''Didn't have to, sure. Was it ever in doubt that we would? Nah.'' - Koharu just gave a soft laugh at the knight's smirk after that.

''How'd you do it though? I mean, this must've taken ages to plan...''

''A few days. We did have an Argo on our side, after all...'' - Jet suddenly had a realisation, halfway through his sentence - ''...who I now owe a massive debt to, so... yeah.'' - Jet just chuckled to himself.

''How massive...''

''Eh, nothing a few, umm, years of working off won't solve. Probably. Absolutely worth it though.'' - Koharu rolled her eyes at her partner - ''I meant to say earlier, but... you look stunning, by the way.'' - Jet tried his best not to blush again, as those words exited his mouth. The look of happiness on his partner's face at the sincere compliment made it all worth it though.

''You too, should dress up more often, I think.'' - Looking down at his suit, he actually agreed. Why he'd hated wearing suits, he wasn't actually sure, but he definitely didn't now.

''Heh, maybe. Suppose now I've got it, I may as well use it.'' - Jet stood up, and offered his hand to his partner - ''On that note... fancy a dance, mi' lady?''.

Koharu took his hand, and stood up, as the duo walked to the dance floor - ''My knight in shining armour...''

The jury rigged crystal system that they'd been using to play music decided to change to a very specific song as they did though...

Wise men say... only fools rush in...

But I can't help... falling in love, with you...

''Who'd have thought it... Kayaba, a fan of UB40? Or Morrissey... actually, no, yeah. That one makes sense.'' - Koharu tried not to giggle. If the music player was anything to go by, Kayaba's music tastes were... eclectic. The switch from Evacuate the Dancefloor, to Panic earlier had been quite something, to say the least. It was a good job there wasn't a DJ there, else they might have taken their leave at that point...

''Who'd have thought you know how to slow dance?'' - Koharu teased her partner, as he dipped her, eliciting a slight yelp.

''Eh, guess we're all full of surprises...'' - Jet had an undeniable grin on his face as she came back up.

''You realise that you've set me a challenge for your birthday, right?''

''Please don't... I'd much rather an evening in, and a nice meal, than I would a party. Besides, you have no idea when my 18th is...'' - Jet smirked, knowing he'd be safe from that as long as Koharu never figured it out...

''July 7th, 2023.'' - Koharu recited, without even pausing to think.

''How?! I never even mentioned what part of the year my birthday is...''

''One word... Strea.''

''Oh yeah, of course.'' - Naturally, his sister was the last person you told a secret to. Unless you wanted that secret plastered everywhere...

''Thank you though... I doubt my parents would've gone for anything like this. My dad wouldn't, anyway.'' - Jet noticed Koharu look noticeably saddened at mentioning her parents. He couldn't say he knew much about her life at home, other than that most of the things Koharu mentioned about it were to do with her mom, and he'd never actually heard her even mention her father before now.

''I'd be a shitty boyfriend if I didn't do all of this...''

''You really wouldn't. You're a pretty amazing one, most of the time anyway.'' - Jet blushed under the praise, and began trying to stutter out a response, but failed. Koharu simply shook her head, and laughed at her boyfriend, and his less put on side.

''I've just realised something I haven't actually said so far today...'' - Jet looked at his girlfriend with a smile, having had a realisation...

''Hmm?''

''Happy birthday, Koharu...''

{Author's Comments}

Funny thing about these one shots, they've usually been written before the main story. This was no exception, and somehow, I think this is the longest chapter I've written yet.

For context, this is probably set sometime around F13/14, hence a lot of events mentioned haven't happened yet. Call it a very extended 'next time' trailer?

Anyone interested, the song Rain sings is Shine, by Years & Years. I thought the lyrics were relevant, even if a little on the nose. Also a few musical jokes. Before anyone asks, I actually don't mind The Smiths, but... eh, Morrissey is a bit on the (how to write this without committing libel...) weird side.

As normal, leave a comment, send me a message or add a review, and thanks for reading!

Signing off, Midland 2541.

Chapter Text

Floor 7 - Chapter 1 - British Weather

January 5th, 2023 - Floor 7, Teleport Gate

The Seventh Floor, as Argo had told them yesterday, was a series of woodlands, that connected up with each other, with a number of small villages in them. Unlike the Third Floor, which was misty, but relatively dry, the Seventh Floor was, as Argo had described it - ''somewhere Jet should recognise, he's British after all!''. Jet had corrected her, saying that Britain wasn't just a rain soaked land, but had then realised, it wasn't all that far off, but he'd be damned if he gave Argo any credit for that little joke of hers!

''Home, sweet home'' - Jet smirked as he spoke. Okay, he didn't live in a forest anymore, not since his grandparents had moved from Ruarden anyway, but the rain? That was something very familiar to him. Too familiar, in fact. He didn't like it.

''Do you still have those umbrellas from Floor 1?'' - Koharu asked, evidently liking it even less than her boyfriend, as her long hair began to drop in front of her eyes, and she thanked whatever deity that was up there that SAO hadn't modelled their clothes accurately, else she'd have been soaked to her core...

''Err, yeah. Can't really fight mobs with a brolly though, 'less you plan to poke their eyes out with 'em.'' - Jet pictured that idea, and then remembered that quite a few mobs didn't even have eyes...

''True. Maybe a poncho instead?'' - Two very contrasting thoughts popped into Jet's head at that moment. The first, as he pictured himself in a big purple sombrero and poncho, really living up to the stereotypes there. The second, more morbid thought turned to that black poncho'd creep that Jet saw in his nightmares. He shuddered briefly, before returning back to his normal attitude. ''Are you cold Jet, you're kind of shivering?''

''Just a little, that's all.'' - He deflected.

''I wonder if we can catch a cold in SAO? I mean, I can feel how cold the rain is, but...'' - A familiar giant towered over Koharu, and made incremental increases on Jet. - ''I've never heard of anyone getting a status ailment from wind chill. So I don't think we have anything to worry about.''

''Agil!''

''Koharu, Jethro.'' - Jet glared at the axe wielder, arms crossed like an annoyed child. ''I heard you had a big role on the sixth floor boss fight. Good job.''

''We didn't have that big of a role... not everything went well either.'' - Koharu looked to the muddy ground below her. They'd still only arrived too late to really do much, other than keep the mobs off of the attack force, and nearly been ostracised for that.

''Oh, well that's just what I heard. Sounds like a lot has happened, but you two fought well. So be proud of that.'' - A small clinking sound came from behind Agil, followed by a familiar voice. ''What he said! Everybody knows we didn't have a single casualty in that boss, because of you four. Even if they don't want to admit it.'' - Despite the voice, neither of them could see Liten, except for a glint of... oh.

''I'm right here! I know Agil's big and all, but I'm not so small to be able to hide in his shadow!'' - Liten looked slightly indignant at going unnoticed by the couple, and Agil was smirking... never a good sign, really.

''Liten! You've joined Agil's guild?''

''No, I'm still with ALS, but I'm working with Agil to achieve a certain goal.''

''Oh, what goal?''

''You two know of the Soul Copper that drops after the Elf War quest last floor, right?'' - Liten asked.

''Yup, used to make a friend's sword. Apparently came out really well.'' - Jet remembered his brief duel with Yuuki, and just how quick she actually was with that new sword of hers.

''You gave it to a friend?! Then... no. You really shouldn't tell anyone about it.'' - Liten looked a little unhappy at that.

''Err, why? Anybody could get it if they helped with the Elf War Quest, right?''

''It's a problem, because you can't. It's a long story, so we should start from the beginning. I don't know if you saw, but Kirito gave his Soul Copper to both the ALS and DKB, to stop them from fighting.''

''Yeah, we knew that bit. Still convinced that jackass wasn't happy that he didn't get to kick my ass for it...''

''Kibaou?'' - Agil seemed genuinely surprised by that. The calmest head in Aincrad, Kibaou wasn't, but resorting to violence seemed really out of character...

''No, some dipstick in the ALS, Liten might know him. The...'' - At that moment, Jet realised he'd never actually paid any attention to the appearance of the incendiary idiot, and couldn't actually offer a description. - ''Huh. Umm, never mind. Carry on, Agil.''

''Well, after he'd given it to them, they had to decide what to do with it... and they almost slit each other's throats over it.''

''I really hope that one wasn't literal...'' - Jet grimaced, as Koharu looked on in horror.

''Luckily no, but neither could agree on who should have ownership of the ingot, and it's kind of impossible for two guilds to share one item...''

''Never mind that Soul Copper ingots are so rare, that NPC blacksmiths on the Seventh Floor won't handle them, let alone those on the Sixth. They just keep saying that the item is beyond their skill.''

''Umm, couldn't you just ask a player blacksmith? We know Lisbeth was able to make a blade from it, so...''

''How is the smith girl doing, anyway?'' - Agil asked.

''She's gotten better, and hopefully a little wiser to obvious traps.'' - Liten's eyes widened, in concern seemingly.

''There's a story there, isn't there?'' - Agil asked again.

''Eh, I'll tell you later. But, yeah, back to the topic at hand...''

''They could... but given how rare it is, and if they messed up... let's just say, both guilds would be after them, and not for their services.'' - Liten really hoped that no one else knew about Lisbeth's role in making that sword, else the guilds would be after her...

''It also doesn't solve the initial problem, as who'd take the weapon - ALS or DKB? Col, on the other hand...''

''What, sell the ingot to the highest bidder?''

''That too, but think how much that'll go for. The idea is to split the proceeds so that, no matter who wins, both get a ton of money. Well, that was the idea, anyway...''

''Let me guess, both seem to think that it's theirs, therefore they should be entitled to it, and neither want to concede, thus they've come up with some mental system to steal it overnight, a la Oceans Eleven?'' - Jet's initially sound train of thought encountered leaves on the line by the halfway point, before immediately coming off the track at a tight bend...

''Umm, the first bit, yes. The second, I don't think so?'' - Liten tried to process that particular idea, and came out very confused, picturing her not so quiet leader attempting stealth in an art gallery. It was a very strange idea, she had to admit.

''So, they both want the ingot? But that bidding war could just go completely out of control, right?''

''Yeah, which is why it's open to everyone. Though the two guilds do 'own' the ingot, they thought the only way to avoid well... that, was to allow everyone to have a chance, and coincidentally, sell off their surplus gear at the same time.''

''Is their gear any good, I could really do with a new shield again?''

''Focus...'' - Koharu rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, who shrugged.

''Yes, ma'am...'' - Jet responded sarcastically.

''Yes, well, ignoring Jet being completely under Koharu's thumb-'' - Jet squawked indignantly, whilst Koharu nodded, with a look that almost showed she was pleased with herself ''-that ingot is still the source of the problems here.''

''Don't tell me it's cursed or something?''

''Kind of, but not in the gameplay sense. It only dropped to players who achieved a certain condition, and if you went through it, without completing that condition, well...''

''They wouldn't get it.''

''Yep, and anyone who tries to start it now, probably won't get here in time to help clear this floor.''

''Which means this auction will get really heated.''

''I don't even know how to feel about that, but if the goal is to make money to help progress, then I suppose that's a good thing...''

''Yeah, I'm all for making the money move.''

''I still don't think it was right, taking Kirito's quest reward like that... which is why we're here. I'm going to win it at the auction, and return it to him.'' - The look on Jet's face suggested that he didn't quite agree with that logic, or was aware of something she wasn't. Fortunately, Agil spoke up before Jet did, with a similar concern... ''But you're a member of the ALS, Liten. You shouldn't publicly do anything, and I'll enter the auction on your behalf.''

''And that's why you're with Agil. But, umm, this ingot's the main attraction of the auction, right? So won't it be really expensive? Do you have enough money for it?''

''I've raised some funds from friends who can't work openly, but want to return it, and I'm also planning on earning some Col while I can. Agil will fund the rest if needed...'' - Jet shot the man a look, before asking an important question - ''And do you have enough money? Because I'm guessing this thing isn't going to be in the five digits for value, is it?''

''I do... I think, and no, no it isn't.''

''I mean, rather you than me, but... that's a bit generous, isn't it?''

''It's not generosity, it's just business. Give and take, you know?

''I think I do? Why though, unless you needed Liten on your payroll for something?''

''I was thinking of starting a broker business. The auction is a part of the advertising.''

''So, like a shop, or an Argo type broker?'' - Koharu tried to picture Agil sneaking up on someone, and failed miserably.

''Yeah, a bit like a shop. I'd buy stuff off people, and sell it onto others. Think of it as a recycle shop...''

''Oh, so Aincrad's first CeX?'' - Jet joked, forgetting that no one would understand the reference, given that particular store is pretty much a European only thing.

''Umm, maybe? What's a CeX?'' - Agil voiced the confusion of everyone else present.

''Pretty much as you described, but with computers, games and stuff.''

''I guess so, yeah. It's better to me, because you don't have to hold auctions. It's just trading with people, which is a much needed service in here. But I can't really start trading with people, until I have something to trade, and I can attract people to me in particular.''

''Ohhh, so that ingot's your USP?''

''Yes! Point to Koharu. Before returning that ingot to Kirito, I made a deal with Liten to rent it for two weeks for marketing. It should reassure any onlookers that I have the funds and energy to get such an item, and some might even become regular customers!''

''Definitely a more sound plan than my business idea... anyway, tell us when then AeX is opening, will you!''

''AeX? Agil's eXchange? No offense, but I think I'll stick to my original idea for the name...''

''None taken, how would you even pronounce that, anyway? Aches? Ayy-ecks?''

''Add an l, and you've got Alex, I guess?''

''Yeah, but 'Come visit Alex!' sounds like a really lonely guy asking for anyone to visit him...''

''I dunno, it's not that bad. Oh no, you've got me actually reconsidering my stance on that now...'' - Koharu and Liten gave each other a glance, which in a language that no male has ever deciphered, simply meant an exasperated expression of a group of young males.

''Ahem!'' - Koharu cleared her throat, and the two shut up immediately. As amusing as it was watching the two debating the pronunciation of a particularly stupid idea, there was a job to do...

''Right, back on track. Could I ask you both for some help with the fundraising? Don't worry, I'll prepare a suitable reward for you.''

''Sure, as long as we get, hmm, let's say, 50% off the first thing we buy from you?''

''Say, 25% instead, and I'll let you have a small discount on everything else you buy from me?''

''Hmm'' - Koharu was a fairly patient person, she thought, but this? She'd rather be off doing anything else, and so, she interjected, exasperatedly - ''We'll take it!''

''We will?''

''Brilliant! You agreed to it!'' - Jet facepalmed, and regretted his choice of words there.

''I've already found some quests that give decent Col as rewards, and with your levels, I'd say this one fits you two best. All you need to do is get a load of the teeth from those Biting Kapiyva, and give them back to the NPC...''

An  hour or so (and quite a few dead mobs) later...

Jet had to wonder occasionally how the wildlife on Aincrad had become quite so dangerous, and why so little of it was made up of herbivores! Whilst the Biting Kapiyva weren't really a massive threat, those damn teeth became really annoying after so long, especially when they'd decided to take a shining to his legs in particular! Returning to the plaza, where they'd been told to rendezvous with Agil and Liten, they both made note that neither were present, although an unfamiliar redhead had taken their place... ''Hey. How are you two doing on this fine day?'' - Jet glanced up, and received a raindrop to the eye for his troubles. ''Fine, I guess? Who are you?''

''You both seem to be on edge...''

''Funny that, isn't it. A strange guy appears where we said we'd meet our friends, and we're on edge...''

''Oh, I completely understand. I apologise for appearing unexpectedly. I find it curious that you don't object to the rain though...''

''I'm British. It's a way of life.''

''I don't hate this rain either. Hearing the rain feels like the breath of nature to me... even if it is in cyberspace.

''Uh huh.''

''Sorry, but have we met before?''

''Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. Where are my manners? I am Lueur, please be sure to remember my name. It is nice to finally meet you both, Jet, Koharu...''

''Nice to meet you too... hang on, 'finally'?''

''How do you know our names?''

''I just thought of the perfect names for you both, and those popped into my head.'' - Both looked like a fish out of water at that comment - ''It's obviously a joke. I have heard plenty about you both in the news, though. I saw a picture of you both, and I always wished to meet you both.''

''Picture?! There are things like that?!'' - Koharu's horror was matched by Jet's apprehension, and confusion as he swore he saw a bush move...

''Oh yes, you both have some very dedicated fans. Perhaps too dedicated, if I'm honest. Some of which hide and use Record Crystals to take still images of you two. In fact, I believe there's one in those very bushes...'' - The bush moved again, as Jet walked over calmly, hand on the hilt of Hope.

''I promise we won't be angry, but please exit those bushes towards us, and leave any Record Crystals you might have on the floor, please.'' - The bush moved again, as a tuft of red hair became visible, followed by the rest of their stalker...

''Heh, privyet you two... I, umm...''

''Jeez Rain, nearly aged me ten years there. Thought you were Aincrad's paparazzi then...''

''Sorry...''

''Rain!''

''You know this girl?''

''Yeah, she's harmless. Well, to any human anyway.''

''Indeed. As I was saying, I don't believe they mean any harm, so you needn't worry.''

''Uhh, worry about what?''

''Apparently Aincrad has a paparazzi problem...''

''Huh, that actually explains what I saw earlier. Someone trying to film you, I think. They just got a load of trees though.''

''Yes... well, to people throughout the game, the top players are an inspiration, as well as a goal, and potentially rivals.''

''But still, having pictures taken of us is kind of creepy...''

''Do you hate being popular for defeating the bosses? Don't you wish to bask in praise as heroes who are saving the world?''

''Not really, but I wouldn't mind if people would just ask us first. As long as they weren't an ass, I'd be okay with that... it's the clandestine stuff I don't like.''

''We aren't fighting because we want to be praised!''

''I see, then I have a question for you then... what is it to be noble?'' - The redhead asked, as the group thought on it.

''Huh?'' - Both Rain and Koharu looked slightly confused at the question.

''Nobility is not being superior to one's fellow man, but being superior to one's previous self.'' - Jet stated. Koharu could almost see a hint of regency in him momentarily. Rain just looked on in awe. Even Lueur seemed somewhat surprised at the eloquent answer - ''Well! I must say that was quite the answer! I admit, I'm now quite looking forward to your little group's adventures going forth...'' - The redhead disappeared, leaving just the trio stood there.

''That... he was weird.''

''There's pictures of us circling around...'' - Koharu shivered, and Jet worked out that it wasn't due to the rain. - ''Eww, when did they take them?''

''I've got to admit, I'm not a fan of the idea. As I said, I wouldn't object if they'd just ask us, but sneaky photography... ick.''

''Yeah, it's really kind of rude to take photos of someone without permission!'' - Somehow, based off how she'd reacted earlier, she suspected privacy laws weren't the main reason she was upset by the whole idea.

''We're back! Oh, hi, sorry if we're interrupting anything... and Koharu, you really don't look too well?''

''Yeah, finding out people have been circulating pictures of you behind your back does that to a person...''

''Oh, those. Yeah, they're pretty popular. Mostly with the younger kids who look up to you, but...'' - Agil trailed off - ''I mean, it's kind of cute if you two took photos of each other, or if your friends did, but candid shots like that, it's... not ideal.''

''Yeah, that's kind of disturbing. I'll confiscate them if I see them!

''Lueur did say there was no ill will...''

''I'm gonna ask someone to help us out, Ko. Let's focus on the objective for now, please, you guys.'' - Jet toned down his usual attitude, and shifted to reasonable adult mode... an achievement for someone who wasn't one of those things.

''Oh, you didn't get to introduce your friend?'' - Liten asked, looking over to the red haired swordswoman.

''Privyet, I'm Rain!'' - She bowed towards them.

''Agil, and this is Liten. It's nice to meet you.''

''Spasibo, you too!''

''Anyway, I just need to sell these items, so I'll be back in a few minutes.''

''Our chances should be better off with five people. I'm sure we'll get the ingot now!''

''That's wishful thinking, with both of them hosting the auction. We probably shouldn't underestimate them.''

''Umm, is there a problem with both hosting it?'' - Rain summed up what their little group was thinking.

''The prize is an ingot that NPC blacksmiths can't handle. They're holding an auction because they can't share it. So far, so good?'' - Three nods told Agil to carry on with his explanation - ''But there should be players whose skill level is high enough to use it. There's no guarantee that whoever gets it can't make a weapon strong enough to beat the floor boss.''

''Which means that if either ALS or DKB get it, they could gain an advantage, and there's players who will be thinking that.''

''And even if they didn't, they'd still get half of what it was worth. That's a pretty large amount...''

''There aren't any rules that members of the DKB or ALS can't participate in the auction.''

''And well, truth be told... ALS aren't doing so well. I've heard people say the elites are spineless, because they failed to get the Guild Flag on the fifth floor, and well...''

''Don't tell me they think they should've taken it by force...''

''Yeah. People are saying Kibaou lacks any sort of decisiveness, and can't stand up for himself before the DKB. I have a doubt to the ALS for recognising my abilities as a tank, and I want to believe that Kibaou isn't a bad person, even if I don't agree with his methods. But I get a bad feeling, that to try and deflect those criticisms, they'll try to win the ingot. Not for any material reason, but to get a leg up on the DKB.''

''I wouldn't be surprised if the exact same thing is happening in the DKB too.''

''It's ridiculous... all of our priorities should be on beating the floor boss, but all they really care about is who will come out on top.''

''SAO is a game after all, it's only natural for people to aim to be the best. This though, is kind of getting out of hand...''

''You think they're still chasing after Diavel's ideal?''

''Perhaps, which does sort of remind me... where is the guy, and that whole HOA thing? I figured he was having recruitment issues, but I'd have expected him to have shown up with something at least, by now?''

''Maybe they're waiting for the floor boss?''

''HOA?''

''Uhh, Heroes of Aincrad, as he called them. The best of the best, and all of us were asked to join... all of us declined.''

''Why?''

''Can't speak for everyone else, but the fifth floor boss left a sour taste in my mouth. Felt too much like Diavel had us all as pieces on a chess board, and I'd rather not play that game.''

''I suppose that only they can say what they're actually thinking. For now though, I'd rather take some measures to help us. If we can double what we've got now, then that can only help us in the long haul. I'll go and exchange our materials, so that should give us some extra. Meet back here in a few minutes?''

''Roger that.''

''So, Rain, haven't seen you on the frontlines before?''

''I... uhh, yeah, I tended to stay on the first floor, help the young kids out, you know? The orphanage needed some extra money to expand, so I went and took on some quests. That was how I met these two, and well, I said I'd be back, and now I am. I won't slow you down, don't worry!''

''Glad to hear it, I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do!''

After a short while, and some group talk, most of which involved telling tall tales about their exploits - Liten finding the tales about Jet's seeming love of cute, fluffy things particularly amusing, and showing that appearances were often extremely deceptive - Agil returned to the group, about 50% richer, and with additional information.

''I take it you guys had a decent break?''

''Yeah!'' - Liten wiped a tear from her eye, after her laughing fit. Jet notably didn't seem amused, and looked as if he was considering becoming a lightning rod.

''Well, I've got the extra cash, and some more information.'' - The tallest member waved a small book around. The title of said book was 'Argo's Guide to the Galaxy (Volume 7). Jet felt his face drop, and made a note of Argo's apparent tastes in literature, in case he ever needed to buy her a gift. ''Argo's selling her guide to the Seventh Floor, the one that isn't available for free yet. (sigh) Look where I'm stepping... It's a bit expensive, but it makes the buyer feel like they're getting a good deal. I wish I could do that... Anyway, we're a whole day ahead of those waiting for the free version. Let's not let that go to waste!''

''Yeah! I want to get some of Armoured Beast Scales from those Ground Shells in the Raindropping Woods, which is our best option given the time constraints. Anyway, I think we should split up. Agil and I will take the northern area of the woods, can you three take the southern area?''

''Sounds like a plan. We'll meet back up in, say... three hours?''

''Three hours, and back here. Good luck, you three, and be safe!''

''When aren't we?'' - Jet waved off noncommittally.

''I think Goldfish is a better nickname for you now.'' - Agil commented, earning a confused glance off Jet.

The Ground Shells were truly an annoying enemy. Even with Jet's speed, the creeps could hide underground almost completely out of reach for the group, and pop up at the worst possible places. Unfortunately for the monsters, their attack power wasn't particularly high, and they practically bounced off Jet's shield, and right into the waiting blades of Rain and Koharu. Even more inconvenient for the mobs, they weren't the brightest bulbs, as demonstrated by one attacking Jet's shield, leading to it bouncing straight off... and off a cliff face. Did that count as a kill, Jet idly wondered, as another attempted the exact same strategy, only to cease mid way through it's attack, and receive a jab from Hope for it's pause. It decided to dig underground again, and... just disappeared, never to be seen again.

Despite this weird occurrence, it was approaching the three hour mark rapidly, and the trio agreed that heading back was the best idea. They'd collected a reasonable number of the scales after all, so they should be okay...

''You've gotten a lot stronger Rain.''

''Yeah, I've been practicing a lot. You two are okay with me tagging along, aren't you?''

''Of course, the more the merrier!''

''Besides, someone else to watch our backs hopefully means Jet won't keep doing death defying stunts, right?'' - Jet withered under his girlfriend's glare. Rain let out a slight laugh at the couple's behaviour, and decided they were quite clearly alright with her being here.

Clash! Shink! Tching!

''You heard that, right?''

''Yeah, fighting up ahead.'' - Jet squinted to see through the foliage, but managed nothing of any real use. The foliage was simply too dense, and the rain too heavy, for effective visual identification, so the group moved in for a closer look...

A young woman held her blade against the three attackers. She wore the insignia of the Dragon Knights Brigade, and it's mostly blue colour scheme. Never let it be said that Lind was the creative type. ''I don't believe this! You call yourselves part of the Assault Team!''

The person she was shouting at was annoyingly familiar. The bastard from the ALS that had nearly broken the frontlines last floor... ''You sneaky little... Listen up! We're the ones who found this place first! Like we'd let people like you reap the rewards for our work!'' - Guess it wasn't just their group he hated then...

''The guilds are fighting again... I wonder what happened this time.''

''This... really isn't good.'' - Liten looked disappointed in whoever it was - ''Looks like they got hold of Argo's guide too.''

''(sigh) That Argo's a good guy-'' - Jet and Koharu raised their eyebrows as high as they could - ''- but as long as he gets fair compensation, he'll sell info to anybody.''

''Which now means they're scrambling to kill the monsters that give good Col in this field... basically, hoarding it with numbers.''

''Guess that means we'll have to find somewhere else to farm Col. Damn, I was looking forward to a few rounds here, but we can move over to the Withering Woods. Our efficiency will drop a little, but...''

''Ah, it's you five again. I came to see what the commotion was...''

''Lueur, wasn't it?'' - Koharu seemed visibly unnerved by the redhaired man in front of them, still remembering what she'd been told about the photographs of them. Who was to say that he wasn't in on it too...

Liten picked up on it immediately, and looked ready to bash his skull in - ''Is this the guy who took your photos?''

''That was a misunderstanding! I was simply shown a photograph by a certain person. Whilst I do chase after romance, I would never be so brazen to pull off a stunt like that. Stalking is not the beginning of a healthy relationship, I hope you understand?''

''Agreed.'' - Rain looked slightly ashamed of herself, but returned back to as neutral of an expression as she could manage around the wannabe Casanova. That of mild distrust.

''Are you a tourist? Because if you are, I'd advise going around. This place is full of people wanting to pick a fight...'' - Agil advised.

''Thank you for the warning, but I am not here for fun. Tourists are simply low level players who only go to safe zones on higher floors using the gates, right? My level is high enough to walk around the gate area by myself. Despite this though... I think that entering the labyrinth would be tantamount to suicide. Which is the reason I don't intend to do so. You can't see what you want, if you aren't going to take any risks. By the way, if I overheard correctly, your group needs Col, right? If that is the case, I have some good information for you...''

''Definitely doesn't feel as we'd be waltzing into a trap...'' - Jet rolled his eyes, as he quipped.

''Could I be so bold as to ask you to listen to me, before you write me off? There's an elf sage NPC that starts the quest Seeker's Proof in the Withering Woods.''

Koharu and Jet looked towards each other, with looks of recognition - ''An elf sage, huh?''

''I'd put money on that being the next part of the Elf War Quest.'' - Jet nodded.

''Ah! So you guys have been going through the Elf War Quest then? You should definitely go then. Any player who meets the requirements can start the quest with the sage, and the Seeker's Proof, the item that the quest gives you for completion, can sold for quite a lot of Col at an NPC store. Players who've actually been doing the Elf Quest tell me that they've gotten something better, too... Well, at least, that was what a beta tester told me. It definitely seems a good quest for those looking for Col, even if it is pretty difficult.''

''That seems really convenient for us...'' - Liten pointed out.

''Right? That's why I told you. It shouldn't be in the guide yet either. It's worth trying, right?''

''Do you have any proof that this quest is even real?'' - Agil asked, not wanting to waste time on rumours.

''Nope. But I have nothing to gain from lying to you. On the other hand, I do get something from helping you out...''

''That'd be?''

''I always wanted to be a troubadour. Of course, it doesn't exist in SAO, since this game doesn't have jobs or classes to begin with, but I wanted to see proper heroism, tall tales of daring do, and tell people about them. That's my dream.'' - ''Oh great, trust us to get stuck with Bill Shakespeare here...''

''Your dream, huh? You have a nerve to chase after a dream in a death game...''

''You think I'm not taking this seriously enough?''

''I'm not trying to insult you. I wanted to be a tank, and I am proud that I achieved that dream. I believe that having clear things that we want to do are important to our survival. But I do have a question for you - what is a true hero to you?''

''This is a game, but it's also our reality. Are you trying to say that heroes can't possibly exist here? Does that mean there isn't a top player on the Seventh Floor who has the charisma to inspire courage in everyone there?''

''I think there is, I just don't think they know it yet.'' - Jet commented, whilst Rain looked down again, but Lueur caught onto his meaning...

''Interesting, you believe in someone else, but not yourself. You must have really low self esteem, especially since you're one of the few pulling the Assault Team forward, are you not?'' - Lueur stated, before Agil interjected. ''Hey, cut it out. Find somebody else if you're just going to play around with us.''

''I'm not playing around with you, I'm very serious. I apologise if it sounds like I'm goofing around, it's just that this is the first time I've talked about my dream, and I'm getting ahead of myself.''

''They're not here right now, but I- we, did know someone who called themselves a knight. A person who we fought was fighting to grant the wish of those trapped here in SAO. We'll be able to leave this place, so long as there are those committed to fighting the hundred floors. I want to convey that.''

''You surprised me. It sounds like we're of the same mindset. Whilst I myself cannot fight as you do, I wish to tell the mid level players, and those who haven't worked up the courage to fight yet, about your journeys. To cheer them up, hopefully, as they know that they aren't forgotten. I even hope that, one day, people in the outside world will hear my songs. To me, that mindset makes someone a true hero. Fighting for a cause, but never losing sight of everyone else around them.''

''Well, you definitely take the role of troubadour seriously. Singing songs of royalty and heroism for the public, like a storyteller.''

''I am flattered that you think of me that way. There's also a reporter on the lower floors who is trying to accurately record everything that happens here, and as noble as I found that, I wished to leave behind stories, stories of those who saw this world, and rather than be cowed by fear... saw a challenge. To overcome the steel castle, and better themselves in the process. To become true heroes, where none previously were. I wished to record that, rather than cold, hard numbers. But to do that, I need people to continually beat bosses, and clear the game. Maybe you aren't currently... but in all of you, I see potential heroes. Which means it's in my own self interest to provide you with useful information.''

''Hm, I understand your motives now, but how dependable the info is, is still debatable... what do you think, you three?''

''I think we should try it.''

''We should try every available option right now, so let's do it!''

''As he said, sometimes you have to take risks.'' - Lueur actually wondered when he'd said that in his speech, but didn't interrupt her. He didn't mind the praise after all, as vain as that sounded.

''Yeah, you're right. I'd like to go with you, but I haven't done the Elf War Quest. I want to try and find other ways of getting money, instead of spending time on one item.''

''I have the perfect dungeon for you then! You can get the highest rank crafting materials on the Seventh Floor, and some quest items there. It'd be easier to collect Col from farming items, rather than completing quests anyway. But there are a lot of annoying enemies there, you really do need a high level tank, and a heavy attacker to make it worth your while...''

''Then that'll call for Agil and me. I'm good at long battles!''

''Excellent! I'll give you the coordinates to the dungeon entrance. I hope this will help you!''

''Well, with that decided... you guys going to be okay doing the Sage quest?''

''Should be fine, we've got a vague idea on what to expect anyway.'' - Jet answered.

''We have?'' - Rain questioned.

''Well, chances are, we'll have to deal with that Fallen again...''

''I'm not looking forward to that...'' - Koharu shuddered, the memory of Jet's berserker episode still fresh in her head...

''Agreed.'' - Jet had decided that, this time, he'd keep his own advice in mind.

''Well, this is fantastic, I'm watching a story unfold in front of me! It's uplifting!''

''Agil, he's on your team.'' - The axe wielder looked as if someone had thrown his a dumbbell, and told him to swim an ocean, at that passing of the buck. Jet himself looked relieved at not having to deal with the troubadour...

''For now, I'm on no one's team. I shall make myself scarce. Good luck on your quests!'' - Lueur left as quickly as he'd appeared, and with about as much explanation too.

''When he told us he wanted to be a troubadour, I wasn't sure what to make of him. Now though, I... how do I explain it? It feels like he's at peace with himself, and only focussing on others.'' - Liten explained.

''That was because he kept talking. Well, let's trust his information is correct, and get a move on. Be safe out there, you three...''

''We'll make sure Jet doesn't do something completely reckless!''

''Why is it always me that gets the blame for that!''

''Because it's always you doing the most reckless stuff imaginable.'' - Koharu answered, attempting to glare down Jet. Sometimes, her stare could terrify an army... other times, it looked like a slightly angry puppy. This was not one of the former times, and Jet had to struggle not to laugh...

(Author's Comments)

Good grief, there's a lot of talking in this part of the game. Anyway, the next part should have a fair bit more actual story to it, and not just where the game has 'recover (xy amount of items) from (insert enemy here)', which really don't translate well into text.

Also, 30th chapter! (Sort of. Technically 31st on Wattpad, but... let's quietly ignore that.)

Honestly, I'm surprised at the fact I've barely used even a tenth of my ideas for where this story's actually going to go. Also, little bit of a call for ideas - anybody has any ideas for any aesthetics for some of the towns in Aincrad - because most aren't actually shown, so I've got free reign there - either put them in a review, or send me them in a PM. I've already got a couple of later ones in mind, based off real places I've seen pictures of (or been to, in one case.)

But that aside, thanks for the support in reading this story, it's done exponentially better than I ever thought it would, and yeah, the usual applies - follow, favourite, like etc, and leave a comment/review or PM if you enjoyed it, or want to offer any criticisms

Midland 2541, signing off!

Chapter Text

Floor 7 - Chapter 2 - Sage Warning

About thirty minutes later, Floor 7

''Ahh, that makes sense now.'' - Given Rain hadn't been with involved in the quest for quite a while, Jet and Koharu made use of the walk to explain how the Elf War campaign had gone since she left them on the Third Floor, Koharu making sure to inform her just how unbelievably reckless Jet had been on the Fifth Floor, facing off with Fuscus. Despite it having been the saving grace for them, Koharu had made it certain that he wouldn't forget just how angry she'd been at him, any time soon...

Thankfully for Jet, the sprint down memory lane, away from an angry Koharu, was interrupted by voices... ''Cover, now!'' - Jet forcefully whispered, as the trio took cover behind a tree stump...

''Anyway, could ya refrain from fightin' in tha boss fight from now on?''

''I don't mind, that's what I had in mind when I said what I did.''

''So, you aren't telling us you want us to stop doing quest on the Seventh Floor, are you?''

''I'm not that narrow minded! Just... my guys are unsettled that ya got a head start on us. Since e'rrythin' on the third and sixth floors, there's bin a new hardline movement in the ALS, one that wants ta compete wi' the DKB, cus we can't...'' - Asuna held her head and sighed, clearly frustrated at that.

''Do some people even remember what we're actually fighting for here...''

''Boggles my mind too...'' - Even Kibaou, stubborn as he was, had to admit that the sheer arrogance on display by some members of his guild was enough to test the patience of a saint. At times, it almost felt as if they wanted them to start fighting each other... ''Our goal's ultimately ta beat the Hundredth Floor, not ta drag e'rryone down. We've got ta show what we can do here, and bring back unity.'' - What went unsaid was that the ALS felt that couldn't be done with Kirito there...

Asuna didn't seem to take that particular implication too well, and fought back her anger at their collective arrogance - ''That's just an excuse!''

Kirito, on the other hand, didn't seem to as annoyed by that implication as he perhaps should've been - ''As long as you can defeat the boss, that's all that matters to me.'' - Asuna began to speak, but was quickly cut off by Kirito continuing - ''A solo player can't defeat the floor boss alone. I know we need a leader that can lead everyone. Someone who can bring a sense of security and reliability just by being there.''

''That person won't just magically appear, because you miss one boss fight, you know?''

Kibaou seemed equally annoyed at the unspoken sentiment that he wasn't good enough to lead the clearers either - ''I'm the leader of the Aincrad Liberation Squad. I at least have responsibility over them. I won't let ya deny that.''

''I know.'' - Kirito turned to his partner - ''You don't need to stick with me, Asuna. I already told you, you're needed for the boss fight.''

''Still, I'll go with you. We're in the middle of a quest, and I don't plan on quitting it halfway through.''

''I see... thank you, Asuna.''

''I don't think we were meant to hear that...'' - Rain mumbled, as she emerged from the hedge she'd taken cover in.

''It's like Liten said, ALS is being cornered... but this isn't right! We need to at least win that auction.''

''At least that much...''

''Then we should carry on. These woods are where we were supposed to go, right?''

''Yeah, the Dead Tree Forest.'' - An apt name, if ever Jet had heard one. The tree stumps and branches were all still present, but the yellow tinge of the area, mixed with the complete lack of foliage, bar a few shrubs, really made it feel like something cataclysmic had happened here. - ''Did all the trees wither from the rain?''

''Maybe, guess Aincrad forming would've been a complete mess for the climate here, I suppose?'' - Koharu went quiet, imagining just how devastating the forming of the floating castle would've been for the population of the areas it encompassed. ''Hey, guys! I've found who we're looking for!'' - Rain called over, standing a distance from the Dark Elf. They looked slightly different to the Elves they'd encountered so far, a considerably different variant of the armour being worn by this one, which Jet assumed was to mark them out as a superior, perhaps?

''Hello, I'm Jet, this is Koharu, and that's Rain. We're allies of the Dark Elves, and we're looking for the sage, so if you could be so kind as to help us find them?''

''Hmm, humans calling themselves friends of Lyusula? Such strange customers... however, it doesn't appear that you are lying.'' - The Dark Elf bowed towards them - ''I am Emils. I am the sage's valet.''

''We came to take the trial. Could we meet with the sage?''

''The sage is in deep meditation. He has instructed me not to let anyone see him in the meantime.''

''Could we meet him if we waited here?'' - Koharu asked.

''Well, his meditation could take days, weeks, years... till the end of time. I can't presume to know when it'll end.'' - The valet answered, unhelpfully.

''So, he doesn't want to meet with anybody then.'' - Rain commented.

''The sage will appear before those wanting a path. What are you all searching for?'' - Each of the trio thought about it hard.

''A way to help a friend, and... I guess, forgiveness.'' - Jet deliberately worded it in a vague way. He'd rather not have Koharu and Rain worried about him now.

''A good friend is in trouble, and we want to help. Please.'' - Koharu pleaded.

''So, you wish to help people.'' - The valet replied.

''I want to find who I am, not to live in someone else's shadow.'' - Rain was doing something similar to Jet, evidently.

''Whilst you wish to find your own path. I understand your plight, so I shall give you the first stage of the trial, in place of the sage. The Promised Flower blooms in the northern part of the Withering Woods. Get one, and bring it back here. I shall be waiting...'' - The trio began to head back into the Withering Woods, to start the trials...

''I know it's only the start, but retrieving a flower? You reckon there's some sort of catch to it?''

''Probably going to have to fight off a horde of monsters to get it, or it'll be covered in dagger like thorns, or something...''

''Well then, I guess I should tell you about my new trick...'' - Rain manifested a second sword in her off hand, and began twirling them around. Koharu looked on in surprise, whilst Jet looked genuinely confused. ''You can duel wield now? How!?''

''Umm, you know how this game treats your hands in terms of fighting, right?''

''Yeah, your dominant hand is your attacking arm, whilst your other is the one you use for shields and the like, right?''

''Yep! Well, I noticed something. It treats whatever's in the other hand as a defensive weapon, so...''

''As long as you only defend with that second blade... you've got a complete free hand for offensive attacks!'' - One small part was annoyed that he'd never thought of that. The rest though, was incredibly impressed with Rain for thinking outside the box like that...

''Doesn't that make it really unwieldy though, always having to use the same blade to attack, and defend?''

''Not really, there's a trick in it - something called Skill Connect. I can't really use sword skills with it yet, but it's supposed to allow you to swap weapons without having to unequip, and reequip them. I kinda used it to swap hands in the middle of a fight.'' - Koharu looked very impressed at the creative thinking on display there, before a thought popped through her head. She turned to her boyfriend, and smirked at him, teasingly - ''Koharu?''

''Now she's shown that, you're gonna have to do something spectacular...'' - Jet rolled his eyes, but laughed at his girlfriend's joke.

After some time, the trio had found their objective. A small red flower, covered in thorns, as Jet had predicted. ''It's a cute flower. I guess this is the Promised Flower then?''

''It's blossomed so beautifully. It's a shame to pluck it now, but it is for a quest... I suppose the least I can do is make it quick!'' - A groaning noise came from behind the trees, as monsters spawned in. ''I hate being right sometimes...'' - Jet mumbled, as he drew Hope, ready for a fight.

''More of them incoming...''

''Rain, you reckon you can take those few, and we'll keep the mass at bay?''

''I can.'' - Rain drew her twin blades, and started slashing through the mobs, faster than anything Jet had seen before. She'd been quite good when they'd been together on the Third Floor, but now? She was easily on the same level as the clearing group...

''Holler if you need help!'' - A nod signalled understanding, and the couple prepared for their fight...

Ten or so minutes later, the massing formation of mobs were reduced down to a few stragglers, and then to none. The trio looked around, comforted by the lack of any monsters, and sheathed their weapons. Jet was the first to voice his relief at their victory - ''Well, that's them done with. Good job by the way.''

''Who to?''

''All of us, I think. Whew, that was certainly a workout...''

''Really? I didn't think it was that exhausting...'' - Koharu shrugged her shoulders. Her training back in the day had been far more demanding than a ten minute skirmish, but she had to admit, fighting was more tiring than just exercise alone. Jet and Rain both looked blankly towards her, as she decided to pick the flower - ''Sorry about this, but we need this flower...'' - As she touched the flower, it came loose from the soil, much to Koharu's surprise. ''Huh? I just touched it, and it felt like it leapt out of the soil at me...''

''Maybe it understood what you said, Koharu? Can I try?''

''Go ahead, Rain.''

''Hello, can I take one too, I need it for my path?'' - As with Koharu, the flower leapt out at Rain. ''Thank you so much. I wonder if understands emotions then?''

''If that's the case, I don't think I want to know what would've happened if I'd just plucked it out of the ground. Probably more monsters...''

''Possibly. I think we should head back to Emils though, before your curiousity gets the better of you...'' - Koharu joked.

''I'm not a cat, thanks!'' - Jet replied, scandalised at her joke.

''You certainly think you've got nine lives...'' - Rain joked, as she walked past the knight, smirking. Initially, the joke flew over his head, until... ''I don't- OI! Cheeky little...'' - The girls laughed, as Jet heard another familiar voice...

''I wondered who'd get the Promised Flower, but it turns out it's someone I already know.''

''Kizmel!''

''Hey, Kizmel. Uhh, you might not remember me, but...'' - Rain asked awkwardly.

''I shouldn't be surprised to run into you two, really. I'm glad you're okay too, Rain, and don't worry, I remember you. Those twin blades of yours are certainly distinctive though...''

''Heh, yeah.''

''I take it you're here for the sage too, Kizmel?''

''Indeed, but I was driven away as he was meditating.''

''Pretty much what happened to us.''

''It doesn't matter if I'm nobility, a knight or even a dwarf or Kales'Oh. It's very sage like not to discriminate, which I believe is one of the reasons they are quite so widely respected.''

''He originally served the court as a knight, right?''

''He was known as the head of the empress's personal guard. He was a healer as well as a knight, so he knew more than his fair share, and so, he became a sage. My sister wanted to meet him, but... well, he was a legend to us rookies. I'm sure that I could've learned a lot.''

''You might as well come with us, we'd be all the more happy to have an additional set of hands with us!''

''I guess you're right. Very well, I shall do this flower trial too!'' - Kizmel leant over, and hovered her hands near the flower - ''Promised Flower. The Forest's Life. Could you please let me hold you?'' - The flower jumped out of the soil, and into Kizmel's hands. ''Thank you (sniff) Such a wonderful smell. It reminds me of the royal gardens.''

''Uhh, Kizmel, those flowers? Do they understand emotions, or...''

