Crossover Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Sailor Moon Online ❯ Duel Welding and Duel Troubles ( Chapter 6 )

Welcome to the next chapter, everyone! Things are going to accelerate to the ‘big climax’ of the Aincard arc of Sword Art Online storyline and I would like to say another thing about all of my ‘time skips’ in this story so far, they are good places to put in ‘flashback fillers’ for ideas that could help the plotline later on. Anyway, like I said in the previous chapters, Usagi/Serena and Kirito/Kazuto are going to be best friends/brother and sister type of relationship in the story and things will get more clear on why, but that’s until later on, folks.

I DO NOT OWN Sailor Moon, Sword Art Online and anything/anyone that comes from these and other stories that end up in this fanfiction! Sailor Moon is owned/licensed by Naoko Takeuchi and its various studios and publishers and Sword Art Online is owned/licensed by ASCII Media Works, A-1 Pictures Inc., and its various directors/publishers including Reki Kawahara and Tomohiko Itô!

Warning: This story contains intense violence, blood, possible gore, death, mild to explicit suggestive themes, including mind-control and brainwashing, mild to explicit bad language, and mature adult themes/situations!

Second Warning: Some to a lot of OOC (Out of Character) actions and mannerisms in this whole story!

Sailor Moon Online

Chapter 6: Duel Welding and Duel Troubles

June 30, 2024, Juuban Hospital Ward

Within the Juuban Hospital Ward, we, once again, find ourselves within the hospital room of our moon princess as she lies motionless on her hospital with NervGear attached to her head still running and showing that she is still alive for the moment. The room is filled with a familiar music from Serena’s star locket while her family, friends, and beloved are assembled around her to celebrate her birthday, the second one that she has trapped in Sword Art Online.

Hotaru says, looking over Serena, “She looks so pale.”

Michelle says, with a nod, “I know, Firefly.”

Amara says, “She may look weak, but she is still in SAO and still fighting.”

Ami says, with a nod of her head, “From what little data that we could gather from Michelle’s mirror and the little data that we can get from the severs, Serena is a top player in the game.”

Raye says, “I’m surprised that Meatball Head would be. Sure, she is hard core gamer, but she hasn’t been one of the best video game players in the world.”

Lita says, “It doesn’t mean that she isn’t good with video games, Raye.”

Raye says, with a nod, “I said that she wasn’t one of the best video games in the world, not that she isn’t good at video games, Lita-chan.”

Lita says, with a nod, “Point taken, Raye.”

Raye says, “Well, for once, I’m glad that Serena is good at something and it is the one thing that she needs to be good at to stay alive.”

Mina says, “Yeah, Raye-chan.”

Darien gently touches her hand and her hair as he looks at her in which he says, “I’m here, my love. Please keep fighting.”

Trista tells Darien, “She’s strong, Darien.”

Darien says, with a nod, “I know, Trista. She is so near yet so far away. I keep wondering where she is in the world of SAO. Is she fighting for her life against monsters, buying new items at a shop, or what? It is just so hard.”

Raye says, “We know, Darien. All of us are worried every day and we know that this can’t go on forever.”

Ami says, “Despite the Silver Crystal and her powers as Sailor Moon slowing down the ‘degrading’ of her body, she can’t be kept like this forever and the other surviving players have it worse than her.”

Amara says, “And we are getting nowhere fast with ALO.”

Kenji asks, “How much similar is it to SAO?”

Lita says, “Disturbing too similar and the head of division of RCT doesn’t give Raye and Amara a good feeling.”
Raye says, “He is up to something. I can feel evil rolling off that guy in waves.”

Ikuko says, “Well, Sugou Nobuyuki has been jealous of my brother’s abilities and while he can fool the Yuuki family since his family and their family are so close, he never fooled me or my family.”

Sammy says, “He is just plain creepy.”

Kenji asks, “Are you saying that he is up to something?”

Amara says, “So far, he’s clean, but his aura reeks.”

Raye says, “And he has got a real ‘fascination’ with the SAO sever.”

Michelle says, “Anyway, let’s worry about him later.”

Trista says, with a weak smile, “It’s our princess’ birthday.” All of them look at the pale Serena as they celebrate her second birthday trapped on Sword Art Online.

Darien kisses her hand gently and he says, lovingly, “I’m waiting for you, my love. I’ll wait until the end of time if I have to.”

Mina says, with a weak smile, “Hold on, girlfriend. We’re coming.”

Lita says, with a weak smile, “Yeah, we won’t stop until we bring you home or until you get yourself home.”

Raye says, “Don’t you dare die on us, Meatball Head. I’ll never forgive you if don’t come home.”

Hotaru says, “We’re here for you, hime.” As the Sailor Scouts and Serena’s Earth family look on, some distance away, looking on with a pair of binoculars, a young lady with four wings coming out of her back and wearing a familiar sailor fuku with a rainbow star on her forehead looks through the open window at Serena.

The young lady, obviously a Sailor Scout, says, lowly, “Serena…” The Sailor Scouts put the binoculars into a sub-space pocket and flies away while the others continue to celebrate Serena’s birthday by her side.

August 2024, Floor 1, Town of Beginnings

Within the Town of Beginnings, Usagi, with her classic white hood cloak with the hood covering her face, is inside of Blackiron Palace and looking at the Monument of Life and she gives a deep solemn sigh.

Usagi thinks in her mind, solemnly, “No matter how hard I try, there is always going to be death.” Usagi then asks, seemly to no one, “How long are you going to be there Asuna?” Usagi turns to see Asuna and Kirito walking up to her.

Kirito tells Usagi, “You know that you are taking quite a risk, Usagi. There are plenty in the Army that don’t like you.”

Usagi says, “I know, but I’ll be fine in a safe zone, however, I don’t intend to remain here to make sure that they don’t haggle me.”

Asuna tells Usagi, “Usagi… You did the best that you could.”

Kirito says, “No joke. It was thanks to your scouting that gave us that information on Laughing Coffin and your warning managed to help us react to their surprise ambush.”

Asuna says, “And our guild and the Holy Dragon Alliance is thankful especially the members of our guilds that you saved.”

Usagi says, solemnly, “It wasn’t enough. We lost about ten people and more than twenty of them died.”

Kirito says, solemnly, “At least your hands are clean, Usagi.”

Usagi tells Kirito, “No, Kirito…”

Kirito tells Usagi, “Usagi, don’t. You were helping people and I was the one that swung that sword.”

Asuna thinks in her mind, solemnly, “Kirito…”

Usagi says, solemnly, “It doesn’t mean that my mistakes didn’t make you swing that sword, Kirito.” Usagi starts to walk away and she says, “Anyway, I had better go before I start any trouble with the Army.” Under her hood, the virtual tears flow and Usagi wipes them away with her hand.

Asuna thinks in her mind, “When we will see you truly happy, Usagi-chan?”

Kirito thinks in his mind, “As long as this death game continues, Usagi will never stop crying.” Kirito and Asuna look at each other and they become more determined than ever to end this death game in the hopes of finally ending the tears of their friend once and for all.

September 2024, Fruits Parlor Crown

Today, we find our Sailor Scouts assembled together and having some drinks as Elizabeth comes over to them.

Elizabeth asks, “Any luck today?”

Lita says, “Not much, Elizabeth.”

Amara says, “Close to two years and we are not much closer to figuring out a way to stop this nightmare.”

Elizabeth says, “This is just so terrible. It has been so quiet inside of the arcade. Nothing is like it used to be with Serena around.”

Raye says, “Nothing will be the same until Meatball Head comes home.”

Hotaru says, “We are here enjoying life while our princess is fighting for her life in SAO.”

Elizabeth says, “I still don’t understand why her own uncle would do this to her and all those people.”

Lita says, “I really don’t understand it myself and right now, I don’t care.”

Raye says, with an enraged look, “If we ever find him, I’m sorry to Serena, but I’m going to stick Mars arrows up where the sun don’t shine and it won’t be shining again before I’m done with him.”

Mina says, “Easy, Raye. We are all pissed off at him.”

Amara says, with a stern expression, “And then some. If Darien found him… I don’t think that there would be enough left to put in a teakettle.”

Lita says, with a sly smirk, “If there was anything else to bury, Amara.”

Ami says, “We can’t give up anyone. I know that we are getting limited data, but we are trying to do this undetected especially in our ‘positions’ in ALO.”

Mina says, with a grin, “Who knew that we would all become famous? This is really cool.”

Amara says, “And that’s what VRMMO are supposed to be. They are supposed to be a new frontier for excitement and adventure like our princess imagined it would be and her own uncle warped it into a nightmare.”

Raye says, “Well, hopefully, we can put an end to this nightmare.”

Hotaru says, “I’m surprised that Darien would join us.”

Mina says, with a nod, “No kidding. Not after what happened.”

