Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Digimon Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction ❯ Sailor Moon Online: Gaiden ❯ Progressive and Digital Knights 3: Rivers of Contention ( Chapter 23 )

Well, here we are at the next story and since it is Christmas, I wanted to do a Christmas story which is why I’m doing this one. I’m also doing this as a ‘crossover’ between my Progressive stories with my Digital Knight stories because the Kirito, Asuna, and Usagi are going to be working together, a lot, with the Digital Knights, so, creating two sets of stories for them is…impractical. I hope that you like this ‘crossover thing’ that I’m doing for them on this floor of Aincrad, everyone. And Happy Holidays to you all! Now, before I start, I must give thanks and credit to Belletiger and Kanius as well as Kanius’ YuYuGiDigiMoon fanfiction series, especially his The Invasion of the Rajita story, for giving me permission to use the idea of Valkyrie Sailor Soldiers and everything that’s a part of them in my fanfiction. I would like to give thanks and credit to Kanius and his YuYuGiDigiMoon series, including this author’s Dawn of Chaos story, and LazerWulf for giving me permission to use the idea for their version of Sailor Charon, namely the fact that she is Sailor Pluto’s sister among other things. I would also like to give thanks and credit to Matty G91 and this author’s story of Kamen Rider Lunar for giving me permission to use Kamen Rider Lunar, his looks, and everything about him as well as the UNI-SHOCKER organization as well as the idea of Darth Revan Sammy Tsukino, the other alternate versions of said character, and the basic plot of this one-shot.

 

Now, with that out of the way, as they say on SAO: Link Start!

 

I DO NOT OWN Sailor Moon, Sword Art Online, Naruto, Accel World, Digimon series, Yu-Gi-Oh R/GX/5Ds/Zexal/Arc-V, Kingdom Hearts, Hyperdimensional Neptunia series, Gundam series, especially Gundam Build Fighters, Dead or Alive, Ninja Gaiden, Mortal Kombat, Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed, Maken-Ki, Tenchi Muyo series, Ronin Warriors, Pretty Cure, Queen’s Blade/Gate, Dragonball Z/GT, Star Trek series, Star Wars, Log Horizon, Sonic the Hedgehog, DC universe, Marvel universe, Assassin’s Creed, Senran Kagura, Sekirei, Monster Musume, Karin/Chibi Vampire, 12 Beast, Stargate series, One Piece, Final Fantasy, Rave Master, Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu, Avatar: The Last Airbender/Legend of Korra, Code Lyoko, Transformers, 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, Sword Art Online is owned/licensed by ASCII Media Works, A-1 Pictures Inc., and its various directors/publishers including Reki Kawahara and Tomohiko Itō, Naruto is owned/licensed by Masashi Kishimoto, Yuuto Date, Jump Comics, and Studio Pierrot, Digimon is owned/licensed by Toei Animation and its various directors, including Hiroyuki Kakudo, Yu-Gi-Oh is owned/licensed by Kazuki Takahashi, Toei Animation, and Studio Gallop, Yu-Gi-Oh GX is owned/licensed by Naoyuki Kageyama, Studio Gallop and its various directors, Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds is owned/licensed by Katsumi Ono and Studio Gallop, 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 Itō!

 

Warning: These stories may and will contain mature level intense violence, blood, 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 these series of stories!

 

Prelude: A castle of stone and metal floating in the sky that consist of one hundred floors. Within this massive structure, there are countless cities, villages, towns, forests, plains, lakes, and whatever you can imagine. There is only one staircase that connects one floor with another and these staircases are located within dangerous mazes filled with monsters. The players with navigate through these floors to the top with nothing than the weapons in their hands. And yes, I said players.

 

This is the world of Aincrad, a floating castle in a virtual sky, and yes, I said VIRTUAL sky. This world and this floating castle world are in a realm made of digital information…the world of Sword Art Online. A world that was supposed to be game, but because a nightmare prison when its creator, Akihiko Kayaba, trapped the ten thousand players within this virtual world and if they die here, they will die in real life. The ten thousand players struggle in this ‘game death’ to reach the top of the floating castle where the final boss and the key to their freedom waits.

 

You may know this story and the stories that come after it, but do you know all of the stories? All of the tales that happened within the floating castle? What about the tales that happened after the floating castle was conquered? There are stories connected to the ‘tale’ of this floating castle, its ‘history’, and its ‘aftermath’, but they weren’t told…until now. These are those stories…

 

Sailor Moon Online: Gaiden

 

Story 23: Progressive and Digital Knights 3: Rivers of Contention

 

December 21, 2022, SAO/Aincrad, Fourth Floor Entrance

 

Right now, in SAO, we find nine members of our ‘top players’ group, the ‘front runners’, in the form of Kirito, Asuna, Usagi, our Moon Princess, niece of the creator of this ‘death game’, and currently, becoming the famous ‘White Swordswoman’ of SAO, with the half-a-dozen members of the Digital Knights, the third player guild of Aincrad, in the form of Taichi, Yamato, Sam, Miyako, Takeru, and Junpier. They are in front of the front door leading the fourth floor of Aincrad, which is the highest floor that have floating virtual castle world that they have gotten to so far in over a month since this horrid nightmare began.

 

Asuna tells Kirito, “So, how long are you going to stand there? You’ve spent enough time examining the carved relief on the door.”

 

Usagi asks Kirito, “Is something wrong, Kirito?”

 

Taichi asks, curiously, “What’s so weird about this door?”

 

Kirito replies, “It is the picture on the door.” Everyone looks at the relief carved into the door where they see it is a traveler rowing a small boat that looked like a gondola.

 

Miyako says, with a shrug, “Yeah, so? It is some guy rowing a boat in a river.”

 

Kirito says, “Yeah, but back in the beta, this wasn’t the relief on the door.”

 

Takeru asks, curiously, “Huh?”

 

Kirito says, “In the beta, the door was a traveler wandering through a desert canyon. But in this one, the person is on a boat.”

 

Usagi thinks in her mind, nervously, “Uh oh.”

 

Sam asks Kirito, “Kirito, was the fourth floor in the beta like a desert?”

Kirito says, with a nod, “Exactly. It was a crisscrossing web of canyons that were sandy at the bottom and you had no choice, but to travel through those canyons with the sand making it hard to walk.”

 

Usagi says, “I remember the doors the previous floor having carving similar to what we found on those floors. There was a bull-head on the door to the second floor and there were two knights dueling under a massive tree on the door to the third floor.”

 

Yamato says, “That means that every door tells the ‘theme’ of the floor that we would be going up to.”

 

Taichi says, “That means that since the door has a person on a boat, it means…” Soon enough, the group goes to the door and opens it in which a bright light fills their vision causing them to squint from the light. When their eyes finished adjusting to the light, they find that the pavilion that was the exit from those coming from the third floor boss room leads into a steep hill fills with lush greenery with a single tree on the hill, which is ninety feet across, was surrounded by canyon cliffs all around with much of it filled with water making the hill a small island.

 

Asuna tells Kirito, “Well, that’s that.”

 

Junpier says, amazed, “Wow.”

 

Takeru says, with a nod, “That’s one way of putting it.”

 

On the meanwhile, Kirito was looking at the scenery until Asuna asks, jabbing Kirito in the elbow, “So, how long are you going to stand there?”

 

Kirito snaps out of his thoughts and he says, nervously, “Sorry, my bad, I was spacing out.”

 

Asuna says, “I wasn’t asking for an apology, but there are plenty of people waiting for us reaching the main city and activate the teleporter.”

 

Kirito says, “Oh, right. We should inform Argo that we defeated the boss.”

 

Usagi says, “I already did that Kirito.”

 

Kirito asks, surprised, “Really?”

 

Asuna asks, with a smile, “She already contacted her while you were off in la-la land. Now, let’s get going to the main city. Whether there’s water or not, the route is still the same as before, right?”

 

Kirito says, nervously, “Well…I think so…”

 

Asuna says, with a smile, “Then lead the way!”

 

Usagi tells Asuna, “Asuna, I don’t think that it is that simple.”

 

Asuna asks, curiously, “Why?”

 

Miyako says, pointing to the water, “That water should be a clue. Look at it.”

 

Junpier says, “We can’t get to the other side like this.”

 

Kirito says, “No kidding. In fact, I don’t think that there is another side. In the beta, these canyons were the only way to get to the towns and dungeons on the floor. Now, if they are filled with water, then all of the canyons are filled with water.”

 

Taichi says, “That means that there is no path to follow.”

 

Kirito says, “Exactly.”

 

Sam tells Kirito, “And if this floor has so radically changed, it may mean that your knowledge of what it was during the beta test may be useless. Sorry.”

 

Kirito says, shaking his head, “No, Sam. To be honest, the instant that I saw this, I was starting to feel the same way.”

 

Asuna asks, looking at the cliffs, “What’s it like on top of those cliffs?”

 

Kirito replies, “Don’t know. Nobody was able to climb it in the beta.”

 

Asuna asks, “So, it’s basically a system-designed barrier?”

 

Kirito says, shaking his head, “Not explicitly, but the rock was too fragile. Everyone fell down part way…even me. And once you feel from above the halfway point, pretty much every landing was fatal.”

 

Asuna says, “That sounds too dangerous to test right now even the landing below is water right now.”

 

Sam says, with a nod of his head, “Agreed, Asuna. Even if the landing isn’t as bad as in solid ground, hitting water from a great height…is just plain bad.”

 

Asuna says, “Then I suppose our only option is to swim the river.”

 

Usagi says, “That might be complicated, Asuna.”

 

Asuna asks Usagi, “How so?”

 

Usagi responds, “Swimming in VR is different than IRL. I’m not sure that the same rules apply in SAO, but I know for a fact that if your head goes under the water, you don’t exactly drown…Well, the way that you do IRL. If you aren’t holding your breath and your head is below the waterline, your HP begins to drop and if you don’t emerge before your HP hits zero…”

 

Takeru says, with a plain tone and nod of understanding, “Game over in the worst way.”

 

Kirito says, “Bingo, she is right. Swimming in SAO is much different than in IRL.”

 

Asuna says, “That means that it is going to take practice.” Asuna asks the others, “Did any of you had practice?”

 

Kirito says, “I do. And with learning how to swim, here, it depends on the person. It took me over an hour and that was in shallows just three feet deep. It’s too dangerous to practice in a deep, rushing river like this.”

 

Junpier says, with a nod, “No joke.”

 

Asuna says, wit ha sigh, “I see. In that case, we should go back to an earlier floor and find a safe practice, I suppose.”

 

Usagi says, “Hold on, Asuna. I don’t think that the designers would make the change without making a solution for us to get from here to the next town.”

 

Taichi says, “I have to agree with her. Of course, they also didn’t design it to trap the players in the game itself.”

 

Usagi says, changing the subject, “Anyway, there should be a way to get off this island.”

 

Yamato says, “Let’s start looking around.” However, Kirito is focused on the tree and when he had a good look at the tree, he heads off to the tree.

 

Asuna asks, curiously when seeing Kirito head for the tree, “Hey, where are you going?” Everyone focuses on Kirito and seeing him go to the tree, the rest of the group follow him to the tree.

 

Usagi asks, curiously, “What’s up, Kirito?”

 

Kirito says, pointing up to the tree, “That’s what’s up.” When everyone looks up to the tree, they find that it is growing fruit of various colors, but the fruit was unusual in that the fruit was circular with a hole in the middle making them ‘donut-shaped’.

 

Asuna says, “They look tasty, but this isn’t the time to be enjoying a snack, Kirito.”

 

Sam says, “I’m not sure that fruit is for eating.”

 

Miyako says, “Yeah. What kind of fruit looks like a donut? That’s just plain weird.”

 

Takeru says, with a slight nervous smile, “Well, this is SAO.”

 

Yamato says, “You have a point, little bro. However, I think that Sam and Miyako also have a point.”

 

Juniper asks, “So, if they aren’t for eating, then what are they there for?”

 

Kirito says, “Let’s knock down a few to find out.” Kirito then attempts to get the branches the shake, but the tree wouldn’t budge an inch.

 

Taichi says, “Dude, I don’t think a tree would shake so easily VR.”

 

Miyako says, “Maybe we could knock it down with a throwing weapon.”

 

Sam says, “That would be a good idea…if we had a Throwing Knives skill.”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “We could throw rocks, but without the skill that you mentioned, we may not be able to hit it.”

 

Asuna asks, curiously, “Is it really that important?”

 

Usagi tells Asuna, “Asuna, why would you have a fruit tree on an ‘island’ along a river that you can’t cross in ‘game world’?”

 

Sam says, with a nod, “She’s right, Asuna-san. Everything in MMO games has a purpose, even if it is just as ‘scenery’, but stuff like this, ‘stuff’ you can interact with, usually has a ‘purpose’ in something ‘out of place’.”

 

Junpier says, nodding her head, “No joke. Even I know that.”

 

Taichi says, “Through we can’t find that out if we can’t get at those items.”

 

Kirito says, annoyed, “Damn it! If I only had three…five skill slots!” Kirito then balls his fist back in frustration, but unexpectedly, he uses Flash Blow, Martial Arts Skill combo, with his fist glowing red as he strikes the tree causing it to rattle causing several of the donut-like fruit to fall in which Usagi manages to catch it.

 

Miyako says, amazed, “Whoa!”

 

Junpier asks, confused, “What the?!”

 

Usagi says, amazed, “It worked!”

 

Kirito says, “I guess that it takes an impact style skill to knock them down.”

 

Asuna says, with a sigh, “Yeah, it turned out all right, but what if you broken the tree in half? We’re part of the Dark Elf team, so we have to respect nature.”

 

Kirito says, nervously, “Of course. Sorry.”

 

Takeru asks, curiously, “What was that?”

 

Kirito, Asuna, and Usagi get nervous and Miyako says, “That was obviously a skill! Your fist glowed red! Don’t deny it!”

 

Kirito says, nervously, “Well…”

 

Sam asks, nervously, “It must be some kind of Martial Arts skill, isn’t it?”

 

Kirito, Usagi, and Asuna yelp and Asuna asks, nervously, “How did you know that?”

 

Sam responds, with a sly smile, “Some kind of ‘special attacks’ when a player doesn’t use weapons is a classic staple in plenty of RPG games and fighting games in which you just told me, Asuna-san.”

 

Asuna gives a nervous sweat drop and Usagi thinks in her mind, nervously, “We are so busted.”

 

Miyako asks, amazed, “How did you get a skill like that?”

 

Usagi says, a bit nervously, “Right now, we should focus on getting across to the other side.” Usagi throws Kirito the three donut-like fruit and she then uses her own Flash Blow to knock down enough of the fruit for the Digital Knights.

 

Taichi says, “I have to agree. At this time, there are people waiting for us to open the gate in the main town on this floor. It may open automatically after a time that the boss was beaten, but keeping players waiting too long won’t get you in their good graces.”

 

Yamato says, with a nod, “Good point. Let’s focus on getting across this river.”

 

Usagi asks Kirito, “So, how is this fruit supposed to help, Kirito?”

 

Kirito says, “I don’t think that this is fruit at all. Or at least, fruit that you are supposed to eat.” Kirito throws Usagi two of the fruits in which he keeps a blue shaped one and he brings a blue colored one to his mouth with Asuna making a look that says ‘I knew you were going to eat’. However, Kirito shoots her a warning look and then puts the so-called fruit’s stem in his mouth in which he blows causing the ‘fruit’ to ‘blow up’ into a larger size making it look like an inner tube.

 

Miyako says, stunned, “No way!”

 

Asuna asks, amazed, “You mean…an inner tube?”

 

Takeru says, “Looks that way.” Soon enough, the others blow into the ‘stems’ of the other ‘fruit’ and nine multi-colored inner tubes are in their hands.

 

Taichi says, with a grin, “Okay! We’re getting somewhere now!”

 

Junpier says, with a nod, “Yep!”

 

Asuna says, with a sigh, “Good grief! I don’t know what’s going on here.”

 

Kirito responds, jokingly, “You donut know.” Asuna glares at Kirito and everyone else just shakes their heads.

 

Takeru says, plainly, “Bad.”

 

Yamato says, “If you were in a comedy routine, you would be yanked off the stage immediately.”

 

Kirito says, sarcastically, “Thanks a lot.” Soon after, Kirito creates a blank scroll of parchment and writes down how you use an impact skill to knock it down. Kirito laves the scroll, rolled up, on the ground and while its durability will decrease, Kirito knows that it will last long enough for everyone else from the boss fight to find it and know how to get the inner tube fruit.

 

Junpier says, “Now that we’ve got these, we can get going.”

 

Asuna asks, “How can you be so sure?”

 

Sam says, with a smile, “They wouldn’t put these here unless they can help.”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “That’s right. As long as your head doesn’t go underwater, you won’t lose HP while swimming. We can use this to get the main town by going through the canyon just to the south and east. However…”

 

Asuna asks, curiously, “Is what?”