''Hmm, we do have a story about this - Well before the Great Separation, this forest was brimming with green. The newly blossomed flowers were scared of monsters eating them, so they covered themselves with hard, sharp thorns. Then, one day, the tall, fair Lyusulan empress, with her beautiful eyes, eyes like the night sky, took a stroll in these woods and rested in the shade. She pricked her finger on a hidden thorn, and blood dropped onto the leaves. The empress didn't mind the harm to herself, and apologised for sullying the beautiful flower. The flowers were appreciative of the empress's kind soul, and swore a flower to anyone who showed them gratitude. Well, that's the story. No one's sure if it's true or not, but the flowers are here...''

''Huh, so they kept their promise to the empress for all these years. Would be great to see them bloom here forever.''

Kizmel smiled back at Koharu ''So long as people like you come here, they will. Well, I feel we have completed our task. Shall we head back to the sage?''

''Yep, let's go!''

The return back to the the valet was a peaceful one, bar some unlucky mobs that seemed to have lost their sense of self preservation, and were quickly dispatched by the group. As the valet had said, he was still waiting there patiently.

''We're back, and we bring flowers.''

''Hm, the Promised Flower is a proof of honesty. But it could still be a cover for evil desires. Regardless, for alleviating the sage's boredom with these flowers, I shall tell you the next trial.''

''We're getting sent on another errand then...'' - Koharu sighed.

''A long time ago, humans made a labyrinth within the forest. Please return a certain item slumbering in there. If you can show you're strong enough to do that, then surely the sage will not deny your request to meet him.''

''A certain item?''

''Like a treasure chest, or is this a trial to see what kind of item we get?''

''One of the keys, maybe?'' - Jet thought aloud.

''The Seventh Floor key isn't hidden, which is why the war has never made it to this forest. It's retired land.''

''It will come to you in due course, as long as you are looking for your answers. Now then, I shall take you to the labyrinth, as long as you are prepared.''

''Now or never, I guess...''

''Let's go find our answer...''

Arriving in the labyrinth, thanks to Elven teleportation (a sentence that would make no sense in any other context...), the group found themselves in a dilapidated maze. Raised platforms towered above the water line, which had started to turn green, thanks to a lack of filtered water, and the fungus that arrived with it, now staining the platforms, and whilst sections of the structure had long since plunged into the water, centuries worth of erosion had taken their toll on them. The roof didn't look to be in much better shape, with sections either absent, or covered in vines. Sunlight peeked through the crevices in the brickwork, and gave the room an almost green hue. ''This labyrinth was built by humans in ancient times, supposedly. I have heard about it, but I must admit this is my first time being here.''

''So, it's kind of famous then?'' - Rain asked.

''In a way. It is said that this area was once ruled by a human king who performed a ceremony, wishing for peace.''

''So, it's a shrine then?'' - Koharu asked ''It doesn't look like one though...''

''Some centuries of wear and tear, and no upkeep, most places would look like this, Ko. Who knows what this place was like when it was built?''

''As Jet said, Koharu. It may have been, once upon a time, but after the kingdom collapsed, it became a nest for the monsters of the floor. Now, the only people who come here are knights wishing to train, and adventurers looking for materials.''

''Almost feel like a messed up version of the pyramids then...'' - Jet commented, forgetting that Kizmel had absolutely no idea what he was referring to.

''The 'Pyramids'? Are they similar to this? I know of the shape, but...''

''Oh, uhh, they were the graves of an old empire. The tombs of their pharaohs- oh, umm, their emperors- but they were mostly forgotten by the world for millennia. A load of archaeologists rediscovered them a few hundred years before we were born, and well...'' - Jet recalled his primary school level knowledge on the Egyptians, and left out 90% of the details.

''Your world truly is interesting... but, we have more pressing issues at hand.''

''Agreed, the history lesson can come later. Let's find this mystery item!'' - Koharu took 

Nearly two hours later, and the group had finally reached the lowest chamber of the labyrinth. The water level, which at first had barely been a quarter of the way up the platforms, threatened to spill over onto the concrete here, and the vines had sprawled across the platforms, along with the ever present risk of falling masonry, and the continued presence of mobs, which were not long for this world, as they were dispatched with haste. Resting up after the endurance feat they'd just faced, the group looked around. There was one last chamber left, but this one had some form of barrier in place - a magical blue light covered the entrance, and Jet decided not to test it himself.

''This is the last room, so if anything is hidden here, it'll be here.''

''All the other rooms were empty. If it isn't, then...'' - Rain replied, checking over her blades. Koharu was busy staring at the light, as she snapped back round - ''Can we wait here a few seconds?''

''Uhh, sure, why?''

''The sage will show himself to those in doubt, right? I thought that meant he provided answers to those in trouble, but I've just realised that may not be it.''

''Umm, what do you mean?''

''Up until now, we've decided what we can do, and worked hard towards it. I forgot just how helpless I felt at first, and it was only when Jet took me under his wing that I actually felt I could do it. That I wasn't going to lose myself to this world. I can't put it into words very well, but I am who I am now, because of all the people I've met here.''

''I think I understand. Why I'm here, isn't all that important right now, but how I choose to go about my goal, that is entirely in my control! I believe this is a quote from Lincoln, but 'Where there is a will, there is a way!'''

''Achieving your dreams is difficult, but it is a nice phrase. Was Lincoln a human warrior?''

''He was a politician during a civil war. He was, at least partially, responsible for the outlawing of slavery in the US. Considered by some Americans as the best leaders they had.''

''There is no such thing as a leader without flaws, I suppose. We are fighting for what's right for our empress, but...''

''Something on your mind, Kizmel?''

''Yes, that was why I originally went to the sage. The Fallen and Forest Elves joined forces, and stole a key. This is a really major problem. I don't know if I should send our remaining keys to the empress, to protect in the castle on the Ninth Floor... or if we should destroy both the Kales'Oh and the Fallen, and rid ourselves of a future problem.'' - Koharu looked over to Jet, who's expression was one of concern, with some anger there. ''Right now, the Lyusula people are faced with a difficult decision.''

''Destroy, as in 'all out war'?'' - Koharu noticed Jet's face become far less impressed as Kizmel went on. She knew, at least vaguely, what he was thinking, and that he wasn't far from exploding himself.

''There's a Kales'Oh fortress on the Eighth Floor. If the fort protecting it the castle were to fall, I'm sure they'd fight till the last man. Besides, if we left the key at our castle, I know they'd attack.'' Jet continued to hold his tongue, despite mounting anger ''The Kales'Oh and Fallen are both using each other to open the cathedral. That much we know, and that is how the castle acolytes think, and the empress agreed. But...''

''You don't agree?'' - Rain asked.

''No! All of this came about because of the Fallen's ambition. If they'd never had such a devious plan, then this whole war wouldn't have started, and... Tilnel would still be here. The Kales'Oh are still fighting for their mission, even though they're carrying the loss and pain of those dear to them who have lost their futures. They don't seek to use the cathedral for themselves, but to free Aincrad. That is why I feel them different to the Fallen, they are fighting for their faith, much as we are. That is what I've come to think from fighting them. If there is a meaning to this, then... For those who've passed, I wish for peace with the Kales'Oh. That's the only way to end this cycle of hatred...''

''Kizmel...''

''To think that I'd be saying that, after I was so grief stricken at my sister's loss, that I wished to die fighting the Kales'Oh. You truly are a blessing from the sacred tree...'' - Kizmel gave a short laugh afterwards.

A thought came to Jet's head. A particularly morbid one, and one that his lack of filter caused him to almost blurt out - ''Wait, was that why you sh-were fighting so ferociously when we met you?''

''I suppose so, yes. This path won't be easy, but I feel as if I now have a plan. I need to find out what the Fallen are planning...'' - Jet seemed slightly startled, as a faint chanting noise came from behind him... ''Uhh, what was that?''

''An incantation? Was that the barrier we saw?''

''Must've been, the barrier isn't there now... oh.'' - Jet looked into the room, and noticed something. A particularly large... and spiky something. ''Well, that's not what I was expecting, but...''

''Ah, I assume that beast guards whatever item we need to find.'' - Kizmel reasoned.

''It'd be cute... if it weren't absolutely covered in spikes, fangs and claws.'' - Jet joked.

''So, if it looked completely different?'' - Rain pointed out.

''Yeah, I guess we have to take it down though...'' - A blood red cursor appeared over the top of the beast, along with it's name - The Blood Chain Fenrir - and two health bars...

The Fenrir certainly looked as if it packed a stronger punch than it actually did. Very few of it's attacks were seemingly meant to injure players, seemingly more designed to dissuade them, and they were doing more damage to it, than it was them...

''Seriously! What is up with that thing... it's barely done anything but try to fend us off, it's almost like...'' - Rain asked, dodging a slash.

''It's like it's defending it's pups!'' - Jet thought aloud.

''That thing had puppies!?'' - Koharu yelled back

''Or it's a façade!'' - Rain scored the final blow on the Fenrir, but unlike any other floor boss, it didn't explode into pixels... it simply faded away. ''Umm, okay then?'' - Jet questioned.

''I wonder if... you can come on out now, sage!'' - Rain called out.

''For someone outside the castle to see through my enchantment... that's what I get for living so long.'' - Emils, the valet reappeared in front of them - ''Congratulations on beating the trial. I'm the Sage you were seeking, so I shall answer your questions...''

Koharu looked as if someone had just explained the intricacies of the braking system of a Bombardier Voyager to her, and looked at Jet as if he'd grown an extra head for figuring it out... ''The monster turned into the valet... and the valet was actually the sage?''

''You are correct. This isn't my true appearance, but I believe it makes more sense to stay with something that you are familiar with.''

''So, you were testing us after all...''

''No. It was a necessary order to get you to the answers you seek.''

''That explains what we noticed throughout the fight. What should've been a ferocious enemy, was but merely defending itself... Oh, ever so knowledgeable and long lived sage, please teach us youths... is there a way to stop the war between Lyusula and Kales'Oh?''

''I cannot give you that answer. Those living in this land cannot know the future. But I can tell you of past and present.''

''Can you tell me what is sealed in the cathedral?''

''That is not something I can tell you. That was part of an oath I swore with the elder... that what I've learnt, will stay secret. But I will ask this - why do you wish to know the truth about the cathedral?''

''The Kales'Oh people told me that the Sacred Tree's soul is in there. That I obey orders to protect the cathedral, without knowing anything. I believe our fight is just. However, I do not know what is in there, or why we started fighting. I don't know the truth, whilst I believe in justice. Can a person truly fight like that?''

''It's not the same with us, but I kind of get it... why are we here? Why did things turn out this way? We're fighting to escape, without knowing anything about the man who trapped us here.''

''We can't really fight for justice though, but...''

''Only you can choose what you fight for. However, there is someone who can guide you. Who were the original Fallen Elves? Why were these keys made? All of these you can ask the empress...''

''The empress knows this all?''

''Not everything, but she does hold one end of the string... Reeling in that string will show you the truth, and beyond it, is the light that you are searching for. Well, that is where the advice from the old man ends. May the Sacred Tree bless you on your travels...''

''Thank you for your advice, could we ask for your hand in this battle?''

''Your sword is already much stronger, and sharper than I am, and besides, you have your human friends. A battle is not something to ask of a decrepit old man, who's just watching things change. That is something I know better than anyone. I cannot protect the empress anymore, which is really regrettable.''

''I'm sorry, leader of the personal guard...''

''An old title. There are few that even remember my real name. But that's fine... Knights with good spirit like yourself with spin a new hope for us all. Well then, I suppose I should give you all some advice... Rain, wasn't it? Just continue on your path, and do not look back. Your goal will appear sooner than you think...''

''Thank you, sage.'' - Rain bowed to the elder.

''As for you, Koharu, the item at your feet should more than suffice, and for Jet... what you seek, no one but you can find. One day, you will realise that, but until then...''

''Yeah, thanks.'' - Jet didn't seem particularly convinced by the sage's comments, but decided not to raise any objections.

''Oh, so this is the Seeker's Proof. It's shiny, and really pretty...''

''It's dropped from monsters in this labyrinth. It makes a decent medicine, and can be sold for quite the sum. It's also good food for smaller monsters, so it's not easily found. You're very lucky.''

''Dropped from... eww...'' - Koharu regretted being the one that picked it up now.

''Larger monsters eat the-''

''WE GET IT!'' - The group commented, in unison, and mild disgust... except for Koharu, who was now reconsidering whether she actually needed that hand, or whether she could live with knowing she'd picked up monster droppings...

''A few of those should suffice for what we need, right?'' - Rain asked, as Koharu shuddered. Jet leant over to his girlfriend, and whispered something to her. Whatever it was, it was so bad, she groaned, and held the Seeker's Proof to her forehead. Considering the fuss she'd just put up, everyone had precisely one question on their mind - how long would it be before she noticed that?

''What, why's everyone-'' - She glanced up at her hands -''EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPP!''

Approximately nine seconds, and ruptured eardrums, was the answer.

After enquiring with the sage about the floor boss, whilst Koharu attempted to scrub any trace of her error from her head, and her friends minds, through any means necessary, and being returned to the Withering Woods, the group were now discussing their findings about the floor boss, and thinking of strategies to deal with it - ''So, we know this thing has some form of battle regeneration, and eventually, that regeneration becomes too fast for anything to even damage it.''

''Yep, which is why we have this...'' - Rain pulled out a crystal, a light green in colour, and surrounded by a cage of silver.

''Great, this is gonna be harder than ever... still, we'll pull through right?'' - Koharu had sworn against talking to her boyfriend, after his little joke earlier, and so, she pouted at him instead. ''Really, Koharu? (sighs) Fine...'' Jet got down on his knees, and put on the most fake sounding accent that Rain had ever heard ''Oh fairest, and most lovely Koharu, I, your undeserving boyfriend, hereby apologise... and offer lunch in return for your forgiveness.'' Rain and Kizmel were desperately trying not to laugh, whilst Jet was rolling his eyes. Koharu, on the other hand, looked quite pleased with herself - ''Forgiven, boyfriend of mine... if you buy me dinner too.''

''Sounds fair to me.''

''So, Kizmel, what do you plan to do now?''

''I'm cleared of my doubts. I intend to recover the key on the Eighth Floor, and bring it before her majesty on the Ninth Floor. I want to unravel everything in her presence. Why this war is being waged, and what it is we must do...''

''If you ever need us, Kizmel...''

''We'll come running. Because, Kizmel, you're our friend.'' - Kizmel drew all three of them into a hug, almost as tight as the one on the Sixth Floor.

''Thank you. Those words will surely illuminate my path! But for now, I'm afraid we must part... be safe, all three of you!''

''You too, Kizmel!''

{Author's Comments}

It's been a hectic week. With making the cover (which, without going into massive detail, is almost certainly only temporary, as I feel I can do a far better job than I actually did.), and writing later parts for the story, I've probably spent less time on this than I perhaps should have. Hopefully, normal service resumes next week, and I actually have a chapter by Tuesday, rather than having to write it on Tuesday!

Anyway, any comments on the chapter, the new artwork or anything else, and any follows, favourites, PMs etc are always welcome!

Signing off, Midland 2541. 

Chapter Text

Floor 7 - Boss - Thor the Annoying Troll

About twenty five minutes later

''We thought you'd gotten lost...'' - Agil joked, as the trio returned from their quest...

''Nah, just had to run some errands.'' - Jet retorted.

''And have an epiphany.'' - Rain added.

''Oh! We got this too!'' - Koharu gingerly handed Agil the Seeker's Proof, relieved to be rid of it.

''What is it?'' - Liten asked, as she took a look at the item in Agil's hands.

''That's the Seeker's Proof that Lueur mentioned. He also forgot to mention exactly what it is...'' - Jet skirted telling Agil exactly what the item was...

''It's clearly not a stone of any kind... enlighten me then...'' - Agil asked, as he prodded it.

''Monster dung.'' - Koharu smiled innocently. Jet fought back a laugh at Agil's reaction to having been handed literal crap, whilst Rain rolled her eyes. Admittedly, it was quite funny to see such a large man react as if he'd actually been handed dung, but there were bigger issues here. ''I'll go hand it into the NPC, quickly...''

''I guess we've done all we can... let's hope it's enough.''

''I meant to say earlier, but... add this to it, I know it's not much, but...'' - Rain sent a trade request to Liten, with all of her Col.

''Thank you Rain, I'll be sure to repay you later... all of you! Seriously, thank you!''

''Heh, thank us after you win, Liten.''

''I'll give it my all!''

''Okay, I've sold it for all it's worth, and it was a good price... but it doesn't look as if the winds of fortune are in our favour...''

''Let me guess, ALS and DKB have shown up with the not so metaphorical chequebooks?''

''Pretty much, not only that, but they've put their honour on the line too...''

''They'll put in a fortune, because they know they'll come back with at least half of it...''

''They've gone even more large scale than we thought. It's not just ganging up and monopolising the hunting grounds, but they're using human wave tactics to spam the Proof quests from the sage... If that is the case, I'm not sure if we can fight it out with our funds.''

''Lueur did say that players who've progressed further in the Elf Quest would get a better reward...''

''Could he have meant that crystal we got, the one that stopped the boss being invincible... umm, what was it?'' - That certainly got Agil and Liten's attention, both of them looking as pale as sheets...

''Extinguishing Crystal.'' - Jet answered.

''Wait, that was the reward? That's far more significant than the Proof, or hell, the ingot!''

''It's hard to imagine that only campaign quests with all their varied progress rates could have items with that much influence over boss battles...'' - Liten commented. Jet shrugged, remembering the fiasco that had been Virtual Aces' campaign. ''Eh, seen worse. Played a game once where, to beat a boss, you needed a stealth fighter... only problem, the only stealth fighter that was available on the first playthrough couldn't be unlocked until five missions after that boss.''

''Seriously...'' - Agil wondered how that one had slipped through testing, it wasn't exactly a minor glitch!

''The excuse they gave was that it tested the anti cheating system.'' - Jet remembered that, and all the forum posts that came with it. Needless to say, the phrase 'There's no bad publicity' certainly didn't apply there.

''How'd that one go down?'' - Koharu asked.

''Picture, if you will, a lead balloon...'' - Jet spoke, exaggerating his affected accent to an almost comical level.

''Anyway... back on topic! Maybe it's a way of incentivising people to focus on the campaign quests, rather than spamming everything else?'' - Rain interrupted the knight's explanation.

''So there may be other quests where you can get Extinguishing Crystals, even if we don't know about them!'' - Koharu realised.

''Yeah, if there are, it's safe to say that ALS don't know about them, else we'd have been instructed to get them. I'd say the same is likely for the DKB too.''

''Umm... couldn't we use the Extinguishing Crystal to help pay for the ingot? If people are here for the strategy meeting, I'd think an item like that is a huge trump card!''

''We might have to, should it come down to the wire.''

''You don't have to do anything. You three should use that crystal.''

''So, where's the auction being held?''

''A small farm village not far from here. It's rustic, no shops, inns or restaurants, but it's got a pretty big town hall, so they're using it for guild meetings, I guess.''

''Blimey, reminds me of where my grandparents lived...'' - Jet remembered the... it wasn't even a village per se, more a hamlet, of The Pludds. The most glamorous facility in the hamlet, was the rather optimistically named Village Hall. Which was down a dirt track. Hell, the whole hamlet was down what could only be described by the most generous person, as a road...

''I'll lead the way. There's really nothing there though, so...''

''Prepare before we get on the road, got it.''

January 6th, 2023 - Approaching the unnamed village, Floor 7, Aincrad.

The journey to the village was nothing spectacular, to Jet at least, who continued to remember his grandparents' old home as they walked. Somehow, despite how boring those days had been for him, they'd been nothing compared to the boredom his sisters had felt. Ell, the closest thing to his twin sister, had always been prone to going off gallivanting, and so, a village with a population that grew 5% whenever the family was there... unsurprisingly, didn't have very good transport links. In fact, Jet always found it surprising it had any... a bus that ran twice a day to nearby Cinderford, and only ran in the mornings. It was telling that the village of Ruardean, nearby, was often the start of the siblings adventures, rather than where they actually stopped... ''You're awfully quiet for once, Jet?''

''Huh? Oh, nah, just thinking of my grandparents, and my sister.''

''Strea?''

''Nah, Ell, of my 'twin sisters' as they called us.''

''How were you twins, if there were three of you?'' - Koharu asked.

''We weren't twins, I'm a few weeks older than them, but we spent so much time together, we may as well have been.'' - Koharu looked on quizzically. No matter how she rationalised it, if they were related, there was no way Jet could only have been a few weeks older than them. Something told her Rain had had a similar thought, and gave a Koharu a look to ask whether she thought it sensible to bring up that slight issue. She decided against it, at the moment.

''Sounds like you had some adventures then...'' - Agil, who was slightly ahead of them, said.

''Heh, that's putting it mildly. Ell always loved travelling, and she was a bit of a transport nut. Remember the time we went to Oxford by bus, from rural Gloucestershire... Mom went ballistic at us! 'You're supposed to be the sensible one, why didn't you tell her it was a bit far!' In fairness... that one may have been my idea.'' - Jet looked away and whistled, whilst everyone else rolled their eyes.

Eventually, the group reached the auction hall, and to say the room had an oppressive air to it, was an understatement. It felt as if the room halted when they entered, although Jet put that down to paranoia, rather than reality. Rain was the first to speak up after their entrance, ''It definitely feels intense in here. How many people are actually here?''

Liten, by this time now back in full armour, spoke as she had when they'd met her, ''Seems all of the main members of the DKB and ALS are here.''

''The auction's starting soon, we should probably get into position.'' - Agil told the group.

Up on stage, Kibaou spoke loudly, and riled up the room, ''I promise we'll use the profits the guild raises in this auction ta beat the boss! We won't leave a single Col behind!'' - Some cheering came from the crowd, mostly from the ALS members. ''In other words, bid ta ya heart's content! The more we spend, the sooner we'll beat it!''

''It's kinda refreshing to hear him say that.''

''At first, they'll put up the rare mats and equipment. The ingot will be last.''

''It's all an opener to really make the treasure shine, which means it will show up when the excitement reaches it's peak.''

''Who'd have thought the bard would be interested in auctions?'' - Jet rolled his eyes.

''I am a troubadour, thank you...'' Lueur seemed genuinely offended at Jet's suggestion of his role as a bard, but carried on, regardless, ''I've always enjoyed auctions. I came in to see the buzz that the ingot has generated. Seems fun.''

'' 'Seems fun' huh. You gonna watch till the meeting?''

''Indeed, so I do not miss the budding of the legend that I shall sing about...''

''You're not fighting the boss then?''

''Indeed. I cannot stand on that stage as I currently am. But, if there should be a seat for spectators, I shall gladly go.''

''You've got a way with words... you mean your level's too low, right?''

''Oh no, such hideous words won't do!'' - ''Why am I always the one who gets surrounded by nutters...'' - Jet groaned internally, as he rubbed his head in frustration.

''Oh man, we're mixed up with a real weirdo...'' - Agil muttered, as Jet and Liten both nodded along to the sentiment...

The auction itself was lively, but fairly restrained. The bidding war had so far been contained to only the best of items, and even then, had been relatively civil... although Jet had had to be reminded that they were there for an ingot, not a new coat for him, when a coat with a logo he recognised had appeared - ''And this coat, with a logo of a skull and crossbones, and the lettering of 'VF-84' is up next...'' - Jet's face lit up, as if someone had turned on a light bulb behind his eyes. Koharu, on the other hand, proved slightly more focused on their objective, and shut Jet's glee down in one word ''No.''

''And ready or not, for our final item... a high quality material, forged by an elf artisan! Soul Copper! Starting at 200 Col, do I have 200 Col!''

''200!'' - ''400!'' - ''1000!'' - Shouts came from the audience.

''That's quite a jump...''

''Cause it's a war of attrition. Other players aren't gonna keep quiet.'' - Agil answered, as the price continued to go up...

''80,400!'' - A female player called out.

''It keeps going up... are we gonna be okay?''

''Watch... I'll go soon.''

''148,000! Any more bids!''

''200,000!'' - Agil shouted, a smattering of groans coming from some of the players gathered.

''220,000!'' - The same female player from earlier called out.

''230,000!'' - And with that, the female player sat down, muttering something.

''ALS will take this! 260,000!''

''Oh yeah!? 300,000!'' - A member of the DKB section called out.

''Liten, how much do we actually have?'' - Koharu asked, as Liten quickly checked her Col total. ''440,000. I thought we'd have room to spare if we put together what we've gotten, with what I borrowed... but...''

''This is worse than my parents bidding for my car...'' - Jet remembered that. Why his parents had been so insistent on buying him that Volvo, he would never know... it wasn't like he could drive it either!

''Just watching this is making my heart race...'' - Koharu grabbed Jet's hand, and squeezed as hard as she could. Hard enough that, had the pain limiter not been there, he'd be feeling bones crack...

''The tension's unbearable...'' - Rain looked anxious as the cost carried on rising...

''400,000!''

''410,000!''

''Tryin' to make us lose, huh? 450,000!'' - And with that, every member of the group felt their heart stop momentarily... they'd failed. That was it, there really was nothing they could do anymore. Koharu seemed worst hit by this, as she looked around for something, anything that might allow them to come back into the fray... but no, that really was it for them.

''450,000! Do I have any others?''

''500,000!'' - A familiar voice called out, alongside an even more familiar hood. The sudden appearance seemed to take the ALS member completely by surprise... ''I bid 500,000 Col. I just got here, but we're still bidding, right?''

''I surrender. Dammit.'' - The ALS member dropped, uttering profanities as he went.

''500,000! I hear 500,000! Is that all? Going once! Going twice... sold, to the girl in the hood!'' - Jet couldn't really see much of Asuna's face in that hood, but he was fairly certain she was ecstatic at her timing. The fact she was grinning was a pretty good indicator of that...

As for their group though, everyone felt their hearts restart, and Koharu seemed the happiest by a fair bit, as - much to the knight's surprise - she pulled him into a kiss, which made everyone but those two feel uncomfortable... ''Well...'' - Liten blushed underneath her helmet, whilst Rain looked around, and avoided making visual contact with the kissing couple. ''Young love...'' - Agil quipped, as the pair broke from their kiss. Jet chose then to voice his thoughts, ''Well, umm... wh-what was that for?''- Koharu fidgeted under Jet's gaze, a look which could only be described as happy confusion. ''Heh, I just... umm... please pretend I didn't just do that...'' - Koharu groaned into her hands, as Jet gave her a hug. Rain chose to voice what everyone else was thinking, ''Don't worry... we did.'' - It hadn't escaped Jet's attention that she'd gone almost as red as her hair...

''And thank you to everyone who's attended this auction! If you plan to stay for the boss strategy meeting, it is in two hours, so please meet here if you plan to take part!''

The group walked over to Asuna, who was evidently still processing just how close she'd actually been. ''Asuna!''

''Everyone!''

''Talk about an entrance! 500,000 Col is huge, you must've been running round like mad for that much!'' - Since New Years, Jet and Asuna had agreed a ceasefire. Basically, no being pointlessly bitchy towards each other, and Koharu had seemed particularly pleased at that outcome. Still, to her, it was a little odd to hear Jet actually being complimentary towards Asuna...

''You looked really cool too! Looked like you could keep going!''

''That was all the money I had. Argo told me about the auction, and I had to go all over to collect it. I really don't want to do that again...''

''That's our Asuna! It was a battle you couldn't lose, being Kirito's partner.'' - Liten commented, enthusiastically.

''I didn't do it for Kirito. I wanted to make it clear that no will be hurt in this way.''

''Umm, aren't you... well... broke, now?'' - Rain asked, as Asuna winced slightly.

''I've learned how to grind Col on this floor, so I'll come back after we beat the boss.''

''So, you'll be joining us against the boss, Asuna?'' - Koharu asked.

''I will, yes. Oh, sorry, I forgot to ask... Rain, you're joining us for the floor boss too?''

''Yep! I've had some time to get my... to practice a bit more, and I think I'm ready!'' - Rain skirted around her real reason for her absence.

''What a relief! A boss fight without the lovely fencer lacks the brilliance we are so used to...'' - Lueur made his presence known, as a collective sigh came from behind Asuna.

''Huh?'' - Asuna, on the other hand, just looked bewildered.

''I cannot cross swords with the floor boss, but I shall be wishing you all a safe journey. I shall be off!''

''Who was that?'' - Asuna asked, confused by the verbose redhead.

''A headache in human form.'' - Jet answered, instantaneously.

''I... well, I don't see, but I don't think that's the kind of guy I could see myself being friends with...''

''Who said we were friends with him?'' - Jet answered, nursing his growing headache. Hopefully, that would be the last they saw of Lueur for a very long time... but he also knew that fate had a remarkable way of giving him the middle finger...

''He doesn't seem like a bad person... but he's, umm... quirky.'' - Koharu thought carefully on her wording there. She didn't want to call him weird, or anything particularly insulting, but... quirky, as she'd settled on, was probably the nicest way of putting it...

''Sorry to interrupt, but I have a request for Asuna. The ingot that you just won... can I rent it for two weeks, for 200,000 Col?''

''Oh, for your business, right?''

''The fateful ingot, bought at 500,000 Col! The broker who negotiated to borrow it! Makes me seem like a master, yeah?'' - Agil grandstanded.

''Please don't turn into Lueur.'' - Jet deadpanned, earning a smattering of sniggering off Rain and Liten, whilst Koharu gave him a look...

''I could rent it to you, but 200,000 Col seems a lot... are you sure?''

''Yeah, the point is to draw people in. As far as an initial advertising investment goes, it's actually pretty cheap.''

''Oh, that reminds me! I should give you all back the money we didn't use!'' - The trade requests went out to each member of the group, and each accepted it quickly.

''We've got some time yet before the meeting, and I don't know about you, but I could with some fresh air...''

''Agreed, I think we could all do with a breather after that one. Plus, you know, lunch.''

Outside of the hall, Jet went into his inventory, and pulled out three parcels of food. Needless to say, that minor oversight left two rather unhappy people

''Where's ours!''

''Uhh... I kind of forgot to make them. I should have some spare sandwiches in here, somewhere...'' - He fumbled in his inventory, before pulling out two more parcels. ''Ah! Knew I'd got them in here somewhere!''

''It's toast.''

''We were in a rush this morning...'' - Jet rolled his eyes, biting into his toast, before noticing that Koharu was staring off into space again. ''Koharu?'' - He asked.

''Huh? Oh, sorry, did I miss something?''

''Nah, just wondering what's on your mind, that's all.''

Koharu pointed to the tower on the horizon, the labyrinth that held the Seventh Floor boss, which loomed ominously over the withered woodlands that they sat in. ''The labyrinth, that's where we're going, right?''

''Anxious?''

''A little bit, yeah.'' - Jet placed a hand on her shoulder, and spoke his mind, ''Not to blow our own trumpets, but as long as we've got skilled players like us, and some sense of unity between us, we'll be able to handle it...''

Two hours later...

After Jet's display of tempting fate, it was perhaps unsurprising that the only 'unity' to be found, was the cupboard behind them which admittedly, did look a bit unity. Rain held her head to her hands, and sighed. She honestly wondered whether many of them cared to be free, or were so blinded by their pettiness, that they were willing to damn everyone else, just for bragging rights... ''Me and my big mouth.'' - Jet muttered, as shouting came from all angles, and all of the group looked rather annoyed at just how close to schoolchildren the frontliners were... no, actually, that was an affront to schoolchildren. They actually can work together some of the time...

So far, the only thing that had actually been discussed, other than the stupid disagreement over who should be in charge for this one, was that the boss could regenerate lost health, and after a certain threshold was reached, it could render itself functionally invincible, a trick which could be nullified by using the Extinguishing Crystals that Jet's group, and Asuna had gathered. Other than that, it was a lot of pointless bickering... ironic really, given the suggestion that coordination would be needed for this one...

A voice that Jet recognised piped up - ''You don't have to listen to them, Kibaou! The beater's lackey was the one who got that ingot, and there's no way she could've gotten 500k Col on her own... she must be working with DKB!''

Scandalised, Asuna spoke up to defend herself, ''Excuse you?!''... not that the pathetic idiot listened.

''That ingot's helpful for boss fights, isn't it? Now that I think about it, pretty suspicious that the Beater insisted it was just a hunk of metal, and that she has nothing to do with him...'' - the idiot continued along his own hare-brained conspiratorial tracks, whilst Asuna began to get increasingly angry. Liten tried to step in, but was quickly ignored by the idiot, and now, a member of the DKB who'd spoke up - ''At this rate, the boss won't have to kill us. This lot'll have done it themselves!'' - Jet's inner monologue groaned.

''Leader! We've got something to say about the Beater! We saw Kibaou secretly talking to the Beater!'' - The trio all instantly knew what was being referred to, and decided that, for everyone's sake, keeping sht'um was the best idea. ''Maybe ALS are the ones planning to use numbers to take us over!''

''That's completely baseless! If you're gonna 'ccuse us, we're gonna fight on our own!'' - Had Kibaou been any angrier, Jet was fairly certain that jets of steam would visible from the ALS leader's ears. Despite Liten doing her best to try and calm the situation down, it seemed to be on an inevitable crash course...

''(sighs) Kirito gives up the ingot, and they're still gonna scrap...'' - Agil looked towards the group in disappointment.

''What do we do... at this rate, we're gonna...''

''Children, the lot of them. Zhalkiye deti, chego oni ne ponimayut!'' - Rain looked at breaking point, an odd sight for the group. In the time they'd known her, she'd always been relatively civil, if a bit distant at times, but now...

''Uhh, Rain, what does that mean?''

''LISTEN, ALL OF YOU!'' - Rain yelled at the top of her voice, earning the attention of everyone in the room. ''Thank you,'' she uttered exasperatedly. ''If you truly are the best we can offer towards defeating this game, then perhaps we should stop deluding ourselves that we will ever return! You are less than useless if all you continue to do is bicker like the children in the orphanage! If what is needed is coordination, then we will attack the boss by ourselves!''

''We?'' - Jet asked, seriously hoping Rain wasn't doing what he thought she was doing...

''Between Jet, Koharu, Agil, Asuna and I, along with other helpers...'' - Jet opened his menu, and typed a group message to Fuurinkazan, ready to send, should it be needed...

''She's right. All of my guild members will join in.'' - Agil spoke up.

''Shut it, outsider!'' - An ALS member yelled.

''You can shut it too! This has as much to do with us as it does you!'' - Jet yelled back at the ALS member.

''Yeah, this isn't any to do with you, this is guild matter!''

Lind, evidently beginning to suffer a headache, spoke up to allow something resembling a civil conversation... or at least a quieter one, to restart, ''Jet is right. This is an open meeting, let us hear what they have to say...''

''Thank you. I don't belong to any guild, and in fact, I've only been on the frontlines briefly, so this is my first time in one of these meetings... but I am not an outsider. I am here as a player of SAO, and I believe it important that you should realise something, that people on the lowest floors look up to you. The children want to be like the heroes on the frontlines... can you imagine what they would feel if they saw you all like this? How ashamed would they be to have ever looked up to you...'' - Those comments hadn't even been aimed towards their group, but damn, Rain really was going for the jugular with this, Jet thought... ''But I suggest you all take a long, hard look at yourselves, and what goals you have... and if you do decide to focus on your own image, rather than helping fight for those who cannot, then I suggest you leave the boss fights to those who will fight for those people... I have said all I wished to say. Thank you for listening.'' - Rain walked back over to Jet and Koharu, both of whom were wide eyed at the speech.

''Hmph, I never thought about anything other than beating the boss...'' - Kibaou grumbled, but he accepted Rain's point. Perhaps some elements of the ALS did have an issue with protecting their reputation, rather than focusing on actually clearing the death game. Other parts, he wondered if they were actively trying to sabotage their efforts, or whether that was just a side effect of their pig headedness...

Lind seemed equally shook up by the speech, and for once, agreed with Kibaou, ''You are right. We should be focusing on fighting the boss, not verbally assaulting each other...''

The acceptance of that truth convinced Agil that the meeting was cooling down enough for him to offer a proposal, ''Well, now you've cooled off a little bit, I have a proposal. Jet was the one who got the boss info this time, and an item for beating it, as a bonus. I wasn't there on the Sixth Floor, but I believe it would've been considerably harder, had those two not been present, so, considering that... would it make the most sense to allow Jet to act as leader, for this raid?''

''Pardon?!'' - Jet realised exactly what had just been said, and to say he wasn't happy about being volunteered for the role was an understatement.

''Don't think about it so hard, and just go on as you have. Remember what you told us at Christmas?'' - Agil reminded Jet about the night before Christmas.

''I wasn't a leader... I taught people how to fly and fight more intelligently...''

''Which involved a degree of leadership, right?'' - Koharu asked.

''I mean, yeah it did, but...'' - Jet rebuked, ineffectively.

''We can't be doing this as we normally have, wit' our main forces divided. They ain't as good as us-'' - ''Hey!'' - ''- but bein' managed by a neutral party could be for the best...'' - Kibaou agreed, reluctantly.

''Agreed. Now is not a situation where we can kick up a fuss about who we're picking to lead us.'' - What went unsaid is that that had been exactly what they'd been doing less than ten minutes ago... ''There aren't many neutral parties that we can depend on in a fight.''

''Right then, wi' that settled... how 'bout we go back to the start, and ya explain the plan to the raid leaders.''

''Okay then, everyone settle down please.'' - The muttering subsided, as Jet carried on - ''Good. What we know about this boss is this - it has regenerating health, which will mean we will all have to coordinate ourselves to the best of our abilities. However, even once we overcome that hurdle, another is in our way... the boss can, uhh, I guess the words for it are probably 'become invincible'. That, is where the two Extinguishing Crystals will come into play. At that point, I shall use the Crystal to seal that status effect, and we can close in for the final kill. I'm aware that plan sounds rather simple, but I feel that leaving formations and the like up to the raid leaders is far more productive than my interference there. Any questions?''

The rest of the meeting had progressed relatively well, and there were no more close calls, an achievement given who was leading it, really. Surprisingly, almost everyone had taken to the slightly hands off style of leading that Jet had demonstrated, and the meeting had ended, with it being decided that the rest of the day would be spent getting everyone's equipment up to snuff, and that tomorrow would be the day of the boss battle...

Liten was the first to speak as they left the hall, ''I was worried for a bit, but I'm glad it's all ended up well, you did well, all of you... especially you Rain, that was the most passionate speech I've ever seen!''

''I couldn't stand it any longer, they were acting like children... someone needed to tell them!''

''You blasted them! I wish Kirito had been there to see the look on their faces!''

''Speaking of him... where is he?''

''He's on some sort of quest. Apparently there was a quest on this floor that no one was able to beat in the beta. Might've been just the thing to distract him.''

''Sounds about right. Well, we all need to head to Volupta, so... should we be off?''

''Yep!'' - Koharu turned to Liten, who was busy looking at her messages, ''Liten?''

''Huh, oh, you guys go on ahead, I've got to meet someone from the DKB here. I'll see you tomorrow!''

''Oh, Liten, forgot about these earlier, have them. Call it thanks for earlier.'' - Jet handed her a small box of cakes, ''Plus, you and your friend have some actually decent food...''

''You made them, didn't you?'' - Rain deadpanned.

''Well, cupcakes don't grow on stems now, do they?'', Jet smirked, and mimed a salute to Liten as they headed off, the armoured girl waving back.

''A meeting, huh? Warms the heart, for sure...'' - Agil spoke, knowingly...

''Agil! It's not good to pry!'' - Asuna scolded the axe wielder.

''Oh, it's like that...'' - Jet continued to smirk slightly, ''Guess those cakes will come in handy then...''

''It's really cute, it's like Romeo and Juliet!'' - Koharu beamed. Jet wondered if she actually knew half of that story.

''I really hope not, Koharu... that would be one hell of a downer...'' - Jet remembered studying that particular text in Y9 English, and being thoroughly depressed by the end of it...

''Okay! Okay! That's as far as we're going to pry into a girl's private life!'', Asuna scolded the group, ''Let's focus on the task at hand! Rain and I will hit and run, Agil, you'll be our tank, and you two, you'll be our main attackers.''

''As long as we can keep it's attention split, it shouldn't have a chance to regenerate, so leave that part to us.''

''Just, be careful, right?'', Jet said, ''Last thing we need is our swordmaster getting taken out of the fight.''

''I'll be as careful as I can. The same applies to you two, too. Don't overdo it!''

The next morning, Floor 7, Volupta

Jet idly wondered which god he'd peed off for him to be suffering this hell. Waking up at six for school was bad enough, but waking up at half five to be prepared for the boss fight, really was hell. Even Koharu, the early riser she was, was struggling to wake up quite this early. Hell, even when he'd done this to go on trips with his sisters, he'd usually been able to sleep on the bus... but that really wasn't an option here, and so he'd have to power through it...

''Morning!'' - How Rain was quite this chipper at 6am, Jet would never understand.

''(yawns) Morning...'' - Jet replied, with no light in his eyes whatsoever.

''You look exhausted...'' - The redhead stated.

''Just not quite awake yet, I'll be fine.''

The few hours before the assault force met up had passed, Jet had made a morning batch of coffee and food, and everyone had turned up at the town's plaza...

''Okay, the plan's the same as yesterday - split into four groups - Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and work together to bring down the boss. Everyone still okay with the plan?'', Jet asked, as everyone replied in the affirmative. ''Good, then we've got a brief walk to the labyrinth, and we should be there by lunchtime. Move out!''

The walk itself had proven uneventful, and the push through the labyrinth, Jet's first real test as leader, had shown that he was a reasonable commander, if still learning the ropes a little, Asuna stepping in where Jet struggled. Much as he'd panned the girl earlier, she was a far superior leader, and he wondered why she wasn't in charge... oh right, they all thought of her as the ''beater's lackey''. God, he'd be glad when they passed the tenth floor, and the whole beta tester crap died down.

''Alright, we're approaching the boss chamber. Status check?''

''ALS are in good condition.''

''DKB, we're ready to go!'' - Even with their lives on the line, Jet found it ridiculous that they were still fighting to be seen as the best, even if it was only in his eyes.

''Okay, we're all clear. Remember the strategy, everyone. Follow your raid leader's instructions, and you'll make it through. Any questions?'', None were fielded, ''In which case, best of luck everyone, and... ALLONS-Y!'', Jet called out as he went to open the door to the chamber... only to find it beginning to open, before his hand even reached the switch. ''Did the door just open of it's own accord? That's new...'', Jet thought to himself, before getting his head back in it's required space for the fight, as shouts from the raid groups filled the chamber...

Their opponent stood in the middle of the room - Thor, the Annoying Troll. A ten foot tall troll, with skin a shade of camouflage green, and covered in bony armour, towered over them, it's club, almost certainly a former tree trunk, slamming into the ground around it, its spikes leaving indents in the ground around it. Needless to say, a direct hit from that thing would spell death for the unlucky target...

The raid groups began their attacks - Alpha, led by Kibaou, taking the lead and whittling into the behemoth's health bars, bringing it down to it's third health bar. The troll, evidently annoyed by the strikes on it, decided to try and take the problem out, the only way it knew how - with extreme violence. It's club slammed straight into the ground, missing everyone, but rather than being raised, the club's spikes began to extend into the ground... ''Alpha, get out of there!'' - Jet shouted, as the raid group evaded the rising spikes... just. ''Bravo, begin your attacks!''

''We shall!''

Some time later, and a fair few group switches later, the assault force had bought the Annoying Troll's health down to it's last slither, of it's last health bar, and said troll had ceased moving... meaning it was about to become invincible...

''Jet!''

''On it!'' - Jet raised his Extinguishing Crystal to the sky, and a light flashed... followed by a growling from the downed troll. ''Crap! It didn't work!''

RRRRAAAAAAWWWWWW, called out the troll, as it began to stand back up, it's health rising again, slowly, but surely. As it did, one of the DKB teams raced out to down the boss again, but soon found themselves in trouble, as the boss slammed it's club against the floor, knocking them to the ground. ''Damn it, they broke formation! If it tries again...''

''Tanks, move in to protect that lot. Asuna, ready with your crystal!'', Asuna nodded, and Liten raced into the fight to protect the downed members of the DKB. ''Jet, try to rally everyone!''

''Everyone, heal whilst we've got a reprieve!'', Jet called out, not that their current situation could really be called a reprieve...

''All healed units, back the leader and the tanks!'', Lind called out from his position. A plan came into Jet's head, and he made a quick hand gesture to Rain and Koharu, who understood it. ''All shock units, we're moving in! Stay behind me!'' - Jet raced off, readying his shield in front of him. Rain took up the position behind him, having finally bought her twin blades into the fight, whilst Koharu followed her. If Jet was correct, then the troll was about to... ''HALT! NOW!'' - Jet stopped, and dropped to one knee, bringing his shield up in front of the whole group. THUDDD! The club made contact with the ground, and Jet hoped he was right...

The shockwave slammed into Jet's shield, being deflected around it's sides, as he pushed as hard as humanly possible to stay upright. By luck, he managed it, and the rest of the shock group ripped into the troll, bringing it's health down to zero, the troll collapsing once again... ''Shock unit, keep hitting it! Everyone else, cover Asuna!''

Asuna raised her crystal skywards, and the light almost blinded her. The boss cried out once again, but this time, it screamed in agony, as the shock unit continued their assault on it, even in it's dying throes...

SSHINNNKK. Thor the Annoying Troll, the first of probably a few enemies with healing, was dead. He was, to quote a famous sketch, an ex-troll. He was no longer pining for the fjords...

