The Apathy of a Gamer

Patreon: 3sper

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Clink! Clink! Clink!

The brown haired player was pushed back once more, his teeth gritting with strain. He'd been struggling to defend himself as soon as the fight began, his shield arm having been chopped off. It was getting increasingly difficult to keep up against his opponent with a single hand. No, it would have been just as hard if he had both of his arms.

Clink! Clink!

Chop!

"Grk!" The dismembered man grunted as his chest was sliced, his healthbar dropping into the red zone.

Another cut like that and he was dead.

"Sys-" Another swift punch landed on his mouth, shutting him up again. If only he could get his words out. If he could, the battle would be over. It was like his opponent knew what he was attempting and actively blocked him from doing so by attacking his face every time he tried.

He dodged backwards, narrowly avoiding a blow that would have ended him. His back slammed into a tree and he scoffed, realizing he was trapped. This fight had been unprovoked and it had completely blindsided him.

He just couldn't comprehend why it had even begun.

A look of fear crossed his face, realizing he may actually die. This only encouraged his attacker to continue his assault. He felt a biting chill hit his core at the blank expression his opponent wore.

Shing!

The longsword aimed at him began to shine with a bright blue in an activation of a sword skill. The player's eyes widened as he recognized the «Horizontal» skill headed for his remaining arm.

It was a mistake.

An opening.

He could use this chance to parry the slash and use the momentum to follow through with a sword skill of his own.

He would target the neck and hopefully end his foe with a single attack. As long as his level was similar or higher, a critical hit on a vital area could sever an avatar's body part, just as his opponent had did to his arm.

With some luck, he would lob the fool's head clean off. Even if he didn't, it would still damage and push him back enough to buy him some time to get his words out.

A small smirk grazed his face as he raised his sword vertically, positioning himself perfectly to parry the sword. Now, he-

Fwoosh-whip!

The man blinked.

He wasn't sure what exactly happened. One second, he was prepared to block the sword skill. The next, he was looking at his foe and the lower half of his body. He and the rest of his torso went soaring high through the air, split in two.

"Good bye," His killer spoke loudly, even for his spiraling form to hear. As he heard the last word from his mouth, the man's eyes flew open in shock.

Stunned. That was all he could feel.

Before he could even process anything else, his two halves exploded into an uncountable amount of glittering light particles.

"Good riddance." The killer spoke, flicking his sword and sheathing it on his back. He walked over to the only remaining evidence of the person he'd just killed; a shiny gold sword. He picked it up and inspected it.

Looking it over he did began laughing almost hysterically at its statistics. An orange cursor was now floating above his black hair, deeming the boy a criminal. Even worse, a murderer.

That boy was Kirito.

---

Earlier that day.

"He sure is getting popular, huh?" Asuna wondered, sipping her coffee. Her face wrinkled, not appreciating the flavor. She looked up at the boy in front of her. Watching him stare off into space, she began to feel irritated. "Are you even listening?"

"Huh? Oh, sure..." The boy, or rather Kirito, muttered.

"What is it now?" Asuna questioned, angrily placing her cup and saucer back down. "You were like this all day yesterday and now you're doing it again today?"

All of her prodding made him sigh, which only grated her nerves more. He really didn't feel like venting his feelings out to the girl who had chewed him a new asshole around a week ago.

Granted, Kirito did deserve it after walking in on the girl and seeing her in lingerie he had apparently given to her. He didn't know his gift had been that and he'd paid a steep price for his negligence.

Walking out of that conversation, he felt like a lesser man. It lived rent free in his head even now and it wouldn't be going away any time soon. He didn't know a person could be so brutal and sound so intimidating while remaining so articulate. She didn't even swear a single time.

Crushing a person's ego was no excuse to be improper. Asuna remained elegant at all times.

"You really won't tell me?" The girl frowned. At least she still had concern for his well-being. He remembered how needlessly mean she was when they first met. Now, she was remarkably friendly with him, as well as everyone else she interacted with.

Maybe Asuna was getting more comfortable inside the game world.

She could still be a bitch when she wanted to, though. His heart and soul knew that very well. The way she scolded him reminded him of his mom, but worse. A prim and proper girl in his dating range who could point out the error of his ways like she were reading them off the back of her hand.

It was scary.

The only other time Kirito had felt like that was when he walked in on Sugu in the bath and almost saw her naked. She didn't talk to him for a month, fleeing every time they bumped into each other.

When they were finally back on speaking terms, she would only say a few words, her face a bright red mess every time. She must've been ready to blow up on him at any given point. It was a miracle she'd ever forgiven him.

He could count himself lucky that Asuna was still willing to talk to him. She understood it had been an accident and a misunderstanding. He didn't want to imagine what her fury would be like if she didn't. He'd be in a whole new world of trouble then.

Thankfully, she forgave him, but he still had to make it up to her. One of her requests was for him to forget what he saw, which obviously wasn't happening. His mind had already ingrained the scene permanently. He still agreed to that condition, mentally telling himself to never bring it up as a compromise.

Another had been to dine with her more often like what he was currently doing. He was more than happy to accept that one. Not only was it easy, but he was starting to get used to having her around. More often than not, he appreciated her company.

Besides her harsh scolding and those simply requests, Kirito had gotten off extremely easy. He didn't wanna jinx anything, but he was satisfied with how everything turned out.

Hearing the girl whine into her mug again, Kirito felt his reluctance waver. Couple his refusal to answer her with the taste of the coffee she really didn't like was starting to make him feel bad.

...

Fine, he'd talk. It was the least he could do. He still owed her for going easy on him.

"I'm thinking about the floor boss."

"That? Why?" Asuna questioned. Another sigh escaped him, making her look away with a frown. "You don't have to keep doing that..." She whispered, more to herself than him.

"And you don't have to keep pouting." Kirito muttered back, overhearing her.

"You're the one who's pouting..."

Well, she kind of had him there.

"...True." He rested his elbow on the table and cupped his head in his hand. "I'm just annoyed that I didn't get to fight it."

"That's all?" She asked, looking back at him in confusion. "If the boss raid was successful then who cares if you participate?"

"I care." Kirito stressed, slapping the table a couple times. "What's the point of playing a game if you miss out on the important parts?"

"...Huh?" The girl looked completely bewildered.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it..."

Having that conversation with someone else wouldn't do him any favors. Telling her that he actually preferred being here instead of the real world would no doubt set her off negatively.

Of course, there were always moments where anyone could enjoy something in this game. The Christmas event had been a good example of that. Players banding together to prop each other up and have fun was what helped them thrive.

Even in the darkest of times, people tended to find those specks of light to guide them through. Asuna was one of those people, who did her best to enjoy the small amount of happiness this world offered.

And like everyone else, she would much rather leave it than stay.

There was something inside Kirito that wanted to reject that opinion... but despite trying his hardest, he couldn't help acknowledging it. He didn't know when those thoughts began crossing his mind.