 

Taichi says, pointing to his outfit, “This. In this world, leather and cloth are just as a bad as metal. Like on the ‘other side’, they take on water and here, they cause us to get a weight penalty. And moving around in water with a weight penalty will be a real pain in the butt.”

 

Usagi says, holding her inner tube, “Plus, we can’t be sure that these have some kind of ‘weight limit’ on them. I’m pretty sure that we would be just fine. Personally, I think that you would have to be a knight decked out in plate armor to make this sink, but then again, you can’t be certain in this place…”

 

Miyako says, with a nod, “No joke, girlfriend.”

 

Asuna says, a blush forming on her avatar’s cheeks, “That means that we have to…”

 

Usagi says, nervously since she knows why Asuna is blushing, “Basically, yeah.” Usagi says, with a sigh, “I guess that I’ll have to change into my swimsuit.”

 

Kirito and Asuna gain confused looks and Kirito asks, “Swimsuit?”

 

Miyako gets excited and she asks, “Oh, you found THAT place?”

 

Asuna asks, curiously, “THAT place?”

 

Junpier says, with a smile, “We found a store on the first floor that sells swimsuits at the towns nearest the lake on the northeastern part of the first floor.”

 

Kirito and Asuna gives look of shock and Asuna asks, amazed, “Really?”

 

Asuna looks at Usagi and Usagi responds, nervously, “Um, you never asked?”

 

Taichi says, with a smile, “They sell men’s and women’s swimsuits in which we had to buy to handle a few quests near the lake.”

 

Miyako says, excitedly, “They have a piece of swimsuit equipment that gives out a boost in stats that help in swimming.”

 

Kirito asks, surprised, “Really?”

 

Junpier says, with a smile, “Yeah, but it is quite expensive.”

 

When Junpier gives out the price of that certain swimsuit, Asuna says, “I can so afford that!”

 

Usagi says, a bit nervously, “I…have a spare.”

 

Asuna asks Usagi, excitedly, “You do?!”

 

Usagi says, nervously, “Yeah…”

 

Asuna asks, curiously since she hears Usagi’s nervous tone, “What is it?”

 

Miyako says, nervously, “Well…”

 

Junpier says, with a sly smile, “Just show her.” Usagi brings out her menu and then produces a form fitting white and red bikini causing both Asuna and Kirito to blush.

 

Kirito asks, nervously, “Is that…?”

 

Miyako says, with a nod, “Yep. All of those ‘special swimsuits’ are bikinis for us, girls.”

 

Junpier says, “They are ‘form fitting’ through not risqué.”

 

Asuna asks, blushing and a bit nervous in her tone, “Don’t you have anything else?”

 

Usagi says, nervously, “Well, no…I brought these because of…the bonus…”

 

Kirito says, adverting his head slightly away, “Well, I don’t exactly blame you. If it help you in swimming, you should get it.” Asuna gives Kirito a slight annoyed look, but she sighs and looks at Usagi solemnly.

 

Asuna says, “Okay.”

 

Usagi tells Asuna, “You don’t have to wear it, Asuna.”

 

Asuna tells Usagi, “I know, but you know about this stuff better than I do and I would be an idiot not to take your knowledge seriously. Plus, I know that you were thinking practically.”

 

Usagi says, with a smile, “Yep!” As Asuna prepares to reach for it, Usagi tells Asuna, “Whoa! Hold on! I have to transfer it to you or you won’t be able to equip it for a while since its ownership rights will still be mine for a bit even through it isn’t equipped to me.”

 

Asuna says, with a nod, “Oh, okay.” Usagi puts the bikini back into her in-game inventory and brings out a trade menu in which she ‘transfers’ the swimsuit to Asuna.

 

Just then Junpier and Miyako start to ‘escort’ Asuna away and Junpier says, excitedly, “Okay, girlfriend! Time to get changed!”

 

Asuna says, surprised, “Whoa! Wait!”

 

Miyako tells Asuna, “No, you don’t! Let’s go!” Miyako glares at the males of the group with a stern look and shouts out, “And don’t you dare peek!”

 

Taichi says, annoyed, “Hey!”

 

Junpier tells Usagi, “Hey, come on!”

 

Usagi says, nervously, “I…I’ll change back down the stairs.” Usagi then runs off back into the entranceway of the floor from the third floor boss chamber and disappears out of sight.

 

Miyako says, a bit nervously, “Okay…” Junpier and Miyako then shrug as they ‘escort’ Asuna out of sight as they prepare to change into their swimsuits.

 

Taichi says, with a grin, “Well, we had better do the same.”

 

Takeru says, “Right.”

 

Kirito says, “Well, I don’t have one.”

 

Yamato says, nervously, “Sorry, bro, but we don’t have a spare.”

 

Kirito says, as he walks over to the stairway, “Don’t worry. I’ll think of something.”

 

Taichi asks, curiously, “Where are you going?”

 

Kirito says, with a nervous smile, “I need some privacy too.” Kirito then runs over to ‘hide’ in the shadow of the ‘outhouse’ that serves of the exit of stairway that leads from the third floor boss room to this floor. Taichi, Yamato, Sam, and Takeru look at each other, shrug, and change their avatar’s ‘clothing/equipment’ into what look like men’s swim trunks.

 

As they are doing so, Asuna’s voice booms out, “Can you look away as I change?”

 

Junpier’s voice booms out, slyly, “Geez, what’s the problem? We’re all girls here. So, come on or do I have to do it for you?”

 

Asuna’s voice yelps out, nervously, “You can’t do that! I’m the only one that can change my equipment!”

 

Junpier’s voice booms out, slyly, “I don’t know. I may not see what’s on your menu, but I may have a good idea!”

 

Miyako’s voice booms out, annoyed, “Cut it out, Junpier!”

 

Takeru says, with a grin, “That’s Davis’ sister for you.”

 

Taichi says, with a smirk, “You said it, but don’t let her hear you.”

 

Yamato says, with a nod, “No joke.” Soon after, they hear footsteps where the young men see Usagi, still wearing her classic white hooded cloak, but they can see that her lower legs and feet are bare, causing a round of confused looks from the guys.

 

Taichi asks, curiously, “Hey, why are you still wearing that?”

 

Usagi says, nervously, “Well…”

 

Takeru says, “We know that you want to keep your face a secret, so, nobody will grill others to finding out what you look like and all, but even without anything else on, wouldn’t that big cloak be a worry when you get it wet.”

 

Usagi says, “Actually, I found that my cloak came with a few specific quests to upgrade it in which I found and completed a water resistant upgrade quest just a while ago.”

 

The male members of the Digital Knights give looks of shock and Kirito’s voice booms, “Really?” Everyone looks to see Kirito, wearing only a pair of red boxers that kind of look like swim trunks, walking into the open and carrying his inner tube.

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “Yes. My cloak won’t absorb water or at least, absorb water as quickly as other leather armor and clothing equipment does.”

 

Yamato says, nodding his head in understanding, “Nice for a rainy day.”

 

Usagi thinks in her mind, “Among other things.” Just then they hear stifled giggle and everyone looks to see Asuna, Miyako, and Junpier coming out with Miyako wearing a violet colored bikini, Junpier wearing a fiery red and pink bikini, and Asuna wearing the one that was provided by Usagi where they find that Asuna looked like she was about to ‘explode’ with laughter with her hand over her mouth. Asuna then bursts out laughing at Kirito causing plenty of the others to feel confused at why Asuna is laughing at Kirito.

 

Taichi asks, “What’s so funny?”

 

Usagi says, “That’s not nice, Asuna.” Junpier and Miyako look like they were holding in their laugher and Kirito turns around to face Asuna in which Usagi and the others can see WHY Asuna is laughing at Kirito.

 

Takeru says, nervously, “Kirito, I think we know why she is laughing.”

 

Kirito asks, looking at Takeru, “Why?”

 

Yamato says, “It might have to do with the large flashy golden bull’s head printed on the back of your ‘trunks’.”

 

Kirito yells out, flabbergasted, “What?!” Kirito tries to look behind him, but he can’t see the ‘rear end’ area of his avatar in which Kirito uses the water as mirror causing Kirito to get an exasperated look at he finds the reason that Asuna was laughing at him.

 

As Asuna calms down, Taichi asks, “Dude, where did you get those boxers?”

 

Kirito says, with a sigh, “This is one of the Last Attack bonus from General Baran. I just assumed it was a plain design. I didn’t think THAT would be on the ass…”

 

Sam asks Kirito, “That means that it has an effect doesn’t it?”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “It gives a good boost to strength with a bit of resistance to debuffs like disease and curses.”

 

Takeru whistles and he says, “Pretty good. It almost makes up for that. Almost.”

 

Kirito says, sarcastically, “Thanks a lot.”

 

Asuna says, “You know, it is dreadful boring that you win all of the LA bonuses, but I’m glad I didn’t wind up with that underwear. I don’t want to have to choose between wearing a stupid cow-print man’s boxers for the bonus effect or not.”

 

Usagi tells Asuna, a bit nervously, “Well, Asuna, you wouldn’t get them if you won that LA bonus.”

 

Asuna looks at Usagi and Junpier says, “Yeah, it is the kind of thing that they make sure that the item is ‘adapted’ based on the gender of the owner. If it was you that won it, it would have been a pair of panties with that stupid cow print on it.”

 

Asuna asks, shocked, “Seriously?!”

 

Miyako says, with a nod, “I would bet money on it. All those that are involved in these type of games make sure to get the details right. Through it makes me wonder if they have too much time on their hands or something…”

 

Asuna says, “Now, I’m really glad that I didn’t get THAT LA bonus.”

 

Miyako says, with a grin, “I’ll bet.”

 

Taichi says, “Anyway, we should get going.” Everyone else nods their heads in agreement and they put their inner tubes around their waists with them starting to test the water of the river.

 

Asuna asks, “Didn’t you say that some floors of Aincrad are synced up to the actual season outside?”

 

Kirito says, “That’s what it said in the magazine…”

 

Usagi says, adding in, “And I heard that they planned to do during visits to Argus that I made beforehand.”

 

Sam says, “However, those were obviously before this situation started.”

 

Asuna says, “Well, at the very least, this floor doesn’t seem to be stuck in midwinter. I was thinking it was boring that there wasn’t a more seasonal feeling here, but now, I’m glad of it.”

 

Kirito says, “Hang on for a moment while I test it out.” Kirito stuck his right leg in the water and once he was sure that current was too strong, he let his body sink in and the inner tube kept his upper body above water.

 

Miyako says, excitedly, “It works!”

 

Taichi asks, “Well, what are we waiting for?” Everyone else soon gets into the water and all of them are floating on the water due to the inner tubes.

 

Asuna says, amazed, “Wow! This takes me back!”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “I’ll say.”

 

Takeru says, “It would be nicer to swim at a beach.”

 

Junpier says, “Maybe there is a beach here. Based on what Kirito said, this place is WAY different than in the beta.”

 

Asuna says, with a smile, “That would be great! I could make some nicer swimsuits if we find one.”

 

Kirito asks, “That’s right. You are working on your Tailoring skill. Could you make me a pair of swim trunks WITHOUT the bull design? I mean, as soon as we get to town?”

 

Asuna replies, slyly, “Sure, I’ll even give you a choice between bear, cat, and frog designs.”

 

Kirito says, nervously, “I’ll…think it over.”

 

Usagi thinks in her mind, nervously, “What did Kirito do to Asuna now?” The nine players then start to head off with Kirito, Asuna, and Usagi together while the Digital Knights remain together.

 

Asuna says, “Something feels weird.”

 

Kirito says, “The water pressure and texture feel different, doesn’t it? That’s why you have to practice before you go swimming without a floatation device. Still, it feels like they’ve made a lot of improvements since the beta.”

 

Asuna says, “I see. This does require practice. I can tell.”

 

Taichi says, “You’ll get used to it.”

 

Sam says, “We had a few quests at the lake on the first floor through this is going to be different.”

 

As they approach the exit, Takeru says, “We’re coming to the exit. Let’s try to stay together.” Immediately, the Digital Knights grab onto each other’s tubes to keep themselves together.

 

Usagi asks, curiously, “Should we do the same?” Usagi and Kirito look at Asuna and she nods her head in which Usagi puts her hand in Kirito’s tube and then puts her hand in Asuna’s tube with both of them putting a hand inside of Usagi’s tube.

 

Taichi says, “Okay! Here we go!” Soon enough, all of them head off into the river and they are swept off in which they steer themselves into the center of the river.

 

Junpier says, excitedly, “Oh, wow! This is awesome!”

 

Kirito says, “It may look different, but the landscape is really a lot like it was in the beta. I even remember that rock over there.”

 

Usagi says, “It must have been really plain. The squirt never really talked about this floor.”

 

Kirito says, “Believe me, back in the beta, there was nothing to talk about on this floor.”

 

Asuna asks, “Why is this place the way that it is now?”

 

Kirito responds, “Well, if I had to guess about things that I have no way of knowing…”

 

Usagi tells Kirito, interrupting, “An educated guess, Kirito.”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “You have a point, Usagi.” Kirito clears his avatar’s throat and he says, “Anyway, I’m guessing that their water simulation process wasn’t quite up to snuff back during the beta.”

 

Usagi asks Kirito, “Was the feeling of water different in the beta?”

 

Kirito says, with a plain tone, “Actually, I do feel a difference. So, it wouldn’t be surprising that this kind of change that they would change this floor to rivers during the months between the start of official game and the beta…”

 

Asuna says, annoyed, “While it makes sense, it is a boring answer.”

 

Kirito says, nervously, “Sorry.” Asuna gives a shrug of his shoulders while Kirito does his best not to look at Asuna due to her current ‘equipment’. Kirito then notices that despite getting splashed A LOT, Usagi’s cloak hardly looks soaked and he says, “Man! That ‘water resistance’ enhancement has really made your cloak really hydrophobic.”

 

Usagi asks, curiously, “Hydro-what?”

 

Asuna responds, “Water repentant, Usagi.”

 

Usagi asks, “If this floor is different than it was in the beta, shouldn’t there be other things changed like quests, materials that you can gather, and the enemies that we face?”

 

Kirito says, realizing what Usagi is implying, “Oh, we’re fine. In the beta, there were hardly any monsters along the route from the staircases to the main city of the next floor and besides, the spawn rate of monsters is greatly reduced in thirty minutes after a boss has been beaten…”

 

Asuna retorts, “Drastically, huh? Well, it has been thirty minutes since we got here.”

 

Kirito says, “Good point. But so far, we haven’t seen a single fish much less any monsters. I guess that might mean a really big one gobbled them all up.” However, after Kirito says this, everyone fears an irregular ‘kerplunk’ sound and they look towards the source to see, around ten yards away, a smooth and sleek triangular fin emerging from the water in which they see a color cursor and it is red, indicating an enemy monster.

 

The nine players become nervous and Takeru asks, “Does anyone know why I’m hearing certain ominous music from the American movie ‘Jaws’ in my head?”

 

Yamato says, nervously, “You aren’t the only one, bro.”

 

Miyako asks, nervously, “You know, shouldn’t we…you know…?”

 

Kirito says, “Everyone…on the count of three…”

 

Usagi yells out, “Starting counting!”

 

Kirito says, nervously, “Okay! One…two…THREE!!!” Immediately, the two groups of nine players, one group of three and the other group of half-a-dozen, paddle as quickly as they could.

 

Junpier yells out, “Where are we going?!”

 

Kirito yells out, “Follow us!” Kirito tells Asuna and Usagi, “Hang on!”

 

Usagi says, nervously, “We’re hanging! We’re hanging!” All nine players continue to race along with the Digital Knights following Kirito, Usagi, and Asuna with Kirito steering the three of them along in which Kirito yelps as he spots the same fin just a dozen feet away from them.

 

Asuna asks, nervously, “What’s going on behind us?”

 

Kirito responds, “Don’t look back! Just pushing forward!” They continue on until they are near a small shoreline in which Kirito gives a mighty shout as all nine players raced for shore in which when they touch the sand, all of them tumble onto the shore before they get up on their feet and run for some paces before they turn back to see what’s behind them causing them to gain flabbergasted looks on their faces.

 

Asuna asks, confused and surprised, “Huh?”

 

Yamato asks, in the same tone as Asuna, “What the heck?!” Beneath the splendid and menacing fin was just a pop-eyed tadpole-like creature just a few inches across and a foot and half long in which said ‘fish’ was flopping around the same since its fin made it unable to balance properly on shore. Just then they hear a roar of anger and everyone looks to see Junpier, with her mace that she somehow got of her inventory very quickly and equipped on herself, in which she has a dangerous look in her eyes.

 

Junpier asks, with a dangerous sly smile, “Anyone ready for sushi?” The monster, somehow understanding Junpier or Junpier’s intent, ran away and back into the water causing the others to look at Junpier, nervously, before taking one long step backwards from her. Junpier notices this and she asks, annoyed, “What?!”

 

Usagi says, nervously, “Um…”

 

Junpier says, “That little guppy had some nerve scaring us like that! I’m just sad that I didn’t turn it into paste!”

 

Miyako says, nervously, “Maybe next time.”