''We made it... somehow. That almost gave me a heart attack!''

''We did... how's Liten doing after all of that?'', Rain looked over, as saw her fist bumping a swordsman from the DKB group, Shivata, if she'd remembered the names correctly.

''I think she'll be more than fine...'' - Jet gave a slight laugh, as he walked back over to the group.

''Don't tease her! She was fighting really hard, so I'm glad she's all right!'', Koharu seemed happy, despite how fierce the battle had been.

''She did well... as did you, Jet. Good thinking with the shield charge, by the way.'' - Agil told the knight, who seemed to flush under the praise... ''Yeah, well, it was just a hunch. I kind of hoped that putting something in it's way would stop it from hitting everyone else, and you know...''

''Ya really need to learn ta take the praise, kid. Ya did well, by tha way, if it hadn't bin fer ya quick thinkin', it'd have got messy out there! ALS wanna thank ya for it, actually, nah. Yer whole little group deserve the praise, really. If it hadn't been fer yer friend's speech, we'd all have still bin bickerin' now, so yeah, not sure we can formally reward ya tho'. The guild probably wouldn't agree ta that, but ya do deserve it!'' - Jet gave the most earnest smile he could, despite his mind not working properly, at the revelation that Kibaou could, in fact, show gratitude...

''I believe the same goes for the DKB. Thank you, all of you.'' - Lind stated, in his usual formal way, as the two guild leaders returned to their respective groups. Jet laughed slightly into his hands, as he tried to process what had just happened. Unsurprisingly, the conversation amongst both returning guilds soon turned to their intelligence gathering abilities, and Jet admitted that he definitely didn't envy either leader on that front...

''Well, now that's over... I'm gonna head back to Volupta. See about putting that ingot on display. Hope I'll see you three soon?''

''Remember our deal, 25% off?''

''We'll talk about that one we reach it...'' - With that ominous statement, Agil left the chamber, leaving just Jet, Koharu, Rain and Asuna stood there.

''And suddenly, everyone's gone...'' - Koharu noted, looking around the empty boss chamber.

''Probably an after effect of the auction. Everyone bought good gear, but it was all new, and none was heavily upgraded... I'd bet that most want to put their Col into upgrading it.''

''I can understand that... oh! A message from Liten! 'Good work today! You guys all did great, and I'm so glad we beat it safely! Sorry I couldn't stick around, but I had to go help prepare the ALS afterparty. Let's meet up later! P.S. Thank Jet for the cakes, they were amazing!' - Jet grinned, evidently proud of himself for reasons other than his leadership... ''She's really considerate, but she worked so hard, risked her own life... maybe if we'd had everyone with us, there'd have been fewer risks.''

''Perhaps, but you've met Strea. She's my sister, but she's... not the easiest to co-ordinate with.'' - Jet pointed out.

''I agree, it's dangerous to think that we need them for every fight. There will come a point when we have to rely on ourselves to get out of a situation, with little to no assistance. We have to become as strong, or stronger than them, and we have to protect everyone's lives, as well as our own.'' - Asuna began to head back towards the door, but turned back to speak one last time, ''But, I'll be off for now. Need to find my errant partner...''

''I might have some competition soon then...'' - A familiar voice came out of nowhere. ''Sorry to startle you, but... I don't think you have to worry about becoming as strong as me. I think you may be closer than you all think...'' - Kirito uncloaked himself, earning looks of complete confusion from the trio.

''Where... how have you been hiding from us?!'', Jet asked, whilst the girls nodded in agreement.

''That's a funny story. Good job on the boss though! And you thought you couldn't lead...''

''Hang on... did you open the door earlier?''

''Ah, yeah, sorry about the fright. I should explain, I've been watching the boss using a skill called Full Transparency. I was ready to pop out if you guys were in trouble, but you had it under control at every step.''

''Wait, Full Transparency? So that means you can turn invisible? Where did you even get that?!'', Rain asked in surprise... and definitely not because she secretly wanted a skill like that!

''It was a quest reward. Well, one of the quests on this floor is one with super tough requirements to even accept, never mind clear, and you can only try it once.''

''That's the quest Asuna was on about earlier, right? The mythical one that no beta tester was able to clear?'' - Jet asked.

''I wouldn't say mythical, but yeah, that's the one. If you clear it, you automatically get the status Full Transparency. But, if you break the rules of the quest, even slightly, it gets removed. You can talk, and carry items, but you can't attack with weapons, or take any damage. You can't move objects, other than doors either. You can go where you like without being noticed by monsters, but it means you can't do stuff like use skills, or open chests... It's kind of tough to use.''

''Sounds like a reasonable trade off to me. You become a ghost, but every rule that applies to ghosts applies to you too.'' - Jet wondered idly if the one about sunlight applied too... but then realised this was Kirito he was talking to, so that probably applied even without the status effect. The guy was paler than he was, and he at least had the excuse of being ginger!

''I suppose so, but Argo's made a face, and said we can't put it in the guidebook.''

''Why?'' - Koharu asked.

''Uhh, Koharu, we already have a problem with paparazzi, you really want to add the possibility of them being invisible into the mix?'' - Jet pointed out. Koharu shuddered at the thought, and understood Argo's reasoning there.

''We do?'' - Kirito asked, confused at the notion of paparazzi in Aincrad...

''Yeah, we do. Apparently, people have been going round taking photos of these two.'' - Rain stated.

''That's unsettling... I'll let Argo know.'' - Kirito's concern was welcome, but Argo was already looking into it, Jet hoped.

''She already knows, I messaged her a few days back. She said she'll look into it for us.''

''Ah, that's a relief. Oh, on that note... Rain, I'm not making it up, I don't think, but did I see you wielding two swords at one point?''

''Heh, yeah, that's kind of... a trick I learnt. I can tell you if you want, but I'd rather Argo not plaster it everywhere...''

''Understandable, and yeah, even if it's just something I know, every little helps, right? Oh, and can you three not tell Asuna we had this chat, she... uhh, doesn't know I was here.''

''Our lips are sealed.'' Jet mimed a zip over his mouth, before smiling and nodding.

''Oh, you two.'' - Rain turned back to them, ''I've got to go back to the orphanage, I kind of didn't tell them where I was going, and they're worried about me. I'll tell them I'll be with you two from now on, so... I'll meet you tomorrow, in the main town on the next floor, okay?'' Rain asked.

''Be safe, Rain. Dosvedanya.'' - Jet mimed a salute, as the other two walked off.

''Dosvedanya, you two!'', and with that, the trio were down to a pair for the next day...

Koharu giggled to herself, as Jet thought about what exactly she was planning... and whether he wanted the plausible deniability of not asking about it. He decided against that, and asked her anyway, ''So, what's the giggling for?''

''Oh, nothing, it's just sweet how Kirito was so worried about Asuna that he was watching over her...'' - Koharu smirked.

''I'm not sure I'd call that sweet, but I suppose it shows he cares...'' Jet thought aloud.

''Aww, you wouldn't do that for me?'' - She teased, Jet simply shrugging his shoulders.

''To quote Meatloaf... I'd do anything for love, but I won't do that. Bit too stalker-y for my liking.''

''So, what do you think the next floor is gonna be?'' - Koharu asked.

''No idea. Want to go and find out?'' - Jet grinned.

Koharu tapped her finger on her lips, and smirked towards Jet, ''I think I do!''

{Author's Comments}

Slight change of plan with this chapter. This was originally going to be two chapters - Chapter 3, and the Boss chapter. Both ended up being a bit short for my liking, so I've put them together into this one.

Anyway, one more floor complete, and we're starting to move into territory where I'm using the game for reference far less. Next floor especially, will basically be a completely original story, with only a small amount of the game's plot involved.

As always, leave a review or send a PM, if you've got any comments for me, or leave a like, favourite, follow etc, if you're enjoying the story!

Signing off, Midland 2541.

Chapter Text

Floor 8 - Chapter 1 - Snowbound

January 7th, 2023 - Floor 8, around a mile from the Teleport Gate

For Jet, the Eighth Floor made him feel something he hadn't felt since he was a child. A sense of wonder at what he saw, as the light glistened off the snow, and what he felt, as the snow parted under foot. It almost took him back to his first holiday abroad, back when he was four. That also being said, he preferred not to remember that trip in parts. Mainly the bit where their plane had to land just a little earlier than planned... in England. Not exactly the Alps, was London Heathrow...

His girlfriend, on the other hand, was having a very different experience... ''I-it's f-freezing o-out h-h-here...'' - The icicle - formerly known as Koharu - muttered, making her current disdain for her unusually wide eyed boyfriend evident, especially since he was wrapped up well, whilst she just wasn't.

''I did tell you 'one of the days, you should get some cold weather gear, never know when you'll need it...', but nope.'' - Sometimes, she could slap him, especially for the smug look he inevitably had under that scarf he now wore. - ''Tell you what, how's that upgraded skirt holding up?'' - Correction, she will slap him, and it would be today.

''I-it h-had bu-better st-tats! Th-hat wu-was important!'' - She rebuked, rubbing her legs to try and warm up as best she could. It wasn't particularly effective.

''Nice and warm, then?''

''E-eff y-you...''

''Love you too, sweetie.'' - Jet smirked, an expression invisible under his scarf, before continuing on ahead of his frozen girlfriend. If he stopped to look back, he'd have noticed her blushing furiously... probably the only blood flow she still maintained in this cold. He took a quick look around for any cover they could use. As beautiful as this floor was, it was bloody freezing, and there really was only so much that could be taken before both of them developed an ailment known as Frostbite, and neither particularly wanted to discover how much that affected them. He looked back to Koharu, who looked incredibly unsteady on her feet, and went back to her. ''You really aren't coping here, are you?''

''I-i'm fu-fine... acchhhOOO!'' - Jet thanked a god he didn't believe in for SAO not modelling spit all that well, after his girlfriend just managed to sneeze on him - ''S-sorry.''

Jet just sighed, and quickly opened his inventory, and pulled out a maroon coat, and a black pair of long trousers, neatly folded, before holding them out to Koharu, which popped up a menu -

TRADE REQUEST:
From: JET

ITEMS:
[Winter Coat]
[Raging Bull Trousers]

[ACCEPT] [DECLINE]

Without thinking, Koharu accepted the request and wobbled off behind a rock to change. One of the many quirks of SAO was to do with it's clothing system, which meant that clothing would scale to fit it's user, meaning that the usual awkwardness that would be associated with the 5ft 2in Koharu wearing clothes that were almost certainly meant for a 6ft Jet, usually wasn't a major issue.

After a brief flash of light - a sight that Jet definitely thought impressive against the snow, and polished icicles - Koharu stepped out from the rock, and looked just a little more stable on her feet, though not by much. ''Better?''

''A little bit. Still freezing though...''

''Join the club. And here's 12 year old me thinking the Beast from the East would be the worst snowstorm ever...'' - Jet rolled his eyes at his younger self's naivety, whilst Koharu suppressed a giggle.

''We could do with finding shelter, really... how far's the nearest town?''

''About half a mile away, to our north... which begs the next question...''

''Which way is north?''

''Yeah... I kinda forgot to buy a compass.''

''Well, we're gonna have to-''-CLANG! shhhiiiinnK! - Koharu was interrupted by the clashing of blades, somewhere in the distance. Something about the expression on Jet's face told her that he'd noticed it too.

''You heard that too, right?'' - He asked, listening out for any more noise, only hearing a faint scream of metal clashing, and a small murmur in the distance. The noise was coming from their 2 o'clock, and not too far ahead of them, though in the current conditions, that was still a fair way away.

''Yeah, we should go help, right?''

''Could be a trap?''

''Could be people in danger though...''

''Yeah, we should at least investigate.'' - It was a good job neither Asuna nor Kirito were here, else they'd both be telling Koharu she was far too kind for her own good, charging headfirst into danger, without so much as second guessing the circumstances around it...

If Mito had any regrets in life, it was that she'd only now ceased to be a coward. Had she stayed with Asuna on the first floor, maybe things would be different. Maybe she wouldn't be constantly thinking about how it had been her cowardice that had doomed someone completely unused to this world, and how, rather than teaching her, she'd fled in the dark of night. How she wouldn't have had to go orange, in order to save her own skin... and how she'd be enjoying this far more, if it weren't so damned cold! Worse still, the cold was beginning to get to her, her movements becoming slower, as the Frostbite ailment set in, and whittled away her HP just as fast as any mob, and in that moment, a funny thought came to mind - possibly bought on by hypothermia - the Grim Reaper of Aincrad, as she'd been named by that bastard, was protecting a child from a fast approaching demise. ''How ironic is that...''

That's not a small number of mobs, and there's quite a small number of us. - Jet thought, as he looked ahead, and thought of a plan. If he could drag the mobs into a slugging battle, his shield would hold them back somewhat, and allow the other three to bring the mobs down. It wasn't a solid plan, but he didn't really have time to think of a better one - ''Ko, you ready?''

''As I'll ever be, let's go!''

''I'll take the scythe girl, you get the lass with the dragon.''

''On it.''

''HEY! YOU NEED HELP?!'' - A simple nod did the trick, and the couple raced in - Jet using his shield to tackle his way through a number of the penguin mobs, whilst Koharu used her agility to flank the yeti mobs, and whittle them down bit by bit.

''Thanks... I'm sorry we even had to ask for help in the first place. I should've been more careful.''

''No problem, we needed to get the hang of fighting in the snow anyway.'' - Jet replied, nonplussed about it. Everyone made mistakes, after all, and he'd made more than a few...

''Huh, didn't look like it.'' - The lilac haired girl commented.

''You need an escort back to the nearest town, or...''

''Umm, Silica here might, but I'm fine, I- uhh, I quite like it out here.'' - Jet, Koharu, and the young girl, Silica, all raised their eyebrows at that.

''Oh, we never did get your name?''

''Umm, Mito. I'll be fine, don't worry about me.'' - The purple reaper headed off into the blizzard, and left all three of them stood there.

''Well, she was...'' - Koharu tried to find the words to describe the new girl, Mito. She wasn't doing too well at that...

''Hiding something.'' - Jet answered.

''Thank you for saving us, umm...''

''Oh, manners. I'm Koharu, that's Jet.'' - Jet just mimed a salute - ''You're Silica, right?''

''Yes, how did you know?'' - The young girl asked.

''Umm, Mito just called you Silica, so we kind of guessed that was you...''

''So, Silica, what led you out... here?'' - Jet asked, as a mob landed atop his shield - ''Skrawww!''

''Umm, hello?'' - Jet asked the small dragon.

''Chirrp. Chirrp.'' - The little dragon cocked it's head curiously, as Jet began to pet it. Thankfully, this one couldn't drag him along with it... so no more bathing incidents, he hoped.

''Aww, they're pretty cute... and fluffy.''

''You are not calling this one 'Fluffy', Jet. Not again...'' - Jet pouted, though this was hidden by his scarf.

''Oh, that's Pina! She's my companion.''

''Huh, I didn't know players could tame animals in SAO?'' - Jet continued petting Pina, whilst Koharu talked with Silica, as they headed into the nearby town.

''I didn't either, I ran into her while I was trekking through a forest, and gave her some peanuts, and now... I think the game calls them familiars, but Pina helps me out while I'm questing!''

''She's adorable!'' - Jet couldn't work out whether Koharu meant that about Pina or Silica. Knowing his girlfriend, it could have been either. ''Can I pet her?'' - Pina it was, then.

''Of course! She likes it when you stroke her back, like that.'' - Silica demonstrated, as the feathered dragon chirped happily. Koharu followed, and the dragon chirped gleefully again.

''She's so fluffy! It's like petting a cat!'' - To anyone looking, Jet raised an eyebrow. What they couldn't see, was how big his smirk was under the scarf. ''Thank you Pina, thank you for letting me pet you!''

''She's got this habit of running from people she doesn't like, so for her to let you two pet her like that, she must really like you! Umm, sorry to ask, but... uhh, you're okay with me coming with you for a while? I know I'm not very strong, or...''

''We're fine with having you here, Silica. Besides, we offered to take you the nearest town, right?''

''Yeah, thank you for that!''

''No problem, not gonna leave someone wandering aimlessly in the snow now... don't suppose you've got a compass on you, have you?'' - Jet asked, trying to hide his own error in not bringing one. ''Uhh, no, why?'' Silica asked, as Jet slapped his face and groaned.

''He forgot to buy one for us, and so...''

''Chirp! Chirp!''

''I think Pina sees it!'' - Silica jumped up and down trying to see what her feathered friend could see. Even at nearly two foot above Silica, Jet still couldn't see much, other than the faintest sight of a spire in the distance. ''I think I see a spire...'' - Jet mumbled, as Koharu began clambering on him... ''Oi, you wanted a lift, just ask for it!''

''Lift please.'' - With Koharu now on his shoulders, they could just about see the town, and set off... but not before Jet had put Koharu down again.

''Aww, I was enjoying the view...'' - Koharu pouted, as she made contact with the snow.

''You would've been when both of us fell flat on our faces, because I lost my balance!'' - Jet retorted.

''Anyway, Silica? What weapon do you use?''

''Oh, I use a dagger. I chose it because it's light, and easy to use, but I didn't realise how hard it would make fighting solo.'' Jet winced, realising just how slow fighting mobs with a dagger would actually be, as Silica continued, ''It's thanks to Pina that I've actually managed to complete most of the quests I took on!'' Silica began petting Pina, who chirped happily.

Koharu put on an impression, and attempted to mimic Argo, ''Daggers are speedy an' versatile, but they make ya more easy to target. A dagger wielder can help out any party!'', after the quote, she swapped back to her normal voice, ''Or at least, that's what Argo says. They're good for defeating enemies in quick, short bouts, but...'', Jet gave his girlfriend a knowing smirk, and mimed wiping a tear from his eye... ''Jet?''

''I'm so proud of you...'', Jet teased, ''Look at you, a proper gamer now...''

''We've made it to the eighth floor already! It's only natural that I'd know that much!'' - Koharu responded, indignantly huffing towards the knight. ''Like I was saying, as far as battle strategy goes, I'd suggest Jet and I go upfront, with you and Pina supporting us from behind.''

''That sounds good to me! We'll have your backs!''

''Well, with that settled, should we go?''

''Yeah!''

The group continued walking for a while, before Silica and Pina had gone to walk at a frozen waterfall. Jet looked over to see Koharu, smiling towards the young girl, and then towards Jet, who'd ditched the scarf, as they approached the town, and the area warmed up slightly. ''She sure is lively, and not to mention cute... I'd guess she's about Mater's age, right?''

''Koharu, I mean this in a really nice way, but you are such a big sister...''

''I don't understand?'' - Koharu asked, confused at the statement.

''Just, the way you act towards Silica and Mater, and every other child we've come across. It's a good thing, don't get me wrong, but...''

''Oh, yeah, that...'' - Koharu suddenly looked down, saddened. Jet noticed the change in demeanour, and decided not to pry further at the moment. As he did that, Silica called over for their attention, having found something...

''We're coming!'' - Koharu called back, as she went on ahead, without saying anything to Jet. Jet looked back towards her, and sighed. Koharu only ever went silent when she was upset, so trust him to put his foot in it...

Arriving in the town, the first thing that was noticed was that the town definitely didn't fit in the environment it was in. It was clean, and most importantly, it was warm... which meant Jet, who was clad in winter gear, was absolutely boiling. Koharu, who had lighter gear on, was still warm, but nowhere near to the same level.

''Whoa...''

''No kidding...''

''It's like something out of a fairy tale! It's so warm and toasty here in the town too! I bet it'd be fun to live here!'' - Silica was practically jumping up and down in excitement, and it was a sight that warmed both Jet's heart, and his head, which definitely didn't need warming anymore. ''Wow! It's one of those automaton clocks! I've seen something similar before, but it wasn't as pretty as that one!''

''Let's go and have a look, shall we?'' - Koharu and Silica wandered off towards the big clock, whilst Pina had decided to make a nest on Jet's shoulder. ''Chirp.''

''You said it, Pina.'' - If what the dragon had said was 'you've screwed up, and now she's upset with you.' then yes, Pina had said it.

''Hey!'' A mid level player came up to Jet, and started making conversation with him, ''You've got a familiar! That's so cool! How'd you get it?''

''I... uhh, I didn't. It's not mine, she's a friend's. Just seems to like my shoulder for some reason.''

''I've never seen someone tame a dragon before! Uhh, can you ask your friend if I can pet her?''

''Uhh, she's- ah never mind, she's back.'' - Jet really wished he'd just walked off, as the player practically ran up to Silica, and started pestering her about petting Pina. Silica, being evidently not great at social stuff, was clearly uncomfortable at the barrage of questions from the player, and Jet moved to shoo them off. ''Okay mate, she's answered your question, and you're clearly making her nervous, could you, you know, back off a little?''

''And who are you then, her father or her brother? Or just some white knight...''

''Okay, I was gonna be civil, but if you want to trade barbs, go ahead...'' - Jet gave an unsettling smirk, and watched as the player backed off, before making a hasty exit. ''Thank god that worked.'' Jet rolled his eyes, before checking on Silica, ''Silica, you alright?''

''Uh, yeah, thank you! I-'' - As the young dragon tamer spoke up, another player, a woman this time, came up to the group. Jet and Koharu gave each other a grim look, with both seemingly recognising that something wasn't right... '' Oh. My. Gosh... That little dragon is just the cutest! It's a familiar, right?'' - The woman began to crowd around Silica, and kept moving around her, almost as if she was sizing her up.

''Y-yes?'' - The young dragon tamer looked over towards Jet and Koharu, both of whom were quickly thinking of a way to polite tell this woman to buzz off...

''Spill the beans! How do I trigger an event to get my own familiar? I read the Rat's guide, and not a thing in there!''

''S-sorry, I don't actually know how...''

''Don't bother with her, she doesn't know anything. I already asked her.'' - The same jackass from just had found his way over, and joy of joys, he'd bought a friend... ''Hey, cut it out! Sorry about him, but how about this? You can tell us some more about your pet over dinner! Our treat!'' - the new one asked, a funny look in his eye that Jet couldn't pin down...

''Harassing a young child, do you three truly have no shame?'' - A familiar voice bellowed, accompanied by an unfamiliar appearance. The three troublemakers, on the other hand, pushed past the newcomer, mumbling as they went.

''T-thanks, who are you?'' - Silica thanked the new girl.

''Your voice is familiar, but...'' - The monkeys in Jet's mind went to work, and he realised who it was after a few seconds, ''Sanya!?''

''I was counting on no one recognising me, much less you...'' - Sanya spat.

''Hard not to recognise the person who gave me a migraine...'' - Jet retorted, clearly still annoyed.

''It wasn't as if you didn't deserve it...'' - Koharu looked fed up at the trading of insults, and Silica was just confused. Who was this girl, and what had Jet done to deserve her ire? ''Yes, alright Jet, we get it. Sanya, why are you here? I thought you were at the orphanage?''

''The orphanage has... well, it has grown, and it requires more resources than we currently have. With Rain helping you pair from now on, I felt it prudent that I should take up a more combat oriented role. As I needed gear to befit that role, I decided to change my appearance to avoid recognition... which was apparently a flawed plan, if even a complete ignoramus could identify me.''

''Who's the bigger ignoramus, the one who saw right through it, or the one who thought it would work in the first place?'' - Jet snarked, as Sanya muttered something in Russian, before storming off angrily. ''And my day of continuing to do everything wrong continues, uninterrupted... lucky me.'' - Jet mumbled under his breath, before Koharu spoke up. ''Okay, well, now that's done. I think we should get food...'' - Koharu spoke, breaking the tension in the air.

''Yeah!'' - Silica said, excitedly.

''Sure.'' - Jet said, trying his hardest not to show the annoyance he was currently dealing with.

The trio went and found a café in the town. A small shop, not hidden, per se, but certainly not on the expected path. Inside, it reminded Jet slightly of the cafe he'd been in, when his family had stopped off in Cleveleys, en route to the Lake District.

''This is really nice!'' - Silica passed Koharu a piece of gingerbread, and offered Jet a piece, which was politely declined. ''Sorry if I've been a burden to you...''

''Huh? Why would you think that?''

''You've had to step in to help me, and now you two aren't talking to each other...'' - Silica seemed more upset by the latter part, if Koharu was reading her correctly.

''That's not- it isn't your fault Silica. It's just something between us.'' - Koharu reassured the young girl, not wanting her to think that whatever funk Jet was in was her fault.

''She's right, Silica. You're still a kid, right, so sometimes, you'll need to ask for help from people older and a little wiser than you. Especially here.''

''I know, but... can you not call me a kid, please! I'm 12!'' - Both Jet and Koharu's hearts simultaneously broke. The young girl that had been fighting for her life when they found her, wasn't even a teenager yet... ''Uhh, Jet? You're crying?'' - Jet felt under his right eye. She was right, he was crying... that was weird.

''Oh, uhh, it's nothing. Just something in my eye.'' - Jet lied. A lie so obvious that even Silica, who'd only known him a few hours, knew it was a lie.

''Sure... anyway, Silica, it's nice to have someone else with us...''

''Then ya won't mind lil' ol' me taggin' along, will ya, Ko?'' - ''Of all the days for her to turn up... today. Really, universe... how much do you hate me? What did I ever do to you!'' Jet screamed in his mind. Externally, Jet attempted to remain civil with Argo, but today would really be testing his limit...

''Argo!'' - Jet said nothing, an oddity that Argo soon picked up on. ''My presence shocked ya into silence there, knight-boy?'' - Argo teased, as Jet narrowed his eyes at her. ''No, my parents always said that if you didn't have anything nice to say to someone, just don't say anything at all.''

''Yeesh, woke up on the wrong side of bed this mornin', huh?'' - Argo asked.

''I'm going outside for a few, I need some fresh air.'' - Jet walked off, leaving the three girls at the table.

''I know he can be a bit standoffish, but that's just ridiculous...'' - Argo commented, as Koharu sighed.

''He's in a funk, but I can't work out why. I can't tell if it's something I did, something that happened to him, I don't know...''

''Did you two have an argument earlier?'' - Silica asked, innocently.

''A little bit, but I never said anything to him...''

''Weird, ya think maybe he's concerned over summat, and doesn't wantcha knowin'?''

''I don't know, Argo... I really don't know...''

Outside of the cafe, Jet had time to collect his thoughts and feelings. He looked around at the town, bustling with life, and anyone else would've been impressed by the sight. To Jet though, it just represented the thousands of eyes on him, a crippling sense of paranoia that had never quite left. Every single person staring at him, and it was enough to make him start to slump against the wall, his head feeling as if someone was repeatedly punching it, each blow becoming stronger and stronger, until finally... a face, a horrifying distortion of what might once have been an already sadistic grin, lunged for him. Jet collapsed against the wall, and fell to the cobbles below...

''Jet!'' - Rain, who'd just arrived, had witnessed everything. From Jet's increasingly erratic breathing, to the violent shaking, before he collapsed, it felt eerily similar to that night in the tent. She rushed over to the collapsed knight, and propped him against a wall, as the girls raced out of the cafe to help.

''What happened!?''

''I don't know, he just started shaking, and then... that.''

''We should get him to an inn, get him rested...'' - Rain and Koharu picked the unconscious Jet up, each with one arm around their shoulders, and began to carry him to the nearby inn.

''Koharu?'' - A familiar ginger raced over to them, having seen some of what was going on...

Some time later, Jet had regained consciousness, and unsurprisingly, the first question asked by him was ''What am I doing in bed?''. The next, and far more pressing issue was over what had just happened...

''You don't remember why you passed out?''

''Not really, I just remember a pounding pain in my head, and then thud. Goodnight Vienna...''

''Yer sure he didn't hit his head, Rain?''

''No, he just sort of slumped back against the wall, and skidded down it...'' - What Argo said, and what she meant were two completely different things. Rain hadn't quite caught onto that part yet.

''I think I might know why now...'' - Jet realised, as the girls were debating. ''I used to have panic attacks. I thought it was a bit odd I'd not had one in here yet, but I never paid it any attention... I wonder if that was the NerveGear overcompensating, and well...''

''I don't think so, anyway, knight-boy. Though, ya said ya'd had panic attacks, right? Any particular thing set them off, or just...?''

''Usually if I got too stressed over something, but... oh.'' - Jet felt a shiver run down his spine, and really hoped his theory was wrong.

''Oh?''

''I... think I understand it now. Maybe.''

''Then tell us!'' - Rain exclaimed.

''I... really don't want to. It's not a matter of trust or anything, but...'' - Jet looked away, a guilty look in his eyes. All of them were friends, or so he hoped, and yet, he was keeping massive secrets from them.

''It's okay. Can you tell me, then?'' - Jet gave a small nod, and Koharu asked the girls to leave for a few minutes whilst Jet explained...

''You know how I try never to not wear a shirt, right?'' Koharu nodded, having not actually noticed that, but realising she hadn't ever seen him without a shirt of some kind on, ''Well, I've got a nasty scar down my side there, from where I was slashed as a child. I was about Silica's age back then, so I guess that triggered some part of my memory. Probably why I started crying too.''

''And that stressed you out?''

''Since then, I've always been a bit paranoid. Big crowds make it worse, and I guess I focused on the crowd outside too much... mix that with my anger from earlier, and voila, one panic attack, guaranteed to floor you...''

''Why were you angry anyway? I get that whole thing with those players and Silica, and then you and Sanya, but it was before then...''

''I was angry at myself. I'd been a complete wanker to you since we got on this floor, and I guess I only realised it then.''

''Yeah, you had. I forgive you for it, but it wasn't nice to feel as if I was the butt of the joke.'' - Jet accepted the hug off his girlfriend, happy to be on speaking terms again.

''I should've known that I was being an ass, Ko. So, I'm formally sorry for that, and I owe you... uhh, something, at least!''

''Dinner?''

''Dinner it is! And for what I said earlier, about you being such a big sister, I meant it as a compliment. Anyone would be lucky to have a sister like you... meanwhile, I have Strea. Tell you what, swap?'' - Jet joked, earning a light tap on the shoulder from his girlfriend. ''Fine, I'll keep my sister...''

''I wasn't annoyed at that... I just realised how much more bearable my life would've been if I'd had a sibling to talk to, to share my problems with, just... not be on my own.''

''Koharu...''

''I guess you never had that problem, never lonely, eh?'' - Koharu smiled sadly.

''Not when I was younger, no. As we all grew up, yeah. We all started to move apart, and in mine and my twin sisters case's, that was literal. Sometimes, that moving apart means you get left behind, and well...''

''Guess we're both a bit broken, eh?''

''Broken, but whole. Just about sums us up, right?'' - Jet commented, as Koharu smiled back at him.

''The broken but whole. Yeah, that's us!'' - Argo chose that moment to walk in on the couple, and almost immediately did a spit take. If that was the source of Jet's concerns, she could see why he fainted... yikes, that would've been unpleasant! ''Umm, I ain't interruptin' yer alone time, am I? 'Cause uhh, we are still outside, ya know?''

''Oh, no. It's fine now, you can come back in!'' - Argo wondered exactly what shenanigans those two had gotten up to, if it involved a broken backside... and then decided that there were some things that even an info broker didn't want to know the answer to!

''You alright now?'' - Rain walked over to him, and began looking him over, not that she had any training, bar a first aid course... ''We were worried about you!''

''Better now, I think. Sorry to have scared you all, I guess I should take my own advice sometimes...''

''Well, glad to see you're not on a slab somewhere, Jethro!'' - The ginger girl commented, as Jet seemed very surprised to hear her voice. ''Phillia?''

''The one and only! I saw the commotion in town, and well...''

''Thanks... oh, and one question? What on earth are you wearing?'' - If Jet had thought Koharu's equipment was unsuitable for the climate outside the town, Phillia's was now ten times worse. Short shorts, a small cloak, and a breastplate that was really fitting of the name... in the snow.

''Good stats, and it's my colour, so...'' - Phillia shrugged.

''Aren't you cold like that?'' - Silica asked.

''Nah, I've got a different set for the snow.'' - Jet looked towards Koharu, who gave a look that could only be interpreted as 'Don't you dare...'

''Anyway, Argo, were you just dropping by earlier, or...''

''Oh, yeah, that! Nah, knight-boy, I found summat interesting... it's about the Elf War Quest fer this floor...''

''How much do you want?'' - Everyone in the group, bar Silica and Argo, asked...

''Fer you guys, this one's on the house. I want a favour though...'' - Argo's grin became that more resembling a cat, than a rat...

{Author's Comments}

First part of the plot where it will veer off from any source material massively (I actually don't really remember the Eighth Floor plot in IF all that well) and having Phillia involved, well... you'll see in the next chapter...

Anyway, favourite, follow, comment, PM etc, if you enjoyed it, or have any criticism for me.

Signing off,

Midland 2541

Chapter Text

Floor 8 - Chapter 2 - Gaolhouse Rock

The next morning, Floor 8, Aincrad.

Jet had slept surprisingly well, all things considered. It hadn't hurt that he'd spent half of that time with Koharu hugging him like a child would a teddy, but sadly for him, that time had to end, as an alarm went off in his periphery. 8am... At least it wasn't half five this time, he thought. Damn, that had been an unpleasant experience with waking up... ''Morning!'' - Trust Koharu to be up already. The girl was either incredibly well practiced at waking up, or was even worse at sleeping than he was! ''Morning...'' - He groggily replied, as he pulled himself free of the covers.

''You okay after yesterday?'' - Ah, yes, that. Jet had basically admitted that he was paranoid, and that even he was concerned that what had happened wouldn't be a one off... it was no surprise that Koharu would be concerned too. ''Yeah, I'll be okay. Have to be, right?''

''No one 'has to be okay', Jet, but... tell me if something's bothering you, right?''

''Yes, ma'am.'' - Jet saluted sarcastically, as Koharu rolled her eyes. She knew that Jet would try to act like this was nothing, and as much as it bothered her, she hoped he knew his own mental state well enough to know whether it was a cause for concern, or not.

After meeting up with everyone downstairs, it had been decided that they'd split off into two groups for the day - Jet, Koharu and Rain would take Phillia, who'd decided she was at least somewhat curious about the Elf War Quest, and wanted in, if she could, whilst Argo would look after Silica for the day, and learn some more about her and Pina, and hopefully, get some more info on the familiars, and avoid any more nasty encounters like yesterday.

''According to Argo, we've got to head into the Snowlit Woods, and then look for a big cavern, that's shaped like a... uhh...'' - Rain trailed off as she read the message. That couldn't be right, could it, she thought to herself...

''What's an uhhh, Rain?'' - Koharu asked, slightly confused...

''Woah. What she means is a certain part of the male anatomy, that I'm sure as hell not going to say...'' - Phillia elaborated. Jet looked over Rain's shoulder to see the image Argo had given them... yup, Phillia was right. ''Um, yep. That certainly looks like that. Big cylindrical entrance, with a dome at the top and two bells near the base... can't miss it.''

After an hour, the group had found the cavern that Jet had taken to calling ''the Cavern of Blackheath'', and were halfway through ridding it of the monstrous squatters.

''Phillia, switch!'' - Rain called out, as Phillia raced behind a yeti, slashing it in the back, whilst Jet beheaded another one a small distance away. Two sounds of shattering crystals filled the cavern, and the group were clear of their opponents. ''Nice one Rain!''

''Thank you! You weren't so bad yourself!''

''Okay, so it's through here, and we should be able to hear the sound of elves clashing, which marks the start of the quest on this floor.'' - Rain read out, as Jet poked his head through the small gap in the rock. Bingo! He could hear it, but... there was no way he was getting through that gap. It was less than a foot in diameter, and he was six foot in height...

The girls looked through the hole, and realised that, with a bit of shimmying, they were able to fit through there... just. Jet, on the other hand, would have to find his own way around, and he'd got an idea - that rock face looked as if it had some convenient footholds...

''Okay, ah ha! I see the elves... oh hell, it's Kizmel, and she's surrounded!'' - Rain called out, as Koharu shouted back to Jet... ''Jet! It's Kizmel, and she's in trouble!''

''Go and help her! I'll be fine here!'' - he called back, as he reached the halfway point on the wall. He wondered what it said about him that, out of all of this, he was enjoying the rock climbing most of all...

Koharu took point, and charged in, leading their trio into battle, in defence of Kizmel. The first strike, courtesy of Rain, made clear to the Fallen Elves exactly what threat they were dealing with, the unfortunate warrior now sporting a nasty looking gash across his chest.

''Phillia, hit and run. Rain, hit as hard as you can. Jet... oh, right.'' - Koharu forgot that their group was only a trio momentarily, but the others followed her instructions, and began to deal with their opponents, Rain being the first to have finished her adversary, whilst Koharu and Phillia worked on the second, and Kizmel the third. With the group co-ordinating their attacks, and working efficiently, the fight was over in less than five minutes...

Kizmel seemed relieved, and drew the trio into a hug, much to their chagrin, as Phillia was squashed against somewhere uncomfortable - Kizmel's chest plate. ''Thank you... I must say, this wasn't the reunion I was expecting, but... I'm glad you came when you did! Where's Jet?''

''I'm here... blimey, you four do not mess about... I was only away for five minutes!'' - Jet seemed both proud, and astonished, at the speed that each of the girls had displayed in dealing with their respective foes. ''Glad they got here in time, Kizmel...''

''So am I, Jet. So am I... anyway, with that out of the way, I feel I should provide you with an update on the situation. I have made contact with a commander of the Forest Elves, who seems to believe that the Fallen are soon to commence an assault to retrieve the key on this floor. I was on my way to meet them, when I was ambushed.''

''So, where exactly is this key being held?''

''Here. In a long since abandoned prison.'' - Kizmel pointed over to a castle like structure, that Jet and Rain both immediately recognised by the name used for it IRL - a gulag. An old castle, converted into a prison, where prisoners were sent to rot and die...

''Uhh, it looks more like a castle to me?'' - Phillia questioned.

''It's a gulag, Phillia.'' - Rain stated, a tone of horror in her voice.

''A gulag?'' - Koharu asked, not understanding the name herself.

''The name of the organisation that administered prisons in the old Soviet Union. Basically, you were sent there, you worked till you dropped... and I don't mean of exhaustion.'' - Jet answered, a grim expression on his face, which told Koharu there was far more to that concept than he'd explained...

''Our biggest problem is this - the Fallen are aware of my mission now, and I do not doubt that they will be heading there, as we speak... however, we may have an advantage. A network of tunnels were dug some generations ago, to reach the key. They never fully reached the chamber, but they did find the floor above the chamber...''

''Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!''

''Steady now, Phillia. The other thing to note, that chamber is not on dry land anymore... the lake it once sat in...''

''That place has been out of commission for generations, right, Kizmel?'' Kizmel nodded, and Jet continued, ''The water's probably filled the chamber by now, and considering how cold it is... I wouldn't be surprised to find the whole room is a block of ice. Or at least, coated in ice.''

''So, how do we get through then?''

''If it's only coated in ice on the surface, I could probably swim into the room, nab the key, and get out before I run out of oxygen?'' - Jet thought aloud, causing the girls to all turn towards him in surprise, ''What? Under 13's Swimming club, North Bristol division. I got the gold in the endurance races.'' - Jet beamed, before realising how daft he looked. ''Well, yes, that might be an option, but we can't say until we get there...''

''Umm, Kizmel, you mentioned that we're racing the Fallen there? How much faster would these tunnels get us there?'' - Phillia questioned.

''They should reduce the time we take by around three quarters, but that doesn't mean we should dawdle...''

''Then we'll get going. We can think of a way in whilst we're on our way there, right?''

''Agreed, the tunnel's entrance is behind that wall.'' - Jet groaned, as he noticed the entrance. He really could consider his height a curse sometimes...

The tunnels themselves had proven even less fun, as they were incredibly low, meaning that the whole group had to spend the time crawling on their chests. For that reason, Jet had been 'elected' to go first... and definitely not because Koharu, Rain and Kizmel wore skirts, and whilst one of them was dating him, she had her limits, and her boyfriend gawping up her skirt was definitely it. Jet felt slightly offended that Koharu thought he'd be gawping the whole way there... he wasn't a pervert, and this was slightly more important than getting a pleasant view for an hour.

Even ignoring this, that hour long crawl had been incredibly unpleasant for all of them, the tunnels having become the equivalent of freezers, and all of the group were trying not to stick to the floor. ''We've got to be nearly there, right?'' - Rain asked, from the back of the column.

''I believe we're nearly there. About a mile left, although I can't tell exactly where we are...''

''I did say 'let Kizmel go first, she actually knows the way', but no... Muggins here has to go first!'' - Jet moaned, metaphorically passing the buck.

''I didn't want you getting ideas!'' - Koharu shouted from the back. She may actually just have spoke, but the echos were loud enough...

''Good plan, the only idea I've now got is for a nice warm bath when we get back!''

''Get to the back of the queue, ladies first...'' - Phillia yelled.

''Then you're behind me, Ginge!'' - Jet replied.

''Be very glad you've got Kizmel as a buffer right now!'' - Jet didn't have to see the ginger hunter to know the sense of blood lust emanating from her...

''Uhh, Kizmel, is it possible that the map wasn't very accuraTTTTEEE?!'' - Jet commented, before almost immediately disappearing from in front of Kizmel.

''It is possible, yes. Are you okay down there?'' - Kizmel noticed the large gap in the tunnel and stopped before it, unlike Jet...

''Oww. I landed on me' coccyx.'' - Jet replied hazily, as he looked around him. They must've been nearby, the ice sheet had begun where Jet had landed... ''Oh no.'' - Ping.

''Koharu won't be happy then...'' - Phillia quipped, as the aforementioned girl blushed, with enough heat to melt the ice around her. The girls all followed Jet down onto the ice sheet, and did perhaps the worst possible thing they could. They all landed on their feet. Twang! Pting! At that moment, the same realisation came over Phillia as Jet had had moments before, followed by the same sense of dread... ''Uhh, can everyone here swim?'' - she asked...

''Yeah, why?'' - Rain replied, shrugging her shoulders.

''Of course.'' - Kizmel answered confidently.

''Always enjoyed it, so yes?'' - Koharu smiled as she remembered trips to the beach. Where she'd much rather be right now, compared to here.

''How about cold water?'' - Jet asked, looking back at the crack in the ice, which was now spreading rapidly.

''Why'd you ask?'' - Rain wondered, before she noticed the rather worried looks on Jet and Phillia's faces...

''Uhh... just that rather dangerous looking crack in the ice. That's now heading towards us. Quickly.'' - Phillia pointed to the rapidly spreading crack...

''Ah.''

''Oh dear.''

''Umm, I don't suppose running is a good idea, is it?''

''Not unless you want to be swimming even faster, no.'' - TWANG! - ''Oh fu-'' - The ice gave way, and the group plunged into the freezing waters below. Jet, who hadn't gotten up off the ice had the shortest way to go, but was able to get his head above water quickest, whilst Kizmel, the next tallest dropped straight in, and sank like a rock, the Lyusulan armour evidently not being designed for amphibious assault... Seeing her in trouble, and sinking rapidly, Jet remembered what he'd been taught in Cornwall - splash some water on your face, and wait sixty seconds... and then completely disregarded it, getting his breath, before plunging into the freezing water again, and swimming down to grab Kizmel. The only way he was pulling her up was with arm wrapped around her, and using the other to swim... and hoping Kizmel didn't get any ideas about what he was doing. Not that she would, given she'd passed out upon entering the water, and was completely unconscious...

Jet began pulling the two of them back up the light where he hoped the surface was... ''Nearly... there... Yes!'' - Jet pushed Kizmel back up above the surface, before he popped out himself...

''(Heavy breathing) Never... Again...'' - Jet began treading water as best he could, considering he was still holding Kizmel, before spotting a section of concrete in amongst the ice. Likely, it had once been a stage, or some form of... Jet regretted even thinking about it, before he hauled the unconscious Kizmel onto it. ''Ughhh, ooofff!'' - He groaned, before clambering out himself. Solid ground had never felt quite so good before, he thought, before looking at Kizmel, and realising she wasn't awakening... ''Shit!'' - He remembered his first aid lessons as best he could. First step - turn the person's head to the side, and try to drain any water. Second step - Begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, by breathing hard into the person's mouth four times, whilst pinching their nose, to allow the air to pass the water. ''One... two... three... four...'' - Jet checked Kizmel's chest to see if she was in fact breathing... she was, luckily. ''I'd rather not do that again...'' - she commented, coughing up water.

''You alright?''

''I will be... and don't worry, I won't tell Koharu about you kissing me... although I would prefer it if you waited till I was conscious.'' - Kizmel winked at Jet, who suddenly became very flustered. ''I wasn't kissing you! It was a way we use to revive people who's breathing has stopped. It's called mouth-to-mouth resuscitation!''

''I am aware, Jet.'' - Kizmel laughed, as Jet's face suddenly dropped. ''We have a similar technique amongst our healers... although I'm surprised that you knew that.''

''You kidding? Seven siblings, all of us trouble prone... believe me, one of us had to learn first aid pretty early on, else there wouldn't have been eight of us for all that long.'' - Jet laughed, although it didn't seem to be something he found particularly funny.

''Seven siblings? I take it you are the oldest?''

''You've met Strea, right? She's the oldest. I'm third oldest, but not by much.''

''Well, either way, thank you for that. Had you not pulled me from the water... I'd rather not think about the consequences...'' - She shivered, and probably not from the cold water.

''No problem, but we now have no idea where the girls are.'' - Jet looked towards the ice, and really hoped they were all safe...

