Author's Note: I started this immediately after the last chapter dropped, but a lot has happened for me lately (aside from an entire fucking pandemic). I'll just leave any personal updates in my bio so I don't fluff the word count. I hope everyone's doing well, thanks for spending quarantine time on me. Also, I learned that Haruka Tomatsu (Asuna's VA) is a great singer. Check her stuff out if you like, or ask what my favorite tracks are.

27 August 2024
Floor 47, Floria Botanical Gardens
13:42

Lisbeth rested her chin on my chest and started fluttering her eyelashes, seemingly trying to hold back a smile. The two of us were on one of our weekly dates, conveniently falling the day after a clean raid.

"You know you're really adorable when you do that, right?" I chuckled and ran my fingers across her back.

"Mm hmm!" She cheerfully nodded. "I like doing little things like that."

"How come?"

"Because I know it makes you want to kiss me," she laughed and put her cheek where her chin was.

"Oh, really?"

In a single motion, I rolled us over so that her head rested on my forearm and my weight was on the same elbow. During her gasp, I leaned down to kiss her, quieting any instinctual protests or surprise.

We stayed like that until she reached up and lifted my face from hers.

"Careful, w-we can't do that when we're out in public..!" she half-heartedly warned, not even trying to hide her blush or breathing.

"But it's the most romantic floor in Aincrad," I countered with a sly half smile. "Besides, I thought you wanted me to kiss you?"

"I did, and it was great, but.."

"Buuuuuut?"

"It's… hard to stop when you do that…" Her voice grew softer as she finished.

What's that supposed to mean?

"I'll be more careful, silly," I leaned down to peck her forehead. "Don't worry, I wasn't going to do what happens at home."

Suddenly, her blush returned and she raised a finger to my lips. "You say that as if we go that far at home!"

"Nobody's going to hear, it's okay Rika." We adjusted so we were back in our original positions. "The other couples are probably too distracted with each other. Did you notice anyone else when you were resting on my chest?"

"Mmm... no..." she pouted, seeing my point.

"Me neither!" I rubbed her shoulder and leaned my head on hers. "What do you want to do next?"

"Let's try fishing again! It's been a few weeks since we've gone out, and I don't want the skill points going to waste."

Right, we each put a decent chunk of points to fishing since we assumed we'd go somewhat often.

"Same place as last time, or do you wanna look for another area?"

"The same place, I didn't get to be as affectionate as I wanted on that non-date!" she laughed and tightened her grip on my torso.

"Neither did I, sometimes I think back and feel kinda dumb for not saying anything right there," I admitted.

"Don't worry about that stuff, dummy," she karate tapped her free hand on my forehead and rubbed the same spot. "Things happen how they're supposed to and when they're supposed to. I'm just happy we can be like this now!"

I sat up and turned down to her. Her rosy hair almost sprawled out around her head onto the shamrock grass.

"See?" She rose up to me and pinched one of my cheeks. "There's that adorable smile you've been wearing a lot lately."

I was?

"It's all your fault, Rika! I know that I wouldn't if not for you," I reached up and pinched hers back.

"What a great problem to have, right?" She giggled and sat up. "Let's go! If we leave now, we'll have plenty of time before sunset."

"Gotcha." We got up and returned our blanket and picnic basket to our inventories. "Wanna take a crystal there?"

She nodded with a blue prism in hand.

"Teleport, Coral!" we said in unison.

14:23
Floor 22, Coral Outskirts

"Still remember the route we took last time?" I asked.

Liz and I trekked into the forest, with me holding a picnic basket while she held our rods. Sure, we could have kept those items in our inventories, but this makes it feel more real.

"Not really, but I was thinking we could enjoy the scenery instead of dart through it like before. Nature walks with you are a special kind of relaxing.."

"Aww, I feel the same way." I moved the basket to my other hand and grabbed hers.

"Plus," she turned and gave her signature sly smile, "I think we know who the faster one is anyway!"

We were still a while away from the boardwalk, but suddenly I could picture our last encounter with it as clear as day.

"Be careful Silly, or I might bet you for that gold medal," I teased back.

We eventually found ourselves back at the pier, throwing our baited lines and double-measuring everything we caught. Either the skill points were paying off or RNG was on our side today, because we seemed to be reeling something in every other minute. About twenty minutes in, the hot streak died down and we were left sitting in the ambient sounds.

"Hey," Rika brooke the silence.

"What's up?" I asked, turning to her.

She glanced at every corner of my face, smiling, then down at my shoulder.