 

Kirito says, “Remind me NEVER to get on her bad side.”

 

Asuna tells Kirito, “No damn kidding.” Later on, our group, having their ‘original equipment’ back on, are walking the hillside leading to the town and when they are in sight of the town, they are greeted by the marvelous sight of a beautiful town in the water with various waterways acting as the streets of the town with stone buildings made of bright white stone in which this made the city look like a city of white chalk in the middle of a square lake.

 

Miyako says, excitedly, “Oh, wow!”

 

Asuna says, excitedly, “It is so pretty!”

 

Junpier says, excitedly, “No joke, girlfriend!”

 

Kirito says to himself, with a smirk, “I see. This was supposed to be the finished version all along. That explains the door.”

 

Asuna yells out, “Come on, hurry!”

 

Kirito responds, “Coming!” Soon enough, the group enters the town and they find themselves at a dock that’s a good hundred feet long filled with various small boats manned my NPCs.

 

Asuna says, excitedly, “Look at the gondolas! It’s just like Venice!”

 

Usagi asks Asuna, curiously, “Have you been to Italy, Asuna?” Asuna doesn’t reply as the group head over to the gondolas and they find a plague displaying the prices for the gondolas in which Asuna stops at a silvery-white three-seater.

 

Asuna asks, “How about this one?”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “Sure.”

 

Taichi says, finding a six person gondola, “We’ve got this one.”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “Right. See you at the gate.” Soon enough, Kirito, Asuna, and Usagi enter the three seater gondola while the Digital Knights take the half-a-dozen person gondola.

 

The NPC gondolier for the three-seater, looking like the classic gondolier that you see on television and in real-life, asks, “Welcome to Rovia, travelers! Where would you like to go?”

 

Kirito replies, “Take us to the teleporter plaza, please.”

 

The gondolier responds, with a nod of understanding, “Off we go!” A purple payment window appeared in front of Kirito’s eyes and then quickly vanishes as it appeared in which the three-seater gondola heads off with the one holding the Digital Knights followed close behind.

 

Usagi says, “It is a lot like Venice…at least from what I know. This place is beautiful.”

 

Asuna says, with a smile, “I agree!”

 

Usagi thinks in her mind, solemnly, “It would be even more lovely if it wasn’t a prison and ‘death trap’.”

 

As they continued on, Kirito asks the NPC gondolier, “Will this boat take us outside of the town as well?”

 

The NPC responds, “I’m afraid that I can’t do that. I only work here, in the town of Rovia.”

 

Kirito then asks, “Would another ship take us out of town?”

 

The NPC retorts, “Sorry, I can’t answer that.”

 

Usagi asks Kirito, “Trying to find us transport out of town?”

 

Kirito says, “Yeah. Remember, since the whole floor is now rivers, they are the only ‘paths’ to the other locations on the floor including the entrance to the labyrinth.”

 

Usagi says, “I hope that we don’t have to swim through the labyrinth.”

 

Kirito says, “I don’t think so…but let’s keep our inner tubes at the ready. Just saying.”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “Right.” Usagi thinks in her mind, “Kirito has a point. If we can’t use the boats in town, how are we going to get around the rest of this floor? I really don’t want to have to swim again…for reasons other than getting wet. Normally, I wouldn’t mind taking a swim, but there are good reasons not to.”

 

Kirito thinks in his mind, “We’ll open the gate, take a short rest, and then go about collecting information.” Soon enough, the gondolas arrive at their destination in which our group get off them.

 

The NPC says, “Safe and sound! Hope to see you again!” Soon after, the gondolas headed off back to the wharf at the entrance of the town.

 

Miyako says, excitedly, “That was great!”

 

Junpier says, “Can’t wait to go again!”

 

Asuna says, with a smile, “Same here!” Afterwards, the group open the teleport gate and looked on as a swarm of players came teleporting in which they start to wander around in which Usagi notices a short haired teenage girl with a blacksmith’s hammer attached to her waist.

 

Usagi thinks in her mind, “That’s a blacksmith hammer. Is that girl trying to become a blacksmith? After what happened with Nezha, it would be nice to have an actual player blacksmith. We’re going to need them since NPC blacksmiths can only do so much.”

 

Soon enough, the nine players enter a small inn at the outer edge of the plaza and Taichi says, “Thanks for showing us to this nice place.”

 

Kirito says, with a smile, “No problem. I don’t why you didn’t remain to take in the praise.”

 

Takeru says, with a smile, “We’re not in for the praise.”

 

Yamato says, with a nod, “If this was a normal game, sure, but this isn’t really a game anymore. We’re in it to get everyone out of here.”

 

Taichi says, nodding his head in agreement, “That’s right. We’re here to get the job done and not to be praised by others.”

 

Sam says, with a nod of his head, “Right. We need to remain focused on what’s important.”

 

Kirito and Usagi think in their minds, in unison, “Why do I get the feeling that they did something like this before?”

 

Taichi tells Kirito, Usagi, and Asuna, “Anyway, maybe we should work together for a while.”

 

Asuna says, with a smile, “I don’t mind. It would be nice to have some good help.” Kirito and Usagi, even through you don’t see it under her special hooded cloak keeping her avatar’s head/face hidden, give nervous looks.

 

Yamato tells Kirito, “You know, Kirito, you do know that we don’t give a rat’s ass about that ‘beater’ stuff and we know the truth, right?”

 

Kirito says, nervously, “Well, yeah…”

 

Taichi tells Kirito, “We already told you that we’re not in this for any recognition, but to get the job done. So, we don’t care about what everyone else thinks.”

 

Junpier says, with a grin, “And we can take care of ourselves.”

 

Kirito thinks in his mind, “That’s for sure.”

 

December 21, 2022, SAO/Aincrad, Floor 4, Rovia

 

Inside one of the rooms in the inn within Rovia, the main town on the fourth floor of Aincrad, Usagi, Asuna, and Kirito are together within Kirito’s room in the inn where they are discussing about ‘stuff’.

 

Usagi says, “What a day.”

 

Asuna says, with a smile, “Yes, it was. However, it was fun to ride the gondolas.”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “Yeah.”

 

Kirito asks Asuna, curiously and a bit nervously, “Do you like ships?”

 

Asuna replies, “Not ships as a whole, but I’ve always wanted to ride in a gondola. I just never thought that dream would come true in Aincrad.”

 

Usagi says, “Life is just full of surprises.”

 

Asuna nods her head in agreement with Usagi and she then asks Kirito, “By the way, there weren’t any of these canals and channels in the beta.”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “Right. It was just a boring, dusty, gray town. I barely remember anything about it.”

 

Usagi says, “My squirt of a brother didn’t mention anything about it, so, I think that he would agree with Kirito.”

 

Asuna says, “Then I like this one much more. I know that gondolas don’t go out of town, so, we’ll probably have to deal with more swimming, but I can deal with it.”

 

Usagi tells Asuna, “Don’t be so sure, Asuna.”

 

Asuna asks Usagi, “What do you mean?”

 

Usagi says, “I doubt that those that worked on this would make it that we would be so…helpless while traveling around all over the place. They would give us a means to fight back. It has to be in the main town here. We just need to find it.”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “You have a point, Usagi. The more that I think about, the more that I believe that you are right. Since this is the true version of the floor, they would include ways of us to get around and fight against the monsters fairly. Maybe…”

 

As Kirito goes into thought, Asuna asks, “Maybe what?”

 

Kirito says, “I think that I may have an idea to find out if the solution that Usagi is in town.”

 

Asuna says, “Well, while you are doing that, I’m going to make a swimsuit.”

 

Kirito asks, curiously, “Really?”

 

Asuna says, seriously, “Of course. I’m not going to go around in that thing.” Asuna tells Usagi, with a kind smile, “While it was helpful and I am appreciative for it, it just isn’t me.”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “I understand.”

 

Asuna says, “And since I’ve got the Tailoring Skill, I can make my own.”

 

Kirito says, “You have got a point. And I don’t have any swimwear of my own. Can I ask you to make me some swim trunks, too? Nice plain ones.”

 

Asuna asks, with a sly smile, “Should I design it with that finned tadpole instead?”

 

Kirito yelps at that statement and Usagi tells Asuna, “Come on, Asuna, be nice.”

 

Kirito says, “Wait! Hold on!”

 

Asuna asks, “What is it?”

 

Kirito says, “You don’t have Tailoring in one of your slots anymore, do you? This might come as a shock to you, if you didn’t know already, but once you remove a skill from its slot, the proficiency goes down to zero.”

 

Asuna retorts, without batting an eyes, “I might be a beginner, but even I know that. Besides, it pops up that warning when you remove the skill from the slot.”

 

Kirito asks, nervously, “Oh, right. So, you are going to train it up from nothing against?”

 

Asuna replies, “I might be a hard worker, but I’m not that patient.” Asuna then goes through her menu and materializes a small crystal bottle shaped like a nut with a faintly glowing blue liquid inside of the transparent bottle.

 

Kirito asks, curiously, “What’s this?”

 

Asuna asks, “You didn’t see one in the beta?”

 

Kirito replies, “No. Not that I remember.”

 

Usagi asks, amazed, “You got one too, Asuna?”

 

Asuna asks, curiously, “You, too, Usagi?”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “Yes.”

 

Kirito asks Usagi, “You know what it is?”

 

Usagi replies, a bit nervously, “Yes. It is called the Crystal Bottle of Kales’Oh and this bottle allows you to save the proficiency of any skill currently equipped in a skill slot.” Kirito doesn’t say a word for three seconds before…

 

“SAY WHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTT?!!&rd quo; Kirito screams out as he gives a completely flabbergasted look with his avatar’s jaw dropping as low as it can go.

 

Asuna yells out, with a flinch, “Tune it down, Kirito! You want to wake the whole town?!” On the meanwhile, Asuna fiddles with the items property settings, pulled out the stopper, in which the liquid in the bottle turns into blue light that she absorbs through her avatar’s nose in which she breaths out a yellow light that goes back into the bottle where she replaces the stopper.

 

Usagi asks Asuna, “Which skill is that?”

 

Asuna replies, ‘That’s my Sprint Skill.”

 

Usagi says, “You have a Sprint Skill, huh? That’s pretty good one to have to make quick attacks and move quickly through areas.”

 

After regaining his senses, Kirito asks, nervously, “If I may ask, where did you get that item?”

 

Usagi says, “The same way that I got. On the third floor. After the fight with the forest elf when we first met Kizmel. After we arrived at the camp, I took a look in my inventory and there it was. I wanted to talk you about it, but…”

 

Kirito says, with a nod of his head understanding what Usagi means, “Right.”

 

Asuna asks, curiously, “So, what’s the big deal?”

 

Usagi tells Asuna, “Asuna, it is like having an extra skill slot. We only get new skill slots at certain levels. For example, Kirito has four skills slots right now.”

 

Kirito nods his head in agreement and Asuna responds, “Right. And they are One-Handed Swords, Martial Arts, Search, and Hiding, right?”

 

Kirito gives a flabbergasted look and Usagi asks, amazed, “Wow! How did you know that?”

 

Asuna says, with a sly smile, “Being with you, two, for as long as I have, I’ve gotten a good ‘feel’ for both of you and Kirito tends to be the one for practicality in this one. And by ‘practicality’, I mean by combat skills.”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “You have a point there, Asuna.”

 

Kirito thinks in his mind, nervously, “Am I that transparent?”

 

Usagi says, “Anyway, think about Nezha, for example. If he had this bottle, he wouldn’t have had to give up his blacksmithing skill to gain Martial Arts.”

 

Asuna says, nodding her head in understand, “Yeah, you have a good point. And right now, players have limited amount of skill slots and have to make choices on what skills to use, keep, and discard. This bottle that we have is like having an extra skill slot.”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “That’s exactly what Usagi is saying, Asuna.” Kirito asks Asuna, “Now, I need to know this: Have you told anyone else about it?”

 

Asuna responds, “No.”

 

Usagi tells Kirito, “Neither have I. I wanted to talk to you about it.”

 

Asuna asks, curiously, “So, what’s the big deal? All we have to do is tell Argo and have her release information about it, right?”

 

Kirito says, nervously, “True. And I’m not saying that we cover up its existence.”

 

Usagi says, “The problem is that bottle must have been from the Forest Elf that we beat when we first met Kizmel, right? That means that bottle is only available from winning that fight and that means that you get only one chance at it unless they added it at another point for either side during this quest…” Usagi then says, “Anyway, the whole situation with those two guilds, the ALS and DKB, on the third floor happened when all of us were on the sixth ‘chapter’ of that quest.”

 

Asuna says, understanding what Usagi is saying, “Which mean that unless ALS did the quest in the same way that we did and not inform anyone about getting another version of the same bottle that you and I got, they did the ‘meeting quest’ the way done in the beta like Kirito did.”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “Bingo. And with the way that Kibaou is, I doubt that he left information about an item remain a secret and really give any of his guild the third degree if they tried.”

 

Usagi and Asuna nod their heads in agreement and Usagi says, “And while we beat the forest elf, it wasn’t exactly easy as pie, Asuna. It may be most likely that the original ‘auto-defeat’ event in the beta might have been modified to have new ‘branch’ where you can beat the forest elf without triggering the ‘event’ as long as you defeat him before you reach the half-way point in your health.”

 

Asuna asks, “And if we get this information about the bottles, it might trigger a ‘gold rush’ effect because these bottles basically give us an extra skill slot, right?”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “Exactly, Asuna. And sometimes, an extra skill could be the difference between success and failure or in this case…”

 

Asuna says, finishing Kirito’s words, “…Life and death. I get what you are saying. Knowledge that Usagi and I having this could throw off the fragile balance since other players will be focused on us because of these valuable items and if another players does manage to get it, they could become the ‘focus’ and that may not be a good thing.”

 

Usagi says, “Sorry, Asuna. If this was a normal game, there would be no problem since competition is part of a MMORPG game, but it is all in fun.” Usagi says, solemnly, “However, this isn’t a game…a ‘normal game’ anymore.”

 

Asuna tells Usagi, “You don’t need to be sorry, Usagi. You are just looking out for me, that’s all.”

 

Kirito says, “Anyway, let’s take a rest. Let’s go the café on the first floor at six o’clock.”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “Good idea, Kirito.”

 

Asuna says, nodding her head, “I’m okay with that.” Soon enough, Asuna and Usagi exit Kirito’s room, say their goodnights, and headed off into their own rooms.

 

(During that same day)

 

Within her own inn room, Junpier is relaxing in her bed.

 

Junpier says, excitedly, “This is really bliss!” Junpier looks all around her and she gives a big sigh in which she says, lowly, “This would be a blast…if it wasn’t all deadly and trapped in here. I doubt that you would have a problem, squirt. From what I know, you would be thriving in here. You’ve already been through life and death with your friends here. Your friends are really something else. They know what to do and how to take control.” Junpier says, with a plain tone, “Well, just moaning isn’t going to help things with me. I’ve got to get stronger to survive, too. I’ll show you that I’m just as strong as you are, squirt.” Junpier then sets her ‘internal alarm’ and goes to take a nap.

 

(Later that same day)

 

In the twilight hours of the day, we are in the teleport gate’s plaza where it is filled with players, front-line players looking at wears, tourists, and even romantic looking pairs of players on benches facing the water. In this group, we find Kirito, Asuna, Usagi, and the Digital Knights looking through the food carts.

 

Kirito says, “I see. The main style of food on this floor is fish.”

 

Asuna asks, “Don’t like fish?”

 

Kirito replies, “No, it’s not that. It’s more that I was hoping for…a few traditional choices. Like boiled fish or sashimi.”

 

Asuna tells Kirito, “You know you’re not going to get choices like that in a town like this.”

 

Kirito says, “Good point. I’ll have to hold out hope for the tenth floor…”

 

Usagi asks Kirito, “Why the tenth floor?”

 

Kirito says, with a smile, “You’ll see, Usagi.” Kirito asks Asuna and Usagi, “I’ll be going for the panini. What about you, two?”

 

Asuna says, “That will be good to me, too.”

 

Usagi says, “I’ll go for the seafood pizza.”

 

Kirito asks, “You want to wait on the bench while I buy them?”

 

Usagi says, “I’ll go with you, Kirito.”

 

Asuna says, plainly, “I’ll wait here.”

 

Taichi says, “I’ll be going with you. I’ve got everyone’s orders.”

 

Usagi asks, “Need a hand?”

 

Taichi tells Usagi, “Thanks.” Soon enough, Kirito, Usagi, and Taichi go over to the food carts where they get the orders and they used their inventories to store them in which they get back to the others.

 

Miyako says, excitedly, “Awesome! Thanks!”

 

Takeru says, with a smile, “I think that we all feel the same way, Miyako.” After Kirito hands Asuna her panini, he notices her about to use the trade window to pay him for the meal.

 

Kirito tells Asuna, “No, it’s okay.”

 

Asuna asks, curiously, “Why?”

 

Kirito replies, a bit nervously, “It is to pay you back…for the swimsuit.”