Raye says, “He isn’t doing it for fun, Mina-chan.”

Amara says, “Yeah, he wants to help us in our research and data gathering mission. He also has his suspicions about Sugou-san especially since he went to the same university as Kayaba and he can’t help to wonder what is going on.”

Michelle says, “He’s joined us in ALO to see what he is up to.”

Amara says, “Well, like the rest of us, he has an edge in the game since he has saw plenty of real combat. Remember, this game is skill based not level based like many MMO games.”

Ami says, “It is a radical departure from your typical gaming experience.”

Lita says, with a nod, “Yeah, it is hard core. It is no wonder that it is getting popular with the Amusphere since it is much safer Full-Dive than NervGear.”

Amara says, with a nod, “For the moment, we don’t have to worry about another ‘SAO incident’ since it was fully tested to make sure that no one could use an Amusphere to kill a person in which our Ami-chan and Trista-chan were part of the group since they have become experts in Full-Dive technology.”

Trista says, “For obvious reasons as you know, Amara.”

Raye says, “Anyway, I still don’t trust the manager of RCT Progress and with what Ikuko told us, he isn’t to be trusted at all.”

Lita says, with a nod, “I agree, Raye-chan. And right now, he is in control of the SAO severs since Argus has gone bottoms up.”

Amara says, “Thanks to Kayaba’s mad actions. They had no idea that he would do such a thing and in a snap, he has ruined their lives. They are good, but being associated with Kayaba is going to have a stigma for all of their lives.”

Ami says, “Yes, I’ve heard plenty of them have been sent into protection programs by the government to keep them safe from retribution.”

Hotaru says, “Which our princess is under that same threat because she is related to Kayaba. The people that have lost friends, family members, or loved ones to the game won’t care that she is a victim. They want something ‘physical’ to relate at and she may become their top target.”

Raye says, with a plain tone, “They won’t get near her. I’ll use my fire powers against them if they dare to try anything.”

Ami tells Raye, “You don’t mean that Raye-chan.”

Raye tells Ami, sternly, “I do, Ami-chan. Serena did nothing wrong and while I can understand why those people are angry since they lost people precious to them, Meatball Head had nothing to do with Kayaba’s madness. If they dare to threaten her life and they won’t listen to reason, I won’t hesitate to take their lives. I will do what it takes to protect Serena.”

Amara says, with a nod, “Same here with Raye. If they dare to try anything and they won’t back down, they will join their loved ones in the great beyond by my sword.”

Lita asks, irritated, “And what do you think Serena will think if she finds out? How do you think that she will feel?”

Trista says, “Hopefully, she won’t have to find out.”

Ami says, “I hope that she is okay.”

Late September 2024, Floor 72

On Floor 72 of Aincard, we are inside of a forest area where we find Usagi fighting against a monster known as Lizard Spearman, which is a humanoid lizard creature with basic chest armor and a large spear in its hands, in which Usagi dodges the attack and uses Rage Spike, a one handed Straight Sword Skill, in which she strikes the chin causing the Spearman to stumble. Usagi then attacks with Linear, a Reaper Skill, and strike four times right in the face causing the monster to critically hesitate in which Usagi then uses Tsujikaze, which is a one strike technique of the Kitana Skill, which is an Extra Skill, and she cuts the Lizard Spearman in half and it roars as it vanishes into thousands of data polygons.

Usagi takes a deep breath and she says, “Oh, wow! That was scary!” Usagi then takes a look at her health gauge, sees that she lost about ten percent of her health, and she then looks at her sword, which looks similar to Kirito’s Dark Repulser, but it has a pearly white handle, a silver hilt, and rainbow crescent moon jewel in the center of the hilt. The sword is known as Lunar Excelsior and it was made from Usagi’s ingot from the same quest that she went on with Lisbeth and Kirito. Usagi puts the sword back on her scabbard and she looks over her player menu and she says, “This skill… It’s so powerful. It rivals Heathcliff’s Divine Blade and Kirito’s Duel Blades that only Liz and I know about. No, it could be even more powerful. I don’t get it. Why did I get this skill? Is Kayaba trying to protect me?” Usagi then uncharacteristically snorts and she says, “If he wanted to protect me, he would have never done this horrible act in the first place.” Usagi then sighs and she says, “I must be stressed out again. Like that hasn’t been happening lately. Anyway, if everyone found out that I had this skill, there would be a ‘mob frenzy’ by those few players that are still against me and they would love to use this excuse to try to turn more players against me. Well, I had better not think about it.” As we look over Usagi’s player menu, we find her looking at her list of skills and one of them has the name of ‘Mimic’ in it.

October 7, 2024, Chiyoda Hospital

Inside of the Saitama Prefecture, we find ourselves within one of the hospital where we find someone that looks like Kirito lying down on a hospital in a hospital gown and having a NervGear on his head in which Suguha Kirigaya and a youthful looking woman with black hair tied around her head, brown eyes, and rough blouse over a cotton shirt and slim jeans with her looks makes her seem like a woman in her twenties or thirties, not a woman in her early forties. Her name is Midori Kirigaya and this is the mother of Suguha and the young teen boy in the bed, whose name is Kazuto Kirigaya. Kazuto is the real life name/persona of the player known as Kirito and today, it is his sixteenth birthday. They are celebrating his second birthday trapped in SAO by visiting his motionless body and while they only know what little data that government organization working on what is now known as the infamous ‘SAO incident’ that Kazuto AKA Kirito, though they don’t know his avatar name, is alive and he is one of the top players of the game, but that’s about it. As they talked about Kazuto, who is the adopted son and nephew of Midori, who took him as a baby when his parents died in a horrible accident, they hear footsteps and they look to see none other than Ami’s mother, Saeko Mizuno, at the entrance of the door.

Saeko says, “Forgive me, I was observing while on my errand here.”

Midori asks, “Are you a doctor here?”

Saeko responds, “No. I’m Saeko Mizuno. I’m from Juuban actually. I’m part of the team that’s working on the SAO incident with my daughter.”

Midori asks, surprised, “With your daughter?”

Saeko says, “Yes. You see, a very precious friend of hers is also trapped in SAO.”

Suguha and Midori gasp and Midori says, “I see, Saeko-san.”

Suguha asks, “Wait! Your daughter is working for the government.”

Saeko responds, with a smile, “Yes, she has become well-versed in Full Dive technology. Ami is just about to enter college.”

Midori asks, “Your daughter about to enter college and she is working for the government?”

Saeko says, “Just on this horrible incident. Her friend means the life to my Ami-chan. You see, Ami is a very smart girl and in fact, one of the smartest in the nation if not the world. However, like many genius, she, originally, didn’t have a good ‘social life’ until her friend came and now, she is part of a group of very special friends.”

Suguha says, “I see. This friend must be like a sister to her.”

Saeko says, with a nod, “She is. That’s why she is working so hard.”

Midori asks, “How does your daughter get into college while she is working on this?”

Saeko says, with a weak smile, “By studying and reading books. My daughter, when she is stressed, studies or reads books to focus her mind which she is doing a lot now thanks to this whole mess. It is the only thing keeping her focused in this whole mess.”

Suguha asks, “So, she calms down by studying and reading books?”

Saeko says, with a nod, “That’s my sweet girl. She wishes to become a doctor just like me, but she is also very good with technology.”

Midori says, with a weak smile, “Kazuto is the same way. He created his first computer when he was only ten years old.”

Saeko says, amazed, “Oh, wow. That’s pretty good.”

Midori nods her head and she says, “I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Midori Kirigaya.”

Suguha says, “I’m Suguha Kirigaya.” Suguha says, “And this is… my brother, Kazuto.”

Saeko says, “Nice to meet you and hopefully, my daughter and one of her friends will figure out a way to end this nightmare. They have been studying the Full Dive technology day and night.”

Midori says, “We can hope.”

Saeko says, “You can’t give up on your son, Midori-san. If he has survived this long, then he must be strong.”

Suguha says, looking at him, “Yeah, he is strong.”

Midori tells Saeko, “Thank you for your kind words, Saeko-san.” Saeko nods her head and walks away in which Midori and her daughter look at Kazuto’s pale form on the bed and continue to hope for the day that he will come home by whatever means in which they don’t know that outside of the window of Kazuto’s hospital room, there is a grey cat with a silver crescent moon sigil on top of its forehead and the grey cat is looking directly at Suguha before leaping away.