"Let me lean on you, I'm starting to feel a little weary."

That sounds pretty familiar, but also warm kind of different.

"Of course, Silly." I smiled and stretched my arm over her. Her rod leaned over as she rested her head, staying in line with her torso. Once settled in, she used her free hand to rub up and down my knee.

Puffy, white clouds meandered across the sky - or I guess bottom of Floor 23 - and dotted the water's surface with their shadows. A light lake breeze moved the fishing lines before us and swayed the tall grass at the treeline. Aside from the soft lapping of the water against the pier, there was a calm silence in the area. Other players were really missing out, not that I'd want any here and now.

"Psst." I glanced down at the faint noise.

"Nice and comfy? Or should I start stroking your hair too?" I offered.

Lisbeth leaned up and pecked my lips. "If you do that, I might fall asleep. Maybe when we're at home," she giggled. "I just wanted to say that I think you're great.."

I leaned down to her and pecked her forehead, hardly able to stop my chuckling. "You make me want to be great, which makes you even more awesome, silly."

"Aww," she put her rod away and threw her arms around my torso, nearly sending me into the water.

"Hey be careful, or you're coming in with me!" I set mine down and brought my other arm up around her.

"Don't worry, I'll hold you tight so you don't fall!" Her voice was somewhat muffled in my coat. "Unless you're okay with falling for me?"

Clever.

"All the times that you held me tight are what got me there in the first place, Rika," I replied softly.

"You always have something cuter to say back to me, don't you?" She sat up straight and rested her head on my collarbone.

"I say it because it's the truth, not because it's cute!"

"See? You keep going!" Lisbeth laughed and tightened her grip. "I wanna take a picture, but I don't want to move my arms to get a record crystal."

"Don't worry, I have one." With a few taps, the octahedron was hovering about a meter in front of us and counting down its timer.

At the last second, Lisbeth looked up to kiss my cheek, and held it until the flash passed.

"How'd you like the surprise?" she asked cheerfully.

"I might've preferred it a little more this way," I drew a line from my cheek to my lips, hoping my blushing wasn't too obvious, "but I loved the surprise."

"Gosh, you're just cute. Let's see how the photo turned out!"

The picture came out surprisingly clear, considering the last-second movement. It captured a small smile on Lisbeth and all the red in my cheeks.

"This is definitely going up on my board, you think there's still space?"

"There should be, but I wouldn't mind buying you a board to show off all of our photos."

"I like the sound of that, and we can even put up the ones we didn't get printed!"

Ping!

"Hang on a second, I just got a message," I rubbed her shoulder and moved my arm back to access my menu.

"Something important? If it's not, then you'd better give your attention back to me!" she giggled and rested her head on my shoulder, then tucked her hand into my elbow.

"Of course I," I paused when I started actually reading the message, "would..."

Sender: Asuna
Subject: Emergency Clearer Meeting
Message: Hey, sorry if I caught you at at bad time. I know most clearing guilds are celebrating the floor clearing and figured you were doing the same.

Lind and Heathcliff told me after the last raid that the Laughing Coffin has been dangerously active as of late, and Lind thinks that one of his scouts might have found their base of operations. We scheduled a meeting for the 29th at the KoB HQ at 17:00 hrs, since that was the closest day that the bigger guilds' officers didn't have training or logistical work to do. Don't tell anyone about the meeting; higher ups don't want to risk sensitive info reaching possible moles. Make sure to tell the guards that we're meeting to discuss inter-guild training and that you're an advisor. Let me know when you read this, and I'll see you there.

"You okay? You look pretty shaken up," Lisbeth looked up and started rubbing my arm.

"Yeah, I just got word from Asuna about an emergency meeting coming up."

"They found the next boss room already? Does anyone on the Assault Team take a day off?"

"Not quite, but apparently they wanna keep it quiet for now."

"Is there anything you could tell me about it? Or is it that sensitive?"

Ah... I want to tell her, but most of Aincrad knows we're really close, and everyone just saw me earn my spot back on the Assault Team. I don't want something bad to happen to her because the wrong person wants information.

"It's probably better that you don't know. I don't want anything bad happening to you," I answered, trying to keep a gentle tone.

"Okay, I'm gonna trust you." She leaned up and kissed my cheek. "Just stay safe, you dummy."

"I will, and I'll tell you whatever I can as soon as I can. Thanks for being understanding."

"Is there anything you have to do right now? Or could we stay here a while longer?"