 

Asuna nodded and take her sandwich in which Usagi thinks in her mind, with a giggle, “Real smooth, Kirito. Real smooth.”

 

Just then a familiar female voice says, “Thankee kindly, Kii-boy. I’ve been hungry.” Usagi and plenty of the Digital Knights yelp as they turn to the source of the voice to find SAO’s information dealer, Argo, nicknamed ‘The Rat’, right by Kirito.

 

Kirito tells Argo, “Your Hiding is as good as ever, but that’s my dinner and no, you can’t have any!”

 

Argo says, with a mock pout, “So, you’ll buy one for her, but not for me. I see how it is.”

 

Kirito responds, with a flush look on his avatar’s face, “What? You heard what I said, that was thanks for her making me an item! It has nothing to do with showing favor on anyone!”

 

As Argo sat by Asuna, Miyako asks, “Geez, how do you do that?!”

 

Takeru says, amazed, “Good question.”

 

Argo says, with a grin, “Trade secret…but for the right price…”

 

Junpier says, nervously, “No thanks!”

 

Argo says, with a mock pout, “Ah, here I was preparing to give you a discount since you are friends with three of my favorite customers.”

 

Usagi says, with a sigh, “Please, Argo, don’t…”

 

Argo says, “Anyway, it is quite an honor to meet the third new guild of Aincrad. The six of you are making waves.”

 

The Digital Knights give looks of surprise and Yamato asks, curiously, “Really?”

 

Argo says, with a grin, “Standing up to the ‘big two’ and your incredible leadership on the boss fights on the previous floor are going to catch notice. I might start getting asked about you all the time.”

 

The Digital Knight gain a bit of nervous looks and Kirito tells them, “Guys, don’t worry about it. Argo’s teasing skill is the best in Aincrad.”

 

Argo says, with a mock pout, “Ah, that was rude, Kii-boy. I though that we have such a meaningful relationship.”

 

Usagi asks Argo, “So, what’s up, Argo?”

 

Kirito says, “For me, Usagi. I asked Argo to gather some information.”

 

Usagi asks, curiously, “Really?”

 

Argo says, “You got it. In fact, I got it done in three hours since you messaged me, so, I figured that I earned a free meal in addition to my usual fee since I had to hurry…”

 

Kirito gives a sigh and he asks, “F-Fine. What do you want?”

 

Argo replies, with a cheeky smile, “Gosh, I could sure go for a nice cheesy pizza.” Kirito then zips over to the food cart for the pizza, got one with three times the cheese, and brought it back to Argo really fast.

 

Kirito says, handing over the pizza, “Sorry about the trouble. Take this as a token of my appreciation.”

 

Argo takes the pizza and she says, with a smile, “Very good, sir.”

 

Usagi thinks in her mind, with a smile, “As the person that knows her best, you should have known better, Kirito.”

 

Taichi whispers to his guild, “Man. She really takes her ‘Rat’ routine seriously.”

 

Yamato whispers with a smirk, “Kind of ‘cheesy’ to me.”

 

The others glare at Yamato and Takeru whispers to Yamato, “Bad, bro. Bad.” Miyako and Junpier shake their heads in disapproval and after eating half of their meal, Argo takes out a scroll of parchment from one of the many pouches at her waist and held it out between her fingers.

 

Argo tells Kirito, “Normally, I charge you an extra fee for quick service…but I’ll go with the normal rate this time as thanks for the pile o’ cheese you brought me. That’s five hundred col.”

 

Junpier thinks in her mind, “Meaning the pizza was the extra fee.” After Kirito gives Argo five hundred Col coin, Argo hands over the scroll and Kirito touches it to cause it to unfurl.

 

Asuna asks, “What information did you request from her?” Everyone looks over the map to find it to be a map of Rovia with twenty exclamation point markers all over the town.

 

Sam asks, “Is that all of the quests in town?”

 

Kirito says, “Yep. I hated to be hard on Argo, since she did all the work, but you could find all of this stuff just by walking around town.”

 

Usagi asks, curiously, “Then why send Argo all over the place so fast?” Usagi says, plainly and realizing something, “You might have seen these quests in the beta, but this floor has changed a good amount from when you played with the other beta testers.”

 

Sam says, with a nod, “No kidding. Kirito said that this floor was a dry old desert canyon in the beta and now, it is a miniature version of Venice, Italy.”

 

Kirito says, nodding his head, “Exactly. The longer I walk around, the more the memories of this place from the beta fade. I wanted to see all of the locations at once and there is something else…”

 

Usagi asks, curiously, “Something else?”

 

Kirito then points to a single marker at the northwest corner of the map and Kirito says, with a plain tone, “This one.”

 

Asuna asks, curiously and a bit suspiciously, “What about it?”

 

Kirito replies, with a smile, “That one wasn’t part of the beta.”

 

Plenty of others have their eyes widen, getting what Kirito is implying, and Yamato asks, “You mean…?”

 

Kirito says, with a smirk, “Yep! This is the spot that’s the key to this town…possibly to conquering the entire floor.”

 

Argo tells Kirito, “If you get the intel on the quest, I’ll buy it off you.” After she was done eating, Argo then ‘melted’ back into the darkness.

 

Miyako says, “One of these days, I’m going to want to know how she does that.”

 

Sam tells Miyako, “It is going to cost you a ‘pretty Col’.”

 

Miyako says, with a nod, “I’ll bet.”

 

Taichi says, “Anyway, let’s get going! If this quest will help us get around here, let’s get a move on!”

 

The others nod their heads in agreement and Miyako says, “I hope that this quest won’t be in a pain in the butt. If this is a critical quest that give us the ability to give us a better time traveling around other than floating around in our swimsuits and inner tubes, it may or may not be tough, but it might be a major pain.”

 

Junpier says, “I hear you, girlfriend.”

 

Usagi thinks in her mind, with a sigh, “Something tells me that it is going to be exactly like Miyako-san says that it is.”

 

December 21, 2022, SAO/Aincrad, Floor 4

 

Right now, Kirito, Asuna, Usagi, and the Digital Knight are in a lush forest that’s southeast of the main town of the fourth floor of Aincrad, Rovia. All of them are taking part of the ‘Shipwright of Yore’ quest where it involves gather materials to build their own gondolas to an elderly shipwright who can’t build any gondolas/boats since the Water Carriers Guild, the ‘organization’ that controls the gondolas in town, are control of the materials. The elderly shipwright agreed to make them their own personal gondolas if they gather the materials including bear fat from the bear-like monsters of this floor in which he mention the bear king and how his fat would be the best at making the boats in which Asuna sternly decided to go after this ‘bear king’ for said material.

 

Usagi tells the Digital Knights, “Thanks for your help.”

 

Takeru says, with a smile, “No problem.”

 

Taichi says, “Even through each of us are working on our own boats, it doesn’t mean that we can’t work together on this especially after you are going after this ‘bear king’.”

 

Yamato says, with a nod, “It sounds pretty bad.”

 

Kirito says, “The ‘king of bears’ did exist in the beta, but I never fought him back then. However, from what I heard, there were a number of full six-member parties that were scattered by the wraith of that bear.”

 

Usagi says, nervously, “That’s pretty bad.”

 

Kirito says, “Well, we are at a higher level than they were in the beta and there are nine of us in which the parties that fought this bear were half-a-dozen in number.”

 

Sam says, “However, not to reign on your ‘positive encouragement’, but that was the beta and this is now.”

 

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

 

Just then Miyako says, nervously, “Uh, everyone? I think that I found a sign.” Everyone else looks to see Miyako, with a nervous expression, pointing a tree that had four horizontal grooves, claw marks of some kind, up twenty-five feet from the ground.

 

Sam says, nervously, “That’s…not good…”

 

Usagi asks Sam, curiously and a bit nervously, “What do you mean?”

 

Sam says, “A bear would have to be twenty-five feet tall to reach that high and no bear, IRL, reaches that high…”

 

Kirito says, nodding his head and with a bit of a nervous tone, “You’re right.”

 

Asuna says, a bit nervously, “That doesn’t sound like a bear anymore…” Just then everyone hears a loud ‘thud’ and everyone looks to see a massive bear-like monster in front of them. Well, this ‘bear’ that has grey hairs as thick as a needle, two red eyes that gleamed in the dark, fang poking out of its mouth, claws that are like daggers coming out of its paws, its limbs that are thick as longs, and it has animal style horns on its head. From the deep red cursor, the group can see the name ‘Magnatherium’ as the name of the monster.

 

Kirito says, nervously, “Yep, that’s not a bear.”

 

Junpier yells out, nervously and annoyed, “What was your first clue Sherlock Homes?!” As the Magnatherium gives out an un-bear-like howl goes on its hind legs to show that it is indeed twenty-five feet tall.

 

As the group draws their weapons, Kirito says, “Stay calm, everyone! It can’t be that agile with such a size. Keep a tree between you and it at all times, so, it can’t charge you.”

 

Takeru says, with a nod, “Good idea.” After drawing their weapons, the group retreats behind a tree.

 

Taichi says, with a smirk, “These brutes always get stunned if they drive headfirst into stuff like trees. Once it does that, it will be easy to give it a smack.” However, a second afterward, they can see red light flickering deep in the Magnatherium’s throat can be seen in which Kirito recognizes immediately.

 

Kirito says, “Oh, crap.”

 

Usagi asks, nervously, “Is that what I think it is?”

 

Yamato says, “So much for this idea.”

 

Just then Usagi spots something and she yells out, “Into the springs now!” As Kirito grabs Asuna by the waist with his left arm, all of them leap for the small, but deep natural hot springs and at the same moment, Magnatherium unleashes his flame attack causing the surface of the water from the multiple springs to turn red, however, our group, two of them per spring, expect for Usagi, who was in a spring by herself, are under the surface and holding their breaths in which while they don’t need to worry about breathing in SAO, this makes sure that they don’t trigger the ‘drowning effect’ that causes them to start to lose HP. After five seconds or so, the flames stopped and our group comes to the surface.

 

Junpier tells Usagi, “Nice save, girl!”

 

Miyako says, annoyed, “So much for that idea!”

 

Taichi asks, annoyed, “How were we supposed to know that it blew flames?”

 

Usagi says, with a sigh, “Maybe we should have paid Argo to find out if she knew something, but then again, the knowledge would be from the beta and we don’t know if it could do this in the beta or not. Especially not Kirito, not that I blame him of course.”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “Yeah, no kidding. That’s so NOT a bear.”

 

Taichi asks, “So, now what?”

 

Sam says, “It managed to get the drop on us, but we managed to escape without a scratch and now, we know a bit about it. We know that it has a flame attack, but thankfully, we have these springs and they are in this place. The instant that it starts, we can dive in.”

 

Asuna says, with a nod, “At least that’s a bit of good news.”

 

The group then gets out of the water and Sam says, “By the looks of it, we also have to be wary of its physical attacks.”

 

Takeru says, with a nod, “No joke! Look at those claws!”

 

Kirito says, “Yeah, but we should be able to shield ourselves with the trees.”

 

Just then they hear a loud ‘booming’ sound and Junpier yells out, pointing ahead of her, “Here it comes!” Everyone looks to see that Magnatherium is charging at them and the sight of it, rivaling the Bullbous Brow, the Field Boss of the second floor of Aincrad, make it a terrifying sight.

 

Taichi says, seriously, “Move now!” Immediately, the group starts to run to the right of the Magnatherium to evade it, but it simply turned and followed. However, the group immediately gets behind a large oak.

 

Kirito shouts out, “Come on, do your worst!” However, Kirito gains an expression of horror as the Magnatherium turns the wide tree trunk into splinters.

 

Yamato asks, amazed, “Seriously?!”

 

Takeru says, “Hold on! It stopped!” The group looks that while the monster wasn’t stunned, Magnatherium did stop his attack.

 

Kirito asks, “Does anyone know any weaknesses of a bear?”

 

Usagi tells Kirito, “Kirito, remember that’s not a bear.”

 

Sam says, “True, but it may have some bear-like qualities. We can’t know until we figured it out.” Sam says, “Bears have a good sense of smell, so, their noses are sensitive. And they tend to hibernate in winter conditions.”

 

Takeru says, “It is supposed to be winter, now, so, I don’t think that this guy is going to go to sleep at any time.”

 

Junpier says, with a nod of her head, “That’s for sure.”

 

Usagi says, “Well, I did notice something. Not only with ramming into the tree, but after the fire breath, it did stop for a time before it started attacking us, again.” Everyone looks towards Magnatherium and while it isn’t stunned, it is staying in place.

 

Sam says, “Maybe that’s its programmed ‘habit’. After certain attacks, it has to stop to ‘build up’ to the next attack.”

 

Miyako says, “That’s good to know.”

 

On the meanwhile, Kirito notices something near the Magnatherium and Usagi asks, “What’s up, Kirito?”

 

Kirito says, pointing to what he is looking at, “Part of the tree is still there.”

 

Taichi asks, curiously, “Really?”

 

When everyone starts looking at what Kirito is pointing at, Takeru says, “Kirito’s right.”

 

Sam says, “Then it must be an item we can pick up.”

 

Taichi glances at Kirito and he says, “We’re going to need a distraction.”

 

Kirito says, “Leave it to me.”

 

Usagi says, “Not without me, you aren’t.” Kirito was about to protest, but Usagi says, “Kirito, just don’t.”

 

Takeru tells Kirito, “Don’t argue with her.”

 

Yamato says, with a nod, “No kidding, bro.”

 

Just then there is a loud roar is heard and Miyako says, nervously, “That overgrown teddy from the netherworld is ready for more!”

 

Seeing that they don’t have time to argue, Kirito says, “Okay, follow me, Usagi!”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “Right!” Kirito and Usagi run over to the right of Magnatherium and the monster spun around with agility that belied its massive bulk and stomped after them causing the ground to rumble with every step. Usagi thinks in her mind, nervously, “Why do I get myself into these messes?” After the two of them get some distance away, the two of them turn around and go into a defensive stance. Usagi asks Kirito, “Got any ideas?”

 

Kirito says, “I’m open to suggestions.”

 

Usagi says, nervously, “Great.” When the monster is on them, it attacks with its claw in which Kirito uses Slant, the 1-hit One-Handed Sword Skill combo, against the attack causing Kirito to get skidded back where he slams into a tree causing Usagi, who leaps over to Kirito, to ask, concerned, “Are you okay?”

 

Kirito says, “Peachy.” Just then Usagi and Kirito then notice that Magnatherium going into a certain position and Kirito says, “Uh oh.”

 

Usagi looks around and she says, “I see a pool of water nearby.”

 

Just then Kirito says, “I’ve got a better idea! Run towards him!”

 

Usagi asks, confused, “What?!”

 

Kirito says, seriously, “Just do it!” Immediately, Usagi and Kirito run towards the enemy and they manage to dodge the fire breath, but just barely as the flames created a tailwind that buffeted their backs. The two of them dived in-between the Magnatherium’s massive legs and when they were behind the enemy monster, they turn around in which Kirito says, “Strike now!” Kirito then strikes the tail with a Sonic Leap One-Handed Sword Skill combo and after striking home, Kirito shouts out, “Switch!” Usagi then uses her own Sonic Leap to strike the tail, but the result is obvious when the enemy monster arches its back at Kirito’s blow and the fire attack abruptly stopping as it does so with Magnatherium roaring out with Usagi’s blow causing it to take flight away from Usagi and Kirito.

 

Usagi tells Kirito, annoyed, “Warn me next time!”

 

Kirito says, nervously, “Sorry.” As Magnatherium gets some distance away from Kirito and Usagi and starts to turn around when it has done so, Kirito and Usagi notice that it has lost significant amount of its HP.

 

Just then Takeru’s voice booms out, “Good job!” Kirito and Usagi look to the source of the voice to see the rest of the group coming towards them.

 

Asuna says, annoyed, “Not a good job. You said that you were running away and now, you are fighting that thing? That’s not nice.”

 

Taichi tells Asuna, a bit nervously, “Most likely, he was making sure that it kept its focus on them.”

 

Yamato asks, with a smirk, “And what better way to hitting on its butt?”

 

Kirito says, nervously, “Yeah, that’s right.”

 

Sam says, “Anyway, you discovered that it has a weak spot. When Kirito hit its tail, it stopped its flame attack immediately and it ran off after Usagi’s attack. That’s a weak spot.”

 

Miyako says, with a smile, “So, Takeru was right to say that it is a good job. They got important information. They did it in a crazy way, but they got important info.”

 

Asuna says, with a sigh, “Yes, you’re right. Good job, you two.”

 

Kirito replies, “T-Thanks. By the way, what about that log?”

 

Asuna says, “It is called a Noblewood Core. Sam believes that it is more material for a gondola just like the bear fat.”

 

Usagi says, “Well, gondolas are made of wood.”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “Right. Most likely, it is like the bear fat.”

 

Asuna asks, plainly, “You mean that there are normal and fancy versions of the wood to make the boat?”

 

Kirito replies, nodding his head, “Bingo, Asuna. Most likely, the normal type you can get by chopping down any tree with an axe, but to get the ‘fancy’ one, you need the Lumber skill…normally.”

