A/N: Hello everyone, Celestial Sky Dragon here bringing you a new chapter of The Violet Assassin.

This is actually the last chapter I have written for this story for now, so I hope you all like it. You all get to see a bit of another quest that Akira and Yolko end up taking. This whole chapter is actually a reference to another RPG series, guess it correctly and you'll get a virtual cookie. Take a good crack at it, you'll definitely recognize it all if you have played that series.

So, I hope you all enjoy this chapter...have a nice day.

Sword Art Online

The Violet Assassin

Chapter 23

The Spirit of Lady Lake

A few weeks had passed since Akira's life changing surgery. The boy was improving really quickly, so much so that he almost didn't need his crutches anymore. His doctor said that he was surprised at his fast recovery, and the boy just said if he set his mind on anything, that he could get it done no matter the challenge. He was able to walk longer distances now, and had even started attending the SAO School, which had just started its first semester. To his surprise he was placed in the same class as Nijika, Asuna and Kirito. It had been a welcome sight for all of them to see the boy in school. Akira mused that he could have easily gotten tutors, but had missed the actual feel of school. He also used his crutch to practice his "Sword Skills" if anyone tried to bully him, though it rarely happened.

He had also been hanging out with Liz and Silica while at school, sharing some stories about their time in SAO. Though both girls were mostly speaking of their jealous hatred of Asuna and Kirito, since both of them held some sort of affection for the young lad. He knew the rest of Eighth Grade was going to be a blast.

Now, he was in the nearly empty cafeteria, typing a few things on his laptop. He had been quite busy as of late, as he was doing a lot more research on ALO and how New Aincrad was doing. Yvir had invited him to work with them on many occasions, but he said he didn't really feel like it, mostly because of Hayato. The higher ups of the company still didn't know what he was doing. His threats had only gotten worse as time went along, which was also why he was sifting through hundreds of lines of code. He was trying to see if he could make an Recording Item that wouldn't be visible while in use. Sadly he wasn't coming up with anything.

"Something wrong Noah? You seem rather perplexed."

He looked up, seeing his friend Lisbeth, or Rika as she was called in real life. She was holding a juice pouch in her hand. Standing next to her was Silica, or Keiko, who was also drinking her own juice. He shook his head, glancing at the screen.

"It's nothing...I'm just sifting through some lines of code for Yvir." he said.

"You're a programmer?" Keiko asked, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Not really, well...I did learn quite a bit after I left SAO. I wanted to see if there was a way I could salvage player data from the servers. But All of Aincrad was deleted when we logged out. However, when Yvir bought the rights to SAO and ALO's servers, they found an exact copy of Aincrad during the final moments of SAO. It looks like Kayaba copied everything before the Final battle on the 100th Floor." he said.

"Does that include the glitch that saved us all?" Rika asked curiously.

"I'm not sure. All of Aincrad was reprogrammed and worked on by the guys at the company. I convinced them to keep all of the Floor bosses as special events for the future, but they changed most of them. There is something that I did find interesting." he said.

"What's that? I would like to know." the familiar voice of Kazuto said. Rika and Keiko almost jumped out of their skin when they heard his voice. Akira smiled.

"Well, while sifting through the codes, I found a carbon copy of the Mental Health Control Program. It looks like there was a second one in case Yui was unable to keep our emotions in check. When I tried running it, my computer crashed. But as I was analyzing the code, I found out why, it isn't just that program, it contains the emotional values of every player that died in Aincrad." he said.

The three remained silent, not exactly knowing what to say. It was a big shock to them, especially to him. He wasn't expecting to find something like that in SAO's source code. But there it was, tucked away where no one would see it. Kazuto turned the computer to him, humming to himself as he read the lines of code.

"You're sure about this? All 3853 players that died during SAO had their emotional states turned into data?" He asked.

"Yes, and I have reason to believe the Cardinal System was going to turn them into NPCs with an AI. It was most likely going to be for some unreleased Grand Quest, a final gambit before Floor 100. Thanks to our discovery of that glitch on Floor 85, we were able to bypass it entirely." he said.

"Oh my, I don't think I could handle seeing the faces of those who died in game." Rika said, quietly sipping her juice.

"Same here, seeing Sasha as an NPC...I think I would have died right there." Akira said, a frown on his face.

"Noah, why exactly are you analyzing Sword Art Online's source code?" Kazuto asked curiously. He sighed, closing his eyes.

"I was going to see if there was a way to make an item. I want to make a recording crystal that's completely invisible." he said.

"Why do you need an item like that?" Keiko asked curiously.