''Where are they?!'' - Koharu seemed to be in the worst shape, having had to be given mouth to mouth by Phillia, in order to bring her back to the land of the living, and now, she was finding out that neither Kizmel nor Jet had surfaced. ''Please tell me they're still...''

''They're both still on our party tab, so they're both alive. Just... we don't know where.'' - Rain pointed out, as Koharu began to calm down slightly, evidently reassured by that knowledge. Phillia looked around the room, and noticed a control panel on the wall. Whatever was written on it, she couldn't understand it, as it was in a completely foreign language to her, almost certainly Lyusulan... deciding that the worst that could happen was more water, she decided to press the heavily faded green button, and lo and behold... the water level began to lower!

''What the!?'' - Jet, on the other hand, was not having such a good time, as he noticed the water level rising, in the chamber...

''That control panel! It's the drainage system, it was used as a sort of makeshift dam, but it could also be used to flood specific chambers!'' - Jet hoped that he wasn't dooming the girls, as he pressed the green button...

For a moment, Jet's heart missed a beat, as the water continued to rise. Of all the times that Murphy's Law could apply, now was not the time for it! Thankfully, the rising water ceased, and Jet's heartbeat returned to normal, as the water began to drain away. ''Well, that was far too close for comfort.'' - Jet sighed, Kizmel nodding in agreement. ''I didn't fancy another swimming lesson today, no.''

''Good thinking there, Phillia.'' - Rain complimented, as she looked around and found some steps to head a bit lower into the chamber. As she took a look around, she noticed something - a small chute, that seemed to have been where the water had drained through. ''Girls, I think I've found a way out!''

''We'll be down in a second!'' - Phillia shouted down, as she noticed Koharu still looking crestfallen. ''Both of them will be fine, you know? Jet's an ass, but he's a resourceful ass, if nothing else, and Kizmel will keep him from doing anything too reckless too.''

''I know... I just, I just feel a bit useless. I nearly drowned, and it was you two who solved the water issue... all I've done is act as a deadweight.''

''Not everyone's good at puzzles, don't worry about it... and as for the nearly drowning bit, we all screwed up on that one.'' - Phillia reassured Koharu, and helped her up. ''Come on, else Rain'll get antsy waiting for us.'' - After a few seconds, the trio all looked down the drain, and noticed something... it was large enough to walk through, if they were careful...

Looking around the room, Jet and Kizmel had found something. A rough schematic of how the flooding chambers were meant to work, way back in the days when this dungeon had actually been a prison...

The area they were in consisted of three equally sized chambers - A, B & C, which were linked by one long drain underneath. When the green button was pressed, the drain between A & B opened, and water flowed from A, into B, and when the green button in B was pressed, it flowed into C, whilst the red buttons would cause water to flow the other way. What this actually meant though, was that C was now completely flooded... a problem, given that the main gate into the fortress, was in chamber C...

''So, what we need to do, is get the water to flow back through, into these two chambers, and leave that one with enough space that we can, you know, not drown...''

''Easier said than done, Jet. We'd need someone to enter the room, and press the button to release the drain cover, and considering it's flooded... hang on! I may have something...'' - Kizmel rummaged around in one of her pouches, and pulled out two crystals. ''Oxygen Crystals. I always thought them pointless, but I believe I may have been mistaken.''

''How much oxygen do they give you?'' - Jet asked.

''Around two minutes, per crystal, I believe.''

''So that's... roughly 285 seconds of breathing time.'' - It wasn't ideal, but considering how fast the drains had functioned earlier, draining an entire room within a minute, Jet felt fairly confident that he'd be able to make that run himself.

''You can't be serious, Jet...'' - Kizmel looked at the knight, and then back at the drawings... they really didn't have a choice in the matter, even if she really didn't like this plan.

''Girls! I've found the next... Jet! Kizmel!'' - Rain's head popped out of the drain, taking both of them by surprise.

''Rain!'' - Jet raced down the stairs to help the redhead out of the drain, as Kizmel followed behind him.

''O slava bogu, you're both alright! We were worried that something had happened to you both!''

''Other than a mishap earlier, we're both alright Rain. Thank you for the concern though.''

''Uhh, little help down here...'' - Jet and Kizmel began to help Phillia and Koharu out of the drain, and onto the concrete. Koharu, exhausted, and having what could charitably be described as a bad day, pulled her errant boyfriend into a hug, the gesture being reciprocated. ''You're okay! Oh my god, I thought you were... I worried you might've *sniff*'' - Jet decided that holding onto Koharu for a bit was probably the best thing to do right now... it didn't hurt that it was quite warm, either. ''I told you, I'm a good swimmer. Wasn't gonna let a bit of water take me down that easily!''

''You're an ass...'' - Koharu smiled, as Jet softly laughed to himself.

''I love you too.'' - Koharu blushed under the confession, whilst everyone else in the room tried not to pry on the couple's moment...

''Umm, guys, really cute, don't get me wrong, but... don't we have a key to find?'' - Phillia pointed out.

''Oh, right! We have an idea on how to get there...''

''I'm sensing a 'but' here?'' - Rain questioned, as Jet nodded.

''Well, yeah. Right, this chamber system is linked by that drain you crawled through just. Those buttons on the control panel, they activate the drain covers. Unfortunately... we've flooded the chamber with the door to the key's chamber.''

''You're joking...''

''Nope, but I've got an idea. If you guys can activate the covers between these two chambers, I can swim into the door chamber, and release the drain from inside.''

''It took us two minutes to get through that drain... there's no way you could hold your breath that long.''

''That's where these come in - they're Breathing Crystals. With these, I should have just short of five minutes of oxygen, all things considered. Koharu, I know that look...'' - That was the look of 'I understand why, but I don't want you to'.

''Yeah... please be careful.'' - Koharu reached up to Jet's neck, and pulled him down into a kiss. Jet smiled back at her, and looked towards the rest of the girls - ''So, anything you want to say, before I do this?''

''Nope, she's pretty much said it already. Be careful.'' - Jet looked down at the drain, and unequipped his armour, coat, boots, sword and shield, leaving just his shirt and trousers, stretching as he did so. ''Remember, Michael... you've got one shot at this. Do. Not. Screw. Up.'' - he psyched himself up, and looked down towards the drain. When opened, the water would come rushing through, and trying to swim through that would be ill advised, to put it mildly. His plan was to wait until the water had reached the halfway mark, and then head through it. Slower, certainly... but also a safer bet. Even despite the many long odds they'd faced, he remembered an old saying - 'Water always wins.'

Granted, he'd gotten that from Doctor Who, and an episode where the water is able to turn people into water zombies on Mars... but it fit perfectly in this situation. ''Water's halfway up now, you ready?''

''As I'll ever be.'' Jet took the two crystals into his inventory, and lowered himself into the freezing waters. ''It's not so-BAD!'' he thought, as a part of his anatomy became submerged. Twenty seconds had passed, and Jet felt accustomed to his new, more freezing surroundings, and took one deep breath. He'd have around 45 seconds until he had to reach for the first crystal, so he started a timer in his HUD... and he dove under the water.

45, 44, 43, 42...

Swimming as fast as his arms would allow him to scoop water aside, it took less than 20 seconds to reach the drain's entrance.

25, 24, 23, 22...

Halfway through the pipe, time began to run out, and Jet could feel his head becoming lighter...

9, 8, 7, 6...

Reaching into his inventory, he quickly equipped a crystal, and smashed it, his head becoming far less fuzzy as he did. He had oxygen again, and now, he had two minutes on the clock.

117, 116, 115...

Fifty seconds had passed, and he'd found his way to the concrete plinth with the control panel. Both buttons were badly faded, and Jet pressed the one that he hoped was the correct one...

51, 50, 49, 48...

The water level began to drop, and Jet swam for the ceiling. If he could get there, he'd be able to breathe without the crystals, and... ''(heavy breathing) Bleughh... That sucked.'' - Jet muttered to no one in particular, as he felt the water level lower much faster than before, and laughed to himself. ''Good going Michael, you didn't screw this one up.''

Koharu looked towards the water, and felt her heart beating ever faster. The water level had ceased to rise, thanks to Rain reopening the gate to the chamber they'd just come out of, but the second gate that had been mentioned hadn't shown any signs of moving... and it had been nearly two minutes. ''Erm, he's done it! The other gate's open! Look!'' - Phillia called, watching as the much larger gate opened, and the water level began to rise... again. Luckily, the drain was keeping the water flowing, so it was only momentarily, before the water level lowered again. Koharu checked her messages for the signal, and there it was! A message from Jet saying he'd opened the gate, and they could now get through, thanks to a door up above them.

''You're okay!'' - Koharu ran forward, and tackled him into a hug, before recoiling back with a Jet shaped mark down her front.

''I think I'm a little bit wet.'' - Jet deadpanned, as Koharu attempted to wipe herself dry, whilst Rain handed him a towel, ''Thanks.'' he said, as he bundled his hair into a bun, and wrapped it up. Koharu looked at him blankly as he did, ''You actually know who to do that?''

''Long hair, went swimming a lot, and lived in a house with eight women. Yeah, I know how to do that... I'm also a dab hand with makeup, if I do say so myself.'' Jet bragged... undeservedly.

''Well, the self care tutorial aside, I believe we have a task now...'' - Kizmel added, as Jet re-equipped his alternate gear... a look that can only be described as 'absolutely identical', and his coat.

''Okay then, let's get going!'' - Jet and Phillia went a looked over the door mechanism, and drew a complete blank. Whoever had designed this mechanism has evidently taken some lessons from German engineers, because it looked like you'd need a Masters in engineering, simply to work out which part had to be moved! ''Uhh, so this part adjusts that?''

''No, I think it's that one?''

''Nah, that adjusts that, right?'' - Rain, Kizmel and Koharu just looked blankly towards the two of them, as they continued trying to work out where the mechanism to actually start the damn thing was...

Some 20 minutes later, Phillia had given up with that plan, and was now just kicking at the wall, as if that would do anything... CLUNK. ''Huh, percussive maintenance does work then...'' Jet muttered, as the large chamber door began to open...

''So, what's the plan?''

''We get the Sapphire Key, and we stop the Fallen in their tracks.'' - Jet adjusted a non existent tie as he spoke to the group...

{Author's Comments}

Blackheath is a town near where I'm from in the West Midlands (also an area of London, but I'm not referring to that one.). It also has a street called Bell End. Given Jet is a bit of a geek when it comes to travelling in the UK, it's not unlikely that he probably found this, and burst out laughing at some point.

Also, first time I've had to design a puzzle, and even then, I'm not sure I got it right. Anyway, Floor 8 continues, and the group are in position now...

As usual, follow, favourite, review, PM etc, if you enjoyed it, or want to give some criticism.

Signing off, Midland 2541

Chapter Text

Floor 8 - Chapter 3 - Human Nature

January 8th 2023, Floor 8, Snowlit Woods - around the same time.

The group's chance meeting with little Silica had proven a goldmine of information for Argo. She could now boast about being the only info broker with accurate information on the Familar system, as well as understanding it herself a little better. What she struggled to understand though, was exactly why the young dragon tamer had been saved by an orange player. In her eyes, they were bad news - people who'd took steps to become the most dangerous people in Aincrad... so why had one stepped in to save a young girl from her imminent demise? All of these questions, and probably very few answers... the worst kind of questions for her. She was an information broker... not the Riddler, after all...

Still, whilst the group had gone off to clear the next part of the Elf War Quest, she'd decided she wanted to see Silica and Pina in action herself. Argo wasn't a fool, nor was she reckless, and so, she knew that her less well armed and armoured build would struggle heavily, if it came down to defending Silica, and she'd rather not be responsible for getting someone killed... so she'd shot off a message to some trustworthy allies.

''We're here Argo, what's the problem?'' Kirito asked, as he spotted the cloaked girl.

''Yer both here, good. I need some help wi' somethin'... lil Silica here, she's-''

''Is that a dragon!?'' Asuna asked, taken aback by Pina's sudden arrival on the scene.

''Huh, she's got a familiar. That's not something you see every day...'' Kirito stated, as Pina investigated him and Asuna.

''Yup! And that's why I need ya help, you two. I wanna see how those work together in the field, but...''

''You don't feel safe doing it with just yourself to help, right?'' Asuna understood the situation pretty well already.

''Yup, Aa-chan, an' it's not like I can ask th' others to help me out here, they've gone off on that Elf War Quest...''

''Wait, you know where the trigger for that is?!'' Kirito asked, stunned by the fact he hadn't been the first to find it for once...

''Yup! An' I'll tell ya where it is, Kii-boy... but I went yer help first. Call it a quid pro quo...''

After some time, they'd reached the part of the Woods that Argo had planned to observe Silica in. The group remained in a position to allow them to prepare for an ambush, not that they'd be really expecting it - it was rare that mobs really tried to ambush players this low down. Most of them were visible, but relied on simple camouflage, Kirito thought to himself. ''Silica, don't run on ahead! Wait for us!'' - Asuna shouted out to the young dragon tamer, who'd just ran off to examine something. Argo found this kind of amusing... ''So, Aa-chan, any lil' sisters of yer own?''

''Focus, Argo. We aren't here for fun, you know this.''

''Yeah, yeah, I know. Just wondered, wi' the way you're actin' towards lil' Silica there.''

''I just want to make sure she's safe, that's all, Argo.''

''Think we're here, guys and gals. Silica, ya should be able to handle these mobs, but don't hesitate to ask us to help if ya start to feel overwhelmed...''

''Okay! Pina, come on!'' The young dragon tamer ran in to attack the first mob, a frost sprite. These things were annoyingly nimble, but they had really low attack and defence otherwise, and Silica was doing a good job of showing that, evading what few strikes the sprite launched, and hitting it when it did. After a minute or so, the sprite fell to the floor, deceased, and disappeared from the world. So far, so good, everyone thought.

Another opponent turned up, this time one of the Penguin Knights. Asuna had wondered exactly how these things could exist, penguins not really having hands as such, and therefore being unable to grasp a sword or a shield, but she soon put that thought out of her head, as Silica was proving a surprisingly good fighter, taking down the Penguin Knight quite quickly, having used her superior speed and agility to outflank the penguin.

This defeat drew in more foes, at least four or five of them this time, and for the first time, the trio began to feel a horrible feeling in their gut. The mobs weren't supposed to spawn in this fast... nor were there supposed to be this many of them! ''Argo, help Silica! We'll thin their numbers!'' Kirito called out, as everyone raced into their positions.

After five minutes, the group had cleared a large swathe through the mobs, and were able to escape from the encirclement. ''Argo, you said this should've been safe!''

''It should've been! Hell, it was when I did it!'' Argo replied, annoyed at Asuna's insinuation. ''Whatever that was, it wasn't how it's programmed!''

''It felt like someone was trying to MPK us.'' Kirito stated, darkly.

''MPK?'' Asuna and Silica looked slightly confused at the acronym, whilst Argo's usual grin disappeared as she realised something...

''Yeah, Monster Player Kill. Basically, lure a load of monsters in, to kill a player...'' Kirito explained, a look of disgust on his face.

''That's evil!'' - Silica responded, horrified at the fact people would do that, knowing what was at stake here.

''Yeah, yeah it is.''

The eventful training session aside, the group continued on for the day, before heading back into the town.

Back at the inn, Kirito had taken time to go and have a wander around the town, whilst Asuna had decided to take a bath. His absence definitely hadn't been because of a threat she'd made about his continued presence... not at all. Still though, it allowed Argo a chance to talk to the swordsman. ''There was something off earlier, Kii-boy.''

''Not just me who thought it then.''

''No, pretty sure I saw someone snoopin' on us, but I can't give anythin' more than that.'' Kirito remained silent, but looked troubled. ''Look, Kii-boy, can I ask ya to stay for a while, just till we see this through?''

''That's fine by me... I'll take the info for the Elf War Quest as payment though...''

''Consider it done.''

In the Gaol,

''Jet, you're insane.'' - Whilst Phillia was as blunt as ever, it was hard for anyone but Jet to disagree with the sentiment...

''It'll work, trust me!'' - And disagree, he did.

''For the benefit of everyone present, your entire plan for dealing with Kysala, when they arrive is to hide an oxygen crystal, and a fire crystal in a bag, and hope she gets angry enough to stomp on it, thus creating a localised flash fire around them, and hope that staggers them enough for us five to be able to take them out. Am I correct?'' Kizmel stated, whilst Jet rubbed his hands against his neck.

''When you put it like that Kizmel, it sounds ludicrous...'' Jet admitted, whilst everyone else wondered why he was allowed to come up with a plan in the first place.

''That's because it is!'' Phillia shouted, an echo forming in the chamber.

''I've got to agree with Phillia here. You have no way of knowing how close you'd need to be for that to work, or even if it would work. Never mind how stupid Kysala would have to be to fall for that.'' Rain may have been slightly blind to some of Jet's faults, but even she admitted that sometimes, his plans had no real basis in reality, or had serious problems with them... hell, it had been one of those plans that had led to them meeting for the first time!

''Umm, I've got an idea? Couldn't we just grab the key, and run?'' Koharu asked, as everyone collectively facepalmed.

''That would work, yes.''

''Are we sure she's his girlfriend, and not his carer?'' Phillia asked Rain, who just scowled at her. ''Yeesh, don't do that with the kids Rain...''

''Do I want to know what they're on about?'' Jet asked no one in particular.

''Depends. How insulted do you want to be?'' Kizmel responded.

''I think ignorance is better now then.''

Back in the town...

''So, where are we heading?''

''There's an area just south of the Snowlit Woods, and we'll try again.''

''I'm kind of looking forward to this! I won't let you down!'' Silica said excitedly, as Pina chirped away.

''Hey. Do you lot mind not hogging the path. There are other people around...'' - A woman asked, passive aggressively, as everyone moved aside briefly.

''Sorry about that...'' Asuna apologised with very little sincerity. The woman huffed at them as she walked past, before stopping as she saw Pina. She turned to Silica, and looked down towards her, her tone becoming fiercely condescending, ''You've got some nerve, bringing a monster into the safe zone.''

''Umm, she's not a monster, she's a familiar. She won't attack anyone.''

''Hm, then I should be able to touch it.'' The three more mature members began to look increasingly angry, Asuna being the first to speak up...

''You could ask first.'' She stated, hoping to cut the woman's attempt off there and then.

''It's... it's okay. As long as Pina doesn't mind...'' Anyone paying even more than a cursory glance could've said how scared Silica was, the poor girl was shaking, and not due to the cold...

''Doesn't mind...'' the woman sneered, a mocking edge to her words, ''It's a program made of ones and zeroes, nothing more. It's probably not even smart enough to realise it's being talked to!'' The unpleasant woman reached out and began to try to pull Pina off of Silica's shoulders, as Asuna shouted out, enraged at the woman, ''What the hell do you think you're doing!''

''The idiot who designed this game only gave monsters the ability to attack and be hostile... or are you so stupid as to not understand that!'' She snapped back at Asuna, as Pina cried out in pain, and Silica begged the woman to stop. Maybe there was no real risk of either losing HP, but that didn't stop this from being traumatic in other ways. That was it for Kirito, who'd seen far more than enough, and reached to draw his sword on the woman. ''Let. Her. Go.'' The edge in his words was sharper than his blade, and the woman seemed less than impressed by this. ''You're protecting a monster? It's just ones and zeroes, for God's sake! A string of data! How stupid are you people!''

''I'm not certain that they are the stupid ones here...'' Asuna looked over, to see the redhead from the last floor... Lueur, it might have been, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder, and causing her to lose grip on Pina out of surprise. ''After all, familiars are programmed to be unable to attack players, which means you have nothing to worry yourself over. I can understand that you were concerned by our little friend here-'' the woman huffed, but was glared down by Lueur, who continued as if that hadn't happened, ''-but that doesn't make it acceptable to harass this poor girl, does it now?''

The woman decided she'd had enough, and stormed off, uttering curses at the group. Lueur was, unsurprisingly, the first to speak, ''Pleasant woman, wasn't she?'' He said sarcastically, a sentiment that Asuna agreed with.

''Thank you for that... uhh, Lueur, wasn't it?''

''Ah! The lovely fencer remembers me!''

''Uhh, who is he?'' Kirito voiced what everyone else present was thinking...

''We met after the auction. He apparently helped Jet and Koharu with... something. I didn't get the full story off them.'' Asuna explained, as best she could.

''As we haven't been introduced formally... I am Lueur, and I don't believe introductions are in order for you... Kirito, the 'Beater', a noble anti-hero if I ever saw one, a man willing to take the hatred of the strong, to protect those who might not be strong enough to handle themselves. I must say, you are providing me with plenty of stories to tell!''

''Okay... but what are you actually supposed to be?'' Kirito asked, confused at the redhead stood in front of them.

''I am nothing but a humble scribe, he who tells stories of heroes and monsters... and I'm terribly sorry, I didn't get your name?'', the troubadour turned to Silica, who was still shaking slightly after the run in with the woman. ''Si-silica, and th-this is Pina... thank you!''

''Your thanks isn't necessary, Silica. I'd hate for someone to upset such a cute dragon tamer as yourself, in such a despicable way. Your mere image paints such a wonderful picture that I couldn't bear to see it sullied with tears.'' Kirito had often been described by Argo as the single most clueless person with women ever. As it turned out, she was wrong... living proof of that stood before them. He really couldn't tell if Lueur was trying to flirt, or just that dense to not know how his words were actually coming across. ''That gives me an idea for a story... even if you cannot become the hero, you can certainly become the protagonist...'' If this was how he told stories, he could make a killing as an anaesthetic...

''Thrilling stuff -'' It wasn't. ''- but we do kind of have places to be!'' Asuna tapped her foot impatiently, as Lueur decided to choose now to get on with his actual intention for being there.

''Apologies, but I'd hate to see my future muses felled so early, by something so silly as a curse...''

''A curse?''

''Oh yes, this floor is cursed... or did you think this much snowfall was natural?''

''I mean... huh.''

''Take care not to become entrapped by the witch's curse, my friends... which ends my message for you. Until we next meet!'' And with that, Lueur disappeared again, leaving everyone equally confused by his words, as his actions.

''I can see why Jet thought he was an idiot.'' Asuna muttered, under her breath, though not so quiet as to not be heard.

''Yes, but Jet's the dictionary definition of a misanthrope though, Asuna.'' Kirito shrugged, as though he hadn't insulted his... uhh, come to think of it, were they friends?

''The witch's curse though, what did he mean by that? The freezing conditions here, or something related to the floor quest?''

''Maybe he was just trying to show off? I know boys do that often?'' Asuna fought back an urge to make a comment about almost every male she knew... all four of them in here. ''Hmm, maybe, they do do that sometimes...''

''I do not do that!'' Kirito defended, as both Asuna and Silica hummed in disagreement. ''I don't!'' he continued to defend himself, despite how ineffective it was proving...

Some time later, the group had found the area they needed, and were soon honing their skills against the mobs. Silica watched as Kirito and Asuna fought in almost perfect unison, never once messing up as they scored hit after hit on the mobs. If Silica was honest with herself, she was almost jealous at how well those two performed...

''Pina!'' - Silica called, as she ducked under a Penguin Knight's sword, and her familiar performed a healing pass. Over on the other side, Asuna had just finished taking out a frost sprite, whilst Kirito took out a yeti mob. A series of quick strikes from her dagger, as Koharu had shown her, and the penguin knight was no more.

''That's about fifteen of them dead now, so I think we can say we're finished. Was that alright, Silica?''

''Once I'd got into a rhythm, I was okay with it. I think I can handle a fight solo now, but...''

''Hold that thought.'' Kirito looked out into the distance, and saw a much larger number of mobs coming their way - at least thirty of them, all in all, and very agitated by the looks of them. ''Silica, head back to the town. Asuna, we'll thin them out, and then make a dash for the town, alright?''

''Understood.''

''I'll stay! I can fight-''

''Silica, do as we ask! Please!'' Asuna requested, as the young girl deflated in front of them.

''Okay... Pina, come on!'' And with that, Silica ran back towards the town, as fast as her legs could carry her...

As Silica ran as fast as she physically could, she couldn't help but feel guilty. She wasn't strong enough to fight alongside Kirito and Asuna, and now, they were fighting for her. She felt so pathetic, as if- ''Chirpp!''

''Pina? What's... oh. Oh no.'' Silica felt her blood run cold, as she saw who was now stood in front of her. The woman from earlier, and she seemed considerably less than impressed...

''So you ditched your friends. For what, for this little monster? Is that how it is then? Your little pet is worth more to you than the lives of actual humans?!'', the woman's voice became even more sneering than before, ''If I act all helpless, people will come save me! If I get a cute familiar, people will make a fuss over me! Even if I leave someone to die, it's alright because I'm weak, and I deserve to be protected! That's how you think, isn't it?!'' Silica tried to respond, but the woman gave her no room to answer, ''Don't lie! You're just like me! You're filth! All you care about is yourself!'' The woman's taunting began to sound more unhinged as she continued, until she drew her weapon on Silica...

''That is enough!'' Koharu grabbed the woman's weapon, and threw it to the ground. The rest of the group followed moments later, in the form of a confused Phillia, a livid Rain, an oddly calm Jet, and Kizmel, who looked ready to kill someone.

''Silica...'' The young girl shook violently as she stood there, as Jet placed his hand on her shoulder, and she hugged him tightly. ''Shh, shh, it'll be alright. You're safe now, we're here.'' Jet reassured, as he pulled a tissue and wiped tears from her eyes. As he did that, Kirito and Asuna raced in from defeating the mass of monsters...

''Why... why did they come back to save you! Then why... why was I?'' The woman broke down, realising that her plan had failed, and she was now facing down seven very unhappy looking players.

Kirito was the first to speak, as he put two and two together ''You were the one who tried to MPK us, aren't you?''

''Ha! Anyone can do something as simple as an MPK, no tools means no evidence... and you don't even have to get your own hands dirty. You can make whoever you want disappear, just like that...''

''Why were you after Silica.'' Asuna asked, readying her rapier, just in case.

''Af-after me?''

''Guys, I think we should take her back to the town. We won't get anywhere out here.'' Koharu stated, as Asuna agreed, and started prodding the woman into compliance.

After a short, but tense walk, the group had arrived back at the Inn in the town, and had split into two - the first were in a different room, looking after Silica, whilst the rest sat in a rather cramped room, surrounding the woman and ensuring she didn't attempt to flee.

''Silica's resting up in the next room, Jet and Rain are with her, and I've also called Argo here. She said she'll be here in a bit.'' Koharu walked back into the room, having helped calm Silica down.

''What are you, the girl's guardian?'' The woman asked, tauntingly, ''She's quite the lucky one...''

''Drop the taunting. Why did you try to PK her?'' Asuna ordered.

''You sure enjoy sticking your noses in my business... why the hell do you want to know anyway?''

''You tried to kill us!'' Asuna yelled at the woman, as the remorseless woman rolled her eyes.

''I didn't do a very good job, evidently.''

Anticipating the unproductive bickering that was almost certain if they continued down this path, Koharu spoke up, ''On our quest to reach the hundredth floor, although we've met people we've clashed with, every one of them has fought to live another day. But... I think you're different. There's this malice I just can't figure out. I just want to know why you did what you did.''

''Pfft, are you serious? A quest to reach the hundredth floor... you've got to be joking! And as for that girl... I wasn't trying to kill her, or you... I just wanted her to understand!''

''Understand what?''

''That even if she showed everyone this sweet face, that she only cares for herself. That she's an evil person who abandons others. She wants to go places she can't handle, and when things get hairy, she flees and abandons her friends.'' The woman's voice fell almost silent, as she stuttered out her next sentence, ''Just like I did.''

''Are you telling us...''

''You got caught up in an MPK?''

''It was back on the fourth floor. I was a somewhat well known player, so I thought I could join any party I wanted, just like your friend. After all, if I tagged along with higher level players, it'd be easier. The items, EXP, Col, would all come so easily. It's such a nasty point of view... but I was trying my best, even though a party who refused to let me join didn't see it that way. It was just meant to be a little prank, they said... they didn't think it'd get three people killed, they said...''

''They lured you into an MPK, as a prank...'' Kirito seemed horrified at that prospect. He'd seen MPKs for malice, and admittedly, he'd seen this done once back in the beta, but that was a very different situation. All that was on the line then was Col, items and EXP, and it seemed bad enough then... now though? It was just evil.

''I was with my party, in a narrow dungeon. We were surrounded in an instant, and they just ran off, laughing all the way. I'm sure they didn't realise the gravity of what they did, but it was already too late.'' The woman began to weep as she remembered, ''I was the only one who got out... and there they were, waiting outside the dungeon. Probably wanted to see to laugh as we came out... I begged them, pleaded with them. But no matter how many times I asked, no matter what I offered them, they wouldn't save my party. It was impossible, they said... they could've drawn the monsters out, but then what? The monsters were too strong... They told me to forget about it, and threatened me. They said that anyone else I told would meet the same fate.'' She recalled the blade held to her throat back then, and shuddered.

''Where are they now.'' Phillia asked, as she looked around the room.

''Why do you even want to know? I called the GMs countless times, but no one came... no one's coming to save us...'' The woman paused for a second, as silence lingered in the air. ''It was someone in a tavern who told me how I could get my revenge. After I heard what they had to say, I felt like I could do anything. I thought I'd show them how it felt to beg for mercy and forgiveness!'' Asuna and Koharu glanced at each other, as a sense of malice and bloodlust began to radiate off the woman.

''You didn't, did you...'' Kirito asked, looking towards the woman's cursor - green, which put doubts on his theory.

''No. By the time I'd found out about this... they were all dead. It seems they were fighting over this hunting ground with great spoils. They were utterly mauled when a surprise monster attack hit them. It's stupid, isn't it? In the end, the idiots whose prank killed my friends, met their fate in the same meaningless way... It's not like you'd ever understand... every day I wake up, and curse the fact that I'm the only one who's still alive. You can't even begin to comprehend how painful it was! Do you really think your hearts can handle that long trek up to the hundredth floor...'' The woman broke down again, memories of that fateful day, and the nightmares that came with it, flooding in. ''I'm sick of it! Sick of being alone... sick of these thoughts...''

''And you decided that you should take all of that out on Silica, just because she seemed happy!? That way of thinking is wrong, and I understand that you feel lonely, and regretful, but inflicting that pain on others? It just isn't right!''

''I know! I know already! I just... I'm scared... I'm so scared of death! There's no place here for me!''

''Then make one?''

''Nothing is going to stop our goal of reaching the top of Aincrad, and help doesn't come... then we have to push on with our own strength! If you really want to save yourself, then help people, the Assault Team, whichever you choose, in any way you can, it doesn't matter how small! The frontlines aren't as distant as you think, and we're all supported by a range of players, from artisans to mid-level players. Instead of hurting people, why don't you find peace by helping people instead?''

''Anyone can talk big, you know...''

''Maybe that's true, but if my words can make you believe that we'll make it out of here, then they'll have done their job!''

''Koharu's right. If you want to repent for what you've done, then help people... if you don't, then keep out of the way of everyone who does...''

''You really are naïve... and I'm leaving. I'm going downstairs.''

''Do you think I got through to her?''

''I don't know, but I do know one thing, Ko... I'm giving you the whole speeches thing from now on, that was better than any of mine!'' - Jet joked, trying to lighten the mood. ''Seriously though, you did something I wouldn't have there... kept calm. I get that woman's traumatised, but that's not an excuse to lash out at someone else entirely, and don't even get me started on those bastards who pulled such a 'prank'...''

''Do you think she'll stop though?''

''I don't know. I hope so, because next time, she's not getting away scot free...''

''Uhh, random question? Where exactly did you guys come from?'' Kirito asked, wondering how the group had timed it so perfectly, as to arrive at the same time as Silica was in trouble...

Some time earlier, Snowlit Woods

''So... what are we actually doing out here, Kizmel?'' Rain asked, trudging aside yet more snow, and thanking anyone that she wore a thick coat...

''The Sapphire Key is proof to our contact - that we can stand a chance against the Fallen!'' Jet wished Kizmel would be a little quieter as he didn't fancy being crushed by an avalanche. Despite those reservations, he did have to wonder who their contact was...

''So, this contact... who is it?''

''You've met him before, but I cannot say. Not yet, anyway.'' The group continued on ahead through the snow, before the group came across their contact... A Forest Elf, and if Jet's memory wasn't playing up, it was the commander from the fourth floor...

{Author's Comments}

I'll admit, this one may be all over the place, as my usual planning process went completely out of the window this week, due to coming down with an ear infection. Anyway, I'm hoping this doesn't come across as badly as I feel it does, but then again, you are usually your own worst critic...

Hopefully, next week's chapter won't be as much of a rush job (it won't), and I regain my hearing soon enough.

Anyway, if you enjoyed this chapter, or have any criticism for me, leave me a review or PM, or favourite, follow, etc.

Signing off, Midland 2541.

Chapter Text

Floor 8 - Boss - Envy the Forest Witch

Earlier that day...

Of the many things that Jet and Koharu were expecting, assisting the commander who'd implied that they'd be slain on sight if he laid eyes on them again... wasn't particular high up there. As they wondered about that, Kizmel held out a number of flowers to the commander, whilst the two talked in some form of elven language that none of the four were capable of understanding...

''You two seem a bit surprised?'' Rain asked, as Jet jogged his memory. Koharu, luckily for them, was already running hers, so to speak.

''Remember what we said about the fourth floor, Rain?''

''Which bit, I just remember a lot of angry ranting from Jet, if I'm honest...'' And did she remember it, alright. She may have had, as Jet had put it once, the patience of a saint... but that had really tested her.

''The bit about stopping the attack. That was the commander who we talked to... and who not so subtlety implied that he'd kill us on sight if he saw us again.'' Who was currently being handed a load of flowers by Kizmel, much to the confusion of the group. ''Uhh, Kizmel, what's with the flowers?'' Koharu asked.

''The flowers here are called Witch's Benevolence. Their nectar gives off heat, so they are often consumed to survive the cold. Us elves use them to make alcohol...'' Kizmel answered, although the look on her face should've been an indicator as to the quality of said alcohol.

''Is it any good?'' Jet asked, evidently not seeing Kizmel's face, and deciding if it was... then a few bottles for Christmas presents wasn't the worst idea in the world. Just as long as he made sure Strea never found them, that was.

''Not at all. We have to mix it with the right combination of spices to make it remotely palatable. It's only really for medicinal purposes, to warm our bodies in this frigid place. If it wasn't for that, no one would ever drink it...'' And that put paid to that plan, Jet thought to himself.

''Eh, give it to Strea. She'll drink it neat.'' He shrugged, remembering his sister's antics (and the associated bills from said antics) over the years...

''Hm, I will admit, I wondered if you'd show up with an army instead of... a knight, and four teenagers. Though, I do have a question for you - the dark haired girl, the swordsmaster who tore through my men, like a swift wind through the forest... where is she?''

''You mean Yuuki? She's off, errr, somewhere.'' Jet quietly hid that he had absolutely no idea where she was.

''A shame, I would've loved to have fought by her side in this matter, but alas. I suppose you are wondering why I've asked you here?'' The commander asked.

''Just a little bit, yeah.'' Koharu admitted.

''Aren't the Forest Elves the other baddies?'' Phillia asked, slightly confused as to why the couple had a prior history with this one...

''Nah, other side of the coin. Neither good nor bad, in real terms anyway.''

''On the fourth floor, I wished to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, especially as we were being manipulated by the Fallen. This has not changed, although the situation has. A woman from the Fallen, who went by the name Kysala came to me with a letter from our king, stating that the Fallen would be helping us to invade Lyusala. Despite our mission, and the animosity between our races... an all out invasion like that seems particularly unwise. I have lost confidence in our leadership, and so have a large number of my forces... Kysala also bought me information on the Witch's Maze, where the Sapphire Key is hidden-''

''Was. Was hidden.'' Jet raised a smirk.

''Do not tell me that loathsome woman has the Sapphire Key...'' The Forest Elf Commander wore a look of fear on his face... as Kizmel materialised a small cloth bag, covered in Elven runes of some form. The look of fear was overtaken by a look of shock. ''You already have the key?!'' He exclaimed.

''Yup. That's why we were a little late... took a shortcut, and grabbed it on the way here.'' Phillia looked quite happy with their handiwork.

''You humans truly do surprise me. I can begin to see why we were on the back foot since you arrived... although, with us ahead of the Fallen for once, I do have to ask you all something... why do you fight for Lyusula?''

''Are you trying to get us to swap sides?'' Koharu asked, slightly worried by the question.

''No, but your reasons intrigue me. Humans have, until now anyway, stayed a neutral party. Why break that now?'' The group all thought to themselves, and took it in turns to answer ''This war's raged for long enough, and I wanted to... sounds daft when I say it, but I wanted to live up to my legacy. Prove my father right in his beliefs, even if the method wasn't exactly how he thought.''

''Kizmel's a friend, and I don't want to see any more elves hold on to past grudges and lose sight of what's important.''

''I was bored, and these three are more interesting than twiddling my thumbs all day.'' Phillia shrugged, as the others collectively winced. ''In all seriousness though, if our presence does facilitate both sides sitting down and talking it out... then that's a bigger win to me.''

''I just wanted to help my friends, and well... I guess my reasons are the same as Koharu's, really.'' Rain admitted, looking sheepish as she did.

''Ah, I understand. Still embracing naive ideals, I see. Before I ally myself with you though, and trust in your words... draw your sword, Knight of the Tempest...'' The commander drew his longsword, and stood ready...

''Uhh... oh! That's me, isn't it?'' Jet asked, as Kizmel nodded, whilst Phillia tried not to laugh at the name again.

''Commander Wendelin... you cannot be serious!'' Kizmel asked, clutching at her saber as she did. Jet drew Hope, and stood opposite the Forest Elf Commander, or Wendelin as Jet guessed he should now call him, looking over his opponent.

''I accept this duel, commander. Guys, stand back, would you?''

''Good, let us begin... Knight!'' Jet got into a ready stance, and prepared for the elf's first attack, a vertical slash, blocked by Hope, which Jet followed with a quick counterattack, the positions changing as Jet took the far side of the arena, whilst Wendelin took nearside, and both opponents charged each other again...

After five minutes, the duel, whilst not particularly clear cut, was certainly edging out in Jet's favour, him having swapped to using his sword and shield again, rather than just Hope. Kizmel, fearful for her friend, especially knowing that he seemingly didn't know when to quite, as in his fight with Kysala, decided to call it there, ''Stop! The victor is decided... isn't that what you wanted?''

''Yes, you are a more hardy opponent than I expected. Still though, I was fighting to kill, yet I saw something in your eyes... a calculating look, one of a man unwilling to take a life.'' Had Jet been one of Wendelin's men, he would've had that attitude beaten out of him, even if it were perhaps a sign of a more noble intent.

''What good would taking your life here have done?'' Jet put Hope away, and turned around... a shadow forming as he did...

''I can only hope you do not hesitate like that in an actual fight, Knight.'' Wendelin stated, failing to notice the growing numbers of shadows, and one which was beginning to form into a familiar figure... ''Oh I can say he doesn't... remember last time... Jet.'' Kysala stood behind them, grinning evily.

''You look well for someone who had their throat slit.'' Jet muttered in annoyance.

''You killed a mere party trick. A shadow of magic, and I shall take the Sapphire Key from you here, as I did the Agate Key then.'' Kysala seemed more frustrated than she did angry, at that being bought up.

''Nah.'' Jet answered confidently, not even bothering to give a full answer.

''You sound awfully confident for someone exhausted from a duel...'' Kysala readied her weapon, a jagged looking machete that looked as if it had seen far better days...

''You sound awfully confident for someone who's best trick is running away...'' Jet mocked, as he made a 'go away' gesture towards Kysala.

''We aren't letting you get your hands on that key, not this time...'' Koharu drew her dagger, whilst Rain and Phillia got into position for their attacks.

''I don't believe I asked you, insolent brat.'' Kysala sneered towards Koharu, and Jet's attitude changed rapidly. As petty as it was, this one had nearly killed him at least once, and he knew that she wasn't going to let them walk away from here. Back on the fifth floor, he'd felt some form of guilt over killing the siblings... he'd feel no such guilt if Kysala perished at his blade!

''Oh, well, if I was gonna go easy on you... not anymore!'' The group began their attacks, and the rest was history...

Back to the Present

''Yeah, turns out six of us versus just her... wasn't what I'd call a fair fight.'' Phillia admitted.

''How long did it take?'' Kirito wondered aloud, earning an eye roll from Asuna.

''About twenty seconds. Turns out Rain is easily the best DPS I've seen ever.'' Koharu explained, Asuna looking quizzically at her, and not knowing what a DPS was...

''No kidding... we had to step back, else we couldn't tell where her blades actually were!'' Phillia was still getting used to the whole duel wielding thing, but she had a slight hunch that Rain had took Kysala nearly killing Jet sort of personally, despite only hearing about it from Koharu... she hoped it was that, anyway.

''Did you get anything about the boss?'' Asuna asked.

''Funny you should ask that... the way Wendelin described it to us, it was the old ruler of this floor.'' Phillia stated, taking a seat on the now vacant bed.

''The guardian of this floor is the stuff of our legends. Envy the Forest Witch, the once benevolent ruler of this forest, now turned into a malicious monster, wreaking havoc on humanity as penance for their sins. We were told this as a bedtime story, a warning to the young about the price of their treachery.'' Kizmel began to explain... ''Generations ago, this land was a luscious place, and animals roamed freely, and the land had a lord. His son was a sickly child, and grew into an even more sickly adult. The lord was undeterred, and asked every doctor in the land for their expert opinions. None were particular optimistic... and so, he turned to the ruler of the forest. A witch, as kind as she was wise, and always accompanied by the stray animals she raised. The lord pleaded with the witch, offering anything within his possession to save his son, and she did so, using a concoction of herbs from the land. In return though, she asked for full control over a small portion of the land, simply so she and her animals could live in peace. The lord however, was a greedy man, and decided that it would be waste to lose the forest and its magical herbs...''

''The lord betrayed her, didn't he?'' Koharu asked, dreading where this story was going, as Kizmel carried on...

''Indeed, Koharu. The lord sent out his army, and the result was a slaughter. Every animal that fought to protect the witch was killed, and their pelts used by the lord as a show of his superiority over the witch, who attempted to hide away from the carnage her kindness had wrought. It was all for nought in the end, as the lord's army captured her, and the lord went so far as to execute her himself...''

''All of that, because he couldn't bear to lose some land...'' Asuna looked absolutely mortified as the story carried on, and the lord descended further and further into the status of tyrant.

''The witch's execution did not go as planned though, and she was saved by a black cat taking the blow intended to kill her, before a second did hit her. In her final moments, she took the cat to her herb garden, which contained her secret. Enshrined there, a branch of the sacred tree, which had given her herbs their miraculous properties.''

''Wait... the sacred tree? Kizmel, that's...'' Suddenly, a number of pieces began to start to take shape in Koharu's mind.

''The branch in the witch's garden had long since withered, but its blessing continued to shine on the garden in the form of its leaves. By the time the witch reached her garden though, only a single leaf remained. The witch sacrificed this gift to save the gravely injured cat... and then stabbed herself with the branch. The branch however, was not completely drained of power, and the witch discovered that, as the power transformed her into a monster. As she did, she drew in the warmth of the land, and encased the lord's castle in ice... a symbolic gesture to show his cold hearted nature to the onlookers.''

''It's hard to say he deserved anything else... but what about the people of the land? They hadn't wronged her, and yet she doomed them to... well, this!'' Phillia exclaimed.

''A good point. There were people who respected the witch, and in turn, she respected them, providing their town with warmth. Perhaps her kind nature hadn't completely gone, after all...'' Kizmel mused, as a knock at the door interrupted her. Kirito, as the one nearest to the door opened it... and watched as the usually graceful Argo collapsed into a heap on the floor, having been leaning on the door beforehand. Stood behind her, Jet, Rain and Silica, all of whom fought back some degree of laughter.

''Couldn't help a gal up, could ya?'' Argo asked, looking less than pleased at her new position on the floor. Asuna helped her up quickly, and the nine strong group made their base within the rather small room, a position that was less than comfortable for all of them. ''So, the floor boss is...?''

''Some form of mutated humanoid, at a guess. Apparently it uses branches to attack, like tendrils, and it can clone itself using the shadows around it. We were told not to, ahem, 'lose sight of it's weapon' too. So, I guess that means its weapon could control the shadows, maybe?'' Jet thought aloud, as he explained what they'd been told by Wendelin after their fight with Kysala.

''Not looking forward to this, our first fight with an almost human enemy...'' Kirito thought aloud.

''Umm...'' Most of the group looked quizzically towards Kirito, wondering whether he'd completely forgotten his experiences of the Elf War Quest, before he realised what he'd just said ''I meant human floor boss!''

''Yeah, it'll be a nice change of pace to not die of fright on seeing the boss...'' Jet half joked, remembering the sixth floor boss.

''You jest, but this guardian is equally as dangerous'' Kizmel pointed out.

''Yeah, but some people get by with humour when they're stressed. On the note of stress, which of us wants to message Pinky and Perky, and tell them about the boss?'' Jet admitted, before insulting the guild leaders.

''Who are Pinky and Perky?'' Rain voiced the silent thoughts of everyone else present.

''Kibaou and Lind.'' Jet answered, realising that he'd now be the one doing it, as everyone else gave him a smile...

A few hours later...

