Chapter Text
How did he end up in this situation again?
Kirito let out a quiet curse as a halberd was swung at him from above with a speed almost reaching the speed of a bullet, a telltale, angelic shine to the weapon telling him that it was probably very high-quality and probably had some other enchantments to it. Basically, he was screwed with his own rather crappy armor if it hit him.
Not like his weapon was any better. It was a short spear, barely longer than his height, with a rich brown shaft adorned with a few runes that may or may not mean anything and a sturdy if simple-looking blade at the top. While it held out so far and saved his life many times, it wasn't anything special or high level.
In other words, his own equipment was run of the mill, really far away from endgame gear while his enemy from looks alone looked like it was wearing high-end gear in every possible equipment slot. And while equipment was not everything to decide the course of a battle, it really screwed his odds.
Him and his bleeding heart.
Grunting in exertion, he shifted his grip on the spear, allowing it to fall on one side, the halberd following it with the resistance gone, surprising his enemy. And while it was less than a millisecond of hesitation, it was still enough for what he needed. Using the butt of the now free-to-move spear, he sent a sharp if a bit weak thrust to the neck of his opponent, stunning him and sending him back, opening up some breathing room for the spearman.
Fat good that it did if he couldn't finish him off. Kirito panted heavily, feeling the physical or in reality a mental toll from the constant battles he had fought up to this point but still hadn't allowed himself to take his eyes off his opponent.
His black hair, filled with dark green highlights on the left side of his face matted his forehead, and his messy and longer than usual locks threatened to obscure his vision. His black eyes glared forward with defiance of a gamer who simply doesn't accept defeat as he twirled his spear in his hand, as a clear show of challenge. He refused to go down without a fight.
The enemy in front of him was best described as a gray-colored knight. Its armor was bulky and not something that looked easy to move in, decorated with a few presumably nordic symbols and a large, visorless helmet covering the face. This was one of the Guardians of the World Tree but one look at its gear and its movement and it was plain to see it was considerably more 'elite' than the uncountable minions that guarded the gate.
The knight let out a soundless roar as it raised its halberd above his head, clearly intending to charge at him and Kirito could only tighten his grip on his weapon as he prepared to counterattack it in the small window that will appear to him. But as fate would have it, he never needed to use it.
A fireball blocked the spearman's eyes for a brief moment, blinding him as it crashed into his opponent. Gingerly opening his eyes, he caught sight of the guardian flailing in the fire, or at least a silhouette of it before even that was confused and the fire died down, not even ashes remaining of his opponent.
Feeling a bit cheated, Kirito lowered his spear and tried very hard to not pout as he turned to his right, facing the 'kill-stealer'.
"I could have handled it myself," he said a bit sullenly as he came face to face with a red-haired salamander who was giving him a wry smirk.
He was tall, like most members of his race, with messy red hair and a slight beard on his chin and sides of his face. Along with the deep red bandana on his head, the katana resting on his shoulder, and the black robes and armor inspired by Japanese samurai, the man looked like the stereotype of a wandering ronin, straight from the golden era of samurais. Well minus the pointy ears, the red, transparent wings on his back, and the whole shooting fireballs thing.
This was a game, after all, a fantasy game to boot, not one of those historically accurate and realistic games.
"Sure you could have." Klein, the salamander laughed as he humored him before his expression turned serious."But something tells me you will have more than enough opportunity to raise your killstreak."
Sensing the change in the mood, Kirito shifted his grip on his spear, holding it toward the ground almost lazily with one hand holding it. It looked like he had his guard down, with multiple openings, and frankly, looked like a beginner who only knew how to try and look cool with a weapon. But for Kirito, who was actively counting on his opponents to underestimate him and his level of skill and who trained diligently to be as familiar with his chosen weapons as he could, it was the stance where he could shift the most easily both to attack and defense.
Looking around, he could easily understand the grim mood.
They were standing in a large hall, shrouded in darkness. The hall was large enough that he couldn't see the top of it, even with the various magical lamps lined up at its walls. There were three doorways, leading elsewhere, with none of them offering anything more than a vague sense of wariness as he looked into each of the dark tunnels. Other than that, and the slowly dissolving corpses of guardians who were the mirror images of the one he fought just now, the room was bare.
It certainly looked nothing like what he expected. The room had a feeling of barely any development going into it, like it was of no importance, carrying no special place and it was simply just a space to fill a void. Certainly not fitting for the final destination of the Grand Quest of Alfheim Online, on the top of the World Tree, a place where the Fairy King Oberon was supposed to greet the victorious race who won the honor of becoming the perfect elves, Alvs, and gain the boon of unlimited flight.
Of course, in the last few days, his view on this game, the company behind them, and the supposed fairy king changed drastically, thanks to the man next to him. He could never look back at those things like he did before and he couldn't find it in himself to regret it.
This became more than a simple game to pass time. More than a game to roleplay and live the life of Sylph Kirito, a brave and free soul who fought monsters and other fairies simply to have fun. Even inside a full dive game, a place that should have been sacred wasn't spared from the grim claws of reality.
"There is bound to be more of them spamming anytime soon, let's move while we can." Klein saidg with an authority in his voice that caught him off-guard for a moment, yet without even realizing it he fell in behind him without a word.
That man was not at all what he looked at a first impression and Kirito couldn't help but study the back of his head, feeling a bit puzzled.
At their first meeting or even the following journey, he got the sense that he was a laid-back and funny guy. Not at all what he pictured the so-called hero of the death game, Sword Art Online to be, the one who defeated the mastermind behind it and freed over six thousand players. Nor did he expect said man to come right back into another VR MMORPG, because he found a clue to one of his comrades who hadn't woken up at the end of the game.