"It's Hayato...he's back and he's making threats. He wants me to give him all of my money and in game items. He also said if I don't he's going to make my life a living hell, in game and IRL." he said.

"Wait, if he's threatening you then why don't you do something about it? Get the authorities involved!" Rika cried out.

"He can't, there's no proof of what he's doing, especially since it's inside a virtual game. You would have to get a GM involved, and if I'm correct, he is a GM." Kazuto replied.

"So he would take the call, knowing its from Noah, and would most likely get his just desserts anyway." Keiko said, a frown on her face.

"It's a really annoying situation, but so far he hasn't made word on any of his threats. However, that could change at any second. I don't want any of you hurt, especially Nijika. She means the world to me." he said, a smile on his face.

"Aw, that's so cute! But I agree, it would be horrible if something happened to any of us. So what are we going to do about this?" Rika asked.

"Well, I took a quest called "To Defeat A Champion" the thing is the quest itself takes place on the 7th Floor of New Aincrad. We however are still clearing the 5th Floor." Akira said.

"I heard of that quest, supposedly if you win a fight against one of Odin's champions you get access to the Legendary Sword, Burning Ascalon. A holy weapon of equal footing with Excalibur." Kazuto said.

"Wow, a weapon like that would definitely help you in the end." Keiko said.

"It takes a One handed sword mastery of 985 to equip it. Thanks to Rain and Nymph's help, I've been able to get it up to 902. I should be able to raise it and my Dual Wielding pretty soon." he said.

"Who's Nymph?" Rika asked curiously, finishing her juice.

"Noah's older sister Alisha. She's a Pooka, so she's learning how to build herself to support others. She's doing fine, but she's also learning how to use a Katana." Kazuto said.

"She also spent a lot of money to make her avatar look just like her. She said it was bullshit how we ours look exactly like us." Akira replied.

"Did you tell her we imported our saves from SAO?" Rika asked.

"I did, but she wasn't having any of it. Anyway, I need to get all of this new data findings back to Yvir. I'm gonna finish my last few lines of code before emailing it to them. I've also developed some new types of sword skills, so you're welcome." he said giving them a smirk.

"Depends on what they are." Kazuto said.

"You'll be happy to know that all in game sword skills are now Elemental Sword Skills. You'll have to figure them out on your own though, but I will say this, Dual Wielding sword skills will be added with the next patch. So far there are five skills, Double Circular, End Revolver, Nightmare Rain, Starburst Stream and The Eclipse." he said.

"That's no fair, how come Dual Wielders get such cool skills?" Rika asked.

"Because we're the best players in the game." Kazuto replied, sharing a fist bump with his friend.

"Whatever, my mace is so much better than a dumb sword anyway." Rika said, a look of jealousy on her face. The bell rung, signifying the end of their break. Akira sighed and closed his laptop, stuffing it in his backpack, which he slung over his shoulder. He grabbed his crutch, standing up from his seat.

"Well, guess we'll have to finish this later. Are any of you doing anything after school? Me and Nijika were planning on taking a walk in the park." Akira said.

"I promised Sugu I would take a quest with her after school, maybe another time." Kazuto said.

"I'm sort of slipping up my math grades, so I need to study. Me and Keiko were going to hang out, maybe we can study at the park." Rika suggested, earning a nod from Akira.

"That sounds fun, I haven't been to the park in ages. Maybe you guys can see me run." he said.

"Nope, remember the last time you tried running? You almost got hit by a car and we don't need that happening again." Kazuto said.

"Dah, what a buzzkill...fine no running."

"Okay then, let's meet up by the front gates once school is out." Keiko said, earning nods from her friends. With that they all took off toward class.

A few hours passed and the final bell rung. Akira bid farewell to some of his friends, heading downstairs toward the front gates. Nijika had been waiting for him at the end of the stairs, giving him a smile. She kissed his cheek, taking his backpack from him.

"How was your day hun?" he asked curiously.

"Really boring...I sort of miss being in Aincrad though. That's all my classmates ever talk about. Did you know there was a quest in game to make your own cheese cake? I would have loved doing that." She said.

"Yes, I knew about that quest. Asuna made me tag along with her and Yolko to get all of the ingredients, it was a total pain in the ass." he muttered dryly.

"Mind filling me in then? I don't think I was present for this one." she said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. He chuckled, kissing her cheek.

"Sure, but you know what's better than virtual cheese cake? The real damn thing. I have a recipe at home." he said.

"Oh, can we go straight there and make it?" she asked.

"Sorry, I promised Keiko and Rika that I would study with them. We were going to the park to study, and since we were planning on taking a walk there, I thought it would be good for all of us." he said.