Unsurprisingly, with information on the floor boss, a strategy meeting was called to discuss the upcoming boss fight. ''So, this boss is more human than any of the ones we've faced previously. That's... concerning for our morale.'' Lind looked on, deep in thought. What about, Jet wasn't sure, nor was he sure that he wanted to know, really.

''Screw it bein' more human, I'm more worried 'bout that shadow stuff. Did ya get anythin' that could help us this time round?'' Kibaou asked, although to Jet's ears, his definition of 'asking' felt a little more like 'mugging'

''Just information, I'm afraid.'' Jet answered, the two guild leaders deflating in disappointment.

''So, who's yer new friend, she ain't gonna be a load, is she?'' Kibaou pointed to the ginger haired member of the group, who was blissfully unaware of what was going on, chatting away with Koharu and Liten.

''New friend?'' Jet muttered, before it clicked who Kibaou was on about ''Oh, Phillia, no. She's up there with us, so you just worry about keeping your own house in check.'' He commented, before walking back to the group, still deep in conversation...

''Well, I take it that went well?'' Koharu assumed, given none of the three wore hand prints around their necks...

''Well as can go. Anyway, we should do our planning, where's Rain?''

''She's gone to get our potions. Something's bothering her, I think.'' Koharu explained. In the time they'd known Rain, Koharu had noticed that she was extremely good at putting up an affable front, but when something was troubling her, she became very quiet, and looked for excuses to be away from people. She'd briefly wondered if they'd done something to bother her, or the situation with Silica was still playing on her mind, but she wasn't telepathic, so she had no real way of knowing, unless Rain spoke up, and something told her that she wouldn't, unless prompted, anyway.

''I'm gonna go look for her. You two going to be alright here?'' Jet asked, turning on his heels.

''We'll be fine, don't worry.'' Koharu answered, as he began to take off.

The town on the Eighth Floor was a pleasant place, teeming full of people... which made it a perfect place to hide. Rain knew her friends would be worried if she took too long, but for once, she was too busy in her own thoughts. She checked her inventory, and looked at her swords. She'd made the mistake of using her twin blades during the last battle, and someone had noticed. She'd been lucky that it was only Kirito, who wasn't the witch hunt type...

She was weighting up the pros and cons of using them during this battle, and coming to the conclusion that she might actually be better sitting this one out currently... ''Penny for your thoughts?'' Asked a large, and somewhat orange, shadow.

''Who's there!'' Rain snapped out of her thoughts, and pointed a finger at her interrupter, before realising how daft she probably looked.

''Just me, everything alright?'' Jet raised his hands jokingly, as if surrendering.

''I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me!'' Rain smiled at Jet, with very little cheer in it. Despite how much flak he got for being clueless, some of it admittedly justified, he wasn't completely useless at reading people. ''Really? You look as if you've just spent the past however long mulling something over...''

''If you had a skill that you know you'd get the worst kind of attention for, if you used it... would you use it?'' Rain asked quietly, hoping for a fresh perspective on her dilemma.

''You're talking about your swords, right?'' Rain simply nodded, and Jet continued ''It's hard to say. On one hand, you taught yourself how to fight like that, and the maths to do so, well, it boggles my mind, and you are extremely good at it. Hell, that fight against Kysala earlier showed that... but on the other, you don't want to find out how the guilds would react to you having something unique. It'd be a 'beater' situation all over again, and this time, there'd be no one to take the heat off you.'' Jet paused for a moment as he considered his next words. ''Rain, you're part of our group now. We wouldn't ditch you for anything like that, and I'm hoping Kibaou and Lind are at least competent enough to keep the assholes from starting a witch hunt again. Look, I know I've said nothing of any use, really, but... it's your decision, not mine, at the end of the day.''

''Yeah.'' Rain answered, still looking at her inventory.

''Sorry I can't give you a magic bullet here, but whatever you do, we're behind you.'' Jet smiled, as he stood up again, ''Anyway, we've got the evening off, boss fight's tomorrow. I was gonna say we, as a group, go and get a bite to eat, and hopefully, this time I don't pass out against a wall.''

''Don't joke about that! You could've been hurt!'' Rain looked slightly annoyed at Jet's nonchalance at that incident. Whilst he was passing out, it had been terrifying for her to see her friend slumping down against a wall, looking agonised, and she wouldn't have wished that sight on her worst enemy.

''Yes, mom...'' Jet joked, as Rain sighed.

''For worrying us like that... you owe us all food.'' Rain gave a satisfied smile, as Jet looked on in shock. ''I never agreed to that! Rain... Rain... Oi!'' The redhead continued to walk back laughing under her breath at the indignant flailing being that was her friend.

The next morning...

The morning of the boss fight came, and for once, Jet didn't feel completely exhausted as he woke up. It was funny that, you could wake up more tired than you'd actually been when you fell asleep, it was a strange situation, Jet thought as he tried to avoid waking Koharu up, and headed into the kitchen, where to his surprise, Rain and Phillia were already sitting. ''Finally!''

''Didn't know I was that well liked... Thanks Ginge!'' Jet felt over the moon at the ego boost...

''Nope, but you do know how to make coffee apparently, and therefore, you are possibly the most valuable person in this damned world currently.'' And then felt as if his ego had been rubbed through the manure. It was incredible just how much of a rollercoaster this morning had already been, really.

''So, rather than say 'Can I have a cup of coffee?' like an ordinary person, you went with 'Finally!'... and you say I'm strange!''

''Too early. Gimme coffee.'' Phillia groaned. Had Jet had less of a sense of self preservation, a comparison to Gollum might've been on the cards.

''Magic word?'' Jet rolled his eyes.

''Jet, give me coffee, or else I will call you Jethro throughout the boss fight?'' Phillia shrugged, as Jet moved faster than she'd ever seen him move, darting into the kitchen and looking for the ingredients...

Some time later, and Koharu had woken up too, and the group were sat around the kitchen table eating what was tentatively described as 'cereal'. Honestly speaking, Jet thought it was closer to eating dried twigs, but since he hadn't figured out how to do a full English yet... twiggy cereal it was.

''Rain, you made your decision yet?'' Jet asked, swallowing down another twig of 'cereal', whilst Rain looked around skittishly.

''I think so, yes. I'm not going to let my fear and anxiety rule my decisions...''

''Good for you! Umm... exactly what are you two on about?'' Koharu asked, slightly confused at the conversation.

''I was... well, still am, worried that using my swords would cause more problems than it'd solve.'' Rain admitted.

''I wouldn't worry about them, I think they're still reeling from your dressing down of them last time...'' Phillia gave a Rain a pat on the back, as she walked back to her 'room' to retrieve her stuff. ''So, what's the plan?''

''Kibaou's in charge for this one, but do as we always do.'' Jet answered, offering very little of an actual plan.

''Work in almost perfect unison?'' Rain questioned.

''Make it up as we go along.'' Jet admitted, as he picked up his stuff too. ''Guess we should get going, huh?''

A few hours later, and the assault team had all met up, ready for the trip into the labyrinth, and their encounter with the Forest Witch. The lack of any real information on the boss, other than Kizmel's explanation of the lore surrounding it earlier, was a cause for concern... but there was only so much digging that the group had time to do. With the ALS in charge, it was unsurprising that they'd be seeking the glory for the win, and the group had decided to just let them have this one, for once.

The group made haste through the labyrinth, clearing it in less than an hour, a new record if Jet remembered correctly, and were now gathered outside the boss's chamber. A quick look at the engravings around the chamber revealed Kizmel's story to be near enough spot on, and made it seem as if Wendelin's information was also correct. During the beta test, the boss had apparently been a relatively straightforward affair, relying on being able to throw familiars at the players, and striking whilst they were distracted, but this time, the branch attack could be a nasty surprise if it caught players off guard.

''E'rryone ready! Let's git 'um!'' Kibaou yelled, as Jet looked around at their group. Rain had equipped her second sword, whilst everyone else was watching the door... ''Okay, let's do this.'' Jet spoke, readying his shield.

As the group entered the chamber, what immediately struck them was the sheer size and spectacle of it. A darkened sky, speckled with stars above them, and an ornate ring surrounding the boss area, covered in stars, with what appeared to be a cradle hanging in the centre... it looked like nothing they'd seen before, and in any other circumstances, would've been an awe inspiring sight. Today though, it was simply going to be the backdrop to the battle...

As the door closed behind the group, a hysterical cackling could be heard, before their opponent graced them with their presence. If Jet was honest, he was expecting something far uglier, considering they'd been mutated by a sacred tree. The boss herself was a fairly average looking opponent, and one that Jet would've instantly pegged as a witch, even if he hadn't been aware beforehand... the broom, cackling and their general demeanour was a dead giveaway, alongside the black cat in the cradle.

Hahahahahahahahahhaha! The cackling became increasingly deranged sounding, and the group readied themselves for the witch's first attack, which came moments later, her broom slamming against the ground, before sweeping over it, anyone in the path of the cleaning apparatus evading quickly, before the witch picked her broom up again, and slammed it into the floor...

''What's the boss doin'?'' Kibaou asked, as the players all noticed something... small branches popping out of the concrete beneath them. ''Outta tha way!''. No one needed to be told twice, and Jet ducked under a branch, slamming Hope into it as he went. The branch fell off behind him, severed from it's magical roots. ''Huh, we can actually destroy the AoE attack. That's new.'' Jet thought to himself momentarily, before cutting off a branch attacking a DKB member, confirming his thoughts. ''Guys! Aim for the branches, they can be destroyed!'' Jet yelled, as he barrelled towards another branch, and lopped that one off too, before a scream broke him out of his lumberjack mode...

''The branches! Look!'' Jet's attention snapped to the branch at his six o'clock, before a shadowy arm slammed past him. ''Woah!'' ''This is really starting to piss me off!'' He thought, a thrust from Hope taking the shadow's arm off, as the girls dealt with their shadows. Momentarily, Jet wished he was a bit shorter, and a lot more nimble, before his train of thought was hurriedly derailed, and his shadow was swiftly decapitated.

In the briefest moment of a reprieve, Jet glanced towards the boss's health - almost an entire bar had gone... despite him not having seen anyone going for it, everyone being too busy handling the shadows... The shadows... that's it! They're part of the witch's weapon, and that weapon's a part of her now! ''Everyone! Focus on the witch's weapon! That's the source of the attacks!'' He yelled, as members of the ALS charged at the witch, and were left flat on their backsides as she swooped past.

The next attack came, and the group all focussed their attacks on the broom, and within minutes, the second health bar was rapidly depleting, the witch's movements become increasingly erratic, and far more focussed on specific players. Unfortunately for Rain, this meant that, thanks to her earlier prowess in attacking the boss, it had singled her out for its next volley. With her now on the defensive, the rest of their group picked up the slack on the attack, Jet focussing on defending Koharu and Phillia, whilst the more agile girls ripped at the broom, with blistering speed, and precision strikes.

The minutes counted by, and the boss was down to it's final slither of HP, which every player present knew to be bad news... it signalled a phase change, and the boss would become far more aggressive, and its attacks far more potent.

Something the group were rapidly discovering, as it began to rain down massive ice crystals. ''I've heard of Hail Marys, but this is ridiculous!'' Jet yelled, as he blocked a chunk of ice larger than his head... leaving a rather nasty dent in his shield.

Thankfully, whilst the group were playing the most terrifying version of dodgeball, or at least the most terrifying without involving explosives, the assault team had closed the gap, and dealt the hammer blow that took down the Forest Witch...

CONGRATULATIONS!

Never had that single word felt quite so deserved, if you'd asked Jet. By nothing short of a miracle, everyone was still present and unharmed, which gave everyone the chance to finally breathe easily for the first time in almost an hour. Unsurprisingly, it was Kibaou who broke the silence, as he went around congratulating his guild, whilst everyone else to the time to get their breath back. The fight had been prolonged, and brutal, but they'd prevailed.

''Nice job, all o' ya's.'' Kibaou begrudgingly admitted, as Jet gave a small gesture of acknowledgement. ''Ya ain't holdin' back anymore, which means we won't either. Ya ain't gonna be the MVPs next time.'' Jet felt like smacking Kibaou upside the head. Some of it for the arrogance, but the rest for just how stupid that sentiment actually was. To his surprise, Kirito decided that he felt like having a laugh at Kibaou's expense, and saving him from doing it, ''Come on, we're buddies, aren't we?'' The group looked over to Kibaou, who looked as if he was about to burst a blood vessel at that, and Jet fought back a snigger as he did. ''You tryin' ta piss me off?!'' Kibaou looked ready to lamp someone, but seemed to have slightly more self control than he appeared to, as he calmed himself down, ''N'er mind... we din't lose anyone, an' that's all that matters... don't be shocked when we clear the next floor, 'fore you lot get the chance ta swan in...''

''Oh, don't you worry... we'll be able to keep up. If I were you... I'd be getting my running shoes on about now.'' Jet smiled, as Kibaou glared at him, and walked off, muttering about 'the stupid beater, and his stupid mates'. Jet decided he was gonna let that one slide... mainly as they'd been the ones to provoke him, for once. ''You're getting better at handling Kibaou... any time soon, and you could get a license!'' Kirito laughed, as Asuna just looked thoroughly confused beside him... ''What kind of license would that even be!''

''Dog handler?'' Phillia answered, without missing a beat. Unlike Jet, who'd nearly missed a footstep, and was currently in hysterics...

''What are you guys doing now, we're going to head up to the Ninth Floor?'' Asuna asked, as Jet picked himself up off the floor behind them.

''Going back to town to stock up first, so we'll probably catch up tomorrow.'' Koharu answered.

''Well, don't take too long, else the guilds will have the lead...'' Asuna joked, as she and Kirito walked off towards the gate.

''All's well that ends well, eh? That's a new feeling for us...'' Jet admitted, noting that their luck with the boss battles wasn't fantastic, and even more so, their luck with people after the boss battle...

''So on that note... why are we going back to town? We're fairly well stocked up on potions, even after that...'' Phillia asked the question on everyone's mind.

''Argo asked us to come back, as we never really got to say goodbye to Silica.'' Jet answered, noticing the Argo-like smirk forming on Koharu's face.

''Did she now...'' Koharu asked, knowingly.

''What's the- oh...'' Rain caught on quickly, and began tapping her nose.

''Look, she reminds me of my sister. It's basically hardwired into me at this point.'' Jet tried to defend himself, but failed miserably.

''Look who's got a soft spot, huh?'' Phillia teased, as Jet considered his options. None. He had no options.

''Why am I getting teased for this...'' Jet wondered... and would continue to wonder for at least the next hour as they headed back to the town, and probably considerably longer...

{Author's Comments}

Very little to say this week, so...

If you enjoyed this, please follow, favourite, PM, review etc.

Signing off,

Midland 2541.

Chapter Text

Floor 9 - Chapter 1 - Don't Fear The Reaper...

January 9th, 2023 - Floor 9, Teleport Gate

Arriving on the Ninth Floor, each of the group had a common thought... that they may or may not have wanted to ditch the winter gear now, given the sun was shining down through the canopy of the trees.

Not that that was much relief for the male member of the group, who was currently sweating like the Duke of York, a fact that his girlfriend found some solace in... ''Little bit warm?'' Koharu asked in a sweet voice, that Jet knew was concealing just how much she wanted to laugh.

''Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Koharu...'' Usually, Jet would've been mildly annoyed at the laughing, but after the last floor, he kind of admitted he deserved it... and besides, he wasn't the only one in this situation.

''Oh don't worry, I will... umm, where's Rain?'' The damp dog that was now Jet pointed back at a tree a few metres back, and to the other coated member of the group, now resting against a tree, and looking equally as unhappy.

''I think we should probably swap back to our normal gear... even I'm getting a bit hot here.'' Phillia pointed out, as Jet made haste and hid behind a tree to change...

After a short break, the group, now wearing their normal attire, were back on the move, and heading deep into the forest...

''Please tell me I'm not the only one constantly expecting that trees to try and grab us...'' Koharu mumbled, as Jet nodded in sympathy. That part of the third floor was an absolute nightmare for everyone, and Jet was glad they'd likely never have to go through there again.

''Whoever designed that floor was evil...'' Phillia agreed, ''Try looking for objects buried in the mud, when you have to worry that a tree might suddenly pop to life and grab you!'' Something in her tone told the rest of the group that Phillia had had her own share of adventures before they'd met her...

''Agreed. Still better than the fifth though...'' Phillia joked, doing her best impression of a ghost, causing them to burst into laughter. ''I still can't believe that you and Strea are related, you know? You look nothing alike!''

''Well, yeah, she's using an avatar, I'm not. We do look more alike IRL, you know.'' Jet pointed out, as Phillia shrugged.

''Whatever you say, Jethro.'' Phillia smirked, as Jet's eye twitched.

''I hear something...'' Rain, having taken point for the group. called out. The noises were those of clashing blades, which almost certainly meant they were about to find the next quest in the Elf War Campaign...

The group ran further into the forest, following Phillia as they did, her Tracking skill being exponentially higher than the rest of the group's, and before too long, they'd reached the area where two Elves were fighting off a not insubstantial number of Fallen Elves. That was to be expected at this point in the quest... what wasn't, however, was that the Elves were Forest Elves, not Dark Elves. ''Is this the right quest?'' Phillia asked, slightly confused.

''It should be?'' This was odd, Jet thought to himself. Other than on the last floor, where it had been a matter of helping the commander, rather than them actually being allies...

''What is the meaning of this treachery! You dare spit in the face of our alliance?!'' The Forest Elf asked, scandalised at their supposed allies betrayal...

''Our instructions are to purge those who will not follow the wishes of the King. Do not prolong this any further than is needed...'' The Fallen began to advance on the Forest Elf... ''And we are no more than rabbits caught in a snare...'' The knight snarled, as a Fallen Elf lunged at her, their sabre tearing into them, ''Wendelin! Quick! Run!''

The commander, already angry at the situation, had become downright livid, and readied his blade for the fight against the Fallen. ''Fuimith... Damn you all!'' He yelled, charging into the fight...

''Either way, they look as if they're barely hanging on!'' Koharu pointed out, and took over command of their group. ''Jet, act as our tank, Rain, cover him. Phillia, with me, and we'll launch hit and run attacks on them.'' Jet looked over at Koharu, and rather than being annoyed at the orders, Koharu noticed the look of pride he was giving her, and she smiled back.

''As she said, let's go!'' Jet shouted, taking up his role in the plan, and charging one of the Fallen. The Fallen, taken aback by the sudden appearance of the group through the trees, began swinging his sabre, most of the hits being blocked by the shield protecting them, any brief reprieve being cut off as a flurry of strikes hit from all angles... it wasn't long before the Elf fell, and burst.

Whilst Jet and Rain quickly scanned the area for any more adversaries, as Koharu and Phillia dealt with their foe, a third Fallen appeared from the hedges behind them... ''Behind you!'' The commander yelled out, as Jet dodged under a swipe from the Fallen Elf, before a sharp needle like object hit the unlucky elf directly in the forehead. The elf, now critically injured, staggered back, allowing Jet a brief chance to strike, and the Fallen lived up to their name, hitting the ground and bursting into pixels...

''Didn't know you had any throwing skills, Rain?'' The redhead looked looked towards Jet as if he'd grown an extra head in that instant...

''I don't?'' Rain questioned, looking around the battlefield. As she did, she spotted something... red eyes in the foliage, moving away from them.

''Huh, wonder who's this is, then...'' Jet picked up the needle from the dirt behind him, unintentionally scratching himself as he did. ''Dammit.'' Luckily, the HP loss was negligible, but still...

''Whoever's it is, you may venture to give them your gratitude if you find them. Had they not intervened, your life may have been at risk...''

''I don't understand though, what even happened here?'' Jet asked the commander, as everyone regrouped.

''I suppose this does have to do with you. Our liege, the King of Kales'Oh is afflicted with a crippling ailment. However, whilst indisposed, the chancellor holds the real power.''

''The one who formed the pact with the Fallen Elves, right?''

''Yes, and whilst we speak, he is amassing troops for an attack on Lyusula's castle. It will only be a matter of days before those preparations are complete, and all out war begins again...'' Everyone grimaced at the thought of an all out conflict. Jet and Koharu knew that the one they'd avoided on the fourth floor would've been simply a skirmish in comparison to this one... ''However, a small number of us still believe that the king would not be so foolish as to entertain the idea. Peace between our two races has been tenuous... but other than small scale skirmishes, and the occasional officer getting ideas above their station, until the Fallen entered the fray, no one dared to consider a full scale conflict between Kales'Oh and Lyusula. However, we believe the chancellor has other ideas, and feels as if he can use the Fallen to further his own power... whilst they plan to use the chancellor as their way of gaining governance.''

''You said this concerns us? That means you want our help, right?'' Jet asked, realising just how messy this conflict could actually become, and that alone made it priority number one on their 'to do' list.

''I would usually be loathe to ask humans for help in any matters such as this... however, you have all proven yourself valiant and trustworthy warriors, and we are seriously lacking in manpower. We plan to find our proof of the chancellor's hand in this affair, and drive the Fallen back!''

''So, what do you want us to do?''

''One of our spies is hidden deeper into the forest. I wish for you to hand them this note''

''Uhh, where in the forest? It's kind of a big place...''

''In the northwestern corner of the forest, you will find a device. Use this to summon them.'' Wendelin explained.

''What about you?'' Rain asked the commander.

''I will head to our safe house. I can but pray to the Sacred Tree that those Fallen we encountered earlier did not have time to inform their superiors of my actions...''

''Please be careful.'' Koharu asked in concern for the Forest Elf Commander.

''Focus on your mission. My safety is not of your concern.'' The commander stated coldly, as he walked away into the forest.

The group headed into the forest, and as they did, an unsettling feeling came across all of them... that of eyes boring a path into their backs. Koharu looked around, anxious for any signs that it was just her mind playing a trick on her. After all, stress does do funny things to people, right? Those eyes she could feel watching them, they were probably just the local wildlife... or so she hoped, anyway. A funny thought popped into her head... if all of this was just because they'd gotten antsy over a cute little rabbit, how daft they'd look...

Rustle. Rustle.

Though, if that was a rabbit... it was a very big one.

Before too long, the rest of the group were scanning the forest themselves, before they spotted the movement of the bushes to their 5 o'clock. The group got ready, Jet drawing Hope, whilst everyone else reached for their weapons just in case...

''Whoever's there... come out!'' Jet yelled, as the rustling got closer, and felt his pulse skyrocket at that moment...

Unlike his expectation of some horrific monster, or worse, some cloaked creep eavesdropping on them, who stepped out was rather contrary to that. Lilac hair, covered by a white cloak, and purple armour, with black thigh high boots, the girl clearly meant business, as she had a massive scythe stowed on her back... definitely not a rabbit, Koharu thought to herself. The girl seemed apologetic, leaving the bushes with her hands raised above her head, as if she were surrendering to them. ''Sorry! I'm not a bad guy, don't worry!'' As she did, she lowered her cloak's hood, and suddenly, became a little familiar to three of the members of the group. ''Mito, wasn't it?''

''You remember me! Umm, sorry for following you around, but I saw you guys in trouble back there, and I stepped in to help. Sorry if it came from the blue, there.''

''No, but it was a little close to my head for my liking. Thanks, though.''

''You're welcome... who are the other two?'' Mito walked over to Rain and Phillia, who'd both taken a couple of steps back, and noticed something extremely troubling... her cursor.

In SAO, players had three colours that their cursors could be - green, as were most of the player base, indicating that they'd generally not broken any of the cardinal rules of the game. An orange cursor, on the other hand, meant you'd attacked another player, or had a pattern of generally unpleasant behaviour. If a player had an orange cursor... you were probably better off giving them a wide berth, and woe betide you, if you had the misfortune of running into a player with a red cursor. To the players, red meant dead... which was likely what you'd end up, if you came across a red player. Mito's was orange, and the two girls wondered if either Jet or Koharu had noticed that. Rain certainly had, and the troubled look on Phillia's face seemed to say she had too...

''I'm Phillia, and that's-'' Phillia was cut off as Rain spoke, an unhappy look on her face, as she remembered why she'd thought of this girl as familiar... she'd met her before. ''We've already met. The forest on the Seventh Floor, remember?''

''I... really don't remember.'' Mito froze up, as the events came back to her...

Rain didn't buy that at all, and decided to keep going... ''I'm sure you do, and I think you owe them an explanation for why you were sneaking around in the forest, photographing them, don't you?''

''Wait, that was you?!'' Jet shouted out in surprise.

''I swear it wasn't anything malicious! I was looking for someone, and I kind of hoped you could help me, being members of the Assault Team...'' Mito admitted, hesitantly.

''You invaded our privacy, stalked us, and now you want our help?'' Koharu asked, a look of annoyance on her face.

''Last floor, when we met you... don't tell me you put a child in danger, just to get our attention...'' Jet asked quietly, a razor sharp edge to his voice as he did.

''No! I'd never do that!'' Mito shouted, horrified at the thought that someone considered her capable of performing such an evil act, ''I, well I guess I'm kind of a mercenary. I help people on quests when they've not got enough people, or need someone more capable in combat.''

''And Silica hired you?'' Jet questioned, a look of distrust on his face.

''No, that was just dumb luck. I was levelling around there, and well, I noticed her getting in well above her head. I stepped in, and well, you two know the rest. Silica, is she...''

''She's fine, she's levelling on the lower floors. But that's not the matter at hand... your cursor. Explain.'' Mito winced, knowing exactly what was being asked of her. She sighed, and began her explanation... ''Sometimes, those jobs bring me into conflict with other parties. Sometimes, they won't back off, and I end up giving them a warning shot. That wasn't why I've got an orange cursor though. I was caught by a load of players, and they goaded me into attacking them.''

''These other players, did one happen to wear a chainmail hood, per chance?'' Jet looked increasingly unhappy.

''Yes, why?'' Mito answered. Jet stood there, cursing under his breath. Of course he'd be involved, why wouldn't he, he thought to himself...

''We've ran into him before. Tried to start a war between the guilds on the third floor, though saner heads prevailed. The others though, could you describe them to us?'' Koharu explained.

''One of them wore a poncho, spoke as if he were some form of messiah...'' Jet's blood ran cold, and he felt himself lock up. He couldn't be real, could he... she had to be referring to someone else, it wasn't possible... it just wasn't! He'd imagined him, he had to have! ''-et! Jet!''

''Just thinking...'' Jet covered up for himself, forgetting that everyone had just seen what he was doing, and he hadn't...

''You froze up, and started muttering about whoever it was being real... very deep in thought, I imagine.'' Phillia pointed out, slightly concerned for her friend's mental state.

''You know of that guy then?'' Mito asked, noticing the abject terror in Jet's eyes as he stood there.

''Not personally, hell I thought he was a figment of my imagination until just, but...'' Jet admitted, a brief flash of his nightmare coming back to him... the bit where his throat got slashed. ''If he's real... we need to be on our guard, even more so.''

''Still though, why would you get an orange cursor, if they attacked you?'' Rain asked, not fully buying into Mito's story.

''I knew they were going to attack me, so I thought I'd get the first shot in... unfortunately for me, that marked me as an orange player, and, well... here we are.'' Mito explained. It was certainly a plausible option, but nothing about her story had been particularly implausible so far. It was more a question of whether she was telling the truth or not, and that was exactly where the problem lay. None of them could tell with any degree of certainty. Mito, on the other hand, continued, ''If you want to know why I was following you on the Seventh Floor, I got paid to do so, some guy with red hair, spoke like he was on stage?''

''Lueur.'' Jet, Koharu and Rain spoke in unison.

''Explains how he knew about the 'paparazzi', I suppose.''

''He went on about you guys being the 'heroes' of his future stories. I kind of tuned out after about a minute.''

''Yeah, that definitely sounds like Lueur.'' Jet nodded at his girlfriend's comment, feeling a headache already coming on from him... an achievement given he was nowhere near them.

''I came to ask you guys for help looking for someone. When we got stuck here, I had a friend, and, she struggled with it, and spent most of her days cooped up in an inn room. I realised that I couldn't keep watching her lose herself to this world anymore, and I took her out into the field. It proved to be one of the biggest mistakes I've made. She wasn't a gamer, or even knew what she was doing... and she nearly died. When we got back, well... there was an argument, and I left her there. I was angry, and... well, I wasn't thinking straight. By the time I got back, she'd gone, and that was that. That was three months ago, and I don't even know if she's still alive anymore.''

''You want our help finding her?'' Phillia guessed.

''I just want to know what happened to her. Closure, I guess...'' The way that Mito spoke, Jet recognised instantly. It was the tone of acceptance - the way a person spoke when they'd accepted the inevitable, and no longer fighting to change it... Jet wondered if she actually believed that this friend of hers was still alive, or she truly believed she'd passed on...

''What was her name?'' Koharu asked.

''Her name was Asuna. I know it's a long shot, but maybe someone knows something about what happened to her...'' Mito looked on sadly, as she remembered her friend. The group all glanced at each other in surprise, as if to say 'No way...', before turning back to the reminiscing Mito.

''We can help, give us two minutes.'' Jet answered, quickly tapping a message on his keyboard.

''Wait... she's alive!?'' For the first time in a while, there was a genuinely happy moment in this world. Looking towards Mito, the girl looked as if she were about to cry, but Jet figured that those were tears of happiness. ''She's alright... I, I'm glad!''

''You look it.'' Jet laughed softly, as he checked his messages. Twelve new messages. One from Asuna, another from his sister and ten from Argo. Opening it, it... didn't look all that happy about the news that Mito was looking for her. In fact, Jet was fairly sure he'd doomed Kirito to a rather long ranting session, and so, made a note to buy the poor guy a drink to make up for it later.

''What did she say?'' Koharu looked towards Jet, who looked as if he'd somehow crashed...

''Umm...'' Jet thought carefully about his next words, and as he did, Koharu leant over and read the message. Whilst Mito was happy to have found Asuna, the same could not be said in regards to the other. In fact, Asuna sounded genuinely insulted by being asked if she wanted to meet up with them. Just what had Mito said and done for that to be the case, Koharu wondered.

''I don't think she wants to see you, if I'm honest, Mito.'' Jet admitted. As harsh as he sounded, he knew that lying to her wasn't going to help matters in the long term, and more importantly than that, he had no real reason to lie anyway.

''Yeah, I can understand that. I'm glad she's alive though, and I'm sorry to have wasted your time.'' As Mito made to walk off, looking slightly lower than before, the group all heard a noise from deeper into the forest...

{Author's Comments}

The final part of the Elf War Campaign is up, and this floor will likely be longer than normal. Anyway, sorry to leave this on a cliffhanger...

Anyway, if you've enjoyed this, or even if you haven't, the same stuff applies, as it always does.

Midland 2541, signing off!

Chapter Text

Floor 9 - Chapter 2 - Fight For Your Lives

SHINK. PFFFPH. ''Gyyyaaa-''PFFFPHH.

If Mito's sudden appearance had caused the group to be on edge, then right about now... their nerves were currently leaning backwards off the side of a cliff. The rustling of the hedges began to increase in frequency, and the group all readied their weapons, unsure of what they were about to face...

The rustling, and the screaming came closer... until it didn't. What had sounded like the screams of someone running for their life had just ceased, and the bursting sound that they all knew oh so well.

Whatever, or whoever had been heading their way... was gone.

The group looked around the clearing they were stood in, looking at one another. No one dared break the status quo that was now the silence, for fear of what was actually lurking in the trees. Jet took a moment to look towards Koharu, and saw something he hadn't seen in her eyes since they'd been on the first floor, months ago... she looked helpless.

Even just breathing felt as if it might attract the wrath of whatever had been heading their way. It's often said that 'There are no atheists in foxholes', and for Jet... that was true at the moment, as he prayed to a god he really didn't believe in, that whatever it was had gone away...

As he did that, a familiar silhouette appeared from the treeline. The single handed axe, buckler and that stupid chainmail hood... ''Morte...'' Jet snarled, fighting every urge in his body to not cut the man down to size... literally.

''Well, if it isn't my lucky day! Not only do I get to see my old buddy again, but I find out the Grim Reaper of Aincrad is here too! I should've bought a lottery ticket, really!'' Behind him, Rain spotted a pair of eyes in the bushes, eyes that began moving rapidly, soon giving way to the back of the figure's head, before a pick slammed into them, dropping them straight to the ground... ''Now, now... we were just having a game of hide and seek, ya know?'' The figure became more evident as a boy, probably about the same age as Silica was dragged back into the clearing, and bought to his knees...

''Let him go, Morte!'' Koharu yelled, as Morte took heed of her objection, and walked over to her instead, the young boy collapsing back to the ground.

''I don't believe we've had the pleasure of introductions, have we?'' Koharu stared into the face of the psychopath who stood in front of her. She'd remembered how Jet had told her that Morte, despite being a complete bastard, was a very good fighter, easily on the level of their supposedly not an emo friend. She knew not to underestimate him then, but that grin on his face... it was sickening. She hadn't seen what he'd just done, but she had a good enough idea.

''Why would she introduce herself to a murderer like you!'' The young boy screamed at Morte, who chose simply to laugh.

''Oh, that is precious...'' Morte mocked, as he walked up to the boy, and pulled him from the ground by the scruff of his neck. ''What did you think to achieve by doing that, really? You watched your friends all die... for your own sake, and now, you throw your life away for this lot... who don't even care enough to know your name, and won't mourn you when you depart this world.''

''Be-because...'' Morte steadfastly refused to give him chance to answer, throwing him back to the ground.

''It doesn't matter.'' Morte spoke callously, before he swung his axe. Before the swing was finished, the young boy had disappeared from their view, with only small pixels still being left.

''Bastard! You didn't have to kill him! He was unarmed!'' Jet yelled, enraged and horrified at the execution he'd just witnessed.

''He didn't have to... he wanted to.'' Phillia, for all she'd seen in Aincrad, from mummies to the clutches of trees, she'd been fortunate enough to avoid seeing the spectre of death, and seeing it appear before anyone she knew. She'd hoped to go the entire game without seeing it, but the creature stood in front of her had just bought the crushing reality down onto all of them. The boy who's name they'd never known, and who'd stared a murderer down, with no care for his own safety, was now dead, and there was nothing they could do. He couldn't have been older than fourteen, she thought to herself. Just one more life snuffed out by this game, people would say naively. No, his life hadn't been taken by Sword Art Online... it had been taken by a monster, masquerading as a man!

''Gryaznny trus! You bully those who you perceive to have power over, and then call it some sick and perverted strength!'' Rain screamed, holding back the combined torrent of her tears and her rage at the sickening monster in front of them...

Morte, now fed up of savouring his kill turned towards Rain, and advanced on her... ''Oh? No, sweetheart...'' Rain felt her skin crawl as he approached her. ''You think I care about strength? Nah. I do this because it's fun! That's all it is, the thrill of the kill!'' That made him far worse in all of their estimations. He wasn't just a madman with deranged views of strength... he was an outright psychopath, getting off on taking other lives. ''Still though, now you all know about my little gig, so... you all have to die. I know, I know, I'd let you go if it were me-'' The word 'liar' went unspoken ''-but the boss insists on no witnesses...''

''Don't bet on it!'' Mito charged in first, her scythe projecting an arc ahead of her. Briefly, it looked as if she'd actually caught Morte off guard, but that wasn't the case. He responded by slamming his shield into her back, and throwing her off balance momentarily, before a tree branch appeared in her way, and she fell straight to the floor.

Jet took the next shot at Morte, and made sure to attempt to keep his attention focused on him, as Morte attempted to brute force his way through Jet's shield. ''Oh, ho oh, White Knight of the Wind, yet more girls with you, ay? Save some for the rest of us, will you...''

''They're my friends, you cretinous whet.'' Jet struggled to hold back Morte's attacks, his shield just barely staying where he needed it under the onslaught of attacks.

''You seem pretty fond of the black haired one...'' Morte grinned sadistically, ''she seems like the boss's type!''

''Touch her and I'll kill you!'' Jet committed one of the biggest sins in combat... he let his anger get the better of him, and before he had chance to correct... an axe strike slammed against his chest, throwing him back.

''Ooh, now that's new... you weren't that touchy before! I think I will actually...'' Morte smirked, as he changed his target, focusing on Koharu. His first strike was dodged quickly, and the fight changed pace rapidly, as Rain jumped into attack, her left hand blade slamming into Morte's axe, whilst a swift thrust from her right hand blade forced a retreat from Morte. ''And yet you couldn't do anything to stop me last time...'' he wheezed, winded from the thrusting strike.

Rain refused to rise to the obvious taunting, and continued to press her assaults, with Phillia and Koharu continuing their hit and run attacks as she did. Before too long, the obvious was occurring - Morte was running out of steam, a sign that he was about to pull some trick out to escape again...

''Rain!'' Jet yelled out, charging at full force towards Morte, notably missing his blade and shield...

''On it!'' Rain managed to force Morte's shield and axe down, and out of any sort of position for any effective defence, before a fist slammed into face, dazing him momentarily. That was all that was needed though, as Rain was able to stagger him further using a three hit skill. Bad luck was still yet to come, as Koharu and Phillia had circled around the back of Morte, and as he staggered, readied their daggers, and aimed for the back of his shins, an injury that would've knocked him straight to the floor IRL. Remarkably, Morte stayed upright, but badly hit, his HP dropping fast into the yellow.

''Damn it, the boss is gonna kill me... but at least I take one of you with me!'' Morte screamed, the affable, if not murderous, façade dropped in favour of just murderous, as he ran straight back at the main, and closest source of his woes... Rain. His axe screamed through the air, and with very little time to react, Rain raised one of her blades in the hope it could push the axe away, but there was no slowing it down. The axe made contact with her chest, and threw her onto her back, the worst possible place to be in a fight. ''Now DIE!'' Rain closed her eyes, as everything flashed before her...

Mito, having only just picked herself up from the ground, saw an opening. Morte was focused on targeting the redhead, so that meant he wasn't watching his six o'clock, and if she could hit him there... she could throw him off balance too... With very little else in her mind, she charged, her scythe picking up momentum as it swung... ''How about you!'' Mito's scythe hit true, and the swing impacted Morte's back with force. The unexpected action threw off Morte's aim, and the axe slammed into the dirt next to Rain, with less than a centimetre between it and her head.

Morte, now badly injured from the fight, pulled back and chose the wisest strategy he could... retreat. ''Teleport... Morphus.'' He spoke, as he disappeared, leaving the shell shocked group to recover.

''Everyone...'' Jet reconsidered his next choice of words, after what had just happened. There was no way they'd be okay after that. ''... alive?''

''Just barely. I, uhh, owe you an apology, Mito. Spasibo.'' Rain acknowledged that she may have been too fixed on her opinion that Mito wasn't to be trusted beforehand.

''Don't mention it.''

''That boy...'' Koharu looked on the verge of tears, as she remembered the boy's face. A mix of terror and acceptance on his face, as his life was callously snatched from him. She was no longer on the verge of tears, instead she was now sobbing, as Jet went over to comfort her.

''He won't be forgotten, and Morte was wrong. We'll find out who he was, and...'' Jet thought to himself about something. Without knowing anything about this kid, would revenge have been what he'd have wanted, or would he have settled for throwing Morte into a deep, dark pit, locking it, and throwing away the key? ''...we'll do what we have to make sure no one else has to deal with that again.''

Phillia, oddly quiet for once, had noted down the location he'd teleported to, Morphus. She was one of the people who'd helped Argo map the second, third and fourth floors for her guide, and she at least knew her way around the rest of the floors. Morphus, though? The name had never come up even once. ''We know where he's gone, so at least we aren't completely blind. But I've never heard of Morphus though...''

''Morphus?'' Mito asked, trying to piece together a map of the fifth floor. It certainly sounded like somewhere that a shady group of murderers would hang out, with the perpetual darkness, and myriad of tunnels.

''Well, least we've got a lead, so it's better than nothing.'' Jet rubbed his hands against his head, and re-equipped his sword and shield. ''Still though, we've already got a mission, and we know we're on a time limit with that.'' It felt absolutely awful to dismiss what happened just, and return to the quest, but if what was said was right, then time was of the essence...

''The Elf War Quest, right?'' Mito asked.

''Yeah, we're looking for... (sighs) god even knows what. Some form of signal.'' Jet admitted, the frustration that had been the battle with Morte still evident in his attitude.

''Err, guy and girls? I think we've found it...'' Phillia called, as she looked at the object in front of her. Small and hollow metal rods attached to a wooden cross shaped frame by string, giving it the appearance of a rudimentary wind chime. Before the group had gotten there, she'd started prodding at the chime, and the tinkling noise of a wind chime played throughout the forest. As they did, a faint mist began to gather around them, causing everyone to be on guard, and reach for their weapons...

Fortunately for them, only a Forest Elf appeared. The elf was as they'd come to expect from the Forest Elves at this point - blonde, tall and wearing a shining set of armour. The latter of these felt a little odd to them, as most of the Elves wore armour that had certainly seen some form of battle, as various scuffs and dents were obvious to a keen observer. This one, not so much. He began to speak, as he finished materialising, ''Humans. Why do you ring this device?''

''We come on a mission from Wendelin. He asked us to bring you this note.'' Koharu handed the Forest Elf the note, the elf opening the seal, and humming slightly as they read the note.

''I see. I thank you for saving our commander, and I apologise for my earlier boorishness. I know that one should give proper introductions, but I feel that unwise considering my job. For now however, you can call me Cal.'' To Jet, that explained the cleanliness of the armour - he was a spy. Generally, if your armour was a mess, and you were a spy, you probably weren't a very good one, he thought.

''Ah, uhh, do we use codenames then?'' Koharu asked, slightly forgetting they already did, at least in a fashion. Her head still wasn't in the best of places after earlier, and whilst the others had seemingly pushed it to the back of their minds, she really couldn't, no matter how hard she tried.

''I mean, we kind of already do, Ko.'' Jet looked towards his girlfriend, and saw from the look on her face that she wasn't her usual self at the moment, and so, making a joke at her expense was just a dick move.

''Oh, right.'' she answered, looking away in annoyance at herself, and just how stupid she'd just sounded.

''As you know, Fuirnith was defeated, and Wendelin is on the run, which makes those who can enter the castle freely, rather valuable to us.''

''Umm, we didn't actually read the note, so we don't really know what it says.''

''You didn't read it, yet you delivered it?''

''Well, no, it's a bit on the rude side to read notes that aren't for you.'' Jet shrugged, trying to hide the reasons why he thought that. Turns out secondary schoolers are a bunch of dicks. Who knew?

''I must admit, I'm surprised there are humans with such honour. Though, are you not guests of the Dark Elves? What would you have done if this were ordering an attack on them?'' Cal asked, each of the group looking for an answer... but finding none.

Koharu, despite still being slightly out of the loop, as it were, was the first to speak up, ''Wendelin wanted our help with saving the king. As long as we're helping him with that, I doubt he'd betray us like that.''

''I see... I suppose Wendelin has judged you capable of helping us, and from your answers, I can understand why he is quite fond of you. The note permitted you to join us, so I shall follow this order. Our mission is to save His Majesty.'' Mito looked slightly baffled at the Elf, wondering just why he was that highly strung. They were helping him, after all, not the other way round...

''Okay then, what do you need us to do?'' Jet asked, as Cal continued...

''Fuirnith believes that the King has fallen ill due to a poison, a method that the Fallen Elves are particularly competent at undertaking. Of course, with no concrete evidence, or knowledge, as to what poison was used... we are unable to produce an antidote that may not make the situation worse, rather than better. So I ask you for your help in gathering ingredients so we can create a potion to identify the poison used.''

''Could you use these?'' Koharu asked, handing Cal an antidote potion as she did.

The shaking head of the elf was a pretty clear answer, but he confirmed it, ''No, the poison inflicting the King is not like those you may find on the battlefield. If it were, then we wouldn't be here. Here is the list of items we need from the forest. You should be able to retrieve them from the Red Covetous Flowers in this forest.'' Cal passed them a list, before disappearing into the mist again.

''Guess we're on a milk run then...'' Jet rolled his eyes, as they set off deeper into the forest again...

As the group made short work of the hunting work, Jet had noticed that Koharu was lagging behind the rest of the group...

''Rain, can you take the lead for a bit?'' Rain nodded, and Jet went back to Koharu. ''I'm not gonna ask if you're alright, because well...''

''We saw someone... we saw a child die, Jet! How... how do we move on from that? What happens when we forget that we watched someone die, and couldn't do anything-'' Jet held a finger over Koharu's mouth as he spoke. He thought back to the worst day of his life, and winced, an action that everyone present noticed.

''We work harder, and we get stronger. We remember what happened, and we don't let it happen again on our watch. Koharu, I promise you, Morte won't get away with what he did, we'll make sure of that. But we need to put justice before revenge, and remember that mercy and kindness aren't the same thing. Locking Morte in a cold, dark hole, well maybe it isn't taking him outside, and lopping him to bits... but it's what he deserves. It's merciful, but it sure as hell isn't kind.'' Jet gave his best impression of the Tenth Doctor, but even he had to admit, he wasn't sure he'd convinced anyone, himself included. ''This'll be the only time I give this advice, but the best person to talk to about this stuff is my sister. She's... seen some stuff, and much of a womanchild as she is, she can be insightful at times.''

''Strea? You think that Strea is the best person to talk to about this?'' Phillia looked very confused at that statement, and Rain tried not to laugh. From what she knew of the purple haired woman, she was barely a person, more like a collection of character flaws.

''Uhh, who's Strea?'' Mito asked, very confused at the statement, but for a completely different reason.

