Floor 7

How does time pass so quickly?

The sixth floor had been cleared yesterday. The guilds worked slowly at first, but we had fallen in rhythm with one another and were now conquering floors at a reasonable pace. Our main obstacle was the different guilds fighting with each other. The leaders of certain guilds would argue over who should be in control in labyrinths, which would hinder the battle.

Earlier in the day Fuurinkazan, Kimiko, and I started to explore the seventh floor. We discovered a two-part quest that would be accomplished quicker if we split up. I wasn't exactly thrilled about the "split up" idea, because it meant I had to be alone with Tetsuji. The two of us had the matching skill set to do the smaller half of the quest, while Kimiko and Fuurinkazan would fight the monster.

The group agreed on a quick break before the quest. Takeo and I laid in a meadow outside of town, my head resting on his chest while he draped one arm around my side. I ran my free hand through the grass, fingering each blade.

"Isn't it weird how you can smell it?" Takeo said.

"Huh?"

"The grass. It's just like laying in an actual field."

"Oh. I suppose so."

"You don't agree, do you?" He said, tilting his head down and laughing.

"I mean. It doesn't make me itchy like real grass does. And even though it smells and has texture, there's something different about it."

"Eh, I guess so."

There was a pause between us and I listened to the rise and fall of his chest, trying to time my breathing with his. This was simpler than fighting floor bosses, labyrinths, and grinding to level up.

"Is this who you wanted to be? In SAO, I mean," I said.

"And who is that, exactly?"

"Well, um, what we do. What all of the clearers do. Risk our lives to get all of the players out of here."

"It wasn't what I was expecting, but I don't regret my choice." He tilted his chin to look down at me. "Is it who you want to be?"

"It doesn't matter," I mumbled.

"Sure, it does. Why would you do something you don't want?"

I bit the inside of my cheek and looked away from him. "I'm here now, and I suppose that's what matters."

"You make your own decisions, Kat. No one will fault you for leaving. But you've gone farther in this game than most people have. Look at the thousands of people that haven't left The Town of Beginnings."

"But what if I'm not good enough?" I blurted.

"That's a stupid question. You've helped clear each labyrinth."

"No, I meant what if I'm not a good enough person? When I fight to get out, I mostly think of myself."

"If that's what drives you to get out, does it matter? Everyone else will come with you."

I hadn't thought of it like that. I'd only seen my selfish desires to get myself out of this game, back to everything that's familiar and safe. "I-I guess it doesn't."

"Exactly." The two of us stared into the digital sky, the pixels imitating a summer day.

I wasn't sure when I'd get back to my normal familiar and safe, but at least I was finding solace in my new reality. Being around Takeo was familiar and safe. Celia and Kimiko were familiar and safe.

I better get used to it, because it will be this way for a while.

"Am I intruding on something?" Tetsuji stood above us, his arms crossed.

"N-no!" I said, scrambling off of Takeo.

"Right."

Stupid jerk.

I stood up and wiped the dirt off my dress, avoiding his gaze. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Obviously," he replied.

"It's only for a few hours. We'll message you when we're done." Takeo rustled my hair and waved goodbye at Tetsuji and me. I watched him walk away, silently screaming for him to come back and to not leave me alone with Tetsuji.

"Are you going to stand there all day?" Tetsuji asked, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.

"Sorry."

Our quest was to retrieve a Manticore egg from its nest. We had no clue where the nest was, and Tetsuji's search skill was the highest in Fuurinkazan's, so it was logical that he went. When the two of us found the nest, it would most likely be in a high place. Assuming it was well placed, I was the only one with high enough acrobatics skill to reach it.

The rest of our teammates were on their way to distract the Manticore so we would have a wide-open nest.

Tetsuji pulled up his UI and selected his search skill.

"Are you guys dating?" he asked, looking more entertained than interested.

"What?! No."

"So, you just put your head on every man's chest, then?"

"Why do you care what I do?" I blurted.

"I don't. Just making an observation." He started walking into the forest, and I trailed silently behind him.

Today is going to be hell.

We said nothing as we walked alongside one another, which was fine with me. I had a feeling anything he said would make me want to slap him.

"Isn't that the Manticore?" I pointed at a beast roaming the forest. It had almost all the features of a Manticore—The body of a lion, wings, and the tail of a scorpion. The only thing it was missing was a human-like face.

"No. That's one of her children."

As it got closer, "Lesser Manticore" appeared above its head. I drew my short sword in preparation to slay the beast when I saw the second label. Docile.

"Eh?" I said.

I went rigid as the Lesser Manticore approached me. I didn't want to attack a docile creature, but it could rip me apart with talons that size. The beast snorted and shoved its nose under my hand, rubbing its face up and down my palm.

"It wants me to pet it?" I couldn't contain the idiotic smile that broke out across my face, and I scratched the monster's head.

Tetsuji rolled his eyes. "We didn't come here to get you a pet."

The Manticore had flipped on its back and I gave it a belly rub, trying to contain my quiet giggles. Tetsuji stood with his arms crossed but let me play with the creature for five minutes before leaving. We walked in silence for another ten minutes before he spoke.