"Hmm, alright...it's been awhile since I hung out with the girls."

He smiled, wrapping his arm around her waist as they headed down the stairs. They both continued walking down the path, chatting with a few others, before spotting their friends by the gates.

"Hey you two, ready for our study session?" Rika asked.

"Hell yeah, time to get crunching on those numbers." Akira said happily.

"Noah, will you tell me the story now?" Nijika asked, giving him a puppy look. He sighed, giving her a smile.

"Yes, I'll tell you while we go to the park." he said.

"What story is this?" Keiko asked curiously.

"Yeah, is it about our time in Aincrad?" Rika said, adding her two cents. Akira nodded.

"This is a story about the grandest of all quests within the realm of Aincrad. The mythical quest to replenish our larder. I magical quest in which we all looked for the best quality ingredients to make cheese cake!" he said.

"That sounded so hyped up, I actually thought it was going to be something interesting." Rika said.

"Oh come on, give it a chance. You might be surprised!" Nijika said, giving them a wink.

Xxx

(July 2nd 2024 Location: Lady Lake Floor 66)

The Aquapolis of Lady Lake was one of the most popular floors in Aincrad. As soon as it was opened, hundreds of players ended up moving there. It was a beautiful city, located right on a lake. It reminded players of Selmberg, but for some reason it was way more popular than the 61st Floor capital. It was a beautiful town, with cobblestone streets and nice limestone houses with red roofs. There was a long stone path that connected Lady Lake with the the field. The fields around the large lake were lush and green, with large trees dotting the area. Not far from the city, to the South East of it was a large river that fed into the lake. There was also a large mountain range, known as the Zephyr mountains. A lot of tough monsters lived up there, so not a lot of people headed that way.

To the southern part of Lady Lake was a large forest dungeon, filled with many bugs and tree like monsters. There were also some creatures called Highlander Hyena's, which were twice as big and even more ferocious than the Dire Wolves on the 1st Floor. They were really weak however, making them the best monster to hunt for easy Experience. The forest was also chock full of paths leading to various dungeons and caverns. The labyrinth had yet to be found, but not a lot of people were worrying about it.

Following the hype train, Akira had decided to sell his apartment on the 53rd Floor, deciding to move permanently to the 66th. The city of Lady Lake was just too beautiful for him to pass up. It felt like as if he was in some romantic get away tailor made for couples. To him it was just the perfect place to live. Of course, Sapphira had called him names for choosing to live there rather than on Haiku with the rest of them. He loved the rain, but he didn't feel like climbing up a ladder every time he wanted to go home.

The main market place of Lady Lake was filled with hundreds of stands, each selling fresh produce. They were also close to the river, which was flowing out of the giant waterwheel that lead to the castle. He was just wondering around, sampling anything that caught his eye. He had already eaten four apples, and various other fruits that were on sale. He stopped in front of a berry stand, staring hungrily at some fresh strawberries.

"Excuse me ma'am, I'd like to buy some of these." he said, getting the attention from the NPC vendor. She smiled, giving him a nod.

"Of course, that will be 200 col." she said. The window popped up, and Akira hit the arrow, buying ten containers of them. Paying the woman the money, she gave him a wave and a thanks. He grabbed one of the strawberries, shoving it in his mouth.

"Ah man, nothing beats a fresh strawberry. Good game Kayaba, good game indeed." he said, placing another berry in his mouth.

"There you are, jeez I've been looking all over the place for you."

Akira stopped glancing at Yolko who looked out of breath. The two of them had been getting rather close as of late, ever since heading to Lisbeth's shop to get his new weapon.

She had also gotten some new armor for herself. She was wearing a lavender tunic, which looked almost like the one she had wore previously. It had a collar which she had folded down, and was wearing a necklace around her neck, that raised her status defense. She wore an obsidian chest plate, with a rose etched into it. Around her waist she was wearing a brown leather belt with a heart shaped buckle. She was wearing a pair of black shorts, with white leggings underneath, and some brown leather boots. On her belt, she had her brand new Estoc, which was resting in a violet sheathe. On her left hip was a pouch filled with consumables.

"Sorry Yolko, I couldn't resist myself. Fresh fruit is always good to have, and it's been so long since I ate a sweet strawberry." he said, shoving another one in his mouth. She rolled her eyes, snagging one for herself.

"Yes I understand, but we were looking for that new apartment remember? I can't look for myself, especially when there are so many houses in this place." she said.