''She's my sister, and uhh...''

''She's a character.'' Phillia explained as succinctly as she could. Jet simply nodded in agreement at the accurate psychological analysis of his sister.

Koharu looked up, and towards her friends. Phillia was busy explaining the simple concept of Strea to Mito, who looked halfway between horrified and curious, whilst Rain was rolling her eyes at just how theatrical she was being. Jet was still stood next to her, and checking his messages quickly. ''Jet?''

''Yup?'' He looked away quickly.

''We'll get him, right?''

''I promise we will... and Koharu, don't worry. That kid won't have died in vain, and we'll find out who he was. I know we can't give anyone a proper memorial, not really anyway, but...''

''What Morte said...'' she looked on, sadly.

''He was trying to get in our heads. He did that with me, and he was trying to do that with Rain too.'' Koharu pulled her boyfriend into a tight hug, which was soon reciprocated. ''Now, I think we should get back to the others...''

If he'd looked around, he'd have noticed Phillia with a record crystal, grinning, whilst both Rain and Mito looked as if they'd rather be anywhere else at that moment...

{Author's Comments}

Not much to say this week really, other than that this chapter is a considerable bit more dark than I usually write. Also, fight scenes which I'm still not great at, so...

As usual, if you enjoy the story, follow and/or favourite the story, or you have any comments for me, leave a review, or send me a PM.

Signing off, Midland 2541.

Chapter Text

Floor 9 - Chapter 3 - Child's Play

After a not so brief explanation to Phillia about why, perhaps, taking photographs of your friends during intimate moments might not be the greatest idea in the world, the group had returned to Cal with the required ingredients. Jet took the chance to ring the chimes this time, and he did so with what could almost be considered too much force, as the chimes rang around the forest...

''Did you ever play an instrument?'' Rain asked, the question seemingly coming out of nowhere to Jet.

''Uhh, no, why?''

''That explains a lot...'' Phillia mumbled, miming either beating someone with a guitar, or destroying a guitar.

''Maybe be a little less forceful next time?'' Rain asked nicely, her eardrums still ringing, whilst Koharu and Phillia nodded along.

As they did, a familiar mist surrounded them, before taking the shape of the Forest Elf, Cal. As he walked around, Rain handed him the ingredients, and she swore that there was a hint of a smile on his face momentarily as she did. ''You have retrieved the ingredients, so we are very thankful to you. However, whilst you were gone, I have received a report that the king's physician has undertaken some tests on His Majesty, and believes that his ailments are purely down to poisoning.''

''So, this is to create an antidote then?''

''It should be used to produce a potion capable of identifying the poison that was used. However, we no longer have time for that, as His Majesty's ailment is progressing far faster than was anticipated.''

''I take it there's a plan then?'' Jet asked.

''Indeed. We have reports that the chancellor's confidant, the protocol officer, has been carrying a strange bottle around at all times. It should not surprise you that a similar bottle was found in His Majesty's chamber when he first fell ill. I would wager that the bottle contained whichever poison the Fallen used on him. If we can steal that bottle, we can identify that poison significantly faster, and therefore produce an antidote too. However, we will not have much of a chance. The protocol officer carries that bottle wherever he goes, and he is constantly surrounded by guards. If we act too rashly, I fear they would not be adverse to escalation...'' Exactly what was meant by that filled all present with dread. Keeping the king alive could now be the best option to actually clear the Elf War Quest, and prevent a full scale war... ''I shall need you to sneak into the palace, and distract the chancellor.''

''Uhh, what.'' Jet wondered if he'd heard that right, much like everyone else in the group. They decided they had.

''There's five of us, there's no way we'd be able to infiltrate anywhere like that! Plus, we're allies of the Dark Elves. Never mind not letting us in, they'd have... our...'' Koharu's eyes went wide as she realised what would happen if they were caught.

''I'm not asking you to break down the palace gate.'' Jet snorted at the thought. They'd be massacred before they got close to that.

''At least we'd be certain it was a suicide mission then...'' Mito muttered in annoyance.

''I understand your trepidations with this objective. It certainly isn't one that would be considered in any other circumstances, and it is not as if humans in the palace will draw attention on their own. Since our preparations began, we have been relying on a caravan of human merchants to supply us, and our war effort. If you could take your place amongst the children of the caravan, then...''

''Uhh, good luck with that. Never seen a six foot child, personally.''

''I see one every time I glance over.'' Phillia smirked, as Jet narrowed his eyes in annoyance. ''Just a joke...'' she looked on defensively.

''Phillia's joke aside, Jet's right. We might be children, but we aren't exactly children...'' Koharu stated, before realising something else, ''Plus, the Forest Elves know of us, and what we look like.''

''I believe I may be able to help you on both problems. Take this potion, and drink it.'' Admittedly, most children are taught not to accept strange potions from Forest Elves, but this was an exception to the rule. Jet was the first to down the potion, and despite the taste being best described as 'absolutely vile', he did notice some difference... his point of view. Instead of towering over his friends, he was now at chest level...

Koharu, on the other hand, was a little alarmed at what she saw. ''Uhh, Jet?'' She asked, looking down on him...

''Yeah?'' Jet knew what his own voice sounded like, and what he heard, was not it. ''What the...''

''Huh, never thought I'd see the day when I was taller than him...''

''So, this potion turns us into children?'' Rain asked, as Phillia began to drink hers.

''Only temporarily.'' Jet thanked the heavens for that. Last thing he needed was Strea seeing a ten year old version of him... again. She'd be even worse than she already was.

Before too long, everyone had reverted to their younger selves, and probably looked a right sight. ''Couldn't do clothes too, could you?'' Jet and Rain, both wearing long coats were suffering the worst from this, Jet twirling his half empty sleeve around like a helicopter's rotor blades. Mito, having no frame of reference to really work from, wondered if the potion reverted personality to the age of ten too...

''Unfortunately not. Here are some clothes more to your sizes though...'' The group were all handed an item each, which adjusted their current equipment to fit their new, smaller stature.

''Let's hope they don't recognise us like this, else we're not really going to be able to fight back, are we?'' Jet equipped Hope quickly, and discovered that his sword was absolutely gigantic in comparison to him... and idly thought that he now understood how Strea must feel every time she equipped that sword of hers.

''Considering the plan is to not get caught, I don't believe combat should be of great concern for you. At worst, you would be banished from the castle. We are not so cruel as to consider the notion of executing children, no matter what Lyusula may have told you...'' Cal seemed offended at his own suggestion, but was quietly ignored by everyone present. ''I have an associate waiting by the river to the north, who shall help you in this mission. Farewell.'' As suddenly as he'd appeared, Cal had disappeared, leaving everyone standing there in the dust kicked up.

''So, we'd best get going, right?'' The younger Rain asked, not wanting the potion to run out whilst they were inside.

''Agreed, let's head north to the rendezvous.'' With a much higher pitched voice, everyone tried to contain their amusement at Jet's new voice.

(-)

The group of now children found their way through the forest, to the banks of the river. To Jet, it felt like being back at his grandparents, and taking a daytrip to Gloucester, wandering along the banks of the Severn, in a place much less industrial than home. Despite the tension they were facing, it felt kind of nice to just think about those days, and not right now. It hadn't escaped his attention that they were not exactly going to be treated well by either side if they failed, and hell, if they failed... they might accidentally ignite the war further. It wouldn't be hard for the Chancellor and his goons to pin the whole conflict on them, and by extension, Lyusula, given their current actions, and... what the hell was he thinking? This was a quest line in a video game! Granted, a very realistic video game, that was now their reality, but still... ''Penny for your thoughts?''

''Just thinking about old times, really.''

''Home?''

''Little bit, yeah. Walking down the river Severn, not worrying about a war... you know, normal stuff.''

''Guess even you're scared too?''

''When did I ever give the impression I wasn't?'' Jet wondered aloud.

''I can't say, but there's this air you give off sometimes, it helps reassure people.'' Koharu explained as simply as she could. Exactly what it was, she couldn't place either, and she'd have put money on it that Jet wasn't even aware of it, let alone understood it.

That was certainly something no one had ever told him before, and as a result, he couldn't think of a better response than... ''Huh.''

''Are you two coming?'' A rather less familiar voice came from Phillia, who was already about 500 metres ahead of them...

''We're coming!'' Koharu shouted back, as she pulled Jet along, and out of his almost trance like state. It was a lot easier to do when both of them were practically the same height now...

(-)

Before too long, the group had found themselves at a small wooden pier, jutting out into the river. A tiny affair that had probably been built quickly, to load up small boats, rather than larger vessels, and more than likely ended up being used for fishing half of the time anyway. In the treeline nearby was a similar musical instrument to earlier, and it had been decided that Rain would be the one who went and rang it... ''Hnnnghh... urgghh.'' or would try to, anyway. She struggled to reach the instrument, and it took Phillia stepping in, and on Rain's shoulders, to actually ring the chimes.

As the chimes rang, a familiar mist began to swirl around the group, and before too long, another Forest Elf stood in front of them. Unlike Cal, whose armour had been almost pristine, this one's armour was far more dented and scuffed, a surefire sign that he'd seen some form of conflict at some point recently.

''Ah, you must be the humans. Please come along, as we do not have long.'' Before the group could say anything, they found themselves looking at their infiltration vessel, and both Jet and Koharu had just one thought as they did... ''I miss the Tilnel.''

(-)

As the group sailed over, almost all of them were busy discussing their plan once they reached the shore. The remaining member, however, was a little pre-occupied with keeping his dinner down, as he looked into the water. Despite vomiting not being a possibility in the game, that didn't make the sensation of motion sickness any less awful. Granted, his newfound smaller frame made this a little less awful than had he still been six foot tall, but that didn't stop the actual sensation.

The rest of the group however, had less green thoughts on their mind...

''So, once we've got in, and found somewhere open around the back of the castle, we take this bottle, smash it, and cause as much chaos as we can? I am understanding that, right?'' Mito asked, although she already knew the answer.

''Yep, is everyone clear on that?''

''It sounds simple enough...''

''Please don't jinx us, Rain.'' Phillia winced as she spoke.

''Ughh. Yeah, that's... huuu... fine.'' Jet tried to keep his gag reflex in check as he spoke. He wasn't doing a very good job of it.

(-)

After a short time, the group were back on dry land, and at least one of them was evidently very happy about that, considering he was attempting to kiss the sand...

''Is he normally this weird, or is this a side effect I should be worried about?'' Mito asked, concerned for... well, take your pick, really.

''Nah, he's always like this. Well, usually not this bad...'' Phillia shrugged, as if it weren't weird to her.

''Okay, I think I've got my bearings back now.'' Jet stood up properly for the first time in about half an hour, and momentarily forgot about his height, or lack thereof. ''Or not.'' he uttered as he staggered backwards.

''We'd better get going, even if you haven't.'' Rain began to unload their wares from the boat, and before long, everyone was mucked in, taking the packages and putting them onto the solid ground. With that done, they set about giving everyone an equal amount of work, and setting off for the short walk to the castle.

As they did, the first thought that occurred to everyone was the scale of the task at hand - the castle was huge, and not just because they were tiny. Four massive towers soared above the walls, almost certainly holding a number of probably very alert guards, whilst the two on the drawbridge made sure that no merchants found the portculis landing on their heads. The best word to describe the structure as a whole was simply, imposing. Conversations about the sheer scale of the place could be heard around them, from the NPCs that formed the rest of the merchant caravan, some of it relevant, and some of it... not. What exactly the two NPCs ahead were on about ogling, none of them were sure they wanted to know...

''Right, we're only allowed in the inner courtyard, so we drop our bags an' go, righto?'' Well, that was certainly a useful bit of information. Whatever distraction they needed to make, it had to be in the courtyard. Everyone was looking around for a decent way to distract someone, until Mito found her opening... there was a horse tied to a post over there, and as long as she was quick, she could untie the rope, give the horse some 'encouragement' to live a little and the commotion caused should give them a free run in...

So her plan was set into action, and she bolted over to the horse. An unhappy looking horse it was, too. Probably didn't like being tied down, she figured, and quickly untied the knot, before slapping the horse's back. Unsurprisingly, this led the horse to bolt, taking an unfortunate merchant with it as it dashed uncontrollably around the courtyard, bringing chaos as it did so.

The distraction was just what was needed, and the group raced off deeper into the castle, whilst the Forest Elves frantically tried to get the horse somewhat under control, eventually reaching the back of the castle. A fairly enclosed space, clad with wood and with very little ventilation... exactly the type of place you really didn't want a fire. Which was bad news for them, because...

''FIRE! FIRE!'' Jet shouted as loud as he could, as he smashed the bottle against the wall.

''FIRE! HELP!'' Koharu yelled at the top of her lungs.

''FIRE!'' Rain shouted as they began to sprint through the nearby corridor, the smoke obscuring their vision as they did.

(-)

Nearby, the protocol officer was 'swamped with paperwork', or so he'd claimed to his underlings. In reality, and in a twist of irony, the protocol officer was in fact, against all protocol, asleep on his desk. Had anyone seen him, they'd have reckoned he was a 'do as I say, not as I do' kind of boss.

''FIRE, Sir, there's... huh?'' The guard looked considerably less than impressed at the sleeping protocol officer, and thankfully, whilst his attention was turned to the unenviable task of waking up his sleeping higher up, he completely missed the five children sprinting past behind him... and the one turning back quickly, to slam the door on them.

Typically, the protocol officer chose that specific moment to wake up... ''What is the meaning of this!?'' The officer did not seem all that pleased at the door, and was now struggling to open it. Why would it not open?!

''Damn that Wendelin! This is his work! It has to be!'' The officer shouted, as he continued to pound on the door, but no matter how much force he applied, the lock simply wouldn't budge. It was almost as if someone had jammed the lock from the outside...

(-)

''You're kidding, right? That won't work... will it?'' Rain had been part of her fair share of mad plans, but this was made those look comparatively sane. Why Jet had stopped had quickly become evident, as he bunged up the lock with a sticky nectar like substance...

''Let's hope it does... else they will be pissed!'' Jet tempted fate again, and less than thirty seconds after he said those words, the door swung open and a very unhappy, and portly looking forest elf charged out. In that moment, and whilst hidden, Jet cursed his big mouth, and noticed the bottle hung on the belt of the protocol officer...

''I'll make a distraction, one of you grab the bottle!'' Jet spoke quietly to the group, and rushed out of the darkness. ''Please help! My friends are still in the fire!'' The look of disgust on the protocol officer's face seemed to be a telling indicator of the man's personality... namely, he was an absolutely heartless bastard.

''Get this little rat off of me!'' He pulled at Jet's collar, and Jet played the part of a struggling child, swinging and lashing out at the officer, one swipe throwing the bottle clear of the fat man, and as he did so... Jet felt his point of view get higher. Now was really not a good time for this, but if he had to... ''What the... GUARDS!''

Jet shrugged, and threw a single open handed strike, impacting the protocol officer in the side of his face, and his eye, forcing him to let go of Jet... who did the only sane thing, and ran like hell as he grabbed the bottle on the floor.

The group, now back to their actual ages, began sprinting again, with a number of guards searching for them, made their way back into the courtyard, which was still in disarray. The carnage wrought by the horse earlier, alongside the chaos wrought by a non-existent fire had left everything completely disorganised, and in amongst that, the group split up, weaving through the crowds of people, and making their way to the gate...

Now came the hard part, as the crowds no longer masked them, and they had no doubt that news had already reached the towers outside. The run across the bridge would easily be the most dangerous part for them, and as such they made sure to run as fast as they physically could...

''GET THEM!'' A voice yelled from a tower, and as soon as it did, something unexpected came across Rain's path... ffdoop - as an arrow stuck itself into the stones beneath her. ''Oh great, they've got archers!'' Jet scrambled to pull his shield from his inventory, and slowed down to give the archers something to aim at, not that it worked, mind you, as the arrows continued to rain down ahead of the group. Luckily for them, leading the target wasn't something they were very good at, and most arrows fell short of them, bar a few that had found themselves lodged in Jet's shield as it was stowed on his back.

(-)

The group, still in one piece, had made it across the bridge, and scrambled into the forest, avoiding the path until they were sure they were no longer being followed. As the realisation that they were no longer being pursued set in, Jet was the first to relax slightly, and started laughing in relief, as the rest of the group all began to calm down, and rest.

''Is it always this mad with you guys?'' Mito asked, leaning on the handle of her scythe for rest.

''It's never boring though...'' Jet seemed a little too happy at that response, Mito thought to herself.

''That was mad though... you risked yourself just to complete a quest! Why?''

''I'd like to give you an answer, but truthfully... it was a spur of the moment decision. I didn't really think it through.''

''A death game, and you, in your own words, don't care enough for your own safety, to throw your life on the line for nothing more than a little bit of progress?'' Mito looked annoyed at the brazen display of recklessness, whilst Jet just shrugged before he spoke.

''I never said I don't care for my own safety, so kindly don't put words in my mouth.'' The pair in purple stood face to face with each other, staring each other down as they did. A few tense seconds passed, as the girls looked at each other, each wondering what was going through the heads of those in the stand off, before both backed down, with no words being exchanged. ''We should probably make our way to the shore now.'' Jet spoke, before he began to walk off...

{Author's Comments}

Sorry for the late chapter this week, life got in the way somewhat. For the next few weeks though, I'm going to be moving this towards a two weekly schedule, whilst I work through other stuff. I'm hoping normal service will resume come the beginning of June.

This floor will probably be the longest yet, and so we're only just approaching the halfway mark...

Anyway, thanks for reading this, and if you enjoyed it, please leave a review or send me a PM, and follow/favourite the story.

Signing off, Midland 2541.

Chapter Text

Floor 9 - Chapter 4 - Snow Joking Matter...

Even without any confrontation, the atmosphere amongst the group was tense. Very few words were being exchanged, except when necessary, and even then, they were short and to the point. The short trek through the forest, probably only about half an hour, felt like it took all day, exhausting the group, all of whom had finally come down from the adrenaline rush they'd felt earlier...

They'd stopped at the shoreline, and all but Mito and Jet had sat down on the sand, and the latter was only because he was now lying in it instead. As they did, their Forest Elf ally returned, and to say he didn't look happy was an understatement... he looked positively furious, in fact. ''I sneak in, to try and recover the bottle, and find that not only is the bottle gone, but the entire castle is on high alert too, because a human had partially blinded the protocol officer...'' Mito looked vindicated as the Forest Elf tore into the group. ''However, I must admit... it is a shame you are on Lyusula's side. If it were not for Wendelin's orders, I would not hesitate to cut you all down now, lest you cause the Kales'Oh more trouble in the future!'' A few nervous looks were exchanged between everyone present, and even a small amount of incredibly uncomfortable laughter from Jet.

''Well, umm, you should be able to identify that poison now, right?'' Koharu asked, seriously concerned at their supposed ally's words. He wouldn't really cut them down, would he? She looked up quickly to check his cursor - still yellow, so he wasn't hostile thankfully.

''Indeed, young warrior. I intend to deliver it to our healers forthwith. As for you though, head north through the Golden Forest, to it's edge, where it meets the Snowflake Forest. Once there, call for Cal, and he shall arrive with haste. Take these as travelling expenses, and watch out for the Fallen. Now they are aware of your presence, I do not doubt that they will be rearing to hunt you all down. Farewell...'' Their ally left quickly, and without much clarification. All of them looked somewhat confused as they looked around - it was about 20 degrees Celsius outside. It would've taken a miracle for it to snow here, and none of them could understand why the ecosystem would change on the same floor...

(-)

Reaching the edge of the Golden Forest, everyone had noticed the temperature beginning to drop. The trees, once covered in gold and bronze leaves were now beginning to lose their leaves, revealing the branches that held them. The canopy above them had thinned out too, and the warm summer breeze had become considerably cooler, as if they'd stuck their heads out of slow moving car. The floor beneath them had become slushy in areas, the leaves meeting the small amounts of melting snow atop the dirt, and becoming a sludgy mess when it did. A quick search of the tree branches revealed the next set of chimes, which were soon rung, and a familiar mist surrounded them. Jet wondered idly if all of the Forest Elves were this theatrical, or did they just find the one who liked to make an entrance?

''You all made it then. I must thank you, on behalf of our king for your work at the castle. Even if you did aid Lyusula, you have kept true to your word.''

''What happened to keeping watch on the castle?'' Mito asked, a tone of distrust in her voice.

Cal either failed to notice it, or completely ignored it, and answered her, ''The chancellor fears that he is made, and not without good reason. He has lost both the poison, the element of surprise, and the whereabouts of one of their leading generals. He is backed into a corner, and much like any other creature backed against into a corner, he is desperate. He has had the castle fortified, and readies the Kales'Oh for war. We have agents in the castle doing their best to slow down efforts, which do, thankfully, seem to be working for now. However, I do not expect them to last, once the chancellor sends out his operatives to find Wendelin. I do not doubt what will happen when they find him either...''

''I didn't realise he was so important...''

''He is one of four generals that collectively make up the Kales'Oh War Council. They plan for the worst outcome for both species, but they have been suspiciously quiet regarding the chancellor's coup. Other than Wendelin, of course...'' Footsteps became more pronounced, approaching over crunching leaves. A hooded individual, a revelation that sent chills through the spines of every human present... it couldn't be, could it? He hadn't found them again, had he?

Jet readied his blade, and fought back a snarl as he did. Koharu clutched at her dagger, her heart pounding, and her breathing becoming erratic. From a distance, it was hard to tell how either Rain or Phillia were taking it, but both were ready for a fight, should it arrive, whilst Mito looked ready to end Morte, should he return, the scythe and her cloak giving off a very grim vibe around her...

Luckily for them, the approaching figure lowered their cloak to reveal themselves as a Forest Elf. A brief and mirthless laugh escaped from Jet, as the elf did so. ''Cal! We have discovered the poison used on His Majesty! We have a problem though...''

''What is it?''

''The poison is Vile Blood.''

''It cannot be...''

''I take it Vile Blood is bad?'' Koharu asked. Mito fought back the urge to be sarcastic, and say it was harmless.

''Vile Blood is the Fallen Elves most effective poison, made from a blend of their worst potions. It is often used for assassinations...''

''Ah. I take it that it's not easily, uhh, cured?''

''No. The antidote can only be made by Lyusulan healers, and as you understand...''

''If you can't get it, then, well, could we?'' Rain asked.

''Humans, you may have helped us to identify the poison, but do not be so foolish as to think you will get assistance from Lyusula. They would not help us, even if it were to save their own sorry skins...''

''I think some would. Kizmel wants this war to end, just as much as you do! Even then, she'd help us in an instant, if it meant halting the Fallen!'' Koharu spoke passionately. If she'd been on stage, she'd have at least earned some applause from the audience. Jet looked over at her, but she was too preoccupied to the smile on his face.

''You want to save your king, right? Yet you wouldn't make use of every resource available? How do you think that would look?'' Mito asked, having taken to resting on her scythe's handle.

''Of course! But you do realise you are suggesting asking the enemy to help us...'' Cal paused for a second. ''Perhaps you are right. Wendelin told me to trust you...''

''Please trust us.''

''I do not trust in your character, but your strength is nothing to turn our noses up at. Know that we are not doing this out of kindness, but out of desperation.'' Cal handed Koharu a piece of parchment, with a number of unfamiliar characters written on it. ''This is the recipe for the antidote. The Fallen will be on high alert now, so if you are caught... I daren't think what they may do to you. May the sacred tree bless you, humans.''

(-)

Some time later, and the group had discovered that miracles do in fact exist. Even if they weren't good, as it turned out. Equipped for a warmer climate, everyone soon began to feel the cold far more as they found their way into the Snowflake Forest. The worst affected though, were Koharu and Phillia, both of whom wore thinner equipment, and were handling it the worst. ''This is w-worse than t-the last floor...'' Koharu shivered, as she rubbed her legs furiously, in the vain hope that it would keep them warm.

''Achoo! Agreed...'' Jet muttered, as he looked through his inventory for his scarf again. Pulling out a light blue scarf, he equipped it as fast as he could. It didn't do much, but to quote a British supermarket... every little helps.

''It's not that bad...'' Rain shrugged as she passed through the snow, earning a few looks of 'she can't be serious?' from the group.

''Uh, Rain? Where exactly are you from?'' Phillia asked.

''Russia, why?''

''That explains a lot, actually.'' Jet admitted, as he thought back to all the Russian she sprinkled in amongst her speech... and then slapped himself in the face. How the hell had he not picked up on that earlier...

''Umm, Jet?'' Koharu asked, wondering what reason her boyfriend was currently beating himself up for this time.

''Huh? Ahhh!'' He yelled, startling everyone into high alert, racing for their weapons before Jet started tugging on his collar in a panic, ''Bloody hell, that's cold!'' he shouted, as he pulled what was once a handful of snow out of his shirt.

''That was why you yelled. Some snow.'' Mito looked even less impressed. This was the person that Lueur had faith would save everyone? She wasn't even sure he could save himself, let alone nearly seven thousand others...

''It was cold!'' Jet defended himself, as eyes continued rolling. Koharu smirked slightly, a devious look developing in her eyes... and Jet looked around quickly for an exit. He mentally reprimanded himself, as he was in a forest with a trillion exits, as Koharu came up behind him, and began to hug him. Even with her armour on, he could feel her warmth against him, and it felt oddly relaxing, given the current circumstances. For a brief moment, it felt as if all his problems fell away, until... he felt a shiver run down his spine. Whilst this was going on, and the couple were busy being lovey dovey... the girls all looked away, not wanting to watch the public display of affection... until Jet realised that the shiver was in fact, running down his back and not his spine... and it was really, really... ''COLD!''

Koharu burst out laughing, and upon realising what had happened, Phillia and Rain began to laugh too. Mito rolled her eyes as Jet flailed around, pulling up his shirt to try and drop the ice out, and off his back. She really did have to wonder, with so much on the line... and they were acting this immature. God help them, she to herself.

(-)

After a while, the group had made it through the forest, and for the first time, they saw the Lyusulan castle. A place that Kizmel had talked about wistfully, and that they had wondered whether they'd actually see... towered straight ahead of them. Unlike the rather more brutalist appearance of the Kales'Oh castle, the Lyusulan castle was an elegant gothic structure, with far more windows, a number of them emitting a yellow glow, standing out a quite a distance. A number of spires rose into the sky, and the purple stone stood out against the starlight.

Jet could understand why Kizmel had spoken highly of this place... it was gorgeous.

The group approached the castle over the bridge in front, and were soon stopped by a guard, clad in a far less battle damaged, and far more ceremonial looking variant of the armour that Kizmel and Merja wore. Where their armour was relatively plain, these guards wore a chest plate with small, but noticeable white demarcations over the shoulders. At a glance, Jet wondered if the castle guard were some kind of elite force, a bit like the Palace Guards back home, only with less obviously flashy uniforms. ''Halt, humans! What business do you have here with Lyusula?''

''We're here to-''

''My name is Jet. I'm 17 years old, I'm from the city of Bristol, in the county of... uhh. I'm the Knight of the Tempest, and we're here to help end the war between Lyusula and Kales'Oh. Any questions?'' Koharu and Rain both sighed at their friend, whilst Phillia fought back her laughter at the ridiculous speech. Mito slapped her hand into her face as hard as she could, even taking away 10 HP as she did so.

''I think a name would've sufficed, you know?'' Mito groaned.

''Yeah, but I've always wanted to do that. Looked really cool on TV.'' Jet admitted, his straight face becoming more of a dopey smile as he did so.

''Ahh, friends of Lyusula! I apologise, and we have not forgotten your aid, but I cannot let you pass through this gate.''

''Why not?'' Koharu asked, wondering if Jet's speech had triggered something by mistake.

''Her majesty has ordered that none but Lyusulans may pass through this gate. Please turn around.''

''We're here to see Kizmel! We don't even have to go in, could just ask her to come to see us?'' Rain asked, thinking on her feet. Maybe it was some form of puzzle - they can't go in, so they needed to find a way around that.

The guard, however, shook his head, ''I'm sorry, but I cannot do that either. I beseech you to head back to your homes.'' Jet heard Mito mutter under her breath about going home, and for once, he agreed with her on the sentiment. They were stuck in this world after all.

Despite this though, a quick exchange of glances, and the group headed off the bridge, and back into the Snowflake Forest. Koharu chose to speak up first, ''So, what do we do now?''

''We can't exactly sneak past the guards, can we?''

''I mean, Mito might pass for a Dark Elf at a glance, but anything more than that... no.''

As Koharu, Phillia and Jet continued to discuss their current predicament, Rain thought about it a little more. They'd been told they couldn't pass through the gate, which gave her an idea... ''They never said we couldn't enter the castle, right? Just that we couldn't go through the gate. Maybe there's a secret entrance somewhere?''

''Uhh, Rain? That castle's huge. We'd be here all year looking for a secret entrance of some form.'' Jet pointed out, as Koharu wore a thoughtful look on her face...

''Maybe we can't find it... but what about any of the other Dark Elves we met? They might help us, right?''

Rain looked less than convinced at the idea, but figured it may have been their only option, ''It's- huh? Did anyone else hear that?'' She interrupted herself, at the noise. She couldn't tell exactly what it was, but she thought it may have been a whistle of some kind.

''Hear what?'' Phillia asked, listening out again, but not hearing anything.

''She's right, there's something coming from over there.'' Mito called out, as she began running in the direction of the sound. The group all began to follow her, hoping that between her and Rain, they'd be able to track the noise...

{Author's Comments}

A shorter chapter than I planned for, but if I'd included the next part in it, it'd be approaching 8k words, which I feel is a little too long.

Anyway, I should be back to weekly from here on in.

In other news, I've got a new story - Parabellum, a sort of what if, centred around GGO being the Death Game instead. It's a bit more on the adult side than this one, but nothing particularly strong yet.

Anyway, if you enjoyed this, please bookmark it or leave kudos, and leave some feedback for me!

Signing off,

Midland 2541.

Chapter Text

Floor 9 - Chapter 5 - A Royal Meeting

The group headed through the snow, following the two members who actually had the Tracking skill, and in that moment, Jet hoped they weren't just chasing some form of echo from a monster's cry.

''Anything?''

''Shh, I hear it. It's coming from over there!'' Toot. A few seconds passed by, before the next whistle, and now considerably closer, the group headed towards the noise. Approaching the source of the noise, it remained a mystery as to who was producing it...

''It should be around here somewhere...'' As usual, the word 'should' was one of those words that usually didn't mean what it proclaimed to. It should've been warm here, yet it was a snow covered forest. It should've been safe to play this damned game, yet here they were.

Koharu noticed a strange reflection just a little to their left. The light, rather than reflecting off the snow as it should've, seemed to change direction at a certain point. ''Umm, I think I've found our mystery whistler?'' She questioned, as she waved her hand near the refraction, to see if that did anything...

It did, and a cloak dropped to reveal the source of the whistle. ''I'm most pleased that you came, young warriors. I'm glad you're well too.'' Stood in front of them, was the Dark Elf they'd assisted on the fifth floor, Merja. Her armour looked more worn than it had on the fifth floor, but that was almost certainly due to the Fallen stepping up their game now. None of them had any doubts that it was, or was very soon to be, all hands on deck. ''I wish our reunion was under better circumstances, however...''

''Under better circumstances?'' Koharu wondered what that meant.

''Lady Kizmel is being held captive inside the Moongleam Castle. She is not allowed to leave the place.''

''Wait... why would the Lyusulans capture one of their best knights?'' Jet asked, very confused. The only explanation that popped into his head was that they considered her a traitor for some reason. Maybe she'd came into knowledge that wasn't to be known? Otherwise, it had to be a set up, Kizmel had always been staunchly on the side of... Oh! Jet mentally slapped himself. The whole thing about the Sacred Tree... maybe she'd found out which side, if any, were actually correct! That would certainly explain it!

''There is a risky method that you could use to ask her yourselves. An old way to enter the castle unseen.''

''Some sort of old tunnel, or sewer system, maybe?'' Phillia asked.

''The Cave Beyond the Hills leads into a hidden set of corridors in the castle. They were supposed to be for smuggling the Royals out, should it be necessary. However, as they have not seen use for this purpose in a very long time, monsters began to breed in the damp conditions offered by the waterways. I trust that you shall be able to handle the settled monsters?''

''We've gotten a fair bit better since you last saw us, Merja.'' Jet stated confidently.

''I look forward to seeing you all in action. I shall accompany you, as the door requires an incantation to open. If you will excuse me, I'm just going to check the cave entrance for traps. I would recommend preparing whilst I am gone.'' As she left, Jet scanned through his list of potions. A sizeable number of HP recovery potions, and anti-ailment potions, along with some drinks he'd prepared for long treks. This counted as the latter, and so, he materialised one of them - a glass bottle, that emanated heat, with a dark brown liquid in it.

''What's that?''

''Oh, just coffee. Figured I'd need it, given we've been up nearly a day now.''

''Uhh, you gonna share that, or...''

''Sure, just take a sip. There's enough here to allow you to see Muhammed Ali in a dark room with your eyes shut, anyway. I'd rather not be bouncing off the walls later.'' Phillia was first to take a sip from the bottle, and evidently didn't enjoy it, her face contorted as she handed the bottle back.

''Jeez, how much sugar did you put in that!?''

''Only about normal. Seven or eight, I think?''

''You know what, I'm less concerned about you dying in here, and more about you developing Type 2 Diabetes, if that's what you consider normal!'' Mito muttered, whilst Phillia nodded. She actually liked sweet things, but eight sugars was ridiculous! It felt like the sort of thing a ten year old would do, when let loose in the kitchen for the first time...

''Anyway, what do you think happened? I mean, trapping one of their own knights seems a bit paranoid, right?'' Philia asked, changing the topic.

''Never underestimate a group of people on the warpath, Ginge. They'll always find a reason to scapegoat someone...'' Unlike Jet's usual aura of arrogance, or at least the one Mito felt, there was one of genuine anger this time. Almost as if he knew how that felt first hand.

''Still though, you reckon she went against them?''

''I doubt it, but maybe she found something they didn't want her knowing?'' Rain thought aloud.

''Even if that's what's happened, we're going to help her. She's helped us so many times, that we can't fail her now!'' Koharu spoke, almost as if she were impersonating her boyfriend giving a speech. If Jet were entirely honest, it felt more impressive seeing her act like that, than any of the times he'd ever acted like that.

Mito was the first to speak up after Koharu's speech. ''You guys all want to help this Kizmel out, right? She's an NPC though, it's not like she's, you know... a real person or anything. Just ones and zeroes.'' She shrugged. They weren't real, after all. Set dressing, with a limited range of actions and emotions, nothing more. Acting like they were human just an exercise in futility, and as cold as she'd probably came off to them, she didn't want them getting hurt because they tried to save nothing more than some code...

''Maybe so, but I'd rather treat the NPCs as though they were real, and find out that they're not, than the other way round. Less guilt that way. Besides, as Koharu said, Kizmel's helped us out of numerous scrapes, so I think it's only fair that we return the favour.''

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After a brief while, the group had finished preparing, and Merja had returned from her reconnaissance mission, giving the group a slight fright when she did. They'd worked out a battle plan, and a route for their infiltration mission too.

The Cave Beyond the Hill was the point where they'd enter the route, before finding their way through the Old Waterway, which led to a door to the Queen's Chamber. Most of them had reservations about their final destination being the Queen's Bedroom, because it really didn't take a genius to work out that the room would be one of, if not the most heavily guarded in the castle, but right about now, it was the only plausible option left.

The entrance to the Cave was a dark and damp affair, as moss grew on the walls and floor, as stalactites drooped from the ceiling, formed from centuries of water ingress to the caverns. The cold, sharp winds outside gave way to just a slight draft, and before too long, the group had passed through the Cave, coming out into a large chamber like area.

The reason for the stalactites soon became obvious, as the noise of gushing water came from above in multiple directions, falling into the bottom of the chamber, now long since claimed by the water itself. A series of raised walkways had been built long ago, probably centuries ago even, and many of them had strange altar like pillars on them, with markings that none of them could read. Chances were, humanity weren't the only species to have lost things to the ravaging sands of time, and those pillars would remain forever a mystery...

''I wonder what those pillars are?'' Koharu asked, whilst everyone else continued to scan the chamber for foes.

''Long ago, and before the Great Separation, this chamber was used for purification ceremonies, supposedly. Throughout the centuries though, the changes to the landscape, and the infestation of monsters has meant that such ceremonies stopped. The only time we send anyone down here now is to vanquish the monsters, and clear out the path, should it be necessary to be used.''

''We don't need disguises then?'' Rain asked.

''No, we won't be seen. Such clearing duties have fell by the wayside since the beginning of the war, but I will implore you to keep your voices down once we exit the Waterway, as we are directly underneath the castle.''

With caution, the group began to exit the Waterway, and as they did, a number of monsters began to spawn. ''Guess we can't sneak up on them, right?'' This was going to be a long... whatever time of day it actually was. For all he knew, it was 2am now...

/-/

Jet's assumption had proven right, and after nearly forty minutes of uninterrupted fighting, seeing their destination was almost like discovering an oasis in a desert... he just hoped it wasn't a mirage, as so often happened in the desert. ''We're here... finally.'' Jet muttered, doing his best to keep his voice down, given their proximity to a heavily guarded castle.

''The door is just over there. Stay close whilst I open it.'' Merja stated, as she began to head over to the door on the other side of the chamber. Unlike the previous one, this was a simple affair, no markings or any special features, just sand coloured bricks, with some extruded pillars and some steps.

''We'll be fine on the other side, right?'' Koharu asked, clutching at her Faith.

Jet went to reassure her, but Merja spoke before he'd finished forming a coherent thought in his head. ''Yes, you should be able to meet with Kizmel right away.''

''I hope it'll be okay...'' Evidently not particularly reassured, Koharu seemed quieter than normal.

''Listen, we came here because you wanted to make sure this NPC is okay, right.'' Mito seemed somewhat frustrated at Koharu, and whilst Jet was okay with accepting Mito's annoyance at him as being unfounded, but understandable given the impression he gave off, if she thought was going to snap at Koharu, she had another thing coming...

''Her name is Kizmel. Got that?'' Jet stood above everyone else, and made his statement in a far more commanding tone. Mito just rolled her eyes at the posturing, and continued anyway.

''Sure. But we've gotten through there fine. Why are you worrying now, of all times...''

''I dunno, maybe it has something to do with us heading into the Queen's Chamber of all places...'' Phillia muttered, as Mito looked towards her.

''What I'm saying is, we'll be fine. Stop worrying about it.'' Jet held back a rant at just how stupid that philosophy was, in his opinion. Telling someone to stop worrying about something was like asking an asthmatic person to 'just breathe properly' or a depressed person to 'just be happy'. It was absolutely stupid advice on a good day, and far more destructive than just keeping quiet in some cases. With that, Jet thought that he finally understood a bit more about Mito's character too...

It hadn't escaped his attention that Rain was giving her an equally nasty look too. ''Let's just get on with our mission. Merja, what happens if we get caught?''

''I cannot say, but I daren't imagine it will be pleasant. If I get caught, I will be lucky to get off with only my position as a Knight revoked, and even that would be a testament to Her Majesty's kindness.''

''So why are you helping us then? Hardly the path of least resistance, is it?'' Mito asked.

''Because I feel it is the right thing to do, and I can see how much you care for Kizmel.'' That response took Mito by surprise. Did the NPC just consider morality and emotions as a part of their dialogue. ''However, I do want you to take this, as thanks for helping me.'' Merja handed Koharu a small glass bottle, containing a swirling white mist inside it.

Phillia looked over at it, and recognised it almost immediately. ''Isn't that the same smoke the Forest Elves use?''

''Yes, and no. Yes, in that it is a smoke attack, and no, as it does not have the same effects.''

''So, it doesn't provide a smokescreen then?''

''I cannot say it's exact effects, but you will find out when you use it.'' She not-quite explained, as she opened the incantation on the door. ''Now, I wish you the blessings of the Sacred Tree. Go.'' Everyone headed off, and Jet gave their ally a salute as he did. To his surprise, Merja saluted back, mirroring him...

Hands on weapons, everyone headed into the Queen's Chamber. As was to be expected, the room was lavishly decorated, with various wooden decorations built on top of the white brick walls. Hanging from the ceiling were three small chandeliers, each with three candle holders, quite befitting of the castle on Floor 9, Jet thought to himself momentarily, before his head snapped back to action. A burgundy carpet was laid on the floor, and looked pristine, with even the gold trimming being perfectly intact. His next thought was that his mom would've loved this place... very posh looking.

''Definitely fits a Queen's chamber, right?'' Phillia whistled, as she looked around. Jet hoped he wouldn't have to make sure she didn't have light fingers, alongside her dungeon crawling exploits, else this would be a long day...

As he did wonder that, an unfamiliar voice spoke. The voice was obviously female, and they spoke quite authoritatively, with very little trace of an accent of any kind. If he had to describe it, Jet would've said it was a textbook example of Received Pronunciation. ''Indeed it does. Usually, I would ask what five strangers with weapons are doing in my room, but then again, I'd usually know why.'' The voice soon had an appearance to go along with it, and even Mito was somewhat surprised. Clad in a long, purple stone coloured dress, with a light purple shoal over her shoulders. Very long purple hair flowed down her back, and almost to the floor, tied into a long ponytail.

''Your majesty! They are no assassins, they're my friends!'' A more familiar person ran into the room, and was soon greeted by four of the five.

''Kizmel!'' - Koharu raced forward and drew Kizmel into a hug.

''I assume you took the route through the Old Waterway?'' Kizmel sighed, ''Must you always take the risky route?''

Jet shrugged, whilst Koharu was a little busy hugging Kizmel. Whilst both of them were preoccupied, both Rain and Phillia realised who they were stood in front of, and rather quickly bowed.

Initially confused, the same realisation soon dawned on both Jet and Koharu, and eventually dawned on Mito, who all bowed in front of who they hoped was the Queen of Lyusula. If she wasn't the Queen, then all of them would look a bit daft.

''I'm terribly sorry your majesty, these are my friends - Jet, Koharu, Rain and Phillia. This, as you already understand, is Queen Idhrendis of Lyusula.'' Kizmel introduced, and everyone bowed once again. Mito seemed a bit put out at being ignored, but kept quiet about it.

''I've heard all about your endeavours, all of you. Very impressive, I must say. Girl-'' Idhrendis looked over at Mito ''- I notice you did not introduce yourself. I take it you are a friend of theirs?''

''Ally, certainly.'' Mito erred on the side of caution, and considering she already didn't like one of the four, wouldn't have classed them as friends anyway, as cold as that seemed. ''I'm Mito, your majesty. An honour to meet you.'' She tried to be as polite as possible, but it wasn't like schools had a 'how to introduce yourself to a monarch' class...

''Interesting...''

''Just one question, your majesty?'' Jet asked, hesitantly.

''As you request.''

''So, we aren't for the chopping block for, you know, sneaking in here?''

''Not at all. In fact, I asked Merja to bring you here, should you try to enter the castle.'' For a brief second, all of them wondered exactly why the queen had gone to such lengths, before a load of stuff became a little more obvious...

'' 'None but Lyusulans shall pass this gate.' I believe you understood the message.'' Kizmel seemed impressed.

''Yep, even if a couple of ideas weren't the best.'' Jet's idea to hang glide their way in had been a particularly bad one, although he maintained he'd suggested it as a joke, rather than being serious. No one bought that.

''In any case, I must apologise for making you jump through so many hoops. I have a horrible feeling that if the acolytes knew what I was trying to do, they would not approve, and so, I must avoid acting openly.''

''Your majesty, what are you trying to achieve?'' Rain asked, a sense of worry starting to come over her.

''To seal the cathedral, so that none may ever enter it again. That was my reason for gathering the keys, and why I must depart for a certain location.''

''As you know, the Fallen Elves have the Agate Key, and are bringing the army of the Kales'Oh here now. It is essential that Her Majesty and the keys are protected. That is why I've chosen to stay here to defend the castle and her.'' Even Mito, who'd never met Kizmel before, could tell the apprehension in her tone.

''Kizmel, are you okay with that? I thought you'd decided to fight to end this war for the sake of your sister?'' Koharu asked.

''If Tilnel were here, I think she would make the same decision as I have. As long as the Kales'Oh refuse peace, then I fear our only path is this one. Those in Kales'Oh will inevitably choose the same fate as their king.''

''There are Kales'Oh working to change the way things are. Here, look!'' Koharu handed Kizmel the scroll containing the antidote. ''There's a general, Wendelin, he's standing against the Fallen Elves. They just want to cure the king!''

''Cure the king?'' Both Idhrendis and Kizmel looked confused.

''The king has been poisoned, and the chancellor has taken over control. He's the one working with the Fallen!''

''I see, that is better news. If the king is not voluntarily working with the Fallen, then there may be some hope for peace after all. We will prepare this antidote for you, but it will take time. Until then, you can all stay in the castle. I shall have someone make up rooms for you. You are welcome to use our facilities too, if you so wish.'' Idhrendis and Kizmel escorted the group out of the room, and pointed them into the directions of the rooms she spoke of.

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Once the meeting with the Queen had been concluded, the group had gone to their rooms, except for Jet, who'd chosen to make use of the facilities, the main one being the training room. A large room, about the size of a PE classroom back home, and about as interesting too. Instead of the basketball nets, there were multiple crystals in the middle of the room, for the knights to slash and hack at, to improve their skills.