"Nothing to worry about for now, I just gotta let Asuna know I got the message."

Lisbeth turned her attention back to the ripples on the lake's surface and the trees around us. We could probably try fishing for a while more, but I wouldn't want to stop the moment.

"Aincrad's really a beautiful place, isn't it?" she asked. "Sometimes it's easy to forget that the real world exists when we're here like this."

"Definitely. At the same time, there are those moments when I really miss the outside. I can't help but be afraid that I won't get to watch my sister win another tournament, dissect another PC, or..." I grabbed her hand and rested my head on hers.

"Or what?" she adjusted her hand so our fingers interlocked.

"Or... see your real face. Never mind the matches we promised we'd take turns attending and the dates we imagined, I just want to see you and all the little things that the NerveGear can't replicate here."

"Th-that's... really sweet of you..." Lisbeth pulled away to look up towards me, blinking away the tears that started to form. "I know that you're one of the strongest players here, but I didn't think that kind of worry hung over your head like that."

"It doesn't keep me up at night anymore, but... sometimes it shows up as a surprise. Leaning on you definitely makes it easier."

"Hey, I know you do already, but... promise me you'll keep being careful? So we can do all the big and little things we planned." She raised a fist with her pinky pointing up. "I promise I'll do the same."

"That's a promise," I wrapped my pinky around hers, then pulled her in for a peck. "There's no way I'm missing out on that in person."

"Good, there'd better be plenty more where that came from.!"

With a tug, both of us were lying down on the pier watching the clouds wander around the sky. It was a peaceful silence after that, probably to keep from making the mood any more solemn; we are on a date, after all. When the sunlight started turning into an evening red, we packed our supplies and made our way back to Lindas.

29 August 2024
Floor 55, Grandzam, KoB HQ
16:48

The KoB's War Room carried a different atmosphere compared to the last time I was here. There's still a heavy tension, but it's a lot less hostile and more of a sheer nervousness. The hosts set up a long, rectangular table about halfway between the officers' desks and entrance, set with a little over a dozen empty seats. At the head of the table was a large, empty bulletin board. As the clock ran closer to 5, the rest of the guest list arrived and found a seat: the Fuurinkazan, Derek, Lind with a couple of DDA officers, and representatives from other clearing guilds. Heathcliff, Asuna, and Godfrey were the only Knights with us.

Gosh, they're really not risking a leak.

"Thank you all for coming, despite the minimal information." Heathcliff stood from his seat at the head of the table. "This is the first of two meetings in preparation for our most dangerous mission yet: eliminating the Laughing Coffin. Everyone here knows that much; if you want no part of this, now is your chance to leave."

Everyone at the table looked around at each other, but nobody moved otherwise.

"That's what I was anticipating. This preliminary meeting is to distribute relevant information to elite clearing team members and brainstorm a plan of attack. The second meeting will be on the day of the attack, on whichever date we decide, where we will brief all participating members of our plan and depart."

"What are we supposed to tell our guilds to raise numbers for the mission? Our subordinates trust us, but we ought to give them something to work with," one of the other guild leaders asked.

"Yeah, I know the rest of the Sky Runners would join in a heartbeat if they hear everything we cover today," Derek added.

"Tell them the truth: that you need help for a dangerous quest, but that they have to accept the request in order to learn the details. If they decline once they've learned of the operation, we'll have to... host them here until the raid is over. It's better that we leave with 50 and keep this operation a secret than to leave with 70 and walk into an ambush. Does that answer your question?"

"One more," another leader raised his hand.

"Let's hear it."

"Is this operation limited to members of the Assault Team, or will we be able to recruit upper-mid-level players? For the sake of a numbers advantage."

"We are only allowing players who meet the minimum level requirement for raiding - which is now at least level 79 - and have been in your guild for at least a month before today. There's no telling how strong the red players are, so I don't want to needlessly risk someone's life. And if they suspect that we're planning something big, then odds are that the green players in their ranks will try to infiltrate our guilds between now and the raid."

"But if they're already in the Laughing Coffin, wouldn't they be barred from joining another guild?"

"Only if the LC is recognized as a formal guild in the system, which it isn't. On paper they're still technically solo players, which makes green players eligible for another guild," I said. "Kayaba probably expected that to be an incentive for players to stay green, but it works totally against us in this case."

The other leaders nodded, so Lind stood by the board to have his turn.