October 17, 2024, Floor 74, Floor 74 Dungeon

Usagi’s POV

Within the dungeon, I continue to clash with my sword, Lunar Excelsior, against my foe, which is a huge overgrown lizard with helmet on his head, chest plate, curved sword, and a shield with freaky glowing red eyes. Why do monsters always have to have the freaky red eyes? Anyway, the lizard and I have been in this ridiculous ‘dance’ for a while now and it was getting real old and real fast. However, it makes an opening and I knew that I had to strike now. I used Linear, which is a rapier skills, which normally, with my type of sword, there was no way that you could use it, but thanks to my second Unique Skill, I managed to hit three times causing a critical hit to his face while causing little health damage, it gave me the opening that I needed since it caused the monster, drolly known as Lizardman Lord, to hesitate and I used Horizontal Slash on him. I slash that overgrown lizard from left to right, right to left, spin around and slash right to left again, and the sword then goes up in which a square of light then appears and flashes. After that, the overgrown lizard turns into ‘data dust’ and that’s it. I gain 8120 EXP and 1000 Cor based on the pop-up that comes afterwards.

With that done and over, I put away my sword and I say, with a sigh, “What a day. I hope that Kirito is all right.” I decide to see that if he is okay, but then again, he doesn’t need me to see him since you rarely get one over Kirito since other than myself and a few others, we are the strongest players of the game. It has been nearly two years since this horrible ‘death game’ began and nearly four thousand people are dead. Dead because of my uncle. Dead because of his sick and twisted plans. It is a miracle that I survived. No, it isn’t a miracle. I have the support of friends like Kirito, Asuna, Silica, and Lisbeth, the few friends that I have in SAO. And I have the support of my friends, the Sailor Scouts, and my beloved Darien-kun at home. I can’t hear them, but I can feel them. They are at my real body and I can feel their hope for me flowing into me. It is the major reason that I survived in SAO and became so strong. I’m afraid of what they will think of me because SAO has changed me. A lot. However, I have to fulfill their hope and dream of me returning home. But not only that, I have to find my uncle and if necessary, I have to end him and his madness once for all. But something tells me that a long way off, however, I get the feeling that he is somewhere near… watching me… watching us. I try to shake it from my mind for now since most likely, he is on the top floor of Aincard to wait for the players that survive getting to the top to face him, the final boss. If my uncle was anything like I thought about him, he has a bit of a flare for the dramatic despite his calm and cool demeanor and in my experience as Sailor Moon, the ‘big bad villain’ at the end of some kind of ‘maze’ that he, she, or mostly, it uses against us, the heroines.

Keeping this out of my mind for now, I decide to head back and I had hoped to run into Kirito since most likely, like me, he is on the front lines, searching for the boss room, to report back to the other players to prepare for a boss raid. Thankfully, we have all gotten better and since the boss fight on floor sixty-seven, we haven’t lost any players and I really hope to keep it that way. If any more people die in this horror that my uncle has created, I’m not sure if I will be able to live with myself.

October 17, 2024, Floor 74, Forest Area

Back to Narrator’s POV

Within the forest area, our ‘Black Swordsman’, Kirito, is walking through the woods when he stops and looks to see Usagi, with her hood down, coming up from behind him.

Kirito says, “Hey, Usagi.”

Usagi asks, “Hey? Is that all? I haven’t seen you in a while and all you can say is hey?”

Kirito tells Usagi, “It’s not like we haven’t seen each other in months.”

Usagi tells Kirito, with a giggle, “I’m just teasing, Kirito.”

Kirito asks Usagi, “Heading back?”

Usagi says, “Yep. I’ve had no luck finding the boss room.”

Kirito says, plainly, “Neither have I.” As the two of them walk along, they hear something and the two of them use their Search Skills in which they see a monster cursor that says ‘Ragout Rabbit’.

Usagi thinks in her mind, amazed, “Whoa! You rarely see those around!” Kirito then takes out two throwing picks in which Usagi slowly and quietly steps out of the way. He uses his Throwing Skill to hit a nearby tree and the monster leap out in which it prepares to leave at top speed only to get hit by the second throwing pick that Kirito uses causing it to turn into data polygons in which Usagi shouts out, excitedly, “You got it!”

Kirito says, with a grin, “Yep!”

Usagi asks, “Did you…?”

Kirito goes through his items and he says, with a nod, “I sure did. Check it out.” Kirito activates a trade prompt and Usagi checks the item shown in it.

Usagi yells out, amazed, “Oh, wow! This is S-class rare item!”

Kirito tells Usagi, “Hey, do you want the whole of Aincard to know?”

Usagi says, nervously, “Oops, sorry.”

Kirito says, with a smile, “It’s all right, Usagi. There is no one here. Our Search Skills would have detected them.”

Usagi asks, with a nod, “Yeah, but here is a good question: What are you going to do with it?” Kirito thinks about it in which he sees Usagi drooling.

Kirito tells Usagi, “Usagi, you’re drooling.” Usagi yelps as she wipes her mouth and gives a nervous laugh as she rubs her head.

October 17, 2024, Floor 50, Algade

In Algade, the main town of Floor 50 of Aincard, Usagi, with her hood up to cover her face/head, and Kirito are inside of Agil’s shop where they are in front of the man himself in which he looks in shock at the trade prompt screen and namely at one item.

Agil says, “No way! This is an S-class rare item. The first time that I had ever seen one! Hey, Kirito, don’t you have all of the money that you need. I’ll buy, but wouldn’t you like it for dinner? This is one in a million chance.”

Kirito says, with a nod, “Sure, but I’m not sure if I will ever get another one.”

Agil says, “Then keep it, bro.”

Kirito responds, “But in order to prepare a S-class item, you need a high enough cooking skill which we don’t have.”

Agil responds, “Good point. We would just burn it.”

Usagi asks, drolly, “What am I? Chopped liver?”

Agil says, “Oh, yeah. You have high enough cooking skill.”

Usagi says, with a nod, “Around nine hundred to nine hundred and fifty I think.”

Agil says, with a whistle, “Not bad.”

Usagi tells Kirito, with a glare, “And by the way, Kirito, if you think that it is useless skill, keep your mouth and your thoughts to yourself. Sure, the NPC restaurants are all right, but a girl can’t survive on bread and drink alone, you know? After a while, it gets kind of ‘bland’ and plus, like you, I spend a lot of time on the field and I have to sleep in safe areas in forests and dungeons in which I don’t get a chance to buy food after a day’s work.”

Agil says, with a nod, “She has a point, bro.”

Kirito says, nervously, “Okay, I got it.”

Agil asks, “So, why not share it with Usagi?”

Kirito responds, “I guess that she doesn’t remember THAT incident.”

Usagi yelps in shock and she replies, nervously, “You remember, huh?”

Agil says, with a nod, “Oh, I get it. This is payback.”

Kirito says, with a nod, “You got it.”

Usagi sticks her tongue out at Kirito and she says, “Jerk!” Kirito and Agil smirk at Usagi, who pouts under her hood, but she then notice someone coming towards them.

Kirito feels a tap on his shoulder and a familiar female voice says, “Kirito.” Everyone looks to see Asuna and another man with long black hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a standard Knights of the Blood uniform in which he seemed to be in his twenties, but due to wrinkles on his face making seem older in front of them.

Kirito grabs Asuna’s hand and he says, with a smile, “I found my chef.”

Asuna asks, “What’s that now?” The other man then glares at Kirito and Kirito hastily removes his hand in which Usagi look at him.

Kirito says, “Hey, it’s Asuna. Seeing you in a dump like this is beyond weird.”

Usagi thinks in her mind, drolly and with a mental face fault, “Seriously, Kirito?”

Asuna says, irritated, “Oh, save it. I came here to see that you are alive. You know, it is almost time for the next raid.”

Kirito responds, “I’m on your friend list. If you want to see that I’m alive, you can check that. And aren’t you concerned about Usagi?”

Asuna responds, with a smile, “Unlike you, I know that Usagi will still be alive because I know that despite her being a solo player just like you as long as she is away from you, she won’t do crazy things since you are that kind of bad influence on her.” Kirito winches and Agil and Usagi snicker at him. Asuna then asks, “Anyway, what are you up to? What’s this about a chef?”

Kirito says, “About that. I was wondering about your cooking skill.”

Asuna says, with a smirk, “Just mastered it last week.”

Agil and Kirito give look of surprise and Usagi says, “Wow! You’re good, Asuna! I’m around only nine-hundred or so for me.”
Asuna tells Usagi, “That’s great, Usagi! You’ll master it in no time.”

Kirito says, bringing up a trade prompt, “If you are that good, then I need a favor.”

When Asuna looks at the screen, she gasps in shock and asks, stunned, “You… You got a Ragout Rabbit?”

Kirito responds, with a smirk, “I’ll trade you. If you cook it up for me, I’ll let you have a bite.”

Usagi says, drolly, “How generous, Kirito.”

However, Asuna grabs Kirito by the collar and she tells him, sternly, “Half! Deal?!”

Kirito says, nervously, “Yeah.”

Asuna says, excitedly, “Yeah! All right!”

Kirito tells Agil, “Sorry, man, you heard the lady.”

Agil says, “Yeah, it’s cool, but you have to allow me to have a bite! I thought that we were tight man!”