Before he knew it, instead of helping a newbie and having a small, exciting adventure, he somehow ended up in the middle of the largest co-operate army of the game's history, compromised of Sylphs, Cait Siths, and a multitude of other racers, most of them former SAO players, according to Klein who somehow managed to gather up a force of 300 veteran SAO players in the three days they traveled toward the World Tree. Plus the entire armies of Sylph and Cait Sith sided with them after he fought the strongest Salamander player and spewed a copious amount of bullshit.
He didn't even have time to even get the direction the events seemed to shift before he found himself yelling loudly with everyone else as they charged up the World Tree, taking on the Grand Quest of Alfheim Online, but more importantly, spearheading through an impossible challenge to find some girl. That last part, he still had trouble connecting with the rest.
And now here he was in a dark, undecorated room at the top of the World Tree, probably in for a fight against Oberon himself, whoever or whatever he really was, surrounded by a curious mix of players from various races, all of them Klein's former guildmates from SAO, feeling like the odd one out.
Oh yeah, because his little sister had the bright idea to give him a big push, just making it past the opening to the top before it closed on them. Sometimes he wondered if his and Suguha's reconciliation after they started both playing ALO was a good thing or not.
"Next wave is incoming, boss. Get ready." one of Klein's guildmates called out, a rather tall Gnome player, wielding a sword shield combo. His name was Harry-One or something like that, he was not exactly sure.
True to his word the hexagons on the walls lighted up one by one, and more than a dozen more of those guardians appeared, armed with swords, lances, and bows, all pointed at them and ready to use. Kirito shifted uneasily with a small frown. They didn't even have time to gather their breaths back, not even talking about advancing.
"There is no end to them," Klein murmured with narrowed eyes, scanning the exits to the room but saw them already barred by the numerous guardians.
"I told you, Uncle Klein. These NPCs are constantly generated, without end, no respawn time to them." a small pixie said as she flew between them, worriedly looking at the samurai. Her name was Yui and apparently, she was a mental health program of SAO originally and also Asuna's adopted daughter, however that worked."While their stats are lower than yours, their numbers will eventually overwhelm you. We need to move."
"Easier said than done," Kirito muttered under his breath, even as he tried to calm his breathing. The biggest mistake he could make in a fight was to get nervous and move too hastily.
His late grandfather's teachings of kendo didn't stick with him at all, save for a very few basic principles and a few bo-jutsu moves that he simply learned when he got curious about martial arts involving other weapons. And while those with formal training seemed to excel better at pure PVP battles, he was of the few who rose up mostly through trial and error. After all, even more than fancy techniques and footwork, the experience was one merciless teacher. That didn't make him invincible though, not against this many opponents.
"Still waiting for that foolproof plan of yours, boss man." Dale, a rather rotund Spriggan muttered as he hefted his two-handed sword to his shoulder, nervously looking at the approaching guardians.
The red-haired samurai didn't answer. He stood ramrod straight, his sword held in front of him, a growing frown on his face. For that instant, the usually jovial and, dare he say, childish man looked much older, the burden of so many lives, of so many counting on him weighing him down. Kirito had no idea how he coped with it, the prospect seemed too daunting for his anti-social ass.
"Kirito," he spoke as he raised his head, his face set into a determined scowl. "Be serious. How fast are you?" he asked, not even taking his eyes off their approaching opponents.
A sarcastic response was at the edge of his tongue but Kirito bit it back almost instantly. There was a certain edge to Klein's voice that demanded complete seriousness. It was not the voice of that happy-go-lucky guy he met in the middle of a Sylph-controlled forest but a leader whose words were law.
"I am probably among the fastest among the currently active players, save for those who specialize solely in AGI stat." he replied a moment later, all ideas of selling himself a bit too high gone, deciding to focus on the facts."My sister, Leafe, excels more in aerial speed, on the ground, I am probably the fastest Sylph player around."
It was no boast on his part. While he was certainly not the strongest in sheer physical strength or magical capacity, two things he had going for him were his high reaction speed and sheer mobility. He soon made a name for himself with his hit-and-run tactics, using the characteristics of his spear to the fullest, while slowly dwindling down his enemies' health.
It might not make him able to stand up to someone like General Eugene, who had both high-level gear as well as a level of strength and vitality that fighting against him was more akin to fighting against a brick wall, but he was able to stand his ground against most opponents.
"Good to know. Then I can rest easy, leaving it up to you." Klein said, allowing a small smirk on his face before he suddenly threw something at Kirito's head.
"What?" the teen let out a shocked yelp as he tried his best to catch the object, though almost dropped it in the end. "What's the big...idea?" he asked, his words failing him as he got a good look at the object.
It was a small, black card that reminded him of credit cards. It was an admin card that allowed them to access places and functions exclusive to admin accounts. It was dropped down from the World Tree, presumably by Asuna, and was the thing that allowed them to get so far. But for the life of him, the Sylph couldn't figure out why Klein would give it to him.
"Kirito, listen up." the samurai spoke with an authority that even the teen couldn't help but straighten his back, looking at him attentively."I and the boys will push forward and cut you an open path toward that corridor. I need you to take that card and Yui and find Asuna while we deal with these wanna-be guardians. As soon as you have Asuna, double back up and we will leave together. We will defend this position as long as we can but you need to hurry."
"What? That's insane?" Kirito cried out in protest, even as the guardians were almost on top of them. Worse, in the meantime, even more of them spawned, almost taking over the whole room."You guys will be slaughtered."
"Don't look down on Fuurinkazan." one of the other guys Dynamn exclaimed, brandishing his two-handed axe, though his bravado was slightly betrayed by the uneasiness in his voice."We didn't survive on the frontlines of SAO for nothing."
The others responded to his statement with chuckles and confident boasts of their own and even Klein allowed a small smirk on his face before he addressed Kirito.