"Thanks, Kirito. Now we can establish what we know. The Laughing Coffin's headquarters is in a dungeon at the edge of Floor 45. If you were on the AT before then, you'll probably remember that we cleared floors 42 through 47 in the span of about two weeks. For Clearers, that means that much of the floors went unexplored, except for the cities and key hunting grounds. Over the past couple of weeks I've sent four messengers to negotiate a peaceful surrender, but none of them returned. A visit to the monolith at the Black Iron Palace confirmed our worst fears about them."

Lind took out some chalk and started drawing a few figures on the board.

"Based on cross-referenced reports from my info brokers, they're about 30 red players strong with an unconfirmed number of greens. Our best assumption caps the unknowns at 10. According to the interrogation of a player named Grimlock, green LC players hang out in Aincrad's biggest cities to mediate murder contracts, get info, and buy supplies for the red players. He'd know, since he put a contract on his wife a while back."

Yeah, I remember that bastard.

Next, he drew a few squares arranged like a triangle and set a single photo inside of the lines. "At the top of the pecking order is PoH. His two main officers are Johnny Black and Red-Eyed Xaxa." He pointed to Johnny's black hood and Xaxa's skull mask, "I'm sure you can tell who's who in this. All of the guild's actions - from contracts to logistics and training - run through these three. If what Grimlock told us is true, the most important contracts get handled by those three personally. These three targets are our top priority and must be captured alive; ideally, we imprison them until the game clears so they can get charged in real-life courts. No easy way out for them."

"What are the rules of engagement for the regular members? There's no way they'll go without a fight," said Derek.

"Ah, ROE. Capturing them is the main objective, but Assault Team lives have priority over theirs. If you need to drop their HP to red for them to quit, so be it. If they fight til they shatter, so be it. But we want this to be as bloodless as possible."

A few players bumbled between each other as soon as Lind finished. Some were sarcastic remarks about how killing killers and "bloodless" were in the same breath. Others seemingly glad for the chance at revenge.

"Are there any questions about who we're after and the ROE?"

One player raised her hand and cleared her throat before starting. "Some of us aren't okay with killing players, whether they deserve it or not. I personally think that it doesn't make us any better than them. Are paralysis or sleeping-type potions acceptable?"

"Of course, I'm glad you asked. Since I know they're expensive to craft and buy, prepare an invoice so the DDA can reimburse a portion of the costs. I wouldn't want to lose any potential help over a different means to the same end. Anything else?"

Everyone glanced around in silence.

"Good, now for the raid itself." One of Lind's officers set a Mirage Sphere on each end of the table. "Here's the base map data for the dungeon that goes up to their entrance. A lieutenant named Silam is to thank for this info; his name was the last of the messengers to be crossed off. Fortunately for us, the LC picked a dungeon with a simple design: lots of square turns and no apparent choke points. Simple as the dungeon looks, it's a little more bothersome in-person. There are many elevated surfaces in each of the passageways, which make for countless hiding spots and ambush points. Unfortunately the only way to approach that design setup is head-on, since every possible route to the HQ entrance has that issue."

"Hang on," Derek started, "If the only approach is head-on, then why not just get our force and head straight in there? Splitting it up to take different routes will risk having either one group undermanned in an ambush, or having a fraction of the entire force arrive ahead of the rest."

"You make a solid point, but turn the chess board around," said Klein. "Say we take everyone on a single, direct route to their HQ entrance. What's stopping them from just taking another way out and establishing another base?"

"Well if they want to avoid a fight and escape, why not just teleport out of their base when we get there instead of going through the trouble of taking that other route?" another guild leader interjected.

"Hang on. Lind, do you know if teleport crystals work in that dungeon?" Asuna asked.

"We don't know for sure, and my info brokers don't either. I told my messengers to TP out the second there's trouble, but there's the chance that they were paralyzed before they could do anything. The boss tower had a few dead zones, along with most of the other dungeons on the floor, but I think the only way we'll know for sure is to check firsthand."

Shit, that seriously complicates things.

Everyone must've thought the same thing, because the room fell eerily silent after Lind finished talking.

"This is just a hunch, but maybe the entire dungeon is also a dead zone," said Asuna. "Think about it, they like to ambush and torture their victims. But, there's always the off-chance that a poison knife misses or a victim has a high AGI stat. Why take the chance of a target escaping the easy way?"

"That's a big assumption you're making, Asuna," said Derek. "If they set up their HQ in a total dead zone, they would have to risk being seen entering and leaving the labyrinth every time they visit anywhere. There has to be some way for them to get out of there instantly to run their guild effectively. That, and wouldn't they constantly have to worry about mobs if there were no safe passages?"