Kirito responds, with a smirk, “I’ll write you up a review, but only two pages! Promise!”

Usagi tells Kirito, “That’s cold, Kirito.” Usagi, Kirito, Asuna, and the KOB member walk around and into the streets of Algade.

Asuna asks, “Where am I going to cook it?”

Kirito says, nervously, “Well…”

Asuna says, “I’m guessing not your place, right? You own any cook wear.”

Usagi tells Asuna, with a sigh, “The cook wear isn’t the problem, Usagi. With Kirito, it is like living with a little kid.”

Kirito says, drolly, “Thanks a lot.”

Asuna says, with a sigh, “Okay, since the ingredient is special, we can use my place.” Kirito gives a gasp of shock and Asuna tells the KOB member, “Thank you for escorting me. You may go.”

But the KOB member responds, “I’m sorry, ma’am. I can’t allow you to go home to a shady character.”

Asuna responds, “I don’t know the extent of his ‘shadiness’, but I know that he is quite skilled. In fact, he is ten levels over you, Kuradeel.”

The KOB member shouts out, “What? Ma’am, are you implying that I’m inferior to him?” The KOB member then asks, “Oh, wait! I know! He is one of those beaters, isn’t he?”

Kirito asks, “Yeah, what about me?”

The KOB member, Kuradeel, says, “You shouldn’t go with him, ma’am! All his kind care about are themselves! Nothing good can come from scum like that!”

Usagi asks, annoyed, “And who are you to judge him like that pal? Do you know him personally?”

Kuradeel says, “If I were YOU, I wouldn’t be talking little miss…!!”

Asuna says, sternly, “Kuradeel, I am second in command of the Knights of the Blood! I am ordering you to go home! Understood?”

Kuradeel gives a look of surprise, Asuna then goes over to Kirito, grabs him by the collar, and Kirito yelps out, as he is getting dragged away, “Whoa! Are you sure about this, Asuna?”

Asuna responds, plainly, “Of course.” Usagi follows them in which Kirito and Usagi look back at Kuradeel in which the nasty glare that he gives them makes Usagi quite concerned. At the teleport gate of Algade, Usagi is preparing to see Asuna and Kirito off to Asuna’s home in Selmburg, the main town of Floor 61 of Aincard.

Kirito asks, “Are you sure, Usagi?”

Usagi says, with a kind tone, “Yeah. Anyway, I’m the famous ‘White Valkyrie’. I’ve got a ‘reputation’ to hold up.”

Asuna tells Usagi, with a kind smile, “You are an inspiration to many players, Usagi.”
Usagi replies, “I’m not sure about that Asuna.” Usagi says, “Anyway, I’m going to visit Liz to see if I can get an upgrade on a few of my weapons.”

Kirito says, “Okay. See you later, Usagi.”

Usagi gives a nod and Usagi tells Asuna, seriously, “Asuna, about that guy…”

Asuna asks, “Kuradeel?”

Usagi gives a nod and she says, “Be careful around him, Asuna. He gives me the creeps.”

Asuna says, with a smile, “Well, there are a few guild members that say the same thing. I’m sure that it will be all right.” Asuna then says, “Teleport: Selmburg!” Asuna and Kirito then vanish in orbs of blue light and Usagi can only hope that Asuna’s words ring true.

Usagi then gets onto the teleport gate and she says, “Teleport: Lindarth!” Soon after, Usagi vanishes and teleports to another floor of Aincard to visit another friend of hers, the blacksmith Lisbeth.

October 18, 2024, Floor 74, Kamdet

On Floor 74 of Aincard, we find ourselves at the teleport gate of Kamdet, the main town of this floor of Aincard, where Usagi teleport in and she finds Kirito waiting by the teleport gate.

Usagi comes over and she asks, “Kirito?”

Kirito says, seeing Usagi, “Hey, Usagi. Morning.”

Usagi asks, “You look tired? What’s up?”

Kirito yawns and he says, “Couldn’t sleep.”

Usagi asks Kirito, “What are you doing here?”
Kirito responds, “Waiting for Asuna?”

Usagi asks, with a sly smirk and tone, “Really?”

Kirito says, “It isn’t like that Usagi.” Kirito then explains that after eating a yummy stew made from the Ragout Rabbit, in which Usagi was completely jealous of Kirito about, Kirito then explains on how Asuna ‘scared’ him to joining into a party with her.

When Kirito is done, Usagi can’t help to laugh and giggle and Usagi says, “Oh, man! Asuna has got you so whipped!”

Kirito says, drolly, “Thanks a lot, Usagi.” Kirito says, “Anyway, she is late.”

Just then the teleport gate glows, there is a female scream, and a female voice shout out, “Look out!” Just then something or someone slams into Kirito knocking him to the ground and Usagi leaps back in surprise causing her to stumble and fall on her butt.

Usagi asks, “Man! What is it with me and falling on my butt?”

Kirito grunts out, “What is this thing?” Kirito then puts his hands on something, squeezes, and he says, feeling something soft, “Squishy.” There is another female scream and Kirito is sent flying in which he bounces off the ground several times before slamming into statue on a podium in which a violet window with the words ‘Immortal Object’ pop up.

Usagi winches and she thinks, “Ouch! That’s got to hurt! Good thing that we are in a safe zone or Kirito would really be dead. However, it serves him right for touching something or should I say someone before looking.” When Kirito regains his senses and looks ahead, he sees Asuna with a very cross look on her face, which is being nice, and Kirito notices her with her arms around her chest causing him to realize what he did.

Kirito then becomes really nervous and Kirito says, nervously, “Hi, Asuna.”

Asuna becomes even more enrage and Usagi nearly face faults in which she thinks, “Really, Kirito. You put her hand on her ‘forbidden territory’ and that’s what you have got to say?” But then there is another glow from the teleport gate and Asuna runs over behind Kirito in which the glow stops to reveal Kuradeel. When Kuradeel notices Asuna with Kirito, he gives an annoyed look and Usagi thinks in her mind, drolly, “Great. Here comes Mister Personality.”

Kuradeel asks, “Why are you behaving like this, ma’am? I’m only following orders, you understand?” Kuradeel says, “Now, let’s go back to headquarters.”

Asuna asks, “I won’t. Especially not with you, Kuradeel. This is getting ridiculous! And why were you wandering my house?” Kirito and Usagi gasp in shock and Usagi looks at Kuradeel with a disgusted expression.

Kuradeel says, “You have a nasty habit of leaving without any warning, so, part of my mission was to keep an eye on you in Selmburg.”

Asuna yells out, “What? Who ordered this? It wasn’t the commander!”

Kuradeel responds, with a smirk, “With all due respect, it is my job to protect you no matter where you are including your home.”

Asuna says, irritated tone in her voice, “No, it doesn’t, you idiot!”

Usagi says, “That’s not protection! That’s harassment in high degree, jerk!”

Kuradeel responds, with a sneer, “Stay out of guild affairs, you wench!”

Usagi asks, with a snort that was uncharacteristic of her during her time as Sailor Moon back IRL (A/N: That’s short for ‘In Real Life’.), “Or what, you sexist jerk?”

Kuradeel growls at Usagi, but he goes over to Asuna and Kirito and he says, “I wish that you would be more understanding, ma’am.” He then grabs Asuna by right hand in a forceful manner and he says, “Now, let’s return to headquarters.” However, Usagi grabs Kuradeel’s wrist, wrenches his hand off Asuna’s wrist, and let’s go of Kuradeel’s wrist.

Usagi tells Kuradeel, “What right do you have to treat your SUPERIOR OFFICER in that manner, pal? She is second in command and you are her mere guard!”

Kuradeel tells Usagi, irritated, “How dare you…?”

Kirito tells Kuradeel, “My friend is right, pal.” When Kuradeel looks at Kirito, he says, with an intense glare, “You have no right to treat your superior officer like a subordinate, pal! You are just her guard and she is your superior officer! I think doing such a thing is called insubordination.”

Kuradeel shouts out, annoyed tone in his voice, “You wretched brat!”

Kirito tells Kuradeel, “Anyway, I’ll be ‘borrowing’ your guild’s second in command for the day, so, you don’t have to worry about her protection. I’ll take reasonability and I think that the ‘White Valkyrie’ helping me will make sure that she is safe. It’s not like we are going on a boss raid, so, you can go now.”

Kuradeel yells out, angrily, “Insolate punk! Do you know who I am? I’m a member of the noble Knights of the Blood Oath! A low level player couldn’t protect her.”

Usagi says, “If he is low level, then you are ‘low rate’, pal.”

Kuradeel glares at Usagi and Kirito says, “And it seems like a ‘low level player’ like me can do a better job than you since I will do it the right way and not be like some kind of sick stacker.”