As it turned out, they'd been on their mission for nearly two days, and it was starting to show. It had been a strange twenty hours, Jet thought to himself. In that time, they'd become double agents by bringing the phrase 'the enemy of my enemy' to life, they'd infiltrated a castle, sabotaged a corrupt chancellor, pissed off the other side royally, snuck into yet another castle, and had witnessed someone being murdered in front of their eyes. No prizes for guessing which of these was weighing heavily on Jet's mind, as he wrought havoc on the crystal in front of him. So far, he'd landed nearly fifty hits on the crystal, many of them from Sword Skills, and yet he hadn't so much as chipped it.

Deciding that, today had been a day and some of having to hold in his thoughts of the day's events, and try not to say exactly what he was thinking, that anger was welling up, and it was beginning to show in his attacks. Each one was becoming less and less controlled as the minutes went on, and before too long, the technique had been replaced by just sheer force, each strike coming faster than the last one, before the knight stumbled on his final strike, and fell to the floor, exhausted.

A small, almost imperceptible chip had started to form in the crystal, but that was all he had to show for nearly an hour in the training chamber. Well, that, and having collapsed onto the floor.

''Enjoying your nap?'' A familiar, teasing voice came from above him. Or behind him, at this point his head hadn't quite stopped spinning yet...

''Urghhh...'' He assessed the day in one sound.

''Describe our day in one word, huh.'' Phillia couldn't bring herself to disagree with his drawling assessment of the day or so they'd all had. ''I'm assuming you and Koharu haven't had a chance to talk yet, what with the... whatever it was you were just doing.''

''She... I-I really don't know what to say. Hell, even earlier when I gave her that speech... I'm not convinced it was anything more than syllables strung together.'' Phillia ignored that, what he'd described was in fact, how languages worked, and so, of course it was exactly that. She figured that he meant he didn't know if it made sense or not, and chose to give him a break from the pedantry. ''We watched someone be murdered in front of us... how the hell does anyone address that elephant?!''

''Huh, and here's me thinking you always knew the right thing to say. I don't know either, but I think she'll need someone to lean on, maybe more than ever, and for better or worse, that'll be you. So go and be a good boyfriend, and go do-'' Phillia's mind ran blank as spoke, ''-boyfriendy stuff. That does remind me though... you and Rain. Because I swear, if you're cheating on-''

''It's not like that!''

''I know, just wanted to get one over you. I know she's in love with you still, no matter how much she denied it to me, and you and Koharu are madly in love with each other...''

''You know, saying it like that makes you sound bitter...'' Jet joked, as Phillia pouted.

''I'm not bitter!'' She protested a little too quickly...

''Me thinks the lady doth protest too much... Anyway, with Rain, I honestly wondered if she liked me, or what I ended up representing to her. I still do, if I'm honest.''

''Uhh, and that would be?''

''Apparently, she saw Koharu and I training a few days after we got here. Somehow, I ended up a knight in shining armour to her, and Christmas Eve, she actually did admit she liked me.''

''And knowing Rain, that was the cutest, most fairytale confession ever?'' Jet raised an eyebrow at Phillia's assumption, and even she looked somewhat confused at her own statement. Why she pictured Rain acting cute and skittish, she wasn't entirely sure, especially as she'd never seen that side of her, even around the Dense Knight, as she'd just come up with.

''Actually, she just snogged me.'' Phillia, who'd decided to take a drink at that moment, did an honest to goodness spit take. ''Then apologised, and ran off. Being me, I had no idea to take that.'' Having now recovered from her spit take, she looked blankly towards Jet, who at least looked slightly annoyed at himself for his density.

''You know, if you actually got any denser, we'd have a black hole, right? But seriously, you and Rain did talk about that, right?''

''Of course we did! I explained to her that I was with Koharu, and she admitted that she knew that I fell for her, before I'd ever admitted it. Something about my eyes, apparently.''

''Eh, they're not ugly eyes, but...'' She shrugged.

''Not like that! She meant it was like a look when I was around Koharu, and I never seemed to have it around anyone else.''

''Aww, that's actually really cute.'' Phillia cooed, as Jet looked on blankly. ''Anyway, that wasn't what I came to talk to you about. I know the past few days have been rough on all of us, and I think, just maybe, it hit you harder than everyone else. I might be wrong, but I got the impression that you've seen something like that before.''

''Don't be daft. I'm a normal guy, from an admittedly abnormal family. Why would I have seen death before?''

''If you're sure, then I'll leave it be. But if there is something like that bothering you, all- well, almost- all of us will listen, you know?''

''You'll be the first person I run to when I do end up psychologically damaged, because of some stupid mistake I made as a child.'' Jet tried to be sarcastic, but it didn't take a genius to notice he was trying to block off that particular avenue of conversation, especially as he'd inadvertently revealed something about his past that perhaps he wished to keep quiet.

''Aw, you trust me over your girlfriend, that's... worrying, actually.'' Phillia tried to tease, before the reality of that statement set in.

''It was a joke!'' Jet defended himself, as Phillia raised an eyebrow.

''Whatever you say, Jethro. Your girlfriend's waiting for you, by the way. That was why I came here, to drag you back.''

''And yet you wanted to know about my love life?'' - Jet asked.

''Eh, I asked Koharu, and she went bright red.'' Phillia smirked, and Jet just looked towards her like an unimpressed teacher would. This was going to be a long evening...

{Author's Comments}

Sorry for this being a bit late, to say I've not had a good week would be an understatement. I'm currently sat here writing this with COVID, so my output may be slower than I'd like it to be. Basically, it's not much fun. Would not recommend getting it.

Anyway, normal service will be resumed sometime hopefully soon.

Chapter Text

As Jet and Phillia headed back through the corridors of the castle, an uncomfortable silence filled the air surrounding the two for different reasons. Jet, living with seven sisters, knew that if at any time they considered prying into his love life, it was never a good sign, and therefore it spelt danger for someone. Maybe he was being a bit presumptuous, and Phillia just happened to be nosy, but he'd rather not take any chances.

Phillia, on the other hand, was struggling to piece together what Jet had said earlier, even if he was being deliberately ridiculous. She just hoped it wouldn't eat away at him too much.

''Sooo...'' Phillia started.

''So...'' Jet responded.

A pair of hands grasped onto Jet's shoulders, and pulled him away. ''We need to talk.''

Phillia looked on blankly, and tried to think of an excuse for how she'd just lost a person...

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Jet looked around the bedroom, and wondered exactly why he'd been pulled into the room with no warning. More surprisingly, Mito was stood there, looking as if she didn't hate him. Had he banged his head whilst slashing earlier?

''You really don't like me, do you?'' Jet asked, cutting right through the uncomfortable air around them.

''Not really, no. Remind me a little too much of myself, if I'd made the right choices.'' Mito admitted, a a slight look of shame on her face, as she looked away.

''How do you mean?''

''Koharu was telling me all about you guys, and how you were the reason she ever got the courage to go out there. I guess I can see Asuna in her, if I'd not been such a coward. I was terrified that she'd be hurt because of me, and I made bad decisions because of it. I guess I thought that if I couldn't do it, then no one else could. I sound absolutely pathetic saying that out loud, I know.''

''Huh, I just thought that I was being a bit of a dick again.'' Jet shrugged, as Mito nodded slightly.

''Well, that too. You do kind of have an abrasive personality...''

''Oh yeah, I know.'' Jet nodded, as it were the most obvious thing ever. ''But I'm not so sure that you should feel as guilty about Asuna as you do. I won't say she's safe, because... well, you know, but she's done a damn good job of adapting to this world. She found someone to work with, and if I'm honest, I think the guy she found needed someone to work with too.''

''You and Koharu, how do you do it?''

''Uhh, do what?'' Jet's eyebrows raised almost into his hairline at the question. She wasn't asking about that, was she? Even by his standards, that was a bit rude!

''How aren't you two scared for each other? I've watched both of you throw yourselves into the jaw of danger, for no reward whatsoever, and yet...''

''Yet I've never shown that I'm scared, right? If I'm honest, I'm terrified, not just for Koharu, but for everyone. The rational part of me says they're all on the same level as me, so stop worrying, but the rest of me? Nah. Thing is though, Mito, I know that Koharu's scared of it, but being scared isn't a bad thing. In here especially, being scared is a good way to survive, in my eyes.''

''Koharu really wasn't kidding about the speeches, was she?'' Mito joked.

''They work! Some of the time, anyway...'' He begrudgingly admitted.

''If you two are done... we've been summoned.'' Phillia leant against the door frame, as Rain and Koharu poked their heads around her, whilst Mito held hers in her hands. Jet just slow clapped them, knowing that they'd had at least some part in this...

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The group had been summoned by the Queen, and the current circumstances explained in detail. The potion would be ready in the morning, and that they had a little over a week before the combined army of Kales'Oh came knocking.

They'd also been given a seal, which made them Her Majesty's messengers, meaning that they could come and go as was deemed necessary by them. All this felt a little too close to being back at school, for Jet's liking.

The rest of the evening had been relatively uneventful though, as the group spent time discussing anything and everything, before they'd settled down for the night. Koharu had to admit, it made a nice change to have even just a minor sense of normality again, even if it was only sitting and talking with friends. Having settled in for the night, her mind soon wandered to the situation outside the castle, and her rest was intermittent at best.

It didn't help that every time she started to drift to sleep, she pictured that moment in her head, and just how little care had been given by the boy's murderer. One moment, he was alive and fighting back, next, he was dead. Was that really how anyone deserved to go out? Cornered by a treacherous snake?

After a few hours, she'd decided she wasn't going to get any sleep like this, and got out of bed, to go for a walk around the castle. Normally, she'd be the first to admit just how much of a fairytale this was for her - she was wandering around an honest to goodness castle, with elves around her, after all. Today though, she just wanted to find somewhere quiet to sit and reflect, without anyone around.

After a while searching corridors, and looking for somewhere that fit the bill, she'd gotten slightly sidetracked, as she could hear singing coming from a balcony, just a little down the corridor from their rooms. As she walked slowly down the corridor, she began to recognise the bright red hair of the singer - Rain, who was giving a very good rendition of a pop song she'd had on repeat when she was younger.

Walking up to her slowly, Koharu sat down nearby, and enjoyed what might, at any other time, have felt like a private show, but today, it only served to make her feel a little more down. The song in question spoke about a man who wised he could see into a lost love's eyes, and opined about how life had broken them apart, and Rain was doing a fantastic job of bringing the emotions to life. Perhaps too slightly too good of a job, as Koharu was beginning to cry a little, and her sniffle only now caught Rain's attention...

''Oh, hi Koharu, I uhh, didn't know you were here! Umm, are you okay, you're crying?''

''Oh, I'm... I don't even know.'' Koharu sat down, and looked through tear filled eyes out into the snowy forest, their scenery looking more beautiful than ever as the moonlight shone onto the snow, and the purple stones that made up the defensive walls of the castle. ''I can't sleep, every time I try, I just think how we could've saved that boy earlier.''

''Koharu, I nearly died earlier, because I messed up. Today's been rough on all of us, and-'' A loud whistle pierced everyone's ears, and unlike last time, they didn't need Rain's tracking skill to hear it, as it came from the hills to the north west of the castle. As they scanned the snow covered grounds in that direction from up high, both Jet and Mito, still dressed in night clothes sprinted to the balcony, in a panic.

''The hell was that?''

''Sounds like someone's getting attacked out there.''

''You think we should help?''

''You think we should? We aren't exactly in a state to fight...''

''If someone's out there...''

''I'm with Koharu on this, but there's no way we're getting over there quickly...''

''I think there is...'' Mito looked over the sides. It wasn't that far down between floors, probably less than ten feet between them. As long as they were careful, they'd survive it. Everyone else, having begun to understand exactly what she was implying immediately decided the stairs were a far safer bet. Less likely to result in having to clean one of them up with a mop and bucket.

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Less than twenty minutes later, and after the group had made it to the front gates, going the sensible way... down the stairs, before been let through by the guards, the group headed out into the snow. It was a cold and frigid night, and the winds made sure they knew it, as any sweat drop almost immediately felt like icicles as they searched the snow for the source of the whistle. The thought between all of them was just how bad of an idea this was, especially as they had no idea what they were even looking for. It had been long enough that there was every chance that the source was now dead, and they'd have done this for nothing, but at the same time, there was a chance that they were still alive, and if nothing else, their consciences would be clear.

''There's blood in the snow.'' Phillia called out, as the group looked into a clearing, following the trail of blood. It carried on for a short distance, before going into the treeline. Another short distance, and it soon became clear as two Forest Elves were hunting someone in the trees, without much luck.

''Reckon we can knock them out?''

''Why, they're clearly not good guys...''

''We're supposed to be stopping a war, not causing one!'' Jet muttered through gritted teeth, as Mito pulled three picks out of her inventory.

''Then I'll try these.'' She looked oddly pleased with herself, as she threw the first one, hitting the left Forest Elf in the arm, before he slumped to the ground, the second immediately looking towards his fallen comrade in confusion, as her second pick hit the remaining soldier in the leg, and he dropped into the snow, on top of his comrade, both of them fast asleep... mainly as both were now snoring.

''What are those!?'' Jet called out, as he looked over the two soldiers.

''Sleep picks. Thought they'd come in handy if I ever need a non-lethal weapon.''

''No kidding, can I borrow one? My insomnia would be gone in-'' Koharu gave Jet a look of 'We are kind of busy here!', and Jet snapped back into mission mode, ''-Right, shutting up.''

''Over there!'' Rain called out, as the group ran over to the wounded Forest Elf. As they did, a realisation set in as to the identity of the wounded elf - it was Cal, the Forest Elf who'd helped them infiltrate the castle a few days ago, and had sent them to get the antidote, and now, he was lying against a tree, bleeding profusely. As the group gathered round, Jet pulled an old part of his starter equipment from his inventory, and quickly began wrapping it around Cal's waist, to try and stem the flow of blood.

''Never would I have thought a human would be- cough, splutter -trying to save me...'' He rasped out, trying to maintain an uncaring look, even as he was clearly in pain.

''Yeah, well, we're full of surprises.'' Jet muttered, as he maintained pressure on the wound. Other than giving him bloody trousers, it didn't seem to be doing much. ''Healing potion, anyone!''

''Don't- splutter -bother. I'm too far gone now, but please, I ask of all of you... Wendelin. He's being transported through this forest, they've got a caravan escorting him- cough, cough- back to the chancellor in the morning, and to his execution... He... is our last- cough, wheeze -hope for stopping the chancellor...''

''Not leaving you to die out here. Even if you are an adversary to us.'' Jet muttered again, this time with a sense of anger building up around him.

''Nobility, and in a human of all places... you aren't so bad, after all-'' The Forest Elf's head fell to one side, as Jet checked for a pulse. Nothing, no signs of life, and soon, the sadly too familiar sight of death came, as Cal burst into blue pixels, and disappeared against the white, uncaring snow, and the bloody red smear on it, that had once been where a life was lost.

Jet stood up, and almost immediately lashed out at a nearby tree, triggering a small purple window, to tell him that it was a futile exercise to attack the foliage. He didn't care much about that right now though. He knew how ridiculous he probably looked, getting angry over the death of an NPC that probably didn't particularly care for them, other than as a useful means to an end.

Truth be told, that wasn't why Jet was angry. He was less angry about the fact that someone had died, and more so that there was nearly nothing that could be done to help them. Even if they'd gotten there sooner, he reckoned this was scripted, and so, Cal would've died anyway. Just one more death to add to the list. An ever growing list at that, and one that would grow exponentially if they didn't find Wendelin. Maybe the two sides were just NPCs, but they'd come so far now... there was no way they were giving up!

''Jet?'' Koharu asked, concerned at the knight's silence over what had just happened.

''I'll be fine. We need to find that caravan, and we need to free him. Big question though... how the hell do we take down an entire caravan?''

''I think we should head back to the castle for the night though. No point freezing out here if we don't have to.'' Mito stated, trying to keep a stoic face after that. Loathed as she was to admit it, she actually felt something at watching Cal pass. She couldn't pin it down exactly, but maybe the pair's philosophy about the NPCs had some merit to it, after all.

/-/

Jet looked out into the snowy wasteland again. Any other time, he'd have called it beautiful, today though? It just reminded him of death. Nothing beautiful about that. Natural, perhaps, but beautiful, no. Despite the scenery, he was racking his brain, trying to think of any plan that didn't just get them all killed, taking on a caravan of troops.

He'd been here two hours, and still hadn't thought of one single idea. Every time he tried, his mind went back to every one that they'd lost, and every time they'd narrowly avoided catastrophe, and eventually, his mind went back further, back to his days of living in Britain, and the day that nearly took his life, five years ago. He'd made things worse then too, and had stumbled out of it by dumb luck.

As his mind continued to relive the horrors he'd seen, he'd failed to notice Koharu sat beside him, leaning against him. ''You don't have to be alone out here, you know?'' Koharu spoke softly, and in a few seconds, the monkeys in his mind reacted... with surprise.

''How long have you been here!?''

''A few minutes. Long enough to know that you're blaming yourself for something in that head of yours.''

Jet decided that now was the right moment to get something off his chest. It wasn't the ideal moment, but he figured that it was now or never... ''Koharu, if I told you about-''

''No, no more self pity tonight. We've got a mission in the morning, so I think sleep trumps that. Even if it is only a few hours of sleep.''.. Whilst Koharu had decided for him, that it would be never instead.

''You're right, I suppose.''

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Unsurprisingly, the rest of the night passed by with very little in the way of rest. For most of the night, Jet had kept his eyes closed, but really was as far from asleep as was humanly possible, and more just counting by the hours until they needed to be up. After they'd returned, Kizmel had reassured them all that the castle's guards would be watching out for this caravan, and they'd give them as much warning as possible. Given the terrain, and the 'optical instruments' that the lookouts possessed, it wasn't a bad guess to say they'd see them at around five miles out.

''The caravan has been sighted. Are you ready?''

''As we'll ever be. How big is it?''

''Small, only two vehicles. I take it they want to maintain a low profile, else this is certainly a change in tactics for them.''

''Probably don't want to risk being spotted by you guys, and getting pounced on.''

Before too long, the group had split into two - the attack force, or Jet, Mito and Rain, who'd keep the Forest Elves distracted, whilst the rescue force, or Koharu and Phillia snuck in, and using Phillia's lockpicking skill, freed Wendelin. The attack group had found a reasonable spot to hide in amongst the snow, and were reasonably well disguised against the snow, using the flurries to keep a lower profile. As for the rescue group, Koharu and Phillia had been given two of the Midnight Mantles that they'd encountered on Floor 7 to allow them to infiltrate the caravan reasonably close to undetected.

''Okay, I can see them... what the hell is that at the front?'' Mito asked, looking very confused at the upturned boat leading the vehicles. Even Jet, who's father had once taught him a history of armoured fighting vehicles (not that he'd paid attention. It was kind of boring, in his defence...), had very little of an idea, other than that it appeared to have cannons of some form, jutting out of the wooden armour.

''Whatever it is, we can't take it on in a straight fight, but all we have to do is keep their attention on us, long enough for Koharu and Phillia to sneak in and free Wendelin...'' Jet checked his messages, and a message from Koharu gave them the go ahead... ''and on that note, let's go!''

The group raced into action, Jet having swapped out his shield and Hope for his twin handed blade, to focus on offence. As they charged, Mito managed to down two of the guards with her throwing picks, before bulldozing through another with her scythe, whilst Rain was busy focusing on clearing a path to the prisoner cart for Koharu and Phillia. Jet fluttered around the battlefield, dragging the slightly distracted Elves into a smaller skirmish away from the main battle.

/-/

Whilst the chaotic melee was going on, the two girls had made it to the prisoner cart, and Phillia set about working on the lock to try and pick it. Whatever lock they used, it certainly seemed to be much harder to pick than anything she'd practiced on. No matter what she did, it refused to budge... until, in a fit of annoyance, she pulled on the cart's door, and it opened without so much as a creak. ''Of course.'' she muttered to herself, as the cart shuddered violently, throwing them all away, with Wendelin, already in a bad state, smacking into the bars, and being rendered unconscious from the impact.

''Wendelin!'' Koharu threw off the Midnight Mantle, and attempted to pull the now unconscious Forest Elf from the mangled cart.

Jet peeled himself off of the cart's bars, to see exactly what had flung him a few feet back. He looked back to see a Fallen Elf, clad in a much more regimental looking garb, with strange, jagged looking shoulder pads, on rusted armour that looked like you'd catch Hepatitis just from touching it, and wielding a very well worn looking machete. ''I'll give you your dues, you certainly know how to make an entrance, humans. Kysala, handle the prisoners. I shall deal with those three...''

The Fallen's first strike was far stronger than was expected, and Jet only barely dodged it, the slash skimming his coat. Almost immediately, Rain and Mito had set up on the Fallen, but they soon found themselves on the defensive, whilst Jet, now recovered from his dodge, attempted to counterattack. With an almost ungodly speed, the Fallen countered Jet's strike, their blades clashing as he did so.

The struggle to keep the blades from inching closer was soon broken, as Rain managed to get the first hits, slashing the Fallen across the back, and breaking his attention enough for Jet to be able to kick him back slightly. As he did so, he caught a momentary glimpse of the other fight going on, and it wasn't reassuring.

Both Koharu and Phillia had fighting styles that focused on being able to outmaneuver their foes, which put them at a severe disadvantage against Kysala, who was keeping track of them, and whittling away at their HP with ease. For the first time since the Third Floor, Jet felt a wave of fear rush over him. If they couldn't break this stalemate, there was no way that Koharu and Phillia would last for too much longer...

All of this mess, it had been his fault, and now people were going to die. Again. The girl who'd saved his life, and stood by his side... his girlfriend, and as cliched as it sounded, the girl he loved, and Phillia, for all her minor faults, mainly the teasing, if he was honest, was someone he considered a friend, and both were nearly out of the fight...

Until, out of nowhere, a fog began to surround everyone... ''What the...'' Rain called out, confused at the sudden onset of the fog.

''That smoke bottle!'' Mito called out, as she spotted what appeared to be a small army of Dark Elves approaching them, with Kizmel leading them.

Kysala halted her assault, having spotted the exact same thing as the group had, and yelled out... ''Lord N'itzaah! We... we are surrounded!''

''Dammit! Retreat! You, humans, you are barely worth slaying!'' The Fallen they'd fought, now identified as N'itzaah, began to retreat hastily, as the small army of Lyusulans descended on them. The closer they all came, Jet noticed one strange thing...

They all looked exactly like Kizmel. Not similar, absolutely identical, almost as if someone had taken her, and copied and pasted her into the surroundings numerous times over.

''Kizmels?'' Jet wondered momentarily if he'd banged his head really hard during the fight...

''Just one of me, I assure you.'' She commented, as she approached the downed Wendelin, along with the others. None had come out of that fight unscathed, and they took advantage of the quiet earned from the retreat, to heal up and regain a little energy. Koharu and Jet were hugging each other as tight as was physically possible without HP loss, whilst everyone else had sat down in exhaustion.

''What was that smoke, and what happened to the army you had with you?''

''A simple illusion trick. Projects what it's user wants to see into the smoke.'' Kizmel answered, as the couple broke up their hug.

''Could have done with that in my exams.'' Jet joked halfheartedly, as he looked over Wendelin, checking for a pulse, which wasn't there. ''He's not dead, thankfully. Out cold though. We're gonna have to take him back to the castle, I think.''

Between them, Jet and Mito picked up Wendelin, and began the walk back to the castle. After a few minutes of walking through the snow, Rain was the first to break the silence amongst them, with a question that no one had thought to ask...

''How are we going to explain this one to the guards?''

{Author's Comments}

I'm alive still! Luckily, COVID didn't get me.  However, it has thrown my already hectic schedule so far off kilter that there won't be a chapter next week, due to college stuff.  Fight scenes are still hard to write too.

As per usual, if you enjoyed this, or have anything to say, any feedback is always welcome.

Signing off,

Midland 2541

Chapter Text

Floor 9 - Chapter 7 - The Final Countdown

Fortunately for the group, Kizmel was able to explain exactly why the six of them had come back with nearly thirty prisoners, and one wounded Kales'Oh commander, and thankfully for them, Idrehendis had ordered that Wendelin be cared for as if he were one of their own. Until Wendelin woke up, the group were to be debriefed on what had happened, and were then to help with the final preparations for the defence of Lyusula.

That part terrified all of them. There was an incredibly real chance that an all out war was on the horizon, and they were now along for the ride... all they could do was hope that they'd been able to get the antidote to the King of Kales'Oh in time, because that really was their final chance to prevent the inevitable.

In the end, it had taken until the next day for him to wake up, and unsurprisingly he'd woken up incredibly confused at not only where he was, but what had happened. None of them could blame him for that, really, and once the situation had been cleared up, the group had escorted him to the Queen's Chamber, where they were now...

Once they'd entered, Kizmel had closed, and barricaded the door, a sure sign that whatever was going on, was not to be known by the rank and file. Or anyone outside of that room. ''Ah, Wendelin, I believe. I am glad that our healers did their best to help you, and I assure you, none of your men have been harmed.'' Idrehendis began the meeting.

''They were not my men. They were the chancellor's. Their families were at risk, should they have sided with me, so I hold no ill will towards them.'' Wendelin seemed less angry at the fact he'd been captured by his own men, and more that the chancellor had managed to get to them instead. The man was a coward, and a snake, hell bent on gaining power, with little respect for anyone he viewed as beneath him.

''Yes, I realise now.'' Idrehendis sympathised with the commander. There were always troublemakers amongst each faction, but to stoop so low as to side with evil, and to involve innocents in their scheming, was truly despicable. ''I have it on good authority that you are standing against him?'' She asked, already knowing the answer.

''I am. I do not want this war, and I wish to be rid of the Fallen, once and for all.'' Wendelin spoke with resolve, a testament to his character. Of course, the argument that Jet had no doubts Mito would make was that he was programmed to be one of the good ones, but perhaps the AI involved was a little smarter than any of them gave it credit for...

''Then on that, we are all agreed.'' An unfamiliar male voice echoed around the room, much to the confusion of the group. The voice sounded rough, as if the person had only just gotten up from being... oh. Oh! Jet thought to himself, realising exactly who was speaking... they'd actually done it! The antidote had made it! Something told him that everyone else was just as thrilled at that news as he was, Koharu drawing him into a hug, whilst Rain and Philla high fived each other with grins on their faces, and even Mito looked pretty pleased at the news, this being the first time they'd seen her properly smile...

''Your highness?!'' Wendelin looked positively shocked at the voice, whilst Jet could've sworn he saw a slight smirk on the Queen's face, even if only for a brief moment. ''How!''

''That does not matter right now, Wendelin, but I must applaud you on your efforts, and unwavering loyalty. Thank you.'' The voice stated, almost with a sense of pride in there.

''It was my duty, sir, nothing more.'' In the time they'd known Wendelin, they'd known him to be no nonsense, and to see him bristling under the praise, was kind of amusing.

''Yes, well, that does not change your actions, commander. Your Majesty, Idrehendis, I apologise for the impolite nature of our meeting, but as you are aware...''

''Worry not, my own wounds from the Fallen haven't healed yet either. However, to business. Thanks to our human allies, we are aware of the Fallen's leader, N'itzaah, and we believe that he is working to release the First Fallen.''

A short pause from the voice, and a sorrowful sigh were a telling sign of his feelings on the matter ''N'itzaah, my son... I did not think that he harboured such hatred towards the elves, or this world in general, to be willing to unleash such an evil on it...'' Somehow, Jet figured that he didn't mean ''my son'' in the way a northern footie fan might have said, and meant it in a more literal sense.

The Fallen they'd fought certainly had years of experience under his belt, and looked to have been in his late forties or early fifties, if he'd really had to guess. Though, that was a terrible way of estimating ages with any kind of elf, Kizmel looked to only be around Strea's age after all, but in reality was likely much older, and he had no doubts that Idrehendis, despite her good looks, was exponentially older, and he wouldn't be surprised to find she was at least a century old. In other words, perhaps N'Itzaah was the King of Kales'Oh's son...

The silence in the air after he'd stated that though, it was thick enough that Jet daren't draw his blade, lest he cut through it. Idrehendis was the first to speak again, 'Perhaps my sister would've tried to reason with him... but she is gone now, sadly. How do you plan to impose judgement on N'itzaah?''

''He is no longer our beloved child, and I feel that Calitheth would see it that way too. He has become a wicked monster, nothing more than a pawn of the First Fallen, the one who is bound to the Celestial Tower.''

That didn't seem to go down with either Koharu or Mito, both of whom seemed to be deep in thought at the sentiment. Jet could understand where the king was coming from - after all, it was because of him that he had nearly died, an experience which would colour your opinion of your own child, but he seemed far less upset at it than he perhaps should've been. It was almost a ''well, what can you do?'' type attitude, if it had to be put into words. Not one that would be expected from someone in that situation.

Koharu, on the other hand, read a very different tone from the situation. She could tell the despair in the king's voice, at the prospect of having to potentially kill his own son. She could feel a resolve to not lose what he evidently held dearly to him, the child from a clearly happy relationship once upon a time, but also that of a monarch, bound by duty to his people, and to the world at large. In that situation, as much as she would hate it, she accepted that maybe the king had a point - for the safety of everyone else, he would have to lose something. Unfortunately, that something was his son...

It was at that moment, that a frantic banging on the door took everyone present by surprise, and Kizmel quickly removed the barricade, to see what was going on. As she did, the door swung open to reveal a bloodied Lyusulan Knight, and what could only be described as carnage. Many badly injured, the knights acting as a protection detail had been knocked aside by an unknown assailant, leaving just everyone present to process what the hell was going on...

The first thought was an assassination attempt... but, had that been the case, wouldn't the attacker have rushed in when they opened the door? No, this was something else entirely, but what?

A wounded knight spoke up, in pain as he did so, ''They... they took the keys. The Fallen...''. Kizmel attempted to help the wounded knight, but he was in too bad a shape, and soon passed away, with little to no chance to do anything to help. If he was right, and the Fallen had infiltrated the castle to retrieve the keys, then...

The group's blood all ran cold. Even Kizmel couldn't tell them what would actually happen should the Cathedral be opened, as it was the closest thing to a religion they had, it was like asking what happened when you died. No one would, nor could, give you a solid answer in this case.

But it was one of two options - unlimited power for whoever opened it, or the end of the world.

The former was bad. Giving someone like N'itzaah that power was something that just shouldn't happen, but the latter was an even worse option. Somehow, Jet had a nasty feeling that Kayaba's death game wouldn't end if it were, and a failure here would spell the deaths of nearly 7900 people. No pressure then, he thought idly to himself...

Idrehendis, on the other hand, looked as if she'd decided on her course of action, and spoke with a true air of royalty, and a renewed purpose, ''So, that is his scheme. He plans to release the First Fallen, and open the Cathedral in one foul swoop. We cannot allow that to happen!'' She spoke slightly angrily.

The king spoke up again, but this time, he focused on the group for the first time, ''Young humans... relations between Lyusala and Kales'Oh have been cold for a long time, but when the Fallen harmed the Sacred Tree, we stood together as one united army. However, since Calitheth's passing, the War of the Nine Kingdoms, and the Great Separation, we have stayed fractured. Unwilling to talk, to back down... to understand, even. Each side has fought in complete confidence that we are the correct side in this conflict. Perhaps we are the architects of our own downfall, especially if all we have succeeded in achieving is nurturing the seeds of discord and doubt that the Fallen have sowed!''

''It appears we are soon to face our greatest trial, and to succeed, we must fix out past wrongs. Not with discord or hatred, but by sowing the seeds of hope! It may well be impossible for our generation to solve our past wrongs with an unbiased mind, but I truly have no doubts in our younger generation, not with allies like you and knights like Kizmel...''

''Wendelin, I want you to report back to our castle, and ready our troops. Once you have, head to the Celestial Tower, and put paid to my son's wicked plans!''

''Kizmel... please take our human allies to the armoury. Knights of Lyusula should be well equipped, after all...''

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For the first time in a long while, Jet felt a sense of pride in his appearance, as he looked over his new armour. A gunmetal chest plate replaced his older silver plate, whilst his shoulder pad armour had been extended to cover his upper arms too. His fabric gloves were replaced two new gauntlets, and his boots were replaced by a much sturdier pair. Despite all of this, he still wore his coat over the top...

That pride had manifested itself in the biggest grin that anyone had ever seen, and even Kizmel, who was currently preparing herself for a long and hard battle, couldn't help but be amused by.

''Kizmel, when you got your armour for the first time... please tell me you looked a little bit less, well... that?'' Phillia asked, looking towards the grinning knight.

''I must admit, you are... unique, Jet. I cannot say I've ever seen anyone react quite like that before...'' Kizmel had a way to sound diplomatic, even when she perhaps should've been more straightforward, and Jet had figured out that she was trying her hardest not to insult him with that statement.

''Eh, I know. But after the week we've had, small victories mean a lot. It's not much, but it's something...'' Jet answered, as he equipped his new shield, a tool with far less coverage than his old tower shield, but far higher defensive stats, and far more structural integrity, especially as his old one was on it's last legs now, with it's durability at less than 20% of what it had been when he acquired it. He resolved to visit Lisbeth after this, see if she could work miracles on his old shield... god only knew that it needed it now.

''That is... understandable. Koharu?'' Kizmel looked towards Koharu, who was twirling her blade around as she sat quietly.

''Oh, uh, yeah.'' Koharu answered with no real clue as to what question she was answering.

''Something on your mind?''

''I'm just... it's just nerves, that's all.'' Koharu half answered. Jet, not being quite as clueless at reading people as Phillia made out, could read his girlfriend well enough to know that something was up, and made a note to talk about it when no one else was around. Whatever it was, it was clearly eating at her, as she'd barely been the same since... oh. Morte. The snake that had slithered back to it's dark, dank hole, having wrought carnage again. His mere existence put Jet in a state of unease, not because of what he was capable of... but because of what he signified. A figurehead for those who wished to harm people, for sick kicks. If he existed, how long would it be until someone much worse appeared? Until more of them appeared? Both of those were questions he didn't have the answer to, but filled him with a state of dread he hadn't felt since the first day of SAO.

''I truly believe that, between the five of you, you will persevere. The situation may be tough, but you have all shown that you will fight tooth and nail for what you believe in, and I especially believe that to be true when it comes to peace. Jet, that story you told me yesterday, the one about the travelling healer, and how that inspires you, perhaps that is what we need once this is over... perhaps I might even take up that role, in honour of Tilnel.''

''You'll be amazing, I just know it...'' Jet felt like hugging Kizmel, but chose not to. Just how much growth she'd made since they'd met, it made it impossible for him to see her as anything but a friend. Was she an NPC, a program designed to flesh out this world? Sure, but she'd come from seeking death, in order to see her lost sister, to becoming a peacekeeper, someone who would prevent others from losing their families. She'd grown so far, and even Mito, sceptical as she was in regards to the NPCs, had seen that Kizmel was something else...

''Thank you, Sir Jet...'' She said teasingly, a small smirk on her face, as Jet gave a small clap in recognition.

''Very funny, Kizmel...'' He rolled his eyes. She really had been spending too much time with Phillia, especially if she'd taught an AI a sense of humour! Something told him that the aforementioned girl had noticed the exact same thing, as she snickered into her sleeve from across the room.

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The group, now equipped with their new Lyusulan issued gear had begun the long walk to the dungeon. As was expected, Kizmel took the lead, whilst Rain and Philla followed her, discussing something about the upcoming battle. Koharu began to fall behind, and Jet fell back to talk to her, reminding himself of his earlier mental note. ''You holding up?'' he asked, knowing that she quite clearly wasn't alright.

''What if we're making the wrong decision here?'' she answered quietly, her reply barely being above a whisper.

''Maybe it is. But then again, maybe it isn't. For what it's worth, I think it's the right decision, I just can't see the logic of giving us an out like that.''

''Kayaba isn't that stupid to let us out this soon, he's got to have some master plan for us.'' Jet, in his target fixation, had completely forgotten about Mito, who'd followed behind them, apparently. ''I can see why you and Asuna get on though. You're actually thinking things through, and hoping for the best in people, which... (sighs) Look. I'd lost my faith in people, especially after all I've seen and done, but I think Lueur was right, I do think there's a hero amongst us now... but I think he was wrong as to who it was, don't you, Jet?'' Mito looked at Jet, and gave him a pointed look, as if he knew what she was on about. He decided to play along, despite his bewilderment...

''Uh, yeah, of course! I've known since day one!'' He over corrected, before offering an innocuous suggestion. ''Tell you what, after we've finished with the boss, how does a holiday sound?''

''Shouldn't we be focussing on clearing the game, not going off on holiday? People are relying on us.'' Koharu seemed almost offended at the suggestion of even so much as taking a break. As Mito had pointed out, they were the figureheads for some of the players, and how badly they'd look if they started slacking off. People would lose faith in them, they'd lose what little hope they still had...

''Koharu, you're right. People are relying on us to clear the game. One of the most important parts of that mission, is being alive to actually fight. Working ourselves till we drop dead, or worse still, are so tired we get ourselves killed isn't exactly conducive to that goal.'' Jet bluntly pointed out, as Koharu tensed up. As harsh as it sounded, it was needed in his mind. Koharu was many things to him, but she often refused to take a break if she thought that people needed her help. In other words, she was stubborn. Almost as bad as he was sometimes, and that was saying something.

As bad as he felt for his words, it looked as if he had actually gotten through to her as she looked away, a look of sadness in her eyes. ''Where would we go?''

''Dunno, your choice, Ko.'' He smiled towards her.

''We never did get to have that meal we said we would, did we?''

''Your wish is my command, mi'lady.'' Koharu giggled slightly, taken aback by the comment. ''But first, we've got to finish this quest! No point falling at the last hurdle, ey?'' Despite Jet's reassurance, Koharu began to look nervous again. He couldn't blame her, he was nervous too. This was the final obstacle to finishing the quest, no way was this going to be an easy fight, and in addition to that, he felt as if he had completely forgotten something in the chaos that had been the past few days.

What exactly was it though? It had to be something important, but not immediately relevant to him, and...

''Mito?'' - ''Oh, that was it.''

/-/

The assault team had gathered near the cavern entrance, and as usual, the ALS and DKB were arguing over... something, Asuna neither knew, nor particularly cared. Probably just their usual bluster, or that either guild leader had said something inflammatory... again. Honestly, she wondered how exactly they'd gotten this far, considering the usual attitudes of the two guilds. The notable absences though were Jet, Koharu, Rain and Phillia, which somewhat worried her. Not that they relied on them, but she hoped they were just being themselves, and their lax sense of timekeeping, and not anything more worrying.

Those fears were allayed when she noticed a red spot, with two orange, a black and a two purple spots, walking down the hill nearby. She assumed that the first purple spot was Kizmel, and the second was Strea, but something became immediately obvious as they drew closer. The second purple spot had a very different build to Strea, and she didn't carry a scythe. That much was confirmed when she scanned her surroundings again, and saw Strea gathered with Fuurinkazen. Who exactly was that with them?

Then Asuna thought back to a few days ago, and the message that Jet had sent her... it couldn't be! Why would she turn up now?!

Kirito looked around, checking his surroundings - nothing but snow, and the assault team nearby. Idly, he looked back over to Asuna, and noticed her arms trembling. It was cold, sure, but that cold? No, that was something else, something he didn't know about...

Asuna steeled herself, and clenched her fists, trying not to show any emotions... ''Mito?''

{Author's Comments}

Thanks to anyone reading this for bearing with me over the past few weeks. Apologies for the slipping schedule, but I'm hoping I should be back to normal now I've recovered from COVID, and have sent my work in.

Sorry there's not very much action in this one, but there usually isn't in the lead up to a boss fight. Next weeks chapter will definitely be the boss fight, so we'll see if my writing's improved any for fight scenes...

Also, if anyone's interested, you're welcome to join the SAO Fanfiction Discord server: https://discord.gg/SrsdNgJPVR

Anyway, thanks for reading, and listen to me waffle on. If you've enjoyed the story, or want to leave me any feedback, drop a review or PM, follow/favourite etc.

Midland 2541, signing out.

Chapter Text

Floor 9 - Boss - Demonic the Fallen Elf

Mito could admit when she was wrong. She didn't like doing so, no one does, but she could do it. She'd known she was in the wrong regarding Asuna. She'd chosen to make a monumental decision for her, without even so much as asking her first, and then tried to assure herself that it was for the best, that she would be safer, that even if Asuna didn't understand, one day she'd thank her for it. All of which made what had just happened slightly galling to her...

Asuna had just slapped her. Hard enough to not only leave a hand print, but take off about 10 HP too. The worst part about it... Mito wouldn't even deny that she deserved it.

From behind, none of the group could exactly see what had just happened in any detail, but they could see that Asuna was clearly pissed. Actually, that was an understatement in itself, for Jet, the upcoming boss battle was now immensely preferable to the brutalizing he'd inevitably suffer when she worked out that he'd led her here. Asuna unnerved him normally... now though, she may as well have been the scariest thing on Aincrad.

The initial rage died off almost as suddenly as it had come on, and even to the socially inept amongst them, it was painfully obvious that Asuna was struggling to keep her emotions in check. ''Y-you left me.'' She stuttered out, reliving what had happened, and the complete feeling of isolation she'd felt that morning. An isolation that had driven her to the edge, and so very nearly over it.

''Yeah. I-I'm sorry for that, I just-'' Mito paused, realising just how self centered her reasoning was, and that saying it out loud would confirm Asuna's worst opinions about her.

''You just what? Could deal with a newbie like me? Preferred to work alone? I trusted you! And you abandoned me...''

Kirito, now very confused as to what was even going on, noticed the other elephant in the room - Mito's cursor. It was orange. A quick suspicious glance at her, and he walked over to the group, all of whom were watching the unfolding drama in front of them. ''She's an orange player.''

''We know. She was following these two when we came across her.'' Rain answered, as Kirito continued to give her suspicious glances.

''She could be like Morte.''

''She saved my life from Morte. I don't think she's a bad person, Kirito.'' Rain defended her.

''If her story's true, we're gonna have some serious questions to ask ourselves soon.'' Jet answered, an unpleasant and almost foreboding edge to his voice as he did so.

''Wait, you ran into Morte again? When!''

''He attacked a group of players in the forest. We were too late to save them, but one escaped...'' Kirito winced, knowing that both Jet and Koharu were holding onto that particular emotional grenade, and they'd continue to do so until it detonated. ''Morte chased the kid, and found us. The kid... didn't make it. We very nearly didn't, hell, he very nearly didn't!''

''What do you mean?''

''Mito was fighting to kill him. She said as much, and she's fought their little group before...''

''That's... wait, group?!'' If Kirito had been alarmed before, he was downright horrified now. He knew Morte wasn't working alone, but to think there maybe a considerable number of player killers going around... it almost didn't bear thinking about. He made notes of anything Jet said, to pass to Argo. If there was anyone he trusted to find information, and verify it, it was her. Before their conversation could continue however, Kirito caught sight of Asuna storming off and muttering something, whilst Mito looked as if she wanted nothing more than to disappear into the ether.

''I think one of us should go after her... Jet.''

''Why me?!'' His self preservation instincts kicked in as he spoke.

''You and Mito are more similar than you want to admit. Maybe you stand a chance of explaining what she did to Asuna?'' Phillia shrugged.

''Uhh...'' Everyone around Phillia shot her a quizzical look, whilst Jet slumped slightly and sighed heavily in acceptance. ''Fine, but if this goes wrong, on your head be it.'' Jet ran after Asuna, into the snowy land around them...

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As he ran after Asuna, Jet wondered what the hell he was even going to say to her. He sure as hell wasn't going to defend Mito's actions, what she'd done was blatantly wrong, and after that, a bit more into the morally dubious side of things, and if he was being at all honest, a slap was the least she deserved. Yes, he understood why she'd done what she had, but that didn't alleviate it. If anything, it made it a little bit worse. He had no doubts that Asuna had trusted Mito, but after that, he didn't blame her for not trusting her. Why would she, if her partner might ditch her with absolutely no warning at all. Somehow, he reckoned this was going to be one of those blagging moments, a make it up as you go along conversation...

Asuna had eventually settled under a tree, about half a mile from the labyrinth entrance, taking a seat on a rock that happened to be conveniently seat shaped. At a closer look, it was clear Asuna wasn't handling this particular bombshell particularly well, the overly exaggerated reddened eyes and the tear staining certainly made that much obvious to even the thickest amongst them.

Being at least smart enough to not start the conversation with ''Are you okay'' when it was painfully obvious she wasn't, and knowing she wasn't likely to try and kill him in this state, he took a seat next to her, on another rock, and opened his inventory. He pulled a drink out, a flask of the closest tea to the Yorkshire Tea he drank back home, and poured a cup for himself. ''Want some?'' he asked politely. Asuna nodded silently, and Jet began to pour another cup. ''My nan always used to tell me there was nothing like a good cuppa when you feel under the weather. For what it's worth, I wouldn't forgive Mito for that, not easily anyway.''

''I spent a whole week afterwards on my own. Not just physically, but I felt as if everyone who cared for me had abandoned me. I was alone in a world that I knew next to nothing about, and where I knew I'd be treated as lower than dirt if I stayed where I was. I've seen how some of the ALS speak of the people back in the Town of Beginnings. I don't think she knows what that was like...''

''After that week... was that when, you know?'' Asuna nodded, and Jet felt two things: a small pang of guilt at the bluntness of the questioning, but mostly, he immensely sorry for her.