"Compared to other labyrinths, this one is pretty small. The thing about small dungeons is that they stay permanently cleared unless you're on a quest in that location. It's not unthinkable that they knew that and took advantage of it," she replied.

"To answer the part about their movement, it's possible they set up corridor crystals to get around that. They're expensive, but would be well worth it in that situation," I added.

"Let's try to keep Occam's Razor in this conversation; the answer with the fewest assumptions is likely the correct one," Klein started. "With this theory, we assume: the entire dungeon is one big dead zone, it's small enough to stay permanently cleared, nobody's started the location's quest, and the guild set up corridor crystals. It seems like too many things happening at the same time to work."

Godfrey raised his hand. "If I may, Lind."

"Thank you for asking," Lind replied while looking at a few people. "Go ahead."

"The alternative is assuming that: the dungeon is large enough to respawn mobs, the LC found a safe zone big enough to run their operations, and they physically walk through the entrance every time they come and go. There may not be as many assumptions, but they seem far less likely when put together."

"If we take them by surprise, then maybe we don't have to worry about whether or not they can make it out. We can send a few Thief-type players to scout ahead for sentries and traps, signal us if something's wrong, and capture as many as we can," Harry One suggested. "A few might escape, but as long as we get the leaders, the lackeys may just lay low til the game is clear. The government is going to get access to server data that shows who was where and when, so those escaped players will get punished IRL anyway."

"He makes a good point. With Godfrey's assumptions in mind, I suggest we start with specific plans." said Heathcliff.

"But Heathcliff, are we really going to go with it just like that? Shouldn't we at least consider other possibilities?" Klein asked.

"I've considered both possibilities independent of the deliverer and trust that Godfrey's intuition is closer to the reality. Please, let's just continue."

Lind nodded and started tapping on the Mirage Sphere. "Let's start with Harry's first suggestion, sending Thief-type scouts. We can narrow down the dungeon crawl to two paths, so we'll send one pair down each path. How many thieves can each of the guilds contribute? Or anyone with high Search and Hide skills. The Divine Dragon Alliance can contribute two. Any Knights?"

"I'm afraid not. All of our thief-type players with a high enough level haven't been with the guild long enough to participate." Asuna answered.

"There's one guy in the Sky Runners who might be up for it," said Derek.

"I'll do it," I raised my hand. "I'm a solo player, so Search was one of the first skills I maxed out."

Not my ideal job, but if it helps...

"Impressive, that makes four. Your job as a Pathfinder is to scout each route for traps, sentries, or anything that might give away our group. If the path is clear, message in so we can follow you through; if not, work together and do your best to dislodge whatever is in the way. Disable the trap or incapacitate the sentry by any means necessary. Should it be too much trouble, message in. If you can't teleport out from danger, then stick together and run like hell."

"I don't like that last part of the plan. If Route A is clear while Route B's scouts need backup, there should be a detachment ready to help them until they can retreat." Derek crossed his arms and looked around the table for support.

"He's right. We still don't know if we can teleport out of the dungeon yet. Plus, there's still the off chance that the LC uses the other route to escape. At least 10 or so should be enough to buy time for the rest to show up," I added.

"Your concerns have merit, but there's no telling how many people we'll have to raid in the first place. If we only have 50 clearers and leave 10 to guard the second route, the main force might be one-to-one or even outnumbered in the actual assault."

"Then we'd better have way more than 50 Clearers show up, right?" Derek countered. In exact unison with me.

There was a second of awkward silence, during which Derek and I just glanced at each other and nodded.

Smartass. But I respect it.

"The best we can do is 15% of however many people we bring," Lind conceded, probably trying to avoid running into a quagmire. "That means at least 8 if we only have 50. Will that work for you?"

Derek and I looked back at each other, then to Lind. "Sure."

"Good, we'll assemble that detachment when we have everyone together. Once we have confirmation that one path is clear, the main force will move in as quickly as the element of surprise allows. If the other path is also clear, the scouts are to rendezvous with the main force while the detachment stands guard for escapees. Sound good?"

Most of us nodded while a few started biting at their fist. Probably nerves starting to set in.

"Okay, now for when we're going to attack. In order to minimize the chances of an info leak, I want us to meet back here at 2100 hrs on the 31st for the briefing and to depart by 2300. This operation shouldn't take more than a few hours, so plan accordingly."