Back on floor one, during the first few weeks before he even met her, Kirito never would have thought like that. Even so, it didn't mean that he couldn't understand why other people did.

Having the possibility of dying was a scary thought. Dying over a video game sounded and was asinine. If he shared the possibility of dying here with the rest of them, maybe he would be worried as well.

Maybe he would want to leave.

Understanding them hadn't been the problem. The problem was their desire to leave.

More than anything else in the world, Kirito wanted to stay here. That still held true now, but... it was different now. He considered many different reasons for this, exploring multiple avenues. He had even considered that his desire to play had deplenished over time.

After mulling over several possibilities for this sudden change in his mind, he was eventually able to ascertain a solid conclusion.

What was different now from before was that Kirito could empathize with them now.

Not in the same way as before, where he could see their point and dismiss it in favor of his own. Now, he could understand. Not because he was afraid of dying or anything like that.

It was when he thought about those two.

Asuna and Sinon.

There was also a third inside in the depths of his mind. A nosy blonde girl with a short stature and whisker marks.

When he thought about the chance of them dying...

'Dying... that's right. Sinon had almost died.' Kirito recalled the time she had urgently called him to her room, begging for comfort. The pleas she'd made to him, the quivering of her fragile body, endless tears streaming down her face...

...And her fear of death...

...That really got him.

The mixture of emotions Kirito felt that day were something he couldn't really place. He still didn't know how he should've responded. Sinon no doubt wanted him to forget about it, but there was no way he ever could. It had greatly stunned him at the time. Shocked him by how visceral someone's true fears were in this world.

After he had the opportunity to mull things over, it was then when he believed his feelings had changed.

Her reaction to such a close encounter with death had lead him towards his decision to solo the fourth boss. Not with a selfish mind for his own sake, not so that he could have fun experiencing the thrill.

It was for her.

He never got the chance, as other players, including Asuna were planning to embark on that raid before he could completely set out. Regardless, that feeling had stuck with him. He wanted to help her.

He wanted to get her out of Sword Art Online.

It was then he realized why. That day and the way she had been... it was all too real.

In this world, you could do just about anything. It was an escape from reality made permanent until the objective on floor 100 was completed.

It wasn't just because of the fun that Kirito had dedicated his all to this game.

It was because he felt more alive in this world than he ever had in the real one.

This was his reality... but it wasn't her's.

Sinon's feelings were too real for him to just brush off.

She hated it here. Even if she masked it by dyeing her hair and eyes, changing out her spear for a sword, he still knew. It was all a layer of protection. An attempt to shred the skin of her weak self. A defense mechanism from her vulnerability.

Unlike him, who would want info so that he could learn more about the game and adjust his play style, she only wanted info so she could survive. It was like that for everyone else, too. Even Argo would feel that way.

Because Kirito was her friend and cared about her, he needed to consider her feelings. He also needed to consider his own. If she had died that day, or some other day, or even if it were Asuna in his arms.

How would he feel?

The answer to that question was rather obvious.

Sad.

Thinking about such an awful outcome had Kirito feeling a certain type of sadness he'd never felt before. It was like it crept up over his shoulder and grabbed him from behind, tugging at feelings he didn't know he had.

They were his friends. Kirito was glad that he had met them. For them to no longer be around made him feel... empty. Like a big gaping hole inside his chest. He would still go on living in this world, but it would never be the same.

When he thought about it like that, he was sure of it. If Asuna or Sinon died inside this world, then a part of him would die with them.

That's why they couldn't be allowed to die.

It wouldn't happen. He refused it.

They both wanted to leave and he didn't want them to die. Kirito could ignore everyone else and what they wanted, but not them. For their sake, he needed to let go of his desire to stay in this world.

Even just considering leaving SAO was a tough pill to swallow. At this point in time, Kirito could honestly say he could stay here forever. Maybe his opinion would change after beating the game and unraveling all of its secrets, but that was how he currently felt about SAO.

It wasn't like he could reveal himself to the public now and start leading them. Attempting such a thing would only lead to massive failure. No one would trust him, not anymore. That ship had sailed long ago.

Say he gave them the benefit of the doubt and they would forgive him, Kirito still didn't think he could play the game optimally that way. He was a solo player through and through. Not some leader, or hero who could lead them to victory, but a lone warrior who did everything alone.

That... didn't mean it had to stay that way.

Kirito had already been making compromises with Asuna and Sinon before; taking time out of his day to share info, do a quest, or even share a meal together. He didn't need to reveal himself to the public. He just needed to have their back.

Just like he did on the 4th floor boss raid. Shadowing others whenever he could and making sure his friends were protected.

He needed to party with them more. If it meant they would survive this death game, then it would be worth it.

At the cost of playing SAO how he wanted, he would help them survive. That was his job as their friend.

A feminine finger poked him on the nose, snapping him out of his deep concentration.

"Hellooo~" Asuna retracted her finger as Kirito's eyes focused in on hers. "Is that all you have to say? Don't think spacing out will get you out of talking to me."

'Huh?' Kirito blanked.

Talk to her about what? His mind scrambled to recall their earlier conversation.

"You don't have to keep your thoughts all bottled up." Asuna smiled at him gorgeously, sending goosebumps down his body. "You can vent as much as you'd like. I won't laugh or anything."

'So motherly.' Kirito wanted to say, but kept to himself. He had already gotten a good enough scolding from before.

Was he keeping his thoughts bottled up?

Remembering what they were discussing, Kirito recalled they were talking about the fifth floor boss that was beaten a couple days ago and he was brooding over it. He shrugged his shoulders. "I told you I was disappointed that I wasn't able to participate. What else can I say?"

"And I asked you if that was all you had to say." She folded her arms and gave him a tiny glare. "Hmm?"

Well, it had been. Kirito was miffed about missing out on content he would have love to experience. Since things were changed from the beta, the fight would have been new in some way. Plus, he liked a challenge.

Other than that, what else was there?

Kirito turned his nose up and mimicked her folded arms. "I guess I'd like to know the people who completed it. That way I know whose asses I need to kick."

"Hey, that's mean!" Asuna objected. "They did everyone a favor, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah..." A bored look appeared on Kirito's face as he rested his arm on the table. "We're all sooo thankful for them." He said sarcastically.

Asuna's eyebrows knitted together, a small noise of displeasure escaping her lips. "Well then, bully." She snarked.

Ouch.

She glanced slightly behind him, beckoning his gaze to follow hers, "If you must know, the leader is over there."

Without making it obvious, Kirito subtly looked over to the person in question.

They looked... young?

The man looked older than Kirito himself, but not by much. He appeared as if he barely qualified as an adult. He had a handsome face. Brown hair, dark eyes, and stood at around six feet tall.

A group of people surrounded his table, which was filled with other players. Not just his table, but the tables around them were filled as well. They appeared talking amongst each other and to the so-called leader. If Kirito had to guess, they were all his guildmates, or at least would be.