"Yes I know, don't worry I've bought all of the fruits I wanted anyway." he said, passing by a stand selling peaches. He turned around, looking at the pink heart shaped fruits. Yolko sighed, placing her hands at her hips.

"We're gonna be here all day." she said.

"Sorry, I'll get right on it, just as soon as I buy these peaches." he said, adding them to his cart. Once he had paid them, he placed them in his inventory. He and Yolko finally left the market place, walking back toward the residential area of Lady Lake.

"So, I wonder if the big castle is for sale. I would love to live there." Akira said.

"Pfft, the hell do you want a castle for? That would be a horrible place to live, especially if its just us." she said.

"But we would have servants Yolko. Servants!" he said, stressing the word.

"You see, I don't want a servant, I'm perfectly capable of making my own stuff." she replied.

"You're a strong independent woman who don't need no man." he said firmly, earning a giggle from her.

"Ideally, I would want a man by my side. I've gotten over Caynz already, its just...the guy I'm interested in hasn't shown any interest." she said.

"Bake him a cake, men love getting cakes from pretty girls." he said simply, glancing at a really nice house by the river. Yolko hummed to herself.

"That could work, but I need a male perspective, what kind of cake do you like?" she asked.

"Me? Strawberry Swirl cheesecake. Me and my mother used to eat it a lot when my father and sister were gone. My father usually spends time over seas, and my older sister Alisha is in America taking her college courses, so we barely speak with her. Me and my mom used to make some whenever we had the time." he admitted.

"Cheese cake sounds lovely. I'm willing to be he'd like it too, but...how exactly would we make it?" she asked.

"The system assist should have something detailing how to make it. Did you level up your cooking skill?" he asked curiously. She frowned, shaking her head.

"I've been buying food from the stands on every floor. It's much easier to do that than waste time leveling up a skill." she said.

"Well, I guess we can't really do anything then. I was so excited too." she said, a frown on her face. Akira chuckled, shaking his head.

"Not necessarily...I just happen to know of someone who does have a high cooking skill. We'll just have to see if she can help us." he said, opening his menu. He scrolled through his friends list, finally finding the one he wanted.

"Are you sure they'll help us?" Yolko asked.

"Definitely...I doubt she would pass up the chance to make cheesecake." he said.

"Hey Asuna, do you have some free time? I'd like to meet up with you about something." he typed up, quickly hitting the send button. He grabbed another strawberry, shoving it in his mouth.

"Now, we wait. Let's keep looking around." he said, stepping away from the street they were in.

Much like the other cities in Aincrad, Lady Lake had various inns, shops and other specialty stores. Having been through the market place, he expected quite a lot of big name stores. However he only saw a few shops dotting the street he was on. He did see a huge Hotel, something he hadn't seeing since Floor 49. He was tempted in seeing it on the inside, but if he did he would most likely stay the night and the last thing he needed to do was waste money on an expensive hotel suite.

"Oh look, there are some houses for sale down this street. Would you like to find one?" Yolko asked, tugging his arm. He rolled his eyes, giving her a nod.

"Okay, since I'm not having any luck I'll let you choose." he said.

Sapphira had found it odd when he proposed the idea of finding a house with his partner. It wasn't out of the ordinary for people to do this. It was much easier to pay for a house when two or more people pitched in to help. Besides he didn't feel comfortable living on his own most of the time. That's why he had let his friends stay at his place whenever they were in the neighborhood, so to speak.

They ended up going to one of the many overlooks of Lady Lake, at the top of a large set of stairs. There were three houses up there, only one of them being available for purchase. But he had to admit the small plaza was beautiful. It gave him a good view of most of the city, as well as the looming castle behind them. He was also quite close to the river in case he wanted to try his luck fishing.

The house itself was in the center of the plaza, following the curved design of the outlook, with two houses next to it. Like the rest of the houses in Lady Lake, it was made entirely out of yellow stand stone, with wooden frames around it. It had wide square shaped windows, the center one being a stained glass one. It had two oil lamps above the door to act as a porch light. The door was a nice maroon color, matching the angled roof. It also had a stone chimney, an indication that it had a fire place. Yolko gasped, clasping her hands together.

"It's perfect! Can we buy this one?" she asked.

"I suppose, what's the price?" he asked. She quickly moved toward the door, opening the purchase window. She cringed a bit.

"It's 10 million col." she said.

"Jesus H Fuck! That's expensive as all hell." he shouted, attracting the attention of the NPCs. Most of them didn't mind his outburst while others were most likely angry at his profanity. Yolko frowned, turning away from it.

"Maybe we should look elsewhere." she said, trying to leave the plaza. He held his arm in front of her, causing her to stop.