 

Usagi asks, curiously, “Wait! You mean that Noblewood Core is the ‘fancy’ type of wood needed for the quest?”

 

Kirito says, with a grin, “Yep. And they already set up the way for us to get it.” Kirito says, pointing to Magnatherium, who is facing our group, “Problem is, we have to play ‘dodge him’ with that big match over there.”

 

Miyako says, with a groan, “Great.”

 

Usagi says, nervously, “This is the time that I wish that the American icon, Smoky the Bear, was here.”

 

Junpier says, with a nod, “You said it.”

 

Taichi says, “Probably be pissed off knowing a fellow bear or something that looks like a fellow bear is a real fire starter.”

 

Takeru says, with a grin, “Yeah, it would be ‘unbearable’.”

 

Everyone else looks at Takeru with an annoyed look and Yamato asks, “And you said my jokes were bad?”

 

Asuna says, annoyed, “Can we get on with getting the items?”

 

Kirito says, “R-Right. However, the drops for the cores is probably random with none being the lowest, so, we’re going to be doing this for a while. We should take chances to hit him in his tail, now, that we know that it is the weak spot.”

 

Usagi says, plainly, “But let’s make sure that we don’t get nearly roasted to do so.” Kirito rubs his head, nervously, as our group prepares to continue their battle with Magnatherium to get the items to complete the quest to get a personal gondola for this level. Around half-an-hour later on, we can see Miyako collapsing on the ground.

 

Miyako says, “What a fight!”

 

Takeru says, “A lot of it involved him hitting those trees where they either gave one to three of those cores or none at all.”

 

Kirito says, “It was a good thing that it didn’t have an AOE attack, so, we could surround it in a way where one of us could hit its tail.”

 

Usagi says, “Took a while through.”

 

Miyako says, with a sigh, “Don’t remind me.” The group looks over the items that they had gotten via their menus.

 

Asuna says, excitedly, “Oh, wow! I’ve got four Legendary Bear Fats. There are also some pelts, claws, and…” Asuna then asks, curiously, “What’s this? Fire’s Bear Palm?”

 

Kirito says, “I wouldn’t materialize that if I were you. It is bound to be disgusting.”

 

Junpier says, with a nod, “Sounds like it. I’ve got to some bear fats and claws too.”

 

Taichi says, “Same here. I also got the Palm too.”

 

Yamato says, “I’ve got something call ‘Fire-Bear’s Horn’.”

 

Kirito says, with a plain tone, “Same here.”

 

Takeru says, with a yawn, “I’m tired.”

 

Sam says, “It’s late and we’ve been fighting a tough enemy. That’s not a surprise.”

 

Kirito asks Asuna, “When we get back to town, are you going to report on the quest immediately?”

 

Asuna says, “Of course I am.”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “Of course you are.”

 

Taichi says, “Then you, guys, go first. We’re heading back to get some rest first and then we’ll turn in afterwards.”

 

Asuna asks, curiously, “Are you sure?”

 

Sam says, “Once you turn in the materials, it doesn’t mean that it is going to get made in a snap. It doesn’t work that way even in games. Normally, it takes days to weeks for even a boat like this to be made, but most likely, it will take several hours to be completely in this world.” Sam says, “We’ll go get some sleep and when we wake up in the morning, we’ll be the first after you to get our boat.”

 

Asuna says, with a nod, “Okay, thanks.”

 

Miyako says, “No problem.”

 

Kirito says, “Then let’s head out.” Everyone else nods their heads in agreement and they start to head back to Rovia to rest, for the Digital Knights, or get their personal gondola built, in the case of Kirito, Usagi, and Asuna.

 

December 21-22, 2022, SAO/Aincrad, Floor 4, Rovia

 

Back in Rovia, Kirito, Asuna, and Usagi are inside of the elderly NPC shipwright’s place as he gets up to build the three-seater gondola that they ordered and between the three of them, they had enough items, in the form of Legendary Bear Fats, Noblewood Cores, Fire-Bear Claws, for nails, and Fire-Bear Pelts, for upholstering the seats, in which the NPC shipwright goes into a room filled with various work tools that are polished to shine.

 

The NPC shipwright says, “To think that I’d have a chance to use these again one day.”

 

Kirito thinks in his mind, “You’ll probably have a flood of orders by tomorrow.”

 

The NPC shipwright puts a massive scroll on a table and he says, “Tell me how you want your boat built.” The quest log updated and brought a violet window in front of their eyes to show a gondola design dialog with Kirito’s, Asuna’s, and Usagi’s names on it in which Kirito believes that the quest gives ownership to the entire party.

 

Asuna says, amazed, “Wow. We get to decide its shape, color, name, and everything!” She reached out with a finger to explore options and Kirito moves to make room for her, but the window followed me.

 

Usagi says, “I guess this quest has it where the detail choices are made to the leader of the party. You should change the leader position in the party to Asuna.”

 

Kirito says, nodding his head in agreement, “You got it.” When Kirito uses the party menu to do so, the window then goes over to Asuna in which Usagi and Kirito look over her in which they decide where it took to one o’clock the following day, December 22, to get the details finalized.

 

Asuna asks, “Lastly, let’s give our boa a name?”

 

Kirito asks, nervously, “A name, huh?”

 

Usagi asks, curiously, “Why not Tilnel after Kizmel’s sister?”

 

Asuna says, excitedly, “That’s a great idea, Usagi-chan!”

 

Kirito says, with a shrug, “Okay.” After Asuna is done typing in the name and asking if it was right, Usagi and Kirito confirm this in which Usagi notice something.

 

Asuna says, “Okay, let’s push the finalize button together.”

 

Usagi says, curiously, “Hold on a second!”

 

Asuna looks at Usagi and she asks, “What’s up?” Usagi then points to the drop-down titled Optional Equipment and Asuna says, “Oh, that. Well, it didn’t have any options on it.”

 

Kirito asks, getting a ‘feeling’, “May I check just in case?”

 

Asuna says, with a shrug, “Go right ahead.” After reverting back to the leader of the party, Kirito looks at the menu and he sees something on the Optional Equipment.

 

Kirito says, “I found something.” Asuna and Usagi look with Kirito at the small window to find that the Fire-Bear’s Horn was in it.

 

Asuna asks, curiously, “Horn! Like the kind of horn that old galleys used to feature? Why would a gondola need something like that?”

 

Kirito says, “I don’t know that you would need it yet. Especially since it seems like the options don’t show up unless you have the necessary items already…”

 

Usagi then asks the NPC shipwright, “Romolo-san, sir, will we need this horn?”

 

The NPC shipwright, whose name was Romolo, responds, “You won’t need it if you’re going to ride around Rovia, but if you row out there, you might need it eventually.”

 

Kirito asks, “Meaning we might need to fight monsters with the boat?”

 

Romolo responds, “Perhaps you will…perhaps you won’t. At any rate, this is your ship. It’s your decision whether to attach the horn or not.”

 

As Kirito, Asuna, and Usagi look at each other, Kirito asks, nervously, “So…?”

 

Usagi says, “Maybe we should.” When Kirito and Asuna look at Usagi, she says, “There are plenty of RPG that have monster attacks on rivers, ponds, lakes, and seas where the players are on some kind of boat or ship. They have to fight them on the ship, fight them off the ship, or both. They also have to fight other ships and boats too. However, in a lot of those games, they had plenty of long range attack options.”

 

Kirito says, “Like magic attacks.”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “Bingo, Kirito. However, this is SAO and there aren’t long range weapons other than Throwing Knives with something like that chakram that you gave to Nezha being the strongest throwing weapon so far. There might be stronger throwing weapons, but they won’t be at the level of something like a bow and arrow like in other RPG. There is also the fact that all the ‘pathways’ of this floor are waterways, so, water-based combat is going to be a thing and we can’t be sure that enemies are going to leap out of the water to attack us, attack the boat, or both.”

 

Kirito says, “And if that’s the case, the best way to fight on the boat is with spears due to their long reach. Fighting water enemies leaping out of the water with swords and other short range weapons isn’t the way to go.”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “If we have the option to make the boat into a weapon, I think that we should do it since we already at a disadvantage in fighting on water on a boat.”

 

Asuna says, nodding her head in understand, “You have a point, Usagi. While it was only that little…guppy that nearly attacked us, we may not be so lucky outside of town.”

 

Kirito says, “Plus, it will be most likely put underneath the waterline, so, we won’t have to look at it most of the time.” Soon after, Kirito uses the menu to attach the horn and all three of them push the ‘finish’ button in which the window vanishes with Romolo drawing a three-dimensional model of the ship added the word ‘Tilnel’ on top in black ink.

 

Romolo says, “Now, I will retreat to my workshop. Be patient and I will inform you when I’m done with my work.” After rolling up the parchment into a scroll, the elderly NPC craftsman disappeared into the tool room in which the door shut and a very heavy vibration ran through the floor.

 

Kirito yawns and says, “Man, this has been a long day.”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “No joke, Kirito.”

 

Asuna asks, “So, you think that Sam was right about this?”

 

Kirito says, “Yeah, I believe that Sam is right on the money on the time that it will take for him to complete our boat. I think that Usagi and I are thinking the same thing.”

 

Usagi says, “I have to agree with Kirito.”

 

Asuna says, “Well, you are the expert gamers around here.”

 

Usagi says, nervously, “I wouldn’t want to admit to that…”

 

Asuna says, “Anyway, we should go back to the inn and hope that three hours is right.”

 

Kirito says, nervously, “That’s the thing. I thought about it and if we leave this house, it might treat ship transaction as its own new quest…”

 

Asuna asks, curiously, “Meaning that if we find out it’s ready and race over and another party’s already in progress with their own quest, we’ll just have to wait outside until they’re done.”

 

Usagi says, “Well, that’s a possibly. There are plenty of those kind of ‘public areas’ like in fact that house that you can start the quest to get the Anneal Blade on the first floor. If a player is in the house with part of the quest in progress, the inside of the house is ‘locked’ and another player can’t get in until the player inside is done with that certain part of the quest.”

 

Kirito says, “Taichi and the other Digital Knights are the only other one doing this quest right now and if we leave before the boat is done and they come in, not knowing that we haven’t picked up our boat, we are going to have to wait for them and it could cause a bit of…unease between us…through it won’t be their fault…”

 

Asuna says, with a sigh, “Okay, I get it. Let’s wait here until he is finished.”

 

Usagi asks Asuna, “Are you sure?”

 

Asuna says, with a nod, “Yep.”

 

Usagi says, starting to leave, “Well, I don’t think that all of us need to be here, so…”

 

Asuna says, with a glare, “Usagi…” Usagi yelps and when Usagi looks at Asuna, she says, “You are tired and you need rest.”

 

Usagi says, nervously, “I’ll be fine…”

 

Asuna says, sternly with a stern glare, “Usagi…sleep!”

 

Usagi gives an ‘eep’ and she says, nervously, “Yes, ma’am!” In a flash, Usagi goes through her menu, gets out a sleeping bag, and ducks inside causing Kirito to give a shocked look in which he steps back away from Asuna.

 

Asuna asks, upon seeing that, “What?” Kirito just laughs nervously and rubs his head.

 

(Hours later)

 

Several hours later, we find Kirito, Usagi, and Asuna inside of the storeroom that Romolo went into and after Kirito pushed a level, the whole room started to descend down to show that it is an elevator of sorts. After twenty seconds, the rumbling stopped and the three of them go through the door in which they enter another room where Asuna marvels at how the room is made of solid stone with massive work platforms, wooden hoists, various stacks of large-scalp ship materials with plenty of room to spare, and most of all, there is a dock in the center of the room that’s a channel above five yards wide with clear water that passed across the room and to a massive door on one side. Romolo was standing at the side of the dock with his hands on his hips with a three-seater gondola that glitter under the workshop’s countless lamps.

 

The gondola looks to be over thirty feet long and five to six feet wide, the body was painted a gleaming ivory white, the sides and prow were a deep forest green, the three leather seats and rest of the interior were calm shades of brown, and the horn affixed beneath the prow in which it was barely visible through the water. It also has the name ‘Tilnel’ on the side.

 

Usagi says, amazed, “Oh, wow!”

 

Asuna says, “Thank you very much for this fine boat, Romolo-san.”

 

The elderly NPC shipwright  responds, “It’s been a long time since I was this satisfied with a vessel.” However, he huffs and he says, sternly, “However, after driving this poor senior citizen into his workshop, you’d better not let her skin.”

 

Asuna responds, “We’re not going to! We went through heck to gather the supplies to create this boat! We’ll treat her well, Grandpa! Thank you!”

 

Romolo says, “In that case, the ship is now yours. I’ll open the gate for you and then you can row it wherever you like.”

 

Asuna replies, excitedly, “Yes, sir!”

 

Kirito then notices that there is no NPC gondolier and he asks, curiously, “Romolo-san, where’s the boatman?”

 

Asuna, who is sitting in their new gondola, tells Kirito, “Kirito, the person who rows a gondola is called a gondolier.”

 

Romolo says, raising his eyebrow, “Boatman? There is no boatman.”

 

Kirito asks, surprised, “There’s not?”

 

Usagi tells Kirito, nervously, “Kirito, since this is a boat made for us, I think that WE have to row it.”

 

Romolo says, with a nod, “Exactly, young lady.”

 

Kirito gives a look of shock and Asuna says, “So that’s how it works. Well, let’s get going Kirito. Usagi, sit by me.” Kirito sighs as he gets into the gondolier’s position and reads the ‘manual’, another menu for the operation of the craft in the game, while Usagi sits down in another of the passenger seats in the gondola in which she gives a shrug that says ‘sorry’. When Kirito feels that he is confident that he can operate the craft, he gives a nod to Romolo.

 

Romolo then says, “I’m opening the gate!” Romolo then pulls a level and a set of double doors that are facing the dock opens up in which the pale light of the impending dawn and a roil of pure white mist roll into the workshop.

 

Kirito says, “Here goes then! Asuna, you and Usagi hang on tight! Now, launching the Tilnel!” Kirito moves the oar forward and moves the gondola in which after a bit of a shaky start, they head out into the waterways of Rovia.

 

Asuna says, excitedly, “This feels great! Let’s just head straight out of town!”

 

Usagi tells Asuna, “Hold on, Asuna! We’re working with the Digital Knights and they haven’t gotten their gondola yet!”

 

Asuna says, realizing, “Oh, yeah!”

 

Kirito says, “Plus, I would like to get some practice in the safety of town. We promised Romolo-san that we wouldn’t break it.”

 

Asuna says, with a nod, “Good point. After that shaky start, I think that practice would be good.”

 

Kirito says, annoyed, “Hey!”

 

Asuna says, “Well, come on, take us, two young ladies, on a tour of the canals.”

 

Kirito says, with a sigh, “Yes, ma’am!”

 

Usagi tells Kirito, with a grin, “Don’t you mean ‘aye-aye, sir’ since she seems to be the captain of this craft.” Asuna gives a surprised look while Kirito gives an annoyed smirk, but then quickly had to turn to make sure that they were in the right ‘lane of traffic’ to avoid hitting a large gondola piloted by NPC by just inches.

 

The NPC yells out, nastily, “Watch it, clown!”

 

Kirito gives a nervous look and Asuna says, annoyed, “He doesn’t have to shout just because his boat was bigger.”

 

Usagi says, nervously, “Well, we were in the ‘wrong lane’.”

 

Kirito gives a brief annoyed look at Usagi and he says, with a sigh, “Usagi has a point. They are probably just programmed to react like that if the gondolas get too close for comfort.” Usagi gives a look that says ‘I’m sorry’ through Kirito can’t see it due to her special cloak hiding her face and Usagi goes through her menu. But just then another gondola, around the size of their gondola, came racing by to pass us on the left.

 

The NPC on that gondola shouts out, nastily, “Out of the way! Don’t hog the canals!”

 

Asuna yells out, angrily, “What was that for?! Chase him, Kirito! I want to give him a piece of my mind!”

 

Kirito says, nervously, “I can’t! I won’t be able to make the turn if I go that fast.”

 

As Kirito then goes into deep thought on why the NPC are reacting that way, Usagi calls out to Kirito and Asuna, “Um, Kirito…Asuna…?” Asuna and Kirito look to see Usagi has her menu up through they can’t see details since it isn’t in visible mode.

 

Kirito asks Usagi, “What’s up, Usagi?”

Usagi says, “Check your quest log. I don’t think the quest is over yet.” Immediately, Asuna and Kirito open their menus to check their quest logs in which there is a new update that says: ‘The boats from the Water Carriers Guild are acting strange. Talk to the old craftsman again.”

 

Asuna asks, curiously, “What does this mean?”

 

Kirito says, “It means that we have talk to Gramps again! Hang on!” Soon enough, Kirito slows and stops their gondola in which they turn it around to head back.

 

(Later on)

 

Around half-an-hour later, the Tilnel with its three ‘owners’ are back in the waterways of Rovia and they look in deep thought.