"Strange..." Kirito muttered. "...have they been here this whole time?"

"You're noticing them now?!" Asuna exclaimed. "They're being so loud over there, how could you not?" Now that she mentioned it, there was an excessive amount of buzzing than usual. Huh, he must have gotten so used to hearing other players in towns that he shut it out automatically. "I've had to raise my voice several times so that you could hear me."

'I thought she was just yelling at me like usual.' Kirito thought, nonplussed. Now that he wasn't off in his own little world and was paying attention, it was kind of hard to hold a converstion with all the noise they were making. There must've been thirty of them at least, all chattering along without any care of who could be listening in on them or who they were bothering.

"I wasn't sure if you could hear me clearly or not." Asuna then shot them a glare. None of them were paying any attention to them so unfortunately, it was ineffective.

A shame. It worked on almost everyone.

"It's easy to hear an angel among peasants," Kirito said freely without care, not considering the weight they had.

Upon hearing him, Asuna looked down with a small blush. She ran her hand through her hair a few times. "I'm glad you think so."

Kirito was too busy peaking over at the crown of players to notice her. "That leader guy... what's his name again?"

"Hmm?" Asuna snapped back up. "Oh, uh... I believe it was Hero," She giggled mellifluously. "Can you believe he named himself something like that?" She lightly covered her mouth with her palm to stifle herself.

There really wasn't a need. Her laugh was music to his ears.

"Yeah, his name is pretty dumb..." He began, a sly grin growing on his face. "...though at least he didn't name himself after his real name. Now THAT would be dumb."

Asuna giggled once more. "Yeah, that's true-" Her eyes widened in realization. "Hey!"

Ignoring her as she proceeded to lecture him about how rude his remark was, Kirito looked back at the brown haired man named Hero. Something was clearly off about him, yet no one else seemed to notice.

"Rare items..." His eyes narrowed as they scanned over the man's equipment.

"That's why you shou- huh?" Asuna paused mid-rant as she overheard the boy's words.

"That Hero guy... he's wearing a lot of rare items."

"Rare items?" Asuna echoed him, not entirely familiar with the gaming terminology. "Like, items that are hard to get?" She asked, trying to put it together.

Kirito nodded. "It's his armor. Both the top and bottom, boots, gauntlets, a ring, a sword, and a shield. That's seven different pieces..." He counted, looking away from him. The man had the same amount of rare items equipped on him as Kirito did. Of course, Kirito had a couple more in his inventory, but the other player could just as easily have some in his as well.

It was a strange sight to see. To obtain a rare item, a player must either be really lucky, or they were really good at the game. It was hard to get even one rare item, let alone seven. The fact that Hero had at least that many spoke volumes about him.

How he got them didn't matter. Either through immense luck, buying them, or people in his guild feeding him the best gear they had, he still had them. His flamboyant appearance, on top of his and his guild's accomplishment of taking out the fifth floor boss sent his popularity soaring.

Achievements like that had given him Kirito levels of fame.

The boy felt memories of himself surrounded by a similar crowd pop up from when he played the beta. It was almost exactly the same, barring the fact that he'd never created or joined a guild. Despite how persistant they were, he'd always managed to allude such requests.

Back then, Kirito hated being around so many people. Though unlike him, Hero appeared happy at all the praise he was getting. If they weren't all sat around a coffee shop, the scene would have looked like the hero in a novel coming back home and everyone in town worshipping their good deeds.

Very ironic.

"How can you tell he's wearing rare items?" Asuna asked him, curious to learn how he knew.

Kirito almost wanted to scoff at the fact she would ask that. "Isn't it obvious? Just look at him."

The girl turned her head to stare at the man blatantly. Once she realized that she wasn't being very subtle, she tried copying Kirito's manner of approach and look at him sneakily, slowly turning her head and eyes over before swiftly looking away.

Kirito couldn't help smiling. Her level of cuteness was off the charts. Her efforts were pointless, anyway. No one was looking towards them. If they were, then it would be because of her beauty, not because she was looking at some guy in the crowd. With her hood down like that, she would have drawn everyone's gazes in any other situation.

"I don't get it." Asuna finally voiced her thoughts as she looked back towards Kirito. "What's so special about them?"

"...Really?" The boy deadpanned. He sighed and picked up his glass, finishing his coffee that had gotten lukewarm.

"That's not how you do it!" The girl interjected his sip midway, halting him with her hand. "Pick up the saucer, too!" She demonstrated, as she picked her own cup and saucer up, holding them both delicately. Kirito rolled his eyes, setting the empty cup down indifferently. "That's not how you do it!" She repeated, once again demonstrating how to properly set the porcelain down.

Kirito shrugged. "You're just gonna have to deal with it."

"Just you wait. I'll make a civilized man out of you yet." She smiled challengingly.

"Right... anyways. As I was gonna say, his armor clearly looks better then everyone else's, right?" Kirito presented. "That should be a dead giveaway that it's rare. I didn't think it needed to be said."

It was elementary at this point. Even she should understand that by now.

The girl nodded, but refuted him anyway. "Just because they look impressive doesn't mean they are, though." Asuna challenged him. She spun her hand in circles and held a finger up to explain. "There are items called cosmetics which look good, but don't have any real stats. That's why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

Going off her Christmas experience, Asuna remembered all the gifts that were given. Outside of her own, all the others were cosmetics. Though, she didn't like thinking about the one she was given that much.

Pleased with herself, Asuna sat awaiting his praise. Kirito wanted to give it to her, but couldn't in good faith. She was beautiful when she looked confident, even if she was wrong.

"Cosmetic items will never appear as heavy armors or weapons, though." Kirito shook his head. "Think about it. Would you really leave the safe zone wearing a bunch of fake armor?"

"...No, I guess not."

"Right, it's useless. Even if there is cosmetic clothing you can wear, there is no point adding cosmetic armors or weapons." Kirito held up his own finger, only so he could mock her. Asuna caught onto it and glared at him, but he pressed on. "Cosmetic items are more commonly found as accessories. Although, if you see someone out in the field wearing one, you should just assume it's an actual item because-"

"Because it would be pointless to wear a cosmetic in combat, got it." She finished for him, more than understanding his point by now.

"Alsooo," Kirito kept going. "You can't stitch items in this game." Before she could even ask what he meant, the boy halted her with a hand up. Now he was the one cutting her off. "Stitching is a process in other games where you can make one of your items look like a different one. If you don't like how an item looks, you can stitch it to something you like, while also keeping its stats."

"I see..." Asuna nodded, adding another gaming term to her list. "You really know your stuff, smarty pants." She smiled, almost mockingly.

"Just you wait. I'll make a gamer out of you yet," He said, as she gasped.

He stole her words and almost made them sound cool?!

Her face wanted to flare up and she had to fight against it. The two of them had spoken on several occasions now. Yet without fail, he always managed to say something that caught her off guard. He wasn't suave or anything. Rather, he was really nerdy.