"While not so great in the open air, ground-based fighting is our specialty, you know? Besides we used to work together, we can cover each other. We can hold out and keep each other alive, while you can't fight with us seamlessly yet anyway." Klein didn't mince words and Kirito had to snicker at what might have been easily misinterpreted as an insult to his ability to fight."I leave rescuing Asuna to you."
"Isn't that a bit naive? Trusting a guy who you met over the internet a few days ago?" Kirito shot back with his usual snark, even as he made a resolute expression, his decision already made.
"If fighting constantly for two years taught me anything, you learn a lot about someone after you fight beside them in a life and death scenario. Trust me, your sword, spear, whatever weapon you use, won't lie." the samurai answered with a smirk, taking one last look at the Sylph player."You are a guy whose mouth has no filter, has confidence issues, and clearly doesn't have many friends. But you are also a reliable guy, who I would trust to watch my back without hesitation."
"Here is the first wave," Harry-One called out as he stepped in front of them, blocking an overhead slash from the first of the guardians, the others not far behind. In response, fuurinkazan took up position in front of Klein and Kirito too, readying themselves for the battle.
"Our room to move is slowly shrinking. If you want to break through, now's the time, we won't get another chance if they keep spawning like that." Dale informed them, just before he let out a battle cry and joined the rest of his guild in chopping through the mute NPCs.
"You heard the man. Get ready Kirito, we can only give you a small opening." Klein said, giving the young teen one last encouraging tap on the shoulder before he raised his sword as well. "Let's show them what Fuurinkazan is made of." he bellowed as he swung his katana with all his strength.
Kirito could only laugh at this before, his face too lost all sense of amusement. He gripped his spear with one hand while the other made sure to secure Yui on his person as he lowered himself slightly, taking up a stance not dissimilar to a runner's starting pose.
"You guys are seriously nuts. Insane and reckless, especially that idiot leader of yours in the bandana," he muttered, eying Klein's back before he gave a wide smile "but guess I am an idiot too. Let's do this!"
Various glowing symbols and runes appeared in front of him, circling around him like aimless birds. This was the magic system of Alfheim Online, based on Old Norse. While some of the spells were rather long and hard to memorize, the one he planned on using was a lower-level one, so reciting it was done almost instantly.
As he murmured the last of the magic words, the corresponding runes appeared in front of him, before glowing one last time and turning into green sparkles that quickly engulfed his form. Kirito felt an unseen wind swipe at his hair, his body turning much lighter, feeling almost like he was flying again, despite being in a no-fly zone.
It was a relatively low-level, somewhat basic spell that was mostly restricted to Sylph players. It raised the player's Agility stat, as well reducing their weight allowing them to move, and fly, faster. If he had to describe how it felt, it was like riding a bicycle while the wind was behind his back, giving him a subtle but still noticeable boost.
The increase in speed highly depended on the player's build and how many skill points he put both in their physical stats as well as magic. For a hybrid build like him who focused on speed along with a small but powerful assortment of buffs and runes to aid him, it was quite significant.
"I'm ready!" he called out as the wind continued to sweep around him faster and faster, his eyes gaining a slight shine of green.
Just in time because the full wave of guardians was on them, approaching from the front and sides. With the wall behind them cutting off all escape, their only choice was to fight. Fortunately, the frontline guild of Fuurinkazan was an old hand at this.
Kirito found himself amazed as weapons clashed, sparks flying, everyone interrupted by the rare arrow or magic spell flying through the air. The samurai-themed players moved like a well-oiled unit, even putting their NPC enemies run by the same AI to shame. Without any words to exchange they freely switched between attacking and defending. When one was faltering or close to being overrun, not even a moment later one of his comrades would move over to take on some of the heat. IF someone made an opening but could not deliver, someone else moved, the fighters changing roles effortlessly.
Kirito was in complete awe as he silently watched from behind the defensive line. Rarely in his time in ALO did he ever see teamwork resembling anywhere close to that. He was more used to bratty kids, entitled brats who thought everything could be bought with mommy's money, or straight-up crazy roleplayers who angered people needlessly just so they could stay in character and act like assholes. Sure, there was the rare group of friends who at least didn't get each other's way but even the armies of Cait Sith and Sylph simply operated on the order of charge forward, rather than actual teamwork.
There was no I in the team and it seemed Fuurinkazan lived by this saying. No one cried out in kill stealing, no one tried to play the hero and charge forward needlessly. They were aware of each other, moving accordingly as the situation required it. No one broke ranks, if someone got too hurt they simply retreated to heal while the others filled up the hole. Every move was carefully considered and was the reward of countless hours of experience.
Ever since he first read about the players' experience in the death game known as SAO, he always wondered if there was any difference between them and the players of ALO. Seeing firsthand the iron will and teamwork born out of life and death battles, he could only stand in awe.
"Incredible," he muttered to himself, completely enraptured by the scene in front of him, even as he continued to keep an eye on his opening to move.
"Stop daydreaming Mister Kirito. We must get ready." Yui scolded him with a really small pout just as she comfortably took a seat on the top of his head, grabbing a small fistful of his hair for her safety.
"Drop the Mister, I'm not an old man. It's simply Kirito. And I know." he added with a murmur even as he lowered himself even lower and he put his left foot behind him, his whole body feeling like a bowstring drawn up fully and ready to be released.
"Kirito! Now!" Klein suddenly cried out. There was nothing else, no other clue but the teen still knew instantly what it meant and in that same instant, without even understanding the words themselves, his body reacted.
It only appeared for a moment but a hole in their enemies' line-up was finally created, enough for him to slip past. It was thanks to Dale who took up on the tanking for the most part, his aggro skills managing to turn most of the guardians towards him. With the others medically attacking and harassing the brunt of the guardians and slowly lowering their numbers. The final nail in the coffin was a horizontal slash from Klein, which managed to push back several of the guardians converging on Dale.