Kuradeel gains an enraged look and he says, “You have got a big mouth, kid. So, I’m going to give you a chance to prove how tough you really are.” Kuradeel goes through his player menu and a prompt appears in front of Kirito that says ‘Duel Application’ in which Kirito looks at Asuna causing her to nod.

Kirito asks, “Are you sure?”

Asuna says, “Don’t worry. I’ll tell the commander on how this happened.” Kirito then pushes the ‘yes’ button and makes the condition ‘First Strike’ in which a large ‘sign’ that says ‘Duel’ with the names and pictures of Kuradeel and Kirito appear with a sixty second timer that starts to count down.

Kuradeel draws a large two handed sword and he says, “Now, please step back ma’am. I’m going to show once and for all that I’m the only one able to protect you.”

Usagi thinks in her mind, “What a blowhard.” Kirito draws his sword, Elucidator, from its sheath as the crowd assembles, the two of them get into stances, and when the time hits zero, Kuradeel and Kirito attack each other with Kuradeel using Avalanche, a two handed Sword Skill, and Kirito attacks with Sonic Leap. As they strike at each other, Kuradeel smiles, thinking that he has won, but Kirito doesn’t strike Kuradeel himself, he strikes his sword at a certain point and they stop as the clash ends which has Kuradeel’s sword cut in half.

There are gasps and Kuradeel says, “I can’t believe it.” As the sheath of the sword shatters into data polygons, Usagi shakes her head.

Usagi thinks in her mind, “That’s what you get for choosing a sword with more style than substance, pal.”

Kirito puts his sword back in its sheath and he says, looking at Kuradeel, who has fallen to his knees in shock, “If you want to try again with another weapon, I’ll be glad to try you on or we can call it a day.” Kuradeel opens up his menu, materializes a dagger, and he charges at Kirito, who prepares to draw his sword to defend himself, but the dagger is knocked out of his hands by Usagi.

Kuradeel shouts out, “How dare you?”

Asuna then booms out, sternly, “Kuradeel!” Kuradeel winches as he looks at Asuna, who has a stern look in her eyes. Asuna tells Kuradeel, “You’ve already lost, Kuradeel.”

Kuradeel yells out, “I don’t know how, but he cheated somehow! You saw him destroy my sword! He used some kind of trick! There was no way that I could have lost to a pathetic beater like him!”

Usagi says, annoyed, “Hey, jerk! Don’t blame Kirito for breaking your pathetic sword!” Kuradeel glares at her and she says, “You are the one that chose such a stupid sword. There was no way that a sword like that is for combat. It is just for show! Kirito saw that and saw the weak point in which he attacked it! There is nothing cheating about that! You are just a sore loser! And you call yourself a member of the Knights of the Blood Oath, huh? That’s a disgrace!”

Asuna says, “In which I am liable to agree.”

Kuradeel says, shocked, “Ma’am…”

Asuna shouts out, sternly, “Don’t give me that Kuradeel! You are ordered to resign right now! Do it!”

Kuradeel growls, doesn’t say a word, and he says, “I resign.” Soon after, another prompt that shows Kirito as the winner of the duel appears.

Asuna tells Kuradeel, “Now, Kuradeel, as second in command, I am relieving you as your duties as my bodyguard. You are order to return to headquarters and await further orders in which we will be discussing your actions with the commander and the rest of the guild.”

Kuradeel says, shocked, “You can’t be serious.” Kuradeel glares at Kirito and Usagi with great rage making Usagi quite nervous and he slumps as he goes over to the teleport gate in which he says, “Teleport: Granzam.” He then vanishes a flash of blue light and Asuna faints into Kirito’s arms with a major sigh. As a cloaked figure vanishes from the crowd with a sinister smile, Asuna gets to her feet.

Usagi asks, “Long day, huh?”

Asuna responds, with a nod, “Yeah.” Asuna tells Kirito, “Sorry about getting you and Usagi into that mess.”

Kirito says, “It’s all right.”

Usagi asks, “Are you going to be okay?”

Asuna says, “Yeah. The guild is getting on my nerves. Maybe it is because I’m so focused on clearing the game or maybe I’m so demanding on the other guild members.”

Kirito tells Asuna, “I’m not sure if I can say this, since I’m a solo player, but would your guild have gotten as far if you did anything different?” Asuna looks at Kirito and he says, “Anyway, if you want to hang up with a ‘loser’ like me and a ‘Meatball Head’ like Usagi, who has the right to complain? In my opinion, no one has the right to complain.”

Asuna says, with a smile, “Wow. Thank you for the opinion on the subject. Okay, I’ll take a day off from the guild and you can play forward for Usagi and me today.”

Kirito asks, “Wait! Aren’t we supposed to take turns as forward?”

Asuna replies, with a sly smile, “Sorry, it is my day off, remember? And Usagi isn’t in our party, so, she gets to do what she wants.”

Kirito yells out, “Oh, come on!” Usagi and Asuna giggle at Kirito’s ‘displeasure’ as they prepare to head off into this floor’s dungeon.

October 18, 2024, Floor 74, Dungeon

Later on, inside of the Floor 74 Dungeon, Asuna and Kirito are facing off against a monster known as a Demonic Servant, a skeleton type monster with a sword and shield with it attempting a Horizontal Slash, but it fails in which Asuna gets an opening for fast strikes with her rapier including Linear which don’t do much damage, but they do well to cause a hesitation in the monster in which Kirito switches him and defeats the monster with a Horizontal Slash of his own.

After the battle is done and the experience and money are given out between them, Asuna says, “Good job.”

Kirito says, “You, too.”

Just then Usagi’s voice shouts out, “Kirito! Asuna!” Kirito and Asuna look to see Usagi coming towards them.

Asuna tells Usagi, “We’re done here, Usagi. How are you doing?”

Usagi responds, “Asuna, there is something that you and Kirito need to see.”

Kirito and Asuna become curious and Asuna asks, her eyes widen, “Usagi, did you…?”

Usagi nods her head and she says, “Yeah, I think so. Follow me.” Kirito and Asuna follow Usagi until they are in front of set of huge doors with creepy designs on it.

Kirito says, “You’re right, Usagi. You’ve found the boss room.”

Usagi says, with a sigh, “I wish that I didn’t. These doors are just so creepy.”

Asuna asks, “So, what should we do? Should we take a look?”

Kirito says, “We came all this way and besides, boss monsters don’t leave the rooms that they guard. I think that we will be okay if we take a peek.”

Usagi says, “I was afraid that you would say that Kirito.”

Asuna says, with a nod, “Okay.”

Kirito says, “Have a teleport crystal ready just in case.”

Usagi says, taking out a teleport crystal, “You know it, buster.” Asuna and Kirito also take out teleport crystals and all three of them have their weapons in their other hands in which they push open the doors and enter the room which is completely dark.

There doesn’t seem to be anything there and Kirito says, “There is nothing here.”

Kirito steps forward and Asuna asks, “Wait! What are you doing?”

Kirito says, “I’m going to take a closer look. Don’t worry, I won’t too far. We need to know what kind of boss that we are facing.”

Asuna says, “We know, but…” However, then the dark blue flames light up the room and a massive demonic monster is revealed dark blue skin, a tail resembling a cobra, and horns of a mountain goat with an equally massive Zanbato with glowing eyes in which the identification for this boss monster is ‘The Gleam Eyes’ with the distinctive ‘The’ in its name used for boss monsters and it has four health bars in which it give a mighty nightmarish roar in which Usagi, Kirito, and Asuna run away as fast as their legs can carrying them. Later on, within a safe area, Kirito, Asuna, and Usagi, with her hood down, are breathing heavily to recover their strength.

Usagi yells out, “That thing was frightening and frightening huge!”

Asuna says, “I know, Usagi. That one is going to be tough.”

Kirito says, “Yeah. He may have that one big sword, but he must have a ton of special attacks.”

Asuna says, “We are going to have to use tanks and keep switching to wear it down.”

Kirito says, “Yeah. It also wouldn’t hurt to have ten shield users.”

Asuna asks, suspiciously, “Shield users, huh?”

Kirito asks, “What’s wrong?”

Asuna says, “You are, Kirito. You are hiding something.”

Kirito becomes nervous and he asks, “What are you talking about?”

Asuna says, “The biggest advantage of using a one-handed sword is the ability to use a shield with it and as long as I have known you, you haven’t used one. I don’t use one since it would slow down my rapier and Usagi is similar to me in that regard with others not using them since they feel that it looks funny. And how come you aren’t using the sword that you commissioned from Liz? Very suspicious.”

Kirito becomes nervous and Usagi thinks in her mind, nervously, “I told you that this would bite you in the ass, Kirito.”

However, Asuna smiles and she says, “Well, whatever. It’s rude to ask people to justify their skills.” Kirito gives a sigh of relief and she says, going through her player menu, “Anyway, since it is so late, might as well have lunch here.”