He always spoke with such passion about what he knew and always joked around with her. It was refreshing in its own way. So refreshing that she found herself looking forward to their interactions every day. Maybe...

"I'm sure after awhile, you'll know everything you need to," Kirito said, relaxing into his chair and interrupting her thoughts.

"R-Right..." She laughed wryly. "...He did offer me to join his guild earlier."

He unrelaxed. "What?"

Noticing his reaction, Asuna raised her eyebrow teasingly. "Mr. Popular over there asked me to join his guild. Though I declined."

Kirito sunk back into his chair. "Oh, that's good."

"Good?" The girl leaned forward accusingly.

"I-I mean, that's fine. If you don't wanna join, you don't wanna join." He stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Asuna hummed as if she were thinking deeply, which she wasn't at all. Watching his black eyes look everywhere but at her was cute. As much as she enjoyed teasing him back, she was an honest lady. She decided to end his suffering. "Yeah, why would I want to join a tumultuous group like that in the first place?" As she said those words, the group surrounding Hero began chanting his name.

Hearing them was starting to infuriate the both of them.

"True, though even guilds like that have uses."

"Like what?"

"Numbers. Less chance of getting killed."

"Oh..." She muttered, her voice dying out. The noise from the hero and his party soon drowned out their conversation.

Now was the perfect time for him to ask. He was nervous about it, but he wanted to prioritize her safety. He had to ask.

Wanting to start off small, Kirito coughed into his hand, trying to play it cool. "S-So, I got some free time today. Want to team up for a quest, or something?"

"Nope."

Within an instant, his confidence was shattered ruthlessly. He had been blindsided by her killing blow before he could even prepare. "Wh- wh- wha- hu- hu- huh?" Kirito sputtered out, unable to process such a swift rejection.

"I'm busy today, so I can't." The girl stonewalled him, playing with her long hair and looping it with her fingers. It was like her attitude had done a one-eighty.

"W-W-With what?" Kirito couldn't help feeling perplexed. She was always the one rattling him messages about spending time together. It was because of her in the first place that they were here at this coffee place. He thought she would've at the very least accepted a request like that.

"Sinonon and I are going out."

Kirito blinked before his jaw hit the floor. "You two are DATING?!"

Asuna leaned back in shock, surprised at him raising his voice. Processing his words in her head, her own jaw proceeded to hit the floor. "What?! NO!"

"But you said you're going out?!"

"Not dating!" Asuna denied strongly. "Just going somewhere!" Their faces were equally red, both sputtering incoherently as they tried to think of something else to say. This time, their loud outbursts had drawn a few pairs of eyes from the crowd next to them. Asuna noticed them from where she sat and leaned closer across the table to be more quiet. Her hazel eyes bored into his own. "Why would you think that?!" She whispered loudly.

The boy swallowed. "I-I don't know, I'm sorry."

All he could really do was apologize at this point.

Asuna leaned back in her chair with a huff, her cheeks still a beeting red. "Honestly, you can be so stupid sometimes."

"I-I know." Kirito replied. "I'm sorry." The two sat in silence awkwardly, shuffling in their chairs. No one was paying attention to them anymore, but they still struggled to speak up again.

Mentally kicking himself for how ignorant he could be, Kirito tried to ignore the idea of what he just implied. Namely, the idea of Asuna and Sinon dating. He pictured them going out on a date laughing, holding hands, hugging, and kissing each other.

He felt dirty.

What was worse, he'd probably made Asuna also think about it, although her thoughts wouldn't be as graphic.

Thankfully, one of them was brave enough to speak up. "Fine. I forgive you." Asuna spoke, finding the confidence to gaze back at him. Kirito nodded robotically, still unable to find his voice. "We were... going to go shopping and stuff..." She continued, albeit a bit awkwardly.

"Right..." Kirito managed to vocalize. "...And stuff?"

"Sinonon said there was a quest she wanted to do with me. Apparently, it's better to do it with two people."

"I see..." Kirito knew the one. He could recall doing a two player quest with Argo during the beta. It was a quest where one player needed to play the attacker role, while the other played the defender role. One person could do it by themselves, but it was significantly harder alone.

He felt himself frown. Not because he couldn't join them. He could, but the quest wasn't really meant to exceed the limit of two players taking it on at a time. Anymore than two and the quest would reward less loot.

No, what had upset him irked him, though only a bit, was the fact that Sinon had chosen Asuna to do it with rather than him.

Was it some sort of pride thing? After all, if he went with her, she would get carried. He was more than capable of doing that quest on his own at his level. Even his beta self, which was a lower level than he currently was, could do it alone.

Knowing that, she had made the right choice. Asuna needed the experience more than he did and it was another opportunity for the girls to become even closer friends. The escort quest they did on Christmas wouldn't have been enough to fully understand each others abilities. This quest would each give them both a better grasp on what they could do.

"Well then, I guess I won't intrude." Kirito gave a small nod to her. "Feel free to message me if you wanna go questing, or find a good spot to train. I wouldn't mind helping you out."

"Really?" Asuna asked, interested in his proposal. Hearing such a thing from the loner made her feel happy. She couldn't help giving him a suspicious look. "That's unlike you. I always get a complaint from you every time I ask to meet up." The girl's eyes narrowed in on him and he looked away nervously. "What's your game?"

"Uh..." He drawled, making her even more skeptical. "What are friends for, am I right?" Kirito smiled wryly. Asuna looked at him in disbelief, not buying his words for a second. He had to do better than that. "Um... well I guess... I want to make it up to you for earlier..." He implied. Asuna didn't understand. He had to lay in on thick. "...Christmas?"

That word alone connected all the dots Asuna believed she were missing and she blushed sheepishly. "O-Oh, of course. That makes sense." The girl began shuffling her feet under the table, kicking them together.

This excuse worked out perfectly. Kirito could hide under the veil that he wanted to make it up to her for giving her lingerie, while hiding his intentions to make her stronger and keep her safe.

Asuna bought into it completely. "I expect you to make it up to me after such a clownish blunder. It's only natural." She tried to sound arrogant, only making herself cuter in the process.

Though, she did pull the princess aura off well.

"I will." Kirito smiled, he had managed to get some form of acceptance from her. His gaze was drawn back to the side as he watched the players sitting nearby all get up simultaneously.

"Good, they're leaving," Asuna voiced. Though she wasn't a loner, she had played like one up to this point. Crowds filled with guys like that were bothersome.

Kirito just shrugged. "To be fair, we should've left before them. We finished eating awhile ago."

"...Shoot!" Asuna stomped her foot on the ground. "We could have left and talked in peace and quiet."

"Too late now..." He said, his attention on something else. Asuna watched Kirito's eyes track the group as they left, following one of them in particular. Following his gaze, she spotted them.

It was Hero.

He was looking very serious at the man. It almost scared her. "Does... he bother you?"