"Lind, that timeline is too short to work with," Godfrey started. "Boss meetings typically have at least three days to mobilize, and that's considering the fact that we already know who's raiding with each guild. How are we supposed to assemble a team and convince them to join this mission in just over 48 hours?"

"The Sky Runners and Fuurinkazan each have around five players, plus Kirito, to make that group about one dozen. If every guild leader here can muster 10 players, we'll have well over 70 participating. Once the other Dragons and I get back to our HQ, we have a list of 25 qualified players ready to ask. I understand that the window is short, but it's possible."

"We're in charge of elite guilds because we're the people who can best make things happen. You have me and Heathcliff to help figure out the personnel, even if that's officially your responsibility," Asuna reassured him.

Godfrey just nodded and ran his hand through his hair.

"We can go over specific formations based on roles when we have a full roster of players. If there are no more questions, then this meeting is dismissed. Best of luck, and don't be late."

As we were leaving the War Room, Derek came up and tapped on my shoulder.

"I know being a Pathfinder is gonna be a rough job, but know that you can trust Tucker. He was a diamond in the rough when we first met, but he's developed into a reliable rogue. Practically turns invisible if you turn your back to him for a second. You've never met him because he doesn't join the rest of us on raids despite his eligibility. Says boss raids don't fit his play style."

"Good. If possible, I want you on the vanguard. We've had our fights, but I know you're not the type to cut corners on that responsibility. Plus, there aren't many swords I'd rather see when I'm in a pinch."

"Thanks... I'll see what I can do. Good luck, Kirito."

"Good luck, Derek."

Floor 49, Lindas
19:32

The doors to the shop entrance, smithing room, staircase, and living area are much harder to open with arms full of groceries. Most players would just leave those types of items in their inventory until they need them, but minor self-imposed hindrances help make it feel like we're living here in Aincrad.

"Hey, need a hand?" Lisbeth called from the stove, probably setting water to boil.

And that sense of living goes much farther when there's someone to go home to.

"Yeah, if you can!" Self-imposed hindrances... Just til we could make this a real-life hindrance. "Thanks for waiting to start dinner, I didn't expect the meeting to last as long as it did."

"It was no problem," she leaned over and pecked me, "We had lunch kinda late anyway. What'd you bring?"

"Steak, potatoes, and vegetables. I know they've been your favorite lately. The market square was closed by the time I got there, so I had to run by the Town of Beginnings. More business for more people after all."

"Aww, thanks for the extra effort. I'll start boiling these right away. Could you prep the steaks?"

"Sure." I took out the cutting board, a knife, and a few other ingredients.

Gosh, how am I supposed to keep something like this from her? It's not like a floor meeting where the Assault Team fights a single boss and can teleport whenever something's off. We're expecting dozens of people in a possible dead zone. And I'm supposed to scout with minimal help and backup. I love Liz and live with her, what's supposed to happen if something goes wrong while she's left in the dark about it?

"You okay? You've kinda just been staring at the counter." Liz came over and put a hand on me.

"No," I leaned over and rested my head on her shoulder. "The meeting is weighing pretty hard on my mind, and the things that are bugging me the most about it are things that I can't talk about. For the sake of it working as planned."

"What can you tell me about it? That way you can get some of it off of your chest."

You don't have to hold in all the negativity anymore, you have her to lean on.

*sigh* "This stays between us, okay?"

"Of course, dummy."

"The AT leaders learned of a mandatory quest that would make it way easier for us to clear the game. The only problem is, there's no guarantee of a second shot at this. If word gets out of what we're planning, the AT is gonna miss its chance; if the AT messes up one part of the quest, the game might get much harder moving forward. Not to mention that it's really dangerous. It's just a lot of pressure I guess."

Lisbeth moved her hand up to start running her fingers through my hair.

"That... sounds like a lot for anyone to hang onto. A high-risk, high-reward shot at improving our survival odds, and then having to take that shot totally under the radar. Let me tell you something."

"Hmm?"

Liz turned my head to face her and rested her hands on my cheeks. "If there's anyone I trust with that kind of task, it's you and the clearers around you. You've also gotta believe that everyone in Aincrad would have that same trust if they knew! I'm not saying to take it easy, just do what you always do and I'm sure it'll go as well as it can. After all, clearing every floor also gets us closer to escaping; this isn't all that different when you really think about it."

Her rosy eyes and slight smile never lie, she truly means that... But... No, she'd still mean that if she knew everything...

"Just promise me one thing, Kazuto."

"A-anything."

"Win or lose, you're coming back here to me! I'd rather live a harder life here with you than an easier one without."