''I know you wouldn't, but just think how Koharu would feel if you abandoned her in the middle of the night, without even saying goodbye. How hurt she'd feel, and-''

''I nearly did.'' Asuna looked as if the world around her had just shattered. There was no way she just heard that, was there? ''Not intentionally, mind.'' He very quickly added, realising exactly how bad his previous statement sounded.

Asuna raised an eyebrow, giving him a look that told him to tell the truth or he'd forever regret it... ''How do you unintentionally abandon someone?''

''I couldn't sleep, so I went out to go for a walk. Came across a quest, and figured I could handle it on my own... turns out I couldn't. I felt, even just briefly, like I was going to die and there was nothing I could do, but fight till my very last breath. I got absurdly lucky that night. Rain came across me in the middle of nowhere, and she helped fight the mobs off. That was how we met, her pulling my stupid arse out the fire I'd lit.''

''Does Koharu know?''

''Yes, and before you give the nth degree too, she's already done it. But yeah, I know that isn't what Mito did, but fear makes people stupid as well as brave. If it helps, I think she truly did want the best... but she's, uhh, what's the nice way of saying it?'' Jet tried to think of a way to describe how Mito had been, without resorting to a tirade of expletives.

''Reserved?'' Asuna asked.

''I was gonna say crap at saying what she means, but yeah, reserved works.''

''You two didn't get on, did you?''

''No, not really.'' Jet admitted.

''Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. I can see the similarities between you, now I think about it.'' If she squinted really hard, she could make out the similarities in character between them. Both struggled with social situations, giving them both a reserved air around them, Mito's being far more noticeable though, in Asuna's opinion. Both were reasonably intelligent... but one only chose to show it rarely, and put up a façade every other time. Both liked the colour purple.

''Both liking the colour purple doesn't make us similar...'' Jet joked, guessing at Asuna's thought process. ''Else Strea and I would be identical twins.''

''Si os tuum clausum teneres, putaremus te intelligentum.'' Asuna replied, in Latin, minorly annoyed at the switch back to his façade.

''A lot of people fit that description Asuna.'' Jet stated as he finished his tea, catching Asuna off guard, and nearly witnessing her spit out her tea in shock.

''Y-you understood that...''

''Yes, I did, and aren't you the cunning linguist...'' Jet grinned as he stood up. ''Still though, I think we should... huh?'' As he did so, he'd checked his messages on the off chance of anything important. What he saw, made his blood run cold. A message from Koharu, that read:

''The Elves have arrived, but so have an army of mobs. We're in the labyrinth now...''

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With Jet and Asuna still AWOL, it had been hard to convince Kibaou and Lind to not just outright abandon them, but they'd made a decent inroad on that plan... until a horde of mobs that made staying put just not an option.

''They'll be fine, Koharu.'' Rain tried to reassure her friend that both Jet and Asuna were more than capable fighters, and could easily handle themselves. She'd have made a more convincing argument, but trying to fight a Shrewman did make reassuring thoughts a little bit more difficult.

''I know, but I think we should've stayed.''

''If we'd stayed, we'd have been fighting an army. I don't like it anymore than you, but there is every chance that we may have to fight without them.''

''I said we'd be by each others sides all the way.'' She said, a hint of guilt in her voice.

''Koharu, they can - rrahhh! - handle themselves. Thanks for the save, by the way. Just believe in them, the way you know Jet believes in you...'' Phillia spoke with a sense of confidence that made Rain almost envious, as she sent a Covetous Flower to whatever Aincrad's equivalent of the afterlife was. These things were almost as annoying as those Mystery Eggs they'd ran into... though at least the Eggs didn't try to bite them!

Rain had finished her impromptu biology class, as she decapitated another Shrewman. These things were endless, seemingly! Thankfully for her, they were only just around the corner from the boss chamber, and before too long, the group reached the rendezvous point.

Within a few more minutes, they'd made it to the boss chamber, alongside Idrehendis, Kizmel, Wendelin and a number of the Elven armies. As befitting of the Queen of Lyusula, Idrehendis made a speech to the players, and used an enchantment on them, showing up as a boost in all categories, something very welcome to the players. The next thing that was noted though, was that the door began to shake...

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Inside the chamber, N'Itzaah stood victoriously, and faced his adjutant. ''Kysala?''

''I am ready, my general.'' She answered, her dagger poised over her chest.

He had achieved his mission, and soon... he would show this cruel world the error of its ways! Taking his dagger, he plunged it into his chest, the blood gushing out and onto the floor, whilst Kysala, his loyal adjutant, did the same. Between them, and the keys, they would reawaken the First Fallen...

What neither Elf was expecting however, was for the blood surrounding them to wrap around them, as they began to transform. The pain as bones extended with a sick cracking noise and muscles pulled, whilst flesh stretched to fit its new, larger frame, and their bodies rearranged to form two into one, was truly unbearable... ''GUARRRRGGGHHHHHH!''

Out of the horrific transformation, stood a fifteen foot monstrosity. To a casual observer, it looked like a large elf, but to anyone paying more attention, they could see where the transformation hadn't gone entirely well. Areas where skin was replaced with muscle, whilst massive bony protrusions extended from the wrists, acting as the elf's weapons... All in all, it truly deserved the name Demonic.

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The corridor shook violently. Ancient brickwork began to drop, as the torches surrounding the assault team began to go out, one by one, and a sickening scream filled the air around them... ''That can't be good.'' Rain muttered quite loudly.

''No, really...'' Strea sarcastically yelled, as she leant on her blade to keep her up right. It wasn't going all that well, as the lack of leverage caused the blade to slip constantly, and before too long, she fell flat on her back.

The shaking continued, and most of the group, having lived with earthquakes for a long time, got to the floor, whilst the lone Brit, very unfamiliar with even the feeling of a quake, let alone actually having been in one before, was struggling to work out what the hell was actually going on.

After what had felt like an eternity (but was in fact, about forty seconds), the shaking stopped, and everyone regained their senses. ''Ugh, everyone alright?'' Klein called from his group near the back, with a smattering of replies, and more than a few groans, as players pulled themselves back onto their feet.

''Yeah, nothing broken.'' Phillia groaned, as she picked herself up. That certainly hadn't been expected, but then again, nor had she expected to be fighting on the frontlines of a war between factions of elves, in a floating castle, and soon to do battle with what she imagined was either an ancient, or a colossal elf. It was funny how an earthquake of all things had been the surprise there...

''Nothing lost, except my dignity...'' Strea muttered. During her attempts to right herself, Strea had found herself cradling one of the stone pillars, as if it were the only thing that would bring her comfort...

''The hell was that, tho'? Kibaou asked the question on most of the assault team's minds. That hadn't been an earthquake... earthquakes don't scream!

''If I had to wager anything... I would suggest that the guardian of the tower has woken from its slumber. We may well be too late to prevent this now...'' Kizmel stated ominously...

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The pair ran as fast as they could, but each sprint was getting shorter in duration before they hit yet more mobs. They'd just about gone a hundred metres before at least ten Mystery Eggs. Exactly what was in them was supposed to be the mystery, but given Jet was busy cracking the shells on them, it was inevitable that he'd get a view of one at least once... ''Eurgh, there isn't enough booze on the Earth to unsee what's inside these things!''

''Never mind that, they keep coming! We'll never make it at this rate...'' Asuna shouted, a Linear strike tearing another eggshell apart, giving her the same view as Jet had, and for once, she agreed with him wholeheartedly! What on Earth were these things?!

She was right. If they kept up their current rate, it would take them nearly an hour to reach the core of the labyrinth and by that time, he had no doubts that the boss battle would be in full swing... or even over! They'd simply have to push through faster than previously, especially given Jet's theory that the boss would be more difficult or have some strange mechanic to overcome, given it was the boss at the end of the quest line.

He just hoped it wasn't something completely out of the blue... though a new question popped into his head, as the pair got ever closer in the labyrinth.

Why was his sword glowing, even when he was wasn't using any Sword Skills?

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Remarkably, the boss fight was going well, and Demonic, despite its name, was taking considerable damage thanks to that cooldown period after each major attack. In the past twenty minutes, the assault team had bought the Fallen Elf's health down to the halfway point on its last HP bar. Despite this, most of the group knew better than to expect Demonic to go down easily now.

Each strike grew in ferocity and in reach, and before too long, the groups were being routed back towards the walls. The situation was getting increasingly out of control, and each member of the group knew something was off. The only question was what? They'd been doing far more damage previously, and now of all times, the Fallen Elf grew a thicker skin? Death by a thousand cuts would take ages, especially when most of their weapons dealt only a single hit point in damage.

Strea had found that out the hard way, unleashing a skill that would decimate most mobs on the floor in just a single hit on the boss... and barely so much as scratched it, before being forced back. Only two of the assault team were doing any major amount of damage - Koharu and Rain.

Phillia thought about it briefly, and why they might be the only two who were doing any damage. Their skills? No, that would mean others would be having a little more success... think, what would... oh. She took a quick look at their weapons and noticed something... both Koharu's rapier, and Rain's right sword had a glowing aura around them. That must be something to do with it! But why... She thought back to Floor 5, and when Merja gifted them the blades... She hoped she was right, else this could end very badly... ''Girls! Your weapons are Lyusulan, right?''

''Yeah, what's that got to do with it?'' Koharu shouted, barely evading Demonic's ranged attack as she did so.

''The swords...'' Rain realised what Phillia was getting at, as she remembered what Jet had told her about Charity over New Year. It was a Lyusulan sword that represented a specific value - in her case, at least according to Jet, it was her willingness to help everyone, even at cost to herself. A sense of charity. That meant that Koharu's weapon, Faith, represented her unwavering faith in their mission to clear Aincrad. If Jet's was Hope, then he was clearly optimistic about something. But that didn't explain why their swords would do any damage against the Fallen Elf. What exactly did Faith, Hope and Charity have that could defeat the Fallen...

Then it dawned on her. All of those things, they were positive emotions... the Fallen had relied on division, on hatred, building on prior biases to cause a war, pretty obviously negative emotions. ''We need Jet here! Now!''

''Why'd we need him, ya got him on the ropes, ent ya?!'' Kibaou was correct in his observations, at least on the surface. Demonic was now down to just a sliver of its HP, but now, the worst happened... the two Lyusulan weapons were no longer effective, and with a complete collapse of the group imminent, it would take a miracle to turn this around now, Rain thought to herself...

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Both Jet and Asuna had now been fighting for almost an hour, with next to no reprieves to recover their breath. They were the textbook definition of exhausted, faces dripping with sweat, breathing heavily as limbs felt far heavier than they truly were.

That wasn't stopping them, not now. They were going to make it to the boss room, they needed to!

Two more Covetous Flowers appeared, and were soon dispatched with as the pair rounded the second to last corner in the labyrinth. A silent nod of acknowledgement between the pair, and they charged. This was it, one last push!

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As the group decided to fight until the very end, knowing that there probably wasn't an out to this one, something changed in the atmosphere. A sense of resignation prevailed over the group. This was the end... but they'd all be damned if they weren't going out fighting!

Sword Skills flew across the room, staggering Demonic, but otherwise doing very little to hurt the giant. Koharu, for the first time since the day this all became real, felt as if she was going to die. There'd be no white knight to save her this time, no way to get stronger, just her resolve in the overwhelming adversity of this boss. She thought back to the many things she'd said she'd do with Jet, the boy who'd somehow gone from stranger to lover in less than two months. All the things she'd never seen and wanted to see.

As she thought all of this, two streaks flew past her, a white and red streak, and a much darker purple one. The combined impact from the combined barrage knocked Demonic back onto one knee, and forced the boss into a paralysed state, a fact that no one wasted any time with. A veritable onslaught tore into Demonic, and within less than thirty seconds... the noise that both struck fear and joy into their hearts came on, the Fallen Elf bursting into pixels as it died, leaving just a single Fallen Elf, badly emaciated and wounded, in its place.

For Kizmel, this was finally over. The war that she'd grown up in, with all the hatred that entailed. The war that had claimed her sister's life, and had forced her to sacrifice so much more... it was all over now.

Except for one last loose end - N'Itzaah.

The Fallen Elf who'd orchestrated all of this, an architect of destruction, was now sat pathetically in front of her. It would be easy to land the killing blow on him, and end the war with finality... yet she couldn't. She looked back at the humans who'd helped her in this fight - Jet, someone who she struggled to describe as anything other than a friend. She wasn't even sure the words to describe him did exist...

Koharu, a girl who she'd felt a kindred spirit with, and if she believed in reincarnation, she'd seriously have wondered if she had her sister's soul. A girl who was now looking towards her pleadingly, her eyes begging Kizmel to let N'Itzaah live, despite the risk he posed. Kizmel looked back at the Fallen... the risk he posed, she asked herself, was to the nearby dust...

He was harmless now, unarmed, and barely able to stand. Why was this such a tough decision, she asked. It wasn't like she hadn't taken a life before, she was a knight after all. But they'd all been different, they'd fought to the last breath. N'Itzaah had long since given up, and by her admission... not a threat to anyone.

''For my dreams... for what the world did to me, to us!'' He tried to yell, but it came out more as a rasp than anything else, before he resigned himself to his fate... ''All that is left is to slay me, and become the glorious saviour of your people...'' A taunting tone in those words stung more than anything for Kizmel. ''Do your job, knight, and SLAY ME!'' The taunting became hatred, and Kizmel had to wonder... who exactly was that hatred aimed at?

''She shall not, N'Itzaah. Nor shall any of us. This world has been sullied by your uninhibited ambitions, and a true evil nearly unleashed on it. Just how truly did you despise this world...''

Had N'Itzaah had the strength, he would've spat at the Queen in front of him. ''You-you would question that, Queen of Lyusula?''

''Indeed. Bound by our rules and laws, we robbed you of your future. We cannot deny that, nor can we justify it... but neither can you. Calithleth, your mother, you know as well as I do that this is not what she would've wanted. She gave her life to take your power, and your father banished you north, not out of hatred as a cursed being, but to protect you. You had grown twisted from oppression, and he chose to save you from the Sacred Tree's curse. He would rather you lived, albeit in exile, than died with your mother.''

The Fallen Elf coughed out a sad laugh, ''So love made him so selfish...''

''Perhaps if he'd visited sometimes, this could all have been prevented...'' Idrehendis spoke wistfully.

Across the room, another Fallen Elf stirred, in an equally poor state. Kysala, the warrior that had given them such so much trouble, that had not only nearly taken her life, but harmed her friends too, was now reduced to a truly sad sight, almost entirely drained of blood, and just able to stand enough to walk over to her general and collapse beside him. ''My blood was... useful, was it not?'' She asked, before she burst into pixels.

Not another word was spoken as N'Itzaah suffered the exact same fate, leaving this world a withered husk of a man. Had he not caused such trouble, Kizmel would almost have pitied the Fallen. The keys that they had spent so long fighting over, they were finally there for the taking. Kizmel handed them to Idrehendis, who held them in her hands, as she gave a speech...

''There may come a time a true evil rises in Aincrad, when we beg the Tree Maiden for her help. However, I truly believe in the wills of those who inhabit this floating land to prevail, if that day should come. Even if it should mean sealing the Cathedral forever, this world has no need for the keys that can bring about its destruction.'' Idrehendis spoke a few words in an unknown language, before the keys themselves burst into pixels as everyone, human and elf alike, watched on. ''On this day, I tell you... The war is over! I pledge that, until the ground beneath us shatters, Lyusula and Kales'Oh shall have a lasting peace! Even if we do not have the grace of the Sacred Tree, we shall live in mutual confidence and respect. Not as elves or humans, but tied with bonds of trust. May our desire of a peaceful future keep us together!'' She finished, as the crowd cheered. For once, the people of this world had put aside their differences and the world of Aincrad may become a better place.

Jet, still picking himself up after the charge against Demonic, looked over at the crowd and gave a soft laugh. They'd actually made it. It hadn't been easy, but they'd actually finished the Quest. Peace was no longer a dream for the optimistic in both camps, but may well have been the reality now. He looked back to see a small group gathered around him and Asuna, who'd recovered much sooner than he had.

Amongst them were his little group, Koharu, Rain, Phillia and Kizmel, alongside Asuna, Kirito and... Strea. The latter of whom looked distinctively unimpressed.

''You were late, little brother...'' Yeah, she wasn't happy... and if that wasn't an understatement, he didn't know what was.

''In my defence, we did just have to fight through an army of mobs that would've given the Red Army a cause for concern!'' Jet retorted as Asuna stepped in for his defence.

''And you waited for us, didn't you? We should thank you for that...'' Asuna replied sarcastically. For once, the usually unflappable Strea was left gobsmacked and, thought she opened and closed her mouth, words did not come out. Jet patted his sister's shoulder as he walked past her. Before he had much chance to get anywhere, he was hit by a Koharu sized missile, who'd dragged him into the tightest hug he'd ever endured, before he returned the gesture. Slightly behind them stood Rain, who looked more than a little uncomfortable at the couples display of affection, whilst Phillia stood there grinning like a maniac with a record crystal, and writing something in her notes. He also momentarily caught a glimpse of Rain looking over at those notes, and going wide eyed, whilst blushing at them. He made a mental note to ask about them later.

''I thought we'd lost for a moment...'' Koharu spoke softly into Jet's shoulder blade, which was about where she came up to on him. ''I thought we were all...''

''Sorry to have worried you, but a quick question?''

''Later, just shush for now.''

''Yes, ma'am.'' Jet joked, as he was pretty sure he felt Koharu pinch him for teasing her, which was mildly uncomfortable for him. Made even worse by his sister recovering from her Asuna-induced paralysis, and making a lewd gesture towards them both whilst smirking at them. One day, he was going to give her what for...

Needless to say, the display got a laugh from Phillia, rolled eyes from Asuna and Rain, and a sense of awkwardness from Kirito, who was the first to break the now silent atmosphere...

''You know the ALS and DKB have gone now, right?'' He was right, as only a small group of people stood in the chamber. The members of Fuurinkazen, who were now waiting for Strea, and Mito, stood a way away and clearly feeling out of place between the two boisterous groups. In a few moments, Mito had made her decision - she clearly wasn't welcome here, and began to walk away...

Asuna called out to her, ''Mito...'' No response. ''Mito!'' Still no response, and against her better judgement... ''Misumi!'' That caught Mito's attention, as she turned back to Asuna, who had begun to catch up with her.

''Asuna?'' She answered, confused by the use of her real name. That was one of the single biggest taboos here, using a person's real name (unless they were Asuna or Koharu, which would've made conversations very difficult...) instead of their avatar's name. For Asuna to break it, she clearly wanted her attention for some reason...

''I-I forgive you.'' Mito felt as if she could cry... in actuality, she was crying as she stood in front of her former best friend. The girl she'd left behind had become someone so much more than she could've imagined. She'd fought off the same amount of mobs that it had taken nearly thirty of them to beat, with only a single other person for support. She couldn't tell if she was crying out of remorse, or out of happiness, and she honestly wasn't sure it mattered now. ''What you did, you broke my trust in you. I want to make that clear, Mito. I forgive you, but I don't trust you, not like I did.'' Asuna explained. She was completely correct in that, Mito thought.

For once in their lives, all was reasonably well in Aincrad, and the mood was certainly a happier one. Then came a familiar tuft of hair, sticking out of a brown cloak, and a laugh that would send an army running for the hills...

''Nyehehe, you lot really are miracle workers, entcha?''

Chapter Text

Floor 9 - Chapter 8 - Elf War Epilogue

Argo was not a particularly tall person, but she made up for that with her presence. She could intimidate people twice her size, Jet had once reckoned, albeit incorrectly. Regardless, she seemed to have a slightly different tone than usual... she seemed more relieved, if he had to guess. Though, the look she was giving Kirito had seriously put that theory in jeopardy... if looks could kill, then chances were, he'd be writing the swordsman's eulogy.

''Ya managed ta beat it by hair's width, ya know! Turns out those o' ya's were the key in the end, 'specially after they'd had that enchantment put on 'em! S'ppost ta let ya nullify his spell when he made his hide unbreakable... which ya'd have known, if Kii-bou here had checked his messages a lil sooner!'' Usually, Jet would've been quite amused by the sight of less than five foot tall Argo, trying to square up with someone nearly a whole head taller, but for once he could understand where she was coming from. He hadn't been present for most of the fight, but he'd have quite liked to have known about the enchanted swords too!

That also being said, it wasn't as Kirito had hid it, he'd probably not even glanced at his messages, so to know that Argo had found something like that at the last possible second, would've required him to either be very lucky, or psychic. Considering he was stuck in Aincrad like the rest of them, took on the brunt of a witch hunt, and was currently being glared down by Argo... he was certainly not a lucky individual, and as for the psychic? Well, if he were psychic, Kirito already knew what he thought of that. ''Leave him alone Argo, it wasn't his fault that we all missed something until it was too late. Still though, can't say I ever imagined I'd have a magical sword! My own personal Excalibur...'' Jet looked lovingly at his sword, whilst Koharu looked towards the sword with a small hint of jealousy in her eyes...

Argo rolled her eyes. ''Hold yer horses, King Arthur...''

Tearing his eyes away from undressing his sword, not that Argo knew how that would even work, Jet checked his messages. A few from Strea, all unread, one from Klein, one from Sachi, an unspecified number from Argo, given the counter stopped at 99, and one from Kizmel. The usual... hang on, one from Kizmel?! That threw him off guard almost immediately. Could NPCs even send messages? He'd never encountered one that could before, but then again, he'd not met that many either. A strange thought popped into his head - Kizmel was unusual even by NPC standards, she was something else... she was clever. She'd picked up on both his and Koharu's feelings for each other, possibly before they had... certainly before they'd admitted it, anyway, and she'd developed a sense of humour, thanks to him and Phillia... maybe his theory that she was something different had some merit to it.

Oh, and now Argo was staring at him, given he was staring intently at his message window. ''Ya know ya girlfriend's right here, ya don't need ta look at pictures of her... ohh, unless...'' She teased, her eyebrows wiggling and a grin forming, as both Jet and Koharu went bright red at the implication. Unsurprisingly, Kirito looked baffled at the teasing, missing the implication as it soared over his head like a paper airplane in the wind.

''It's not like that!'' Both defended vehemently, and in stereo.

Argo fought back her laughter at the couple. ''Nyeheheh, I know it ain't. Still though, what's up?''

''Just something on my mind. Argo, Kirito, can NPCs send messages?'' Jet asked, careful not to look like a madman.

''I've never seen that before...'' Kirito answered, checking his own messages. Perhaps it was something from completing the Elf War Quest? Other than increasingly angry messages from Argo, his inbox was clear, so that ruled that out...

''Same here, that's a new 'un?'' Argo answered, a little confused at the question. It wasn't often that a question about the mechanics of this world stumped the Rat, but that one had. She made a note to research that one, because the last thing she wanted was a nasty surprise somewhere down the line, in the form of a missed quest, or a piece of pertinent information missed. ''Anyway...'' Argo took a look around the chamber, and noticed the two girls a bit away from the group. ''Who's the new gal with Aa-chan?''

''That's Mito. We ran into her about a week ago, and that leads me to something we need to talk with you about.'' Jet expression darkened considerably. ''We ran into Morte again.''

Judging by their expressions, the meeting hadn't been civil. ''Ya didn't get ta chuck him in Blackiron, I take it?''

''No, but we did get some useful information from him. He's not working alone, and we think we've got a lead on their location. Does the name Morphus ring any bells?'' Phillia answered, as Argo made notes in her message window.

''Can't say it does, ta tell ya the truth. What ya mean 'bout him not workin' alone?''

''Not sure on the details, but he mentioned something about ''the boss''. Mito might be able to give you more details on him, she fought him apparently.''

''That really ain't good if there's more than one o' him. Don't s'ppose there's anymore ya can gimme?'' The more she had to go on, the easier and, more importantly, quicker she'd be able to find something on this PK group.

''Nothing more than that, sadly.''

''So, what did Kizmel want? She did disappear kind of quickly, come to think of it...'' Rain asked, before her thoughts trailed off slightly.

''She's asked us to come to the castle, and head to the armoury.'' Jet answered, clarifying the situation from the status of ''clear as lead'' to ''clear as mud''.

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Some parts of Lyusulan culture remained a complete mystery to the human adventurers. Especially their social norms, Jet thought to himself, as he looked over the ceremonial armour he'd been given. A dark purple cape that ran down his back, whilst a sandy purple tunic was covered by gunmetal armour, and the new gauntlets he'd gotten before the battle. All in all, the only thing he could think of was that he looked kind of tacky. He liked the colour purple, but even he had his limits. On his normal attire, only the coat was purple, everything else being darker colours or royal blue, to try to not resemble a shadow. The message from Kizmel had asked them to report to the armoury at the castle, to allow them to be fitted for the armour of the Pagoda Knights.

When Rain had asked the obvious question of why, Kizmel had answered that all knights received their rank in this way... leaving the group slack jawed as she did so. They were going to become knights. Kizmel had mentioned it earlier, before the battle, but they'd all thought it was a joke, or a ''nice thought, but not happening'' type of thing.

Still though, and his gripes over his outfit aside, today was a day that most had thought would never arrive, and not just for the knighthoods. A pipe dream, a nice story to encourage children not to give up on their morals, but not a realistic ambition... and by god, did he realise he now sounded as if he were in an episode of Yes Minister. Next he'd be explaining things in the most convoluted way possible, by way of only the most verbose and antiquated functions of the English language, and... ''Nope! Back on track, please...''

Despite his mind's ambition to turn him into Sir Humphrey Appleby, he got his thoughts together again. He wasn't wrong though, today didn't feel real. They'd stumbled into the middle of a duel nearly two months ago, and that had somehow narrowly avoided being a full scale war, with the whole of Aincrad and its occupants at risk. Somehow, their presence had bought peace, an almost unthinkable peace at that. Now there was something to add to the CV, Jet idly thought.

''Sir Jet.'' he spoke casually, as he imagined his mother cooing over him, at the thought of her son, the knight of the realm. She'd never shut up about it, he knew that much, and should his sisters ever find out... they'd be even worse! He could just imagine his youngest sister running around the playground, swinging a stick around, and pretending to be her brother, the storybook knight...

The thoughts of his family soon wandered, and became a more depressing thought. The boy who Morte had executed in cold blood. He couldn't have been much older than his brother, and he'd watched as the young lad died a pointless death at the hands of a deranged lunatic. He himself had felt that, if they'd caught Morte there and then, there was a very real chance that he would've murdered Morte himself, and that terrified him, nearly as much as the possibility of a cabal of player killers. The possibility that, someday, he'd see red during a fight and, much like he had with Kysala's spell, aim for the kill... only this time it would be a human being he'd murdered, not an NPC who'd been fighting to kill him...

''I don't feel like much of a knight right now...'' he muttered, as Kizmel called for him to come out. Today was supposed to be a good day, a victory for everyone except the Fallen... and Jet was at least willing to let everyone else have their fun, so gave a rehearsed smile...

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Entering the ceremonial chamber, there was one feeling that was unanimous between them... that of anxiety. They'd fought battles against unspeakable monsters... and yet, this put them all on edge. Upon reaching the centre of the room, near Idrehendis, they were to get down on one knee, and so, they did. ''Sir Jet, Lady Koharu, Lady Rain and Lady Phillia.'' Idrehendis went person to person, lowering a ceremonial sword onto their shoulders. Unsurprisingly, all of them avoided flinching as best as they could, lest they be unintentionally decapitated. ''For all of your services to the kingdom of Lyusula, and in the greatest pursuit of them all, that of peace for all races... I humbly grant you your knighthoods, and as honourary protectors of Lyusula. Arise, young warriors!'' The four rose from their knees, as the Queen shook each of their hands in series. ''You have disproven something that both races believed for the longest time - that the human race were untrustworthy, and insignificant compared to either Elven race. I would like you to know, that your stories will be told for as long as we remain capable to tell them. It is thanks to your nobility, tenacity and skill in battle that this peace has occurred, and that you will always be welcome amongst the people of Lyusula.'' Idrehendis spoke, before she left the room, and with that, left the four to their own devices. They looked amongst themselves, and for the first time in a while, sighed outwardly in relief. The battles had been less stressful than all of the pomp and circumstance, Jet thought to himself, as he re-equipped his coat and trousers. Formal armour was nice and all, but it had proven really uncomfortable, and made an annoying clanging noise whenever they tried to move. The girls all did the same, as Kizmel came back into the room.

''To think that when we first made our acquaintances, I considered striking you down...'' Well, that would've been nice to have known at the time, Jet thought to himself, and evidently Koharu looked a little anxious at learning that little bit of information, given she was laughing nervously. ''Relax, I would not have done so after you helped to defeat that Forest Elf Knight. Truthfully, I believe you both saved me in more ways than one - that mission, I was certain was going to die, and if I am at honest... I welcomed it. A chance to see Tilnel again...'' Everyone present winced at that statement. ''But you two showed me there was something to live for. I don't think you understand it, but you both- I cannot phrase it well, but both of you, you have this... aura of hope around you. I felt I had a reason to live, to fight again. Not for vengeance, but for peace. I doubted that I would see it at times, but you pulled through... you all did.''

''Kizmel...'' Koharu held back tears as she approached Kizmel. The NPC that seemed so real, and almost like a sister at times. Granted, a sister with no social graces, but then again, that wasn't a trait unique to NPCs, she only had to ask Jet for evidence on that one. The pair drew each other into a hug, as the others watched on. Even Jet was fighting back tears slightly, as she beckoned him over too.

''I've known you for only a few months, but I want you to know this - what happened with that monster masquerading as a human... that was not your fault. It was the fault of the beast itself, not the ones who failed to slay it, as hard to accept as that may be.'' Kizmel reassured both of them, knowing that both had taken their clash with the human demon to heart, and especially their failure to protect a child.

Unfortunately for Kizmel, she'd slightly misread the situation. They weren't crying over that, but over the fact that they'd have to leave Kizmel behind as they progressed onwards and upwards. ''It's not that, Kizmel, it's just that... goodbyes are hard for some people.'' Jet admitted through tear filled eyes.

''Then perhaps we should not consider this one. Consider it an ''until we see each other again''.'' Kizmel smiled at the pair, and drew both into another hug, before they broke away, as Kizmel turned to leave... ''Oh, I will ask of you one thing...'' she stopped, before she reached the door.

''Ask away Kizmel.''

''Try not to do anything too mad whilst I'm not there, Jet.'' Kizmel gave a little smirk, as Jet looked towards her with a look that was somehow both indignant and amused at the same time. Koharu and Rain both suppressed a giggle at the teasing, whilst Phillia attempted to hook her arm around his shoulders... not that she managed it, as Jet moved aside slightly, the shorter girl losing her balance and only barely staying upright.

''Don't worry, Kizmel, we'll keep him on a short leash!'' She joked, as the half indignant, half amused look faded into one of just indignation.

''I'm not a dog!''

''You're like a giant, overly excitable puppy sometimes...'' Koharu smiled innocently. She was quite clearly having a laugh at this, and for once, Jet was pretty happy about it. She'd been in a funk for the past few days, and seeing her smile properly, even if it was clearly at his expense, was more than enough for once. He hadn't told her, but she had a smile that could light up a room. After the past few days, he wondered if perhaps he should tell her that more often... unfortunately for him though, what came out was... not that.

''Eh, you fell for me though, so what does that say?'' Jet grinned, as Koharu flushed at the blatant display of flirting.

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Some time later, and the group found themselves outside the castle, in the snowy forest outside. Phillia seemed to have gone a little quieter since they left the Queen's Chamber, and no one could think of a valid reason why, until she spoke up... ''Well, it's been a good time- well, mostly - but I was only going to stay to see how the quest went, so I guess I should be off...'' Phillia trailed off, as she began to say goodbye. Not that she wanted to, but she had said she was only going to stay out of a sense of curiousity, and now, that sense had been sated. Still though, she felt strange about leaving - she'd felt at home for once with the trio, and it was nice to have some company for once...

''Okay.'' Jet answered, shrugging his shoulders. Phillia deflated slightly as he did so. Of course he wouldn't care massively if she wasn't there, the two were friends, but she always- hang on, why were both Koharu and Rain smirking?

''Wait... what do you mean?'' She asked in confusion.

''I said okay. You want to stop with us, I said okay.'' Jet began to smirk slightly too.

Oh, the not so little... ''You are so full of hot air, Jethro.'' She huffed indignantly.

''And yet, you wanted to stay with us...'' Jet teased.

''Don't make me regret my decision...'' Phillia joked in response.

Koharu had checked her messages, and one was from Argo. It gave a detailed description of the newly opened Tenth Floor, and its Edo period styling, plus mention of old Japanese sweets... her mind was made up on their holiday destination! ''So... remember your promise, Jet?'' Phillia looked slightly bewildered, as Jet's own words came flooding back to him. ''I think I've decided on where I want to go for our holiday!''

''Oh great, the two lovebirds are ditching us for a holiday, Rain. You want to go see if anyone else wants our help whilst they're busy examining each other's tonsils?'' Phillia asked, the aforementioned ''lovebirds'' giving her an indignant look, whilst Rain just smiled towards her.

''You might be out of luck there... I'm going back to the orphanage for a few days.'' Rain answered, slightly enjoying how fast Phillia went from teasing them, to being caught on the back burner.

''You three set this up, didn't you?'' Phillia sighed, as everything clicked into place.

Koharu gave the ginger girl a smirk as she walked past her... ''Perhaps we did, perhaps we didn't...''

Chapter Text

Argo felt something new in this game as she sat at her desk, reading her messages. She was fairly sure she was getting a headache.

Trying to find someone who was both free to help, and willing to help her, was proving to be a far greater challenge than it had any rights being. Was it the national ''avoid Argo'' day, and she hadn't got the memo, she wondered, as she read another message saying ''they'd love to help, but...''.

Of everyone she knew - Kii-bou and Aa-chan had ran ahead before she could catch up and ask for their help, and weren't answering her messages (not that it was particularly unusual for one of them, she bitterly thought.), Knight-boy and Ko-chan had told her that they were having a short break after the events of the last floor, which was understandable in her opinion, especially after being put through the wringer like that, Rain had simply left her on read, and Phillia was off exploring a cavern on the seventh floor.

''Ugh, why can't I find someone!'', she mumbled to herself, as she laid her head on the table, her blonde mop falling and covering her face, before a thought came to her mind. It wasn't a good one, per se, but... well, better the devil you know, after all...

Without her usual avenues of discovery, what she knew about the tenth floor was fairly surface level - the main town, Senja, was heavily inspired by the Little Edos that could be found across Japan, along with the local cuisine and apparently, girls in kimonos. This was still a video game after all, so of course it had fanservice. Not that the game had fans, but the point stood.

She reckoned that the mobs on the floor would be based heavily off Japanese mythology, so she expected to see samurai of some form, snakes, and almost certainly some form of mythical monster as the floor boss.

Whilst Argo reminisced about trips to Little Edos and Japanese mythology, a partially cloaked figure approached her through the town, with a very familiar way of walking. A sway of the hips that showed confidence and arrogance at the same time... only one person she knew fit that description - Strea. The purplette had had a change of outfit since the last time they'd met. Gone was the ludicrously low cut dress, replaced with what Argo reckoned was lower level gear. A steel chest plate covered her assets, whilst she'd somehow removed the sleeves on the dress, leaving only two bands around her upper arms as a sign they were ever there in the first place. She'd kept the long black tights, but replaced the starter boots with knee high combat boots. Anyone who looked at her would think she was attempting to get peoples attention... which made the brown cloak that now covered her shoulders, back and part of her face all the more perplexing. All in all though, it was an outfit that screamed Strea all over. No one ever accused the woman of being subtle...

''Argo.''

''Strea.''

''You asked for my help?''

Argo noticed the number of people looking over at the pair, and bristled slightly. She would've rather done this somewhere with far less attention, but men will be men as it turned out. ''Yeah, can we discuss the job elsewhere please? Rather not do it out on the streets, ya know?''

''There's an inn over there. Should do, shouldn't it?''

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Argo considered herself to be professional, at least when it came to her wheelings and dealings as an information broker.

Or at least, she thought she did... so why exactly was she watching someone down a glass of Moon Wine at 9:10 in the morning?

Oh right, Strea. Alcohol in this game did have a mild debuff, but only if you drank absolutely copious amounts of it, which almost no one would... except the person sat in front of her. Ignoring that, she'd heard things about the taste of the wine, and none of them good. It took a massive amount of herbs, spices and flavourings to make it even palatable, let alone pleasant... and the woman in front of her was drinking it as if it were a soda. She owed Jet an apology, she'd thought he was the weird one in the family, but nope...

All of this combined was making her wonder if this was really a good idea... who was she kidding? She knew it wasn't a good idea, but desperate times call for desperate measures... and Strea was definitely desperate measures, whilst the guy at the bar eyeballing her was just desperate. Yes, she would admit Strea was very attractive (Too much so, in fact. It made Argo somewhat suspicious of her for that exact reason.), but the crowds of men just spending their time ogling her... seriously, they needed to have some self respect. It was just sad, in her eyes. ''All I want ya to do is go out into the field, kill some mobs, check some details for me, an' report back. Nothin' I wouldn't ask anyone else ta do, an' yer'll be paid handsomely.''

Strea finished her drink, and spoke up. ''Sure, I'm in. Give me till tomorrow to report back, and you'll have your information.'' She smiled, as she headed to the bar to pay up for her drink. ''Well, I think I should be off. I'll message you when I'm done.''

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Heading out into the Wisteria Shore, Strea checked her list to see which mobs she needed to take out for Argo. First on the list were Orochi Foot Soldiers. What the hell did they look like, anyway? What was an Orochi too, now she came to think of it...

A small gathering of humanoid soldiers dressed in long since worn out armour stood about thirty foot away, before Strea realised what an Orochi was - a snake/human hybrid. A hybrid which just did not look right, no matter how she looked at it. It wasn't like she was scared of snakes - that was her brother's department, after all - but she could've done without having to look at the ugly buggers whilst fighting them! Still, she wasn't afraid of a challenge, and gave a telling smirk at her unknowing opponents...

The first Orochi, now getting closer, hissed at her before it charged. In preparation, Strea plunged her blade straight into the ground, and readied a skill to unleash on the charging snake soldier... and unleash it, she did. Her blade, now glowing bright red, tore the Orochi clean in half, and the mob disappeared before it even hit the ground. Strea, now one up on them, stopped and flung her blade behind her back with a look of certainty and taunting... ''So, who's next to die?''

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The Culling of the Orochi, as it would probably not be known as, continued for the next half an hour, until no evidence of the Orochi's existence remained in the field. Stretching after the warm up that the battle had been, Strea checked her list once again - the next targets were the Black Guardians, which massed around the Wisteria Shrine, near the Bamboo Forest... some two miles away. ''More walking then'', she thought sarcastically as she set off.

Walking through the Wisteria Shore, it was amazing just how strange this new world still felt to her. She'd seen things most people would only dream of (or have nightmares because of, but that was neither here nor there right now), and yet the light emanating off the flowers on the trees above her... it all felt, well, alien if she could be honest about it. It felt like something you'd expect to see in Star Wars, not something you'd expect to see in a floor that was styled on old school Japan.

Before too long of walking through the ''magic forest'', as she'd begun to call it in her head, she'd found the Shrine itself, but strangely, none of the Black Guardians. Opening her menu up to get a grasp on whether she had to tick off any other objectives to summon them, Strea looked down and noticed that ''explore the shrine, and see if there's any quests in there.'' was written below the Black Guardians point. ''Eh, two birds, one stone...'' she laughed, and walked on completely unfazed, whistling a tune as she did so. She knew that if Klein, or heaven forbid, her brother, saw her acting this nonchalant, she'd be in for an earful. Thankfully for her, they weren't, and she carried on undisturbed into the shrine.

Strea, unlike her brother and sister, didn't pretend to be well read, and therefore knew very little about the history of shrines in Japan. Actually, she was fairly sure that neither of her more book nosed siblings knew much on that front either. Still though, it was a religious building nonetheless, and some degree of concern was there about her safety after entering it. Not from attackers, as would be rational, but from spontaneous combustion, caused by divine intervention. She looked around again, and nope, she wasn't a human bonfire. Apparently whatever deities ruled this place for benevolent... except for the obvious one. Fuck Kayaba, her internal monologue hissed.

She approached an altar like structure at the furthest end of the building, and noticed a woman stood in front of it. The woman was a little bit taller than she was, probably around 5ft 7, at a guess, and gave off the air of a prim and proper woman. Brown hair tied up into a long ponytail down to her back, she reminded Strea a little bit of her younger sister, Beth, if she squinted.

''Oh, uhh, sorry. Didn't think anyone else would be here...''

''I think I recognise you?'' Well, the keeping low bit of her outfit change evidently hadn't worked. ''You're part of the assault team, right?''

''It's, uhh, something like that, yeah.''

''Can I ask you for your help with something?''

''Sure?'' She answered apprehensively.

''I was fighting those lion dogs in the forest, and I lost track of my companion. Would you mind helping me find him?'' The woman asked as Strea leaned on an altar. ''Also, you know those are sacred, right?''

Strea stood back up almost immediately, and drew air threw her teeth. ''Uh, noted. Also, sure. What's he look like?'' She asked, hoping the woman would ignore that she probably just committed a cardinal sin of some form by casually leaning on a sacred altar.

''About your height, really mild mannered. His name's Thinker.''

''How did you lose track of him, anyway?'' Strea asked, as she started walking towards the door.

''We were fighting a group of the black lion dog monsters, when we got spilt up. I tried to head back towards him, but I fell down a slope, and blacked out. When I came to, I had no idea where I was.''

''Didn't know you could black out in SAO?'' Strea asked quizzically.

''Nor did I, but apparently so.'' The woman shrugged as she answered.

''Sorry, I didn't catch your name?''

''Yulier, and you are?'' The woman introduced herself, and held a hand out to Strea.

Strea accepted the hand, giving a firm handshake. ''Strea, nice to meet you. Officially, part of Fuurinkazen. Unofficially, no affiliation.''

''Interesting, I'm with MMO Today.''

''That's the gamer site, isn't it? You're a journalist?'' She asked.

''I was, this was my first job with a major publisher.''

''Hell of a baptism by fire, Yulier. Reminds me a bit of my first job - got a job with a local rag at eighteen, and my boss rings me up one evening, ''Strea, how do you feel being on air?'' Of course I said yes, who wouldn't? My first night on air... and a bomb went off at a concert, killing 22 people. The news went mad for the next few days, and I still remember the comments - ''Who let the new girl cover such a major event?'', all that sort of stuff.'' Strea looked down to the floor, a mix of shame and anger bubbling back to the surface.

''You're a journalist too?'' Yulier asked.

''I was. I was getting fed up of it before all of this, but yeah, I'm a journalist.''

''Perhaps we can share stories one day...'' Yulier gave a soft laugh as Strea looked over at the entrance to the forest.

''Sure, I think we should start by retracing your steps first though.''

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The next few hours passed by relatively uneventfully, with Strea and Yulier having figured out each others rhythms to fighting, and making a surprisingly dangerous combination against the mobs, Strea finally ticking off her quota of the Black Guardians, yet the objective to find the White Guardian was continuously evading her...

...Until now. A much larger version of the Black Guardians the girls had been fighting appeared in front of her, towering over her. This one was easily around twice the size of even Fluffy, Jet's adopted wolf, and had teeth that looked like actual daggers. Normally, she'd have been considering her best avenue of escape, but with Yulier here, plus around five of the smaller Black Guardians... it was time to fight again, not that she was happy about it. ''Oh, now you decide to show up...'' Strea muttered angrily, before turning to Yulier. ''Reckon you can keep the puppies off me?''

''I'll try, but you want to fight that thing on your own?'' Yulier asked hesitantly.

''Want to, nah, have to, yup. I've just spent the past three hours killing mobs, and I refuse to let it be in vain!'' Strea's muttering became angry yelling, as she slammed her sword down onto one of the Black Guardians, killing it instantly. Yulier looked on in sheer surprise, not just at the outburst of anger from someone who seemed perpetually calm, but just how powerful her strikes were. These mobs were some of the most powerful they'd encountered so far... and she'd just one shotted one.

The White Guardian roared, summoning the rest of its minions, and Strea swung her sword with as much force as she could, activating a skill called Trench, which generated a large trench about five foot ahead of where the sword landed... which just so happened to be where the White Guardian was stood. The beast howled in pain, as the shockwave took about ten percent of its HP, before a follow up strike gave it the mother of all headaches, as a furious red gash ran down its head.

Looking at it, Yulier couldn't decide whether to feel pity for the creature, as it had ran into someone that strong... or whether to feel relief, because she'd ran into someone that strong. She settled on the latter, as her blade tore into a Black Guardian that was trying to make a meal out of her.

Almost before Yulier had time to react, the White Guardian was lying on the forest floor, with a deep red gash along its stomach, before it burst into pixels. Stood there, hands on her hips, Strea looked almost nonchalant. Was she seriously that strong, or did she have that much of an ego to protect? She really couldn't tell... ''Well, Yulier, now that's done... time to look for-'' She was interrupted by a new voice from just behind the treeline...

''Yulier!'' The new voice shouted, as a man came out from behind the treeline. About her height, brown and ruffled hair, the man was almost exactly how she'd pictured Thinker. Well, all's well that ends well, she thought to herself... until she heard another voice shouting, and a red haired figure stepped out from the treeline...

''Strea!'' Well, shit.