Kirito slowly nodded unconsciously, before shaking his head quickly. "I don't know, its just... his gear. It's too good."

"Better than yours?" Asuna had no idea how strong Kirito's armor was because he never told her. She didn't even know what level he was at.

"...Yeah, it is."

Asuna's eyes widened at that.

Stronger than Kirito's?!

"He must be really powerful then..."

"Maybe..." Kirito wasn't sure what to think. On one hand, it wasn't impossible to get all those rare items. He himself had been able to do it, after all. But it should have been impossible for anyone outside of himself.

Arrogant as it may be, he was Kirito, the pro gamer. Even after crossing over to SAO, no one had been as good as him in the beta. Out of the thousands of new players that joined, he could believe that one of them was a hardcore gamer who managed to get their hands on the NerveGear. It was possible one of them were as skilled as him.

If that were really the case, it still wouldn't explain how he managed to get so many rare items. He wouldn't have played the beta, so how would he know where they were? If he were a new player, how would he know the spots to farm col to buy them, or the info to find them? Even if his guild helped, none of them should be good enough to know either, regardless if they were in the beta or not.

'His equipment looks too strong. They can't be cosmetics, right?' Anyone looking at Hero could tell what the man was wearing was far from some common drops or items purchased in a store. His armor and shield were both heavy type, shining a bright silver with lavish designs painted on them.

His armor pieces befitted those of a fairy-tale hero. However, his sword could be classified on a tier of its own. It was easily a weapon befitting of a king.

Pure gold, bright and unblemished. The crossguard was winged shaped like a bats. It was equally as gold as the scabbard it rested inside, as well as the handle. The center of the crossguard held three spherical sapphires embedded into a slightly lighter colored plate with a design of a sword on it. The plate guard and sapphires covered both sides of the sword, totalling six gems. The blade's pommel also held three sapphires on each side, though they were smaller and shaped into diamonds. The pommel was finished with another spherical sapphire on the base.

The weapon had a luster Kirito had never seen in any other inside SAO. From its design alone, he would genuinely believe the weapon was obtained on the ninetieth floor or above. It made it all the more strange that a weapon so breathtaking would appear so early on the bottom floors.

The blade must've been incredibly powerful. It would likely last the owner ten, or even twenty floors before its output would be overtaken by other swords.

A disgruntled look appeared on Kirito's face as he looked at it. He would've liked to send Hero a trade offer for it, but there was no way he'd ever trade someone he didn't know or trust. The sword clearly outdid his own and he couldn't help but look at it in dissatisfaction.

Kirito almost hit himself at the blatant betrayal of his companion. The «Anneal Blade» had been with him since day one. It had done no wrong and had been a loyal, reliable sword. It didn't deserve his deprecation.

Regardless of his opinion, it would be time to retire it soon. The blade was far from the best one available now and held his damage output back. He didn't mind because his high level made so that he one-shot nearly everything he was up against.

No need to fix what wasn't broke. He would continue to hold onto it for now. Once he was on the ninth floor and got the «Queen's Knightsword», that was when he would replace it.

'Even then, that golden sword could be just as strong as the Queen's Knightsword.' Kirito thought, perplexed.

Seriously, how the hell did he get a sword like that?

There had to have been another hidden dungeon, or something similar such as wandering through misty woods and pulling the sword from a plinth. Some wicked shit like that must have happened to get it.

That's what was setting him off. The fact that his sword was likely better than the «Queen's Knightsword» or at least looked the part was what made his head turn. Same with his armor. The Defiance equipment set Kirito received on floor one didn't look too glamorous or eye-catching, but his armor was well beyond flamboyant. Looks alone wouldn't definitively decide which of them were stronger in actuality. It was the fact he had to even consider such a thing was the problem.

Kirito had gotten the Defiance gear in a secret area, something extremely difficult to find and the «Queen's Knightsword» was the only sword of its kind in the game. It was only available on floor nine to the person who did the quest on floor three. The only sword that was similar was the «King's Knightsword» which was still a different weapon.

How did Hero obtain items that looked like they outclassed those from a hidden dungeon, including items on floors not even unlocked yet?

The crowd of players finally dispersed. Asuna felt refreshed now that they had some room to breathe. "If guilds are always like that, I don't think I'll ever join one." She decided.

"Agreed." The boy stood up and grabbed his sword that had been leaning against the table. He'd learned his lesson last time trying to sit down with it on his back. "Now's a good time to split. Unless you want another cup of coffee."

Asuna looked back at her empty cup and blanched. "No, I'd rather not."

"That's right, you have somewhere to be. Don't wanna miss your date, after all."

Her punch would've bruised his arm had they been in the real world.

---

"Doesn't look any different from the beta." Kirito muttered as he stared at the large body of water ahead of him. «Lake Talpha» was an area located northwest of «Stachion», the main settlement on floor six. The lake stood out in contrast against the jungle-theming of the floor. "That means these should work."

He took out several vials with deep purple liquid from his inventory and slotted them on his belt. The last one he drank, gaining the «Low Poison Resistance» effect.

The vast waters that laid beyond were murky, covered by a pink poisonous mist that fogged up the water, filling the air. If a player wandered through the lake or around it, they would be affected by the poison. To safely traverse the area, a player must have a skill, equip an item, or drink a special potion to avoid infliction.

The «Antidote» Kirito drank and carried in bulk weren't hard to get. They were sold all across the floor because the npcs knew about the mist. The lore here had «Lake Talpha» as an old fishing spot npcs would go to before the floor boss covered it with poison. The fish had all died from it, forcing the npcs to find food in the less safer jungle.

Contrary to one would think, this didn't mean the floor boss was housed here. Although it wasn't located here, it still had the ability to effect the area. This was because of the boss's design.

In the beta, it was called «The Irrational Cube». The boss wasn't technically living and was instead inspired from a puzzle cube. Like a puzzle cube, it had six faces with nine squares that had numbers on them. Each of these squares would turn automatically at random. They were numbered one through nine and whenever shifted, would send those numbers out to damage the player. After awhile, the damage starts adding up, especially when the boss begins turning its sides faster the lower its health was.

But that was irrelevant. The floor boss wasn't located here, nor was Kirito searching for it. His reason being here was to instead take on the field boss.

Each floor usually held a single field boss. Most of them were spotted in obvious locations, this one not being any different. The difference here was that no one really wanted to traverse through poisonous mist to fight it. Even if they could use an «Antidote» to shield them, having to fight a boss only bested by floor bosses in strength inside deep waters, with fog blocking your vision, didn't sound very fun to people playing a death game.

Kirito wasn't one of those people.

It was a little shameful. He had just decided to take the game more seriously for his friends and here he was wasting time on an extra boss they didn't need to complete to advance to the next floor.

After Asuna denied him and took Sinon with her, he wasn't sure what else to do today. He could've made more progress through the floor, but he wanted them with him when he did. That way, he could better teach them, so they both would be more prepared when they were on their own.