"The fuck is that?" he muttered.

"I don't see anything."

"Obviously. You don't have search skill."

I didn't bother hiding the scowl that crept across my face. He put his hand up, a silent signal to be quiet. With the other, he drew his sword from his back. The two of us crept forward, looking for the presence that had shown up on Tetsuji's radar.

A man peered through a cluster of bushes into the clearing, intensely focused on something. He had his back turned to us and was oblivious to our presence. Tetsuji fixated on the man, his sword drawn as he assessed the danger of the person who stood before us. A verdict was made when his sword raised.

I saw the small label just as Tetsuji was about to strike. "It's an NPC, stop!" I grabbed his arm so he couldn't lower his blade.

When the NPC saw Tetsuji's weapon extended towards him, he fell over in surprise.

"God damn it, Kat! Just because it's an NPC doesn't mean it's not dangerous!"

"But he wasn't doing anything," I mumbled.

"You don't know that for sure. Jesus."

"I wasn't doing anything, I swear!" The NPC said. "I'm just trying to hunt these Lesser Manticores, ya'see? The pelts are worth a lot of money. If you're willing to take a few out for me, I'll reward you with three thousand Cor." A golden exclamation point appeared over the NPC's head.

My eyes grew wide and I shook my head, begging Tetsuji not to accept the quest. Killing the Lesser Manticores would be cruel; they're not a threat.

"I don't want to," I squeaked.

Tetsuji pinched the bridge of his nose. I knew he was irritated with me for not saying yes to such an easy quest. "Why don't you do it? They're docile," he asked the NPC.

"Ah, when you attack those buggers they go psycho on you. No way I could take one out by myself."

"Please don't." My eyes were downcast as I waited for Tetsuji to respond to the quest.

He was going to accept. Three thousand Cor was a lot of money, and he would have no remorse killing the Manticores.

Tetsuji's nostrils flared, and I watched his jaw move from his teeth grinding together. "It's fine. We're busy."

He dragged me away from the NPC towards our original path.

"Tetsuji, I, um—" I started.

"What?" He shot me a glare.

"It's just…I didn't think you'd decline the quest."

"If I accepted it, I would have had to listen to you cry about killing Manticores, and I'm not in the mood."

Of course. It was stupid of me to think he had considered my input.

"We're getting closer," he said, tapping at his UI.

"That's good." I was so sick of him.

"Shit."

A twenty-foot ledge greeted us as we emerged from the forest, its shelf spanning past the horizon.

"I guess we're just going to have to walk around it," he said.

"What? We can make that."

"You can make that. All of your skill is in Dexterity and Acrobatics. I'm allocated differently, idiot."

I turned light pink. He didn't have to call me an idiot just because I had forgotten he had different skills.

"Just…let's figure something out." I sprinted towards the wall and easily made my way up with the exaggerated movement of the SAO system.

Tetsuji wouldn't be able to climb the entire cliff, but he could make it up part way. Maybe I'd be able to help him with the rest. I laid on my stomach and wrapped the crook of my knees on the bushes that lined the rim. Using the branches as support, I leaned the upper half of my body over the edge and extended my arms.

"Just take my hands," I called to him.

Tetsuji didn't respond, and, even though I couldn't see them, I was sure he rolled his eyes. He sprinted towards the wall and his hands grasped mine, the force nearly ripping my shoulders out of their sockets. I grimaced and used the little strength I had to pull him up.

"That was actually a good idea." He said it as though I was incapable of having them. Tetsuji saw the sour look on my face and snorted. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Jesus. You never speak at all, even when something is wrong. I can't decide if it's annoying or convenient."

"Which way from here?" I pivoted. I didn't need Tetsuji reminding me of my flaws—I was quite aware of them.

"This way."

We walked another ten minutes in silence. I normally found comfort in silence—it came from being an extreme introvert—but Tetsuji's presence made me uneasy. I fiddled with my UI, desperately trying to keep myself occupied.

I gasped as I entered the calendar setting. "Is it January already?"

"It's already the fifth. Where have you been?"

"I don't know…it just went by so fast."

"Miss your birthday?"

His voice was dripping with sarcasm, but yes, I had missed my birthday. In real life I had been counting down the days until my seventeenth birthday, because that was one year closer to eighteen, and when I turned eighteen I would be a principal dancer.

Being seventeen doesn't matter anymore. There was no way we would clear the floors in less than a year. Even if we did, my body would have lost all muscle tone. It would take a year of training to reach the skill level I was at.

I crossed my arms and continued looking straight, not giving him an answer.

"What, born on Christmas?"

"Yes, actually," I replied.

"You're fucking with me."

"I'm not."

"Christmas. Makes sense why you're so bitter now."

"I am not bit—"

Tetsuji grabbed my forearm and pointed upwards. The Manticore nest was perched on a branch, slightly hidden between a ledge of the cliff.

"How did you see that?" I asked.

"Search skill. Now go get the egg."