Kirito asks, “Really? Did you make it yourself?”

Asuna says, with a smile, “Yep. But you had better take off your gloves before you eat.” Kirito does so and Asuna asks Usagi, “Care to join us?”

Usagi responds, with a smile while going through her player menu, “I’m okay, Asuna.” Usagi then goes through her player menu and produces two baskets with a lot of food in them in which Kirito and Asuna look at her in surprise causing her to ask, “What?! I’m a growing lady here!” Kirito and Asuna giggle at Usagi as she lowers her hood and starts to take out the food that’s in her baskets and starts to eat while Kirito eats the sandwich that Asuna gave her.

Kirito says, awe-struck, “Delicious.” Kirito asks Asuna, “How did you get it so good?”

Asuna says, “A whole year worth of study. Aincard has everything that you need and I got the favors right by getting right parameters in the favor recreation engine.”

Usagi says, with a smile, “Which she helped me do. If it wasn’t for her, I would be stuck with plain old NPC food all the time.”

Asuna says, with a smile, “No problem, Usagi.” Asuna then takes out two bottles in which she gives Kirito a sample to taste in which the first one was mayonnaise and the other, to his enjoyment, was soy sauce in which he sticks the finger containing liquid into his mouth causing Asuna to blush and quickly pull out her finger in which she blushes madly and she then can’t help to giggle at Kirito’s look of contentment.

Kirito says, “Amazing! You know you could make a mint on that!”

Asuna asks, “You think it’s that good?”

Kirito says, “Wait! But then there would be nothing for me!”

Asuna says, with a sigh, “My god. You are so greedy. If you like that much, I could make more.” Just then Usagi and Kirito sense players approaching in which she whips her hood back on to cover her face and puts her food back in her item storage in which they look to see none other than Klein and his guild, Fuurinkazan, come into the safe area.

Klein sees Kirito and he yells out, excitedly, “Hey, Kirito!”

Klein goes over and Kirito asks, “Hey, Klein. Still alive I see?”

Klein says, “Well, that’s a nice greeting. You are the same as ever.” When he notices Usagi, he says, “Hold up! You are a solo player, what are you…?” Klein then gasps when he sees Asuna and he became speechless.

Kirito says, “I thought that you met at one of the boss fights. This is Klein of the Fuurinkazan guild and this is Asuna of the Knights of the Blood Oath.”

Usagi waves her hand in front of Klein’s face and Usagi says, nervously, “I think that no one is home, Kirito.”

Klein stands at attention and he says, nervously, “Hi, I’m Klein… I’m twenty-four and single, ma’am… and I…” Kirito then bashes him in the waist and Usagi groans at this.

The other members shout out in unison, “Boss!”

Usagi thinks in her mind, “Oh, boy! Something tells me that he is the good natured, kind, and hopeless romantic type. Mina-chan would love to meet him.” The other members of Klein’s guild assemble around Kirito in a threatening manner.

But then they shout out in unison, “Oh, wow! You are really that Asuna!”

Usagi does an anime face fault and she thinks, “They got over that quick!” The members of Klein’s guild try a ‘meet and greet’ with Kirito holding them back.

Kirito says, nervously, “It’s okay. They are really great guys. But I don’t know about Klein…” Kirito then yelps as Klein stops his foot and he yells out, irritated, “What’s the big idea?!”

Klein says, “That’s payback you weasel.” Asuna giggles at this display and he asks, looking at Usagi, “And who is this person? From what I can tell, she is a girl all right.”

Kirito says, nervously, “Well, she’s Usagi and…”

One of Klein’s guild shouts out, “Holy shit! You are the ‘White Valkyrie’, aren’t you?!”

Usagi yelps nervously and Klein yells out, looking at Usagi, “What?! You’re shitting me!”

Usagi says, nervously, “That’s me.”

There are gasps and Klein shouts out, shaking Kirito by his coat collar, “What the fuck Kirito?! You are working with the ‘White Valkyrie?! Wait! You called her Usagi, didn’t you?! You know her real name?! You know the real name of the famous ‘White Valkyrie’ herself?! That’s like one of the greatest mysteries of Aincard!”

Usagi thinks in her mind, nervously, “That’s what I get for becoming so ‘famous’. Mina-chan would have a field day with this!”

Klein asks, “What’s the deal Kirito?”

Kirito responds, nervously, “Well, Usagi and I have been friends since early in the game…”

There are gasps from Klein and his guild and Klein shouts out, stunned, “Are you serious?! You are friends with her?! Dude, there are rumors that a few people know her true name, but it isn’t known that anyone has seen her face! Hey, wait! That means that you know what she looks like, don’t you?!” Kirito, Asuna, and Usagi become nervous, but then everyone hears footsteps in which everyone looks to see a group of grey armored soldiers coming up into the safe area.

Kirito says, “It’s an army.”

Klein says, “It’s the big guild that runs floor one.”

Asuna says, “They were slaughtered on floor twenty-five and ever since then, they have been trying to build up their numbers. I haven’t seen them in a while.”

When the troopers stop in the safe area, one of them, with a red sash one, says, “At ease!” The rest of them drop to the ground in exhaustion.

Usagi thinks in her mind, “They’re exhausted. They aren’t used to fighting in the front line areas.”

The trooper with the slash comes over and he says, “I’m with the Aincard Liberation Army. I’m Lieutenant-Colonel Kobatz.”

Usagi thinks in her mind, confused, “Army? I thought that it was a nickname.”

Kirito says, “Kirito. Solo.”

The leader of the armored soldiers, Kobatz, responds, “Sure, you are. Have you cleared the area up ahead?”

Kirito says, “Yeah. And we have a map leading to the boss room.”

Kobatz says, “Then hand over that map and we will be on our way.”

Klein yells out, “You want us to just give it to you? Do you know how much of a pain in the ass that mapping really is?”

Kobatz says, “We share our information and resources with civilian players all the time and we don’t charge a thing for it! We maintain order in this order so that all players can leave this world as quickly as possible! Therefore, it is your duty to cooperate with us! So, hand over that map!”

Usagi retorts, “When was that, pal?” When Kobatz looks at Usagi, he gains a sneer and she says, “That’s not what I have heard. From what I have heard, you are TAKING resources from ‘civilian players’ especially those that stayed in the Town of Beginnings and don’t level up out of the fear of dying. And if you want us to leave here, why haven’t you been on the front lines for about a year? Maybe it is your duty to work under us to make up for all the time that you wasted building up your power while leaving us to do the hard work.”

Kobatz shouts out, angrily, “How dare you?! I know who you are! And we wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for your fucking family! So, you have no right to talk to us in that manner and in my book, if anyone has to die, it should have been you!”

Asuna yells out, angrily, “That’s enough out of you!”

Klein says, putting his hand on his sword, “You have got some nerve to talk to a poor girl like that, asshole!”

Kirito holds up his hand and he says, “I was going to go public with the map when we got back to town anyway.”

As Kirito brings up his player menu, Klein says, “Seriously, Kirito? You are being way to nice.”

Kirito says, “I don’t care about making money about map data.” Kirito then transfers the map data to Kobatz.

Kobatz says, “Thanks for cooperating.”

He turns away and Kirito shouts out, “Hold it!” Kobatz turns back only to have Kirito’s sword inches from his face and deadly glare right at him.

Kirito asks, with a deadly glare, “However, if you dare to talk about any of my friend like that again, I won’t be so nice. Understood?” Kobatz gives a nervous look as Kirito puts his sword away and Kobatz just snorts as he returns to his troop. Kirito tells him, “By the way, if you are thinking of taking on the boss, I would think again.”

Kobatz retorts, with a firm tone, “That’s my decision to make.”

Kirito says, surprised, “Hey, pal! We took a look inside there and you can’t beat that thing if your troops are half dead! Look at them! They’re exhausted!”

Kobatz shouts out, strongly, “Nonsense! My men are tougher than that! They won’t quit until I say so!” Kobatz shouts out, “On your feet! Move!” The Army troopers groan as they struggle to their feet.

Usagi thinks in her mind, concerned, “That guy is going to his soldiers killed including himself.”

Klein asks, “Oh, man. Are they going to be okay?”
Asuna asks, “I’m sure that they will be all right. They won’t rush the boss without checking it out, right?”

Kirito says, “Maybe we should keep an eye on them anyway.” Usagi and the others look at Kirito, surprised, and he retorts, “I don’t know who is nicer: You or me?” As Kirito heads out with Klein’s guild following, Usagi and Asuna prepare to follow them.

Klein says, kindly, “Hold on.” When Usagi and Asuna stop, Klein says, “Anyway, Asuna, I got a favor to ask you and Usagi.”

Usagi responds, “Yes?”

Klein tells Usagi, “How close are you to Kirito?”