"I said it was expensive, not that I wouldn't buy it. How much money do you have saved up?" he asked.

"13 million, I've been farming and selling useless items." she said.

"Okay, let's split the cost then, five and five should do." he said. She smiled brightly, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you Akira, this is going to be the best house ever!" she said cheerfully. He chucked, scratching his head.

Once the house was purchased, the two of them had quickly settled inside. Akira had to admit, for ten million col, it was definitely worth it. Most of the furniture was made entirely out of the finest wood around. The couches and sofa had wooden frames, with light green cushions. The coffee table was made entirely out of oak, and polished with a bright gloss that made it shine. The floors were hard wood, as he was expecting.

There were a few plants at every corner, giving a bit of greenery within the house. There were a few rooms, with lavish furnishings, including Queen sized beds made from the best materials around. The kitchen was even bigger than his back in Lake View Terrace, having two ovens, two sinks and a gas powered stove. It also had a modernized refrigerator. The dining room table was made out of Pine wood, making it match with the rest of the dwelling. Overall it was a very beautiful house.

"Well, now that we have our dwelling situation settled, we can...oh hang on." Akira said, glancing at his message window. He tapped the glowing envelope, opening the window.

"Hey Akira, what did you need to talk about? I can only take two days off this week. We're already planning the raid for the 66th Floor."

"It's something important. Are you in Lady Lake? We just bought a house up in one of the outlooks, the one that's facing the castle. If you can, please come over." he typed, quickly hitting send.

All the while, Yolko was watching the boy feverishly typing on his virtual keyboard. Sure she couldn't exactly see what he was typing, but she did see the recipient of the message. Smiling a bit, she felt relaxed, leaning against the counter.

"Okay, looks like we'll be having our first guest. I'll make some snacks." Akira said, opening his inventory. He pulled out all of the fruits he had bought, along with some other things. Activating his cooking skill, he grabbed a plate and some utensils.

"You know, one thing I hate about this game is the fact that the system helps you with literally everything. Like this, I can make a fruit tart by tapping it with a knife." he said, showing off his "Skill" in the kitchen. A fraction of a second later, several fruit tarts were sitting on the counter.

"That's one of the reasons why I didn't bother leveling it up. It would just take too long. Besides you have to hunt down all of the ingredients by hand in the field. That's just plain dangerous in my opinion." Yolko said.

"That's the fun part though. Being in the field hunting down plant monsters just for their sweet sap. Oh if I could find a Ragout Rabbit, that would be delightful. Then again my skills are just over 500 so it would probably mess it up." he said, placing all of the spare fruits in his surprisingly full fridge. Just as he closed the door, he heard a knock on the door. He smiled, heading toward it.

"Help yourself Yolko, I made plenty." he said.

"Okay." the girl replied, grabbing one of the delicious looking fruit tarts. She grabbed a fork from the drawer behind her, biting her lip hungrily.

"Wow, this is a nice house. It must have cost you a fortune!" Asuna said, stepping inside the dwelling. She was surprisingly not wearing her uniform. In fact she was wearing a light pink sweater, with a turtle neck. She was wearing a white skirt, light colored leggings and brown leather boots.

"Not really...well yeah it was a lot. But me and Yolko split it so it's okay." he said.

"Ooh, what's up with that? You two eloping?" the girl teased, causing him to blush.

"No, we aren't eloping. So don't even bother going to Liz with this information cuz it isn't true." he said, leading her into the kitchen. Yolko had a stack of plates next to her, having eaten quite a lot of fruit tarts. Akira was impressed, to say the least, thankfully there were plenty of them left.

"Well...I can see you're...making yourself at home already." Asuna said.

"Sorry...their just soooo good." she said, shoving more fruits into her mouth.

"Thank Sapphira and her constant nagging. I learned how to make these because she wouldn't shut up about it." he said, handing one to Asuna, along with a fork.

"So, what did you need me here for?" Asuna asked curiously, glancing between the two.

"Well, Yolko wanted to make someone a cheesecake. Sadly my skills are too low for that type of pastry and she hasn't leveled hers up at all. A little birdie told me you mastered your cooking skill, so I was wondering if you would help us." he said.

"Oh Argo, I don't even know how you get my information so fast. I'd love to help, but in order to make cheesecake we need to get some high grade ingredients. Thankfully houses come with utensils so we don't have to hunt those down. Here's a recipe I learned not long ago." she said, flicking a window to Akira. He looked it over, humming to himself.

"Giant Treeant sap, pure sheep milk, confectioners sugar...this is extensive." he muttered.