He considered that only Asuna would really need his assistance, but he could still vividly remember how Sinon had broke down on him that day. Even she, who he thought of as a competent player, could be blindsided by the travesties hidden inside SAO.

But since they were both busy, he instead decided to do what he planned to originally before he changed it at breakfast. He had been willing to pass up on the opportunity to fight a field boss to help them, but since they were busy and he was free, it was all his.

There had actually been a group that wanted to take the boss on, they just hadn't been able to amass enough players to fight it. The fight was simply too risky and the rewards weren't good enough to justify it.

For a single player, those rewards would be more than enough. They were for Kirito, at least.

He knew he could take it on. He did it before with a few parties backing him and he knew to expect changes in the mechanics. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind.

The way the fight was structured wasn't well designed to begin with. At least with other floor bosses, they were placed in a way that made it so they blocked players from advancing until they defeated them. One of the most common ways was having it guard near the entrance to the boss dungeon, or at a part that required the players to traverse through.

This one had been placed in the middle of a poisonous lake without any care. Even the changes made after the beta hadn't made it any different. That was the reason why they didn't need to fight it to progress to the next floor.

It didn't matter if it was necessary or not. What mattered was loot.

And because it was a boss, that mean it had a last attack bonus.

At times like these, Kirito couldn't help feeling giddy. The adrenaline was like a high encroaching him as he hopped from stone to stone closer towards the center of the lake. He leapt across the water, speeding up with each jump. As he approached the center of the lake, he began to hear the familiar sounds of ongoing battle.

"What... the...?" Kirito watched as an unbelievable event was happening before his very eyes.

In front of the boy was a lone player battling against «Wiron the Giant Sea Beast», the sixth floor field boss. The player was dressed in flashy silver plate armor. His silver shield blocked a blow from Wiron, the man raising his golden sword high for a counterattack.

"It's that Hero guy? Seriously?" Kirito questioned, confounded. A large wave of water came headed his way as he ducked behind a large pillar of rock.

It seemed he hadn't been noticed by Hero. He was too busy fighting the boss.

Good, Kirito didn't want him to know he was watching. He was suspicious of the guy already and now here he was, making him even more suspicious.

None of this was adding up. Wasn't this guy the leader of his own guild? Why was he here fighting a field boss all on his own?

That, on top of all his fame. Almost everyone in Aincrad knew of him, yet he somehow managed to avoid everyone, separating from his guildmates to fight a boss solo.

Why?

Hero raised his shield to block a hit from one of Wiron's four arms and he staggered, his health lowering to yellow despite tanking the blow. The water beast prepared a special attack as the armored man trudged his way into the water, letting the current carry him to another pillar, the one he had stood on getting hit. Hero slowly pulled himself out and unleashed a sword skill at the boss's flank. His speed was slower because of his heavy armor, only managing to land a grazing blow rather than a direct one.

The fight may have appeared to be impressive to others who wouldn't dare fight a boss alone, but it appeared underwhelming for Kirito. He assessed the man's fighting style and how it faired against the boss. Hero's heavy build was hindering him greatly in this fight. The terrain they were on wasn't exactly made for such large armor to move across. Not just the lake, but the jungle setting in general would obstruct him.

He did pull out that one trick that let him ride the current from the whirlpool that surrounded Wiron. Kirito was surprised he didn't sink to the bottom. He didn't remember seeing anyone do that in the beta. That was the only practical way Hero could dodge any of those special moves. With all his weight, he could barely jump from pillar to pillar.

Other than that trick he had, that was about it. The fight was going atrociously slow. Not because of the bad match up, but because Hero's fighting style was lacking. Excluding his sluggish maneuverability, which made him miss out on crucial openings, he missed landing stronger attacks because he simply wasn't fighting optimally.

He targeted all the weak points when he could, he followed through with all of his sword skills for extra damage, he accounted for his slow speed and had a work around for it. The fault lied within himself.

He just wasn't that good.

Another slow raise of his shield barely staved off another attack. Kirito couldn't help shaking his head in disappointment. His fighting style revolved around him using that shield so much that it was actively becoming a hindrance.

The flaw was so glaring, Kirito was surprised no one ever called him out on it. The guy automatically defaulted to blocking with his shield every time he was attacked. The only time he wouldn't use it was when he was facing down an attack he couldn't block.

His movements were also too robotic. It was like he didn't put in any effort to block. He'd raise his shield in the exact same way every time; straight forward. He'd wait for the attack to be over, before finally getting around to attack. He was wasting his efforts blocking and wittling away at his own hp bar when he should be deflecting or dodging.

Watching the scene inch its way on almost gave Kirito second-hand embarrassment. He didn't know the guy, so he didn't want to call him a coward, but that was the impression he was getting. Then again, he was fighting a field boss on his own and had been holding his ground well enough. Still, the way Hero fought was such a stark contrast to his own that he couldn't help scoffing at having laid his eyes on it.

Ting!

Wiron's arm bounced off Hero's shield once more, draining his health further and making him fall into the red zone.

Kirito unconsciously raised his hand to his sword, ready to jump in. Such a surreal sight had caught him off guard that he hadn't thought about the guy needing help. Hero's demeanor hadn't done any favors reminding him. Like his fighting style, his face looked almost robotic.

Just as Kirito was ready to jump out of his cover and save him, the man began to speak. He wasn't able to make out what Hero said over the roaring waters around them, but even if he had, his focus had been stolen away by something else.

Staring dumbfounded at what he saw, Kirito remained hidden as Hero continued to fight Wiron without pause.

A full health bar over his head.

Warning signals fired off all around Kirito's head. He hadn't taken his eyes off the guy for a second, only focusing on him more when he realized his health was red. There was only one explanation.

Whatever Hero had said, it had healed him completely.

'Is it a skill?' Kirito considered, trying to explain it in some way. As soon as the thought crossed him, he instantly rejected it. Of course it wasn't a skill. If it were, than «Battle Healing» would be entirely useless. He hadn't used an item, so that wasn't it either. 'Then something he's wearing gives him the ability?'

Equipping a piece of armor or accessory could potentially give you the ability to heal yourself once to full in a battle. It sounded far-fetched, but not impossible. There was probably some type of boundary or time limit, like it can only be activated every twenty-four hours. Hero's equipment was top of the line. It stood within reason that something he had would give him that power. He was a tank and a power like that did fall under that category.

Even if that ability was busted, there was a plausible explanation for such an occurance.

That was until he did it again.

'Is it because each piece of armor lets him do it?' He came up with another explanation, trying his hardest to reason out a logical explanation. He tried thinking of every possibly way how the man in front of him was doing what he was. Every amount of credence he could rationalize.

But he couldn't. Kirito felt his warning signals fire off at a rate they never had. His suspicions were at an all time high, landing on a single realization.

Admin privileges.