I didn't respond as I darted up the cliff. Pieces of earth crumbled from under my foot each time my boot contacted with the ledge. I never let my foot hover for too long, because that was an easy way to fall to my death, and that wasn't how I wanted to die in SAO.

I hopped into the Manticore nest, and the twigs left small scratches on my legs as I walked towards the egg. The pain from the branches wasn't strong enough to turn off the sensors, and raw crisscrossed marks appeared on my skin.

The Manticore egg sat in the center of the (very large) nest. It was slightly bigger than a basketball and had an odd oval shape, with a bumpy golden pattern for a shell. I cradled it in my arm and noticed it was slightly firmer than a chicken egg.

Please don't let me break this.

"Got it," I called to Tetsuji.

He said something along the lines of "hurry up then" and I rolled my eyes as I tried to figure out how to carry an egg while jumping down a cliff.

I never found out. Talons dug into my arm, leaving digital blue marks in my skin. The Lesser Manticore that was once docile hovered in front of me, poised to attack. My heart raced as it let out a sickening cawing noise from the back of its throat.

I tried to regulate the beating of my heart as the beast hovered above me, its face locked in a menacing glare.

It's only one monster.

I had been through six floor bosses, five field bosses, and killed an endless number of wild beasts. One Lesser Manticore wouldn't be a problem, even if it was flying and I was seventy somewhat feet off the ground.

I cradled the egg in my right arm and drew my short sword with my left. The Lesser Manticore hovered in front of the nest but didn't descend to attack.

"Oh, c'mon," I muttered.

"Kat!" Tetsuji yelled.

I glanced away from the beast and my stomach dropped. All the Lesser Manticores I had declined to kill were flying toward me, ready to protect the egg. The nest was tucked into an L-shaped section of the cliff, and the first Lesser Manticore hovered in front of me, blocking my only exit.

If I waited, the entire pack of Manticores were either going to claw or peck me to death, neither of which sounded appealing. I held my breath, tucked my sword in its sheath, and jumped towards the Lesser Manticore.

Kimiko and I had continued to practice the martial arts skill, and I had been getting good at it. Good being the key word. I never thought I would have to use the skill. But as I flew through the air, leg extended, I realized I was so, so, wrong.

My side kick collided with the beast's belly and the two of us hurtled towards the earth. If the Manticore didn't kill me, this fall surely would. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impact.

I was on top of the Manticore as it landed on its back, the beast absorbing almost all the damage of the fall. Its health bar was flashing red, while I had lost only a sliver. I was already shocked I had survived, but it was a miracle the egg was intact. I looked at the Manticore, the egg, myself, and the egg again, in disbelief over what had happened.

"Pay attention!" Tetsuji had finished off the fallen Manticore while I had been amazed I wasn't dead.

"Right." I placed the egg under a patch of bushes and grabbed my sword.

"If we get out of this alive," Tetsuji exhaled through his nose. "I'm going to kill you myself."

The Lesser Manticores were impossible to slay from the ground. I had to scale the cliff and knock them out of the air, and Tetsuji would finish them when they landed. While I was climbing the ledge, the beasts would dive bomb Tetsuji, their pecks draining his HP bar. By the time we had finished, both our HP bars were orange.

After the battle we sat on the ground, too exhausted to say anything. Which was fine with me. I knew the moment Tetsuji had energy he was going to lecture me about the earlier quest. I could hear it now.

If you weren't so emotional about killing the Manticores, this wouldn't have happened. We almost got fucking killed because of you.

Etcetera, etcetera.

Tetsuji stood and stared at me, a silent command for me to also stand. I scrambled to my feet to not further upset him. His amber eyes bore into mine, and I trembled as I waited for his onslaught.

"Listen to me." He grabbed both of my shoulders and kept his eyes fixated on mine. "This game. It's only going to get harder from here. You're going to have to do things worse than killing docile Manticores if you want to survive. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes," I managed to utter.

He let go of my shoulders and looked away. "Go get the egg."

That's it?

I was expecting him to chastise me for being an emotional idiot about the Lesser Manticores, not to tell me to stay alive.

Does that mean he's not a complete asshole?

I shook my head. No way.

He didn't talk about what happened on our journey back into town. We didn't talk about anything, really. When we reached the bar where the rest of Fuurinkazan waited I let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey!" Klein called as we walked in. "What took you so long? You guys had the easy job!"

I cringed as I waited for Tetsuji to rat me out to Klein. The embarrassment of what I had done might be worse than if Tetsuji yelled at me.

"There were multiple Lesser Manticores guarding the nest," Tetsuji replied.

"Ah? I thought it was supposed to be wide open if we distracted the boss!"

Tetsuji relayed the day's events, excluding why the Lesser Manticores attacked us.

What the hell?

I wasn't sure why he didn't tell Klein about why they had attacked, but I was grateful. Maybe he had a sliver of compassion.

I tuned the conversation out when Kimiko went wild that I took the Manticores down with side kicks. Something about "being the best martial arts instructor in SAO."

"Kat? Did you hear me?" Tetsuji's voice snapped me out of my trance. "I said give the egg to Klein so we can finish the quest."

"Okay."

He's not that bad.