"It is, we can hunt the regular ingredients here in town, its the monster drops that we need to worry about." She said, closing the window.

"We can get Pure sheep milk on floor 56. There's plenty of sheep farmers up there." Yolko said.

"The sap can be found here in Lady Lake, it'll take awhile to round up enough for this though." Akira said.

"Well...we could hunt it down that way, but there's an easier way to get what we want. There's a quest inside the castle, called "Spirit of Lady Lake". I heard if you complete it, you get a lot of high grade food items from the castle as a reward." Asuna said.

"Hmm...that sounds a little to convenient if you ask me." Akira added, brow furrowed in thought.

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth! If we can get all of the items from a single quest then let's do it." Yolko said firmly. He shrugged, turning to Asuna.

"Fine, let's do this quest. This is for Yolko after all, and just to let you know, this guy better appreciate all the trouble we're going through." he said firmly.

"I'm sure he will, if not then I'll drive my estoc through his chest." she said firmly.

It wasn't long before the party of three were heading toward the giant castle in the center of Lady Lake. It was a tall imposing structure, with large fences surrounding the main building. The entire building seemed to be made out of marble, as it was shining in the sun. If Akira had to compare it to another place, he would say the KoB guild house on the 55th Floor was similar in design, perhaps a bit smaller.

Walking up the main steps, the three players walked through the main doors, heading into an antechamber of sorts. It was large and a bit dark due to the drapes over the windows. There were banners everywhere with the castle's crest on them. Walking forward they reached an altar of sorts. The most interesting feature was the sword that was resting on said pedestal. There was a line of people walking to it, attempting to pull it from the pedestal. Akira smirked, shaking his head.

"How much you wanna bet that's Excalibur?" he asked.

"Kayaba wouldn't make getting a legendary sword that easy." Asuna deadpanned. He rolled his eyes. Walking further into the room, he noticed something else near the sword.

A young woman, with long greenish silver hair. The hair was so long that it almost touched the floor. She had it tied up in a high ponytail behind a red and gold headband. She had bright green eyes, and was wearing a long sleeved, red, white and black dress, with hints of violet. She was wearing a pair of red heels, with ribbons that wrapped around her legs. The entire garment was decorated with tiny green gems.

The odd thing about it was the fact that no one was interacting with her. It was as if she was invisible to everyone in the room. He shared a look with the girls, who just shrugged.

"Do you think this is part of the quest?" Yolko asked.

"Maybe, so far no one is looking in her direction. Maybe that's because only a player can see her. That means only a player can also draw the sword." Asuna replied.

"If that's the case, then let's get in line." he said, walking over to the line of NPCs.

"Hey, no fair! You've already gotten a Legendary sword, maybe you should let someone else take a crack at it!" Yolko snapped.

"This is for the quest, if it is a legendary weapon then I'll just give it away. I don't need two of them." he replied.

"I'll get in line too. Maybe I'll have luck and get a rapier." Asuna added.

They all just stood in line, watching as the others tried to pull the sword to no avail. When it became Akira's turn. He strode up the steps, getting curious looks from the other NPCs. The girl with the silver hair finally looked up at him, giving him a smile. He wrapped his hand around the sword.

"For Narnia!" he cried, pulling the sword as hard as he could. He grit his teeth, pulling with all of his might. But he ended up failing like all the others. He hung his head, frowning.

"Man, that was a bust." he said.

"Never ask a man to do a woman's job." Yolko said simply, taking a hold of the sword. With a light tug, it came away, glowing a bright orange as it did. The NPCs gasped, all of them pointing right at her. The silver haired girl finally stood up, gaining a golden cursor above her head.

"Marvelous, I wasn't expecting someone so young to take a hold of my sword. It's been so long since someone has shown the courage to wield it." she said firmly.

"Courage? That's all it took, wow." Akira muttered dryly. Yolko giggled, glancing the sword over. Aside from a glowing blade, it didn't look anything different than a regular estoc. The cross-guard was a crimson color, with golden designs on it. There were some bright green gems on it, making it glitter brightly in the dimmed room.

"Wow, I guess I really do have a knack for this. Who are you exactly miss?" Yolko asked.

"Where are my manners? My name is Lailah, I am the spirit of Lady Lake, protector of the sacred sword. My sword has been resting in this castle since the last century or so. I have sat here and watched countless people reach for the sword, but not one ever proved themselves, until you came." she said happily.

"Interesting, so that means she's the NPC we need to find for our quest. Excuse me, is there anything we could do for you?" Asuna asked, earning a nod from the silver haired girl.