 

Asuna says, “His story didn’t make sense…”

 

Usagi says, “True, but it means that this quest is still going…”

 

Usagi gives a yawn and Asuna says, “I guess that we are still tired after getting what we need to make Tilnel, here. And Gramps said that they will leave around nightfall. We have plenty of time to rest up.”

 

Usagi asks, “What about the Digital Knights?”

 

Kirito says, with a smile, “I’m sure that we will meet up with them later today. They are getting a full night of sleep and it is going to take several hours for them to get their gondola. Not sure if it will take longer since it will be enough for their larger group…”

 

Asuna says, with a smile, “Yeah, you’re right.” Soon enough, Kirito docks the Tilnel in the western docks and Asuna asks, “Hey, can’t we put the Tilnel in our inventory somehow? Do we have to leave it behind?”

 

Usagi says, “That’s not how it usually works with boats in games, Asuna.”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “That’s right. According to the manual, we can fix the boat in place by dropping an anchor or trying it to a bitt on the dock. Once its affixed only the owner can unlock the ship, it says…so, I don’t think we’ll need to worry about it being stolen…”

 

Asuna says, annoyed tone in her voice, “I was hoping for a more confident answer.” Asuna picks up a coiled rope sitting in front of the gondola and asks, “Is this it?”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “Yep.”

 

Asuna then points a fat, rounded post at the side of the pier and she asks, “And is that the bitt?”

 

Usagi says, with a smile, “Yeah. I’ve seen them before. That’s it, Asuna.” Asuna nods her head, leaps over to the pier, and places the rope noose over the post. A game message appeared and let them know that the Tilnel had been fixed.

 

Kirito and Usagi leap off the gondola and Kirito says, “There we go. It has been fixed.” Asuna gives a nod of her head and Usagi gives a yawn.

 

Asuna says, with a nod of understanding, “I think that it is time to call a night.”

 

Kirito asks, “What time should we meet up?”

 

Asuna says, “I think that eleven would be good.”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “Roger that.”

 

Usagi says, nodding her head, “Right.” Soon enough, the three of them headed for the inn to get their rooms and turn in for some sleep for a while.

 

December 22, 2022, SAO/Aincrad, Floor 4, Rovia

 

Later the same day, we find Usagi, Asuna, and Kirito at the food carts and trying to figure out what to eat until Asuna notices something.

 

Asuna asks, “What is it?”

 

Kirito responds, “Well, I was eyeing the fried fish meal…”

 

Asuna tells Kirito, interrupting, “No, I mean THAT.” Asuna then grabs Kirito’s head to turn it eighty degrees to his right in which when Usagi looks in that direction, they see more than a few players running straight through the square to the west.

 

Just then a familiar male voice says, “Hey, you three.” The three of them look towards the source of the voice to find the Digital Knights walking over with concerned looks on their faces.

 

Usagi asks, curiously, “Um, hi?”

 

Miyako asks, “Quick question: Did you park your new gondola at the western docks around here?”

 

Usagi, Asuna, and Kirito look at each other and think in their minds at the same time, “Oh, crap!” Immediately, all nine players head over to the docks where they find that around fifty players are assembled near the mooring for Tilnel, Usagi’s, Asuna’s, and Kirito’s personal gondola for the floor, with two groups of half-a-dozen players facing off at the start of the pier. One group was in blue doublets, the ‘uniform’ for the Dragon Knights Brigade, one of the three frontline guilds of Aincrad, and the other had ‘uniforms’ of moss green, meaning members of the Aincrad Liberation Squad in which they can see that the group of the Dragon Knights Brigade is being led none other than its ‘supreme leader’ and founder, Lind, and the group from the ALS is being led by head and founder of the ALS, Kibaou.

 

Kibaou yells out, “You still don’t get how things work around here, do you? Listen, we found this ship first and that means that we got the right to investigate it first!”

 

Lind responds, strongly, “You claim you found it first, but as the man in charge over there, you arrived two minutes later than I did! We’re already started our investigation! Why don’t you save your baseless complaints for another time?!”

 

Kibaou shouts out, angrily, “Baseless complaints?! No, you stuff that nonsense logic up yer ass! You don’t get the right ta act all high-and-mighty when it was you who shoved my guard out of the way!”

 

Lind retorts, strongly, “We’re inside of the town. You know full well there’s no way we could have forced your man to move. These excuses are laughable!”

 

As the two of them continue their argument, Usagi asks, curiously, “Now what?”

 

Taichi says, with a sigh, “We’ll handle this. Get your boat out of here.”

 

Usagi, Asuna, and Kirito and Asuna asks, curiously, “Really?”

 

Miyako says, annoyed, “These jerks are getting my nerves! They are supposed to be inspiring other players and giving them hope to get out of here one day? Give me a break!”

 

Junpier says, with a nod, “Seriously!”

 

Taichi tells Usagi, Kirito, and Asuna, “Move at our signal.”

 

Usagi asks, “What signal?”

 

Taichi replies, with a smirk, “You’ll know.” Taichi then motions for them to stay out of sight while the Digital Knights move themselves into a certain position on the pier in which Sam is doing something with his menu.

 

Yamato yells out, “Hey!” Immediately, the DBK and ALS players look directly at the Digital Knights.

 

Kibaou says, annoyed, “Not you again!”

 

Takeru says, with a smirk, “Nice to see you too!”

 

Kibaou says, annoyed, “We don’t have time for you, guys, right now!”

 

Miyako retorts, with a sly grin, “Oh, you don’t want to know who that belongs to? I guess that we’ll take our intel and leave! See you later!”

 

The DKB and ALS go up to the wharf from the dock for the Tilnel and Lind yells out, “Hold on!”

 

Kibaou shouts out, “Hold it right there!”

 

Taichi shouts out, “Now!” DKB and ALS, especially their leaders, give confused look, but then Usagi, Asuna, and Kirito race onto the boat and Asuna pulls off the mooring rope in which Kirito started to row away from the peer as fast as he could.

 

Kibaou yells out, “Hey!”

 

Just then a whistle is heard and both guilds looks at the Digital Knights in which Miyako says, pointing to Sam, who is holding two scrolls, “It is a ship building quest known as the Shipwright of Yore, the location is on these scrolls, and after you gather the materials for the NPC at the center of this quest, it will take several hours for the boat to be finished in which, as long as you stay and wait until it is done, no other party can get the building! Better move!”

 

Immediately, Kibaou runs over, takes one of the scrolls, and he yells out, “Give me that!” Kibaou shouts out to his ALS members, “Move it, Liberation Squad!” Immediately, Kibaou and his group take off to get to the NPC shipwright in which Lind runs over and snatches the other scroll.

 

Lind yells out towards Kibaou, “Oh no, you don’t!” Lind then hastily bows in front of the Digital Knights and he says, hastily, “Your help is much appreciated. Thank you.” Soon after, Lind and his group races off after Kibaou and his group in which they leave the Digital Knights, who look at each other, and have a good chuckle at the expensive of the other two guilds.

 

Taichi says, bringing up his menu, “I’ll instant message them and ask where they want to meet.”

 

Yamato says, with a grin, “Good idea.”

 

(Sometime later on)

 

In a restaurant at the southeastern part of Rovia, we find Kirito, Asuna, Usagi, and the Digital Knights discussing something in which we find Asuna, now, has a steel breastplate instead of a bronze one, her leather skirt is now plated leather, and her gloves and boots, now, have metal studs, but they were smooth and rounded and not spiked.

 

Miyako, who is sporting her own new set of studded armor pieces in her ‘outfit’, says, excitedly, “You look awesome, girlfriend!”

 

Asuna says, with a smile, “You, too.”

 

Junpier, who has also upgraded her armor, says, with a smile, “You are going to need it for the battles ahead.”

 

Asuna says, “I know. I always felt that getting armor is like giving in and becoming a true resident of this world.”

 

Miyako tells Asuna, “Geez, you don’t have to be so deep. Just think of them as tools. Tools that you need to get back home. To people that you love and all that you consider precious there.”

 

Asuna becomes a bit nervous at Miyako’s last sentience, but she doesn’t show it and Asuna says, with a smile, “Yeah, you’re right.”

 

Takeru says, “In our book, giving into this world means giving up on not adventuring to beat this ‘death game’ and get out of here. In our way of thinking, that’s what it means to truly ‘give into this world’.”

 

Sam says, with a nod, “I agree with Takeru. Giving in means giving up and you haven’t given up.”

 

On the meanwhile, Kirito asks Taichi, “You didn’t get the same message that we did?”

 

Taichi says, shaking his head, “Nope. In our quest log, it was quest complete and we got our experience through we didn’t get any items.”

 

Usagi says, “Probably the ‘reward’ is your new gondola.”

 

Taichi says, with a nod, “We figured that, but we haven’t gotten any update that the quest is going on.”

 

Kirito thinks in his mind, “How could the quest be different from Taichi and the Digital Knights when all of us did the same quest? We did it as two different parties, yes, but it shouldn’t be so different. Is it possible that this is there is another ‘branch’ to this quest and Asuna, Usagi, and I triggered that ‘branch’? But how? All of us did the same things and we gave the same materials to Romolo-san, so, it doesn’t make sense…”

 

Usagi asks, “So, you used your horn too?”

 

Sam says, with a nod, “We figured that since we’ll be in water battles on this floor and that the horn was available to be used, we figured that like in plenty of RPG games, the boat had a set durability and since there aren’t the usual ways to fight ‘sea battles’ here, with magic or strong long range weapons, we figured that having a weapon on our gondola to make our boat a weapon too is a good idea.”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “We found that out. Our boats have a set durability rating and when it goes, we are in the drink, but while it is a moored, the durability is protected, so, we don’t have to worry about anyone sneaking up and busting it while we aren’t watching it.”

 

Yamato says, “The real problem is avoiding obstacles and more likely, it is battles with monsters in which, most likely, they can and will attack the boat to sink it or send us into the water.”

 

Sam says, “Which is why the horn is a good thing to have.”

 

Miyako says, nodding her head in agreement, “No joke.”

 

Takeru asks, “So, what will you do now?”

 

Usagi says, “I guess that we will continue on with our version of the quest. Maybe we’ll figure it out why ours is continuing and yours isn’t.”

 

Junpier asks, curiously, “Need a hand?”

 

Asuna looks at Kirito and Asuna responds, “We’ll be fine. No insult to you, but this is like a stealth mission and the more people that we have, the more chances that we could get caught.”

 

Sam says, with a nod, “That’s a good point.”

 

Usagi says, nodding her head, “I agree.”

 

Miyako asks, “Are you sure?”

 

Taichi says, with a smile, “They’ll be okay. They aren’t among the best of the best for nothing.”

 

Kirito says, with a nervous smile, “I wish that you wouldn’t say that.” Plenty of the others can’t help to giggle at this and they continue on their discussion for the moment, but Kirito can’t help to be in deep thought about quite a few things.

 

December 23, 2022, SAO/Aincrad, Floor 4

 

Outside of Rovia, fifteen minutes pass midnight on the twenty-third of December, Kirito, Asuna, and Usagi are on their gondola, Tilnel, as inside of a dungeon outside of Rovia where they followed the huge gondola-like craft mentioned by Romolo, piloted by four NPC, and with ten wooden boxes covered by a sheet. The three of them stealthy followed them into the dungeon and have been maneuvering through the dungeon for about six hours.

 

Asuna says, pointing to an area, “Oh, there is a door to the right.” Kirito and Usagi saw a small landing with a metal door set into the wall with Asuna saying in frustration, “Though it figures to be yet another dead end.”

 

Usagi says, nervously, “Well, RPG games aren’t just about fighting and leveling up. There is a lot of puzzle solving involved.”

 

Asuna says, with a sigh, “I know. But I think that the ‘puzzle solving’ that’s put in here will want you to tear out your hair.”

 

Usagi says, with a nervous smile, “Yeah, I know that feeling.”

 

Kirito says, “And there are usually a treasure chest at most dead ends.”

 

Asuna says, “Probably more rusted swords and junk.”

 

Kirito tells Asuna, “Never discount rusted gear. Every once in a while, you can take it to a blacksmith for repair and it turns out to be a legendary find.”

 

Usagi says, “You have a point, Kirito, but that’s close to SUPER rare if not BEYOND SUPER rare.”

 

Kirito says, nervously, “Point taken, Usagi.”

 

Usagi says, “Besides those ‘one-in-a-lifetime’ stuff, there are plenty of rusted stuff, when fixed, that can prove useful. And we need every advantage that we can get around here.”

 

Asuna says, with a nod, “I know. I know.” Just then Asuna says, seeing something, “Whoa! Hold it!”

 

Kirito puts the oar upright causing the gondola to come to a steady halt causing him to ask, nervously, “W-What is it?”

 

Asuna says, “I think there’s a big space up ahead. And…I hear a whole lot of voice coming up from there.”

 

Usagi says, “Okay, let’s move in slowly.”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “Right.” Kirito then uses the oar to push the boat onward and they then see a large open surface ahead of them in which they find that the open area is a half-circle hall that’s one hundred yards across, the curved wall on one side feature at least five to sex tunnel mouths, and another wall opposite of the one that contained these tunnel mouths was flat with a wide staircase in the center that stretched upward connected to a pier that contained the gondola that they were following. Staying silent and hidden, Kirito, Usagi, and Asuna look as the four NPC sailors were unloading the boxes that they were carrying while imposing warriors took the boxes and carried them up the stairs. From what they can see, they were thin, but tall, clad in dark grey leather armor, and wearing eerie masks that covered their faces.

 

Just then Usagi notices something about them and she whispers as loud as she could WITHOUT tipping off the NPC sailors and the ‘warriors’, “They’re Fallen Elves!” Asuna gives a look of surprise and nods her head in which Usagi looks at Kirito with Kirito just nodding his head allowing Usagi to know that he knows it too. Fallen Elves were the race that served as the foes at the climax of the ‘Elf War’ campaign quest, which they are still on since it lasts all the way to the NINTH floor, that was part of the third floor.

 

Asuna asks Kirito, in a whisper, “What happened during the beta test?”

 

Kirito says, “I don’t remember ever running into the Fallen here. In fact, this dungeon didn’t exist in the beta.”

 

Asuna asks, “Meaning…this is part of one self-contained quest? Or does it fall under the umbrella of the campaign?”

 

Kirito says, “Remember, Taichi and the Digital Knight didn’t get the update in the logs that we did. It seems like there is a branch to this quest to those that are playing the ‘Elf War’ campaign.”

 

Usagi asks, “So, you never fought the Fallen Elves in the beta on this floor?”

 

Kirito says, shaking his head, “Not one bit. I found them on several occasion in the beta, but not here and I never saw them cooperating with human NPCs like this.”

 

Asuna says, “Well, I don’t like this. If those sailors are with Rovia’s Water Carriers Guild…then the guild itself could be aligned with the Fallen Elves.”

 

Kirito says, “We need to find out what’s in those boxes.” The three of them continued to watch what was happening and they watched after the boxers were unloaded, a large and imposing masked Fallen, who appeared to be a leader handed a small bag to one of the sailors. The man looked inside to check the contents, then nodded in satisfied manner and motioned for his comrades to leave.

 

Asuna says, “Well, I know what’s in that big.”

 

Usagi says, with a nod of her head, “That’s obvious.”

 

Kirito says, “Yep. Cold hard cash. If they’re all thousand-Col gold coins…that could be two hundred thousand in all…”

 

Asuna tells Kirito, annoyed, “Don’t you dare think about attacking and robbing them on the way.”

 

Kirito says, nervously, “N-No way! They look really tough anyway.”

 

Usagi says, “Plus, this is a sheath quest. We might get ‘penalized’ for that.”

 

Kirito says, with a nod, “Yeah, good point.” They watched the NPC sailors undid their vessel’s mooring rope and with two oarsmen, they start off.

 

Usagi says, in a serious tone, but not loud enough for anyone else outside of their boat to hear, “Here they come!” Kirito quickly threw their gondola into full-speed reverse and put themselves at the small landing that they were earlier.

Kirito says, seriously, “The rope!” Immediately, Asuna, getting what Kirito wants, gets the mooring rope and throws it to him in which he puts it around a bitt that’s on shore. Immediately, they go on the landing and throw open a door in front of them.

 

Asuna asks, “Does it even matter if we hide in here? Won’t they just see the Tilnel outside?”

 

Kirito says, “Good point, but there’s no other escape for us. If they float past without noticing, great, and even if they disembark, they can’t destroy the unnamed boat while it’s tied up.”

 

Asuna asks, “But what if they come here?”

 

Kirito says, “Then we’ll have to hide…”

 

Usagi then says, “Hold that thought!” Kirito and Asuna then look to see Usagi running over to the Tilnel with a large silver-grey thin cloth in her hands. Soon after, she puts the large cloth over the Tilnel and the instant that the cloth covered the gondola, it took on the exact same color as the water making it really hard to tell that it is there. Kirito and Asuna are shocked, but Usagi says, seriously and loud enough NOT to be heard by the approaching NPCs, “Inside!” The three of them then slip inside of the storeroom.