Something dark and twisted washed over him. His fists clenched as he bent his knees, ready to dash at a moments notice. His eyes were narrowed in a low glare, pupils void of any care or concern. Only animosity remained.

Kill him.

'Not. Yet.' Kirito thought back to himself. 'I'll prove it first.'

With his mind made up, Kirito watched on silently. Hero continued to heal himself vocally every time his health touched the red, continuing to chip away at the boss's life. Wiron's two health bars began dwindling, before the beast was soon on its last legs.

The attack patterns switched, as all bosses do. However, they hadn't been different from the beta. Hero avoided the brunt of the damage by using Kirito's own method he used in the beta. He dived into the final tidal wave while it was at its lowest and weakest state. That way, he could avoid the build up of water before it could become too massive.

As Hero finally knocked its health low enough, Kirito set his plan into action. Once Wiron charged up a second tidal wave, Kirito burst forward. When Hero once again dived into the water at its lowest, so had he. With his far greater speed, Kirito blitzed through the wave past Hero, nailing Wiron with «Sonic Leap».

His skill was honed and his blade was deadly accurate. His «Anneal Blade» bathed in green light as it carved straight through the beast with a critical hit, ending its life in a burst of photon particles.

"Wh-Wha-?" The man became started as Kirito stood up from his crouch, having landed on a separate pillar. The boy sheathed his blade and looked at the menu that had popped up in front of him.

Last Attack Bonus:

Golden Trident

Exactly as he expected.

Like everything else, the drop was the same as it was in the beta. It also had the exact same stats.

This was clearly a part of the game with less work put into it. Parts in any game were bound to be neglected in favor of more interesting ones. At the very least, they could have made the boss drop a sword, which was more commonly used among players.

'I guess I could give it to Sinon?' Kirito thought, closing the menu. Despite being a trident, it was still under the classification of a spear. Some weapon types could have other weapons listed under them. Spears and tridents were one of those. Another was maces and warhammers. 'Doesn't she use a sword now? Eh, I'm sure she'll still take it.' Regardless if she still had the «Two Handed Spear» skill or not, the girl would be an idiot for denying a boss drop. It certainly outclassed her last spear.

Metal footsteps made their way onto his platform after slogging through the lower water levels. "You griefed the last attack bonus from me."

It was a statement, not a question.

"Yeah, so?" Kirito turned to the armored man. He stood about half a foot taller than him, forcing him to look up to meet his eyes. On the outside, Kirito appeared indifferent. However, he was ready for anything. His fingers itched for his sword, waiting for a fight to break out between them.

Contrary to his expecations, Hero had sheathed his shield and weapon. The man opened his menu, a small indication of a scowl on his face. "How much do you want for the trident?" He asked, a hint of irritation leaking out.

A trade request was sent to Kirito and he immediately denied it. If he accepted it, his name would be displayed. Trade requests didn't show names in favor of criminals. It was one of the few mechanics that benefitted them.

The man was now outwardly glaring at him. "You won't even consider?" He asked, his frustration becoming much more apparant. "I can offer you well over what it's worth."

Hardly paying him any mind, Kirito hopped towards another stone platform to leave. "Doubt it."

"Name your price."

Kirito looked upward in thought. Considering that the trident would be a gift that could potentially help save his friends life, Hero would have to pay him a hell of a lot to justify the trade.

The trident was a field boss drop on floor six. It was the only one of its kind, classifying it as a rare item. He could compare it to the rarity of the «Queen's Knightsword» on floor nine, which was a quest reward. Since the «Queen's Knightsword» was roughly one hundred thousand col...

"One million."

It was an exorbitant amount. A ridiculous number created to detract any buyers. In Kirito's eyes, however, that was the price that must be paid.

The weapon was for Sinon. He wouldn't take anything less. A single eye looked back at the man in silver. 'Let's see what you do now.'

Hero opened up his menu again. "Done."

Another trade request appeared in front of the boy in black as he turned away from the man. "Not here. We can trade on land." Kirito spoke, denying it a second time.

'Is it a bluff?' He thought.

Unlikely.

Hero had responded instantly and assuredly.

He had the money.

Which begged the question: how exactly did he get so much?

Not even Kirito had a million col and that was after taking many heavy risks, achieving incredible feats to get what he had. The only person he could even acknowledge having more money than himself would be Argo, who ran her newspaper. Despite that, she wouldn't have that much money this early, either.

His armor and shield, his sword, and an abundant amount of col. Enough col that he was willing to spend ten times the price for a weapon type he didn't even use when he could get a better one in the future for less.

It was completely absurd.

An exorbitant amount of wealth, all encompassing a single player who no one had ever heard of before until recently. A guy who randomly showed up with the best equipment, formulated the current number one guild, leading them to victory over a floor boss, and clearing a field boss all on his own with the exception of the last attack.

Kill him.

'Not. Yet.' Kirito hushed it a second time. There was more than enough proof now, but he wanted to be absolutely sure.

The two of them made it over to the edge of the lake where there wasn't any poisonous fog. Kirito walked in front, watching the shadow of the man behind him, in case he decided to blindside him.

"Here is good." Hero spoke up the moment they reached a safe spot. He sent another trade request, appearing more than ready to get this over with. Once he was denied a third time, he finally cracked. "What the hell?!" He voiced out angrily, sounding much older and gruff than he appeared.

"I don't do trades in trade windows." Kirito shrugged nonchalantly, folding his arms. "Can't trust the system to do my deals for me."

Hero almost looked offended. "It works perfectly. The Cardinal System lets you view any item showed and guarantees you get them. It alerts you if any item gets switched out. Only a fool could possibly get scammed." He spoke clearly and efficiently, a serious look in his eyes.

"Why are you getting so defensive?"

The man stiffened slightly. He cleared his throat. "Right, so you want to trade in person."

"I thought the trading system worked perfectly?"

"It does, but if that isn't what you prefer, then that's fine," Hero said straightforwardly, taking out a large light brown bag from his inventory.

It was a col bag. Whenever a player withdrew a large amount of money directly from their inventory, the system would automatically provide them with a bag, so they could be carried more effectively.

"That doesn't look like one million col." Kirito said, looking at the bundle of coins Hero held.

"It is. After a certain amount is withdrawn, the system converts the coins into higher valued ones."

"Really?" Kirito asked, emphasizing his question. "You must have quite a lot of money to know something like that."

Hero stiffened again. He controlled himself better this time, barely giving it away. "Yes, there are secrets all over this game. You just need to know where to look."

"Is that right?" Kirito held out a gloved hand. "Let me check."

The man pulled the coins back away from him. "Take the trident out first."

In person trades were always more convoluted. A player was more likely to get scammed from them than using the trade window. Regardless, this was how Kirito had chosen to do it.

He took the trident out of his menu. It looked a lot less impressive than the golden sword Hero carried on his side. It was as if the trident were made of plastic and the sword made of real gold, or something even more expensive.