The hole was small and the guardians instantly moved to fill in but it was more than enough for Kirito.
"[Wings of Njord]!" he shouted the spell, activating it at the same moment he charged forward.
Green magical energy formed behind him in the shape of large, transparent wings, not unlike his own pair but much stronger and more majestic. It didn't allow him to fly but it unleashed a gust of wind behind him, further pushing him forward, making him feel as if the very air was helping him along. With that, instead of the speed afforded by his stats, which was slightly faster than most athletes in the real world, his speed was more akin to a fired bullet.
One of the guardians somehow caught his approach and moved firmly in his path. For its trouble it lost its head as Kirito thrust his spear into it, not even slowing down for a moment, the sheer speed literally tearing the head out as he passed.
A few of the archers also tried to hit him but their arrows unexpectedly wore off, missing their target just barely as they closed on him. It was one of the effects of [Wings of Njord], [Protection from Arrows] which gave his agility a bonus against projectiles for a short time.
The members of Fuurinkazan let out huge cheers as he got through the enemy lines, crashing into a wall feet first before propelling himself toward the nearest tunnel. Guardians moved to intercept him but they were held back by the renewed charge of the players and before long the Sylph completely disappeared from view.
"Think he can make it?" Dale asked his leader, only now showing the slight uncertainty he felt.
„Of course, he will." Klein responded with the utmost confidence, surprising his guildmates."That guy might not look much but if you fought with him, you would understand. He is a stubborn kind of fool who can't admit defeat. He will pull through."
"Guess we better deliver our part then. Don't want anyone to point fingers at us." Harry-One chimed in with a smirk before the guardians descended on them with renewed numbers.
The red-haired samurai only let out a barking laugh as he also threw himself back into the fray.
-0-
"Just how long are these damn corridors?" Kirito found himself complaining slightly as he just ducked below an errant sword slash sent at his head, before continuing forward, dodging the suddenly appearing guardians left and right.
It had been barely two minutes since he left Klein and the others but he felt he was no closer to his destination. The winding corridors that he found himself in were more like an elaborate maze, with long tunnels made out of sort of wood, looking straight out of a fantasy novel, the path splitting up multiple times with no indication of what was where. It was slowly getting on his nerves, especially with the constant spawns of those stupid moving armors.
Torches lined up the wall, shrouding the place in a rather annoying gloom. It made it harder to spot anything moving from the corners as well as catch the sudden turns just in time. He would never admit it but he ran into a wall three times since his search.
A blinking icon on the corner of his vision told him that the effects of [Wings of Njord] were about to disappear. which was worrying. Aside from his speed decreasing, he would have a harder time slipping past the mobs.
"Mr. Kirito. Take the right path at the next intersection." Yui who was somehow easily keeping up with him at his top speed, and wasn't that a bit insulting, instructed him as she gazed forward with a serious gaze.
"I told you to drop the Mister," he grumbled but obediently followed her instructions. He was essentially running blind here, so he was relying on the pixie who was a therapist AI from SAO to guide him through this maze.
As soon as he made a right turn, his eyes widened in surprise but thankfully he was disciplined enough not to slow down much even as the last remnant of his support magic dispersed at last. The corridor he found himself in was drastically different from the ones he traveled up until.
If those could be called a typical fantasy-type dungeon corridor, with bad lights and roots growing all over the face, making the place look much wilder and harder to traverse, then the corridor he arrived into was more of a staple of some kind of sci-fi setting.
Everything around him was white, plain, and simple. The floor was some sort of metallic alloy, his footsteps echoing in an almost harmful manner. It was as if he stepped into another world.
"Am I paranoid, or has it become a bit too silent?" he asked softly, his brows furrowing in worry.
No new spawns appeared on their way, and even the ones at his back mysteriously disappeared as if something stopped them from pursuing. In any other time and place, he would call it a lucky break but considering they were somewhere that was considered end-game territory and their opponent was the freaking game master, he had ample reason to worry.
"We are almost there," Yui said to him, not acknowledging his worry, which only made him more worried since even from behind her, he could easily see the pixie's agitation.
A flash of light blinded him for a moment, causing him to reflexively close his eyes. The moment he regained his sight, he was surprised to once again stand in a large hall, with the same futuristic vibe and looked completely empty. On the other side, opposite them was a single hallway, the only way forward.
As he looked around, he tried not to tremble as he felt a shiver travel down his spine. This place was eerie, almost foreboding. The hair on the back of his head stood up and he nervously gripped his spear, feeling as if he was looked at from various angles, yet when he looked he found nothing and no one. They were completely alone, yet it for the life of him he couldn't shake the feeling off.
"Kirito-san?" Yui asked, worriedly hovering next to him."There is no indication of anyone in the room." she added, seeing the apprehension on his face.
"Yeah I know." he answered after a long moment, letting out a breath he was holding yet his stance remained alert and wary."Let's get going."
After a long moment, she nodded, and without another word they took off, trying to make up for the lost time as they dashed through the corridors. Thankfully no Guardians nor anything else appeared in their way.
He would have thanked his lucky stars if he didn't feel a growing hole in his gut. It felt like the stillness before a storm.
They haven't run for long when the walls changed once again, into the more familiar wood and brown color of the life tree. More importantly, a light showed at the end of the corridor they were running in. It was natural too, the outside was just beyond their reach.
"Alright, we are almost there," Kirito said with a smirk as he felt his spirits rejuvenated at feeling so close to their objective.
Not even a moment later the fairy pixie pair stepped outside, the sudden change in lighting blinding both of them and forcing them to stop. His vision cleared soon and as he looked around, the Sylph found his breath stuck in his throat.