 

Asuna asks, “What was that?”

 

Usagi says, “It is called ‘Argyro’s Sheet’. And the description said that it is a cloth made of silk from a rare aquatic spider. This cloth will hide anything that it covers ONLY in a place surrounded by water.”

 

Asuna says, “That’s convenient.”

 

Usagi says, “Probably made for those doing this part of the quest. A rare item that you can gain during a quest that’s hard, if not impossible, to get anyway else.”

 

Kirito says, with a sly smile, “See? It pays off to explore the nooks and crannies.”

 

Asuna whispers, annoyed, “Shh! Here they come!” Looking through a peephole in the door, the sailors and their craft pass by the Tilnel without seeing it or crashing into it.

 

After they are gone, the three of them let out a sigh of relief and Asuna says, “I don’t like these…what do you call them? Stealth quests.”

 

Usagi and Kirito nod their heads in agreement and Kirito says, “The tension is so much higher in a VRMMO.” Kirito tells Usagi, “Good job on finding that cloth, Usagi.”

 

Usagi nods his head and Usagi asks, “So, what’s our plan now?” Kirito brings out his menu to check the quest log and he finds that it has a vague command that says: ‘Find the secret of the transport ship.’

 

Kirito says, dismissing his menu, “Looks like we still need to find out what’s inside those wooden boxes.”

 

Asuna says, “That means that sneaking up those crawling with those Fallen Elves.”

 

Kirito asks, nodding his head, “The stealth mission continues. If you’re tired, we can probably turn back to town and resume tomorrow. What do you think?”

 

Usagi says, “We can’t be sure that things will remain the same tomorrow, Kirito. There could be a time limit or something on this quest.”

Asuna says, with a nod, “I’m in agreement with Usagi. Plus, I don’t want to fight all of this water monsters again.”

 

Kirito says, “Good point. Let’s put in some more good work then.” Soon enough, they leave the storeroom and return to the landing in which Kirito checks the Argyro’s Sheet in which he finds that the sheet has already lost ten percent of its durability which means that it doesn’t last long. Soon after, they head off where Asuna changes from her typical red hooded cloak and cape is replaced by an expensive violet colored one with elaborate woven patterns. A quest reward that she gained during the ‘Elf War’ quests on the third floor.

 

(Later on)

 

It is now around two in the morning of the same day where we find Kirito, Asuna, currently in her violet cloak, and Usagi, walking down a long staircase where they find themselves a wide-open warehouse completely unlike the corridors that they have been wandering through after they docked their boat. The backwall featured a large double door guarded on either side by heavily armored Fallen Elf guards, by the standards of Fallen Elves of course. On the sidewalls were careless stacks of wooden boxes.

 

Once on the ground, the three of them use the stairs to hide and Usagi asks, in a whisper, “There they are, but how are we going to get to them?”

 

Kirito says, “We’ll probably call the attention of the guards if we just walk in there. If we can sneak behind the boxes to the left or right somehow.

 

Asuna says, “I feel like we could beat them in a fight, but whatever’s behind those huge doors worries me. I think I hear something weird from behind them.” Kirito, Asuna, and Usagi silently listen and they can bear a faint, but clearly audible sounds of banging and scrapping.

 

Usagi asks, “Do you think that we can distract the guards?”

 

Kirito replies, “Maybe.” Kirito picks up a stone from the ground and one of the group of boxes. The stone barely hits the corner of one of the boxes, it was enough to catch the attention of the guards. At that moment, they silently rush and hide in the other group of boxes in the room. Kirito whispers, with a sigh of relief, “Whew. Now, let’s see what’s in this thing.” But when Kirito opens the box, it is completely empty causing Asuna, Usagi, and Kirito to look at each other with confused looks.

 

Asuna whispers, confused, “What does this mean?”

 

Kirito says, with a shrug and in a whisper, “I have no idea. Maybe they removed the contents of the box.” The three of them, silently, check the other boxes, but found that they were empty as well.

 

Asuna asks, confused and in a whisper, “Why?” Just then all of them hear sound of the giant doors beyond the boxes opening and they hear seven to eight sets of heavy boots flooded into the room.

 

Usagi says, in a whisper, “Quick! Into the boxes!”

 

Kirito says, with a nod and in a whisper, “Right!” Usagi then goes into one box while Kirito and Asuna go into another box. Through an open slit, Usagi looks out and sees a number of Fallen Elves, but a burly one with a plain mask covering only the lower half of his face and thick arms with him dressed like craftsman. Usagi sees that his cursor identified him as ‘Eddhu: Fallen Elven Foreman’.

 

Usagi thinks in her mind, “Fallen Elven Foreman, huh? Well, it makes sense since he is dressed like worker and not a warrior.” Usagi then becomes worried when Eddhu stops near the box that Kirito and Asuna were hiding in.

 

Eddhu says, “Thanks to today’s shipment, we’ve now got the total we need.” Usagi is confused since she, Kirito, and Asuna found that the boxes were empty and then Usagi couldn’t help to wonder what Fallen Elves would want from humans.

 

Just then a male voice that’s beautiful and cold as ice says, “Good. Well done.” Usagi, peeking through the slit in her box, looks to see a tall and slender man that fits every expectation of an elf. From what she can see, this Fallen Elf had armor that’s a melding of leather and metal, with a crimson cope in which he is wearing a mask that had two animal horns and the eyes from under the mask seemed to glow and flicker with red light causing Usagi to become unnerved. The Fallen Elf, the leader of this group of Fallen, says, “But the assembly is taking longer than expected.”

 

Eddhu responds, bowing deeply to this Fallen, “I’m very sorry, Your Excellency. We should be caught up in three days.”

 

The Fallen Elf leader then asks, “Good. Then I may assume that it will be finished entirely in five days as the plan states?” As Usagi looks at his color cursor, she becomes really nervous see that it is so dark that it is nearly black, meaning that his levels was WAY higher than Usagi’s level, which mean that he was also higher than Kirito and Asuna, and she spotted that his cursor said: ‘N’ltzahh: Fallen Elven General’.

 

Usagi thinks in her mind, nervously, “Oh, boy. This isn’t good.”

 

Eddhu tells the Fallen Elf leader, N’ltzahh, “I will pledge my life to making it happen, General N’ltzahh.”

 

N’ltzahh says, “Very good. Get to work, Eddhu.” N’ltzahh then says, “It truly is a farce, isn’t it? Eons since we were removed from the blessing of the Holy Tree, yet we are still bound by the taboos of the elven race.”

 

Just then a female voice calls out, “Yes, if not for that nonsensical taboo, we would need to strike this deal with the filthy humans in order to gain these materials.”

 

Usagi thinks in her mind, confused, “What materials?!”

 

N’ltzahh says, “It is not worth complaining about, Kysala. Pay them as much gold as the want. Once we have all of the keys and open the door to the Sanctuary, even the greatest magic left to humankind will vanish without a trace…”

 

The female voice, the one that N’ltzahh called Kysala, responds, “Of course, Excellency. The moment of our triumph grows ever closer.”

 

N’ltzahh then says, “Indeed. But our initial mission is to recover the first key that special forces commander let slip from our grasp. The plan begins in five days, once all of our preparations are complete. I have great expectations of all of you.” From the slit, Usagi can see the soldiers salute N’ltzahh and soon enough, they walk away in which Usagi listens until the footsteps fade away. Usagi then slowly, but surely exits out of the box and into the shadow of the boxes. Shortly afterwards, Asuna and Kirito exit out of their boxes.

 

Usagi whispers to them, “Did you have any idea what it means?”

 

Kirito whispers back, “Yeah, but it’ll be a long explanation, so, leave this spot first. You never know if they come back.”

 

Asuna says, plainly, “If that happens, we’re hiding in a bigger box.”

 

Usagi notices Asuna glaring at Kirito and Usagi whispers, curiously, “Did something happen?”

 

Kirito whispers back, nervously, “Don’t ask.” Usagi decides not to push it further and after Kirito uses the same trick to distract the guards, the three of them manage to sneak away undetected and leave the dungeon/cavern.

 

December 24, 2022, SAO/Aincrad, Floor 4

 

At the edge of a large lake just north of the center of the fourth floor of Aincrad, we find a group of gondolas assembled together in which the Tilnel is one of them. They are parked by the six-person gondola of the Digital Knights which is colored orange, blue, and white and sporting its own horn under the waterline like the Tilnel, this gondola, known as ‘Imperial’, named after none other than the DNA Mega Dragon Digimon, Imperialdramon, as well a four-person gondola that’s painted just calming brown color. It belongs to the Japanese born African-American Japanese national, Agil, and his three companions, all of them ax users, known by the nickname ‘The Bro Squad’. This four party group of players are a ‘neutral faction’ between the three main guilds of Aincrad: Aincard Liberation Squad, Dragon Knights Bridge, and finally, said Digital Knights through it doesn’t mean that they aren’t good ‘associates’ of the Digital Knights as they are with Kirito, Asuna, and Usagi. Their ship is known as the Pequod in which Asuna told Agil that she had an ‘issue’ with that due to it being a reference to the story ‘Moby Dick’.

 

Usagi looks up into the sky and she thinks in her mind, “What are you doing now?” Just then Usagi is brought out of her thoughts at the sound of a crashing of a gong in which everyone looks towards the sound looking at the sight of three gondolas, one ten-seater, the largest that Romolo could make, along with two four-seater gondola with their bodies painted blue with white trim in which the gong that was heard was on the largest of the three gondolas. These three gondolas belong to the Dragon Knights Bridge, one of the three guilds of Aincrad.

 

On board the ten-seater is Lind, leader of the DKB, and he says, “It’s time! We’re about to begin our battle against the Biceps Archelon, the field boss of the fourth floor! None of us have any experience with a major water battle aboard ships, but there’s nothing to gear. As you’ve seen in fighting ordinary monsters, their attacks are almost entirely absorbed by our ships.”

 

Junpier whispers to her guildmates, “So says the ‘big man’ in that battlecruiser.”

 

Lind says, continuing his ‘speech’, “As I explained in our prebattle meeting, the Archelon’s attacks are quite simple! As long as we watch out for the direction its two heads are facing, we can avoid taking any charges! We will use this gong to signal the timing of evasion, so please keep an ear out for it.”

 

Miyako whispers, annoyed, “And who was it that got that information? They have some nerve. We, along with Kirito, Asuna, and White Swordsman-san, were the ones that got the information and they stick us of the so-called ‘flanks’. They just don’t want us to make them look like idiots in which they did a good job of themselves back on the last floor!”

 

Takeru says, with a kind smile, “We know, Miyako. We feel the same way, but like it or not, we’re just one guild and we, all of us on the ‘front lines’, need to work together.”

 

Taichi says, with a nod, “I’ve got to agree with Takeru, Miyako. I don’t like it as much as you do, but we have to bear it and do our job as the ‘leaders’ of the ‘flankers’.”

 

Asuna says, annoyed, “Which is going to be impossible to do anything since its side are nearly impenetrable. They just want us out of the way.”

 

Yamato says, with a sly smirk, “And once they mess up, all of us are going to go in to save their asses.”

 

Junpier says, with a nod, “That’s for sure.” However, Kirito and Usagi hoped that didn’t have to happen for various reasons.

 

Lind then yells out, “Let’s move out! Take formation when the boss appears! Dragon Knight fleet forward!” The DKB ‘mother ship’, known as Leviathan, and its two ‘escort ships’ started to move. Nearby, a group of three six-person gondolas with moss green bodies and dark grey broadsides are nearby with Kibaou on the lead gondola known as the Unleash. This gondola and the other two were the ships of the Aincrad Liberation Squad, another of the three guilds of Aincrad along side the DKB and Digital Knights.

 

Kibaou shouts out, “Come on, let’s get going! All ships at top speed, Liberation Squad!”

 

As the ALS ships start to move out as well, Taichi says, a bit nervously, “Well…take to move out…everyone else!”

 

Yamato says, with a nervous tone, “Nice one, fearless leader.” Taichi gives an annoyed groan as the rest of the gondolas head out.

 

(Sometime afterwards)

 

Right now, we find all of them in the large lake battling against Biceps Archelon, the massive water field boss of the fourth floor and it is a huge two-headed turtle, in which it has a bite attack from both heads, a watery smack attack from its side fins, and a charge attack using its entire form.

 

At this moment, the gong on Leviathan sounds and Lind yells out, “Evade!” Immediately, the gondolas in Biceps’ line of attack move out of way and its attack just sprays water and sends waves that rock the lake. By this time, the field boss’ HP was half-way depleted.

 

On Tilnel, Asuna asks, “Hey, what kind of boss was here in the eta?”

 

Kirito, who is rowing Tilnel, responds, “It was still a turtle, but more like a tortoise. Very tough, but slow and I don’t remember us having much trouble.”

 

Usagi says, “Well, it does make sense since tortoises aren’t good on land. They are better in water.”

 

Asuna says, “That means that it isn’t surprising that since this guy gotten an upgrade since they decided to soak this level in water.”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “Yeah, that’s right, Asuna. Like I said, tortoises are better on water than in land.” Usagi and Asuna yelp as the Tilnel is thrown off-balance by one of the ALS’s gondolas in which one of ALS member says, tauntingly, “Even the great beater and Kayaba’s princess aren’t going to win the LA today!”

 

Asuna yells out, annoyed, “What’s the big idea? This formation was their idea to begin with! And they have some nerve for that low blow on Usagi!”

 

Usagi says, with a sigh, “It’s okay, Asuna.”

 

Kirito says, “I think that it is going too far, too, Asuna. But give them a piece of your mind after the fight.”

 

Asuna says, sternly, “You damn bet I will!” Asuna then uses Parallel Sting, a two-part Rapier Sword Skill combo, against the side, but due to the strength of the sides, the attack barely scratches the field boss’ HP. After a while, the HP of the field boss goes into the red in which the Digital Knights and our three player team of Kirito, Asuna, and Usagi on Tilnel move their ships away expecting the boss to change its attack patterns. However, the ships of the DKB and ALS were at the front and still hammering at the boss even harder than before.

 

Miyako asks, annoyed, “What are those idiots doing?”

 

Agil yells out, “Everyone get away!” However, they don’t listen and Kirito and Usagi then spot a familiar attack animation through Kirito hasn’t seen it used by tortoise monsters in SAO before.

 

Usagi shouts out, “Kirito, it’s a spin attack!”

 

Kirito responds, “I know!” Kirito shouts out, “Watch out! It is going to spin!” But the four boats don’t retreat and try to defeat it before it can use its spin attack, but the preparation of the attack is boosting its defense and they won’t make it in time.

 

Taichi shouts out, angrily, “Those idiots!” Taichi tells Kirito, “Kirito, charge! We’re using the horns on our boats now!”

 

As the Digital Knights prepare to charge, Asuna shouts out, “You heard him, Kirito!”

 

Kirito responds, “Yes, ma’am!” Immediately, both the Imperial and Tilnel charge in and ram their rams into field boss and causing it to stop in which a few white steam vents burst out of its shell before it shatters into hundreds to thousands of data pixels. Soon enough, the word ‘Congratulations’ sign appears in the sky above the lake in which the players get their experience, loot, and col with Kirito finding that he was the one getting the Last Attack bonus causing him to think, with a sigh, “Good grief, I did it again.”

 

Usagi says, with a smile, “Good work, Kirito!”

 

Asuna says, with a smile, “That was great!”

 

Kirito says, a bit nervously, “Well, it wasn’t just me.” Usagi and Asuna then turn and wave to the Digital Knights, who wave in turn, but they look at the DKB and ALS, who are giving off peeved looks.

 

Miyako then screams at them, irritated, “You’re welcome for saving your hides!” As members from both the DKB and ALS were about to speak, death glares from both Miyako and Junpier shut them right away.

 

Junpier screams out, annoyed, “If you don’t want us saving your butts, THEN LEARN TO FIGHT SMART ALREADY!!!” The DKB and ALS flinch from her words while Asuna nods her head in agreement with Junpier in which Kirito, Asuna, Usagi, and the Digital Knights wave to Agil and his team in which they give a ‘thumbs up’ with their hands as Kirito, Asuna, Usagi, and their Digital Knights, in their two gondolas, take off away from the lake and follow the waterways to the next town.

 

As they head down, Takeru says, “That was something.”

 

Yamato says, with a nod, “No kidding, bro.”

 

Sam says, “It isn’t surprising that we would have difficulties, here. It isn’t exactly easy to fight on water even in a boat.”

 

Takeru says, nodding his head, “Yeah. We either have to swim or move around by boat to get around here.”

 

Usagi says, “It makes me wonder about Argo. Will she be all right out here? Due to that fact, she could be trapped in the main town…”

 

Just then a familiar female voice shouts out, “Ah, you don’t have to worry about little old me!” Plenty of the others yelp and they turn to the source of the voice to see none other than Argo the Rat, but she wasn’t riding a boat or swimming. She was gliding on the surface of the river like a water strider.

 

Miyako yells out, flabbergasted, “What the heck?!”