If she's scared or worried, she's doing a great job of presenting it as motivation.

I nodded, then squeezed my arms around her. Behind her, the stove timer showed about a minute left for the boiling pot.

Good, there won't be a cliched interruption.

"Of course, there's nothing I'd rather do. And thanks... The worries wouldn't distract me once we set out on the quest, but it's good to not be bothered by them in the meantime."

"Don't forget that I'm always here for you, dummy. Why don't you unwind in the living room while I finish everything over here? I'll have some tea ready in a minute."

"That.. sounds good. Let me know if you need help, okay?" I gave her one last squeeze and headed to the long sofa.

"Will do!"

The rest of the evening was about as quotidian as it gets. After dinner, we did the dishes - more for the togetherness than workload - cleaned up the rest of the kitchen, and sat at the table to plan the next day. Lisbeth looked at her shop numbers and weapon recipes while I took inventory of raid supplies and checked hunting ground locations on the Mirage Sphere. About a half hour in, I broke the silence.

"I wanna try leveling up tomorrow, but I can't decide between a long quest on Floor 69 and a few hunting grounds on Floor 68. The quest supposedly rewards enough XP and an item to make the time worth it, but Argo is telling me that it's unconfirmed since nobody's actually completed it yet. Hunting on Floor 68 means guaranteed drops and rewards, but the rest of the Clearers are probably gonna be crowding them."

Lisbeth looked up from her shop interface and to the projection of Floor 68. "Any idea what the item reward is for the quest?"

"A ring of some sort. No special abilities, but is supposedly worth a lot of Col. A friendly spirit claims it's in a sarcophagus at the end of a labyrinth, but it's full of tanky mobs and dead ends."

"Go for the hunting grounds then, I'm sure you'll get more out of your time if you're just looking for XP. Maybe you could try the quest after you're done?" She came over and took a closer look at the spawn point distribution. I guess she was looking for a distraction from the usual business work.

We've had this type of conversation a thousand times, but for some reason this one feels a little warmer than the others.

"Maybe I'll call the Fuurinkazan for support if I need a party to clear it. It's been a while since we've met up, after all."

"Sounds like a plan, then." She kissed the top of my head. "I think I'm gonna head off to bed already. The shop's numbers seem to be taking care of themselves, and there's a book I've been meaning to finish. How much longer do you think you'll be up?"

"Not much longer. Any shop that'd sell the items I need for the Clearer's quest is already closed, so it's just picking hunting sites for now. I'll join you when I'm done," I answered.

"Okay, don't be long!" Lisbeth pecked my cheek before going to our room, leaving the kitchen and dining room lights for me to turn off.

Are you just afraid of dying, Kazuto? Six months ago, probably not. Now? I think I'm more afraid of the voids I leave if I'm gone. There are the obvious Assault Team roles and family waiting back in Kawagoe, but... there are more places I'm needed. Here, Liz's eventual rehab, her soccer games...

"No point in thinking of what I'd miss when I could be enjoying what I already have," I muttered to myself before putting my planning items away.

Liz was still reading with her bedside lamp on when I entered.

"Do you want me to turn the light off?" she asked, lowering her book.

"It's okay, it won't keep me up." I changed into my pajamas and crawled under the covers, then leaned my head on Lisbeth's arm. She looked down, smiled, then continued reading.

Eventually she got far enough in her book to call it for the night, so with a few taps the room was dark and she was turned towards me.

"I take it you wanna bet he one to get held tonight?" Lisbeth asked, running a few fingers through my hair.

"... Yeah..."

Gotta set masculine pride aside occasionally if it means staying sane.

We shifted around until my head was resting on her shoulder and her free hand was running through my hair.

"I was hoping you'd say that, you've had the same somber look all evening."

"The system never lets us hide our emotions, but I'm sure you would've spotted that IRL anyway." I leaned up an pecked her cheek.

"There's only one way to know for sure, right?"

"Definitely. I think the only thing I'd miss from here is the fact that our limbs can't fall asleep. At least we can take advantage of that while we're here."

"You know, the further we get in Aincrad, the easier it becomes to imagine what it's like with you on the other side." She squeezed me a little tighter and chuckled. "Even ignoring all the game-related issues, it used to be a little scary at first. Imagining someone in my life a few years down the line - especially a boyfriend - seemed really serious. Especially considering that I've never been in a relationship before.."

"I getcha. It's been nearly two years and we've only recently gotten past the two-thirds mark. At this rate, we might still be stuck here til February or March. Then there'd be a long rehab period to get back into shape."