The sun was going down, dying the numerous branches of the World Tree in a beautiful orange as it tried to disappear from the horizon. The branches themselves looked and felt endless as if they expanded to all corners of the world known as Alfheim, yet the individual branches were still scarce enough not to completely block the sky. And there, just in front of him, sitting under the shade created by leaves larger than some small isles, was a golden cage, with a single figure sitting inside.
They found the princess they searched this entire tower for and damned if it wasn't a relief.
"Mama!" Yui breathed out the word in disbelief before happiness overtook her expression and she dashed forward the cage, without any caution.
"Hey wait up!" Kirito helplessly called after her as his eyes scanned their surroundings, and then a moment later he ran behind her. Sure there were no enemies, which was not actually reassuring in this case.
Up until a little while ago, they couldn't even breathe, there were so many of those damned guardians around, trying to hunt them down. Now, out of nowhere, there was none in sight, just when they reached Asuna? It smelt like a trap, only he didn't know what kind.
He suddenly went past Yui, who slowed down as anxiety and nervousness slowly overtook her, and was surprisingly the first of the two of them to reach the golden cage, where a single girl was sitting in a wide and luxurious bed, looking for all the world as someone resigned to their fate.
Then as she heard his footsteps, she raised her head and he was met with a fiery pair of hazel eyes that were as far from defeated as it was possible, and he froze in place, the strength of her glare paralyzing. Not to mention she was beyond beautiful but he wasn't sure she would appreciate him blurting that out.
His mouth fell open as he felt like he was stuck under a spell, every thought flying out of his head at the appearance of this woman who could be likened to a goddess.
Kirito knew in broad terms what Asuna was supposed to look like. Klein showed him a screenshot made of her, that led him to ALO, to begin with, but it was hard to make out much about her save for hair color, it was very pixelated. Then there were the stories Klein shared with him, while they were en route for the World Tree, to meet up with the rest of Fuurinkazan and find Asuna.
He described what a fierce warrior she was, a vice-commander who knew no fear and stared death into the eye so many times it stopped staring back. He knew her to be a gentle soul, who grew up in that unforgiving world of swords, of how she had been the bone of the frontline since the first boss battle. How she cried silently after the loss of every single one of her men, yet marched on in front of every, spirit unbroken, even when her own leader and mentor turned out to be the monster behind their imprisonment.
None of those stories could prepare him for the real deal.
At first glance, she looked regal, like a reigning queen waiting for her subjects, her skin white like porcelain. His first thought was that she was either a doll or an NPC as she sat there with her head held high, her back straight, too perfect to be someone not crafted to be the image of humanity's vanity. He couldn't stop his wandering eyes, her clothes were practically designed to demand the eyes to roam her form and he was not disappointed.
Her body curved in all the right places, showing off the soft development of a girl turning into a woman. Neither too much nor too eye-catching, her form carried a hint of modesty, a feeling of restraint, a sense of innocence and purity.
For some weird reason, Kirito's eyes rested on her hands a moment longer than the rest. They looked especially soft as if they weren't used to carrying a sword most of the day. Yet as she gripped them together, almost helplessly, something told him that her grip wasn't as 'soft' as her appearance might make someone think.
Kirito wasn't a man of words most of the time, but he felt like he could write an entire poem, just after one single look at this beauty. And that's just before his gaze reached her face.
Chestnut brown hair cascaded down her back, like a majestic waterfall, framing her in a lovely and elegant manner. Her face, like all parts of her, was free of imperfections, looked closer to a doll's than a real person's, yet as she turned to him, there was a certain strength in those high cheekbones, those elegant eyebrows, and pink lips.
Never in his life before had Kirito thought that he would find a simple eyebrow so fascinating but he was unlocking a whole new level of kinks. He stared into her eyes, those hazel-colored orbs burning with fire, and defiance, yet still managed to retain a sense of elegance that simply had him spellbound.
And as those eyes still angrily glared at him, with sudden dread, the black-haired spearman realized he was standing in front of her cage without making a sound, worse mouth agape like a complete idiot. He hurriedly closed it and hoped beyond hope he didn't do anything more stupid, like drooling. His heart would never survive that shame.
"I didn't know that bastard Sugou was running out of bizarre and horrendous avatars to give into his guards. Aren't you a little too average looking to be a perverted guard working for that narcissistic idiot?" she demanded angrily and even as Kirito felt feeling return to his body at the shock, a part of him couldn't help but marvel how musical her voice was, even when full of rage.
Oh yeah, he got it bad. Now to salvage the situation.
"No, no. You've got it wrong. I am not with those guys." he protested hastily, bringing up his hands nervously even as he started sweating like crazy. He didn't even know it was possible to sweat this much in a virtual body."We came here to rescue you?"
His words seemed to take some of the wind out of her sail as she slightly backed down but Asuna was far from believing him, eying him with clear distrust.
"We?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and Kirito fought hard not to let his attention wander. Thankfully his savior came in the form of a flying pixie, the size of his hand.
"Mama!" Yui exclaimed with a large cheer as she flew past him, through the bars without any resistance. Just when she was within arm's reach of her mother, she suddenly turned human-sized as she threw herself into the arms of Asuna. Well, little girl-sized to be more honest but it was beyond the point. "Mama! Mama! Mama!" she chanted happily, tears escaping from her eyes.
The change in Asuna's expression was instantaneous as she embraced her daughter, pulling her so close to her chest that Kirito worried for a moment one of them could be hurt. Her expression smoothed out, all traces of anger leaving it as a tender, loving and relieved expression took its place. She quickly spun around with Yui in her arms, before gently setting the excited child down.
She looked at her carefully, inspecting her with the most beautiful smile on her face that Kirito had ever seen, not letting Yui go even for a moment as if she was afraid that she would disappear.
"Yui? Is that really you?" she asked with a choked sob, the hope, and relief warring with the disbelief and uncertainty as she traced the side of Yui's face, blinking away stray tears.