"Some fancy armor you got there, your sword especially..." Kirito held his right hand out for the col, his left holding the trident. "You must've run into quite a lot of secrets."

Hero scoffed. "Right, as if your Defiance-"

It was instant.

The moment the word 'defiance' was uttered from his mouth, Hero had confirmed his death.

There was already enough evidence. The coffin had already been built, Kirito was just waiting to put the final nail in. That nail took the shape of his sword lighting up and slashing Hero through his neck.

An orange marker appeared above Kirito's head as he took note of the head still connected to Hero's body.

He had landed a critical hit, yet it was still connected. Not only that, Hero's health was still in the green zone.

That should have been impossible for any ordinary player. Kirito's level was way higher than anyone else's and more than enough for the current floor. On top of his powerful rare items, that single hit should have beheaded and killed Hero.

But he was still alive.

Kirito pursued him without any hesitation.

He swiftly spun before Hero could react, trident already discarded from his left hand and continuing his two-hit sword skill. He aimed his «Vertical Arc» at his next target; the left arm. «The Anneal Blade» sliced into the silver armor, piercing the metal and making it ring. Backed by excessive force, the sword got through easily, chopping the limb completely off the man.

Hero's eyes shot wide open, the sudden pressure cutting into his body forcing him backward. He skirted meters away, barely able to stay on his feet. Kirito charged him, battle senses in full focus. His mind rushed through everything that had transpired.

He noted everything. How Hero tanked instant death, despite getting critically hit in the neck and without a helmet. How he managed to remain on his feet, giving away that Hero was likely a high level.

Then Kirito thought about the potential defenses the armor would have. How it may have the ability to nullify instant death, but not crits. The arm he cut off had dispersed into light triangles, the shield laying several meters away.

That was the sole reason why Kirito had targeted the left arm and not the right. If Hero didn't die from the first attack, then he would remove his main form of combat.

Hero couldn't hide behind that shield anymore.

Their swords clashed as Hero unsheathed his sword, realizing the predicament he was in with a level-headed expression. The blade glowed brightly, so bright it forced Kirito to close his eyes.

Noticing the opening, Hero began to speak, "System comma-

Smack!

A fist flew into the man's face, straight in his mouth. He couldn't block it. Their swords were interlocked and his other arm was cut off. He couldn't even see the punch from how fast it was thrown.

There it was. Exactly what Kirito was waiting for him to do. That was the key for Kirito winning this battle.

He couldn't allow Hero to say anything. If he did, he would lose. The way to win was through an endless barrage of attacks that would get through Hero's guard. As long as he stopped him from talking, the fight was over.

Kirito parried Hero's sword upward, his faster speed affording him a chance to use «Horizontal» from left to right. Hero was hit directly from the blow, pushing him backwards and knocking his health into the yellow zone.

"Syste-ough!" Hero grunted harshly, as a boot smashed into the side of his chin. The man had thought Kirito left himself open again, but the boy had used the momentum from his sword skill to spin once more, throwing a tornado kick.

Following up again, Kirito forced the older-looking teenager on the defensive. Their weapons only clashed a couple times before Kirito was able to open him up. He landed another solid hit, this time without the use of a sword skill.

Foolishly believing he had the boy's attack pattern down, Hero scowled. Of course it wouldn't be that easy. He had never fought in a pvp battle before and had defaulted to how he would try to fight a monster.

But Kirito wasn't some simple mob. He mixed and matched his attacks up with unrivaled skill and a speed the armored man just couldn't match. He was completely dominating the fight one-sidedly.

Reading him like a book, Kirito parried Hero's sword and nicked him in the mouth. The man's expression was beginning to break once he realized what he was doing. The only reason Hero could even guard himself at all was because Kirito was also preventing him from speaking.

Smash!

The pommel of Kirito's sword hit Hero like an uppercut. His head reeled back and he doubled over after also getting kicked in his exposed midsection.

Repeatedly, Kirito broke through his weakened defense and chipped his health away. They both understood who would win if this continued. Hero's face dropped when he noticed the subtle smirk on the boy's face.

Another slash directly to the Hero's chest dropped him into the red zone. The man grunted out, fearing his destruction as it became more and more imminent.

Without a shield, Hero couldn't buy enough time to speak. All he could do was block a strike or two before getting blasted by the sword god he was up against. The man barely managed to dodge away, his back hitting a tree, trapping him between it and the swordsman in black.

Genuine fear painted the man's face for just a split second as he was charged again, Kirito's blade nearing closer to end his life. Hero's eyes widened as he saw his final chance to get out of this.

In his final attack, Kirito had gotten too excited and was careless. He slashed at the man's weakened left side, leaving his own left completely open. Hero saw it and with the determination of a cornered rat, he swung for it.

With the boy's speed, he would be able to correct his own attack and block his strike. But the damage will have already been done. The shift in momentum would swing Kirito back, giving him a chance to speak.

It was over...

...At least, that's how it was supposed to be.

The last bit of hope Hero would've felt was ripped away as Kirito's sword suddenly course-corrected in the other direction. Hero's sword was left nothing to parry as Kirito's own slashed past his sword arm and into his body. The man was cleaved in two as if his armor was nonexistent, health draining to zero.

Surprise struck Hero as his world spun around. He was both in shock and awe at what just occured. Not understanding what happened, his upper body was left spinning through the air, left with a single realization.

He was dead.

Kirito flicked his sword back, as if it were stained with the man's blood. Turning towards the flying torso, he spoke loudly, "Good bye... " He found Hero's eyes as he watched him slowly descend from his fall. "...Kayaba."

Stunned.

That was the only emotion Akihiko Kayaba could feel as he hit the ground, his two halves exploding and vanishing from the world of Sword Art Online.

---

Once again, Webnovel broke my chapter up into two pieces. I'm trying my best to work around it, but I can only do so much. However, I couldn't split it equally for the story to remain coherent, so this time it will be 2/3 here and the second part will be the remaining 1/3. I'll post it later this week for more reader retention.

Some big things happened this chapter, so let me know how you feel about them. I've only ever gotten a few comments so far. Because of that, I don't really know how people feel about this story on this website. The only few comments I've received are people telling me to update.

Again, the chapters of my stories are much longer than traditional ones posted on Webnovel. I average around 10k words a chapter. For comparison, that is roughly 5-10x longer than most other chapters posted on the site.

My writing style isn't supported very well by the website, which prefers quantity over quality. I like having larger chapters because it makes for a better read, rather than slicing up the narrative into bite sizes. The story suffers over here because of that, but I think it makes the story stronger overall. Though it takes some time to be released, please keep supporting it if you enjoyed.

Thanks to everyone who supported my Patreon. Right now, I'm updating both of my stories simultaneously and swapping between the two. That won't always be the case and soon I'll be doing polls to decide which story should have more priority on which should be updated. If that interests you, then please head over there and keep an eye out for when a poll drops. 

Thank you for reading. Have a good day.

Patreon: 3sper