"I require an escort to the Zephyr Mountains. There is a creature that has been terrorizing my homeland for quite awhile. Only those who can wield the sword can stand a chance of defeating it. If you successfully defeat it, I will make sure you get paid handsomely for your services." the girl replied. Akira shrugged.

"It's your call." he said.

"Okay, we accept." Yolko said, earning a smile from the girl.

"Wonderful, do you perhaps have a dagger I could borrow for the time being? I'm not that good at fighting with a sword." she said.

Akira quickly opened his menu, materializing his current dagger. He hadn't been using it actively for awhile but it was still a good weapon. He handed it to the girl, along with the sheathe. She smiled, strapping the weapon onto her belt. It wasn't long before her HP bar joined theirs at the top left of his HUD.

"I haven't done an escort quest in a long time. The last one I did was back on the 43rd Floor." Akira said, a smile on his face.

"Well looks like now's your chance. The Zephyr Mountains aren't that far from here, but there are a lot of dangerous creatures out there. So let's be careful." Asuna said firmly. It didn't take her long to materialize her KoB uniform, along with Lambent Light, her rapier. With a nod, Akira took the lead.

"Lady Lake sure is beautiful. It's been a long time since I've taken a walk." Lailah said, smiling a bit as they all headed out of the city. They were near the bridge already. Yolko looked around in wonder, the Sacred Sword having been placed in her inventory. She had tried checking its information, but other than the name, which was Sacred Sword, she didn't get any thing, no stats and no other information. So she hadn't equipped it, and decided to keep her current Estoc.

"Lady Lake is beautiful, but I prefer Selmberg. It feels more homey to me." Asuna said, earning a chuckle from Akira.

"That's so you. Kirito lives in Algade because he can sell high grade stuff to Agil for some easy money. Silica lives down in Mishe, and Lisbeth in Lindas...the rest of my friends are in Haiku...man we are all split up." he said.

"We all have different tastes, and while I agree that it would be better to live together near the front lines. I think it's good for us to live apart as well." Yolko added.

"So long as you can see your friends it shouldn't matter where you live, right?" Lailah added. Akira had been surprised, then again he remembered Gentiana really loved to talk when they were alone.

"Wise words indeed. So, why exactly do we need to head to the Zephyr Mountains?" the boy asked curiously.

"You see, several years ago there was a war in our land. Lady Lake fell victim to it, and during that time many people ended up dying. A hero rose above them all and crafted an all mighty weapon with the last of the worlds magic. However in order for it to be powerful, a Seraph had to be bound to the sword for all eternity." she said.

"And that's you right?" Asuna asked.

"Yes, I did it gratefully. I knew that I had the chance to save millions if I bound myself to the sword. During this time, the worlds magic turned evil, forming something called a Hellion. My previous master went on a journey to slay them all, but before he could slay the final one, he passed on. No one has been able to wield my sword since then." Lailah replied.

"So, since Yolko drew the sword you need her to defeat the Hellion...that makes sense. Your previous master will be able to rest easy if we do this." Akira said.

"Yes, I cannot say how grateful I am for your help. I felt ignored for a long time, but you three were the first ones to notice me. It means a lot to me that you are helping me." she said, giving them a warm smile.

"She's quite talkative for an NPC. I know this is a quest and all, but I do feel sad for her." Asuna said.

"I learned to give everyone a chance, even if they're an NPC. Every life is precious." Akira added.

After awhile, the party of four made it out to the lush fields of the 66th Floor. After dealing with some of the nearby monsters, they set a course to the Zephyr Mountains, which lied Northeast of Lady Lake. They walked down the grassy hills, just enjoying the breeze.

They heard a hiss, as several Snake like creatures slithered out of the grass. Poison Lizard Snakes, one of the common mob of the 66th Floor. Akira drew his sword, spinning it around his hand before getting into his stance.

"You girls want some extra experience points?" he asked.

"Nah, let's just relax and focus on leveling up later." Asuna said, pointing her Rapier at a nearby Snake. He nodded and dashed forward, challenging one of the snakes to a fight.

The snakes they were currently fighting were longer than the average snake. They were around fifteen feet or so, and as thick as an Anaconda. They were hissing loudly and spitting poison at them. Akira did his best to dodge them, but he ended up taking a few points of damage from the tail swipes. Getting a bit bored, Akira pulled his sword back, activating a Horizontal. He let out a cry as he cut the Snake's head clean off, making it burst into polygons.