Standing on the other side of the cage, Kirito felt like an intruder in a clearly private and emotional moment. The introvert in him almost made him turn around and slowly walk away before he remembered their situation and the severity of it. So with a silent apology in his mind, he quickly pulled out the admin card Klein gave him. He fumbled with it for another moment before dumbly pressing it into the lock, hoping it would work or he would have to ask Yui to help.
It seemed someone up there liked him enough because the lock opened with a single click. Apparently, the admin card was made with dummies like him in mind.
With an awfully loud screech, the door opened with the slightest prompt, destroying the awfully emotional scene. Asuna instantly looked up, and immediately sent a wary glare at him as she stepped back, holding Yui close to her as if she still saw him as an enemy. To be fair, she just got out of a death game, only to spend the next three months in another video game as a prisoner, so he didn't exactly blame her.
At least he had enough sense to lower his spear beforehand. The tip pointed to the ground and with his other hand open and showing it to her, he tried to show that he was not an enemy. At least his feminine looks were good for something this time. With how girly he looked, no one should find him intimidating.
"Don't worry, Mama. He is with me, he came with Klein to save you." Yui, bless her heart, read the situation accordingly and acted before Asuna could jump to any conclusions, softly touching Asuna's hand around her waist to calm her down.
The brunette blinked owlishly, her body losing some of its tension as she apparently decided not to treat him as an enemy just yet. It didn't stop her from eying him with a curious mixture of curiosity and skepticism.
"Klein?" she asked, recognition shining in her eyes at the name of her red-wearing comrade.
"Yeah, he and the rest of his guild are currently fighting at the entrance of the World Tree, holding their own against the endlessly spawning guardians. I was sent ahead to get you out with Yui," he said, a frown appearing on his face as he thought about Fuurinkazan and the chances they could hold out until they got back.
If it was any other party, he would say there was no chance. But these SAO survivors, the frontliners, were made from a different cloth, he was sure of it after knowing Klein a few days. Even Asuna who might be weaponless and probably had no access to any of the magic skills in ALO, instantly took an alert position, ready to move and fight back, barehanded if need be.
Kirito was no professional martial artist but he saw his sister train more than enough that he could see the difference between someone trying to look cool and a fighting stance, born out of repetition and experience.
"Klein and the others, as well as a lot of other players whose help we managed to get, fought through the world tree. Thanks to the admin card we entered the World Tree but Uncle Klein decided to hold the enemy back while we went ahead to get you out." Yui excitedly explained, still giggling from the sheer relief of finding her mother, who absentmindedly ran her fingers through her hair.
"Putting all his hopes into an idiotic charge, hoping everything will turn out right?" Asuna asked with a small laugh, her shoulders slowly losing their tension. "That does sound like Klein. So what now?" the question was directed at Yui with a loving expression.
Thankfully it meant that she missed Kirito's startled expression as he echoed that very same question. What now? The plan only went so far as to get Asuna out but where do they go from here? She wasn't really imprisoned in the World Tree, rather she was a prisoner of this whole game, so the question came: how do they log her out?
They really should have talked about that plan a little more. He supposed they could try to use an admin console or something to log Asuna out but they had no idea where one could be. Even if they knew, getting there would be easier than doing it.
Especially considering that Asuna's cage was monitored so they knew that she was freed after all. Whoever 'they' were, unless they were complete idiots, he would expect some sort of complication at any moment. At least Asuna's comment made a bit more sense, considering Klein.
"We should find an admin console. Then we can use it to log you out. Once there, we can work on getting everyone else out as well as revealing everything." Yui, bless her heart as a voice of reason stated calmly, looking up at Asuna with clear, resolute eyes.
Asuna looked about to object for a moment but after opening her mouth, she quickly closed it and gave a tight smile.
"You are right. There should be a console just a few rooms inside. I almost got to it but was caught just before I could log out." Asuna said, straightening up with a determined gaze only to stop when her eyes landed on Kirito, still awkwardly standing next to the door. "I'm sorry, who are you again?" she asked, with a small embarrassed smile.
Honestly, Kirito was used to being overlooked. He was not very active IRL and even in the game, he wasn't an attention seeker. Sure, people knew of his name and heard of him but with one look at him, almost nobody would instantly connect him with his 'fame'. But still, that question brought him up a bit short.
Who was he? He was just a random player that was simply around when Klein planted face first in the middle of Sylph territory, despite being a Salamander and he was curious enough who could be so foolish to check it out. Then one thing led to another, he befriended the strange samurai and agreed to show him the way to the World Tree where he was supposed to meet with his friends. Before long, he learned his story, and his true purpose regarding the World Tree and he found himself fighting with Fuurinkazan shoulder to shoulder on the top of the World Tree.
But explaining things like that was just a little lackluster. Plus, he was a hormonal teenage boy. The urge to try and impress pretty girls with their bravado was hardwired in their DNA and he wasn't much different.
So with that, he gave her what he hoped came off a roguish smirk as he puffed out his chest, placing his spear on his shoulder in a rather carefree way.
"I'm Kirito. One of the beta testers of ALO, a long-time veteran of the game, and one of the best spearmen around if I do say so myself. I sort of guided Klein here and decided might as well stick around to the end. Nice to meet you." he introduced himself, trying to sound as confident and carefree as he could because in reality he definitely wasn't that.
It was also a slight exaggeration since while he was a quite skilled fighter, especially in one on one PVP, he never actually made such a big name from himself, mostly due to preferring playing solo. Nonetheless, his skill was real and she didn't need to know that tidbit.
Instead of the awed reaction he hoped for, the girl in front of him gave him an unimpressed look as she slowly looked at him, one hand unconsciously placed on her waist. Her eyes were sharp and he instantly felt as if she saw straight through him and was found wanting. It was an uncomfortable feeling.