Usagi responds, “He is the first friend that I made here and that means a lot to me. I had a lot of friends back IRL and I miss them so much. It is for them and my family along with the man that I love that I became determined to survive and get out of here, but they are IRL and I’m trapped here. If it wasn’t for friends like Kirito and Asuna, I don’t know what kind of mental shape I would be in.”

Asuna says, with a smile, “No problem, Usagi.”

Klein says, “I see. Well, I’m not sure about you, but Kirito can be hard to talk to, he’s a loner, and addicted to combat.”

Usagi says, “That’s Kirito to a ‘K’, Klein-san.”

Klein says, with a smile, “Yeah, but he is a good guy. I hope that you and Asuna-san will take good care of him.”

Asuna says, with a smile, “Okay.”

Usagi says, “You don’t need to ask, Klein-san. He is like a brother to me.”

Klein says, “Thanks. Both of you.” Soon after, Asuna, Usagi, and Klein rush out to join with the others and later on, they are fighting a group of Lizardman Lords, but they are quickly defeated.

Usagi says, “You and your friends did great, Klein-san. I can see why you and your guild are among the best of the best.”

Klein says, with a grin, “You are quite good yourself. It’s no wonder you are called the ‘White Valkyrie’, Usagi-san.”

Usagi says, with a sigh, “I wish that you wouldn’t call me that, Klein-san.”

Klein says, “Anyway, that’s the last of them. The only thing left is the boss room. Maybe they used a teleport crystal or something to head back to base.” However, a male scream is then heard from up ahead.

Usagi says, “I really don’t think so, Klein-san!”

Kirito says, “Asuna! Usagi!” Asuna and Usagi nod their heads as they take off at top speed into the distance.

Klein says, “Hey!” However, the monsters are re-spawning causing Klein and his friends to get under guard to prepare to take care of them before they can follow Kirito, Asuna, and Usagi, who are racing to the boss room.

As they hear more horrific screams, Usagi thinks in his mind, “Why? Why? It’s insane!” The three of them see the door to the boss room open and they gasp to see a horror show in the worst form as The Gleam Eyes, only lost one of its four health bars, just pounds on the Army troops, who are missing two members, in which with one swing another goes down with critical damage to his HP.

Kirito shouts out, “Don’t just stand there! Use your teleport crystals!”

One of the Army troopers replies, “We can’t! The crystals aren’t working!”

Usagi, Asuna, and Kirito gasp and Usagi asks, shocked, “An anti-crystal zone? In a boss area?” Usagi thinks in her mind, horrified, “No! But that means… The two missing members…” She doesn’t want to believe it, but in her heart, she knows that they are dead and pain strikes in her heart as more good people are killed by her uncle’s death game once again.

Asuna says, “I’ve never heard of this trap being in a boss room before.”

Kirito remembers the horrors that befell the Moonlit Black Cats on the day of their demise and Kirito is brought out of his memories when Kobatz shouts out, “The Aincard Liberation Army doesn’t know the word ‘retreat’! Keep fighting!”

Usagi shouts out, horrified, “What?! Are you insane! Get out of there!”

Klein arrives on the scene and he asks, “What’s going on here?”

Klein gasps at the scene before him and Kirito says, “They can’t use their teleportation crystal! We could distract the boss, but going in there is too risky.”

Usagi says, “But we need to do something, Kirito! If we don’t do anything fast, they are going to get slaughtered! This will be a massacre!”

However, Kobatz shouts out, “Ready! Charge!”

The troops leap forward to attack and Kirito shouts out, horrified, “Don’t do it!”

Usagi shouts out, pleadingly, “No, stop!” The Gleam Eyes unleashes a breath attack that stops them and another assault sends the troopers into the ground in which it gives another swing causing Kobatz to fly through the air before landing in front of Usagi, Asuna, Kirito, and Klein with a sickening ‘thud’.

Kirito and Usagi run over to him and Kirito says, “Hey, hang on!” However, his helmet shatters in front of them, revealing his face, and Kirito gasps in horror.

Kobatz says, weakly, “I can’t believe it… impossible…” He then shatters into hundreds of data polygons signing his death and Usagi shakes her head in disbelief and horror while Asuna covers her mouth in horror.

Asuna says, weakly and horrified, “No…” There is another scream of horror and they look to see the boss monster looming another Army trooper preparing to slaughter him without mercy. Asuna says, “No… I can’t…” With tears in her eyes, Usagi is straining to restrain herself, but Asuna, unable to bare this horror any longer, screams out, drawing her rapier, “No!”

Kirito shouts out, “Asuna!” Kirito then sees Usagi whip out her sword and he yells out, “Usagi!”

Kirito rushes after them and Klein says, “Whatever happens, happens! What the fuck!” Asuna then strikes the back of The Gleam Eyes with a five strike Linear, but the boss monsters turns its attention to Asuna and Asuna barely spins out of the way of its blade, however, Asuna gets plastered in the face by its free hand turned into a fist, knocking her to the ground.

Usagi roars out, “Leave her alone!” The Gleam Eyes gets struck in the face by three knives from Usagi and it roars out in irritated more than pain while Usagi slashes at its feet with her blade and yelp as it tries to stomp her causing her to trip and fall to the ground on her bottom in which she has no time to relax as The Gleam Eyes brings down its blade on her. Usagi rolls out of the way and she yelps out, “A little help here!” Kirito comes in and manages to slash to its chest in which he leaps back.

Kirito screams out at Asuna, “Get back!” Asuna leaps out of the way while Klein and his guild struggle to get the weakened surviving Army troopers out of the boss room. The Gleam Eyes sees this and tries to attack, but a heavy strike from Kirito and another from Usagi stop him in his tracks. The Gleam Eyes then focuses his attention on Kirito and the two of them fight, but Kirito isn’t a stamina type and his health is starting to go down a significant rate.

Asuna yells out, “Get out of there!”

Klein shouts out, “Kirito!” Usagi then comes in with a slash to its back allowing Kirito to leap out of the way.

Kirito thinks in his mind, “The only way to end this if I use it, but…” Kirito then looks at Klein and Asuna as well as the Army troopers.

Usagi shouts out, “Kirito, use IT! I’m using mine!”

Kirito asks, stunned, “What?!”

Usagi shouts out, “Asuna! Klein-san! Please, give us ten seconds!”

Klein says, with a nod, “Okay! Got it!”

Asuna says, “Right, Usagi!”

(Sword Art Online music ‘Swordland’ starts)

As Klein and Asuna distract The Gleam Eyes, Usagi and Kirito activate their player menus and goes through the skills and equipment screens as quickly as they are able while Klein takes a significant hit and Asuna tries her best to distract the boss monster.

Usagi says, “Ready here!”

Kirito says, “Same here!”

Usagi says, “I’ll go first! Kirito, you follow me and we don’t have time to argue!” Usagi then rushes forward and she shouts out, “Asuna, switch out now!” Asuna leaps out of the way while another sheath with Usagi’s Elucidator sword appears attached to her right side in which she draws it with and into her free hand in which she slashes the chest of The Gleam Eyes twice causing it to stumble back. It recovers and Usagi blocks its massive blade with her two swords and manages to throw it back. Usagi shouts out, “Kirito, now!”

Kirito shouts out, “Switch, Usagi!” Usagi rolls out of the way while Kirito, welding his Elucidator in one hand and the sword that he had made by Lisbeth, Dark Repulser, jumps into the fray to take advantage of the opening made by Usagi.

“Starburst Stream!”

Kirito, using both swords at once, unleashes a powerful combo of slashes and cuts on The Gleam Eyes much to the shock of Asuna and Klein in which Klein asks, “What kind of technique is that?!”

As Kirito continues his assault on the boss monster, he thinks, “Faster! I’ve got to go faster!” Kirito continues to strike hard, but the monster strikes back hard with Kirito striking hard and fast with both swords in which the monster grabs one of Kirito’s swords with his free hand, but Kirito uses the other to impale The Gleam Eyes before it can strike him with its massive sword. Time seems to slow and stop for a moment, but then the boss monster shatters into data polygons to signify its defeat. Kirito asks, weakly, “Is it over?” Just then a large ‘Congratulations’ sign appear in the room and a screen showing the items, experience, and money that Kirito appears in front of his eyes, but he isn’t focused on that. He looks to see that he has just a few small bits of health before collapsing from pure exhaustion.

Usagi shouts out, shocked, “Kirito!”

Usagi and Asuna race over in which Asuna shouts out, concerned, “Kirito! Kirito, wake up! Kirito!” Kirito groans as he slowly wakes up and he goes into a sitting position.

Usagi tells Kirito, “Hey, don’t sit up so fast! I’m healing you, you crazy nut!”

Kirito notices that his health bar was at the half-way point, in which Kirito notes that Usagi is using her Medic skill to allow her Battle Healing to quickly enhance his own to recover his health quickly, and he asks, “Ow. My head. That was close. How long was I out?”