Hang on...

"Hey, do you think we'll make it that long?" I asked.

Lisbeth sat up a bit and propped herself on her elbow. "Of course, you dummy! I'll keep supporting the Clearers with equipment and you'll teleport out if you're in serious danger, why would you ask that?"

"I don't mean that, I mean... physically. There's only so long they can keep our real-life bodies healthy, right?"

"We... we're basically in a coma, right? They know how to keep those people healthy for years. Much longer than we'll be stuck in here, that's for sure. I'm sure they're taking good care of us on the other side." She looked somewhat shaken up while fighting to look calm. Typical Rika to show strength for the sake of others.

I reached up and placed my hand on her cheek, running my thumb to her nose and back. "Thanks for keeping my head in check... I'm sure you're right. If anything, they're probably learning new ways to improve their care for us."

"Don't be thinking scary thoughts like that, Kazuto..." she placed her hand over mine and moved back to our original position. "Besides, the only thing we have power over is what we do with ourselves here. Anything else is just gonna stress us out and throw us off."

"You... you're right, thanks..." I moved my hand from her face and wrapped my arm around her torso. "I love you, you've been everything great that I could hope for plus more."

"I love you too, Kazuto. And you don't need to thank me, I want you to lean on me whenever you need to. You make me want to be great for moments like these, that way you know you fell for the right person!"

"I'll keep that in mind for when I get the chance to be strong for you... And show you that you also fell for the right person. Good night, Rika.."

"Good night, I'll see you in the morning.."

We turned to peck each other once last time and gradually drifted off.

30 August 2024
06:23

"Hey!" A silhouette stood between me and the room's window. The early morning sky was barely turning into a hot pink, at least as far as my blurry vision could make out.

Did I sleep through my alarm again?

"-ke up, Sweetie! I've got something to show you!"

Lisbeth nudged me awake standing next to the bed, already in her shopkeeper outfit. I sat up to stretch, then started climbing out of bed. Normally I'm a bit cranky if I wake up before my alarm goes off, but honestly it's impossible to be mad at Liz.

*yawn* "What is it?"

"It's better if I show you, let's go!"

Someone has a lot of energy considering how early it is...

I followed her into the dining room, where she had breakfast dishes set out next to some black armor pieces.

"I couldn't help waking up extra early, so I thought I'd make these for you. A pair of dorinium bracers and greaves, since I noticed you only really wear a chest plate when you're in combat. They're strong enough to absorb the punishment you'd see in combat, light enough to wear under your signature coat, and not hinder your AGI and DEX stat advantages. Try them on! I wanna know if they'll really help!" Liz picked up each pair and handed them to me.

"Th-thank you, Liz.. How mu-"

She put her finger on my lips to interrupt me. "Don't worry about the time, materials, or anything that it took to make them - whether you planned to replace them in the field or 'slip' the col into the register. I'm already your swords on the battlefield, so I want to be your shield too! I don't know what the Clearer's Quest is gonna throw at you, but if I can protect you a little, then it'll be worth it to me."

Oh... if I weren't in love already, that would be it. There goes all my drowsiness.

"They're... I..." About a thousand words jumped around my head to come out at once, but I could only say those two.

"I know you could afford the best custom build from any smith in Aincrad if you really wanted them. It's just... I felt like doing that for you."

I equipped the armor and pulled her in for a hug. "You're my exclusive blacksmith, remember? It just never occurred to me to try those guards since either my Battle Heal covers hits in those places or I avoid getting hit altogether. I guess now I could fight poison and DOT-type mobs without burning through so many crystals."

Lisbeth returned the hug and seemingly tried to hide her excitement. "You could be honest with me if they don't work out! If-"

"My turn to interrupt," I started, pulling back a bit to put my finger on her lips. "I love and respect the heck out of you, so I'd definitely be honest about that. I'll let you know what I think after today's adventures. On another note, let's eat because I'm really hungry and I want to make the most of today."

"Haha, okay," she laughed and moved to arrange her breakfast dishes. "We did spend much of yesterday evening planning today, after all."

Just enjoy today and be ready for the raid tomorrow. Ordinary days are the type that we fight to protect. At least while we're here. Here's to ordinary days after the 31st.

A/N: Thanks for your patience. I wanted to include another whole segment in this chapter, but I had about 600 words of various stages written and might've needed another 4k. Y'all have waited long enough. As always, reviews and PMs are welcome. Stay safe out there.