"I know I am not that familiar with this game, despite being stuck in it for months but isn't your gear a bit...under-leveled? From a single glance I can tell that it's subpar and not something I would imagine a 'top' player to use in battle. " she said with a raised eyebrow, Kirito's shoulders slumping at the devastating analysis of him.
Her words were certainly true but he didn't have to like Asuna simply thrusting through his bluster.
"I also couldn't find any mention of Kirito-san's account on any of the official or unofficial boards of the top players," Yui added, cutely tilting her head as if she was truly confused by this.
Kirito felt as if an arrow just pierced straight through his heart as he comically fell to his knees, all of his confidence gone, taken by the wind. He opened his mouth to try and protect his good name but his words came out mumbled, and neither girl seemed to hear him.
"What? I couldn't hear you." Asuna said, for the time being, completely forgetting the serious situation they were in. Kirito's comedic breakdown was just too much to ignore.
"I said, it's an alt account. My main one is a Spriggan mercenary." the Sylph said, raising his head and giving an embarrassed smile. Yui let out a small oh sound.
"So that's why your username was different," she said in realization, her gaze rising above his head, Asuna following her lead with a furrowed brow.
Above his head was the name of his avatar, which was KiriTwo. When he made the character, he found that he became a bit too attached to his online handle and decided on this compromise to still keep to his original username. Read out loud, it was also similar enough to Kirito that he could get away introducing himself as such.
"Yeah. My main character was too far away to meet up with Klein or get to the world tree in time and I didn't even think that I would end up in a situation like this, so I thought this character would be enough." Kirito explained a bit sheepishly as he stood up, rubbing the back of his head."Still, even if my gear and stats are subpar, my skill is the real deal, trust me."
He looked at Asuna, silently hoping to see her reaction, but was met with a confused look as she stared at him.
"What's an alt account?" she asked him with an innocent til of her head, looking genuinely curious.
"What?" Kirito looked at her owlishly, feeling some record scratch in his head as it suddenly stopped. He felt genuinely confused by her confusion.
Here was one of the best players of the first VRMMORPG, Sword Art Online, a literal flash of lightning on the battlefield, in Klein's words and apparently she didn't even know some of the most basic gaming expressions. Was that for real?
He opened his mouth, either to question her or to explain one of the simplest terms in video games but a sound interrupted him, a sound that immediately reminded him just how serious the situation was. The sound of Guardians Spawning.
He turned around instantly, his spear coming up to in front of his chest, his body instinctively blocking the ways toward Asuna and Yui. If those mindless mobs wanted them, they had to go through him first.
Just as he looked around, already more and more guardians formed, though instead of spawning around them, they were a little ways off. Thankfully they haven't yet attacked for some reason, instead slowly forming up ranks. Still, Kirito knew what was coming.
He grinned, trying to project much more confidence than he felt. If he was alone, he had little doubt that he could leave these guys in the dust but he had another person to defend, which made things a bit dicier. But he was confident he could do this, after all how was this different from a random escort mission?
"Looks like we have outgrown our welcome." he commented, even as his grip on his weapon tightened, the guards closing in."Don't worry, Princess, I will protect you. Just point me in the right direction."
He was about to charge ahead and clear a path when he was taken aback as Asuna stepped next to him, not at all cowed by the mobs in front of them. To tell the truth, she looked irritated more than anything as she looked down on them, one hand on her waist, brows furrowed in agitation.
The way she glared forward, with her white outfit, something probably forced on her, rather revealing at parts and emphasizing her womanly parts, as well as her not overly muscular but still clearly fit form, made her look like a proud amazon, ready to go to war, against men and gods alike. The only thing missing from this picture was the weapon in her hands and the blood of her enemies staining her dress.
Kirito was totally dumbfounded and just a little aroused. Today was a day of discovering many new kinks he didn't know he had.
"I'm not some helpless damsel to be rescued. I can take care of myself but a weapon would be a big help." Asuna spoke up, the steel in her voice as clear as the day. Kirito knew he could not and would not argue with her.
Without even realizing it, his off-hand already left his spear and opened his menu. With practiced movements, he navigated the familiar interface without even looking at it, a moment later a sword came into existence in his off-hand.
The sword itself was nothing special. It was an ordinary-looking arming sword. Its handle and crossguard were unremarkable and simple but the blade was strong and durable. It was not a legendary weapon or anything close to it but it was good at what it needed to do. Killing things.
He tossed it to her and Asuna caught it easily, the familiarity with which she adjusted her grip was not something that any casual player could repeat. The sword looked like it belonged in her hands in the first place, it looked completely natural, even as she gave it a test swing of it, judging its weight.
"Klein told me you use a rapier but I don't have anything like that in my inventory and haven't had a chance to stock up, so it's the next best thing I can offer. Its stats are decent enough at least." he offered with an embarrassed grin. Asuna simply hummed before she stopped eying her new weapon and took a stance, her eyes already zeroed on the nearest guardian.
"It makes no difference. It has a pointy tip, it has a handle and that's all that matters to me. I was caged up for too long." she said grimly, anger starting to radiate from her."It's time for the Lightning Flash to strike."
Her words were met with instant silence as Kirito and Yui both looked at her, completely dumbfounded. It seemed everything stopped for a moment from sheer incredulity because even the Guardians seemed to have stopped as Asuna slowly reddened in embarrassment.
"What was that?" Kirito asked, trying to refrain from cringing because that battle cry was the very definition of cringe. He should know, he did enough embarrassing things in his life.
"Nothing, absolutely nothing." Asuna denied furiously, stubbornly looked away."It's not like I was held prisoner here for months, months that I was dreaming of the epic and daring escape I would make. That would be completely unrealistic."