Asuna says, with tears in her eyes, “Just a few second. You crazy idiot!” Asuna hugs him and cries on his shoulder.
Kirito asks, with a kind smile, “Hey, easy. You will take the last of my HP, so, don’t hug me so hard, okay?”

Klein comes over and when Kirito looks at him, he says, solemnly, “Kobatz and two of his men didn’t make it.”

Kirito says, solemnly, “We haven’t lost anyone in a boss fight since floor sixty-seven.”

Klein says, solemnly, “That wasn’t a boss fight! That was suicide! What was Kobatz thinking? There is no point to this if you die!” Klein shakes out of his stupor and he says, “However, you, two, are so not out of this, buddy. What did you do just now?”

Usagi becomes nervous and she thinks, “Uh oh! We are majorly busted!”

Kirito says, “I don’t think that you want to know.”

Usagi tells Kirito, drolly, “Kirito… We’re busted.”

Klein says, “Big time, buddy! I’ve never seen anything like that!”

Kirito says, with a sigh, “It’s an extra skill that I picked up: Duel Welding.”

There are gasps and Klein asks, “Dude, are there prerequisites?”

Kirito says, with a smile, “If I knew that, I would have shared it by now.”

Usagi says, “We were hoping that someone else would develop the skill and we could find out, but no one did.”

Klein says, looking through a menu, “It’s not on the info broker’s skill list.” Klein says, with a grin, “Hey, you have got a unique skill! Way to stay on the down low, Kirito! How can you keep this from your buddies? I thought that we were tight!”

Kirito says, “About a year ago. I was going through my skill list and it was just there. Duel welding.”

Klein says, “But Usagi…”

Kirito says, “It’s not the same. Usagi has her own SECOND unique skill.”

Usagi says, with a sigh, “It’s called ‘mimic’.”

There are more gasps and Klein asks, shocked, “Mimic?! Whoa, wait a minute! Does that mean…?”

Usagi says, “It’s a powerful skill that allows me to replicate any and all sword skills of SAO even if they are Extra Skills or… even ‘unique skills’.”

There are more gasp and Klein says, stunned, “No fucking way!”

Kirito says, “Usagi got it the same time that I got my Duel Welding. Usagi’s second unique skill takes a lot of work to level up because the more skills that she replicates, the harder it is to level up her Mimic skill because she needed to master the skills that she replicated. And in fact, she needed the right swords like curved swords for curved sword skills or two-handed swords for two-handed sword skills, but later on, she is able to replicate many of the skills with just her own blades.”

Klein says, with a whistle, “That’s some skill.”

Kirito says, “Yeah, but if people found out that we have these skills…”

Klein says, with a nod of understanding, “I get what you are saying, buddy. They would get all jealous since you have a skill that they don’t. And it is worse for Usagi’s case with those asshole that stupidly still have something against her just because she is ‘his’ niece and her having this powerful skill will be just the fuel that they need to try to turn more players against her.”

Kirito says, with a nod, “If worse came to worse, make sure that only my Duel Welding skill got leaked out and make sure that Usagi’s skill stays out of the limelight.”

Usagi says, with a sigh, “Geez, Kirito…”

Klein says, “I’ll see what I can do, but with all the people here, I can’t be sure. You know that they are going to get pissed because you have an ultra-cool skill that they don’t have.” Klein then says, with a smirk, “And that.” Kirito gives a look of surprise and Klein says, “They say that your character is built by life’s challenges, so, keep soldiering youngster.”

Kirito says, with a sigh, “Easier than done.”

Usagi says, “No kidding.”

Klein asks, “We’re going to trigger the warp gate, are you coming?”

Kirito says, “Nah, I’ll catch up with you later.”

Usagi says, walking over, “I’ll come along. I need to clear my head.”

Klein says, with a nod, “I hear that, young lady. Anyway, Kirito, I think a good rest is in order for you. You had a big day.” Klein and his guild start to head out, but Klein stops and he asks, “You know how you went in there and rescued those army guys?”

Kirito asks, “Yeah?”

Klein says, with a slight nervous tone, “Well, I’m glad that you did. As I said before you and Usagi are among the only good ones in this messed up world.”

Usagi says, with a smile, “Thank you, Klein-san.” Usagi tells Kirito, with a sly tone, “We’ll leave you two lovebirds alone.” Kirito blushes at that in which Usagi, Klein, and the rest of Fuurinkazan guild take off to activate the gate on the next floor to allow the other players to use the teleport gate to get to that floor.

Kirito asks Asuna, “What’s wrong?”

Asuna says, “I was so scared. If you died, I didn’t know what I do.”

Kirito responds, “What are you talking about? You are the one that jumped in, remember?”

Asuna says, “I’m taking a leave of absence from the guild.”

Kirito replies, surprised, “Huh? Why? To sleep in all day?”

Asuna says, “Did you forget already? I said that I was teaming up with you.”

Kirito’s eyes widen and he says, “Okay.”

October 19, 2024, Floor 50, Algade

Inside of Algade, we are inside of the back area of Agil’s shop where Kirito and Usagi, with her hood down, are sitting down in front of a small table as Agil reads a report from the player ‘made’ newspaper.

Agil says, “A blue demon that wipes out a squad of army guys and a pair of duel welders that take it out with double combos totally over fifty hits, huh? I can’t believe what a big deal that they are making out of this thing.”

Usagi says, drolly, “Tell me about it, Agil.”

Kirito says, with a nod, “No kidding. It’s blowing up in our faces. A boat load of swordsman and info brokers arrived at my pad this morning. I need a new pad since they know where I live.”

Usagi responds, drolly, “You think that you’ve got it bad? Any town that I go to, I have to make sure that there are no players around since they’ll mob me! It’s a miracle that I got into this town much less here!”

Lisbeth walks up and she says, slyly, “That’s sort of your own fault. You said that it was going to be our little secret, but you went and blabbed it to everyone.”

Usagi replies, “Excuse me if I didn’t want a massacre on my conscious, Liz.”

Lisbeth says, “I’m just joking, Usagi.”

Usagi says, “There goes my chance of buying that sweet condo on floor twenty-two. At least this day can’t get any worse.”

Just then there are footsteps and they see Asuna enter the room in which she says, “Kirito, we have a problem.”

Kirito tells Usagi, “You just had to say that, huh?”

Usagi says, nervously, “Sorry.”

Kirito asks, “What’s the problem?”

When Asuna explains the situation, Usagi yells out, stunned, “Heathcliff refused to let you go unless Kirito duels him and wins?!”

Asuna says, “I tried to explain it to the commander, but I think that he misunderstood it as leaving the guild, not take a temporary leave of absence.”

Usagi thinks in her mind, suspiciously, “I don’t know about that, Asuna. He seems to be a pretty smart guy.”

Asuna says, “I’m really sorry, Kirito. I’ll try to clear up the misunderstanding.”

Kirito says, “I’ll come with you, Asuna.”

Asuna asks, “Are you sure?”

Kirito says, “Why not? Anyway, the big guy has taken some interest in me.”

Asuna says, nervously, “Well, it isn’t just you.”

Usagi tells Asuna, nervously, “Asuna, please don’t say it.”

Asuna says, nervously, “I had to fill in a report to the commander and I felt that he would be understanding. He said that he would keep it quiet, but he would like to meet with you. He only wants to duel Kirito, but he wants to meet with you.”

Usagi tells Asuna, “Don’t take this the wrong way, Asuna, but I can’t.”

Asuna responds, “Why?”

Usagi replies, “It’s complicated.”

Kirito says, “For some reason, Heathcliff brings back memories of someone and they are a bit painful for her.”

Usagi says, putting her hood back on, “Anyway, I’m heading back to the front lines.”

Lisbeth asks, “Why there?”

Usagi replies, drolly, “Where else can you escape from mob of players?”

Lisbeth says, with a nod, “Good point.”

Usagi tells Asuna, “Please, Asuna, tell him that you couldn’t find me, okay?”

Asuna says, with a nod, “Okay.”

Usagi tells Kirito, “By the way, Kirito, please don’t do anything crazy.”

Kirito says, “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Usagi.” Usagi smiles as she heads off, but in her mind, she feels that there are a new set of problems for her and Kirito in the near future.

And that’s the chapter, everyone! And soon, the grand finale of the Aincard arc will be on and you can expect a big fight at the end of the grand finale, however, that’s all you are going to get, folks! Anyway, I hope that this shows that this story will be an Asuna/Kirito AKA Asuna/Kazuto romance story in which Usagi/Serena and Kirito/Kazuto will be more like sister and brother and you will get a more ‘in-depth’ look while after the end of the Aincard arc, but that’s in the future, everyone. Read and review and later and best wishes, Crossover Fans!