 

Kirito asks, stunned, “Did you become an apprentice to those doofus ninjas from the Fuma Ninja Force?”

 

Argo replies, with a sly smile, “Hardly. I found these babies in town.” Argo then slides along the water on one leg and raises her right foot where she shows that she is wearing sandals equipped with very light-looking wooden floater paddles.

 

Sam asks, confused, “Hold on! Is that Mizu gumo?”

 

Usagi asks, confused, “Mizu-what?”

 

Sam responds, “Mizu gumo is a device used by ninja to cross water or so says the many legends and myths about ninja. However, it established fact that it is better used in our rice paddies and marshy areas.”

 

Argo says, with a grin, “You know you stuff.”

 

Taichi says, “However, I’m willing to bet that they aren’t easy to use.”

 

Argo says, with a nod, “You got it. You got to have a ridiculous amount of agility to equip and you got to lower your weight as much as possible when using them. Tip your balance even the tiniest bit and you’ll flip over. No way to fight when using these babies.”

 

Junpier says, “That means that we’ll be sticking with our boats, thank you very much.”

 

Argo says, with a grin, “Good idea.”

 

Kirito remarks, seeing Argo seemly in her classic attire, “Doesn’t seem like you’ve given up much of your gear though.”

 

Argo gives a sly smirk and responds, “Is that how it seems to you? Never know, I might be wearing nothing at all under here.”

 

Kirito and the other males of the group, blush, and Kirito asks, nervously, “O-Oh, yeah?”

 

Usagi says, with a sigh, “Argo, please…”

 

Argo says, with a grin, “Okay! Okay!”

 

Usagi asks Argo, “Anyway, would you like to ride with us?”

 

Argo says, with a grin, “Thank you. I’ll take you up on that.” Soon enough, Argo leaps onto the boat and starts to have a conversation with Asuna.

 

Kirito thinks in his mind, annoyed, “Gramps, you should have told us that a three-seater actually holds four!”

 

December 24, 2022, SAO/Aincrad, Floor 4, Usco

 

Within Usco, a small town made of a dozen shacks, walkways, and open spaces buoyed by balsa-like logs in which said town is floating in the midst of a crescent-shaped lake, we find Kirito, Asuna, Usagi, Argo, and the Digital Knights at a tropical-themed restaurant.

 

Kirito says, “Finally, we’re halfway done with the fourth floor.”

 

Asuna says, “You say ‘finally’ as if it hasn’t been just three days since we got here.”

 

Usagi tells Asuna, “Can you really blame him, Asuna?”

 

Yamato says, with a nod, “Believe us, we know how he is feeling. In the situation that we are in, it isn’t surprising that days feel more like weeks and months.”

 

Takeru says, nodding his head in agreement, “While that field boss was done in…just thirty minutes or so. It felt like hours to us.”

 

Kirito asks, curiously, “You have…been through something like this before?”

 

Taichi says, with a nervous smile, “It is a LONG story.”

 

Miyako says, with a nod, “A REALLY LONG story.” Kirito and Usagi can’t help to feel curious, but they decide not to go into that any further.

 

Kirito says, plainly, “The DKB and ALS will be here very soon, so we should pick up all quest in the village and start on some of the easier ones…”

 

Taichi says, “Doubt it, bro. They are heading back to Rovia.”

 

Kirito asks, confused, “They’re going back to Rovia? Did they leave some quests behind?”

 

Plenty of the others look at each other and Junpier says, annoyed, “Why am I not surprised? They really are jerks.”

 

Taichi says, with a nod, “No joke.”

 

Yamato says, “And this is why we decided to stay here and away from them to celebrate Christmas.”

 

Kirito asks, “Christmas?” Just then Kirito thinks about it for a few seconds and he says, “Oh, right. Christmas Eve. This is twenty-fourth of December, Christmas Eve.”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “That’s right, Kirito.”

 

Takeru says, “While it isn’t a national holiday, like in many other nations that have Christmas, it has become a popular holiday in Japan especially after World War Two.”

 

Kirito asks, curiously, “So, what does Christmas have to do with those two guilds?”

 

Asuna says, “They are going to hold a united Christmas send-off party.”

 

Kirito yells out, flabbergasted, “WHAT?!!”

 

Usagi says, surprised, “That’s the first that I heard of it.”

 

Taichi says, “Not surprised that you didn’t.”

 

Junpier says, with a snort, “Most likely, they felt that ‘Kayaba’s princess’ would cause their whole party to sour.” Junpier tells Usagi, “Sorry about that.”

 

Usagi says, with a sigh, “Don’t worry, I’m used to it.”

 

Asuna looks at Usagi and gives a sigh in which Yamato says, “It is all you can eat and drink and it is a major deal.”

 

Kirito says, “I don’t doubt it. It must be the first major player-run public event in Aincrad.”

 

Sam says, “The ALS decided to have their own event first as a way to good use of all of the food items that they gathered up during questing.”

 

Kirito says, nodding his head in understanding, “Good idea. Not only that, but by calling it a Christmas party would attract attention from other players and it would help with their guild’s profile and it is also a good recruitment opportunity. Good move.”

 

Asuna asks Kirito, surprised tone in her voice, “Are you complementing them?”

 

Kirito replies, a bit embarrassed, “Not exactly. I’m just saying that it is a very intelligent move on their part.” Kirito asks Taichi, “However, I take it that the DKB realized that right away?”

 

Taichi says, with a nod, “Yep. And they decided to create their own event. They ‘battled’ over use of the teleportation square…”

 

Usagi asks, annoyed, “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

 

Miyako says, with a nod, “No joke, girlfriend.”

 

Takeru says, with a smile, “But surprising enough, they made up and decided to hold a joint venture together.”

 

Usagi asks, surprised, “Really?”

 

Kirito says, “Well, I supposed that I should be happy that they managed to put on an event together, but calling it a ‘send-off party’ is a bit weird. Isn’t that usually when you throw before a big competition or when traveling to somewhere new? It seems backward for the people who are going to labyrinth tower to throw their own send-off party.

 

Asuna says, with a light smile, “It wasn’t like nobody suggested inviting you to the party. You’re one of the front-runners, too, Kirito. But some folks in the ALS wondered why they should pay for free food and drinks for the guy who always steals the LA bonuses and they decided that you didn’t need an invitation.”

 

Junpier says, with a plain tone, “They have forgotten that he is the one that tends to save their asses like we just did in that last fight.”

 

Kirito says, a bit nervously, “Well, I don’t mean to…” Kirito asks, a bit darker in his expression, “And I’m guessing there were plenty of the ALS wanted Usagi out just because of THAT, right?”

 

Taichi says, “Bingo.”

 

Miyako says, “Yeah, we wanted to knock their lights out too.”

 

Asuna says, “Ditto.”

 

Usagi says, with a sigh, “Please don’t…”

 

Miyako tells Usagi, “Girl, you have got to stop this ‘self-blame game’ that you are putting yourself through.”

 

Asuna says, with a nod, “Miyako is right. You have got to stop this. I’m sorry that this hurts, but if he truly cared about you, he would have made sure that you couldn’t get the game in the first place.”

 

Usagi says, “Yeah…”

 

Taichi says, with a smile, “Anyway, it’s Christmas, so, let’s forget about those jerks.”

 

Yamato says, with a smile, “Good idea.”

 

Argo says, “That’s good for ya. Anyway, I’m heading back to town.”

 

Usagi asks Argo, “Now, Argo?”

 

Argo says, “Yep. I was here to gather data on quests and shop selections, of course. I’d like to pop in on the send-off party. Welp, so long, A-chan and Kii-boy! You keep a good eye on our ‘White Swordswoman’! And a Merry Christmas to you all!”

 

Asuna says, with a nod, “Merry Christmas, Argo. Take care.”

 

Kirito says, nervously, “M-Many Christmas.”

 

Taichi tells Kirito, “That’s ‘Merry Christmas’, bro.”

 

Kirito says, nervously, “Right.”

 

Usagi looks up and she thinks in her mind, her mind focused on all of her loved ones, her family, friends, especially the Sailor Scouts, and her beloved, Darien Shields AKA Tuxedo Mask, “What are you all doing right now? How are you celebrating this day that’s supposed to promote peace and goodwill to all people? This day of profound love and unity? How long before we can celebrate this day again? I hope that all of you are well.”

 

Kirito asks the Digital Knights, “So, none of you are going?”

 

The Digital Knights shake their heads and Yamato says, “Not one of us are. Their attitudes really put us off.”

 

Taichi tells Kirito, with a smirk, “But while we’ll be careful not to ‘put off’ the player community, we’re not going against what we believe in to ‘play nice’.”

 

Kirito says, with a smile, “Right.” Just then the afternoon light abruptly dimmed and the sparkling blue surface of the lake went into a cloudy. Then a chilly wind from across lake hit the group and a white dot fell from the sky into Kirito’s hand where it melt, but then more white dots came down from the sky.

 

Asuna says, amazed, “N-No way…”

 

Kirito says, amazed, “It’s snow…” Soon enough, the huts had snow on their rooftops and NPC children were racing around.

 

Miyako says, amazed, “Oh, wow.”

 

Junpier says, “Beautiful…”

 

Asuna says, annoyed, “Why did it have to do this? Just when we escaped the main city and came here, so I could avoid thinking about Christmas.”

 

Kirito asks, confused, “Huh? You were trying not to think about it? But didn’t you say that it might snow on Christmas when were tackling the second-floor labyrinth?”

 

Asuna replies, in mild embarrassment, “I’m surprised you would remember that. Maybe I did say that, but I’m in no mood to enjoy the holidays given the circumstances.”

 

Takeru says, “Well, you can’t be blamed for that, Asuna.”

 

Yamato says, with a nod, “We can agree with that statement, bro.”

 

Plenty of the others nod their heads in agreement and Kirito then tells Asuna, “Hey, Asuna?”

 

Asuna asks, “What is it, Kirito?”

 

Kirito tells Asuna, “It’s not something physical, but I think that I have something that I can give you and Usagi for Christmas.”

 

Usagi asks, curiously, “Really?”

 

Junpier says, with a sly smile, “You know, Christmas Eve, for us in Japan, is a time for couples to get together.”

 

Kirito, Asuna, and Usagi, through not seen under her hood, blush from that and Kirito yells out, nervously, “It is nothing like that! Plus, she already has a boyfriend!”

 

Kirito hastily points to Usagi and Miyako asks, slyly, “Oh, really?” Miyako asks Usagi, “So, the White Swordswoman has her own swordsman, huh?”

 

Usagi nervously moves her hands and fingers causing Kirito to give rapid shakes of the head in which Sam tells Miyako, nervously, “Miyako, I don’t think that’s a good thing to bring up.”

 

Miyako gives a confused look and she then yelps as she realizes what Sam is implying in which Miyako says, nervously, “I-I’m sorry!”

 

Usagi says, kindly, “It’s okay, Miyako-san.”

 

Kirito says, nervously while trying to change the subject, “Anyway, the place that I want to take Usagi and Asuna is somewhere ONLY WE can get to.”

 

Asuna gives a confused look, but Taichi, Yamato, Takeru, and Sam get the idea in which Takeru says, with a smile, “We get you. Have fun, you three.”

 

Yamato says, with a grin, “Like we said, we’re going to stay here for Christmas before we head off to the labyrinth.”

 

Kirito says, “Catch you later.”

 

Taichi says, “Later, bro.” Soon after, Kirito ‘escorts’ Asuna and Usagi into the Tilnel and with Kirito rowing, they head off out of town.

 

December 24, 2022, SAO/Aincrad, Floor 4

 

Outside of town, we find Kirito, Asuna, and Usagi on the Tilnel and they are following the waters in which they are getting closer and closer to the labyrinth tower that contains the main boss for this floor.

 

Upon seeing this, Asuna asks, concerned, “Wait! You aren’t taking us there, are you?”

 

Kirito says, pointing elsewhere, “Nope. Our destination is over there.” Kirito reaches a fork in the waterway in which he takes the one away from the one that leads to the labyrinth tower and they continue on until they reach what looks like a pure white wall at the end of a dimming valley.

 

Asuna asks, concerned, “Hey, it is a dead end!”

 

Usagi responds, showing a curious look under her hood and having a curious tone, “I’m not so sure, Asuna.”

 

Asuna asks Usagi, “How can you be so sure, Usagi?”

 

Kirito tells Asuna, “Don’t worry, Usagi is right. It’s fog…but not a NORMAL fog.” Asuna gives a confused look as the Tilnel goes into the white fog without incident.

 

Usagi says, in realization, “Oh…!!!” However, before she could say anymore, the fog clears up to reveal them in a massive circular lake, several times larger than the caldera lake where they, along with the rest of the ‘front runners’, fought the field boss of the floor. In the middle of the lake, there is a fearsome and grand fortress palace with four towers of differing heights stood over the roof of the building thick with snow, each one waving a triangular shaped flag…the flag with the symbol of the Dark Elves. Usagi asks Kirito, “This is an instant map for us alone.”

 

Kirito says, with a grin, “Yep.”

 

Asuna says, awe-struck, “It’s beautiful. More beautiful than any castle that I’ve seen in real-life.”

 

Usagi thinks in her mind, “Yes, I know. But I’ve seen castles that were even lovelier, however, this castle is quite wonderful in its own way.” Soon enough, Kirito guilds the Tilnel into an empty space along the dock.

 

The three of them get off their gondola and Asuna says, with a smile, “Thank you. It is a wonderful present.”

 

Kirito says, “Well, as long as you think so, it was worth rowing across the entire floor to see, but that’s only half of the present.”

 

Usagi asks, curiously, “Huh?” Kirito then urges Asuna and Usagi forward and they arrive at a massive gate made of dark and gleaming plate thick metal.

 

When they get close, the two very large and heavily armed, by elven standards of course, guards cross their halberds together and the right guard says, “Halt!”

 

The left guard then says, “This place is not for humankind!”

 

Kirito then displays the sealed scroll from the commander of the Dark Elf camp on the third floor and he says, “My name is Kirito! I request an audience with the master of this castle!” When the guards see the scrolls and the crest that it bears, the guards put their halberds back into ‘standing formation’ and the massive gate split open in which Kirito nudges Asuna and Usagi forward into the castle grounds. Once in the castle grounds, they are awe-struck by the beauty of the inside of the palace fortress with the castle front garden being like a work of art with the trees, planters, and cast-iron fences frosted with a powdery snow that were glittering by the light of the lamps. Inside of the castle, they found the main hall with red rugs and a marble fountain filled with glittering water.

 

Usagi asks, amazed, “It is incredible! Was it like this in the beta?”

Kirito responds, “It is close, but I think that this version is quite better than the one that I saw in the beta.”

 

Asuna asks Kirito, “And this is instance map for us since we are doing the ‘War Elf’ quest of this floor, right?”

 

Kirito says, “Yep. We’re free to laugh, scream, and sing all we want.”

 

Asuna says, a bit embarrassed, “I-I wasn’t going to do any of that. Anyway, let’s take a look around.”

 

Kirito says, “Sure thing, but I already know our first destination. It is this way.” Soon enough, Kirito then ‘escorts’ Asuna and Usagi to a small door that leads into the center courtyard of the castle. Once in the center courtyard, they find something less dazzling than the front garden, but having its own mysterious and sacred ‘flare’. The center courtyard had thorny hedges sporting little black flowers blocked the way left and right like a maze, preventing the three of them from seeing ahead. After going through that maze, they find themselves in a beautiful garden surrounding a stunning conifer with brick flower planters and benches alternated around the tree. And sitting on one of the benches was a familiar female figure, who immediately leaps towards them from her bench to embrace them.

 

“Kirito! Asuna! Usagi!” the female figure says excitedly. The three of them look on at Kizmel, the female Dark Elf knight, who is wearing long dress of deep violet to cover her form rather than her usual armor, saber, and cape, and NPC that have seemed to gain an advanced AI as well as became their friend in this world back on the third floor of Aincrad.

 

Kirito tells Kizmel, “Good to see you, again, Kizmel.”

 

Usagi says, with a nod, “Yes, it is.” Usagi thinks in her mind, looking at Kirito, “This is what you really wanted to give us. A chance to see Kizmel, again, and spend the holiday with her. Thank you, Kirito. This is a wonderful gift.” Under her hood, Usagi can’t help to give a warm smile as the three of them prepare for their ‘holiday reunion’ with the Dark Elf knight.

 

To be continued…

 

And that’s the end for the moment. I know that this is only most of the way through Book 3 of the SAO Progressive series, but this one was getting really long, however, it wasn’t the only reason. It is the Christmas season after all and as explained before, it is the reason that I put up the next story of the Progressive series, which is ‘crossed over’ with my Digital Knight series of stories, in which I wanted to end it on kind of a Christmas theme. And Christmas is a time to spend with friends and loved ones in which Kirito, Asuna, and Usagi have been separated from their loved ones and Kizmel is their friends…Well, you get the idea. I think that the ending is quite profound in my opinion and I hope that you enjoy it too. And Merry Christmas to all of you, folks! Later and best wishes, Crossover Fans!