Before Kirito could say anything else, she darted away, charging heedlessly into the approaching Guardians, who resumed their own charge as if coming straight out of a trance. With a loud yell, consisting of all the anger, hate, and embarrassment that piled up in her in the last months, she unleashed a deadly thrust into the nearest enemy, instantly destroying it.
It was kind of awe-inspiring if Kirito was honest with himself. While the Guardians were individually not that strong, she still managed to one-shot one of them, with an unfamiliar weapon at that. She also didn't stop there.
None could even touch her. She spun on her foot, to avoid a spearhead coming straight for her chest, her sword rising and parrying a sword coming from the side without even stopping in its momentum, finally sidestepping the arrow shot at her. Even as she practically danced amidst various lethal blows, her sword never faltered. It struck again and again, sometimes slashing at a limb or head, sometimes thrusting through the clumsy and slow Guardian's armor, none could step up to the woman who earned the simple yet majestic name: The Flash.
Of course, even experience and talent like hers could not turn the tide of battle completely. Slowly but surely she was forced back, one step at a time, the push of her first charge lost. The Guardians started coming from the sides, their intent to surround her was obvious.
That was enough to snap Kirito out of his awe and raise his spear, words of magic already on his tongue. The spell he used was a short one and its effects were very minor, simply adding a 'shell' of wind around his weapon, making it easier to parry enemy attacks and slightly cause more damage.
"Time to kick it up a notch:" he said to himself after he finished the spell, a slight green glow appearing around his spear, before charging forward, not wanting to be left out of the battle.
It seemed he joined the fun at the perfect time too.
While Asuna was head and shoulders above the Guardians' skill level, it was undeniable that she was also rusty. She did just spend months trapped in a cage, at the whims of yet another madman. Even if she remembered the moves like the back of her hand, there will be a slight difference between her mind and body, even if the latter was virtual.
It wasn't so obvious in her attacks. They were precise and devastating even when not using her preferred weapon but it seemed she was less aware of her surroundings than she would have been anyway. One of the Guardians managed to flank her, raising its greatsword and attacking her back. Asuna noticed it too late and even as she tried to dodge out of the way, she knew that she wouldn't make it in time.
Thankfully she wasn't fighting alone.
Before the attack could land, a spear thrust parried it, the clash of weapons sending the guardian stumbling back, opening its defense. Asuna didn't hesitate and immediately attacked, her sword leaving a deep gash in its chest before it fell behind the lines of approaching enemies. And while she couldn't deliver a killing blow, Asuna didn't have time to worry about that as another line reached her and she needed to move instantly.
Kirito winced slightly as he felt his arms go slightly numb from the recoil but didn't let it stop him. As if he had been fighting beside Asuna forever, he used the recoil of the parry to block the Guardians that tried to attack her from behind as she moved, whirling his spear as if it was some kind of staff to create a little space for himself. It left him with little chance to attack but at least he made a little space for both himself and Asuna and that was good for starters.
"Thanks." Asuna said with a bob of her head as she took heavy gulps of air, the two of them standing back to back, watching the Guardians warily.
They seemed to hesitate, something in their programming fighting against the simple command to kill all intruders. Still, it would not last long but they could use this small breather to break through the enemies and reach that console that will let Asuna log out if nothing bad happens. He just needed to make sure that the warrior princess would reach it.
Even if it cost his virtual life.
"These guys are not stopping anytime soon. Ready to leave your comfy quarters, princess?" Kirito joked with a dry smile, even as he nervously eyed his surroundings.
"I've been ready to leave for months. And I will have words with the landlord." she snarked back but there was a definitive smile on her face as anticipation filled her, both for her freedom and the coming battle."Can I trust you to watch my back?"
Without meaning to, Kirito glanced back towards Asuna but she was showing her back to him. Her bare back, due to the questionable choice of clothes she was wearing. Inadvertently his eyes fell lower, resting on a shapely bum that her white strips of clothing did nothing to hide. Rather it did all it could to emphasize them.
'I will watch your back alright.' The inappropriate and slightly sexist came to the foremost of his mind as a bit of red dusted his cheeks.
He let out a quiet hiss as he felt a sharp pain in his pointy ear as if someone was aggressively tugging at it. Looking to the right, he saw an angry Yui hovering next to said ear, looking at him with her cheeks puffed out and arms crossed. She was definitely disappointed in him and wasn't afraid to show it.
He turned away with a small pout, hand absentmindedly rubbing the part she tugged. Message received, he better behave.
"You can count on me. Besides, Klein would annoy the hell out of me, if I failed right before the finish line," he responded, spinning his spear for purely dramatic effect, before pointing it at the closest guardian threateningly.
"That sounds like him," she responded with a small laugh, raising her borrowed weapon just as the guardians once again started moving. "I will be counting on you, partner." she said before charging ahead, swiping aside the feeble attacks sent in her direction like a force of nature.
The guardians attempted to retaliate but a spear, aided by the strength of the wind foiled all of their attacks, Kirito becoming a furry of thrusts, slashes, and parries as he followed closely behind Asuna, using all of his skills, his spells, and even his body to aid her advancement.
They were slowly but surely cutting through the mindless mob. More and more attacks reached Kirito, small red lines covering his body, as he fought through his exhaustion, pushing forward even as his hp dwindled. His steps were smaller and smaller as the guardians swarmed around him, cutting him off from Asuna but at least they were mostly focused on him.
Yet, despite all of that, he never faltered. His spear came up again and again, thrusting through the chest of a guardian, blocking another attempt on his life or simply just swatting them away, aggroing them to pay attention to only him. The distance between Asuna and him grew more and more as the brunette slowly reached one of the openings in the World Tree's base, her back disappearing from time to time because of the swarming enemies. Even when he knew that his death was all but certain, Kriito's smile had not lessened.
'Partners, huh? I kind of like the sound of that.' That was his last thought before weightlessness took over his body and it turned into a Remain Light.