Unleashing simultaneous skills, Yolko and Asuna made quick work of their enemies, leaving Lailah as the only one having trouble. Akira was about to step in when the girl dashed forward, kicking the snake into the air. With a cry she activated Cross Edge, slicing the snake into quarters in mid air. It flashed out of existence, ending the battle.

"Wonderful, that was easy peasy." the girl said.

"Uh...yeah...you had me worried there Lailah." Akira said, sheathing his Claymore at his side.

"It's been awhile since I was actively fighting. I'll get better...now let us continue." she said, giving him a smile. He shrugged, taking the lead again.

"So, when are you two getting hitched?" Asuna asked, earning a hiss from Yolko, who rapidly silenced her. She glanced at their party leader, who was busy talking with Lailah.

"I'm not sure, the idiot hasn't noticed any of my advances. I've been subtle and I've out right made it obvious. I mean, what grown woman chooses to buy a house with a boy she met a few weeks before?" she asked.

"Akira is...something special. Trust me, Kirito is the same...I've dropped hint after hint, but he's too dense to get the memo."

"Men are just too hard to deal with sometimes. All the focus is on leveling up and finding the rarest monster drops." Yolko said, crossing her arms, a pout on her lips. Asuna giggled.

"I feel ya. So, how strong is Akira? He barely shares his level with anyone, not even his friends." the auburn haired girl asked. Yolko shrugged, glancing at her friend and romantic interest.

"He hides his menu from me whenever he's switching weapons and stuff. He'll often wait until I'm asleep to even mess with it. What level is Kirito?" she asked.

"Last I spoke to him, he was level 79, now...probably in the nineties. Heh, I'm sure Akira could give him a run for his money."

"I would love to see a duel between those two. The Black Swordsman vs The Violet Assassin, that would be awesome." Yolko said.

"What are you two talking about back there? Are you already gossiping?" Akira asked, earning a curious look from Lailah. She was most likely very interested in their conversation.

"We aren't gossiping. We just want to know who would win in a fight, you or Kirito." Asuna said. The boy adopted a pensive look.

"Well, that depends if we're going all out against each other. Kirito has his own techniques and stuff he's hiding from me." he said.

"Okay, how about a duel to the yellow, who would win?" Yolko asked.

"Again that depends on what you consider a duel. I can very well equip my Legendary sword and wreck him, but he also has Elucidator, and he bought a new sword from Lisbeth not long ago. He must have replaced that with his new one. Honestly it depends." he said.

"Well, if you wish to see how strong your friend is, why not just challenge him out right?" Lailah asked curiously. The three players shrugged, as Asuna opened her message box.

"That's a great idea Lailah...I'll talk to him right now." she said, shooting him a message.

"A great, this is gonna be fun." Akira muttered dryly.

"We can host it in Lady Lake, right in front of our home. The plaza is big enough for a duel." Yolko said.

"Yes, it will be a good fight that's for sure."

"Women, once they get something in their heads, they just won't stop until they got it." Akira said, earning a giggle from Lailah.

Xxx

"Oh right, I heard you and Kirito had a duel on the 66th Floor, but I didn't see who won. Wish I was there." Rika said.

"Me too, I was on the 45th Floor leveling up so I didn't hear anything." Keiko added.

"No worries little sis, me and Kirito are bound to duel again some time. Then I can prove who the better dual wielder is. Niji-chan has been teaching me how to fight properly." he said, kissing Nijika's cheek. The two girls squealed.

"You two are so damn cute together. Man, I wish I had a boyfriend!" Rika snapped.

Having arrived at the park, the four friends quickly found a place to study. It was an area with some picnic tables, near the artificial lake. It was a bright and sunny afternoon, making it the perfect day to go to the park. Akira pulled out his books, along with his laptop, setting them down on the table.

"So, what are you struggling with Rika? I'm really good with math so I'll be able to help you." he said.

"Everything, from fractions to algebra." she admitted.

"Hard to believe Aincrad's best Blacksmith would suck at math. Don't you know you need to know math to make swords?" Nijika asked, earning a glare from the brunette.

"Now now, let's not tear each other apart. Big brother, do you think you could help me with math too?" Keiko asked, earning a nod from Akira.

"Sure thing sis, I'll help you out. Let's start with fractions, seeing as that's where Rika is struggling."

"I'll work on English, since you are American I want help with this too." Nijika said, opening her English text book. He chuckled, giving her a nod.

"One subject at a time sweetheart. Now, in order to solve fractions, you need to figure out what a numerator and a denominator is. It's really easy, the numerator is the top number and the denominator is the bottom number." Akira started. From the confused look Rika was giving him, he knew he would be helping them for quite awhile.